Burning Copernica
Infiltration Phase - First Maneuver
PC FON – SalvatoreLamuro (smuggler); phase intent is to shift the planetary attitude towards the Vaylen '' GM FON'' – Alessandro the Scholar (elderly crime boss and mentor of Salvatore); phase intent is to increase the level of regulation to favour his existing smuggling operations
Manoeuvre 1
Human Intent – Assess [Organised Crime Faction]
Interstitial [Salvatore] - Salvatore calls CristianoAstore, a magnate in the league commentariat, seeking his assistance for information on the shipping logs of the ships in and out of the Copernicus system, specifically the interloper Prince Vassili. Astore agrees to research the customs logs. To Salvatore's annoyance Astore squeezes him for a generous bribe rather than do it as a favour.
Interstitial/Color/Building [Vespucci] – Salvatore travels to the Stellar Research Institute where Cotar Paolo Vespucci is observing unusual fluctuations in God's Wheel, the Copernica system pulsar. With research, these could lead to great improvements in energy capture (and profits). Vespucci uses the institute's sensors to scan Vassili's fleet and mark the distortion signatures of each ship. They witness several heavy ships in Vassili's fleet capture a small squadron of smuggling craft – overkill for this kind of policing operation.
Interstitial [Copernicus] – Meeting at the opera (“Flight of the Valkyries”, apparently), Lord Magnus Copernicus and Salvatore discuss their mutually disdainful opinion of the so-called “Prince” Vassili. Magnus is annoyed that Vassili has received favours from the League appropriations committee. He decides to look into a mercenary anvil company called Harkness' Reavers.
Building [Vespucci] – Vespucci does a sensor sweep of Prince Vassili's fleet [Sensors; success; linked dice for Maneuvre roll]
Building [Astore] – Citing a current shipping lane dispute between merchant companies Pyrodex and Nucleus Pharmaceuticals, Astore obtains manifests of recent in-system shipping activity [League Law; success; linked dice for Maneuvre roll]
Interstitial [Astore] – Passing on shipping information about Vassili to Salvatore, Astore proposes a deal to legislate regulation of medical imports, arguing that the current lack of regulation is risky. Salvatore resists.
Interstitial [Alessandro] – Alessandro invites Salvatore for a drink. They discuss Vassili and his foreign ways: “You don't like him? He's causing you some troubles?” Alessandro argues that Vassili will be useful to them, that he needs Copernican friends and could be very grateful. Alessandro, a psychologist, offers a Connection to Salvatore, who accepts it(!) Allessandro leaves contact with Vassili to his protege, who has contacts with “the young people”. Salvatore agrees to make contact.
Building [Alessandro] – When Salvatore has left, Alessandro retreats to his lab to undertake a psychohistoric analysis [Psychohistory; success; linked die]
Conflict [Copernicus] – Court Lord Magnus Copernicus meets with other bewigged nobles and courtiers in the chateau of the fomer Lord Steward. Prince Vassili, an interloping popinjay with an outrageous lack of austerity , appears with his heavily scarred bodyguard and his fleet XO. Squaring off, they discuss Vassili's recent crusade against the pirates and smugglers of the system. Dismissing Vassili as an outsider and condotierre of no consequence, Magnus is drawn into a heated exchange [Duel of Wits; Vassili wins with compromise]. Vassili impresses the court with his claims of royal lineage (albeit from another system) and gains the recognition of the court as a legitimate potential Hammer Lord. Trend-setting courtiers begin to refer to him as “Your Grace”. Magnus concedes the military title but cannot move himself to bend the knee to his insufferable rival.
Building [Salvatore] – With the help of a forger to fabricate appropriate credentials [Circles] and using his knowledge of which port officials to operate through [Smuggling], Salvatore persuades the Customs authority to grant Vassili legitimate law enforcement privileges [Persuasion].
Building cont'd [Astore] – Astore engineers a debate in the media to agitate for the purchase of a League-endorsed battle fleet [Propaganda].
Building cont'd [Salvatore] – Salvatore recruits a replacement for his security chief after the last one suffered a fatal airlock accident. [Circles] A breaker he calls Dutchy is hired.
Building cont'd [Vespucci] – Vespucci delivers an address to his university congregation opining that the changes in the pulsar are a mandate of heaven that things will change in their favour [Suasion]. He has Astore circulate copies of the address throughout the system.
Colour [Copernicus] – At the fringe of the system, near an abandoned minig operation, a League real estate official shows Magnus around a hollowed out asteroid. “It is adequate”, he declares.
Colour [Bianca] – Bianca Firenze stands over the shoulder of a security technician manipulating an array of three-dimension hologram readings. Telling him “I think we've got enough” she takes copies of the data, which relates to the recent activities of Salvatore, Vespucci and Astore in particular.
Interstitial/Conflict [Bianca] – Bianca sees Magnate Astore on “offical League business”. Though no longer active in the intelligence services, she explains, she is in possession of certain distressing evidence of activities and associations detrimental to League interests which could certaiunly destroy his League reputation. She demands a sizeable donation to the “Society of the Ethical Workplace” in return for her silence – it's a shakedown! Astore protests his innocence “I am not a crook” and demands she leave [Duel of Wits; Bianca wins with compromise]. Cornered, Astore has no choice but to agree to make the payment, though he manages to convince her to reduce her demand due to his cash-poor financial situation [Ob 4 Resources].
Building [Alessandro] – Alessandro derides a meeting of the Board of Dons, predicting big changes that “Alla youse guys gonna have to adapt” to. Washing his hands of an active part in the mob, he declares Salvatore in charge. He finances a new-look wardrobe for his ally Vassili to help him fit in better with the court.
Building [Vassili] – At his next Court appearance, Vassili's appearance is less offensive to the austere tastes of his peers. He makes contacts amongst the lesser Lords-Pilot [Hammer-wise], impressing a Hammer Captain named Sir Lorenzo Markham, a cruiser pilot. [A jealous Magnus keeps tabs on Vassili, noting those who are drifting into his camp]. Vassili ostentatiously sells off the confiscated property he captured from the smugglers and throws a gala party [Resources].
Maneouvre Rolls:Human Assess [8 successes] versus Vaylen Flak [8 successes to defend; 6 successes to attack]. Human Disposition reduced by 6, Assess failed.
[Maneouvre Result] Alessandro the Scholar's speech to the assembled crime bosses has thrown the cartels into disarray. Salvatore's careful research into their status comes to nothing as the landscape of alliances and crime activities break and reform rapidly.