TEXT: TRAVELLER
  TRAVELLER
  Fair Game
  By Carl Walmsley
  Introduction
  The myriad worlds of known and unknown space are 
  full of opportunities for explorers and entrepreneurs. 
  Unfortunately, humanity’s technological progress has 
  not always been matched by advancements in ethics and 
  morality. Some of those who trade in the far reaches of 
  known space are little more than pirates and smugglers. 
  Delivering contraband or acquiring illegal materials is 
  the lifeblood of their trade.
  Amongst the darkest of all such operations is the capture
  and sale of slaves – both human and alien. In the time of 
  the Third Imperium, the slave trade is not dead: it has 
  simply moved to the stars.   
  Adventure 
  Background
  Matthew Rexel is a wealthy businessman, based on the 
  planet Hashanah. Officially, he runs an organisation 
  that surveys and maps remote mineral deposits for large 
  mining corporations. These operations are just a front, 
  however: Rexel’s real interest is in the capture and sale 
  of exotic species. 
  Many worlds have restrictions on the sale or captivity 
  of alien creatures. Wilfully imprisoning sentient beings 
  – human or alien – is outlawed in just about every 
  known settlement. Despite this – or perhaps because 
  of it – there is a huge market for Rexel’s wares. Illegal 
  Fighting rings make use of ferocious alien beasts – and 
  what better subjects to pit them against than humans or 
  sentient aliens? Wealthy nobles like nothing more than 
  to populate their grounds with exotic species in order 
  to display their wealth – regardless of how it might 
  impact on the indigenous wildlife. There are even 
  private zoos that obsessive collectors fill with oddities 
  from across the stars. Rexel’s skills and merchandise are 
  in constant demand.
  Four weeks ago to the day, Rexel dispatched a ship – the 
  Brook – to a remote world called Sinai. The crew, lead 
  by Captain Jensen Cole, was charged with acquiring a 
  list of indigenous plants and animals and returning with 
  them to Hashanah. They are now one week overdue.
  Rexel suspects that the mission has run into difficulties 
  – and he is correct. However, the difficulties are not 
  anything that he could have anticipated.
  Assigned to the crew is a xeno-biologist named Kate 
  Anderson. It is the first time that she has worked for 
  Rexel and she believed, rather naively, that the mission 
  was a legitimate attempt to gather research samples. 
  The day before the crew was set to leave, Anderson 
  realised that one of the plants that they had gathered 
  was a sentient life form. She relayed this information to 
  Captain Cole but was appalled when he seemed not to 
  care. As far as Anderson is concerned, this fundamentally 
  changed the nature of the mission: the crew are no 
  longer smugglers, they are slavers. 
  The following day, as the ship lifted into orbit, Anderson 
  sabotaged key systems on board the ship – forcing it to 
  return to the planet. It was a bumpy landing, further 
  damaging the Brook and weakening some of the cages 
  used to hold the captured animals.
  Cole was furious but before he could deal with 
  Anderson she jumped ship and escaped into the 
  jungle. To make matters worse, several of the caged 
  beasts escaped, killing a member of the crew. Stranger 
  still, Cole’s head of security – a man he has worked 
  with for six years – released the sentient plant and fled 
  with it into the jungle. 
  Cole and his remaining crew are now trapped on the 
  planet. They are attempting to recapture the escaped 
  beasts, to track down Anderson – who has stolen some 
  key components from the Jump drive – and to locate 
  the missing head of security, Zolo Renick.  
  Adventure Synopsis
  The PCs are hired by Rexel to track down his missing 
  shipment of alien plants and animals. Whilst the exact 
  nature of the animals is not revealed, they are told that 
  some of them are dangerous.
  Upon arrival on Sinai, they will need to work out whom 
  they can trust and why there has been such friction 
  between the crew.
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  Captain Cole is determined to gather up every lost 
  animal and complete his mission. Stalking some of the 
  escaped beasts through their natural habitat is not easy.
  The PCs will find that Anderson, the xeno-biologist, is 
  hidden in the forest: she will try to contact them and 
  enlist their aid.
  Chief Renick is being psionically dominated by the 
  Bohfa plant. His senses have been altered so that he 
  perceives the plant as an injured comrade. He will do 
  all that he can to protect it, driving away any intruders 
  with whatever force is necessary.
  One way or another, the PCs will need to help gather up 
  some, if not all, of the missing creatures and help repair 
  the Brook if they are to complete their mission and earn 
  the payment promised to them by Rexel. 
  Chapter One
  Characters who ply their trade either as explorers, 
  mercenaries or traders can be introduced to this 
  adventure quite easily. The PCs will need to have access 
  to a Jump capable ship. One of Rexel’s employees will 
  get word to them – either in person or electronically 
  – that Mr Rexel would like to meet with them and 
  discuss a business opportunity. In order to legitimise this 
  meeting, it will take place in the offices of RexelTech. 
  This building is located in Kynan, an industrial city on 
  Hashanah. Kynan has a Class B starport and despite its 
  rather built-up and hectic environment, is home to any 
  number of prosperous organisations. 
  Mr Rexel is a charismatic host of mixed Asian and 
  Caucasian heritage. He will treat his guests well, ensuring 
  that they are comfortable before negotiations begin.
  Read or paraphrase the following.
  About a month ago, one of my ships – the Brook – 
  was sent to the planet Sinai to gather plant and animal 
  samples. These are of interest to various pharmaceutical 
  companies looking to develop new drug treatments.
  The Brook was due to return a week ago but has failed to 
  report in. I am increasingly concerned for the safety of the 
  crew.
  I would like you to travel to Sinai – it is a pretty remote 
  world and whilst the atmosphere is breathable, there are 
  some indigenous life forms that are quite dangerous. Locate 
  the Brook, ensure that the crew is ok and then help them to 
  complete their original mission. If you can do that for me, 
  you will be generously reimbursed for your efforts. 
  The PCs will no doubt ask Rexel why he does not send 
  some more of his own people to locate the Brook. He
  will state that any other vessels he owns that are suitable 
  for this task are off-world performing survey-work. 
  There is some truth in this but Rexel’s real reason for 
  hiring outside help is that if Sinai has turned out to be 
  more dangerous than he had anticipated he does not 
  want to lose any more men and equipment.
  Rexel is reluctant to provide full details of all the plants 
  and animals that the Brook was sent to collect. He claims 
  that a confidentiality agreement with the nameless (and 
  bogus) pharmaceutical company prevents him from 
  doing so. Rexel will state that most of the samples are 
  harmless, though there will be a large predator amongst 
  the shipment.
  Rexel should offer enough money to make this a tempting 
  assignment – notwithstanding any reservations the PCs 
  might have about Rexel’s refusal to reveal exactly what 
  the Brook was sent to collect. He can be persuaded to 
  cover expenses such as fuel, if the PCs haggle.
  Investigation
  Cautious PCs will likely wish to do some checking up 
  on their prospective employer, Mr Rexel. They will find 
  nothing official to indicate he is anything more or less 
  than a respectable businessman – taxes paid, no criminal 
  record and so on. More inventive means, such as rumour 
  gathering in the local black-market hot spots, may turn 
  up the following:
  ��
  Employees of RexelTech are surprisingly well-armed 
  for planetary surveyors (Effect total 2+).
  ��
  Employees of RexelTech have a habit of getting 
  injured or even killed whilst out on missions (Effect 
  4+).
  ��
  Rexel’s ships are sometimes used for smuggling 
  contraband (Effect Total 6+).
  If the PCs confront Rexel with any of these rumours, 
  he can shrug off all but the accusation of smuggling. 
  He will make no secret of the fact that surveying work – 
  and occasional side missions to acquire organic samples 
  – can be dangerous. If the PCs call Rexel a smuggler, he 
  will advise them to keep such thoughts to themselves. 
  He insists that free trade is the lifeblood of the universe. 
  If the characters are foolish enough to threaten Rexel 
  – either with blackmail or a report to the authorities 
  – they will be making a powerful enemy. Rexel has 
  more than 200 employees, many of whom are capable 
  of eliminating interfering characters.
  Sinai
  Assuming that a deal can be struck with Rexel, the PCs 
  can make the Jump from Hashanah to Sinai – a distance 
  of one parsec. Rexel provides co-ordinates to where the 
  survey team was due to land. 
  However, once the PCs arrive they will find that the 
  Brook is no longer there – the ship originally left the 
  planet and then was forced to return when Anderson 
  sabotaged several systems.
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  If the PCs ship has powerful enough sensors, they 
  may be able to locate the downed Brook from orbit. 
  Alternatively, they will need to make contact using 
  their ship’s communications system. If they identify 
  themselves as in some way working for Rexel, Captain 
  Cole will answer the hail and provide the PCs with 
  landing co-ordinates. 
  However, Cole is not the only one listening: Anderson 
  has a portable transceiver. Once the PCs are within her 
  500 km range, she will send them the following message 
  in a panicked tone:
  ‘Don’t trust him! He’ll lie to you – just like he lied to me!’
  At this point, Cole will jam Anderson’s signal using 
  equipment on the Brook. The PCs will now most likely 
  be very suspicious. Cole will try to placate them with 
  a promise to explain everything once they land. If this 
  does not work, he says that a rogue member of the crew, 
  who caused the ship to crash, sent the signal.
  If the PCs follow the co-ordinates provided by Cole, 
  they will see that the Brook has crash-landed atop a 
  rock promontory that sticks up above the surrounding 
  jungle. Cole himself stands outside and waves them in.
  Chapter Two
  Once the PCs make planet fall, Cole will invite them 
  inside the damaged Brook to talk. He explains that after 
  his crew had gathered the plant and animal samples 
  they were sent to collect, they tried to leave the planet. 
  However, whilst still in orbit, the ship lost several key 
  systems. The pilot managed to make an emergency 
  landing on the plateau of rock where the Brook now 
  rests. They have been here for two weeks.
  According to Cole, the crash damaged the holding cages 
  and released some of the captive beasts. One of these 
  – Subject Five – killed a member of his crew. Two other 
  crewmembers have gone AWOL – the team’s xeno-
  biologist (Anderson) and the head of security (Renick). 
  Cole speculates that Renick might have received a 
  concussion during the rough landing (causing him to act 
  irrationally) or that he is suffering from post-traumatic 
  stress brought on by his years in the star marines. He
  wants to locate and safely recover his friend.
  Cole will state his belief that Anderson is a saboteur. Her 
  radio message is, he claims, further proof of this. He
  says that she caused the crash by sabotaging key systems 
  and has now fled taking with her some key components 
  from the Jump Drive. Until these are recovered, the 
  Brook is grounded. Cole wants the parts returned – but 
  not Anderson.
  Cole will ask the PCs if they can help with a number 
  of things:
  ��
  Capturing Subject Five and Subject Twelve (the 
  Bohfa Plant) – the last two escapees
  ��
  Locating Renick
  ��
  Locating the spare parts Anderson stole
  ��
  Finishing repairs to the Brook
  The Brook
  As the PCs are working for Rexel, they will be given 
  more or less free reign of the Brook in order to utilize any 
  equipment stowed on board and to help with repairs. 
  Cole says that only two areas are out of bounds – the 
  crews’ quarters (specifically his cabin) and the specimen 
  cages. This latter restriction is for the PC’s own safety.
  The Brook is a ‘Fat Trader’ (Traveller Core Rulebook, 
  pages 119-120). 
  The Main cargo bay has been specially converted to hold 
  20 specimen cages. All but one of these is full when the 
  PCs arrive on Sinai – leaving room for the Bohfa plant.
  The Forward Cargo Bay is converted into a single 
  reinforced caging area to hold Subject Five. This part 
  of the ship was damaged during the crash, allowing the 
  beast to escape.
  The Rear Cargo bay contains a thruster pack, a tent, a 
  large net, a Geiger counter, six vacc suits (one of which is 
  damaged), a medkit, a stunner  (TL10) and an artificial 
  gill. All of these items can be found in the equipment 
  section of the Traveller Core Rulebook.
  Access to the crews’ quarters is restricted by a keypad 
  lock. A character with Engineer (Electronics) can try 
  to bypass this device. The DM for the check is –2. An 
  Exceptional Failure triggers a ship-wide alarm.  
  Cole’s room is secured with a biometric lock. Any 
  attempt to open this suffers a DM of –4. Any failure
  activates the alarm. Stashed away beneath Cole’s bunk 
  is a collection of plant samples that he plans to sell on 
  for his own personal gains. If the PC’s learn about this, 
  Cole will be desperate to prevent Rexel from finding 
  out what he is up to. Of course, whether this means the 
  PCs are able to manipulate him or that he tries to take 
  them out of the picture will depend on how they play 
  their hand. Cole can certainly be persuaded to share the 
  profits from the sale (2d6 x 1000 credits) but he will 
  not simply do whatever the PCs might demand. If he 
  needs it, he has the backing of the crew – and he is a 
  ruthless man.
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  Along with Captain Cole, there are currently six other 
  surviving members of the crew, one of whom is his co-
  pilot, Seth McKay. With the exception of Anderson, 
  everyone aboard the Brook has taken part in a range of 
  smuggling and slaving operations. 
  Captain Jenson Cole
  Str 9, Dex 10, End 9, Int 8, Edu 8, Soc 7 
  Astrogation 2, Carouse 0, Comms 2, Deception 2, 
  Gunner (Turrets) 2, Mechanic 1, Pilot (Spacecraft) 3, 
  Recon 0, Sensors 1, Stealth 1, Gun Combat (Slug Rifle) 
  2, Melee (Unarmed Combat) 1
  ACR (3d6, Auto 6)
  Co-pilot Seth McKay
  Str 7, Dex 9, End 8, Int 8, Edu 7, Soc 7 
  Astrogation 2, Comms 1, Deception 1, Engineer (Jump 
  Drive) 2, Gunner (Turrets) 2, Mechanic 2, Sensors 2, 
  Pilot (Spacecraft) 1, Gun Combat (Energy Pistol) 2, 
  Melee (Blade) 1
  Laser pistol (3d6, TL9), Blade (2d6)
  Brook Crewmembers (5)
  Str 7, Dex 8, End 8, Int 7, Edu 6, Soc 6 
  Deception 1, Stealth 1, Gunner or Sensors 1, Gun 
  Combat (Slug Rifle) 2, Mechanic 0, Melee (Unarmed 
  Combat) 2
  Assault Rifle (3d6, Auto 4)
  Repairs
  Having had two weeks to work on the damage 
  sustained during Anderson’s sabotage and the 
  subsequent crash, the crew have got the Brook more
  or less in working order.
  There is a single point of Hull Damage still to be 
  restored that a mechanically minded PC can help iron 
  out. What is really needed, however, are the irreplaceable 
  components from the Jump Drive that Anderson took 
  with her – having taken the time to destroy all the on-
  board spares.
  The Environment
  The region of Sinai where the PCs find themselves is 
  extremely hot and humid. Up on the rock promontory,
  there is at least a cooling wind. Down beneath the 
  canopy it is as hot as hell: masks steam up, metallic 
  objects become hot to the touch and characters will 
  find that they sweat constantly. Even at night, when the 
  temperature drops by a good 10 degrees, it is still in the 
  high twenties. 
  Subject Five
  The dense jungle surrounding the rocks where the 
  Brook set down is extremely humid and littered with 
  primeval pools. Consequently, one of the dominant 
  predators that have managed to evolve in this region 
  is a giant purple-skinned amphibian. This creature has 
  regenerative capabilities, not unlike an earth salamander 
  and a long prehensile tongue loaded with toxin, which 
  it uses to hunt. Imagine a cross between a bullfrog and 
  a hippo. 
  The crew of the Brook originally captured Subject 
  Five using a tranquilliser gun. Unfortunately this was 
  destroyed in the crash. Added to that, the crewmember 
  who died was the team’s expert hunter. Without his 
  skills, they have been unable to recapture Subject Five
  – or another of his species.
  Cole will suggest staking out one of the large pools in 
  the forest floor and waiting for subject five to show
  up. There are known to be a number of dangerous life 
  forms down in the jungle, so up until now he has not 
  been willing to risk any more of his crew. With the PCs 
  help, he feels it should be safe…ish. 
  Subject Five
  Type  
  Habitat 
  Str 
  Dex 
  End 
  Int 
  Instinct 
  Pack
  Pouncer Jungle 
  Amphibious 
  14 
  12(6)* 
  11 
  1 
  7 
   
  3
  (Carnivore) 
  Recon 1, Athletics (Co-ordination) 2, Survival 2, Melee 
  (natural weapons) 2
  Teeth (3d6), Tongue (1d6), Thick skin (4). Number 
  encountered: 1
  The toxin in subject five’s tongue reduces the target’s Int 
  and Dex by 1D6 if an Endurance check is failed. The 
  DM for this is –3. The effect lasts for 1-6 hours. The 
  effects of multiple hits are cumulative.
  *On dry land, subject five is more cumbersome 
  than when in water, hence the reduction in Dex. Its 
  Movement is half that of a human on land (3 metres) 
  but it is much faster in the water (7 metres).
  If the PCs follow Cole’s plan, they will have to hide 
  beneath the layer of mouldy detritus that blankets the 
  forest floor and wait 1D6 hours for a member of Subject 
  Five’s race to show up. A successful Stealth check is 
  required to locate a suitable hiding place. 
  The beast will eventually show up, moving slowly across 
  open ground before entering the pool. 
  
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  One method of capture that the PCs could use is to 
  utilize the large net from the cargo hold of the Brook
  to rig up a snare. A Survival check Opposed by Subject 
  Five’s Recon skill will be required to set this up effectively. 
  This will at least immobilize the creature long enough 
  to medicate it or subdue it physically. 
  If the PCs badly injure or even kill Subject Five, 
  the despairing captain will tell them that a dead or 
  mutilated specimen is of no use to him. Cole will 
  not give the order to leave the planet until he is in 
  possession of either a member of Subject Five’s race 
  or the Bohfa plant. The PCs might therefore find 
  themselves repeating their hunt.
  What the Hell is This 
  Thing?
  Every new planet that the PCs visit should seem strange 
  and unfamiliar: stepping out of that airlock onto alien 
  soil should be an exhilarating but daunting experience. 
  One way to accomplish this on Sinai is to have the 
  characters encounter peculiar animals that they have
  no idea how they should react to. Two examples are 
  included below but feel free to invent some oddities of 
  your own.
  A Hair-Raising Encounter
  Within the dense forest canopy is a breed of nest-
  building deconids (think 10-legged insects). Human 
  hair is perfect weaving material for their nests. At some 
  point, when the PCs are stationary – possibly whilst 
  laying in wait for subject five – one descends from the 
  trees and begins plucking. Given that the deconids 
  are 20cm across, this might sound like a terrifying 
  encounter. However, these creatures emit a song that 
  has a lilting, lullaby quality. Any character that cannot 
  pass an Endurance check with a –2 DM is compelled 
  to stand around and listen to it – and thereby serve as 
  a willing source of bedding material for baby deconids. 
  With enough of these critters around, a character could 
  conceivably wind up bald.
  If attacked, these timid creatures immediately flee and 
  the tone of their song alters. Soon, untold voices ring out 
  through the forest. Whether this is a warning to other 
  deconids to beware the PCs or something altogether 
  more sinister is entirely up to you. 
  Sleep Tight
  A species of microscopic bugs infests every inch of the 
  planet. These tiny creatures feed almost exclusively on 
  salt. When the human body perspires it releases enough 
  sodium chloride to feed a veritable colony of these 
  things. Added to this, human tears are extremely salty. 
  Consequently, the tear ducts form a perfect feeding 
  ground for these bugs, which flock to them like animals 
  to a watering hole.
  As these creatures feed, they excrete. Not a lot individually, 
  but en mass, they are surprisingly productive. A 
  character who falls asleep with a colony of these bugs on 
  him will wake up covered in a crusty residue. This is not 
  enough to immobilize him – the residue can be picked 
  off like a scab – however it will seal his eyelids with the 
  equivalent sticking power of super glue. The realisation 
  that he has been to sleep encased in a shell of tiny alien 
  bug faeces should be enough to remind any character 
  that the universe is a strange place.
  Rogue Biologist
  Cole’s men have been trying, without success, to locate 
  Anderson for almost a fortnight. Her knowledge of 
  xenology and survival has allowed her to find shelter 
  and to scavenge enough food to stay alive. 
  If Cole or any members of the crew are questioned 
  about Anderson, they will state that she did not fit in 
  with the team from the word go. Cole speculates that 
  she might be some enviro-freak set on protecting this 
  world from outsiders. Cole makes it clear that he does 
  not care whether Anderson is found or not – if she is, 
  Cole will refuse to allow her back on the Brook. All he 
  cares about is locating the missing components. 
  Note that the PCs should not simply be able to take 
  parts from their own ship and use them to patch up the 
  Brook. The parts required must be a perfect match.
  Searching for Anderson
  If one or more of the PCs has the appropriate skills, he 
  might try to locate Anderson’s tracks. She is camped out 
  only 1 km from the plateau where the Brook is located 
  and has made daily visits to check up on the crew. 
  Any character with Recon can conceivably look for 
  tracks but those from primitive worlds are likely far 
  better suited. You should apply a –2 DM to checks 
  made to locate Anderson’s camp for characters from 
  worlds with TL 8+.
  Attempts to pick up Anderson trail using Recon are 
  Opposed by her Stealth skill.
  Kate Anderson
  Str 6, Dex 8, End 10, Int 9, Edu 10, Soc 8 
  Animals (Veterinary) 2, Comms 1, Deception 0, Life 
  Sciences (Biology) 3, Mechanic 1, Medic 1, Space 
  Sciences (Xenology) 3, Stealth 2, Survival 2, Gun 
  Combat (Shotgun) 1, Melee (Blade) 1
  Shotgun (4d6), Dagger (1d6+2)
  As soon as one of the PCs is out in the forest 
  unaccompanied by a member of the Brook’s crew, 
  Anderson will approach him and ask for help. 
  
  Renicks Snares
  Renick has set up a series of snares designed to detect 
  and ward off intruders. There will be no talking him 
  down – he is willing to defend the Bohfa plant with his 
  life, rather than let it be captured by ‘the enemy’. 
  The crew of the Brook already knows the approximate 
  location of Renick’s camp but so far no one has dared to 
  try to capture him.
  Renick has established a series of perimeter tripwires. 
  Spotting these requires a Recon check. If triggered, 
  these tripwires rattle wind chimes and alert Renick to 
  the presence of intruders.
  Beyond the tripwires are a variety of snares:
  Staked pothole: This covered pit is only 0.5 metres deep 
  but it is enough to impale and possible break someone’s
  leg. Damage 2d6. If this damage reduces the target to 
  Endurance 0, any further damage must be subtracted 
  from Dexterity.
  Leg Snare: A sprung trap that uses a bent branch, this 
  snare closes a noose around the target’s leg and catapults 
  him into the air. As the target turns, his head is smashed 
  into the ground. This trap immobilises a target until he 
  is cut down. Damage 1D6+2. If this damage reduces the 
  target to Endurance 0, he is knocked unconscious as his 
  head connects with the ground. 
  Grenade Trap: Far and away the most lethal snare that 
  Renick has set, this simple tripwire pulls the pin from 
  a grenade. It detonates one second after this occurs. A 
  character who immediately throws himself prone suffers 
  3d6 damage. Otherwise, the poor soul who triggers this 
  explosive takes 5d6 damage.
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  Andersons Story
  Anderson will claim that Cole and his men are slavers and 
  that at least one of the organisms they wish to transport 
  off world – the Bohfa plant - is sentient. According to 
  Anderson, the plant ‘spoke’ to her; through a series of 
  what she believes were psionic images.
  Anderson will freely admit to sabotaging the Brook and 
  still has the stolen Jump Drive components stashed 
  at her camp. She will admit that she acted rashly but 
  claims that she had no alternative. She really does not 
  know what to do now that the Brook is stranded. She 
  does not want to see anyone get hurt but she feels that 
  she must protect the Bohfa.
  As you may have gathered, Anderson has no idea that 
  Renick has taken the plant and fled the ship. If she 
  learns this, she will willingly give up the Jump Drive 
  components so that the Brook can leave. 
  As Anderson will not be allowed back on the Brook, the 
  PCs may represent her only chance to get off Sinai. If
  the opportunity presents itself, she will request passage 
  and whilst she has no funds to offer, she can earn her 
  keep with her medical and scientific skills. She may even 
  make a useful addition to the crew.
  Kate Anderson is a tough, outdoor-type who has 
  roughed it on a number of harsh alien worlds. If the 
  PCs try to take her by force, she will do everything she 
  can to defend herself – and she certainly knows which 
  end of a shotgun is which.
  We Dont Leave Our 
  People Behind!
  Zolo Renick was Captain Cole’s right-hand man for 
  six years. Now – thanks to the psionic influence of the 
  Bohfa plant – he believes that he has been betrayed by
  his crewmates. More than this, he perceives the Bohfa
  not as a plant but as a wounded comrade that needs to 
  be protected until help arrives.
  Until an attempt has been made to rescue Renick 
  – from himself if need be – Cole is unwilling to leave 
  the planet. If an attempt is made and it fails, resulting 
  in casualties, Cole will reluctantly agree to leave his old 
  friend behind.
  If asked whether there was anything odd about Renick’s
  behaviour before his disappearance, Cole says that he 
  was suffering with bad dreams. Cole believes these 
  might be a result of Renick’s military experiences, which 
  were quite taxing. The truth is that the dreams were an 
  early sign of his latent psionic talents picking up on the 
  unhappiness of the Bohfa plant.  
  The crew of the Brook are reluctant to go after Renick 
  – they know how well trained he is and how hard it 
  will be to capture him. Cole would, genuinely, like to 
  search for him himself but feels he has a responsibility 
  to remain with the ship.
  Renick is an expert survivalist and soldier. He served 
  two terms in the star marines and received numerous 
  commendations for bravery.
  Zolo Renick
  Str 10, Dex 9, End 11, Int 7, Edu 7, Soc 7 
  Battle Dress 1, Comms 1, Deception 0, Drive (Wheeled) 
  2, Explosives 2, Gunner (Turrets) 1, Gun Combat (Slug 
  Rifle) 3, Heavy Weapons (Launchers) 1, Leadership 0, 
  Melee (Blade) 2, Recon 3, Stealth 2, Survival 2, Tactics 
  2
  ACR (4d6, Auto 6), Grenade Launcher (Frag: 5d6/3d6/
  1d6), Blade (2d6), Flak Jacket (TL 8, Protection 6)
  
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  Each of these snares can be spotted with a Recon check. 
  The staked pothole has a DM of –2. 
  The exact location of these traps is not marked on the 
  map, in order that you can use it with your players to 
  keep track of their positions as they go after Renick. 
  You should have each character involved in the hunt 
  encounter a tripwire and one of the snares as they 
  approach his camp.
  The Trench
  Renick is hunkered down inside a trench that he has 
  dug for himself. It provides him with ¾ cover (Traveller 
  Core Rulebook, page 63). If the PCs have managed to 
  get through the tripwires and snares undetected, there 
  is a chance that Renick is sleeping. Roll 2d6 – on a 
  result of 2 to 6, he is catching some shuteye. If not, 
  the PCs will need to make a Stealth check Opposed 
  by Renick’s Recon skill to get close enough to the see 
  the old soldier. The area around Renick’s camp is thick 
  with vegetation, providing ample cover for anyone 
  sneaking around (+1 DM on Stealth checks).
  If Renick detects intruders, he will use every skill and 
  weapon in his arsenal to take them out.  
  If Renick can be isolated from the Bohfa plant for 24 
  hours, he will go through a sort of psionic withdrawal. 
  Once he has endured this, he will be back to normal. 
  The Bohfa Plant
  This large green and yellow plant has an intelligence 
  that is comparable with a human child. Whilst it needs 
  to remain in soil, it is able to uproot itself and move – 
  very slowly – to new areas. It has remained near Renick 
  as it senses that he wishes to protect it.
  How much the Bohfa can communicate with the PCs 
  is up to you. Any character with psionic abilities should 
  be able to receive its thought projections quite clearly. 
  Any characters with latent psi-abilities will understand 
  some of what the creature is trying to communicate 
  (both Anderson and Renick fall into this category). If
  your campaign is making use of psionics, this could be 
  a significant first-contact meeting that might lead on to 
  other adventures: an entire race of psionic plants could 
  be of interest to all sorts of people. 
  The PCs will have decide for themselves whether they 
  are comfortable handing over a sentient creature to Cole 
  so that it can be examined in a laboratory. If they do 
  so, Anderson will still try to get the PCs to help her off 
  world – she has the good sense to stay quiet until then 
  – but she will go her own way at the first opportunity. 
  Return to Hashanah
  If the PCs help Cole and his crew to fix the Jump Drive 
  and the Brook returns safely to Hashanah, Rexel will 
  accept that the PCs have carried out their end of the 
  bargain and pay them for their services.
  However, this payment can be modified – up or down 
  – according to certain considerations:
  ��
  Neither the Subject Five nor the Bohfa plant are 
  included as part of the shipment (-30%)
  ��
  Either Subject Five or the Bohfa plant is not 
  included in the shipment (-10%)
  ��
  The PCs played a major role in helping to subdue 
  Renick and he is now able to resume his duties 
  (+20%)
  Mr Rexel could be a useful contact for the PCs and 
  if their work was good, further offers of smuggling or 
  acquisition work might well be forthcoming. As the 
  man said, free trade is the lifeblood of the universe…
  31
  TRAVELLER
  TRAVELLER
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Traveller/08 - Mongoose Traveller/Third Party Materials/Adventures/MGT - Fair Game (from signs & portents).pdf