Introducing:
The Warrior (with a criminal background...)
The band of armored and armed men (soldiers in mesh armor with halbards, battered bolt-action carbines and shortswords led by two men in space armor with space weapons) demand an audience with the party who exit their craft to be confronted by the space armor clad duo: a tall, older, patrician figure in bronze and brass arabesqued antique space armor with a space axe, hawk-like beak of a nose and a monocle; and a short, smarmy, blonde young man with a beady-eyed, insincere, unwholesomely wide face.
The older gentleman begins berating the party for intimidating the townsfolk and constable with their weaponry and attitude while his younger companion and the soldier pointedly smirk and jeer at the party. The captain attempts to explain but is jabbed by the younger man in the chest who informs him to "Keep his mouth shut when his betters, such as Paladin Tucca, are speaking"
The party sputters at the indignity but cooler heads prevail and they pledge to keep their arms outside of the town. Afterwards the Pilot asks the younger man, the Paladin's SquireFaustius, if there is any work they could do for some meagre payment?
The Squire pauses, thinks, and proclaims "Yes, there is some work t be had... you can shine my shoes for 1 Terce!"
The pilot bites his tounge bloody and clasps his shaking hands behind his back as the Squire presents one foot.
"On second thought there is a field with eight stakes outside the other side of town; cut enough wood to kill by burning five adults and three children and arrange it for burning at the bases of the appropriate stakes and we will pay you a modest sum for saving our men from performing this labour "
A sum of 40 Terces is agreeded upon and the Paladin and his party depart.
The Pilot and the Captain head to the execution field to chop wood while the two scientists travel into town.
At the execution field they encounter a bedraggled, unshaven offworlder, armed and covered with dirt and grass. He is a Warrior that grew up on a planet of theives and scum before leaving to become a guard for a merchant ship. Whilst the ship was at port in Rokshaar picking up a shipment of fine handcrafted goods he was warned to stay aboard the vessel as to avoid provoking the locals; he ignored the warning and seeking entertainment he was instead run out of town into the mountains for bearing arms with the merchant ship leaving before he could return. For a week now he has subsisted on his food pills while sleeping on cold rocks. The two astronauts agree that the Warrior would be a welcome addition and draft him to aid in chopping wood.
The survey the field and see several stakes affixed into the ground: four large stakes; one medium stake; and three small stakes.
No axes or saws are at the field so the Captain goes into town seeking the Squire. He finds a home with two of the armed guards lounging on the bannister of the covered porch casually tossing rocks at chickens and snickering; there is a sign in front of the house bearing a four-leaf clover and the legend "The Clover Homestead." The captain explains his mission and the guards snidely direct him to a shed in the back yard from which he retrieves several rusty hatchets.
Returning to the field the Pilot and the Warrior scoff at the hatchets the Captain is bearing and recolve to use their contaband space weapons to harvest firewood.
Meanwhile the two scientists travel into town; they inquire with the guards at the Clover Homestead seeing if the Paladin has need of their scientific expertise; they are directed to wait in the backyard where they bake in the sweltering blue giant sun light for several hours before the smarmy Squire comes to inform them that the Paladin is already a man of science and has no need of their aid.
Next the two scientists wander about the town, they find a large house with an attached large shed from which the banging sounds of a printing press emerge. A sign says "Reuters Printers and Bindery"; by the open rolling garage door of the shed stands a sweaty bald middle aged man rubbing his head with a bright red hankerchief.
The scientists introduce themselves and offer their services; the man informs them that he Kurt Reuter, the owner of the bookbindery, and that he is busy as they are currently printing the new Bumblebee Bandit book. The scientist contain their considerable amusement at this ludicrous name which is fortunate as he next informs them that he is also grieving his murdered daughter. The two excuse themselves and return to the ship.
Meanwhile at the execution field the Pilot and the Warrior have made short work of their firewood harvest with the monomolecular blades of their space sword and axe; the Captain is sweaty, dirty and tires and has also harvested a considerably smaller amount of wood than either of the other two. They arrange the wood appropriately about the bases of the stakes and while the Captain and the Warrior return to the ship with the space weapons the Pilot takes the hatchets back to the Clover Homestead where he finds the smug Squire lounging on the porch with the two guards. While being subtly mocked by the trio he returns the hatchets to the shed and inquires after payment.
the Squire dismissively tosses a small pouch at the Pilot's feet and than begins to pointedly ignore him. The Pilot retrieves the pouch and walks back to the ship, counting the Terces to come to a sum of only 38...
The next morning the party, annoyed by the chirpings andf knockings of cricket-fowl perched upon their ship and desperate to come up with the funds necessary to pay the blacksmith to repair their hyperspace crystal containment, resolve to sell one of their surplus super scientific weapons, a heat ray pistol.
The Pilot travels to the Clover homestead where he finds the Squire and two guards eagerly devouring a breakfast of waffles and bacon with big steaming mugs of coffe. They all ignore him until they finish eating.
The Squire looks at the Pilot and exclaims "I'm sorry, I did not see you there. Would you like some coffee?"
"Oh wait...we just drank the last of it. Hahahaha!"
The Pilot informs the Squire that they have a heat ray pistol that they are looking to sell.
the Squire immediatley exclaims "Guards! He just said he has a weapon! He is threatening me.... ...Hahaha, just kidding!" The weapon in question is actually back at the ship.
The Squire agrees to pay 125 Terces for the weapon, which is enough with the wood cutting money to pay off the blacksmith, and they all travel back to the ship. One of the crew climbs out of the hatch with the pistol when the Squire yells "Guards! That man is armed! Stop him! ....Hahaha, just kidding!"
He examines the weapon, blackening a spot on the hull where a test shot missed a perching cricket-fowl, and pays the Pilot who insists on immediately counting the Terces, which amount to the agreeded upon sum.
The Pilot and the Smuggler take the Terces to the blacksmith and pay him the rest of his fee. The Smuggler, curious and eager to exercise his space yoga, attempts to read the blacksmith's mind. His attempt fails and he sees the blacksmith face redden and assume a shocked expression.
The Smuggler returns to the ship while the Pilot travels to the Clover Homestead, perhaps seeking further indignity from the Squire and companions?
The Squire is sitting on the shady porch, enjoying a large glass of lemonade. The Pilot is interrupted by the arrival of the blacksmith who is surprised to see him but informs the Squire that the Pilot and Smuggler has just visited and one of them touched his mind with witchcraft!
The Squire informs the exasperated Pilot to wait in the hot sun while he sends the blacksmith inside to speak with the Paladin, and also sends a band of five guards to The Fulsome Sow to retrieve the Smuggler.
Shortly thereafter, after an uncomfortable sweaty, sticky wait for the Pilot while watching the Squire smugly sip lemonade, the distinctive crackle of energy weapons and the popping of primitive carbine fire is heard from the direction of the field.
The Squire raises an eyebrow at the Pilot who assumes an innocent expression, and more guards and more guards are called outside. Then the communicator at the Pilot's belt chirps and the voice of the Smuggler is heard: "Hey... How's it going over there?"
With a nod the Squire grants permission for the Pilot to use his communicator and he immediately thunders "What the hell have you fucking idiots done!"
"Hold on..." And the communicator goes silent.
The Squire, Paladin and guards begins ominous mutterings and gather in the yard while keeping a sharp watch upon the Pilot. The distinctive whine of reaction drives is heard from the field, than approaching the homestead, and the Paladin's sleek needle shaped silver rocket is seen descending for a landing in a small meadow next to the homestead.
Hot air, smoke and steam blast the homestead as clouds fill the meadow. The Squire nonchalantly covers his glass of lemonade to keep out debris. When the smoke clears the rocket is seen, tilted and partially embedded in the soft, partially melted soil of the meadow.
A voice roars "What have those imbeciles done to my ship!" and the Pilot sees the Paladin running out of the house, armored, holding a space axe, his face contorted and purple with rage, his moncle swinging wildly.
The Pilot unleases a pyschic attack and strikes the Squire and guards with Space Madness; the immediatley begin drooling, urniated, undressings, fleeing and the like.
The Paladin charges the Pilot, spittle flying and he wildly swings his space axe. The Pilot flees for the rocket ship as the door pops open revealing the Smuggler, Captain and Warrior. A bloody chase and brutal melee ensues, ending with the captain dead from space axe disembowlment and the Warrior stripping the dead Paladin of his ornate Space Armor. It appears that while in the throes of Space Madness the Squire and guards have fled the scene.
The furious Pilot leads the party to the blacksmith's where they bang on the door to no answer. The Pilot blasts the door off with his Lightning Pistol and shouts the blacksmith out, ordering him to pile his tools and the hyperspace crystal containment into a trundle and bring it to their ship to immediately repair their warp engine. The terrified blacksmith reluctantly agrees. Next, with the sweaty shaking smith in tow, they travel to the town jail.
The doors are shut and locked. The Smuggler attempts to begin negociations with the constables inside but the Pilot shoves him aside and blasts open the door with his Lightning Pistol before howling for them to send out the Space Gypsies and the key for their vessel.
The party with the Space Gypsies and fearful blacksmith return to the spaceport. The blacksmith is made to work all night while the party stands guard. The town is absoluely silent. At morning the hypserspace crystal containment is repaired, purged of molecules and installed. The party makes their farewells of the Space Gypsy family before both ships launch, the Gypsies being glad to leave "This rock inhabited by dogs and shit! *spits*"
The days later the Fulsome Sow reaches the edge of the Mohabat System gravity well and begins their hysperspace jump to the Dresh System...
