CHAPTER 2: MISSION BRIEFING — MARINAGUA

CHAPTER 2: MISSION BRIEFING — MARINAGUA
Scene: IISS Administrative Briefing Room, Pautho Starport Compound
Local Time: 07:47
Access Level: IISS Restricted / Contractor Need-to-Know

INTRODUCTION
The IISS briefing room is smaller than the Joint Coordination Center—no flags, no observers, no open comms.
Just a sealed door, a dim holo-table, and the low hum of a base that has learned to operate quietly.
A sparse route map blooms above the table. Not a network—a chain.
Discrete jump points, plotted deliberately, terminating at a single amber world.

MARINAGUA.

Scout Commander Harlan Mervik stands at the head of the table, hands clasped behind his back. His uniform is worn but precise, the quiet discipline of a career Scout rather than ceremonial polish.



He introduces Captain Halsson
"This is Captain Halsson of the IISS Azure Voyager and her crew: Edrin Mallor, the Azure Voyager's Astrogator and Amara Havel, the Azure Voyager's Engineer."

Sr Admin(Captain) Deyra Halsson


Edrin Mallor, the Azure Voyager's Astrogator


Amara Havel, the Azure Voyager's Engineer


Commander Mervik begins:

"Junior Administrator Silvia Dominicus departed Pautho aboard a Telemon-class Survey Scout, Jump-3 capable, on a standard deep survey rotation to the world of Marinagua."
"Twelve weeks outbound. Six weeks on station. Twelve weeks return. Thirty weeks total."
The route highlights a single vessel profile. The route animates—one jump per week

He looks up.
"She is now four weeks overdue. No emergency beacons. No transmissions of any kind."

"There are no distress calls," he begins.

Before he can continue, his wrist-comm vibrates sharply. Mervik glances down, frowns, then exhales once.
"Apologies."

He looks to the room.
"The Joint Coordination Center Coordination Leader is calling me to attend an urgent meeting that is most likely the Trooles Government delegation that is due in two months. I’ll need to step away briefly."
He gestures toward the others at the table.

"Senior Administrator Yaro Kessel will brief the plan. Captain Halsson, commands the vessel that is going on this mission."
He nods once—to the team, to the Captain—and exits through the side door.


BRIEFING — SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR YARO KESSEL
Kessel steps forward immediately, datapad already active. His tone is precise, procedural.
"The Scout Service operates under established long-range survey protocols. Dominicus’ patrol followed a conservative route—Jump-3 legs, identical to her outbound path."
The holo-table continues to display the longer, segmented route on the overlay.

"We will follow that same route. Twelve weeks to Marinagua. This ensures maximum overlap with her last known trajectory and minimizes analytical uncertainty."

Captain Halsson looks at Sr. Admin Kessel with a confused look on her face.
He looks around the table.

Kessel continues:
"This is not a rescue operation. This is a verification and recovery mission. Your role is to provide site security and assist if, and I mean if Captain Halsson needs your assistance in the recovery of Junior Administrator Dominicus and her team, should they be located."

Captain Halsson stands with her arms loosely folded, expression neutral.
One eyebrow rises—just slightly—as the route completes.
She does not interrupt.

Kessel continues.
"Deviations from the approved route are not authorized without Command approval. We are not racing anyone. We are confirming facts."
He closes his datapad.
"Questions?"

Edrin Mallor ask the first question:
"Admin Kessel, you mentioned the missing ship is Jump-3 capable, yet the route takes 12 weeks. Are we spending significant time in-system at each stop for sensor sweeps, or is the route intentionally indirect to avoid certain hazards?"

Kessel responds "You misunderstand the intent. We are not merely traveling to Marinagua; we are conducting a high-resolution spatial audit of Junior Administrator Dominicus’s exact flight plan. By following her outbound-return loop precisely—one jump per week with a full 168-hour sensor soak at each coordinate—we ensure 100% analytical overlap. If her vessel suffered a drive failure or a catastrophic misjump between points, this is the only way to detect the lingering ion trail or a low-power emergency buoy. To 'rush' or deviate from her plotted course is to knowingly leave the search area. We stay on the line, or we don't go at all."

Amara Havel asks (about the Mission Profile) "You called this 'verification and recovery' If we find the ship but the crew is missing or the vessel is compromised by a hostile force, what is our Rules of Engagement (ROE) regarding the ship’s black box and sensitive survey data?"

Kessel responds with "Let me be clear: The survey data collected by Junior Administrator Dominicus is Property of the Imperial Scout Service, Class Alpha Restricted. In the event the vessel is 'compromised'—be that by environmental hazards or unauthorized boarding—your priority is the Data Core. If the crew is missing, you retrieve the core and the black box. If the vessel cannot be salvaged and is at risk of falling into non-Imperial hands, Captain Halsson has the authorization codes to initiate a remote scuttle. You are there to ensure she lives long enough to use them."

Captain Halsson smiles as her crew asks Kessel the questions;

Edrin then asks: "Kessel, you were very specific that this is not a rescue mission. Are we operating under the assumption that the crew is already deceased, or is there a policy reason why we aren't prioritizing life-signs?"

Kessel seemly annoyed responds with "It is a matter of mathematics, not malice. Dominicus is four weeks overdue on a thirty-week rotation. My instructions are to verify the status of the asset and recover the data. If we find survivors, we will of course render aid, but I will not allow this mission to be compromised by 'heroics' that deviate from the search grid. We are here to confirm facts, not to chase ghosts."

Amara then askes Kessel about Trooles Government and Commander Mervik leaving, "Commander Mervik was pulled away for a meeting regarding the Trooles Government. Is there any connection between the Trooles delegation and the region of space Dominicus was surveying?"

Kessel seemly more annoyed and his tone becomes even more clipped, a sign he finds the question intrusive. He responds with "The Trooles delegation is a concern for the Joint Coordination Center and the diplomatic wing, not a security detail. Whether the survey of Marinagua holds any weight in their upcoming negotiations is classified above your current clearance. Your focus is the safety of this vessel and the retrieval of the Telemon's logs. Let the Commanders worry about the politics; you worry about the jump-points."

Captain Halsson detects Kessel's annoyance and gives a slight signal for his crew to stop.

Kessel looks at the Ironhand personnel and his annoyance disappears from his face and almost seems relaxed and asks, "Do you any any questions?"

ACTIONS? Comments? Questions?

PLAYER SKILL CHECKS — DURING THE BRIEFING

Those with Advocate or Leadership roll 2d6 with a target of 8+, DM for INT and skill Leadership or Advocate

Those with Admin or Leadership roll 2d6 with a target of 8+, DM for EDU and skill Admin or Leadership

Those with Navigation (CT) or Astrogation (MgT2E) roll 2d6 with a target of 8+, DM for EDU and skill Navigation (CT) or Astrogation (MgT2E), +1 DM for each term in the Scouts

Those with Navigation (CT) or Astrogation (MgT2E) roll 2d6 with a target of 8+, DM for INT and skill Navigation (CT) or Astrogation (MgT2E)

Those with Carousing or Leadership or Liaison roll 2d6 with a target of 8+, DM for INT and skill Leadership or Liaison or -1 Carousing (i.e. if Character has a Carousing 2, the DM is now +1 instead of +2)

Chaala listens to the brief

As the route projection continues to cycle, ....
Chaala studies the route longer than most.

As the briefing winds down and the group begins to shift, Montgomery’s wrist-comm gives a brief vibration.

---

Senior Administrator Yaro Kessel does not answer immediately.

He studies Wilbur for a moment—just long enough to decide how much precision is required—then inclines his head slightly, acknowledging the legitimacy of the question.

"The last confirmed contact with Junior Administrator Dominicus was departure clearance from Pautho," he says evenly. "There were no interim check-ins scheduled. Survey scouts on extended patrol do not transmit unless circumstances require it."

He raises his datapad, a few lines of data flickering across the display.

"As to whether she reached Marinagua—there is no confirmation, positive or negative. No arrival notice was received. No departure notice was logged. No courier vessel following her route reported visual or sensor contact with the Telemon."

He looks up again, his voice unchanged.

"That absence cuts both ways. It does not prove failure, nor does it confirm success. A misjump, a delayed arrival, extended on-station time, or a decision to remain dark while conducting survey operations would all produce the same informational result."

A brief pause.

"What we can say with certainty is this: Junior Administrator Dominicus did not return on schedule, and no subsequent Scout asset has encountered her vessel along the plotted route."

His gaze settles back on Wilbur.

"That is the sum of what we know. Everything else is inference."

He taps the datapad once, signaling the matter—at least for now—is closed.

---

Captain Halsson exhales quietly through her nose and shifts her stance, uncrossing her arms and resting one hand on the edge of the holo-table. Her eyes linger on the plotted route for a second longer than necessary before looking back to Kessel.

She says nothing—but the tension in her jaw suggests she is not reassured by the answer.

SCENE TRANSITION
The briefing concludes quietly. Chairs shift. The door seals disengage. The briefing room doors sealed behind the team with a soft pneumatic hiss, and just like that the weight of planning gave way to motion.

As the group filters into the corridor, Captain Halsson falls into step beside the team.

Captain Halsson's speaks in a low very controlled voice:
"That’s not the plan the Commander Mervik told me."

Her pace picks up heading to the door and her crew follows her quick steps. She opens the door to the facility with a crack and the light bleeds into the corridor and Captian Halsson pauses and turns and says;

"We’ll talk once we’re aboard."

As the briefing winds down, Bohdie’s wrist-comm gives a muted vibration.

Senior Administrator Yaro Kessel lets the silence stretch for a moment after the last question, his gaze moving once around the table.

"Very well," he says at last, tone returning to neutral formality.

"You have your mission parameters. Captain Halsson has operational command of the vessel. Your responsibilities are clearly defined: provide site security, support recovery operations, and ensure the integrity of Imperial Scout Service personnel and data."

He straightens, squaring his shoulders.

"This briefing is compartmentalized. Discussion of its contents outside IISS-secured spaces is prohibited. Until further notice, this operation remains classified as a delayed survey verification. I want a full report upon your return, especially of accounting of the Ironhand expenses. I don't want a repeat of the last team"

A pause—just long enough to underscore that the words matter.

"You are dismissed. Docking access has been cleared. Transport to the pad will meet you outside."

Kessel steps aside and gestures toward the doorway, already turning his attention back to his datapad as the locks disengage with a soft chime.

Bohdie stands and says, "Is our equipment already aboard ship? If not, we can draw equipment and be ready in (he looks at his fellow teammates) 15 minutes.

If they have to draw equipment first, Bohdie will slip out as soon as they are released, move quickly to grab his ‘go’ bag and then step into the Armory for equipment draw.

If everything has been loaded, Bohdie will simply go with the flow.

At the End of the briefing and before everyone leaves the briefing room

In the briefing room after Kessel finishes, Wilber askes the question; "Since two of us are retired Scouts, would you consider reactivating our clearance for the duration of this mission?"

Senior Administrator Kessel exhales slowly through his nose, the question clearly striking a nerve he would have preferred to avoid.

"Scout retirement," he says evenly, "is not separation from the Service. It is a transition to inactive status."

He fixes Wilbur with a brief, assessing look. "Yes. Former Scouts remain subject to recall. That authority does not reside here."

Kessel lifts his datapad, fingers moving with deliberate precision. "Reactivation requires formal orders, an updated background review, and confirmation from IISS Command at Regina. That process exists for a reason. It is not expedited because someone finds the timing inconvenient."

A faint edge creeps into his voice. "I can initiate the request. I will forward the necessary paperwork and notify Command that two former Scouts are requesting temporary reactivation for operational access."

He pauses, then adds—clinically:

"You should understand the reality of interstellar administration. The response will travel at the speed of ships. By the time an authorization packet reaches Regina, is reviewed, approved, and returned…"

He lets the sentence trail off.

"…your contract will almost certainly be complete."

Kessel lowers the datapad.

"Until then, you will operate under contractor status with mission-specific access as assigned. Should Command choose to reactivate you retroactively, your records will be amended accordingly."

A beat.

"That is the best I can offer. And it is more than most receive."

His attention shifts away, signaling the discussion is closed.

---

In the corridor out of the briefing room and heading to the door

As soon as the group is clear and out of earshot, Chaala turns to Captain Halsson. "We're barely on the ground here and haven't selected a team leader, so I don't know who even is responsible for checking out our gear. If you'll give us a few moments, I think we need to circle up, delegate someone for the moment, then check out everything they'll let us carry off, since we won't have a second opportunity to visit the armory."

Bohdie stands and says, "Is our equipment already aboard ship? If not, we can draw equipment and be ready in (he looks at his fellow teammates) 15 minutes."

J. E. E. Montgomery Looking from one to another, the Soldier nods.
"Make it 20, at least. But to make it easier - Capt. Halsson, what are the accommodations on the ship? Which material wouldn't be allowed to be brought on the ship."

Wilber Turning to Chaala: "I don’t believe we need a designated team leader. We’re already operating under a defined chain of command. My view is that each of us remains responsible for our own kit, and if common equipment is issued, we select someone to manage it."

When Wilbur’s comment about leadership lands, Halsson turns her head slightly toward Chaala.

"Well," she says without hesitation lookign directly at Chaala, "it sounds like you already are."

There’s no ceremony to it—no rank invocation, no datapad entry.

"You spoke up. That’s enough for me. You’ll coordinate the team. If that changes later, you can tell me."

She shifts her weight, already half-thinking about preflight.

"The Azure Voyager is a fleet courier," she says evenly. "She’s fast, not spacious. Staterooms are compact, passageways are narrow, and anything bulky will get in the way of operations."

She looks from Bohdie to Montgomery.

"No large items. No unnecessary cases. If you can’t carry it yourself or stow it securely, it doesn’t come aboard."

A brief pause, then the practical detail.

"The ship’s locker capacity is two metric mass tons, total. That’s shared space. Choose wisely." she says with a smile

"And yes," she adds to Montgomery’s half-question, "once we’re underway, there will be another mission brief. Shipboard. Focused. I don’t conduct sensitive discussions in hallways or briefing rooms."

The door at the end of the corridor opens, and Tsoufaeks is outside—tablet in hand, expression composed but purposeful.

"Commander Mervik called me on his way to the JCC," she says, nodding once to Halsson, then to the group. "He informed me you’re deploying immediately."

She gestures towards the Ironhand facility.

"I requested a thirty-minute window so you can secure operational equipment properly. A grav truck will be standing by to take you to the armory and then directly to the pad."

Her eyes sweep the team.

"After that, Captain Halsson needs her crew for preflight. So lets work on the equipment you need for this mission."

Halsson gives a final nod.

"Thirty minutes," she confirms. "Then we fly."

Tsoufaeks leads the group to the Ironhand facility saying along the short gravel path "Before we roll," she said evenly, eyes moving across the team, She gestured towards the Ironhand facility, its angular lines visible beyond the fence and floodlights.

"If you need anything—personal kit, mission equipment, special tools, ammo swaps, comms gear—now is the time to say it. Once I drive you pass this gate, we go straight to the pad. No detours. We have thirty minutes."
A beat. Enough time for the question to settle.

"The ship is being prepped," she added. "But Ironhand would rather you leave properly equipped than realize you forgot something once the ramp is up."

The thirty minutes gathering their gear goes by quickly.After the thirty minutes, and the team loads their gear in the Ironhand marked cases, Tsoufaeks takes up the driver seat. The vehicle leader seat is available. The rest sit in the back.

Tsoufaeks keyed the gate remotely through the command and control interface in the truck. The barrier slid aside without ceremony, and the grav-car eased forward onto a clearly marked vehicle lane running parallel to the main concourse. Those that brought their own or brought the Ironhand Visionpak glasses see the route displayed in the command & control (C2) screen view the 'see-through' vision capability.

The drive was smooth, almost mundane.

Service trucks rumbled in adjacent lanes. Ground crews crossed at designated points. Overhead, a shuttle lifted on blue-white thrust, angling toward upper traffic control. Everything about the route reinforced the same truth: this was sanctioned movement inside a secured starport, not a clandestine extraction.

As the landing pads came into view, one stood out immediately.

The Azure Voyager sat waiting, ramp lowered, pad lights reflecting off her hull. Power carts were already pulling away, their work done. No crowds. No fanfare. Just a ship on schedule.

Tsoufaeks brought the grav-car to a controlled stop at the edge of the pad and powered down. She stepped out first but did not follow them toward the ramp.
"This is as far as I go," she said. "You’re cleared for boarding. Departure window is clean."
She met their eyes one by one—professional, steady, unembellished.
"Good luck out there."
Then she stepped back, signaling the pad marshal as the team moved forward. The ramp awaited, the ship humming softly beneath their boots.
This time, there was no turning back.

Wilber will ask for energy weapons, pistol and rifle with scope, he ask as well for a stunner. And a translator program with a mobile unit tu use it. And a Survival knife or Combat one.

I assume we keep the tactical glasses.

GM Comment: there are no energy weapons, the Ironhand Armory has scopes and other items. I suggest you review the Ironhand Armory post in the wiki for the equipment for Wilber's load out. A standard translator program is built into the wrist comm unit.
You will be able to find a Combat knife and the stunner in the Armory along with the Starman Deluxe Multitool.

Again I highly suggest you and the team take a look at the equipment in the Armory. Do not feel confined by the Ironhand SOP for the loadouts.

As everyone checks out their weapons, ammo and gear, the items populate Chaala's tablet.

No worries, I thought that might be the case. I updated the chart and repost it. '-)