TEXT: 
  The man known as Frankie ‘Twice Pipe’ 
  Whitaker waited in a run down section of 
  the Persephone spaceport silent as a ghost. 
  His hand rested on the butt of the cut-down 
  shotgun that was the source of his nickname 
  as he watched a young man approach. The new 
  arrival looked around, oblivious to Frankie’s 
  presence, trying to keep up a brave front despite 
  not seeing his contact anywhere. He took up a 
  reasonably defensible position near some solidly 
  built crates and waited. 
  “Good spot young ‘un,” Frankie said aloud. 
  “I’d say you’ve got a future in the business, 
  but that might make ya’ll’s head bigger than it 
  needs ta be.” The young man smiled; if he was 
  surprised, Frankie was impressed by how well 
  he hid his reaction.
  Used to some of the older man’s 
  idiosyncrasies by now, the newcomer walked 
  over to Frankie’s hiding place and wordlessly 
  presented a small bag. Frankie knew the young 
  man wasn’t the cheating type and pocketed the 
  bag with only the slightest pause to verify its 
  weight.
  “As I said last time,” Frankie said, “Gettin’ 
  predictable is a good way to get dead. Since 
  our little conversation tonight’s gonna be about 
  ships, I figured that meetin’ at a less-traveled 
  part of the spaceport would be the best place 
  for this here palaver. I know ya’ll is runnin’ 
  in that Wren-class freighter Babylon docked in 
  Gamma Twelve…” 
  Frankie’s client twitched in shock. 
  “Son, ya gotta stop lookin’ so surprised 
  when I knows stuff about ya. It’s my job to 
  ken stuff ya know. Anyways, not that there’s 
  anythin’ wrong with a Wren—and I’d never 
  go insultin’ a man’s boat—but even ya’ll has to 
  admit, something a mite larger would be nice. 
  The upright thing to do, of course, is to earn 
  enough coin to buy into a bigger ship. But that 
  there’s the rub, earnin’ enough coin to buy into 
  somethin’ nice usually requires a nicer ship to 
  begin with, puttin’ ya’ll in a right vicious circle it 
  does at that.
  Moving Up to the Big Time
  “Okay then, up ‘til now, we’ve just been 
  two folk jawin’ about how some of the seamier 
  things in the ‘Verse go. Tonight, what I’m about 
  to tell ya, will set ya on a course that will make 
  yer bones or break them, in the business of 
  less-than-honest livin’. I need to know that ya 
  fully understand what sorts of things can be 
  on that road a’fore I will continue. Cause, may 
  the Buddha be my witness, I ain’t tryin’ to talk 
  ya into nothin’ what might go get ya killed or in 
  the Dyton Colony prison, but if’n ya know how, 
  there are ways short of buyin’ what ya’ll can use 
  to ‘upgrade’ to a prettier boat.
  “However, the first thing to ken is that 
  folk’re mighty attached to their boats. Damn 
  thing could be the biggest rustbucket since the 
  invention of rust, but to the owner, that boat’s 
  the most beautiful thing ever to take to the 
  Black and folk will kill ya over their boat. Never 
  forget that or ya’ll will find yerself real dead real 
  quick dong ma?”
  Choosing Your Mark
  Frankie waited until the young man nodded 
  in understanding before continuing.
  “All right, now that ya ken the nature of the 
  beast ya’ll is dealin’ with, let’s get down to brass 
  tacks. Boostin’ a ship is mainly about pickin’ the 
  right target. Ya gotta ken yer target’s schedule 
  better’n they ken it themselves. It’s always best 
  to pick a boat what ain’t got no one aboard to 
  raise up a fuss. This means casin’ the port and 
  seein’ if ya can spot a boat run by a rookie or a 
  daigua what leaves his boat unattended. []
  Getting Inside
  “Once ya got a ship tagged, they’re not all 
  that different from homes when it comes to 
  getting’ inside without the permission of them 
  as what owns ‘em. Just like ya need the right 
  tools to fix a busted compression coil, ya gotta 
  have the right tools for a ship job. The first 
  thing y’all need is the very best set of electronic 
  lockpicks ya’ll can get yer hands on. Ya see, 
  modern locks needs modern tools. The things 
  are a bit spendy, but tryin’ to slip inside a ship 
  without a good set of picks is guarantin’ a hard 
  burn trip to an Alliance cell with a large and 
  over-friendly cellmate. Now if ya’ll can find 
  them, a set o’ quality ship-picks is the real deal, 
  ‘cause they are as rare as hen’s teeth and the 
  dang-blamed things will run ya five times as 
  much as a regular set, but they are specifically 
  designed for ships and are the sweetest thing on 
  the shadow market for boostin’ a boat. [] 
  	
  	Understand?
  	
  	Fool	
  Word on the Street III: Ship heist 
  by Michael Chumbler
  
  
  “The real trick to gettin’ yer hands on a boat 
  what ain’t belongs to ya, is knowin’ where to 
  look and yer best option’s a repair yard. See, the 
  mechanics gotta be able to work on the boat. 
  Most of the time that means if the ship’s got 
  special security it’s gotta be turned off. Word o’ 
  warning, though—just cause a ship’s in a repair 
  yard ain’t no law says the security has to be 
  turned off.
  “Now the downside of tryin’ to steal a boat 
  outta a repair yard is the yard has usually got 
  some sort of security and more importantly, 
  them as what own the boat brought it to a 
  yard for a reason and ya’ll will look right stupid 
  tryin’ to lift in a ship what don’t run. Gettin’ 
  info on ships in a yard requires a bit of talkin’ 
  with the right folk. Mechanics and ship crews 
  are a loose-lipped bunch and for the price of 
  a few drinks, ya’ll can usually find no shortage 
  of information. Ya find the right guy and for 
  the right ‘consideration’ they can be talked into 
  leavin’ doors unlocked or to be lookin’ in the 
  wrong direction when ya makes yer move. Just 
  make sure ya ain’t stingy with the coin, ‘cause 
  anyone that flips one way, is usually more’n 
  willin’ to flip back if they don’t think they is 
  gettin’ their due. [3]
  Getting Out
  “Regardless if’n ya got the ship from a 
  port or a repair yard, gettin’ the thing started 
  depends on the owner. Ya find a paranoid type 
  and ya got a problem, ‘cause Buddha alone 
  knows how many ways there are to lock down 
  a ship’s computer or engine, but the other side 
  of the coin is, if’n ya finds a chump, you’re 
  shiny as the King of Londinum’s hat. This is 
  where yer mechanic, if ya got one as a partner, 
  or them engineerin’ data disks, if’n you’re in this 
  alone, earn their keep. Best stick to ships what 
  got made the most, ‘cause they are the easiest 
  to figure out. Tryin’ to suss out a limited run 
  boat usually takes too long and, at this point, 
  time is not yer friend. The best tool for tappin’ 
  into a ship’s computer is called a spike and they 
  don’t come cheap neither. A spike is kinda like a 
  SubKelvin, costs twice as much, but works ten 
  times better. Slip the thing in and let the spike 
  do the work. As soon as the computer unlocks, 
  it’s time for the most important part of the 
  score, gettin’ the hell away. [4]
  “Couple things up front what ya should ken 
  about ships if’n ya don’t know already. First, 
  any commercial ship that runs the Black has 
  got two things what the Feds can use to track 
  her: One is a doodad called a pulse beacon what 
  identifies the ship. Ya gotta find it and pull it, 
  ‘cause unless the hun dan3 ya stole it from can’t 
  go to the Feds due to bein’ too hot their own 
  selves, ya can bet that the ship’s pulse beacon 
  will get tagged as stolen and get Waved all over 
  hell and gone. Second thing is the Nav-Sats 
  what ya gotta use for navigatin’. Ya can’t pull 
  that, so here’s where spendin’ some coin up 
  front will more’n pay for itself. Buy as many 
  decoy missiles as ya afford, cost ya about fifteen 
  credits each and the more the merrier, they are 
  each worth their weight in platinum as it will 
  confuse anyone tryin’ to track ya long enough 
  for ya to go to Hard Burn. [5]
  Making the Sale
  “Now comes the final and most dangerous 
  part of ship-jackin’, unloadin’ the goods. First 
  thing to ken about a hot boat is the closest thing 
  to a friend ya got is the Rim. Times are always 
  hard on the Rim and ship’s registries is less 
  well regulated out there. If’n ya got the right 
  contacts, ya can sometimes make for a Border 
  Planet, but that is somethin’ ya gotta have set up 
  in advance. No fence worth the name will take a 
  chance with a hot boat brought in by somebody 
  what they don’t already ken. 
  “Main thing to know if’n ya boost a ship 
  is, are ya plannin’ on keepin’ it or are ya gonna 
  sell it? If’n ya keeps it, ya gotta get it registered. 
  This is a two part deal. Ya gotta get a new pulse 
  beacon and ya gotta get new ship’s papers. 
  Reprogrammin’ the beacon is actually fairly easy, 
  any mechanic can do that, just takes awhile. 
  It’s gettin’ new papers that’s the tough part. Ya 
  either gets some forged or ya bribe some mei 
  yong de4 Fed into givin’ ya a legit set. [6] 
  “If’n ya wants to sell the boat, ya gotta 
  find a buyer and since ya can’t go sendin’ out 
  a Wave, ya gotta start poundin’ the pavement. 
  Since ya’s too new to have the contacts, kid, this 
  is where things can get dicey. Ya gotta trust yer 
  gut and watch yer back at the same time. Talk to 
  spacers, they usually know someone that knows 
  someone. If worst comes to the worst, ya can 
  always take the ship to a dealer, but be prepared 
  for a painful hagglin’ ‘cause if’n ya go to them 
  gou cao de5 pirates ya’ll be lucky if’n ya break 
  even. [7]
  Last Thoughts
  “I know I got yer head spinnin’ ‘cause I 
  done give ya a lot to chaw on at once and I can 
  almost hear the gears a’whirlin’. I think ya got it 
  in ya to be a real operator in the business, but ya 
  	
  	Jerk
  	
  	Useless
  	
  	dog	humping
  
  
  gotta be sure that’s the life ya want. Ya’ll needs 
  to sleep on what ya learned tonight, so don’t go 
  makin’ any half-cocked decisions tonight, ‘cause 
  there ain’t nothin’ wrong with the Babylon. If’n 
  ya decides that ship-jackin’ ain’t yer idea of fun, 
  when ya comes back, maybe we can talk about 
  simple smugglin’ what ain’t as simple as ya 
  think. See ya next time kid.”
  The younger man shook hands with Frankie 
  and slipped away. The older man could tell that 
  the lad was deep in thought as he left just by the 
  way he held his head. 
  “Poor kid is havin’ a tough time right now,” 
  Frankie thought. “But he’ll be back, his eyes 
  had that gleam in ‘em that all but screamed 
  ‘Look out ‘Verse, I’m on my way’ and the thing 
  is, he’s right.” This thought made Frankie smile 
  before he noted it was almost time for his next 
  appointment and he vanished into the shadows 
  of the Persephone spaceport.
  Notes
  Successfully observing the operations at a busy 
  spaceport requires a HARD () Alertness + Covert / 
  Surveillance action. Spotting an unattended ship is the 
  purview of the GM, but Crew can spend 8 Plot Points, 
  with GM approval, to find a ship that is unattended. 
  Bypassing the security on a ship can’t be done 
  without electronic lock picks. Ship-picks are a refinement 
  of basic electronic lock picks and give a user a + skill 
  step to Intelligence + Covert / Open Locks actions, 
  but only when used on ships; they confer a – skill step 
  when used on any other type of lock. Locating these 
  specialty items can be an adventure hook all by itself, 
  but at a minimum, they require a FORMIDABLE (5) 
  Intelligence + Influence or Covert / Streetwise action. 
  In addition, they are highly illegal and if caught by 
  authorities while in possession of a set of Ship-picks, the 
  crew faces a trial and if convicted, two years in a penal 
  colony. 
  Finding a contact aware of a vulnerable ship 
  in a repair yard requires Friends in Low places and an 
  expenditure of 5 Plot Points or a HARD () Willpower 
  + Influence / Appropriate Specialty action and sufficient 
  Credits. Actually bribing a repair yard worker to assist 
  in the theft is an additional FORMIDABLE (5) 
  Intelligence + Influence / Persuasion or Willpower + 
  Discipline / Intimidation action and a bribe of no less 
  than one percent of the ship’s value.  
  1.
  2.
  3.
  A Spike is an illegal computer disruption 
  device that adds a + skill step to the user’s Intelligence 
  + Covert / Disable Devices action and is as difficult to 
  locate, using the same Skills, as the Ship-picks listed above 
  (and just as illegal). 
  Removing a ship’s pulse beacon takes a 
  COMPLEX AVERAGE (35) Intelligence + Technical 
  Engineering / Communications Systems action with each 
  roll representing three minutes. Escaping a planet or ship 
  that is actively seeking the stolen ship is an Opposed Roll 
  pitting the crew’s Intelligence + Technical Engineering 
  / Sensors or Hacking Skill versus the tracker’s Skill, and 
  each decoy missile deployed gives a + skill step bonus to 
  the crew’s skill.   
  Reprogramming a pulse beacon is an 
  AVERAGE (35) Complex Action of Intelligence + 
  Technical Engineering / Communications Systems roll 
  with each roll taking an hour. Forging ship’s papers is 
  a HARD () Agility + Covert / Forgery action, or 
  Friends in Low Places and 5 Plot Points. Bribing an 
  official for legitimate papers requires either a HARD () 
  Intelligence + Influence / Streetwise action, or Friends 
  in Low Places and 5 Plot Points. These difficulties are for 
  the Rim; increase the difficult by 4 for a Border Planet 
  and 8 for the Core. 
  Finding a fence requires a HARD () 
  Intelligence + Influence / Streetwise action, or Friends 
  in Low Places and 5 Plot Points. These difficulties are 
  for the Rim, increase the Difficulty by 4 for a Border 
  Planet and 8 for the Core. Negotiating a price is an 
  Opposed Roll of Intelligence + Influence / Appropriate 
  Specialty versus the fence’s Willpower + Discipline / 
  Mental Resistance; Success earns 5% of ship’s value, an 
  Extraordinary Success earns 5%, a Failure earns only 
  5%, and on a Botch the fence won’t buy the ship. Dealers 
  only give 5% on a Success, 5% for an Extraordinary 
  Success, and will refuse to buy on a Failure or Botch. 
  4.
  5.
  6.
  7.
  Credits
  Writer 
  Michael Chumbler
  Content Editor  
  Cam Banks
  Layout 
  Digger Hayes
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Serenity/Serenity - Word on the Street Part 3.pdf