Miles To Go Chapter 1.2: Debt Boogaloo

[The Wanderer]

GM Post

After gathering supplies and getting several bits of information, which included a fair bit of knowledge on their destination. The crew would find their way back to the ship and get ready for departure, Hearts and the Navigator easily pulling the ship out of the dock and out into the familiar void of space. The datapack that was given to them that had the coordinates on it plugged into the main console, which brings the information that Luer had gathered to be shared from the friendly merchant.

"It's a little ways into the frontier, right on that fringe between the jurisdiction of the Coalition and the unknown. Meaning wherever you're going is gonna be off the books to whoever you're delivering it to. I suggest keeping weapons close on hand or have a good pilot to get your asses out of there. It's this desert world, Callisto. A couple settlements here and there, quiet but still that level of shady that I would also recommend locking the ship or keeping someone on board just in case."

In regard to who knew about it more in depth, Hearts and Yaat would know the most about it through their own experiences. They knew it had eight settlements, each ran by a 'sheriff' of sorts and each one running on Wild West law logic. And that Callisto had incredibly dangerous fauna on the world that was essentially underground scorpion lizards that preferred to strike during thunderstorm seasons. Mainly due to the creatures' extreme sensitivity to sunlight causing their skin to boil and pop before dying. And that the planet had a small problem of bandits but it wasn't nothing that'd give them any trouble should they encounter it.

The trip would take a couple of hours to a day or two before they'd arrive so plenty of time to get to know one another or work on some items.
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Before the others had gotten back, Daniel would be surprised at the close contact but as soon as he felt the heat of her body as he was essentially hugged to her body, he would basically go slightly limp as he basked in the warmth. His brain making pleasant tingles in the back of his skull as that preconditioned part of his brain wanted that heat. Not in a carnal way, as Vatborns of his specific area were conditioned to want to be in the hot interiors of the factories they worked in.

Granted, this was achieved by them having a lower body temperature. A fact that Hearts would immediately feel as Daniel's skin made contact with her shoulder. Like a cool rag had been put on it. Heck, just touching his body would yield that cool feeling even through the clothing he was wearing.

And since he had no idea if this was like those hugs from before when they were on Prospero in the hotter climates that Hearts detested or because she was stressed so he just kind of let her do as she pleased. Essentially being like a teddy bear in her arms. His train of thought being interrupted as he partially dozed off as they awaited the crew to return and when they did, he would be mildly concerned about the underground creatures.

He gripped Hearts' arm slightly as he shivered at the thought of them. "They sound creepy, like the talks of the skin-fish back on Prospero in the sea."

@rissa @Noble Scion @Grehstone @Wiggin @LazTheSpazz @NewWaveOldie @LenxKaitoYaoi

 

[Grehstone]

Yaatree felt a fool, when the pieces came together. That symbol had been the flag of the alliance! His original mission had been to report on THEIR actions! Their moves! Their willingness to seek out the Voyagers! And in this case, their weaknesses. Still, forgetting the flag of those he was supposed to be spying on was a deep and personal shame. But, on the plus side, it was personal. No-one had to know.

As for the puzzle, Yaat had a complete enough picture to suspect that, if Hearts knew all the details, she'd want to take extra precautions. The crate was almost certainly alliance weapons, and the easily scuttled ship was certainly not on any official records. The news that their destination was a highly dangerous border world was no comfort, and in fact made his suspicions coalesce into a familiar yet horrible picture of a political situation.

Someone high up in the Alliance's political or military hierarchy wanted this planet to break away. Someone high and public enough to need to appear totally unconnected to such illegal and treasonous activities. Thus, the Matriarch, the timing, the fact that they did their best to erase ALL records. Every weapon in that box, no matter its form, would have had all identifying marks removed. If they really wanted to sell the idea that it was simple criminal action and smuggling and theft, they might've even packed weapons a generation or two behind the latest models, or ensured they got extensive use at the range to get a little wear on them. As such, the recipients were probably political extremists, or at least opposition to the alliance, though without more detailed knowledge of the planet, he couldn't conclude anything about their stances or ideals. It was a bit harder to say if they'd be aware of their 'sponsor' or not, but what was clear was that this level of secrecy typically meant killing anyone who might know.

Hearts needed to know that, at least. She probably already suspected that the recipients might try to kill them. But a rebel force tended to be a fair bit deadlier, braver, and more numerous than your typical gangs. So, after composing an encoded report for his own people and sending it off, Yaatree sought her out…

"Captain? I know that you don't want all the details, but I think I've found out a bit more about this drop-off we're doing… And we should probably take additional precautions. Is… Now a bad time?"

@The Wanderer @Noble Scion