Invidious (Individual Merchant-class JumpShip)
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| Invidious | |
|---|---|
| Vessel Profile | |
| Type | JumpShip |
| Class | Merchant |
Originally a free trader, the Merchant-class[1] JumpShip Invidious is best known for its association with the Gray Death Legion.
It should not be confused with the Invader-class vessel of the same name that was operated by the Gray Death Legion by 3065.
History
A deck officer by the age of twenty, Renfred Tor and his four brothers bought equal shares in a dilapidated old freighter that they named the Invidious. At some point around ca. 3018[2] they tried to smuggle arms to a rebellion that was crushed (quite possibly Duke Anton Marik's rebellion in 3015), forcing Tor and his crew of fifteen to flee to the Lyran Commonwealth's periphery border. There they spent five years on short-term contracts and one-way cargo hauls, barely enough to keep the ship operable.[3]
Eventually, the Invidious arrived at Drovahchein II in the Erit Cluster where Tor accepted a six-month contract with House Mailai in return for a complete overhaul of his ship. In return, he was assigned to ferrying Viscount Olin Vogel from Tharkad to Oberon VI, then to Trellwan under House Mailai colors, followed by moving an assistant of Vogel between Trellwan and Oberon VI several times.[3]
On the last trip from Oberon VI to Trellwan, the Invidious was caught up in a scheme. Jumping to a planetless A2 star for recharging, it was waylaid by another JumpShip. The Oberon personnell were killed, cargo was exchanged and one of the freighter DropShips carried by the Invidious was crudely outfitted with weapons. Once the Invidious arrived at Trellwan, Tor was forced at gunpoint to pilot that DropShip down to the planet where it was used for a sneak attack on the local garrison. Tor figured he would be killed as soon as the shooting stopped, and managed to escape from the ship into the city.[3]
Meanwhile, the Invidious had remained at the system's nadir jump point, scheduled to move to Luthien under her captor's orders. Together with Grayson Carlyle, Tor managed to secure a DropShip, disable the planetary communication link, and dock the DropShip with the Invidious before the JumpShip could be warned. He found only eight Draconis Combine men aboard, plus the entire remaining crew. Jumping out of the Trellwan system, the Invidious could alert the Lyran Commonwealth of the coup that was occurring on Trellwan, and ultimately avert the world's takeover by Draconis Combine forces.[3]
The Invidious subsequently remained with Grayson Carlyle and his newly formed Gray Death Legion when they moved to Galatea. Still registered as a free trader, it was the Invidious that deployed her number two DropShip, the Phobos, to the Verthandi system for the Gray Death Legion's first mercenary contract in 3025. It jumped back out again immediately after recharging its jump drive, but returned after a pre-arranged time. Again the Invidious was used by the Gray Death Legion to relay a critical message off-world, which would ultimately contribute to their success in fulfilling their contracted mission.[4]
The Invidious was officially registered as part of the Legion's Transport Division by the time of the Gray Death Legion's contract with the Free Worlds League and their conquest of Sirius V in 3028,[5] until at least 3055.[1]
"A year or two" before December 3058, i.e. around 3057, the Invidious parted ways with the Gray Death Legion.[6]
By 3065, the Legion counted an Invader-class JumpShip named Invidious among their roster. It was this ship that was destroyed in the Hesperus system in 3065, and not the original Merchant-class vessel.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mercenary's Handbook 3055, p. 57
- ↑ Based on Tor then fleeing to the Lyran Commonwealth, spending five years on small contracts then accepting a six-month contract with House Mailai that would bring him to Trellwan in 3024
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Decision at Thunder Rift
- ↑ Mercenary's Star
- ↑ The Price of Glory, p. 17
- ↑ Operation Excalibur, p. 278
- ↑ The Dying Time, p. 102, "Chapter 13"