TOPIC: The Expanse - Angels

Most have point bought their characters and finished them already so you might have to get your skates on lol

Sant wrote:
Is there anything online I can look at to get a head start on? Been looking to pick up the rulebook but it's not available till June for non-backers. Failing that I'll be there around 7:30 ish or can be a bit earlier if you want.

Angelus Jean-Baptiste, PhD

Age: 40+
Place of birth: Somewhere in the Belt
Next of kin: None
Occupation: Freelance pilot and aviation consultant, OPA 'spokesperson', former Ascension Operative, former Captain of “The Perdition's Flame"
Other Names: Angel, “Azrael” (his Ascension OPA codename), the “Angel of Death”, “Bringer of Doom”, “Flame-Bearer"
Description: Tall, thin and sinewy. Dark black skin. Long, greying dreadlocks. Moves with cat-like precision, despite a quite relaxed demeanour.

Given his name by his parents due to the fact that when he was first placed in zero-g, he moved, “as graceful as an Angel”, Angel showed a natural aptitude for special awareness unlike any Belter in a generation. He was raised in the ways of the Selassists (a pseudo-Christian/ Rastarfari-fused religious community of Belter nomads), going from planet to planet.

Travelling the stars and lands on a variety of vehicles and vessels gave him ample opportunity to develop an unparalleled mastery of any kind of vehicular transport. Becoming a noted pilot brought him to the attention of the OPA, a rebellious body that a young, carefree and passionate boy would understandably be attracted to. The OPA ideals matched Angel’s beliefs about the injustices against Belters.

However, he was to learn that his skills would be used in a more proactive fashion. He was given the name “Azrael” (the Hebrew name of the Angel of Death) and became a key member of a growing terrorist/ freedom fighter OAP extreme anti-Earth and anti-Mars splinter group called Ascension. Angel was the pilot and ship’s Captain of one of their many stolen ships, the infamous and dreaded corvette “The Perdition’s Flame” so called because, “that was what happened to the living if they crossed our path." For fifteen years, they ran interference and caused trouble with frequent and frightening results and notoriety.

This lasted until Angel became the only survivor of the Incident at Dagon Falls (a rare example of the MCRN and the UN successfully working together militarily to stop a threat, namely Ascension's rise and impact), resulting in him going on the run for three years. And then, one day, he turned himself in - with no explanation except, “I have faced my Gods and they have lead me to the road of atonement.” He was then imprisoned with the UN and then the MCRN for three years each. He was then returned back to the OPA to serve four years imprisonment. During his time, he earned two doctorates, one in aviation, the other in psychology.

Since his recent release, he has decided to travel and use his skills to do what he does best - to pilot. He has also become a celebrity of sorts. An OPA spokesperson of note, showing the positive effect of redemption and reform. Spreading the word and gospel of benevolence and friendship to foster better relationships with the UN and MCRN. When interviewed post-release, he said,

“I know there are those that feel I'm a traitor to “The True Cause”. But my conscience is clear - fighting fire with fire will only leave ash. For, I have felt such heat. And it burns deep. The scars never heal and can leave one ugly and pained. Better to fight the fire by dowsing the flame. Extinguish the rage. Channel and direct it to forge a positive use. To forge a peace.”

Please let me know if I missed anything... (and probably gone a little long)

Episode 1 - A Lunan A Duster, a Triad enforcer, a hungarian doctor, a Rastafarian Belter and a Joe walk into a bar...

Dramatis Personae

• Xiang Chi - An Oriental Ex Triad Earther
• Victor Lazlo - A Hungarian Doctor searching for his wayward Brother
• Angelus - A reformed OPA Terrorist pilot
• Esteban "Thatch" Thatcher - A Lunan ex UNMC Techy
• Joe - A Joe
• Reuben - A Martian who likes shooting things. He has a military bearing.

Recap
A few days after the Seraphim departs back to Luna for it's long overdue refit our group sit in the Leaking Brain nursing their drinks and debating how to pass the month or so until Jim Reynolds brings the ship back for their promised work. Suddenly a breaking news story blares out of the Vid and Monica Stewart tells them of the sudden explosion of the Freighter Seraphim lost presumably with all hands in what appears to be a fusion bottle failure.

The group look a little stunned. They know Joachim was a good tech and there was no way he'd let the engine go like that. As they start to think what to do about it two rough looking Fellows (one with a big nose the other with a scar on his face) suddenly get up and head towards the exit only to be stopped by Star Helix who appear to have closed off the bar and a detective Jim Reynolds comes in politely insisting they come for a chat as the last known crew of the Seraphim.

After Jim explains the concept of the passage of time to Xiang ("Just because you see it on the TV now didn't mean it happened now!") we all agree to accompany Jim downtown. On the way Jim asks them to indulge him as we blow past the stop for the Precinct and he leads the way down a short dark corridor to a Star Helix Safe house where they can talk privately.
Jim informs them that he has his suspicions about the Seraphim. Them taking a Star Helix contract to shift prisoners back to Luna before the OPA and Anderson Dawes formally take control of Ceres in a month ruffled feathers in the more extreme factions of that organisation. However the OPA have already started "advising" Star Helix and Jim believes any formal investigations that may not show the "new Civilised" Outer Planets Alliance in a good light might be quietly hushed up. He says that the official record will show they were all bought it as standard procedure and questioned then released as no longer relevant tot he investigation but asks that they investigate "unofficially" for him. He'll help as much as he can and gives them as much information as possible providing them with Jims on station address and any information he has on the crew (Jane Short the doctor was in process of divorcing her husband and her and Jules were living together, Joachim joined the crew a month back as a replacement for Gustav Holt who was taken violently ill and is still in the med centre) as well as the flight plans of the Seraphim. Curiously they show that Joachim failed to report for departure. He also gives them the name Hickory that turned up that belongs to a Wilhelm Hickory. A known hacker and information broker as well as an address for him.

Thatch does some computer shit and tracks Joachims handset to deep in the shady part of town so the crew head to catch up with their old crewmate. On the way a loud BANG rings out up ahead of them as an office explosively spreads itself into the corridor. Victor rushes forward to help the wounded while Thatch follows a little slower careful to grab an oxygen mask which he shares with the good doctor before he passes out due to the fire suppressant. He has a quick look around in the bombed out office before the police show up but, not seeing an active computer system he can poke, is completely flummoxed and has no idea what to do so leaves again.

A quick Spoogle (Space google) search reveals the office that was bombed is Krupp Mercantile. An Earth based company relatively new on the global scene who sell Steel and other materials to various ship builders including the UNN. They caused a stir by specialising in low paying but steady long term contracts compared to the usual high pay short term contracts most corporations provide. The only other point of note is a police report sent to them by Jim where a crate of mining charges were reported missing around a month ago but were never found.
They continue on to Joachims device. Down a short dark corridor in a crappy part of town they come to a door covered in OPA graffiti welded shut. Joachims device is on the other side. Thatch does more computer shit and confirms this is Joachims apartment and shows two other dependents but that his wife and child are away on Ganymede to give birth to his second. Angelus go's to speak to the locals to see what they saw while Victor, Xiang and Joe try to get inside. Angelus finds that two people who look just like Nosey and Scarface went down that short dark corridor yesterday then came back out a few hours later. The others make it inside to find the stink of decay and a dead Joachim in the bedroom. A search finds a piece of ACTUAL paper on that Thatch recognises as an engineers back door for some sort of computer system allowing someone with the right tools to implant a command in a system with nothing showing in the logs. They also find another hint pointing towards hickory. Thatch tries to dig into the system to find more about him only to get his device wiped remotely then has to spend an age filling in all those annoying startup settings they insist on bombarding you with everytime you setup your device.

The group decide to head to Hickorys registered address, not expecting much but deciding to cross it off the list only to find his "Home" is a bar called The Float. They head in and Angelus uses his Belter cred (compared to us dastardly inners) with the barman who, after looking at a camera with a flashing light, points us to a back door that leads to a short dark corridor. Once in we reach a locked door and a hologram of a 90's WWE throwback appears demanding what do we want. When bribes and threats don't work an offer of chicken perks interest. Joe uses his vast resources to order a SFC (Space KFC) and the door opens onto a short dark corridor which is actually an old shipping container. They all head in except for Joe who has seen too many sudden but inevitable betrayals and decides to wait outside. The door shuts behind them.... and then the door in front opens leading them into what can only be described as a hackers paradise lorded over by a 8 stone weakling as Hickory says "got my chicken?"

Key facts

• Jules Renard still has an unexplored apartment
• Nosey and Scarface WEREN'T just random patrons but probably following them.
• Joachim probably put a command into the Seraphims computer to cause the safeties to shut down a few days into the flight then failed to turn up.
• Gustav might know something.
• Hickory probably gave them the code
• Jim Reynolds just wants to help
• Star Helix probably can't be trusted
• Demo charges could definitely blow up an office
• Adding the word "Space" in front of anything makes it sound Sci fi

Episode 2 - Least I have Chicken...

Recap

Turns out Hickory REALLY likes chicken. Threats and Bribes don't work but Joe, who definitely just decided to go off to find information on his own and didn't just vanish for two weeks, ended up losing a point of income buying it all. Thanks Joe!
We learnt a lot:

• Hickory had been made to find out the machine code for the Seraphim and to create a Slug that when inserted could let anyone set a code without leaving a trace in the logs.
• The Slug had been picked up from the bar by Joachim.
• Hickory didn't know who ordered the slug but the message came in using Encryption that Angelus recognised as belonging to Ascension (Overdramatic Prairie dog!)
• Ascension were, as far as Angelus is aware, all killed bar him at Dagon Falls.
• Thatch does more computer Shit and manages to break the encryption tracking the tight beam back to a set of coordinates off station which, after crosschecking with traffic logs shows it came from a Frigate called the Vostok and that the message was sent by someone called Bright.
• A quick look at SpaceJanes naval ships shows that it's an ex UNN Frigate that was reported as decommissioned for scrap years ago. More Computer shit shows that the Vostok docked at Ceres recently but, unusually, there's no record of who or what was transferred off/on.
• Thatch gets cheeky and asks Hickory to see if he can see anything on his cameras from both the Krupp Mercantile bombing and from outside Joachims apartment.
• As they're leaving Angelus has a private word with Hickory. What was said is for him to say.

The group, along with Reuben who has definitely been here the whole time, decide to go investigate Jules' apartment. On the way Thatch decides to send a message to Jim Reynolds on Sp(ace)whatsapp to tell him we're onto something but he doesn't even get a received tick let alone a blue one!
Putting that mystery off for later they get to Jules' apartment where it's a simple case to open the door. Inside the place doesn't look like it's been tossed and the entry logs show no one coming in since Jules and Jane last left. There's a computer system and a old Navy chest in the corner. Thatch limbers up ready for some extreme computer hacking leet skillz before Reuben walks past and guesses first time that Jules' Password is just Seraphim...

Thatch starts deep diving into the computer while the others look around. Angelus notices in the bottom of the wardrobe a set of shoes are the wrong way around. Very unusual for an ex navy man. He looks inside one and finds a access key which probably fits that chest in the corner! He go's over and opens it and finds inside a locked box, an old pistol and a datapad.

On the Computer Thatch learns that Jule's was planning to retire. His finances were in order (apart from a few recent late payments on the Seraphims mortgage) and that he and Jane were planning to marry and move to Titan together in a few years once Janes divorce was through and they had finished paying off the Seraphim. He'd also received death threats recently for "working for the corrupt inners" most likely related to him taking up the Star Helix contract but he seems to have paid them no mind. They were all signed off "A".

He also finds a code inside that conveniently looks long enough for a lockbox that had just been found in the chest. Inside he finds information about a small Yacht Jules had bought and was paying for as well as doing up as a surprise for Jane. He'd named it the Jane and was intended for their retirement that would never come. Which helped explained a few of the recent late payments.
As the group discuss their next step Victor receives a call from Hickory. Who promptly takes one look at him and says "Wrong number" then hangs up. Thatch then receives a call from Hickory which was actually the right number as he sends him a live video feed of a group of dockworkers fleecing the crew of a freighter. A common occurrence on Ceres however Hickory advised these were the same men who had stolen the demo charges from Krupp Mercantile a month earlier. They were being led by a man called Zen Wong. The group head down to the docks, stopping by their hole to gear up, and quickly follow the tracks of the fleecers. They find them in abandoned tunnels surrounded by the forgotten spreading alms to the poor.

They readily admit to taking and selling the demo charges and, after the good Doctor starts walking among their flock healing those he can, they volunteer that they loaded the crate onto the John Henry several weeks ago. When the Vostok is mentioned they go "that be Brights ship" and, after more cajoling from Angelus reveal the coordinates where Bright may be located.
They reach the warehouse and go in to be immediately lit up with laser sights. Despite their best efforts at Parley it's clear this will not end well and a fight ensued. At the end of it Ziang has stretched his luck to breaking point but gutted one, Fletch took another (stealing his rifle in the process) and Reuben he killed one and knocked out another with a distraction from Angelus. The good doctor had wisely stayed back the entire fight but then, on a whim decides to take a potshot at the camera and nails it surprising no one more than himself.

Fletch and Reuben's muscle memory comes back and they quickly move up to breach the next door, blasting through and shooting the woman on the other side in the shoulder. Victor runs forward to see to her wounds and stabilise her and does an admiral job... until a grenade comes down the corridor and rolls under her body undoing his good work and only her body luckily shielding him from the worst of it. Reuben and Fletch move forward seeing one last target cowering behind a sofa which they promptly shoot him through before moving forward and knocking him out cold.
Fletch's eyes light up at the site of a computer system and he quickly runs forward to start breaking into their files. Fortunately they use the same Ascension codes he is already familiar with so he makes quick work of it while the rest search the room.

They find some very nice Belter Scotch that Angelus quickly claims as well as several MCRN weapons crates shaped suspiciously like torpedoes as well as multiple Protogen crates.
On the system Fletch finds another infodump:

• This group do indeed claim to be Ascension. Although none look familiar to Angelus
• There is mention of a Project Eden
• Code specifications for the slug used on the seraphim which someone with the right skillset could use to make another. as well as references to unsuccessful experiments to use the Master key remotely.
• The specifications for MCRN Plasma Torpedoes (which match the boxes all around them).
• The schematics and flight plan for the Black Lotus a Luxury pleasure cruise ship operated by the earth company Panam on it's way to Titan with a nice load of Rich decadent Earthers onboard.
• References to an agent "Lion" and information that the Vostok is shadowing the Lotus ready to collect Lion after fulfils his "task"

The group all look at each other and go "well fuck..."

Key facts

• Where's Jim?
• What's project Eden?
• If these terrorists are Ascension why does Angelus not recognise any of them?
• Who is Lion and what is his "task"?
• What's in the protogen and MCRN crates?
• We should probably go look at the Jane
• Also Gustav is still in hospital?
• Is there any Chicken left ANYWHERE on Ceres station or have we already bought it all?
• Seems we have two Prisoners and an Ex-Triad man with a sharp sword. That can't go badly at all...

great write up rhodsey