Federation Commander

Skexis investigates the weaponry. He asks Muankaal, "Do you have any cool toys on here?"
He also asks, "What all lives in the system we're heading to?"

OOC: sorry guys been busy as of late...

Since Marcus dislikes Klingons andv really did not have mucgh to offer in getting off planet he will stay tuo himself in his cabin.

Skexis wrote:Skexis investigates the weaponry.

The tactical officer's console appears to have schematics, buttons, switches, and knobs for firing the ship's disruptors and phasers. Everyone on the bridge is armed with a good quality disruptor pistol.

Skexis wrote:He asks Muankaal, "Do you have any cool toys on here?"

Muankaal cocks his head and looks at Skexis sharply. All the officers freeze for a moment as if they don't dare move. But then... Muankaal suddenly laughs uproariously. It takes a moment... but soon the rest of the officers are laughing with him.

"I certainly do, Skexis. And thanks to you, I now have a very nice plaything to add to my collection. I shall have to show you my artifacts when we dine together this evening!"

One of the officers rises at this remark. "But sir...!" he exclaims.

"Problem, Krung?" Muankaal asks.

"That's unheard of sir...." He looks Skexis up and down in barely hidden disgust. "A cat-man... in your statesroom...?!"

"Krung! These men have proven to be very effective... and quite useful to me in... shall we say... fluid and evolving circumstances. They are both in my employment and they are under my personal protection. They are to be extended every possible courtesy that this ship can provide them. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Captain!"

"And Krung?"

"Sir?"

"Please report to the agonizer booth for a twenty minute session."

"Yes... Captain...!"

Krung exits the bridge.

Skexis wrote:He also asks, "What all lives in the system we're heading to?"

"Just on the other side of the Federation border there's a small smuggler's outpost. It's full of all kinds of scum, punks, scoundrels, and riff raff. I think you'll feel quite at home there!"

It's quiet for a moment... and then Muankaal looks askance at his officers with half a grin breaking out. Slowly, all the Klingons on the deck begin another round of loud and nervous laughter.

[OOC] are we heading to Mad Jack's Hole? [/OOC]

mojo_billbo wrote:[OOC] are we heading to Mad Jack's Hole? [/OOC]

(The smugglers base Maunkaal is referring to is just on the other side of the Neutral Zone. Mad Jack's Hole is in that direction, but would be at least another 1000 parsecs away. At Warp 7... that's maybe a two month long journey.)

Jeffr0 wrote:

mojo_billbo wrote:[OOC] are we heading to Mad Jack's Hole? [/OOC]

(The smugglers base Maunkaal is referring to is just on the other side of the Neutral Zone. Mad Jack's Hole is in that direction, but would be at least another 1000 parsecs away. At Warp 7... that's maybe a two month long journey.)

[OOC] ok, just checking... Does Captain Jack recognize the location, being that he spent a considerable amount of time hiding in these parts? [/OOC]

mojo_billbo wrote:[OOC] ok, just checking... Does Captain Jack recognize the location, being that he spent a considerable amount of time hiding in these parts? [/OOC]

GM Ruling: You are familiar with this particular smuggler's base on a successful Streetwise roll. (No penalties due to cultural familiarity.)

Rolls dice....

Heh. Okay... you are not surprised that there is one in the vicinity, but you didn't know anything about this particular base. Maybe you didn't rank well enough to know that back in the day? Or maybe it's new...? Hmmm....

[OOC] worth checking, just incase... Most bases are secret and space is huge... [/OOC]

The party arrives at Muankaal's stateroom for dinner. (It's really three large staterooms with the walls broken out of them.)

"Come in, come in!" Muankaal says as you file in. "I really must apologize to you for my behavior on the bridge. You know how it is when you have Klingon warriors in your employ-- if they don't think you're a sadistic psychopath you'll never get any work out of them!"

Muankaal's steward (a Dunkar) sees that you are seated. Some sort of classical type music is playing over the speakers. The food is all prepackaged, mass produced Federation products. In some cases the stuff is still in the box.

The room is decorated with the most extensive collection of Old Kings artifacts that you have ever seen. There are large items on the walls, choice pieces on pedestals under glass, and display cases full of smaller items.

[GM to players: your move.]

Captain Jack takes a seat and carefully looks around the room for anything out of the ordinary. [OOC] I know in a room of antiquities, it's extrememly difficult to find something "out of place", but I want to make the effort incase the dice are in my favor. [/OOC]

mojo_billbo wrote:Captain Jack takes a seat and carefully looks around the room for anything out of the ordinary. [OOC] I know in a room of antiquities, it's extrememly difficult to find something "out of place", but I want to make the effort incase the dice are in my favor. [/OOC]

GM Ruling: Archaeology defaults to IQ - 6. Rolls Dice. Okay that would have been fail even with an unmodified IQ roll.

You see nothing out of place here. Indeed, this is one of the most fastidiously maintained collections you have ever seen. There are sets of representative items along with the strange and unusual. It's like a one stop interactive exhibit on all things Old Kings. Every item has a plaque that details what world it was found on... and additional information on the site.

[GM to players: again... your move.]

To Muankaal: "you must have some good stories to go with this stuff. It's beautiful!" Skexis gestures at the artifacts on display.

Skexis wrote:To Muankaal: "you must have some good stories to go with this stuff. It's beautiful!" Skexis gestures at the artifacts on display.

Muankaal says, "it all started innocently enough. I'd just pick up a few things here and there on business trips. Things got interesting only after I decided to buy this ship. I don't usually have to engage in the sort of shenanigans that you saw on Donjebruche-- but for the particularly unusual finds it's worth it. Nevertheless, we all better stay out of Federation space until my legal and diplomatic contacts can iron out any difficulties."

[GM to players: again... your move.]

As you chow down on the processed Federation foods, Muankaal talks at length about the Old Kings. You learn the following:

• No one knows why they left ~200 years ago, but they did. They covered their tracks very well. There are very few functioning artifacts left-- the "lava lamp" looking thing you recovered is the first such artifact that Munkaal has ever seen.
• There are rumors that there were multiple factions of Old Kings, some of which might have stayed behind and hidden themselves somehow.
• It is rumored that the Old Kings had psychic powers. Equipment designed for their subject races would lack mental interfaces, but things used by the Old Kings themselves would require special abilities if they are to be successfully operated.
• The Old Kings are said to have experimented with artificial intelligence and created world sized weapons. Some spacers claim to have seen one in the nebulas of hex 1907. [That's the within a few hundred parsecs of the smuggler's base that you're heading to.]
• Muankaal believes that some of the worlds that are interdicted by the Federation have significant archaeological value.
• There is a Kzinti noble that is rumored to have an extensive collection of Old Kings artifacts just on the other side of the Kzin border. (This is over a thousand parsecs from your current position.)
• It would be difficult to investigate every single point of interest, but the best finds are liable to make their way to Mad Jack's Hole as sellers attempt to make the best price for their artifacts. (This is also over a thousand parsecs from your current position.)

Muankaal is attempting to get your opinions on what the next job should be... what you'd be willing to try... and what kind of payment you'd be looking for.

Captain Jack sighs out loud while listening.... "Hex 1907... I've seen some stuff I can't explain there..."

after a few seconds, he speaks up: "any interesting leads on some Fed worlds that might be of archaeological interest? I may be familiar with them, or at least, a nice spot to start looking."