Chapter 4.2 – The Plan Comes Together

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Mar 20, 2026 12:41 am
48 Hours Later — Code Breaking Results
The passage of forty-eight hours aboard the Azure Voyager settles into a rhythm of sustained computation and disciplined analysis. Both the TL–15 core of the Voyager and the TL–12 systems of the ISS Harrier are pushed to their limits, running continuous decryption cycles. Iterative models refine themselves, false positives are discarded, and fragmented linguistic patterns begin to stabilize into something usable.
What began as partial translations and uncertain assumptions now resolves into structured—if still incomplete—intelligence.
Not complete.
Not reliable.
But no longer blind.
Encryption Status — Tribal Code Progress
Efforts to break the Alejia tribal encryption systems yield uneven results.
The team successfully builds partial-to-functional decryption models for no more than two Alejia tribes, including the one previously worked. Across these limited successes, approximately 30–40% of intercepted messages can now be read.
The remaining tribal codes resist meaningful penetration.
Even within the partially cracked tribes, the results are inconsistent. Key words, trade terms, titles, and fragments of intent can be identified—but full context remains elusive.
More importantly:
The team cannot yet determine what portions of the decrypted messages are accurate, misleading, or culturally incomplete.
Alejia communication appears layered—not just encrypted, but structured around meaning that does not translate cleanly.
Assessment of Tribal Encryption
Each tribe operates its own encryption methodology, with variations in structure, phrasing, and symbolic logic.
While two tribal systems now show exploitable weaknesses, the others remain secure.
What becomes clear is not a hierarchy of "easy" versus "hard," but rather that each tribe’s communication system is internally consistent and culturally embedded—making partial translation possible, but reliable interpretation difficult.
Bohdie’s SIGINT Analysis — Crew Communications
Bohdie’s expansion into the Harrier’s internal communication logs initially produces promising results.
Recovered data confirms that the Harrier crew retained and actively used their TL–12 communication devices after landing. Multiple exchanges are identified between Dominicus’ team and Alejia intermediaries, with Dominicus herself accounting for the majority of recorded interactions.
However, as Bohdie correlates timestamps, signal paths, and transmission hubs, a clear and abrupt cutoff emerges.
The moment Dominicus and her team entered the Alejia compound—voluntarily—the signals stop.
Not degraded.
Not jammed.
Gone.
There are no outbound transmissions, no passive emissions, and no attempts at reconnect. Within the signal environment, it is as though the devices simply ceased to exist.
Assessment
The Alejia compounds—at least those controlled by established tribal authorities—demonstrate either advanced signal suppression capabilities or strictly enforced communication denial protocols.
This finding aligns directly with Voss’s complete lack of contact and confirms it is not an anomaly, but a pattern.
While Bohdie’s original plan to cross-reference Dominicus’ communications with known hubs cannot proceed further, the analysis exposes a different and more productive intelligence source.
Secondary SIGINT — Free Captain Channels
Where tribal communications remain difficult to penetrate, Free Captain trade traffic proves far more accessible.
Merchant exchanges and coordination signals show weaker, inconsistent encryption—often commercially derived and lacking the layered structure seen in tribal systems.
Repeated identifiers begin to link specific Free Captains to specific Alejia tribes. Trade patterns emerge, showing regular and structured interaction with multiple tribal groups.
The conclusion is clear:
The Free Captains maintain active, working relationships with several Alejia tribes.
Strategic Intelligence Breakthrough
Equally important is what the team does not find.
There is no evidence—none—of NMTC (Niparoo–Marinagua Trade Corporation) interaction with the Nine Tribes of Balac Pontli.
No encrypted exchanges.
No trade coordination.
No intermediary traffic.
No signal presence.
The absence is complete.
Conclusion
The operational picture sharpens, but remains uncertain.
  • Free Captains operate within Alejia society and maintain structured, transactional relationships with multiple tribes.
  • The Nine Tribes of Balac Pontli remain isolated from NMTC influence and maintain strict control over communication within their domains.
  • Once individuals enter those domains, they effectively disappear from the signal environment.

Dominicus is not lost.
She is inside a controlled system—one the team can now partially see, but not yet fully understand.
Current Situation
The translation matrix continues to improve, but interpretation remains unreliable.
Fragments of truth exist within the data—but so do gaps, distortions, and unknown context.
The team now faces a decision:
Continue refining uncertain intelligence…

…or act on incomplete understanding.
Mar 20, 2026 2:12 am
Virel moves quietly between the workstations watching the overlapping streams of data before settling at an open console. He brings up a filtered view of the transmissions and starts working through them methodically.

He is not attempting to break the encryption directly. Instead, he structures the data looking for patterns.

He feeds the tagged datasets back into the shared analysis, refining the input the decryption routines are working from.

Rolls

Computer (1) INT (9) - (2d6+1+1)

(31) + 2 = 6

Mar 20, 2026 2:14 am
OOC:

FYI... Didn't see the post before mine for some reason but I will keep my post with Virel continuing to work in the background as the others decide what to do - though unfortunately it doesn't look like it is a lot of help :(
Mar 20, 2026 5:13 am
"Let's add our best guesses to the hard data we have. My read is that Dominicus and the crew went to one specific compound and did not emerge again, at least none had a communicator if they did and they weren't at liberty since any Scout with free movement would have checked in on Voss. So they don't have free run of the place or they have decided that acting on whatever freedom they have would damage the progress of whatever is going on. Very different possibilities, so we need to disambiguate."

"Second thought, Alejia communication is not going to be as simple as learning the language, not that we shouldn't do everything we can to do that, but they rely on layered context and cultural cues that will take significant time to learn. We'll run into diminishing returns for the computers crunching the language and we'll need to have direct experience to get good at it. Truth told, I hope to be gone before we are likely to, but it's possible."

"Third thought, the free traders have experience with the tribes and have access we do not. They are commercial operators, or at least appear to be close enough, and may be we can deal with them. I'd like to identify which factions each seems aligned with, so if we can identify which one the crew is with we have the shortest path."
Mar 20, 2026 6:45 am
Bohdie listens carefully to everyone. When Chaala discusses the Free Traders, he nods and adds, "It would be beneficial to see if and how many of the free traders are in communication with the Niparoo–Marinagua Trade Corporation. If we can isolate what captains work through the Corporation and what that relationship is like, then we might be able to determine options for communicating directly with one or more of that group. It might also help us get a better understanding of the interactional dynamic at the starport."

With that, Bohdie turns back to his console and begins working on the new line of potential SigInt development.

Bohdie will modify his computer work aiming to fetch more data on the Free Traders and the NMTC interactions. He will also set to capture any Free Trader to Free Trader interactions via SigInt and Observation from the satellites.

Skill Roll for retasking the computers for the new options and gathering the necessary signals et al.
Skill: +1 Computer, +2 Intelligence

Rolls

Computer tasking for Free Trader and NMTC interactions - (2d6+3)

(24) + 3 = 9

Mar 20, 2026 11:54 am
Wilbur is thoughtful.

"It may be time to reach out to the pilot, see if he has more information or concerns. We can stay vague about our teams—if anything leaks, they won’t know what to expect. Meanwhile, we’ll keep a close watch on him."
OOC:
I’m not fully back yet, and don’t have much time.
Mar 20, 2026 6:10 pm
Victor collects all the data Bohdie, Chaala, Wilber and Virel could provide, and then he starts to apply his own basic and advanced decryption protocols. He also tried to access the local news network of Alejia in order to listen to any mention of foreign diplomats or persons of interest. His idea was that as all the tribes have separate agendas and faction politics, a common neutral news channel will exist that gives basic filtered news about delegates of different cultures arriving and making important discussions. If there is at least one mention, then it can be linked with a particular Alejia tribe and then studied further to pinpoint a particular structure where these 'delegates' were currently taking refuge.

Rolls

Computers (Int) check - (2d6+3)

(61) + 3 = 10

Mar 20, 2026 7:42 pm
Chaala nods. "I still want to hold off a little longer on contacting Voss. I am sure he would not share any information by choice, but I also know people well enough to know that after half a year of no contact from any Scout, hearing from us will change his mood and he interacts regularly enough with the Alejia who seem to know what is up with Dominicus and with the Free Captains that someone will pick up on the change. I don't want to start any clocks running until we are prepared to respond to the cuckoos."

"I'm going to spend a little time working on the second concern. I will see if I can understand the layers of communication and negotiation in the contacts we've recorded."
OOC:
The consensus seems to be wait at least a while longer and gather more info. Chaala will use her knowledge of legalistic systems to see if she can map the Alejia to any familiar sophistry. Nothing will be a perfect match, but even a bit of correlation may help.

Rolls

Advocate+EDU to understand layering of Alejia communication - (2d6+3)

(44) + 3 = 11

Mar 21, 2026 1:28 am
Bohdie listens. When Chaala mentions clocks and cuckoos, his head tilts slightly and his eyes look up and to the right briefly before he allows the corners of his mouth to move upward in a brief moment of mirth. "An apt, if somewhat obscure aphorism. I believe you refer to a small avian species from Terra with a distinctive call, which sounds like its name. Unfortunately extinct some 10,000 Terran years ago, if I am not mistaken, although the call was preserved in a certain style of timepiece, usually hung on a wall, which 'coo coos' a number of times each hour indicating the hour."

Bohdie glances around and continues briefly, "If I remember correctly, the 'cuckoo' appeared from behind a small door when it began to 'tell the time'. A door that could be latched closed if necessary to keep it silenced." He turns back around in his chair, continuing to work on his part of the communications. After a brief silence, he adds, "Some thought the noise was an annoyance."
Mar 22, 2026 1:49 am
Another 48 hours elapse, it is now Day 156,

Follow-On Analysis — Convergence of Effort

The team’s decision to delay action in favor of deeper analysis begins to pay off almost immediately. What had previously been fragmented—partial translations, unclear signals, disconnected observations—starts to align. Each discipline, working independently, produces only limited clarity. But together, the results begin to form something more coherent. Not complete. Not fully reliable. But no longer blind.

Dr. Shone — Open Source Intelligence Breakthrough

Where encrypted communications continue to resist meaningful penetration, Dr. Shone shifts focus to Alejia open broadcasts. At first, the material appears ceremonial and opaque—not "news" in the Imperial sense, but structured announcements, acknowledgments, and formalized statements of presence and movement. As Shone correlates phrasing patterns, timing sequences, and repetition, a structure emerges: delegations are announced, movements acknowledged, presence recorded—but never explained.

Through cross-referencing with known landing windows and Harrier telemetry, Shone isolates a recurring reference to a foreign delegation received under formal protection by a specific tribal authority. Dominicus’ team has been formally received. Not captured. Not hidden. Recognized. More importantly, the reception narrows to a specific compound cluster within the Balac Pontli network. It is not exact—but it is the first credible geolocation.

Chaala — Cultural and Legalistic Interpretation

Chaala reframes the problem entirely. Rather than treating Alejia communication as a language barrier, she approaches it as a structured system—closer to a legal or philosophical framework than direct exchange.

  • Statements establish position, not information
  • Words define relationships, not objects
  • Silence represents deliberate standing, not absence

Viewed through this lens, Dominicus is not being held in the conventional sense. She is operating within a defined role:

  • Protected Petitioner
  • Bound Negotiator
  • Conditional Asset

Movement is restricted by agreement. Communication is limited by protocol. If she acts outside these constraints, she does not escape—she violates the system protecting her.

Bohdie & Chaala — Free Trader Network Analysis

Bohdie’s expanded SIGINT effort produces the most actionable intelligence. Free Trader communications—commercial, inconsistent, and lightly secured—yield to interception and correlation. With Dr. Shone’s tribal identifiers—Wiyá’hka, Tóahkáli, K'aro’hna, Roh'zahti, Tawhíka, Zahá’to, Vah'keshka, Xá'kai, and the Tzohkái K’áhnohtli—a clear pattern emerges.

This is not random trade. It is a network.

  • Free Captain Jalen Verik interacts with Wiyá’hka, Tóahkáli, Zahá’to, and Xá'kai, with indirect awareness of the central court
  • Free Captain L.C. Raimes operates across Roh'zahti, Tawhíka, Vah'keshka, Wiyá’hka, and Xá'kai, indicating broader but shallower ties
  • Free Captain "Stormhand" Alira Cox maintains a tighter network centered on K'aro’hna and Xá'kai

The overlaps are revealing. Wiyá’hka appears across multiple networks, suggesting a more trade-tolerant posture. Xá'kai appears in all three, indicating its role in access control and landing rights.

At this point, Chaala reframes the data: these are not trade routes—they are legal pathways. Each interaction reflects recognized standing within a tribal system. Raimes’ spread suggests shallow agreements across multiple tribes. Cox’s pattern suggests deeper positioning within fewer systems.

And Verik—

Verik’s communication patterns align with the formal structures identified in Alejia broadcasts. This suggests not just access, but recognized legitimacy within at least one tribal framework.

Most critically, the tribal identifiers linked to the foreign delegation align most strongly with Verik’s network. The correlation is not absolute—but sufficient to assess: Jalen Verik is the most likely external intermediary connected to Dominicus’ location.

Chaala adds the final caution: approaching through Verik is not informal contact—it is entry into the same system Dominicus is navigating.

Simultaneously, Bohdie confirms: NMTC presence is absent across all tribal networks, including any path to the Tzohkái K’áhnohtli.

Operational Picture — Refined

  • Dominicus remains within a specific tribal compound
  • Her silence is intentional and systemic
  • Alejia communication requires cultural interpretation
  • Free Captains act as bridges into tribal systems
  • Jalen Verik is the most probable access point

Assessment

Dominicus is neither imprisoned nor free. She is operating within a system that defines both differently.

Current Decision Space

  • Continue refining intelligence
  • Attempt indirect contact via Free Captain networks
  • Engage the tribal system directly

For the first time since arrival—the team is no longer searching blindly.
Mar 22, 2026 4:42 am
"Good work everyone. I think we're getting close to field operations. Multiple avenues, just in case. I'd like to to narrow down where Dominicus and team are. If we can do that, we can contact Voss and get his read on Free Captain Verik and maybe make introductions. Then we need to talk to Verik and get his opinion, and his cost for assisting us, on Dominicus' situation and how best to make contact with her. I still don't want to extract her if she's in a position to finish negotiations, but if she feels she and her team are prisoners, then we need to be ready to extract. If she's close and needs an external show, maybe we can provide that."
Mar 23, 2026 3:43 am
Bohdie nods, but doesn't quite feel as if he has earned any accolades as yet. He is, however, quite satisfied that his work thus far has born fruit. "I believe you are correct that we might need an introduction to Free Captain Verik. However, I should point out that it puts additional strain on Engineer Voss, who has maintained his watch since Dominicus left with the Alejia. All Scouts are screened for their ability to deal with long-term solo activity, however, I believe this individual may be strung on the ragged edge at this point. It might be worth investigating Captain Verik more directly before contact. It might be better to contact Voss through Verik if we can keep from stepping on too many toes."
Mar 23, 2026 7:19 am
Victor nodded to the captain's assessment and added, "If the final puzzle is to find out which building they are kept in, then let's run 96 hours of constant surveillance on this particular tribe's structures. It has been sometime since Voss was last visited by the Aleija with foods and supplies; maybe they will send another one. We can keep an eye on the activities and triangulate a possible location. Maybe narrow it down to just a few buildings."
Mar 23, 2026 4:04 pm
Chaala nods, "I think you're right. Let's monitor and see if we can pin down their location. They probably wont be visible at any point, but if we can correlate activity with mentions of them on the chatter and focus on breaking that faction's encryption we might make a breakthrough. I am also curious if the faction supplying Voss is the same one."
Mar 24, 2026 11:50 pm

GM Comment - Before proceeding, I want to clarify your approach to the data you currently have available.

You have two distinct information sources:

• Archived data (Harrier logs, satellite records, prior observations)
• Ongoing collection (live surveillance over the next 96 hours)

Additionally, your current observations identify a group regularly supplying Harlan Voss at the starport. However, it is not yet confirmed whether this group is connected to the faction holding Dominicus.

Clarify your intent:

• Are you focusing on analyzing existing data to narrow Dominicus’ location?
• Conducting extended surveillance to build new pattern-of-life?
• Or prioritizing the Voss supply group as your primary lead?

You may pursue one or more approaches—but understanding which problem you are trying to solve first will affect what information you are able to obtain.
Mar 25, 2026 2:05 am
We should divide up the tasks at hand. One of us continuing to sift through the archived data from the Harrier combined with the most recent batch of observations. Then one of us can follow the next set of observations on the Alejia, working on the current patterns of behavior. Maybe we can apply the "ant Matrix" to that. Then one of us can work the angle with Engineer Voss' benefactors. When we are done with the next batch of observations, we can present each aspect as an overlay. That should give us a highly refined picture of where Dominicus is at." Bohdie looks up at Chaala to see what her reaction is.
Mar 25, 2026 2:33 am
Virel listens to Bohdie’s suggestion and gives a small nod. "Dividing our efforts makes sense, but for now, I believe that continued observation across all fronts is the safer course. If we move too soon, we risk inserting ourselves in a way that disrupts whatever balance is keeping them alive."

A slight pause.

"A little more clarity may tell us not just how to extract them but also how to enter the situation without breaking it."
Mar 25, 2026 7:08 am
"I think we're on the same page. At least the same chapter. We will want to maximize our gathering resources. I want to prioritize narrowing down everything we can on the faction holding Dominicus, so that we can pinpoint location and see if they're connected to feeding Voss. It tells us something about their 'negotiating' position if they are or if a different group is. If we keep eyes on the cutter, we can see who is visiting and where they go and, ideally, listen in when he has visitors, especially Verik."
Mar 25, 2026 10:56 pm
GM Comment:
Before executing the 96 hour further surveillance, Chaala, Bohdie, Dr Shone and Virel all realize that available indicators suggest the Xá'kai (the Tribe that is centered on the Ad Hoc Starport - Old Airport and controls it) remain concerned with the welfare of Dominicus and her people, but not that they presently retain direct custody of them. That came from looking at data collected on Scout-Engineer Harlan Voss's log.
Mar 26, 2026 8:54 pm
GM Comment:
Before the 96 hour continued observation, I am providing a visual of the comms 'heat-maps' data that show the concentration of communications tied to a particular tribe from the cross reference of open source data that Dr. Shone was able to collect.

https://i.imgur.com/sdtaGuF.png
These are 'hot-spots' of concentration of communications (Radio/Video/laser) from these locations. There are others points of communications like a moving vehicle, etc, but these are the highest concentrations. This usually suggest anything from a command post to a population center for the particular tribe.
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