19 10 09

This page incorporates the story arc since August '09. I can't remember the other dates, so this is dated from last session. Also I can't remember names and place names correctly (probably), so bear with me (and correct them of you can).

A mission from the Free Traders Association sends The Sparrow to Peraspra(?) to see what might have happened to employee Daniel Kim, who apparently had just discovered that some people were "convincing" the workers to favour corporate trader ships over free traders when booking and loading cargo. Upon reaching the planet they find that Kim has disappeared, but that he has left a wife behind - Rory's ex-true-love Megan.

The local Marshall claims he can do nothing to search for Kim, but Rory cites some law that may indicate the Marshall's just not willing to look. Ben starts conning his way through most of the workers on the base while Rory spills his guts to a very upset Megan, who proceeds to punch Ben in the face because she believes he sent her to Rory on purpose for fun. The crew then talk to a few other assosciates of Kim's, and quickly come to the conclusion that Daniel Kim was gay. They ask Megan and she admits to marrying him not only because she loved him, but she also wanted to protect him from a social environment that is highly hostile towards (male) homosexuals. They find out about Kim's lover, Hani, who makes them swear not to tell anyone about him. They graciously comply, since the man seems to have nothing else to do with Kim's disappearance.

Ben and Rory, with Steven in tow, ask around and talk to Felipez, a man who did not love Daniel Kim. After talking to Felipez's associates it becomes clear that Felipez is involved in Kim's disappearance, and that a man named Quintrell has something to do with this as well. Towa, one of Felipez's friends, musters a mob and attacks Ben, Rory, and Steven. The fight ends with the three crewmembers winning, but with Steven severely injured, and Towa dead from a blow to the head dealt by Steven. Questions are asked by the Marshall, now accompanied by a bunch of corporate security officers who seemingly dominate the Marshall to some extent. Steven is arrested at the hospital by corporate authorities. Ben and Rory agree to go separately into the Marshall's office for questioning, each with Kanashii in tow as their "legal advisor who does not speak English". Ben manages to antagonise the corporate officer who acts like he owns the Marshall's office; Kevigan, by ignoring him thoroughly. Rory manages to antagonise the same just by being Rory, but is also in his turn provoked by the man's nasty comments. No love lost.

Ben gains the trust of the Deputy Marshall, who agrees to accompany Ben into the mines to look for Kim's body. They find it, and conclude that he died from a severe blow to the head. They take a sample of the body for DNA testing as well as a lot of photographic evidence. The evidence is copied onto two memory chips before they begin climbing up again. On the way up the Deputy is hit by a piece of falling junk deliberately dropped on them, and he falls and is severely injured. Ben hides one of the chips down the mine and climbs up to get help for the Deputy, who barely survives. Rory stashes Megan on the ship to protect her.

After this the Marshall starts asking questions of his own accord, and Felipez musters a mob and threatens to take down the Marshall. Ben, Rory, Megan, and Thomasz go to the Marshall's office to see what's going on and to save Steven's ass. On the way there Ben and Rory notice that mixed in with Felipez's worker associates are several of the corporate security officers, and they are armed with firearms. Luckily, so is the crew. They're let into the Marshall's office after a short standoff with Felipez, but are unable to leave. When they try to talk it out with Felipez, one of the corporate guys caps the Marshall in the head and he dies. Megan crawls out through the air vent to try and contact the military base on the other side of the planet for help. Ben calls the Big Cheese (can't remember his name) of the mining corporation and tells him what's going on. The Cheese doesn't seem impressed, but somehow the security guys are called away from the place and Ben decides they should just go out and beat Felipez down to show the rest who's boss. Steven agrees to do it because he really wants to - and he does it masterfully. The mob disperses.

Rory runs to the communications centre to get Megan, but discovers that she's being held hostage by Kevigan, who wants everyone down by the mine shaft, or else. Ben goes down there alone, armed with two guns, and manages (with a distraction from Rory, who is then subsequently shot) to pull one of them and fire at the bastard. He is unable to prevent Megan from being shot in the abdomen as she tries to pull a wounded Rory to safety. The shootout continues while Rory is trying to save Megan's life by keeping pressure on the wound. When Kevigan stops firing, Rory notices the man is reloading his gun, and waves Ben forward. The two of them duke it out at extremely close range, and Ben is severely wounded. Rory abandons Megan for a few seconds and tries to wrestle a wounded Kevigan for his gun, at which point Ben steps up and shoots Kevigan in the head before collapsing. Rory keeps him from slipping away by shouting at him and crying for Megan, while Ricky is on his way with the medical team.

Ricky saves the day. Thomasz is able to call for the military, and Steven is appointed temporary Marshall while they wait for the cavalry. Rory, Ben, and Megan are hospitalized; Megan being in critical condition. The Big Cheese shows up and coldly apologizes for the situation, though he isn't all that convincing when he tells them he knows nothing about "talking" the workers into favouring corporate traders over free traders. The crewmembers are aquitted of all charges, but the process takes a few weeks - just enough time to heal from the wounds, except Megan, who still requires some medical attention. Ben agrees to give her a ride back home to Terra on The Sparrow. In the meantime the base is overflowing with rumours about who killed who, and the crewmembers are more feared by everyone than anything else.

(Anything to add or correct? Go ahead.)

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