First Command - Torchship Captain Quest

Character Sheet
Vehicle Commander Smith
Dakota "Kodi" Smith
Kodi is fascinated with space travel, other cultures, and stories her mama told her about the war. She sees fighting as an unfortunate burden she is taking on to spare others. More of a cat person.
Drives
Investigate Everything, Pursue Truth Relentlessly, Be Merciful, Avoid Social Awkwardness
Relationships
Friend -
Crush -
Rival - Selena Green​
Montana "Monty" Smith
Monty has always wanted to be an explorer, to tell his mom stories about far-away places. Though not inclined to violence, he never backs down. Loves dogs.
Drives
Make New Friends, Be Forward and Direct, Try New Things, Be A Show Off
Relationships
Friend -
Crush -
Rival -​

Traits
Void-Born: You never take complications from 0g or space suits, but take -2d6 to feats of strength and double complications from high gravity.
Shifting Gears: You can spend 1 Determination to switch profiles. Costs +1 Determination each time per episode.
Well-Connected: You can spend 1 Determination to create an old friend, comrade, instructor, etc on any appropriate ship, facility, station, etc you might visit. They are always willing to help if you help in turn.
Certifications
Wild Animal 5+, Physical Instrument 5+, Social Being 5+, Cosmonaut 4+
English 3+, Russian 5+, OSL 4+
Artillery Officer 4+, Drone Pilot 3+, Missile Plotter 4+, Space Marshal 4+
Diplomat +4, Leader +4, Bureaucrat +4, Social Scientist +4
Modern Small Arms 4+, Damage Control 4+
Hobbies: Animal Handling,

Star Patrol Vessel Yeager-1
Statline will be linked above when ready.


Features
Corvette Dock, Transmaterializer

Weapons
x1 Sandblaster, x2 250MW Laser, x2 Probe Bay

Crew
7/42 Crew Assigned!​
PersonDepartment 1Department 2ExpertiseOther Certs & NotesTraits
VC SmithTacticalAdminDemolitionModern Small Arms, Working With Working AnimalsSpacer, Plural, Well-Connected
XO Evelyn Rosa Paz-Admin-SlugthrowersVeteran, Cyborg
SPC Nyiko Shilubana-BolonkinEngineering-Jury-Rigging, FlashfabSpacer
SPC Kroshtnyr SatkolResearch-SensorsAugment (Mental/Medical), Heavyworlder
SPC Selena GreenSecurity--YOUR RIVALHeavyworlder
SPC Kerman Ó CaolaidheAstrogationOrbits-
SPC Ariadna StrunaTacticalDrones-
 
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We can maybe tell the planet that we're sending the corvette first because we want to be cautious and not risk our main ship (which is not a completely bonkers idea anyway?), then we can finish collecting all the people and follow the corvette in a few hours.

[X] We're on it. Just give us enough time.
- [X] We'll send our corvette first and then follow it in a few hours, if that's okay?
- [X] Can you tell us some more about the relay station or yourself?
- [X] While stalling, teleport all the crew from holdfast
 
My concern here is that if the planet can detect our teleportation, it might consider that a breach of contract. If all the people get teleported off the ship, there goes its bargaining power. I'm not confident we're enough out of range to avoid the wrath of a pissed-off planet. Maybe I'm missing something, but teleporting everyone off the ship while we stall seems like a risk.

You got a better idea? Some risks need to be taken, and it's not like we know whether the planet intends to keep its promise either. That's a risk too.

No, no better ideas. I just want to make sure that either our fellow voters are perceiving the same risks I am, or that they picked up something we didn't that makes the risk more negligible than it seems from over here.
 
My concern here is that if the planet can detect our teleportation, it might consider that a breach of contract. If all the people get teleported off the ship, there goes its bargaining power. I'm not confident we're enough out of range to avoid the wrath of a pissed-off planet. Maybe I'm missing something, but teleporting everyone off the ship while we stall seems like a risk.

You got a better idea? Some risks need to be taken, and it's not like we know whether the planet intends to keep its promise either. That's a risk too.

No, no better ideas. I just want to make sure that either our fellow voters are perceiving the same risks I am, or that they picked up something we didn't that makes the risk more negligible than it seems from over here.
Maple makes a seriously good point. I wouldn't be inclined to risk it, at least if we have reason to believe the planet is likely to be able to detect the transmat. We also think we recall transmaterializers having range limitations that might make this plan non-viable.

@open_sketch, can you comment on the range of a transmaterializer, and how obvious using one is on the sensors we are familiar with?

Also, I've just got to say: we really love the perspective you are using in this quest, and the tiny bit of internal dialog being mixed in. It's delightful to read and it works really well.
 
I agree that there's a risk that we're considered to be deceitful if we try to recover the crew by teleporter before investigating the relay.

Perhaps we can use the thread that we've already banked on Hostage Negotiation for a bonus if we try to persuade the planet to keep only the Holdfast hostage (and not its crew)?

[X] We're on it. Just give us enough time.
- [X] Negotiating with thread: we appreciate that the tanker ship hurt you, and that we have all been clumsy in not realising that you are here until too late, but don't you think it would be nice to de-escalate? As far as we know, nobody has died yet and all damage has been through negligence rather than malice, but if you keep the Holdfast here then its crew will die, so you're threatening to kill them. How about we de-escalate to damage? Let us spend a few hours moving the crew off the Holdfast, we can do it from here, then we'll check out the relay and get back to you. We want the ship back, so you'll still have leverage!

I am also fine with just going to check out the relay.
 
[X] We're on it. Just give us enough time.
- [X] Negotiating with thread: we appreciate that the tanker ship hurt you, and that we have all been clumsy in not realising that you are here until too late, but don't you think it would be nice to de-escalate? As far as we know, nobody has died yet and all damage has been through negligence rather than malice, but if you keep the Holdfast here then its crew will die, so you're threatening to kill them. How about we de-escalate to damage? Let us spend a few hours moving the crew off the Holdfast, we can do it from here, then we'll check out the relay and get back to you. We want the ship back, so you'll still have leverage!

This is probably the least risky thing we can do right now. At worst, the planet says no and we're not much worse off than we already were.
 
[X] We're on it. Just give us enough time.
- [X] Negotiating with thread: we appreciate that the tanker ship hurt you, and that we have all been clumsy in not realising that you are here until too late, but don't you think it would be nice to de-escalate? As far as we know, nobody has died yet and all damage has been through negligence rather than malice, but if you keep the Holdfast here then its crew will die, so you're threatening to kill them. How about we de-escalate to damage? Let us spend a few hours moving the crew off the Holdfast, we can do it from here, then we'll check out the relay and get back to you. We want the ship back, so you'll still have leverage!


Seems like a good plan.
 
[X] We're on it. Just give us enough time.
- [X] Negotiating with thread: we appreciate that the tanker ship hurt you, and that we have all been clumsy in not realising that you are here until too late, but don't you think it would be nice to de-escalate? As far as we know, nobody has died yet and all damage has been through negligence rather than malice, but if you keep the Holdfast here then its crew will die, so you're threatening to kill them. How about we de-escalate to damage? Let us spend a few hours moving the crew off the Holdfast, we can do it from here, then we'll check out the relay and get back to you. We want the ship back, so you'll still have leverage!
 
[X] We're on it. Just give us enough time.

Make an effort to demonstrate good faith before we ask anything else of it.


Also, the intro adventure inspired me, so have some space tankies:

 
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1-10: That's No Moon
You looked around the bridge, a little loss for words.

"Captain, my two cents, when the brain the size of a planet makes an ultimatum, you listen," Evelyn said. You glanced around the room.

"Are we okay with this?" you asked. There was muttered, reluctant agreement. "Okay, inform the crew and prepare to warp us to the moon. Transmit a message, tell the planet that we're on it and we just need to be given enough time to effect repairs. And tell Holdfast we'll be right back."

The ship pivoted gently to orient away from the planet, and disappeared in a flash as the FTL drive came online. Even at a relatively low FTL factor, the moon was still only about a minute away, suddenly appearing on the cameras as the ship dropped back to sunlight and the engines burned to circularise your orbit. The moon was indeed small, just

"What are we looking at?" you asked.

"That's no moon," Satkol reported immediately. "That's a space station. It's not obvious on the surface, but the interior density is all off. Hell, that's visible on the original scans…"

"But they had no reason to investigate. How big is it, roughly?"

"Only about four hundred kilometres in diameter. There's boreholes on either pole I'm imagining are probably access points," Satkol continued, tracking the main display over to show them. "There. That goes straight in, scanner tracks it about forty kilometres in, but it might be deeper."

"Oooh wow, fuck that," Ariadna responded tensely. "Not it."

"Looks big enough for the corvette," you said. "But I don't think Yeager-1 is gonna fit. I think we need an away team."

---

As usual, as any questions you want.
The away team will need a leader.
[ ] You'll lead the away team. Evelyn has the bridge.​
[ ] Specialize Paz should lead the away team.​
You have enough points to create a crewmember to accompany them, if you wish.
[ ] Write In (Name, Department, Pronouns, One Fun Fact)​
3 Insight​
4 Determination​
Threads:
"Vehicle Fuel Interfaces"
"Structural analysis of Holdfast"
"Beamed Power Operations"
"Remass scanning"
"Metric technology bullshit"
"Hostage negotiation"
"Drone warfare"
Personality Keywords​
Curious, Relentless, Shy​
 
[x] [crewmate] Jade Palmer, Damage Control/Critical Architecture, she/her, giggles like a leprechaun when high, her girlfriend records her going "heehee hoohoo" as she digs through a box of snacks
 
Don't send the captain to lead the away team! I'm flexible on every other point, but this is one genre convention that I just cannot accept!
 
Don't send the captain to lead the away team! I'm flexible on every other point, but this is one genre convention that I just cannot accept!
Myself, I'm torn; I can see arguments for them going (not least of which that Kodi's big on Curiosity and Monty loves being an explorer) but also they aren't particularly skilled in any field that makes them an obvious pick for the away team.

Then again, if we go, then Evelyn stays on-ship, which leaves Selena as the only other obvious option for the Hitter/Muscle on the away team, and the resulting tension could be juicy.
 
[X] Specialize Paz should lead the away team.​

We got the grizzled vet to handle stuff like this.
 
[X] You'll lead the away team. Evelyn has the bridge.
I'm old school, if an away mission doesn't put most of the command staff in jeopordy, what's the point

[X] [crew] Cyrille Lwblanc, Science, They/Them, Discovered as an egg during the war
 
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[X] You'll lead the away team. Evelyn has the bridge.

I wanna see what's down there.

[x] [crewmate] Jade Palmer, Damage Control/Critical Architecture, she/her, giggles like a leprechaun when high, her girlfriend records her going "heehee hoohoo" as she digs through a box of snacks

I like her.
 
I just want to know what happens :)

[x] [crewmate] Jade Palmer, Damage Control/Critical Architecture, she/her, giggles like a leprechaun when high, her girlfriend records her going "heehee hoohoo" as she digs through a box of snacks
 
For everyone voting for SPC Palmer, Damcon isn't a department, it's a specialty in Engineering.

I am assuming here that "critical architecture" refers to computer architecture, which would be Signals.

So yes, if we just want Damcon that's 2 insight, if we want to have her be Engineering and Signals with a specialty in Damcon that's three insight instead of two, but will make her better at dealing with computers.
 
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