Gilded Sands: Cobalt Revolt

Gilded Sands: Cobalt Revolt is a one-shot set 270 years prior to the end of Gilded Sands, and follows one of the cells in the Nadezhdan armed revolt sparked by the Tyranon bombing of Nadezhda, and which would culminate in the death of four Representatives and the destruction of the Songship Unity in low orbit above Aureate.

The session itself was played on the 22nd of July 2021.

Player Characters

 * Apollinariya Wolfram (she/her) (Speaker), informally Polina. A Nadezhdan military strategist from a noble house, robbed of a chance to fight back in the Razing by petty political squabbles.
 * Astor's Cabre (they/them) (Stitch), informally Cabre. A renegade Astorite medic tired of their Order's complicit position in the violence of the Coalition.
 * Sinagtala Luningning (siya/niya) (Mystic), alias Carillon. A survivor of the Razing of Nadezhda whose body was heavily inundated with tehoma as siya fled through the Singing Deep itself with nothing but niya own body.
 * Blish (they/them?), Sinagtala's headmate.
 * Stock (it/they) (Muscle), formerly Fortune, legally TAG-NPC-AA-14c. A Peacock feathered-raptor person, former risk management "autonomous asset" of Tanager Psychosoft & Biogenetiques, who killed its way to freedom.

Other Characters

 * 9e aka Ninety (it/its), rival and fellow Raptor to Stock.
 * Ferapont Gneiss (he/him), a mobster and friend of Polina's grandfather.
 * Shod (she/her), a smuggler Stock is in contact with.
 * Antama Kirwa (they/them), Dodonan Tribunal Representative.
 * Concord August (he/him), Banner Post Representative.
 * Capital Caron (he/him), Peacock Conglomerate Representative. (Mentioned)
 * Edelbrecht Uladiv (she/her), Tyranon Dynasty Representative. (Mentioned)
 * Svyatoslav Tungsten (he/him), Polina's grandfather. (Mentioned)
 * Svyatoslav "Slava" Wolfram II (he/they), Polina's nephew. (Mentioned)

Mission Summary
Only a couple of months ago, the planet Nadezhda was razed in an attack carried out by the Tyranon Dynasty, prompting little sanctionary response from the Coalition, and inciting the Cobalt Revolt, which will continue on for months after today. However, in a base on the moon of Samara, one cell of the Revolt is planning a suicide mission. In low orbit over Aureate is the Songship Unity, where four Representatives are gathered. Not only is the Unity a symbol of the Coalition itself, but it is also an immensely powerful weapon. Its destruction would be a major leg up for the Revolt.

The boarding cell consists of four individuals: Stock, a genetically engineered "NPC" acting as the muscle and security; Sinagtala Luningning, an engineer intimately familiar with the technology used in the Unity's melody drive; Astor's Cabre, a trained Satellist medic able to ensure the team's safety; and Apollinariya "Polina" Wolfram, a Nadezhdan noblewoman and strategist able to provide legitimate cover for the group.

Preparations
Before launching the mission, some of the cell attempt to solve an important problem: They have no way to transport onto the Unity, nor any way to secure landing permission. To help with the latter, Polina arranges a meeting with an old friend: Ferapont Gneiss, an elderly Nadezhdan goat/yak man who once was a part of her grandfather's criminal organisation, the Tungsten Family. Once Polina's grandfather was disowned and put in house arrest near Pesok Station by what is now the Wolfram family, Ferapont broke off and started his own minor outfit on Samara.

They meet in a small café in a domed district of Samara, for coffee and lunch, and amicably discuss a solution. Ferapont is willing and able to help, but can only provide transport or access, not both—knowing Stock is planning to bargain for transport elsewhere, she asks Ferapont to provide her with landing codes that will get them on board the Unity.

To sort out transport, Stock visits a smuggler by the name of Shod. It makes it clear that the ideal vessel is one with as little heat generation as possible, so as to avoid a conspicuous unexpected heat signature on the Unity's radar, should that be necessary. Shod takes its general ambivalence to mean it wants the shoddiest vehicle she can get her hands on, and provides the team with an adequate "bucket of bolts" that can get them to the songship.

Cabre tries to find out directions/layout? TBC