We fly in towards Mjolnir from its 100 diameter limit; Mjolnir orbits well out from its type F star (orbit 6, roughly equivalent to the orbit of Jupiter), so we are limited by Mjolnir's diameter here, rather than that of anything else. We consider flying to the gas giant Odin to refuel, but decide it's far too far for now (Odin, in orbit 8, is as far out as Neptune), so we'll bite the bullet and try and buy unrefined fuel on Mjolnir.
As we fly in we discover that there is another of SuSAG's Tessalon-type ships (the 'Kantrex' class) in orbit about Mjolnir. Its transponder identifies it as the 'Prinivil'. As our transponder has been changed the crew of the Prinivil will hopefully have a harder time identifying us as another 'Kantrex'-type ship. But we do have a worrying though and consult the ship's library data. Sure enough, we find that the 'Kantrex' class of ship is exclusive to the SuSAG megacorporation (as is the 'Plavix' class of which the Dolobid was a member). There are some lower-tech ships that are similar in look to the Kantrex class, but nothing too close. So changing the transponder won't have done much good. Doh!
We discuss various plans to avoid the Prinivil, such as going elsewhere, but decide none of them is really practical.
We hide from the Prinivil as best we can as we come in and land, making use of its orbit, Meginjardir (Mjolnir's ring) and the positions of Tanngniost and Tanngrisnir (Mjolnir's two moons) to help us do so. We tell Mjolnir traffic control we are having life support problems, and that is why we are rushing in (while the Prinivil is on the other side of Mjolnir). There is no orbital facility at Mjolnir, but the atmosphere is thin enough for the Camp Crusader to land safely. Traffic control accepts our fast flight plan to the capital, Hammerfall (which is built in and around an old impact crater).
As we fly in we arrange a high-quality docking berth in a cave in the crater wall (to help conceal us from densitometer scans). We also monitor the local news channels. It seems to be election time in the Mjolnir system. Chancellor Sven Gunbjornsson seems likely to be re-elected. And there has been a major shuttle crash on the world of Ull, which orbits Sif, the G0D companion star of Thor. The only significant in-space traffic is that between Mjolnir, Tanngniost and Ull, on all of which there are large populations; there is a roughly equal amount of traffic to each, from each.
We fly in over the empty desert of Mjolnir and land at Hammerfall. We see various other berths about, usually under pressurised silvered balloons. Dave sabotages our life support system to provide support for our story. Hermes flies the ship into its sealed cave berth; a pressure curtain is sealed across the cave mouth and pressurised air floods in. Ground power is provided, but only ten or so (dull) free TV channels seem to come with it here.
Shortly a customs officer by the name of Willoughby arrives, dressed in a desert-coloured uniform with high boots, pith helmet and compressor mask with in-built mirror-shades. He inspects our ship and papers in a polite but thorough fashion. He tells us that a team of technicians will inspect life support once its fixed before we are allowed to leave. This is apparently for our own safety. Then he leaves.
That done, we make contact with the people whose cargoes we are carrying and arrange for their unloading. Cleon also makes contact with the people we are delivering the cargo we're to collect and deliver to Garda-Vilis; code phrases are exchanged, and a delivery time agreed. We are also told that two people will be accompanying the cargo. This is news to us, but we do not object.
As we are doing all this Stefan and Brian say goodbye and leave; they are apparently making their own way back to Joyeuse.
We are feeling a bit paranoid here, so we avoid leaving the docking bay as much as is possible.
Assorted people turn up, and the cargoes are unloaded and go off to their various recipients. Dave fixes our life support is fixed, and the authorities asked to come and inspect it (now, for preference, so we do not have to wait for clearance to leave). This they do, giving us the seal of approval.
We buy unrefined fuel (which is expensive here) and have our supplies and life support re-charged while we purify it.
Before too long the cargo we are to carry turns up on the back of a grav-truck. We had been told it was forty displacement tons, but expected a number of crates. Instead it is a single forty displacement tons container, with two people-sized doors in it, and a power connection. It looks as if it will hinge entirely open along the edges of the base.
As the truck arrives two people, both slender and dark-skinned, dressed in sober and sensible clothing, arrive at our docking berth. They introduce themselves as Mr Quicklant and Ms Velantialis, and say they are here to accompany the cargo. They pay for a stateroom for the trip. They tell us the cargo needs external power, so the container is loaded on board, and plugged in. The grav-truck flies off. When asked, the pair say they are from the world of Dodds, in Trin's Veil subsector.
Wanting to fill our remaining few tons of cargo space, we check the local shipping companies, but there is no other cargo wanting to be transported from here to Garda-Vilis. Well, Mjolnir is quite a poor world...
Everyone being ready, we get clearance from traffic control and take off. Dave, feeling a little more paranoid even than the rest of us, hides in engine room.
Su-Lin has a bad feeling about the accents of the two passengers, and consults the ship's library. She quickly discovers that they are speaking Galanglic with in a Zhodani accent. Whoops. Su-Lin goes and hides in the engine room too, but does not tell anyone other than Dave about her discovery (well, the Zhodani are psionics...).
As we head out from Mjolnir we search the library for information on Garda-Vilis. We learn about the political situation on Garda-Vilis, and the problems there with the Tanoose Freedom League. We begin to worry about who and what we are carrying there...
We reach 100 diameters from Mjolnir and go into jumpspace...
The week in Jumpspace is quiet, if rather paranoid. The two passengers are given only limited freedom, and the cargo bay is kept in a vacuum just in case anyone tries to leave it, or take over the ship...
We emerge in the Garda-Vilis system. As at Joyeuse, we come out at 100 diameters from the Garda-Vilis' star, Jiala, rather than 100 diameters from Garda-Vilis itself, or even of the gas giant Dirou around which it orbits. Flying in towards Dirou to refuel, our sensors show that there is a fair amount of traffic about, including another Tessalon-type ship, the Gleevec, in orbit around Garda-Vilis itself.
We refuel from Dirou's atmosphere and decide what to do.
Our passengers would like the cargo landed discretely somewhere on Garda-Vilis, but are willing to let us drop it off here if necessary. So that is what we do. They say they would like the pod to be dumping into space, and they would like to go with it. We have no problems with that, so they are escorted down to the cargo hold by Cleon (the hold being re-pressurised to let them do this).
One of the doors in the cargo container opens as they approach. Cleon sees people moving around inside, and some sort of black shuttle craft. Whoops.
Before they go in, Mr Quicklant turns to Cleon and tells him that he knows of our memory and legal problems, and recommends the Zhodani Consulate as a possible starting point for a solution. They can probably help, and provide a less 'hot' ship. Cleon is dubious about the more treasonous aspects of this, but Quicklant points out that what we are doing now is treasonous. Errr...
Cleon politely turns them down, and the pair go into the container. The door closes.
We expel the container from the ship and it drifts off into space. We train the ship's guns on it, just in case. Some distance from the Camp Crusader the container splits open along the hinge lines we noticed before, revealing a black-painted heavily armed and stealthed shuttle craft. Which zooms away at a higher acceleration than the Camp Crusader can manage, and is quickly lost to our sensors. The cargo container is on a course that will take it into Dirou (the gas giant).
We discuss what to do now.
Landing on Garda-Vilis is probably not a good idea, so we begin to decide where to go next. The world of Margesi, back towards the Sword Worlds, is considered, but rejected because of their ship-confiscating ways. We want somewhere to sell off this hot ship, then travel on to somewhere else to buy a replacement one, before carrying on with our revenge plans...