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After much fanfare, and a discussion of currency between Jerrith, Squee and Oakiino (one egg will net the group 500 azurs), the trio meets their hunt leader Kyapen. Dressed in a tightly woven vest of dense of plant fibers hosting hard wood plates and other armor, his lean wiry frame looks toughened - despite the species resemblance to a man-sized bipedal hair-less cat. A long iron spear and quiver of javelins remind them this hunt is business. After a cursory inspection of the group, scolding Alan’s apparent unpreparedness and smearing Prymaat dung on them - to get the scent, the four head into the semi-arid purple and yellow forest of the Veddas shiff.

Six figures with mechanical wings drifted onto the skimmer’s top deck. The avian aliens wielding strange wood and crystal staves ordered all to disarm, while their ship closed. Nevossa and his lieutenant appeared from the bridge, “My rescuers have come! You will be greatly rewarded for your aid to our clan!” Squeezil jumped into Jerrith’s pocket unnoticed amidst the danger.

The apparent leader eyed him coolly, “We will take our reward now, second chief son.” He looked over the Jerrith, the Ueppaah and Shi’Ator captives. “Surrender, Ceph.” All weapons were taken.

“Accursed Cellian trash,” the lord grumbled

Lord Nevosa and his last remaining follower reluctantly kneeled and disarmed. Three of the bird pirates moved to head below decks, but instead are interrupted by Alan, on the stern of the main deck examining the coolant pumps he’d drained in the battle. “We don’t have long. This … ship is going down.”

With speed the captives were moved to the new ship, an ovoid construction of wood and ceramic thrice the size of the Ceph craft. It’s double ram prow propped up the failing vessel to facilitate the evacuation of livestock and treasure. The two Ceph were left to go down with their vessel.

“We can’t just leave them here,”Jerrith protested towards the leader. “No matter what they’ve done, they don’t deserve death like this.”

A large amber eye surveyed the human. “With a ransom the Ceph’s clan will make us an enemy and our … lord here will be trouble aboard. Will you vouch for him?”

Jerrith agreed. Along with the rest of the captive, their former master and his lone lackey joined them in the Cellian ship’s hold.

They were put to work soon doing various chores to make themselves profitable, as opposed to a liability. The security officer helped with lifting and cleaning the vessel. The engineer learned of the workings of the skimma that combusted a resin and ash mixture to power it’s electrical systems - not much unlike a old steam boat’s engine used coal. He and the Cellian Engineer discussed designs to improve efficiency. Despite being surrounded by evolved raptors, Squeezils tricks and boldness gained her the post of ship’s mascot.

Early in the two humans were brought before Skiiar, the captain of the Sky Harbinger. He inquired of their origin and was too well traveled to accept that they were from a far shiff. Alan admitted that they were from an entirely different sphere, and noticed the way this upset - rather than surprised - the Cellian pirate. Satisfied despite being confused, he explained his people place in the world. The avians had the best ships, indeed being the inventors of Argen lift technology, but lacked the numbers and weaponry to be a true power. Their itinerant moving took them across the skyscape farther than any other people had ventured and made them a hard target for enemies but their weapons were inferior, living wood and crystal staves that recharged via unusual for of photosynthesis.

The revelation made the newcomers feel a bit more accepted over time. After a week they were considered nearly at the rank of crew. Pulling into port at the Veddas shiff city Veddalo, Skiiar declared the Ceph captives free. Gorax, Sylex and company bid their allies farewell, as did the Cellian crew with their pet.

Skiiar and his guard disembarked Margonar and his lord Nevosa in chains. Pausing before Jerrith, the chief son spit at the human and swore, “When I am back to my people you will have made a strong enemy, hoo-mon.” He was led away, but his gaze stayed on the man.

Veddalo was full of more biodiversity then the Earthers could have dreamed of: bipedal equine creature, white skinned with blue-haired humanoids, and centaur shaped alligators. They immediately looked for work.

A gecko like alien, Oakiino, offered Squeezil a job killing vermin in his establishment - in exchange for room and board for her and a companion. She accepted and the group was led to social business of some kind proclaiming a sign with some alien scrawl - whatever effect let them understand spoken language didn’t extend to writing - and a strange picture that must be related to it’s function. Within the cellar of the … Party Seal … brothel?, she encounters an insectile plant creature that stained her with glowing ink. She defeated the strange creature to earn her supper.

That night, she dreamt of flying to an ancient ruined skimma of huge proportions. The construction was mysteriously familiar to her. A rusted out artificial shiff coated in cryptic hieroglyphs filled with strange whistling winds. Something import rests here.  

Jerrith secured a position in a hunting party for the rare and valued Prymaat eggs - the young of some forest beast of Veddas. Boasting that his carbine can make big wholes in things, at a distance, gets his foot in the door. Hopefully he wouldn’t need to make too many wholes. Once the clip on his M-6 was done they’d likely have to make more bullets - if gunpowder’s ingredients even existed here. His employer, a hairless feline named Kyapen, had some dealing with the gecko for sponsorship of the expedition.

Alan tried to find employment with a scent dealer, but the alien ungulate creature found the human scent much more enthralling, and tried to capture the man. After a short tussle, the man found lodging and work at the metal crafters. Warding off a potential thief, earned him the storekeepers respect and an introduction to a member of the widely known Myessi people.

Many of his questions were not answered, as the girl was a mere courier, but he got the idea of the height of their skimma technology. They were’nt very fast at all, espcially compared to the Cellians design. The woman out of curiosity locks amber colored eyes with his and is able to view his surface thoughts, which replay at high speed in his own awareness. Stunned, the courier goes about her business before he can question further.

Alan joined the rest of his companions that morning, as they prepared for the Prymaat hunt. Heading down the street were three other teams, one of sturdy goat-like creatures, a squad of auburn furred Ueppaah and another of armor clad bipedal iguanas, amidst a large amount of fanfare for this apparent seasonal hunt festival.

Would they be able to tell beast from being? Was their greatest threat from the unknown wilds of Veddas, this Prymaat or their competitors.

Alan fit the freshly ground metal piece into the lock’s gear system and gave it a turn as he press it in. The lower bow hold door clanked with the release of multiple internal secure bars before the door opened to the ship’s treasury. Inside were exotic spices, four sacks of multi-colored crystals, and boxes with alien writing on some kind of ashen hued parchment, their gear and 6 four-foot metal rods. Their victory in this task, like the bloody business above, was however short lived.

The ceiling hatch slamming shut was the indicator that the rebellion had been noticed. Lord Nevosa, his lieutenant and 4 Nior warriors were still up and intent on keeping their vessel. The chief son’s restrained tones offered freedom to those that surrendered. He claimed another vessel had responded to their distress call and was en route. His offer was of course denied. The bellow pipe being plugged on the bridge level was a quiet declaration of war. Alan, Squeezil, Jerrith and a squad each of Shi’Ator and Ueppaah captives prepared their escape.

While the broken slaves were moved to the lower bow hold, Alan hatched a plan to redirect the major current of the generator through the ships metallic hull to disrupt the bridge. Half an hour later all the preparations were made and the conduit lowered to the deck. Some Shi’Ator were not in a safe enough area in the lower hold and suffered the consequences, but there was no indication that command was affected. Power distribution was though, as the lanterns of the skimma winked out.

The blue glow of the generator was enough to jury rig a way, at the risk of crippling the vessel further. Two similar charge conduits were affixed to the hatch to blow it off its recessed hinges. A loud scream from the routers caused by such an energy drain preceded a sudden 45-degree tilt to port. Muffled shouts from above let them know their captors were still about. Jerrith, Koviannos and Squeezil backed by several Shi’Ator ascend to the midnight black quarterdeck.

Struggling to keep footing in the vertigo of the slanted floor, Koviannos volunteered to lead the way letting his psionic sense guide them.
From above on the starboard side solidly struck the gray alien whom collapsed. Distant scuffles let them know there was something at the far end of the level. A quick flash and loud report confirmed this as molten tungsten plug struck the gray being solidly, the frail frame collapsed with the wound. The security officer moved to shield Koviannos, spraying blindly from his carbine to keep the dark sighted threats at bay. He took a grazing shot of the burning metal for his trouble. Squeezil, keen sighted and still unnoticed, found the crank to raise the deck’s metal shutters and began cranking with all the strength her small frame could muster.

To get a better vantage Jerrith hung from a nearby doorway returning fire blindly. The Nior wasn’t hindered by the darkness, but the dim red light from the now opened shutters. A clear target profile was all the survivalist needed to end that threat. From the elevated starboard corridor, a second Nior aimed at the human below. Gorus the Shi’Ator commander spotted this and with a mighty leap tackled the second warrior - his superior skill making quick work of the remaining threat.

Kovianos was bandaged, but his biology was unfathomable compared to any Jerrith had seen. Squee could just make out a speck on the horizon slowly approaching. The next hatch to main deck was also barred, and although Alan cut eventually cut through it with his tools, would it be fast enough? A drastic measure had to be taken. The ferret secured a rope to herself and climbed out of the high side to get to the top.

A Nior lay in ambush above the hatch with the thick blade of his darglaive ready to split the first head that emerged from the now sizzling hatch. Another was further down the deck in a prone position taking aim for the first newcomer. Hiding amongst cooling pipes not a yard from the waiting warrior, she steeled herself for what must be done.

With a massive thrust she threw all of her 8 lb body into the first latch and slid it open. The Nior chopped furiously at her but was taken by surprise. With effort she opened the second hatch and Jerrith sprung out join the fray. Shots ringing out spurred him to deal with the shooter and leave the first Nior to Gorus. A deck below, Alan rerouted the cooling hoses into the bellow pipe and called for parley - only to scald some enemy respondent on the bridge with a blast of steam. Jerrith took another shot before kneeling for a better shot, while the Shi’Ator commander threw the first over the side. The captain lost footing while moving to aid his human ally, but was luckily caught by Lord Delor of the Ueppah - his previous enemy.

The shooter was sprayed with lead until he succumbed. Nevosa and Lt. Margonar were still nowhere in sight. The four rebels on the top deck did see the slowly approaching ship nearly now in docking range. Several shadowing figures seemed to disembark from the alien vessel - unlike the Nior’s in design - and glide towards them.

The rest of the Jovian Saga

Continued from last time …

Alan and Jerrith were bond for transport once their wounds were tended. Squee, hidden in her master’s pack, watched as they were all transported away on the scaly backs of the strider beasts. Unnoticed, her small beady eyes were the only witness of the next few days across the Kyeta shiff.

They were brought to a vehicle of some kind, which from the Erven description would be a skimma. It was a not very much unlike an ancient trireme but with a skin of copper bands where wooden planks would be. No towering mast topped the vessel. Six sets of giant fins stretched from it’s sides and aft. Silvery fans with mechanical articulation alive with dancing arcs of lightning to keep the vehicle aloft three feet off the ground.

The two humans and her get seperated. She’s stored in a mid-decks locked pantry - the exotic scents and foods small comfort away from her friends. Days passed before she could sneak out to rejoin them. Only her nose could lead her through the slave driven musty holds, crewed by depleted-looking amphibions and fox-creatures, to the brig on the lowest deck.

The humans awoke well rested and healed, but bond. A grey skinned alien from Earth legend the first sight they saw - large black eyed and naked, humanoid only in form. It’s thoughts identified it as Koviannos, of the Kevinian species, another slave of the Ceph Nior war party commanded by Second Chiefson Lord Nevossa. Combining the human’s ingenuity and skill with the alien’s knowledge of the ship, they began to hatch a plan to escape.

The Shia’tor captive Darax was recruited, and committed his salamanderesque bretheren to the cause of escape. Numbers were on their side, although the Ceph were well rested, fed and armed. His captain, Gorus, approved but they were wary of their bondmates. The mammalian adversaries, the Ueppah, had killed many of his clan and may not be trusted. Leader Delor sent his own warrior to meet with the Earthers and ally to learn of the plan. He too consented to the agreement, with no word regarding his previous enemies.

Squee served as distration to lure the lower deck guard into an improvised trap sprung by Alan and Jerrith. Above decks, Koviannos poisoned an off duty Ceph and used his mental attacks with the captives muscle to overcome the warriors overseeing the engine hold, while the Earthers painstakingly craft a gear key to open the treasure hold of the ship.

Surprise grants them control of three fourths of the vessel. Only Nevossa, his lieutenant Margonar and four warriors are left in the top bridge - controlling navigation and with radio access, but the weary masses hold the stores, a Ceph captive and control of ship’s power. Victory is close; freedom is at hand - but there is still a fight in store. Alerted by the bellowing from below decks, the Lord plans his countermove.

To be continued

The rest of the Jovian Saga

Bigger than an idea, not fancy enough to be a cognition, more ingenious than a mundane thought is the brain baby. It’s something complicated, substantial and is going take some work to get out. “Mind shit” doesn’t reflect it’s probable beauty.

My reading of the new Starblazer Adventures RPG and my success with using a similar game system with my ancient fantasy Fate of Dominia campaign have tag team knocked up my creatively fertile mind. Enough cerebral sexual metaphors.

I game master sci-fi settings as a forte of mine and want to plot a new course. Could do Star Trek or Serenity , but really when you’ve written for a while, have your own blog and swam in the adoration of fellow gamers you kind of want to try the original.

My Jovian Chronicles is a so far so good stab at planetary romance, but it’s just one planet and the exploring the unknown theme of the genre encourages a narrator to create things as the story moves along. There’s no need to detail multitudes of exotic cultures when the player character protagonists aren’t native and would have no idea that they existed.

Many a novice has slaved to produce content then feel beholden to get their creation seen:
“You beat up the street thugs trying to rob you? OK, their boss commissions the notorious Barcavian Laser Monkey Assassin Cult on your asses!
“So, what looks like a camouflage green chimp swings at you from a rope by it’s left foot while booth hands and the other foot brandish black photon pistols … Piously.”

The premise is a great and gleaming socialist paradise advanced interstellar alliance of transhuman idealism - like these queers - is destroyed by a savage alien species from beyond. Four generations later, their descendants cling to life with salvaged technology in the hostile worlds that was once frontier territory. Grim pragmatism rules the day as humans and the species of the last alliance struggle to coexist or conquer indigenous aliens of the frontier and powerful new cultures they hadn’t know existed until now.

Space Dark Age is what I call this genre, suspecting that this is positively ripping off atleast a hundred other writers; but one can’t plagiarize in ignorance. Technology will definitely be borrowed, but I’m focusing on the dynamics to be setting. Nationalism is going to be a big thing for humans with the xenophobia one developes at having your civilization destroyed by the unknown. The older species of the neighborhood may view them as the invader. Resistance movements for the low-tech natives for having their homeworlds jacked is another angle. The rebirth of imperialism, the attempt to hold on to ancient ideals, unity versus freedom: they’re all there.

I think it’s a matter of making the factions - humans and not - that embody these themes and represent them mechanically. Those of pure human stock would be the neo-conquistadors with cultural aspects backing that viewpoint. Alliance crossbreeds - like Spock and Beh’lonna Torres types - would be looking to carry on their multicultural traditions of acceptance in contrast, and conflict. Other former allies regressing to a more feral nature and becoming the Goths of space - think the sackers of Rome, not pale pirates with black eye shadow. Ancient civilizations vigilantly watching their borders against this new sector riff raff, or sizing them up for exploitation.

I’ll be doing this in the future, perhaps weekly, since Technomancer Chad is going to be running Traveller for us - cock-blocking your Dominus. Any original ideas? I’m listening citizens.