The Cleaved Helm

Sacnoth Dominate Exploring Expeditions

"Giving the order to jump from Welsung was bittersweet.  I was proud that we'd ventured so far into the Rim frontier while both disappointed not to be going on and pleased to be heading home."
— Kommandor Steffen Margadsson, Commander's Log, 27 Mars 27 D.E.

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Margadsson Expedition

The (First) Rim Frontier Exploring Expedition — the "Margadsson Expedition" — leaves Biter on 07 Apríl 25 D.E. and returns three years later on 18 Júní 28 D.E., travelling rimward along the spinward trace of the Rim frontier main as far as Welsung (nine one-parsec jumps from Biter), exploring eleven star systems, including two port calls at Caladbolg.  This Sacnoth Dominate naval expedition is led by Kommandor Steffen Margadsson, who commands the 800-ton barque Slangeholderen.  The other ships of the expedition are the 600-ton brigantine Fram, commanded by Løjtnant Nels Gustavosson, the 400-ton auxiliary ship Hanne, commanded by Fänrik Jørn Satoshisson, the 300-ton cutter Faldende Ørn, commanded by Løjtnant Erik Hannatusson, the 200-ton auxiliary Ingebørg, commanded by Fänrik Harald Dubashi, and the 100-ton sloop Nordkapp, commanded by Fänrik Rasmus Nkokasson.

The expedition includes a "scientific corps" of civilians, a diverse collection of astrophysicists, ecologists and geoscientists and a handful of sophontologists and archivists who assist in surveying planetary systems and their worlds, identfying valuable mineral resources and local flora and fauna with potential agricultural uses, and cataloguing information for potential future exploitation efforts.

Expedition Course

Margadsson Expedition Course (Modified from The Traveller Map)

Depart Biter, 07 Apríl 25 D.E.

Worlds visited:
• Lodestone, 25 D.E. (04-05)
   • Survey summary
• Zibar (Nyord), 25 D.E. (06-07)
• Vanaheim, 25 D.E. (08-09)
• Mithril, 25 D.E. (10-11)
• Igliim, 25 D.E. (12-01)
• Skofnung, 26 D.E. (02)
• Caladbolg, 26 D.E. (03-04)
• Skofnung (2nd), 26 D.E. (05)
• Caliburn, 26 D.E. (06-07)
• Datrillian, 26 D.E. (08-09)
• Nagelring, 26 D.E. (10-11)
• Welsung, 26 D.E. (12-03)
• Nagelring (2nd), 27 D.E. (04)
• Datrillian (2nd), 27 D.E. (05)
• Caliburn (2nd), 27 D.E. (08-09)
• Skofnung (3rd), 27 D.E. (10)
• Caladbolg (2nd), 27 D.E. (11-12)
• Skofnung (4th), 28 D.E. (01)
• Igliim (2nd), 28 D.E. (02)
• Mithril (2nd), 28 D.E. (03)
• Zibar (Nyord, 2nd), 28 D.E. (04)
• Lodestone (2nd), 28 D.E. (05)

Return Biter, 18 Júní 28 D.E.

Worlds Surveyed

Barque Slangeholderen

Barque Slangeholderen[ᚠ]

The Slangeholderen is a Surtur-class barque.  The ship has acccommodations for 25 crew and 20 passengers with a handful of single-occupancy staterooms, double-occupancy staterooms for most crew and passengers and no low berths.  The ship carries two pinnaces (50-ton small craft), two all-terrain vehicles and one air/raft.  It is armed with triple pulse laser turrets.  The partially-streamlined ship has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant and a fuel purification plant.

Crew consists of the ship commander (Kommandor Margadsson), pilot (småbetjent), navigator/chief gunner (fänrik), chief engineer (fänrik) and senior medic (småbetjent), one signals/detection officer (småbetjent), three engineers (bådsmand, rummænd), seven gunners (småbetjent, bådsmænd, rummænd), two pinnace pilots (bådsmænd), two pinnace gunners (rummænd), two medics (småbetjent, bådsmand), three yeomen — one adminisration, two operations (rummænd), and twenty scientific corps members (seven geoscientists, seven ecologists, four astrophysicists, one sophontologist and one archivist).

Generally, the Slangeholderen is responsible for planetary landings (or planetoid belt or gas giant moon surveys when a system does not have a main world).  The ship's pinnaces enable its scientific corps complement to reach a world's surface.  The majority of Slangeholderen's scientific corps is comprised of the geoscientists and ecologists most suited to world surveys.  Scientific corps members are also frequently exchanged among the ships of the Expedition so that those with the appropriate skills are available in the locations where those skills would be most useful.

Brigantine Fram

Brigantine Fram[ᚢ]

The Fram is a Rykke-class brigantine.  The ship has accommodations for 20 crew with a handful of single-occupancy staterooms (the medic's also serving as sickbay), double-occupancy staterooms for most crew and no low berths.  The ship carries one pinnace (40-ton small craft).  It is armed with triple pulse laser turrets.  The partially-streamlined, armored ship also has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant.

Crew consists of the ship commander/navigator (Løjtnant Gustavosson), pilot (småbetjent), chief engineer (fänrik) and ship's medic (småbetjent), one signals/detection officer (småbetjent), six gunners (fänrik, småbetjent, bådsmænd, rummænd), four engineers (småbetjent, bådsmand, rummænd), one pinnace pilot (bådsmand), one pinnace gunner (rummand), one medic's mate (rummand) and two yeomen — one administration, one operations (rummænd).

The principal role of Fram is Expedition security.  The ship assumes the traditional high guard position when the other ships of the Expedition are refueling.  In situations where there are deemed to be few security threats, Fram often surveys a secondary gas giant or an interesting secondary world.  Fram carries no scientific corps complement — its crew of naval personnel is nevertheless well-suited to orbital surveying — but the ship's pinnace is often used to ferry scientific corps members between other ships of the Expedition.

Auxiliary Hanne

Auxiliary ship Hanne[ᚦ]

The Hanne is a Karen-class auxiliary.  The ship has accommodations for nine crew and twelve passengers with a handful of single-occupancy staterooms and double-occupancy staterooms for most crew and passengers.  (The ship's original low berths have been converted into a sickbay and laboratory for the scientific corps.)  The ship has extensive cargo space which can also be used as surplus fuel tankage.  The ship carries one launch (20-ton small craft) and is armed with single pulse laser turrets.  The streamlined ship has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant and a fuel purification plant.

Crew consists of the ship commander/navigator (Fänrik Satoshisson), pilot (småbetjent), gunner (bådsmand), ship's engineer (småbetjent), two engineers (bådsmænd), medic's mate (rummand), gunner's mate (rummand) and boat pilot (bådsmand) and twleve scientific corps members (four geoscientists, four ecologists, two astrophysicists, one sophontologist and one archivist).

The principal role of Hanne is Expedition support.  The ship carries extensive supplies in its cargo holds, including spare components for critical systems of the ships of the Expedition (two of Hanne's engineers are responsible for Expedition ship maintenance).  Hanne's fuel purification plant processes unrefined fuel for other Expedition ships and Hanne itself can be used as a fuel tanker in extreme circumstances, though its ordinary cargo must be off-loaded in such situations.  Hanne is able to deliver its scientific corps directly to a world's surface and for this reason the corps complement, though slightly smaller, is similar in composition to that of Slangeholderen.

Cutter Faldende Ørn

Cutter Faldende Ørn[ᚨ]

The Faldende Ørn is a Vethrfölnir-class cutter.  The ship has accommodations for twelve crew with a handful of single-occupancy staterooms, double-occupancy staterooms for most of the crew and no low berths.  Faldende Ørn carries one launch (20-ton small craft).  It is armed with triple pulse laser turrets.  The partially-streamlined, armored ship has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant.

Crew consists of the ship commander/navigator (Løjtnant Hannatusson), pilot (småbetjent), chief gunner (fänrik) and ship's medic (bådsmand), and one gunner (bådsmand), two gunner's mates (rummænd), two engineers (bådsmænd), two engineer's mates (rummænd) and one launch pilot (bådsmand).

Faldende Ørn supports Fram in the Expedition security role, including performing the high guard function when Fram is refueling.  Like Fram, in situations where there are deemed to be few security threats, Faldende Ørn often surveys a secondary gas giant or an interesting secondary world.  Faldende Ørn also carries no scientific corps complement but its crew of naval personnel is similarly well-suited to orbital surveying.  The ship's launch is also often used to ferry scientific corps members between other ships of the Expedition.

Auxiliary Ingebørg

Auxiliary ship Ingebørg[ᚱ]

The Ingebørg is a Fríða-class auxiliary.  The ship has accommodations for six crew and twelve passengers with a couple of single-occupancy staterooms and double-occupancy staterooms for most crew and passengers.  (The ship's original low berths have been converted into a laboratory and specimen storage for the scientific corps.)  The ship has extensive cargo space and is armed with single pulse laser turrets.  The streamlined ship has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant and a fuel purification plant.

Crew consists of the ship commander/gunner (Fänrik Dubashi), pilot/navigator (småbetjent), two engineers (bådsmand), gunner's mate (rummand), and ship's medic (bådsmand) and twelve scientific corps members (four geoscientists, four ecologists, three astrophysicists and one archivist).

The principal role of Ingebørg is to supplement Hanne in Expedition support.  The ship carries extensive supplies in its cargo holds, including spare components for critical systems of the ships of the Expedition (one of Ingebørg's engineers is responsible for Expedition ship maintenance).  Ingebørg's fuel purification plant processes unrefined fuel for other Expedition ships.  Like Hanne, Ingebørg is able to deliver its scientific corps directly to a world's surface; the corps complement is slightly smaller but similar in composition to that of Hanne.

Sloop Nordkapp

Sloop Nordkapp[ᚲ]

The Nordkapp is a Vardøhus-class sloop.  The ship has accommodations for four crew and three passengers (with a single-occupancy stateroom for the ship commander and double-occupancy staterooms for most of the crew and the passengers) and no low berths.  Nordkapp carries one air/raft and is armed with a double pulse laser turret.  The streamlined ship has fuel scoops for skimming unrefined fuel from a gas giant and a fuel purification plant.

Crew consists of the ship commander/pilot (Fänrik Nkokasson), navigator/gunner (småbetjent), engineer (bådsmand) and medic's mate (rummand), and three scientific corps members (three astrophysicists).

Nordkapp supports Fram and Faldende Ørn in the Expedition security role.  Like Fram and Faldende Ørn, in situations where there are deemed to be few security threats, Nordkapp often surveys a secondary gas giant, an interesting secondary world or a planetoid belt.  Nordkapp carries a small scientific corps complement which is adept at orbital surveying.  The ship also can be used to ferry scientific corps members between other ships of the Expedition or to a world's surface.

Image credits:
^[ᚠ] Original illustration by Jennel Jaquays (of Broadsword-class mercenary cruiser) which originally appeared in the Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society #8.  No endorsement of the Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.
^[ᚢ] Original illustration by William H. Keith, Jr. (of Endeavor-class patrol ship) which originally appeared in Adventure Class Ships, Volume II.  No endorsement of the Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.
^[ᚦ] Original illustration by William H. Keith, Jr. (of Type-R subsidized merchant) which originally appeared in Supplement 7: Traders and Gunboats.  No endorsement of the Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.
^[ᚨ] Original illustration by Jennel Jaquays (of Gazelle-class close escort) which originally appeared in Supplement 9: Fighting Ships.  No endorsement of the Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.
^[ᚱ] Original illustration by William H. Keith, Jr. (of Type-A free trader) which appeared in The Traveller Book.  No endorsement of the Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.
^[ᚲ] Original illustration by William H. Keith, Jr. (of Type-S scout/couriert) which originally appeared in Supplement 7: Traders and Gunboats.  No endorsement of the Cleaved Helm has been made or is implied.

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