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Aoungarr Brighteyes

This article was originally posted to the pre-magazine Freelance Traveller website in 2002, and lightly edited into this form for reprint in the June/July 2014 issue.

Description

A description of Aoungarr must mention his liking for flashy (some would say gaudy) jewelry. From the gold rings in his left ear, to the gems hanging from chains around his neck and the clashing gold bracelets on his legs and arms, he is every bit the over-the-top, arrogant Vargr trader captain.

He has the typically short muzzle, and large eyes of Irilitok slave-kin. Like most spacers his rust-colored coat is trimmed short everywhere except for his proudly bushy tail. He has splashes of black around his tail, limbs and ears and a blaze of fawn/white down his front, frequently shown off by his clothes. The shorter hairs around his muzzle are graying now that he is in his forties.

Aoungarr affects to like fashion, but is really most interested in exuberantly outlandish and colorful clothes. Currently his favorite outfits are based around loose interpretations of ancient Panoramian hill-tribe kilts (from Panorama 0127/Julian/Amdukan). He tends to team the formal black and green kilts with purple and orange floral shirts and black socks. For particularly cold worlds he has an orange all-weather coat with hood, black gloves and black boots.

History

Aoungarr is an Irilitok Vargr from Keketepara in Oulduktak, the coreward trailing subsector of Antares. Keketepara is part of the Rukadukaz Republic, a member state of the Julian Protectorate, and the funnel for most of its trade with the Third Imperium. Before he was born, Aoungarr’s parents had moved to Keketepara with a number of other Asimikigir natives in order to help local aquatic industries development. As some of the few Irilitok Vargr on the planet, they became both minor celebrities and slightly discriminated against.

Having enough of this, the young Aoungarr wanted to see more of the Protectorate; when he and his panet reached their majority, they took off to the local Star Legion recruiting office. They both had their hearts set on joining the Legion Navy’s Main Fleet and commanding a warship one day. Unfortunately for the two boys, the Star Legion is required to maintain a certain quota of Humans and Vargr in the different services, and the Farguard’s Scouts were falling short of Vargr recruits, especially ones used to water. Aoungarr’s panet, Mahmed Isruel, did go on to join Main Fleet, but Aoungarr’s own application was overridden and he was ordered to begin basic training with the Farguard.

Aoungarr’s first term in the Scouts showed him a lot of the universe he’d wanted to see when he was trapped back home. More than he wanted to see in some instances. The extent of Human-Vargr racial tension in other parts of the Protectorate, and the rampant imperialism of Vilani megacorporations trying to break into Protectorate markets made him realize that there were more battles to be fought than from within a battleship.

When it was time for him to re-enlist, Aoungarr applied for a position in Farguard’s Intelligence division. After an in-depth security check, his application was provisionally granted. Aoungarr was a willing and able intelligence recruit, and the maturity lent him by his prior term served him well. He took a key role in organizing several field missions, and ended up in the field himself. He earned his first decorations in this term, for Bravery Under Fire and Wounded In Combat.

It was apparent that the young Vargr had plenty of potential, and so he entered the world of field operations himself. Taking on a variety of undercover roles, Aoungarr learnt more with each mission, things to avoid, traps the enemy would use, the appropriate use of white, gray and black propaganda, and how to avoid being caught. He served another two terms with Farguard Intelligence.

During his time with the Farguard, Aoungarr had sought to keep in touch with Mahmed, his old panet. He had enjoyed Main Fleet basic training, but got on the wrong side of a superior officer who was more interested in keeping his own stock high than in listening to a snot-nosed junior officer, especially a scent-dead Human.

While trying to cheer up a depressed Mahmed, Aoungarr hit upon an idea that would get the two trouble-makers back together, and help the Protectorate expand their intelligence operations into Antares sector. He put in a request for an extended, undercover field position, as a trader captain working the Mendan main, and other trade routes between the Third Imperium and the Julian Protectorate. Part of his submission included a request that Mahmed be detached from Main Fleet duty to help operate the trader as the engineer and provide another Star Legion influence amongst the crew.

After checking Mahmed’s background, Aoungarr’s superiors agreed to the idea, and arranged a careful back-story for the panet pair. Mahmed and Aoungarr struck up a not-so private correspondence lamenting the wild and free days of their youth, and griping about the Star Legion’s discipline. Mahmed mustered out of the Legion Navy, at the same time as Aoungarr mustered out of the Legion Farguard, and they threw their finances together. A couple of shaky (setup) deals later, and they had access to a beat up old Type A2 Far Trader, that they renamed There Ain’t None. It is of course heavily modified, rumor has it by several black market deals and some smuggling, but in actual fact paid for ‘legitimately’ by Farguard Intelligence through shadow ops budgets.

There Ain’t None has seen some heavy use since then with trips down both ends of the Mendan Main and several jaunts into Third Imperium territory. Aside from spreading propaganda (all shades), Aoungarr and Mahmed have carried several couriers both into and out of the Domain of Antares, and have gathered intelligence from the merchant community, on both sides of the border.

Reputation

What sort of reputation do Aoungarr, his partner Mahmed Isruel and their ship There Ain’t None have? The best—and the worst. If you’ve got a cargo that must get there, no matter what the opposition, then There Ain’t None is the right ship for you. If you need a sharp trader to cut a deal for you, then talk to Aoungarr, if you need a steady hand to fix your ship, ask Mahmed for a hand, he’ll let you pay him back at the next port.

But if you want to impress a client, don’t introduce him to Aoungarr, not unless he’s deaf and blind! If you want some advice about your love life, then don’t ask Aoungarr to help, he’s seen more broken hearts than Jump flashes, and Mahmed is made of ice, they say he’s got more emotion for a run-down engine than any living being. And for your honeymoon? Don’t book a high passage on There Ain’t None, it’s said that the staterooms are OK, but they’ve had a nasty problem with the freshers backwashing …

Profile

Aoungarr Brighteyes (7 Scout, 2 Merchant) Vargr Tactician (Farguard Intelligence)
Homeworld: Keketepara (Oulduktak/Antares 3204) A-79A794-B Wa 610 Jr (Rukadukaz Republic/Julian Protectorate)

Attributes

STR: 10 +0
DEX: 16 +3
CON: 10 +0
INT: 16 +3
EDU: 12 +1
WIS: 12 +1
CHA: 14 +2
SOC: 8 -1
PSI: - Not Tested
PRE: 15 +2 (Vargr Charisma)
BAB:   +5
Fort:   +4
Ref:   +7
Will:   +7

Skills

Skill Stat/Class + Misc + Ranks Total
Bribery INT/Class 3 JoT 2 0 5
Gather Information CHA/Class 2   6 8
Gunnery WIS/Class 1   6 7
Leader INT-CHA/Class 3   6 9
Liaison CHA/Class 2   8 10
P/Administration WIS/Class 1 JoT 2 0 3
P/Survey WIS/Class 1 JoT 2 0 3
Pilot INT-DEX/Class 3   9 12
Spot WIS/Class 1 Vargr 1 6 8
T/Astrogation EDU/Class 1   8 9
T/Computer EDU/Class 1   6 7
T/Medical EDU/Class 1 JoT 2 0 3
T/Sensors EDU/Class 1   9 10
T/(any) EDU/Class 1 JoT 2 0 3
Trader INT/Class 3   8 11
Gambling INT/Class 3 JoT 2 0 5
Driving DEX/Class 3 JoT 2 0 5
Forgery INT-DEX/Class 3 JoT 2 0 5
Navigation EDU/Class 1 JoT 2 0 3
Ride DEX/Class 3 JoT 2 0 5
Survival WIS/Class 1 JoT 2 0 3
Appraise INT/Class 3 JoT 2 0 5
Bluff CHA/Class 2   6 8
Broker INT/Class 3 JoT 2 0 5
K/Interstellar Law EDU/Class 1   6 7
K/Trade EDU/Class 1 JoT 2 0 3
P/(any) WIS/Class 1 JoT 2 0 3
Sense Motive WIS/Cross Class 1   6 4
Speak Irilitok - - - -
Speak Transform - - - -
Speak Galanglic - - - -
Read/Write Illitok - - - -
Read/Write Transform - - - -
Read/Write Galanglic - - - -
Any EDU Skill EDU/Cross Class 1 JoT 1 0 2
Any WIS Skill WIS/Cross Class 1 JoT 1 0 2
Any INT Skill INT/Cross Class 3 JoT 1 0 4
Any DEX Skill DEX/Cross Class 3 JoT 1 0 4
Any CHA Skill CHA/Cross Class 3 JoT 1 0 4

Feats

Armor Proficiency (Vac suit), Armor Proficiency (Light), Weapon Proficiency (Marksman), Vessel (Starships), Vessel (Grav), Ship Tactics, Jack of all Trades (x3), Weapon Proficiency (Ship’s Weapons), Negotiator, Barter, Narrow Escape, Connections (Merchants)

Equipment

Type A2 Far Trader, There Ain’t None
Full safety and survival equipment for ship
Menderes Corp. TL12 SMG
Menderes Corp. TL12 Auto-Pistol w/silencer
Nuclear Arms TL15 Body Pistol
Reflec undershirt, Flak jacket
Tailored TL14 Vac Suit
Combat Armor (hidden on ship)
Autodoc (hidden on ship)
Medical Kit TL14
Hand Computer TL14
Long Range Communicator TL14
Personal Communicator TL14
Sundry Tools
Lots of expensive, gaudy clothes

GM Notes: How to use this scoundrel?

For Imperial players: Aoungarr turns up to get them out of a bind, perhaps some bureaucratic difficulties, or a problem with an underworld character. He might ask them a favour, or just want to get to know them better. They might find he’s part of a problem they’ve been told to solve (perhaps his cover has been blown), or they might want to use him to get something smuggled into the Protectorate. He could even be plotting to bring them into Farguard Intelligence for questioning.

For Protectorate players: There Ain’t None might be the ship used to insert a team into 3I space, or Aoungarr could be an important contact for the players to turn to for help when a mission blows up in their face. It could be that the Farguard has put Aoungarr onto the players’ tail because they are suspected of being traitors, or he might need some information they could possess. On the other hand, Aoungarr could need a friend in a 3I port, and might saunter over to the players’ ship to ask them to help him get something back to the Star Legion.