Chapter 2A: Ironsides

OK, here's Hank's roll.

Trade Era 1235, Day 132

Celestial Voyager's passenger shuttle, in a escape trajectory from Draco I
The shuttle hurtled towards the orbital station, its hull shuddering from the strain of the rapid maneuver. Jil, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead, wrestled with the controls to realign their trajectory.
Gabe, glancing at the station through the viewport, shouted, "We need to bleed off more speed!"

Hank, hands flying across the console, initiated emergency thruster bursts to counteract the velocity. The crew felt the gravitational forces, a little above what the grav plates could nullify, as the shuttle executed a series of sharp maneuvers, narrowly avoiding collision with the orbital station.
Suddenly, the portside view was a blur of metallic structure. Alarms continued to wail, echoing the urgency of their situation and then abruptly stopped. Jil, with steely determination, finally managed to bring the shuttle under control, the vessel now slowing down but still overshooting the intended point.

As they moved away from the station, she reported, "Sir, we've slowed down, but we overshot the docking coordinates. We need to circle back and try again."

Gabe was visibly very angry. Controlling himself, he nodded, "Do it! And this time, let's aim for a smoother approach. We don't want to attract even more attention than we already did."

The crew braced themselves as the shuttle executed a graceful turn, aligning once again with the orbital station. Jil, now with a cautious touch, guided the vessel towards the docking port. The crew could feel the subtle hum of the engines as they approached for a second attempt, hoping that this time their entry would be met with a less tumultuous reception.

In the meantime, Gabe furiously worked on the shuttle's computer, frowning while he did so.

"I'm sorry, Jil…" - he said, at last - "I thought you were being completely incompetent and suicidal with your navigation. When people miss their calculations, we usually take longer, but we don't smash into the station. Space is huge and the odds are impossibly low for that to be a mistake. But it was not your fault, it seems like our nav computer was sabotaged before we left the Celestial. Somebody is trying to kill us. I know that's a serious accusation, so, Hank, please double check it, I will point you to the logs."

Alarmed, Skeeve checks the logs carefully while Jil brings us back. I am going to assume that since we have some time while we turn around, he isn't hurried, so he takes a very careful and deliberate approach. (Hopefully this gives modifiers if I miss but am close.)

Trade Era 1235, Day 132

Celestial Voyager's passenger shuttle, approaching Draco I orbital station
The crew let out collective breaths as the shuttle approached the docking port with controlled finesse.

As they docked, the metallic clang echoed through the shuttle, signifying a successful connection. The crew unstrapped themselves, a mixture of relief and anticipation in their eyes. Hank confirmed that somebody reprogrammed the nav computer for a collision. They will need the Celestial Voyager's shuttle bays camera to double check and try to pin down

"Let's wait before we say anything unusual to the Celestial Voyager. Our communication could be intercepted."

Double checking what happened, Jil coud also see that she, in fact, missed the sabotage. A little distracted with the Elder's research, she ploted the course, checked the sensor readings, checked her own inputs and let it go. But she didn't double check the results.

To simplify things and make it easier to explain what really happened, she realized that the nav computer told her that 1+1=5 and she confirmed the course. Her input (the 1) and her current position (the other 1) were both correct, so Jil didn't expect for the nav computer to consider all the correct data but mess with it and put her in a collision course (the 5).Trade Era 1235, Day 132

Draco I orbital station
Stepping onto Draco I's orbital station, they were greeted by the sterile hum of life support systems and the distant echo of station personnel going about their duties.

Following signs and lights, they navigated through the labyrinthine corridors of the starport, passing by rows of cargo containers and the occasional group of traders fervently haggling over goods.

Approaching the customs and immigration checkpoint, Gabe presented the necessary documentation. The customs official, a stern-faced figure in uniform, scrutinized the paperwork with a practiced eye. Hank and Jil stood nearby, ready to answer any questions that might arise.

"Please state your port of origin and business in Draco I," instructed the customs official.

"We are an ITC registered, free merchant starship crew from New Jordan. We are looking to purchase supplies and replacement parts," answered the first officer.

"Are you selling anything?" queried the customs official.

"No, sir, not this time."

"Okay. You don't have the necessary authorization to sell anything. Infringement will result in perpetual jail or indentured service in the tungsten mines. Here are your papers and buying authorizations. You have ten days to leave the planet. Infringement will lead to incarceration or indentured service in the iron mines."

"Understood, sir," Gabe replied, a hint of nervousness in his tone.

The crew, now with the necessary authorizations, proceeded into the station, ready to navigate the challenges of trade and the shadows that loomed on the rocky planet.

As they moved through the station, Gabe glanced at Hank and Jil. "Do you have any idea of our next steps? I didn't expect that and I am not fully aware of the planetary laws."

The first thing we're gonna do when we leave our shuttle is lock it. Have you ever watched The Mandalorian? Dude leaves his stuff with doors open everywhere. So sloppy. (Still loved the first season anyway.)

Well, since there are no weapons or armor, he's just taking his clothes, datapad, shuttle keys (unless that's all biometric), and whatever we do for wallets (with his id and payment cards). I assume we also have comm devices that will allow us to communicate with each other.

As part of his pre-arrival prep, I assume we have some names of sources for the parts we need. If we don't, we'll have to figure out how to legally connect to the local datanet and find some. Considering that Hank isn't interested in working in anyone's mines, he's interested in not pissing off any authorities and getting back outta here. So, shopping trip!

"The data library we have mention an Inhotep Emporium and a Spritely Sprockets as places we should be able to find our parts. Let's look up where they are and see what we can find."

Hank also suggests that it probably isn't a good idea to either split up or to get drunk. This place is just dripping with "don't get Shanghai'ed" vibes. (If you have so many mines that each are coded to specific crimes, there are likely people paid to find "new recruits".)

Trade Era 1235, Day 132

Inhotep Emporium, Draco I orbital station
The Inhotep Emporium, a dimly lit and cramped store within the station, greeted the crew with the eclectic scent of various minerals and electronic components. Shelves were stacked high with gadgets and machinery, and a metallic chime announced their arrival as the automatic door slid open.

Jil, Hank, and Gabe navigated through narrow aisles, their eyes scanning the shelves for the elusive Quantum Flux Compression Coils and other essential components on their list. A hushed hum of negotiations and the occasional clatter of falling tools filled the air as they moved deeper into the store.

Hank approached a wiry shopkeeper with a pair of spectacles perched on the edge of his nose. "Excuse me, we're in need of Quantum Flux Compression Coils, Neutrino Capacitor, Universal Interface Screws, Graviton Stabilizers, Flux Harmonizer Chips, and Bio-Regenerative Life Support Filters."

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow, sizing up the crew. "Not everyday purchases, I see. You're from off-world, aren't you?"

Gabe nodded, "That's correct. We're the crew of an ITC registered vessel, and we need these components for essential repairs."

"Ah, registered vessel, you say?" The shopkeeper's tone softened, "Duke Voss doesn't often allow outsiders to make such purchases. You must have the appropriate papers."

Gabe cleared his throat, "Yes. We had to go through customs and here are the authorizations, but we're on a tight schedule. Can you help us find these items quickly?"

The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Follow me."

They weaved through narrow aisles, the shopkeeper expertly navigating the labyrinth of goods. After what felt like a scavenger hunt, they reached a dusty corner where the required components were neatly arranged.

"Quantum Flux Compression Coils, Neutrino Capacitor, Universal Interface Screws, Graviton Stabilizers, Flux Harmonizer Chips, and Bio-Regenerative Life Support Filters," the shopkeeper listed, pointing to each item and their requested amounts.

Gabe sighed in relief, "Perfect. How much for everything?"

The shopkeeper punched numbers into a vintage-looking terminal. "Considering the rarity and Duke Voss's taxes, it'll be 1,500 credits. I also have a couple of items more that we can sell. Here is the list:"

---

Trading with Jeff Smith,Inhotep Emporium, Draco I

---

"Would you like something else or just the parts?"

Hank replies, "We'll take the replacement parts for sure. How do we get them delivered to our shuttle?" He will then pay as indicated.

He then asks, "With that taken care of, do you sell the platinum only by the ton, or do you also sell it by the ingot?"

"I can pack the starship parts into a couple of manageable bags. They're not overly heavy and should be easy for you to carry.

However, when it comes to the platinum, it's a different story. I can offer you a crate containing 100 kg of platinum ingots for 1,700 credits. Or multiple crates, if you have the money and disposition. Keep in mind, though, you'll need to arrange transportation services for the crates, since they're small but quite heavy."

Jil keeps an eye out for anything suspicious and is ready to help if needed.

Otherwise she is very happy for Hank to take the lead

Hank replies, "Well, as mentioned, we are new around here. How do those services work, and how long do they general take? I am interested, but if it substantially adds to the cost or risk, then it starts to not be worth it."

Hank likes the idea. "60 credits per crate sounds good. We'll be here 30 minutes from now. Thank you." He provides whatever info they need for this.

After the arrangements are made, Hank says to Gabe, "I was only planning on getting one crate with my funds. Do you think we should get another with ship's funds?" Once we make a decision, Hank pays for the one or two crates worth of Platinum.

Hank says, "Then unless Jil wants to join in, it looks like it is just one crate after all."

Jil frowns and shakes her head. She is not used to this kind of extracurricular activity.