Reports From Depot 15
To: Office of Special Trade
I am forwarding these accounts under the General Order pertaining to your Office. A number of singular events have occurred in this region in recent days – likely of common and potentially hostile origin. I shall proceed directly with a reproduction of the relevant reports, altered only to clarify relevant information regarding locations and other local details.
Ship’s Log: Corvette Vasaa
Training/Patrol flight over the mountains to the SE of Depot 15 [Vikol Province South]. Midmorning: human figure spotted traversing a mountain pass: a route known to our navigators but considered unused. Figure was heading NW – no settlements for many days’ travel in their direction of origin. Dangerous creatures known to inhabit this area.
Entry Log: Uple Village [adjacent to Depot 15]
Description: Male. Short, broad build. Dark skinned. Clothing of unkown origin.
Stated Origin: Anshess
Business: Nomadic trader
Name: Tal Eli
Effects: Assorted bags containing objects of minor value. No contraband discovered.
Entry and processing fee paid.
Notes: Entrant arrived on foot, from a southerly direction, traveling alone.
Disciplinary Log: Runner Lotyil
Junior Gunner Arbe: Charged drunkenness, failure to present. Sentenced hard duty twelve days.
Rated Hand Syan: Charged drunkenness, gambling. Sentenced hard duty twenty days, half-pay twenty days.
Rated Hand Yolin: Charged brawling. Sentenced confinement and corporal beating.
Unrated Hand Pety: Charged drunkenness, insubordination. Sentenced hard duty thirty days.
Lt. 3rd Enllya: drunkenness, failure to present, loss of company property. Enllja did not present for duty at this noon’s assembly of crew. Was found in a distressed state in Uple, speaking Incoherently and not responding to orders or threats of disciplinary action. Was found to no longer be in possession of Company- issued items of rank. Witnesses report her speaking to and drinking in the presence of a trader recently arrived in Uple, described as a short man of unknown origin. Sentenced disrated until a proper disciplinary hearing for her commission may be convened.
Prob.2 Dyeten: insubordination. Sentenced grounding and administrative duty ten days. Recommend return to academy for probationary evaluation.
Report: Weird Bolshja of Corvette Vasaa
Having spent the evening engaged in calculation and preparation for the vessel’s upcoming longdistance patrol, and being scheduled to remain as the overnight duty officer aboard the ship while in depot, I took a short walk around the shipyard to refresh my body and mind before assuming this duty.
Upon this walk I happened to pass a number of ships recently seized, undergoing maintenance and processing. I observed that a member of the guard tasked with securing this region of the yard was lying on the ground at his post – upon closer examination he was dead, with a wound in his side, though no damage had been done to his clothing. I summoned the remaining guards in the area and additional personnel and we undertook a search of the vessels.
No assailant was discovered; however, aboard one of the seized vessels, lately known as the Senan, a previously undiscovered compartment was found in the hold, cunningly hidden in the structure of the vessel. Though this compartment was empty, my findings indicate it held an item of significance and value.
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These are the documents revelant to the matter at hand. My own belief, supported by the analyses of Weird Bolshja, the other Weirds stationed in Depot 15, and my own staff, is that this nomadic trader, Tal Eli, is responsible for the theft of this unkown item from within the Senan, using objects stolen from Lieutenant Enllya to aid in his subterfuge and to gain access to the shipyard. A thorough search of the Depot, of Uple village, and of the surrounding land, has been fruitless in discovering any trace of this individual. In addition to posting a general notice for Tal Eli to all Company posts, the crew of the Aspire – who took the Senan originally – have been summoned for interviews. I trust your Office to take approriate note of these events and to allow me access to any resources relevant to this situation.
Kavon te Grivai, Ground-Captain Temar Company
Vikol Province South Depot