Muster out with a scout ship - A question

[actionman]

I'd think that not only would the Scouts not drop a dime on you, they'd be happy to have information from outside the line. They're not an enforcement agency, they're an intelligence agency.

It might even be known that the Scouts won't drop a dime, which would make sources more likely to come forward with highly interesting information.

 

[Condottiere]

The Scout agency concept was something that developed in science fiction.

Never clearly, in general, defined, so whether policy is just to gather information, active interference in other people's cultures and business, and/or white hats, would depend on the Dungeon Master's take on them.

 

[ottarrus]

To the OP one of the downsides to free fuel and maintenance is that the IISS will debrief you and download your ship's transponder log for inspection.
IISSanta will know when you've been naughty!

 

[swordtart]

Good catches by both @boggo2300 and @Limpin Legin

This kind of inconsistency really needs to be taken care of during the writing and development process. This is a prime example of what I mean whenever I complain of this kind of thing.

The two statements "A scout base offers fuel and supplies...etc." and "Detached-duty scouts in possession of scout ships may use maintenance facilities and crews at cost." are not actually inconsistent. The former doesn't say what the terms of the offer of fuel and supplies are and the latter does not contradict the first as it refers to facilities and employees not consumables.

The former may simply mean that scouts can refuel and re-supply at the going rate*, whereas Non-scouts will be told to poke off or risk arrest for trespass or be charged.
The latter could mean you don't have to pay to rent a hangar, but if you use maintenance crews then you pay them to work on your ship in their off-duty time or they work in their duty time and you are charged their capitation rate but no profit is added.

This is entirely consistent with the arrangements for UK civil servants dining in military messes. We paid (out of a fixed allowance) but it was at the "entitled" rate (which back in the 80's was tens of pence per meal) and represented cost price of the actual food. If we were not on duty but still permitted to stay in a mess (as a guest at a fucntion) then we paid the unentitled rate which was about ten times as much as it included an elements for the wages of the staff, accomodation, heating etc.

*cost price or cost plus marginal profit or whatever other arrangement the local chief chooses to impose and thinks he can get away with.

 

[ottarrus]

The Scout agency concept was something that developed in science fiction.

Never clearly, in general, defined, so whether policy is just to gather information, active interference in other people's cultures and business, and/or white hats, would depend on the Dungeon Master's take on them.

And the IISS has done their job within the full range of moral choices... from quarantining a world of almost-sentients to opening a world to corporate exploitation that has an uncontacted native civilization on it. While nobody who serves the Iridium Throne is a definite white hat, it is true that the Scouts are one of 'cleaner' organizations. Nevertheless there is still a noticeable layer of dirt in the 'grey area'.

 

[actionman]

When in doubt consult the classics...

"The Detached Duty Office was created to keep track of all retired and detached Scout personnel in order to be able to swiftly recontact them and return them to active service in an emergency. In addition, the Detached Duty Office controls all surplus IISS craft (scout ships and courier vessels) making them available to some ex-Scouts if that will help the llSS in its missions. The office is divided into two branches - Records and Intelligence.
The Records Blanch maintains documentation on all Scouts serving an detached duty. Virtually all former Scouts fit this classification and are subject to recall for military service or for specific scout missions. Normally, however, only those Scouts with surplus Scout vessels on loan to them are actively monitored.
The Intelligence Branch is an information gathering agency for the Scouts. Its primary function is to debrief detached duty Scouts when they visit scout bases for refueling or maintenance on their vessels. The Intelligence Branch also maintains active agents (spies) in areas where information is vitally needed

The Security Branch is charged with providing security and law enforcement for the Scout Service. Security Branch Scouts serve as police enforcers on Scout property, as commandos or shipboard light troops, for special Scout activities, and as clandestine agents for Intelligence Branch. Agents of the IISS Security Branch have great authority to arrest, detain. or question individuals suspected of violations of Imperial law, and can demand cooperation from local authorities as the need arises."

They are the only detailed major Imperial service that has definitive powers of arrest.

A thought:

• The Detached Duty Office makes surplus IISS starships available to scouts that will help the IISS in its missions. The surplus IISS scout ships are not given to the scouts, the scouts are allowed to use IISS vessels.
• The Intelligence Branch of the Detached Duty Office debriefs detached scouts when they visit scout bases for refueling or maintenance.

Therefore, there would a powerful motivation for the IISS to make free maintenance available to scouts with surplus IISS vessels, because they would be maintaining their own ships. IMO the IISS would strongly prefer scouts bring surplus IISS vessels to Scout Bases for maintenance, instead of Crazy Eneri's Discount Parts and Maintenance and Groatburgers. IISS engineers know The First Rule of Scout Ship Maintenance: There are not supposed to be parts left over. Another reason is that giving unvetted maintenance personnel access to scout ship systems would be a serious espionage vulnerability. And that's another reason the IISS would want the ships maintained at their facilities, to check for trackers and other espionage devices.

Free fuel with be a strong draw for scouts to come in and meet with an Intelligence Branch debriefer, and the scouts who even have surplus vessels are supposed to be helping with the IISS' mission anyway.

The IISS isn't making these services available to scouts with a surplus vessel as a benefit, they're servicing and refuelling their own vessels that are on mission. They're indirectly on mission, but still on mission.

 

[actionman]

And the IISS has done their job within the full range of moral choices... from quarantining a world of almost-sentients to opening a world to corporate exploitation that has an uncontacted native civilization on it. While nobody who serves the Iridium Throne is a definite white hat, it is true that the Scouts are one of 'cleaner' organizations. Nevertheless there is still a noticeable layer of dirt in the 'grey area'.

Thinking about it, the Scouts would be the least involved with the Imperial feudal pyramid. They don't enforce the Emprah's will, they don't keep the poors in line, they don't protect the spacelanes, there's no money in it, and there's no honor or glory to be had (except one's reputation among other scouts). It's a lonely dangerous job that hardly any nobles would be interested in.

 

[Vormaerin]

It's a lonely dangerous job that hardly any nobles would be interested in.

Except Crown Princess Ciencia. Though I doubt she did any solitary scout ship or X-boat runs.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Cleon II abdicated - he didn't like the job, and instead "Cleon spent the rest of his long, active, colorful, and from
all accounts happy, life on the frontier as a self-appointed (and extremely effective) one-man fire brigade."

"Artemsus had an elder daughter, but she did not pursue a career in government." This daughter could have been empress and chose not to be.

 

[Condottiere]

As a gimmick to provide the player party relatively free interstellar transport, great.

 

[actionman]

Except Crown Princess Ciencia. Though I doubt she did any solitary scout ship or X-boat runs.

I suspect she did the Scout equivalent of glamping.

 

[Vormaerin]

Possibly. The services are used to having nobles in them. And she's a scientist, not an explorer.

 

[swordtart]

A thought:

• The Detached Duty Office makes surplus IISS starships available to scouts that will help the IISS in its missions. The surplus IISS scout ships are not given to the scouts, the scouts are allowed to use IISS vessels.
• The Intelligence Branch of the Detached Duty Office debriefs detached scouts when they visit scout bases for refueling or maintenance.

Therefore, there would a powerful motivation for the IISS to make free maintenance available to scouts with surplus IISS vessels, because they would be maintaining their own ships. IMO the IISS would strongly prefer scouts bring surplus IISS vessels to Scout Bases for maintenance, instead of Crazy Eneri's Discount Parts and Maintenance and Groatburgers. IISS engineers know The First Rule of Scout Ship Maintenance: There are not supposed to be parts left over. Another reason is that giving unvetted maintenance personnel access to scout ship systems would be a serious espionage vulnerability. And that's another reason the IISS would want the ships maintained at their facilities, to check for trackers and other espionage devices.

Free fuel with be a strong draw for scouts to come in and meet with an Intelligence Branch debriefer, and the scouts who even have surplus vessels are supposed to be helping with the IISS' mission anyway.

The IISS isn't making these services available to scouts with a surplus vessel as a benefit, they're servicing and refuelling their own vessels that are on mission. They're indirectly on mission, but still on mission.

I presume we are not saying a scout ship comes mortgage free as well. It is no more a "free" ship than any other ship. I would presume that free fuel and repairs fall under the same equitably.

Any ex-service person has the option to beg a favour when in facility run by the service they were part of. Whether that favour is granted is a referee decision.

 

[Sigtrygg]

The scout ship is mortgage free, or at least it was in classic, Mega...

"The type S scout/courier is a 100-ton dispatch vessel of a type very common within human space and fully described in Book 2. It is the policy of the scout service to make available such surplus scout ships to selected individuals on a reserve basis. The vessels are (hopefully) put to good use while they are not required in service, and both the ship and its pilot are available for recall to duty when needed. Only one scout ship may be acquired by a character; further receipt of this benefit results in no further effect. Possession of the scout ship is at the pleasure of the scout service, and it cannot be sold by the character. The ship may be used as desired. Fuel is free at scout bases. Maintenance is free at the scout bases."

"Scout/Couriers are technically loaned to ex-Scouts and are subject to recall; because of upheaval in the Imperium, the Scout/Courier is effectively owned by the characters but cannot be sold. Regardless of how many times a character receives a Scout/Courier as a benefit, he can receive only one ship.
Other ships are subject to 40-year loans."

 

[Vormaerin]

Scout ships from the Scout service are mortgage free. The ship is does not belong to the Scout. It belongs to the IISS. They do sometimes sell off old scout ships, but that's not the benefit from Scout service.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

Can the Scout modify his free ship? Specifically in ways that the Service might consider a downgrade.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

I presume we are not saying a scout ship comes mortgage free as well. It is no more a "free" ship than any other ship. I would presume that free fuel and repairs fall under the same equitably.

Of course it's mortgage free:

Core, p47:
Scout Ship: You receive a scout ship. You have full use of the ship and can modify it as you see fit but it still belongs to the Scout Service and can (and will!) be recalled back into service as needed. This means you will be expected to complete missions for the Scout Service from time-to-time.

Nor is it a new ship...

 

[ottarrus]

Thinking about it, the Scouts would be the least involved with the Imperial feudal pyramid. They don't enforce the Emprah's will, they don't keep the poors in line, they don't protect the spacelanes, there's no money in it, and there's no honor or glory to be had (except one's reputation among other scouts). It's a lonely dangerous job that hardly any nobles would be interested in.

The IISS is the Emperor's 'odd job squad'.
- Does the Emperor have an interest in a given world but doesn't want tick off the megacorps? Have the Scouts Red Zone it.
- Does an investigation need to be conducted with discretion and dispatch? Send Scout Security to handle it.
etc.
The Scouts are the glue that holds the Imperium together. They move the messages, the find the resources, they keep the knowledge, and they it all without bias or favor. Every single entity in the Imperium uses information developed by the IISS on a daily basis and only more intuitive and open minded people are entirely aware of it.
It takes a particular type of Noble to serve in the Scouts, but those that can exist in the IISS' culture have a greater chance to make larger contributions. I don't want to use the word 'honor' per se, but Scout nobles who do serve honorably tend to see the Imperium for what it is, without the power plays or politics. This allows them to do more good for more people.

 

[ottarrus]

Can the Scout modify his free ship? Specifically in ways that the Service might consider a downgrade.

It is germane to note that a Type S has very little room to 'hot rod' the ship. There ARE some things you can do with the ship, but it's a tight fit all the way around.

 

[Vormaerin]

Can the Scout modify his free ship? Specifically in ways that the Service might consider a downgrade.

In theory, no. Are these beat up old ships practically put out to pasture after 25 to 50 years of hard service? Yes.

I would expect them to be pretty leery of downgrading its already limited mobility (J2/M2) (which wasn't possible in CT when the ship was created, because the lowest end drives in the game were capable of pushing a 100 ton ship at M2/J2). But if you lost the air/raft for more smuggling space or something, they probably wouldn't care.