Main - Chapter 8: Dianreti III

Mercer wants to get any information he can about different warlords. Especially The Skorn Clan, the Varunans, and the Red Hawk Pirates. What do they think of each other? What are their hierarchies? And more specifically, what is life like for the average clan member, and what do they do with other captaves and surrendered people?
He wants to get info about what may happen if he arms them and who may be the most accepting, if the CV is going to shift the power even a little he wants to try to not give it to the most brutal clan.
He will also ping the Regular Passenger and the Artwork going to Altaria, as well as the Tools and Medical Supplies going to Panipat II , and make sure Hank sees them If we think we will have the space a little extra money will be good.

---

Douklan is happy to accompany Mercer, but he is mostly there to observe the master at work (and provide backup in case things go awry); he has little Connect and no Talk.

Trade Era 1235, Day 175. 09:14 UTC
Solaris, in orbit of Dianreti III
The Solaris left the Celestial Voyager's bays and began its descent toward Dianreti III’s shimmering oceans. Douklan Paravides sat at the helm, his hands loose on the controls, guiding the craft with the practiced ease of an ex-navy pilot who knew these systems inside out. The shuttle's small cockpit hummed with systems checks as the thick atmosphere of the planet embraced them, heat blooming in red streaks across the viewport.

Beside him, Mercer Furio leaned back in the co-pilot’s seat, arms folded. Once a criminal, he'd carved out a new life as an honest and free trader, but some habits were hard to leave behind. His mind never stopped calculating, reading the angles.

"Anything unusual on the approach?" Mercer asked without looking up, his tone low and conversational.

Douklan shook his head, keeping one hand steady on the flight stick. "No. Drones are holding their patterns. Turrets look cold. We’re clear so long as we don’t get cute."

"Good. Let’s keep it that way." Mercer shifted forward, peering at the artificial island of Airthorne, the starport now rising into view. It was a compact fortress of steel and concrete, floating in the middle of a vast ocean like a dormant leviathan. Heavy defense turrets, rows of drones, and layers of sensor arrays made one thing clear: no starship or boat arrived here without permission.

The Solaris glided over the ocean’s surface, casting a sharp shadow across the rolling waves, and approached Landing Pad 4. Douklan fired the shuttle’s braking thrusters, and with a hiss of hydraulics, the Solaris touched down smoothly. The craft settled, engines winding down to a low hum. Soon enough the shuttle doors slid open, revealing the blastproof expanse of Airthorne’s wind-swept landing pads. The air smelled of salt and grease, carried on a humid breeze that rustled the edges of their flight jackets. Around them, cargo crews and customs agents scurried between ships, loading crates under the watchful eyes of armed guards. Drones hovered, watching overhead and buzzing like wasps.

Mercer scanned the surroundings, his sharp eyes picking out symbols and uniforms—not just Stellar Express personnel but a handful of off-worlders and clan emissaries mingling at the periphery. He adjusted his coat, making sure the small sidearm at his hip was hidden but easily accessible. You could never be too careful in a place like this.

They descended a short ramp toward the starport’s inner gates, heading for the canteen—if it could be called that. In these outposts, the real trade happened not on official manifests but over drinks and quiet conversations. Moreover, Mercer needed information. Before anyone on the Celestial Voyager started handing out weapons, he had to know who might use them, how they’d use them, and, most importantly, whether any of these bastards were worse than the pirates they escaped from on Zyronis.

Trade Era 1235, Day 175. 10:54 UTC
The Dijkstra's Rest, Canteen in Airthorne city, Dianreti III
The canteen was a dim, crowded space tucked into a side building near the cargo terminals. The lighting flickered faintly, and the tables were scarred with burns, knife scratches, and the occasional carved symbol—marks left by travelers and mercenaries with stories to tell. The air smelled of stale beer and frying oil, and low conversations mixed with the clink of glasses and the hum of a battered jukebox.

Douklan found them a table near the back, where they could keep their backs to the wall. Mercer sat with a view of the entrance and began sizing up the room. A few other traders hunched over their drinks, and a couple of clan representatives—likely scouts or junior members—sat in a corner, nursing thin mugs of ale and speaking in low, clipped tones.

Mercer ordered drinks—just enough to blend in—and waited, listening. Slowly, pieces of conversation drifted their way.

---

They overheard snippets from the clan scouts at the corner table. One of them, a wiry young man with sunburned skin and a ragged shirt, spoke in a hushed but animated voice. "The Skorn Clan—they don’t take prisoners unless they’re useful. Fishermen, smiths, whatever. Anyone else? They’re put down quick. Their leader, Elder Sorda Skorn, she doesn’t mess around. She keeps her own tight—makes sure nobody challenges her authority."

His companion, an older man with a patchy beard, grunted. "Yeah, but she’s ruthless. Won’t hesitate to burn a boat or even a whole village if it gets in her way."

Mercer exchanged a glance with Douklan. Skorn Clan—efficient, but brutal. Dangerous, but predictable. They might be useful allies, if carefully managed.

Another voice caught Mercer’s attention—a trader complaining to the bartender about the Varunans. "Those water rats care more about fish and storms than anything else. They’re isolationists, mostly. Don’t care much for the surface clans, but when they come ashore, they trade well enough—long as you don’t cross ‘em. Their leader, Aya Varu, she’s supposed to be reasonable. Bit paranoid, but fair. They take captives sometimes, but they put ‘em to work on the boats. Not much torture—just hard labor."

Mercer nodded slowly. The Varunans sounded like a safer bet—harsh but not needlessly cruel. That might go a long way in this world.

But it was the mention of the Red Hawk Pirates that made Mercer lean in closer. One of the scouts spit on the floor, disgust clear in his voice. "They’re the worst of the lot. The Hawks don’t keep captives—they either ransom you or throw you overboard. And Captain Drex Avaro? He doesn’t care who he kills, long as he gets paid. Don’t matter if it’s clan folk, off-worlders, or his own men. All the same to him."

Mercer grimaced. The Red Hawks were chaos incarnate, motivated only by greed and cruelty. Arming them would be suicide.

Last but not least, Mercer hears a snippet of conversation from two nearby traders about Durros Gavik, the grizzled Stellar Express employee and Starport Overseer.

"...Old Durros Gavik?" one of them muttered with a snort. "That bastard's running the whole show here like it's his personal empire. You think the warlords call the shots? Not without Gavik knowing about it first."

"Yeah," the other added, lowering his voice, though not low enough to escape Mercer’s sharp ears. "Nothing moves in or out of Airthorne without his say-so. And if you’re stupid enough to try a landing off the books without talking with him first? His drones will swat you outta the sky before you can break atmo."

Mercer exchanged a glance with Douklan, feigning disinterest but making sure to catch every word.

"Used to run with a merc crew back in the day, didn’t he?"

"Yeah. One of those old heavy hitter outfits—the ones that did more wetwork than patrols. Some say Gavik took this post to retire easy, but I ain’t buying it. Guy’s sharp as ever. He’s got a nose for leverage, and he loves tech—Elder's stuff, especially. Heard he’ll pay through the nose for anything advanced. He likes it, keeps it. If not, he flips it into something useful."

Durros Gavik, Starport Overseer, sounded like the kind of man Mercer could work with. He knew where all the bodies were buried.

Mercer sends Hank a message

Looks like what you suspected is right. Selling to a warlord isn't worth getting in trouble. But I can probably sell some info about how one of the clans might be able to buy some weapons before the others. If so, I advise the Varunas, not cruel and they are more isolationist.

Of course we could talk to Durros Gavik, He's the Starport Overseer. Would make sense to go through the channels that are already here. We may even be able to let the Varunas pay us to ensure Durros Gavik gets the weapons into their hands.

Will move forward if you want to try to make some extra money this way. If not, you have your info.

---

Mercer would be willing to sell the information of who is processing the shipment of weapons any any other info that may help a clan but some before the others. He would sell to The Varunans.

Not worth a ton, but some more creds for the ship.
Other than that it's selling time.

Mercer, can't really profit from the information he's obtained so far. This is something that "everybody knows" among the clans, although off-worlders are generally not aware of what is really happening on the planet.

---

Trading....

Merchant’s group: Hank (Trade 2, Specialist 1) + Mercer (Connect 0, Charisma modifier 2)
Group's Expertise: 4
Friction: 5

Market modifiers: Low tech -2, Medical -1, Postech +1, Military +2

Selling to Stellar Express...
Grav plates
Types: Postech, Astronautic, Rare
Available to sell: 3 tons
Base price: 25,000 credits/ton
Sells for: Roll 4d6h3 to let us know

Data storage drives
Types: Postech, Compact
Available to sell: 0.2 tons
Base price: 50,000 credits/ton
Sells for: Roll 4d6h3 to let us know

Stunner rifles
Types: Postech, Military
Available to sell: 41 tons
Base price: 10,000 credits/ton
Sells for: Roll 4d6h3+2 to let us know

Vibroswords
Types: Postech, Military
Available to sell: 28 tons
Base price: 10,000 credits/ton
Sells for: Roll 4d6h3+2 to let us know

---

Best deals - Trade Goods (buying from SE)
Drugs, Raw Materials
Types: Agricultural, Biotech, Bulky
Base (galatic) price: 200 credits/ton
Total avaliable: 100 tons
Minimum lot and increments: 10 tons
Purchase price: 200 credits/ton
Special: Restricted or somehow harder to buy/sell in some planets (but not here)

Viridian root extract
Types: Rare, Medical
Base (galatic) price: 50,000 credits/ton
Total avaliable: 8 tons
Minimum lot and increments: 1 ton
Purchase price: 50,000 credits/ton

If you wanna reroll to buy something else with increased friction, just let me know

---

Trading....

Merchant’s group: Hank (Trade 2, Specialist 1) + Mercer (Connect 0, Charisma modifier 2)
Group's Expertise: 4
Friction: 5

Market modifiers: Low tech -2, Medical -1, Postech +1, Military +2

Selling to Stellar Express...
Grav plates
Types: Postech, Astronautic, Rare
Available to sell: 3 tons
Base price: 25,000 credits/ton
Sells for: Roll 4d6h3 to let us know

Data storage drives
Types: Postech, Compact
Available to sell: 0.2 tons
Base price: 50,000 credits/ton
Sells for: Roll 4d6h3 to let us know

Stunner rifles
Types: Postech, Military
Available to sell: 41 tons
Base price: 10,000 credits/ton
Sells for: 11,000 credits/ton

Vibroswords
Types: Postech, Military
Available to sell: 28 tons
Base price: 10,000 credits/ton
Sells for: 10,000 credits/ton

---

Best deals - Trade Goods (buying from SE)
Drugs, Raw Materials
Types: Agricultural, Biotech, Bulky
Base (galatic) price: 200 credits/ton
Total avaliable: 100 tons
Minimum lot and increments: 10 tons
Purchase price: 200 credits/ton
Special: Restricted or somehow harder to buy/sell in some planets (but not here)

Viridian root extract
Types: Rare, Medical
Base (galatic) price: 50,000 credits/ton
Total avaliable: 8 tons
Minimum lot and increments: 1 ton
Purchase price: 50,000 credits/ton

If you wanna reroll to buy something else with increased friction, just let me know

Got a "10".
Got a "12".
Got a "13".
Got a "16".

OK, the rolls are above. The results will determine if we complete the sales. Regardless, Hank wants to unload the weapons, assuming we won't lose money or anything like that.

Once we know what we have earned, we can decide if we're gonna buy anything. We get no discount, so it just means we have to roll well to sell. I have to double-check, but I expect to get all of the Viridian Root because I think those modifiers will help in the sale. Have to check on the drugs, but Hank isn't as hot on that. I don't plan on any rerolls, as the friction is already ridiculously high, bumping it higher isn't likely to help much.

So what is the profit we have made on the weapons? Is PhoenixScientist correct on his totals? If so, we definitely sell them so we don't get attacked for them again. Lesson learned there. On the other two items: is there a profit with my average rolls? This likely isn't the best place to sell them, so trying again later is fine by me.

Now, on the buyable material. Getting the Raw Drugs could be good at Castand with the +2 Agricultural. However, how are their laws. If it'll be a hassle to sell, then I don't see the allure. However, if it won't be an extra hassle (above what trade normally involves), it is probably worth the effort. The Root Extract, on the other hand, is a conundrum. It would be perfect to try and sell at Altairia, but that is a long way to go to have 400K wrapped up in it. And since we are getting it "at value", that is a major risk and problem for that much stuff. So, in Hank's assessment, if we can unload the Raw Drugs at Castand, then we can get some. But he thinks we need to just skip the Root Extract because we would be buying it "at cost" and have to hold onto it for a long time, trapping a whole lot of money. In both cases, buying it at market value really hurts the incentive to try either of them and the base level Friction of 5 removes the incentive to try for different goods.

TL;DR
- We sell the Vibroswords and Stun Rifles and take that profit. We hold onto the Grav Plates and Storage Drives and try again at Englene Station.
- Depending on the answer to the question of selling Raw Drugs at Castand, we buy some or don't buy any. We do not buy the Viridian Root Extract.
- This is what the CV, Ship Fund, and Hank do. Mercer and whomever can do what they think is best.

On a different subject, Hank is not interested in the infiltration mission. All of the identified factions suck to varying degrees and we're not going to make any kind of lasting change to this world without staying and becoming warlords ourselves. Hank has different goals. He's interested in moving on to Englene Station and hopefully never visiting this world again.

Hank can be talked into 1 ton of Viridian root. We can then just keep trying until either we make a profit or we reach Altairia and have to sell it for whatever we can get.

The viridian root appeals to Douklan, but his credit is far too small to make a meaningful contribution to the purchase of even a ton. The idea of buying here and selling it at the station for a small profit percentage does make sense. He certainly agrees with Hank's assessment that it's not worth the risk to hold onto pricey commodities for a long time, but a short trip? A small percentage on a big investment could still be a significant amount.

As for the mission, Douklan is also game, if there's time with all the sales that are happening. He's still a bit anxious about cash flow after becoming a civilian, and making money is a relatively new and unfamiliar concern. 1000 credits seems like a lot to him.

@Esidrix, what's Corbin's opinion? Does he want to go on the infiltration mission?

If Corbin is also going, Daryen, can you control an NPC (Erin?) and we all get into it. Makes sense if Hank doesn't want to go there, although I don't think you mind if you play an NPC for that. Do you?

This mission is only viable for me in the main thread. It's a lot of effort (and timeline juggling... What if Mercer dies?) to run it in parallel in a side thread.

Trade Era 1235, Day 175. 14:00 UTC
Celestial Voyager, in orbit of Dianreti III
Valeria Zaytsev leaned back in her chair, gazing through the broad viewport behind her desk. The stars glittered in the distance, distant jewels scattered across the endless black sea of space. The faint hum of the Celestial Voyager’s engines filled the air, a comforting sound she had known for years. Soon, however, it would become a memory—one more thread in the rich tapestry of her life as a trader, cut short as she prepared for the next chapter of her journey.

She sighed and tapped the comm panel on her desk.

"Hank, meet me in my office."

A moment later, Hank Heron strode in, the door hissing shut behind him.

"Captain," he greeted, tilting his head with a grin. "You summoned?"

Valeria smiled as she motioned toward the chair opposite her desk. "Sit down, Hank."

He dropped into the seat, casual and relaxed, but she could see the flicker of curiosity in his eyes.

"Big day," she began, her voice soft but laced with satisfaction. "I just saw that the deal on Dianreti III is complete. We cleared over 600,000 credits. That's enough to fund the trip to Astralon comfortably. And as you know... The governor’s office is waiting. The papers are signed. Once we reach Astralon, the ship will be disassembled. Every bolt, panel, and engine core will be repurposed for the colony."

Her voice softened, the weight of the moment pressing down on her. "The Celestial Voyager will become homes, workshops, power grids... Everything those settlers need to survive."

The silence stretched between them for a moment, filled with a quiet sense of finality. Hank leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the armrest.

Valeria paused, the weight of years pressing in on her. Memories flooded her mind—her first trade route, the exhilarating leap into the unknown, the intricate negotiations where a single word could mean the difference between fortune and disaster. She remembered the thrill of success and the lessons learned through failure, the faces of countless crew members who had come and gone, each of them leaving their own mark on the Celestial Voyager.

"I never thought I’d make it this far," she finally said, softly. "When I first got my merchant license at twenty, I thought I was in way over my head. A kid playing at being a trader, just trying not to screw up too badly."

"Yeah, right," Hank scoffed with a grin. "I heard that even back then, you were a force to be reckoned with."

Valeria laughed. "Maybe. But it’s been a long journey since those days. And it’s been a hell of a ride, Hank. I wouldn’t change any of it."

She leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the desk. "But this is the right time to leave. Astralon needs leadership, and... well, I’ve had my share of the stars. Which is why I wanted to talk to you today. Endings are just new beginnings waiting to happen. And I wanted to talk to you about what’s next for you."

Hank arched a brow. "Me?"

"Yes, you." Valeria opened the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a data pad. "I know you’ve been talking with Mercer and a few of the crew about staying together. About getting a ship."

She reached into the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a sleek datapad, sliding it across to him.

Hank picked it up, eyebrows raised. "What’s this?"

"That," Valeria said, her tone light but meaningful, "is your trader license application. Approved. Fully paid for."

Hank blinked, his eyes widening as the weight of her words sank in. "You... you paid for my trader license?"

Valeria leaned back, folding her arms with a satisfied smile. "I know you have been using the Celestial Voyager's and my license in your trades and how hard it is to break into this business. The costs, the red tape—it’s enough to scare off anyone who doesn’t have a fortune or a sponsor. I had my family. I figure it’s the least I can do to thank you for everything you’ve done over the years."

Hank stared at the data pad for a long moment, as if trying to convince himself it was real. "Val, this... this is too much."

"Nonsense," she said briskly. "You’ve earned it, Hank. You’ve been my right hand for a while now. I trusted you with my ship, my crew, and my life. If anyone deserves a shot at building their own legacy, it’s you."

He shook his head, a rare moment of speechlessness overtaking him. "I don’t know what to say."

"Just say you’ll use it," Valeria replied with a grin. "I expect to hear stories about my legendary crew soon enough. You, Mercer, Corbin, Douklan, Erin… You all have got what it takes, Hank. More than you realize."

Hank is still completely taken aback and stunned by the surprise. "I ... I don't know what else to say other than, thank you! I will definitely use this starting here and at Englene!"

He pauses some more, genuinely touched by the gift. He quietly says, "Thank you."---------
Now, on to the Ship's Funds. According to PhoenixScientist, the returns were as follows:
- Hank got 11,000 for the Stunners
- Funds got 11,000 for the Stunners
- Funds got 10,000 for the Vibroblades.
Hank will now just roll his money over into the Ship's Funds and not do any personal speculation on the side. He is now all-in on getting that ship. So, that knocks us up to 32,000 as a return for the Ship's Funds.
We add in the 20,000 more from Maya's shuttle sale and 500 from Douklan's contribution and we now have a total of 52,500 for the Ship's Funds.Assuming that is correct, the Ship's Funds will invest in:
- 1 ton of Viridian Root Extract (a total of 50,000 to do so).
- 10 tons of Raw Drugs (a total of 2,000 to do so).
- Have 500 credits left in "cash".

Since the CV is no longer speculating, Hank is going to be taking a bit of a different tack. Instead of trying to truly optimize speculation (like he has been doing with the CV cargo), he will instead focus on churning through as much as possible each jump. Better to make some money each stop than trying to maximize just one piece of cargo.

Also, on the last little bit of the CV speculative cargo, Hank still wants to wait until Englene Station to sell the drives and grav plates because they should do *way* better there. That and the freight destined for there will finish out all of the CV's trade related activities.

Finally, for the freight, after the ship's modifications, how much cargo space do we have? At a minimum, we'll take the Skysilk Juice and Exotic Jewels. Not much profit, but I guess Mercer is correct and it's better than an empty hold. Plus they are both small so they won't cause us any issues on preventing us from doing anything later. If we have lots of space available, we will also take these Raw Drugs, too. But we won't if we are getting tight on available space. There is no way I want anything to do with livestock.

Then we will grab the Raw Drugs, too, as freight.

Still don't want the livestock.

Account balances after sales and wages paid
Celestial Voyager / Captain Valeria Zaytsev: Enough for the trip. We won't track the ship's/Valeria's credits anymore. This "mini-game" is over, you won. =)
New ship's funds: 52,500 credits (including money invested by Hank and Maya)
Corbin: 13,000 credits
Hank: 3,333 credits, 10% shares in Therion Provisions Inc.
Douklan: 1,900 credits
Mercer: 65,127 credits, 45% shares in Therion Provisions Inc.

Account balances and goods after purchases
New ship's funds: 1 ton of Viridian Root Extract, 10 tons of Raw Drugs, 500 credits
Corbin: 13,000 credits
Hank: 1,233 credits, 25% shares in Therion Provisions Inc.
Douklan: 1,900 credits
Mercer: 1 ton of Viridian Root Extract, 75% shares in Therion Provisions Inc., 50 tons of Raw Drugs, 927 credits

---

When Mercer gets back to the ship after all the trading he goes to find RB. RB, Could you help me with a little project? I don't know much about ship mechanics or turning a ship into a Colony Core, but seems not every bit of the CV's current fittings would be needed. Could you do some research and see what will be needed for the remodel and coming core. I am especially interested in the Sandthrower, Ship's Lockers and Cold Sleep Pods, but really any fittings that won't be needed once we get our final refit in Altaria. I want to buy the fittings from Captain Zaytsev.

Mercer will send the captain the following message:

Captain Zaytsev,
Recently I had RB go over the planned modifications to the Celestial Voyager to determine the essential systems to the Colony Core and our final voyage. Once we reach Altaria I would like to make an offer for the following systems that were determined to be nonessential to the colony core or final journey.
Also I expect to have (or can ensure to have) 6-10 tons of the recently purchased Raw Drug materials. I know in new colonies such things may be more valuable than their monetary cost and am willing to use them to supplement payment for the aforementioned ship fittings.
Please take your time in considering this offer and make any consultations you may need to. There is no rush and I am only making this offer because I believe we both benefit.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Mercer Canaan Furio, Celestial Voyager Security

Fitting	New Market Cost	Offer
Armory	250,000	125,000
Cargo Lighter	25,000	12,500
Fuel Bunker x2	125,000 ea	125,000 total
Sandthrower	50,000	25,000
Ship's Locker	50,000	25,000