Chapter 3 — The Journey towards Marinagua

Bohdie listens to the briefing and examines the system chart and information. "What's the plan for the wilderness refuel? There are no Gas Giants in the system and harvesting enough ice from the belt is more than a full day of work. Dark side water landing and wilderness refuel there? I mean that seems to make the most sense to me given the low population and high hydrosphere. Admittedly, I don’t know what I don’t know, so that’s why I’m asking."

"Unless we see signs Harrier ran into trouble here, combat or otherwise, I think we get moving as quickly as possible to the next logical stop. They have followed the flight plan this far, so we should be able to re-establish a trail further along."

Captain Halsson listens without interrupting, eyes moving between Bohdie and Chaala as the lounge display continues to rotate the dim schematic of Touxilay.

When Bohdie finishes, she gives a small nod.

"You’re reading it correctly," she says. "My intent is not to mess around with belt ice or spend a day cracking frozen rock. If we refuel here, it’ll be near dark-side water landing as the dark side is ocean's are frozen with the world being a tidal locked. You are correct this is a wilderness refuel, clean and quiet. There are uninhabited stretches large enough that we can stay well clear of the population centers and avoid attention entirely."

She gestures briefly at the display.

"No breaking ice. No prolonged exposure. In, refuel, out."

Then she adds, deliberately:

"That said—I want to hear what you think. If anyone sees a risk I’m underestimating, now’s the time to say it."

Her attention shifts to Chaala.

"And I agree with you. If our sensor sweep turns up nothing—no trace of the Harrier, no unusual traffic signatures, no indications of combat or distress—then we don’t linger. We move on to the Seital system and try to reestablish the trail there. Speed matters more than certainty at that point."

She lets the room go quiet for a beat, then looks around the table.

"Wilber. JEEM. Virel. Ruiha. Doctor Shone."

Her tone is calm, but expectant.

"I want your input. Risks, alternatives, things we’re missing. Touxilay isn’t a place you improvise in once you’re committed."

The jump hums softly around them as the plan takes shape—still flexible, but narrowing fast.

"The main question to me is, if we need a refuel to the next target. If not, we cold focus on scanning and then move on without taking extr time. But I can't assess the risk of stranding if something should go amiss."

Looking through the notes, he adds:

"How technically adept are this people, what quality have their long range scanners, is there any spacebound security we know of - in other words, how dificult would it be for us to be ignored by the population? The data two years ago - what can we assume safely?"

Wilbur doesn’t look pleased when he returns.
"I can’t say I’m happy with what I found. The Harriet came through on her usual route… and then nothing. No return, no follow‑up, just silence."

He folds his arms, thinking back to the port authority office.
"What bothers me more is how fast that old records clerk reacted when the Harriet was mentioned. That wasn’t curiosity — that was recognition. I’d say we may have drawn some scrutiny."

A slow exhale.
"If you ask me, something happened in this region. I’d recommend short jumps for now, keep our profile low. Just my take on it."

To retcon back to Tulsi Das Starport landing pad when the team gets back and Wilber provides his report and make his suggestion.

Captain Halsson doesn’t answer immediately. She studies Wilber for a moment, weighing the suggestion against the clock already ticking in her head.

"A slower jump means weeks longer before we reach Marinagua," she says evenly. "Right now, we’re looking at roughly three weeks on our current profile. What you’re proposing stretches that timeline considerably."

She folds her arms—not defensive, just deliberate.

"So walk me through it."

Her gaze stays on Wilber.

"How does taking the long way lower our profile enough to justify the delay? Who do we avoid being seen by, and why does that matter more than speed?"

A slight tilt of her head.

"Because from where I’m sitting, more time in transit means more chances to be noticed, not fewer—unless you’re seeing something I’m not."

She lets the question hang, giving Wilber space to answer rather than closing the door.

"I’m open to the idea," she adds. "But I need to understand how a slower route keeps us quieter, not just farther away."

The room stays still, the hum of the ship underscoring the moment.

"All right, Wilber. Convince me."

Virel listens without interruption, hands folded loosely, offering only a brief nod of agreement when Chaala speaks about speed. He remains silent until Wilber finishes, then lifts his gaze.

"What we’ve seen so far is consistent with a routine Scout transit," he says calmly. "Nothing about the Harrier’s movements suggests differently. I expect Touxilay to be the same another quiet waypoint, nothing more."

He pauses, then inclines his head slightly toward Wilber.

"That said, I agree with your concern. The Harrier was noticed, and that attention likely matters more than anything we’ll find here. Whatever happened to them didn’t start on this leg."

His eyes return to the table display.

"The sooner we reach Marinagua, the better."

For a moment, it seems he’s finished. His expression stays neutral, but something tightens behind his eyes, old thoughts and decisions surfacing uninvited. He exhales once, controlled, then adds quietly:

"The longer we delay, the less likely we are to find anyone alive. I understand the mission parameters. I know recovery is the priority." A beat. "But if there are survivors, I’m not leaving them behind. Not this time."

He falls silent again, the weight of the statement left where it stands.

"Information moves at the speed of ships. There's no X-Boat network out here, so what's the reasonable speed we can expect things to flow here?" Chaala glances at the crew and pauses for an answer.

"We run a small risk asking questions, but very little out here is as fast as Azure Voyager, so we should be well ahead of the information wavefront when we reach Marinagua. Harrier didn't have that advantage, taking time for scans and shorter jumps. If someone was watching for outsiders, whether concerned about the Imperium specifically or just anyone with advanced tech and not aligned to any of the local players, could easily have noted her and sent word ahead. Could have had weeks notice if she attracted attention this far out."

Wilbur gives a small, thoughtful smile.
"The reaction at the port authority tells me something isn’t right. The clerk recognized the Harriet instantly — and for a ship that only stopped long enough to refuel, that’s not normal. There was no reason for her to make such a short halt unless something forced it… or the records don’t reflect what really happened."

He crosses his arms, thinking aloud.
"If that’s the case, whatever happened likely happened close to here. Maybe they were followed. Maybe intercepted. Hard to say."

A slow breath.
"And yes, we may have tripped a wire by asking. That means we should be careful… but it also means we’re close to whoever’s behind this."

He glances toward the others.
"My suggestion? Stay in the area for one short jump. Just enough to see if my read is right. Worst case, we lose a little time. Best case, we learn who’s watching."

Bohdie has been listening to the exchange and taking in the various points of view. He takes the time to work out the positions, like a conductor preparing a symphony. But then Wilbur says something that jars, something that doesn’t quite fit right… a flat note that should have been sharp… and that brings him out of the symphonic thought process.

"Wilbur, I’m not doubting the majority of what you are saying. But I think that it is more likely that this facility would take more not of ships like us and Harrier because we do just take on fuel and leave. Most Starports of this class are here because of commerce… ships that bring goods in and take goods out. That would make scout and military ships stand out for not working cargo and freight. So yes, Harrier got noticed. So did we. But it may be this particular profile got noticed and so notice could have been sent ahead. Either way, whatever happened didn’t happen here. We should continue onward. Time may still be of the essence."

Bohdie looks back to Chaka, then back to the Captain with a look that indicates he’s said his intention.

Captain Halsson listens through Wilber’s explanation while the status board on the lounge bulkhead continues to tick through pre-departure checks. The ship is still on the pad. Time hasn’t started moving yet—but it’s about to.

When he finishes, she exhales once, controlled, and meets his gaze.

"Wilber, I understand what you’re saying," she begins. "And I’m not dismissing your perception. Instinct has value."

She gestures lightly toward the direction of the downport, still very much beneath them.

"But right now, while we’re still sitting on a pad at Tulsi Das, what you’ve described is a reaction, not a fact."

Her tone remains even.

"The IISS doesn’t carry institutional weight out here. This isn’t Imperial core space. Most ports in this sector work from charts that are decades old, and a Scout hull—any Scout hull—is unusual enough to stand out on its own."

She tilts her head slightly.

"That clerk’s reaction could just as easily have been surprise. Curiosity. Recognition of a vessel type she’s rarely—if ever—seen. A ten-hour stop by an IISS ship isn’t normal in this neighborhood, and rarity alone explains attention."

She leans forward just a fraction.

"So before we change our plan while we’re still grounded, I need to ask you plainly:
What facts do we have, beyond a reaction to a question, that suggest surveillance, interception, or falsified records?"

The question isn’t accusatory. It’s procedural.

She lets it breathe for a moment, then adds:

"Now—if your instinct is right, then staying in the area is the worst possible response. The correct move isn’t to hover. It’s to move faster than information can travel."

A brief nod toward Chaala.

"And Chaala’s point stands. Out here, information moves at the speed of ships. If someone noticed the Harrier and passed word ahead, speed is our advantage—not delay."

She straightens, glancing briefly at the departure clock.

"We’re still on the pad. If there’s something concrete—traffic anomalies, sensor inconsistencies, evidence of shadowing—I’ll hear it now and we’ll reassess before lift."

Then her voice firms, reassuring without conceding the argument.

"No matter what, once we lift off, we will monitor all open and passive communication feeds—port traffic, merchant chatter, relay traffic—for any mention of the Harrier. If someone is talking, we’ll hear it."

Her gaze sweeps the table.

"But if all we have is possibility, then we don’t stall a working plan. We launch, we move, and we stay ahead of the wave."

"All right," she concludes. "Does anyone have data to add before we commit?"

Wilbur nods once, accepting the captain’s reasoning without defensiveness.

"As I said, Captain, it’s only a hunch. Nothing more. I just wanted to put it on the table so it could inform your decision. I don’t have anything concrete to add."

Captain Halsson — Pre-Departure Response

Captain Halsson nods once at Wilber’s reply, a small, approving motion.

"That’s exactly where it belongs," she says. "On the table, where it can inform the decision."

Her tone is firm but appreciative.

"You raised the concern responsibly. We weighed it. And now we move."

She glances briefly toward the status display ticking down to liftoff.

"We’re not lingering here. We depart Tulsi Das on schedule and proceed at speed to Touxilay. Once we lift, we’ll maintain passive monitoring on all open and relay communications—merchant chatter, port traffic, anything that even mentions the Harrier. If there’s a thread to pull, we’ll hear it."

A pause.

"But until we have facts, momentum is our advantage."

She straightens.

"All right. Strap in. We’re done here."

Recap — Jump Space Planning Meeting (Crew Lounge)

Once the Azure Voyager was steady in jump, Captain Halsson convened the team in the lounge to consolidate what was known and decide the next move.

Confirmed Facts

• The ISS Harrier transited Tulsi Das briefly, arriving 1115 / Day 267
• The current date is 1116 Day 128 (1st 24 hours in Jump)
• The ship remained planetside for approximately ten hours, refueling and replenishing life-support supplies
• No cargo was embarked, and no anomalies were recorded

Next Destination

• Touxilay, a Tech Level 8 settlement on a tidally locked moon
• Population ~3,000, divided among eight loosely organized factions
• No unified government; unstable and unpredictable conditions
• Prior visit (Captain Amegía Tourlay, two years ago) assessed the world as unfavorable

Operational Decisions

• No formal IISS contact or port call at Touxilay
• Wilderness refuel required to reach Seital, using uninhabited regions on the dark side
• A full day of system-wide scanning planned to look for traces of the Harrier, residual traffic patterns, or anomalies
• If the system reveals nothing, the mission proceeds onward to Seital without delay

Team Input

• Bohdie identified the dark-side water landing as the most efficient refuel option, avoiding ice harvesting
• Chaala emphasized speed and continuity of the trail over exhaustive local investigation
• JEEM raised concerns about refuel necessity, detection risk, and the danger of stranding
• Virel assessed the Harrier’s movements as consistent with routine Scout transit and stressed urgency if survivors exist
• Wilber voiced a cautious concern that the Harrier’s brief stop may have drawn attention, while acknowledging no concrete evidence

Command Assessment

• Refueling at Touxilay is required to reach Seital
• Local populations are inward-focused; the primary external risk is Jaibok raider activity, not planetary factions
• The correct counter to uncertainty is speed and discretion, not delay

Continuing Planning — Captain Halsson

Before anyone rises from the table, Captain Halsson remains seated, hands resting near the edge of the display.

"We’re not done yet," she says calmly.

"When we come out of jump at Touxilay, we will have limited time, limited exposure, and no room for hesitation. I want to hear your recommendations—what we do first, and where our effort should be focused in those opening hours."

Her gaze moves deliberately from one face to the next.

"Scanning priorities. Refuel sequencing. Security posture. Contingencies."

She lets the silence work.

"This is the moment to surface concerns or refinements. Once we commit, we execute."

Chaala nods.

"Maintaining our priority on speed, we don't have to give up entirely on quality for scanning. We can reasonably guess that Harrier will have taken a similar approach to refueling due to expected conditions in system. We know where they were coming from and we can use the best data we have for both systems, roll it back 27 weeks and calculate their most likely arrival spots and vectors. It won't be our most efficient arrival but it shouldn't be so bad as to add more than a few hours at a high burn."

"That way we can make a reasonable scan of everywhere they were likely to be, capture any active comm chatter, and still be in and out before any trouble finds us." She pauses. "Assuming we don't jump straight into trouble."

Edit: Adding an astrogation roll for the thought experiment.