PARTIZAN 41: Orbital Decay

PARTIZAN 41: Orbital Decay
Episode information
Episode	41
Release Date	Nov 19, 2020
Length	1 hour 42 minutes
Meta
Cast	Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, Sylvia Clare, Ali Acampora
Game	Beam Saber
Score	TANAGER. PERFECT. TOUCHPAPER.
Episode guide
Previous	Engine Burn
Previous	Engine Burn
Next	The Unbreakable Quarry
Next	The Unbreakable Quarry
Links
Episode Page	friendsatthetable.net
Transcript	Google Docs

Episode description

On a map, it would seem as if the Blue Channel and its inhabitants, revolutionaries of the Millennium Break movement, were nearing freedom from the Partizan system. But a map does not show the whole of the picture. For instance, a map would not reveal that heels of Aponia, hallow of GLORY ace pilot Sabeeha, were scraping across the roof of Kal'Mera Broun's ship. It would not show the members of the ship's crew taking increasingly risky action. And it would it show what surprises lie ahead of them, at their nearest destination...

This week on PARTIZAN: Orbital Decay

///Operation Dossier\\\

//Organizations\\

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The Pact of Necessary Venture: Though they trace their lineage back to an exploratory committee founded in the late 14th century of the Perfect Millenium, the Pact was not made in earnest until five years ago in 1418 PM, soon after hostilities began between Kesh and Apostolos. It’s original leadership committee, Plumeria, Gallica, Myosotis, Rye, and Hyacinth determined that to ensure the future stability of the Principality, the Pact would establish a power base in the Scutum–Centaurus arm, amass a vast fleet using the unexploited resources there, and sweep both princepts out of power, replacing the role with a five-part council representing each Stel equally. Each was an elect: Plumeria the elect of Past, Gallica of Present, Myosotis of Future, Rye of Space, and Hyacinth of Motion. Plumeria and Myosotis were killed during Gur Sevraq’s theft of the Divine Future. Plumeria’s successor, Cymbidium, was killed when Past crashed into the sands of the Prophet’s Path. Hyacinth was killed in combat by the Rapid Evening, but has already been replaced.
GLORY: With the help of advanced Columnar cloning science, the Glory Project (or simply GLORY), claims to have resurrected (and made immortal) heroes of the nation’s past called Eidolons. On Partizan, they field Kleos, Apothesa, Vervain, Sabeeha, and the squad’s leader: Laurel, elect of Motion.

//People\\

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Avar (they/them) and Ryrira (she/her): Members of the Church of the Resin heart. Once Gur Sevraq’s chief of security and quartermaster, respectively. Have a child, M'reb. Onboard the Blue Channel.
Si’dra Balos (Si/Si’s, they/them): During their time in a communications division of the Apostolosian Navy, Si’dra saw the cost of war first hand. Now they dream of a world where people can connect instead of fight. Onboard the Blue Channel.
Jesset City (he/him): Previously worked for Adamant Arms and Manufacturing, Jesset became full time Oxblood Clan lieutenant and then a major figure in Millennium Break. Expert technician, veteran hollow pilot, and Cipher Certified by Stel Nideo. Onboard the Blue Channel.
Eiden Teak (he/him): Soldier and commander in the Sable Court. Wears the wounds of past fights on him with a distinct sort of pride, inherited from his time fighting as an Apostolosian soldier: He’s missing right leg under the knee, and a number of his antlers have been snapped and broken. Wears loose olive drab fatigues, marked by the occult insignia and wards of the Court. Onboard the Blue Channel.
Sabeeha (they/them): Sabeeha is pound-for-pound GLORY’s best pilot, though their specialities also include infiltration, disguise, and sabotage. Brown, light olive skin. Brown hair kept short and wavy, close to their head. Face and body both a little long, a little chubby. Big brown eyes. Slightly bushy brows. Pilots the Aponia.
KRK-56 (he/him): Columnar long haul space freighter pilot/security for the SOV Feldspar Blue. Perched along his hull are many AdArm Scourge units--mosquito-like mechs that KRK can pilot remotely.
Rye (he/him): Elect of the Divine Space, second of the Nine Coronet of Stel Orion, Chief Signatory of the Pact of Necessary Venture, and Provedore of all Divinity.

//Places\\

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Barranca: To the north of Obelle lies the Apostolosian province of Barranca, where mediterranian subtropical shores give way to a vast latticework of ravines and crags. There, military bases and civilian settlements sit in the crooks and alcoves, shaded by high canyon walls. Rising above it all is the famed Barranca Loop, a massive suspended cable system that runs up above the atmosphere like a giant bridge, and which allows Apostolos to launch ships and cargo into space. Heavily patrolled and under complete control of Stel Apostolos.

//Divines\\

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The Divine Motion (she/her): Long after enemy fuel tanks run empty, Motion continues to power Apostolosian machines of war (like its infamous retinue, the Black Century) and service  (including the massive Barranca Loop that allows Apostolos to regularly launch ships spaceward). Ver’MIllion Blue’s rival.
The Divine Space (it/its): Tracks and analyzes all Portcullis System data. Was instrumental in the Principality's colonization efforts, especially after Stel Orion's incorporation. Unknown whether it or its elect, Rye, have any direct operational control of the system .

//Things\\

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The Portcullis System: Once, every 10 days, the Portcullis System activates. A hundred thousand of these massive structures, elongated, city-sized hexagons of stone and circuitry, shudder, shake, and howl all at once. And at the edge of every star system in the Divine Principality, a geyser of liquid energy, red and oppressive, explodes into darkness. Ships emerge from these crimson and white waves. Ships filled with medical supplies and mineral wealth, purveyors of faith and career politicians, censored information and refurbished war machines. The lifeblood of a vibrant, vicious empire.
Aponia (Sabeeha’s Hallow): A highly modified Kosmos unit (see below) which is able to transforms into a high-mobility aircraft mode. Though it can be outfitted with a custom, solid-state rifle, this limits its maneuverability and flight length, so Sabeeha often chooses to leave the weapon behind, instead favoring the machine’s built in energy blades, featured on its wings in flight mode, or extending from elbows and knees in humanoid forum. As a holdout weapon, this configuration also comes with energy-powered throwing blades.
Adamant Arms and Artifice Murders: These hollows are built for area denial, especially in space. They shift between two modes, a defensive “closed wing” mode, where heavy metal armor bolts surround their bodies like a cape, and “open wing” mode where those wings spread wide and can be fired. The wings consist of a dozen “feathers” each, with each long flight feather can be fired as a blunt weapon with its own onboard directional engine and booster. These feathers can be used as direct attack weapons, but are often instead used for area denial, blasting off along with many other feathers and then orbiting around a location in order to make the airspace around it deadly. Once Murders are able to deploy a large number of their feathers, an entire operational area can become a death trap.
The Blue Channel: Kal’Mera’s Broun’s corvette. Though it’s rated for spaceflight and features a cargo space large enough to hold at least three hollows, it does not have the ability to break escape velocity on its own.
The Voice of the Exemplar: Howls and echoes through the canyons of the Barranca, where its power is captured by the Barranca Loop.
Modular Base Kit: A collection of materials for the modular construction of an off-world headquarters for Millennium Break. Includes housing, water and air filters, an energy generator, communications equipment, agricultural gear, and basic trade goods (whether to be used as bribes or for the legitimate purchase of land).

//Additional Notes\\

Primary Objective: Escape Partizan

Secondary Objective: Safely extract with the Modular Base Kit

Contents

Plot

Thisbe leaves the mech bay, crawling across the surface of the Blue Channel and up the leg of the Aponia. Milli opens comms with Sabeeha—before they can reply, Thisbe pulls them out of the cockpit and, ignoring their pleas, sends them hurtling into space. Motion assures Milli she will bring Sabeeha back. Broun shoots at the empty Aponia and then rushes to check on Milli and Thisbe.

The rest of the trip is uneventful. At the Portcullis, only one ship is waiting for the opening: a mega-freighter practically the size of the gate itself. The SOV Feldspar Blue (KRK-56) contacts the Blue Channel — he has been waiting without response, and asks them to check what's going on. Broun, Milli and Thisbe head across to an external hatch. The Portcullis has signs of recent activity, but is currently empty. The automated Gate systems inform them the Portcullis is on standby, and when they continue further in, engages them violently. In the control room, Broun realizes that the Portcullis is going to detonate in less than two hours.

Thisbe interfaces with the Portcullis. She can feel the entire gate system as she connects to the Divine Space. She manages to pull this Portcullis from Space, but now realizes Space was her first operant, during its original colonization effort down the Orion arm (taking the scar Relentless). She sees a ship launch, bringing something from Partizan's North Pole into a second Portcullis hidden in the gas giant Girandole. Part of a fleet of the Pact is guarding the Portcullis, with another fleet hidden around the opposite side of Girandole. And the gate is leading to the Nobel homeworld—this is where they launched their previous attempted incursions.

In two or three weeks, the Pact will be moving. A holo simulation plays: Autonomy Itself will be goaded into coming through the gate, and then the Pact will use a network of machines to siphon energy from it, in the process destroying Girandole and Partizan. The sheer amount of energy will be a weapon allowing them to fully control the Principality.

Broun immediately sends this info to AO, and waits to hear back. Eiden, Si'dra, Avar, Ryrira and M'reb go with KRK and a base kit back through the reactivated Portcullis. Broun also gives Avar a full copy of their notes from Gur and Valence. Eiden reminds Broun to take care of themself and Si'dra promises to work on making comms that work between the gates.

Cast

• Austin Walker (GM)
• Janine Hawkins (Thisbe)
• Sylvia Clare (Ver'million Blue)
• Alicia Acampora (Kal'mera Broun)

Other Characters

• Avar & Ryrira
• M'reb
• Si’dra Balos
• Jesset City
• Eiden Teak
• Sabeeha
• KRK-56