7/29/99
010-1122
Ethan and Tessa have just located the bad guys with the recon drone from Ethan's Battle Dress. The recon drone identifies a pair of riders that do not appear to be locals. One is a human and the other is a martel. That are being lead by the bad guys. The martel appears to have a head wound. There are still 4 of the outreach group left on planet waiting for the shuttle to the ship to return. The ambush party lets the bandits go past so that a rescue attempt can be made on the Human and the martel. Ethan moves as quietly as one can in battle dress towards the apparent captives. Ethan manages to grab the prisoners as Tessa opens fire on the bandits. The fight is on. Good guys lots... Bad guys zero...
Ethan goes looking for the "matador" to see if he's dead. Tessa is going to find the two prisoners. The martel is a female with a serious head wound. The human asks Tessa if Uncle Jimmy sent us. Ethan finally finds the matador buried under the pile of dead bandits. Damn... he's dead too. The human's name is Francis Wong. He tells us that the Martel's name is Valbcheka Verblishnik. (eep). Wong tells the party that they are here to do a spot audit on a local mill. Seems that the mill wasn't keeping it's records straight. Wong also explains that the "revolutionaries" chased off the local workers and took them captive. Ethan mentions that this little band of revolutionaries wont be overthrowing anything for some time to come.
Wong want to know if we can get them back to Regina. They are told that there is a shuttle waiting and that they can be taken back to Regina. Wong also wants to know if the party has a medic. The outreach medics can look after Valbcheka.
The locals now want the party to go off and strip the dead bodies. After a brief discussion Ethan and Tessa agree to secure the perimeter and cover the villagers. The villagers find some rather interesting things on the matador and his radioman. The matador has several thousand credits in various high denominations and imperial credits. The radioman has a bit of cash on his as well. They also find the briefcases belonging to the former prisoners. Ethan collects the briefcases and the imperial credits (100Kcr) One of the villagers asks why we need to keep the credits? Ethan explains that it's expensive to run around in battle dress... You have a problem with that?? Ummm... No... The radioman's radio is at least partially tech 10 equipment. The computer has been left on with a program running. Spreadsheet with time and radio freq's with his codes. The computer also has lots of games and porn on it. There is also a contract with Ling Standard and a list of contact on regina. Also a map. It's a map of the various mills and small towns in the area.
Ethan and Tessa return to the ship and repair and reload. Ethan manages to get some medical treatment. Then the party gets some rest. Ethan lets the accountant look over the contract while the rest are napping.
011-1122
During the night a couple of burst encoded transmissions are intercepted from the planet. All of them originated from the capitol city. The bandits we wiped out are being ordered to move on to the next target. We find out that Ling Standard is holding the deeds for the mills and surrounding properties. Ethan interrogates Wong. The party finds out that a new VP at Ling is trying to undermine the production of the mills so that they can foreclose on the property to strip mine it for the heavy metals. We let Wong contact his local liaison on planet. Right after that the bandits we've been impersonating receive a call with orders to take out the dangerous gunfighters Wong and Verblishnik. Seems they have been sold out.
New contracts are drawn up and a medico is added to this one. Ethan, Tessa and the medic from the previous group (Andrew Fitzharris) land in a secluded location and set up base camp. Ethan programs his recon drone to keep the camp under surveillance.
012-1122
Next morning Ethan and Tessa head out for the next bandit target. About halfway there they encounter a trail with hoofprints all over. They catch up to three riders with rifles. They stop for a short break to get water. Ethan and Tessa move ahead of the riders and meet back on the trail. Ethan waits around a bend to stop the riders. They stop and the to older "smarter ones follow directions well... The younger one...Well... He requires a little more education. Tessa provides the learning experience with a shot to the leg. Breaking his leg. Ethan provides the now dismounted riders that they can either be cooperative or they can be compost. They decide to cooperate. They don't really provide a lot of useful information. Ethan rounds up the horses and since neither he or Tessa have equestrian the saddles and tack are removed and destroyed.. The horses find this perfectly acceptable and run off. Ethan brings back a saddle bag full of provisions for the three and advises them that somewhere a very long ways away would be better for their continued health. They agree. Ethan and Tessa move off like they are leaving, but stay close enough to make sure they the three men leave. As evening approaches The team finds a stream and decides to move downstream to locate a place to camp. As they are searching the start seeing what appears to be lantern lights. Ethan moves up to recon the area. He finds a very narrow box canyon and shanties built on the hills inside the canyon. The team sets up a cold camp. Tessa is interrupted by a porcupine creatures nibbling on her armor for the salt. Other than that it is a peaceful night.
013-1122
The next morning Ethan and Tessa scope out the shanties. Seems that "The Yellow Door" is some sort of brothel and hiding establishment for the bandits. Some of the bandits are discussing a train that will be coming from Capitol and might have Ethan and Tessa move off towards the next target. A little mountain climbing.. a little rappelling and we are over the hills towards the city. Near the railroad tracks a lone rider stops and picks up something that was tossed out one of the trains windows as it rolled by. The rider tosses it into the stream and leaves. Ethan goes for the stream and finds the soggy paper. Fortunately the writer used a high tech pen to write the message "etropole tonight 7 M" is all that's legible because of the cheap paper. Ethan are at the edge of town that evening. Looking for a place to stash their combat armor.
To be continued: