INTRODUCTION.
NOSFERATU dropped through the white clouds and blue sky at a steady, controlled pace, closing on the automated beacon that marked the location of the spaceport/nearby town BADDAWG'S LANDING on the world bearing the same name. this was going to be NOSFERATU'S first time here, so hopefully the somewhat "colorful" rep of ship and crew had not preceeded her. the plan was to off load some cargo, allow the crew a long overdue dirtside liberty, fill some of the crew slots left vacant after the fiasco at the "lost asteroid base", as well as locating another cargo, maybe passengers, or even a charter to pay the bills.
BADDAWG'S LANDING was one of those sparsely settled worlds near THE EDGE of known space, and supposedly was a place where "business" could be done without attracting the attention of local authorities, or having to payoff the local criminal element . the spaceport and town of the same name was allegedly the largest settlement on the planet ( according to the info satellite in orbit: it listed the name, size, port facilities, and location of all known settlements on world).
as NOSFERATU orbited the spaceport and nearby town at 10,000 feet, TIGHT PANTS NANCE KENDALL let her first mate handle the ship, while she scanned the ID's of any/all other ships in port on her control station screen. NANCE blew a cloud of blue-gray cigar smoke at the overhead and grunted. there were four (4) other FTL vessels in port, and a pair of 100-MT shuttlecraft for shifting cargo/passengers from surface-to-orbit/orbit-to-surface. this last tidbit caused NANCE'S bushy red eyebrows to go up. apparently this place was accustomed to orbit-to-orbit shipping as well as atmospherically stream-lined vessels. not so much a backwater as she had originally thought.
"GOOD! no one here that we know! take her down, MISTER!"
the landing was accomplished without incident. as the main VTOL thrusters spooled down, NANCE unsnapped her safety harness, blew another cloud of cigar smoke at the overhead, stood, stretched luxurously and adjusted her gunbelt.
"TIME to meet and greet the locals, MISTER! i will be in my cabin awaiting them!"
exhaling another cloud of smoke that threatened to overwhelm NOSFERATU' S lifesupport systems, NANCE, strode from the bridge, cabin bound. behind her the MATE keyed the all hands's circuit of the intercom system.
"STEWARD to the main cargo-lock to meet and escort official visitor's!"
THIS is another scenario for use with THWG's 5150 sci fi rules, and is intended as a follow up to DEVILS IN THE DARK an earlier scenario NOSFERTU and surviving crew barely escaped from an unsuspected HAFER colony inhabiting a long abandoned asteroid base. and if the XENOS were not enough to deal with, there was the complication(s) resulting from the involvement of a vessel from a rival salvage/rescue company (SANFORD & SONS).
THE SCENARIO.
NOSFERATU does not arrive at BADDAWG'S LANDING empty handed: her cargo hold is partially filled with "stuff" salvaged from the asteroid base, so there is a chance of making a credit or two or at least breaking even on operating expenses for the voyage.
NOSFERATU CREW MOTIVATION (S) are in descending order:
a. sell cargo.
b. locate a new cargo, possibly passengers or even a charter.
c. refuel/restock comsumables/perform any in port maintenance/repairs that the crew can do (that DO NOT REQUIRE A SIGNIFICANT DELAY IN THE EVENT OF AN UNSCHEDULED AND RAPID DEPARTURE!)
d. party hearty with a long overdue liberty for all (surviving) hands.
e. replace any/all of the dear departed crew with qualified spacers between berths.
f. keep both eyes and both ears open for anything that might be of use to NOSFERATU at a later date.
g. replenish the somewhat depleted stocks of ammunition for both ship and crew owned small arms.
THE PLAN is to play this out over a series of inter-related events at my leisure, and then to post the results here as "AAR". if all goes well, a mini-campaign will develope as the dice gods dictate. i just hope that TIGHT PANTS NANCE KENDALL & ETC are up to WOTEVER comes rolling along!
DAWGIE