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253/597 ... about 4 months till the Vaylen portal is completed

     The Terrans are at the town of Northport, on Cralc, one of the Freehold Worlds. 

Northport News Best news for your money! Contact telecomm #6

Three crew members of the Neola's Claws were involved in an altercation at the Dancing Bear private club this afternoon. Five citizens were killed; all five have been proven to be Vaylen. The city's Selectmen have entered into negotiations with investigative agencies.   Andrew's Patrol Services Best Source of Northport Enforcement 3 Constables Always On Duty Regularly Scanned for Integrity contact telecomm #11     Chev Hammond Have Integrity Scanner, 5 cubic meter Rock Truck Will Travel Reasonable Rates contact telecomm #105     Special Rates For Spacefarers At Lowry's Brothel and Pezro-Style Curry Restaurant Dine In, Take Out or Delivery Come For The Food All Staff Integrity Scanned Daily Front Street - contact telecomm #120

The Neola's Claws has departed around midnight.

254/597

The Spirit of Vinland lands at Northport's dusty and unmaintained landing field about 0800 local time, and fills her fuel bunkers. The Terrans decide they don't have to solve all of Cralc's worm problems. A conversation with one of the locals reveals that a Federation-era ship is protecting the Freehold Worlds from the Vaylen; it's over in the Lambda Cassiopeia system. The Terrans decide to head there.

258/597

The Spirit of Vinland and the Neola's Claws enter the Lambda Cassiopeia system. Far out in the cometary halo is a huge warship, the Shining Slate. The two small ships approach the apparently undamaged battleship, broadcasting messages of peaceful intent. After a bit, the battleship responds, and invites them a few of them to come aboard for a discussion.

The interior of the Shining Slate is clean and sterile; the decorative style uses a lot of dark chrome, glowing white panels, and absolutely flat black surfaces. There are no signs, musical or natural sounds, or other concessions to human presence.

The computer which operates the battleship states that it is tasked with protecting the area now known as the Freehold Worlds. It was constructed about 4,100 years ago, and has been here for about 2,400 years. The Terrans conduct several hours of negotiations, and eventually reveal that the Vaylen and Kerrn have the information to construct Portals. The Shining Slate's computer is not convinced of this, but is certainly willing to assist them in reconnoitering the Britilthin system. The computer also agrees to produce some small arms ammunition and a few 12 gauge shotguns (based on a design from 2110 AD).

The Neola's Claws and the Spirit of Vinland are carried in an monitor, the 6,400 ton FLV730214A6; the hold of this auxiliary vessel is easily large enough to carry both ships (and still holds one of its three landing craft)! The voyage to Britilthin takes 10 days. All Terrans have an opportunity to make experience checks at this point. 

268/597

The FLV730214A6 arrives in the Britilthin system, and (using its advanced stealth systems) drops off the Neola's Claws near the planet. The Terrans, the clones from Pretesh, and two of the mercenary hammer engineers all disguise themselves as Vaylen crew of the Neola's Claws, and land at the starport nearest to the Portal. Security at the port isn't too tight, and soon the Terrans and three of the clones are in the camp near the port. They rent a rock truck and go looking for interesting areas.

The portal and research center are atop a hill, about 3 km from the starport; the camp is pretty much adjacent to the starport; and the ruins of the 'old' city are about 10 km away from the starport. The camp has a population of probably 20,000 or more; it looks kinda thrown-together, with many modular 'quonset hut OF THE FUTURE' buildings.

http://forum.i3d.net/attachments/main-bf2142/943161714d1237011414-battlefield-2142-update-1-51-screen027.jpg

http://bf2142.free-gfx.com/bf2142_maps/camp_gibraltar/camp_gibraltar.png

http://bf2142.free-gfx.com/bf2142_pics/bf2142_screenshots/bf2142_screenshots_10.png

McClellan uses the ghost goggles to determine that the Portal atop the hill has both arcane and sorcerous energies swirling about; and that a 5-story 'admin' building in the camp has sorcerous energies present. The Terrans decide to investigate the building in the camp first; MacDougall decides to be the first one in, and sneaks into the building through a second-story balcony.

The investigation, intended to be somewhat subtle, turns into a firefight. The top floor is inhabited by a Gnarled Marauder, a creature of the Chinese hells. A few books of poetry, and a sinister gong, are grabbed by the Terrans; some bombs are left behind. The departure from the building turns into a full-bore highway gunbattle, with the Terrans swerving about the camp's roads, shooting at police cars and grav sleds.

The Terrans make it to the landing field, and briefly ditch their pursuers. The send the damaged rock truck careening across the field, with a heavy weight on the accelerator, and a bomb set to blow! A bomb is also left in the cockpit of a Vaylen fighter. As the rock truck is pounded into scrap, the Terrans slip over to their own ship, and quickly lift! This act isn't as suspicious as it would otherwise look, since every other vessel at the landing field is powering up and trying to get away from the field.

The defense forces rapidly grow suspicious, even so, and the Neola's Claws boosts hard for where it is hoped the FLV730214A6 is waiting. The Terrans fire a missile into the portal complex, hoping (with a moderate chance of being correct) that the missile or its blast debris will damage the portal. A few missiles are fired after the Neola's Claws, but none quite soon enough to catch her before she is taken aboard the FLV730214A6.

278/597 ... 3 months till the Kerrn and Vaylen Portals might be complete

The monitor (with the Terrans and their two ships aboard) returns to Lambda Cassiopeia, and docks at the Shining Slate. All Terrans have an opportunity to make experience checks at this point. The battleship isn't really convinced of the presence of a Portal. The poetry books really are poetry books, in a very modernized style (21st Century that is) of Mandarin Chinese. The gong looks fairly menacing, but it's not even from Earth (or Hell), and bears marks of mass-production in some past (but still post-20th Century) era.

forward to Journal Entry 9