Traveller - The Jägermeister Adventure - Ep 10 - Payday from a job in consultancy (Spoilers, AI)

  

We had a full house for the session, and despite my being away from home, everything seemed to work swimmingly as the WiFi at the Days Inn was fast and stable. Andy had established that his audio challenge was related to the browser he was using, and I had finally (on our tenth session) managed to solve the recording interference (as described here) by reading the manual and realising that I wasn't recording an application but a voice chat. Everything else was as previous sessions (Roll20 on Chrome, Discord, Audio Hijack to intercept the feeds, and tabletoprecorder.com to process into a transcript and summarise. 

Characters.

Saul Emzer (Graham) - the only professional bounty hunter in the group, a guild member well aware of his own shortcomings. Saul knows his aptitude is the down and dirty part of the missions. He isn't the brains, and he certainly can't fly a ship, but when the trouble goes down, he's a man of action, and of stealth when needed. Saul has brought the rest of the team together to support him and fill out the skill gaps. He doesn't like to think of himself as the leader, but he's the one with the official guild membership. He's made some big scores in the past.

Gibert Chang (Andy) - hailing from the Meriden system's Harmony habitat, the home of an obscure religious sect, Gilbert sought freedom by joining the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service. He grew up with good understanding of space construction and has supplemented this with a wide range of technical skills, becoming a professional spacer. He describes himself as the potential getaway driver, but is officially the ship's engineer,  and he comes with a broad (but not deep) range of experience and a well-used but cared for vacuum suit called Nadia.

Arturo "Lucky" Javed (Paul) - Lucky's life has been a lot of ups and downs, probably more of the latter than the former. He aspired to be an intelligent agent but was kicked out of that career early on following a serious injury. He then took to a life of petty crime, struggling to make do and stay out of trouble. Eventually, a role came up on a Merchant vessel, but he kept his hand in with the underworld to try and make some money on the side. He knows Gil of old following a job that went sideways. Lucky is the one who is likely to make contact with any criminal elements that the group may need to deal with.

Pen Gata (Neil) - has spent his life in space, with a broad range of spacer skills that means he's the pilot and astrogator. Once again, he's a broad specialist rather than a deep expert. (The character was built with package generation so has a less developed life path).

The Jägermeister - a 100dT Jump-2 streamlined courier capable of 6G thrust, the ship is also their home and Assured Courier's GmbH's main asset. The crew mostly live aboard, as it's a lot more pleasant than the desert world of Ikeran where they're officially based (and have a rented office). The ship is usually located in one of the downport's long-term parkways. She's armed with a single triple turret with beam lasers and a missile rack. 

Session notes.

I wasn't quite sure if this would be the final session of the campaign, but it was. Once again, the characters carefully avoid combat and managed to influence the authorities enough that they secured a decent payday, and avoided significant casualties. A great result!

I'd estimated that there was somewhere between ten and twelve sessions of play, and we came in at the lower end of that, probably as the crew avoided combat on Valkos and in this final session.

Summary of the Session (lightly edited LLM synthesis of the transcript).

In this lively session of the Jägermeister adventure, the crew members, led by Dom the referee, gathered virtually to chart their next steps in the sci-fi universe. The focus was on their recent escapade in the Minerva system, where, through a sophisticated blend of technological prowess and negotiations, they discovered the grievously damaged starship Hirondell and its unfortunate crew. The crew had previously made the decision to save the surviving captain, who was in critical condition in a low berth freezer unit, an ethical quandary that sparked much debate among them.

With Gil Chang, Arturo Javid, Pen Gatta, and Saul Emsa at the helm, they navigated complex negotiations with Aoife Scarlock, a character they encountered who was initially oblivious to the fact that the crew was harboring Voss—a key figure loaded with critical information and desired by authorities. The group skillfully kept their ace in the hole secret while aligning with Scarlock to prevent an impending bioweapon disaster instigated by Voss on Minerva. As they prepared to re-enter the Minerva system after detouring to the Miranda system, tensions and strategies were discussed, focusing on how to manage the delicate information they possessed. Should the headhunter's crew capture any of Voss' associates, the crew strategized on maintaining the secrecy of their high-value bounty to leverage for the eventual handover to Imperial authorities, ensuring they met the stringent conditions of their bounty contract. Technical challenges such as securing a damaged data stick, a crucial piece of the bounty, were also discussed, weighing the potential financial benefits against the risks of tampering with the evidence. Neil, in particular, pondered the logistics of manipulating the data to secure a full payout without breaching contractual stipulations. As the crew strategized their re-entry to the Minerva system, they laid plans to split tasks between engaging with local authorities and dealing with potential complications due to their unsanctioned visit to Valkos. The intricate dynamics of their stances on honesty and disclosure were debated, reflecting on the broader implications of their past actions and planned maneuvers upon docking. Remarkably, as they drew closer to their destination, they contemplated the state of their ship, acknowledging that visible damage might raise questions about their recent journeys. The crew evaluated whether to tidy up their digital and physical tracks to ensure seamless interactions with Minerva's authorities and avoid unnecessary scrutiny. Humor and camaraderie riddled their technical discussions and role-playing, with each member contributing their expertise to ensure the ship, their cover stories, and their strategies aligned flawlessly as they approached Minerva, ready to handle the intense negotiations and actions that awaited them. In the latest leg of their cosmic adventure, the crew of the Jägermeister, consisting of Saul, Arturo, Pen, Gil, and the sharp-witted Neil, face a challenging dilemma as they decide how to defrost a critical captain caught in low berth—the risk being his potential death during the process. Meanwhile, the bounty office shows no interest in this captain, leaving the group to finesize a separate management strategy for him. As Saul, acting as the captain, and his comrade Pen join forces, their swift actions come into play at the port office where they seek to claim a hefty bounty. Saul brandishes the required paperwork, efficiently concluding a deal with the help of Arturo's legal finesse, netting them an impressive 850,000 credits. Despite the payout, they recognise the looming overhead of ship repairs could quickly consume all this newfound wealth and more. The conversation takes a strategic turn as Saul prepares to alert the authorities of a potential bioweapon threat—information linked closely to their bounty quarry, Voss, and his malevolent plans. The crew meticulously discusses how to present their findings to maximize effectiveness while maintaining their credibility. Their protective instincts extend to the damaged Hirondelle and its sole surviving captain. The decision to involve the Naval authorities arises from a mix of necessity and opportunity, hoping it might usher some goodwill—or perhaps more compensation—their way. They deliberate the best approach to liaise with the authorities without implicating themselves further in the chaos Voss has unleashed. The well-orchestrated exchange with Naval personnel over the handling of the captain strikes a delicate balance of cooperation and caution. As they tread carefully around the details of the bioweapon—enough to inform but not overtly incriminate—they manage to navigate through the bureaucratic and military protocols to ensure the captain’s safety and initiate recovery efforts for the Hirondelle. Through high-stakes negotiation, the display of tactful diplomacy, and a touch of humor in the face of adversity, the crew of the Jägermeister maneuvers through the galaxy's shadowy corners. Their tale is one of quick thinking, camaraderie, and a relentless pursuit of justice, all woven into the fabric of their interstellar journey. In this chapter of their grand spacefaring adventure, the crew of the Jägermeister, led by the trying-to-be-ever-so diplomatic Saul and the keen strategist Pen, faced pivotal decisions involving an impending threat and their interactions with various authorities. Their choices were critically influenced by past experiences and foresight into potential repercussions that could either aid their mission or diminish their stealth in future endeavors. The crew debated the potential implications of involving the Naval officers from the Valkos system where a bioweapon had originated. Gil pointed out that meddling in one planet's affairs could be brushed off as misfortune, but ensnaring themselves in the military and political fabric of two would be regarded as carelessness—a sentiment echoed by Pen. They ultimately decided to cooperate with the Navy, recognizing the strategic advantage despite warnings from Dom that the planetary authority might offer monetary rewards more readily than the Navy, which could instead facilitate ship repairs. Saul took the initiative to reconnect with previously contacted officials, aiming to foster cooperation between the Navy and the planetary authority by laying bare the threat posed by the bioweapon. Supported by his admirable persuasion skills, Saul effectively convinced the authorities of the urgent need for a unified response. Arturo's adroit legal manoeuvring further articulated the failure of the Navy's interdiction efforts on Valkos, thus necessitating their support on the planetary level. Through a series of strategic communications, superbly handled by Saul and bolstered by his crew’s tactical advisories, they successfully positioned themselves as vital consultants to both military and civil authorities. A combination of Arturo's and Saul's persuasive prowess ensured that the authorities adopted a collaborative stance which culminated in a unified operational tactic directed at thwarting the bioweapon threat. The situation escalated when intelligence pointed to a major fundraising event as a potential target for the bioweapon. This insight led to an urgent coordinated effort to identify and curtail the threat. The crew deftly navigated through military and bureaucratic channels, their efforts culminating in the thwarting of an attack that could have devastatingly resulted in tens of thousands of casualties. Their successful intervention in uncovering the plot and helping to neutralize the bioweapon earned them recognition and accolades from the Minervan government and complimentary ship repairs from the Navy—an underlining testament to their effectiveness and rising repute across the systems. The journey, fraught with ethical dilemmas, strategic gambits, and professional negotiations, carved out a narrative of timely heroics and adept leadership, ensuring the crew of the Jaegermeister left an indelible mark on the regions they traversed. As they wrapped up this episode of their saga, they contemplated the lasting implications of their choices, with an eye toward future adventures, now richer in credit and experience.

My summary: 

The crew of the Jägermeister passed their time in jump with their usual entertainments and some discussions on the strategy that they should follow when they arrived at Minerva. They were wary that they hadn't told Aoife Scarlock that they Voss and the information needed for the bounty, and that was likely to cause further aggravation between Saul and Aoife.

Saul and Arturo saw the planetary authorities and arranged the hand-over of Voss and the data sets. Between them, they built a good rapport with the officials and soon were Cr850,000 better off, bounty discharged. So they had most of the money to repair the Jägermeister if they did it themselves... Saul used his carousing techniques after some coaching for Arturo to start to convince the Minervan Authorities that there was a plot underway.

Meanwhile, Gil and Pen talked to the Imperial Navy and managed, with the help of a more experienced NCO, to handover the Captain of the Hirondelle to them without being suspected too much of being involved. 

The team then angled to be taken on as consultants in the hunt for Voss' team, and between them managed to get the Navy and the planetary authorities working together. Thanks to their information, they traced the aerosolised bio-agent toxin to a factory, but it had been collected in an air/truck that morning. Tracing the crew who disembarked from the Heart of Glass resulted in one being found in a medical coma and unlikely to survive in a public hospital. Of the others, four had to be found still.

Fortunately, the terrorists had not changed their plans, and their air/truck was under automatic control. They cleared the area and destroyed it with orbital defence lasers.

The other two terrorists, Inge Wegner and Kirstin Gremmerman were arrested by special forces agents as they tried to add toxins to the air handling units at the mansion that the fundraising event was taking place at that. They were identified from the start from the information the Jägermeister crew passed.

The Minervan government gave the crew awards and a payout of Cr100,000 each, and the Imperial Navy arranged for the repair of the Jägermeister at their cost, with the understanding that what happened was covered under a non-disclosure agreement.

If you're interested, I have done a separate post with the actual transcript (slightly cleaned up).

16 November 2025