Stephanos-Harpe Express

“The ship’s not fast, she’s not glamorous, and she’s sure as hell not free. But she’s ours. As long as a Campe’s in the chair, this tub is the Express.”

— Captain Ganada Campe, addressing a new engineer on her first day aboard.

Overview

The Stephanos-Harpe Express (SHE) is the lifeline between Stephanos Station, Harpe Station, and Daphnis. The Express is more than a ship—it is a ritual, a deterrent, and a symbol of Saturn’s harsh but orderly justice. With a single route, a fixed schedule, and a crew of only four, it has run unbroken for generations under the command of the Campe line, who have made captaining the Express a hereditary tradition.

The vessel is unique: it is the only ship licensed and equipped to dock with Harpe Station. Without it, Harpe’s inmates, guards, and logistics would be cut off from the system.

Route and Schedule

The Stephanos-Harpe Express runs an unchanging route through the Keeler Gap of Saturn’s rings once every 14 hours. Its only destinations are:

• Stephanos Station – boarding point for prisoners, contraband, and supplies.
• Harpe Station – drop-off for prisoners and impounded cargo.
• Daphnis – occasional stop for repairs, resupply, and crew shore leave.

The rigid schedule is intentional. A varied or secretive route could theoretically deter ambushes, but Campe doctrine holds that predictability is security. With the Express so visible and so predictable, any attempt at hijack or interference stands out like a flare, allowing RAC or assets from Daphnis to respond immediately.

Design and Function

The SHE is a repurposed bulk cargo hauler, its two holds converted for unique purposes:

• Brig Hold: Outfitted with six high-security cells. Rather than risk transferring inmates individually, the brig module itself detaches and is swapped for an identical pre-cleared container each trip.
• Cargo Hold: Cylindrical, capable of carrying up to 3,850 cubic feet of goods. Like the brig, the entire container is swapped at destination.

This modular system reduces risk and speeds up turnaround.

Gravity and Inmate Management

The ship’s main deck is outfitted with gravity plates, providing stable conditions for the crew. The containers, however, are not. Instead, they rotate to generate Artificial Gravity, though this feature is rarely activated.

Cargo is usually webbed down, and inmates are left in near freefall. The disorientation of weightlessness is believed to deter escape planning and coordination, a long-standing tradition upheld by generations of Captains Campe.

Armament and Defense

The Stephanos-Harpe Express carries no offensive armaments. This is by design: if the vessel were ever seized by inmates, it must not give them access to ship-scale weapons.

Instead, it relies on:

• Heavy armor and shielding for resilience.
• A full point-defense suite to counter small craft, drones, or improvised weaponry.
• The Protection of ambient RAC defenses—including Daphnis’ rapid-response units and Saturn’s orbital fleets.

The implicit rule is simple: if the SHE is compromised, it will not be allowed to survive.

Crew

The Express is run by a crew of four, each position essential:

• Captain – currently Ganada Campe, the latest in an unbroken line of Campe captains.
• Engineer – keeps the aging ship running, often forced to improvise mid-transit repairs.
• Sensor Technician – monitors the route, the containers, and potential threats.
• General Duty Technician (“Spacemonkey”) – a cross-trained utility crewman who fills in wherever needed.

There is also space for four passengers, usually RAC couriers, inspectors, or investigators en route to Harpe.

The Campe Lineage

What makes the Stephanos-Harpe Express more than a ship is its captaincy. The Campe line has commanded every iteration of the Express since its inception.

Though the vessel has been replaced, refitted, and rebuilt countless times, the bloodline has never wavered. To many Saturnites, the name “Stephanos-Harpe Express” refers as much to the Campe captain as to the ship itself.

The current captain, Ganada Campe, is true to her ancestors: witty, professional, competitive, and deeply bonded to her vessel. She pushes her crew to beat their own transit times, turning even a monotonous routine into a matter of pride.

Legacy and Symbolism

The Stephanos-Harpe Express is more than a logistical tool. It represents:

• Continuity: Generations of Campe captains ensuring the ritual of justice endures.
• Security: A predictable schedule that is paradoxically safer than secrecy.
• Saturnite Identity: Proof of the balance between noble heritage, corporate pragmatism, and militarized necessity.

Though it is only a humble cargo-hauler in form, in function it is the backbone of Harpe’s security and Saturn’s judicial machinery.