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>>6300519
“We need to start small.” You say. “First, we should speak with the big wigs in Gaspost V.”

“Agreed.” Ivy replies. She brings up her wristpad and types in a request for a meeting in half an hour.

‘Big wigs’ was a bit of a stretch. Gaspost V is not exactly some bustling metropolis. The bigger names here are three. The Federation and Planetary Administration Representative Rupert Wildings, an old round man with a balding head and big moustache, even less ambitious than you are, if that’s even possible. Then there’s the Captain Inspector of the Gaspost V Police Precinct, Gunther Haussmann, also an old man, but powerfully built, strict and disciplined, unlike Rupert.

Ivy leaves a dossier on your office desk. The production report from yesterday. Paper is old tech for many, but out in the outposts like this one it’s actually one of the cheapest materials to bring in from the other sectors. Trees are plentiful when you’re talking galaxy level. Electronic factories making datapads? Not so much. You eye it up for a bit, most of the numbers are normal. The gas is being sent to Helian Beta Prime as per schedule, though contact with the capital has been scarce the past few days.

“Any news from HBP?” You ask.

“Helian Beta Prime is quiet as always. Though the workers from the refinery have been accepting our goods. They don’t say much else.” Ivy checks on her wristpad. “Representative Wildings and Inspector Haussmann have both accepted the meeting.”

A lack of news from the planetary capital isn’t news per se. They don’t care much about what goes on in Gaspost V as long as the gas keeps moving through the pipelines. Still, considering the situation, you expect someone to say ‘Keep calm and carry on.’. Or something like that.

You’re going to ensure the production reports are good, then head on to the meeting. Perhaps you could assign a task to Ivy for the morning.

You’re thinking of a few options, one is to try to contact the Helian Beta Prime administration, see what’s cooking over there, you’re not sure if she’ll be able to get someone on the line but she might as well try.

Another is to contact the other four Gasposts, see if everything is alright over there and if they know anything about what’s going on. It’ll probably be easier than getting to HBP admin.

One more thing she could do is check on the mood of the locals. Contact the headmasters at the mine, some inspectors from the precinct, chat with some admin workers.

Of course, doing all 3 is the most desirable, but she’ll have to prioritize. Time is of the essence in situations like these.

>Contact HBP Prime. We need to know what’s up in the capital. Difficult roll.
>Contact the other Gasposts. We need to know how our fellows are handling this matter. Medium roll.
>Contact our local middle management. They’re probably as worried as we are, but we need to know if it’s going to mess with our orderly outpost. Automatic success.

>>6300520
>Contact the other Gasposts. We need to know how our fellows are handling this matter. Medium roll.
Much like our calling, we must first try to organize the local workers

>>6300520
>Contact the other Gasposts. We need to know how our fellows are handling this matter. Medium roll.

Maybe we and Ivy should take over these gasposts and become Mech Warlord and wife.

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>Date: Day 15 of month XI. SY(Star Year) 3130.

Player Character:

>>Alexander Redstone
Age: 35 years old.
Profession: Syndical Leader of Gaspost V, Helian Beta, Xin’an Sector. SY 3125-3130.

>Known skills:
Administration 3
Engineering (Mining) 2
More skills may come to light as Alex is tested by his newfound situation…

>Known features:
[Calm] Alex is known to react calmly to even the direst of situations. He knows it’s half the reason he was selected and approved as syndical leader of Gaspost V.
More features may come to light, or be earned, as Alex is tested by his newfound situation...

(Picture is an approximation)

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NPC:

>>Ivy Fielder
Age: 26 years old.
Profession: Syndical Assistant of Gaspost V, Helian Beta, Xin’an Sector. SY 3128-3130.

>Known skills:
Administration 4
Engineering (Mining) 1
More skills may come to light as Ivy is tested, or Alex finds out more about her.

>Known features:
[Diligent] Ivy has proven herself as a hardworking woman in her 2 years working at Gaspost V.
[Ambitious] Ivy has that look and poise that spells out ambition. Her rise to the rank of Syndical Assistant in such a small span of time is no small feat.

System:
>d6 rolls on challenges based on skills.
>Feats may help with various situations. They can help avoid negative consequences and may reduce roll difficulty.
>Not all rolls have a DC, they can just determine how much stuff you get from them. Rolls with failure/success thresholds will be warned of beforehand.
>Skills, feats and backgrounds are not fully predetermined. Starting character sheets are baselines. Characters may evolve and you might discover stuff that completely changes their sheet.

>>6300526
>>6300528
We'll go for this.

=== ROLL ===
Skill check for Ivy Fielder:
>Roll 4d6. No DC.
>[Diligent] procs. Increases rewards from roll.

One roll only! First roll is used. Might change this eventually so more anons can roll, not sure yet.

Rolled 1, 2, 4, 6 = 13 (4d6)

>>6300541
Must be some phonecall "Hey, the capital is probably having a Coup, wanna band together to secure the miner's rights?"

Time to write

“Contact the other Gasposts, miss Fielder. I’d like to know how they’re doing, and if they’ve heard anything from HBP or about what happened to the GalFed.” You pick up yesterday’s reports so you can do the usual recital with representative Wildings after today’s meeting, that will probably calm his nerves.

Ivy nods. “Mister Redstone.” She says. “What is your plan if the Galactic Federation is no longer something we can rely on?” Her words are so nonchalant, her expression does not show a hint of worry.

You shrug as you get through the pages’ production numbers one more time. “I understand your concern, miss Fielder. But if managing this outpost has taught me anything, it’s that you have to start out with the smaller issues first then get to the big questions later.”

She nods, turns around, and heads out of the office. That was a complete non-answer from your part. Her not continuing with the conversation was not contentment with your response, she simply knew there was nothing to be gained from this back and forth. Not until the both of you knew more about what was going on.

After half an hour of menial tasks reviewing numbers from yesterday, comparing it with averages, and coming up with mindnumbing statements about mining efficiency, you get up from your office chair and head out through the white, sterile halls of the admin complex. There are workers coming and going, many of them are out of their offices, discussing ongoing events. There is a palpable air of uncertainty in all conversations, and many eyes look to you in search of some sort of announcement that may shed light on what’s happening.

You avoid the stares, you have nothing. You’re always the old reliable when it comes to extraordinary situations, but today you have nothing. You speed up your pace and reach the conference room, where Captain Inspector Gunther Haussmann awaits, rep Wildings hasn’t arrived yet.

“Captain Haussmann.” You offer the man a hand, which he duly, and strongly, shakes with his white-gloved hand. The old officer is balding gracefully, the white hair at the sides of his head is well-coifed, getting along gracefully with his completely bald top. He sports a well groomed beard as well, and wears his uniform just as professionally as miss Fielder.

“Herr Redstone.” He looks you over. The man never quite liked your looser attitude to dress etiquette. You didn’t mind wearing your jacket loose, and ampler pants that help stave off the heat and let the refreshing wind in. “I hope all is well with the miners?”

“Of course. I have the production numbers to prove it.” You reply. “And how’s the police force?”

“The precinct continues its duties.” He replies.

You both take seats in the conference room. Rep Wildings is late, not an unusual happenstance, but as the minutes pass, you start to feel tense, tapping the pristine table with your index finger. Haussmann is also growing impatient, checking his wristpad a few times.

>>6300575

His irritation is palpable in his tone. “Where is this man?” He says out loud.

“Right?” You reply.

You hear the door opening. You see Rep Wildings’ young secretary come in. He seems tense. “Sirs.” He says. “Representative Wildings has just sent me a planet-link message, he is leaving for Helian Beta Prime to convene with Planetary Administration.”

“What?!” Haussmann blurts out as he raises from his seat.

“How come?” You ask, keeping [calm]. “Was he summoned by PlanAdmin?”

“I… I didn’t receive anything in my inbox myself, and I usually get all of Mister Wildings’ requests for meetings, even the ones from Planetary.” The secretary fidgets.

You can tell Haussmann’s surprise is now clearly turning into anger. You’d never seen the man like this.

“Thank you for the information.” You tell the secretary. “Please leave us.”

He nods nervously.

“Now, Captain Haussmann. Would you tell me what’s going on here?”

The captain shakes his head. “Rep Wildings is no expert on galactic politics, that’s for sure.” He says. “He’s only a representative here, his task to stay here and ensure the Federation’s will is known to the inhabitants of Gaspost V. No to participate in planetary politics.”

You tap the table slightly faster as you listen to the old officer. “So… He’s running away? Why?”

“I do not know.” Haussmann says. “I would assume he was privy to some information that he decided not to share.”

…

Well, things are happening. And they’re happening now rather than later.

You’re no politician, neither is Haussmann, as far as you know. It’s clear as day that your Federation representative is running with his tail between his legs. That means that the future isn’t bright. Perhaps you and Haussmann can get some common ground here.

Maybe you should offer Haussmann that you, as Syndical Leader, and he, as Captain Inspector of the Police Precinct, should take over affairs at Gaspost V until things clear up. An alliance between the Precinct and the Syndicate in the interest of the workers and order. Establishing a deal like this would help him trust you.

Another option is to not trust Haussmann for now. Call off the meeting and focus on establishing contact with the syndical leaders from the other Gasposts, gather more information before doing anything drastic.

>Strike the deal with Haussmann. Gain his trust.
>Focus on other syndical leaders. The miners are always first.

Last update for the day!

I will try to have at least an update per day, except weekends. If I can't update one day, I'll warn beforehand so you guys know it's not dead.

>>6300577
>>Strike the deal with Haussmann. Gain his trust.

Cops have the training and equipment to deal with anything such as disorders or enemy threats while we have production, it's a good deal because we both need each other

>>6300577
>Strike the deal with Haussmann. Gain his trust.

Wilding probably ran because HBP is getting coup'd, or already done, and hes representative of that former govt so lol. Question is what kind of Coup; military, worker revolution, etc...Either way they'll still want gas so whoever it is will show up eventually. If not some kind of remnant of the former govt. forces who also need gas. Might as well get our own house in order.

>>6300577
>>Strike the deal with Haussmann. Gain his trust.

>>6300577
>Strike the deal with Haussmann. Gain his trust.
>Write-in
Task Ivy with acquiring a barebones backup of Galactipaedia from the superluminal network.

>>6300577
>Strike the deal with Haussmann. Gain his trust.
building an alliance of miners is good but in the here and now having the backing of an armed force will offer us stability we dont really have and if shit hits the fan it be best to have some armed guards to back up our lads
plus if the workers do start freaking out we can point out the poice are on our side so law and order wont be breaking down for a while yet

>>6300577
>Focus on other syndical leaders. The miners are always first.
A good union man!

>>6300577
>>Focus on other syndical leaders. The miners are always first.

5 votes for Haussmann
We will gain Haussmann's trust.

2 votes for miners
But the plight of the miners remains in our mind!

For some reason, 4chan thinks my post is spam, so I removed the quotes to your posts.

=== ROLL ===
Skill check for Alexander Redstone:
>Roll 2d6. Low DC.
>[Calm] procs. Reduces DC.

One roll only!

Rolled 1, 3 = 4 (2d6)

>>6301032
fuck it, ill take the fall if we blow it

>>6301037
FUCK

You look at the old man for a moment, hedging your bets, and decide to go ahead with your idea. “So, Captain Haussmann. You and I both know that something is going on. It’s my duty to ensure the wellbeing of the miners and all workers in the Gaspost, and it’s yours to ensure their safety. Clearly, our dear representative has gone ahead and ditched us. We have to act in order to ensure stability at Gaspost V.”

He glances at you with a raised eyebrow. “Meaning?”

“We should take over affairs at Gaspost V until everything clears up. Precinct and Syndicate should work in unison to defend our people.”

His mouth twitches around, his moustache following it. “Forgive me, herr Redstone, but I believe you are moving far too fast, and taking decisions far above your station.”

Well, that didn’t go as planned. “I don’t believe you-“ But Haussmann interrupts you with a raised hand.

“I was an officer in the Galactic Federation Armed Forces in the past, you know? Navy branch. I accepted this post in order to move away from the politicking of the central sectors.” He says, looking out through the window with views to the entire outpost.

“I don’t see how this is related to what we’re going through. You yourself have reacted strongly to Wilders’ decision to leave the outpost, now you decide to do nothing?”

He sighs. “Herr Redstone. I hate politicians, you know? They only think based on the emotions of their voters. They promise stupid things to them. Then they go ahead and act upon those idiotic promises.” He looks back to you. “Then we, the people who got their posts from merit rather than vote, have to turn those idiotic promises into reality while they prepare scapegoats and excuses in case we fail.”

You look at the old man, surprised by this sudden train of thought he’s dumping on you. “Again, I’m not sure where you’re going with this.”

“I have good friends who got their posts on merit in Helian Beta Prime.” He says as he continues to look straight at you. You feel as though the man is analysing you, your reactions to his words, which you [calmly] keep neutral. “I am sure our elected officials are taking shuttles out of the planet in Prime’s space elevator, while my friends begin to handle things as they should be handled.”

You blink once. “Friends, you say? The military and the police?”

He does not nod nor shake his head. “You should be patient and wait for further news, Syndical Leader.”

“Of course. It is good to hear that someone is taking this situation seriously.” That last bit was more adulation than anything else. You’re no historian, but you’ve heard about things the military and police have done after taking over a government, it generally wasn’t good for those who didn’t kowtow to their desires. “What shall we tell the people?”

>>6301083

“That the situation is under control, and that we’re waiting for news from Prime.” He says. “The news will come soon, all we need to do is assuage them until they do come.”

“As you say, Captain Inspector.”

He nods. You shook hands again and considered the meeting to be ended. As you walked back to your office, you got a notification from your wristpad, miss Fielders had gotten into contact with multiple Gasposts and, most importantly, their syndical leaders.

You stand at a crossroads now. From what Haussmann has shared with you, you know things are moving at HBP. You could get news at anytime of a military takeover by the local garrison of the Galactic Federation Armed Forces.

You spend some time doing busywork at your office, thinking on how to handle the situation. Obeying the military’s authority is an option, it’s not like the Federation is here to help anymore, a new government will have to be put in place if the old one is running away. The other option is to resist, somehow.

It all depends though. It depends on how the military proceeds with the takeover, how they treat the people of Gaspost V…

Ivy Fielders enters the room. You trust the woman enough to share what the captain of the police told you. As usual, her expression is steely, unchanging.

“So, a military regime? That does not bode well for us.” She says.

“Why do you say that?” You can imagine where she’s going to go, but best to make sure.

“Syndicates are not welcome additions for such regimes. Much less so when its leaders do not swear fealty to their causes.”

“Swearing fealty to them would be one way forward.” You reply.

“A coward’s way forward, if you ask me.” She says. “But true, a way forward nonetheless.”

“In any case, I’m interested on what the other Gasposts know. What have you gathered?”

“I was suspecting what you told me of earlier. Most of the syndical leaders have reported that their own police precincts are behaving in secretive manners. Of the other four Gasposts, three had their Federation representatives leave without much warning, as Wildings did.”

“One stayed?”

“Federation Representative Olivio Santiago, of Gaspost II. He seems to have thrown his lot in with the local syndical leader instead of running to HBP. He has said that his contacts suggested a speedy retreat from Helian Beta, further confirming that the entirety of the Federation government is trying to leave the planet.”

“Where would they even go?”

“As far as we’re aware, hyperspace travel still functions. They will likely seek others loyal to the Federation in other star systems.”

Hyperspace travel works. That’s good. Still, the planet is weeks away from the closest inhabited star system. You haven’t heard of any organized effort to get a messenger ship through, there probably isn’t, considering the situation at Prime.

“So they consider Helian Beta lost.”

She nods.

>>6301084
You recline on your chair and look at the roof for a few seconds, gathering your thoughts. Whatever is going to happen soon, you should probably face it in an organized way.

The Gasposts are the lifeblood of Helian Beta Prime. They need the gas, and they will get it no matter what. Best to face their demands united in purpose, Right? You will meet with the other Syndical Leaders, explain the situation and create a united front of the Gasposts.

The plans of the military and the police are likely what’s best for order, at least for now. You should seek to work within a system, rather than creating an opposing one yourself. You should offer your support to Haussmann and his plans for Gaspost V.

>Seek a united front of Gasposts.
>Ally with Haussmann and the military.

>Seek a united front of Gasposts.
Becoming a subjugated workforce for a junta that sees our miners as nothing more than expendable cogs does not sound like a fun way to ride out the crisis. We need to talk to Santiago and the Syndical Leader of Gaspost II.
See if maybe we can begin stockpiling gas and slowing deliveries to create some leverage. We need to create a situation in which the cost of using force on our workers is too high to risk.

>>6301085
>>Seek a united front of Gasposts.
Friend of the workers always. I understand those with guns usually win these things but I am hoping that many of the grunts will fall in line with the workers, otherwise this will be short and bloody

>Ally with Haussmann and the Military

Don’t have a super convincing argument for taking this path beyond personal preference. We might not be the big fish under military rule but we’re very likely to be part of a much less chaotic and more stable regime. At least for a time and we could certainly have a hand in ensuring life for our miners remains as tolerable as possible under these new conditions, better then having to lead a rabble of miners against the military and police at the very least.

>>6301108
I'm all for fashing out but we're pretty clearly not the in-group. Let's wait for hitler.

>>6301085
>>Seek a united front of Gasposts.

I guess it's time for desert nam

>>6301085
>Seek a united front of Gasposts.

>>6301085
>Seek a united front of Gasposts
I was all for allying with our police guy, but thems the rolls. Good thing we had that Calm to not freak out. May as well go balls to the wall.

Vital gas mining and gas refining. Miners and machines. Some comms equipment. Police precinct. Some vehicles for making deliveries of gas, which id guess are pretty big. Mining suits.

Food and water might be an issue. If water is being recycled that's not bad. Otherwise might need to trade with some kind of farmpost V lol.

Some engineering solutions to potential problems. Filtering gas into our police held compartments till they drop without killing them, mining suits to protect from gas so we can pull them out and stick them in the police brig. Then we've got the weapons and body armor.

Gas containers into land mines. Weaponized mining robots. Gas flamethrowers, etc.. Armored delivery trucks. A mining mech might be cool.

>>6301085
This is an exciting quest. My line of reasoning is that it's best to negotiate with the military, but to do that, we've got to have leverage. Bringing all of our fellow gas workers together is the best angle for our previous position.

>Seek a united front of Gasposts.

They could try to crackdown, but what'll they do without gas? If the workers go on strike, the garrison will fold to our concessions or be forced into strict rationing and the whole boondoggle that comes with trying to stage a crackdown.

>>6301085
>Seek a united front of Gasposts.

Pretty clear win for
>Seek a united front of Gasposts.

=== ROLL ===
Skill check for Alexander Redstone:
>You will find someone that will help you in your task, reducing DC.
>Roll 3d6. DC Low.
One roll only! First roll is used.

=== DISCOVERIES ===
When Alexander spoke with Gunther Haussmann, he discovered he was rather average at trying to negotiate with others.
>Gain skill:
Negotiation 2

Rolled 5, 1, 3 = 9 (3d6)

>>6301489

No update today! Didn't have the time to write :(

>>6301667
Okay, take care

>>6301667
It happens. See you tomorrow, QM?

>>6301667
It's a fun quest, keep it up.

“We have to unite with the other Gasposts.” Your words seem to make Ivy widen her eyes and clutch the dossier in her arms just a little harder. “If the police and the military are going to ally, we can’t simply stand around and do nothing. They will take on each Gaspost individually, and we’ll probably have to kiss our rights goodbye.” You let your own words sink into your mind. Why would you do this? It’s a risk, to be sure, for everyone around you but moreso for yourself. You can almost feel the recurring daydreams of a simple, quiet life slowly fading from your mind.

“Sir, what you’re saying could be considered treasonous by the military.” Ivy warns.

“What’s treasonous about a bunch of confused syndical leaders banding together when their Federation representatives run away?” You put your elbows to your desk and think. “We are simply civilian officials trying to face a crisis, nothing more.”

She seems to relax again, not because of your words, it looks more like she simply regained control of herself. “This meeting likely shouldn’t be through a wristpad call.”

“No, it would be best to be discreet.”

The meeting is set to happen in Gaspost II, the only place with a remaining Federation representative. For all intents and purposes, you’re going there to complain to that last remaining representative about the lack of information received by the syndical branches of the Gasposts, but everyone knew what the meeting was truly about: How to organize the Gasposts in the face of this new reality.

You took your personal shuttle, miss Ivy coming along with you on the same trip. The one good thing about living in a Gaspost is that fuel is more than abundant. The shuttle takes off without much of a hassle and you’re on your way to the meeting, eating some meager meal on the way there. The two of you are tense, barely having any conversation during the trip. You feel your stomach twist, you want to hit the dashboard a few times just to show your frustration with all that was going on, but you keep [calm]. Things are changing, but you have to adapt, somehow.

Your trip takes you through the arid wastes of Helian Beta, rocky plains and hills, tall mesas. The usual landscapes on this planet. You spotted a few silhouettes down below, likely Helian lizards moving about, big critters, almost man-sized if splayed. The planet’s fauna wasn’t considered extremely dangerous, but care must be exercised, most land vehicles are armored.

You see Gaspost II in the distance. It is larger than V, founded at the same time as Gaspost I, on the larger gas wells detected on the surface of Helian Beta. Gasposts III, IV, and V were founded later, on smaller accessible gas wells near the first two. There is, or perhaps now was, a project, to eventually found another 5 entire Gasposts, but those would’ve been far off in the future, Xin’an Sector does not need that much gas yet.

>>6301978

Nor would it for a while at least. That was another head scratcher to add to your agenda. What would you even do with this much gas? The miners need their salaries, but there would be no gas money to pay them with. Helian Beta has a highly specialized economy, with no places to export…

You throw those thoughts away, they’re useless for now. First things first. Start small.

Your shuttle settles in one of the pads of the Gaspost II landing station. You feel quite proud that you learnt how to pilot these when you started out as syndical leader. You give its hull a hearty tap as you step off the pad and head into the station proper with miss Ivy, who’s reviewing the attendance confirmation of all the people involved.

The first two people you recognize are those who didn’t have to take a shuttle to get here: Olivio Santiago and the local syndical leader, whose name you don’t quite remember. Olivio is wearing a Federation uniform, you don’t know his dressing habits, but most representatives didn’t wear uniforms, preferring suits. He may be sending a message of some sort.

You shake the man’s hand. He’s quite young, likely in his 20s, his skin dark olive, his frame rather thin, his dark hair combed to a side and a well-trimmed rectangular moustache goes across his whole upper lip. “Mister Redstone, I presume?”

“I am, and you must be mister Santiago.” You reply.

“I am.” He replies back. “It’s good to meet you. I have seen you a few times in some of the summits back at Prime, but we never had a chance to speak.”

Or a reason to, but you keep that to yourself. “It saddens me we must meet under such circumstances.” You say.

“It truly is. I applaud your initiative, mister Redstone. I was personally thinking of holding off a while longer, waiting for more information to get to us, but considering the news we are receiving as the hours pass by, that was a mistake from my part. Your course of action was the smarter one.”

“News? What news?” You ask.

“There are revolts in Prime. Various Federation representatives have been caught leaving through the space elevator, escorted by members of the armed forces, a few groups tried to stop them from abandoning Helian Beta and things got heated.”

Galaxy save us. “Did anyone get hurt?”

“Yes, though I have no idea what the extent of the damage is. I initially waved it off as rumors and hearsay, but I received videos on the Gaspost II datapad confirming what happened. There were bloodied people passing along the camera.” He looks around, then sighs.

>>6301979

It takes half an hour more for the rest of the syndical leaders to get here. You then head out into Gaspost II, it’s quite quiet, everyone is still working at the mines. The layout and buildings are so similar to Gaspost V, you feel like you never left home. After a few minutes of walking, you reach an apartment building reserved for administrative officials. Olivio takes your group to the first floor apartment, inviting the group to sit around a table in what looks like a dining room. Ash trays are laid out as people start smoking, a few hard liquors are also brought in by Olivio, to wash away the fear of speaking out.

You review the information Olivio told you about, then explain what you spoke of with Captain Haussmann.

One of the syndical leaders, clearly flustered by all he heard, speaks out. “So, we are talking about a coup at Prime!” That was Lu Peng, the syndical leader for Gaspost I, and one of the most veterans, old, ashen haired and with a thin mustache and a five o’clock shadow.

Olivio shakes his head. “Not yet, but it’s extremely likely.”

You take the lead. “In any case, we have to defend our rights against whatever new regime is installed. We have to present a united front against them, and ensure we control the Gasposts. It’s the lifeblood of Prime, they will listen to us as long as we stand together.”

The other leaders quiet down, looking over to Olivio. The man is the only person here with any real authority, as Federation representative. “It is not illegal within Federation law for the different syndicates of a planet to gather into a planet-wide organization.”

“That organization already exists.” Says Lu Peng. “It’s back at Prime.”

Olivio retorts. “That’s the Galactic Federation Syndical Union, it is a state organization, what we’re referring to here is a private initiative by the syndicates themselves.”

Another one of the leaders speaks up. “That’s legal?”

“Technically, yes.” Olivio says.

It seems the leaders are starting to express their approval now. After a few more debates on the details, it is approved that the organization would be formed, and the leadership would be assumed by all five syndical leaders.

Miss Fielders, though only an assistant, brings herself to talk as the talks quiet down. “While we are forming an organization that bands together the syndicates of each Gaspost, that does not mean we will have full authority over the Gasposts themselves. I would remind you that each outpost has a police precinct, each one fielding multiple police personnel and weaponry of various calibers, including riot gear.”

Olivio nods, then takes a sip of vodka. “I have met with the officer of Gaspost II and he has agreed to join our plight, he is a Federation loyalist and speaking with me convinced him.”

So that was the reason for his fancy uniform. “Perhaps the rest of us should try to convince their own Gaspost inspector to join us.” You say.

>>6301980

The leaders of III and IV say they will have to try, though they may need any help that can be given.

Lu Peng utters a loud ‘tsch’. “I can tell you the one from Gaspost I won’t, he’s a scumbag, always has been. I have been asking for his dismissal for years.” He leans over the table. “Which brings us to another question. What do we do with those that refuse? Oust them?”

Ivy, now confident in her participation, butts in. “To refuse is to swear allegiance to the military regime, it is treason to the Federation.”

Silence reigns once more, you look at the faces of each leader, the ones from III and IV seem confused, uneasy at the prospect of what is to come. Lu Peng and the leader from II seem to be brimming with confidence.

Lu Peng smiles. “Do you back up what your assistant says, syndical leader?” He asks you.

“I believe our duty is to the workers of the Gasposts.” You say. “If someone wants to sell them off to an authority that is not the Federation’s, what can we call it but treason?”

The other leaders nod in approval of your statement. Lu Peng does so as well, after them. “In the eyes of the military and police, our actions will be tantamount to revolution.”

Olivio stands up, leaving his two hands on the table. “The people are already revolting.” He says. “We, as their representatives, must fight along with them.”

You stand up more in a more calm manner. “I believe we are all in agreement.” You say. “We will not allow ourselves to be enslaved.” You pour a shot for each person around the table and raise your own. “Friends, for the people of Helian Beta.”

Olivio nods and raises his own. “For the Federation.”

The rest repeat one sentence or the other and you all drink your shots together.

So it is done.

Olivio is the last to speak in the meeting. “Remember, friends. First, we should try and convince our inspectors of our way forward. If that fails, we will have to treat them as traitors. I expect some to refuse, but they will have to face the combined strength of the other Gasposts.”

The leaders nod, each taking their things and beginning their returns to the landing station. You are one of the last to leave along with Lu Peng and miss Fielders, as you head down the stairs, Lu Peng, wearing a worn thick brown duster, speaks to you. “You know, mister Redstone, we are about to embark ourselves in a revolution.”

“I wouldn’t call it so.” You say. “We’re just trying to do what’s best for our people.”

>>6301981

He raises an eyebrow as he looks at you, accentuating his wrinkles. “What’s best for our people? You do understand that if the police refuse, we will have to take over the precincts by force, no? It’s what’s going to happen in Gaspost I, that’s for sure.”

“By force, yes, but-“

“No buts.” He interrupts you. “There will be blood, wounded, perhaps some may die.” He says. “You seem smart enough, you ordered us to be brought here, so I’ll give you a word of advice: Prepare your people for this, those who are most loyal, most active in the syndicate. They must be ready to lead the rest into a real, proper skirmish with armed cops.”

You nod, accepting the man’s advice, he nods back with a smile. The two of you separate and head out your own way.

Miss Ivy Fielders gets closer to speak to you as you head back to the landing station. “What shall we do next?”

What to do, what to do… Captain Inspector Haussmann seemed adamant about keeping his loyalty to whatever is going in Prime. But if he’s shown the proof of armed forces evacuating the Federation politicians, he may think twice about his new loyalties… Perhaps you should meet with Haussmann and try to convince him to turn over to your side once more.

Then again, time is short. Lu Peng’s words ring in your mind. Maybe you should start gathering those who are loyal to your cause among the workers and prepare the assault on the precinct now that you still have the element of surprise.

>Meet with Haussmann again.
>Prepare the assault on the precinct.

While you ponder on your next step, miss Fielders informs you that she received a new mail in her wristpad. “The leader of Gaspost III has asked for assistance in convincing his inspector of joining our organization. Apparently the inspector is a rather grumpy old woman with no real loyalties.”

“And?” You ask.

“I would like to go, sir.” She says.

“Why is that?”

“I believe I could be of help. I have read the file on the leadership of each Gaspost on the way here. Margaret Adams is the captain inspector of Gaspost III, I know she has faced issues before due to her gender. Perhaps a woman would be most helpful.”

“I am sure the leader of Gaspost III has women available to convince her.”

“None like me.” She says, the barest hint of a smirk showing in her expression.

You smile a dumb smile. What a gal.

>”You are free to go.”
>”I’d rather you support me in my task back at Gaspost V for now.”

That was 13k characters, that's nuts. I thought I had written as much as the other updates but this one is twice as long.

=== DISCOVERIES ===
When Alexander spoke with his fellow syndical leaders he discovered he was rather capable when trying to lead others towards a certain path.
>Gain skill:
Leadership 3


----------

Thanks for the kind words btw.

>>6301699
Today I am seen! But the weekend will be busy, I doubt I'll have any time for writing a proper update. It'll be monday. I might do some character sheets and provide pictures of new relevant characters like Olivio and Lu Peng.

I may shadow drop one though, check in on sunday if you guys want.

>>6301982
>Meet with Haussmann again
>”You are free to go.”
Mmm Ivy the gogetter pencil skirt secretary

Immediately going for a charge on the precinct would be quiet the hot blooded move.

How engineering backup moves. Access to the armory door locks, lockdown codes from the administration office if we can convince the other secretary we saw, or using gas to knock some cops out or flood the armory with gas so no one can get in without suits. A few ideas just in case the second round of negotiations fails.

I wonder if the mining machines are sturdy enough to get shot at, and mobile enough to move on command.

>>6301982
>Meet with Haussmann again.
>”You are free to go.”

Haussmann fought in the Navy. He might be a bit desillusioned but we all need to work together to make sure to survive the storm that is coming. When the Federation is gone we need to keep our embrrs of civilisation alive and in our hands if we dont want get swept away by some outside force. So everyone needs to work together to hunker down and prepare for the worst. And a Dictatorship will miss crucial things bevause everyone will be too afraid to get shot if they speak up.

>>6301982
>Prepare the assault on the precinct.
>Meet with Haussmann again.
Porque no los dos? If it were me I'd do both in this order.

>You are free to go.

>>6301982
>Meet with Haussmann again.
>”You are free to go.”

>“Forgive me, herr Redstone, but I believe you are moving far too fast, and taking decisions far above your station.”
Haussman does not think much of our station.
>I accepted this post in order to move away from the politicking of the central sectors.”
If this is to be taken at face value, making political maneuvers as we undeniably are will be to his displeasure.
>“Herr Redstone. I hate politicians, you know? They only think based on the emotions of their voters. They promise stupid things to them. Then they go ahead and act upon those idiotic promises.” He looks back to you. “Then we, the people who got their posts from merit rather than vote, have to turn those idiotic promises into reality while they prepare scapegoats and excuses in case we fail.”
The core of his belief is that 'his friends' are worthy to rule, while those selected based on the emotions of the little people, like miners, are not worthy to rule. It's going to be hard if not impossible to change this fundamental disagreement.
>“I have good friends who got their posts on merit in Helian Beta Prime.” He says as he continues to look straight at you. You feel as though the man is analysing you, your reactions to his words, which you [calmly] keep neutral. “I am sure our elected officials are taking shuttles out of the planet in Prime’s space elevator, while my friends begin to handle things as they should be handled.”
He believes to his core that 'his friends' are doing the right thing, and not only that but he is searching for tells as he tips this information to us, in order to report back to 'his friends' what his read on us is.
>He does not nod nor shake his head. “You should be patient and wait for further news, Syndical Leader.”
It's worth mentioning that he never said 'his friends' were the military and police, though it's hard to imagine who else he could mean.

There isn't going to be any persuading him with appeals to the rights of the workers or the legitimacy of Santiago's office. Santiago was able to persuade his precinct because they are loyalists. Haussman is not a loyalist, he hates politicians, and was moved or chose to be moved away from central.
We must intimidate him, or else bluff him. I'm all for [calm]ly attempting to avoid violence but I would strongly urge us to be ready for violence so that we have leverage to move the immovable heart of Haussmann.

>>6301982
>Prepare the assault on the precinct.
>”You are free to go.”

As >>6302119 said, we can meet with him once we have leverage.

I'm >>6301209, in-case my IP has changed.

>>6301982
I think Haussman is a decent man deep down and I'd rather not kill him, but he's also entrenched in the current planetary legal apparatus and has already confirmed he's against extrajudicial factionalism, like what we're planning. Push comes to shove, I think he'll join his compatriots, and when it does, we owe it to our workers not to be on the backfoot.

>"You are free to go."
This is eminently reasonable and I trust her competence to see us through. Her involvement could be the difference between a successful resistance front and a military Gaspost undermining us.

>>6301982
>>6302587
My mistake, forgot to post my vote.
>Prepare the assault on the precinct.

Negotiating with a gun in his face, I think its kicking a can down the road and theres a bomb in the can. If the intimidation or a bluff is what moves him from what people perceive are strongly held beliefs in not trusting us, the miners, or anyone that aren't his friends? Once the military comes knocking in force that intimidation won't be worth much. I'd sooner make the appeal on what we can present and what it clearly show and implies.

Then I guess if we roll bad again, violence. Heres my pitch.


Haussman thinks the fed reps will have all taken their shuttles and gotten out while his friends handle things. We show him the video of the military escorting people to the shuttles and getting ambushed by groups. He calls this handling it?

A gosh dang space elevator should be one of the most secure facilities on the planet and they let this happen? Any damage and who knows how long it would impact the planet getting food, presumably from other planets since this one is kind of a dusty shit hole. That would be the nightmare scenario they are playing fire with. Is he aware or are his 'friends' keeping him in the dark about these incidents.

He joined the military but hes not some career animal, or out for blood on the front line. He wants to do his job, which was and is protecting these people. Does he really want to entrust these people to those who don't give him all the facts, who don't have things handled like they told him, and who are already spilling civilian blood.

>>6302612
I get what you're saying, but I still find >>6302314 the more convincing read.

>>6302614
If Haussman actually believes everything >>6302314 has said then theres no hope of meaningful negotiation lol. Its taking everything said and skewing it to the most extreme stance.

Haussman's core belief is Merit Rule, not Friendship Rule. We demonstrate that clearly his friends are quite as good as they say if they can't even handle the situation like we show him.

His view of the 'right thing' was in the federation reps having left and his buddies already in control of things. Clearly that didn't quite happen, he doesn't strike me as someone who wanted the military killing civilians.

We show him he is wrong to trust those people, and at a minimum they don't even trust him.

>>6302621
Keep in mind we can still make all the points you are making when we negotiate with him. But it's foolish to not prepare for violence beforehand. You aren't even considering the possibility that he is preparing for violence as well. Appealing to his post (protecting the miners) might be effective, and demonstrating the incompetence of the military and police might shake his belief in the rectitude of their actions.
Ultimately, however, a negotiation is about having something the other party wants. What does Haussmann want? Unfortunately I think what he wants is to be rid of Federation representatives and to be part of a junta that rules, supposedly, by merit. Can we really offer anything of that sort to him? Maybe in the long run, but not right now. In the short term we are creating some quasi-loyalist populist government because that is what puts ourselves and the miners on the inside of decision-making.
What would even be a compromise position between military rule and populist rule? Populists want rights and protections, the military wants to rule by autocratic fiat and cut through rights and protections.

And one more thing: if there is a galactic civil war happening, between loyalists and autocratic factions, it is very likely that we are dealing with a committed rebel force right now. Haussmann was *already aware* of autocrats seizing power from the outset. It's not a good sign.

>>6302811
>What would even be a compromise position between military rule and populist rule?
A mixed populist-authoritarian model where we force both sides to accept a council made up of officers and syndicate reps, maybe?

>Haussmann was *already aware* of autocrats seizing power from the outset. It's not a good sign.
I think he may have been inferring, or have discussed it right before the meeting, rather than being part of the interplanetary uprising. I hope so, anyway.

>>6301982
>Prepare the assault on the precinct.
Better to be ready and not need it

>”You are free to go.”

I've decided to tally up the votes now so tomorrow I can write.

I see there's 4 votes for preparing the assault, 3 for meeting with Haussmann again. We're going to go for the assault preparation, but those wishing to meet Haussmann do not go unheard.

The debates going on are quite fun, I wanted to provoke a bit of thought with some of the conversations between characters and Redstone's moments of introspection. Seems I'm succeeding!

I will tell what to roll on the next post.

=== ROLL ===
Skill check for Alexander Redstone:
>Leadership roll: 3d6. No DC, roll will increase the magnitude of success.
One roll only! First roll is used.

=== ROLL ===
Skill check for Ivy Fielders:
>Negotiation roll: 3d6. DC: Low.
One roll only! First roll is used.


-----

Two rolls at the same time now, you must call out who you roll for if you want to roll for a specific character. If no name is called out, I will simply go by the order of the roll call post, so in this case the first roll would go to Redstone, the second to Fielders.

Rolled 3, 1, 1 = 5 (3d6)

>>6303173

>>6303174
Damn. I wish I called for Ivy now, but so it goes.

Rolled 3, 5, 1 = 9 (3d6)

>>6303173
Rolling for ivy

Ivy left for Gaspost III after a short coffee break together at the landing station. You’re taking a quick smoke break by your shuttle’s landing pad, watching these vehicles take off and land has always been a fascinating sight. Shuttles have been around all your life, everyone else gets used to them, but as a kid you used to just watch them, fascinated that things could just get off the ground and fly like that.

You chuck away the cigarette butt and climb onto your shuttle, lifting off and undertaking the trip to Gaspost V. Autopilot does half the job, taking you in a straight line back home, the human pilots just take care of finetuning landings. Unless you’re in a fight, in which case you’d better take manual control and dodge whatever weaponry is being aimed at you.

You never worried about such things, but considering the situation, now you do. You learnt the basics of evasive maneuvers through manual control back in the day, but you’re probably rusty at best now.

Gaspost V is now brimming with activity as the miners returned home from work not too long ago. You land in one of the few pads available in the Gaspost V landing station and hop out of the shuttle. You see the usual shuttles are here. The inspector’s shuttle is here, rep Wilding’s isn’t, of course.

You head to the landing station itself, various police officers are posted here, watching people coming in and out with unusual diligence. Some miners and other workers are enjoying their free time in the station’s indoor cafes and recreation areas. You can see a lot of them giving odd glances to the police and some give you a look of recognition.

An informal meeting is organized between you and the syndicate’s “middle management”, the Work Center Representatives. These are worker-elected positions that vary from year to year, representing different work centers. Office clerks have a WCR, as do each of the various mining teams at the gas well, from the grunts doing harder labor to the specialized engineers leading the operation.

You offered your apartment for this informal meeting, everyone accepted without asking any questions by mail. They preferred to keep them private.

The first few WCRs arrive at your home, you offer coffee, cigs, and some food as they sit around the chairs of your living room, some have to stand as there’s not enough chairs for all the people attending today (far more than the usual). They’re bringing the usual paper documents to revise performance since the last meeting, but as they sit down, many of them don’t bother revising their numbers or even leaving those documents on the table.

>>6303617

Within the WCRs, there are ‘factions’. In the case of Gaspost V there’s two: The ‘brains’ WCRs, representing highly educated desk job positions, and the ‘brawn’ WCRs, representing those physically demanding posts with lower education levels. These are broad denominations, and you can find all kinds of people in both, from the lower to the higher rungs of the ladder. The split is more based on ideals than actual job positions, though you were never too keen on learning what the split was about, it was never an issue. Until now.

You already know those two are going to do most of the talking, those WCRs under their wing sit or stand near their unofficial leaders. The brains WCR is Leopold Amiens, everyone calls him Leo. The first officer of Gaspost V’s largest gas well’s engineering team. The brawns WCR is Alisa Dmitriev, first officer of that same gas well’s ground laborer team.

Alisa is a tall, powerful woman in her late 40s, her skin tanned by constant exposure to the sun, she wears her dirty blonde hair in a rough ponytail and always brings her unwashed jumpsuit to the meeting. A brazen woman who, as usual, speaks first:

“We all know why we’re here, yeah?” She receives nods and ayes from her ‘wing’ of the living room. “No contact with the feds, cops suddenly acting sketchy these past few days. Something big’s going on, ain’t it?”

Leopold crosses his legs and arms. The man is in his late 30s and wears his usual informal clothes, denim pants, shirt and jacket, he keeps himself clean shaven and with well combed brown hair. He sits facing Alisa from the other side of the table, his own clique beside him. “Our syndical leader should have first word, miss Dmitriev.”

They exchange glares and you sigh. “I’ve gathered you here to speak on the recent changes in the galaxy at large. As you all know, we’ve lost contact with the Federation and Helian Beta Prime’s authorities are providing us with any news. Our very own federation representative, mister Wildings, left for the capital this morning in order to convene with the rest of the Federation’s officials on Helian Beta.”

Alisa chuckles, her snarky demeanor clear for all to see. “Convene?” She spits out the word. “Wildings packed his things and headed straight for the space elevator.”

Leo looks at Alisa in his usual passive aggressive way. “I imagine you have proof of that, right?”

“I got friends in the capital. They all told me the same thing: All the feds are running for the hills. Well, running for space, in this case. And our boys in blue and camo are helping them do so.”

Seems everyone’s got friends in the capital except you. Maybe you should’ve networked a little more the past 5 years. “I have convened with the other syndical leaders early in the afternoon and we’ve come to the same conclusion after being provided video evidence. This is causing disturbances in the capital which are turning violent.”

>>6303618

Leo nods and takes a hand to scratch his chin. “So the Federation’s authority is in complete disarray.” A worrisome murmur takes over most of the room as they hear Leo’s conclusion.

You spend a few minutes explaining everything you discussed with the syndical leaders, including the conclusion you reached: A union must be formed between the various Gasposts in order to stand against whatever new regime may rise in Prime. To further detail your situation in Gaspost V, you also explained what you discussed with captain Haussmann.

Aliza is quick to reach a conclusion. “Haussmann’s on the side of the military. No two ways about it.”

Leo shakes his head. “Haussmann’s on the side of whoever he thinks has the most merit. It’s clear he dislikes various Federation officials, but he does not dislike our syndical leader. Otherwise he would not have shared so much with him.”

“It’s quite clear he doesn’t like democracy, mister Amiens.” Aliza says. “And my folks and I like being heard.”

“We’re in the midst of a big crisis, miss Dmitriev. You may like voting, but I also like having food on my table, clothes in my drawer, and a roof over my head. Let’s ensure we get those things first, then talk about ballots in boxes.”

“The way you’re talking, I’d almost think you’re telling everyone here to side with the cops and the armed forces.”

“That’s enough.” You say, your voice betraying how tired you are. The trip through the Helian Beta deserts were more exhausting than you thought. “Please, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We have to be united in our next moves.”

“Our next moves?” Leo asks, looking at you. Aliza takes out a cig and lights it.

“Yes.” You reply. “Captain Haussmann is already deploying the police force throughout Gaspost V. You must’ve seen them in public spaces. Vigilant, always in pairs.”

“And armed.” Aliza says, then puffs a big cloud of smoke. “My people have seen them with batons and pistols. Some even have body armor near the miner’s apartments.” She taps her cigarette on top of one of the ashtrays.

Leo is in deep thought.

“They are threatening us.” You say. “Threatening us so we comply with whatever new regime installs itself in Prime.”

Leo serves himself another cup of coffee, black, and takes a sip. “So you see no point in further negotiations?”

“I see a point in organizing ourselves in case things go south.” You say.

Leo retorts as he taps his cup. “The police will see us organize, try as we might to hide it. They will prepare themselves to deal with us.”

You stay silent for a moment. It’s hard to say the next few words. The implications are too many. ‘We must strike first, then’. That’s what you want to say. But if you do so, then things will start going down a slippery slope. You feel a cold sweat coming on and hear your heart pounding. Still, outwardly you still seem [calm], simply thinking. A murmur starts in the room again as people debate on how to deal with this.

>>6303618

Aliza takes a longer puff then smashes her cig on the tray. “So we get ‘em first.”

Silence. All eyes turn to her except yours. You look straight forward.

“You’re joking, right?” Leo says. “You want to use violence?”

“Only if we gotta.” She replies.

“No. I refuse.” Leo’s words are strong as stone. “I won’t let blood be shed out of some paranoid thinking.”

You shake your head. “The rest of the Gasposts are in agreement that we must act sooner rather than later. If Haussmann refuses to comply with our pleas to join us, we will have to take over the precinct.”

Leo’s eyes open wide as he stares at you. “What? Alex…” He looks around dumbfounded, then back to you. “You’ve got to be messing with me now. You can’t be serious.”

You wish you weren’t. “Sorry Leo, what other option do we have?”

“Talk with Haussmann for Galaxy’s sake!” He retorts loudly.

“And let him know we’re organizing behind his back?!” Aliza smashes her fist against the table. “He’ll arrest all of us!”

Leo looks back at Aliza with venom in his eyes. “Be quiet you violent buffoon!”

“What did you say to me?” She rises from her chair and yells and insults flow from one end of the room to the other.

You smash the table with your open palm a few times to get everyone’s attention back. It works, somewhat, though Leo and Aliza have to put in some effort to settle things down in each of their wings.

“I will take responsibility for our next course of action. Now please, those who would join me, raise your hands. Those who wouldn’t, I would ask that you return to your quarters and maintain discretion on this matter.”

Aliza’s side raise their hands almost unanimously. A good thing too, her side has the most people in terms of numbers, they’re also more physically fit, used to long days of hard labor. Still, you felt they were far too radical and if things could turn violent, they’d be more likely to be bloody... Leo’s side has very few hands raised, Leo keeps his own hand down.

Leo rises from his seat. “Out of respect for the past five years you spent with us, I will maintain discretion on this matter, syndical leader Redstone.” He says. “But I will ensure the people who have not raised their hands here today are not forced into participating in this… this coup.”

Leo and those who chose not to participate leave your apartment in a trickle. Debating on what they should do next, or if they made the right choice, or how to deal with the fallout of this entire ordeal. After half an hour, the only ones who remain with you are Aliza and those who took her side. Mostly WCRs of laborers and other grunt-level workers, there’s a few machine techs here and there, even some office workers and engineers.

“So, what’s the plan?” Aliza asks.

>>6303621

It’s clear your assault crew will arm itself with whatever they have available. You leave that task to Aliza, who will likely know way better what tools to use for this situation. She’s already talking about laser cutters for short distance and breaching, simpler alloy tools for melee situations, and some mining laser rifles for longer distance firepower. Whatever, that’s not your specialty.

Your decision will be on how to proceed with this whole ordeal. There are things you know you must bear in mind:

Your crew will be composed of hardliners, they will want a fight first, negotiations later.

Your crew will be quick to turn violent.

Your crew will be fully dedicated to the assault.

You ponder on how you should deal with this. As you do so, you get a wristpad call from Ivy Fielders. You’re glad to hear her voice, distorted as it may be from the long range call.

“Good evening mister Redstone.” She says. “I was able to convince the inspector of Gaspost III to see eye to eye with our plans. We have become good friends, in fact. Since Gaspost III is now fully with us, they may dedicate resources to our cause in another Gaspost. Would you like me to ask her to send some well-equipped officers your way, or to Gaspost I? Stop.”

It was now your turn to reply. You have to wait a few seconds before replying, long range calls are laggy things. Lu Peng does need the men back at Gaspost I, he would be grateful for your help too. Still, your own little army here is a ragtag band of miners, perhaps it would be best to bring in some professionals. Maybe you’ll be able to avoid a fight, in the end, if Haussmann sees cops with you.

>Send the cops from Gaspost III to Gaspost I. Lu Peng will be grateful.
>Bring the cops from Gaspost III to us at Gaspost V. You’ll need them more.

Now, as for the plan for tomorrow’s assault. Yes, tomorrow, that thought guts you, you hate having to deal with this whole ordeal.

You could bring your entire crew directly to the precinct and storm it. The fewer people are there and the less prepared they are, the more likely it is for this entire thing to end quickly and bloodlessly. If this fails, though, you may end up with blood on your hands, and Haussmann will never forgive that.

You will bring a smaller crew first. Make them see you mean business. Then negotiate a surrender with Haussmann. This may give time for the police to gather more forces in and around the precinct while you negotiate with him. If things go south, you’ll have to order an attack anyway, the attack will more than likely turn bloody then, and if your attack fails… Haussmann won’t take it kindly.

You bite your nails as you think of your next decision.
>Storm the precinct directly.
>Try to negotiate Haussmann’s surrender.

By the way, if you guys want to provide any feedback, I'm all ears. Here's some questions if you want to give some feedback:

>Are things moving fast enough?
>Is there anything you're missing from the updates?

>>6303624
We've got to consider the situation in full. The police have superior training, superior equipment, and a soon-to-be fortified precinct. We have vastly higher numbers and, for now, the initiative. Haussmann is as legitimate as we are, from a political standpoint, so there's little chance of swaying any fencesitters that haven't already jumped onboard.

Realistically, with our low negotiation skill and Haussmann's prior hesitancy, a diplomatic resolution has a small chance of success. If we try and fail, it'll abandon both of our advantages and give the police a cassus belli to seize control of the Gaspost. The best chance we have to wrest control from the police and minimize casualties is to catch them off-guard and overwhelm them as quickly as possible. Any failure in this will lead to a prolonged siege, at best, and failure in this is unacceptable. We'll need to strike hard and fast, and for that, we'll need to leverage every able-bodied worker we have.

Apart from that, we need to take into account that our own position is purely over our own Gaspost. If we want to have a wider sway in the resistance movement, which we will need, we've got to network. The other Syndics need to respect us and we need that more than we do reinforcements. There's also the small risk of the cops going turncoat if things get too bloody, which I'd rather not risk. Therefore...

My choices are thus.

>Send the cops from Gaspost III to Gaspost I. Lu Peng will be grateful.
>Storm the precinct directly.

Alea iacta est.

>>6303628
>Are things moving fast enough?
Plenty. You've done a great job of getting across the uncertainty and tension of societal upheaval like this. The suspense is immense and the quest is even better for it.

>Is there anything you're missing from the updates?
Nothing in specific, but it would be useful to have a character sheet for everything Alexander's developed so far, for referencing during decisions. Maybe in a rentry or something? Pastebin isn't very good for long-term storage these days.

>>6303738
My IP changed, I'm still >>6302587

>>6303624
>Bring the cops from Gaspost III to us at Gaspost V. You’ll need them more.
>Try to negotiate Haussmann’s surrender.
My thinking: if we have the extra security force backing,w e can afford to give Haussman forewarning and a chance to join us. if he refuses, we'll crush him anyway.

...

Maybe. Hopefully.

>>6303628
>Are things moving fast enough?
Yes, the pace is brisk without being overwhelming. Good work!

>Is there anything you're missing from the updates?
Nah, I'm enjoying it immensely so far.

>>6303738
I think you might want to bring the cops here, we've both seen our rolls in this here quest lol

>>6303628
>Send the cops from Gaspost III to Gaspost I. Lu Peng will be grateful.
>Storm the precinct directly.

Changed my mind I think with this plan we'd have a very nice way to storm their precinct and incapacitate them. Lots of fun too.

If there was a medic outpost I'd have said maybe swing them for drugs that could have been used in a few places too, but no sense bogging things down.


I imagine we have quite a decent supply of fire suppressant resources all the way out here. Some heavy duty foam spraying gear and thick fire fighting gear that can soften a blow. After all if a fire broke out this middle of nowhere gaspost could get lit the fuck up. I imagine a few people with foam backpack sprays could incapacitate the guards with a lot less blood than bashing or mining lasering them. A lot less attention on that then the equipment that be turned into deadly weapons. Would their guns still fire while absolutely drenched and clogged with foam? Enough pressure from the hose to knock a man on his ass ideally.

See how well our man can investigate Wilding's office and find some authorization codes to shut a few alarm or comm systems down. Lock or unlock some doors.
>Are things moving fast enough?
Yeah I think its moving fine. Pace wise its a military coup and people scrambling to find some order which is what it feels like. Post wise I'd say this is solid.
>Is there anything you're missing from the updates?
I'd like to see mechs made out of mining equipment.

Aight, I'm caught up.

If we go the negotiation route we should bring the extra cops here. Would also help us establish rule of law and order if things go south, and make it easier to be on good terms with any future police forces we may try to establish.

If we go straight for the jugular, and attack now, we won't need the cops and can send them to help Peng.

So are we still gonna try to do this bloodlessly and get Haussmann on side, or are we gonna do this bloody?

Overall I think trying to keep this clean will help us further down the road long term and stability wise, even if we fail we can point to us trying risky our lives and everything just to give Haussmann and his men a chance.

The extra professional police would also give us more stability during transition and show that we have options when it comes to policing.

>Bring the cops from Gaspost III to us at Gaspost V. You’ll need them more.
>Try to negotiate Haussmann’s surrender.

Seems the vote is tied, I'll let next vote untie so we can proceed!

I had no time for the quest today, next update will likely be tomorrow

>Send the cops from Gaspost III to Gaspost I. Lu Peng will be grateful.
>Storm the precinct directly.

>>6304037
I hope you aren't samefagging anon.

>>6303624
>Send the cops from Gaspost III to Gaspost I. Lu Peng will be grateful.
Better an ounce of prevention now than having to retake Gaspost I with a siege later. Seal the deal, secure the bag.
>Try to negotiate Haussmann’s surrender.
Stick to the plan. We've done what we can to prepare, now we try to do things bloodlessly if possible.
>Are things moving fast enough?
Yes, it gives the feeling of fear feeding on fear and spiralling out of control at a very good pacing.
>Is there anything you're missing from the updates?
You're doing a remarkable job IMO

>>6304109
A 1-post tiebreaker is always a suspicious thing.

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>>6304186
>>6304109
1pbtid too

>>6303738
I agree with your reasoning completely. Storming the precinct is 100% the machiavellian move and it's what I'd do if I were in this situation. But the thing is, Alexander is not a machiavellian power seeker. He just wants to grill, for pete's sake.

The way I see it, we are giving up our element of surprise, which is admittedly huge. But we still have numbers, and since we have gone through the effort of preparing, we aren't likely to get bowled over instantly. If we roll badly, the other four gasposts can come to our aid after a protracted period of violance. Our victory is baked in at this point, the only question is of how bloody it's going to be. By sending reinforcements go Gaspost I, and by negotiating peacefully here, we have a chance to achieve the best possible outcome with the least possible bloodshed. If we succeed.

>>6303763
I see way more upside in sending the reinforcements to Gaspost I. It gets us respect, makes the prospects of having to take Gaspost I later less likely, and allows all four gasposts to eventually come to our aid if things go really bad here.

>>6304186
Make everyone adopt a trip.

Yeah it doesn't help if they don't join in the discussion either.

I see what you guys are saying regarding the 1 post tie break.

I decided to cancel that decision from yesterday and will take into account the vote from >>6304177 as well.

Taking that post into consideration, the following option will be locked in:
>Send the cops from Gaspost III to Gaspost I. Lu Peng will be grateful.

Regarding whether we storm directly or negotiate with Haussmann. I will leave the vote up for a while still. In any case I'll try to post an update today.

Thanks for all the feedback btw. I'm glad the pace of the quest is good and that people are enjoying it. I will read it up when I write the update and see if I can reply to some of the more specific stuff.

>>6304323
I don't want to enforce this yet, seems too extreme.

If you guys are willing feel free to use a trip, it'll help me identify you and that's always cool. You can use the ID 4chan gives you as the trip name.

>>6303624
I had a long think about this. While i would have preferred to have the police here with us to give us a soldi backbone with equipment and training. Since that is no longer possible i would still prefer to negotiate with Haussmann. Lets hope he is kot too eager to sacrifice the lives of the people he had sworn to protect

>Try to negotiate Haussmann’s surrender.

We will try to negotiate Haussmann's surrender. Sorry for the mess in this vote!

I'm thinking on how to get through ties in future occasions to avoid holding up the quest. The only thing I can think of is just rolling a 1d2 and assigning a number to each option. We'll see though.

In any case, let's get to rolling.

=== ROLL ===
Skill check for Alexander Redstone:
>Negotiation roll: 2d6. Medium DC.
>DC reduced because Alexander will be able to keep [calm].
One roll only! First roll is used.

Rolled 5, 3 = 8 (2d6)

>>6304556
Time to ruin the quest!

>>6304570
Above average. Goo job!

>>6304570
Nice

>>6304570
Woo!

I've written a good chunk of the update but have to head to bed. Tomorrow we'll have an update!

>>6304668
Sleep well, and see you tomorrow QM!

>>6304668
Nice quest. Will be reading more.

Helian, the system’s star, lowers itself on the west of Gaspost. You had spent the greater part of the evening making sure everyone was aware of tomorrow’s plan. You, the WCRs on your side and their crews would present yourselves at the police precinct of Gaspost V and demand to see Captain Haussmann. He would not refuse you, you knew. Even if he knew you were coming, the man wouldn’t retreat. At least that’s the general vibe he gave you after spending five years as coworkers.

You watch the dusk from your apartment’s balcony, cig in hand, your foot tapping the ground. The evenings of Gaspost V have the best weather, a chilly wind comes around the entire outpost, contrasting with the warmth of the last few sun rays the star doles out to the planet’s inhabitants. You wonder if what you’re going to do tomorrow is the right thing or not. You are, after all, little more than a bureaucrat. Another cog in the Federation’s machine here on Helian Beta. That is going to change after tomorrow. Bureaucrats don’t take over police precincts, after all, and there isn’t a Federation to be a cog for anymore.

You get an email from Aliza. ‘Everything will be ready for tomorrow’s workday.’ It says. They are heading to the gas wells right now. Picking up whatever equipment would help in taking over the precinct. That entire ordeal must look like a scene out of a movie, groups of miners sneaking into the wells’ perimeters through entrances known only to them, advancing through the cover of the night to take their own tools and machines.

You puff a big cloud of smoke. “What have I gotten myself into?” You ask out loud. Silence is your only reply. You finish off the cig and head to bed, though you know you’ll be doing little more than overthinking tomorrow’s events and shuffling from side to side.

Your alarm beeps. Galaxy save you, you had just shut your eyes and suddenly six hours had gone by. You struggle off of bed and prepare yourself a long cup of coffee. Hopefully it wouldn’t be your last, your dour expression gives way to a chuckle.

The hour is coming. You clothe yourself, comb your hair and beard, kind of, and head out of your apartment. As you walk towards the outpost’s center, you can already see groups of miners heading there through the avenues, other civilians looking at them surprised, as are the police officers under Haussmann, likely already radioing in the suspicious activity.

It didn’t matter, it was too late, there’s likely hundreds of miners surrounding the outpost’s center. Gaspost V’s central plaza opens up after you round a corner. You spot and approach the crew that would be coming along with you. Aliza and some of her heftier laborer, armed with all manners of tools, and various WCRs from the brawns faction. All in all, about two dozen people are here.

She hands you a round, flat device, you recognize a fire suppressant from the gas wells. “You can pop it in an emergency, it’ll drench everything around it in foam. Don’t know how well it’ll do, but we might as well use it.”

You nod, grab it and hide it in your jacket. She offers you a cutting laser, but you deny it instinctively. You’re not here to hurt anyone. You really don’t want to. She hands it over to one of her loyal WCRs instead.

“Are you ready?” You ask.

“I am. Are you?” She asks back.

“Yes.” You reply. You look at the government building of Gaspost V. Various office workers are already looking out the window towards you. Not too far from there, the police precinct, a pristine white building with the flag of the Federation flying at the center of its roof.

Your group begins its approach. There’s four officers at the door, with electrified batons and pistols at their belts, and body armor to protect their chest. They notice you and move to block your path.

“What are you doing?” They ask.

Good question. “We’re here to see Captain Haussmann, officer. We must speak with him.”

“What?” The man’s surprise is palpable. “Mister Redstone? Who’s with you?”

“Representatives of the workers of Gaspost V.” You reply.

He looks at his three companions. He turns on the radio on his chest. “Captain Haussmann. Mister Redstone and… about two dozen workers are here to see you. Over.”

A voice comes out of the radio. “Understood. Over and out.”

One of the windows of the precinct opens up and you see the old man’s face pop out, looking at your group from afar. You then see him shut the window and disappear.

For a moment, you wonder if he is simply going to order you to be arrested. But it doesn’t take long for him to appear at the precinct’s entrance, backed up by ten armed officers.

“What’s the meaning of this?” He asks. His back straight, his hands clenched into a fist. His well-kept uniform shines under the Helian sun. He eyes the people behind you, miners, armed with tools. “Herr Redstone, are you out of your mind?”

“Captain Haussmann, please, we must talk.”

He eyes your group again. You can hear the radios of the officers coming to life, but they are too far for you to hear. They whisper to the captain’s ears and he whispers back.

“We will talk.” He says.

You grit your teeth. “We should find a neutral place to speak at, and find some common ground, officer.”

“Very well. Where did you have in mind?”

“The admin building’s conference room, we will each bring a few of our own with us.”

He looks at you with contempt. “Let us go, then.”

You head there, almost side by side. Two small groups following you from the back. “Herr Redstone.” He says in a quiet grave voice. “I appreciate you, but what you are doing right now could be considered high treason.”

“Captain Haussmann. I am sorry to say this but… who are you to speak? You are colluding with a coup by the armed forces.”

>>6305244

He looks at you wide-eyed, obviously surprised. Either surprised because you know, or because he was unaware of any coup. “You are speaking out of tone, syndical leader. The Federation is abandoning this planet. The armed forces will be in charge until a civilian government is put in place.”

“Are they abandoning it because they want to, or because they were forced to?” You ask. “You’ve heard the last few communications from the galactic hyperlink. A coup at Earth! What if the armed forces themselves were the ones behind it?”

You arrive at the administration building, keeping you voices down as to not scare the office workers. They’re not stupid though, they can sense the tension in the air, and though none of them say anything, they know something is going on between you two. You open the door to the conference room and enter along with Captain Haussmann. He takes a spot by the wide window of the room, putting his hands behind his back.

“So what if the armed forces are behind it?” He asks. “As I told you, the Federation has been rotten for the past few decades. When I entered service, things were already bad. Nowadays it’s only getting worse. This… ‘façade’ of democratic rule crumbles further, day by day. Our objective is to merely bring power back to the people.”

“At gunpoint.” You add.

He turns back with an eyebrow raised. “Yes, herr Redstone, at gunpoint.” He turns around. “Because the Federation can no longer be saved by vote, not when economic superpowers control which factions and parties get enough wealth to have a galaxy-wide electoral campaign. Not when these factions and parties are more interested in the need of their financial supporters than in the need of the people.”

You take out a cigarette and offer it to him, he promptly refuses it, then you take it to your own mouth and light it. A breach of protocol in the administration building, but he didn’t seem to mind. “You spoke of merit yesterday, Captain Haussmann.” You point at him with your cig hand. “Is merit earned by pointing a gun at others?”

His mouth twitches. “Today you want to speak of philosophy?”

“I do, because today I know there are people backing me, who are informed of what I’m doing. I know that if you arrest me, they will know exactly why you do it.”

He grumbles. “I would not have arrested you.”

“You’d have taken me off-world then?”

“No. We are not oppressing dissidents.”

“I’m sure you aren’t. But then, why are you arming up your own officers?”

“Because of people like you, because there are those who would rile up the masses to take power for themselves.” He can barely hide his disgust, the man’s frowning, and his words are filled with venom.

>>6305246

“I’m sure the line between dissident and traitor is thin, isn’t it?” You say. “I am loyal to the people of Gaspost V, I want what’s best for them. I do not know if the regime that will rule Prime will want the same thing, neither do you. You complain of the system being rigged by the rich, yet support a regime that will install itself at Prime, where the most well-off citizens of Helian Beta live. You support a new regime led by commanders of the GFAF garrison and the police headquarters at Prime, all higher ups with cushy jobs.”

“I have friends among them. I know that they have risen through merit, not nepotism nor any other sort of corruption, herr Redstone. Their intentions for the Gasposts are not of oppression, but of coordination.”

“Then they won’t mind if we negotiate as equals.” You say. The room goes silent. He’s looking at you, analysing you from head to toe, but you feel surprisingly [calm], in control, perhaps.

“And the thugs you brought with you?”

“A guarantee. The armed forces and police have the monopoly on violence, captain. If we’re going to negotiate as equals, we must challenge that monopoly, otherwise we will be on the backfoot.” You finish off your cigarette on a portable ashtray you brought with you. “That guarantee used to be the Federation’s due process, its legal and political system, but now that is gone, and the people need something to rely on.”

Once more, he looks you over, but you notice his furrowed brow relaxing, his tone growing more tired than angry. “Tell me what you want.”

“The Gasposts have formed a united front to negotiate future relations with Prime. The police precinct of Gaspost V will join the united front in support of this cause.”

“Join it?” He says. “You would force us to do that?”

It’s now your brow that furrows. “Your authority here was granted by the Federation, Captain Haussmann. The Federation is gone. I would like you to reply to my next question: Will you now owe obeisance to the military leadership of Prime, or to the remaining civilian government of Gaspost V?”

His eyes open in surprise, he looks away from you, downwards, in deep thought. “The police is a civilian institution…” He says, then shakes his head. “You are right. I will resign from my post and let you assign a new captain inspector.”

You’re so desperate to let out a sigh of relief, but know you have to maintain a strong bearing. “Thank you, captain inspector.”

He shakes his head. “Do not thank me. What I do, I do out of respect for the concept of popular sovereignty and of the right of civilians to govern themselves.”

>>6305250
He looks to the window again, enjoying the vista of Gaspost V. “What you are doing here… It’s going to have grave consequences down the line.” His eyes move back up to met yours. “People will die because of your decision today.”

“Not if the new administration at Prime negotiates with us, as they should.”

“How willing is your own united front to negotiate? How many elements would rather see blood than compromise?”

Now it’s you who stays silent.

He looks away from the window, rips his badge from his uniform and leaves it on the table. No words are spoken as he leaves the room.

You watch Alisa come in, wondering what happened. When she sees the badge on the table, she yells out a loud “Yes!”, your group celebrates this victory, but you can’t help but sit down, the tension of the moment is gone, bringing relief, but the anxiety over what will happen next is pervasive. You bite your nails.

==== END OF CHAPTER 1 ====

I’ve decided to end this “chapter” here. There will be a small timeskip after these events and I’d like to get my head around what we’re going to do next. It’s clear the next “event” will be the clash between the new administration at Prime and the union of Gasposts. There’s characters I’d like to develop more and I’d like to roll a few rolls for what’s going on at Prime.

Will Redstone help ensure that the planet is unified through peace? Or will things turn violent? We’re basically one bad roll away from violence, I think. When (if) things do turn violent, how will Redstone act? Who will he begin to trust? Will it be the means to an end, or the end itself? I think we’ll see a hell of a character arc for our boy.

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Fantastically done.

Really busy with my own quest so haven’t been able to participate as much as I want but fantastic work, it’s great to see a quality original quest in the board

>>6305251
As a mining outpost I assume we get our water from water wells and we have the capacity to drill more of them easily enough, but where does food come from on HBP?
I think securing supply lines and trade for food would be the next pressing item of concern before negotiations with the Junta.

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In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only reprocessed slop water.

>>6305251
Very well done, thanks Fedrep. I look forward to chapter 2.

I believe in peace.

>>6305251
Nicely done. Glad the fire suppressant made it in there even if we didn't get the chance to use it lol. Our boy got his tense negotiation and no one died today. Glad the appeal to where his authority and duty comes from worked.

Ivy is friends with the Gaspost III inspector lady. We helped out Lu Peng. Arranged the meeting, and managed to secure our own Gaspost bloodlessly. If we can make good prep to win the clash I think it should be a decent chance to pull some concessions from both sides.
Will Haussmann stay at the Gaspost or leave for the capital? He is our most experienced military officer and the alternatives are what; his second in command, a loyalist who won't know much about policing or with minor experience, and taking that authority for ourselves until we find a better replacement. Would giving the patch and his position back to him be too much of an ask after he was willing to surrender lol.

>>6305251
Thanks, looking forward to the next chapter.

>>6305522
I'd be willing to give him his position back. He's experienced and reliable, wise enough to know when to back down instead of fight. Definitely don't want to be handing power over to nutters like Aliza.

I would like some more information on the means of productions in the gasposts, is there Hydroponics, Arable land, what are our main IMPORTED goods?

>>6305251
Excellent stuff. A real nail-biter. Thanks for running! I look forward to thread 2.

Has anyone archived this, by the way? Or do they plan to?

>>6306561
The thread is still on page 2, at this point it would be neurotic to do so unless the qm makes a new thread.

>>6306568
Ah,f air play. With the chapter ending, I guess I just took it for a thread end, but I guess there's no real reason a chapter has to equal a thread.

I kinda don't want to see a timeskip.

What to know how things went on the other outposts like with Lu Peng.

I suppose now we consolidate and stabilize the situation.

What causes chaos in these situations is fear and uncertainty. Lets work to eliminate it.

First we create a manifesto for the people of Gaspost of our goals, intentions. How we wish for things to proceed and without violence and bloodshed, and that we wish to uphold as much of the common interest of everyone or closed to everyone.

Second is we focus on infrastructure and logistics. Ensure we have the facilities for sustainability and trade. Build additional housing and shelters incase we get attacked or have influxes of refuges. Store food and water in secured containers and locations.

Third is to start trade and communications, trade will bind the Gasposts together, communications help keep us united and aware of any threats in our area.

Fourth is to start building defense, merchant navy, and security forces. We will trade and require safety for the traders in transit. It doesn't need to be too fancy, it just needs to be good enough and simple.

We can of course run things by with our Gaspost compatriots first on unifying and standardizing our faction's tools and material.

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(Thanks to RQM >>6306025 for this recommendation!)
I had a look it is certainly very different and unique, I am not sure what to call it, almost some completely original genre of "Administrative Fantasy"? or Bureaucratpunk? ADMINPUNK !

I have some critiques, just based upon my own obsessive individual preferences, feel free to completely discard them lol I hope I am not being harsh

Firstly, the author has constructed a nuanced and believable negotiation scenario, not immediately wormholes or lasers etc, it is an intimate "individual-scaled" tone, I applaud this restraint in perspective as too often sci fi tends to just leap ambitiously into GALACTIC STELLAR ENGINEERING and loses the humanistic suspense to drive the story. It gives the feeling that the author is very controlled and measured in unfolding the events!

I scanned the story for the word "wages", unbelievably for the setting of space syndicalist miner trade union the word never occurs? What money or remuneration do they even use? This seemed bizarre to me - It is the future, is there an exotic currency or indentured life system / debt obligation? How can you be a future trade union space miner, and never dispute pay or working conditions?

Another thing I would have expected - subcontracting. The story mentions "the military" the Galactic Federation, I feel this is a bit of an overused sci-fi genre fallback. It seems strange because the author refers to fragmented syndicalist factions, leaders at other outposts, why is the Galactic Federation the monopsonistic monolithic buyer of all labour? Surely it would also be subcontracted and decentralised and unaccountable, myriads upon myriads of private military contractors etc to disperse the responsibility of any unseemly enforcement actions etc.

The way I would then model the government is they are very distant and remote, perhaps they enforce some regulated rate of return or production quota upon the miners, with no understanding of the burden of work involved - they just leave it to the mercenary military contractors to collect... it is a sort of principal-agent problem hehe, I feel this is more realistic than "the Galactic Federation".

More factions, more!

I noticed some anons mentioning they want to see more about the mining equipment, tech etc. eg >>6303808 I agree, I would like to see
more wild sci-fi ideas here. What if the outpost is on some hollowed out space elevator that links two halves of an asteroid, or it is suspended above the raging cryovolcanoes of a turbulent gas giant? Mention this just once in passing, and it will be incredibly memorable. Are there robots, mining drones?

Overall the game feel is very unique I actually have a lot more thoughts but I am very impressed by the author's vision, you should definitely continue on with your game world theme it is very promising!

>>6307052
I got the feeling it's a sort of future space socialism at play, or perhaps more accurately syndicalism, and that "working conditions" were exactly why we were worried about a junta. You kind of sound like George "The Railroad" martin talking about Aragorn's tax policies right now. It's just not the focus at this time...

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>>6307052
>>6307052
Some more ideas (also for factions):
-real life mining intersects with space, because it uses multispectral satellite imagery across the mining lifecycle.

Not just for prospecting, exploration and identifying structural features and mineral signatures, but also MONITORING for environmental regulatory reporting etc

How to make this sci-fi? What if you take the complex imaging requirements of satellites, place the processing capability at the edge and launch an ORBITAL DATACENTRE (some private space companies are actually exploring this)

Maybe a rival consortium hacks your space mining surveillance satellite, to steal the valuable imaging data or contest your territorial mining claim etc

Maybe they do something even more nefarious, and poison your rebroadcasted imagery with fake AI generated data, to make it look like you are releasing excessive POLLUTION in your space mining venture, in order to discredit your workers so that you lose your mining concession!! oh no!

-another aspect of mining is WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS and safety. I feel like this could generate a lot of scenarios and ideas (ie saboteur rival syndicalist miner factions, arrange "accidents" for each other)

Or what if the mines are run by some autonomous system governance AI, like Shodan lol but it has some glitch or flaw, and starts killing workers by accident? Who is responsible?

-is there some NGO or space charity, that is opposed to the exploitative extraction of resources? Maybe they are scientists or crazed ideological fanaticists who believe in a doctrine of inviolate planetary human nonintervention. What if these fanatics protest at your mining site? It is SPACE Greta Thunberg!

Anyway, I think your setup offers a lot of story scenarios to explore, I hope this is helpful!

>>6307060
This is the least schizophrenic and offtopic textwall you're ever going to get from Souvarine I'm afraid.

What we know about the wider setting:
-Superluminal Travel and Information both exist
>>6301084
>“As far as we’re aware, hyperspace travel still functions. They will likely seek others loyal to the Federation in other star systems.”
>>6305246
>“You’ve heard the last few communications from the galactic hyperlink..."

With this being the case, information and people can move quickly. How quickly? We don't know; but it seems you can move from Earth to the boonies in less than a year, at worst. Information seems to travel faster, but may not.

Hyperspace literally means travel through higher dimensions, akin to folding a piece of paper to connect distant dots on said sheet of paper. If it's classical hyperspace that would mean that any two points in the galaxy are equidistant from each other using hyperspace, but the existence of boonies suggests that this is not the model being used. Therefore it's probably more like Stellaris hyperspace lanes. In other words, like a sheet of impossibly thin fabric the size of, say, a football field that has been already crumpled up into a fist sized ball. There are stable hyperspace lanes in the air gaps within the crumpled up piece of paper that still must be traversed, from point to point, to get to your ultimate destination.

Either way, a great crusade of galactic power could all show up in orbit of any planet in the galaxy in relatively short time frames, which changes the entire character of the coup and civil war.

Why is there a coup? It seems galactic democracy and bureaucracy is decrepit and corrupt. We might assume it is similar to our times where corrupt information brokers are glazing politicians for protecting our precious heckin democracy while fraudulent elections happen, and a group that is powerful within the fleet and militaries of the galaxy are being fucked over by the corruption and believe they are better off using force. We can assume the rebels have a good cause to risk their lives doing something as dangerous as a galactic coup. Probably a better cause than the reigning government which seems to have been so out to lunch as to have been blindsided by a galactic coup, despite being in a position of power to have access to information from the security apparatus and information brokers. They were also in a position to placate rebellious factions using their power, but failed to do so.

What year is it? I don't think we've been told, but it can't be that far in the future, relatively speaking. I would say no later than the year 3000 CE. Long enough to populate a million worlds give or take and fill up the known galactic hyperlane network, but not long enough that we're post scarcity or true galactic colonization. It seems it is very much a resource driven economy, with miners extracting (with automated machines) resources for export. AGI being a pipe dream is pretty true to life, and I could definitely believe it has not been figured out in the year 3000, whereas we could figure out fusion power and discover hyperspace within the next 100 years.

It also seems like we're still in the Faustian/Liberal Civilization somehow, living in a roughly post-WW2 founding mythology of communist vs capitalist tensions. It's like 900 years of history hasn't happened between then and now. I would expect to be in a new civilization with extreme differences from our own, but as a practical reality of writing that is just very hard to worldbuild.

>>6307614
Certain tugs-of-war between militarist, productive, and administrative forces tend to recur, too. You see it in the Roman Republic’s collapse, where legions, the Senate, and urban plebs pulled in different directions. Or in the French Revolution, when sans-culottes, bureaucrats, and armies all took turns steering the ship of state. Even in the run-up to 1914, empires like Germany and Russia were constantly balancing industrial labor, central administration, and officer corps. Could be history just repeated.