Driftwood/Session 4

Due to the destruction of our boarding craft, QS and SQ ask us what we want to do with the Fugitive since we've taken it over. We have a few options: we can sell it off, or we could refit it as either a secondary vessel or a new boarding craft. Job points out that we now have Kirvan signals we can use to flag down other ships. This will allow us to get closer before the firing starts, causing less damage and maximizing the profit off them.
This reasoning makes enough sense. and buoyed by our "great success", we decide to make the Fugitive a secondary vessel and captain it in the name of the Carcosa. The twins will own 75% of the ship, but we'll be able to refit it and get new crew. Pending the results of our next 5 boarding actions, we may be able to buy the ship outright, and that contract would be formalized at the next port. Additionally, we receive one third of the spoils from any of our boarding actions.
Tog, still a bit paranoid from the last action, wants to ensure we're the best armed of the boarding crew. The twins agree to this idea, as we'll have priority over any weapons we scavenge. The Carcosa can appropriate any equipment from us that they want at a 10% premium.
With organization now settled, it's time to heal (mentally and physically) and repair the ship. The Carcosa will drag the Solemn Grace and the Splendid back to Tarim to sell off the refugees and scavenge parts as needed. Seeing Job's condition, the twins pull Georg aside and order Job to be tranquilized on the trip back.
What do we do about the crew who missed boarding actions? What about Fulton and Zeta? Are they considered POWs? Fulton manages to dig up a prisoner manifest with his name on it, indicating he's not Shantine, which marks him as a civilian. Zeta, being a (forced) convert and not on that manifest, is now a POW. Zeta is kept on the crew as a frontline combatant. The crew has a small disagreement over what Fulton needs to tell us before we allow him to join.
Georg is pissed about how we managed our tactics on the first boarding action and wants to go over our future strategy. Considering we ran headlong into two tripwires… he may have a point. He stresses the importance of patience and the element of surprise. Job points out we shouldn't have trusted anyone at the engine room door, and we didn't spread out at all to draw fire. On the other hand, we now understand more about the Shantine: how their engines work and how we can tamper with them, as well as their fanatical, suicidal actions in a fight. We once again set a standardized boarding order: ranged at the front, melee behind them, support in the back, with three distinct prongs of approach.
We spend more time stocking up and organizing the crew. We stockpile flashbangs, which ought to be especially helpful when fighting on a ship. We decide whether to alter our positions by giving up our ranks on the Carcosa to take full-time positions on the Fugitive. Despite significant pushback from Fritz, who had a relatively cushy job there, we all agree to do so. Georg and Fritz dislike each other immensely.
On the way back to port, we interview the Fugitive's remaining crew to see whether they can be trusted to run things for us later (mostly engineers, and a doctor):
*The first engineer is a middle-aged woman (Agna) with an industrial background, conscripted for her tech experience. She hopes to see what's left of her connections someday and is disgusted by Leandra's work. She seems to be honest enough at first as she's finally free to speak out for once. Zeta disagrees, finding Agna contemptible as she loved to dish out unnecessary cruelty to the prisoners.
*On closer inspection her story is disingenuous, and her loyalty is questionable. As she's being escorted back to the brig, she pleads with Job that she's a supporter of Kirva but not Leandra. Job says he doesn't care and encourages her to end things on her own terms if she doesn't want to be taken back to Tarim. She asks for a weapon to do it. He tells her to attack him. She says she'll pray over the decision. Job takes her back to the cell and gives the rest of the crew an ultimatum: "whoever beats the woman to death has an advantage in the interview." No one takes it.
*Next to be interviewed is Doctor Metapis. He seems straightforward enough, caring about saving lives and helping others. We ask about his treatment methods, and he explains the benefits of soul manipulation and soul transferring technology. Fritz, deciding not to question the motivations behind these methods, is unopposed to the idea and offers to "compare notes" with Metapis. Zeta walks him out, and he compliments her combat skills.
*The third interviewee is another engineer, Mr. Senans. He claims not to be a Kirvan and was the only one promoted to manage the ship's upkeep. He details the anti-boarding and anti-personnel weaponry the ship contains, and says we'd be better off adding more engines to move faster. Not perfect, but a likely hire anyway.
*The last interviewee, and the third engineer, is called Kasta. Kasta is a Shantine. Ossirc wants a vibe check on Kasta, then asks if he wants to die. Kasta immediately vomits. He seems to be perpetually nervous given the situation, but he's also good with languages. Job asks Kasta what the Silence means to him and finds the response satisfactory. As a joke, Ossirc walks Kasta out to the airlock, terrifying him, but only asking him to fix some minute part on it that was malfunctioning. Ossirc then goes to check (very thoroughly) for leftover booby traps.
After the interviews finish, Job sees no one has opted to bump off Agna. Job asks Zeta if she wants to kill Agna personally. Zeta confirms she does, since Agna knows something about Zeta, but they defer for now. Agna is put in the airlock, as she doesn't make the cut and will be dropped off at port. She pleads her case to stay on the crew, but Zeta, who's been watching over her, threatens her in Shantine. Agna tells Job that Zeta is of no concern to anyone except the captain (Georg), continuing to plead her case by offering information about Zeta in exchange for remaining on the crew.
All this pleading finally attracts Georg's attention. He asks Zeta about her backstory. Zeta explains she was trained to be a fighter and was forced to become Kirvan after her home was razed, more out of survival than anything else. Georg and Fritz speak to Agna next. Agna expounds on Zeta being some sort of sorceress, using "celestial magics" to corrupt the other refugees and take over the crew. She asks Fritz to examine Zeta for unnatural signs, like having "knife hands." Fritz thinks this sounds cool and is more of a value add than anything. We debate whether Agna is telling the truth, and furthermore, whether we care.
Fritz examines the crew we've interviewed:
*Kasta shows signs of high stress, but he's otherwise healthy. He also carries elvish traits.
*Agna has a history of soul therapy, a reminder of the Silence.
*Senans and the doctor are also healthy. The doctor's artificial hand is intriguing, like it was grown or cloned. Fritz makes a mental note to pick his brain about soul technology later.
Finally, Zeta gets a checkup. Using psionics to assist with it, Fritz notices some things that are out of place. Her circulatory system equilibrates oddly, as though it's compartmentalized. A closer look shows she has facsimiles of organs as opposed to real ones. The psionic interaction leads Fritz to see a sort of distorted mirror depicting the worst moments of his life. These moments resolve back into what her organs represent. Well… that's something. He also checks for knife hands, which she does indeed have. Fritz finds this to be a fun discovery and clears her.
When they return, Zeta gets the chance to decide what to do with Agna. Seeing she's done for, Agna warns us that "the bargain we've made will destroy us all," and Zeta shoves her out of the airlock. Time to get back to work…
Category:Session Summaries