FACTION TURN
The d4 comes up 4 this month, so the Confederation goes first.
Solomani Confederation: Action – move Surveyors from Gazzain to Kov. The farthest system Confed can guarantee to reach before the Hierate is Hasara, so their intention is to get there first and build a Base of Influence as the start of their defences. They end the turn with 8 FacCreds and 0 experience.
Aslan Hierate: Action – move Space Marines from Panas to Enjiwa. I could perhaps claim this is using their special ability, in which case the Extended Theatre could go with them, but let’s leave that for now and treat it as a simple move. At the end of faction turn 2, the Hierate has 9 FacCreds and 0 experience.
Great Archive: Action – move Surveyors from Mizah to Kov, and end the turn with 7 FacCreds and 0 experience.
Mizah Combine: Action – move Surveyors from Mizah to Kov, and end the turn with 6 FacCreds and 0 experience.
PC ACTIVITIES
Just the Collateral Damage again for the moment:
- 3 February: Collateral Damage – Please Enter Your PIN.
- 11-18 February: Collateral Damage is travelling from Mizah to Kov.
- 18-22 February: Collateral Damage – Hot Hydrogen.
- 23 February – 1 March: Collateral Damage is travelling from Kov to Mizah.
NEWSFEED
Items in italics are for the GM’s information only.
Mizah, 03 February 3201
The Zonguldak Police Department is still unsuccessful in its attempts to track down the terrorists who threatened Adept Aytuna Durak yesterday in the hallowed halls of the Great Archive itself, before fleeing towards Erdemir Spaceport in a stolen vehicle. Eight police officers were killed during their escape, although a government spokesman denies any connection with the later gas main explosion in Erdemir Nature Reserve.
Collateral Damage episode 2: Please Enter Your PIN. Occurs on Mizah on 3 February; news reaches Mizah immediately, and Valka on 17 March.
Kov, 7 February 3201
Free merchants who asked not to be identified claim to have sighted a Confederation scoutship transiting the Kov system this week. Analysts theorise that the vessel, if indeed there was one, may have been en route to either the N1 system and its so-called “starship graveyard” looking for Mandate-era salvage, or possibly intending to survey the Bright Star region, largely unexplored since the collapse of the Mandate 600 years ago.
Faction turn 2. Event occurs at Kov on 7 February; news reaches Mizah on 14 February, and Valka on 21 March.
Mizah, 11 February 3201
Crowds turned out today to witness the launching of the Great Archive’s new surveyor ships, which are being despatched on their shakedown cruises along the Hasara Chain and the Triangular Route. The Grandmaster Adept of the Great Archive hailed this as another great step forward on the long path to rediscovering and reuniting the worlds of the former Terran Mandate.
Meanwhile, the Balkan Group, one of the corporations which make up the so-called Mizah Combine, has purchased a number of second-hand light freighters. These are understood to be intended for the Triskelion Route, with the intention of establishing permanent trading factors and scheduled services. Members of the Spacers’ Guild have criticised the Group for its flag-of-convenience policy, claiming that the CEO, Torun Balkan, is leasing them to a Confederation company on Gazzain which leases them back to the Group itself, allowing Balkan to sidestep Mizah’s health and safety regulations for space workers. Torun Balkan was not available for comment.
And now, it’s time for everyone’s favourite comedy show, “Karagöz and Hacivat”. In today’s episode, Barba-Giorgios tells Karagöz he can make some quick money by investing in offworld trade…
Faction turn 2. Occurs on Mizah on 11 February; news reaches Mizah immediately, and Valka on 25 March. Collateral Damage episode 3: Hot Hydrogen. The ship leaves Mizah on 11 February, arriving at Kov on 18 February. Completing their mission on 22 February, they return to Mizah, arriving on 01 March.
Enjiwa, 14 February 3201
Reporters on Enjiwa could not fail to notice the arrival today of the 1st Hierate Marines on a goodwill mission. A spokesman for the Enjiwan stressed the traditionally peaceful relations between Enjiwa and the Hierate and said he was unconcerned by the Marines’ visit to his planet, while admitting that there had been no advance warning of the visit.
Faction turn 2. Occurs on Enjiwa on 14 February; news reaches Valka on 21 February, and Mizah on 4 April.
Mizah, 26 February 3201
The Great Archive’s surveyor Suleiman returned early from its shakedown cruise to Kov. While docked at Mining Platform 29 negotiating with the local government, the Suleiman and the platform came under attack by raiders from the neighbouring Karabulut Station. The majority of the Adepts escaped unharmed, but Adept Hurriyet Gundogan became separated from the rest of the crew during their escape and is officially listed as missing in action.
Backstory for Collateral Damage episode 3: Hot Hydrogen. Events occur on Kov on 16-18 February; news reaches Mizah on 26 February, and Valka on 1 April. One thing I haven’t explained yet is that Kov is so balkanised and downtrodden it doesn’t have a news service, which omission the Great Archive will now correct.
REFLECTIONS
I see I’ve missed a trick, in that if I count the Space Marines move as a move rather than a special ability, I could have moved the Blockade Runners as well – a faction can only take one action per turn, but it can take that action with multiple units. This doesn’t bother me enough to redo the turn.
As expected, turn 2 went a lot faster than turn 1, which itself went faster than the initial setup. I can easily see myself doing this in 15 minutes after each session.
Halfway Station 