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  Jan Hendrik Friedrich 
  Michael Chumbler 
  David Hunter 
   
   
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  Elizabeth Blackson 
   
   
   
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  Joss Whedon 
   
   
   
  www.cortexsystemrpg.org 
  www.serenityrpg.com 
   
   
  Serenity © Universal Studios. All Rights reserved 
  
   
  3 
  H
  HEER
  REE’’SS  H
  HO
  OW
  W  IITT  IISS  
  The job seems simple enough, take a small 
  load of legal cargo and some passengers 
  from Hera to Greenleaf. For a Crew just 
  trying to keep flying, this easy milk run is a 
  way to make some coin and not have to 
  look over their shoulder while they are doing 
  it. That’s how the job starts, but things on 
  the Rim are never as easy as they seem and 
  the Crew soon find themselves enmeshed in 
  a series of increasingly deadly events where 
  murder is only the first problem they 
  encounter.  
   
  G
  GAAM
  MEE  M
  MAASSTTEER
  R  N
  NO
  OTTEESS  
  Every GM is strongly encouraged to read 
  and become familiar with Inner Demons 
  before attempting to run it. Players may 
  choose to stray from pre-arranged plotlines, 
  and the only way to respond to such 
  circumstances is to know the adventure 
  thoroughly.  
  Inner Demons is a tale of ordinary folk faced 
  with an extraordinary situation and is 
  presented in three acts of two scenes each. 
  Act one consists of This is Where the War 
  Was Lost and Gettin’ out of the World. Act 
  two leads to They’re not Stories and A 
  Ruttin’ Murder Mystery with the final act 
  concluding with It’s the Gorram Law and 
  Them As Gazed Into the Abyss Return. 
  Inner Demons is meant for Greenhorn 
  Crews that have gained some experience. 
  Veteran or Big Damn Hero level Crews can 
  use this adventure, but the GM will have to 
  increase the skills of the NPCs as well as 
  increase the task difficulties in order to 
  provide a better challenge. 
   
   
  A
  AC
  CTT  O
  ON
  NEE  
    
  SSC
  CEEN
  NEE  O
  ON
  NEE  
  TTH
  HIISS  IISS  W
  WH
  HEER
  REE  TTH
  HEE  W
  WAAR
  R  W
  WAASS  
  LLO
  OSSTT  
  As the adventure begins, the player 
  characters (PCs) are aboard their ship that 
  descends into Hera’s atmosphere. In the 
  ship’s cargo bay, half a ton of spices and six 
  tons of iron ore await collection while three 
  passengers want to disembark. Although the 
  4-day trip from Beaumonde has been an 
  uneventful, not to say boring, one, any PC 
  who opposed the Alliance’s imperialist 
  hegemony and joined the Browncoats’ fight 
  for freedom will not be looking forward to 
  visiting the largely agricultural world 
  because the Battle of Serenity Valley was 
  fought here. To complete the Browncoats’ 
  misery, the PCs are about to dock at 
  Serenity Views’ spaceport. 
  After the ship touches down, the airlock 
  opens, the ramp comes down, the 
  passengers leave and a short while later, 
  the cargo is collected. As the PCs finally pile 
  out and Hera scrunches under their feet, 
  you, the Game Master (GM), should read 
  the following passage out loud or 
  paraphrase it. 
   
  Serenity View is a small town that is 
  located out of the infamous Serenity 
  Valley which is still ravaged by the fire 
  storm that swept through it more than 
  seven years ago. On the opposite side 
  of the rocky valley, over half a million 
  small and identical tombstones call to 
  mind that a vast number of men and 
  women, Alliance and Browncoats alike, 
  
   
  4 
  have lost their lives in the bloodiest 
  encounter of the War for Unification. 
  Despite its relative puniness, Serenity 
  View’s spaceport is fully-staffed and 
  equipped. Restocking services and a 
  small shipyard for minor repairs are 
  available to the families and friends 
  who come to Serenity View to visit the 
  graves of fallen loved ones. 
   
  If a PC wants to honor one of the unnamed 
  graves or the last resting place of a fallen 
  friend or family member and the PC’s player 
  engages in some remarkable roleplaying, he 
  should be awarded with one or two Plot 
  Points. 
  PCs who have not fought in the war, 
  however, should ply their trade. After 
  fuelling up the ship, restocking any supplies 
  that have run low and paying port fees, it’s 
  about time that the PCs start to look for new 
  jobs. They may check the computerized 
  placards in front of the ship’s berth or 
  simply ask around which requires an 
  AVERAGE (7) Willpower + Influence / 
  Appropriate Specialty roll. Apparently, only 
  three cargo transportation jobs are available 
  at the moment. A man by the name of 
  Gordon Choi wants ten tons of seeds to be 
  transported to Whitefall, while someone 
  called Aaron Harris has six tons of medical 
  goods that are to be hauled to Greenleaf. 
  Finally, Lao Wang wants five tons of 
  airtights1 and other foodstuffs to be shipped 
  to Greenleaf as well. While Choi is willing to 
  pay 700 Credits, Harris’ and Wang’s offers, 
  however, add up to 1,125 Credits. Besides, 
  it is an AVERAGE (7) mental feat 
  (Intelligence + Pilot / Astrogation) to know 
                                                        
  1 Canned goods  
  that the trip to Greenleaf will take round 
  about two weeks and is therefore going to 
  be the less costly one. Obviously, the PCs 
  should decide to go to Greenleaf. 
  Taking on passengers is a chance to bring in 
  some easy money. Finding non-player 
  characters (NPCs) who want to go to 
  Greenleaf and convincing them to choose 
  the PCs’ ship is an AVERAGE Complex Action 
  (35 vs. Willpower + Influence / Appropriate 
  Specialty). The PCs may indirectly assist one 
  another. Each roll represents 10 minutes’ 
  work. When the threshold is reached or 
  exceeded, the PCs have convinced Sir Basil 
  Protheroe, his butler Andrew Lin, Louise 
  Boyd, George Burrows as well as Selma 
  Woodrow and her husband Jesse to book a 
  passage to Greenleaf. If a PC botches twice, 
  George Burrows will not accompany them. 
  Please refer to the appendices and describe 
  the NPCs in detail and according to the 
  specifications that are given there. Although 
  the PCs will be given a chance to come to 
  know all their passengers in Scene 2: 
  Getting’ out of the World they should 
  already receive a strong first impression of 
  the people they will travel with for the 
  coming weeks. Since the journey to 
  Greenleaf will roughly take two weeks, it is 
  only reasonable as well as an AVERAGE (7) 
  feat (Willpower + Influence / Appropriate 
  Specialty) to convince each passenger to 
  pay 250 Credits up front. On a Botch, the 
  passenger will only pay 85 Credits, while a 
  Failure means that the passenger won’t pay 
  more than 125 Credits. An Extraordinary 
  Success indicates that the passenger is 
  willing to pay as much as 300 Credits. Note 
  that the situation should be role-played. 
  Moreover, the NPCs will agree to the new 
  
   
  5 
  price, but the PCs have the choice to refuse 
  the deal. 
  When the cargo and the passengers are 
  aboard and the PCs are about to close their 
  ship’s main airlock, read: 
   
  “Deng deng1!” someone shouts 
  unexpectedly as the hatch slowly slides 
  shut in front of you, “Wait for me, 
  gorramit!” 
  As the door slides back open, you can’t 
  fail to notice that a middle-aged woman 
  who is carrying a small duffel bag is 
  making toward your ship apparently as 
  fast as she can.  
  After she has finally come to a stand 
  and caught her breath, she says, “Duo 
  xie2. Looks like I’m just in time, don’t 
  it? The name’s Emily, by the way, 
  Missus Emily Bates.” 
  She smiles jovially and extends her 
  right arm to shake hands. Before 
  locking hands with the stranger, you 
  size her up. She is a dumpy little, yet 
  rather severe-looking woman, with 
  brown hair drawn into a tight bun. 
  “All right, then”, she says, “I hear 
  you’re going to Greenleaf. Dui bu dui3?” 
  Instead of waiting for an answer, she 
  continues, “I want to go there, too. You 
  see my daughter Amanda, her husband 
  John, and my lovely grandson Jimmy 
  live there. Little Jimmy’s fallen ill with 
  the gorram de guo ma zhen4. The boy’s 
  crying for his wai po5 all the time. I 
  can’t really blame him. Amanda’s never 
                                                        
  1 Literally, “Wait a minute!”; “Hold on!”  
  2 “Many thanks”; “Thanks a lot” 
  3 “Right or wrong?”; “Is it right?” 
  4 “Measles” 
  5 Mother’s mother; maternal grandmother 
  been that good with kids, you know. 
  The next ferry’s not going to leave until 
  the day after tomorrow. Besides, those 
  shuttles are dreadful slow.” 
  She produces a heavy purse and takes 
  out a surprisingly thick wad of money. 
  “Wu lun ru he6”, she finally says, “150 
  Credits will be enough, I take it? At 
  least, that’s what I always pay for that 
  awful crowded shuttle.” 
   
  It is an EASY (3) feat (Willpower + 
  Influence) to convince Mrs. Bates to pay 
  250 Credits. While an Extraordinary Success 
  indicates that she will to pay as much as 
  300 Credits, neither a Failure nor a Botch 
  will beat the price down. Mrs. Bates wants 
  to go to Greenleaf and obviously can’t be 
  stirred from her resolve. The headstrong 
  woman is even willing to sleep in the cargo 
  bay if all passenger cabins are taken. 
  As soon as Mrs. Bates is aboard, the Crew’s 
  pilot can request permission to take off, 
  which, after a short while, is granted. The 
  PCs’ ship lifts off and breaks atmo. Proceed 
  to Scene 2: Getting’ Out Of The World. 
   
  SSC
  CEEN
  NEE  TTW
  WO
  O  
  G
  GEETTTTIIN
  N’’  O
  OUUTT  O
  OFF  TTH
  HEE  W
  WO
  OR
  RLLD
  D    
  The journey from Hera to Greenleaf takes a 
  ship that has a Speed Class of 1 ten weeks, 
  one day, and eighteen hours (1,722 hours). 
  Divide by the ship’s Speed Class to get the 
  actual travel time. The trip will take a vessel 
  with a speed class of 5 approximately 14 
  days, for instance.  
  Plotting a direct course is a HARD (11) task 
  (Intelligence + Pilot / Astrogation). A Botch 
                                                        
  6 “Anyhow”; “anyway”; “whatever”  
  
   
  6 
  means that the ship is off-course, doubling 
  the actual travel time. A Failure means that 
  the actual travel time is multiplied by 1.5. 
  While a Success does not modify travel 
  time, an Extraordinary Success indicates 
  that the actual travel time is multiplied by 
  0.75.  
  During the next days, the PCs should come 
  to know the passengers they will spend 
  quite some time with. The GM should take a 
  little detour and tell some short stories that, 
  to some extent, may branch off from the 
  main story line. They should, however, 
  introduce the NPCs and their reasons for 
  having booked a passage on the PCs’ ship, 
  as well as hint at what motivates or haunts 
  them. 
  The GM might think of the following as 
  “sideshows” and can either use them as 
  written or build their own scenes. If, for 
  example, a NPC can interact with a PC 
  instead of another NPC, by all means, 
  change the suggested encounter 
  accordingly. It is solely significant that the 
  PCs become acquainted with the 
  passengers. The better they know the NPCs, 
  the better. 
  Emily Bates does not want to visit her 
  daughter’s family. In fact, she is not a 
  grandmother. Emily Bates is not even her 
  real name. However, she seems to be 
  cheerful and likeable. After she has 
  approached the captain, read: 
   
  “Excuse me, xiang sheng1”, the woman 
  who insists on being called Emily says, 
  smiling jovially, “I’ve noticed that 
  there’s an awful lot that dreadful paste 
  in them kitchen drawers. I don’t want 
                                                        
  1 “Sir”; “mister” (title of respect)  
  to run afoul with you, mind. I ain’t 
  tetchy, either. I’m just feeling kind of 
  apologetic right now. What with my 
  rudeness and all, you know. Anyways, 
  how about I take a closer look at them 
  canned goods and spices and cook a 
  nice and tasty meal to make things up, 
  eh?” 
   
  Provided that the captain doesn’t object, 
  Emily indeed manages to prepare a pleasing 
  meal from what she can find in the ship’s 
  galley. When everyone has gathered around 
  the dining table, almost everyone enters 
  into conversations. Only Andrew Lin, Sir 
  Protheroe’s butler, stays in the background. 
  The PCs can find out, for example, that both 
  Protheroe and Lin want to return to Sir 
  Basil’s small and secluded estate on 
  Greenleaf, while Louise Boyd has a job lined 
  up at a nice saloon in need of a house 
  singer. If asked politely, she’ll gladly 
  volunteer a song later on. Selma and Jesse 
  Woodrow say that they are traveling with a 
  small cargo of trade goods that they are 
  going to sell on the Rim world. As all good 
  Shepherds are charged, George Burrows is 
  traveling to bring religiosity to those of the 
  ‘Verse most in need of salvation. After 
  everyone is introduced properly, the PCs 
  and NPCs may engage in some small talk. 
  Topics vary. Before long, however, a 
  particularly sensitive subject comes: the 
  Unification War. While Shepherd Burrows, 
  Louise, and Emily seem not to be politically 
  involved. The Woodrows obviously opposed 
  what they felt to be nothing more than 
  imperialist hegemony. Sir Protheroe, 
  however, supported Unification. When 
  they’ve argued for a while, read: 
  
   
  7 
  “Madam, please do not lose your 
  temper”, Protheroe says in a calm 
  voice, “Life on the Rim was often 
  unnecessarily barbaric. The Alliance 
  wanted to bring those worlds into the 
  fold of enlightenment, after all.” 
  Selma Woodrow’s jaw clenches. 
  “Suffering is common to all,” Shepherd 
  Burrows remarks unperturbedly. “The 
  Buddha explained that people live in a 
  sea of suffering because of ignorance 
  and greed. They are ignorant of the law 
  of karma and are greedy for the wrong 
  kind of pleasures. They do things that 
  are harmful to their bodies and peace of 
  mind, so they cannot be satisfied or 
  enjoy life.”  
  After a short pause, the Shepherd adds, 
  “Going to the Buddha for refuge is the 
  first step on the path to true 
  enlightenment.” 
  “What is the most important Buddhist 
  teaching, Shepherd? “ Louise Boyd asks 
  quickly. The ravishing woman hasn’t 
  spoken in quite a long time and seems 
  to be rather relieved that the subject 
  was finally changed. 
  "Do no evil, do only good. Purify your 
  heart," the Shepherd answers. 
  Obviously, Louise expected to hear a 
  very long explanation. She protests, 
  "Any young’un can understand that!" 
  "Yes," Burrows replies, "But even as a 
  devout monk cannot do it.” 
  Louise is apparently taken aback by the 
  Shepherd’s answer and asks, “Why are 
  you a Shepherd, then?”  
  Once again the bald man smiles 
  amiably, as if he is waiting for 
  something amusing to happen. “Even if 
  enlightenment is not achieved in this 
  life,” he explains, “One has a better 
  chance to become enlightened in a 
  future life." 
  Jesse Woodrow bursts out, 
  “Enlightenment, my ass. The ruttin’ 
  Alliance decided that every world 
  should be an Alliance planet, whether 
  we wanted or not.” 
  “That simply is not true, sir”, Protheroe 
  objects, “I ask you not to propagate 
  such blazing lies.” 
  “If I wanted to take orders from 
  everyone that likes barkin’ them, I 
  wouldn’t have fought them Purple 
  Bellies, would I?” Woodrow responds 
  angrily, “They’re all ruttin' murderers, 
  gorramit!” 
  Protheroe, however, falls silent. Cold 
  sweat drips off his forehead and he 
  seems to be disoriented. All of a 
  sudden, he exclaims, “Sergeant, have 
  that man placed in the stockade!”  
  Andrew Lin stands up immediately, 
  helps his obviously confused master out 
  of his chair and says, “Sir Basil will now 
  retire to his quarters. We thank you for 
  this hearty and most delicious meal 
  very much indeed.” 
  Then the servant and his master leave 
  the common room. 
   
  The next day, Protheroe apologizes 
  profusely for having misbehaved. Proceed to 
  Scene Act 2, Scene 1: They’re not Stories! 
   
    
    
    
  
   
  8 
  A
  AC
  CTT  TTW
  WO
  O    
    
  SSC
  CEEN
  NEE  O
  ON
  NEE  
  TTH
  HEEYY’’R
  REE  N
  NO
  OTT  SSTTO
  OR
  RIIEESS!!  
  After the PCs’ ship has covered round about 
  two-thirds of the distance between Hera and 
  Greenleaf, ask for an EASY (3) ship’s 
  Alertness + pilot’s Technical Engineering / 
  Sensors roll. If the ship is flying by wire 
  most of the time, use the ship’s Perception 
  instead of the pilot’s Skill. The degree of 
  success indicates how close the approaching 
  Reaver ship gets before it is detected. On a 
  Botch, they PCs will not notice the Trans-U 
  until it is within Short Range, while a Failure 
  means that they become aware of it when it 
  enters Medium Range. A Success means 
  that the PCs notice the ship when it is within 
  Long Range. An Extraordinary Success 
  indicates that the ship is noticed at Extreme 
  Range.  
  When you have figured out how far away 
  the Trans-U is, read: 
   
  The sensor readouts show a 
  commercial transport of the Polaris 
  Class that was made famous a long 
  time ago by the Trans-Universal 
  Shipping Company that went out of 
  business in the wake of a war-
  profiteering scandal. According to the 
  readouts, the transport is operating 
  without engine core containment, 
  leaking a lethal dose of radiation.  
  Even though the ship doesn’t seem to 
  be headed anywhere in particular, it 
  will pass your ship before long. If you 
  maintain your current course, that is. 
  Although the ship is still quite far out, 
  you can get a visual. You see a more 
  than aged ship that obviously once was 
  a commercial spaceliner. Now it looks 
  like nothing you’ve ever seen, though. 
  It is tricked out, ornamented and 
  crudely painted in garish colors. Giant 
  missile tubes were jury-rigged near the 
  ship’s bow. In short, it is a gorram war 
  machine. 
   
  It is an EASY (3) mental feat (Intelligence + 
  Willpower) to remember campfire stories 
  about men gone savage at the edge of 
  space who, if they take a ship, will rape her 
  company to death, eat their flesh and sew 
  their skins into their own clothing. If the 
  crew is very lucky, they will do it in that 
  order. Obviously, Reavers are not just 
  stories.  
  As the two ships are slowly and silently 
  nearing each other, the PCs can either 
  engage their pulse drive and flee as fast as 
  possible or try to stay calm and hold course. 
  Even if the PCs’ ship is armed, they should 
  not attack the Reavers because the madmen 
  will fight back viciously. 
  Regardless of which course of action the PCs 
  take, they all have to make an AVERAGE (7) 
  Willpower + Willpower roll because this 
  encounter is so unusual and terrifying that it 
  might mentally stun the PCs, or even 
  permanently scar them. Note that PCs who 
  have the STEADY CALM Asset gain a +2 
  step Attribute bonus. A Botch means that 
  the PC is no longer in control and may do 
  anything. For instance, he might try to 
  escape the unspeakable atrocities the 
  Reavers will undoubtedly commit by 
  jumping out of an airlock or by doing 
  
   
  9 
  something equally suicidal. It is strongly 
  suggested that the other PCs prevent their 
  frightened companion from doing something 
  that drastic, though. An ordinary Failure 
  indicates that the PC panics or freezes up. 
  The player may decide whether the PC runs 
  around screaming, sits down and cries, or 
  does something equally pointless for d6 
  minutes. At the end of that time, the PC 
  may roll Willpower + Willpower against an 
  AVERAGE (7) Difficulty once per minute to 
  snap out of it. The PC may also spend a 
  number of Plot Points equal to the number 
  of minutes rolled to shake it off. It is a 
  HARD (11) feat (Willpower + Discipline or 
  Influence / Leadership) to jolt a frightened 
  PC back into action. Even a Success means 
  that the PC is frightened and mentally 
  stunned. The PC suffers a -1 step penalty on 
  all Mental Attributes for d12 turns. Only an 
  Extraordinary Success indicates that the PC 
  can act without penalty. 
  If the ship’s pulse drive is turned on, she 
  will move in roughly a straight line. Unless 
  the pilot turns her nose by making an EASY 
  (3) ship’s Agility + pilot’s Pilot / Appropriate 
  Specialty roll before going to hard-burn, the 
  PCs expose themselves to the danger of 
  crashing into the Trans-U head-on. If the 
  ship’s pulse drive is turned on before the 
  course has been adjusted, the pilot may try 
  to bend her heading slightly by making a 
  ship’s Agility + pilot’s Pilot / Appropriate 
  Specialty roll.  The Difficulty depends on the 
  distance between the PCs’ ship and the 
  Trans-U: It is an INCREDIBLE (23) feat to 
  avoid the Reaver ship if it is within Short 
  Range. If it is within Medium Range, the 
  Difficulty drops to HEROIC (19). At Long 
  Range, the Trans-U can be avoided by 
  making a FORMIDABLE (15) roll. If it is 
  within Extreme Range, it is still a HARD (11) 
  feat not to collide with it. A Failure means 
  that the PCs’ vessel crashes into the Trans-
  U. The Difficulty is treated as an attack roll 
  while the Skill roll made to avoid it is 
  treated as a defense roll. Damage is Basic 
  type. On a Botch, the ship must make an 
  AVERAGE (7) Endurance roll (Vitality + 
  Willpower). If successful, the damage above 
  is taken normally. If the roll fails, the ship 
  takes debilitating damage to a critical 
  system. Roll d6 to determine which system 
  is damaged: 1 means that the engines are 
  critically damaged and cease to function; 2 - 
  5, engines are damaged, the ship’s Speed 
  Class drops by one-half (rounded down); 6, 
  the ship’s sensor and communication 
  equipment is destroyed, all Alertness-based 
  rolls fail automatically. 
  Even if the PCs’ ship collides with the Reaver 
  ship, the brutal and primal madmen will not 
  attack because they are about to hit 
  something else. Raiding the PCs’ ship is 
  nothing but a waste of time and resources 
  to them since a much worthier quarry is 
  nearby. As a matter of fact, the Reavers are 
  about to rendezvous with a small fleet that 
  will attack the large prey relentlessly from 
  all angles.  
  That is why the PCs may also hold course 
  without being boarded. If they choose to 
  stay calm, you should describe how the two 
  ships are nearing each other slowly. Tell the 
  PCs that all the passengers are waiting in 
  silent terror, their hands shaking. When the 
  Trans-U is almost upon the PCs’ ship, they 
  realize that it is much bigger than it had 
  appeared to be. The Reaver ship comes 
  close enough to cast a shadow on the PCs’ 
  
   
  10 
  ship who see the magnetic grapplers and 
  the missile tubes that are attached on the 
  Trans-U’s front. In short, make the scene as 
  tense as possible. The Reaver ship does 
  pass, though. After a few seconds, the pilot 
  can affirm that it is holding course and the 
  PCs may finally breathe a sigh of relief. 
  Their courageous, not to say foolhardy, 
  attitude gains them two or three Plot Points. 
  If the PCs attempted to abscond from the 
  Reavers, the players are awarded with one 
  or two Plot Points. Proceed to Scene 2: A 
  Ruttin’ Murder Mystery. 
   
  SSC
  CEEN
  NEE  TTW
  WO
  O  
    AA  R
  RUUTTTTIIN
  N’’  M
  MUUR
  RD
  DEER
  R  M
  MYYSSTTEER
  RYY  
  The next day goes by uneventfully, but in 
  the following night, PCs must make an 
  HARD (11) Alertness + Perception / Hearing 
  roll to hear a muffled gun report. Since most 
  PCs are sound asleep in their quarters when 
  the shot is fired, they are at -2 Skill step. If 
  all the rolls fail, the PCs will wake up 
  because someone is screaming and audibly 
  trying to smash in a door. 
  When the PCs get out of bed and open their 
  cabin doors, they notice that Andrew Lin is 
  knocking at his master’s door. Depending on 
  how long it takes the PCs to wake up, he 
  has either just started to do so or has been 
  doing it for quite some time. 
  When the PCs approach Protheroe’s butler, 
  he tells them that his master does not 
  answer the door which seems to be locked. 
  Lin asks the PCs to open it immediately. 
  Since the captain certainly knows the code 
  that opens the door, no roll is required to do 
  so. When it slides open, read: 
   
  Protheroe’s cabin is unlit. You can, 
  however, smell the faint scent of 
  gunpowder.  
  When you’ve turned on the lights, you 
  notice that the aristocrat seems to lie in 
  bed, sound asleep. However, a dark 
  viscid liquid is slowly dripping from a 
  small, roughly circular wound in 
  Protheroe’s right temple. The blanket is 
  already partially soaked in his blood. 
  “Tian ya1”, Lin mutters under his 
  breath. Then he adds in a louder voice, 
  “Are you all right, Sir? Sir, can you hear 
  me?” He steps closer to feel 
  Protheroe’s pulse. Before long, Lin lets 
  go off his master’s wrist and 
  Protheroe’s arm lifelessly drops back 
  on the blood-smeared blanket. “He’s 
  dead”, the butler gasps.  
  All of a sudden, Lin picks up Protheroe’s 
  dead hand again and takes a ring off 
  one of his master’s fingers. After a few 
  moments, the ring drops from Lin’s 
  shaking hand and falls to the ground. 
  Only now you notice that it is an 
  emergency signal ring. 
   
  It is an EASY (3) mental feat (Intelligence + 
  Knowledge / Appropriate Specialty) that the 
  ring is nothing but a miniaturized distress 
  beacon that can be tracked easily. 
  Moreover, a personal code that is built into 
  the ring lets authorities identify it. Since Lin 
  has obviously just activated Protheroe’s 
  ring, it is only a matter of hours until the 
  authorities respond in force. In fact, 
  Commander Akana, the I.A.V. Middenburg’s 
  commanding officer, is about clear one of 
  the ASREVs his ship carries for take-off and 
                                                        
  1 “Heavens!”; “My goodness!”  
  
   
  11 
  to alter the Longbow-Class patrol cruiser’s 
  course. The ASREV will intercept the PCs’ 
  ship in three hours and thirty-seven 
  minutes. It is an AVERAGE (7) feat 
  (Intelligence + Knowledge / Law) to know 
  that a ship’s captain is responsible for the 
  security of his vessel, crew, passengers and 
  cargo. Federal punishment for neglecting 
  one’s duty as a captain includes arrest, 
  immediate impounding of the vessel 
  involved, a fine between 50 and 1,000 
  Credits, up to ten years imprisonment, and 
  possible loss of business or flight 
  certification. Besides, the Feds will ask 
  awkward questions and may arrest the 
  entire Crew unless the PCs can come up 
  with a lucid explanation of what has 
  happened. The Feds may still take the PCs 
  into custody and search their ship, but 
  chances are that they won’t trouble 
  themselves if the PCs can tell them why the 
  distress beacon was activated and explain 
  how and why Sir Basil Protheroe died. 
  First of all, it is an EASY (3) task (Alertness 
  + Medical Expertise / Appropriate Specialty) 
  to confirm Lin’s unprofessional diagnosis. Sir 
  Basil Protheroe is indeed dead. It is safe to 
  assume that the cause of death is the 
  gunshot wound. To be absolutely sure, the 
  Crew’s physician can conduct a superficial 
  autopsy. The post-mortem examination’s 
  results are given below (see Investigatin’ 
  the Crime). While the Crew’s doctor is 
  examining Protheroe’s dead body, the PCs 
  can Investigate the Crime, Hear the 
  Passengers, and Interrogate the Suspects. If 
  they’re smart, they might figure out What 
  Has Really Happened in the end. 
   
   
  Investigatin’ the Crime 
  All the information given below should only 
  be disclosed if the players state explicitly 
  that their characters are checking the listed 
  item. 
   
  The Autopsy 
  Carrying out a hurried autopsy of 
  Protheroe’s dead body is a HARD Complex 
  Action (55 vs. Alertness + Medical Expertise 
  / Appropriate Specialty). Each roll 
  represents 10 minutes’ work. Sir Basil 
  Protheroe was a male Caucasian in his mid-
  thirties. He was 5’8’’ tall and weighed 164 
  pounds. Since the body’s core temperature 
  has only fallen slightly and its muscles are 
  still in a relaxed state, it is safe to say that 
  Protheroe has been dead for less than two 
  hours. The cause of death was indeed the 
  gunshot wound to the head. There are no 
  traces of gunshot primer residue around the 
  entry wound which seems to indicate that 
  the firearm was too distant to leave trace 
  evidence when the lethal shot was fired. 
  There are, however, traces of a feather 
  cushion’s stuffing inside the wound. Quite 
  possibly, the deadly shot was fired through 
  a pillow. The small caliber bullet did not 
  penetrate the victim’s skull. The autopsy 
  also reveals that Protheroe was intoxicated. 
  There are traces of the highly sedative drug 
  Compalixin in his blood. It is an AVERAGE 
  (7) mental feat (Intelligence + Medical 
  Expertise / Pharmaceuticals) to know that 
  Compalixin possesses anti-anxiety, 
  anticonvulsant, sedative, muscle relaxant, 
  and amnesic properties. The drug could 
  have been administered intravenously, 
  intramuscularly, or as a suppository, but 
  was apparently applied orally. Compalixin is 
  
   
  12 
  only available on prescription. No roll is 
  required to gather information on the drug 
  by searching the Cortex. Finally, there are 
  neither traces of particles of gunshot residue 
  on Protheroe’s hands nor defensive wounds 
  on any part of his body. 
   
  The Crime Scene 
  It is an AVERAGE (7) task to notice 
  (Alertness + Perception / Investigation) that 
  the door has not been forced open.  
  It is an EASY (3) task (Alertness + 
  Perception / Sight) to notice the small, 
  pocket-sized semi-automatic pistol that lies 
  under the left side of the bed. One cartridge 
  is missing from the gun’s 8-shot magazine. 
  The unspent cartridges in the magazine are 
  of the same caliber as the one that killed 
  Protheroe, as is the one spent casing found 
  near the body. It is an AVERAGE (7) feat 
  (Alertness + Guns / Pistols) to know for 
  certain that the pistol has been fired 
  recently.  
  Moreover, it is an EASY (3) task (Alertness 
  + Perception / Sight) to notice a feather 
  pillow that has been shot through. 
  Coagulated blood stains one side of the 
  pillow. It is an AVERAGE (7) feat 
  (Intelligence + Guns / Appropriate 
  Specialty) to know that the pillow was 
  probably used to minimize or negate blood 
  splatter, not to muffle the shot. 
  Furthermore, it is an EASY (3) feat 
  (Alertness + Perception / Sight) to notice 
  the Whisky bottle as well as the half-full 
  Whisky glass under the right side of the 
  bed. It is an AVERAGE Complex Action (35 
  vs. Alertness + Medical Expertise / 
  Pharmaceuticals) to establish that 
  Compalixin has been dissolved in the 
  Whisky inside both the bottle and the glass. 
  Each roll represents 5 minutes’ work. 
  An additional AVERAGE (7) task (Alertness 
  + Perception / Sight) will notice a large, 
  brown button that lies next to the doorstep, 
  outside of Protheroe’s cabin. Apparently, it 
  has come off a man’s coat, probably a 
  duster. 
  Searching Protheroe’s personal belongings is 
  an AVERAGE Complex Action (35 vs. 
  Alertness + Perception / Investigation). 
  Each roll represents 1 minute’s work. The 
  PCs find neither a coat that is missing a 
  button, nor a box of Compalixin, nor any 
  kind of hint that suggests that Protheroe 
  owned a gun. However, among Protheroe’s 
  clothes and personal effects, the PCs do find 
  a half-empty bottle of Desytal which, 
  according to the small bottle’s label, is an 
  antidepressant used for the treatment of 
  moderate to severe depression and which 
  was prescribed almost eight months ago. 
  The PCs also find a digital photograph that 
  shows a group of vaguely smiling Purple 
  Bellies. It is EASY (3) to spot (Alertness + 
  Perception / Sight) Protheroe in the picture 
  that was taken more than seven years ago. 
  He is wearing the battle dress uniform of a 
  Lieutenant of the Allied infantry. Apparently, 
  Protheroe fought in the War for Unification.  
  The PCs may search for finger- or palm 
  prints, as well as fingerprinting the 
  passengers’ and Crew to compare known 
  prints to determine if the impressions are 
  from the same finger or palm. This is a 
  HEROIC Complex Action (95 vs. Alertness + 
  Medical Expertise / Forensics). Each roll 
  represents 20 minutes’ work. Because the 
  PCs probably have neither the equipment 
  that assists in the proper gathering and 
  
   
  13 
  storing of this kind of evidence at their 
  disposal nor a computer expert in their 
  midst who can process all the prints 
  digitally, they are at -2 Skill steps. In all 
  likelihood, they will not have any results 
  before the I.A.V. Middenburg arrives. 
  Besides, only Protheroe’s, Lin’s, and the 
  Crew members’ prints can be found in the 
  aristocrat’s cabin. There are a few 
  unidentifiable prints as well, but those stem 
  from former passengers. Finally, it is safe to 
  assume that  the PCs do not have the 
  equipment needed to check the passengers’ 
  hands, arms and faces for particles of 
  gunshot residue as evidence of having 
  recently handled or fired a gun.  
   
  Searchin’ the Rest of the Ship 
  None of the passengers allows the PCs to 
  search their cabins without raising 
  objections. However, only Jesse and Selma 
  Woodrow will have to be compelled to give 
  their consent. It is an AVERAGE (7) feat 
  (Willpower + Influence / Appropriate 
  Specialty) to do so. Searching a cabin is an 
  AVERAGE Complex Action (35 vs. Alertness 
  + Perception / Investigate). The PCs may 
  assist one another indirectly. Each roll 
  represents 5 minutes’ work. The only item 
  of importance can be found in the cabin 
  occupied by the Woodrows: Jesse’s brown 
  duster is missing a button. The button the 
  PCs found in Protheroe’s cabin and the ones 
  that are still attached to Mr. Woodrow’s coat 
  are as alike as peas in a pod. 
  Searching the rest of the ship is an 
  INCREDIBLE Complex Action (115 vs. 
  Alertness + Perception / Investigate) with a 
  time increment of 10 minutes per roll. 
  Again, the PCs may assist one another 
  indirectly. If the threshold is reached or 
  exceeded, the PCs find an empty bottle of 
  Compalixin in their ship’s engine room. By 
  all appearances, it had been hidden there 
  many hours before. 
   
  Hearin’ the Passengers 
  Provided that he is on-board, George 
  Burrows cannot give the PCs any relevant 
  information. He is a deep sleeper. As a 
  matter of fact, has to be awakened in order 
  to be questioned. He will tell the PCs dozily 
  that he has neither heard nor seen 
  anything. It is an AVERAGE (7) task 
  (Alertness + Perception / Empathy) to know 
  that he is telling the truth. An Extraordinary 
  Success provides complete competence. 
   
  Louise Boyd did hear the muffled shot as 
  well as Lin’s screams and stayed in her 
  cabin for fear that something might happen 
  to her. She does not offer her help 
  obligingly because she distrusts everyone. 
  In point of fact, it is an AVERAGE (7) task 
  (Willpower + Influence / Appropriate 
  Specialty) to persuade her to answer the 
  PCs’ questions. In a low voice, she tells the 
  PCs that she doesn’t sleep soundly and that 
  she tends to wake up if there is even the 
  slightest of noises. That’s why she has 
  heard that the door of the cabin next to hers 
  was opened and closed round about 10 
  minutes before the shot was fired. The door 
  slit open and shut again shortly after Mrs. 
  Boyd heard the muffled shot. She also 
  points out that this has happened almost 
  very night before. Again, it is an AVERAGE 
  (7) feat (Alertness + Perception / Empathy) 
  to know that she is telling the truth. The 
  
   
  14 
  cabin next to Mrs. Boyd’s is occupied by the 
  Jesse and Selma Woodrow. 
   
  Both Selma and Jesse Woodrow are wide-
  awake and following the course of events 
  with great interest from inside their cabin. 
  While Selma can satisfy the PCs that she 
  was awakened from sleep by the gunshot, 
  her husband Jesse readily tells them that he 
  could not sleep and walked out of the room 
  to stretch his legs. He was strolling around 
  the ship aimlessly when he heard a muffled 
  shot. He returned to his cabin on the 
  double, entered it silently, and left the door 
  ajar. That’s why he saw a person exiting Mr. 
  Protheroe’s cabin a few moments later. Due 
  to the dim twilight that the ship’s night 
  lights cast, he cannot tell with certainty who 
  that person was. If the PCs force him to 
  venture a guess which is an AVERAGE (7) 
  feat (Willpower + Influence / Appropriate 
  Specialty), Jesse Woodrow says that he 
  thinks that he saw Protheroe’s butler 
  Andrew Lin coming out of his master’s 
  cabin. Moreover, it is an AVERAGE (7) task 
  (Alertness + Perception / Empathy) to know 
  that he is telling the truth. On an 
  Extraordinary Success, however, the PCs 
  sense that Mr. Woodrow is withholding vital 
  information that is not necessarily 
  connected with the case at hand. If they 
  confront him with their suspicions, tackle 
  the Woodrows about Mrs. Boyd’s statement, 
  or bring the missing button up for 
  discussion, they are indeed questioning 
  them. The Woodrows’ answers to the PCs’ 
  questions are given below (see Interrogatin’ 
  the Suspects). 
   
  Emily Bates is awake, too. In fact, she 
  walked out of her cabin shortly after the PCs 
  left theirs and has been following the PCs’ at 
  every step ever since. She tells them 
  willingly that she was awakened from her 
  sleep when the shot was fired, but that she 
  has unfortunately neither seen nor heard 
  anything of importance. It is a FORMIDABLE 
  (15) feat (Alertness + Perception / 
  Empathy) to distinguish by Mrs. Bates’ facial 
  expressions and manner of speaking that 
  she is telling nothing but blatant lies. If the 
  PCs confront her with their faint suspicion, 
  they start to question her. Mrs. Bates’ 
  answers to the PCs’ questions are given 
  below (see Interrogatin’ the Suspects). 
   
  Finally, Andrew Lin answers the PCs’ 
  questions rather reluctantly. It is an EASY 
  (3) task (Willpower + Influence / 
  Appropriate Specialty) to persuade him to 
  tell the PCs that he was still awake when he 
  heard a muffled shot. He immediately bolted 
  out of his cabin to make sure that his 
  master was all right. Because Sir Protheroe 
  did not answer the door, Lin started to 
  pound on it and to call out for his master at 
  the top of his voice. It is a HARD (11) feat 
  (Alertness + Perception / Empathy) to catch 
  that Mr. Lin is lying. If the PCs question the 
  butler on the gun or the Compalixin they 
  found in Protheroe’s cabin, Lin tells them 
  that he is completely certain that his master 
  did not own a firearm. Neither did he take 
  sedatives of any kind. If the PCs ask the 
  butler about his master’s handedness, he 
  tells them that he is certain that Sir 
  Protheroe was right-handed. The PCs can 
  also remember this fact by making an 
  AVERAGE (7) Recall roll (Intelligence + 
  
   
  15 
  Willpower). He can also tell the PCs that Sir 
  Protheroe tended to have a drink before 
  retiring to bed. It is, however, an AVERAGE 
  (7) feat (Willpower + Influence / 
  Appropriate Specialty) to make Lin talk 
  about his master’s past. Lin tells the PCs 
  that he has been in Protheroe’s service for 
  more than 15 years and that Lin thinks very 
  highly of his master. Lin firmly rejects the 
  possibility that Sir Protheroe might have 
  committed suicide. It is a HARD (11) task 
  (Willpower + Influence / Appropriate 
  Specialty) to get the butler to talk about 
  Protheroe’s personal history. The PCs are at 
  +1 Skill step if they found the photograph 
  and/or the bottle of Desytal in Protheroe’s 
  cabin and confront Lin with their findings. If 
  the PCs are successful, Lin tells them that 
  Protheroe once was an Allied Lieutenant and 
  that he did indeed fight in the War for 
  Unification. According to Lin, Protheroe’s 
  company landed in the hamlet of Flagstaff 
  on Hera following a short artillery and 
  gunship preparation. The soldiers found no 
  enemy fighters in the village on the morning 
  of May 16, 2511. Many suspected there 
  were Browncoat troops in the village, hiding 
  in the homes of their elderly parents or their 
  wives. The Alliance soldiers, one platoon of 
  which was led by Lieutenant Protheroe, 
  went in shooting at suspected enemy 
  position. After the first civilians were killed 
  and wounded by the indiscriminate fire, the 
  soldiers soon began attacking anything that 
  moved, humans and animals alike, with 
  firearms, grenades and bayonets. The scale 
  of the massacre only spiraled as it 
  progressed, the brutality increasing with 
  each killing, and was not ended until an 
  Allied gunship pilot intervened, saying that 
  his crew would open fire on Protheroe's men 
  if the killing did not cease immediately.  
  Protheroe was given a dishonorable 
  discharge and was, on November 5, 2512, 
  charged with six specifications of 
  premeditated murder for the death of 97 
  civilians. His trial started on December 17, 
  2513, and resulted in a verdict of not guilty. 
  Testimony revealed that Protheroe had not 
  ordered his men to shoot everyone in the 
  village. In fact, he had spared no effort to 
  regain control of the men who had gone 
  berserk, gunning down unarmed men, 
  women, children and babies. This verdict did 
  not help Protheroe to find any peace of 
  mind, though. He sank into the depths of a 
  clinical depression and had to be treated 
  with potent antidepressants. Over the 
  course of the following years, his condition 
  improved. Still, Protheroe always kept a 
  bottle of Desytal on his person just in case 
  his mood began a downward spiral. When 
  Protheroe lost interest in usual activities, or 
  when his ability to experience pleasure 
  diminished unexpectedly, he swallowed a 
  pill. As far as Lin knows, his master hasn’t 
  popped a pill in quite a long time, though. A 
  Cortex search for which no roll is required or 
  an EASY (3) Alertness + Perception / 
  Empathy roll can ascertain that the butler is 
  telling the truth. Finally the butler says that 
  Sir Protheroe visits Hera regularly to atone 
  for his sins by visiting the graves of those 
  who have lost their lives because of his 
  incompetence and his inability to lead the 
  men he was in charge of. As a matter of 
  fact, he had done so before booking a 
  passage on the PCs’ ship. If the PCs 
  confront Lin with their faint suspicion that 
  he lied about the course of events that led 
  
   
  16 
  to this conversation or confront him with Mr. 
  Woodrow’s statement, they start to question 
  him. Mr. Lin’s answers to the PCs’ questions 
  are given below (see Interrogatin’ the 
  Suspects). 
   
  Interrogatin’ the Suspects 
  Interrogating a suspect is a Complex Action 
  (Willpower + Influence or Discipline / 
  Interrogation). Once again, the PCs may 
  indirectly assist one another. Threatening to 
  physically harm a suspect grants a +1 step 
  Skill bonus, while actually hurting a 
  suspect increases the bonus to +2 Skill 
  steps. Torturing is, however, illegal. In fact, 
  a suspect should not be harmed in any way 
  because torturing is considered vile behavior 
  and will bring retribution. 
  You, the GM, must roleplay the suspect that 
  remains silent or lies until the Difficulty 
  Threshold is reached or exceeded. A Botch 
  not only increases the threshold to break 
  the suspect by one category, but also 
  means that a good, believable lie is told. It 
  is a HARD (11) mental feat (Willpower + 
  Perception / Appropriate Specialty) to see 
  through the suspect's lies. Rolling a second 
  Botch indicates an automatic failure. The 
  suspect does not cooperate, remains silent, 
  or lies. 
   
  Interrogating Jesse Woodrow is a HARD (55) 
  Complex Action. Each roll costs 5 minutes of 
  time. If the PCs bring the missing button up 
  for discussion, they gain a +1 step Skill 
  bonus. When the threshold is reached or 
  exceeded, read the following passage out 
  loud or paraphrase it if the PCs interrogate 
  Selma Woodrow instead of her husband. 
   
  “Mei yi si1”, Jesse Woodrow suddenly 
  exclaims, “I don’t know nothin’ about 
  no gorram button… That shi wu’s2 been 
  missin’ for days. I sure as hell ain’t no 
  ruttin’ murderer. Got out of bed cos I 
  wanted to check my property.” 
  Because Woodrow can’t fail to note that 
  you eye him suspiciously, he adds 
  hesitantly, “That don’t seem to make 
  you feel all kinds of reassured? A 
  Browncoat’s word is his bond, gorramit!   
     “De le3, I checked them damn goods! 
  Yeah, you heard me just right. We’re 
  smugglers, gorramit! Me and me missus 
  run zhang wu4 from Hera to Greenleaf. 
  What with all them Feds snoopin’ round 
  all the time, that job’s awful hard to do, 
  I don’t mind tellin’ you.” 
  After a short pause he adds, “Looks like 
  you’re humped anyways. Why make 
  things worse by tellin’ the gorram law 
  about the goods, eh?” 
   
  The PCs can easily check if Jesse is telling 
  the truth by opening the crate the 
  Woodrows stored away in the cargo hold. 
  Picking the crate’s lock requires a lockpick 
  set and is an AVERAGE Complex Action (35 
  vs. Agility + Covert / Open Locks). Each roll 
  costs 10 seconds of time. The PCs may also 
  ask Mr. Woodrow to open it for them. The 
  crate contains twenty boxes of protein 
  packs, imprinted with the official Alliance 
  seal. Read: 
                                                        
  1 (idiom) Unable to put forward an opinion; “I have no 
  idea!” 
  2 “Thing”; “item”  
  3 “All right”; “that’s enough!” 
  4 “Booty”; “stolen goods”  
  
   
  17 
  “It’s chun jing1”, Woodrow says, “Two 
  hundred packs of healthy, if boring, 
  chuck2 that’ll store a good long while. 
  Probably even longer than it needs to 
  cos there ain’t no small number of 
  hungry mouths to feed on Greenleaf. 
  Paid twelve hundred for the lot. In coin. 
  Going to sell ‘em for fifteen. Might just 
  as well pay you five hundred if you 
  keep your mouths shut about them 
  packs.” 
  Regardless of whether the PCs take 
  Woodrow’s bribe, the players should now be 
  awarded with one or two Plot Points for 
  solving the first part of the puzzle. 
  Interrogating Andrew Lin is a FORMIDABLE 
  (75) Complex Action. Each roll costs 10 
  minutes of time. If the PCs confront Lin with 
  Woodrow’s statement, they gain a +1 step 
  Skill bonus. When the threshold is reached 
  or exceeded, read: 
   
  “All right, all right”, the butler finally 
  says, “There seems to be no further 
  need to keep this farcical charade up. 
  This night, I woke up when I heard a 
  gunshot. I promptly got out of bed, 
  exited my cabin, and entered Sir 
  Protheroe’s to see whether he was all 
  right.” 
  Lin pauses for a moment as he becomes 
  aware of your questioning looks. 
  “My word! As a matter of course, I do 
  know the code that opens my master’s 
  cabin door. Do you take me for a fool? I 
  would be a rather inept servant if I 
  couldn’t minister to my master on a 
                                                        
  1 “Pure”; “clean”; “unmixed”   
  2 Food 
  moment’s notice, wouldn’t I? Now, I 
  walked into the cabin and could not fail 
  to note that Sir Basile had…” 
  Lin pauses again as he obviously 
  struggles to retain his composure. After 
  having gulped back a sob, he says, “I 
  could not fail to note that Sir Basil had 
  committed suicide. His lifeless hand 
  still held the smoking gun that had 
  ended his life in an untimely fashion. 
  Without thinking, I took the damned 
  thing out of his hand and threw it 
  away.” 
  Lin sobs again. Then he adds, “I will be 
  perfectly honest with you. I not only 
  wanted to avert the shame the 
  Protheroes will undoubtedly endure if it 
  is made public that Sir Basil has taken 
  his own life. Furthermore, I am fairly 
  certain that Sir Protheroe’s life 
  insurance company will refuse to pay if 
  it is brought to their attention that he 
  has committed suicide.” 
  With tears in his eyes, he eventually 
  says, “That is why I have tried to stage 
  the suicide to look like a murder. I am 
  not proud of what I have done, I might 
  add.” 
   
  If the PCs ask Lin about the pillow, he says 
  that he hadn’t taken note of it. They players 
  should now be awarded with one or two Plot 
  Points for solving another part of the puzzle. 
   
  Interrogating Emily Bates is a HEROIC (95) 
  Complex Action. Each roll costs 30 minutes 
  of time. Even if the PCs confront her with 
  their faint suspicion that she lied about the 
  course of events, they do not gain a Skill 
  step bonus. However, if the PCs are smart 
  
   
  18 
  enough, they may gain a bonus. They have 
  to establish a connection between 
  Protheroe’s past and this seemingly jovial 
  lady by making a Cortex search which does 
  not require a skill roll. Before long, they find 
  a list of survivors of the Flagstaff Massacre. 
  It a HARD (11) task (Alertness + Perception 
  / Search) to recognize Mr. Bates on one of 
  the pictures. According to its caption, her 
  name is Cassandra Hartford. If they 
  confront Mrs. Bates with their discovery, the 
  PCs gain a +1 step Skill bonus. In spite of 
  that, it is still highly unlikely that they will 
  be able to make her talk before the I.A.V. 
  Middenburg arrives. If, contrary to 
  expectations, Mrs. Bates confesses, 
  paraphrase the information on What Has 
  Really Happened, below, and award the 
  players with one or two Plot Points for 
  making Mrs. Bates own up to her crimes. 
   
  What Has Really Happened 
  Emily Bates’ real name is Cassandra 
  Hartford. She was born and raised on Hera 
  and is one of the few survivors of the 
  Flagstaff Massacre. She has hunted down 
  and killed those who have committed those 
  unspeakable atrocities and, more 
  importantly, killed her husband James as 
  well as her son Nicolas and her daughter 
  Audrey. Sir Basil Protheroe, the 
  commanding officer of the platoon that took 
  her family from her, was the last person 
  responsible for the indescribable torments 
  she had to endure. Mrs. Hartford knew that 
  Protheroe visited Hera on a regular basis 
  and shadowed him during his most recent 
  stay. When he booked a passage on the 
  PCs’ ship, she followed suit. She took her 
  time to spy out Protheroe’s habits and 
  decided that it was time to act when the 
  Reaver ship was encountered. She picked 
  the electronic lock of Protheroe’s cabin door, 
  sneaked in, and spiked his Whisky. In the 
  following night, she picked the lock again, 
  tiptoed into Protheroe’s cabin once more, 
  put the pillow on the sedated man’s face, 
  and fired a shot from her own pocket pistol 
  through his temple. Then she placed the 
  gun in his right hand and left as silently as 
  she had entered. Protheroe’s butler heard 
  the shot and got out of bed quickly. He 
  opened his master’s door and entered the 
  cabin in the way described above. Since he 
  fell for Hartford’s deception, he hurriedly 
  tried to make the presumed suicide look like 
  a murder, left the cabin, and waited for the 
  PCs to show up. The button that has come 
  off Mr. Woodrow’s duster is of no relevance 
  whatsoever. 
   
  It is entirely at your discretion when, within 
  the context of the game, three hours and 
  thirty-seven minutes have passed. You may, 
  for example, keep track of the time the PCs 
  spend on completing Complex Actions and 
  estimate how much time they spend on 
  accomplishing other tasks or you can just 
  wing it. Unless you decide to keep a detailed 
  track of time and the PCs exceed the time 
  limit, the right point of time for the ASREV’s 
  arrival has come when the players think that 
  their characters have convicted a suspect of 
  the crime. It is irrelevant whether that 
  person is indeed the perpetrator. Moreover, 
  the ASREV should intercept the PCs’ ship 
  when the players have run out of ideas or 
  things to do. Do not allow the game bog 
  down. Use your discretion to determine 
  
   
  19 
  when it is time to proceed to Act 3, Scene 
  1: It’s the Gorram Law! 
   
  A
  AC
  CTT  TTH
  HR
  REEEE  
    
  SSC
  CEEN
  NEE  O
  ON
  NEE    
  IITT’’SS  TTH
  HEE  G
  GO
  OR
  RR
  RAAM
  M  LLAAW
  W!!  
  Three hours and thirty-seven minutes after 
  Andrew Lin has activated his master’s 
  emergency signal ring, the PCs’ ship is 
  hailed. Federal Marshal Edogawa the PCs to 
  release control of their helm, to prepare to 
  be docked and boarded, and breaks the 
  connection immediately afterwards. 
  Obviously, the Feds do not want to talk to 
  the PCs. Moments later, an ASREV enters 
  visual range. If the PCs do not stop their 
  ship immediately, the Feds will fire a 
  warning shot across the ship’s bow. That 
  shot is the Feds’ last warning. If the PCs still 
  do not comply with the Feds’ instructions, 
  they target the ships’ engines and open fire. 
  The Feds’ gunner aims at the ship’s engines, 
  suffering a -1 step Skill penalty. If the 
  attack is successful, the PCs’ ship suffers d4 
  points of Wound damage. Moreover, the PCs 
  must make an AVERAGE (7) roll, using their 
  ship’s Vitality + Willpower. If the roll fails, 
  the engines are destroyed. If necessary, the 
  Feds fire additional salvos until the ship’s 
  engines cease to function. When the PCs’ 
  ship is rendered immobile or if the PCs 
  comply with the Feds instructions straight 
  away, the ASREV intercepts the PCs’ ship 
  and docks at one of its airlocks. It should be 
  obvious that the Feds are not going to knock 
  politely. That’s why the PCs should unlatch 
  the airlock immediately. If they fail to do so, 
  the Feds will pick the outer hatch’s 
  electronic lock and blow the inner hatch 
  open without hesitation. Moreover, the Feds 
  will toss a “noise and flash diversionary 
  device”, also known as a flashbang grenade, 
  through the hatch instead of boarding the 
  PCs’ ship in an alert, yet relatively 
  composed, manner. The grenade deals 2d6 
  points of Basic damage and has a Range 
  Increment of five feet. Everyone within 
  twenty feet of it is stunned for one turn. 
  Furthermore, everyone within range must 
  make a HARD (11) Get Out of Harm’s Way 
  roll (Agility + Alertness). If a PC succeeds, 
  he is stunned for two more turns. If he fails, 
  the PC is unable to act for d6+d6 more 
  turns. When all PCs have recovered or if the 
  hatch has been unlocked in time, read: 
   
  Two armored Federal Marshals enter 
  your ship at a smart pace, automatic 
  firearms at the ready. 
  “Yan qi xi gu1”, one of them shouts 
  angrily, “Federal Marshals! Put your 
  hands where we can see them!” 
  “We ain’t in no jokin’ mood”, the 
  second Federal adds at the top of his 
  voice, “One false move and you're dead 
  meat. Now, you’re all going to stand 
  all-fired still as my plumb ringy2 
  colleague here disarms them as felt the 
  need to bring a piece to this wei xiao3 
  shindig.” 
   
  If the PCs open fire on the Feds, it will be 
  returned relentlessly. Assuming the PCs are 
  wise enough not to attack the Federal 
  Marshals, they pat the PCs down and relieve 
                                                        
  1 “Give in!”; literally, “Lay down the flag and still the 
  drums!” 
  2 Angry; mad 
  3 “Nice”; “pleasant” 
  
   
  20 
  them of all the weapons they carry, even 
  concealed ones. After the Feds have 
  disarmed the PCs, read: 
   
  “All clear, sir!”, the first Marshal shouts 
  over his shoulder. 
  Shortly afterwards, another Federal 
  Marshal steps through the airlock and 
  sizes you up for a few moments. 
  Apparently, he is higher-ranking than 
  the officers who have burst into your 
  ship. 
  “Very well, then”, he says calmly and in 
  a faintly condescending tone, “Would 
  someone be kind enough to explain 
  why an automated distress call was 
  sent from this ship almost four hours 
  ago? Oh, by the way, I warn you not to 
  confuse my patience with sympathy. 
  We will search this vessel and question 
  all those who are currently aboard. I 
  am merely trying to save us all a peck 
  of trouble. Have I made myself 
  understood?” 
   
  The PCs are now supposed to tell Federal 
  Marshal Edogawa what they think has 
  happened aboard their ship. The players are 
  now awarded with a number of Plot Points 
  that depends on what their characters have 
  found out. If they know that Mrs. Bates 
  killed Sir Basil Protheroe, they deserve up to 
  six Plot Points. If they think that the 
  aristocrat committed suicide, they players 
  the reward should be lower. Toss them up a 
  Plot Points or two. If, however, the PCs have 
  not found out anything, the players should 
  not be awarded at all. Note that it makes no 
  difference which NPC the PCs actually turn 
  in. Edogawa listens to the PCs’ statements 
  intently. When they’re done, read: 
   
  “Kong gu zu yin1”, says the Fed, “That’s 
  quite an interesting tale indeed. It does 
  have an oddness to it, I must say, but it 
  sounds plausible enough. Soon we’ll 
  see if it’s actually true. The I.A.V. 
  Middenburg will arrive in round about 
  two hours. Until then, you’re grounded. 
  I’m hereby officially impounding this 
  vessel. Marshals Yip and Haggerty will 
  escort you to the common room which 
  you mustn’t leave until the cruiser 
  arrives.”  
  After a short pause, he adds, “So, are 
  we going to do this the easy or the hard 
  way?” After having said that, he draws 
  a stun baton and smiles spitefully. 
   
  Even though Edogawa and his men will not 
  use lethal force, they will attack disobedient 
  PCs with stun batons. When subdued, the 
  defiant PCs are handcuffed. If the PCs 
  turned in Mrs. Bates, she is handcuffed and 
  frogmarched off the PCs’ ship straight away. 
  The PCs are escorted to their ship’s common 
  room and asked to sit down and be silent. 
  The next two hours and six minutes pass by 
  uneventfully. Shortly before the I.A.V. 
  Middenburg arrives, Edogawa disembarks 
  and the ASREV undocks. Edogawa’s men, 
  however, continue to keep a jealous watch 
  over the PCs. A few minutes later, the PCs’ 
  ship jerks noticeably as docks with the 
  cruiser. Read: 
   
                                                        
  1 “That’s something you don’t hear often!”; literally, 
  “sound of footsteps in an empty valley” 
  
   
  21 
  “Listen up!”, Marshall Yip says in loud 
  and commanding voice, “Here’s what’s 
  going to happen: You’re going to stand 
  up nice and slow and follow Marshal 
  Haggerty there to the airlock. I’ll be 
  directly behind you the whole time. I’ll 
  end them as feel like makin’ sudden 
  moves my own self, dong ma1? Now, on 
  your feet, ladies and gentlemen! Get a 
  move on!” 
   
  If the PCs do not comply with Yip’s 
  instructions, the Marshals will use non-lethal 
  force to bend the PCs to their will. The PCs 
  and NPCs are escorted off their ship and 
  enter one of the cruiser’s small, brightly lit, 
  and almost antiseptically clean hangar bays. 
  When the characters climb out of the ship’s 
  airlock, they see an Alliance officer with a 
  short, regulation haircut who wears a dark 
  grey uniform. She introduces herself in a 
  friendly, yet businesslike manner. Ensign 
  Eleanor Lung will accompany the PCs and 
  NPCs to the guest quarters they will occupy 
  until the I.A.V. Middenburg has arrived at 
  Greenleaf where the PCs’ ship will be 
  investigated thoroughly. She also asks the 
  characters if she may take their fingerprints 
  and swab the inside of their cheeks to take 
  a sample of the characters’ DNA. If the PCs 
  reject Lung’s request, she will point out 
  amicably that, even though she may not be 
  authorized to do so, Federal Marshals are 
  indeed empowered to use force to take 
  fingerprints and DNA samples from 
  uncooperative persons. The Woodrows 
  refuse to cooperate and are marched off 
  immediately. After the characters’ 
  fingerprints and samples of their DNA have 
                                                        
  1 “Understand?” 
  been taken either with or without their 
  consent, Ensign Lung asks the PCs and the 
  remaining NPCs to follow her. If the PCs 
  refuse to do so, Federal Marshals make 
  them get a move on. Read: 
   
  Ensign Lung spins on her heel and 
  makes toward the exit of the hangar 
  bay at a brisk pace. In the control room 
  above the wide door, three Allied 
  technicians eye you suspiciously until 
  you’ve stepped through the double door 
  that slides open almost soundlessly. 
  “This way, bai tuo2”, Lung says as she 
  turns left into an antiseptic and brightly 
  illuminated corridor that stretches to 
  your right and left. 
   
  Players who state explicitly that their 
  characters want to memorize the way 
  Ensign Lung leads must make an EASY (3) 
  Intelligence + Alertness roll to do so. Ensign 
  Lung walks down the corridor and leads the 
  PCs past numerous hangar bay doors that 
  look exactly like the one they’ve just 
  stepped through. After a few minutes, she 
  comes to a halt at the end of a short 
  hallway that leads to a lift. Lung tells the 
  characters proudly that intraship personnel 
  transport is provided by a network of 
  inductively powered cars. Each elevator car 
  travels through tubes to reach its 
  destination. These shafts run throughout 
  Middenburg both horizontally and vertically, 
  and allow lifts to reach almost any area 
  within. When the lift door slides open, Lung 
  invites the characters to step into the car 
  and presses one of the numerous buttons. 
  Faintly humming, the car begins to move 
                                                        
  2 “Please!” 
  
   
  22 
  upward and then sideways. After roughly a 
  minute, it stops again, the door slide open, 
  and the PCs enter a lounge area at a 
  corridor junction. Lung tells them that they 
  are now in on Deck 5. Most of Middenburg’s 
  guest quarters are located in this section. 
  She leads the characters down another 
  seemingly endless corridor until they’ve 
  reached a number of doors in front of which 
  armed Allied officers seem to stand watch 
  by twos. Lung says that these doors lead to 
  the accommodations the characters will live 
  in for the next few days, asks the characters 
  not to leave this section of the ship, turns 
  on her heel again, and leaves. The security 
  officers open the doors and invite the 
  characters to step into the double cabins 
  that are surprisingly spacious. Each cabin is 
  roughly 250 square feet in size and fully 
  furnished. Although each PC may choose his 
  or her roommate, it should be obvious that 
  the characters are placed under arrest and 
  may not roam the ship freely. The security 
  guards keep a close watch on the PCs’ every 
  move and will stop the characters from 
  leaving this section of the ship. The next 
  hours pass by uneventfully. Proceed to 
  Scene 2: Them As Gazed Into the Abyss 
  Return. 
   
  SSC
  CEEN
  NEE  TTW
  WO
  O    
  TTH
  HEEM
  M  AASS  G
  GAAZZEED
  D  IIN
  NTTO
  O  TTH
  HEE  
  AAB
  BYYSSSS11  R
  REETTUUR
  RN
  N  
  As the PCs think it’s time to go to bed, read: 
   
  A klaxon rings out unexpectedly. Even 
  those of you who have never been 
  aboard an Alliance vessel know with 
                                                        
  1 “And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss 
  gazes also into you.” (Friedrich Nietzsche) 
  dead certainty that this piercing noise 
  is a battle alarm signal. Moments later, 
  a seemingly incorporeal male voice 
  booms, “Battle stations! Battle stations! 
  All hands, man your battle stations! 
  This is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a 
  drill. All hands to battle stations!”  
   
  If the PCs exit their cabins to ask the 
  security officers what is going on they are 
  told to stay inside their cabins until further 
  notice. After a few minutes have passed by, 
  read: 
   
  All of a sudden a thunderous explosion 
  rocks the cruiser. The floor of the cabin 
  lurches wildly, carrying you off your 
  feet. More explosions follow, violently 
  shaking the ship back and forth. 
  Somewhere close by you hear the 
  dreadful sound of metal scraping metal 
  and the hissing of escaping 
  atmosphere. Then the lights cut off and 
  you are plunged into almost 
  impenetrable darkness. 
   
  It is an EASY (3) task (Alertness + 
  Perception) to find the way to the cabin 
  doors. Because it is completely dark, the 
  PCs suffer a -2 step Skill penalty. With the 
  power down, the doors do not open. A 
  HEROIC (19) Burst of Strength (Strength + 
  Strength) is required to push them open. 
  PCs may assist one another directly by 
  rolling as usual and combining their totals. 
  If the PCs decide to sit around in the dark, 
  you should describe how the breathing air 
  gets thinner as time passes. Moreover, 
  periodic explosions will rock the ship, 
  hastening the urgency of the situation. Once 
  
   
  23 
  the PCs open the door, they find themselves 
  in the central corridor that is dimly lit by 
  emergency lighting as well as confronted 
  with the security officers who have not 
  abandoned their posts. They ask the PCs to 
  return to their cabins and futilely try to put 
  the PC’s minds at rest. If the PCs do not 
  comply with the officers’ instructions, they 
  issue an urgent warning. It is an 
  INCREDIBLE (23) feat (Willpower + 
  Influence / Appropriate Specialty) to talk the 
  guards into letting the PCs go. More likely 
  than not, the security officers will draw their 
  laser pistols. To disarm the guards, the PCs 
  must make attack rolls (Agility + Unarmed 
  Combat / Appropriate Specialty) at -2 Skill 
  steps that is opposed by the officers’ Agility 
  + Unarmed Combat rolls. If the PCs 
  succeed, the officers must make a HARD 
  (11) Agility + Willpower roll or drop their 
  weapons. Picking up a dropped laser pistol 
  is an action. Due to the dim light, the PCs 
  suffer a -2 Skill step penalty if they try to a 
  target that is more than 10 feet away. The 
  PCs may also smash a piece of the cabins’ 
  furniture and use a part of the remains as 
  an improvised weapon. A broken-off chair 
  leg, for example, deals d4 points of Basic 
  damage and can be wielded by making 
  Melee Weapon Combat / Clubs rolls. When 
  the officers are defeated, read: 
   
  A series of deafening explosions rocks 
  the ship, knocking you to the corridor 
  deck. When you’ve regained your feet, 
  you notice that dark smoke begins to 
  fill the hallway. Mere seconds later, a 
  wave of hot air hits you and, struck 
  dumb with horror, you notice that a 
  raging fire storm starts to devour the 
  corridor that stretches to your right, 
  blocking it with a flaming inferno. 
   
  Obviously, the PCs cannot go down that 
  way. It is, however, highly inadvisable to 
  board the next lifeboat and leave right away 
  because the PCs’ ship would perish along 
  with the cruiser. The PCs should therefore 
  decide to go back to their ship. Unless 
  someone successfully memorized the way, 
  an AVERAGE (7) Recall roll (Intelligence + 
  Willpower) is required to remember the way 
  back to the hangar deck. The lift is located 
  at the end of the corridor that stretches to 
  the PCs’ left. They make their way to the 
  elevator and find that there is no power in 
  this section of the cruiser, either. The PCs 
  must open the lift doors manually. This 
  requires an INCREDIBLE (23) Burst of 
  Strength (Strength + Strength), but up to 
  three PCs may assist one another directly to 
  pry open the door. Read: 
   
  After having slid the door to the lift 
  open with great effort, you notice that 
  there is no lift car behind it. Instead, 
  the grim red emergency lighting reveals 
  the yawning void of the obscure 
  elevator shaft. Without the car, the only 
  way out of the approaching inferno is to 
  climb. 
   
  The PCs can climb through the shaft using 
  the ladders on each side of it. Climbing 
  down leads to the hangar bay deck and is a 
  HARD Complex Action (55 vs. Strength + 
  Athletics / Climbing). Each roll costs three 
  minutes of time. While rolling a Botch 
  increases the task’s Difficulty Threshold to 
  FORMIDABLE (75), rolling a second Botch 
  
   
  24 
  indicates that the PC has his lost grip and 
  falls down the shaft. Falling PCs can catch a 
  protruding ladder rung by making a 
  FORMIDABLE (15) Strength + Alertness roll. 
  Those that fail this roll fall to their death. 
  Provided that the PCs rescued the NPCs as 
  well, bearing them or another ailing 
  character a helping hand causes a -1 step 
  Skill penalty to the helping PC’s Athletics 
  actions, but grants a +1 step Skill bonus to 
  the helped character’s rolls. Note, however, 
  that you should not make Skill rolls for the 
  NPCs because that would bog the game 
  down unnecessarily. Carrying incapacitated 
  or seriously wounded characters on one’s 
  back not only causes a -1 step Skill penalty, 
  but also requires a HARD (11) Long Haul 
  (Strength + Vitality) roll. On a Failure, the 
  carrying character suffers an additional -1 
  Skill step penalty on all Athletics rolls made 
  to climb down the shaft. A Botch increases 
  the penalty to -2 Skill steps. When the first 
  PC reaches or exceeds the threshold, he 
  reaches a labelled door that leads to the 
  hangar deck. Since there is power in this 
  section of the cruiser, the door can be 
  opened using a conventional control panel. 
  When the last PC climbs out of the shaft, 
  read: 
   
  A particularly jarring explosion shakes 
  the cruiser.  
  Shortly afterwards, another klaxon 
  sounds and a computerized voice says, 
  “The ship's structural integrity has 
  sustained heavy damage. Complete 
  structural failure is imminent. All 
  hands, abandon ship! All hands, 
  abandon ship!” The klaxon continues to 
  sound and the ship’s urgent message 
  repeats in Chinese. 
   
  The PCs have 15 minutes to escape. From 
  now on, you have to keep track of the time 
  that passes. For easy of play, do not enter 
  combat turn into you calculations. However, 
  there are several Complex Actions the PCs 
  have to take in order to leave the battered 
  cruiser. The Complex Actions’ time 
  increments are given in minutes so that you 
  can stay on top of things easily. After the 
  PCs have gotten their bearings, ask them to 
  make an AVERAGE (7) Alertness + 
  Perception / Hearing roll. Those PCs who 
  make it hear the clang of heavy boots 
  echoing upon the corridor’s metal floor. If 
  no one makes the roll, the PCs are caught 
  by surprised by the small Reaver raiding 
  party whose shuttle has landed in hangar 
  bay nearby. Read: 
   
  Three odd-looking figures step into the 
  corridor a few yards in front of you. 
  Despite the eerie twilight that is cast by 
  the emergency lighting you note that 
  they are terrible corruptions of 
  something that may once have been 
  human. Their clothes are ragged, 
  soaked with flesh blood and held 
  together by patches that seem to be 
  made out of human skin. Their own 
  almost hairless bodies are marked with 
  primitive tattoos. Their flesh is not only 
  disfigured with repulsive burn marks 
  and slashed by scabbed wounds that 
  apparently are self-inflicted, but also 
  pierced by abhorrent shards of metal 
  and other sharp objects such as rusty 
  nails. Their reddened eyes are sparkling 
  
   
  25 
  with untold anger. The nightmarish 
  men are growling and snarling like wild 
  beasts. Their teeth are filed to sharp 
  points and stained with blood. You hear 
  the faint hiss of breath as the shapes 
  apparently try to scent an unseen 
  quarry. Then the Reavers advance. 
   
  If the PCs failed to make their Alertness + 
  Perception rolls, the Reavers spot them first 
  and attack viciously. The PCs cannot act 
  during the first turn. They may not even 
  dodge the initial attacks. They may only 
  make unskilled Agility rolls as their defense 
  numbers. They can, however, dodge any 
  attacks made in subsequent turns. If the 
  PCs did make the roll and are trying to hide, 
  they must make an AVERAGE (7) Alertness 
  + Covert / Stealth roll. The PCs’ best chance 
  of surviving this encounter is to remain 
  hidden. They may also jump the Reavers 
  when they get close enough. If surprised, 
  the Reavers may not act during the first 
  combat turn, either. If the PCs have been 
  spotted or otherwise made their presence 
  known, they must either charge directly into 
  the Reavers, dodge their attacks, or run the 
  other way. If the PCs run in the opposite 
  direction, they may make HARD (11) Agility 
  + Covert / Stealth rolls to get out of sight in 
  a doorway or around a corner.  
  After the encounter, the players are 
  awarded with one to three Plot Points. The 
  PCs must now escape from the cruiser. 
  Unless someone successfully memorized or 
  remembered the way, a HARD (11) Recall 
  roll (Intelligence + Willpower) is required to 
  remember under which hangar bay the PCs’ 
  ship is docked. If the PCs fail to make this 
  roll, they have to search for their ship. 
  Finding it is a HARD Complex Action (55 vs. 
  Alertness + Perception / Search). Each roll 
  costs one minute of time. When the 
  threshold is reached or exceeded or if the 
  PCs remember the way, they locate the 
  hangar bay their ship is docked at. Read: 
   
  Like the rest of the deck, the small bay 
  is a mess and filled with smoke that 
  obscures vision in all directions. Doors 
  have been pried open and there are 
  signs of irrational, unspeakable 
  violence everywhere. There are no 
  bodies, though. At least, the airlock 
  under which your ship is docked is still 
  sealed. 
   
  Opening the sealed airlock is a HARD 
  Complex Action (55 vs. Alertness + Covert / 
  Disable Device). Since the PCs do not have 
  the equipment that assists in the disarming 
  of electronic devices, they suffer a -2 step 
  Skill penalty. Each roll costs one-sixth of a 
  minute (10 seconds) of time. Powering up 
  the ship’s engines is an AVERAGE Complex 
  Action (35 vs. Alertness + Pilot / 
  Appropriate Specialty). Each roll costs half a 
  minute (30 seconds) of time. While it may 
  occur to clever PCs earlier, the pilot notices 
  at the latest when the systems are online 
  that the docking clamps by which the PCs’ 
  ship is held in place haven’t been released 
  yet. The PCs are unable to leave until these 
  mechanical devices are released. This can 
  be done by climbing up to the bay’s control 
  room. The control panels are smeared in 
  blood, but still accessible. It is a 
  FORMIDABLE Complex Action (75 vs. 
  Alertness + Technical Engineering / 
  Hacking) to defeat the computer security 
  
   
  26 
  and release the clamps. Each roll costs one-
  sixth of a minute (10 seconds) of time. 
  When the PCs’ ship is free, they can finally 
  flee. However, their ship has taken heavy 
  damage during the battle. Her Wounds are 
  equal to half her Life Points and she suffers 
  a -2 step Attribute penalty on all subsequent 
  rolls.  
  However, if the ship’s engines have been 
  destroyed in previous scene, the PCs cannot 
  repair them in time. They have to steal an 
  Alliance shuttle. Hot-wiring it is a 
  FORMIDABLE Complex Action (75 vs. 
  Alertness + Covert / Appropriate Specialty). 
  Each roll costs one-sixth of a minute (10 
  seconds) of time. When the shuttle is 
  powered up, the PCs can open the hangar 
  doors by remote.  
  When the PCs leave the I.A.V. Middenburg, 
  read: 
   
  The Black is filled with what must be an 
  armada of at least a dozen ships. Some 
  of them are small and deformed, others 
  are large and bizarrely shaped. The 
  Reavers’ repulsive vessels are cobbled 
  together from captured craft, battered, 
  and torn. The skeletal remains of 
  victims adorn their hulls.  
  The I.A.V. Middenburg’s cannons lay 
  down a heavy automated barrage on 
  those abominations of spaceships while 
  her small and maneuverable fighters 
  engage them desperately to make sure 
  that the lifeboats that have been 
  launched can slip through the enemy 
  line. 
  A frenzied, confusing battle, an ecstasy 
  of irrational and inhumane destruction, 
  rages all around you. The Reavers 
  attack the cruiser furiously, asking no 
  quarter and giving none. It is safe to 
  assume that numerous Reaver ships 
  have rammed Middenburg which has 
  left her scarred and badly wounded. By 
  the looks of it, she is about to die a 
  wretched death. 
   
  Piloting the ship through the raging battle is 
  a HARD Complex Action (55 vs. the ship’s 
  Agility + the pilot's Pilot / Appropriate 
  Specialty). Each roll costs one turn of time. 
  The pilot may speed up the process by 
  taking the risk of making multiple actions in 
  a turn, but at the normal penalties for 
  multiple actions (i.e., if three Skill rolls are 
  taken in one turn the penalty to each roll is 
  at -2 Skill steps). The PCs will leave the 
  battle behind more quickly if they move 
  rapidly, but the downside of using speed is 
  that, once per turn, they must roll to avoid 
  a collision with a randomly determined 
  hazard such as another craft or debris. 
  Avoiding such a collision is a free reaction. 
  The obstacle's size, speed, and course set 
  the Difficulty for each ship's Agility + the 
  pilot's Pilot / Appropriate Specialty roll. This 
  roll must take into account any and all other 
  multiple action penalties in effect for that 
  turn. Failing a roll to avoid an obstacle 
  means that the ship collides with it and 
  takes damage. Although avoiding a hazard 
  is a free action, players may choose to fly 
  slower to reduce the Multiple Action penalty.  
  Roll a d10 to determine the obstacle’s size 
  and base Difficulty for the pilot’s roll to 
  avoid it. 
   
   
   
  
   
  27 
  d10  
  Roll 
  Size 
  Pilot  
  Difficulty 
  1 
  Gigantic 
  INCREDIBLE (23) 
  2 – 3 Colossal 
  HEROIC (19) 
  4 – 5 
  Huge 
  FORMIDABLE (15) 
  6 – 7 
  Large 
  HARD (11) 
  8 – 9 
  Medium 
  AVERAGE (7) 
  10 
  Small 
  EASY (3) 
   
  Roll a d8 to determine the obstacle’s speed 
  and modify the Difficulty accordingly. 
  d8  
  Roll 
  Speed 
  Difficulty  
  Modifier 
  1 
  Very High 
  +8 
  2 – 3 
  High 
  +4 
  4 – 5 
  Medium 
  ±0 
  6 – 7 
  Slow 
  -4 
  8 
  Stationary 
  -8 
  Roll a d6 to determine the final modifier 
  based on the movement vectors of the 
  obstacle and the PCs’ ship. 
  d6  
  Roll 
  Direction 
  Difficulty  
  Modifier 
  1 - 2 
  Moving Toward 
  +4 
  3 - 4 Moving Perpendicular 
  ±0 
  5 - 6 
  Moving Away 
  -4 
  If the Difficulty drops below EASY (3), no 
  roll is required to avoid the obstacle. 
  Failing a Pilot Skill roll to avoid an obstacle 
  means that the PCs’ ship collides with it. 
  The Difficulty is treated as an attack roll, 
  while the Skill roll made to avoid the 
  obstacle is treated as a defense roll. 
  Damage type is Basic. 
  The Reavers have lost control of 
  themselves, making frenzied attack against 
  whatever they see as a cause of trouble. 
  Unless the PCs’ ship is armed and the PCs 
  use these weapons, they are not attacked 
  since their ship does not pose a threat to 
  the bloodthirsty Reavers. 
  Fifteen minutes after the computerized 
  warning has been issued for the first time, a 
  series of soundless explosions rock the 
  spinning derelict. Then Middenburg blows 
  up. The explosion deals 3d12 points of 
  spacecraft-scale Wound damage to every 
  ship within Point Blank range. Boats beyond 
  Point Blank, but within Short range take one 
  die less. Keep moving out one Range 
  Category at a time, always removing the die 
  with the highest result until no more dice 
  are left. 
  Once the PCs’ ship has cleared the battle, 
  they are free to go wherever they please. 
  They should decide quickly where to go 
  because their ship has to be repaired soon.  
  To determine the cost to repair one Wound, 
  divide the original ship's purchase price by a 
  number equal to twice its Life Points. 
  Multiply the quotient as follows: 
  Vitality Multiplier Vitality Multiplier 
  d2 
  x 2 
  d8 
  x 0.66 
  d4 
  x 1.5 
  d10 
  x 0.5 
  d6 
  x 1 
  d12 
  x 0.33 
  A seriously damaged Firefly, for example, 
  has taken 4 Wounds. As per table 5:12: 
  Healing Difficulty & Wounds, her mechanic 
  must succeed at an EASY (15) Complex 
  action to repair her. The cost of spare parts 
  is 968 credits. 
  Because there is still cargo, not to mention 
  600 Credits’ worth of stolen protein packs, 
  in the PCs’ ship cargo hold and since they 
  may have rescued at least some of the 
  NPCs, Greenleaf is as good a port of call as 
  any. Selling the protein packs will be a 
  HARD (11) feat (Willpower + Covert or 
  Influence / Streetwise). Selling the Allied 
  laser side-arms the PCs got a hold of will be 
  a FORMIDABLE (15) task. 
  Regardless of which world the PCs set a 
  course for, their players are now awarded 
  with three to six Advancement Points. 
   
  TTH
  HEE  EEN
  ND
  D 
  
   
  I 
  FFO
  OLLK
  KSS  A
  AN
  ND
  D  R
  RA
  ASSC
  CA
  ALLSS  
    
  EEM
  MIILLYY  B
  BA
  ATTEESS  
     Agi d8, Str d6, Vit d6, Ale d10, Int d10, Wil d8; 
  Initiative d8+d10, Life Points14 
     Traits: Cortex Specter (Major Asset), Talented: Performance / Acting (Minor Asset), Portly 
  (Minor Complication), Prejudice: Purple Bellies (Minor Complication), Traumatic Flashes (Minor 
  Complication) 
     Skills: Animal Handling d2, Athletics d2, Covert d6 / Disable Devices d8 / Open Locks d8, 
  Stealth d8, Discipline d4, Craft d6 / Cooking d8, Guns d4, Influence d6 / Conversation d8, 
  Knowledge d4, Medical Expertise d2, Mechanical Engineering d2, Melee Weapon Combat d2, 
  Perception d6 / Hearing d8, Performance d6 / Acting d8, Technical Engineering d2 
     Description: Emily Bates is the personification of a middle-aged and dumpy little woman 
  with brown hair drawn into a tight bun. However, in rare unguarded moments she reveals a 
  rather severe expression. 
     Background: A tormented survivor of the Flagstaff Massacre, Emily Bates’ real name is 
  Cassandra Hartford, but she has not used that name for so long that even she doesn’t 
  recognize it anymore. To disappear she assumed her new name of which there are almost no 
  records in the Cortex. Being a ghost that is gliding through the system unseen has greatly 
  assisted Bates in her unrelenting drive as avenger of not only her own murdered family, but of 
  all the lost souls of Flagstaff.  
   
  SSIIR
  R  B
  BA
  ASSIILL  PPR
  RO
  OTTH
  HEER
  RO
  OEE  
     Agi d8, Str d6, Vit d8, Ale d6, Int d10, Wil d10; 
  Initiative d8+d6, Life Points 18 
     Traits: Friends in High Places (Minor Asset), Highly Educated (Minor Asset), Moneyed 
  Individual (Major Asset), Branded (Minor Complication), Hooked: Alcohol (Minor Complication), 
  Traumatic Flashes (Major Complication) 
     Skills: Athletics d6, Covert d4, Craft d2, Discipline d6, Guns d6, Heavy Weapons d4, 
  Influence d4, Knowledge d6, Linguist d2, Mechanical Engineering d4, Medical Expertise d2, 
  Melee Weapon Combat d4, Perception d6, Planetary Vehicles d4, Survival d2, Technical 
  Engineering d2, Unarmed Combat d4 
     Description: Basil Protheroe is a stocky, ruddy-faced, and prematurely grey man in his 
  mid-thirties. He seems to be an upper-crust nobleman who wears fine clothes, is sleekly 
  handsome and has a strong code of behaviour. Protheroe may seem a mite pretentious and 
  arrogant sometimes, but he does have a certain amount of shy and introverted charm. 
     Background: The Protheroe family has maintained an almost Victorian lifestyle for 
  centuries, to include the tradition of insisting their third son Basil join the military because it 
  was expected of him. His inability to control his soldiers resulted in him being found partially 
  responsible for the Flagstaff Massacre. Protheroe was all but disowned by his family and he has 
  led a lonely existence fortified by alcohol since the court-martial.   
   
  
   
  II 
  A
  AN
  ND
  DR
  REEW
  W  LLIIN
  N  
     Agi d6, Str d6, Vit d6, Ale d10, Int d8, Wil d8; 
  Initiative d6+d10, Life Points 14 
     Traits: Highly Educated (Minor Asset), Sharp Sense: Hearing (Minor Asset), Steady Calm 
  (Minor Asset), Easy Mark (Major Complication), Loyal (Minor Complication), Non-Fightin’ Type 
  (Minor Complication) 
     Skills: Animal Handling d2, Artistry d4, Athletics d4, Craft d6, Discipline d6, Guns d2, 
  Influence d6, Knowledge d6, Linguist d2, Mechanical Engineering d2, Perception d6 /  
  Hearing d8, Performance d4, Planetary Vehicles d4, Technical Engineering d2, Unarmed 
  Combat d2 
     Description: Andrew Lin is a handsome young blond Eurasian man of average height and 
  physique. He is always meticulously groomed and impeccably dressed. Although probably 
  unknown to all but the highly educated, Lin’s garb and manner are the very epitome of a 
  Victorian manservant. 
     Background: Lin has been in the Protheroe family service for more than 15 years, serving 
  as Sir Basil’s batman during the war… A time he refuses to speak about. He alone remained 
  loyal to Protheroe after the trial and has closely shepherded Sir Basil ever since. 
   
  LLO
  OU
  UIISSEE  B
  BO
  OYYD
  D  
     Agi d6, Str d4, Vit d4, Ale d8, Int d6, Wil d8; 
  Initiative d6+d6, Life Points 12 
     Traits: Allure (Minor Asset), Talented: Performance / Singing (Minor Asset), Coward (Minor 
  Complication), Soft (Minor Complication) 
     Skills: Artistry d4, Athletics d4, Discipline d6, Influence d6 / Persuasion d8 / Seduction d8, 
  Knowledge d4, Medical Expertise d2, Perception d6 / Empathy d8, Performance d6 /  
  Singing d10 / Dancing d8, Survival d4, Unarmed Combat d4 
     Description: A tall, lithe woman more sultry than beautiful, Louise Boyd is nonetheless 
  breathtaking. She has long, shimmering, jet black hair, with a stunning physique and piercing 
  grey eyes that seem to look right through you as she sings. 
     Background: Louise Boyd’s whole life has been dedicated to her singing career, but despite 
  her charm and talent, true success has eluded her. She keeps to the Rim exclusively for 
  reasons she refuses to share and manages to maintain a decent, if pay check to pay check 
  existence.. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  III 
  SSEELLM
  MA
  A  W
  WO
  OO
  OD
  DR
  RO
  OW
  W  
     Agi d6, Str d6, Vit d6, Ale d8, Int d10, Wil d8; 
  Initiative d6+d8, Life Points 14 
     Traits: Friend in Low Places (Minor Asset), Loyal (Minor Complication), Prejudice: Purple 
  Bellies (Minor Complication) 
     Skills: Athletics d6, Covert d6 / Streetwise d10, Craft d4, Discipline d6, Guns d4,  
  Influence d6 / Persuasion d8, Mechanical Engineering d4, Medical Expertise d2, Perception d6 / 
  Intuition d8, Survival d4, Technical Engineering d2, Unarmed Combat d4 
     Description: About as nondescript as a woman can be, Selma has brown hair, brown eyes, 
  and is of average height a weight. She is polite and an active conversationalist during meals, 
  but otherwise keeps out of the way. 
     Background: While she doesn’t broadcast her position on much of anything, she and her 
  husband were obviously Browncoats during the Unification War. Not satisfied with the way the 
  war ended, she and her husband now use more subtle means to strike back against the 
  Alliance by smuggling goods to avoid what they consider to be unfair taxes. The Woodrows as 
  don’t see themselves as thugs. Nor are they thieves. They think of themselves as mei1: people 
  who make things happen, people who are going places. Selma is the brains and the 
  spokesperson of the little outfit. 
   
  JJEESSSSEE  W
  WO
  OO
  OD
  DR
  RO
  OW
  W  
     Agi d8, Str d10, Vit d10, Ale d10, Int d4, Wil d8; 
  Initiative d8+d10, Life Points 18 
     Traits: Intimidatin’ Manner (Minor Asset), Mean Left Hook (Minor Asset), Military Rank 
  (Minor Asset), Chip on the Shoulder (Minor Complication), Overconfident (Minor Complication), 
  Prejudice: Purple Bellies (Minor Complication), Things Don’t Go Smooth (Minor Complication) 
     Skills: Athletics d6 / Dodge d8 / Running d8, Covert d6 / Stealth d8, Discipline d6 / 
  Leadership d8, Guns d6 / Pistol d8, Heavy Weapons d2, Influence d4, Medical Expertise d4, 
  Mechanical Engineering d2, Melee Weapon Combat d4, Perception d6, Survival d4, Unarmed 
  Combat d6 
     Description: Jesse Woodrow is a solid, beefy man. He boldly wears his Browncoat duster 
  proclaiming his support of the Independents and is the only passenger who’s wearing a gun 
  and will remain armed unless ordered to either check his weapon or leave it in his cabin. Ever 
  since the Browncoats lost the war, he’s lived his life on that thin line most folk occupy just 
  before they draw a gun and shoot someone. 
     Background: One of the first to volunteer to fight in the Unification War, Jesse survived the 
  war as a decorated veteran. He is bitter and not above letting others know about it, but he 
  usually keeps silent in order to maintain his cover as a merchant. 
     Gear: Pistol (DMG d6W, RNG 100, ROF 3, MAG 8); Knife (DMG d4W) 
   
   
   
                                                        
  1 “Intermediary”; “go-between” 
  
   
  IV 
  SSH
  HEEPPH
  HEER
  RD
  D  G
  GEEO
  OR
  RG
  GEE  B
  BU
  UR
  RR
  RO
  OW
  WSS  
     Agi d6, Str d4, Vit d6, Ale d6, Int d8, Wil d6; 
  Initiative d6+d6, Life Points 12 
     Traits: Religiosity (Major Asset), Non-Fightin’ Type (Minor Complication), Scrawny (Minor 
  Complication) 
     Skills: Athletics d4, Covert d4, Craft d6, Discipline d4, Influence d6 / Persuasion d10, 
  Conversation d8, Leadership d8, Knowledge d6 / Religion d10, Medical Expertise d2,  
  Perception d6 / Empathy d8, Unarmed Combat d4 
     Description: Shepherd George Burrows is dressed in the red robes that, according to 
  Buddhist tradition, are mended together from several pieces of cloth. The Bhikkhu1 is sporting 
  the shaved head of his faith. Shepherd Burrows is tall and almost painfully thin, but his eyes 
  twinkle as if he is aware of something amusing that no one else knows. His faintly amiable grin 
  conveys that impression as well. 
     Background: A devout monk for many years, Burrows has vowed to visit every inhabited 
  planet in ‘Verse and to bring the teachings of the Buddha to as many people as wish to hear 
  them. 
   
  FFEED
  DEER
  RA
  ALL  M
  MA
  AR
  RSSH
  HA
  ALLSS  
     Agi d8, Str d8, Vit d8, Ale d6, Int d6, Wil d6; 
  Initiative d8+d6, Life Points 14 
     Traits: Wears a Badge (Major Asset), Loyal (Minor Complication), Overconfident (Minor 
  Complication) 
     Skills: Athletics d6 / Dodge d8, Covert d6 / Stealth d8 / Surveillance d8, Discipline d6 / 
  Interrogation d8, Guns d6 / Pistol d8, Influence d4, Knowledge d6, Mechanical Engineering d2, 
  Medical Expertise d2, Melee Weapon Combat d6, Perception d6, Technical Engineering d4, 
  Unarmed Combat d4 
     Description: Federal Marshals are law enforcement officers whose bearings are very 
  military. They live in a totally disciplined world where obedience is paramount and the will of 
  the Parliament is mainly unquestioned. They deal with crimes that are outside the jurisdiction 
  of local law enforcement. The primary mission of the Federal Marshals Service, however, is to 
  protect and defend the 'Verse against terrorist threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal 
  laws, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to local law enforcement agencies. 
     Gear: Submachine Gun (DMG d6W, RNG 60, ROF 32, MAG 35); Pistol (DMG d6W, RNG 100, 
  ROF 3, MAG 8); Stun Baton (DMG d2S); 2 Grenades, Flashbang (DMG 2d6B); Plate Vest (AR 
  4W, -1 Agi); Squad Helmet (AR 4W, -2 Ale) 
   
   
   
   
   
                                                        
  1 Fully ordained male Buddhist monastic 
  2 Can fire single shot, burst, or autofire 
  
   
  V 
  SSEECCU
  UR
  RIITTYY  O
  OFFFFIICCEER
  RSS  
     Agi d6, Str d6, Vit d6, Ale d8, Int d6, Wil d6; 
  Initiative d6+d8, Life Points 12 
     Traits: Military Rank (Minor Asset), Loyal (Minor Complication), Overconfident (Minor 
  Complication) 
     Skills: Athletics d4, Covert d4, Discipline d6, Guns d6 / Pistol d8, Influence d6,  
  Knowledge d6 / Military Regulations d8, Mechanical Engineering d2, Medical Expertise d2, 
  Melee Weapon Combat d4, Perception d6, Technical Engineering d2, Unarmed Combat d4 
     Description: Alliance security officers serve as a combination of soldier and police officer. 
  They patrol sensitive areas, protect dignitaries, arrest law-breakers, and handle tactical 
  engagements. In conflicts, security officers might separate warring factions or settle matters 
  more directly. They are, however, trained to use the least amount of force to resolve a hostile 
  situation. 
     Gear: Ballistic Mesh (AR 1W); Laser Pistol (DMG d10 W, RNG 100, ROF 3, MAG 10) 
   
  R
  REEA
  AV
  VEER
  RSS  
     Agi d8, Str d10, Vit d10, Ale d8, Int d6, Wil d10; 
  Initiative d8+d8, Life Points 24 
     Traits: Fightin’ Type (Major Asset), Tough as Nails (Major Asset), Sadistic (Major 
  Complication) 
     Skills: Athletics d6, Covert d6 / Disable Devices d8 / Open Locks d8 / Stealth d8,  
  Discipline d6, Guns d6 / Pistol d8, Mechanical Engineering d4, Perception d4, Pilot d4, Melee 
  Weapon Combat d6 / Knives d10 / Club d8, Technical Engineering d2, Unarmed Combat d6 / 
  Brawling d10 
     Description: Reavers are savage, brutal, and primal madmen whose contact with other 
  humans is limited to combat, rape, torture, and murder. They are, however, able to cooperate 
  and act purposefully. In fact, Reavers are known to raid ships and colonies to cannibalize, skin 
  and kill anyone they find. 
     Gear: Pistol (DMG d6W, RNG 100, ROF 3, MAG 8); Knife (DMG d4W); Club (DMG d6B) 
     Special Notes: Reavers ignore the effects of Stun damage and do not suffer Wound 
  penalties. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  VI 
  B
  BO
  OA
  ATTSS  A
  AN
  ND
  D  SSH
  HIIP
  PSS  
    
  R
  REEA
  AV
  VEER
  R  TTR
  RA
  AN
  NSS--U
  U  
  Polaris Class Cargo Liner 
     Dimensions (L x B x H): 396 x 262 x 101 feet 
     Tonnage: 35,000 tons 
     Speed Class: 3 cruise / 7 hard-burn 
     Crew Complement: 15 
     Crew Stats: Attribute d8 + Skill d6 
     Crew Quarters: One double, fourteen single cabins 
     Fuel Capacity: 700 tons (400 hours) 
     Cargo Capacity: 21,000 tons 
     Armament: Four 200-pound long range missiles (d8 W). Twelve 100-pound medium range 
  missiles (d6 W). Two magnetic grapplers. 
     Price: 420,000 Credits 
   
     Agi d6, Str d8, Vit d4, Ale d2, Int d2, Wil d6; 
  Initiative d6+d2, Life Points 14. 
     Traits: Fast Throttle (Major Asset), Gas Guzzler (Minor Complication), Ugly as Sin (Minor 
  Complication). 
     Skills: Perception d2, Pilot d2. 
     Complexity: low; Maintenance Cost: 42,000 Credits per year. 
   
  A
  ALLLLIIA
  AN
  NCCEE  SSH
  HO
  OR
  RTT  R
  RA
  AN
  NG
  GEE  EEN
  NFFO
  OR
  RCCEEM
  MEEN
  NTT  V
  VEESSSSEELL  
  ASREV 
     Dimensions (L x B x H): 83 x 48 x 20 feet 
     Tonnage: 40 tons 
     Speed Class: 5 cruise / 7 hard-burn 
     Crew: 5 
     Crew Stats: Attribute d8 + Skill d8 
     Crew Quarters: 4-seat cockpit, with 2 cramped bunks located behind 
     Fuel Capacity: 1 ton (600 hours) 
     Armament: Two 200-pound medium range missiles (d8 W). Six 100-pound short range 
  missiles (d6 W). Twenty 10-pound short range missiles (jammers and decoys). One 1-pound 
  point blank range autocannons (d6 W vehicle-scale).  
     Price: 3,400 Credits 
   
     Agi d10, Str d2, Vit d6, Ale d6, Int d4, Wil d4; 
  Initiative d10+d6, Life Points 6. 
     Traits: Everybody Has One (Minor Complication). 
     Skills: Perception d4, Pilot d4. 
     Complexity: average; Maintenance Cost: 80 Credits per year. 
  
   
  VII 
  II..A
  A..V
  V..  M
  MIID
  DD
  DEEN
  NB
  BU
  UR
  RG
  G  
   
  Longbow Class Patrol Cruiser 
     Dimensions (L x B x H): 2,200 x 700 x 900 feet 
     Tonnage: 640,000 tons  
     Speed Class: 3 cruise / 5 hard-burn  
     Crew Complement: 24,000 
     Crew Stats: Attribute d8 + Skill d8 
     Crew Quarters: 1,500 eight-bunk dorms, 2,000 quad cabins, 2,000 double cabins, 15 
  single cabins  
     Fuel Capacity: 24,000 tons (1,200 hours)  
     Cargo Capacity: 24,000 tons  
     Passenger Quarters: 550 quad cabins, 500 double cabins, 20 single cabins 
     Armament: Two hundred and eight 100-pound long range missiles (d6 W). One hundred 
  and sixty 200-pound medium range missiles (d8 W). One thousand two hundred and eighty 
  10-pound short range missiles (jammers and decoys). One 200-pound short range cannon (d8 
  W spacecraft-scale). Twelve 1-pound point black range autocannons (d6 W vehicle-scale). 
  Armor 4W. Eighteen Warhammer-Class Interceptors. Six ASREVs. 
     Price: 48,160,000 Credits 
   
     Agi d6, Str d10, Vit d8, Ale d6, Int d8, Wil d10; 
  Initiative d6+d6, Life Points 20. 
     Traits: Fuel Efficient (Minor Asset), Memorable (Minor Complication). 
     Skills: Athletics d4, Perception d4, Pilot d4, Heavy Weapons d4. 
     Complexity: very high, Maintenance Cost: 3,072,000 Credits per year. 
   
  When the Alliance wishes to maintain a serious presence in an area without dedicating a full-
  blown Alliance Cruiser, it will send a Longbow Patrol Cruiser and several supporting vessels. 
  The ship has the speed and manoeuvrability of a much smaller vessel, as well as the 
  armaments and fighter screen to fulfil many roles.  
  Commander Akana’s cruiser is on standard patrol duty when the automated distress call is 
  intercepted. 
  
   
  VIII 
  A
  ALLLLIIA
  AN
  NCCEE  LLIIFFEEB
  BO
  OA
  ATT  
     Dimensions (L x B x H): 17 x 15 x 13 feet 
     Tonnage: 10 tons 
     Speed Class: 1 (reaction thrusters only) 
     Crew: None 
     Life Support: 42 man-days 
     Fuel Capacity: 1 ton (1,200 hours) 
     Passenger Capacity: 6 
     Price: 150 Credits 
   
     Agi d2, Str d2, Vit d6, Ale d4, Int d6, Wil d2, 
  Initiative d2+d2, Life Points 4. 
     Traits: Sharp Sense: Radio (Minor Asset), Short Range (Minor Complication), Slow Throttle 
  (Major Complication). 
     Skills: Perception d6, Pilot d6. 
     Complexity: very low, Maintenance Cost: 8 Credits per year. 
    
  A
  ALLLLIIA
  AN
  NCCEE  SSH
  HU
  UTTTTLLEE  
  Short-Range Shuttle 
     Dimensions (L x B x H): 25 x 13 x 10 feet 
     Tonnage: 20 tons 
     Speed Class: 1 cruise / 3 hard-burn (reaction thrusters only) 
     Crew: Pilot, Copilot 
     Life Support: 20 man-days 
     Fuel Capacity: 1 ton (1,000 hours) 
     Passenger Capacity: 8 
     Price: 480 Credits 
   
     Agi d8, Str d2, Vit d6, Ale d2, Int d2, Wil d4; 
  Initiative d8+d2, Life Points 6. 
     Traits: Healthy as a Horse (Minor Asset), Short Range (Minor Complication). 
     Skills: Pilot d4. 
     Complexity: very low, Maintenance Cost: 16 Credits per year. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  IX 
  R
  REEA
  AV
  VEER
  R  SSH
  HU
  UTTTTLLEE  
   
  Heavily Modified Wren Class Transport 
     Dimensions (L x B x H): 60 x 25 x 20 feet 
     Tonnage: 100 tons 
     Speed Class: 4 cruise / 8 hard-burn 
     Crew: Pilot, Copilot 
     Fuel Capacity: 10 tons (400 hours) 
     Passenger Capacity: 4 
     Armament: Two 50-pound short range missiles (d4 W). One 20-pound cannon with 100 
  rounds (Basic damage only). 
     Price: 11,800 Credits (including ammunition) 
   
     Agi d4, Str d4, Vit d6, Ale d4, Int d2, Wil d4; 
  Initiative d4+d4, Life Points 8. 
     Traits: Fast Throttle (Major Asset), Gas Guzzler (Minor Complication), Seen Better Days (), 
  Ugly as Sin (Minor Complication). 
     Skills: Perception d2, Pilot d2. 
     Complexity: very low, Maintenance Cost: 120 Credits per year. 
   
     Special Notes: Reaver ships run “hot”. They operate without engine core containment and 
  leak harmful radiation. Exposed characters suffer d2 Stun damage each day. When Stun 
  reaches a character’s maximum Life Points, he begins to suffer d2 Wound damage each day. 
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Serenity/Serenity - Inner Demons.pdf