Stranded at Lancaster:
The starship Notorious was hit during the attack but only slightly damaged. A few other ships were more unlucky; a few ships were lucky and escaped without any damage.
The class B starport is busy with repairs of ships and buildings. Most repairs are covered by insurance.
During the two weeks it will take to make the Notorious space worthy again, the crew takes some well-deserved rest and recuperation (or rest and recreation).
With the help of the broker Meles-2, the crew finds a buyer for the Iridium.
Going Skiing:
The crew and their friends from the Starship Nomen Luni go to the ski resort in the mountains by monorail.
After a week at the resort, four men in suits and sunglasses check in at the hotel, using two suites at the top floor. These men arrived using a black G-Carrier. Sometimes they are noticed walking around in the hotel, but they are mostly in their rooms. They always wears sunglasses. Since this behaviour is a bit odd, both crews have noticed.
On the tenth day of the vacation, there will be a big gala party with Baron Ludwig van Lancaster as the guest of honor.
Gala Party:
Both crews are now very suspicious that something bad will happen and have armed and prepared themselves as well as they possibly can. None of them brought guns to the ski resort, and they cannot buy guns here.
Before the dinner, all guests must pass through an archway with a metal detector.
At the gala dinner, the four men in sunglasses are placed close to the baron. The crew of the Notorious and the crew of Nomen Luni are further away.
Suddenly, the four men produces SMGs. They must have been plastic and ceramic since the metal detector did not notice the weapons. They start shooting everyone at the head table using tranq darts.
In the disorder that follows, the four men grab the baron’s nine-year old son and run away.
Kidnapping:
The four men run through the kitchen. Man number one shoots anyone (including the head chef) that tries to stop them. Man number two has the Barons son (Manfred) under his arm. Number three and four takes shots at any followers. They close all doors they pass.
Though the kitchen shortcut, they are soon at the parking lot where their G-Carrier is parked.
Our heroes (from both ships) follow the men through the kitchen. They try to avoid being hit, and are too late. Captain Harry Moonblaster of the Nomen Luni was hit (with a tranq dart) and is down. They see the G-Carrier fly away.
A Reward:
When the Baron wakes up and hears what has happened, he offers a reward of MCr10 to rescue his son.
One hour later, the police arrive and interrogate everyone at
the gala. That will take some time.
In the meantime, our heroes have an idea. The un-streamlined ships of LFTS that are still in orbit while their shuttles are repaired could be used to look for the G-Carrier.
The G-Carrier can be tracked to a mine, a third of the way around the planet. Investigating further will reveal it is one of the Baron’s mines.
A Demand:
Soon the kidnappers demand reaches the Baron (and everyone else on the planet) through the press. MCr100 is what they want to release the Baron’s son.
Our heroes can get a lift with one of LFTS’s shuttles. Two more crews (of the starship Apples & Oranges and of the starship Plasma Streamer) wants to help and share the reward. Now the group is armed and consists of four crews.
Firefight:
At the mine the men in sunglasses and the local trade union have the baron’s son as hostage. The men of the trade union only have a few obsolete guns. The men in sunglasses have proper modern weapons: both gauss-rifles and lasers.
After a firefight and some negotiations, the trade union surrenders. The men in sunglasses flee in their G-Carrier.
Tracking the G-Carrier will show that the go to the north pole, and from there go to space (and jumps away) in a fast black ship.
Tracking the G-Carrier will show that the go to the north pole, and from there to space to rendezvous and jumps away in a fast black ship.
The trade union hands over the baron’s son. Depending on negotiations and division of the reward, the crew of the Notorious could get MCr2 as their part of the reward.