Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session 5c.35 of the “Vortex” telecom space opera campaign, which met via Skype on Sunday, 2 June 2013. We’ve been using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures/Mindjammer, Bulldogs, and anonline dice roller.

In one future, humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges ?

FATE 3e “Vortex: Terra’s Pride” (Team 3/5c) telecom Player Characters, as of spring 2013:

Crew of the refitted yacht Pina Colada:

• “Capt. Kevin Reese” [Bruce K., primary]-male Terran “near-human” (cyborg), former Interplanetary Patrol officer and leader of the “Terra’s Pride” homeworld security task force
• “Cmdr. Jasmine” [Sara F., primary]-female Martian Felinoid “Synth” (“Uplifted” tiger), former pit fighter and crewmember of the “Appomattox,” hoping to find a homeworld for her people
• “Hector Chavez” [Beruk A., primary]-male Terran human, former spy and crewmember on the “Appomattox,” cautious engineer and communications expert
• “Chris McKee /Agent Prometheus” [Josh C., primary]-male Terran human, former assassin for the eugenicists at Black Box Security Co., sniper and seeker
• “Orion Starchaser” [Geoff C., primary]-male Pomuyan (blue telepathic humanoid alien), irrepressible mystic and thrill-seeking galactic hitchhiker
• “Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron V.O., primary]-male Terran “near-human” (genetically modified) xenobiologist, curious and confident planetary patriot; with robots MEGAN and PEPE
• “Chiron” [Dexter V.H., primary/absent]-male (secretly android) pilot, assigned to assess and protect humanity

Crew of the experimental scout ship Blackbird:

• “Lt.Cmdr. Sebastian Growlick” [Bruce K., secondary]-male Felinoid “Synth” (“Uplifted” lion), elite soldier and acting commander of the refitted “Blackbird”
• “Lt.Cmdr. Tela” [Sara F., secondary]-female Tharian (gargoyle-like alien), escapee from the Encegulans (slug-like slavers), fond of humans; engineer with boyfriend Kedar
• “Tariq Asrad Saladin” [Beruk A., secondary]-male Terran “near-human” (mutant) wanderer with a past, investigator
• “Lord Wallace Tubbington” [Josh C., secondary]-male Olvar (arboreal, mammal-like alien) swashbuckler and diplomat for the Kharvamid Alliance and Union of Solar Nations
• “Lt.Cmdr. Brun Bearhammer” [Geoff C., secondary]-male Martian Ursoid “Synth” (“Uplifted” bear), former wrestler, pilot
• “Lt. Nathan A. Jessup” [Byron V.O., secondary]-male Terran human, gung-ho space marine and fighter pilot
• “Enkidu Aristheon” [Dexter V.H., secondary/absent]-male Seranen (pale empathic humanoid alien) exile, wilderness survival expert curious about Terrans and the Zarkonian threat; with sphinx-like companion Glaucon

(See other records for the previous crews of the Blackbird, Appomattox, and Gryphon.)

“13 to 17 August 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” After rescuing Terran ships and arresting traitors near Wolf 359, the “Terra’s Pride” homeworld security task force returned to the Asteroid Belt to report.

Lt.Cmdr. Kevin Reese turns over Zarkonian sympathizers Ms. Helen Gastmeyer, Cmdr. Hadsrubal Guitterez, and Lt. Fenris Ironclaw to Union of Solar Nations (U.S.N.) custody at Ceres Station. Adm. Jacques Pons offers Kevin and his crew commissions in the U.S.N. space navy in gratitude.

Even though the political situation is deteriorating on Earth, the U.S.N. has redirected its forces to strengthen perimeter defenses against the approaching Zarkonian Armada. The admiral also notes that potential missions include joining the fleets deployed around the Sol system, scouting possible evacuation routes, and infiltrating enemy-held space.

Adm. Pons tells Kevin that he and his friends have 24 hours to decide because the armada is estimated to be only weeks away. Newly promoted, Capt. Reese calls a meeting in the Pina Colada’s lounge.

From the yacht, Jasmine and Dr. Srinu Pahul accept ranks within the Terran military, but Hector Chavez and Chris McKee decline the offer to return to formal service. Galactic wanderer Orion Starchaser laughs at the offer, preferring to stay unattached. Chiron asks for time to think.

From the scout ship Blackbird, Sebastian Growlick, Tela, Lord Wallace Tubbington III, Brun Bearhammer, and Nathan A. Jessup accept U.S.N. promotions or commissions. Survival experts Tariq Asrad Saladin and Enkidu Aristheon decline.

Capt. Reese relays Adm. Pons’ mission descriptions and asks for recommendations. Cmdr. Pahul recommends placing paralyzed prisoners aboard the Crazy Horse and seeing how the Zarkonians respond to an attack.

Wallace, now special envoy between the Olvar Star League and the U.S.N., doesn’t like Srinu’s plan to throw away human lives, even if they are criminals. Orion and Enkidu agree. Lord Tubbington adds, however, that he is up for diplomacy and adventure, including going behind enemy lines.

Tariq says that he has been experimenting with using bioelectronics to block psionics. Engineers Tela and Hector assist, as do telepaths Orion and Enkidu.

Chris is also unsure about Dr. Pahul’s “Trojan horse” plan. The sniper recommends using the Blackbird’s cloaking device for infiltration. Hector makes a counterproposal of using a remotely piloted drone.

Hector also says that he has studied plasma sword crystals to create a prototype tunable force-field emitter. Unfortunately, three slower-than-light generation colony ships may be too far to help. In addition, the former spy points out that he is the only person familiar with the zero-point munitions intercepted on their way to Earth.

Capt. Reese then turns to the naval personnel. Lt. Jessup is eager to get training for a new aerospace superiority fighter craft. Lt.Cmdr. Bearhammer suggests luring the cloud-based energy entities recently encountered as an obstacle for the approaching armada.

Lt.Cmdr. Tela says that she has been working on scaling up an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) gun for the Blackbird. Despite his attachment to Jasmine, Lt.Cmdr. Growlick volunteers to take the Crazy Horse for a kamikaze mission.

Cmdr. Jasmine also objects to Cmdr. Pahul’s idea of using humans as bait, and the doctor responds that foes must be defeated by any means necessary. “Each hour we slow the Zarkonians means that many more Terrans can escape,” Srinu says.

Capt. Reese says that he’ll take everyone’s recommendations under advisement. The group then discusses deployment of the ships currently in “Terra’s Pride.” The Blackbird will pursue the primary mission of covertly entering Zarkonian-held space.

The experimental Olvar (mammal-like arboreal alien) vessel will include Capt. Reese as commander, Lt.Cmdr. Tela as engineer, and Lt.Cmdr. Bearhammer as helmsman. Mr. McKee and Lt. Jessup will serve as gunners and marines, and Mr. Saladin and Mr. Aristheon will provide psionic protection.

The Pina Colada will lead the Sovereign and Tigress in an attempt to find the cloud-based entities that had zombified starship crews. Capt. Reese orders the three ships to lure or capture the “psi eaters” so that they can attack the Zarkonians.

Cmdr. Jasmine takes the Pina Colada, with Chiron as pilot and Tela’s boyfriend Kedar as engineer. Telepath Orion agrees to try to contact the creatures, and Lord Tubbington is ready to assist with any alien contacts. Hector arranges for his onetime handler, Max(ine), to be posted to the Pina Colada.

Lt. Harry “Monty Hall” Takahari Jr. takes charge of repairing and restaffing the Sovereign, while Kevin’s sometime lover Capt. Elektra Contos readies the Tigress.

The third portion of the task force is assigned to run errands within the Sol system. Cmdr. Growlick takes the Dauntless, and Capt. Aveeshi Stormsea, an Aquarian (amphibious alien), takes the Crazy Horse.

Kevin asks Sebastian and Aveeshi to help evacuate past associates, such as scientist “Syzygy” [Brian W.], aspiring politician “Aughest-vor…” [Jason E.R.], and journalist “Scoop Chang” [Rich C.G.].

Capt. Reese also privately asks Hector to prepare zero-point bombs and other weapons. He approves Cmdr. Pahul’s idea to find people for a kamikaze run against the Zarkonians.

After a swift orientation in the growing Colonial Defense Force, new officers Jasmine, Srinu, and Wallace are sworn in aboard the battleship “Ilokar.” Hector and Tela supervise refits to their vessels, including adding an EMP gun and improving the Blackbird’s stealth capability.

The Pina Colada gets Hector’s experimental force field, and the Dauntless gains a rail gun. Dr. Pahul requisitions additional medical supplies and torpedoes for the Crazy Horse.

Orion, Tela and Kedar, and Enkidu and Glaucon take advantage of a few days in dock to stretch their legs (and wings). They observe how the Kharvamid Alliance and U.S.N. have added Transit (faster-than-light) drives to numerous vessels and habitats.

Adm. Pons summons Capt. Reese and Cmdr. Pahul to the Ilokar for a high-level briefing. They are joined by Capt. Evander Scofield, the Gustrall (antlered, orange-furred, flightless raptor-like alien) in charge of the Korelev, as well as Lt. Clark Faddil of the Pinkerton, Cmdr. Alfonso Balaz of the Steel Sanguinis, and the captains of the Ogbe Babba Akinyelure and the Dumas.

Based on reports from survivors from Laransu and Aquarius Prime, says Jacques, the high command estimates casualties of more than 90% of the Sol system’s 20 billion inhabitants.

Even with aid from the Trinoids, Olvar, Nethians, and Ma’ari, the fleets defending Earth and its colonies are going to be vastly outnumbered and outgunned by the invaders from the Milky Way’s Sagittarius Arm, he says. None of those extraterrestrial species have fought anything on that scale for thousands of (Terran) years.

The grim admiral asks for volunteers to join the last-ditch defense of the Sol system and says that some special forces have been left behind to prepare a possible resistance. Adm. Pons explains that most U.S.N. battle groups will be escorting refugee fleets spinward, deeper into unexplored and nonaligned space in the Orion Arm.

Kevin and Srinu return to the Blackbird, with the fate of humanity on their minds….

Now that we’ve dealt with logistics, I look forward to role-playing the crew of the Blackbird getting back out into space! Let me know what new aspects, skills, and stunts you’re adding to each character. I’ve also updated the ship specs on the Obsidian Portal wiki.

I also look forward to tonight’s “Vanished Lands: Vistel’s Circus” fantasy game and to Rich’s Star Wars: Edge of the Empire one-shot next Monday! Be seeing you, -Gene

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session 5c.34 of the “Vortex” telecom space opera campaign, which met via Skype on Monday, 27 May 2013. We’ve been using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures /Mindjammer, Bulldogs, and an online dice roller.

In one future, humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges?

FATE 3e “Vortex: Terra’s Pride” (Team 3/5c) telecom Player Characters, as of spring 2013:

Acting crew of the Terran frigate Sovereign:

• “Lt.Cmdr. Kevin Reese” [Bruce K., primary]-male Terran “near-human” (cyborg), former Interplanetary Patrol officer and member of the Blackbird and Dauntless crews; defender of the homeworld

• “Tela” [Sara F., secondary]-female Tharian (gargoyle-like alien), escapee from the Encegulans (slug-like slavers), fond of humans; engineer with boyfriend Kedar and robot Dr. Bucket

• “Chris McKee/Agent Prometheus” [Josh C., primary]-male Terran human, former assassin for the eugenicists at Black Box Security Co., sniper and seeker aboard the Blackbird and Pina Colada

• “Orion Starchaser” [Geoff C., primary]-male Pomuyan (blue telepathic humanoid alien), irrepressible mystic and thrill-seeking galactic hitchhiker

• “Hector Chavez” [Beruk A., primary/absent]-male Terran human, former spy and crewmember on theAppomattox, cautious engineer and communications expert

• “Sgt. Nathan A. Jessup” [Byron V.O., secondary/absent]-male Terran human, gung-ho member of the North American Aerospace Marine Corps

• “Chiron” [Dexter V.H., primary/absent]-male (secretly android) pilot, assigned to assess and protect humanity

See other records for the previous crews of the Blackbird, Appomattox, and Gryphon.

“8 to 12 August 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” After foiling would-be assassins at the Wolf 359 outpost, the acting crew of the corvette Dauntless interrogated Ms. Helen Gastmeyer, an agent for the approaching Zarkonian Armada.

The “Terra’s Pride” homeworld security task force then regrouped at Lalande 21185. The commanders of the Pina Colada, Blackbird, Dauntless, Sovereign, and Crazy Horse meet to discuss their next moves.

“Capt. Jasmine” [Sara] of the refitted yacht Pina Colada recommends eliminating the threat posed by Cmdr. Hadsrubal Guitterez, the traitor in charge of the Wolf 359 base. “Lt. Sebastian Growlick” [Bruce], commander of the experimental scout ship Blackbird, notes that most of the troops stationed there may still be loyal to the Union of Solar Nations (U.S.N.).

Capt. Aveeshi Stormsea, the Aquarian (amphibious humanoid alien) captain of the frigate Sovereign, says that the damaged ships need to return to the Sol system for crew and repairs. Capt. Dirk Hatch of the Crazy Horse switches places with Lt.Cmdr. Kevin Reese aboard the Dauntless.

Tela joins Kevin and inspects the engines of the Sovereign. Chris McKee is more interested in the Terran frigate’s guns and missiles. Orion Starchaser is exhausted after his telepathic battles with Ms. Gastmeyer and rests in a cabin.

Sgt. Nate Jessup is pleased to be aboard yet another military vessel, and Hector Chavez coordinates task force communications and watches for pursuit from Wolf 359. “Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron] watches over Ms. Gastmeyer and Capt. Helena Cain of the Dauntless, and Chiron stays with the Pina Colada.

After piloting the Sovereign to Lalande 21185, Ursoid (“Synth,” “Uplifted” bear) “Lt. Brun Bearhammer” [Geoff] requests to be transferred back to the Blackbird. Lt.Cmdr. Reese approves and has Hector send a request to the U.S.N. fleet for reinforcements, as well as the news about Zarkonian spies.

Col. Shan Gray eventually replies that he’s sending the patrol ship Tigress, relieving some of Kevin’s stress. Col. Gray says that securing Wolf 359 is important because 30 refugee ships are already on their way from Earth.

Lt.Cmdr. Reese’s superior also approves of using a reassignment order to lure Cmdr. Guitterez away from Wolf 359 so he can be arrested with a minimum of conflict. Kevin finds that he is a bit rusty with astrogation, but he takes theSovereign back to the outpost and congratulates Hadsrubal on his new commission.

Raptor-class fighters piloted by Lt. Kamar “Buster” Olekunde and Lt. Mireille “Skeets” Rubio escort the Sovereign,Pina Colada, Blackbird, and Crazy Horse to the orbital station, while the Dauntless again hides on the far side of the star.

Kevin orders helmeted Chris and Nate to accompany him, leaving Orion and Hector aboard the Sovereign because they might be recognized. The away team takes a Morgan-class shuttle to the Wolf 359 outpost.

The three uniformed humans are greeted by Cmdr. Guitterez and his Canid (“Synth,” “Upflited” wolf) chief of security, Lt. Fenris Ironclaw. Hadsrubal asks for a few hours to prepare for his reassignment and invites the visitors to dinner.

Meanwhile, Orion and Chris walk around the Sovereign and are surprised when crew members congratulate them for defeating the Zarkonian agents. Tela and Hector look for ways to disable the base’s systems if needed.

Kevin and Nate meet Lugh Astrophel, an Olvar (mammal-like, arboreal alien) trader. He asks if they know anything of the whereabouts of Velanna Loquieth, captain of the courier ship Unquith. She has been missing for a few (Terran) days — but Lugh seems not to know that she was a plasma sword-wielding attackers working with Ms. Gastmeyer.

Nate notices that they are being followed, none too subtly, by a combat robot whom Hector identifies as Kurang. Kevin sticks to public areas but pretends not to notice the droid. Orion scans for other telepaths and is pleased to report that Helen and the late Velanna were the only other psions at Wolf 359.

Kevin, Tela, and Nate dine with Cmdr. Guitterez, Lt. Ironclaw, and Capt. Hatch, as well as engineer Lt. Han Lao Bing, chief medical officer Dr. Roberto Torkas, and swashbuckling cyborg Capt. Dino Neustadt.

Tela covertly scans the meal and finds that all of the food has a toxin, but only the guests’ drinks lack a counteragent. Kevin and Tela “accidentally” grab the wrong glasses, but Nate relies on his space marine conditioning. Cmdr. Guitterez seems pleased that he’ll be aboard the Sovereign soon.

Lt.Cmdr. Reese shows Cmdr. Guitterez and Lt. Ironclaw to guest cabins on the Sovereign. Capt. Hatch takes command of the Wolf 359 outpost. Dr. Pahul checks on those exposed to food toxins.

Once the flotilla is away from the base, Hector pumps anesthetic gas into Hadsrubal and Fenris’ cabins. Sgt. Jessup and Mr. McKee take them to sickbay, where Dr. Pahul examines them. He finds cyanide tooth capsules, as well as cortical bomb implants.

Kevin orders them removed, and Srinu gets help from robotic nurse MEGAN. When they awaken, Hadsrubal mocks Lt.Cmdr. Reese until he learns that Helen has also been arrested and that an explosive was removed from his brain. Fenris alternates between rage and fatalism, and Kevin assigns more crew to watch the prisoners.

Lt. Bearhammer and the other astrogators set a course for Earth. Capt. Jasmine agrees with Lt.Cmdr. Reese that they should take the fight to the Zarkonians. The Felinoid also studies tactics with Lt. Growlick, who says she’ll probably be offered a position in the U.S.N. space navy upon mission completion.

Tela misses her boyfriend Kedar, robot aide Dr. Bucket, and the drone hive back on the Blackbird. The Tharian channels her energies into enhancing the Sovereign and creating more EMP (electromagnetic pulse) guns.

The cortical implants remind Chris of his own recent ties to Black Box Security Co., and the sniper meditates. Olvar diplomat “Lord Wallace Tubbington III” [Josh] starts an intership poker tournament, drawing in Brun, Srinu, and others.

Orion goes to the Pina Colada to swim in its pool, and Kevin is pleased when sometime lover Capt. Elektra Contos and the Tigress join his task force en route to Earth.

After just a few days’ travel, “Terra’s Pride” reaches the edge of the Sol system. The Shaka Zulu battle group hails the incoming vessels. Adm. Joseph Ochieng tells Lt.Cmdr. Reese that all incoming traffic is being screened, and his battle group is trying to facilitate evacuation.

Adm. Ochieng directs the Sovereign and its sister ships to the Asteroid Belt, where Col. Gray and the U.S.N. high command await their prisoners and reports before they head out into deep space….

Beruk, Byron, and Dexter, I hope that you had a good Memorial Day; we missed you! I expect the “Vortex” game to return to its normal time this coming Sunday, 2 June 2013.

I enjoyed the final session (for now) of Jason E.R.’s “Barsoomian Adventures: the Tenth Ray of Mars,” and I look forward to our face-to-face group’s one-shots this coming summer. In the meantime, I’ll see some of you at next Monday’s “Vanished Lands: Vistel’s Circus” fantasy game…. -Gene