Fun with Family Trees #5

This is a history of Miazan Subsector from the perspective of House Mahuran, Siridar-Counts of Bromus. It draws upon elements I developed during 2013 as I looked at family trees and ties in to the current adventures of players in my Traveller campaign.

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The Duchy of Miazan was established by Order in Council under the seal of Sector Duke Leonid I Trumer on 093-906. This is the same date as the official accession of House Trumer as Sector Dukes of the RimWorlds and represents one of the first official acts of Sector Duke Leonid's reign. It is also the date of the establishment of the County of Bromus, set up to protect the Coreward/Spimward frontier of Miazan Subsector.

Sector Duke Leonid I Trumer had begun his campaign to reunite the RimWorlds several years prior to the official inaugural date of his reign. The establishment of Miazan Subsector as a Duchy marked a major expansion Rimward by the Sector Duchy, pushing the Imperial frontier beyond the existing Miazan Subsector Military District centered around Celephais. It was an indication that the new regime intended to drive a wedge between the Spinward states of the Outrim Alliance and the Rimward polities of the Rimward Coalition, and bring order and stable government to a fairly lawless region.

Chi'leur I Geyukthi, 1st Duke of Miazan, had served as an aide de camp to Sector Duke Leonid I during his initial campaigns, and as Leonid's son-in-law and supporter, he was considered a safe pair of hands to secure and hold the new frontier subsector. To Sakkan Mahuran, Chi'leur's Fleet Admiral, fell the task of defending the Spinward frontier at Bromus and Exxilon, as Siridar-Count of Bromus, and securing the Coreward communication lines from the Rimward Counties of Miazan and Nakaya.

Sakkan I proved very tenacious in his duties. 118 years old when he died, Sakkan outlived his eldest son, Anton, and his grandson, Piero. Both Oscaran, Sakkan's second son, and Susannah, his daughter, served as Fleet Admirals in the Miazan Subsector Navy during the 2nd Outrim War (954-962).

Remaining active and in good health well into the teens of his second century, it was later rumoured that Sakkan I had discovered a secret stash of anagathics in an ancient ruined Purvion base located either on the House Mahuran estate on Bromus, or on one of Bromus' three small moons. As none of his descendants lived to such an advanced age, it was assumed that the secret of this stash was lost when Sakkan eventually died.

Sakkan II, Sakkan I's great-grandson, became 2nd Siridar-Count of Bromus in 990. In 999 Sakkan's immediate overlord, Duke Mah'dainraian I of Miazan became Sector Duke of the RimWorlds. This elevation seemed to raise House Mahuran's political stock as well as Sakkan II's daughter Susan subsequently married Edenar Ulanor, later Duke Edenar I of Nolgor. On the surface, this marriage appeared to draw House Ulanor into the orbit of House Geyukthi of Miazan through an alliance with an important client but, if this was the intention, it failed. Edenar I was only Duke of Nolgor from 1042 - 1044, but it was the anti-Geyukthi ground work carried out by Feodorus X, his father, and more importantly by his son, Olgarthi Ulanor, that resulted in the fall of the badly weakened Sehlemarl-Geyukthi Sector Dukes in the aftermath of the Rimbaud War in 1044 and the ascension of Olgarthi Ulanor as Duke of Nolgor and Sector Duke of the RimWorlds.

Count Giovhanhi II Mahuran of Bromus came of age during a period of great change in both the RimWorlds and in Miazan Subsector. Born in 1017, and inheriting the family title of Lord Sherck, he became 4th Siridar-Count of Bromus in 1041. His sister Stefani married Pahran Juharl-Zarquestuir who became Duke of Gamelea in 1065, while his second sister, Elemyl, married Mah'radys Geyukthi who became Duke Mah'radys IV of Miazan in 1085.

The 3rd Outrim War broke out in 1025 and House Mahuran weathered the initial assaults by Nutharal forces pushing across the Imperial frontier from Cabria Subsector into the County. Young Giovhanhi joined the Planetary Navy as a Midshipman in 1033 and saw action both in Bromus low orbit, and around Sertan VIII, the system gas giant.

Following disastrous Imperial losses in 1030 and 1031, and the deaths in combat of three House Geyukthi Sector Dukes in quick succession, Sector Duke Yuri Sehlemarl's strategy was to reinforce the fortress worlds in the frontier subsectors and suck the Outrim forces into a series of sieges that would bleed their fleets white. By the time his strategy succeeded and peace was signed in 1038, Giovhanhi's father, Count Giovhanhi I, was ailing and the younger Giovhanhi was finding himself more and more involved in the running of the Bromus planetary government. When war broke out in 1025, Giovhanhi I had suspended the Bromosian civil government and declared a state of emergency. With the end of the war in 1038 and the beginning of a massive rebuilding project, the populace of Bromus voted overwhelmingly for the continuation of the emergency government under House Mahuran with Count Giovhanhi I as Head of State and his son, Lord Giovhanhi of Sherck, as First Minister.

The cessation of war did not automatically mean peace. During the course of the 3rd Outrim War, the Rivokul War had seen the extermination of House Rivokul of Kamperel, the family of Giovhanhi II's grandmother, Eschen. The Republican government that replaced House Rivokul swiftly fell under the influence of Torvor Van Zaquerl, who methodically shot all opposition to his rule as First Consul of the People's Republic of Kamperel. With House Geyukthi of Miazan crippled (four Dukes and three generations of the senior line perished during the 3rd Outrim War, along side various cousins and other relatives), House Rivokul of Kamperel extinct, and House Sehlemarl-Geyukthi of Celephais diverted by their attempts to hold on to the Sector Duchy, it fell to House Mahural to attempt to contain the Van Zaquerl clan of Kamperel even as they sought to secure the Ektra and Floranna systems of the County of Kamperel for themselves.

Count Giovhanhi II spent most of the rest of his life locked in a Grey War with Torvor Van Zaquerl of Kamperel. It was only with the accession of his demi-cousin, Li'iatain Geyukthi, as Duke Li'iatan II of Miazan in 1044 that the full force of the Duchy was brought to bear against the recalcitrant Siridar-Barony of Kamperel. Even then, politics intruded as the new Sector Duke, Olgarthi Ulanor of Nolgor, Giovhanhi's cousin, sought to secure his advantage in the feud between House Ulanor and House Sethlemarl-Geyukthi by hamstringing House Geyukthi's efforts to bring the Van Zaquel's to heel. Starved of resources, and with its best units and service personnel drafted to Sector Fleet, Miazan Subsector Fleet lacked the strength to deliver the Kamperelians a knock-out blow.

Sector Duke Olgarthi died in 1050 and the feud died with him. The following year, the Ektrans rose up against Kamperelian Merchant Factors attempting to buy their government. The Kamperelians retaliated and, much to Giovhanhi's despair, seized Ektra with overwhelming force. For the next thirty years Count Giovhanhi fought to contain the Kamperelians, and to keep the peace along the Imperial Spinward/Rimward border.

The 4th Outrim War broke out in 1080 and, while most the fighting took place along the Spinward border of Gamelea Subsector, Miazan Subsector saw its share of conflict. Left out of the loop regarding the elaborate warplan developed by Siridar-Lord Elmar Hendrian for Sector Duke Kanus II, which was designed to cripple the Geithurian Republic and break up the Outrim Alliance, the local commanders in Miazan Subsector battled on the best they could. In the midst of the struggle, the Kamperelians swooped on Floranna and could not be dislodged. At war's end in 1085, the task of rebuilding began again.

In 1087, worn out and disillusioned, Count Giovhanhi II died. He was succeeded by his son, Sakkan III, who had seen his father slowly worn down over forty years of difficult service. Sakkan retained House Mahuran's active role in the Bromosian government, serving as both Head of State and First Minister, but his natural reserve and shyness distanced him from his people. Sakkan's insistence that a company of Vargr from the settlement on Lo Taisang be included within his honour guard, to the discomfort of his more xenophobic subjects, acted to further isolate him and it was into this political breach that his Interior Minister, Phorgan saVasparan, began to thrust himself.

Political Sub-divisions of Miazan Subsector

Working on the Unified Imperial Army and the Planetary Defence Forces for Miazan Subsector got me thinking about the various Houses Major of the Subsector - this was in the context of me airly saying "the Elite PDF units of such-and-such planet are the Baronial Household Guard". This reminded me that I had never quite finished working out the political sub-divisions of the Subsector and, aside from the Dukes of Miazan and the Viceroys of Celephais, had little idea of what Houses Major were active. So, what do we have?

Existing Houses Major of Miazan Subsector -
House Geyukthi of Miazan, Subsector Dukes of Miazan and past Sector Dukes of the RimWorlds. A list of Subsector Dukes (906 - present) and Sector Dukes (999 - 1031) has been created. A family tree tracing the descent of the Ducal line from Duke Chi'leur I (860 - 937 reigned 906 - 937) to the grandchildren of the current incumbent, Duke Mah'radys IV (1028 - present reigned 1085 - present) has been created.

House Sehlemarl-Geyukthi of Celephais, Viceroys of Celephais and past Sector Dukes of the RimWorlds. A list of Viceroys of Celephais (800 - present) and Sector Dukes (1031 - 1044) has been created. A family tree tracing the descent of the Viceregal line from Viceroy Fleet Admiral/Miazan Arkuru I Sehlemarl (750 - 812 reigned 800 - 812) to the children of the current incumbent, Viceroy Odron Orn Tala Sehlemarl-Geyukthi (1046 - present reigned 1083 - present) has been created.

House Rivokul of Kamperel - extinct, Siridar-Barons of Kamperel/Miazan from the mid-tenth century until 1032. Notoriously corrupt, House Rivokul ruled Kamperel with an iron hand. With arms supplied by the Outrim Alliance during the 3rd Outrim War, the People's Justice Army waged a bitter civil war against House Rivokul and its mercenaries. Victorious, the People's Justice Army summarily executed all surviving members of the House. No family tree or list of Barons of Kamperel has been written.

House Van Zaquerl of Kamperel, Siridar-Barons of Kamperel since 1040. From revolutionary gunman, Torvor Van Zaquerl became, first, a member of the People's Revolutionary Council, then Head of the Council and then, in 1040, he reconstituted the People's Revolutionary Council as an advisory body while taking the Office of People's First Officer. Under his son and grandsons, the Van Zaquerl dynasty has taken root on both Kamperel and across the Kamperelian Cluster. Scattered notes and references allow a family tree to be constructed from 1040 to present.

And that's about it.

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Approaching the problem from a different direction, we know that there was a frontier zone along the coreward end of Miazan Subsector in the late 8th Century. This was known as the Miazan Subsector Military District and was centered on Celephais. The position of Governor of Celephais became hereditary for House Sehlemarl as a reward for services rendered by Fleet Admiral Arkuru Sehlemarl in the 2nd Rimward War (793 - 794) and its aftermath.

By the time Sector Duke Leonid I Trumer commenced the Trumer Restoration of the Sector in 906, House Sehlemarl had taken the title of Viceroy, acting at the behest of the Dukes of Gamelea. Sector Duke Leonid I soon discovered that House Sehlemarl had remained determinedly loyal to the Sector Duchy and continued to maintain a strong, and stable, presence across the coreward half of Miazan Subsector.  Recognizing Arkuru III's assumption of the title of Viceroy of Celephais, Duke Leonid I confirmed Arkuru's brother Lanyard I as Arkuru's successor. Leonid then moved to reconstitute the Miazan Subsector Military District as a proper Imperial Subsector. The Duchy of Miazan was duly created, consisting of the Counties of Nakaya, Miazan, and Bromus, with the Barony of Kamperel and the Viceroyalty of Celephais. With the Sehlemarls content as loyal guardians of the Miazan/Gamelea border, Leonid appointed his aide de camp, Chi'leur Geyukthi, as Duke of Miazan. The Duke of Miazan is also the Count of Miazan. Following the overthrow of House Rivokul in 1032, during the 3rd Outrim War, the Barony of Kameperel (Kamperel, Floranna and Ektra) pays lip service to the Sector Duke of the RimWorlds and the Imperium, but refuses to acknowledge the authority of the Duke of Miazan.

The Viceroyalty of Celephais consists of Celephais, itself, the Siridar-Barony of Naltor, and the Siridar-Lordships of Byer's Planet and Tonivar. Initially, the Vicerotalty of Celephais also included the Siridar-Lordship of Rimbaud II/Gamelea but, following the establishment of the Duchy of Miazan in 906, Rimbaud II was returned to the Duchy of Gamelea.

The County of Bromus consists of Bromus, the Siridar-Barony of Exxilon, and the Siridar-Lordships of Lo-Taisang and Omega Vasalai IX.

The County of Nakaya consists of Nakaya, and the Siridar-Lordship of Epoch.

The County of Miazan consists of Miazan, and the Siridar-Lordships of Golus, Janda and Hydrot.

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From the Family Trees of both House Geyukthi and House Sehlemarl-Geyukthi, as well as notes in the Family Trees of Houses Crensea, Ulanor and Juharl-Zarquestuir, I have been able to find references to several people from the Noble Houses of Nakaya, Golus, Bromus and Naltor.

In the case of House Mahuran of Bromus, I have been able to construct a family tree stretching back four generations. And what that has shown is how well connected House Mahuran has become - from a minor House Major of a minor frontier County, in one generation we see it directly linked to the Duchies of Miazan and Gamelea.

Next: Fun with Family Trees and How Lineages Can Outline Your Stories

The Tunnels of Tonivar: Chapter 2 The Bromosian Gambit

Characters:
John – Akira Valdez, Ex - Merchant
Chris – Nimrod ‘Nim’ Higgins, Ex- Marine Commando
Jonathan – John Hawkwood , ex Marine

Akira Valdez and Nimrod 'Nim' Higgins survived an exciting treasure hunt on Tonivar/Cabria, as related here, befriended a group of Kiang revolutionaries, and relieved a Kalar-Wi officer of his ship. After dodging through Kalar-Wi Space, the newly renamed Harmony and her intrepid crew reached the Imperial world of Celephais where they were able to dispose of their valuable cargo.

In the aftermath of the excitement of selling the Kalar-Wi Honour Chest to Ghorman Holk of Holk, Garstil and Vorshu; Antiquarians, Valdez and Nim secured a load of ACRs and ammunition for the Kiang of the Harmony, and for the Phagouran Nak Prah Revolutionary movement back on Gaidon in Cabria Subsector. Nim then decided that having another human security specialist onboard could be an asset, given that Valdez’s plan was to trade around the Subsector, raising funds for the revolution. After a bit of hunting around, Nim and Valdez hired John Hawkwood, ex Imperial Marines, as Steward and Security.

While sorting out the munitions cargo, Nim and Hawkwood became aware that the Harmony was under surveillance from another group of Kiang. Tracking them back through the starport, Nim and Hawkwood discovered that these Kiang were linked to a small Kalar-Wi ship that had recently arrived in port.

While considering their options, Nim received an X-Boat message from his father, Osiris Higgins.

“Son, if you receive this then I may be in a spot of difficulty.

Gaspar Hourlanti and I have a lead on the whereabouts of Gilbert Chor. He wasn’t on Naltor, as we had thought. Seems that Sam and Isfan, his sons, have been having some dealings with Phorgan sa Vaspran, Minister of the Interior for President for Life Count Sakkan of Bromus. The Chors have a compound in the main town, Hasamton, as well as an estate just out of Bromus Downport.

If I don’t reset the auto tag on this message every two days, it will upload to the next X-Boat. If you get this message, I haven’t made it back to the Starport.

Remember, the Bromosians are xenophobic and touchy as heck. They have a couple of ex-Imperial SDBs deployed insystem and they don’t like people taking liberties.

See you soon, Son. Let’s show those Chor’s a thing or two.”

This message provoked some debate between Valdez and Nim as to where they should head next. Eventually, they agreed that they needed to get to Bromus and see what sort of a mess Osiris “Ossi” Higgins had got himself into. Valdez was aware of his old friend’s rather shady merchant history but he wasn’t aware of the details of the feud with Gilbert Chor. All Nim could recall was that the feud was long standing and Gilbert Chor had swindled Ossi out of a cargo, though the details were a little vague as they kept changing, depending upon what sort of mood Ossi was in at the time.

Picking up a spec cargo, the Harmony cleared Celephais Downport and headed for Udara IX, the system Gas Giant, to refuel before Jump. Detecting a ship in pursuit, Valdez had Tak Tai Nok and Von Dat Goh, the two Kiang leaders and bridge crew, change course for Udara VI, a small rocky world otherwise ignored by insystem traffic. Dropping into near orbit, they quickly selected a suitable spot in a crater, landed the Harmony, and set up an ambush under an overhang in the crater wall.

As the pursuing ship drew closer, Valdez and Tak managed to work out that it was probably the 150ton Kalar-Wi yacht that was in port with them on Celephais. Then, as the yacht put itself into an overflight orbit, it was suddenly jumped by a 300 ton armed merchant that had also been on an outbound vector. The two ships engaged and the 300tonner, the Diamond Angel, quickly disabled the yacht, causing it to crash into a mountain near the crater where the Harmony was lying in wait.

Hailing the Diamond Angel, Valdez found himself talking to Sam Chor, the ship’s captain and the son of Gilbert Chor, Ossi Higgins’ old enemy. Sam Chor told Valdez that he is just a simple merchant captain, but that after a bad experience during the Kalar-Wi War, he still considered the Kalar-Wi to be “the enemy” and that, as far as he is concerned, the Kalar-Wi will resume the war as soon as they are ready.

By this stage, Celephais Traffic Control was demanding that the Diamond Angel stand down and prepare to be boarded by System Patrol as, apparently, they did not share Sam Chor’s contention that the only good Kalar-Wi is a dead one. Sam, in response, ordered his ship to full acceleration and as it cleared 100 planetary diameters from Udara VI, the Diamond Angel Jumped outsystem.

After quickly checking the crash site of the yacht for survivors, the Harmony also headed outsytem. Von and Valdez determined that to get to Bromus, the Harmony needed to head for Byer’s Planet and then transit Kamperelian Space, via Ektra, to reach Omega Vasalai IX. After that, Bromus was just Jump-2 away.

As the Harmony dropped down into the Byer’s Planet system, Valdez had Von scanning the Traffic Control board for word of the Diamond Angel. Eventually, they learned that the Diamond Angel had transited the system a day before the Harmony, refuelling at the system Gas Giant and then Jumping on again. Valdez decided that it was worth trying to source a spec cargo before heading for Ektra as the lag time between the Harmony and the Diamond Angel was still within the margin of error on Jump (while the mean time in Jump is 168 hours, there is a small variance, and a long Jump by the Harmony while the Diamond Angel was short Jumping could put the two ships almost on top of each other). As it transpired, Byer’s Planet didn’t have a lot going for it and the Harmony pressed on.

Arriving at Ektra, Valdez was rather put out to discover a Kamperlian import tax on all goods crossing the X-T line. While he could offload some of his cargo for a small profit, the Kamperelian “Anti-Piracy” tax would mean he was trading at a loss. Refuelling, the Harmony Jumped for Imperial space.

Omega Vasalai IX, a barren rock settled by a religious community over two hundred and sixty years ago, had little to offer the average traveller besides the basic services of a waystation. While the crew of the Harmony serviced the life support and restocked the galley, Nim took a quick walk around the concourse. Near a tea shop, he thought he spotted a familiar figure, his father’s sometimes business partner Gaspar Hourlanti. Following Gaspar into the tea shop, Nim watched with interest as the old rogue was joined in his booth by an attractive younger woman. As Nim mulled over ways of introducing himself into their intense conversation, he noticed a casually dressed man with a military-style haircut entering the teashop.

As soon as Gaspar’s companion spotted the newcomer, both Gaspar and the woman hurried out the rear exit of the teashop. As the newcomer gave chase, Nim caught up with him just as he reached the exit. During the frantic fist fight that followed, the newcomer attempted to pull a gun from his jacket pocket, only for Nim to knock him out with a right hook.

After dealing with Starport security, Nim was permitted to return to the Harmony while the newcomer is arrested for causing an affray and having an illegal weapon. Arriving back at the ship, and reporting in to Valdez, Nim checked his handcomp and discovered an old number for Gaspar. Tapping the number, Nim was surprised when Gaspar answered. After a brief conversation, Gaspar agreed to come to the Harmony and talk to Nim.

A short time later, Gaspar appeared at the main hatch of the Harmony. He was accompanied by the young lady from the teashop. Once they were safely ensconced in the crew commons, Gaspar introduced his companion as Sheri Daxunn, Imperial Intelligence Agency. To Nim and Valdez’s amazement, it transpired that Ossi and Gaspar had been working for Agent Daxunn as contractors, investigating the mysterious Stranman Society.

Aras Stranman of Gamelea was Sector Admiral of the RimWorlds under Sector Duke Neal Zuro III. When the Duke died in 842 – 267 years ago – Stranman sought to play the honest broker between the various factions and then, in an attempt to forestall the looming civil war, permitted his Fleet Officers to elect him Sector Duke. Stranman lasted two years as Sector Duke before being executed. Seen as an honest military man providing much-needed leadership in a time of troubles, who was deceived, and ultimately betrayed, by treacherous and venal politicians, a persistent mythology has grown up around the person of Aras Stranman. A Stranman Society sprang up amongst retired military officers in the 990’s, as the Sector again approached a crisis in leadership, and claimed to draw inspiration from Aras Stranman’s actions 150 years earlier. Usually viewed as a debating society and grumbling club for disgruntled ex-officers, the Imperial Intelligence Agency maintains a watching brief on the Society as, periodically, the Society has spawned dangerous conspiracies.

That such a conspiracy is currently active is the belief of senior IIA analysts and Agent Daxunn, and others, are investigating. Daxunn was following up leads amongst some of the smuggler groups active in Miazan Subsector, and had contracted Ossi and Gaspar to monitor the Chor family’s operations to see if they were tied in with the Society.

Nim mentioned the X-Boat message he received from Ossi, and described the encounter between the Harmony and the Diamond Angel in the Celephais System. Valdez recalled that the Diamond Angel had loaded a cargo of G-Carriers at Celephais. Agent Daxunn looked concerned. Given that Ossi's message had mentioned a working arrangement between the Chors and the Bromosian Minister for the Interior, and given the equipment that the Chors seemed to be shipping to that rather low-tech world, Agent Daxunn could see the makings of a potentially nasty political situation, even if the Stranman Society was not involved. As the Harmony was already heading for Bromus in search of Ossi, Daxunn requested that her team be allowed to hitch a ride to determine what was really going on there. Beginning to wonder what they had got themselves into, Nim and Valdez agreed and then set about getting the Harmony ready to lift off.

I wonder if the Player Characters were Involved?

"Tonight on Primeday News - the Travellers' Aide Society issues a Red Zone warning for Bromus/Miazan."

"Day Two of the treason trial of retired Colonel Orscan Geffajal. We cross to our reporter at the Miazan Ducal Court for the latest."

"The Miazan Stockmarket hits a six month high on the back of strong economic data."

"And in Sport, Eifah takes the Desert Hawks four points clear of the field in Round 17 of the Miazan Jumpball League."

"Good evening. This is Channel 27's Primeday News. I'm Hrui'i Oikhteaearl."

"And I'm Marla Drishnau."

"Leitha Hargan, spokesophont for the Miazan Subsector Chapter of the Travellers’ Aide Society, announced today that the Society was posting a temporary Red Zone travel advisory for the Bromus System.

"Ms. Hargan said that the Travellers’ Aide Society had received credible reports indicating that ground fighting had broken out on Bromus around 118-1109. While she refused to speculate as to who was fighting whom, she indicated that Bromus Downport had been damaged during the initial battle and that at least one off-world starship had been destroyed.

"A Scout Courier refuelling at Sertan VIII, the Bromus System gas giant, received a sparse, but updated, news feed from the Star Port Authority C Class facility on Bromus. The insystem SPA news feed announced that one ship, the 400-ton Fortune, Captain Laura MaiCarmel, with a Feor/Gamelea registry, had been badly damaged during heavy fighting within the Starport facility. Another starship, of unknown registry, has been destroyed – believed shot down by a ship, or ships, unknown. The Starport facility, itself, has been heavily damaged.

"At present, we are aware that the two Dragon Class System Defence Boats, owned by the Bromus planetary government, have withdrawn from outsystem patrols and are believed to have been engaged in combat operations in and around Low Orbit of Bromus. At this time, we are advising all Imperial citizens travelling through the Bromus System to avoid the main world for the time being, until further information is at hand."

“Inquiries for further information regarding the situation on Bromus were referred to the Imperial Navy Office of Public Relations. Late this afternoon, Baroness Elemyl Mahuran, wife of Duke Mah’radys IV of Miazan and aunt to Siridar-Count Sakkan III of Bromus, issued the following statement:"

"We have been advised as to the tragedy currently playing out upon our homeworld of Bromus. We are also advised that, while there has been some fighting in and around the capital city of Hasamton, there has been, to date, little loss of life and that Siridar-Count Sakkan, his family, and the loyal members of his government, are safe and well. While offworld meddling, from a neighbouring polity long known to be inimical to the good governance of the Imperium and its territories, is suspected, it is heartening to know that several captains of interstellar merchant ships have put their ships and crews at the service of our House and reinforced the good efforts of the Bromosian Government to restore peace and tranquillity to Bromus. Great Spirit save the Emperor!"

“To which we whole heartedly concur, ma’am.”

"And after the break, Day Two of retired Colonel Orscan Geffajal's treason trial. Stay with us."

Solo Traveller - Aloin's Saga #7

Captain Lukk spread an old knitted shawl over the small aluminium shipping box and settled herself down, just where a shaft of sunlight spilled through the open main cargo hatch of the Iridium Queen. She drew her jacket more snugly about her. Sertan’s orangey light cast a golden glow across the late afternoon sky, but the K2 star did not throw much heat at this time of year and at this latitude.

Casually checking that the butt of her autopistol was free of the edge of her pocket, Lukk nodded towards the scruffy idler loitering beside the hoist at the foot of the cargo ramp. The idler suddenly found something utterly fascinating in his infotainment sheet and settled down on one of the hoist’s tines, half turning away from the Iridium Queen’s open hatch as he scanned the text boxes. Lukk lit her pipe.

Hearing footsteps on the deck plates, she glanced quickly behind her and then relaxed as Holi Pradeen came into view around the end of some stowed cargo jacks. Wheezing in the thin air, the rotund Celephaizon Engineer plonked himself down beside Lukk on her rug-covered shipping box. “I see our little friend is still out there,” he puffed. “I’d like to know how the Dear Leader gets his watchers on the Starport Authority Payroll.”

Lukk blew a smoke ring. “Quotas,” she said. “The Bromosians are a xenophobic lot. They don’t like offworlders. They’ll trade with us, but they don’t like us.”

Pradeen chuckled. “We’ve been here three and a half weeks, Elera,” he said. “They don’t seem to want to trade with us either.”

Lukk pursed her lips. “That’s why I sent Kiir and the lad over to the terminal,” she replied, “to post our destination on the main board.”

Pradeen raised an eyebrow. “Freight?” he asked. “We’re taking freight? And passengers?”

The Captain glared up at her rotund Engineer. “Yes, we’re taking freight,” she snapped. “And no, we’re not taking passengers. We don’t have a steward, and the Dear Leader probably wouldn’t let any of his Joyful Companions out of their potato fields, anyway.”

“That’s a relief,” Pradeen said. “I like having a stateroom to myself. I would really hate to have to bunk with Kiir.” He cocked his head, listening. “Sounds like the mule, inbound,” he added, hauling himself to his feet. “Hope Kiir and the boy had some luck at the terminal.” He smiled down at Lukk, “And our watcher has vanished, too,” he said quietly over the noise of the approaching quadbike and trailer.

“Well, you’d better go throw some coal in the boiler,” Lukk said, gathering up her shawl and pacing across the deck to the main hatch. “I want to be off this cabbage patch as soon as we’ve got something in the hold. We’re going back to Miazan. At least folks there have got some money.” She quickly stepped aside as Kiirgun gunned the mule up the ramp and through the hatch. Aloin sat perched on a pile of boxes in the trailer, grinning as the trailer bounced over the lip of the hatch behind the quadbike.

“You better have good news for me, Kiir!” Lukk shouted over the noise of the mule.

Kiirgun cut the engine and gestured double-thumbs up. “Captain,“ he said. “We have freight.”

Fifty-six hours later, the Iridium Queen lifted from Bromus Downport, two twenty-ton consignments and a five ton break-bulk load stowed neatly in her hold. Two hundred and fifty-two hours out from Bromus, on 212-1107, she slipped into Miazan Highport Bay 42 Spinward. The docking seals were barely tight when Captain Lukk had Kiirgun and Aloin crack open the main cargo hatch and begin shifting the containers dockside, much to the initial amusement, and then growing irritation, of Miazan Customs and Excise.

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Commentary

Time to rattle along the last couple of jumps before the use of encounter tables kicks in. It has been a nice, quiet run so far which has enabled us to learn a little about the characters, get a handle on how the ship operates, and do a little bit of trading. Sadly, Captain Lukk has had appalling luck on the Trade Tables. When Aloin begins to think about it, he may begin to wonder how she can afford to sit for weeks on a dock.

I’m very happy with how the background of the subsector has been developing, and the discussions on ships and shipbuilding have helped me focus various thoughts I have had off and on for years. Coincidently, I have recently seen two discussions on Citizens of the Imperium about both constructing shipyards and about what shipyards can construct, which have been both informative and entertaining.