At the start of this season, back last fall, the PC's ship mis-jumped - or did it? - into an entirely different Cluster, some 50 LY away. They jumped into an area called Jeshen Space, inhabited by humanoid, hermaphroditic aliens called Jeshen, along with humans. The Jeshen were there first, and helped the human refugees from Earth spread out into Jeshen Space starting some 500 years ago. The Jeshen-Human alliance is threatened by another alien species, the Etvar, who have destroyed any human settlement in this cluster outside of Jeshen Space.
The humans in Jeshen Space long ago convinced the Jeshen that they (humans) co-evolved with animals, and thus were dependent on their animals (now uplifted) for survival. This effectively means legal enslavement for uplifts, robots, and bioroids on human worlds. The Jeshen have let humans do what they wish on their own worlds, but any creature which comes to a Jeshen world is immediately and irrevocably free.
The PCs have allied with the Jeshen, and have found indications that the Etvar are manipulating humans via their music - which reaches a non-rational emotional core in humans - and are investigating this. They also want to free all uplifts, bioroids, and robots held in servitude on human worlds. To do this they have split up into four groups.
Group One includes the pilot, the Captain, and the Captain's significant other. The pilot, Rellis, is a technically human genetically modified Wolf-Uplift/Human hybrid. She has four arms and foot-hands, as it was intended she be at home in space. Instead, she decided to be a musician, though she's also a damned good - though occasionally too risky - pilot. The Captain, Yoriko Mac Pedro, is a typical Cluster mutt. She is also the ship's cook, and squid is high on the ship diet stuffs. She is quiet, sharp, and ruthless if necessary. Her S.O. is Willam, who is a human from Jeshen Space. He is an ex-diplomat - resigned his credentials to follow Yoriko - and serves as a negotiator when necessary.
Group One is on a Jeshen planet, with Rellis trying to get a musical contract for distribution on Lorraine, a human world, where she wants to use her music as a wedge to open doors for non-humans. She was performing a gig in front of various interested parties when someone simultaneously attempted to assassinate her and himself at the climax of her song "Break the Chains!". Whether she lived or dies is not known, and focus immedialtely shifted to groups 2-4.
Group 2 includes the gunner, the engineer, and the Jeshen Military Liaison. The gunner, Brindella Singh-Wu, is also a typical Cluster mutt. She is also a clothes designer, and is emotionally labile, but surprisingly persistent and stubborn. She married the engineer, Alinthee, soon after coming to Jeshen Space. Alinthee is Jeshen, and is practical, a terrible tease, and very good with tech. The Liaison is Hylinthee, another Jeshen. She is cerebral and shy, and is engaged to Brin and Alinthee.
They have collectively travelled as first class (rich) passengers on a Sphynx Liner to Lorraine, hoping to insinuate themselves into the Lorraine upper classes. Their cabin servant, Greta, was a Sphynx construct/bioroid - part lion and part human female. The three fell in love with her and bought her from the lines, intending to free her eventually, when they leave Lorraine. They also brought along Tack, a male dog-uplift, who is pretending to be far less uplifted than he is - passing as the groups' pet.
At a meeting between groups 2-4 in a restaurant on Lorraine Station, everything got busted up by the police, and Group 2 were all arrested, Group 3 were ignored, and Group 4 escaped, during which a bus boy at the restaurant was shot dead by the police, by accident.
Group 2 endured pressure tactics and accusations from the police, but Hylinthee's knowledge of the law forced them to get the Jeshen Consul involved, and the Consul was able to free them, as any evidence was in the luggage, and their luggage was stolen.
Group 3 includes Greta the Sphynx and Tack the Dog. They grabbed the luggage and hid under a table. The police, thinking of uplifts and constructs as property, ignored them, and during the confusion, and aided by the restaurant staff, they left with the baggage on a station grav-cart, and are now wandering the station unsure how to get back in touch with Group 2. They are currently walking into a Jeshen bathhouse, which Greta thinks is operated by former passengers and friends of hers. Greta is amazingly trusting, and Tack is very young and inexperienced.
Group 4 includes the security guy and the navigator. the security guy is Eemo 'Satch' Guitierrez. Another typical Cluster mutt, Satch is highly trained by the Glorianna Royal Marines, and is hellaciously deadly with or without weapons. The navigator is Liz Montfort, former Queen of Glorianna, now a private citizen after abdicating. She and Satch are lovers, and she herself is former Royal Navy. Not at all a mutt, Liz is that rarity of rarities in a mixed racial stew, a blue-eyed redhead. All Gloriannan Queens are clones of the original queen, and HER grandfather was of the British Royal Family. Liz had her skin and hair dyed dark, and is wearing brown contacts - in order to not be so conspicuous. They had traveled on the same liner as groups 2 and 3, but third class - nasty - and were aiming to penetrate the Lorraine underworld.
In the restaurant, confronted with the cops, Satch did a master level throw, pitching one of the police into two others, knocking all three down. Meanwhile, Liz grabbed a pistol out of the holster of another cop, threatening to fire as they ran out of the restaurant. The detective leading the cops shot at her, just missing and hitting the bus boy behind her. Group four escaped into the maintenance tunnels, and are now outside the station - bypassing the alarms on an airlock - attempting to get aboard a robotic cargo lander to get to the planet surface.
So, all four groups were in a good place, and you can see why I hardly ever post about this group! :D
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