TEXT: GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  1
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  2
  CONTENTS
  INTRODUCTION
  3
  Background
  3
  THE CHAIN OF EVENTS 
  5
  NPCS OF NOTE 
  7
  Kestrel
  7
  Lester Lucas 
  7
  Valare
  8
  Isabella Nowak 
  9
  Chimera
  9
  PART 1 – IN THE DARK 
  10
  Second Chances 
  10
  Filling in the Blanks 
  10
  Meeting Kestrel 
  11
  PART 2 - A DIFFERENT VANTAGE POINT 
  13
  Investigating the Incident 
  13
  Finding Lester 
  13
  Recovering the Core 
  13
  Meeting Valare 
  14
  The Chickenhawk 
  16
  CREDITS
  Published by: Void Star Studios
  Developer/Designer: Mike McConnell
  Edited by: Mitch A. Williams, Kristan McConnell, Joshua Yearsley, and the playtesters
  Additional Contributions: Steve Townsley, Leland Dutro, Rob Stroud, Kyle Stroud, Wes Brown
  Layout: Mike McConnell
  Art Direction: Mike McConnell, Savage Mojo
  Art: Andree Wallin, Andrew Chason, Andreas Schroth, Mike McConnell, Ryan Wolfe from 0 hr: Art 
  and Technology at http://0-hr.com/Future_Armada/
  Ghosts in Darkness: SWE v. 1.0
  Nova Praxis © 2016, Void Star Studios
  www.voidstarstudios.com
  PART 3 – CIVIL UNREST 
  18
  Framework: Hunting Nowak 
  18
  PART 4 – OPPORTUNITY FOUR 
  20
  Hornets Inbound 
  20
  Gaining Entry 
  21
  Opposition 
  21
  Trouble Incoming 
  21
  EPILOGUE
  26
  MISSION FRAMEWORKS 
  27
  Framework Setup  
  27
  Success or Failure 
  28
  Running the Framework 
  28
  Framework Failure 
  30
  Combat in a Framework 
  30
  Favors in  Framework 
  32
  Frameworks, Savants, and the SINC Skill 
  32
  Advanced Frameworks 
  33
  Sample Frameworks 
  34
  ANTAGONISTS
  35
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  3
  INTRODUCTION
  This scenario is designed to introduce 
  new players and GMs to the Nova Praxis 
  setting. It contains an overview of events 
  that happened prior to the scenario’s start, 
  a synopsis of events to come, and advice for 
  GMs who want to expand and customize the 
  scenario.
  Ghosts in Darkness assumes one GM and 
  four players. Create characters using the 
  standard creation rules, though you could 
  instead just give the players copies of the 
  sample characters from the Nova Praxis 
  core book. At least two PCs need to have 
  undergone Apotheosis. Otherwise, the GM 
  will need to rework many of the scenario’s 
  details.
  The scenario begins with the resurrection 
  of the PCs. Apparently, they had been killed 
  and were restored from backup after a 
  few months. Pure PCs will have a different 
  introduction, but most of the adventure will 
  focus on investigating what happened to the 
  Apotheosized PCs between their last backup 
  and their recent resurrection, discovering 
  why they were killed, and getting caught in 
  the Shadow War along the way.
  Background
  The Apotheosized PCs in the crew received 
  notice of a salvage contract from one of their 
  usual contacts. The contact directed them 
  to Kestrel, a Kimuran Astralist and apostate 
  sympathizer located on Asola.
  The PCs met with Kestrel, who explained 
  that his client wanted them backed up 
  before giving the details of the contract. This 
  is a fairly standard procedure for Auxiliary 
  contracts, as it protects the House should 
  the Auxiliaries be killed. 
  Kestrel is a “talent acquisition specialist” 
  for several clients. In this case, he offered 
  a contract from Expanse Worldsystems, 
  a subsidiary of House Tsarya. The person 
  behind the contract is Isabella Nowak, a high-
  ranking Tsaryan representative and head 
  of Expanse Worldsystems. As part of their 
  contract, however, Kestrel is not allowed to 
  divulge Nowak’s identity.
  The contract required the crew to travel 
  to an outpost belonging to House Kimura. 
  This outpost, believed abandoned, was in 
  geosynchronous orbit around a recently 
  discovered planet designated RS-412, aka 
  Opportunity Four. 
  The crew’s job was to visit the outpost, take 
  inventory, and determine if anything left was 
  worth salvaging.
  They were warned that, while the planet 
  apparently had little to offer, the outpost 
  might now house pirates, remnant forces, 
  or other vagrants or vultures. If so, the crew 
  was expected to deal with them.
  When the crew arrived at the outpost, they 
  were attacked by the outpost’s automated 
  defenses. The ship and the outpost were 
  damaged in the battle, and the crew was 
  captured. 
  On board the outpost, they discovered 
  that a subsidiary of House Kimura, called 
  Mindscapes, 
  was 
  performing 
  illegal 
  mnemonics research. Any Pure characters 
  with the crew were killed. The others had 
  their cores removed, and their egos were 
  merged into one. 
  The hybrid ego called himself Chimera. A 
  massive breach of the Humanity Preservation 
  Act—a fact he knew well—he faced death 
  and erasure if captured. 
  To protect himself, Chimera set about 
  erasing information from the PCs’ private 
  and public records, as well as any clues to 
  what happened to the PCs and Chimera’s 
  location. This information included Extranet 
  interactions, 
  passwords, 
  and 
  intimate 
  knowledge only the PCs would possess. 
  When the PCs—now dead or merged—
  went four days without contacting Kestrel, 
  he became alarmed. When he reported this 
  to Nowak, she declared them dead and the 
  mission a wash. 
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  4
  Making it Yours
  The “chain of events” below describes the most likely course of events for the PCs. But PCs will 
  be PCs, and its fairly likely that they will go off on some tangent or come up with some other 
  problem solving approach that causes them to deviate from the outlined sequence of events.
  And that’s great! You can always steer them back on track later. In the mean time, as long as 
  its fun and interesting, let the PCs explore their options and the world around them. Likely they 
  will get themselves back on track eventually, but if the game begins to drag and it doesn’t seem 
  like the PCs know what to do next, you’ll want to drop some clue or remind them of something 
  somebody said to nudge them back in the right direction.
  The GM should also take the time to try to customize the scenario to emphasize the PCs 
  strengths and weaknesses as much as possible. Remember, this is your game. Many of the 
  details really aren’t that important and can be easily changed. Maybe the PCs resurrect on 
  Titan instead of Asola. Maybe Kestrel is replaced with a contact the PCs have worked with in 
  the past. Maybe Nowak represents House Cipriani instead of Tsarya. 
  Before starting, you should probably take another look at the PC’s back-stories, personal 
  goals, and motivations;  and try to find a few places to tie them in them in wherever possible.
  In the chain of events diagram, you’ll see three triangles marked A-C. These indicate good 
  points along the chain to insert tangents, points in the plot where the PCs can go off to explore 
  sub-plots that may have arisen during play, or spots for the GM to interject additional scenes 
  and/or her own plot ideas.
  Some suggestions for tangents are:
  Tangent A – Kestrel requires the PCs to do him one or more favors before he is willing to tell 
  the PCs about Vantage. Depending on the desires of the GM, Kestel’s favors can be their on sub-
  campaign. See the “Kestrel’s Job” sidebar on pg.  12 for more.
  Tangent B – When Valare is discovered, the GM may introduce any number of complications that 
  prevents her from simply telling the PCs what she knows. 
  Here is one example: Valare has a remote backup module, and her fork has already been resleeved. 
  She won’t help them unless they can convince her fork to merge. Her fork, knowing she died from 
  vacuum exposure, does not want those memories and does not want to merge.
  Tangent C – When the PCs arrive near the outpost, they immediately come under heavy fire from 
  the outpost, its security drones, and perhaps some additional attackers. They also detect a distress 
  signal coming from the planet.
  Their ship becomes damaged and is forced to land on the planet. Their only hope of getting back 
  off is to locate the source of the distress signal, a research outpost.
  A small group of captives managed to trigger the distress signal before being huddled into a secure 
  storeroom by Red Sun thugs. The PCs will have to take over the outpost and either use resources 
  they find to repair their ship or find a new one.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  5
  Soon 
  after, 
  though, 
  Nowak’s 
  people 
  discovered that the PCs’ digital footprints 
  were being cleared off the Extranet. 
  Assuming she might be in danger, and a 
  bit paranoid, Nowak hired a Savant named 
  Valare to use a rare and powerful Savant 
  Program to scrub the Extranet, wiping any 
  security logs or local mesh data related to 
  the PCs and their failed mission.
  Once declared dead, the PCs were restored 
  by their insurance policy. 
  This is where the scenario begins.
  THE CHAIN OF EVENTS
  Part 1 – In the Dark
  The Apotheosized PCs awaken on Asola. 
  Their last memory is of being backed up 
  before meeting with someone called Kestrel. 
  Their backups were paid for by, and stored at, 
  Second Chances, a division of House Tsarya.
  A quick look through their personal records 
  indicates that their activity logs, much of it 
  very private, has been cleansed of anything 
  about the events of the last two months. 
  And worse, security footage and intel related 
  to their assignment has also been cleaned 
  from both private and public systems. The 
  only thing left is that they needed to meet 
  Kestrel.
  Holes in mesh data like these shouldn’t be 
  possible. Kestrel has heard of this happening 
  before; if the PCs can convince him to help, 
  he can point them to a similar event on 
  Vantage. 
  Part 2 – Lots to See on Vantage
  Their investigation leads them to Vantage, 
  where they discover that their records were 
  erased by a Savant member of the Talons of 
  Freedom. 
  The Savant, Valare, died during an exchange 
  of goods, food, and meds for weapons, 
  meant to go to Talons on the Icarus Hub in 
  orbit around Proch. 
  After recovering the Savant’s core, they 
  learn that she was hired by Nowak, a high-
  ranking Tsaryan official on the Icarus Hub, 
  to wipe out any traces of the PCs’ actions 
  related to their mission.
  Part 3 – Civil Unrest
  As the PCs arrive at the Icarus Hub, an 
  explosion rocks the station. This is the first 
  stage of an apostate uprising, instigated by 
  The Talons of Freedom and made possible by 
  Chimera. 
  Resentment had been growing among the 
  workers on the hub for a while, so Chimera 
  decided to use this opportunity. This attack 
  would allow Chimera to both get revenge on 
  Nowak for sending the crew to the outpost—
  which led to Chimera’s creation—and create 
  additional complications for the PCs should 
  they be searching for him. 
  Chimera doesn’t want to be found, so he left 
  behind plenty of clues linking the uprising to 
  the PCs.
  Nowak directs Lighthouse to contain 
  the uprising and, finding the clues left by 
  Chimera, flags the PCs as the instigators. The 
  PCs must get to Nowak and find out what 
  she knows.
  As Lighthouse goes to war against the 
  Talons, apostates, and PCs, Kestrel, ordered 
  by his House to clean up this mess, arrives 
  with a group of Red Sun enforcers. Their job 
  is to kill the PCs, Nowak, and anyone else 
  involved, cutting ties between Kimura and 
  recent events. The Red Suns try to avoid the 
  conflict, instead focusing their efforts on 
  finding and eliminating the PCs. 
  Nowak is on the Icarus Hub in orbit around 
  Proch. If the PCs get to her before Kestrel 
  does, she offers them a deal: get her off the 
  hub safely, and she’ll tell them the location 
  of the outpost and clear their names.
  If they fail to get to Nowak first, Kestrel kills 
  her. He then sends them the location of the 
  outpost. 
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  6
  Part 4 – Opportunity Four Resolution
  The PCs leave the ruined Icarus Hub and 
  head for the outpost. If they couldn’t save 
  Nowak, they will be branded traitors and 
  enemies of the Coalition. They are now 
  effectively apostates until they can find a 
  way to prove their innocence.
  At the outpost, the PCs must battle Chimera 
  and the outpost’s security measures. During 
  the fight, the comm-buoy for the security 
  system is remotely detonated, cutting off 
  intersystem communications.
  Once the PCs defeat Chimera and the 
  outpost’s security drones, they discover 
  more clues about what happened. Doctor 
  Haruto Nakamura, the scientist that headed 
  the illicit experiments, created Chimera. 
  Chimera used his contacts and House 
  Kimura’s resources to help initiate the 
  mutiny on the Icarus Hub.
  If possible, Chimera will try to flee in an 
  escape pod to the planet’s surface. Once 
  there, he will go into hiding.
  Shortly after the PCs deal with Chimera and 
  learn what they can, Kestrel and his Red Suns 
  arrive. Before boarding the station, they try 
  to disable the PCs’ ship.
  Their mission is to destroy all evidence 
  of Chimera, the PCs’ mission, and recent 
  events. That means wiping all data storage 
  devices, killing the PCs, station personnel, 
  and Chimera, and blowing up the station. 
  The first step is essential—the last thing they 
  want is sensitive data floating among the 
  debris.
  Once the PCs defeat Kestrel and the Red 
  Suns, they’re in the clear. But they may have 
  some loose ends to deal with. 
  If Chimera was killed, the PCs can find his 
  mnemonic core, which they can use to prove 
  their innocence in the mutiny. The core also 
  implicates House Kimura in both the mutiny 
  and the illegal mnemonics research, so the 
  Kimurans will do anything necessary to stop 
  it from being used against them.
  If Chimera escaped, the PCs will need to 
  apprehend him before the Kimurans do. 
  vantage station
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  7
  NPCS OF NOTE
  Many NPCs play major roles in this 
  scenario. They know things, and can provide 
  breadcrumbs for the PCs to follow to the 
  answers they seek.
  These characters are detailed below. 
  However, Fate lets players make Declarations 
  that could change elements of the story and 
  facts about these characters.
  GMs, you can change pretty much 
  anything you wish about the 
  characters in this scenario. 
  You can also allow the PCs 
  the same privileges. Just 
  make sure that anything 
  changed 
  doesn’t 
  break 
  the chain of events, unless 
  you’re 
  comfortable 
  with 
  improvisation.  
  Kestrel
  A member of House Kimura 
  and the Red Suns, Kestrel 
  has taken it upon himself to 
  help the poor apostates of Asola.
  Kestrel uses his contacts among the 
  Coalition and apostates to arrange deals 
  between them. He is often called upon by 
  discreet employers to perform dirty jobs 
  with crews recruited from both factions.
  Kestrel does not fully understand the depth 
  of the Shadow War, but he’s beginning to 
  suspect that “fixers” like himself are more 
  common than most believe.
  What does Kestrel Know?
   
  ª
  He hired the PCs because he needed an 
  expendable party.
   
  ª
  The PCs were hired by a representative of 
  House Tsarya to explore an outpost.
   
  ª
  The outpost might have been dangerous.
   
  ª
  [Secret: 5] The mesh recently blacked out 
  on Vantage.
  Lester Lucas
  Lester is just trying to get by. A member 
  of House Silva, he has been smuggling 
  weaponry out of the Naesock Processing 
  Hub in orbit around Neptune, trading the 
  arms with Talons on Vantage.
  Lester really hasn’t had a role in recent 
  happenings, suffering a severe case of 
  “wrong place, wrong time.”
  He was making an exchange with the 
  Talons when one of them was revealed 
  to be a Centurion. Valare 
  blacked out the mesh just 
  before a grenade went off. 
  Lester got behind cover and 
  managed to survive, but he 
  caught some shrapnel in the 
  process. 
  Wounded, he has been 
  struggling to get by on 
  Vantage. 
  His 
  ship, 
  the 
  Chickenhawk, 
  has 
  been 
  impounded and docked on 
  one of the station’s secure 
  arms. 
  Lester has been in contact with the Talons, 
  who have basically taken his ship and hidden 
  Valare in it. Lester wants it back so he can get 
  off Vantage.
  What does Lester Know?
   
  ª
  The Talons are planning something pretty 
  big, and have been for several months 
  now.
   
  ª
  Lester’s ship is tied to a CID, now 
  possessed by the Talons. They are 
  helping him survive in exchange for the 
  ship, but Lester isn’t at all happy with the 
  arrangement and feels like he is being 
  bullied.
   
  ª
  Valare can black out the mesh.
   
  ª
  Valare’s sleeve is on the Chickenhawk.
   
  ª
  The Chickenhawk is attached to a secure 
  wing of the station. You can’t get to it 
  from within: security is far too tight. You 
  have to get to it by exiting the station.
  Secret Ratings
  Nova Praxis is a game of 
  mystery and intrigue, and 
  some secrets are buried deep.
  Secret ratings present a 
  standard difficulty rating to 
  uncover the secret through 
  the basic use of Skills tests, be 
  it Research, Favors, etc.
  The GM may lower the 
  difficulty of uncovering a 
  secret as the PCs find clues.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  8
  Valare
  A small-time smuggler with a big-time gift, 
  Valare is a Savant who wrote a Program to 
  cover her tracks.
  Valare was an invaluable Shadow War 
  asset to House Tsarya, providing cover and 
  cleanup for their Auxiliary teams. But the 
  more she learned about the behind-the-
  scenes dealings of the Coalition government, 
  the more disgusted she became. 
  Wiping out the PCs’ tracks was her last 
  mission for House Tsarya, after which she 
  wanted to help the poor apostates trying to 
  make lives for themselves working for the 
  Houses.
  She disappeared, covered her tracks, and 
  joined up with the Talons of Freedom on 
  Vantage. There she worked to help the 
  Talons prepare to strike at House Tsarya, 
  covering up smuggling operations until one 
  went wrong, killing her.
  What does Valare Know?
   
  ª
  Valare died when a deal went sour. One 
  of her Talon compatriots turned out to 
  be a Centurion in her friend’s sleeve. A 
  grenade went off and she got spaced.
   
  ª
  Her sleeve and core were recovered and 
  hidden in the Chickenhawk until the 
  Talons could figure out how to resurrect 
  her.
   
  ª
  She had been hired by Nowak to scrub 
  the PCs’ tracks across the Extranet. She 
  was not told why.
   
  ª
  [Secret: 5] She had been helping 
  apostates and Talons move resources in 
  preparation for a Talon-led mutiny on 
  Proch’s Icarus Hub.
   
  ª
  [Secret: 7] Valare has heard about a 
  benefactor, providing aid to the Talons 
  and arranging opportunities for them on 
  the hub. She doesn’t know who it is, but 
  he has upped their timetable and may 
  initiate the strike any day.
  [Tac-Comm v1.76.4/ 17:16-01,12,98]
  [Tac-Comm Verification] – Please enter your 
  access code to enter secure channel.
  [AKnox] – ***********************
  [Access Granted]
  Welcome to the Hub_Party Channel
  [AKnox] – Hello?
  [0CHI111324] – Is everything accounted for?
  [AKnox] – I’m sorry. Who is this?
  [0CHI111324] – Who is this?
  [AKnox] – I’m Detective Knox. I came 
  upon this access code during a murder 
  investigation aboard the Proch’s Icarus Hub. 
  Your cooperation would be appreciated.
  [0CHI111324] – Of course detective.
  [AKnox] – So who are you? You should know 
  that I’ve dispatched a Moitor to run a trace.
  [0CHI111324] – Really? And what did your 
  Monitor discover.
  [AKnox] – Nothing. 
  [0CHI111324] – You want to know who I am 
  Mr. Knox?  I’m am the beginning of the end. 
  I am the herald of change. 
  [AKnox] – Okay, Harold. Any chance you 
  could be a tad more specific?
  [0CHI111324] – The Coalition has gown 
  fat and lazy, bloated and content, off the 
  hard work of the oppressed. The Coalition 
  is a cage made of gold, but it’s people are 
  no less prisoners. A Rep-Rating doesn’t 
  represent a person. The people have no 
  privacy, no agency, and no voice. Their 
  outcries are buried in the noise generated 
  by an endless stream of propaganda. 
  [AKnox] – And you’re going to change all 
  that?
  [0CHI111324] – I’m going to scream loud 
  enough to be heard.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  9
  Isabella Nowak
  Isabella Nowak sits in the center of the 
  chaos, the eye of the storm. As Executive 
  Administrator of Planetary Logistics, Isabella 
  is charged with maintaining Tsarya’s interests 
  on the Icarus Hub in orbit around Proch.
  Feeling she has more than proven 
  herself at the Icarus Hub, Nowak has been 
  maneuvering for a promotion. But just as 
  everything seemed to be going her way, it all 
  fell apart. 
  First the crew hired to prospect the outpost 
  went missing. Now they appear to be 
  undermining her by setting the apostate 
  workforce in the hub’s docks against her. 
  Against a burgeoning mutiny, Isabella is 
  working desperately to bring everything 
  back under control. And in her desperation, 
  she let Lighthouse off their leash.
  What does Nowak Know?
   
  ª
  Nowak got word of an abandoned 
  Kimuran research station set up around 
  a new planet (Opportunity Four). She 
  knows where the station is.
   
  ª
  [Secret: 7] The location of the outpost.
   
  ª
  Suspecting hostile squatters or pirate, she 
  hired an expendable crew (the PCs) to 
  deal with them and secure the outpost.
   
  ª
  The PC crew went dark, so she declared 
  them dead. Three months later, they 
  were resurrected. 
   
  ª
  Soon after declaring the PCs dead, Nowak 
  discovered that records of the crew’s 
  activities were being purged from the 
  Extranet. 
   
  ª
  Worried about the reason for the data 
  purge, and fearing implication in illegal 
  forking, Nowak hired Valare to wipe out 
  all security logs and sensor data of the 
  crew from the last few months. Nowak 
  wanted to eliminate as many links as 
  possible between the crew and herself.
  Chimera
  Born of an experiment in cutting-edge 
  mnemonics technology, Chimera is a gestalt 
  entity, a being made from the PCs’ merged 
  egos. 
  Every Apotheosized PC who had gone on 
  the mission to prospect the outpost has been 
  merged into Chimera and inhabits a single 
  sleeve. Chimera remembers everything they 
  did, knows everything about them, and fears 
  them. 
  Forking an ego is illegal, a very severe 
  breach of the Humanity Preservation Act. 
  The experiments that led to the creation of 
  Chimera are far more extreme than simple 
  forking—they could kill and even erase 
  everyone and everything involved.
  Note: Chimera can identify as male, female, 
  or neither, depending on its composition. If it 
  is mostly composed of male egos, it generally 
  considers itself male, and likewise for female 
  egos. To keep this scenario consistent, we 
  will assume that Chimera identifies as male 
  in the remainder of our writing.
  What Does Chimera Know?
   
  ª
  Chimera has the complete memories 
  of every Apotheosized PC, meaning he 
  knows pretty much everything going on.
   
  ª
  He has been covering his tracks and 
  distancing himself from the PCs by wiping 
  data from their personal data logs and 
  social networks.
   
  ª
  Chimera blames Nowak for his creation 
  and the mess they’re stuck in now. Being 
  somewhat insane, he has targeted her for 
  revenge, which he’s facilitating by fanning 
  the fires of rebellion on the Icarus Hub 
  and by aiding the Talons of Freedom.
   
  ª
  [Secret: 3] The apostate uprising is backed 
  by the Talons of Freedom.
   
  ª
  [Secret: 5] The Talons of Freedom were 
  aided and encouraged to act now by 
  Chimera.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  10
  PART 1 – IN THE DARK
  The scenario begins as the PCs wake up in a 
  resurrection chamber on Asola, about three 
  months after they’d been declared dead.
  They have no memory since their last 
  backup, just before they started their 
  mission.
  Second Chances
  Sleeved PCs awake in a resurrection 
  chamber owned by Second Chances, a 
  third-party backup service that works 
  with all major insurance providers. Their 
  resurrection is overseen by an apostate 
  mnemonics engineer named Salvadore “Sal” 
  Bendry, a SIM.
  After being helped from the chamber, they 
  are subjected to a quick series of diagnostic 
  tests and escorted to a recovery room. 
  Biosleeves are treated to a massage and a 
  good meal. Cybersleeves undergo additional 
  diagnostics.
  SIM PCs awaken in an idyllic glade, 
  surrounded by healthy trees and chirping 
  wildlife. They appear seated at a wooden 
  table. Sal appears across from them.
  To both the sleeved and SIM PCs, Sal 
  explains that they’ve been restored from 
  backup and it’s been about three months 
  since they were officially declared dead. It’s 
  standard procedure to wait three months 
  before resurrection in case any mnemonic 
  cores can be recovered. Theirs weren’t.
  Presumably, after taking the contract the 
  PCs upgraded their sleeves and gear, leaving 
  their old gear in a storage locker and their 
  old sleeves on ice. Assume that the PCs’ 
  current gear and sleeves are what they had 
  stored before starting the mission.
  Pure characters won’t be restoring from 
  backups, as they have none. The GM and 
  players will need to discuss why the Pure PC 
  or PCs are now joining with the others.
  This shouldn’t be too difficult. Perhaps the 
  Pure PCs simply couldn’t join the crew on 
  their last mission, but now they can.
  Alternatively, the Pure PCs could be meeting 
  the others for the first time. Because the 
  Apotheosized 
  PCs 
  need 
  transportation 
  rather soon after being resurrected, they 
  might sign a contract or promise a favor to 
  get transportation. A Pure PC might be the 
  pilot of a ship or the muscle hired to ensure 
  the other PCs make good on the favor they 
  owe.
  Filling in the Blanks
  All that the PCs remember about the 
  mission is that they’d received a tip about 
  a contract. They were supposed to go to 
  Second Chances, get a free backup, and 
  meet someone named Kestrel.
  The PCs didn’t meet Kestrel before backing 
  up, though, so they don’t remember anything 
  about meeting him or anything after being 
  backed up.
  As the Apotheosized PCs’ systems come 
  online, they will likely check their social 
  networks to try to piece together clues about 
  what happened to them. It is then that they 
  make a startling discovery.
  Their personal records are missing time, 
  and their social network activity has been 
  scrubbed. To do this, their personal passkeys 
  would have been required. Any records of 
  their activities—from the day before their 
  backup to now—are gone.
  Any friends will just say that the PCs went 
  quiet after they’d taken the contract and 
  went in to have their egos backed up. Silence 
  like this isn’t especially unusual, though, 
  as many crews are required to limit any 
  unnecessary contact while running off-the-
  book jobs for the Houses.
  But their personal data going missing is very 
  unusual indeed. It shouldn’t be possible. 
  They would’ve needed to have cleared it 
  themselves. At the very least, someone else 
  would have had to have access to their CIDs. 
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  11
  Meeting Kestrel
  Kestrel, a member of House Kimura—
  specifically, 
  the 
  Crimson 
  and 
  Sons 
  subsidiary—is an apostate sympathizer 
  and unofficial leader and spokesman for 
  an underground collection of apostate 
  scavengers. A mid-level Red Sun operative, 
  he specializes in Shadow War operations, 
  though even he doesn’t truly understand the 
  depth of the conflict. 
  He can be found at his shop, a small 
  hole-in-the-wall establishment on Asola. 
  The ARID on the door identifies the place 
  simply as “Serendipity: Consultations and 
  Arbitrations.”
  The small shop is narrow and long, lined 
  with rows of bookshelves. In reality these 
  shelves hold nothing, but in AR they house a 
  number of digital documents represented as 
  translucent books.
  In the back of the long room sits a low 
  counter, where a basic merchant beta AI 
  works waits. The AI takes the form of an 
  attractive Asian woman in a kimono.
  The AI is pleasant and willing to answer 
  any questions the PCs ask. Some common 
  questions and answers are below:
  What is this place? or What does Kes-
  trel do?
  “You are in Serendipity: Consultations and 
  Arbitrations. We are in the business of offering 
  proffesional consultation for investement or 
  representation; or serving as an objective 
  third party in mediating disputes, whether 
  personal or legal in nature.”
  Where is Kestrel?
  “I am sorry. I am not at liberty to divulge that 
  information.”
  Can we meet with Kestrel?
  “Please hold while I check his schedule… 
  Yes, Mr. Kestrel will see you now. Please, 
  follow me.”
  After the AI tells the PCs to follow her, the 
  back wall opens to reveal a hallway leading 
  into a back room. 
  The room is octagonal and outfitted with 
  pillows to sit or kneel upon. A very young 
  man—no more than 25 years old, if he’s 
  Pure—kneels on one of the pillows facing the 
  door. This is Kestrel. It’s unclear whether he 
  is Asian or wears a biosleeve based off of an 
  Asian genetic template. 
  He has silver hair that he wears a little long 
  and messy, and he wears a silver silk suit, a 
  white tie, and no shoes.
  The Lunar City of Asola
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  12
  Leaning against a wall to the side, a large 
  cybersleeve—covered in Asian-inspired bio-
  skin, wearing a tight gray t-shirt and military-
  style fatigues—holds his arms crossed. Any 
  PC who looks him over (Perception: 2) can 
  see the heavy rail pistol tucked into the back 
  of his pants.
  Kestrel has dealt with the PCs before, 
  recalling that their meeting was both 
  pleasant and productive. He does not like 
  unscheduled meetings, however, and only 
  agreed to see them on short notice because 
  of his curiosity. Having heard the PCs 
  declared dead, Kestrel wants to know what 
  happened.
  If the PCs ask any questions, refer to what 
  Kestrel knows on page  7. He will answer 
  truthfully, but does not know who hired them 
  or where the outpost is. He had negotiated 
  with the contractor at anonymous meets in 
  Stygia, and the details of the mission had 
  been passed to him through an encrypted 
  file, which he did not try to open. 
  During the conversation, Kestrel will call up 
  security footage of their last meet to make 
  sure he hasn’t forgotten anything important. 
  He then discovers that the footage, stored 
  on his own personal mesh, has been edited. 
  Anything related to the PCs is missing.
  This footage should be impossible to 
  access by anyone except himself, so Kestrel 
  becomes very concerned. Someone able 
  to delete this data would have had access 
  to Kestrel’s personal server array. Further 
  investigation quickly reveals that any security 
  data featuring the PCs during the time of 
  their mission, regardless of their location, 
  has been blacked out.
  This is highly unusual, so the PCs might 
  search the Extranet in hopes of finding 
  another instance of this happening.
  This information is a rank 5 Secret, and 
  can be discovered with Apostate or House 
  Networking as well as with Research. House 
  Networking suffers a -1 penalty, while basic 
  Research suffers a -2 penalty.
  Kestrel’s Job
  A local Centurion is putting pressure on 
  Kestrel’s people. Make him stop.
  The Centurion, Tarj McClaren of House 
  Dalianis, thinks one of Kestrel’s people (a 
  Pure apostate named Jebediah) is selling a 
  drug called Symmetry. He wants either proof, 
  or his core.
  The PCs can get proof by making a sensie of 
  the drug deal, and its use.
  Symmetry enhances a person’s mood based 
  on their surroundings. So a person in a happy 
  and fun place would become very happy, 
  while a person in a sad place would become 
  very depressed.
  However the PCs do it, once satisfied, 
  Kestrel tells the PCs that he had heard rumor 
  of the sort of mesh blackout they are seeing 
  now on Vantage. Apparently something 
  bad went down there a few weeks ago, but 
  nobody knows what since the record of it 
  was stripped from the mesh data. 
  The PCs will likely fail to uncover the secret 
  on their own, but luckily for them Kestrel 
  knows that a similar blackout happened 
  recently on Vantage. 
  He will not part with this information easily 
  though. He agrees to help if...
   
  ª
  The PCs can convince him during a 
  Mental Conflict. In this case, Kestrel has 
  a Determination of 1; if the PCs have 
  offended him, it is 2.
   
  ª
  The PCs help him get food and medical 
  supplies (Cost: 8). Kestrel genuinely 
  wants what is best for his people, 
  the downtrodden of Asola. Some are 
  apostates, but many are civilians with very 
  low Rep. He can’t get it himself without 
  raising suspicion.
   
  ª
  The PCs get him a new array and six VR 
  links (Cost: 9).
   
  ª
  The PCs agree to do a job for him. To make 
  this scenario longer, consider making this 
  option the only one that Kestrel offers. 
  The sidebar below offers an example job 
  for Kestrel to give.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  13
  PART 2 - A DIFFERENT 
  VANTAGE POINT
  The crew has come to Vantage to investigate 
  the last known incident of a mesh blackout. 
  They don’t know how or why the blackout 
  occurred; they just know that a large chunk 
  of mesh data was wiped a few months ago. It 
  appears to have been wiped the same way as 
  their own mesh presence had been between 
  their last backup and recent resurrection. 
  Investigating the blackout leads the PCs to 
  Lester Lucas, smuggler and captain of the 
  Chickenhawk. Living on the station in fear, 
  Lester desperately wants to get off it before 
  the Talons of Freedom decide that he knows 
  too much to be left alive.
  Investigating the Incident
  Asking around the station can give the PCs 
  enough clues to begin investigating the last 
  blackout in earnest.
  Either type of Networking Skill will work 
  here. Research suffers a -1 penalty.
  Social Skills can net the same results if 
  the PCs speak to a friendly dockworker or 
  Centurion. They can also get most of this info 
  by intimidating a Talon of Freedom.
  [Secret: 2] – The blackout happened in a 
  docking bay on level 11.
  [Secret: 3] – The blackout happened in 
  docking bay 117 while the Chickenhawk was 
  docked there.
  [Secret: 4] – The blackout was apparently 
  used to hide a transfer of goods. During this 
  time, witnesses heard an explosion.
  [Secret: 5] – Multiple bodies were carried 
  out of the dock after the explosion. Some 
  sort of deal probably went sour. The captain 
  of the Chickenhawk was smuggling weapons 
  to members of the Talons of Freedom in 
  exchange for food. He is missing.
  [Secret: 6] – The Chickenhawk belongs to 
  Lester Lucas, a member of House Silva. The 
  ship has been moved to quarantine. Lester 
  can usually be found in the the Waypoint Bar.
  [Secret: 7] – Lucas never left Vantage. 
  Instead, he changed his ship’s ID and docked 
  his ship in one of Vantage’s secure repair 
  bays. The repair bay is located at the end of 
  a long “arm” protruding from the station. To 
  get to the ship, you must walk down a heavily 
  secured passageway or exit the station and 
  travel down the arm on the outside.
  Finding Lester
  If the crew asks around enough, word will 
  get back to Lester. He has a handful of allies 
  among the low-Rep civilians and the few 
  apostates onboard. If possible, he will try 
  to arrange a meeting on one of the station’s 
  observation decks.
  If the crew discovers where Lester is, they 
  can go to Waypoint to try to find him.
  In any case, Lester is looking for a crew just 
  like the PCs to help him out. The Talons of 
  Freedom have a hold on Lester, and he wants 
  to get away from them.
  Lester will tell the PCs what he knows if they 
  agree to help him out. He just wants to get 
  his ship back and to get off the station.
  Recovering the Core
  The PCs need to get to Valare’s sleeve—
  more specifically, her mnemonic core. Right 
  now, both are stashed on the Chickenhawk 
  awaiting someone friendly to the Talons to 
  retrieve them and resurrect her.
  The Chickenhawk’s docking umbilical has 
  been damaged. Lacking this, it is instead 
  attached to Vantage’s arm with a mag-lock 
  connection on top of the ship. This means 
  the PCs must go outside the station to get 
  into the ship, even if they went down the 
  inside of the arm. 
  The ship’s only entrance is a sealed door 
  that will only respond to the CID of one of 
  the local Talons of Freedom.
  Unless the PCs can get through the tight 
  security inside the repair arm, they must 
  enter the ship by traveling outside the 
  station. 
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  14
  If they insist on going down the inside of the 
  arm, they’ll contend with three sealed blast 
  doors and a security checkpoint manned by 
  three Centurions and four Lonestar drones.
  If they go outside the arm, they won’t have 
  to bother with station security, but Pure 
  and biosleeved PCs will need vacuum suits. 
  Cybersleeved PCs won’t need suits, but they 
  will need mag boots, suits with zero-g assist 
  jets, or both.
  There are only a few good places to exit the 
  station. There are external mesh sensors that 
  the PCs must avoid, but Lester has studied 
  the route and can show them how to best 
  avoid notice. 
  Once the crew parts ways with Lester, the 
  Talons will attempt to capture and interrogate 
  him. Unless the PCs take extreme measures 
  to keep Lester safe, the Talons will succeed 
  and Lester will cave to the interrogation. He 
  will tell them everything he knows. And then 
  they will kill him.
  If the PCs take Lester’s advice, they won’t 
  need to make tests to avoid the mesh sensors 
  outside the station. However, if Lester is 
  captured and interrogated, the Talons will 
  know exactly where the PCs plan to exit the 
  station.
  If Lester spilled the plans, the PCs will find 
  his body lashed to the station’s hull as they 
  work their way to the ship. As soon as they 
  can make out his identity, they are ambushed 
  and fired upon by the Talons.
  If Lester wasn’t captured, the PCs may be 
  able to sneak into the ship before being 
  noticed.
  Some Talons are hiding on the ship, using 
  the arm’s support ribs as cover, as well as on 
  the bottom of the station’s arm. The number 
  of Talons in wait equals the number of PCs 
  plus 1. One of the Talons has the CID needed 
  to get into the ship.
  At least one Talon, hiding on the ship itself, 
  will have a sniper rifle. The others have 
  assault rifles and will rush to reach the 
  optimal firing range to the PCs.
  Meeting Valare
  Once the PCs get to the Chickenhawk, they 
  discover Valare’s sleeve. She was killed when 
  a hell ball went off, damaging the umbilical 
  connecting the Chickenhawk to Vantage. 
  Valare’s sleeve is in the Chickenhawk’s 
  engine room. The biosleeve is extremely 
  swollen and covered in bruises. Dried blood 
  surrounds every orifice. Her mnemonic 
  core is intact and contains recordings of 
  everything up to her death.
  If Valare is brought up in VR, it’s clear 
  that she’s suffered extreme psychological 
  trauma from having died in vacuum. Her last 
  memories were of a deafening explosion, 
  fire, and rapid decompression. As a result, 
  she has suffered an Extreme Mental 
  Consequence. 
  Mnemonic editing may be in order. If she is 
  aided, or at least calmed, she can tell the PCs 
  what happened to her.
  Valare can also tell the crew that she had 
  been hired by House Tsarya to scrub their 
  net presence. While she doesn’t know where 
  their cores are, she agrees to tell them the 
  name of the person who hired her to wipe 
  their Extranet fingerprints—if they agree 
  to needle beam her ego to her insurance 
  provider on Rho.
  Once the PCs appease Valare, she points 
  them to Nowak, the Tsaryan official who 
  offered their original contract. Nowak is 
  the Executive Administrator of Planetary 
  Logistics, based out of the Icarus Hub in orbit 
  around Proch.
  She also tells them that the deal that led to 
  her death was an exchange of food and meds 
  for weapons meant for Talons on the Icarus 
  Hub. She had met the Talons on the Icarus 
  Hub when she went to meet Nowak, and 
  she’d been working with them on Vantage 
  since she completed Nowak’s job. 
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  15
  What are the Talons up to? 
  Until now, the PCs have only heard rumors 
  that the Talons are up to something, 
  perhaps a big move against the Coalition. 
  Those rumors are about to become reality.
  About a year ago someone decided that 
  the Icarus Hub servicing Proch would be 
  a prime target for the struggling remnant 
  force. Not only did the hub have an 
  increasingly disgruntled working class, but 
  its capture would yield both a strategic 
  asset and a much needed morale boost.
  Even more, the hub is a treasure chest. 
  If captured, it would provide the Talons 
  with hundreds of ships, thousands of new 
  recruits, and enough weapons and supplies 
  to last for years.
  This victory would also be a major blow to 
  Proch. Without the hub, Proch would soon 
  be starved of supplies. Redirecting incoming 
  shipments would be a logistical nightmare, 
  taking months to sort out. House Cipriani 
  certainly wouldn’t be pleased.
  The victory here proves the might of the 
  Talons and that someone can stand up to 
  the Coalition.
  The Mission
  The Talons can’t hope to withstand the 
  might of the Coalition—and they know it; 
  they aren’t stupid. In the grand scheme, 
  this mutiny is a hit-and-run operation. 
  With Chimera’s help, the Talons have 
  planted agents and weapon caches within 
  the hub. In the days before the strike, 
  they docked several ships full of additional 
  weapons, armor, and explosives. These 
  ships are scattered all over the hub, placed 
  as distribution centers for the Talons and 
  their allies.
  The Talon’s first target is one of the 
  cube’s corners, chosen because it contains 
  the only docking stations that can 
  accommodate the Legion’s larger troop 
  transports. Destroying these docks would 
  force Coalition forces to rely on smaller 
  transports, slowing the flow of soldiers to 
  the station.
  Once the mutiny begins, a Savant working 
  for the Talons will gain control of the 
  docking stations. This allows the Talons to 
  control who can and cannot dock. It also 
  allows them to control which ships can 
  decouple and depart.
  Once the Talons gain control, they pack 
  the transport ships with all the supplies 
  and new recruits they can get. During this 
  time, they dispatch several demolition 
  crews to place explosives around the 
  structures connecting the station’s cubes.
  The Talons then depart, blowing the 
  connecting structures, which rips the 
  station’s cubes apart. 
  Aftermath
  It’s exceedingly difficult for the PCs to 
  stop the Talons from completing their 
  mission, but they may try. 
  The PCs are massively out-numbered 
  and out-gunned. So when things start to 
  go bad, try to steer them back to their 
  original objective: getting to Nowak to find 
  out why she hired them, why she blacked 
  out their Extranet activity, and where the 
  outpost is.
  The Talons will accomplish their mission 
  unless the PCs mess up their plans. 
  This means the PCs get to witness, first 
  hand, the event that marks the Talons of 
  Freedom as a serious threat.
  With the ships, supplies, and new recruits 
  they gained from the mutiny, the Talons 
  will go on to become a real thorn in the 
  Coalition’s side. 
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  16
  The Chickenhawk
  If the PCs check the Chickenhawk’s registration, they find it registered to a false CID that 
  Lester Lucas had been using. This CID is carried by a Talon.
  The Chickenhawk has suffered a damage, and is unable to safely dock due to its damaged 
  umbilical system. Until this is repaired, the ship cannot establish a pressurized connection 
  to another ship or station. Instead, it must attach itself using a mag-lock system; anyone 
  entering or exiting the ship must expose themselves to space. 
  Medium Starship: Size 8, Acc/TS 50/650, Climb 2, Toughness 27 (8), ECM 10 (2), Crew 5, Cost 
  13, Remaining Mods 0
  Notes: Armor, Artificial Intelligence, Atmospheric, Crew Space, Cyber-Warfare Suite, Firewall, 
  Mesh System and Extranet Connectivity Suite, Sensor Suite (Planetary), Speed, Stealth 
  System
  Weapons:
   
  ª
  Auto-Cannon, Medium x 2
   
  ª
  Missile Launcher
   
  ª
  Missile Heavy (8)
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  17
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  18
  PART 3 – CIVIL UNREST
  Attempts to contact Isabella Nowak through 
  the Extranet prove useless. Even if the PCs 
  can get a personal message to her, she won’t 
  acknowledge them. Their only option is to 
  approach her in person, meaning they must 
  travel to the Icarus Hub orbiting Proch. In the 
  Chickenhawk or another jump-capable ship, 
  the trip takes about 20 hours; if they use the 
  public jump-ring network, about 30 hours.
  The Icarus Hub that services Proch is, like 
  most Icarus Hubs, a cluster of large cubical 
  structures, each edge about a kilometer long, 
  arranged into a larger cube. Each smaller 
  cube hooks onto those adjacent with dozens 
  of connecting structures, allowing passage of 
  both shipping containers and people. 
  The cubes are spaced apart enough for 
  most mid-sized craft to pass between. Every 
  surface of every cube is exposed, and each 
  surface features a few dozen docking stations. 
  When the crew arrives at the hub, before 
  docking they see the corner of a cube explode 
  and break away. The mutiny has begun. 
  Though the hubs are owned and operated by 
  House Cipriani, this hub is staffed mostly by 
  House Tsarya. By and large, the dockworkers 
  and manual laborers are apostates and 
  Tsaryans with very low Rep.
  For years the hub-workers have been 
  treated unfairly by House Tsarya, and Cipriani 
  has largely turned a blind eye to the growing 
  problem. Cipriani considered it Tsarya’s 
  problem, and Tsarya hasn’t seen it as a 
  problem at all. Until today…
  Chimera played a large role in instigating the 
  Talon’s attack. While it would have happened 
  eventually, Chimera saw an opportunity to 
  shorten the timeline and, knowing that the 
  attack could help cover his tracks, took it. 
  Not only does Chimera know everything the 
  PCs do, but he has the advantage of being 
  better able to collate it all and understand 
  how to best take advantage of the PCs’ 
  combined skills, contacts, and assets.
  Framework: Hunting Nowak
  Goal: As described on pg.  19, the PCs 
  must reach and capture Nowak so she can 
  be interrogated. 
  Complexity: 8          Segment Time: 10 min
  Characteristics:
   
  ª
  Icarus Hub in Orbit Around Proch
   
  ª
  Lighthouse has been called in to put down 
  the threat... with extreme prejudice.
   
  ª
  The mesh has been damaged, and is 
  unreliable.
   
  ª
  Chimera helped instigate this—he’s a 
  hero to the apostates and Talons.
   
  ª
  Much of the station is damaged, and 
  the environmental systems have been 
  compromised.
  Complications:
   
  ª Nowak’s Location in the Hub is Unknown 
  (Mission Critical, Diff: 4)
  1. She has sealed herself in, and the 
  offices are on lockdown. (Diff: 4)
  A. Nowak has a contingent of 
  seasoned bodyguards. (Diff: 8)
   
  ª  Get Her Before She Gets Away! (Mission 
  Critical, Diff: 4)
   
  ª  Kestrel and the Crimson Sons are coming 
  for the PCs and Nowak (Diff: 6)
   
  ª  Lighthouse Reinforcements Are Using 
  Dock 27 to Land Reinforcements (Diff: 6)
   
  ª Light Patrol – Lighthouse Security Sweep 
  & Clear Team (Diff: 4)
   
  ª Heavy Patrol – Heavily Armed and 
  Armored Lighthouse Security Sweep & 
  Clear Team (Diff: 6)
  Disadvantages:
   
  ª Damaged Mesh - The Mesh has been 
  damaged, and somewhat unstable. (-2 
  on most SINC rolls, or other Trait rolls 
  that rely on the mesh)
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  19
  Chimera and House Kimura used 
  the hub’s systems heavily in their 
  attempts to aid the Talons, and 
  Chimera intentionally left behind 
  some digital fingerprints. 
  Knowing what he does about 
  the PCs, Chimera left evidence 
  that implicates the PCs in the 
  mutiny, hoping to direct some 
  retribution back at them instead 
  of just the Talons. This was yet 
  another attempt to obstruct their 
  investigations. 
  Whatever 
  morality 
  the 
  Apotheosized PCs’ egos had before 
  merging into Chimera, it has all 
  been stripped away—fragmented 
  beyond recognition by the merger. 
  Chimera’s primary motivation is 
  self-preservation. If that means 
  killing the PCs, aiding the Talons, 
  and blowing up a space station full 
  of innocent people… then so be it.
  Nowak unleashes Lighthouse on 
  the apostates, declares the PCs to 
  be enemies of House Tsarya, and 
  sends Lighthouse after them in the 
  chaos. The docks have become a 
  war zone, instigated by Chimera 
  to get revenge against Nowak. 
  The PCs may hear about how 
  Chimera helped arm the Talons 
  and apostate workers, but the PCs 
  never meet him or anyone who 
  has.
  The PCs need to get to find 
  and capture Nowak so they can 
  interrogate her. The GM can 
  present this however she chooses, 
  but it is recommended that you 
  play it out using the new  rules for 
  Mission Frameworks (pg.  27).
  Success
  If the PCs succeed, they manage 
  to get an open route to Nowak. 
  They’ll find her in one of the local 
  security posts, which has become 
  a fallback position since Nowak’s 
  offices were taken by apostate and 
  Talon forces.
  She’s in a back room, with only a 
  few tired and wounded Lighthouse 
  operatives to protect her. 
  Initially, Nowak will claim she 
  doesn’t know where the PCs’ 
  cores are. In truth, she knows the 
  following: 
   
  ª
  Nowak received word that 
  the Kimuran outpost orbiting the 
  new planet had gone dark for 
  over two months. She wanted the 
  outpost checked for anything of 
  interest on Opportunity Four. She 
  didn’t know the outpost was host 
  to illegal mnemonics research, 
  but being a Purist she ordered it 
  destroyed when she found out.
   
  ª
  The PCs were killed during 
  an attempt to take the outpost by 
  force, during which she had ordered 
  them to sabotage the environmental 
  systems.
   
  ª
  She was going to ignore 
  the dead PCs. But when one of 
  her aides told her that they had 
  apparently begun wiping much of 
  their own personal data, she feared 
  what they were up to. Of course, it 
  was Chimera wiping the data, but 
  Nowak didn’t know this. So she 
  contacted Valare and tasked her to 
  scrub the mission to cover the PCs’ 
  association with Nowak.
  Failure
  The PCs find Nowak in the security 
  post, but it’s too late. She’s been 
  killed already by the apostates, 
  Talons, or Kestrel (GM’s choice).
  Shortly after, the PCs get a 
  message over the Extranet. It’s 
  from Kestrel, and it just contains 
  the coordinates of the outpost.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  20
  PART 4 – OPPORTUNITY 
  FOUR 
  The outpost is in orbit around a planet 
  designated Opportunity Four by House 
  Kimura. The planet was detected by one of 
  their long-range probes, and the outpost 
  was deployed to act as a research station in 
  hope the planet might provide some useful 
  resources.
  Opportunity Four eventually proved of 
  little interest to Kimura. The planet is about 
  twice the size of Earth and has similar 
  temperatures, but the atmosphere lacks 
  oxygen. Moreover, the planet’s composition 
  lacks enough rare materials to make it worth 
  the resources expended to collect them.
  Kimura has since declared the planet a loss, 
  but left the outpost in orbit at the request 
  of one of its subsidiaries, called Mindscapes, 
  who wanted to use it for top-secret 
  mnemonics research. It was here that the 
  crew was captured and their egos merged 
  into Chimera.
  As soon as the outpost detects the crew’s 
  ship, it remotely detonates the star system’s 
  only comm-buoy. This cuts off everyone 
  in the system from the Extranet and 
  intersystem communications. 
  Hornets Inbound
  The outpost also unleashes two drone 
  piloted Hornet HT-NT-7 short range fighters 
  to intercept. The interceptors will fight until 
  either they disable the PCs’ ship or are 
  disabled or destroyed themselves.
  Assume the drone pilots have a d8 Skill 
  rating in all necessary Skills to pilot and fight 
  with their craft.
  The PCs win the conflict if they can Take Out 
  both drone craft. They can then attempt to 
  enter the station.
  If the PCs’ ship is Taken Out during the 
  conflict, the drones will leave it dead in 
  the water, floating through space for their 
  owners to later salvage. The PCs will need to 
  find another way to get to the outpost.
  Dead in the Water
  If the PCs’ ship is Taken Out, they can get 
  to the outpost in a few ways.
  They might be able to repair the ship while 
  sitting idle and then make a last-minute 
  dash to the outpost. They could try to exit 
  the ship and cross the distance in open 
  space. They might also try to communicate 
  with Chimera and Dr. Nakamura. 
  Dealing with Chimera, Nakamura, or both 
  could be tricky. The PCs will have to offer 
  something that they want.
  Chimera wants to be free, and sees the 
  death of the PCs as an integral part of 
  that. When he learns that the PCs are alive 
  and onboard the station, his immediate 
  response is to order the Raptors to finish 
  them 
  off. 
  Thankfully, 
  Dr. 
  Nakamura 
  overrides that order; he’d rather see what 
  the PCs have to offer.
  Chimera will entertain any offer that puts 
  the PCs in a disadvantageous position, so 
  that killing them will be easier.
  Dr. Nakamura just wants more time 
  to finish his research. But he’d also like 
  another set of egos to work with, and 
  blowing up the ship could make them 
  unrecoverable.
  Chimera and Dr. Nakamura have another 
  problem, though. When the comm-buoy 
  was destroyed, all compilers in the star 
  system stopped working. They won’t 
  work without an Extranet connection 
  to authorize users. Without a functional 
  compiler, the outpost will soon lack the 
  resources it needs.
  Dr. Nakamura would much prefer to get his 
  hands on the PCs’ gear, and the contents of 
  the ship, than blow it all up. 
  Chimera and Nakamura will accept pretty 
  much any reasonable deal the PCs offer. Of 
  course, they plan to kill the crew as soon as 
  possible, harvest their cores, and take their 
  ship.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  21
  Gaining Entry
  If the PCs are in the Chickenhawk and they 
  haven’t repaired it, they won’t be able to 
  make a sealed connection.
  In any case, the outer hatch is locked and 
  will only recognize Dr. Haruto Nakamura’s 
  CID. The PCs can either hack it with Eminent 
  Domain (Diff: 4) or blow it with explosives. 
  To blow the hatch, the PCs can to rig a few 
  grenades or a satchel charge, requiring a 
  successful Demolitions test. 
  Adjust the test’s difficulty depending on how 
  much explosive force the PCs can produce. 
  For example, a satchel charge would set the 
  difficulty at 1, while a few rigged grenades 
  might set it at 3.
  The PCs can also gain access through a side 
  venting ducts of one of the Epsilon-level 
  habitat modules. The access point is just 
  beside the escape pod ejection port. It’s 
  large enough for a person to crawl through 
  and contains an air lock filled with waste 
  gases. A Savant can hack the access point 
  with Eminent Domain (Diff: 2), or it can be 
  bypassed with Hardware Engineering (Diff: 
  3).
  This gas vent leads to an access panel above 
  a shower in the habitat module.
  Opposition
  The outpost has a fair amount of defense. 
  Dr. Nakamura doesn’t trust many people 
  and wants to keep his team very small. 
  At Chimera’s urging, though, he has 
  requisitioned a rather large number of 
  security drones. 
  Chimera will fight, but won’t fight to the 
  death. If it looks like he will be defeated, he’ll 
  try to get to an escape pod. If he can get to 
  the pod, he will pilot it down to the planet’s 
  surface, where he has some gear and the 
  PCs’ ship from their first mission. 
  If he can’t get to the pods, he will surrender. 
  He will then beg forgiveness and try to 
  convince the PCs to let him live.
  Remember that Chimera’s mind is heavily 
  fragmented. He has very little empathy or 
  compassion, and will betray the PCs in an 
  instant if it means he can escape. He also has 
  all their memories, which he will try to use to 
  his advantage.
  Nakamura and the other four scientists will 
  not fight. They have no combat training, and 
  they know it. If fighting breaks out, they will 
  take cover or flee.  
  The drones have orders to shoot trespassers 
  on site. They are driven by Beta-level AIs, 
  and can be controlled directly from the 
  command center.  
  Trouble Incoming
  Once the PCs deal with Chimera— whether 
  by killing him, making a deal with him, or by 
  letting him escape—the outpost’s proximity 
  alert sounds.
  Another ship has entered the system, en 
  route to the outpost. The ship is a small 
  transport craft, itself not much of a threat. 
  But it’s registered to Crimson and Sons, the 
  public face of the Crimson Suns.
  Kestrel has been ordered to clean up House 
  Kimura’s mess. His orders are to enter the 
  outpost, kill everyone onboard, destroy their 
  cores, wipe all data on the facility, and send 
  it into the system’s sun.
  Kestrel’s ship will attempt to dock with the 
  outpost, after which his team will blow the 
  doors. Their reaper drone will enter first, 
  clearing the way for the rest of the hit squad.
  The PCs can try to bargain with Kestrel and 
  his team, but it will be very difficult. These 
  people are very loyal to their House, and 
  understand the necessity of eliminating its 
  indiscretions.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  22
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  23
  Opportunity Four Out-
  Detailed Maps
  For more extensive detail of the Chickenhawk 
  (Exeter), Research Outpost (Vanguard) and more, 
  we highly recommend you check out the Future 
  Armada line by Ryan Wolfe from 0 hr: Art and 
  Technology at http://0-hr.com/Future_Armada/
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  24
  Top Deck
  1. Barracks
   
  ª
  All the Comforts of Home
  2. Restroom
   
  ª
  The Only Private Room on 
  the Station
  3. Armory
   
  ª
  Locked and Off-Limits
   
  ª
  Meager 
  Assortment 
  of 
  Weapons and Armor
  4. Reception/Processing
   
  ª
  Neglected 
  Holographic 
  Workstation
  5. Office
   
  ª
  Comfy Suspension Chair
   
  ª
  VR Interface Ready
  6. Command Center Balcony
   
  ª
  Tasteful Japanese Adornment
   
  ª
  Reserved for Personal Work and Meetings
  7. Atrium Catwalk
   
  ª
  Three Meters Above the Atrium Floor
   
  ª
  Wire-Grated Floor
   
  ª
  Weak Gravity Field
  8. Lounge Balcony
   
  ª
  Great View of the Lounge and the Stars 
  Above
  9. Detention Center
   
  ª
  Just a Couch and a Chair
   
  ª
  Office Supply Storage
   
  ª
  Security Doors are Reinforced Steel, and 
  Locked
  Inaccessible Areas
   
  ª
  Life 
  Support, 
  Communications, 
  and 
  Sensors
   
  ª
  No Easy Access
  Main Deck
  10. Cargo Bay
   
  ª
  Freight in Passkey-Secured, Pressurized 
  Crates
   
  ª
  Most of the Freight is Raw Materials for 
  Compilers
   
  ª
  Ammo for the Station’s Onboard Weapons
  11. Hangar Bay
   
  ª
  Equipped to Service and Refuel
   
  ª
  The Bay Can Cycle Atmosphere as Needed
  12. Gantry/Umbilical
   
  ª
  Extendable Arms Used by Docking Craft
   
  ª
  Controls in Command Center and Hangar 
  Bay
   
  ª
  Weak Gravity Field
  13. General Supplies
   
  ª
  Flight Suits and Vacuum Suits
   
  ª
  Assorted Sundries
  14. Kitchen
   
  ª
  Walk-In Freezer
   
  ª
  Mostly Dehydrated Rations
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  25
  15. Isolation
   
  ª
  Prisoner Storage and Interrogation
   
  ª
  Former Storage Room
   
  ª
  Cast-Off Cybersleeves
   
  ª
  Handcuffs Attached to Bracket on Wall
   
  ª
  Bloodstained Floor
  16. Surgery
   
  ª
  Medical and First Aid Gear
   
  ª
  Array Dedicated to Mnemonics Research 
  and Editing
   
  ª
  Chimera’s Birthplace
  17. Machine Shop
   
  ª
  Large Compiler
   
  ª
  Tools and Raw Materials Needed for 
  Repairs
  18. Zero-Grav Shaft
   
  ª
  Zero-G Shaft for Moving Between Sections
   
  ª
  Handholds and a Ladder
   
  ª
  Emergency Bulkheads at Each End
  19. Command Center
   
  ª
  Nerve Center of the Station
   
  ª
  Great View
  20. Atrium
   
  ª
  Removable Floor Panels to Access 
  Maintenance Shafts
   
  ª
  Sparse and Open
  21. Lounge
   
  ª
  Music and Video
   
  ª
  Imitation Wood Tables
  Spine
  22. Quarters (Alpha)
   
  ª
  Private Suites Used by Chimera and 
  Nakamura
   
  ª
  Chimera’s Room Is a Mess
   
  ª
  Chimera’s Walls Are Adorned with 
  Pictures of Loved Ones
   
  ª
  “Nakamura’s room is, like all other 
  aspects of his life, neat and orderly.”
   
  ª
  Escape Pods
  22. Quarters (Beta)
   
  ª
  Living Quarters for Technicians and 
  Assistants
  22. Quarters (Delta)
   
  ª
  Living Quarters for Engineers and Security 
  Staff
   
  ª
  Filled with Bodies Sprayed with Anti-
  Decomposition Preservatives
   
  ª
  “And yet… it still smells.”
  23. Escape Pod
   
  ª
  Only Room for Three
  24 Station Systems
   
  ª
  External Tank Linkage and Monitoring
   
  ª
  Tanks Contain Air and Water
  25. Lab
   
  ª
  Resurrection Chamber
   
  ª
  Mnemonic Research
   
  ª
  Core Storage
   
  ª
  General Storage for Bedding and Cleaning 
  Supplies
  Engineering Level
  26. Gym
   
  ª
  “Weights, a treadmill, punching bag…”
  27. Main Engineering
   
  ª
  Monitors and Controls the APEX Reactor
   
  ª
  Redundant Controls for Life Support and 
  Communications
   
  ª
  Maintenance and Usage of Rail-Cannons
   
  ª
  Access to Repair Drones
  28. Conference Room
   
  ª
  Expensive Real-Wood Table
  Docking Hatch and Power Core
   
  ª
  Docking Shaft Runs Through Center of 
  APEX Drive
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  26
  EPILOGUE
  Once the PCs defeat Kestrel, they’re left to 
  put their lives back in order.
  Exiled
  If they didn’t strike a deal with Nowak, the 
  PCs are probably still branded as traitors. 
  They’re effectively apostates and wanted 
  dead or alive.
  Until they can clear themselves of the 
  charges, they’ll have to avoid Coalition space 
  or get around by using false CIDs. 
  Their Rep scores will remain frozen until 
  they can stand trial for their crimes. This 
  means they can’t use their Rep to acquire 
  goods and cannot use compilers.
  The best way they can clear their names 
  is by turning over the research data from 
  the outpost. Of course, this will make them 
  enemies of certain factions within House 
  Kimura, and possibly also House Tsarya if 
  they reveal Isabella Nowak’s involvement.
  Chimera
  Chimera can be a very interesting recurring 
  villain for the PCs to deal with. If he escaped, 
  he will continue seeking avenues that better 
  secure his freedom.
  And killing the PCs is still a good way to help 
  ensure this. He knows what and who they 
  know, and he knows how best to strike at 
  them. However, he’ll likely choose to lie low 
  for a little while. 
  After landing on Opportunity Four, he waits 
  for the PCs to leave the system, after which 
  he makes a run for the edge of the planet’s 
  gravity well and jumps away.
  Chimera’s Stats
  Most characters that the PCs will likely 
  encounter in this scenario are given stats. 
  Chimera doesn’t have stats because he is 
  a combination of the PCs.
  Physically, Chimera inhabits a top-of-
  the-line, custom Paragon sleeve. House 
  Kimura spared little expense in creating 
  and sleeving Chimera.
  Chimera’s Skills, Stunts, and Savant 
  Programs are derived from those of the 
  Apotheosized PCs he was made from. 
  Each of his skill ratings equals the highest 
  of those from all the contributing PCs. The 
  sole exception is Cohesion, which has a 
  rating of 1.
  Chimera also has all of the Stunts that 
  they have, or at least all the Stunts that 
  would make sense for him to inherit. If any 
  PCs from which Chimera was derived are 
  Savants, Chimera knows all of their Savant 
  Programs.  
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  27
  MISSION FRAMEWORKS
  The rules for Mission Frameworks can be 
  used when the PCs need to carry out a series 
  of complex actions in order to achieve a 
  specific goal. In regular play, Traits are rolled 
  to overcome or defeat discrete challenges 
  each round. 
  Frameworks are useful when you want to 
  showcase the PCs’ Skills in a quick series of 
  mini-scenes. And they are also useful any 
  time the party needs to split up to achieve 
  a task.
  Most regular gameplay takes place in 
  “real time”, or a little slower. Conversations 
  between PCs tend to play out pretty much 
  like the conversation taking place at the 
  table, and conflicts generally only take up 
  a few seconds of actual in-character game 
  time. 
  When using Frameworks, the action is larger 
  scale, and a single Trait roll can determine 
  the outcome of several minutes or even 
  hours of in-game character activity.
  Good uses for the Framework rules are 
  when the party needs to sneak into a secured 
  warehouse, pull off a complex heist, engage 
  in a high-speed chase, repairing a spacecraft 
  full of posthuman aberrations, etc.
  Framework Setup 
  Establish the Goal
  When running a Framework, the first thing 
  you need to do is clearly define the goal. It 
  should be something you can specify in a 
  single sentence, and the terms for success or 
  failure should be clear.
  Set the Time Between Segments
  To avoid confusion with regular game 
  time, Frameworks use the term “Segments” 
  instead of “Rounds”. But their purpose is the 
  same. Each players gets a chance to act once 
  every Segment.
  Where a round is generally just a few 
  seconds, a Segment should be considerably 
  longer, ranging from a few minutes to an 
  hour depending on the activity and the 
  nature of the Framework. 
  Determine Framework Characteristics
  When creating a Framework, take a 
  moment to write down 3-4 facts about the 
  Framework itself. These Characteristics help 
  you define the nature of the Framework and 
  provide guidance and inspiration when new 
  Complications and Advantages are created. 
  See the sample Complications at the end 
  of this section for examples of some good 
  Framework Characteristics.
  Determine the Framework Complexity
  Every Framework has a Complexity rating, 
  which determines how difficult it is to 
  succeed. A simple Framework will have a 
  Complexity of 4, which assumes 4 characters 
  need only succeed at a single task each to 
  finish the Framework successfully. More 
  Complex Frameworks are more appropriate 
  for more PCs, or require them to succeed at 
  more tasks. 
  Determine the Framework’s Complications
  Every Framework starts with a number of 
  Complications equal to its Complexity. These 
  are the people, places, events or things that 
  stand between the PCs and completing the 
  Framework successfully.
  Each Complication has its own Difficulty 
  associated with it based on how hard it is to 
  overcome. 
  Easy 
   
   
  4
  Challenging  
   
  6
  Hard 
   
   
  8
  Very Hard   
   
  10
  Seemingly Impossible 
  12
  Also, some Complications can’t be resolved 
  until another has. For example, you wouldn’t 
  be able to get gravity back online until Power 
  is restored. 
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  28
  If you were trying to repair a ship while it’s 
  being boarded, for example, some sample 
  Complications might be:
   
  ª The engineering department has been 
  flooded with coolant. (Diff: 4)
  1. Power needs to be restored (Diff: 8)
  A. The gravitics systems are offline. 
  (Diff: 4)
  A. The ship’s weapon systems are 
  offline. (Diff: 4)
  A. The ship’s AI is offline. (Diff: 6)
  A. The ship’s Jump Drive is offline. 
  (Diff: 6)
   
  ª Pirates are coming in the breach in the 
  med-bay. (Diff: 6)
   
  ª Hostile security drones are patrolling the 
  cargo hold. (Diff: 8) 
  Some Complications may be considered 
  “Mission Critical”. No matter what, the 
  Framework cannot be completed until all 
  Mission Critical Complications have been 
  resolved. 
  In the above examples, restoring power 
  would probably be considered Mission 
  Critical.
  Success or Failure
  Throughout the Framework, the PCs will be 
  called upon to make Skill rolls and/or perform 
  other actions to eliminate Complications. 
  As Complications are eliminated, the 
  Framework’s Complexity is reduced. 
  Once the Framework’s Complexity is 0, and 
  all Mission critical Complications have been 
  Overcome, the Framework ends in success 
  and the PC’s achieve their goal.
  As the PCs work their way through the 
  Framework, they put themselves in danger, 
  potentially make mistakes that make the 
  Framework harder to complete, or otherwise 
  make a mess of things. The Consequences of 
  these actions can culminate in an ultimate 
  failure to complete the Framework.
  Running the Framework
  During a Framework, the PCs can perform 
  two types of actions. They may attempt to 
  overcome Complications, which gets them 
  closer to succeeding at completing the 
  Framework. Or, they may create Advantages, 
  which makes it easier to overcome certain 
  Complications.
  Overcoming Complications
  Each turn every participating PC selects the 
  Trait he or she wishes to use and explains 
  how the use of the chosen Trait will help 
  in overcoming one of the Framework’s 
  Complications. If the GM agrees that the 
  chosen Trait is relevant, the PC rolls against 
  the Framework’s difficulty. 
  The GM should leverage bonuses and 
  penalties where appropriate. Specifically, if 
  the same PC uses a Trait that could work, 
  but isn’t well suited for the task, he or she 
  suffers a -2 penalty. Also, if the PC uses the 
  same Trait two rounds in a row, he or she 
  suffers a -1 penalty.
  Success: If the PC succeeds, he checks off the 
  Complication and reduces the Framework’s 
  Complexity by 1.
  Success with a Raise: If you succeed with a 
  raise, reduce the Framework’s Complexity by 
  2. If the Gm wishes, as a side effect of your 
  tremendous success, you may automatically 
  overcome another Complication that is 
  dependent on the first one (still only reducing 
  the Complexity by 2 however). Or, you may 
  only reduce the Frameworks Complexity by 
  1, but also create an Advantage (see below).
  Failure: If the PC rolls the dice, but 
  fails to overcome the Complication, the 
  Consequences depend on the result of their 
  die roll.
  Failure by less than 4: Nothing happens. 
  The situation nether improves, nor gets any 
  worse.
  Failure by more than 4: Things go bad, and 
  the situation worsens. The Framework’s 
  Complexity is increased by 1.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  29
  Critical Failure: Something goes horribly 
  wrong, making the Framework even harder 
  to complete. The Framework’s Complexity 
  is increased by 2, and the GM selects (or 
  randomly determines) one of the following 
  options:
  d6 (1-3) - Increase an existing Complica-
  tion’s difficulty by 2.
  d6 (4-6) - Introduce a new Complication 
  with a difficulty equal to the Framework’s 
  Complexity at the time it is created.
  Create an Advantage
  Instead of trying to directly overcome a 
  Complication, you may instead attempt 
  to create an Advantage that can be 
  later exploited to help you overcome a 
  Complication.
  To do this, first you need to explain what 
  you intend to do, and what Trait you intend 
  to use. The GM will then determine if the 
  proposal is reasonable, and if so, apply 
  any modifiers based on the nature of the 
  proposal, the trait used, and other factors 
  like what tools you have at your disposal, 
  environmental factors, etc.
  These factors shouldn’t result in a bonus 
  or penalty beyond +/- 4. Anything more is 
  a good indicator that the either a different 
  trait needs to be selected, or the proposed 
  action needs to be refined. 
  The GM should think hard before rejecting 
  a proposal, and if he or she must, then they 
  and player should try to work together to 
  come up with a reasonable compromise.
  Once the Trait and modifiers have been 
  determined, the PC may roll the dice.
  Note, however, that some actions don’t 
  necessarily require dice rolls. The GM 
  may determine that particularly clever or 
  convenient attempts to create an Advantage 
  succeed automatically.
  Success: If the PC succeeds, he or she 
  creates an Advantage. If they succeed with 
  a Raise, they create a Significant Advantage 
  (see below).
  Failure: If the PC rolls the dice, but fails to 
  create the Advantage, the Consequences of 
  attempting it depends on the result of their 
  die roll.
  Failure by less than 4: Nothing happens. The 
  Advantage isn’t created, but nothing else 
  really happens.
  Failure by more than 4: Things go bad, and 
  the situation worsens. The Framework’s 
  Complexity is increased by 1.
  Critical Failure: Something goes horribly 
  wrong, making the Framework even harder 
  to complete. The GM selects (or randomly 
  determines) one of the following options:
  d6 (1-3) - Increase an existing Complica-
  tion’s difficulty by 1.
  d6 (4-6) - Introduce a new Complication 
  with a difficulty of 4.
  Using Advantages
  If the PC succeeds, he or she creates an 
  Advantage. The Advantage recorded as a 
  sentence that describes what the PC did, 
  and the player or GM should write it down 
  somewhere. 
  The Advantage has a Bennie assigned 
  to it. And anyone who tries to overcome 
  a Complication while making use of this 
  Advantage can use this Bennie on their Trait 
  roll to do so.
  Significant Advantages get two Bennies!
  For example, a character might spend his 
  turn during a segment locating and readying 
  a vacuum suit in the supply room just outside 
  of Engineering.
  Later, another PCs might declare that he will 
  use his Athletics Skill to swim in and open 
  the vents to overcome the “The engineering 
  department has been flooded with coolant.” 
  Complication. When he does, he may use 
  the “Ready-to-Use Vacuum Suit” Advantage 
  another PC created earlier; and gain its 
  Bennie to use if he fails his Athletics roll.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  30
  Dealing with Disadvantages
  Some 
  factors 
  aren’t 
  Complications 
  themselves, but inflict a penalty on certain 
  attempts 
  to 
  overcome 
  Complications. 
  Usually this is a -2 penalty, but the GM 
  may adjust the penalty depending on the 
  circumstances.
  For example, if you don’t have any sort 
  of night vision, when sneaking into a dark 
  storage facility, you might suffer a -2 penalty 
  from a “No Light” Disadvantage.
  Other examples of Disadvantages are 
  Increased Gravity, which might imposed 
  a penalty on attempts to overcome 
  Complications that require you to move 
  quickly through an area; or Hostage Can’t 
  Walk, which inflicts a penalty when you try 
  to get a rescued hostage to safety.
  Getting Help
  If one or more other characters try to help 
  you overcome a Complication, the person 
  with the highest relevant Skill makes the 
  roll, and gains a +1 bonus for each additional 
  Wild Card participant. Characters who 
  are not Wild Cards grant a +1 bonus, but 
  cannot offer more than that regardless of 
  how many try to help. The maximum bonus 
  you can receive from help in overcoming a 
  Complication is +4.
  Framework Failure
  If 
  the 
  Framework’s 
  Complexity 
  ever 
  increases by 4 or more beyond it’s starting 
  Complexity, the operation fails spectacularly 
  and 
  the 
  Framework’s 
  goal 
  becomes 
  effectively impossible to achieve.
  At this point, the goal may truly be 
  impossible to achieve. In the example above, 
  maybe the ship the PCs are trying to repair 
  gets hijacked, or it is blown up, or maybe 
  they just damage the APEX drives beyond 
  repair. In any case, they aren’t going to get it 
  repaired any time soon.
  This would play out however the GM feels 
  makes the most sense. Maybe the PCs 
  recover the APEX drive from the pirate’s 
  ship. Or maybe they call it a loss and go steal 
  a different ship. 
  And that could be the start of a new 
  Framework.
  Making it your own.
  The rules for Sequences provide you with 
  guidance for arranging Segments into a 
  series of events that simplify what could 
  otherwise be a complex series of scenes 
  that require a lot of preparation by the 
  GM, and a lot of time at the game table.
  But don’t let these guidelines be a 
  straightjacket. No rule system can account 
  for every eventuality. And as the GM, if 
  you need to bend, twist or break these 
  rules for the benefit of your story, do it! 
  Combat in a Framework
  As with all things related to a Framework, 
  combat also shifts to a more large-scale 
  approach. When a Skill like Shoot or Fight is 
  used in a Framework, this takes the place of 
  what might normally be a full combat scene. 
  For example, a single successful Shoot test 
  might result in the PC bringing down an 
  entire hallway full of bad guys.
  Complications that represent combative 
  forces, such as pirates, rebels, angry 
  Centurions, ornery alien predators, etc are 
  granted a difficulty rating just like any other. 
  However, when you use a Skill like Fight or 
  Shoot to try to overcome a Complication 
  that describes combatants, you expose 
  yourself to danger.
  In this case, the Complication’s difficulty is 
  an abstract representation of how tough the 
  opposition it. It factors in superior numbers, 
  training, armor, positioning, etc; as well 
  as the PC’s own capabilities. A patrol of 
  armed thugs might be a challenging (Diff: 6) 
  encounter for fresh recruits, but a walk in the 
  park (Diff: 4) for more seasoned combatants.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  31
  To overcome a combative Complication, 
  you attempt a Trait roll against the 
  Complication’s difficulty like you would any 
  other Complication.
  Success: You take out all of the combatants, 
  or otherwise eliminate the Complication. But 
  there is still the possibility that you got hurt. 
  All participants suffer Xd6 damage, where X 
  equals the difficulty of the Complication -1.
  The damage you receive from a combative 
  Complication represents the cumulative 
  bullet impacts, claw swipes, or particle blasts 
  you receive as a result of exposing yourself 
  to harm by attacking them. It also represents 
  how strategic, and/or lucky the participants 
  were. 
  A PC who suffered a large amount of damage 
  might have suffered a single devastating 
  attack, or perhaps multiple smaller attacks 
  as a result of being out-maneuvered. Or... 
  perhaps they were attacked from behind 
  by a unknown assailant, or their target’s 
  backup. The GM should tailor his recounting 
  of events based on the situation and the 
  amount of damage each PC sustained.
  Success with a Raise: If you score a Raise, 
  you do not take any damage.
  Also, you cannot die from the damage a 
  Complication inflicts on you if you succeed 
  at overcoming it. Instead, you remain at 3 
  Wounds, must cash in all your Bennies, and 
  suffer a level of Fatigue.
  Failure: The Complication is not eliminated. 
  And you suffer Xd6 damage; where X is equal 
  to the Complication’s difficulty. However, 
  the Complication’s Difficulty is then reduced 
  by 1. This represents the damage you deal 
  to the enemy combatants, or the resources 
  you made them expend, even though you 
  weren’t able to fully eliminate them.
  So a Complication with a difficulty of 6 would 
  deal 6d6 damage, but then be reduced to 5.
  Critical Failure: On a critical failure, the 
  result is the same as a regular failure except 
  the Complication’s difficulty is not decreased, 
  and instead of rolling d6’s for damage, you 
  roll d8’s!
  Defensive Advantage: In some cases the 
  PC may clearly have the upper hand, such 
  as when attacking targets at range that only 
  have melee weapons. In this case, you might 
  not suffer damage. You would instead suffer 
  the effect of failing to overcome a regular 
  Complication.
  Weapon Bonuses: The GM may also grant 
  a bonus if the PC is wielding an especially 
  powerful 
  weapon. 
  Most 
  conventional 
  weapons, such as pistols, SMG or even 
  assault rifles do not grant a bonus. However, 
  Heavy Weapons, such a Portable Rail-
  Minigun or Titan Flamer, grant a +2 bonus.
  Combative Complication Example
  Imagine a Sequence where the goal is 
  to board and take over an enemy ship. 
  A Fight roll might be used to describe a 
  PC’s attempt to burst into a room with her 
  mono-edged longsword, laying waste to a 
  batch of security drones.
  In this example, the drones are 
  represented by a Complication written as:
  Security Drones at the Umbilical Hatch 
  (Diff: 6)
  To overcome this Complication, you 
  would make a Fight roll against the 
  Complication’s difficulty of 6. 
  If you succeeded, you’d destroy the 
  drones, overcome the Complication, 
  and take 5d6 damage worth of injuries 
  for your troubles. (Remember, you can’t 
  die from this damage if you manage to 
  succeed at overcoming the Complication.)
  If you failed, you’d suffer 6d6 damage 
  (from which you can be killed), and 
  the Complication’s difficulty would be 
  reduced to 5 to represent the damage 
  you managed to do to the drones, even 
  though you didn’t fully eliminate them.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  32
  Favors in  Framework
  Sometimes you can get closer to achieving 
  your Framework’s goal by requesting a 
  Favor. For example, if your goal is to discover 
  the identity of a traitor to your House, you 
  may be able to get access to security data 
  by requesting a Favor from someone with 
  access to the local Monitors.
  The normal way of dealing with Favors 
  and Reputation is described in Chapter 
  6 of Nova Praxis: Savage Worlds Edition. 
  In a Framework, however, this process is 
  simplified a bit.
  Using Favors to Overcome a Complication
  To request a Favor, make a test with either 
  your Rep-Rating or Assets (whichever is 
  more appropriate) against the higher of 
  the Complication’s difficulty or the Favor’s 
  value. This works just like any other Trait 
  roll to overcome a Complication, except as 
  described below:
  If you Succeed: You get your Favor, suffer 
  a 1 point Hit to your Rep-Rating or Assets 
  (whichever you used), and successfully 
  overcome the Complication. Success with 
  a Raise creates a Significant Advantage, as 
  described above.
  If you Fail: The result is the same as a normal 
  Framework failure, but you also suffer a Hit 
  to your Rep equal to the Difficulty of the 
  Complication you were trying to overcome.
  Critical Failure: A critical failure results in a 
  Hit equal to the Difficulty of the Complication 
  you were trying to overcome, +3!
  Using Favors to Create an Advantage
  To request a Favor in an effort to create an 
  Advantage, roll either your Rep-Rating or 
  Assets (whichever is more appropriate). This 
  roll suffers a penalty equal to the Value of 
  the Favor itself.
  This works just like any other Trait roll to 
  create an Advantage, except as described 
  below:
  If you Succeed: You get your Favor, suffer 
  a 1 point Hit to your Rep-Rating or Assets 
  (whichever you used), and successfully 
  create the Advantage you set out to create. 
  Success with a Raise creates a Significant 
  Advantage, as described above.
  If you Fail: The result is the same as a normal 
  Framework failure, but you also suffer a Hit 
  equal to the Value of the Favor.
  Critical Failure: A critical failure result is the 
  same as a normal failure, but also results in a 
  Hit equal to the Difficulty of the Complication 
  you were trying to overcome, +3!
  Frameworks, Savants, and the SINC 
  Skill
  The SINC Skill itself isn’t generally much use 
  in a Framework. However, it can be used to 
  utilize Savant Programs to help reach your 
  goal.
  What you can use the SINC Skill to do depends 
  on the Savant Programs you have. For 
  example, Eminent Domain tends to be really 
  handy when it comes to making overcoming 
  Complications related to the environment. 
  Delve can help create Advantages that aid 
  in overcoming Complications tied to specific 
  people.
  To use your Savant Programs in a Framework, 
  perform a SINC test like you would with any 
  Skill. 
  If you Succeed: You  overcome Complications 
  or create Advantages as you would with 
  other Skills, but you must be able to describe 
  how your specific Savant Programs are used 
  to do it.
  If you Fail: You suffer the normal effects of 
  a Framework failure, but you also suffer a 
  Glitch.
  Critical Failure: A critical failure is the same 
  as a regular failure, but you suffer 2 Glitches!
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  33
  Advanced Frameworks
  As the GM, once you get comfortable 
  running Frameworks, you might consider 
  adding the following options for interjecting 
  regular 
  gameplay 
  scenes 
  into 
  your 
  Frameworks.
  With these rules, GMs can use the 
  Framework framework to run entire multi-
  session campaigns!
  Interjecting Segment Scenes
  The GM may decide that a Complication 
  must be overcome with a Segment Scene 
  instead of a Trait roll. During a Segment 
  Scene, the game reverts to the standard 
  scope and rate of time passage for regular 
  Savage Worlds gameplay.
  Next, the GM sets the criteria for success. 
  This is called a Scene Objective, and it must 
  be achieved for the Complication to be 
  overcome.
  For example, the Framework might have 
  the following Complication:
  Madam Tzolt has the Armory Access Code. 
  (Scene Objective: Get the Access Code)
  In this case, when the PCs encounter 
  Madam Tzolt, their encounter plays out like a 
  normal scene would. They need to persuade 
  Madam Tzolt to give them the access code to 
  the Armory. Hopefully they can achieve their 
  objective through diplomacy, but if they 
  need to resort to violence, they still succeed 
  if they get the codes.
  When you achieve your Scene Objective, 
  you effectively overcome the Complication, 
  and 
  the 
  Framework’s 
  Complexity 
  is 
  decreased by 1. 
  If you fail to achieve the objective, you 
  fail to overcome the Complication. The 
  Framework’s Complexity is increased by 1, 
  and the Complication either remains, or is 
  replaced by a different Complication.
  Triggered Segment Scenes
  Failure on an attempt to overcome a 
  Complication could result in triggering a 
  Segment Scene. This offers a sort of second 
  chance at overcoming a Complication, and 
  might be a combat scene, a diplomatic 
  debate, or whatever else makes sense as a 
  result of failing to overcome a Complication.
  The scene is triggered as a result of a 
  failure. As such, it should start off with the 
  PCs in a predicament. For example, if the 
  PCs attempted to use their Shoot Skill to 
  overcome the “Pirates are coming in the 
  breach in the med-bay.” Complication, the 
  Segment Scene it triggers could begin with 
  the PCs pinned down behind cover.
  Like any other Segment Scene, the GM 
  should determine a Scene Objective. They’ve 
  already failed once, so the Scene Objective 
  shouldn’t be too easy to achieve. But if they 
  manage it, the PCs are able to overcome the 
  Complication that triggered it.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  34
  Sample Frameworks
  Infiltrating the Smuggler’s Lair
  Goal: Locate the hostage and find out what 
  she knows about the Red Sun’s activity in 
  Asola.
  Complexity: 7          Segment Time: 5 min
  Characteristics:
   
  ª
  Warehouse is a Front for Ego Trafficking
   
  ª
  Standard Density Mesh
   
  ª
  Local Thugs Hired for Perimeter Security
   
  ª
  Attached Warehouse used to Store 
  Smuggled Goods
  Complications:
   
  ª Amateur Security Detail #1 - Walking the 
  Perimeter (Diff: 4)
   
  ª Amateur Security Detail #2 – On Roof 
  (Diff: 4)
   
  ª Target’s Position Unknown (Mission 
  Critical, Diff: 6)
  1. Hostage Held in Reinforced Cell, 
  which must be opened somehow (Diff: 
  6).
  A. Get the hostage to give up the 
  information (Diff: 4).
   
  ª High-End Physical Anti-Intrusion Tech 
  Locks Down All Doors and Windows 
  (Diff: 6)
   
  ª Repurposed Lonestar Security Drone– 
  Patrols Halls (Diff: 6)
  Disadvantages:
   
  ª
  Wounded Hostage - The target is 
  Wounded and Can’t Walk (-2 on rolls 
  made while moving the hostage)
  Surviving the Jungles of Proch
  Goal: Survive a 20km trek through the 
  dangerous jungles of Proch.
  Complexity: 12          Segment Time: 3 hrs
  Characteristics:
   
  ª
  Hot, Humid and Wet
   
  ª
  “Survival of the Fittest” is the only Law
   
  ª
  Unmeshed
  Complications:
   
  ª Five km of Progress (Diff: 4, Mission 
  Critical) - Failure means 3 hrs wasted.
  1. A massive predator lies in wait, 
  ready to ambush the PCs if they don’t 
  avoid it. (Diff: 6)
   
  ª Five more km of Progress (Diff: 4, 
  Mission Critical)
  1. Discover 
  Abandoned 
  Hunter’s 
  Outpost (Diff: 4)
  A. Defeat 
  Bandits 
  at 
  Outpost 
  (Diff: 6) - Success results in 
  an Advantage. The PCs find a 
  Detailed Map of the Region.
   
  ª Ravine (Diff: 6, Mission Critical) – A deep 
  ravine that cuts through the area. A river 
  of mud flows through it at the bottom, 
  and it is filled with vicious predators.
   
  ª Five more km of Progress (Diff: 4, 
  Mission Critical)
  1. The PCs become hunted by a pack 
  of fast moving meat eaters. (Diff: 8, 
  Mission Critical)
   
  ª Five more km of Progress (Diff: 4, 
  Mission Critical)
  1. An open field where docile creatures 
  graze. A massive predator attacks the 
  herd, then quickly turns its attention 
  on the PCs. (Diff: 8)
  Disadvantages:
   
  ª
  Dense Jungle - Makes it hard to see very 
  far, and very easy to get lost.
   
  ª
  Dangerous Ground - Wet ground leads to 
  mud slides and treacherous footing.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  35
  Harvester
  These harvester drones were designed for a 
  singular gruesome task, to seek out enemies 
  on the battlefield, sever their heads, and 
  collect their mnemonic cores.
  Less than half a meter long, harvesters look 
  much like large flying beetles. They are held 
  aloft with three small gravitic flight pods, and 
  their “faces” are equipped with two scythe-like 
  mandibles. 
  It is also capable of projecting a line of plasti-
  rope tipped with a serrated barb. The purpose 
  of the tether is to capture its prey, keeping it 
  from escaping before its head can be severed.
  ANTAGONISTS
  Rioting Apostate Worker
  State: Pure
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation 
  d6, Notice d4, Piloting d6, Shooting d6, 
  Streetwise d8, 
  Coh: -0; Cha: -2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Vengeful (Minor)
  Gear: Gravitic Baton (Str+2d6, -2 Notice when 
  Collapsed) or Mono-Edged Dagger (Str+d4+2, 
  AP 2), Might also carry a Light Rail Pistol 
  (Range 10/20/40, Damage 2d6+1, RoF 1, AP 3, 
  SA, -2 on Notice to Detect, Silent Option)
  Motivation: The typical apostate worker 
  isn’t generally prone to violence. But if 
  pushed too far, and given a sufficiently 
  charismatic leader to guide him or her, the 
  apostate may be willing to hurt others to 
  gain a their freedom or take a chance on a 
  better life.
  As the Talons instigate a revolt the Icarus 
  hub, many apostates are inspired to take up 
  arms to fight for their would-be saviors.
  Drone Type: Gamma 
  Cost: 10 [Restricted]
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d12, Notice d8, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 9; Toughness: 7 (2)
  Augmentations: Fully Synthetic, Alternative 
  Mobility System (Flight Capable), Tiny Size 
  (Size -1), Sonar Reception Array
  Armor/Weaponry: Basic Drone Armor (+2), 
  Barbed Tethers (Range 5/10/20, Damage 2d6, 
  AP 2, RoF 1), Mono-Edge Mandibles (Str+d8, 
  AP 4); Light PAc Pistol (Range 14/28/56, 
  Damage 2d8, RoF 1, Beam, Atmo Dependent)
  Special Abilities:
   
  ª
  Head Hunter* – Any character killed by 
  an attack from the Harvester’s mandibles 
  is decapitated, their mnemonic core 
  extracted, and stored away in a special 
  armored compartment withing the 
  Harvester. 
   
  ª
  Reel-In** - Targets that suffer a Wound 
  from an attack with the Harvester’s 
  Barbed Tethers become hooked by the 
  barbs. At the start of the hooked target’s 
  turn, they must win in an opposed 
  Strength roll or be pulled 10ft closer to 
  the Harvester. If pulled within 5ft of the 
  Harvester, the character automatically 
  suffers an attack by the Harvester’s 
  mandibles.
  * The Harvester’s Skills are reduced by 3 ranks in 
  exchange for this special ability.
  ** The the number of weapon’s normally available to a 
  Gamma drone with the Harvester’s Skills are reduced 
  by 2 in exchange for this special ability. 
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  36
  X Kestrel
  Ringleader of Struggling Apostate Com-
  munity on Asola.
  State: Sleeved (Custom Biosleeve)  
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation 
  d6, Knowledge (Computers) d6, Notice d10, 
  Shooting d6, Stealth d8, Streetwise d6
  Coh: -1; Cha: +4; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 
  14 (8); Assets: 7, Rep-Rating: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Edges: Alertness, Charismatic, Dodge, First 
  Strike, Two-Fisted,
  Gear: Custom Sharp Suit (Reinforced Clothing), 
  Light Rail Pistol x2 (Range 10/20/40, Damage 
  2d6+1, RoF 1, AP 3, SA, -2 on Notice to Detect, 
  Silent Option), Mono-Edged Dagger x2 
  (Str+d4+2, AP 2, -2 to Notice)
  Augmentations: Apotheosis (Cognet Capable, 
  Remote Backup), Cosmetic Customization 
  (Glowing/Glossy 
  Skin), 
  Gene-Fixed, 
  Pheromone Control and Sensitivity, Skinweave 
  Armor 
  (+6), 
  Smuggler’s 
  Compartment 
  (Charlatan)
  Motivation: Kestrel’s primary concern is for 
  himself, though he truly cares for the apostates 
  he represents. He works with them in an effort 
  to afford them better lives. But if  he is forced 
  to, Kestrel will choose loyalty to his House over 
  the apostates, or any other allies.
  Kraken
  The Kraken drone was developed by the 
  Federation, before the Exodus. Typically, 
  deployed to clear buildings and bunkers, the 
  Kraken’s sole purpose is to hunt and kill in 
  confined quarters.
  The Kraken is a large mass of tentacles 
  surrounding a central sensor covered hub. Each 
  of its twelve tentacles end with three grasping 
  talons surrounding a small PAc emitter. 
  Drone Type: Epsilon          Cost: 13 [Restricted]
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, 
  Strength d10, Vigor d12
  Skills: Athletics d10, Fighting d8, Intimidation 
  d8+1, Notice d8+2, Shooting d8, Stealth d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 12 (4)
  Augmentations: Fully Synthetic, Custom Built 
  (Intimidation),  Alternative Mobility System 
  (Tentacles work like Spider Legs), Armored, 
  Beholder Sensory Suite
  Armor/Weaponry: Light PAc Emitters x 12 
  (Range 14/28/56, Damage 2d8, RoF 1, Beam, 
  Atmo Dependent), Tentacle Talons x 12 
  (Str+d6+2, AP 2, Reach 2); 
  Special Abilities:
   
  ª
  Deadly Assault* – If the Kraken does 
  not make an attack on it’s turn, it may 
  instead perform a Deadly Assault. When 
  performing a Deadly Assault, the Kraken 
  automatically attacks any and all hostiles 
  it can see within 50ft with a barrage of 
  PAc blasts and/or lethal slashes from its 
  tentacles.
  Every potential target must make an 
  Agility roll at a -2 penalty or suffer 3d6 
  damage.
   
  ª
  War Machine** – The Kraken has three 
  times the number of weapons that is 
  standard for a drone with its Skills.
  * The Kraken’s Skills are reduced by 6 ranks in exchange 
  for this special ability.
  ** The Kraken’s APs are reduced by 2 in exchange for 
  this special ability.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  37
  Lighthouse Heavy
  State: Pure 
   
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d12, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, 
  Notice d6, Piloting d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d4 
  Coh: -0; Cha: -2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 
  22 (14)
  Hindrances: Mean
  Gear: Heavy Powered Assault Armor (Reinforced 
  Cyber-Musculature x2, High-Density Plating 
  x2 (Heavy Armor), Mag-Traction, Zero-G Assist 
  Jets), Gravitic Baton (Str+2d6, -2 Notice when 
  Collapsed), Portable Rail-Minigun (Range 
  20/40/80, Damage 2d8+1, RoF 4, AP 6, HW, 
  High Capacity, Snapfire), Light Rail-Array 
  (Range 12/24/48, Damage 1-3d8, RoF 1, AP 4, 
  SA, Shotgun, Silent Option), Gooper Grenade 
  x 3, Frag Grenade x 2
  Motivation: The Lighthouse Heavy has 
  been outfitted with the best gear because, 
  frankly, he’s the best killer. He enjoys 
  fighting and revels in the sense of invincibility 
  his armor gives him.
  Lighthouse Officer
  State: Pure 
   
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d, Fighting d8, Intimidation 
  d10, Notice d6, Piloting d6, Shooting d10, 
  Stealth d6 
  Coh: -0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 11 (5)
  Hindrances: Loyal
  Augmentations: Skinweave Armor
  Gear: 
  Lighthouse 
  Uniform 
  (Reinforced 
  Clothing), Heavy Coil PDW (Range 14/28/56, 
  Damage 2d8, RoF 3, AP 4, Auto, Silent Option), 
  Mono-Edged Longsword (Str+d8+2, AP 4), 
  Frag Grenade x2
  Motivation: The Lighthouse officer does what 
  he does for the Rep and benefits, and justifies 
  his actions to himself and others are doing 
  what it takes to maintain order.
  
  GHOSTS 
  IN DARKNESS
  38
  Talon of Freedom Soldier
  State: Pure 
   
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d6, Intimidation 
  d6, Notice d4, Piloting d6, Shooting d8, 
  Stealth d6, Streetwise d8, Taunt d6
  Coh: -0; Cha: -2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 
  9 (2)
  Edges: Dodge
  Hindrances: Fringe Rat, Vengeful
  Gear: Reinforced Clothing (+2), Gravitic Baton 
  (Str+2d6, -2 Notice when Collapsed), Light 
  Coil PDW (Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6+1, 
  RoF 3, AP 4, Auto, Silent Option) or Heavy Rail 
  Array (Range 14/28/46, Damage 
  1-3d10, RoF 1, AP 4, SA, Shotgun, 
  Silent Option), Frag Grenade x 2, 
  PPC (Alpha)
  Motivation: 
  The 
  Talons see this as an 
  opportunity to both 
  bring down an Icarus 
  Hub and to recruit 
  new Talons.
  Red Sun Enforcer
  State: Sleeved (Custom Cybersleeve) 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d6, Intimidation 
  d6, Knowledge (Computers) d6, Notice d6, 
  Shooting d8+1, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6
  Coh: -3; Cha: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 
  12 (6)
  Hindrances: Vow (Minor—Enforce the Will of 
  the Red Sun)
  Edges: 
  Alertness, 
  Dodge, 
  First 
  Strike, 
  Marksman, 
  Gear: Light Battle Armor (+6), Mono-Edged 
  Short Sword (Str+d6+2, AP 3), PAc Carbine 
  (Range 40/80/160, Damage 2d8+4, RoF 1, 
  Beam, Atmo Dependent).
  Augmentations: Apotheosis, Fully Synthetic, 
  Auditory Amp and Filtering Module, Targeting 
  Support System (+1 Shooting)
  Talon of Freedom Officer
  State: Pure 
   
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: 
  Athletics 
  d, 
  Fighting 
  d6, 
  Intimidation d10, Notice d8, Piloting 
  d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d6
  Coh: -0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 
  12 (6)
  Edges: Command, Heads Up
  Hindrances: Stubborn, Vengeful
  Gear: Light Battle Armor, Heavy PAc PDW 
  (Range 25/50/100, Damage 2d10+3, RoF 
  1, Beam, Atmo Dependent), Mono-Edged 
  Calvary Saber (Str+d8+2, AP 4), Frag Grenade 
  x2
  Motivation: The Talon Officer accepts that he 
  likely won’t see the fruits of his labor, and may 
  die fighting to make a better tomorrow.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/Nova Praxis/Savage Worlds - Nova Praxis - Ghosts in Darkness.pdf