Chapter 1: First day on the job

[pringerbeam]

     The captian gives you a strained look. "I can't have my ship get torn apart just to satisfy the trade council.  I'm getting that fuel line at a steal and if we aren't out of here in the next two hours I don't know if we'll make it.  C'mon greenhorn you're confederation now.  Isn't there something you can do to smooth this over with the blues over there?"  He motions with his head over to the trio.  One of the isselessians seems to be keeping an eye on the two of you while the three of them make conversation.

[Mysticsage]

" Sir, I'm a greenhorn like you say." as he took a few steps towards the three customs officers.  "Even if one of your hands comes up to you with information don't you take it with a grain of salt? What's more no one knows me from their representative on this station. So I'm even less credible than that. If we were on Earth I could try to pull something but I have no favors to offer outside of bureaucracy and protocol. Maybe I can help speed through some of the paperwork on your end so that you can get that third hour off and inside the window you need. It's the paperwork that takes the most time anyway. Send me the manifests and cargo information and I'll try to help them keep organized and at a fast pace. I'll see what I can do." He held up his hands in an apologetic gesture as moved to talk to the customs officers.

[pringerbeam]

     "Alright greenhorn, I'm counting on you."  The captain hands you two datachips that he produces from one of his pockets.  As you approach the trio the isselessian that had been watching you nods to the others who turn around to see you.  The viguawa speaks as you near them.  "Listen, this scan is happening whether you guys want it to or not.  Your captain can send whoever he wants but you guys aren't going anywhere until we finish.  So unless you are comming along with the ship's crew manifest and cargo inventory you might as well turn around."

[Mysticsage]

"Cadet Trevor Beltaine at your service, I've got the manifest and crew logs that you need. " He said holding up both data chips. "I'm not planning on getting in the way of your investigation. First off it's not my place and you know your job better than I ever would. I was asked by the captain to help things on his end, so I was hoping to get a copy of the data on those chips from you once you've scanned it over along with the paper work he needs to do. I can get him started on the paperwork and get both sides finished that much faster. Besides having someone trained help him through will mean a clearer file when you are done for your reports."

[pringerbeam]

     The viguawa takes the chips from you and inserts them into a datapad.  "Cadet?  What of?"  The viguawa unslots the chips from the datapad and looks to begin reading through the information.  "Better not be one of those republic navy newbies here to get drunk and start a fight before shipping off.  Always more trouble than their worth."  Interrupted the isselessian on the right who had been watching you while you had talked to the captain.  "I'll have you know know that we'll throw you in holding just the same as everyone else dirtling."  The other isselessian puts his hand on his hand on his compatriot's shoulder.  "Hey, easy there Zatch.  It is too early in my day for a fight.  Listen cadet, we got a tip this ship could be smuggling goods.  That means we need to do a full scan.  If you want to make this go faster, get your captain to sign off on the scan acknowledgement so that he doesn't get fined and we can get started."

Make a Knowledge: Bureaucracy check and a Knowledge: Law check

[Mysticsage]

Law + logic

Rolled 6d6 : 4, 4, 1, 3, 1, 3, total 16

Bureaucracy +logic

Rolled 7d6 : 2, 1, 2, 6, 5, 5, 3, total 24

[pringerbeam]

Knowledge: Law
If only you had paid a little more attention in that search and seizure seminar back at the academy.

Knowledge: Bureaucracy
While you might not remember what the confederation legal code has to say about the search of a ship, you do remember that overriding the subjects refusal to a search requires a number of forms to be filled out on the part of the searching officers and submitted to the local judiciary for processing as a documentation formality that could take up to several hours depending on the availability of staff.  The searching officers themselves would not be able to conduct their search until they had both completed the paperwork and it has been processed unless an emergent crisis occurs such as a threat to the safety of the officers or Confederation citizens.

[Mysticsage]

"I'm a cadet of the Confederation Galactic Police and Investigation Divison,  If possible, I would like a copy of that data I gave you to help things along? I want what you got so there is no confused data between us," he said ignoring the name calling that sort of thing was better to just let flow off the back after all. He was already beginning to feel a sigh building up in the center of his chest, but mediating was the role of the police as anything else.

Moving back to where the captain stood he pulled up the paperwork laws that he could remember on his comm. "So, they sent me back here pretty set in stone about the scan. But here is the rub he said displaying the Bureaucracy and rules surrounding the red tape. To be fully open you can refuse.

Now I would not suggest it for a few reasons: First, the amount of red tape and paperwork you would be signing yourself up for would add several hours worth of work on both parties parts, and these guys are already in a bad mood. If they end up getting through the work before you get through your stuff they are going to burn you more then likely. Reason two is the suspicion if you refuse and leave you will be under more scrutiny and all kinds of legal and inter-department stuff will start ticking away. Plus, you won't be here to defend yourself they can drown the office in work then if you ever return to this station they will drop it on you like a bomb.

Now if you agree there is one that at least seems open to talking with me and I might be able to help. But in the end it's not my call." he said forwarding the types of forms that would be involved in either case. "So what do you think you want to do?"

I'm working on a pithy cop acronym/nickname its needed for good slang and puns

[pringerbeam]

     The captain frowns with a pensive look on his face.  He looks over the forms on his comlink for a second before responding.  "Look, I know you're a good kid so here's the thing; I got my ship used at a police auction and it happens to have a few modifications that appear to have slipped past the eye of the cops when they were giving it a look over.  Now I don't have any contraband or unregistered goods but these kinds of things don't look good on a full scan.  You've got to know how it would look if these guys find a couple of smuggling compartments hidden away.  I'll be lucky to get off this station today let alone not lose it to impound while they tear the ship apart.  I'm between a rock and a hard place here.  If i consent to the scan, chances are they will find those smuggling compartments and I'll lose my ship for the better part of a month.  If I refuse, I'll be stuck here, have to pay a fine, and miss my delivery time which will put me in the hole anyways when I have to sell off what I can at bargain bin prices.  What would you do in my situation?"  The captain shrugs with his hands out in a gesture of defeat.

Make like 3-4 Computer+INT rolls separated out to see how long it takes you to find those legal codes on your comlink.

[Mysticsage]

Computer Rolls
one

Rolled 10d6 : 3, 5, 2, 4, 6, 5, 3, 2, 2, 5, total 37

two

Rolled 10d6 : 4, 3, 3, 6, 6, 4, 6, 1, 2, 3, total 38

three

Rolled 10d6 : 3, 3, 2, 2, 4, 5, 6, 5, 6, 3, total 39

four

Rolled 10d6 : 5, 4, 5, 4, 2, 2, 2, 1, 4, 2, total 31

Law Rolls
Things I want to know: what is the laws regarding ship would it have been legal for him to just fill/ weld shut those compartments making them inaccessible?

Rolled 6d6 : 3, 6, 3, 2, 6, 2, total 22

Quick insight check to see if he's trying to lie to me about the holds being empty
Int (which i need to raise writing this to remind me) + Cha

Rolled 5d6 : 1, 3, 4, 1, 5, total 14

Quick perception check to see what the room is like in general are crew members blocking important hallways or is it just me the captain and the harbor officials
perc

Rolled 6d6 : 5, 5, 5, 4, 5, 1, total 25

[pringerbeam]

Computer Checks
You are able to find the following on your walk back over to the captain: 
     A search can be canceled at any time if the searching party does not deem the search to be necesary or if the original grounds of the search are found to have been withdrawn or deemed erronius.  Searches require appropriate suspicion to be conducted, typically anonymous tips from unverified sources alone do not constitute grounds to conduct a search unless multiple tips with corroborating features or if there are cleared credentils attached to the anonymous tip.

Law  Check
Concelaed cargo compartments are not in themselves illegal but discovery of them can warrant the impounding of a starship for further investigation if the discovering officer deems it necessary.  Sealing smuggling compartments would not alter suspicions as crafty smugglers will completely seal off their hidden cargo compartments and disassemble the intervening hull and components to offload their cargo.  Filling in compartments with structrural elements or other materials usually makes them passable if identified at all (the filling components usually makes the compartments appear as normal parts of the ship's structure when put under scanning anyways).

Judge Intentions Check
You don't know if he is lying to you.

Perception Check
You are standing at the top of the loading ramp into the cargohold with the captain.  The crewmembers that were working in the cargo hold when you went there with the captain earlier are hanging out in the corner of the hold by the doors to the main corridor of the ship.  The docking bay is perhaps four times the width of The Brown Tide and twice the length, leaving plenty of open space.  The ground crew with the scanning equipment consists of ten workers idling by their collection of backpack styled scanning devices a number of paces away from the three officials who are huddled up at the bottom of the cargo bay loading ramp.  As you look the area over one of the isselessians (the one that called you a dirtling) breaks from the huddle and begins making his way up the ramp towards you and the captain.

The isselessian walks up the ramp and calls out halfway.  "Hey cadet we need to talk.  You..."  He points to the captain.  "Stay there and you..."  He points at you then pulls his thumb back to point over his shoulder to the other officials, finishing his command with a gesture rather than words. 

[Mysticsage]

Trevor shrugs at the captain, "Sorry being called away I'll be right back." Making his way to the other officers, "you need my help with something?"

can I get a quick description of what these guys generally look like I'm curious how colorful if at all they are XD

[pringerbeam]

     The isselessians both have a similar dark brown pelt and you see they wear matching bracelets that would indicate they are from the same clan.  The one that called you over, Zatch apparently being his name from what the other called him, pulls himself up from the usual hunched posture to loom over you.  "What we need is you to explain what's going on here cadet.  This is some lizardshit for a guy that just got on the station."  He jabs a short clawtip into your chest.  "For fucks sake Zatch what's wrong with you?  I'm too hung over for this shit right now."  Interrrupts the other isselessian who is, judging by the occasional gray hairs in his pelt and the timber of his voice is, older than the other.  "Look cadet, we got your scan request but we also got an anonymous tip that this ship could be trying to smuggle goods.  So what's going on here?  I'm Gando of clan Cathawk by the way and this..."  He motions to the other isselessian.  "Is Zatch, also of clan Cathawk.  I guess it seems like a poor time to say but welcome to the service.`"  The viguawa, a dark grey feathered coat up to an iridecscant blue plumage, speaks up from looking at his datapad.  Pointing his heron-like head towerds you.  "What smuggled goods are they transporting?  It would help our search if we already know what we're looking for."  He waves his datapad.  "Instead of going through their entire manifest and scanning the whole ship.  Could save everyone here a whole lot of time."

[Mysticsage]

quick question why am i on this ship and not some public transport. As a cadet I imagine some costs for this sort of move is covered at least bare bones costs. So why did I take this sketchy ship in the first place? Was it just to get my car over or was it the only one going to this station or is this what was payed for to get me here to cut costs?

[pringerbeam]

 

Short answer: it was the cheapest ride that also allowed for you yo ship all your personal belongings

Long answer: there isn't really such a thing as public interstellar travel.  While plenty of planets and stations have public transit systems, these rarely extend services beyond the specific planet/station and at most cover transportation withing a star system.  You could have hitched a ride on a Naval Police ship for free but in doing so you would still need to ship the bulk of your gear and car separately as you would have only been allowed to personally carry what would fit in a footlocker.  The size of your car is just large enough to prevent you from taking most other commercial travel options and likely would have required you to enlist the services of some free merchant regardless of if you chose to accompany your belongings or not.  Travel by hitching a ride on merchant vessels is a common enough practice for those that don't want to/can't shell out the credits for a commercial transportation service.
     Presumably, your character judged this ride to be above board and affordable enough of an option to enlist its services.  Apparently, not above board enough to preclude the caution of asking for a scan of your belongings though.