The Group

The Chebs, currently located in the Wypoc system. The Chebs was initially formed by Gary Grey to assist on a job he was hired to do, and have continued travelling together after the inconclusive end.

Members

The Chebs currently consists of 5 members, all of which are original members. They are:

• Gary Grey
• Jeremy Jeremy
• John "Sausage" Bronston
• Qenzh Erreqif
• Steve Connors

History

Formation

The Chebs was formed by Gary Grey. Originally to aid him in delivering a crate he was hired to deliver to K'kirka by Benjamin Blue, a contact of his. The Chebs were to meet an unnamed individual in a mining colony cafeteria at 8am who was to take the crate off of them, but the individual never showed. Some members of the Chebs (notably Connors and Erreqif) continued to wait for this rendezvous at 8am for the next week, whilst others began to give up hope and retired to their rooms, or to other activities around the K'kirka town.

K'kirka

K'kirka is a planet primarily inhabited by workers of mining corporations, and virtually all traffic to the planet is commercial. The cost of living is also very high, for the most part due to the lethal nature of the atmosphere meaning constant life support is required to live. The mining corporations keep wages high enough to afford the expensive cost of living, but too low to easily afford passages on one of the commercial vessels that prefer profitable minerals as cargo. The price of transport from K'kirka compared to wages can be so high that some families have to save for generations to afford just one member passage to a new system.

As time went on, The Chebss situation started to become more dire as the prospect of being able to leave started to become less and less possible due to the high cost of living. After a week of waiting, the Chebs notice a Bwap enter the cafeteria and futilely attempt to hire people for a job. Due to his timid and quiet nature the majority people in the cafeteria did not hear him, and those that did simply did not care. The Chebs approached him, and he identified himself as Dalglee Hahsh, an agent for Lysani Laboratories stationed on K'kirka. After several failed attempts by Qenzh Erreqif to offload the crate onto Hahsh, the Chebs decided to hear him out and take him up on his offer.

The Calendula

see The Calendula Incident for more information

Hahsh stated that he had lost contact with a science ship chartered by Lysani in orbit around K'kirka, and needed to hire a crew to head up and fix the communications array. He offered extra money for a full report in case anything else had gone wrong, and included passage offworld for the entire Chebs. Hahsh provided the Chebs with vacc suits and an air raft, and they travelled up to the Calendula.

They were unable to contact the ship from the outside, and after a fly by the communications array appeared in tact, so the Chebs boarded the ship from the only free air raft bay. They were immediately alerted to something bigger going on due to signs of struggle, blood, and damage all throughout the inside of the ship. They discovered that the ship had been researching combat drugs, and that some illegal experimentation was being carried out on crew members of other ships that were kidnapped by mercenaries. They also discovered corporate espionage was going on, with lab reports being stolen by the astrogrator Harris Slowcombe and being transmitted to Butler Chemical, a rival of Lysanis. Butler finally ordered Slowcombe to destroy all the evidence, and he set a bomb in the auxillary laboratory. The bomb caused multiple experimental drugs to mix in the air, which was propagated throughout the ship by life support. The drug cocktail caused some members of crew to die instantly, and the others to fly into a murderous rage and kill each other, leaving only 4 survivors. Of the 4 survivors, The Chebs triggered rage flashbacks in 3 of them and injured them to near death.

The Chebs also alerted Slowcombe to their arrival and intent to discover what happened on the ship, causing him to set another bomb in the auxillary laboratory. After incapacitating Slowcombe and a failed disarming attempt, Bronston and Connors decided to take the bomb outside the ship to detonate is harmlessly in space. They succeeded in getting the bomb into the air raft and flying it far enough away to detonate safely, preserving the rest of the ship to investigate for their report.

Upon reaching the pinnace, Bronston and Grey decided to call the incident in to the authorities. After managing to persuade them he was telling the truth, K'kirka ground control enlisted a passing scout vessel to intervene on behalf of the authorities. The Chebs finally met up with the scouts after clearing the entire ship, and Brontson and Grey were left to report to them. They told the scouts everything, including the name and location of their patron Hahsh, and his involvement with Lysani. Grey made the interesting choice to withhold the corporate espionage, protecting Butler Chemical and placing all the blame squarely on Lysani and Hahsh. The Chebs promptly handed over all 4 surviving crew members along with the entire Calendula, and left.

On arrival back on K'kirka, The Chebs made their way straight back to Hahsh to give their report. They told him of the corporate espionage and the bomb, but limited details of the scout involvement to "handing over the crew members to a passing ship for medial attention". Hahsh was not pleased but kept up his end of the bargain, paying the travellers and contacting James James of The Ligma to comfirm the passage off world he had on hold for the travelers. Moments after the travelers left Hahsh's office, K'kirka security forces entered and arrested him on the spot.

The Chebs spent several more days on K'kirka, recovering from the Calendula Incident in a medical facility. During this time, Bronston and Jeremy opened the crate they had been charged with delivering. Inside, they discovered a second crate addressed to Regina from K'kirka. Inside this second crate they discovered a load of miscellaneous junk, including candlesticks and several toasters. Subsequent members of crew took turns looking at the crate as they were discharged one by one, and eventually it was discovered that the crate had a false bottom, and concealed below were a couple dozen tubs of a white paste. After some casual observation of the tubs and Bronston tasting the contents, they decided it was likely moisturizer, but were unsure why anyone would to ship it so surreptitiously.

Once all recovered, The Chebs set off on board the Ligma, taking the undelivered crate with them.

Wypoc

The Ligma was bound for Regina, 4 parsecs away from K'Kirka, so first stopped at Wypoc, a jump-2 system from both. The ship made it to Wypoc and landed without issue. The Chebs decided to disembark and explore the Wypoc startown, first heading through boarder control and customs. Part of these security checks were performed by Sergent Johnson, an officer on duty. Things were going well, until The Chebs deduced Johnson may be a racist. This caused Erreqif to become agitated, and interrogate Johnson on his opinion on psions. As law enforcement on an imperial planet, Johnson was of course required to arrest any psions on behalf of the empire, and this mention made him suspicious. Connors jumped in to try and convince Johnson that everything was alright, but unfortunately he and Erreqif failed to subside Johnsons suspicions and they were both taken to an interrogation room for further questioning. The interrogation stagnated, with both Chebs members managing to keep from incriminating themselves any further, but also not quelling Johnsons suspicions. Eventually, Bronston was able to hack into Johnsons communicator and convince him he was a ranking officer and that Johnson was urgently needed elsewhere, leading to Johnson simply releasing Connors and Erreqif and banning them from entering Wypoc.

The remaining members exited the starport building and headed into Wypoc startown, where they were approached Captain Black Star. Star offered The Chebs the opportunity for a chance to see a Wypoc Dragon, an extremely dangerous local predator and one of the things Wypoc is most famed for. Grey and Bronston turned down his offer, with Grey citing the lack of reviews of Black Stars services being the reason for declining. The two continued to make their way around star town, visiting Bopper Burger, where Grey notably purchased a Mawk with ketchup on behalf of Bronston.

Illegal Aliens

Back aboard the Ligma, Connors and Erreqif bumped into James James, who was offloading cargo. They explained their situation to James, who offered to smuggle them across the boarder in crates. The two accepted this offer, notably opting to share a crate instead of going in separate crates. This crate was a struggle for James to handle alone, and so he enlisted the help or Srj. Johnson to help dismount it from the transport on the other side of the boarder. Johnson remarked on the weight of the crate, asking what was inside, to which James replied "Fugatives". Johnson took this to be a joke and left James and the dismounted crate, allowing James to free Erreqif and Connors into the startown without issue.

Connors and Erreqif met up with the others and investigated the town further. The Chebs headed to Jimmys Vacc Suits, where Bronston ordered a vacc suit with a custom design. Grey also asked Jimmy, the proprietor, for reviews of Star's tours. Jimmy informed him he'd only heard good things about the tours, and so Grey was sold on the idea of going on one of Stars tours. The others filled in the latecomers and they all went off in search of Star to go on a dragon tour

The Wypoc Dragon

The Chebs found Captain Black Star and agreed to his rate of 30Cr per person. He took them to his 'Land Ship' for the tour. The was actually a double decker bus with wood-like decor adorning the outside, referred to by Star as the 'Iron Maiden'. The Maiden was fitted with an airlock, as is common for passenger vehicles on Wypoc due to the hazardous atmosphere outside of the domed cities. The Chebs met Star's associate, Billy Salt, a young peg-legged lad who fulfilled the role of helmsman (driver), referred to by Star as '1st mate'. The Maiden was also occupied with other passengers, mostly families. The Chebs dispersed aboard the maiden, with most members choosing seats away from each other on the lower deck, but notably with Grey opting to sit on the upper deck. As the Maiden departed, Connors decided to attempt to memorize the route taken.

The Maiden left the city and headed out into the hazardous area surrounding. Star talked for most of this journey, giving general information about Wypoc, species, and notably the dragons. Connors asked several questions about the dragons, determining various useful facts about them. On the journey, they also passed a Pen-Jooin, a kangaroo-like predator with large muscular arms. They witnessed the Pen-Jooin chase down and pounce on a defenseless Greeble, mercilessly punching it to death. The Maiden eventually reached a large cave, and stopped near the mouth. Soon, a pair of read eyes became visible, followed by a dragons head. The dragon breathed fire into the air, and Star ordered Salt to get them out of there immediately. The Maiden rushed away, not being followed by the dragon, and reached the startown with no injuries to anyone on board. The Chebs disembarked with the rest of the passengers, thanking Star for the trip.

Retracing Steps

Connors and other members of the Chebs wanted to obtain a dragon egg and attempt to raise a pet dragon, and so began preperations to head back to the cave to search for an egg. The first stop was to Jimmys Vacc Suits, to retrieve Bronstons new suit. Whist there, they found out Jimmy and his partner were expecting a child soon, and he was planning on renaming the shop to 'Jimmy and Sons'. The Chebs convinced him that a far better name would be 'Jimmy and Fam', to be far more inclusive towards daughters and other family.

Next, they stopped at Bopper Burger, where Connors purchased a large number of raw patties. Bronston also attempted to seduce the underage girl serving them, mistaking her to be an of-age man.

After this, the Chebs found a vehicle rental place. The met the proprietor, a man called Lesley, and and discussed renting a vehicle. The Chebs stated that the vehicle should have an airlock as a requirement, due to some members not having vacc suits. Lesley informed them that airlocks were only standard on larger vehicles large enough to accommodate them. They were given a good deal on a cheaper bus, due to issues with the buses systems. They were able to drive off without any trouble and made their way out of the startown.

Connors was able to recall the journey with no issue, and the Chebs were soon back at the dragons cave. The dragon did not emerge this time, so Connors and Bronston disembarked to investigate the cave. They discovered that the dragon was a remote controlled animatronic, which they prompty destroyed. The power source of the dragon was a large, egg shaped cell, produced by Butler Chemical. They decided to steal the cell, loading it into their bus. They hid the bus out of sight and waited for the Iron Maiden to appear. They watched in anticipation as the Maiden appeared, only to see no dragon. After a few minutes the Maiden departed, and the Chebs followed, returning to town as fast as they could.

Confrontation and Extortion

The Chebs made it back to town before Maiden, and prepared themselves where the Maiden usually parks. They got the cell out of the bus, moving the bus out of sight, and all stood around the cell. When the bus turned up they soon got the attention of Star, and even some of the children who were disembarking. Star got the children to leave, and the Chebs began demanding money for the return of the egg. Star reluctantly agreed to pay 3000Cr for the return of the cell, only finding out afterwards that the animatronic dragon 'Bessie' had also been significantly damaged. The Chebs then left an upset and dismayed Star, taking the money and heading back to the Ligma.

Return to the Ligma

Most members of the Chebs were able to pass through the star port with no issue, however Connors and Erreqif realized they may have some issues due to being on the planet illegally. They initially contacted James James for assistance on returning due to his help smuggling them onto the planet in the first place, but they found he wasn't in a state to help them due to smoking an acrylic-encased plant that was gifted to him by the Chebs on K'Kirka. James sent Keith Lambert to help, who met them outside the star port. Negotiations with Lambert did not go well, due to them not wanting to disclose the reason of them being banned from the planet, and failing to convince Lambert that it was unnecessary to know. Erreqif eventually got fed up of this, and whilst Connors and Lambert were debating, she curled up into a ball on the floor and teleported back to her room on the Ligma, leaving just her clothes behind. Unbeknownst to Errequif, a small boy had witnessed this, and was seen pointing at the spot she previously occupied and exclaiming 'Wow! That lady!'. Due to the illegality of psionics within the empire, Lambert was rather shocked by this, and now had an idea of why they may have been refused entry to the planet. Lambert then took Connors through the starport under the pretense of arresting him, due to an outstanding bounty. Lambert and Connors managed to get through the star port without issue, but the Ligma departed immediately as soon as they were on board, just in case.

Leaving Wypoc

Having witnessed Erreqifs teleportation, Lambert was now aware that his crew had been illegally transporting a psion through imperial space. Lambert attempted to seize the opportunity by requesting extra money from the Chebs. Discussions between Lambert and Connors went nowhere fast, with Connors steadfastly refusing to give in to Lamberts demands whilst simultaneously failing to provide him with an alternative he would accept. Erreqif attempted to listen in on the negotiations happening in the cargo hold from the hatch to the passenger cabins, but ended up losing her footing and being suspended from her shoelaces whilst dangling through the hatch. Eventually they decided on terms including: Erreqif being suspended in a low berth for the remainder of the journey; the Ligma crew being allowed some items out of the transported crate; and The Chebs and the Ligma crew parting ways at Regina.

Regina

After a week of travel, the Ligma arrived in the Regina system. Due to Bronstons arrival being anticipated by local authorities, the Ligma was given priority landing and was able to dock almost instantly. All of The Chebss belongings (including the low berth containing Erreqif) were promptly unloaded with help from James. The Chebs were met by 2 local officers, charged with watching them until the Public Order Commission could arrive. The POC officers, led by Chief Inspector Pallod Norrim, took Bronston, Connors and Jeremy off to Norrims office, whilst Grey took the low berth containing Erreqif to a doctor for revival. Grey found a doctor easily, and Erreqif was revived without issue. Erreqif and Grey then proceeded to catch up with the others.

Norrim informed the Chebs that Backetts death was under investigation, and asked if The Chebs knew anyone who would want to hurt him. Bronston decided to use this as an opportunity to incriminate Dalglee Hahsh to Norrim as a potential suspect. Norrim also informed Bronston that he could collect Backetts body, along with a Travel bond of Cr1m to transport Backett back to Allel.

After this meeting, The Chebs decided to leave all of their weapons and other questionable gear in storage in order to make it through customs and down to the moons surface. They were able to make it through customs without issue, and were soon on a shuttle bound for the moons surface. They decided their first order of business was to deliver the crate to its destination. The Chebs headed off to the adjoining town via train, where they then split up. Jeremy split off to do some shopping, whilst the remainder of the Chebs headed to the address on the parcel.

Delivery

The Chebs (without Jeremy) found the address relatively easily, with the help of signs and locals, and knocked on the door. They were greeted by an elderly lady, who seemed immediately suspicious of them. Through conversation with the lady, the Chebs divulged that they weren't supposed to have delivered the parcel to her, and were in fact supposed to have delivered the outer parcel to someone on K'Kirka who never showed; they had opened the outer crate to find the inner crate; they had also opened the inner crate and rummaged around in it, finding the white substance in the bottom. Bronston also once again attempted to blame any wrongdoings on Hahsh.

The lady refused delivery of the parcel, shut herself back in her house, and told The Chebs that she'd have to talk to her son. Soon after, a car and a van pulled up with 4 gangsters in suits and armed with tommy guns get out. After some questioning, they load The Chebs into the back of the van and drive off.