The Light that Failed
Star Trader game 6 – Turn 7
This is the sixth postal (PBM/PBeM) game of Star Trader GMed by Mike Dommett and published by Pevans in my games magazine, To Win Just Once. This is the web version of the turn. Follow the link for an introduction to Star Trader.
Previous reports: Turn 6 Turn 5 Turn 4 Turn 3 Turn 2 Turn 1 Start-up
Sections: Report, Corporation Table, News, Press, GM Notes, Star map (separate page), PDF map (91k)
“What was that?”
“Hull hit, sir.”
“Where does an old tub like that learn to fight like that?”
“They did start off running inter-system craft, Sir.”
“Yes, but even so. That Captain’s a brave man. Shame he has to die.”
The battle in the outskirts of Gamma Leporis System was fierce. Despite an initial degree of disorientation, the GATES-LEARJET ship was fought by a well-trained crew, who manoeuvred the Monarch Hull as though it was a stream-lined ship and knocked several lumps off their attacker from the ASSOCIATION OF INTERSTELLAR ANARCHISTS.
A hail of meteors in the night sky above Sigma Draconis followed an explosion above the planet, confirming that the ASSOCIATION OF INTERSTELLAR ANARCHISTS had blown up the captured QUASAR ship. Both sides put out press releases denouncing the other as the scum of the spaceways
GATES-LEARJET bought 6 Alloys at Gamma Leporis to gain a Dealership. BELISAR POLITICAL picked up 5 on Contracts.
BELISAR sold 14 Alloys for 9 HTs each at Epsilon Eridani and were made Dealers. GATES-LEARJET’s bid of 10 was rejected. HOLYOKE ARBITRAGE sold 12 Monopoles for 16 HTs each and were made Dealers too. They were made Contractors in Spice when they sold 9 for 14 HTs each. ARCHANGEL LINES tried to sell at 16, but were undercut!
Tau Ceti saw BELISAR buying 5 Isotopes on Contract.
Isotopes were on sale at 7 HTs at Mu Herculis, but it was BELISAR again who were first, selling 10 units and gaining a Contractorship to boot. QUASAR sold 1 unit, MONOGRAM sold none. MONOGRAM was more successful with Monopoles, selling 8 for 12 units each. HOLYOKE ARBITRAGE’s representatives, scanning the cubage around the Spaceport, bought 1 Monopole for 16 HTs.
GATES-LEARJET sold one Spice for 12 HTs at Sigma Draconis, while HOLYOKE ARBITRAGE bought 5 on Contract.
At Beta Hydri, ARCHANGEL LINES sold 6 Monopoles for 19 HTs each to gain a Dealership and, finally, QUASAR sold 7 Alloys for 8 HTs to get a Dealership as well.
GATES-LEARJET’s loss of the Monarch Hull, Eve, was a bit of a downer for the Corporation whose expansionary plans included a Monopole Factory (at Mu Herculis of course) and a second Warehouse at Tau Ceti.
ARCHANGEL LINES’ new ship was equipped with Passenger Pods. Their existing fleet loaded passengers for Beta Hydri, Epsilon Eridani, and Gamma Leporis.
HOLYOKE ARBITRAGE spent heavily to ensure taking OP 8 and the potential rewards.
QUASAR ENTERPRISES bought two Alloy Factories at Gamma Leporis. Their response to the AIA is best described as ‘robust’. The AIA appear to have minimised the likelihood of any future payment.
MONOGRAM INDUSTRIES laid down a new Clarinet Hull in the Tau Ceti Shipyards. It’s going to be called ‘Brighton’.
BELISAR POLITICAL, keeping name recognition, despite rumours linking their iconic leader to women, bought a Warehouse at Epsilon Eridani and purchased a Passenger pod for the Manstein, storing the cargo pod in the Epsilon Eridani Warehouse.
GAMLEPCO, true to their leader’s tenet that why have 5 Factories if you can have more, bought their tenth Alloy-producing facility at Gamma Leporis, discounting rumours of local unrest.
Corporation Table
| Corporation letter and name | Connections Bus/Crim/Pol | Init'v Bid | Turn Order | Cash | Rep'n | Player | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Archangel Lines | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3rd | 212 | 40 | Howard Bishop |
| B | Monogram Industries | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8th | 172 | 34 | Andrew Burgess |
| C | Quasar Enterprises | 10 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 4th | 139 | 36 | Mark Cowper |
| D | Belisar Political | 10 | 0 | 9 | +4 | 2nd | 291 | 40 | Mike Dyer |
| E | GamLepCo | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7th | 102 | 28 | Martin Jennings |
| F | Holyoke Arbitrage | 10 | 8 | 2 | 35 | 1st | 302 | 40 | Przemek Orwat |
| G | Gates-Learjet | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6th | 68 | 28 | Bob Parkins |
| H | Association of Interstellar Anarchists | 2 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 5th | 1 | N/A | Paul Evans |
| N under Initiative Bid means No move received, F indicates the Corp was floated | |||||||||
News
There was one new News chits this turn. Current chits are (new ones in bold):
Turn 8 B6
Turn 9 P3
Turn 10 C4, B2
(Chits are identified by the Connection type and level required to see them and disappear/take effect in the News Phase of the turn listed.)
Press
Fairtrade Spice now available from the AIA. Contact your local … agent for details. Freedom for Sigma Draconis!
Concerned about Space Travel? Why not insure your life with Free Trader Enterprises? We will body-jack you before travel. Apply within for details.
Chill out, AIA, we just want to like be happy, man…
QUASAR OFFICES SIGMA DRACONIS
MANAGING DIRECTORS OFFICE BORIS J SON
A FAX COMES THROUGH FROM ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT
DEAR BORIS,
WE HAVE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING DEMAND.
“Dear Quasar Enterprises, Have you lost a ship? We seem to have found one! We will be happy to return it to you for a suitable finder’s fee (say, 75 HTs) and an undertaking that it will cease trading with the bloated plutocrats of the current regime on Sigma Draconis. Freedom for Sigma Draconis!”
PLEASE INFORM AIA THAT THE CHARGE OUT RATE FOR LOAN (OR POSSESSION) OF ANY OF OUR SHIPS IS 1 HT/DAY, PAYABLE WITHIN 30 DAYS. BEYOND THIS INTEREST IS ACCRUED AT 3% DAILY. THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE ON OUR SUPPLIER DATABASE. THEY WILL NEED TO FILL IN FORM P-101-NSD-03 ISSUE 19, RETURN WITH TWO REFERENCES, FULL BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS AND A 1O HT ADMINISTRATION FEE.
ALGERNON B STARD
ACCOUNTS
GM Notes
Press is always welcome.
Orders to Mike Dommett, 119 Victoria Road, ALTON GU34 2DD
or by e-mail to mike_dommett (at) yahoo.co.uk by 17th May 2013