Chapter 3 — The Briefing

GM:
Passenger Lounge of the Crystal Marble
Hendrix comes floating into the passenger area from the corridor past Vladomir's stateroom. Turning a bit, he grabs a handhold in the wall and twists, absorbing his momentum with his knees as his feet touch down onto the floor. Facing everyone, he adopts a comfortable stance and looks around at the group.

"I'm glad to see everyone has found their staterooms and their flight suits. Looking at Vladomir in his coat and hat, he grins widely.

"As you all already know, you've been hired by the Minerals Exploitation Group of Beradoon Metals Engineering, BME. Beradoon has just picked up a major contract to supply structural members to a new client who is constructing an orbital habitat in the Core. BME mines ore from both planetary deposits and asteroid strikes in a variety of systems in the French Arm. Recently, an extremely rich ore deposit has been discovered by the Minerals Exploitation Group. The purity of the deposit is such that minimal processing is required before the manufacturing process. The location of the deposit remains classified but I can say that it is not in colonised space."

"Processing is completed within the system and the ore concentrate is shipped to a manufacturing plant located in the system in which the orbital habitat is being constructed. Beradoon needs to ensure that the manufacturing plant receives a steady stream of shipments so that the contract with the client is not breached. As the bidding for the contract was very competitive, there are some concerns that one or more of the competitors may attempt to put BME in breach of contract. That would be very bad for Beradoon, and would likely cause the company to go bankrupt. We have already taken the necessary precautions at the manufacturing plant and increased security on our shipping runs. The ore deposit and processing assets are secured by the remote location of the find. "

"Beradoon has filed for mineral rights to the deposit and is currently awaiting the decision from the governing body. Until the claim is awarded to BME, anyone or any company can mine the deposit as long as they are beyond a reasonable perimeter of the current workings. The ore deposit is quite large and as a result, Beradoon's claim application covers an area significantly larger than that of the current workings. If someone else starts working the same deposit, they could file for partial rights to the deposit. That would significantly delay the awarding of a claim to BDE as well as reduce the potential of the deposit. A long, legal battle would bankrupt Beradoon, not to mention causing a breach of the current contract with the client building the habitat."

"That is where you come in. Due to the remote location of the deposit, traffic in the system is very minimal and virtually non-existent around the moon where the mining is conducted. Even so, Beradoon does not want any ships in that area of space unless they belong to us. You've all been hired as part of the crew of the Crystal Marble, which will be performing interdiction duty at the site of the deposit until the claim is processed. BME is confident that the claim should be awarded within the three month period of your contracts."

Vladomir:
Vladomir's face grows into a large frown upon hearing that the job involves staying on the ship. Rolling his eyes upwards, he mutters to himself quietly. [Ukrainian] "Jesus preserve me..."

Hendrix:
"Now, then, we have some time for questions before the deceleration period commences."

Anton:
[French] "What was the name of that system again ?"

Hendrix:
"[French] Didn't say it and I can't... until the claim is settled, at least."

Jack:
Frowning in thought, Jack glances around at the others before answering. "Just how legal is 'interdiction'? Are we going to be placed in a position where we will be breaking the law? Also, who is the governing body? We're not going to colonised space, isn't it up for grabs?" He pauses again and a look of concern shadows his features, he pushes down to the deck. "Finally, I assume you know you competitors fairly well, just what form of 'interdiction' do you foresee and what is the likely response from the opposition?" He folds his arms and takes a seat.

Hendrix:
Turns to fully face Jack.
"Interdictions are in the grey area of law... Beradoon is simply exercising its rights to protect its assets from potential or suspected threats. As such, as long as rules of engagement are followed, everything is legal. BME
is not about to authorize wanton killing and destruction of property; we simply do not want somebody else setting up shop next door or running away to tell anybody else before the claim is awarded."

"As to the governing body, that is a panel appointed by the signatories of the Melbourne Accords. The Accords state that 'newly discovered worlds are open to colonization by all, subject to some reasonable restrictions by the
discoverer.' " Beradoon's restrictions are obvious: we found the deposit and it's ours -- go find your own."

"As I said earlier, we do not anticipate any of our competitors interfering at the location of the deposit. It would be much easier to disrupt the ore shipments or the manufacturing plant. BME's concern at the location of the deposit is discouraging wayward explorers or prospectors that might show up. We hope to be able to keep vessels away simply by appearing to be too much to mess with... intimidation. If necessary, we will seize vessels and personnel and hold them until the determination of the claim status."

"The rules of engagement are fairly simple. Non-combative means are always to be exercised first -- communications and dialog. BME will not initiate an attack and will only act to defend BME's personnel and assets with reasonable force. All necessary attempts must be made to minimize damage to property and life."

Sali:
Sali followed the briefing and Jack's and Anton's questions fairly impassively, only pursed lips marked Captain Hendrix's explanation of the interdiction parameters. She politely raised her hand when Captain Hendrix finished responding to Jack's question. After Hendrix acknowledged her, she launched into her question in a fairly intense manner. [French] "Thank you Captain Hendrix. Your information is greatly appreciated and I know that I am very much reassured by your response to M. Jack's concerns, which were also my own. However, I hope you will not mind a few further questions, as is unfortunately my habit from these years of consulting work. You mention on one hand some expectation, if I recall correctly, of low-intensity traffic in-system. On the other hand, you have seemed to imply that the site is secret. I am wondering if this system, although non-colonised, is a known, which is to say active, system which may have other traffic in it? If not, what kinds of expectations of non-Beradoon traffic are there? If yes, could you characterise that traffic? Further, I wonder if there may not be national strategic concerns which pose themselves, and should we have any concerns regarding, how shall I say, non-ESA encounters?"

Hendrix:
"[French] The system is known and marked on all current star maps. However, it is to say the least, out of the way and any vessels there are not simply passing through. We anticipate that legitimate traffic in system would be exploratory in nature. The system has no prime turf for colonising as indicated by initial surveys. However, the system has not been fully surveyed and that is how the deposit was discovered--during a mineralogical
survey conducted by Beradoon's Mineral Exploitation Group."

"At this point, there are no national strategic concerns that BME is aware of; however, that could change during the petition for and subsequent awarding of a claim. It is unlikely though, as the deposit has not been identified as containing any strategic metals such as tantalum at this time."

"I don't quite follow what you mean by non-ESA encounters, could you clarify that for me?"

Sali:
Sali shook her head. [French] "No I think it is clear to me."

Hendrix:
Raising an eyebrow, he turns to the next person asking questions.

Sali:
Sali hastens to add: "What I mean is your answers have clarified the situation for me."

Gunter:
"I have a few questions, Captain."

Hendrix:
Turning to face Gunter.

Gunter:
"Firstly, any other friendly assets in the claimed system?"

Hendrix:
"Yes. The primary base of operation will be production facility Tango-7. This is a mining vessel similar to the Dalton-class and is in orbit around the moon. The ore is processed at Tango-7 and then prepared for shipment. There are also several interface craft operating between the surface workings and Tango-7. A second starship will also be pulling interdiction duty. Beradoon is bringing in other space assets, but I have not been updated on these yet."

Gunter:
"What is the situation with equipment, and can we request gear we don't already have?"

Hendrix:
"BME has procured all necessary equipment for the interdiction. Personal combat gear will be drawn out of ships stores as required.

Gunter:
"How often and how will we be re-supplied?"

Hendrix:
"Ore is transported out of system every two weeks. Supplies arrive on the inbound flight of the ore freighter."

Gunther:
"Could you supply us with job descriptions? What tasks do you require of us?"

Hendrix:
"Sali, as she might have guessed, will be the communications expert. With her knowledge of several languages, she'll be relied on to establish first contact and attempt to resolve the situation through dialog."

"Anton, as a qualified pilot, will be the driver for any interface operations."

"Vladomir is an experienced prospector with a good knowledge of mineralogy. If we have to check cargo, his expertise will be necessary to determine if it is legitimate or from the area around our workings."

"Karl has military experience from the FFL as well as some experience as a spacer."

"Jack has a lot of experience as a spacer and in the FFL. Additionally, he's seen a combat walker and can use one."

"And yourself, Gunter, you're also from the FFL and a qualified walker pilot."

"Now before anyone asks... no, Beradoon does not have any combat walkers. However, there are some civilian walkers in use in the mining operation."

"The main role of Karl, Jack, and yourself will be to act as the security element in any boarding actions or direct confrontations. If the situation does breakdown, your tasks will be to protect the team and initiate a safe and orderly withdrawl. As well, if a little intimidation is required, having three well-armed ex-Legionnaires around, isn't going to hurt."

Gunther:
"Will all our operational tasking take place spaceside? How much dirtside work?"

Hendrix:
"As I said earlier, you will all be part of the crew of the Crystal Marble. Your primary role will be as the boarding party should it be necessary to do so. In addition, you will also be assisting the crew in some of their regular duties. Training will be given in zero-G maneuvering and P-suit operation for those of you that don't already have it or are a little rusty. Additionally, you will be tasked with dirtside operations as necessary. Due to the long-term effects of operating without gravity, we will be rotating the Crystal Marble between space and ground ops regularly. On the ground, you’ll all be exposed to the surface mining operations... Vladomir, that should be of interest to you with your background."

Jack:
As everyone else queries Hendrix, Jack listens for sounds of evasion. {"He's security conscious, that's good I suppose. He thinks there's a chance we could be captured, that's bad."} When everyone has finished with his or her questions, Jack raises his hand once more. "Essentially, we are here to meet strong arm tactics with up to lethal force and the threat is real enough to deploy an armed vessel and some mercenaries to guard against it. Well, no one thought we were being hired to teach kindergarten. I think I can speak for everyone and I'll put it bluntly, we won't murder anyone. If that's what you want you need to replace me at least." He pauses for a second before continuing. "What sort of tools do we have to use and what kind of support can we expect? If I'm going to have to shoot at a human I want good equipment and reliable support, even if it is the last resort." If Hendrix looks offended Jack says "Look, I don't think you are asking me to kill anyone, just as long as management knows that I'm no 'wet-worker' is enough for me."

Hendrix:
"Beradoon is not asking anyone to murder anyone and we do not engage in wet work or black bag operations. The Rules of Engagement are strict and BME personnel are not to initiate gunfire; but if you get shot at, you are allowed to shoot back."

"Beradoon has procured all the necessary equipment and checked that it is in good condition. As for support, there is another vessel on interdiction duty in system. In a direct confrontation (person to person) though, you'll be mostly on your own. However, we don't expect any opposition to be armed to the teeth."

Jack:
He cracks a big smile, "That sounds okay! I'm glad you feel like I do." His face shows a certain sly humour. "Is there any bonuses? Combat pay? Wound money? Ha! Wound money! What am I thinking, if we score something ugly we won't be gettin' wounded; not in the little "Marble”. I suppose you'd appreciate us getting wills etcetera worked out." Jack goes and buckles in.

Hendrix:
"In addition to your monthly base salary of Lv1000, there is Lv500 danger/space pay."

Reaching into a pocket on his hip, Hendrix pulls out six small data chips and floats over to each person in turn, handing out one to each character. Each chip has the character's name on it. Addressing the group again, he continues.

"On the chip, you will find the valuation of your total monthly salary, including bonuses based on reviews of your files. This money will be credited to a bank account of your choice on a monthly basis. If you need other arrangements made or prefer credstiks, let me know."

"The contracts that you signed with Beradoon have a 'death' clause attached, in which BME will pay 10 times your total contract salary to your beneficiary. You need to let me know whom the beneficiary is... it can be either a person or organisation... it doesn't matter which, Beradoon will get the money to them. The beneficiary payments are held in trust (until paid out) with a subsidiary of AsterBank, and cannot be touched by BME for the duration of your contract."

"The chips can be accessed through a standard portacomp or the computer console in each stateroom. You all need to enter your banking arrangements and beneficiary information where prompted. Once you've completed that, click on the icon at the bottom of the file to send it to the console in my stateroom. If you're using a portacomp, you'll find a jack at any computer console to allow you to send that information."

"Now, are there any other questions before we commence deceleration in preparation for docking with the Darkening Star... Anton, you've been awfully quiet... anything to ask? How about you Vladomir?"

Sali:
Accepting her credit chip, looking less-than-happy about all this talk of wounds and combat Sali looks ready to ask a question. Rubbing her lower lip with a long finger she opens her mouth, then shuts it. Shrugging she looks around to gauge the response of the others.

Anton:
Anton moves uncomfortable in his seat and slowly scrubs his three-day-beard. Making a harsheling sound he commences to talk: [French] "Well, ehhh, I was actually taking all those other questions in, but I have one. This possible, what shall we call it? "Stopping-any-intrusion-business". It is vital for me to know from an air tactical view, are we talking of Bugs here? or are the potential intruders humans ?”

Hendrix:
"[French] It is extremely unlikely that any intruders would be Kafers. Any intruders would be operating civilian craft, possibly with some minor armament upgrades."

Anton:
[German] "Ahh That's so?" Anton smiles looks at Hendrix and makes confirmative movements with his head. He now relaxes and looks at Sali with an expression that has the telling "Yes!-We're-out-of-trouble-look" about it.

Sali:
Sali raises an eyebrow in response and looks distinctly unreassured. 

Vladomir:
Vladomir listens quietly and after receiving his credit chip watches it float next to his head for a moment. Upon hearing his name, Vladomir blinks and looks up at Hendrix. Thinking a moment as he tugs on his hat brim, he speaks. [French] "Yes, I am having questions. First, are these mines being surface mines, maybe you call them strip mines; or are they being sub-terranian mines?" Vladomir waits for the answer, then continues. "My other question is to ask if this planet vith the mines is having a breathable atmosphere or if ve vill be having to vear P-suits down there?" Plucking his credit chip from the air, Vladomir walks back over to his chair and straps in after receiving his answers.

Hendrix:
"[French] The mine workings are currently limited to an open pit operation. An exploratory decline ramp is being developed to facilitate later, underground mining. The atmosphere on the moon is not breathable, being composed of sulphur trioxide and heavier molecular gases. Any ventures beyond the pressurised areas will require the use of a pressure suit. When inside the modules or vehicles, it will not be necessary to wear a suit, though it is recommended to have the suit on so that just the helmet needs to be attached when required."

Gunter:
"Another question, Captain. Can you give us some idea of the target system layout?"

Hendrix:
"Yes. The system is comprised of three worlds orbiting a red main sequence star. The outermost system is an ice ball with a single moon. The middle world is classed as a failed core and has three satellites. The innermost is a gas giant with six satellites. The mining operation is located on one of these moons. All systems are located beyond the life zone of the star, in the area classed as the outer zone. A full system layout will be available once we arrive."

Karl:
Karl sits silently throughout the question and answer portion of the briefing. He nods at Jacks comments and is pleased with Hendrix's response. " [French] Well at least we know our function. It could be worse, as jobs go. For Jack and Gunter's information, I have a bit of walker maintenance experience."

Gunter:
"Good fun, aren't they?"

GM:
A voice is heard over the ship communications system.

Auren:
*[French] Captain, we will be at the deceleration start point in two minutes.*

Hendrix:
Floating over to the comm panel, he presses a button and speaks. "[French] Thank you, Auren."

Turning to face the group, he continues.

"[French] I must return to the bridge. Please retake your seats and prepare for the deceleration process. I'll return once we have docked."

Hendrix turns and floats back down the corridor, stopping at the door past Vladomir's stateroom. Swiping his code card, he opens the door and disappears.

Sali:
Sali returns to her seat and buckles in. To no one in particular she says, [French] "Well, Hendrix has presented some interesting facts, if very limited, no?"

Jack:
A huge smile lights his face and the edges of his eyes crinkle in amusement. "You said you were interested in the military Sali, you've just seen the military mindset in action. The paranoia on security stems from the fact that it's perfectly justifiable, the second biggest killer of soldiers is bad security." Jack rechecks his webbing, assuring his crash harness is well secured. "But he's actually told us a lot, usually the most I have ever been told is 'follow orders' or something similar. I'm a bit overwhelmed by all this information."

Sali:
Sali smiles uneasily and replies [French] "Ah, yes. Did I say I was interested in the military? Forget that, silly idea. Only at a distance, and preferably with a view screen between reality and me. I am rather used to getting lots of data. Hard to give proper consulting advice without proper data. Defeats the purpose really." She shrugs and adds [English] "I am still disturbed at this idea of stopping ships without legal authority.”

Vladomir:
Looking at Sali, Vladomir gives a short nod. [French]" Vell Sali, as far as you and I are being, I am thinking that perhaps ve vill not so much involved in that. If you are being a computer person, perhaps yours vill be to break into these other ships computers and search for things, no?" Vladomir takes off his hat, runs his fingers through his hair, and puts it back on. "As for me maybe I will be inspecting their cargo whether they are liking it or not I am thinking. Ve only have to vorry after the ships have been stopped maybe," he pauses and rubs his beard.

Sali:
Surprised by Vladomir's sudden discourse, Sali turns and simply nods in half-hearted agreement. [French] "Yes, I suppose that is true."

Vladomir:
"Vhat is perhaps worrying of me is that BME can vorry about bankrupting over one contract, vhich means it is being a very huge contract I am thinking. A company that can be affording secret varships and mining colonies, must be taking a large contract to make them vorry. Vhen money like that is being on the line, companies vill go to great lengths for keeping it. May Jesus keep us from being into something that vill get out of hand." Crossing himself quickly and again unstraps himself. Waiting patiently Vladomir stands looking at the door.

Sali:
Sali smiles and says in French, "Yes, I think that you have something there M. Druganov. Indeed. Although I am not entirely sure I accept this explanation of bankruptcy. I highly suspect it is a, how shall I say it? A sop for our more tender consciences. True or not, however, clearly there are large stakes here. I wonder if the cover story is true?"

GM:
As everyone retakes their seats and straps in, the holodisplay above the galley winks on and the bridge is visible again. Auren and Saad can be seen wearing their flight suits and helmets. Behind them, Hendrix can be seen securing himself at his station.

Auren:
*[French] Hello again, my friends. Please prepare for deceleration. We will be flipping the ship 180 degrees bow to stern to bring the main thrusters to bear. After slowing most of our velocity, we'll bring the ship back to a bow-on course with the maneuvering thrusters. This should take only a few minutes. Enjoy.*

_Prepare for deceleration in ten seconds. Nine, eight... four, three_

Auren:
*[French] Execute maneuver now, Mr. Rahim.*

Saad:
*[French] Firing thrusters... now.*

With an abrupt jolt, the Crystal Marble is flipped rapidly bow to stern in a matter of seconds, followed by the firing of the main thrusters. While the thrusters are firing, the ship begins a slow lateral roll, bring the floor back to the 'down' direction. After several seconds, the thrusters cut out and there is a seemly quite silence aboard the ship.

Saad:
*[French] Adjusting course to initial heading.*

The maneuvering thrusts can be heard firing, slowly flipping the craft through another 180-degree turn, completing a complete 360 degree revolution.

Auren:
*[French] Almost there everybody. I'll switch the holodisplay to the forward exterior cameras so you can watch as we dock. You may feel some jolts as the docking process occurs, so please do not be alarmed. I'll let you know once it is complete.*

As Auren finishes speaking, the holodisplay switches to show a field of stars. Off to the right side of the screen, a dark shape can be seen getting increasingly larger as the seconds pass. Maneuvering thrusters can be heard as the shape slowly shifts to the center of the screen. After several minutes, the Crystal Marble comes to an All Stop position approximately 1000 meters off the shape. Two small, well lit craft can be seen maneuvering towards the Crystal Marble. As they get closer, they can be seen to be some sort of manipulator craft. They maneuver past what is shown on the view screen and two clunks can be heard minutes later.

The Crystal Marble seems to again be underway, moved this time by the manipulator craft. As the approach to the dark shape continues, it can be resolved into that of a star craft of some sort. There are minimal running lights and it appears to be a lot larger than the Crystal Marble, maybe 500 meters or so. At a range of approximately 100 meters, the side of the craft is suddenly illuminated as several lights snap on. From the holodisplay, a large recessed area along the side of the craft is visible. It appears to be about the length of the Crystal Marble and five cargo air locks can be seen, evenly spaced along the spine of the ship in this section. The hull of the craft is greyish black in colour and from the camera vantage point, gives the appearance that the craft is fading into the darkness of space.

The Crystal Marble is slowly maneuvered towards the recessed area until, with a clunk and a small jolt, it is secured. The holodisplay switches back to the bridge and Auren's now familiar helmet visage appears.

Auren:
*[French] My friends, we have docked with the Darkening Star. You are free to unstrap yourself and move about the passenger areas. From this point on, movement will be by stutterwarp drive so it will be fairly smooth. There will be several more clunks as power and service conduits are connected from the 'Star to the 'Marble. Hendrix and myself will be down to join you shortly and brief you on your shipboard assignments while enroute to Tango-7.*

Sali:
Sali slowly unbuckles and stretches a bit. Then she asks, to no one in particular, [French] "So, what is this Darkening Star ship? Do you military folks know it?"

Karl:
[French] “I am unsure of it's design but it appears to have some sort of stealth type coating on the hull. " Karl unstraps himself and stands. He looks over to Jack and says; " [French] Do you want to try and go aboard, maybe look around? "

Jack:
Frowning, "I'm not sure we're invited"

Anton:
Anton listens to the conversation between Jack and Karl and swiftly adds: [French] " But, we are employees after all. What can they do? Shoot us? Eyye they'll love some private initiative! Let's go!" Anton unstraps and rushes up from the seat.

Jack:
As he looks from Karl to Anton and back again, a smile creeps across his face. "Hell! Why not! Heh, that's if they open the docking collar."

Karl:
Karl rewards his fellow conspirators with a huge grin and begins to make his way to the lock, which joins the two ships.

Vladomir:
Vladomir crosses his arms and stays where he is as some in the room speak of visiting the Darkening Star. He sits staring silently at the door awaiting the briefing on crew assignments.

GM:
Several minutes after Auren's communications from the bridge, a hiss is heard in the corridor in front of Vladomir's stateroom. Looking down the corridor, Hendrix can be seen floating towards the passenger lounge. Behind by a few meters, is a shorter figure that must be Auren. Both figures come to a gracefully stop in the passenger lounge. Taking a step back, Hendrix allows Auren to speak to the group.

Auren:
"[French] Hello, my friends. It is good to see you in person. You all look so much larger."

Giggling at his own joke, Auren beams a large smile across his face. Taking a moment to look at Auren for the first time without his flight helmet, you note that he is fairly short; what some would call an ectomorph. His face shows the characteristics of youth and you guess that he is in his early to mid-twenties. Rather plain looking, his black hair is cut similar to Hendrix's.

Auren:
"[French] My name is Auren, Auren Bouchier, and I am the first officer of the Crystal Marble and in charge of the second watch aboard the ship. We will talk more, but Hendrix has some items to discuss first."

Auren moves back a bit, yielding the floor to Hendrix. As he finishes speaking, you note that there was trace of a French accent, something colonial.

Hendrix:
"[French] Glad to see you all survived Saad's unorthodox deceleration maneuver unscathed. We've successfully docked with the Darkening Star who will be ferrying us part of the way to our destination. That leg will take approximately three weeks. After that, the Crystal Marble will continue under her own power for another three weeks to the system where Tango-7 is located. Everyone will remain on the Crystal Marble for the duration of the voyage and there will be no access to the Darkening Star during the first leg. This will be for two reasons: first, Beradoon does not own the Darkening Star and the client is providing her services as a courtesy to us. Second, the nature of the docking does not allow for ship-to-ship access. The Darkening Star is a modular cargo carrier and we're being carried in lieu of some modules. Power and life support will be provided by the Darkening Star through cabling and umbilical cords."

Noting the look of disappointment on the faces of Jack, Karl, and Anton, Hendrix continues.

Hendrix:
"[French] I sympathize with you. I wouldn't have minded a look around her either. In the meanwhile, You'll all be assisting the crew with shipboard duties. Each person will be paired up with a different individual for a two-week period. This will help get everybody used to life aboard the ship. Auren has the duty assignments. Auren?"

Auren floats towards the group again. From a pocket on the leg of his flight suit he pulls a datalogger that he studies for a moment.

Auren:
"[French] Okay, let's see. Sali, you'll start off with Kevin-he runs the communications station on my watch. He'll bring you up to speed on current communications protocols and the ship's system. Karl, you're with Valerie in engineering on the other watch. Vladomir, you'll be with Lisa, the computer operator on Hendrix's watch. She'll help you get used to the zero-G and feel more comfortable away from gravity. Jack'll be with Lisette, the engineer on my watch. Gunter, you'll also be on communications, with Van on the watch opposite to Sali. Anton, you'll be working with Saad, the pilot on my watch; he'll go over the differences between interface and stutterwarp flight in addition to your other duties."

"[French] We run the ship in twelve hour watches, with one watch at duty stations at all times. Karl, Vladomir and Gunter; you'll all be on 'A' watch under Hendrix. Sali, Jack and Anton will be on 'B' watch, reporting to me. You'll note that we've put those of you sharing a double stateroom on opposite watches so that you have some shut eye and personal time in private."

"[French] You will also have greater access to the ship, and able to come and go wherever your duties require. The layout of the Crystal Marble will be available for study on the computer consoles in your staterooms as well as the one here in the lounge. Some areas will continue to be restricted access-avionics and communications and the forward and aft landing gear bays. Of course, staterooms are off limits unless you've been invited in-it's a small ship, so respect each other's requirements for privacy. Access to the bridge and engineering is also semi-restricted-you should only be in these areas when your duties require it. The cargo bay is open to everyone, but it's rather cramped at the moment."

"[French] Mealtime is before, after, and at the mid-point of the shift. You can pick something from the autovenders, whip up something from the stores in the passenger galley, or join the crew in the mess for some home cooked meals. Just a word of caution on that last option; Ben always makes chili, and believe me, its hot enough to power the 'Marble for a decade if she were a nuke."

"[French] Because we will be in zero-G for a considerable time, please ensure that you exercise regularly. There are some pieces of exercise equipment here in the lounge and perhaps we could have Gunter lead a few classes in martial arts for some variety. Would you be up to the task, Gunter?"

"[French] Well, I've talked long enough. Any questions for Hendrix or myself? The 'A' watch starts in about two hours, so you'll have some time to kill until then."

Gunter:
[French]:"As soon as my stomach stops doing backflips from this infernal nil gee, I'd be glad to teach what little Ging Mo Kune Kung Fu I know to whomever is interested". Gunter frowns after this.

"Just a thought for anyone. Do we have a believable cover story? Something that will sound reasonable to any intruders? I'm not much on the space jargon, but we need some sort of cover story to throw people off the scent."

Sali:
Sali nods in agreement. [French] "This is also my concern give that we have dubious legal authority to stop ships in system, it seems to me the path of least resistance is to convince any intruders that there is some in system danger or similar self interested reason to avoid the system." She looks around with a vague expression. "Does anyone have thoughts on this? Obviously our own presence and perhaps the presence of freighters if timing is bad, makes this more complicated." Sali finished and looked around expectantly.

Jack:
"Good point guys, let's see what we know.
1, It's an out-of-the-way system.
2, There will be Beradoon traffic in-system.
3, Our vessel has the appearance of a small courier.

So, this means that whoever comes here is either exploring or is intent on skulduggery. They are going to be interested in the fact that a small courier is idling around in the outskirts of the system while various other ships are doing inscrutable things in-system. If they are exploring they're not going anywhere without a few sensor readings first unless it's a life or death matter. If we try that we'll have some naval ships snooping in a week or so and that will seriously cramp our style. If we let them take readings they'll pick up the various transponders, I don't know if Beradoon is pulling 'swifties' there but if they are it's a serious offence. Anyway, they'll ID the ships no matter what although I'm starting to reach shaky hypothetical ground here. I'm starting to think that we're on very thin ice here, I've never liked Pirates."

Vladomir:
Vladomir looks at Sali quickly and purses his lips. Crossing his arms after a moment he simply shrugs.

Jack:
He glances at Vladomir and his brow furrows "Vladomir," he says gently "we're going to have to try and get a team atmosphere here if we are going to rely on each other. I'd value any input you have, even though we're in a factual vacuum. If we have some rough outlines we can always have something to fall back on."

Vladomir:
Turning slowly to face Jack, Vladomir returns the glance from under the brim of his hat. [French] "I assure you if I am having some useful input, I vill be sure to share it. If I say nothing, it is being that I have nothing to say." Vladomir shrugs again, this time to Jack.

Anton:
Ehh! [French] "I seem to have forgotten most of what I was taught in law class. but, isn't there some sort of international jurisdiction or international agreement governing martial rights in non-colonised systems ? If not, couldn't we just say sod off or else... ? I know it doesn't sound exactly full-proof but..."

Hendrix:
Replying to Anton, "[French] You are correct in that the Melbourne Accords do allow for the discover to impose reasonable restrictions to protect what is theirs. What Beradoon is concerned about is a negative response to any such communications... When people can't take the hint, you sometimes have to be a little more forceful. By the Rules of Engagement, we are not going to start shooting at everything that comes by."

"Think of it like this: Your little brother makes a sand castle at the beach. Some other kids are threatening to stomp it. You step in between and stand there, telling them to go away--the castle's not theirs. Now those kids can't get to the castle. If they decide to push you out of the way, then you can defend yourself (and the castle) with reasonable means."

"We cannot openly lie and say there is a viral plague or weapons test range and so on. By stating such falsities, Beradoon could jeopardize their legal claim to the mining area. What we can say is one of two things when asked why we don't want visitors. Nothing, or the sanitized truth; which is that a legal claim to the area is pending and all traffic is restricted from a reasonable space around it. Most law-abiding individuals or companies will respect such a statement. Those that do not are what BME consider a threat and require intervention. The gray area comes into the definition of what is a 'reasonable space'. "

"The system layout is such that a single world lies outside the stutterwarp gradient (0.0001G). It would seem reasonable that any vessel entering the system would go to this world to initiate drive discharge and gather some reading about the system. If such a vessel were to then proceed towards the inner system where the claim area is located, Beradoon would consider this cause for a response from the interdiction vessels. If the vessel stays clear of the inner system, we just log it and file it."

Jack:
His eye's widen and he straightens a bit "Interdiction Vessel*s* did you say? Just how many vessels are there?"

Sali:
[French] "Ah well, it seems to me we will be skirting the edges of legality, but let us wait and see, perhaps the situation will seem clearer as we come to understand the system and activities." Sali gives a slight shrug.
"Well, perhaps I should freshen before meeting my new future colleagues. If there is nothing more?" She looks around to see if anyone has further comments.
After this, Sali returns to her little room to relax for a moment before returning to meet the others.

Karl:
Karl smiles at Vladomir's answer. " [French] I'm afraid that I too, am out of my depth on this subject. "

Sali:
Sali laughs and says [French] "Now, if you had been a consultant you would learn that your business is to never, ever let on you're out of your depth."

Karl: (During the trip)
Karl takes Gunter up on his offer at unarmed training. During the journey he eats but twice a shift and works out at every chance. Karl is very disciplined and takes his duties seriously. He interacts with his shift mates trying to get to know them and Valerie better. He tends to speak German when training with Gunter.

Vladomir: (During the trip)
Looking about as everyone else begins to disperse, Vladomir leaves and organizes his things. Vladomir is rather taciturn during the trip, speaking very little and he never misses a meal, "home cooked" being his choice and often stuffs himself. Though taciturn, he pays close attention to the lessons taught concerning 0-g. As always, his hat and jacket are constant companions except for when he (reluctantly) takes them off to fit into the P-suits for training. During his off time, Vladomir usually retires to his cabin and when not in his cabin and off duty his nose is in his portacomp.

Jack: (During the trip)
A big smile spreads across his face "[absolutely mangled Australian-French]Ya gotta admire a bloke who admits he doesn't know. Okay, but don't hold out on us will ya?" Jack loves deep space. He likes exercising. He loves zero-gee. And I'm sorry to say, he's a practical joker. He even thinks it's funny. He doesn't play jokes on Vladomir but Karl looks like fair game . . . (If a condom filled to bursting point with water is placed in your bedding there's no way to move it without it exploding.)

Gunter: (During the trip)
During the trip Gunter works out 2 hours a day (one hour with whomever is interested in training, one hour alone), shows up _exactly_ 20 minutes early to relieve the watch (running joke is that you can set your watch by what Gunter is up to). Although generally friendly, seems to somewhat distant at times. After one of Jack's practical jokes, Gunter pulls Jack aside and mentions that its not good etiquette to have water floating around in zero-G on a spacecraft. Gunter responds to Karl in a curious mix of French and German. Upon being asked by one of the crew, he shrugs, "Old habits die hard."

Jack:
Smiling as he cleans up the mess, "Gunter! You would have hated it on the "Botany Bay"! Jokes were a high art on that ship, you took your life in your own hands going anywhere near the drive room. Besides, I move anything damageable first." He looks long at Gunter, "You have to smile if it's going to be worthwhile mate, or life's just not worth the effort getting up in the morning."

Gunter:
"Sorry, my friend perhaps I am too serious. I was on a lander when a water tank burst. The resulting free floating bubbles of water got into the environmental system and shorted the system out. Not a pleasant experience, I care to repeat."

Anton: (During the journey)
Anton spends the time working his station and training with Gunther and Karl. He tries his hardest to be jovial and friendly to everyone. He tries to relax as much as possible to "recharge" before the possible showdown...

Sali: (During the journey)
In general, Sali spends as much time as possible on the bridge, bringing herself up to speed with ship communications and general environment.

Off-time, she does the required working out with whomever is also off, although she complains about zero-g. Sali spends the rest of her free time asking the ex-military fellows many, many questions about their service and interactions with the Kaefer. Pointedly, she avoids asking Vladomir questions about Aurore, or in his presence about Kaefer, and it becomes evident she considers him fragile.
She asks lots of questions about military life, especially the Legion, always ready to hear a story or two. (Although she declines to describe her consulting work, excusing it as both quite boring and academic compared to their experiences. One story about working to correct a company's woes from millions in mis-billing due to a poor machine translation system proves her point, as she recounted every horrible detail.) It becomes evident she understands English and German, although she rarely speaks either of them so it is unclear how well.

Jack:
"You know Sali, it must be weird stuck here with a bunch of Poilus. Have you had any firearms experience? You might end up needing some if things get out of hand

Sali:
[French] "Well once, for some sketchier client's frontier work --I mean frontier on Tirane, still some rough areas you know-- I learned how to point a pistol at a target and sometimes hit it. Nothing very serious at all." She shakes her head, smiling, "No, just so we could tell the client we knew how to handle ourselves. As I recall, the trainer was an ex-Legionnaire. Rather gruff fellow I confess, nor did he seem to enjoy giving some lessons to, what did he say? Hmm, I think it was 'idiot wet noodle city grands' plus many explicatives." She smiles. "Well, in short he did not giving lessons to consultants. I think we were not his best students."

Jack:
Jack will listen to every boring detail about Sali's job and ask for more, he's not keen on talking 'army stuff'.

Sali:
Sali, oddly enough, has the inverse prejudice in regards to her past work, and appears to try to down play it as much as possible, although she can be induced to go on at length about her views on proper applied socio-linguistics in multilingual multinationals.