Cold

Steel

A TALE OF
THRILLING HEROICS
IN THREE ACTS
 Cold Steel
WRITTEN BY
Roger Taylor

Illustrated by
Roger Taylor
and Lynn Le Fey

Special thanks to
Jan Hendrik Friedrich
Michael Chumbler
The Rouviers:
Rex, Vicki,
Justin,
and Jeremy

Based on a Screenplay by
Joss Whedon

www.cortexsystemrpg.org
www.serenityrpg.com

Serenity © universal studios. all rights reserved

 INTRODUCTION be some physical danger involved, but no

“Cold Steel” is an adventure for use with the conflict if the crew is even half awake. If

Serenity: Role playing Game by Margaret Weis pressed, the woman will confess that she's part

Productions. It is suitable for a crew of 2-6 of an Independent Special Missions team and

players playing a small independent crew. With wants the crew to help her board the old
some modification, this adventure could be Independent blockade runner Libertine, to

adapted for other characters and other eras. recover a cache of arms and equipment stashed

Narrators will require the use of the Serenity: aboard. Decommissioned at the end of the war,
Rule Book in running this campaign. A number Libertine is being stored, empty and neglected,
of pre-generated characters are available at the in orbit at Defiance, a small moon of Boros.
end of the adventure below. Alternately, In reality, Serena Du Mont (Genevieve Du

players may substitute their own characters Bois) is a con-artist and a thief, and is seeking a

with the approval of the Narrator. cache of platinum and artwork originally hidden

Players who wish to take part in these aboard the ship by an unscrupulous Browncoat

adventures should not read any further. officer.

Sneaking past Alliance patrol vessels and

ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS boarding the Libertine, the heroes begin

searching the derelict only to deal with other
The adventure begins with the crew offloading
interested parties, betrayal, from more than one
cargo on Huan Dao, a Beaumonde moon. (For
direction.
crews continuing the adventure begun in “No
Deposit, No Return”, this adventure takes place
approximately three weeks later). NAVIGATION
Tired of dealing with steep mark-ups from It’s a thirty hour haul from Huan Dao to

Marko Platz, a local land baron/shipper, several Oblivion Station and a further twenty from there
of the local farmers pooled their resources to to Defiance.

hire the heroes to bring in a cargo of

agricultural supplies (seed, fertilizer, industrial SETTING
lubricants, ammo and a few small luxury Defiance: A small moon of Boros, Defiance is
goods). Complicating matters is a set of toughs barely deserving of the name. It’s little more
sent by that same land baron to stop the than a hunk of rock a bare fifteen miles in
shipment. diameter. It is, however, home to a sizable
Later that evening, relaxing at the local starship depot or “scrap belt”.
pub/cantina, the crew is approached by a Derelict starships, both military and civilian,
beautiful, stately woman who hires the crew to are moored to orbital buoys surrounding the
help recover some valuable merchandise from a diminutive moon. Like Ares, Defiance is
remote, semi-secure Alliance facility. There will restricted to Alliance personnel and Iskellian

3
technicians, but is not as heavily patrolled and neighbors to keep going for one more season.
defended.
An Evening’s Rest
Huan Dao With the offload completed, the heroes find
A moon of Beaumonde, Huan Dao is a newly themselves the toast of the town down at the
settled agricultural world and as such has little local pub/cantina (Map #1).
to offer. The moon is ruled by a patchwork of All of the crew except Tommy Boudreaux are
small magistrates, including Marko Platz. Billy present, and he will wander in to explain/inform
“One Shot” Turner settled on Huan Dao and the skipper that none of their contacts (not
along with his neighbors, hired the crew of even Spider) has returned their waves looking
Independence to import a large shipment of for work. The grateful farmers, however, have
goods in defiance of Platz’s order. put almost two hundred pounds of fresh
produce aboard for the crew. (Handout #1)

Act One Now the trouble begins- having gotten wind

of the deal, Platz has sent a set of six thugs to
A Huan Dao Welcome collect the “taxes and duties” due on the
Three weeks after "No Deposit, No Return", shipment.
the PCs set down on Huan Dao, a Beaumonde The bullyboys aren’t really expecting trouble
moon, with 1700 platinum to their name, as they’ve rarely had to resort to more than a
twenty tons of fuel (200 hrs) and a stack of bills vicious beating to keep the locals in line- they
and debts waiting for them. There are no port figure this will be more of the same, and won’t
fees, but fuel will cost 38 platinum per ton react well if (when) the heroes offer serious
(1520 plat to top off the bunkers). resistance (and will run away if they take
Offloading their cargo of agricultural supplies heavy casualties).
(seed, fertilizer, industrial lubricants, Huan Dao Bully Boy
ammunition, and a few small luxury goods) will A particularly impressive triumph of muscle
put an additional 300 platinum in their pockets. over mind, this native has nothing going for him
except his brute strength and usefulness to the
If asked, or if the GM feels loquacious, the local border world baron. He’s a fair rider and
leader of the local farmers will explain- he and very good at pushing around hapless farmers,
but won’t survive long removed from his
several of the others pooled their resources to element.
order the shipment after tiring of dealing with Agi d6,Str d10,Vitd10,Ale d6,Int d4,Wild6;
Life Points 20; Init d6 + d6.
steep mark-ups from Marko Platz, a local land Traits: Tough as Nails (Major Asset).
baron/shipper. Platz has taken it into his mind Skills: Animal Handling d4, Athletics d4,
Guns d4, Melee Weapon d6, Unarmed
to starve out the other landholders in order to Combat d6/ Brawling d10.
steal all the land in the area at fire sale prices. Equipment: Pistol (d6W), Knife
This shipment will allow Turner and his

4
 Once the fighting begins in earnest, the Du Mont wants the crew to help her locate
heroes take note of a beautiful woman in a and board the old Independent blockade runner
brown duster fighting on their side in the fracas. Libertine, to recover a cache of data and
equipment stashed aboard, then drop them off
The Offer on Ezra. With this information, Du Mont can

As the fighting dies down and the casualties either force the release of several senior

are carried out, the crew is approached by the Browncoat officers being illegally held, or

woman who aided them in the fight. Beautiful, expose the entire conspiracy.

stately, and regal, she explains that fighting Decommissioned at the end of the War,

with fellow Browncoats was just like the “good Libertine is being stored, empty and neglected,

old days.” in orbit at Defiance- a small moon of Boros.

Introducing herself as Serena Du Mont, she Characters who served with either side during

will volunteer that she served with Independent the Unification War, or served as a civilian
forces and was at the battles of Sturges, Beylix, merchant sailor during that period may attempt
and Jianjyn. She further claims that before she an EASY (7) (Intelligence + Knowledge /
was turned out of the service, she was part of a Appropriate Specialty) test to recognize the
Special Missions team that made a series of name. If they succeed, they will recall the

successful attacks on Alliance communications information outlined in the sidebar Libertine,

stations on Dumont, Pacquin, and Bernadette. below.

If pressed, she will toss out that it was the 15th The job pays 5,000 plat- half up front, half on

Special Missions team. return. There will be some physical danger

After some obvious consideration, Du Mont involved, but no conflict if the crew is even half

will ask that they speak in private, and when awake. Du Mont wants the heroes to provide

they’re alone, will pull out and activate a transport for herself and her team , and backup

“frequency scrambler” and ask if the heroes are if things go south.

still loyal to the Independent cause. She has a In reality, the Serena Du Mont (Genevieve Du

particular job she needs done with a certain Bois) is a con-artist and a thief. She worked as

amount of delicacy, but it must be done by a an Alliance mole during the Unification War and

loyal Browncoat crew. She needs the PC's help has been attempting to track the cache
recovering some intelligence information from a platinum and artwork. It was originally hidden
remote, semi-secure Alliance facility. If aboard the ship by an unscrupulous officer who

pressed, the woman will confess that she’s still looted several museums and battle sites.

working for Browncoat interests, particularly Serena learned about the cache and is

those of several senior Independent officers attempting to steal it before her ex-lover can do

jailed in secret despite the Armistice and so. The “frequency scrambler” she pulled out

Amnesty. for the conversation is a prop- a harmless

5
noisemaker she picked up at an electronic parts where their ship can be found.
store to add credibility to the con. Should the heroes attempt to capture the tail,
Libertine they must either chase him or set an ambush
Libertine was one of the most successful for him. If they give chase, it’s a matter of
of the Independent commerce raiders and
opposed Athletics/Running tests. Because he
blockade runners- swift, sleek, and where
necessary, deadly. Built to civilian knows the town well, the youthful tail gets a +1
specifications but fitted with military grade
step bonus to these tests. On the second
hardware, the Libertine ran critical supplies
and matériel past Alliance forces and consecutive successful test, the heroes have
harassed their supply lines for nearly forty-
fallen behind and lost the trail.
two months.
Just before the end of the war, Libertine An ambush is almost as easy to pull off and
shot it out with several Alliance vessels, and
should consist of a suitable location (provided
was heavily damaged. Unable to escape,
she was boarded and captured before her by the GM) and an opposed test: the tail’s
crew could carry out plans to scuttle her.
(Alertness + Observe / Spot) against the
Only eighteen of her crew survived that final
action, and all but three perished in Alliance heroes’ Covert/Stealth followed by a grapple
camps before the Armistice was finally
check (an opposed Strength+ Unarmed Combat
signed.
L: 276 feet B: 60 feet D:34 feet or Athletics/Wrestling test).
Tonnage: 2,252 tons
Once the tail is in custody, he’s willing enough
to talk, but knows little. Aged ten, this local
Getting Underway
boy was paid by a shadowy figure to keep tabs
Once she has the crew’s cooperation, Du Mont
on anyone to whom the woman (Du Mont)
will depart to assemble her team and meet
talked. A rendezvous was set behind the
them at the ship. The PCs are free to make
General Store about ten pm., but of course the
their own preparations, but Du Mont will stress
shadowy figure is long gone.
that secrecy is absolutely vital. If (when) the
The Artful Dodger
heroes leave the bar, they will be shadowed. If Young and impetuous, this local Huan Dao
they are actively looking to see if they are youth was approached by a stranger who hired
him to tail the heroes and report back on their
followed, they may an EASY (7) (Alertness + activities.
Observe / Spot) test to discover the tail. At the Agi d6, Str d4, Vitd4, Ale d6, Int d4, Wild4;
Life Points 8; Init d6 + d6.
GM’s discretion, characters NOT actively looking Traits: Allergy- Flowers (Minor Complication).
may make the same test with a -1 step penalty. Skills: Athletics d4, Animal Handling d2,
Observe d4, Survival d2,
Losing their tail will be relatively simple: two Equipment:Pocket Knife, string, live frog, 5
opposed Covert/Stealth or Athletics/Running gold.

tests against the tail’s Perception/Tracking. On

Take Off
the second, consecutive successful test, the tail Moments before take off, Serena arrives at
has fallen behind and lost the trail. Ironically, the ship with three large henchmen in tow, and
losing the tail will be of no real benefit to the introduces them as Alan Figerty, Donald
heroes- he knows who and what they are and

6
Reeves, and Tom Collins. All are large, background- begging off with the excuse that
imposing men, and all are exceptionally well much of what she did during the war remains
armed. Serena explains that these men are classified.
part of her team, and they’ll be helping to carry
Act Two
out the assignment.
If the heroes inform Du Mont about the tail, Approaching Oblivion
she’ll look mildly annoyed but keep her own As the Jenny K approaches the coordinates
counsel- assuring the heroes that it’s nothing to given, Du Mont will come to the bridge. Before
worry about. long, sensors will detect a large object floating
in the black. At this point, Du Mont will

Running In the Dark transmit a short coded transmission. Jenny K

Once Jenny K has lifted ship, Du Mont will will receive a short, encrypted answering hail,

come to the bridge with a set of encrypted and after another transmission from Du Mont,

coordinates embedded on memory card, and several lights will come on, revealing a skyplex

explain to the Captain that this location is their operating deep (and quietly) in the Black. Du

first stop. A quick check of the navigational Mont will urge them to shut down their engines

database- a HARD (11) (Intelligence + Pilot / as soon as they dock with the station.

Astrogation or Appropriate Specialty) test due Once the engines are secured, Du Mont will

to the encryption- reveals only empty space. If welcome them to Oblivion. A HARD (11)
any of the crew asks what awaits them at that (Intelligence + Knowledge or Covert/
location, Du Mont will be cryptic and unhelpful- Streetwise) test will allow the crew access to

assuring them that their destination is a the information in the Sidebar Oblivion, below.

necessary way point on the trip, and will add Oblivion

only a few hours to their trip. She wants the Oblivion Station is rumor, myth, and legend
personified. Unknown in the Verse at large,
heroes to call her one hour before they reach there persist rumors about a deep space
the specified coordinates. skyplex stolen right from under the noses of
Alliance enforcers and set up to accommodate
It’s a thirty hour haul from Huan Dao to the the very blackest of deals. No one seems to
specified coordinates and a further twenty from know precisely where Oblivion is, and fewer
still ask.
there to Defiance. Should any of the heroes The ultimate smuggler’s haven, Oblivion is
attempt to interact with Du Mont's team during lawless and ruled by the gun. You can find
anyone or anything on Oblivion- but the price
the trip, they find them to be generally may be more than you bargained for.
uncommunicative and terse almost to the point Du Mont will prepare to disembark, explaining
of rudeness. The only member of the team who that she needs to meet a source on the station
seems approachable is Du Mont herself, who to get the latest intel on the patrols at Defiance.
will talk glibly and easily about almost anything Jenny K should be ready to depart within the
except the mission itself or her military hour, and no transmissions of any kind are

7
allowed. Clearing the station
If the heroes attempt to disembark, Du Unless they dawdle, the heroes should easily
Mont's men will make them wait ten minutes beat Du Mont back to the ship. She comes
before they leave the ship. Once on the station, aboard with a satisfied look and orders the crew
the heroes will find the place dimly, quiet, and to cast off, and set a course for Defiance. As
subdued. People aboard go about their before, if the players tell her about people
business in whispers and keep one eye watching asking about her, she will note the information
over their shoulder. They should be able to and assure them that it’s nothing to worry
purchase any necessary supplies, munitions, or about- she has the information they need to get
services (subject to GM’s discretion, of course), into the Depot.
but at a significant markup- paying two to three Tony the Squint
times what they would anywhere else. Tony is a former Independent supply clerk
Any player with the trait “Friends In Low (Corporal) busted for misappropriating military
good for his own purposes. He did six months
Places” and willing to part with at least three in an Independent stockade before the war
plot points (due to the secret and exclusive ended and he was discharged with all the rest.
He lives his life on the margins now, parlaying
nature of the station itself) may have a contact a minor talent for larceny and gossip into a
aboard the station. I recommend Tony the meager meal, a drink, and a small handful of
coin in his pocket.
Squint, below. Agi d6,Str d6,Vit d6, Ale d8, Int d8, Wil d8;
Though he knows the heroes, Tony is still less Life Points 14; Init d6 + d8.
Traits: Friends in Low Places (Minor Asset),
than cooperative, but will talk if offered cash. Greedy (Minor).
He knows nothing about Du Mont specifically, Skills: Covert d4, Influence d6/Negotiation
d8, Knowledge d6, Perception d6.
but does know that someone else has been
asking after her- and parting with a fair amount The Yard
of cash in exchange for information about her.
The heroes must sneak past Alliance patrol
If asked about the 15th Special Missions team,
vessels to get into the yard. A series of three
he will confess that he heard mostly rumors
OPPOSED (Pilot + Jenny K’s Agility) tests
about them, but knows little with any certainty.
against (Perception + the ASREV’s Alertness)
They were crucial to Browncoat actions on
are needed to evade the perimeter patrols.
Dumont and Bernadette, and that the men of
Alliance patrol vessels sweep the yards once
that outfit were selected for their intelligence,
every three and a half hours.
adaptability, and loyalty to the Browncoat
The heroes must time their arrival and
cause. If asked specifically if he knows whether
departure based upon this cycle in order to get
there were women in that unit, he will say that
in, conduct their search, and get out without
he heard it was all-male, but doesn’t know for
risk of discovery.
certain.

8
 Decoys functional. In order to get in, the crew must
Particularly inventive heroes might attempt to either bypass the security system (Du Mont has
decoy the Alliance patrol forces away from
a code breaker/descrambler for just that
their intended route. While this will obviate
the opposed rolls needed to get into the Yard, purpose) or blast/cut their way in. If
it will make getting out that much harder,
necessary, Serena and two of her two
because the patrol forces will be more alert.
If the heroes use a decoy to get into the henchmen are prepared to blow a hole in the
Yard, only one opposed test (instead of the
hull in order to get in- but the fourth, Tom
three outlined above) is necessary.
Collins, is reluctant.
Bypassing the security system requires a
The Libertine
The Libertine is moored to an orbital buoy COMPLEX (20) (Intellect + Technical

which keeps the derelict in the correct orbital Engineering) action using the device’s Technical

position, and when necessary, provides basic Engineering/Hacking skill (d10). Each roll takes

power, support and staging areas for thirty second. A botch on any of these rolls will

maintenance and technical crews. The buoy reset the security system and erase all progress

itself is fully automated and unmanned. made. Two botches in a row will short the

Far from being abandoned, however, the security system and make all further attempts

Libertine is occupied by a small caretaker crew impossible.

of three unarmed technician preparing to move Cutting or blasting their way in is a bit

her to dry dock for dismantling. Unless the trickier, and much more fraught with peril.

heroes intercede, Serena, Figerty, and Reeves Libertine’s hull and airlock are built of heavy

will disable and then execute the caretaker armor plate, and are rigged to sound an alarm if

crew. any breach and/or loss of pressure occurs.

The buoy is made fast to the hull over the Conventional welding gear won’t phase

main cargo door on the forward port-side. The Libertine. Explosive charges powerful enough

forward starboard airlock is currently to threaten the blockade runner's hull are more

unmanned, and locked down. The three aft than enough to shatter Jenny K’s umbilical

airlocks (leading to the shuttle berths) have connection, and even shaped charges will create

been sealed, rather than simply deactivated. an overpressure wave certain to sound alarms.
Cutting their way in requires two applications

The Airlock of “Sticky” (Scrapper’s gel, pp 89 of the

Serenity Rulebook) and a COMPLEX (40)
Once Jenny K is mated to the Libertine (or
(Intellect + Mechanical Engineering or Repair)
the PCs assemble in suits), they need to open
test. A botch on any of these rolls will damage
the airlock. A quick scan of the airlock control
the ship’s wiring and trigger a hull breach
panel shows that the airlock is locked and full
alarm.
atmospheric pressure on the other side.
Clearly, the starship is still at least partially

9
 Finally, clever players might recognize that Covert/Appropriate Specialty) action.
Libertine is moored to the orbital buoy- and that On the other hand, players should be
airlock on the buoy is much less ruggedly built encouraged to think about where the cache
than the Libertine herself. If the players might be and puzzle it out for themselves. The
approach from that angle, they will notice the hint “right under the Alliance’ noses” is the key-
small orbital launch also moored at the buoy. the cache is hidden behind a false bulkhead in
the brig area on the lower decks.
Caretakers Alliance Caretaker Crew

The caretaker crew can be found in one of the A civilian jobber at the Defiance Surplus
Auxiliary Machinery rooms tinkering with some Depot, he spends his day shuttling between the
recalcitrant life support equipment. They are derelicts and doing minor, but necessary
unarmed and unprepared to mount a maintenance work. He is driven as much by
resistance. Further, they are halfway through love of these old ships as the paychecks, and is
their work shift- so it will be four or five hours loyal, if unspectacular.
at the outside before they are likely to be Agi d6,Str d8,Vit d6, Ale d6, Int d4, Wil d6;
missed. Life Points 12; Init d6 + d6.

Ideally, once located, the caretaker crew Traits: Talented (Minor Asset),

should be restrained so as not to cause Skills: Athletics d4, Mechanical Engineering

mischief. Figerty, however, is eager to kill them d6, Technical Engineering d4, Melee

and be done with it- and Du Mont appears Weapon Combat d4, Unarmed Combat

willing to give him his head. If the PCs balk at d4.

the suggestion, Du Mont will waver. If the PCs

point out that killing unarmed civilians is a Act Three
violation of the Rules of War and of the
Browncoat Rules of Engagement, Du Mont will
The Other Shoe
look momentarily confused and then agree- Knowing that Serena is attempting to steal

forcing Figerty to back off (for now). the cache, “Captain” Michael Connors has hired
the Sutter boys and scratched together a team
The Search
of his own and is attempting to beat her to the
Du Mont is doesn’t know precisely where the prize. Connors and his team are operating from
cache is located- except that it’s behind a false Sutter’s Pride, a modified Osprey transport.
bulkhead and “right under the Alliance’s nose”. Rather than bringing the Pride herself into the
She will suggest that the crew split into two shipyard, Connors, Jamie Sutter, and a well-
teams to search. If the PCs insist on locating armed team have come in a small shuttle, with
the cache through rolls alone, this is a COMPLEX Rick Sutter ready to ride to the rescue, if need
(40) (Alertness + Perception or be.

10
 If Jenny K is moored directly to the Libertine, cannot, however, allow the characters to remain
Connors and his people will moor to the buoy armed- the temptation towards mischief might
and board that way. If Jenny K is moored to prove too much for them.
the buoy, Connors and his people will board
through the unoccupied airlock. Marshall Tom Collins
Unknown to anyone else aboard, Tom
If the heroes left a sentry, they will detect
Collins is an undercover Federal agent,
Connors and his team boarding the Libertine assigned to locate and recover goods stolen
during the War. He is a serious, dedicated
and be able to sound the alarm. If not, the first
professional, and a stern, but fair man. He
encounter will likely be a hasty glimpse of knows enough to bend the rules in order to
accomplish the greater good.
unidentified figures and a spate of sporadic
Collins is the GM’s ace-in-the-hole. Should
gunfire. the players wind up too far off the beaten
track, or run afoul of Figerty, Du Bois, or
Connors, Collins can pull them back towards
Pay Dirt the planned events in the adventure, and will
be in a position to help the heroes out in a
If Du Mont's people find the cache before the jam.
players, they will begin bagging, boxing, and His most likely manner of approaching the
heroes would be to take them aside once
sealing it and preparing to hustle it back to the things have gone seriously awry and offer to
Jenny K. They won't allow the heroes to see leave them out of his official report in
exchange for their help and cooperation.
the actual materials claiming that it is Push come to shove, Collins is after the real
“classified” and “need to know”. threats- people like Figerty, Du Bois, and
Collins- not small fish like the heroes, and
The Cache he’s willing to look the other way to get
The cache hidden aboard Libertine the job done.
represents three years of looting,
scrounging, and pillaging. The total value of
the cache is almost 30,000 platinum, with
Firefight
roughly half of it in coin, the rest in rare Depending upon how they are first
artwork- mostly paintings. Removing the
cache from the bulkhead and transporting it discovered, Connors and his men will probably
to Jenny K will take roughly an hour with announce themselves via gunfire, triggering a
handcarts and dollies, but the most valuable
materials can be removed within ten shoot out. Their intent is to scare off Du Mont's
minutes. team, or at the very least, force them towards

If the players find the cache first, Du Mont the stern of the vessel and away from the

and her people will be ready with drawn airlocks and the cache. They don’t particularly

weapons, and reveal their true colors. If the need to kill or disable the heroes as much as

characters have demonstrated themselves to be delay them long enough to get the goods.
reliable a/o cooperative, Du Mont will specify
that the revelation need not change their Standoff
business relationship- if the heroes uphold their If everything has gone according to plan,
end of the deal, they’ll still get paid. She Connors and his men are now positioned

11
between the crew and the airlocks. If necessary threat as she will be operating under some fairly
to accomplish his aims, Connors will corner the severe constraints. First, Sutter’s Pride will be
heroes and offer to parlay. Du Mont will do reluctant to open fire anywhere near the depot
almost anything to keep the heroes from talking lest she draw the attention of the patrol forces
with Connors, learning the truth, and potentially prowling the scrap yard. Second, she’ll need to
switching sides. Connors, on the other hand, is recover any survivors from her boarding party-
willing to cut the characters in for a share (up to meaning she won’t be able to run very far or
twice what Du Mont paid them) if they will very fast- giving the heroes the chance to
switch sides . escape.
Sutter’s Pride Decoys, Again
Sutter’s Pride is a modified Osprey Class Mid-
As noted above, using a decoy on the way
bulk transport, fitted with a small gauss gun, a
into the Yards had the effect of putting Alliance
missile battery, and a small magnetic grapple.
security forces on the alert. If the heroes used
The Sutters worked throughout the Unification
a decoy to get into the Yard, Alliance forces
War as smugglers and privateers, and are
receive a one-step bonus to their PERCEPTION
rumored to have turned pirate after the
rolls to detect the heroes escaping.
Armistice was signed. The Sutters are known
If, however, the heroes are using a decoy for
to kill only when they have to- but will
the first time in this adventure (in order to aid
if they have to.
their escape), only one opposed roll is
needed to escape the Yard.
Escape and Evade
Depending upon how much of a ruckus the Ideally, the heroes’ best bet for a clean get-

heroes have made getting into the Yards and away is to trap/delay Connors and his men

boarding the Libertine, Alliance forces may or aboard the Libertine and cast off or disable the

may not be alerted. In order to get out, as in Pride’s shuttle before making their own escape.

getting in, the heroes must sneak past Alliance If on the other hand, Connors and his crew

patrol vessels. escape with the cache, chasing the Sutter’s

A series of three opposed tests are needed: Pride would be the height of folly- she’s well

the player character’s Pilot + Jenny K’s Agility armed and dangerous.

versus the ASREV Pilot’s Perception + the

ASREV’s Alertness. A botch on any of the Conclusion
Player’s tests grants the ASREV pilot a +1 step There are a large number of possible

bonus to his Perception rolls. outcomes for this mission, and a large number

This time, however, there is an additional of questions to be asked. Did the heroes turn

consideration- the Sutter’s Pride. If the heroes on Du Mont and her cohorts? Did the heroes
are escaping with the cache and either Connors stand idly by and allow the caretaker crew to be
or his people is in a position to warn their murdered? Each of these decisions will have

confederates, Sutter’s Pride will be in a position lasting repercussions- not the least of which is a
to give chase- but will pose only an empty long-standing enmity, which in turn can lead to

12
other adventures and adventure hooks. • Locating cache by reason, rather than
just rolls: 2 pts.
If Jamie Sutters is wounded or killed aboard
• Surviving the adventure: 2 pts.
the Libertine, the crew automatically receives
the Deadly Enemy complication- Richard Sutter
will make the players his career, if necessary, to
avenge his brother.
Ultimately, it won’t be hard for interested
parties to track down the crew of Jenny K, and
for other adventures to stem from their
activities aboard the ill-fated Libertine.

REWARDS
Advancement and Plot Points for the mission
are to be totaled (except where indicated
otherwise) and divided equally among the PCs.
THE END
That was 1 Great idea, superior
Cool! role-playing, or so
gorram cool it must
be acknowledged.
Complicati 1-3 A character's
on In Play complication makes the
character's life worse.
Completed 2-4 The character or group
a overcomes a
Challenge threatening situation or
major obstacle.
Personal 3–5 A character achieves an
Goal important short-term
personal or story goal.
Crew Goal 4-6 A character achieves an
important short-term
personal or story goal.
Major 5 - 10 A character achieves an
Personal important long-term
Goal personal goal.

Recommended Party Awards (to be totaled

and then divided equally among the part at the
end of the adventure):

• Thwarting Platz's bully boys: 2 points

• Catching and questioning tail: 2 pts.
• Discovering Du Mont's duplicity before
she pulls a gun on them: 2 pts.
• Sneaking into the Depot: 2 pts.
• Bypassing Libertine’s airlock: 2pts.

13
 FOLKS AND RASCALS

Genevieve Du Bois
Professional Thief. Alias Genevieve Du Mont, alias Jessica Du Plessis, alias Erica Martins, and a
dozen more. Serena Du Bois is a con-artist and a thief. She worked as an Alliance mole during
the Unification War and has been attempting to track a cache of platinum and artwork originally
hidden aboard the Libertine by Michael Connors, an unscrupulous Browncoat officer who looted
several museums and battle sites. Genevieve learned about the cache and is attempting to steal
it before her ex-lover can do so. Genevieve ran an elaborate con against the planetary governor
of Beaumonde and has earned herself the death penalty on that world.
Age 28, Gender: Female, Eyes: Green, Hair: Auburn
Agi d8, Str d6, Vit d8, Ale d8, Int d10, Wil d8; Life Points 16; Init d8+d8
Traits:
Assets:Allure (Major), Friends In Low Places (Minor) Trustworthy Gut (Major),
Things Go Smooth (Minor)
Complications: Greedy (Minor), Memorable (Minor), Deadly Enemy (Minor), Branded
(Minor)
Skills: Covert d6 / Disable Devices d12/ Open Locks d10 / Streetwise d12, Influence
d6/Persuasion d10/ Seduce d10, Knowledge d6/ Appraisal d10, Perception d6/ Intuition
d10, Performance d6/ Dance d8, Guns d6/ Pistol d8, Unarmed Combat d6/ Kung Fu d8
Equipment: Pistol (d6W), Electronic Lock Descrambler.

Tom Collins
Unbeknownst to anyone else aboard, Tom Collins is an undercover Federal agent. He has been
tracking various con artists, fences, and the like in attempt to recover artwork and other
valuables stolen during the War. He is a serious, dedicated professional, and a stern, but fair
man. He knows enough to bend the rules in order to accomplish the greater good.
Collins is the GM’s ace-in-the-hole. Should the players wind up too far off the beaten track,
Collins can pull them back towards the planned events in the adventure, and will be in a position
to help the heroes if they run afoul Du Bois and Figerty.
Age 44, Gender: Male, Eyes: Brown, Hair: Black
Agi d6, Str d8, Vit d8, Ale d6, Int d6, Wil d6; Life Points 14; Init d6+d6
Traits:Wears a Badge (Minor), Friends In Low Places (Minor),
Skills: Athletics d4, Discipline d6, Guns d6/Rifle d10/Pistol d10, Influence d6, Perception d6,
Melee WpnCombat d4.
Equipment: Ballistic Mesh (1W*), Brass Knuckles *, Submachine Gun (d6W), Pistol (D6W),

14
 “Captain” Michael Connors
Former Browncoat Officer. Michael Connors was a staring at a court-martial for theft,
embezzlement, and conduct unbecoming an officer when the armistice was signed. Exploiting
his position as Libertine’s third officer, Connors had accumulated a small but not inconsiderable
cache of platinum and artworks by looting, graft, and outright theft. He stashed these materials
behind a false bulkhead aboard the Libertine before being arrested, and later made the mistake
of sharing that knowledge with Genevieve Du Mont In order to prevent her from stealing the
prize out from beneath him, Connors has been forced to move more quickly than he’d intended
and thus field a recovery team of his own.
Age 32 Gender: Male Eyes: Brown Hair: Blond
Agi d6, Str d8, Vit d8, Ale d6, Int d6, Wil d6; Life Points 14; Init d6+d6
Traits: Assets:Tough as Nails (Minor), Military Rank (Minor),
Skills: Athletics d6, Covert d4, Discipline d6/ Mental Resistance d10, Guns d6/ Assault Rifle d8/
Pistol d10, Influence d6, Perception d6/ Tactics d10, Knowledge d6/ Military History d10,
Equipment: Ballistic Mesh (1W*), Brass Knuckles *, Submachine Gun (d6W), Pistol (D6W),
Assault Rifle (d8W), Combat Knife (d4W), Club (d6B)

Jamie Sutter
Younger brother of Rick Sutter, captain of Sutter’s Pride. The Sutters are a family band of
brigands, privateers, and occasional pirates who specializes in larceny, smuggling, and other
crimes against property (rather than persons). They will kill to save their hides, but generally
attempt to achieve their ends through other means.
Age 35 Gender: Male Eyes: Brown Hair: Black
Agi d6, Str d10, Vit d6, Ale d8, Int d6, Wil d6; Life Points 14; Init d6+d8
Traits:
Assets:Fightin' Type(Major), Friends In Low Places (Minor),
Complications: Overconfident (Minor), Greedy(Minor)
Skills: Covert d6/Surveillance d10, Streetwise d12, Guns d6/Rifle d10, Perception d6/Tracking
d8, Unarmed Combat d6/Brawling d8
Equipment: Ballistic Mesh (1W*), Brass Knuckles *, Submachine Gun (d6W), Pistol (D6W),
Assault Rifle (d8W), Combat Knife (d4W), Club (d6B)

Hired Gunslinger
Age 35 Gender: Male Eyes: Brown Hair: Black
Agi d6, Str d10, Vit d6, Ale d8, Int d6, Wil d6; Life Points 14; Init d6+d8
Traits:

15
 Assets: Fightin' Type(Major), Friends In Low Places (Minor),
Complications: Overconfident (Minor), Greedy(Minor)
Skills: Covert d6/Surveillance d10, Streetwise d12, Guns d6/Rifle d10, Perception d6/Tracking
d8, Unarmed Combat d6/Brawling d8
Equipment: Ballistic Mesh (1W*), Brass Knuckles *, Submachine Gun (d6W), Pistol (D6W),
Assault Rifle (d8W), Combat Knife (d4W), Club (d6B)

Alliance Grunt
One of the nameless, faceless, horde who enforce Alliance edicts at the barrel of a gun.
Age: 24, Gender: Male, Eyes: Blue, Hair: Blond
Agi d6, Str d8, Vit d8, Ale d6, Int d6, Wil d8; Life Points 16; Init d6+d6
Traits: Military Rank(Minor), Loyal (Minor)
Skills: Athletics d6, Discipline d6, Guns d6 / Assault Rifle d8, Perception d6, Melee Combat d4
Equipment: Pistol (Damage d6W), Assault Rifle (d8W), Stun Baton (2dS*), Tactical Suit/Squad
Helmet

16
 MAPS
Map #1 Huan Dao Pub

17
 BOATS
JENNY K
(Caravel Class Transport)

Dimensions: 164 X 43 X 27 feet

Tonnage: 1,507 tons
Speed Class: 4 cruise/ 6 hard-burn
Crew Quarters: 2 double bunk cabins
Fuel Capacity: 125 tons (600 hours)
Cargo Capacity/Maximum Deck Load: 200/250 tons
Passenger Capacity: 6- 1 double, 1 quadruple bunk cabin
Price: 15,070 new, 6,028 at auction.

Agi d8, Str d4, Vit d6, Ale d4, Int d4, Wil d4; Life Points 8
Traits: Everybody Has One (Minor),
Skills: Pilot/ Caravel d2, Perception d2
Complexity: Very Low.
Maintenance Costs: 100.5 (new), 150.7 (used)
Equipment: Three Monorail winches on roof tracks in cargo bay; One Crybaby decoy (booster rigged);1/2 ton
smuggler hold under half-deck aft. in port bulkhead amidships

Jenny K has a quirk level fault with her avionics systems. Due to an untraced fault/short, her avionics displays
cut out without warning- but can be brought back on line with a good solid thump to the console.

18
Caravel Deck plan

19
 ASREV 4468
(Alliance Short Range Enforcement Vessel Class Transport)

Dimensions: 83 X 48 X 20 feet
Tonnage: 40 tons
Speed Class: 5 cruise/ 7 hard-burn
Crew Quarters: 4- seat cockpit, with 2 cramped bunks directly behind.
Fuel Capacity: 1 ton (500 hours)
Cargo Capacity/Maximum Deck Load: 4 ton bomb bay with 8 tons of external weapons.
Armament: One-pound auto cannon with 200 rounds, Up to 8,000 pounds of bombs and 16,000 pounds of
missiles.
Price: 3,400 plus ammunition.

Agi d10, Str d2, Vit d6, Ale d6, Int d4, Wil d4;
Initiative d10+d6; Life Points 6.
Traits: Everybody Has One, Seen Better Days;
Skills: Pilot/Gunship d4, Heavy Weapons d4, Perception/Search d4
Complexity: Average. Maintenance Costs 80 per year.

20
 Oblivion Station
Ship Name: Oblivion Station
Ship Class: Merill Type 7a Deep Space station
Registry: None (Alliance Records indicate the station was sold for scrap and destroyed).
Size: 750 x 300 x 480 feet
Attributes:
Agi d2, Str d10, Vit d6, Ale d8, Int d2, Wil d4;
Initiative d2+d8; Life Points 14.
Traits: Fuel Efficient (Minor), Slow Throttle (Major)
Skills: Perception d4
Complexity: Average. Maintenance Costs: 45000 credits per month.
Dimensions: 750 x 300 x 480 feet
Tonnage: 270,000 tons
Speed Class: 1 cruise
Crew Quarters: Various (500 passengers and crew at 45 tons per person).
Fuel Capacity: 13,750 tons (8760 hours)
Cargo Capacity/Maximum Deck Load: 50,000 tons
Armament: None
Price: 2.7 million credits

History: Oblivion Station was originally built by the Merill Corporation over Salisbury. When the
station neared the end of its service life, it was sold and towed out to the scrap belt. A few
judicious bribes, however, allowed Alex Quinsey to divert the station to a location in deep space
between the Kallidasa and Georgia systems.
Operated there in the strictest secrecy, Oblivion serves as a way point for several smuggler’s
routes between the Border worlds and the Rim.

Quirks/Special Characteristics:
Most skyplexes rely on fusion cores for their power needs, using the large solar arrays for
backup and reserve needs. Oblivion, on the other hand, derives nearly all of its power from the
solar array, allowing the station to maintain a much lower profile than a comparable starship or
station.
Because of this need to operate “under the radar”, Oblivion operates under strict, almost
draconian, power constraints- and as a result, the station is dimmer and cooler than most
vessels in the ‘Verse.

21
 Oblivion is also fitted with an impressive military grade passive sensor system, which allows
the station to detect other vessels long before they can detect the station in turn. This allows
Oblivion operators to either go completely dark or to prepare to deal with unwanted intruders. If
a vessel poses a direct threat to the station, it can be attacked by a trio of Morgan Class skiffs
kept in reserve for just such emergencies.
Stats for the skiffs can be found at:
http://ki-ryn.com/Future_Armada/Serenity_Stats/Vanguard.htm
Most vessels, however, are simply ignored and allowed to pass the station with no knowledge
that they aren’t alone in the vast blackness.

Using Oblivion Station in Other Settings

Oblivion station makes an excellent setting for shady dealings, border world intrigue, and
criminal enterprises. Finding the station can serve as a mission unto itself, and may serve as a
plot hook for nearly any adventure where the GM needs to create an aura of mystery and the
sense that the players are cut off from the more law abiding citizens of the 'Verse.

22
 FOLKS AND RASCALS

Alex Quinsey
Little, if anything, is known about Alex Quinsey, but there are two irrefutable facts: first, he’s a
man of elegant refinement and dignity, and two, he’s someone only a fool would cross.
Quinsey carries himself with a quiet, dignified, air, and is known to be suave, refined, and
sophisticated- but his retribution against those who “cross” him is almost legendary. Quinsey
won’t resort to the brutal sadism that marks villains such as Adelai Niska, but he will employ all
of his contacts to utterly ruin the lives and reputations of those who have angered him.
Unknown to anyone now living, Quinsey is the alias of a young man born to middle class
wealth and privilege on Sihanouk. He trained as a companion, and moved easily among the
wealthy, the powerful, and the influential before deciding that he, too, wanted to be in charge.
Thus began his second career, one that began with quiet manipulation and escalated into
ruthless control.
Quinsey’s “empire” is largely limited to Oblivion Station and those few who pass through, but
he has contacts and “feelers” throughout the Border Worlds, Outer Rim, and even a handful of
ties on the Core Worlds. Like a spider in his web, Quinsey is content to wait at the heart of his
lair, striking swiftly and ruthlessly when it is to his advantage, but otherwise waits quietly and
patiently for new contacts to fly into his sphere.
Age 41Gender: Male Eyes: Brown Hair: Black
Agi d8, Str d8, Vit d6, Ale d8, Int d8, Wil d10; Life Points 16; Initiative: d8 + d8.
Traits: Allure (Minor), Friends in High Places (Minor), Friends in Low Places (Minor), Highly
Educated (Minor), Memorable (Minor), Chip On the Shoulder (Minor), Greedy (Minor)
Skills: Artistry d6, Covert d6/Streetwise d10, Influence d6/Seduction d10/Persuasion d10,
Knowledge d6, Melee Weapon Combat d4, Perception d6, Performance d6, Guns d6,
Unarmed Combat d6.
Ledo Dogan
Civilian contractor, Oblivion Station. Ledo Dogan is a man with a shady past, and Quinsey’s
expert on Electronic Intelligence. He does his job competently and conscientiously with little
fanfare or notice, and as a result, Quinsey allows him to run his own business on the side.
In addition to his official duties, Dogan contracts out his talents, doing custom modifications
and repairs for small electronic and computer software for clients throughout the ‘Verse.
Between his access to the station’s powerful transceiver arrays or his network of informants,
Dogan monitors nearly all activity in the system. A former peacenik with a shady past, Dogan is
essentially a burned out hippy dude (complete with brown leather vest and pony tail). Dogan
uses a network of legal and illicit monitoring points to keep track of and process data from

23
throughout the system. Even more than the pattern analysis number crunchers at Alliance Fleet
Headquarters, Dogan is likely to know not only what’s going on, but where and when- and he is
well-paid both for his information and his silence. Dogan is socially awkward and emotionally
isolated, with innumerable contacts, many clients, and few friends. Aside from his isolation and
social ineptitude, Dogan’s primary vice is an addiction to laudanum.
Age 41Gender: Male Eyes: Brown Hair: Black
Agi d6, Str d6, Vit d8, Ale d10, Int d10, Wil d10; Life Points 18; Initiative: d6 + d10.
Traits: Talented- Technical Repair (Minor), Friends in Low Places (Minor), Hooked- Laudanum
(Minor), Non- Fighting Type (Minor), Memorable (Minor), Highly Educated (Minor)
Skills: Covert d6/Surveillance d12, Discipline d6, Influence d6 , Knowledge d6/ Current Events
d12, Perception d6/Deduction d10, Technical Engineering d6 / Programming d8 /Hacking
d8 / Create/Alter Tech Devices d8 / Repair Tech Devices d10 / Comm Systems d10 /
Security Systems d10

24
 Libertine

Atlantis Class Auxiliary Cruiser

The five Atlantis Class Blockade Runners were classed as “Auxiliary Cruisers” and measured
roughly 276 feet in length. Built to mercantile standards and then fitted with extra armor and
more powerful engines, these vessels were designed to smuggle priority cargoes at high speed
and to prey upon enemy merchant shipping.
Each ship was divided into two (uneven) decks. The larger, lower level was reserved for cargo,
machinery, and the crews of captured ships. The upper level held the ship’s main armament,
shuttle docking stations, officer and crew quarters, and the bridge/flight deck.
As built, the Atlantis Class Auxiliary Cruisers were fitted with three heavy auto cannon turrets,
and thirty-two anti-ship missiles in encapsulated vertical launchers. They were fitted with twelve
decoy torpedoes (mobile cry babies), and three Sparrow class shuttle craft (each of which had
been modified to accept either four small ship-to-ship missiles or an auto cannon gun pod. They
were fitted with a cutting edge C4 (command, control, communications and computers) system
which allowed them to switch between different IFF signatures and even to pirate such
signatures and codes from their targets.
Each ship has a crew of 30, and could accommodate up to 50 additional passengers in an
emergency.
Atlantis served for twenty-one months before being caught by Alliance forces attempting to run
the blockade over Hera with a cargo of ammunition, food, and medical supplies. She was
destroyed with all hands just short of atmo.
Colombie was ambushed by the Alliance light cruiser Orion who lured her in by posing as a
damaged munitions ship. Unable to escape when the ruse was discovered, Colombie was lost
with all hands. Her war cruise lasted twenty-eight months.
Kormoran served for thirty-two months before suffering an engine failure on Deadwood and
was blown up by her crew as Alliance troops closed in. Although reports persist that nearly half

25
her crew survived the final battle, none survived to be interred.
Rawalpindi was three years old when she disappeared with all hands while on a supply run to
Three Hills. Her ultimate fate remains a mystery yet to be resolved.
Libertine ran critical supplies and matériel past Alliance forces and harassed their supply lines
for nearly forty-two months, but shot it out with several Alliance vessels over Hera just before
the end of the war and was heavily damaged. Unable to escape, she was boarded and captured
before her crew could carry out plans to scuttle her. Only eighteen of her crew survived that
final action, and all but three perished in Alliance camps before the Armistice was finally signed.
Dimensions: 276 X 60 X 34 feet Tonnage: 2, 252 tons
Speed Class: 4 cruise/ 6 hard-burn Fuel Capacity: 125 tons (600 hours)
Crew Quarters: 3 ten man bunk rooms, 1 five man bunk room, 1 double-bed cabins
Cargo Capacity/Maximum Deck Load: 400 tons
Passenger Capacity: 10- 1 ten man bunk room
Price: 112,600 credit plus munitions (170,000 total)
Agi d6 Str d6 Vit d10, Ale d2, Int d2, Wil d4;Life Points 6
Traits: Branded (Minor)
Skills: Pilot d4, Perception d4 Complexity: Average. Maintenance Costs: 375/month
Equipment: 3-25 ton shuttles, 5 W armor
3- 50 round twin auto cannon turrets (10 lb warhead, 0dB dmg).
32 medium range 50 lb warhead missiles (10 mile range, d4 W)

26
27
 Libertine Deck Descriptions
Bridge
The ship's bridge is somewhat cramped for it’s size and is dominated by the large greenhouse
windows that provide an unparalleled view of the stars. There are six stations here, allowing the
crew to control and fight the ship.
Long abandoned, and apparently cannibalized, most of these stations are now missing a
number of instruments, and have fallen silent. The captain’s chair in the center of the
compartment seems especially forlorn, its rich brown leather now dusty and dull.

The Captain’s Cabin

Small and utilitarian, this room is dominated by the single bunk outboard and the large
desk/storage array along the aft bulkhead. A small door outboard aft leads to the officer’s head.
The room is quiet and dusty, the bedsheets rumpled and undisturbed in the long silence since
the ship was decommissioned. The storage units are empty of everything save a few sheets of
blank paper, a broken comb, and one-half of a battered copy of dime-store detective novel.

The Chart Room

This compartment is empty and bare- the navigation computer removed quickly and crudely,
leaving a collection of cut and stripped wires dangling from the bulkheads. A long unused
plotting table and a number of small, empty cubbies are all that remain.

Officer’s Quarters
Eight empty bunks, several empty lockers and two small desks marred by bullet holes mark
the interrupted tenure of the Libertine’s officers. As in the Captain’s cabin, the bedding remains
undisturbed following the Libertine’s surrender, three of them stained with the dark, crusty
brown of dried blood. Several small, valueless items can be found in the lockers and storage
trays under each mattress. A door forward on the port side leads to the officer’s head.

Galley and Stores

Standard shipboard kitchen facilities. The cupboards and refrigerators have been long since
looted, and a number of empty cans litter the decks.

Crew Lounge
Two oval tables with red vinyl bench seating (and storage bins beneath) along the outboard
bulkheads mark the crew’s common area. Several torn wiring bundles and an empty equipment
recess mark where the Libertine’s Cortex access and entertainment systems once stood. Except

28
for a handful of rotted emergency breath masks, nothing of value can be found in this area.
Numerous bullet holes and several bloodstains further mar the area. A small pile of discarded
bandage kits, paper wrappers, and discarded IV bottles can be found in the starboard aft corner.

Crew Head
A small, five man lavatory and showers. Nothing to be found here: even the shower hooks
have been removed.

Crew Quarters
These two compartments (one port and one starboard) are large bunk rooms each
accommodating fifteen men. Bunks are stacked three deep with a few small tables and chairs.
A number of small personal effects can be found, along with a scattering of uniforms and
bedclothes, but nothing of any value.

Armory
The inboard of these two closet-like compartments is the ship’s armory- little more than a
small workbench and a number of weapons racks. The storage racks are now empty, and the
gunsmith’s tools were stolen long ago.

Dispensary
The outboard of these two closet-like compartments is the Libertine’s dispensary- little more
than a small desk and chair, a short exam/operating table, and a number of cupboards. The
cupboards are now bare, but blood stains on the floor and discarded IV bags mark the fight to
save a life.

Missile Magazines
These are cannisterized missile tubes, each with eight cells. They are sealed and empty, and
can only be reached through a very narrow service crawlway.

Turret Access
Set amidships between the two after missile magazines is a vertical ladder well leading down
to the cargo hold and up to the top turret. The hatch to the turret itself will not open because
the turret is vented to space, the last gunner still at his post.

Shuttle Berths

29
 These three airlocks lead to the now-empty docking cradles which once housed Libertine’s
shuttles. These Sparrow type shuttles were modified to carry either ship to ship missiles or small
gun pods.

Engine Room (Upper Level)

This compartment is surprisingly intact, and stocked with several small workbenches and tools.
Otherwise, the compartment is a confusing maze of wiring and piping. Four ladders (one at each
corner) lead down to the lower level.

Engine Room (Lower Level)

More wiring and piping supporting the ship’s engines and equipment, this compartment is
bordered to port and starboard by walk-in wire cages that once contained spare parts and
equipment. These storage compartments are empty now except for a few small spools of wire
and some empty cardboard cartons.

Auxiliary Machinery Room (Port side)

More wiring and piping supporting the ship’s engines and equipment, this compartment houses
water filtration, atmospheric processing, and hydraulics. The three members of the ship’s
caretaker crew can be found working on the atmo processors in this room.

Auxiliary Machinery Room (Starboard)

Identical to the port side Aux Machinery Room, but unmanned this compartment also deals
with the hydraulics for the ship’s landing gear.

Turret Access (port/starboard)

These two compartments contain a small crawlway leading to Libertine’s lower gun turrets and
the associated hardware necessary to run them. There is nothing of value to be found in either
compartment.

Main Cargo Hold

Likely the first compartment the characters see when they board the Libertine, this is a large,
empty room- more than a hundred feet long and 40 feet wide. A small pile of broken crates is
stacked forward on the starboard side (by the starboard airlock), and bits of paper are scattered
lightly around the room.

Starboard Airlock

30
This compartment is empty and dark, having been locked down when the ship was placed in
storage.

Brig Galley
This small compartment was used to provide food and water to prisoners in the Brig.
Crew Quarters (Lower Deck)
This compartment housed the balance of Libertine’s crew and occasionally passengers. There
were bunks and other fittings for ten people. A number of small personal effects can be found,
along with a scattering of uniforms and bedclothes, but nothing of any value- until you remove
the false bulkhead between the forward bunks and the port side brig compartment. The cache is
stashed in the dead space between the two walls.

Brig
These compartments were used to house crews taken prisoner from the various Alliance vessels
captured by the Libertine or as additional passenger space. Each compartment was built to
house ten men in relative comfort, but without storage facilities of any kind. A small sink/toilet
combination was mounted against the forward bulkhead.

Using Libertine in Other Settings

Libertine, or another Atlantis Class blockade runner can be used in any setting during or after
the Unification War as either allies, adversaries, or simply as a setting for another mission.
Rawalpindi remains missing to this day, and several adventures could revolve around
determining her fate and that of her crew. Other secrets that the Alliance might wish to hide
might hinge on the records of one of the other raiders or upon the memories of their crews.
Loyal Browncoats faced with the reactivation of one of the Atlantis types as an Alliance patrol
ship or other travesty might go to extreme measures to ensure that the ship isn't disgraced in
that fashion.

31
32
 Sutter’s Pride
Osprey Class Mid-Bulk Transport
Dimensions: 280 X 155 X 60 feet
Tonnage: 2100 tons
Speed Class: 4 cruise/ 6 hard-burn
Crew Quarters: 2 double (bunk-bed), 1 double-bed cabins
Fuel Capacity: 125 tons (600 hours)
Cargo Capacity/Maximum Deck Load: 625/650 tons
Passenger Capacity: 6- 3 double cabins
Price: 50,400 new, 12,600 at auction.
Agi d6 Str d6 Vit d10, Ale d2, Int d2, Wil d4;Life Points 6
Traits: Everybody Has One (Minor), Healthy As A Horse (Minor), Seen Better Days (Minor)
Skills: Pilot d2, Perception d4
Complexity: Low.
Maintenance Costs: 315/month
Equipment: 1-25 ton shuttle
Cost: 12,600

Sutter’s Pride is a custom refit of the standard Osprey Class Mid-bulk transport, and is used as
a smuggler, privateer, and occasional pirate by her owners/crew, the Sutter Boys- Rick and
Jamie. Sutter’s Pride has been fitted with a small gauss gun, a removable missile battery
(removed for this mission and replaced with a small shuttle), and a small magnetic grapple in the
cargo “bomb bay”.
Larger overall than the ubiquitous Firefly, but with slightly smaller internal volume the Ospreys
are designed as a fast, sturdy transport for use throughout the System. Their design
emphasizes rugged capability, low maintenance, large passenger and cargo capacity, and sturdy
service.
The entire lower bay is given over to cargo operations, and measures roughly 90ft x 63 ft x 20
ft. The cargo bay is fitted with a two piece ramp/hatch combination that allows extremely large
cargoes to be loaded and with a belly mounted “bomb bay” cargo hatch as well. A spiral staircase
at the forward starboard corner allows access to the Crew Deck.
The Crew Deck is large and spacious, with comparatively wide corridors and a large lounge
area and berthing compartments. The Crew deck is forked port and starboard, providing a
center-line berth and pair of docking ports for a single shuttle craft The ports are fitted with
telescoping access tunnels which easily accommodate larger and smaller shuttles. Two dorsal air-
lock hatches (one forward, one aft-port) provide EVA access to the top of the ship.

33
 Unusual for a civilian mid-bulk transport, the Ospreys are fitted with an integral two-bed
infirmary on the port quarter. Three double-bed passenger compartments (with a double bed
and two bunk-bed cabins for the crew) are standard for the Ospreys, though many owners juggle
these accommodations according to their needs. The Ospreys are fitted with the trademark
Kieran cockpit design, providing stations for pilot, copilot/navigator, and flight engineer.
To augment their maneuverability, the Ospreys are fitted with a pair of pivoting reaction drive
assemblies with a 220o range of motion, which also fold eighty-degrees along their X-axis to
lower the ship’s center of gravity and improve on-ground stability. In atmosphere
maneuverability and stability are augmented by the twin boom tail configuration set well aft of
the ship’s center of gravity.
Although the design (and many of the Ospreys still flying) is more than twenty years old, the
design was placed back into limited production following the Unification War.

34
 Handouts

Handout #1 Boudreaux's Status report.

Tommy,

You just checked on the ship, and every thing's secure. You spent the afternoon sending
waves looking for work, not none of your contacts (not even Spider) has returned their waves
looking for work. “One Shot” Turner and his people, however, have put almost two hundred
pounds of fresh produce aboard for the crew.

35
Handout #2 Libertine Deck Map

36
 PLAYER CHARACTERS

KEARNY, RICHARD JAMES

You’re a good and capable pilot, and flew interceptors early in the Unification War. After seven
kills and a serious crash, you were switched to flying medevac missions in hot zones- airlifting
out wounded soldiers under considerable fire. Seems the Alliance troops decided the red crosses
painted on the side of your boat were aiming points more than anything else.
Like most flyers your age, you were convinced you were invincible on the one hand and
terrified of dying on the other. You compensated with bravado and bluster, and drank to keep
up with your macho squadron mates. Before leaving Acadia Parish, you were scheduled to marry
Jenny K McCreedy, a willowy, sweet, and gentle girl with green eyes and brown hair- but duty
came first. By the time you got home, the Alliance had bombed the settlement flat for
"harboring Browncoats". Your folks, the McCreedys, and about two hundred other good folks
gone. The charge was undoubtedly true- the people of Acadia Parish had a habit of not turning
away folks in need- be they Alliance or Browncoat. Following the deaths of everyone you cared
about at home, you tried crawling into a bottle to escape the pain. For three years you tried-
getting drunk, getting sick, and near-to-dying from the poison you were putting in your belly
every night.
Finally, in the midst of harsh fever dreams (probably the result of a really bad batch of home
brew corn whiskey) you took a look at what you’d become, what lay ahead of you, and how
disappointed your folks and Jenny would be when you finally drank yourself to death. You swore
off the bottle that night. You still drink occasionally (socially), but you haven't been drunk since-
and you’re determined to make more of your life than that. You purchased a ship at auction and
returned to the Black looking for a little peace from the old memories.

Age 26, Gender: Male Eyes: Brown Hair: Black

Agi d8 Str d6 Vit d8 Ale d6 Int d6 Wil d8; Life Points: 16; Initiative: d6+d8
Traits: Born Behind the Wheel (Minor), Things Don’t Go Smooth (Major), Loyal –Crew (Minor)
Skills: Athletics d6, Covert d6, Discipline d6, Guns d6/Pistol d8, Influence d6 / Persuasion d8,
Knowledge d6, Mechanical Engineering d4, Perception d6, Pilot d6 / Caravel d10, Unarmed
Combat d6
Equipment: Browncoat duster, Ballistic Mesh 1W*, Browncoat Service Pistol (d6 W), Service-
Issue Multiband.

37
 Kearny Player Notes
- Things Don’t Go Smooth: Lady Luck has taken a serious dislike to you and things just
never seem to break your way. Twice per game session, the GM can force you to reroll
an action and take the lesser of the two results.
- Loyal: You are loyal to your crew above all else. Once they ship with you, you will do
just about anything short of suicide to protect them- and you might even do that.
- Born Behind the Wheel: You’re a hot stick, and you know your ship and how to coax
the best from her. Whenever you’re at the controls of Jenny K, you gain a +2 Skill step
to your Agility.
- Combat- and losing more than half of your squadron mates- taught you to think ahead,
and to make sure that where ever you took your boat, your brain had gone first. Careful
planning and preparation were the key to survival. Lots of pilots didn't learn that- and
didn't survive.
- You can't quite wrap your mind around the Alliance as the "legitimate government", but
they're the folks in charge (for the time being). You've got your own code of right and
wrong- a bit more rough-and-tumble than what they accept in the dandified Core worlds,
but it works. You'll break and bend unjust laws- especially to protect folk- but despite
being a thief, a smuggler, and a brigand- you're no villain.
- "Tommy" Boudreaux was your crew chief (and later your door gunner), and worked to
temper your worst impulses on the ground. He poured you into your rack after more than
one all-night bender, ran interference, kept your bird fueled and your guns loaded. After
the war, Boudreaux bummed about a bit, then signed on when you ran into him on the
Rim looking for work. Since then, it’s been almost like old times.
- “Doc” Martins Martins-St. John joined the crew after a job and night of drinking and
carousing turned bad and resulted in a bar brawl. Martins helped pick up (and then sew
up) the pieces and has been cruising with you ever since.
- John Cherokee signed on with the crew for a short-term hop. You needed a little dockside
muscle to move cargo, and he proved useful when the local tong came calling and
demanded “their cut.” He’s been flying with you eight months now. He tends to keep to
himself, but he’s a good man to have at your back. You don’t know precisely what he’s
running from, but he works for you now- and that means you watch his back, too.

38
 BOUDREAUX, THOMAS WILHELM
Gifted with machines, Boudreaux joined the Independents as much to learn a trade (starship
repair) as to protect home and hearth. He is steadfast, capable, and reliable. A loyal friend and
a devious enemy.

Age: 34 Gender: Male Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown

Agi d8 Str d6 Vit d10 Ale d6 Int d6 Wil d6; Life Points: 16; Initiative: d6+d8
Traits: Loyal- Kearny (Minor), Memorable (Minor), Friends In Low Places (Minor), Prejudice-
Alliance Bigshots (Minor)
Skills: Athletics d4, Craft d6, Guns d6 / Pistols d8, Heavy Weapons d6 / Mounted Weapons d10,
Influence d6, Knowledge d4, Mechanical Engineering d6 / Mechanical Maintenance d10 /
Mechanical Repair d10, Pilot d4, Technical Engineering d6/ Technical Repair d10, Unarmed
Combat d2
Equipment: Browncoat Service Pistol (d6 W), Hog leg/Shotgun (d10 W), Gun Cleaning Kit,
Patch Tape, Mechanic’s Tool Set
Boudreaux Player Notes
- Friends in Low Places: Large, jolly, and having been everywhere, you know pretty
much everyone. Once per session, you may spend plot points to call in a favor or secure
a quick loan (subject to the GM’s approval). The number of plot points depends on the
size of the favor- and it’s just possible they might be coming to you for help one day.
- Memorable: There’s just something about you that people remember. Other folk get a
+2 step bonus to spot you or recognize your picture.
- Loyal: You are fiercely loyal to Captain Kearny, and would do almost anything short of
killing yourself (and maybe even that) to protect him. A little older, a little wiser, you
were Kearny's crew chief and later door gunner during the Unification War. Part older
brother, part conscience, protector, and pest, you kept a paternal eye on the young hot-
shot, kept his boats in the air, and tried to keep him alive on the ground. You poured
him into his rack to sleep off a bad drunk on more than one occasion- both before and
after the War.
- Following the war and the amnesty, you bummed around for a bit- contacting old friends
and family- taking stock of who had lived and who had died. You lost a lot of people in
the War, but never really had any roots to begin with. Drifting, you took a lot of jobs on
the Rim, shipping out on one boat or another, occasionally working dockside, but nothing
seemed to hold your interest. Finally, you ran into Kearny in a spacer bar on a backwater
moon. He'd gotten his hands on a ship- and needed someone who knew how to keep her
flying. You signed on and haven't looked back. Times haven't changed all that much.
Kearny's got a sense of mission- he does what he sets out to do. You keep the guns
loaded and the boat flying- just like old times.
- You've got no real beef with former Alliance rank-and-file. For the most part, they were
doing a job just like you were. Now you’re all just folk, anyway. The powers that be
however- the ones who called the shots- the ones who ordered and carried out the
atrocities- have earned a special place in Hell. Come across them, and you just might not
be averse to sending them on their way.

39
 CHEROKEE, JOHN
Dark, brooding, and somber, John Cherokee is a man with a past. Quiet and laconic, he seldom
has much to say- but people have learned to listen when he says it. Born on Jiangyn, his family
was desperately poor- and he was sold into indentured servitude to pay the family debts just
short of his seventeenth birthday. Cherokee worked on a ranch owned by Sam Jonas for seven
years, before discovering that Jonas had been cheating him. When Cherokee’s “contract” was
supposed to end, he discovered that the wages he had been paid were barely sufficient to cover
the board and keep Jonas had been charging him (illegally).
The bottom line was that Cherokee was no closer to freedom than the day he’d first showed up
on the ranch. In a fit of rage, Cherokee attacked Jonas, but the old man was quick- and had
help. Cherokee spent six weeks in chains healing up after the beating Jonas and his ranch hands
administered. It took another two years for Jonas to begin trusting Cherokee- at least trusting
him enough to slip up and allow him the chance to escape. As soon as the opportunity presented
itself, Cherokee bolted- trading labor for passage on an outbound boat.

Age: 29 Gender: Male Eyes: Brown Hair: Black

Agi d6 Str d10 Vit d6 Ale d6 Int d6 Wil d8; Life Points: 16; Initiative: d6+d6
Traits: Deadly Enemy (Minor), Fighting Type (Major), Intimidating Manner (Minor), Memorable
(Minor), Straight Shooter (Minor), Tough as Nails (Minor),
Skills: Animal Handling d6, Athletics d6 / Dodge d8, Craft d6, Discipline d4, Guns d6, Influence
d6 / Intimidate d8, Melee Weapon Combat d6 / Knives d8/ Hatchet d8, Survival d4, Unarmed
Combat d6 / Brawling d8
Equipment: Pistol (d6 W), Ballistic Mesh 1W*, Hatchet (d6 W), Combat Knife (d4 W), Shotgun
(d10 W), Gun Cleaning Kit, Leatherworking Kit

John Cherokee Player Notes

- Memorable: With your size and demeanor, you tend to stick out in people’s minds.
Other folk get a +2 step bonus to spot you or recognize your picture.
- Fighting Type: Having grown up fighting for everything you’ve had, you know your way
around most combat-type situations. You may take one non-attack action each combat
turn without penalty.
- Tough as Nails: Having grownup as no stranger to hard work, toil, and pain on Jiangyn,
you’re tougher than most men your age and size- and gained two Life Points as a result.
- Straight shooter: when you do talk, you tend to tell the truth, even if it ain’t what folk
want to hear. You can’t carry off a lie worth a damn (-2 step penalty to Influence) as the
lie is plastered all over your face.
- Deadly Enemy: It’s been five years since you jumped your “contract”, and you’ve
switched ships at least four times since then, but you’ve got a suspicion that Old Jonas is
still looking for you.
- Kearny and his crew have been good to you over the last eight months, and you’re
beginning to trust them at last. For obvious reasons, trusting employers and the courts
doesn’t come easy to you- but you’ve never seen Kearny cheat a man who hadn’t tried to
double-cross him first.
- You’re normally quiet and thoughtful- you prefer to watch and listen before saying
anything. You learn a lot more watching than talking.
- Captain Kearny hired you on as much for your Intimidatin’ manner and strength as
anything else- you’re one intimidating SOB when you put your mind to it. Believe it or
not, that’s usually been enough. You haven’t had to bust many heads since signing on,
and that suits you just fine. Fighting for what’s yours is fair, but you’re not interested in
taking what isn't yours from others. You gain a +2 Step attribute bonus to Willpower on
any action that involves intimidating people.

40
 MARTINS-SAINT JOHN, ANDREW ROBBIN
Medical Doctor. "Doc" Martins is a competent healer with a shady past. "Doc" is glib, secretive,
and occasionally disingenuous. Martins-St. John joined the ship's company after a job and night
of drinking and carousing went quite badly and resulted in a bar brawl and several serious
injuries.

Age 35 Gender: Male Eyes: Brown Hair: Black

Agi d6, Str d6, Vit d6, Ale d8, Int d10, Wil d6; Life Points 12; Init d6+d8
Traits: Assets: Cortex Specter (Major), Friends In Low Places (Minor), Highly Educated (Minor),
Complications: Deadly Enemy- Alliance (Minor), Phobia- Confined Spaces (Minor)
Skills: Covert d6/ Streetwise d8, Discipline d6, Influence d6/Interrogation d8, Knowledge
d6, Medical Expertise d6/Internal Medicine d10/Surgery d10, Scientific Expertise
d6/Life Sciences d8, Guns d6/Pistol d8,
Equipment: Pistol (damage d6W), Encyclopedia, First Aid Kit, MedAcad Doctor's Bag

“Doc” Martin Player Notes

- While it’s true that you’re a fully qualified surgeon, that’s not what you did during the
War. You don’t talk about that for a very good reason- you were a spy, an infiltrator, and
an informer. You did a fair amount of Alliance dirty work- mostly intelligence gathering,
some blackmail, and the occasional breaking and entering. You smiled to people’s faces
and lied through your teeth- you betrayed their trust and stole military secrets. You
compromised people’s integrity- and on more than one occasion- their dignity.
- And then the Alliance told you to murder a child. More specifically, the Alliance ordered
you to assassinate the family of a prominent Browncoat general.
- Cortex Specter: You refused and went off the grid. Through your contacts, you changed
your face, got new papers and flat disappeared into the faceless masses. People
searching for records won’t find much of anything- there’s no official record that you
exist.
- Deadly Enemy: The Alliance declared you a traitor and signed a death warrant with your
name on it. Despite the end of the war and the general amnesty, they’ll probably try to
enforce it if they ever figure out who and what you were.
- Phobia: Attempting to escape from an Alliance squad, you took shelter in a small pipe
and became stuck- it took you several hours to finally work your way free, and you’ve had
a real problem with confined spaces ever since. You suffer a -2 Step penalty to all Covert
based actions when faced with going into a confined space.
- Friends In Low Places: Despite disappearing into the Black, you’ve got a network of
people who owe you favors- or who are afraid of what you know and might tell. Once per
session, you may spend plot points to call in a favor or secure a quick loan (subject to the
GM’s approval). The number of plot points depends on the size of the favor- and it’s just
possible they might be coming to you for help one day.
- Highly Educated: With all of your training- medical and otherwise- you gain a +2 Step
Attribute bonus to any Knowledge skill when trying to recall specific facts or information.

41
- On the surface, you’re glib, insincere, and dishonest. You’d rather tell an artfully crafted
lie than a hundred truths, but you’re slowly coming to trust your shipmates. You only lie
to them when they begin probing your past, or when the mood strikes you.
- Despite your devil-may-care facade, you have a deeply ingrained sense of right and
wrong. You may break society’s rules (or shatter them into unrecognizable pieces), but
only to protect the deeper contract that “civilization” is supposed to represent.

42