| The party has returned to Hermes City. When/if they decide to go after the big reward and track down the hijackers in the city, they may begin to do so.
The Hacker. If the Party has a human hacker from Earth, he must upgrade his computer to handle new interstellar interfaces and software. To speed things up, the hacker may go to the equivalent of a Rastan Computer Hut and purchase a new cyberdeck in a swap for his Terran one for an additional $5,000 (a novelty well worth the price, from the Rastan point of view). The Rastan deck will have the same stats as the Terran one. |  Rastan Warehouse Map |
The hacker can get an upgrade, but at standard upgrade prices. As for his/her software, if the hacker has a Program Skill, make the appropriate Skill Test roll to see if the PC can alter the old programs to run on the new deck, at a Difficult Task target. If not, he can try again, or haggle with the Rastan computer guy/gal to try and swap programs.
No Hacker. If the Party has no hacker, or if their hacker fails miserably and can't work out the new tech, then an NPC hacker's services can be purchased for 1,000Cr per day. One can be contacted by checking on the numerous Bulletin Boards on the local Web for a search fee of 10Cr, or a fixer can "pass on" a number for a measley 1,000Cr. Let the Party sort out how they wish to proceed before giving them the costs.
The hacker, Thula Soss, will agree to track down any dodgey independent warehouses and provide them with floor & security plans and guard schedules. It will take the her 5 days to find 3 possibles with all the required details.
Meanwhile, the Party may wish to check the warehouse district to familiarize themselves with the physical layout of the area and the types of warehouses that exist on this planet. This district is located on the Spaceport side of Hermes City, and resembles Terran warehouse districts, though built with different types of plascrete blocks and metal cladding & fences.
Or the Party may decide to check out warehouses and independent trading companies on the ground to try and locate hijackers' lair themselves. The "knock on doors" way will take a month. Remember to deduct living expenses, transport costs, bribes etc. And random bar fights, which should be non-lethal, due to the high law level on-planet, but a challenge, as Rastans superior bulk will make for interesting contests.
When the Thula Soss calls back, he (and the Games Master) will provide the PC's with the addresses, layouts, security details and guard schedules for 3 independent warehouses. What will the PC's do? However they decide to tackle the problem, make sure they do not enter the correct warehouse until last--make them go through the other two first.
If the PC's wish Thula Soss to cut off the security systems to help them gain access to the warehouses, she will do so. The Party's own hacker, with the right deck and software, can do the same. Keep the process simple unless your PC's like to watch the hacker enter Virtual Reality. Have the Hacker of choice make three D10 rolls: First for accessing the warehouse system; Second for accessing the Security Nodes; Third for shutting down security systems. Difficulty Table is Average for all rolls. Failure sets off an alarm in the computer system and warehouse, and requires and INT roll at Average. If successful, the hacker will know it will take 3 hours until he/she can try from the beginning again. Of course the Party can barge in without wanting security cover. If so, they must live with the consquences as follows:
If the Party uses force to enter the 1st two warehouses, the security cams will ID them and send the data directly to the Police. PC's may be arrested, charged and convicted, incurring hefty fines for any/all property damage and injury to warehouse personnel and/or prison terms.
| Damage to Property | 2 x cost of replacement of locks, doors, cameras, stored materials, etc. See Sourcebooks for prices. Forced labor for non-payment at minimum wage of 150Cr/week. Deportation with costs charged to the convicted. |
| Injury to Guards, other personnel | 250Cr per point of physical damage per person, +1,000Cr "Stress Penalty" per person. Same forced labor & deportation penalties. |
| Death to Guards, others | Life imprisonment, no parole, for first death. 50% chance of Death Penalty for two deaths, mandatory for three or more killed. No appeals. |
Security Details for Warehouses: All three warehouses have security cameras inside and out at all four corners of the building. All are locked with maglocks, and everything is alarmed with sound and police alarms as well as being hooked into the computer security system. If the hacker knocks out the security node, all maglocks will open, security cameras will freeze on the last scene video'd and no alarms will go off. Guardsat the first two warehouses are stationed outside, two in a guard box at the front gate, and one makes an hourly inspection outside. Another two guards are stationed inside the double doors in another guard box. All wear light armor jackets (14 SP) & helmets and have tasers and nightsticks. These can be locked into their guard boxes by the Hacker.
At the third warehouse, the security is identical to the first two, except that the guards carry handguns instead of tasers.
Once Security is cut off, the PC's may proceed according to their own plans. If they intend on using Stealth, they must roll vs a Moderate target number. Mostly this will be to keep out of sight of the guards trying to get themselves out of their guard boxes. If they fail, the guards will force the door and an encounter will ensue.
| INT=6 | REF=8 | TECH=5 | COOL=6 | ATTR=3 |
| LUCK=2 | MA=3 | BODY=14 | EMP=4 | LIFT=300/750KG (carry/dead lift) |
| SPEC: CMBT SENSE=4 | PISTOL=5 | RIFLE=5 | MELEE/AXE=7 | STR FEAT=14 |
| L.ARMOR JACKET=14SP | TASER=INSTANT STUN | - | NIGHT STICK=1D6+STR FEAT | COMM UNIT |
If they succeed, the party can gain access to the office, which will be at the back of the warehouse.
Once in the office, they will find a laptop computer not hooked into the mainframe. If they access this, they will find, in the first two warehouses, no indication of any impropriety. The Party can try to leave without being seen (another Stealth roll) and go on accordingly as above. If they succeed, they can move on to the next warehouse.
 | At the third warehouse, the Party arrives at a large three-story warehouse in the southside of Hermes City en route to the Spaceport. One back corner contains an office, restrooms and lunch area for the workers, the rest is open for stacking containers. Near the offices are the freight elevators and a metal staircase zig-zagging upward to each level. Outside there is a metal fire escape also leading to each level. |
The party may proceed as planned, trying to cut the security, and sneak into the warehouse. If success cutting security and sufficiently quiet, the party will find a well-dressed Rastan lady working at her desk. (See Nia Onow's stats below) The Party can try to capture her. If not successfully quiet, they will have the guards break out and fight them. (See their stats below). Once the skirmish is over and if the Party wins, they will find Nia Onow hiding in a closet off the office when they search it. A brief fight will ensue, as Nia Onow is unarmed, but still packs quiet a punch. Her armored briefcase does 2D10 +14 damage.
| INT=10 | REF=3 | TECH=8 | COOL=8 | ATTR=3 |
| LUCK=3 | MA=3 | BODY=14 | EMP=7 | LIFT=300/750KG (carry/dead lift) |
| SPEC. ABILITY: RESOURCES=8 | STREETWISE=7 | LEADERSHIP=6 | ACCOUNTING=7 | SYSTEM KNOW=7 |
| FORGERY=8 | PROGRAMMING=6 | ED & GEN KNOW=9 | METALURGY=8 | STOCK MARKET=8 |
| LAPTOP | ARMORED BRIEFCASE | KEVLAR SUIT | PEN/COM UNIT | AV6 |
| MIRROR SHADES | WHITE NOISE GEN | CODE DECRIPTOR | CASH BELT | ROYAL PASSPORT |
Once Nia Onow is subdued, the Party may begin going through her own laptop records, and interrogate her if they have a skill to do so, or have thought to buy "truth serum" drugs (see below). The laptop will currently be deleting its HDD. A Difficult skill test must be done by a PC with a Computer Skill to try and stop it. Success will give details of the entire hijack operation. Failure will mean losing the data and evidence.
If the Party can make a successful interrogation skills test at a Very Difficult Task level, or has managed to buy a Rastan "Sodium Pentathol" drug, (can be got from most fixers at 250Cr per dose) then the Party will learn the following:
| Nia Onow, daughter of an obscure Knight of the Realm and head of Rastan Independent Ores, runs a legitimate export business in precious metals. She buys ores and stones from independent prospectors and miners, and sells them on to wholesalers and private collectors off-world. She also conducts a thriving smuggling operation behind the scenes. She can use R.I.O.'s (Rastan Imperial Ores) packaging, as her company's name uses the same initials, making forging container manifests and customs declarations that much easier. Her father's social status, her own university degrees and her business acumen on both sides of the law have brought her considerable wealth in the corporate world and power in the Rastan underworld on Hermes and the neighboring system of Bobo (Subsector J, hex 808). |  Rastan Independent Ores' Logo. Source unremembered. U.W.O.P. Thanks to all. |
Of course, to make her confession legal, the Party must have some kind of recording device. Later, she may not fail her resistance check to interrogation, and the Party will not have a legal leg to stand on, especially if the Deletion Program on the laptop gets rid of all the other evidence. If there are any bodies lying around, could be nasty for the Party. (Hmm, I hear that Rastan prison food isn't all that bad....not after 20 years, that is!)
Nia Onow may offer to bribe her way into freedom. Up to the Party to take it or not. Also up to them if they wish to take the Credits and then double-cross her. After all, she is criminal filth!
If the Party fails to succeed at interrogation, the best they can hope for is to call the Police and collect the basic 10,000Cr reward. The Rastan Police do, after all, have ways of making her talk! Again, accepting a bribe may enrich the Party if they choose to do this.
If the Party has Terran truth drugs, they may try to use them on Nia Onow. Make them roll a D10. On a 9 or 10, the drug will succeed. On a 2-8, the drug will have no affect other than to make Nia Onow violently ill. Messy! On a 1, she will drop into a coma. Unless she receives hospitalization within two hours, she will die and no rewards will be forthcoming.
Perhaps it's time to call the Police? Don't forget to let the Party loot the place if they don't hear sirens wailing in the area. Extra gear noted below with Hijackers' Stats.
If the Party turns in Nia Onow, they will get the base reward of 10,000Cr. for capturing Nia Onow, plus a 40,000Cr bonus for the details of her operation from her confession if done right and legally, or from the laptop data if they can stop its deletion. Plus, they will become known planet-wide, which will give them a +3 to their reputations in this system, and a +1 throughout Rastan Space if they retrieve all the data on the hijack operation.
If they succeed on all the above without loss of life, they may even be awarded a Rastan Social Status of 9, which is high recognition of their achievements, and which can open doors for later advances and opportunities to trade, get loans, etc. (A Knighthood ranks as Social Status 11.) If they get all the information, but Rastans die, their Soc. Status goes up to 7. If they bust Nia Onow only and get no additional data from her or her laptop, their social status would rise to 5. As former guards, their previous social status would been 2.
What's next? The Party can sign on as crew on a departing space craft, or look for a cheap spaceship to buy if they can raise a loan (unlikely at this time--the cheapest 2nd hand cargo vessels cost 20 Million Credits, and would need work on them to make them spaceworthy. Perhaps after a few more adventures....
 |
| INT=6 | REF=8 | TECH=5 | COOL=6 | ATTR=3 |
| LUCK=2 | MA=3 | BODY=14 | EMP=4 | LIFT=300/750KG (carry/dead lift) |
| SPEC: STEALTH=4 | PISTOL=5 | RIFLE=5 | MELEE/AXE=7 | STR FEAT=14 |
| L.ARMOR JACKET=14SP | HVY PISTOL=3d6 | SHOTGUN=4D6 | CMBT AXE=2D10+STR FEAT | COMM UNIT |
The Rastan Hijackers which are captured or killed have 2 Air Rafts stored in the warehouse, unregistered, of course; (see Traveller sourcebooks for Stats or use AV6 Stats from CP2020.; and yes, there are keys to the ignition, too! The question is, can the PC's drive the things?), lock pick kits both mechanical and electronic; tool kits for stripping vehicles; fake ID's with Rastan Independent Ores' Chrome Panther logo on them, 750Credits total in cash and a map of several remote valleys in the Eastern Tiers marked as stash zones. Their armor jackets also bear the Chrome Panther logo on them (To fit BODY 14.)
There is also eight R.I.O. crates with valuable ores and one with gems in the warehouse. PC's may loot these at their own risk. If they try it, roll 1D10 for Nia Onow and her crew. On 5 or less she will plea bargain for turning in the PC's who steal R.I.O. goods. On 6-8, a surviving captive Guard will spill the beans on them. On 9 or 10, they will get away with it. PC's should not know of this roll until after they have either stolen something or else taken the honest path and turned in the crates with the prisoners. The authorities will allow PC's to keep one air raft and the guards' gear, personal weaponry and helmets, which the Party may wish to confiscate and resell later.
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Go to the CP2020 to Traveller--Go Off-World page
Go to the Strasser Airship page
Go to the Rastan History page
Go to the Rastan R.I.O. Mines Map page
Go to the Rastan Scenario Part 1
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