TEXT: Naval Adventure 2: Showing the Sunburst
  S c i e n c e  F i c t i o n  A d v e n t u r e  i n  t h e  F a r  F u t u r e
  
  N AVA L  A D V E N T U R E  2 :  S H O W I N G  T H E  S U N B U R ST
  Traveller ©2019 Mongoose Publishing. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without the 
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  text herein are copyrighted by Mongoose Publishing.
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  a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organisations, places or events is purely coincidental.
  Traveller is a trademark of Far Future Enterprises and is used under licence.  
  Printed in China
  CREDITS
  CLASSIC TRAVELLER
  Marc Miller
  Loren Wiseman, John Harshman, Frank Chadwick, Darryl Hany,
  Winston Hamilton, Tony Svajlenka, Scott Renner, Doug Poe,
  David MacDonald, Wayne Roth, Paul R. Banner.
  MONGOOSE TRAVELLER 
  Author
  M J Dougherty
  Editor
  Matthew Sprange
  Layout
  Morné Schaap
  Illustrations
  Shen Fei, Jon Torres, Amy Perrett
  TRAVELLER INNER CIRCLE
  Andrew James Alan Welty, Colin Dunn, M. J. Dougherty,
  Rob Eaglestone, Sam Wissa, Joshua Bell, Maksim Smelchak
  Special Thanks
  Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman
  CONTENTS
  INTRODUCTION
  2
  SHIPS AND CREWS 
  4
  REFEREE’S INFORMATION 
  5
  GUIDANCE FOR REFEREES 
  13
  THE MISSION 
  15
  GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 
  19
  EXTOLAY NAVAL BASE 
  23
  SHOWING THE SUNBURST 
  24
  SKIPPER, SKIPPER! 
  27
  DIPLOMATIC DUTY 
  28
  LOCATE AND RETRIEVE 
  34
  RETURN TO BASE 
  35
  
  INTRODUCTION
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  In Showing the Sunburst, the captain and crew of an 
  Imperial naval vessel are ordered to undertake a cruise 
  among the neutral worlds between the Imperium’s 
  territories in the Spinward Marches and the Zhodani 
  Consulate. Flag-showing missions of this sort are 
  commonplace, reminding friends and potential foes 
  alike that the navy is ready to respond to trouble. Flag-
  showing is also used as a cover for intelligence gathering 
  and the occasional covert operation is supported along 
  the way. With tensions running high between the 
  Imperium and Consulate, the Travellers will need to 
  tread carefully – but at the same time the Imperium 
  cannot afford to seem weak or ineffectual.
  During the course of their mission, the Travellers will 
  encounter complex situations that cannot be solved by 
  violence; naval officers must be diplomats, warriors, 
  lawyers and anything else that may be required. 
  Assistance will usually be several weeks away and in any 
  case a navy crew are expected to get the job done without 
  yelling for help every time they encounter a setback.
  The mission is one of flag-showing in a neutral area, 
  so a small escort might not be suitable – the mission 
  requires a vessel large enough to undertake an extended 
  deployment and capable enough to impress the 
  populations it visits. 
  A large escort such as the Kinunir-class in High Guard is 
  perhaps the smallest vessel that might be suitable and 
  destroyer-sized ships are even better. An Amara-class heavy 
  cruiser would be an excellent choice for the mission, if one 
  could be spared from the sector fleet’s deployments.
  HOW TO USE 
  THIS BOOK
  This book presents the framework of a naval mission, 
  with guidance on how to use the rules presented in the 
  Naval Campaign Guide. It differs from a conventional 
  Traveller adventure in that the mission can spawn a 
  multitude of adventures, some of which could be quite 
  lengthy. Most will, however, be quite short.
  
  There is no requirement to play out every given incident 
  or situation. The entire mission could be abstracted 
  using the Naval Campaign Guide if desired. However, 
  most Travellers will want to play out at least some of the 
  situations. Each such incidence is referred to as 
  an Adventure.
  Adventures are resolved using a combination of the 
  Traveller Core Rulebook and Naval Campaign Guide. 
  Whenever an individual crewmember or officer performs 
  a task, the Traveller Core Rulebook is used. The actions 
  of larger groups are dealt with using the Naval Campaign 
  Guide rules. By way of example, if the captain’s 
  bodyguard takes a shot at an attacker with his sidearm 
  this is resolved with the combat rules in the Traveller 
  Core Rulebook, whereas a skirmish between a band 
  of raiders and the ship’s marines can be resolved in 
  detail but the Naval Campaign Guide provides a quick 
  resolution system for such encounters. 
  REFEREE’S OUTLINE
  This mission is presented as information for the Referee, 
  along with a set of objectives the Travellers are expected 
  to complete. These will give some structure to the flow 
  of events but it is the Travellers who will decide what 
  they want to do and when. The Travellers may decide 
  to completely ignore some goals or make bad decisions 
  that do not leave sufficient time to complete their 
  objectives. This is their choice; indeed it is what a naval 
  campaign is all about. The Travellers are given a mission 
  and have to decide how to go about accomplishing it. 
  The Referee might offer some advice – perhaps by way 
  of a non-player officer – but ultimately the Travellers 
  make their own choices. If those choices give them 
  no chance for success then the Travellers will have to 
  accept the consequences and learn from them.
  This means that naval missions can be very ‘freeform’. 
  The Referee has information on the places the Travellers 
  will visit and activities of rivals and enemies but how 
  these intersect with the plans of the Travellers will 
  be determined as it happens. Thus this outline is an 
  overview of the events of the mission but not necessarily 
  in the order they will happen. It should be considered to 
  be no more than guidance; the Referee’s judgement is 
  of vastly greater importance than adherence to a pre-
  scripted adventure outline.
  The mission takes place in distinct phases. The first is 
  reasonably safe, with an opportunity to ask questions 
  and get advice. During this phase the Travellers evaluate 
  their command and the mission ahead, and should 
  do some advance planning on how to deal with likely 
  challenges. They will ready their ship at the naval base 
  at Extolay and learn about the situation on the border. 
  The second phase of the mission involves a great deal of 
  Traveller discretion. Their vessel is required to proceed to 
  the world of Arden where they will undertake diplomatic 
  duties and show the flag’in ports around the region. This 
  will lead to the third phase of the mission, in which the 
  Travellers will have to retrieve vessels from an owner who 
  does not want to give them up.
  Mission Brief: The Travellers are given their mission 
  through the normal chain of command, along with the 
  available intelligence.
  Extolay Naval Base: The Travellers have a chance to 
  ready their ship and its crew for the mission. Anything 
  they forget about during this phase will have to be done 
  without and the Referee should not give the Travellers 
  too long. They have a mission to be getting on with, 
  whether their ship is in perfect readiness or not. 
  Diplomatic Duty: The Travellers must pay a visit to Arden 
  and check in with the Imperial officials stationed there, 
  who may have duties for them to perform. The timing 
  of this visit is not fixed; the Travellers could undertake 
  part of their cruise then go to Arden or go to Arden first. 
  At Arden the Travellers are asked to assist in a complex 
  diplomatic matter regarding the possibly illegal court-
  martial of a Zhodani officer named Commander Izshtitl. 
  This will be awkward, given the political tensions 
  between the Imperium and Consulate, and the Travellers 
  must find a way to discharge their duty without assisting 
  a potential enemy too much.
  Showing the Sunburst: The Travellers are required by their 
  mission to show the flag in various ports around the 
  region and make sure they are seen to efficiently carry 
  out the role of a patrolling Imperial Navy vessel. The 
  Travellers can decide which systems to visit and in what 
  order, so long as their overall mission brief is carried out. 
  Along the way they will encounter a number of vessels 
  in systems with varying attitudes to the Imperium and 
  must decide how best to deal with them without causing 
  an interstellar incident.
  Locate and Retrieve: The Travellers are aware that one or 
  more surplus Imperial warships have been sold through 
  inappropriate channels and are in the wrong hands. They 
  are ordered to locate these vessels and return them to 
  the naval base at Extolay, ideally without any details of 
  the incident coming to light outside of naval circles.
  Mission Completion: The Travellers are ordered to return 
  to base, where their performance will be evaluated.
  3
  
  SHIPS AND CREWS
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  The Referee should decide what sort of vessel the 
  Travellers will crew during this mission. It will need 
  to be a warship, and one large enough to carry out 
  an extended patrol, but beyond that the Referee has 
  discretion. The selected vessel might be the INS 
  Sharshana, redeployed after her shakedown cruise 
  in Deneb sector (see Naval Adventure 1: Shakedown 
  Cruise) or a vessel assigned to the Travellers as part of 
  an ongoing naval campaign. Command of a vessel can 
  be temporary; the Travellers may have taken over a ship 
  for this one mission or might be assigned to it on an 
  ongoing basis. 
  The characteristics of INS Sharshana were detailed in 
  Naval Adventure 1: Shakedown Cruise and can be used 
  without alteration. However, whether or not the Travellers 
  have a new ship they must determine its status before 
  the mission can begin. If traits and quirks are already 
  known, they should not be redetermined. Likewise, 
  Crew Efficiency Index (CEI) will be the same as at the 
  end of the last mission, unless some major change has 
  occurred. Effective Crew Efficiency Index (ECEI) will 
  revert to the same value as CEI unless events between 
  missions have caused some major change. Morale 
  (MOR) will revert to its normal value as the effects of 
  any mission events from the last cruise will have faded 
  by the time this mission starts.
  The supply situation must be generated anew. The 
  navy always tries to ensure its ships have everything 
  necessary but what a supply officer at the sector depot 
  thinks the Travellers need may not match their own 
  opinion on the subject. Rules for determining supply 
  status and other necessary characteristics are found in 
  the Naval Campaign Sourcebook. 
  There are no major surprises at this stage. The supply 
  chain is functioning as well as it usually does, which is to 
  say there are shortages of a few components and items, 
  excesses of various things that nobody seems to have a 
  use for, and a few irritating glitches that still have not 
  been ironed out. Although that shipment of Mk-204 jump 
  drive coolant pipe connectors has been on back order for 
  two years there are still none to be had… although there 
  are rumours that an officer from the Jewell subsector fleet 
  knows someone who has a way of getting them.
  The Referee should determine the ship’s supply status 
  as normal and if the Travellers want to work the system 
  to try to get more fully stocked they can do so. However, 
  they are supposed to be out on patrol so there is a limit 
  to how long the Travellers can be permitted to spend 
  scrounging for supplies. 
  The Referee may choose to implement a Campaign 
  Event at the beginning of the mission if this seems 
  desirable but it is probably best to let the Travellers 
  begin their mission without too many complications. 
  Those will arise in due course.
  4
  
  REFEREE’S INFORMATION
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  The following information is for the use of the Referee. 
  How much of it is revealed to the Travellers, and in what 
  form, is as always a decision for individual Referees. The 
  Travellers will have access to an up-to-date database of 
  information on star systems, naval deployments and so 
  forth, and will have access to data not normally available 
  to civilians. However, intelligence is not always perfect 
  and some matters are kept secret even within the 
  navy. So, although command of a warship is a position 
  of great trust that brings with it many benefits, the 
  Travellers will never have 100% accurate and complete 
  information and must often determine the facts of a 
  situation for themselves. 
  ATTITUDE AND 
  COOPERATION
  The attitude of a world’s population and level of 
  legal cooperation the Travellers can expect from its 
  government, are not always the same. For example, a 
  population (and government) that despises and hates 
  the Imperium may have treaties in place that require 
  cooperation with navy patrols and law enforcement 
  officials pursuing fugitives. Cooperation in this case will 
  be reluctant and the Travellers may have to remind the 
  government about its treaty obligations before receiving 
  aid. The following levels of attitude and cooperation 
  indicate the degree of trouble the Traveller may have to 
  go to in order to carry out their duties.
  ATTITUDE
  The attitude of a population towards the Imperium is 
  typically displayed in the form of enthusiastic greetings 
  to a ship, dragging of feet over supply requests and 
  other relatively nebulous indicators. An anti-Imperial 
  population might harass crews in port; a pro-Imperial 
  one may have discounts for personnel in uniform. 
  Attitude does not describe the population’s obligations 
  towards the Imperium but does indicate how willingly 
  they are discharged. Note that extreme views are rare 
  and will be immediately obvious unless the population is 
  secretly plotting revolt.
  The attitude of a population imposes a DM on 
  appropriate checks and mission segment resolution. 
  For example, trying to obtain information from a port 
  authority run by an anti-Imperial government would 
  require an Investigate check at DM-4. The attitude 
  towards another state might impose a DM at the 
  Referee’s discretion, such as a situation where the 
  Travellers point out that if they are not permitted to 
  carry out an action the locally unpopular Zhodani 
  Consulate will benefit.
  Attitude Modifiers
  Attitude
  Effect
  Extremely Anti-Imperial DM-8 on appropriate checks
  Anti-Imperial
  DM-4 on appropriate checks
  Slightly Anti-Imperial
  DM-2 on appropriate checks
  Neutral
  None
  Slightly Pro-Imperial
  DM+2 on appropriate checks
  Pro-Imperial
  DM+4 on appropriate checks
  Extremely Pro-Imperial
  DM+8 on appropriate checks
  COOPERATION
  The degree of cooperation the Travellers can expect is 
  dictated by treaties, precedents, long-standing informal 
  agreements and simple habit, as well as the impression 
  the local government has of the Imperium – which is 
  one reason for flag-showing cruises. A world government 
  that cannot detect and track vessels in its system will 
  be unaware of events in space, so for the most part 
  its degree of cooperation does not matter. However, 
  the Imperial Navy must still be seen to respect world 
  governments’ sovereign territory, so blatant action on 
  the planetary surface or in low orbit could still cause 
  an incident.
  A world’s degree of cooperation can be ignored if 
  necessary but the action must be justified at the end 
  of the mission. For example, a navy ship might blast 
  a known pirate over a world that expressly forbids 
  any interference with ships in its local space. Whilst 
  within the remit of the Imperial Navy, this will cause an 
  incident that must be smoothed over by diplomats. The 
  decision to act despite local attitudes is a tough one but 
  if the Travellers can demonstrate a need that outweighs 
  the harm done to interstellar relations their actions will 
  be acceptable. 
  5
  
  However, an action of this sort concerns more than just 
  the local system government as it displays a level of 
  contempt for world governments outside the Imperium, 
  so ‘one pirate less’ is not always a good enough reason. 
  Sometimes a navy ship will need to let a suspect 
  vessel go in order to preserve interstellar diplomacy. 
  Galling as it is, this sort of decision is necessary when 
  commanding a warship.
  Note that cooperation is not always helpful. A world that 
  dislikes the Imperium but has multiple treaties in place 
  might ‘cooperate’ by finding obscure treaty clauses that 
  require a visiting navy ship to jump through hoops or 
  provide assistance with trivial problems that could just 
  as easily have been dealt with locally. 
  In general, low-key, discreet actions combined with a 
  policy of politely informing the local world government of 
  the Travellers’ actions or intentions will keep governments 
  from taking exception. Asking permission, even if it is 
  not required, is often a good way to avoid antagonising a 
  government when operating in their home system.
  If the Travellers take some action that is opposed by 
  the world government, there is a chance of a diplomatic 
  incident. It may seem to the Travellers that upsetting 
  the rulers of 8,000 people on some rockball is of no 
  Cooperation & Opposition
  Level of Cooperation
  Effect
  Chance of Incident (2D check)
  War or Open Hostility
  Open hostility, refusal to cooperate at all, possible military 
  action
  Irrelevant
  Highly Active 
  Opposition
  Constant interference and harassment
  3+
  Active Opposition
  Frequent demands for information and clarification, slow 
  or partial cooperation with requests
  6+
  Passive Opposition
  Occasional interference by officials, slow response to 
  requests
  9+
  Neutral
  General acceptance of most actions, providing the 
  Travellers are polite and discreet
  12+
  Passive Cooperation
  Acceptance of most actions, even quite robust use of naval 
  authority
  None
  Active Cooperation
  Active support of the Travellers’ actions 
  None
  Highly Active 
  Cooperation
  Strong approval of most actions, including robust or even 
  aggressive action against disliked powers
  None
  consequence but their superiors will be concerned about 
  the message it sends to the wider interstellar community 
  and also what it indicates about the Travellers’ 
  propensity for starting wars the Imperium does not want. 
  Any time the Travellers board a ship or otherwise use 
  the authority of the navy in a system that does not 
  have at least passive cooperation, there is a chance of 
  an incident. If the situation involves weapons fire or 
  particularly blatant actions on the part of the Travellers, 
  this chance is subject to DM+4 on the Cooperation & 
  Opposition table. Blatant actions include threatening to 
  fire on a vessel without good cause, aggressive actions 
  towards crews or planetside populations, ignoring local 
  space traffic laws in a way that puts other ships in 
  danger or refusing to comply with a direct instruction 
  not to take action. 
  If an incident occurs, it can be smoothed over by the 
  Travellers by making an Average (8+) Diplomat check with 
  a DM determined by the world’s attitude. Success indicates 
  a tense situation defused into grumbling and irritation. 
  Failure will result in the world’s attitude and cooperation 
  becoming temporarily one category worse, which will affect 
  all Imperial vessels in the area and require some explaining 
  when the Travellers return to port.
  6
  
  THE IRKUNAKA 
  SITUATION
  When an Imperial Navy vessel reaches the end of its 
  service life it may be ‘mothballed’ against future need or 
  disposed of by a variety of means. Often, older vessels 
  are stripped of their most sensitive systems and offered 
  for sale. The navy is careful about who is permitted to 
  buy surplus ships, as it does not want the damage to 
  its reputation that might result from a former navy ship 
  turning raider. Acceptable clients are normally world 
  governments, shipping lines and licensed mercenaries.
  In this mission, the process has gone awry. One or 
  more former naval vessels have been purchased by 
  an apparently reputable client, only to turn up in 
  the Imperium/Consulate frontier region behaving 
  suspiciously. Back tracking paperwork has indicated the 
  vessels were purchased by a shell corporation and are 
  now being operated by an unknown group. Sightings 
  have been reported in the Arden region. It is possible 
  that the ships are being used by Arden itself, in an effort 
  to increase its naval power, or by a group with a political 
  agenda. Whether pro-Imperial or not, the situation 
  is unacceptable and the vessels must be returned to 
  Imperial ownership. 
  One of these ships is named Irkunaka. The Referee 
  should decide if this vessel is the only one or whether 
  there are several and their specific identities. Ideally, 
  the missing ships should be sufficient to pose a modest 
  threat to the Travellers’ vessel. If the Travellers have a 
  cruiser then the missing vessel should be a light cruiser 
  or large destroyer; a Mercenary Cruiser or three Patrol 
  Corvettes would be sufficient to pose a threat to a 
  Kinunir-class colonial cruiser and so forth. 
  One advantage of being in the navy is that you have 
  firepower on your side, most of the time. However, 
  naval adventures are not so much about using the big 
  guns as deciding when and how to use them… or not. 
  The Travellers will have to do some detective work to 
  find this ship (or ships) and decide how to tackle the 
  problem. Hoping for a chance encounter is one option 
  but this may occur in a system where taking action 
  would cause diplomatic problems. The Travellers will 
  have to choose between letting their target go or causing 
  an incident.
  Irkunaka, and any consorts she may have, are now 
  owned and operated by a group opposed to any Zhodani 
  presence in the area. Some crewmembers are actively 
  anti-Zhodani, others merely collecting a generous salary 
  to crew the vessels but their senior officers and backers 
  are all politically motivated. Most consider the Imperial 
  stance in the region to be far too soft and feel the 
  navy should put the ‘Joes’ in their place to keep them 
  on the defensive. 
  Most of the time these vessels are used to protect local 
  traffic and create a good impression with their smartness 
  and professionalism. Beneath the surface, however, 
  is an anti-Zhodani message and stance that – at its 
  mildest – borders on confrontational. These people are 
  not concerned about the niceties of diplomacy and feel 
  that trying to avoid another Frontier War is the best way 
  to ensure one breaks out. The Imperium should stand 
  strong, they believe, and they are prepared to lead 
  by example.
  Whilst the Travellers might actually agree with some of 
  these sentiments, the misappropriated ships are a threat 
  to the stability of the region. If war really is coming, it 
  will come, but it would be better if it were not triggered 
  by a bunch of loose cannon ship operators causing 
  incidents on the frontier. 
  There is also the question of the backers behind 
  this group. An investigation might lead to some 
  uncomfortable places if senior naval or political officials 
  are assisting groups like this to forment trouble on 
  the frontier. However, that is above the Travellers’ pay 
  grade. They have been ordered to bring these ships in 
  and arrest officers for investigation. They might even be 
  acquitted but the process must be carried out and the 
  threat to local stability eliminated.
  The missing ships are based on one of the minor worlds 
  in the region, at an improvised spaceport away from the 
  world’s main port. The crews have the support of the 
  local population and have generally acted honourably, 
  although they harass Zhodani shipping and crews 
  suspected to have pro-Zhodani leanings. Overall, these 
  vessels and their operators are well-respected, and even 
  liked, and are not ‘bad guys’ in the usual sense. But all 
  the same, the Travellers must bring them in.
  It might be possible to negotiate a return to Extolay 
  naval base and surrender to investigation, or encourage 
  mutiny among the less political of the crew. Failing this, 
  the Travellers may have to fight people who are basically 
  on their side and might in so doing ‘prove’ the point that 
  the navy is too soft on enemies of the Imperium. Such 
  is the nature of naval command; orders must be obeyed 
  and officers need to have faith that their superiors are 
  making the best choice in a complex situation.
  7
  
  Where Are They Based? 
  The Referee might decide at the beginning of the 
  adventure which world is hosting the rogue ships 
  or could leave it open. That way the Travellers have 
  no way of knowing where they need to search and 
  must use the intel-gathering process described in 
  this mission. If they visited the rogue ships’ base 
  whilst they were away, it might not be apparent 
  that anything unusual was happening; the base is 
  simply a place where the crews take downtime and 
  obtain supplies. It is not in any way a major facility.
  Likely candidates for a base are pro-Imperial or pro-
  Arden worlds, outsystem planets with no population 
  other than a small mining camp or the like, or 
  divided worlds where events at one city are unlikely 
  to be heard about at others or the main port.
  THE JEWELL-VILIS 
  FRONTIER
  The Jewell and Vilis subsectors represent the primary 
  frontier between the Imperium and Zhodani Consulate. 
  They are different in strategic and political character, 
  each presenting their own challenges to Imperial 
  planners. The ‘Fortress Worlds’ of the Jewell Cluster 
  are within a single jump of Zhodani territory, facing the 
  formidable Zhodani bases of the so-called Riverland 
  Wall. In any future conflict these systems are likely to 
  be attacked without warning.
  Imperial strategic thinking on this matter has varied 
  over time. Once, the Fortress World systems were used 
  as forward bases for heavy elements of the Spinward 
  Marches sector fleet but the possibility of defeat in 
  detail by an overwhelming surprise attack caused a 
  change to a defend-and-reinforce strategy. The system 
  defence forces maintained by the worlds of the Jewell 
  Cluster are heavily subsidised with Imperial funds and 
  additional defensive vessels, such as non-jump-capable 
  Imperial Navy battle riders, are assigned to these 
  systems. Whether or not these forces are sufficient to 
  prevent the fall of the Jewell Cluster is an oft-debated 
  question but they are certainly sufficient to inflict heavy 
  losses on an invader.
  The rimward end of Jewell subsector and all of Vilis 
  subsector are outside Zhodani territory, creating a buffer 
  zone through which an attacking fleet would have to 
  advance. This translates into warning time – although 
  not much in the case of some systems – providing a good 
  watch is kept on neutral systems. Imperial and Zhodani 
  vessels patrol frontier systems, both openly and covertly. 
  In addition to naval vessels, spy ships posing as innocent 
  merchants collect data as they ply the local spacelanes.
  Both the Imperium and Consulate have contingency 
  plans in place for an offensive or defensive war – and for 
  many other eventualities too. Both seek an advantage 
  exploitable in the event of war, knowing that possession 
  of such an advantage might be a useful bargaining tool 
  for concessions elsewhere. If either the Imperium or 
  Consulate were to obtain a forward naval base in the 
  frontier area, the opposition’s warning time would be 
  greatly reduced, so both powers expend considerable 
  resources on preventing the other from establishing 
  treaties with neutral worlds that might allow a forward 
  base to be constructed.
  This game is played at many levels and in a variety of 
  ways. Diplomats maintain friendly relations and the navy 
  reminds local governments of the Imperium’s power. 
  Investors help friends of the Imperium become more 
  prosperous or counter Zhodani offers. News reports are 
  spun and twisted, and whilst all this is going on the 
  agents of both powers try to keep tabs on what the other 
  is up to.
  Arden
  Although it is only just a starfaring power, the world of 
  Arden is powerful locally. Its position on the Spinward 
  Main between Zhodani and Imperial territory makes 
  Arden a prime location for a forward naval base and both 
  powers have long desired to create one. Arden, in turn, 
  benefits from concessions and investments made by 
  greater powers wishing to prevent the world becoming 
  too friendly with the other. 
  Arden has begun to extend its influence over the 
  surrounding worlds, apparently intent on creating a 
  small alliance or economic empire. There is much 
  debate as to whether this ‘Federation of Arden’, as it is 
  popularly called, already exists. Certainly the attitudes of 
  local world governments have changed in recent years, 
  generally falling into line with Arden’s position. 
  8
  
  Naturally, this makes Arden even more important in the 
  strategic planning of both the Imperium and Consulate. 
  Occasional goodwill visits by naval vessels to the region 
  have now become near-constant patrols, with Imperial 
  embassies expanded and often surrounded by a small 
  Imperial Economic Zone. The Consulate similarly 
  maintains an increasingly large presence on worlds of 
  the region, offering aid for projects from infrastructure 
  construction to artistic endeavours.
  The ruling oligarchs of Arden are divided on whether the 
  Imperium or Consulate is the most useful friend to have. 
  Some are positively inclined towards one or the other, 
  whilst the remainder are suspicious of the motivations 
  of both. Open conflict between them would be bad for 
  Arden but a ‘cold war’ situation can be manipulated to 
  Arden’s benefit. 
  The Spinward Main
  An arm of the Spinward Main runs spinward from 
  Extolay, though it sees far less jump-1 traffic than the 
  arm running coreward towards Efate. Many worlds on 
  the spinward arm are unimportant, with no profits to 
  be made on trade. The arm serves as a link between 
  Imperial space and the Consulate, so there is money to 
  be made at each end for those willing to make the trip. 
  Most trade moving along the arm uses the jump-2 route 
  running from Sheyou via Rapp’s World, Caloran, Zircon, 
  Tremous Dex and Tionale to Extolay. Some vessels plod 
  back and forth through all systems of the arm but most 
  jump-1 traffic is localised to one of the Class B ports 
  on the route, typically operating on a two-jumps-out/
  two-jumps-back basis rather than making the long haul 
  from one end to the other. This has the effect of creating 
  distinct economic zones around Arden and Tremous Dex, 
  with cultural influences following suit.
  Many of the jump-2 ships plying the route terminate at 
  Tremous Dex, conducting trade there and turning back 
  for Extolay or Sheyou. Tremous Dex is thus the most 
  important trade port on the arm, despite efforts on the 
  part of the government of Arden to become the local 
  trade hub.
  Extolay Naval Base
  Extolay naval base is a small installation intended to 
  support patrol operations along the Spinward Main and 
  act as a staging point for missions to spinward. Heavy 
  fleet elements such as cruisers and battleships are 
  based at Regina, two parsecs away, enabling the base’s 
  considerable in-system defence force to call on their 
  support at need. 
  The base is entirely capable of supporting large ships 
  for a short time but lacks the extensive repair and refit 
  facilities of a major fleet base. Its own forces are a 
  collection of escorts and handful of destroyers which 
  operate primarily on the local section of the Spinward 
  Main. Standing patrols are maintained on both sides 
  of the Imperial border, not least to conduct checks on 
  vessels passing in and out of Imperial space
  Stave (E7667A8-2)
  Stave is considered a very low-priority location by the 
  Admiralty. As a low-tech world with no significant 
  industrial capability it has no ability to influence the 
  course of any future conflict or actions of any power in its 
  star system. An advanced base built there would benefit 
  the Consulate little as Stave is directly on their border 
  and there is already a base at neighbouring Sheyou.
  Frond (E9C3000-9)
  Frond is a hostile world inhabited only by a few 
  thousand workers and their families. However, these 
  people are, for the most part, Imperial citizens employed 
  by corporations registered in the Imperium and therefore 
  entitled to the protection of the Imperial Navy. Frond is 
  of low priority but a visit from time-to-time is desirable 
  as a counter to discontent arising from being ‘forgotten’ 
  by the Imperium.
  Caloran (C796746-5)
  Caloran is an agricultural world of little direct 
  significance. However, it would be a breadbasket for 
  any expansion programme in the region, including 
  Arden, and is thus a target for diplomatic initiatives. An 
  appraisal of current attempts by Arden to increase its 
  influence would be useful to Imperial planners. 
  Although officially non-aligned, Caloran is at present 
  extremely pro-Arden in outlook as a result of investment 
  projects and long-term diplomacy. It is also friendly to 
  the Consulate and rather cool towards the Imperium. 
  899-076 (E201300-8)
  899-076 is a rockball world with a few thousand
  inhabitants living in scattered mining settlements. It
  has no political or economic significance but could
  be expanded into a major resource extraction site
  with enough effort. The various communities are
  independent of one another and have differing outlooks
  towards the powers of the region. Settlements of this
  sort are sometimes raided by pirates, seeking saleable
  machinery, or forced to support their operations.
  9
  
  Zenopit (D430546-7)
  Little more than a rockball, Zenopit is home to slightly 
  more than half a million people, most employed in 
  resource extraction industries or supporting businesses. 
  The starport, although of very basic quality, brings in 
  a modest income from passing jump-1 ships headed 
  for Arden or the Consulate end of the Spinward Main. 
  Zenopit is strongly inclined towards Arden, a little less 
  so towards the Consulate and downright unfriendly 
  towards Imperials.
  Arden (B5549CB-9)
  Arden is a habitable world, with water and a thin 
  atmosphere. Development was slow after colonisation, 
  both in terms of population growth and technological 
  development, and with each step forward came ever 
  more bureaucracy. Arden’s social order is based upon 
  regulations, laws and codes of practice governing all 
  activities, overseen by an entrenched oligarchical elite 
  who have a vested interest in maintaining the status 
  quo. Arden’s starport is notorious for its strangulous 
  bureaucracy which makes the simplest of tasks a 
  maddening to-and-fro between administrative offices.
  Arden is officially neutral towards all other governments, 
  including the Imperium and Consulate. Its degree of 
  favour towards one or the other can vary, and initiatives 
  to improve relations with Arden always seem to involve 
  investment or concessions that benefit the ruling 
  elite. If Arden were to permit long-term Zhodani naval 
  deployments or a base, the available response time for 
  Imperial forces in Vilis subsector would be significantly 
  reduced. This is an unacceptable situation which must 
  be prevented.
  Zircon (C792678-8)
  With a dense, tainted atmosphere and little surface water, 
  Zircon is not the jewel it was named for. Nevertheless, it 
  is home to around six million people divided into several 
  loose polities. This is less about conflict and confrontation 
  than social fragmentation; most communities are self-
  sufficient and have little contact with one another. As 
  a result, there is no real world government as such and 
  little social unity. Nor is there violence between the 
  communities; most lack the capability to harm the others 
  even if it seemed desirable. 
  Some of Zircon’s settlements are heavily influenced by 
  Arden, and Imperial analysts predict a diplomatic and 
  economic takeover in the next few years. It is not clear 
  at this time what the implications for the local strategic 
  situation might be. 
  Utoland (C573474-7)
  Like many similar worlds, Utoland has a single major 
  city – if it can be called that – and several smaller 
  communities located atop mineral deposits. The world 
  is largely dependent upon imports for equipment and 
  consumer goods, exporting raw minerals in return. The 
  population is roughly divided into three small polities; 
  the ‘capital’ population around the starport are very 
  pro-Arden and anti-Zhodani, whilst the main clusters of 
  smaller settlements are more neutral in outlook. There 
  is also a significant population of Imperial expatriates 
  working on Utoland, who retain a favourable disposition 
  towards the Imperium.
  Pequan (E5656B9-4)
  Pequan is a habitable world populated by around seven 
  million people, a mid-tech society ruled by an oppressive 
  dictatorship that maintains cool but cordial relations with 
  all local powers. Pequan does not seem to favour one 
  over another but has been the site of a series of incidents 
  involving attacks on shipping or harassment of trader 
  crews on-planet. Some of these incidents have led to 
  periods of poor relations with other worlds but ultimately 
  Pequan’s dictator needs what little trade comes through 
  and cannot risk alienating too many ship operators.
  Tremous Dex (B511411-C)
  Tremous Dex is a barely inhabited rockball of a world, 
  with only a trace atmosphere and a little surface ice 
  that can be cracked for fuel. Most shipping ignores the 
  downport and stops at the large orbital facility. Run by the 
  Tremous Dex Starport Corporation, the port mainly serves 
  the jump-2 route between the Imperium and Consulate. 
  There is no population on-planet other than starport 
  workers and their families, and only a little industry 
  geared to reducing the need for imported spares and 
  components. Despite the lack of a local economy, 
  Tremous Dex is prosperous due to the amount of trade 
  conducted at the highport and provision of services to 
  passing ships. 
  Rangent (E67A612-7)
  Rangent is almost entirely covered in seas, which 
  are farmed to provide the world’s only exports. A few 
  small cities exist on the available land masses and in 
  shallow water, from which huge factory-ships make long 
  cruises and submersibles tend the world’s extensive 
  aquaculture industry. There is no starport as such, 
  just landing sites on some of the larger islands where 
  seafood and seaweed products can be trans-shipped. 
  10
  
  0709
  0708
  0711
  0710
  0713
  0714
  0809
  0808
  0811
  0810
  0812
  0813
  0814
  0909
  0908
  0911
  0910
  0912
  0913
  0914
  1009
  1008
  1011
  1010
  1012
  1013
  1014
  1109
  1108
  1111
  1110
  1112
  1113
  1114
  1209
  1208
  1408
  1211
  1210
  1212
  1213
  1214
  1308
  1311
  1310
  1309
  1312
  1313
  1314
  1409
  1411
  1410
  1412
  1413
  1414
  1509
  1508
  1511
  1510
  1512
  1513
  1514
  1609
  1608
  1808
  1611
  1610
  1612
  1613
  1614
  1708
  1711
  1710
  1709
  1712
  1713
  1714
  1809
  1811
  1810
  1812
  1813
  1814
  0712
  B-6
  Lanth Subsector
  Regina Subsector
  Vilis Subsector
  Jewell Subsector
  Gas Giant
  Starport Class & Tech Level
  Imperial Naval Base
  Scout Base
  Military base/Garrisson
  Secure System
  Amber Zone
  Third Imperium 
  Zhodani Consulate
  Planet (dry)
  Planet (water present)
  Querion Subsector
  Cronor Subsector
  ARDEN
  B-9
  EDININA
  E-7
  GOUGESTE
  C-A
  QUAR
  B-B
  PEQUAN
  E-4
  TIONALE
  C-8
  RUNIE
  C-7
  FROND
  E-9
  DINOM
  D-A
  CALORAN
  C-5
  ZIRCON
  DIGITIS
  E-6
  728-907
  E-0
  DENOTAM
  B-A
  RANGENT
  E-7
  899-076
  E-8
  ZENOPIT
  D-7
  C-8
  UTOLAND
  C-7
  871-438
  E-0
  PHLUME
  C-8
  EXTOLAY
  B-A
  JENGHE
  C-9
  TREMOUS DEX
  B-C
  STAVE
  E-2
  RAPP’S WORLD
  C-8
  FORBOLDN
  D-5
  B5549CB-9
  E400220-7
  C572510-A
  B532720-B
  E5656B9-4
  C674321-8
  C776977-7
  E9C3300-9
  D300535-A
  C796746-5
  E53668A-6
  E955000-0
  B739573-A
  E67A612-7
  E722000-0
  C887624-8
  B55589A-A
  C799663-9
  D893614-5
  C792668-8
  C573464-7
  E201300-8
  D430546-7
  B511411-C
  E7667A8-2
  C592320-8
  11
  
  Smaller starships can land directly on the factory-ships 
  as they ply the world’s oceans, taking on cargo without 
  ever interacting with the world’s population. As a result, 
  the five million or so inhabitants are largely isolated 
  from the wider universe and uninterested in offworld 
  events. Almost the entire population is employed by the 
  Rangent Corporation, which provides a governmental 
  function but is first and foremost a commercial entity.
  Tionale (C674321-8)
  Tionale lacks the population to be an important world 
  economically but its position on the jump-2 route from 
  Extolay to Sheyou brings in significant income from 
  vessels using the port. For complex historical reasons, 
  which do not seem entirely valid to most outsiders, 
  Arden is viewed with great suspicion by the people 
  of Tionale and ships of Arden registry are less than 
  enthusiastically welcomed. Tionale is a client state of 
  the Imperium and will probably become a member world 
  at some point. At present visiting naval personnel can 
  expect a warm welcome accompanied by inflated drinks 
  prices in the starport bars.
  Phlume (C887624-8)
  Phlume lies just within the Imperial border and can be 
  described in socio-economic terms as a typical ‘market 
  world’. Its own technology is of the late pre-starfaring 
  era, which creates ideal conditions for Imperial 
  corporations to sell higher-tech goods at lucrative prices 
  to a population with enough money to buy them in 
  quantity. Phlume’s modest starport sees considerable 
  numbers of jump-1 trade ships from Extolay, some of 
  which push on to Tionale before turning around. 
  The system gets regular visits from vessels out of Extolay 
  naval base, typically small escorts. The navy is popular 
  on Phlume and a visit by a more impressive ship can 
  be something of an occasion. It is not uncommon for 
  captains to be bombarded with requests for visits-
  aboard. Some come from government officials, some 
  from community groups and some from every wise 
  captain’s nightmare… the school party. For officers 
  assigned to usher a mob of 7-year-olds around 
  the vessel, a visit can be something of a trial. It is 
  considered good for public relations and recruitment, 
  however, and crews are encouraged to accommodate 
  requests where possible.
  Attitude Summary Table
  The following table indicates the general attitude of the 
  world government towards the Imperium and the level of 
  legal cooperation in place
  Attitude Summary
  System
  Attitude
  Cooperation
  Stave 
  Neutral
  Neutral
  Frond
  Slightly 
  Pro-Imperial
  Passive Cooperation
  Caloran
  Slightly 
  Anti-Imperial
  Neutral
  899-076
  Varies
  Passive Opposition
  Zenopit
  Anti-Imperial
  Active Opposition
  Arden
  Neutral
  Passive Opposition
  Zircon
  Varies
  Passive Opposition
  Utoland
  Slightly 
  Pro-Imperial
  Passive Cooperation
  Pequan
  Slightly 
  Anti-Imperial
  Passive Opposition
  Tremous Dex
  Neutral
  Neutral
  Rangent
  Neutral
  Passive Opposition
  Tionale
  Pro-Imperial
  Passive Cooperation
  Phlume
  Pro-Imperial
  Active Cooperation
  12
  
  GUIDANCE FOR REFEREES
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  Running a naval campaign can be a tricky business. 
  The Travellers need to make their own decisions, even 
  if those are questionable, but at the same time they 
  may need guidance on how to proceed within the 
  guidelines of naval service. A successful naval mission 
  also requires a greater degree of forward planning on 
  the part of the Travellers than the typical happy-go-lucky 
  adventuring band might be used to. 
  Once out on the mission the Travellers are very much 
  masters of their own fate but they cannot ignore their 
  orders without ultimately facing censure. Nor can 
  they treat their crew as automatons without eventually 
  running into trouble. The Referee should make available 
  some indication of how things are going in the form 
  of overheard comments from crew and officers or even 
  an outspoken subordinate adversely comparing the 
  Travellers to her last command team. Similarly, hints 
  should be made that things are going well. The crew are 
  experienced navy personnel for the most part and will 
  know when everything is running as it should.
  The Mission Success Criteria should not be revealed to 
  the Travellers. They may be inferred from the mission 
  orders but the Travellers will not be certain exactly 
  what they need to do for perfect mission success. 
  Mission orders should always be comprehensible – 
  unless garbled orders are an intentional part of the 
  mission – and Referees should take care to ensure that 
  the Travellers can figure out at least most of what the 
  Admiralty wants them to do. This is not the same as 
  providing them with a blueprint for obtaining the most 
  medals from the mission. 
  SHOWING THE 
  SUNBURST
  Showing the flag is an important part of naval operations 
  in peacetime. The Travellers need to ensure their ship 
  is a visible presence but not a nuisance. Within the 
  Imperium, naval ships have considerable powers to 
  enforce laws or conduct boardings of suspect craft. 
  Beyond the frontier the situation is a lot less clear.
  A naval ship is always permitted to act in self-defence 
  or the protection of innocent vessels, at least under the 
  Imperial regulations. However, the Travellers are not in 
  the Imperium and there are many in the Arden region 
  who think Imperial rules do not apply to them. Force 
  of arms, or the threat of it, can be used but this may 
  create an interstellar incident. The Travellers might not 
  think offending some tin-pot world government matters 
  all that much but interstellar relations are a tricky 
  business. The conduct of an Imperial warship towards 
  one government can influence the opinion of others.
  Thus the Travellers need to tread carefully without 
  seeming weak. As a rule their methods can be more 
  robust in areas that are pro-imperial whereas those 
  not well disposed towards the Imperium should not be 
  antagonised by Travellers throwing their weight around. 
  The decision whether or not to stop and search a suspect 
  vessel should be driven by wider concerns than whether 
  the Travellers have the firepower to get away with it.
  As to the mission itself, the order in which the Travellers 
  visit their target systems, and how long they spend 
  there, is for them to decide. Some systems are so 
  insignificant the Travellers might choose not to go at 
  all but a system never visited could become a haven 
  for pirates or an assembly point for an invasion fleet. 
  Conversely, a vessel that spends most of its cruise 
  poking around outsystem rockballs will not be seen by 
  the mainworld population it was sent to impress.
  During the flag-showing section of the mission the 
  Travellers may encounter incidents and situations 
  created using the system in the Naval Campaign 
  Sourcebook as well as those scripted in this adventure. 
  The Referee should try not to give much away about the 
  importance of any given incident as it begins to develop. 
  The Travellers may miss their best chance to deal with 
  a problem out of complacency or leap to action stations 
  over some trivial matter. The Referee should give 
  the Travellers the information they would reasonably 
  have and let them make their choices. If this leads to 
  mistakes, they will have to deal with the outcome. 
  
  Why Visit These Rockballs?  
  The Travellers’ primary mission is to be seen 
  by enough people and ship crews to create an 
  impression of Imperial power and presence. 
  Considering this alone, the Travellers might come 
  to the conclusion to allocate their time to the 
  highest population worlds. This is a sensible idea 
  on the face of it but there are good reasons to visit 
  at least some of the rockballs of the region. Firstly, 
  maintaining a presence, however intermittent, is 
  important to prevent populations losing touch with 
  the Imperium. The loss of a minor world is of no 
  great consequence but there can be a ripple effect 
  when it becomes apparent that the Imperium simply 
  does not care about people living in the backwaters. 
  There are additional factors as well. A system 
  known to be ignored by the navy is a potential 
  pirate haven and if navy ships only go to these 
  places when something is happening, the navy’s 
  intentions become obvious. It is better to maintain 
  an occasional presence so observers cannot be 
  sure whether a visit is simply routine or something 
  is afoot. Thus it is necessary, but not vital, to visit 
  at least some backwater systems during a patrol.
  14
  
  THE MISSION
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  The Travellers receive their orders at Extolay naval base.
  THE SEALED 
  SECTION
  The sealed part of the Travellers’ orders should be 
  revealed to the captain only. He or she may share 
  these orders or part of them with officers and crew, 
  as necessary, but operational security requires that 
  information be on a need-to-know basis.
  Additional Orders
  You are to locate and take possession of the vessels 
  listed here. All are former Imperial Navy ships sold 
  as surplus to requirements and obtained under false 
  pretences by an unknown operator through a shell 
  corporation. All vessels are to be returned to Extolay 
  naval base. Personnel are considered a secondary 
  priority. Whilst arrests are desirable, and information on 
  the process by which the ships were obtained would be 
  valuable, your priority is to ensure that these vessels are 
  returned to Imperial Navy control.
  You are reminded of the possible implications of a 
  former navy warship operating as a rogue element in 
  this highly sensitive area. Destruction of the vessels 
  should be considered as a last resort if recapture proves 
  impossible. Discretion is strongly advised.
  (Identity of vessels follows)*
  *The Referee should insert the names and class of the
  vessels he has decided will be the target of this mission
  and should give a general indication of their capabilities.
  WHAT THE 
  ORDERS MEAN
  Put simply, the Travellers have been ordered to move 
  among the worlds within 3 parsecs of Arden, reminding 
  everyone that the Imperial Navy is a force in the region. 
  They are to tread carefully rather than throwing their 
  weight around and be diplomatic rather than blustering. 
  Their vessel is to make short visits to several star 
  systems and an extended stay in one, although whether 
  this is a visit to the mainworld or patrol of the outsystem 
  is up to the Travellers. In addition, the Travellers are to 
  visit Arden and see if the Imperial ambassador there has 
  jobs for them.
  This is a very general brief but not untypical of naval 
  patrol orders. The Travellers have sufficient discretion that 
  nobody at base knows exactly where their ship will be at 
  any given time. This prevents an information leak warning 
  potential wrongdoers where the patrols are going.
  The sealed component of the orders is the most 
  important part of the mission, as the Travellers should 
  be able to infer. The navy considers these ships a threat 
  to the stability of the region even if they are not in anti-
  Imperial hands. An ideal solution is to bring them back 
  to Extolay naval base with a prize crew aboard and key 
  officers as prisoners – and to do it without local world 
  governments realising anything has happened.
  MISSION 
  SUCCESS CRITERIA
  The Travellers ought to be able to infer some of their 
  mission success criteria from their orders. However, the 
  events that are about to unfold will create new criteria 
  the Travellers could not have predicted. Once it becomes 
  apparent unusual events are unfolding, the Travellers 
  may be able to figure out what would be a successful 
  outcome. However, the situation is complex and there 
  are no perfect answers.
  See the Naval Campaign Guide for details of the Mission 
  Success Indicator (MSI). The Referee must assess 
  success using the guidelines below.
  Criterion 1
  Conduct flag-showing and general patrol operations in 
  the designated area of operations and return to base 
  within the expected time frame.
  Importance: Routine
  Complete Success (MSI +2): The Travellers manage to 
  visit at least five star systems in addition to Arden and 
  also conduct the extended patrol as ordered. In any 
  given system this means either ‘showing the flag’ at 
  
  MACENE/SPINWARD MARCHES: 
  FRONTIER PATROL OPERATIONS
  Sir, You are hereby requested and required to 
  proceed aboard your vessel and undertake a 
  discretionary patrol among the trans-border 
  worlds of Jewell and Vilis subsectors. Your 
  area of operations will be the Arden Proximity 
  Group. You are to make visits of no less 
  than four days in-system to at least five star 
  systems in the area of operations, in addition 
  to an extended patrol in one star system of 
  your choice. A goodwill visit to Arden is also 
  to be undertaken, of duration not less than 
  10 standard days. During this visit you will 
  render assistance as necessary to the Imperial 
  ambassador at Arden. Your visit should 
  commence within 8 weeks of mission start.
  Your mission duration is 16 weeks from 
  departure to return, subject to an approximately 
  2-week discretionary variance. Your vessel will
  be declared overdue at 20 weeks.
  ORDERS
  ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
  Particular attention should be paid to the 
  political situation in the region, notably 
  the disposition of local populations and 
  governments towards Arden, the Zhodani 
  Consulate and the Imperium. Tensions 
  between the Imperium and the Consulate 
  should not be escalated.
  An additional sealed section has been 
  appended to these orders. It must not be 
  opened until the vessel has entered jump en 
  route to begin its mission 
  INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT
  Zhodani Consulate vessels are highly active in 
  this region. Harassment and intimidation of 
  Imperial-registered commercial traffic has been 
  reported, although little hard evidence exists of 
  such activities. Local governments can deploy 
  only minor forces. The threat of significant 
  corsair activity is also low.
  INFORMATION
  Patrol area designated the Arden Proximity 
  consists of the following systems:
  •
  Stave
  •
  Frond
  •
  Caloran
  •
  Zenopit
  •
  Arden
  •
  Zircon
  •
  Utoland
  •
  Tremous Dex
  Your vessel is to provide a highly visible 
  presence in the region, reassuring friendly 
  populations and reaffirming the Imperial 
  Navy’s commitment to monitoring the area. 
  Due consideration should be given to requests 
  for assistance from world governments. It 
  is considered desirable that boardings and 
  searches be carried out with discretion to 
  avoid antagonising local powers.
  The Admiralty has the utmost confidence that 
  you will carry out this mission with zeal and 
  intelligence.
  Good hunting, Captain.
  Commodore A. Varaani, Commanding Officer, 
  322nd Provisional Patrol Force
  
  the mainworld or carrying out a patrol sweep of another 
  part of the system. For example, a sensor watch for 
  several hours at a gas giant suitable for refuelling and a 
  scan of nearby moons for signs of a corsair or smuggler 
  base would constitute a ‘meaningful operation’. If the 
  Travellers fail to complete this part of the mission due to 
  a valid decision to deal with something more important, 
  it will be considered to be a complete success for the 
  purposes of determining overall mission outcome.
  Partial Success (MSI +1): The Travellers manage to visit 
  2-4 star systems as mentioned in their orders and carry
  out the extended patrol.
  Marginal Success (MSI +0): The Travellers visit 1-3 worlds 
  as per their orders or carry out the extended patrol.
  Failure (MSI -2): It would be hard to fail such a simple 
  objective and a crew that manages it without a suitable 
  explanation will be watched carefully in the future 
  whatever the overall mission outcome may be. Failure is 
  indicated by failing to carry out meaningful operations 
  at (or even visits to) more than a couple of the worlds in 
  their orders.
  Criterion 2
  Proceed to Arden and carry out flag-showing operations.
  Importance: Routine
  Complete Success (MSI +2): The Travellers manage to 
  get to Arden within 8 weeks of mission start and behave 
  with appropriate courtesy towards the world government.
  Partial Success (MSI +1): The Travellers get to Arden but 
  do not make a good impression or are late.
  Marginal Success (MSI +0): The Travellers behave in an 
  undiplomatic manner at Arden and are late.
  Failure (MSI -2): Again, it would be hard to fail this 
  objective. If the Travellers do not go to Arden, or 
  antagonise the world government unnecessarily, they 
  will fail.
  Criterion 3
  Conduct an assessment of the political situation in 
  the region.
  Importance: Important
  Complete Success (MSI +3): The Travellers provide a 
  comprehensive report about the attitude of at least 6 
  world governments or significant entities (such as a 
  commercial shipping company operating in the region), 
  based upon intelligence gathering as well as the overly 
  displayed attitude of local populations.
  Partial Success (MSI +2): The Travellers provide a 
  sketchy account of local conditions in at least 6 
  systems or a good account of 2-4 systems.
  Marginal Success (MSI +1): The Travellers provide a 
  sketchy account of conditions in 1-4 star systems.
  Failure (MSI -4): The Travellers fail to provide meaningful 
  information about the situation in local star systems.
  Criterion 4
  Assist the Ambassador at Arden.
  Importance: Important
  Complete Success (MSI +3): The Travellers impress the 
  ambassador with their competence and manage to derail 
  the court-martial so that no precedent is set. 
  Partial Success (MSI +2): The Travellers provide 
  meaningful assistance and make a credible effort at 
  resolving the court-martial situation.
  Marginal Success (MSI +1): The Travellers are reluctant 
  to carry out the ambassador’s requests or behave in a 
  manner that makes his job more difficult but ultimately 
  provide some assistance with the court-martial situation.
  Failure (MSI -4): The Travellers’ efforts are ineffectual or 
  mishandled, or they refuse to assist without finding a 
  suitable excuse. Failure also occurs if the Travellers do 
  nothing about the court-martial and allow it to proceed 
  without any intervention on their part.
  Criterion 5
  Locate and retrieve the misappropriated vessels.
  Importance: Critical
  Complete Success (MSI +4): The Travellers are able to 
  secure and quietly return the vessels.
  Mission Segment Checks  
  To determine the performance of ship and 
  crew during a mission segment, one of the 
  Travellers will normally make a single check 
  based on ECEI. If a whole-crew check concerns 
  a particular Traveller’s area of expertise (for 
  example gunnery or engineering) then that 
  Traveller should make the check.
  17
  
  CEI vs Skill Checks  
  The Travellers may wonder why they cannot 
  use their own skills or those of a crewmember 
  to resolve CEI checks. This is because CEI is 
  designed to generate an indication of how the 
  crew (or a part of it) handled a large and complex 
  task that would require a great many skill checks 
  to resolve and also involves interactions and 
  teamwork not modelled by skill checks.
  In almost all cases, a CEI check produces a 
  successful (or successful-ish) completion of the 
  task. It may be a chaotic mess, with incidents and 
  mishaps, but the job will get done. If the Travellers 
  want to improve performance, there are ways to do 
  it other than increasing ECEI. For example, if the 
  crew are trying to move supplies aboard in record 
  time, the ship’s logistics team might be ordered 
  to prepare a most-efficient plan. This is a skill-
  specific task and can be resolved with appropriate 
  skill checks.
  Measures of this sort will normally grant DM+1 
  to the CEI check and in general only one such 
  performance-improving measure can be taken per 
  CEI check. However, if the Travellers come up with 
  particularly good ideas they may be allowed more. 
  ‘Good’ in this case means ‘in keeping with the style 
  and tone of a naval campaign’ rather than simply 
  ‘effective at providing the DM the Travellers want’. 
  A certain kind of Traveller will want to endlessly 
  grind DM-producing ‘standard set-ups’ for tasks. 
  This is not what naval campaigns are about. Each 
  clever plan to improve performance on a task is an 
  opportunity for a mini-adventure. If it is reduced 
  to just an extra dice roll to get DM+1, the Referee 
  should disallow the attempt.
  Partial Success (MSI +2): The Travellers secure the 
  misappropriated vessels but it is obvious to local 
  governments and shipping operators that something 
  unusual has happened.
  Marginal Success (MSI +1): The Travellers take the 
  misappropriated vessels out of the equation but there 
  is widespread knowledge that the navy has had to 
  chase down some of its own vessels that were in the 
  wrong hands.
  Failure (MSI -8): The Travellers fail to secure the 
  misappropriated vessels.
  18
  
  GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
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  Once the mission begins, the Travellers are free to go 
  wherever they please and deal with what they find there 
  according to their own discretion. Some considerations 
  apply no matter what the Travellers choose to do and so 
  are detailed here rather than under any specific location.
  FUEL AND SUPPLY
  A typical naval vessel can carry a number of supply 
  units (SU) equal to its tonnage and uses up 1% of 
  this amount per day of operations, whether it is in 
  jump or not. This consumption can be altered by 
  various measures, as detailed in the Naval Campaign 
  Sourcebook. A 14 week patrol is 98 days, so in theory a 
  fully stocked vessel could conduct the whole operation 
  and arrive home with a few crumbs in the bottom of the 
  cupboard. This is not a wise course of action, however.
  The Travellers can attempt to restock their ship at any 
  port they visit. However, this is not the Imperium and navy 
  letters of credit may not be readily accepted. Alternatively, 
  unfriendly port operators may try to cheat the Travellers or 
  charge a higher than acceptable price for supplies. 
  Civilian ports will have common items such as food and 
  standard electronic components but lack some of the 
  specialist supplies needed by naval vessels. Ports can be 
  considered to ‘generate’ SU every day – this is an abstract 
  representation of imports from the local worlds, items 
  brought by passing ships and equipment manufactured at 
  the port or salvaged from damaged vessels. 
  The Resupply table indicates the amount of SU available 
  at a port and SU generated each day. If a port’s stocks 
  are significantly depleted, the available SU should be 
  determined anew. The amount of supplies available 
  will increase each day until this amount is reached. If 
  a naval crew chooses, it can remain at a port for some 
  time and fully restock but cleaning out warehouses every 
  few days will cause resentment.
  Resupply
  Port Class Supply Units Available 
  SU Per Day
  A
  2Dx10,0000 (Average 70,000)
  2Dx1,000
  B
  8Dx1,000 (Average 28,000)
  8Dx100
  C
  2Dx1,000 (Average 7,000)
  2Dx100
  D
  8Dx100 (Average 2,800)
  8Dx10
  E
  2Dx100 (Average 700)
  2Dx10
  The Resupply table indicates what is available, not what 
  is on offer to the Travellers. To obtain supplies at a fair 
  price the Travellers can engage in roleplaying or the 
  situation can be abstracted as follows.
  To obtain the full amount of supplies available requires 
  an Average (8+) Admin or Diplomat check (1D hours, 
  INT). DM+2 applies if the port is friendly towards the 
  Imperium. DMs based on the world’s attitude to the 
  Imperium also apply.
  If the check is successful, the Travellers can load up as 
  much as the port has available and the navy will foot 
  the bill. If failed, the amount of supplies available is 
  reduced by 10% per negative point of Effect.
  For example, the Travellers are crewing a 5,000 ton 
  destroyer with a capacity of 5,000 SU and normal 
  consumption of 50 SU per day. They attempt to obtain 
  supplies at a Class D port that is unfriendly to the 
  Imperium. The ship’s supply officer fails his check by 
  3 points of Effect, so there are 30% less supplies than 
  normal available. The Referee has already established 
  that this port has a nominal 2,800 SU available but 
  the port authority is being difficult and will only provide 
  1,960 (2,800 – 30%) SU. This is plenty to be going 
  on with for a destroyer but a larger ship will struggle to 
  remain properly supplied without further support.
  Of course, the Travellers might choose to take measures 
  to counteract the supply shortage, which could be the 
  subject of an Adventure in itself. It is also possible to 
  take by force what they need but this would seriously 
  harm diplomatic relations in the region and the reputation 
  of the navy. A crew that resorted to these methods would 
  face tough questions upon return to base.
  
  PRIZE CREWS
  An errant ship can be temporarily crewed by a minimal 
  complement if its mission is simply to get to a friendly 
  port. Usually this means pulling a detachment of 
  competent personnel out of the crew and assigning a 
  promising junior officer to lead it. Careers have been 
  made, or at least furthered, by being given command of 
  a prize crew… and disasters have also occurred.
  The Referee may wish to gloss over the return of the 
  vessels or might have the Travellers play out the journey 
  to Extolay using the Detachment Efficiency Index of 
  the prize crew. The Travellers may come up with an 
  alternative solution such as hiding the ships or landing 
  them at a friendly port and requesting a prize crew be 
  dispatched from the naval base. So long as the ships 
  eventually reach base and there is no widespread 
  realisation that something has gone amiss, the mission 
  will be a success.
  INCIDENTS, 
  MISADVENTURES 
  AND SETBACKS
  Any time the Travellers’ ship does anything – sensor 
  scans, jump operations or just entering orbit around a 
  world – a check is made using the ship’s ECEI rating to 
  see how well it goes. This may create an Incident or a 
  Mishap, or spiral into an Adventure. The Referee should 
  use this process to generate decisions for the Travellers 
  to make or situations they must resolve. 
  The mission also includes certain incidents that 
  will occur at any suitable point. The Referee should 
  introduce these in much the same manner as a 
  randomly generated Incident, leaving the Travellers to 
  guess whether they are facing a trivial setback or the 
  beginning of a larger problem.
  SHIP ENCOUNTERS
  Encounters with other vessels are likely in the course of 
  the mission and should be determined normally. If the 
  Travellers choose to turn off their transponder and run 
  silent their ship is unlikely to be detected by a typical 
  merchant ship’s sensors providing care is taken to avoid 
  getting too close. This can be useful if the Travellers 
  want to observe without revealing their presence or are 
  hoping to catch a suspect vessel unawares.
  However, an unidentified warship prowling about neutral 
  star systems without identifying itself might be seen as 
  a threat. None of the local worlds has indicated it does 
  not want Imperial ships in its space and most could not 
  really do anything about it even if they did, so a ship 
  proceeding overtly is actually a lot less inflammatory 
  than one sneaking around. 
  If the Travellers want to show the flag they will have 
  to run their transponder constantly, advertising to all 
  vessels within range that a navy ship is present. There 
  is little reason to fear being ambushed by an enemy 
  capable of doing serious harm, so the Travellers will 
  likely prefer to advertise their presence unless they have 
  a good reason not to. 
  Vessels encountered during the mission will tend to 
  be respectful or at least take notice of the Travellers’ 
  ship – an Imperial warship is impressive or threatening 
  depending on whether you are doing something you 
  should not. Crews who do not like the navy might be 
  insolent or engage in passive resistance, which will pose 
  a problem for the Travellers. Within the Imperium, the 
  navy has the authority to stop and search any vessel, 
  even at random, but outside its borders the situation is 
  more complex.
  In pro-Imperial systems or those with at least passive 
  cooperation, the Travellers are free to operate much 
  as they would within the Imperium, so long as they 
  are polite and discreet. They may have to justify their 
  actions or provide what they see as an unnecessary 
  amount of information to the local government but will 
  be able to conduct boardings or inspect a ship’s papers 
  and impose penalties. 
  Without at least passive cooperation in place, any 
  interference with local traffic risks annoying the 
  government or creating a wave of protests from local 
  shipping. Actions must be carefully justified to avoid 
  escalation into an incident and wherever possible the 
  Travellers must have an acceptable pretext for any action 
  or intervention.
  Some ships will have something to hide. They may try to 
  avoid detection or act innocent in the hope of not being 
  searched. They may even try the sort of crazy stunt a 
  typical band of Travellers might attempt – the Referee 
  can have some fun as the Travellers witness their own 
  antics from a previous campaign through the eyes of 
  those they were trying to deceive, avoid or misdirect.
  If a ship appears threatening, it can be fired upon. 
  This is a big decision however; a destroyer captain who 
  puts holes in a small neutral merchant ship is going to 
  have to explain his reasoning upon return to port. If a 
  vessel runs or simply ignores a demand to stop and be 
  searched, the Traveller will have to decide whether to 
  let the ship go and suffer embarrassment or take robust 
  action, which could cause a diplomatic incident.
  20
  
  INTELLIGENCE 
  GATHERING
  One of the reasons ships are sent on patrol is to gather 
  routine intelligence and monitor situations first-
  hand. The Travellers’ crew will maintain a standard 
  intelligence-gathering posture unless told to deviate 
  from normal practice. Sensor data will be collated 
  and analysed, personnel sent planetside will provide 
  reports on what they saw and heard, and information on 
  ships encountered will be cross-referenced with other 
  available data. 
  Most of the time this information is entirely mundane 
  and simply feeds into the vast amount of data already 
  known about local conditions. However, occasionally 
  something unusual is spotted and the ship has the 
  opportunity to follow up. The price for this is constant 
  attention to little details, most of which are irrelevant.
  An Intelligence Event normally occurs at the beginning 
  of each mission segment; typically when the Travellers 
  arrive in a new star system. At this point the Referee 
  determines the quality of information available to the 
  Travellers, which in turn may impose a modifier on the 
  tasks they attempt. The Intelligence Event is resolved 
  by making an Investigate check and consulting the 
  Intelligence Events table on page 29 of the Naval 
  Campaign Guide. 
  If the Travellers are not satisfied with the quality of 
  information available to them they may decide to take 
  measures to improve it, perhaps by conducting a detailed 
  sensor sweep or sending some personnel planetside with 
  a specific intelligence-gathering mission. This can be 
  time-consuming and often the Travellers will need to do 
  the best they can with the data they have.
  To determine the attitude and stance of a local 
  population the Travellers must make an Average (8+) 
  Investigate check, modified by any outcome of the 
  Intelligence Event for that segment. To qualify for this 
  Investigate check the Travellers need to give themselves 
  the chance to learn about the local situation, for 
  example by sending a shore party planetside to meet 
  with officials or questioning personnel returning from a 
  period of portside liberty.
  Intelligence Gathering
  Intel Total Result
  0
  Nobody seems to have heard of these ships.
  1
  Unconfirmed rumours suggest that this ship 
  or ships – or similar vessels – are active in 
  the area.
  2
  The specific ships the Travellers are seeking 
  have been sighted but not recently.
  3
  A ship that may have been one of the 
  targets is reported as having come to the 
  assistance of a merchant whose captain 
  believed he was about to be attacked by a 
  pirate vessel.
  4
  One of the target ships came through 
  here. Its crew were well-behaved and wore 
  smart uniforms that did not match any 
  known navy. They let slip a few unguarded 
  statements that suggest they have a base on 
  one of the backwater worlds nearby.
  5
  Starport personnel and visitors recall a ship 
  of that description in port. The crew were 
  rude and confrontational towards personnel 
  from a Zhodani-registered freighter. 
  What the locals think of this depends on 
  where it happened.
  6
  That ship (or those ships) have been 
  through here recently. Their officers had a 
  lengthy meeting with several trader captains 
  and port authority officials. No details 
  have emerged but some traders left the 
  system in a convoy under escort from the 
  misappropriated ships. Not long afterwards 
  there was a blaze of anti-Zhodani political 
  material on the local datanets.
  7
  Ships of that description have been 
  sighted conducting joint patrol operations 
  and exercised with Arden vessels, and 
  have provided escort to Arden-registered 
  merchant ships.
  8+
  Sufficient information has been obtained 
  that the Travellers can predict the likely 
  location of the target ships and set-up an 
  intercept in a nearby system.
  12+
  The Travellers have pinpointed the base the 
  missing ships are using.
  21
  
  In addition to their ostensible task of monitoring 
  local political attitudes, the Travellers are looking for 
  misappropriated ships. These are in the area and have 
  visited various worlds, so information is available. 
  Seeking it is a specific Intelligence Mission that must be 
  played as an Adventure. This can be as simple as getting 
  crewmembers to ask the right questions while enjoying 
  liberty ashore in portside bars or examining public 
  records of ships passing through a port. No more than 
  two attempts can be made to obtain information on this 
  subject per week and if two are made they must each 
  use a different approach.
  Every attempt to obtain information permits the ship’s 
  designated Intelligence Officer to make an Average (8+) 
  Investigate check. Success normally gains the Travellers 
  +1 Intel point on the Intelligence Gathering table. Note
  that some methods, such as trying to hack secret files 
  maintained by a port, could result in an incident or 
  misadventure. More risky methods such as this should 
  be rewarded by D3 points towards success, provided 
  they succeed.
  The Referee should adjudicate the efforts of the 
  Travellers and local governments will respond 
  accordingly. As a result, over-ambitious Travellers may 
  find themselves bargaining for the release of their 
  intelligence personnel from the local slammer.
  Once the Travellers have 8 points of Intel on their target 
  ships, any further successful intelligence gathering 
  operation will give the location of the target vessels for 
  the next 2D days. This potential intercept should be 
  within 1 jump of the Travellers’ present location. The 
  Referee should make this roll in secret and not reveal 
  the outcome. If the Travellers do not get there in time, 
  they can try to obtain more Intel that will generate 
  another 2D day intercept window. At the Referee’s 
  discretion, the target ships might be headed for the 
  present system or actually there but concealed or at an 
  outsystem world.
  Eventually, the Travellers will be able to make an 
  intercept and must then decide how to deal with the 
  target ships. 
  SHOWING THE FLAG
  Much of the Travellers’ mission will be fairly routine; a 
  matter of being seen and doing the job under normal 
  conditions. They will proceed among the worlds of their 
  patrol area and carry out the mission, resolving events 
  as they occur. Any fuel-skimming operation or stop-and-
  search of a suspect merchant vessel has the potential to 
  expand into an adventure, as determined by the normal 
  mission segment resolution process.
  Every 2D weeks, there is a chance that Effective Crew 
  Efficiency Index may change. The Referee should 
  determine the time frame when the Travellers leave 
  Extolay and again after each attempt. When this time 
  is up, the vessel’s commanding officer must make a 
  Difficult (10+) Leadership check (INT) and apply the 
  Effect as a DM on the ECEI Changes table to determine 
  whether the crew remains effective.
  ECEI Changes
  0-
  Morale collapses (-1D+3 Morale) and the
  crew is near mutiny. Reduce ECEI by -3
  1-2
  -1D Morale. Reduce ECEI by -2
  3-4
  -D3 Morale. Reduce ECEI by -1
  5-8
  No change
  9-11
  The crew gains confidence. +1 Morale
  12+
  Efficiency and morale increase. +1 ECEI, 
  +D3 Morale
  In addition, there will be opportunities to improve ECEI 
  as the mission unfolds. The most likely situation is a 
  ‘solid success’ as described in the Naval Campaign 
  Guide but other events may also modify ECEI. Smart 
  Travellers might deliberately engineer a situation where 
  their crew can succeed and gain confidence. This is 
  a valid leadership gambit but the Referee should not 
  be too lenient in letting the Travellers engineer ECEI-
  improvement situations on a frequent basis.
  22
  
  EXTOLAY NAVAL BASE
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  The mission begins at Extolay Naval Base, a small but 
  heavily defended facility almost directly on the Imperial 
  border. As the entry point to the Imperium for many ships, 
  there is a great deal of in-system patrol and enforcement 
  traffic carrying out boardings and inspections of cargo 
  manifests. The vessels assigned to these tasks are mostly 
  small cutters and non-jump-capable vessels, carrying 
  out necessary but unglamorous work. There is a certain 
  amount of jealousy and condescension between in-system 
  patrol forces and the ‘proper’ navy crews assigned to 
  jump-capable ships operating out of the base.
  Whilst at Extolay the Travellers have the opportunity to 
  prepare their ship and carry out any tasks they think 
  will help with their mission. This might include trying 
  to get additional information or advice on how to handle 
  complex political situations. Of course, some of those 
  they ask might be opinionated and ill-informed but on 
  the whole the Referee should allow Travellers who need 
  guidance to obtain it.
  As always at the beginning of a mission, the Travellers’ 
  ship is expected to undertake basic drive, weapons and 
  systems tests before jumping out. This is an opportunity 
  for the Referee to demonstrate the mission segment 
  resolution system, if the Travellers have not encountered 
  it before, and to help them get used to running a crew 
  instead of doing everything themselves. 
  In short, the Referee can make as much or as little as 
  necessary of the Travellers’ time at Extolay. They are 
  expected to begin the mission as soon as possible after 
  receiving their orders and long delays – for example, 
  if the Travellers try to obtain vast quantities of extra 
  supplies to fill every odd corner of their ship – will result 
  in displeasure from their commanders.
  If the Travellers spend time in port before beginning their 
  mission, the Referee can subtly demonstrate the way 
  the navy supports its personnel and vessels. The system 
  is imperfect but the Travellers are safe at base and can 
  expect their needs to be met. Once they leave Imperial 
  space, the contrast should be apparent and the Travellers 
  may feel a little vulnerable. This is a good thing; a little 
  nervousness sharpens the senses and will remind the 
  Travellers that they must tread carefully.
  The Referee should encourage the Travellers to plan 
  ahead before leaving Extolay. They should have at least a 
  rough itinerary planned before they make their first jump. 
  This can be modified, and there is no in-game bonus or 
  penalty for following it, but it is good practice to make 
  a plan and it will help get the Travellers into the right 
  mindset for the mission ahead. A plan will also help the 
  Travellers avoid problems or overcome difficulties down 
  the line. 
  Factors that might be considered include:
  •
  Being seen by the most ships and people is a
  central part of flag-showing missions.
  •
  Backwaters need the occasional visit for
  intelligence-gathering and loyalty reinforcement.
  •
  Supplies are most readily and simply obtained at
  good-quality ports on friendly worlds.
  •
  High-quality ports have more traffic, which equates
  to a greater chance of obtaining useful information
  about the missing ships.
  •
  Rogue ships are likely to stick to backwaters.
  •
  Zhodani vessels operating in the area will likely have
  a very similar list of directives to work with.
  Some of these factors are contradictory, at least to some 
  extent. The Travellers may be able to create a plan that 
  gives them a best-balance of these factors but they 
  will never be able to satisfy all of them completely in 
  the time available. However, a good plan means the 
  Travellers will not run out of time to deal with a mission 
  objective or make significant oversights leading to an 
  unbalanced view of local conditions. 
  None of the worlds between Extolay and Tremous Dex are 
  within the Travellers’ patrol area and can be bypassed or 
  transited quickly. However, worlds close to a naval base 
  benefit from warships transiting through their systems and 
  are sometimes overlooked as patrol stations for this reason. 
  It will do no harm for the Travellers to visit some or all of 
  these systems, although there is no penalty if they choose 
  not to. They may not realise these systems are outside their 
  remit for this mission and diligently try to obtain data on 
  the local situation. This will be accepted by the admiralty, 
  of course, and if it is in addition to the Travellers’ assigned 
  tasks then it will be considered a useful bonus. If, however, 
  the Travellers try to count these worlds among those they 
  are assigned to visit and study, it will be apparent that they 
  did not properly digest their orders…
  
  SHOWING THE SUNBURST
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  The majority of the Travellers’ time during the mission will 
  be spent jumping between star systems and carrying out 
  routine patrol operations once they arrive. Certain actions 
  will be taken in every system the Travellers visit.
  OPERATIONAL 
  STANCE
  The Travellers need to decide whether they will operate 
  overtly or not in each system. On a flag-showing cruise 
  it is generally desirable to announce the presence of a 
  naval vessel and run with the transponder fully active 
  to ensure everyone knows the navy is present. However, 
  there may be times when it is desirable to sit quietly off 
  the approach and departure lanes monitoring local traffic 
  or prowl the outsystem collecting sensor data unobserved.
  The Travellers always have the choice to change stance 
  but it is much easier to remain undetected than to vanish. 
  Similarly, a vessel that does not openly acknowledge its 
  presence upon arrival but remains hidden for a while risks 
  offending local officials and ship operators unless there is 
  a good reason for it. 
  The Travellers also need to decide how authoritarian and 
  assertive they want to be. Actions that would be normal 
  in the Imperium might seem high-handed and arrogant 
  beyond its borders and few local governments are keen 
  on presumptuous naval officers ordering local traffic 
  around. Most problems can be avoided by remaining 
  polite and diplomatic, and carefully phrasing instructions 
  as requests. It is sometimes possible to argue a merchant 
  captain into accepting a boarding party without making 
  direct demands, which is a fine art but one that can be 
  used to reduce friction.
  OBTAIN FUEL
  It may not always be necessary to refuel in a particular 
  system; if the Travellers’ ship carries enough fuel for 
  several parsecs then using reserves to cover the parsec 
  between one system and the next may be a reasonable 
  tradeoff. However, a wise captain makes it a priority 
  to keep his tanks topped off whenever possible; there 
  is no way of knowing when a courier might arrive with 
  emergency redeployment orders. Fuel can normally be 
  obtained at a starport in return for credit to be settled 
  through the navy’s finance department. However, some 
  captains consider that this makes the navy look weak and 
  dependent on local ports and gives locals a chance to 
  mess the navy around if they choose. 
  The alternative, since there is no tanker support 
  available, is ‘wilderness refuelling’, usually skimming 
  from a gas giant’s atmosphere or cracking ice from a 
  comet or asteroid. This is time consuming and takes 
  the Travellers’ ship away from the main traffic zone in a 
  system. Skimming can be combined with a sweep of a 
  gas giant and moons, which is part of the patrol remit 
  but the decision whether to jump to a gas giant or the 
  mainworld is a complex one. 
  There is no right or wrong way to go about this task or 
  manage the ship’s fuel reserves but the Admiralty does 
  care about outcomes. A captain whose ship is delayed 
  several days because a troublesome local government 
  threw obstacles in the way of a refuelling operation might 
  have to explain why he put his vessel in that position in 
  the first place. 
  SHIPS 
  ENCOUNTERED
  A routine transponder interrogative will indicate the 
  name, class and port of registry of most vessels but 
  not their cargo, destination or similar details. Most 
  vessels will be (or claim to be) small merchant ships 
  making short runs between one of the better ports in the 
  region and the surrounding worlds, or headed along the 
  Spinward Main, trading in the ports they stop at. 
  A significant number of vessels are registered out of 
  Arden. Some were built or purchased there and are 
  crewed by well-trained personnel whose activities 
  are overseen by the Arden government. Others are 
  independents operating under the Arden Trade Fleet 
  banner as a flag of convenience. In both cases the vessel 
  is under the protection of Arden, so antagonising its 
  captain risks an incident with Arden itself. 
  The following vessels are active in the region and may be 
  encountered by the Travellers. There are many others, of 
  course, but this selection allows the Referee to quickly 
  determine the nature of a ship encounter.
  
  Intelligence Gathering
  Ship
  Type
  Allegiance
  Mission and Notes
  IISS-6842
  Scout/Courier
  Imperial Interstellar Scout 
  Service
  Routine information gathering and courier 
  duty.
  Various 
  identities, 
  including 
  ‘Straightthere 
  Express’
  Scout/Courier
  Private Courier
  Suspected smuggler, actually a reportable 
  courier carrying small valuable cargoes 
  under differing identities for security 
  purposes.
  Lanthanum 
  57
  Seeker Mining Ship
  Seeker/Prospector
  Wandering prospector, borderline 
  spaceworthy.
  Taradder 
  Free Trader
  Independent
  Weary old trader jumping back and forth on 
  a short run with small but reliable profits. 
  Surly but not illegal.
  Sakhiigaa
  Free Trader
  Independent (Imperial 
  Registry)
  Typical Free Trader wandering the Spinward 
  Main. Pro-Imperial crew glad to see the navy 
  beyond the borders.
  Liilias
  Far Trader
  Independent
  Actually a Zhodani intelligence gathering 
  ship equipped with advanced electronics. 
  Mayfly 
  Conveyor
  Far Trader
  Independent (Imperial 
  Registry)
  Typical trader plying the region between 
  Imperial and Zhodani space. Suspected 
  (rightly) of being a smuggler but may not be 
  carrying contraband.
  Negotiator
  Yacht
  Tremous Dex
  Diplomatic vessel used by the Tremous Dex 
  port authority to carry officials and merchant 
  brokers among local worlds, seeking long-
  term trade deals.
  Kiiarni
  Gazelle Close Escort
  Independent
  Former Imperial Navy vessel sold to Kiiarni 
  Defence Incorporated, a reputable but 
  heavy-handed private security firm.
  Extolay-T-04
  Patrol Corvette
  Imperial Navy
  One of the Corvettes assigned to the Extolay 
  Naval Base patrol forces. Operating under a 
  temporary identity, pending reassignment to 
  another base.
  Spirit of 
  Commerce
  Subsidised Merchant
  Arden
  Arden-registered merchant ship typically 
  found plying the Zhodani end of the 
  Spinward Main. 
  R For Reliable Subsidised Merchant
  Independent
  Independent merchant ship operating out of 
  Tionale or Tremous Dex.
  Kushirla
  Subsidised Merchant
  Independent (Imperial 
  Registry)
  Reputable merchant based out of Regina, 
  making long runs to Arden and beyond. Her 
  captain resents the navy but is honest.
  Spirit of 
  Luxury
  Subsidised Liner
  Arden
  Liner operated by an Arden-based firm. Self-
  important and intolerant of interference by 
  non-Arden vessels.
  Garton’s Asset Mercenary Cruiser
  Garton Interstellar Security 
  Services
  Patrol ship and escort-for-hire, dubious 
  reputation.
  25
  
  Many other vessels can also be encountered in this 
  region. Some will be passing through or new in the 
  area but most commercial ships tend to stick to known 
  routes or operate back-and-forth between ports where 
  a reasonable profit can be predicted. The Travellers 
  may encounter the same ship more than once, perhaps 
  enabling them to catch one that got away with some 
  wrongdoing earlier by hiding behind local treaties or 
  building up a picture of another vessel’s movements 
  for future reference. Some ships might become regular 
  characters in the Travellers’ story. If so, the Referee can 
  determine their CEI and other characteristics. 
  PLANETSIDE 
  Wherever possible, the Travellers should allow some of 
  their crew to take time planetside. Even a crummy low-
  quality spaceport on some dusty rockball is a change of 
  scenery from the inside of a warship and a chance to get 
  away from routine is important to morale. This does raise 
  the prospect of crewmembers getting themselves into 
  trouble but that comes with the territory.
  The Travellers themselves might be drawn into planetside 
  events. This may be quite genteel, such as an invite 
  to dinner with some of the world’s social, political or 
  economic elite but there will be hidden complexities. 
  There is always the outside chance that an enemy of the 
  Imperium or someone with an agenda and a point to make 
  might target the Travellers for a life-threatening attack. 
  Alternatively, they might be the subject of a lesser but still 
  embarrassing incident, such as an activist throwing eggs 
  at visiting officers or running through the security cordon 
  to deliver a scribbled plea for aid from some group. They 
  might even be pranked by someone more clever than wise, 
  perhaps pretending to be a journalist. How the Travellers 
  handle such incidents reflects upon the navy; getting egg 
  on the captain’s uniform during a broadcast reception 
  or gunning down an idealistic 17-year-old who wanted 
  to make a point about offworld support for government 
  corruption, each have their own problems.
  Other possible incidents are less overt. At the level where 
  the Travellers operate, everyone has an agenda. This may 
  be nothing more than being seen with visiting dignitaries 
  to increase perceived importance but usually officials 
  and celebrities want something out of the occasion. That 
  might be bending the captain’s ear about tariffs, naval 
  patrols or prospective treaties, or could be an attempt to 
  get a comment out of an officer that can later be quoted 
  as an endorsement of a product, policy or person.
  There are many large and small adventures to be had 
  along the way as the Travellers interact with planetside 
  officials, other ships and their own crew. Most can be 
  abstracted as a couple of key decisions and an ECEI 
  check but a naval campaign of this sort could run 
  for months if the Travellers like to play out awkward 
  diplomatic receptions and agenda-ridden parties. For 
  example, the Travellers may have come to despise a 
  particular merchant captain who then turns up at the 
  planetary president’s gala dinner or as a keynote speaker 
  at a conference on interstellar trade. The Travellers 
  cannot use their rank or position to avoid having to 
  interact with this odious individual but must ‘play nice’ – 
  in public at least.
  26
  
  SKIPPER, SKIPPER!
  C
  H
  A
  P
  T
  E
  R
  -
  E
  I
  G
  H
  T
  At some point during the Travellers’ patrol they will 
  encounter the Far Trader Kuldukian, registered out of 
  Thanber in Querion subsector. That is probably a flag 
  of convenience but since Thanber is an Imperial client 
  state and not a member, it slightly alters the Travellers’ 
  jurisdiction over the vessel. 
  Data on Kuldukian indicates her mortgage payments are 
  at least 14 months overdue. Her mortgage is owed to a 
  financial consortium at Thanber rather than an Imperial 
  bank but skipping on mortgage payments is an offence 
  throughout the Imperium and its client states. The navy 
  thus has jurisdiction to seize the ship and return it to a 
  suitable port where legal proceedings can begin. 
  Within the Imperium, a skipped ship of this sort would 
  risk being impounded at every port of call once word 
  reached the area that the mortgage had not been paid. 
  Beyond the frontier the situation is more nebulous; 
  the navy enforces repossession notices, and one exists 
  on Kuldukian, but local conditions could make it 
  problematic to carry out the repossession.
  The first encounter with Kuldukian should occur in 
  a system that is at least in passive opposition to the 
  Imperium. The Travellers’ order to stop and be boarded 
  is met with a curt ‘no’ from the Far Trader, which 
  continues its run out to jump. If the Travellers repeat 
  their demand, they are informed that they are not in 
  Imperial space and require permission to stop traffic… 
  and that they have no jurisdiction over the Kuldukian. 
  This is all partially true. The Travellers do not need 
  permission but failing to obtain it might antagonise a 
  local government and they have been ordered not to do 
  so. Firing on a ship for failing to stop when the local 
  government has not agreed to the Travellers’ intention to 
  board it will certainly cause an interstellar incident.
  If the Travellers try to obtain permission to stop and 
  board the Kuldukian, they will encounter arguments and 
  stonewalling from the local government, all while the 
  Far Trader gets closer to her jump point. Eventually the 
  Travellers will have to decide whether to blast her and 
  take the consequences or let her go and accept the slap 
  in the ego that accompanies this decision. 
  There is a real potential for the Travellers to mishandle 
  this situation but if they do not, they will encounter 
  Kuldukian later. Sooner or later they will catch her in 
  a system willing to permit a boarding and seizure of 
  the ship, or perhaps trap her somewhere she cannot 
  get away. This may take several attempts, possibly 
  interspersed with awkward meetings in a starport bar. 
  Kuldukian’s crew are not gracious about the Travellers’ 
  failure to apprehend them.
  In the end, a ship that skips in this manner gets caught, 
  and Kuldukian’s crew know this. They will seek to leave 
  the area or lie low until the patrol has ended, which 
  may leave the Travellers with a feeling that they lost 
  the contest. This is part of being a naval officer and 
  the Travellers can only take comfort in the knowledge 
  that sooner or later someone will catch Kuldukian in a 
  situation where she can be seized.
  If the Travellers are successful in capturing the skipped 
  merchant, she must be sent to a Class A or B port to be 
  impounded. Most likely she will be auctioned off to pay 
  the mortgage arrears and some lucky crew will be able 
  to pick up a starship on the cheap. The Travellers might 
  even encounter her again, under new management, 
  plying the spacelanes as a legitimate merchant vessel 
  once more. That might be strangely satisfying…
  
  DIPLOMATIC DUTY
  C
  H
  A
  P
  T
  E
  R
  -
  N
  I
  N
  E
  Sooner or later, the Travellers will arrive at Arden. There 
  is a great deal of potential for side adventures during 
  the Travellers’ stopover in-system and the Referee can 
  make as much or as little of this as seems desirable. 
  For example, a crewmember disappearing on a run 
  planetside to pick up supplies or take liberty in the 
  starport could lead to a whole new adventure. However, 
  the scripted part of this mission begins as soon as the 
  Travellers arrive in orbit around Arden.
  The system has a respectable defensive flotilla 
  and makes no secret of its existence. Indeed, the 
  Travellers’ ship will be asked to wait for an escort before 
  proceeding into orbit and will be kept hanging around 
  whilst a gunboat makes its unhurried way out to meet 
  their vessel. 
  The Travellers could ignore the instruction and proceed 
  to establish orbit but that would at the very least cause 
  a diplomatic incident. Extreme mishandling of the 
  situation could trigger a war and drive Arden firmly into 
  the Zhodani camp. The local forces could be brushed 
  aside by a single Imperial cruiser, but that is not 
  really the point. Travellers who fail to realise this will 
  land themselves in real trouble – of the dishonourable 
  discharge sort – when they return to Extolay.
  It should be obvious to the Travellers that the government 
  of Arden is deliberately keeping them waiting because it 
  can. This sort of gambit is just a part of the mind games 
  played by every world government, trying to increase 
  perceived power through the use of what it already has. 
  It does not demonstrate hostility, just a desire to assert 
  independence and show the wider universe that Arden 
  does not kowtow to the great powers.
  Eventually the Travellers will be given permission to 
  bring their ship into orbit and proceed planetside. 
  They are reminded – despite the fact that any warship 
  captain would already know this very well – that their 
  personnel are to be granted entry to the planet through 
  a single diplomatic point-of-entry and will not be 
  searched or questioned but are subject to local laws 
  when planetside. Personnel may also visit the main 
  starport or proceed through it to visit the planetary 
  surface but anyone doing so is considered a normal 
  visitor with no diplomatic privileges.
  THE AMBASSADOR
  Whilst the Travellers are cooling their heels, the office 
  of the Imperial ambassador begins bombarding them 
  with requests for information and updates on their 
  expected time of arrival. The ambassador does not 
  make direct personal contact and her office does not 
  say it in so many words but it is clear that she wants 
  the Travellers to meet with her as soon as possible. It is 
  not uncommon for Imperial officials to act like this even 
  when there is no urgent need – they too often feel the 
  need to play dominance games.
  There is no way to know whether the ambassador is 
  simply being officious or not. Requests for information 
  are met with politely phrased requests to send a party 
  containing at least one senior officer planetside as soon 
  as practicable, to be briefed by the ambassador on the 
  current situation.
  Some data on the ambassador herself is available. 
  She is Lady Niamet Zugoukh, a Vargr. Born on Trin, 
  she served with distinction in the Imperial Army, 
  reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel and receiving 
  a knighthood upon retiring. Most ambassadors come 
  through the navy or diplomatic corps route; a very 
  small proportion have a groundside service background. 
  Lady Niamet must have done something fairly special 
  to merit a complex posting like that of ambassador to 
  Arden. Her branch of service is listed as Army Command 
  Staff rather than infantry, artillery or armoured forces, 
  which implies she was in the support branch during 
  her early career. That could mean she was a truly 
  exceptional army chef or accountant but more likely 
  served in army intelligence.
  
  GOING PLANETSIDE
  There really is no reason for the Travellers to get into 
  trouble at this point but they might manage it all the 
  same. They are given a point of entry at a subsidiary 
  spaceport used by the world’s elite. Surrounded by a 
  good set of aerospace defences, it is home to a number 
  of high-end shuttles, some clearly imported from an 
  Imperial shipyard, others of Zhodani make. All are 
  much more advanced than a TL9 world like Arden could 
  manufacture and are probably expensive to maintain 
  using imported spares.
  The fact that there are quite a lot of these shuttles 
  tells a story about local politics. Arden is an oligarchy, 
  whose elite clearly feel the need for expensive status 
  symbols. Some of the shuttles belong to small yachts in 
  orbit, all imported from a variety of prestigious builders. 
  A world with interstellar ambitions no doubt needs a 
  few diplomatic craft but having so many represents an 
  extravagance that clearly eats up a significant part of the 
  budget. This may suggest to astute Travellers that there 
  is considerable rivalry among the world’s elite.
  Travellers and any bodyguards or assistants they take 
  with them are conveyed politely through the port. 
  Although local laws prohibit weaponry in private 
  hands, officers and honour guards are permitted to 
  wear swords and small firearms can be brought on-
  planet under diplomatic privilege. They must be carried 
  discreetly of course but the government of Arden – like 
  many planetary governments – grants visiting naval 
  detachments the capability to defend themselves as a 
  courtesy. Naturally, abusing this privilege would cause a 
  diplomatic incident.
  It is a short hop by grav limo to the Imperial embassy at 
  the capital, which is guarded by a small detachment of 
  Imperial Marines. Arden has an experienced diplomatic 
  corps, who are efficient at ensuring the Travellers are 
  conveyed to their destination with a minimum of fuss and 
  delay. This is probably just as well, since the ambassador 
  wants to see the Travellers as soon as possible.
  THE SITUATION 
  ON ARDEN
  Ambassador Zugoukh is small for a Vargr but has a 
  commanding presence all the same. She wears an 
  expensive civilian suit, unadorned but for her knight’s 
  star and a discreet Imperial Army pin in her lapel. Over 
  light refreshments she outlines the situation and her 
  hopes for how the Travellers can assist.
  It is not uncommon for major navies to assign officers 
  and senior petty officers to friendly forces for liaison and 
  training purposes. Such personnel are given local rank 
  equivalent to their own whilst on secondment and, if 
  integrated into the local chain of command, can 
  give orders to personnel like any other leader. The 
  question of what to do if such an officer misbehaves 
  is a rather more nebulous one; the usual solution is 
  a diplomatic expulsion, accompanied by revoking the 
  officer’s local rank.
  Ambassador Zugoukh has received a request for 
  assistance from the Zhodani embassy – yes, she says, 
  that’s right – with a difficult situation. Several months 
  ago the Zhodani Consulate Combined Interstellar Forces, 
  to use the proper title, seconded an officer named 
  Nieza Izshtitl to the armed forces of Arden. Izshtitl is 
  the equivalent of a junior starship captain – Zugoukh 
  uses the term ‘commander’ for his rank although that 
  is not, strictly speaking, accurate – and comes from an 
  important noble family. He appears to be something of a 
  rising star in the Zhodani military. Until now, at least.
  Commander Izshtitl has been arrested and faces court-
  martial over a number of offences. If found guilty he 
  will certainly be cashiered and might even face the 
  death penalty. The Zhodani embassy cannot become 
  involved in the case because the government of Arden 
  are trying Izshtitl as one of their own officers. This is a 
  dubious legal situation in which nobody is very sure how 
  to proceed.
  Ambassador Zugoukh wants the Travellers to assist, 
  since the situation is far beyond her experience and area 
  of expertise. She is not interested in protests from the 
  Travellers that they are not lawyers or diplomats either; 
  they are required to render her assistance as needed 
  and she needs it. Astute observers may realise that she 
  is quietly transferring the consequences of the situation 
  onto the Travellers.
  Izshtitl has been accused of espionage and treason, 
  apparently after supplying information on Arden’s 
  defences and ship dispositions to unauthorised offworld 
  parties. The evidence is rather flimsy but the case is 
  politically charged. Zugoukh points out to the Travellers 
  that this is not a simple case of proving guilt or 
  innocence. The question is far more complex than that, 
  since there are political and strategic implications to all 
  possible outcomes.
  The obvious first question is whether a foreign officer 
  can be guilty of treason for betraying the secrets of his 
  host government. Arguably, he does the same thing 
  when he goes home and reports to his superiors – 
  although it could be said that this is condoned by the 
  secondment agreement. A more important question 
  is whether it is acceptable for a seconded officer to 
  be court-martialled by his hosts. It is customary for 
  29
  
  the officer to be expelled along with a request that his 
  superiors deal with him appropriately. In this case, if he 
  really has betrayed the trust of his hosts, then his own 
  government is likely to be highly displeased with him. 
  Yet the government of Arden wants to handle the matter 
  internally. This is unusual, to say the least. One concern 
  is the wording of the charges against Commander 
  Izshtitl. These use strangely loose language, which 
  could be interpreted as giving the government of Arden 
  jurisdiction over foreign naval personnel under various 
  circumstances, including a diplomatic visit such as this 
  one. It might also give Arden a legal right to impound 
  vessels of foreign registry if their officers are charged 
  with certain offences including spying. This could be 
  used to impede local traffic – quite legally – for weeks 
  or months whilst the matter is cleared up and a court 
  finds the officers innocent. Whilst it is not clear why 
  Arden would want this power, it is not desirable that the 
  precedent be set.
  Thus it is apparently obvious that it is in the interests 
  of the Imperium that Izshtitl be found innocent or that 
  the court-martial be declared void. On the other hand, if 
  a Zhodani officer were to be imprisoned or even put to 
  death for espionage on Arden, this might sour relations 
  with the Consulate, to Imperial advantage. However, the 
  precedent set by a conviction might be a problem in the 
  long run and there are additional considerations. 
  It was Izshtitl who confirmed the presence of the 
  misappropriated ships to the Imperium and he has 
  provided evidence that some of the oligarchs ruling 
  Arden are providing support to the ships’ operators. 
  This does not, on the face of it, go against Arden’s 
  official policy of neutrality, since these vessels are not 
  openly hostile to either the Imperium or the Consulate. 
  However, the Consulate wants these ships removed. 
  They can be shown to be a threat to stability in the 
  region and more importantly (for the Consulate) their 
  stance is anti-Zhodani. Sooner or later that will 
  become significant.
  Izshtitl is no traitor to his people. Quite the opposite; he 
  has cleverly provided the Imperials with information they 
  must act upon, which will lead to the removal of anti-
  Zhodani naval assets from the area to the benefit of the 
  Zhodani. Yet his actions may also benefit the Imperium 
  – these ships could cause an incident that would
  embarrass the Imperials. However, Izshtitl’s primary
  motivation is the same as that of the Travellers. The
  situation in the region is tense enough without private 
  agendas stirring the pot.
  INFLUENCING THE 
  COURT-MARTIAL
  The Travellers need to decide what to do. They could 
  allow the court-martial to continue unimpeded, or 
  intervene for either the prosecution or the defence. 
  Alternatively, they could derail the proceedings and try 
  to have them declared invalid. There are consequences 
  each way.
  Stay Out of It
  If the Travellers do nothing, the court presents some 
  rather flimsy evidence and dubious legal arguments, 
  and rules that Izshtitl is a traitor to his host government. 
  He is sentenced to death and summarily executed 
  before news that the trial has even begun reaches the 
  embassies on Arden. This causes an embarrassing 
  incident with the Consulate, which might be exploited 
  by Imperials, but the matter was conducted – on the 
  face of it at least – in a legal manner. A precedent is 
  also set under local law for jurisdiction over naval and 
  mercantile officers in the Arden system under alarmingly 
  loosely defined circumstances. This is the worst possible 
  outcome and should be considered a failure to assist the 
  ambassador to Arden.
  Derail the Court-Martial
  If the Travellers attempt to prevent the court-martial 
  from taking place, they will meet with considerable 
  opposition from the world government. This may seem 
  odd; the government of Arden seems inordinately keen 
  to prosecute a foreign officer despite the problems 
  it may cause. The Travellers could present a legal 
  argument claiming the proceedings are invalid under 
  existing treaties, which is more or less true at present. 
  If the court-martial goes ahead then this will set a 
  precedent for future proceedings being valid, which may 
  be what the Arden government really wants.
  An alterative might be to bargain directly with the 
  government, attacking the decision to prosecute based 
  upon its possible consequences rather than its legality. 
  This requires presenting a case study to the Arden 
  government outlining the potential problems that 
  proceedings may cause for them in the future. Either 
  of these options requires a Difficult (10+) Advocate or 
  Diplomat check and takes D3 days to carry out. 
  If the Travellers are successful, the prosecutors will 
  be ordered to drop all charges against Izshtitl and he 
  will be immediately deported. The Arden government 
  refuses to even consider allowing Izshtitl to go to 
  his embassy; they want rid of him immediately and 
  since there is no Zhodani ship in port to take him, his 
  30
  
  embassy requests the Travellers’ assistance by way of 
  the Imperial ambassador, who agrees on their behalf 
  without consulting them. The Travellers are then ordered 
  (actually ‘requested’ but in a manner that would be hard 
  to refuse) to take responsibility for Commander Izshtitl 
  and convey him to a port where he can get a ship home. 
  Any Class C or better port will do but until he gets to one 
  he is the Travellers’ problem.
  It might also be possible to engineer deportation ahead 
  of the court-martial in other ways, such as by registering 
  a diplomatic complaint against Izshtitl that causes him 
  to be expelled. There are those who want him convicted 
  and they will oppose such a move but if the Travellers can 
  make a suitably good case they may be able to get Izshtitl 
  off-planet before the projected court-martial date. Of 
  course, this also means he ends up aboard their ship. 
  One way to go about a diplomatic protest is to suggest 
  to the government of Arden that the Imperium considers 
  having Zhodani officers in the Arden military to be a 
  potentially hostile act and that doing so violates Arden’s 
  neutral status. A bit of persuasion (and a warship in 
  orbit) might see the government declare the secondment 
  invalid and Izshtitl’s presence as undesirable. If 
  the secondment was never valid, then Arden has no 
  jurisdiction to prosecute Izshtitl under its military code 
  of law and has to settle for expulsion. 
  Derailing the court-martial is the best possible outcome 
  for this situation. The Travellers can be considered to 
  have fully succeeded in this mission success criterion 
  providing they handle the affair with discretion. They 
  will have to continue their mission with a Zhodani officer 
  aboard, however.
  Intervene for the Prosecution or Defence
  The Travellers could choose to assist the prosecution 
  or the defence, and there are valid arguments for doing 
  either. In this case the Referee should use the court-
  martial rules in the Naval Campaign Sourcebook to 
  determine how the case goes.
  At the presentation of evidence stage it becomes 
  apparent that Izshtitl has indeed released information 
  considered by the Arden government to be secret. He 
  cannot really be prosecuted for giving it to his own 
  government, as this is condoned by the secondment 
  agreement, but warning the Imperium of Arden’s support 
  of the rogue warships is a clear breach of trust. 
  If the Travellers choose to do so, they can obtain 
  evidence from their embassy that Izshtitl fed intel to 
  ambassador Zugoukh. This counts as solid, reliable 
  evidence of guilt, imposing DM-4 on the Outcome table 
  (see page 32). They could instead refuse to present this 
  evidence or obfuscate the issue, in which case there is 
  only weak or unreliable evidence, giving DM-2 on the 
  Outcome table. They might even claim their intelligence 
  services obtained the information independently and 
  that there is no indication Izshtitl passed it along, in 
  which case no DM applies on the Outcome table.
  Izshtitl is clearly in trouble at this point, no matter how 
  weak the evidence may be. He has been assigned a junior 
  officer as his defence and, since he was serving in the 
  Arden military, is denied assistance from his embassy. 
  His defence team grants DM+2 on Advocate and similar 
  skill checks. Meanwhile, the prosecution team is led by a 
  well-known military lawyer with an excellent success rate, 
  granting DM+6 on checks for the prosecution.
  It should be apparent to the Travellers at this point that 
  Izshtitl is being stitched up. He is calm and dignified 
  throughout the proceedings but without assistance he is 
  doomed. The Travellers may be fine with this, in which 
  case the proceedings take their course. If they choose to 
  try to help Izshtitl, they have a few options.
  The Travellers might offer to provide Izshtitl’s defence 
  team with additional legal assistance. They will have 
  to justify this, although the suggestion that a stronger 
  defence makes the conviction even more solid will 
  win over enough support to be agreed. It would also 
  be an acknowledgement that the proceedings were 
  valid, which the Travellers may or may not realise. If 
  the Travellers join Izshtitl’s defence they may use the 
  highest Advocate skill among their crew instead of the 
  (very relieved) local defence lawyer.
  If the Travellers can present a strong argument for 
  the defence, the Referee should grant the Travellers 
  an additional DM on the Outcome table. How they go 
  about this is up to them; they might try to convince the 
  court that Izshtitl has a duty to help keep the peace 
  and that releasing this information to the Imperial Navy 
  will ultimately result in lowered tensions. They might 
  bypass considerations of guilt and innocence entirely 
  and focus on the consequences of a given outcome. A 
  military court can do this and indeed it is required to 
  consider the implications of a given judgement. It may 
  be possible to convince the court that whether or not 
  Izshtitl has committed an offence he should simply be 
  expelled, as a judgement might invoke the displeasure 
  of the Consulate or the Imperium, or both.
  The Referee should encourage the Travellers to 
  consider the implications of the situation and its 
  possible outcomes and may create a number of small 
  Adventures as the Travellers attempt to obtain advice or 
  cooperation. Ultimately, unless the Arden government 
  can be convinced to abandon the trial and simply deport 
  Izshtitl, the Outcome table must be used to determine 
  the final verdict.
  31
  
  Why Help Izshtitl?  
  There are several reasons why the Travellers might 
  assist Commander Izshtitl. One is concern about 
  setting a precedent regarding jurisdiction over 
  naval personnel. Another is interstellar friction 
  – presenting evidence that results in a Zhodani
  officer being executed on a trumped-up charge will
  surely escalate tensions, but if the Travellers did
  their utmost to save him then Izshtitl’s superiors
  will blame Arden, not the Imperium.
  Arguably, a guilty verdict does benefit the Imperial 
  position regarding Arden, but it creates a can of 
  worms that would be better not opened. If the 
  Travellers can prevent increasing tensions in the 
  area, even at the cost of assisting a foreign officer 
  who might someday be an enemy, then they will 
  have done good work here.
  The procedure is for the prosecution to present their case 
  and make an Average (8+) Advocate check with a DM 
  provided by the prosecutor (in this case most likely DM+6). 
  The defence then makes a similar check using their DM.
  The effect of the prosecution check and any DM for 
  evidence is subtracted from a 2D roll, and the Effect of 
  the defence check is added. This gives a final outcome 
  from the trial. A modified Outcome table is used rather 
  than the one in the Naval Campaign Sourcebook.
  Outcome
  2D
  Result
  4 or less
  Izshtitl is found guilty and immediately 
  sentenced to death for treason. Sentence is to 
  be carried out by firing squad in a few hours.
  5-8
  Izshtitl is found guilty and incarcerated for 
  later sentencing. He is found dead in his 
  cell a few days later.
  9-12
  Izshtitl is found guilty but the court 
  cannot decide what to do with him. He is 
  incarcerated pending sentencing, quite 
  possibly indefinitely.
  13 or 
  more
  Izshtitl is found not guilty, although his 
  actions are considered questionable and he 
  is to be immediately expelled from Arden.
  12+
  Efficiency and morale increase. +1 ECEI, 
  +D3 Morale
  The Travellers might choose to plead for clemency, 
  perhaps requesting that Izshtitl be turned over to them 
  as a prisoner for interrogation by Imperial intelligence 
  services. This is highly irregular and will be opposed by 
  those who want him dead but sufficiently persuasive 
  Travellers might manage it. They might also be able to 
  put forward some mitigating circumstances that alter the 
  outcome, although at best all they can hope to achieve 
  is have Izshtitl deported.
  If the trial goes ahead and the Travellers perform 
  honourably, this segment of the mission is considered 
  a success of sorts. A dangerous precedent has been 
  set regarding jurisdiction but it is weaker than it might 
  have been. An acquittal or a guilty verdict that results in 
  expulsion rather than incarceration would be considered 
  a partial success, a guilty verdict a marginal one under 
  most circumstances.
  THE ARDEN AGENDA
  A segment of the Arden oligarchy wants Izshtitl out 
  of the way. They are working with the owners of the 
  misappropriated ships on a plan to increase Arden’s 
  power at the expense of the Imperium and Izshtitl 
  knows too much about their involvement. The simple 
  answer seemed to be to have him executed after a 
  court-martial and the arrival of Imperial Navy personnel 
  who might unwittingly assist their plan seemed like a 
  wonderful piece of luck. 
  Ultimately, the oligarchs want to use these 
  misappropriated ships to create a situation where their 
  own navy can offer protection to local worlds, moving 
  the so-called Federation of Arden one step closer to 
  becoming a reality. Along the way the actions of these 
  vessels will bring disfavour upon both the Imperium 
  and Consulate among the local populations and this will 
  all be done in a deniable manner – deniable so long as 
  whistle-blowers like Commander Izshtitl do not reveal 
  the plan. 
  Arden cannot directly challenge either major power 
  and must hide its gambits behind a façade of legalities 
  and coincidences. The oligarchs are wise enough to 
  32
  
  Adventures on Arden  
  The situation on Arden is complex and can be the 
  basis for several game sessions. There is room for 
  skulduggery and investigation, courtroom drama 
  and entirely unrelated mini-adventures. The 
  Travellers can also get involved in the local social 
  scene, investigate the oligarchs’ involvement with 
  the misappropriated ships or do anything else they 
  want. Their time on Arden is not just about the 
  trial of Commander Izshtitl, although this is an 
  important part of the mission. 
  Additionally, veteran Traveller fans may detect in 
  this mission echoes of the Exit Visa/Stranded on 
  Arden adventure. If the Travellers are successful in 
  derailing the trial, they may make life a little easier 
  for those caught in that situation.
  pull their fingers out of the fire if it becomes apparent 
  the plan has gone awry, and this can only be done by 
  maintaining the usual polite diplomatic front and using 
  deniable assets.
  Arden will therefore not interfere in any move to 
  reacquire the missing ships. As for the Zhodani, this is 
  a win-win situation for them. The ships are a potential 
  problem and possibly an asset for anti-Zhodani elements 
  in the region. If the Imperials remove or destroy them, 
  the Zhodani Consulate does not lose and may gain. 
  To the Imperial viewpoint, stability in the region is 
  desirable at least for the time being and any potential 
  benefits of leaving these ships at large are outweighed 
  by the possibility of an unintentional clash.
  COMMANDER 
  IZSHTITL ABOARD
  The Travellers could treat Izshtitl as a prisoner if they so 
  choose but his status is rather nebulous and this might 
  be taken as an insult by the Zhodani Consulate. A better 
  approach might be to consider him a guest but restrict 
  his movements. If well treated, Izshtitl turns out to be 
  polite, courteous and quite an interesting companion at 
  dinner, although strange by Imperial standards.
  For his part, Izshtitl is nervous at finding himself among 
  potential enemies and psionics-haters but he is a 
  well-bred gentleman with the reputation of his culture 
  to uphold, and behaves with great dignity. He will not 
  lie about anything to the Travellers, but will decline to 
  answer some questions with a bluntness that might raise 
  eyebrows. One of the truths he will tell is that he is not 
  a telepath and cannot read minds; his talents lie in the 
  Awareness and Telekinesis fields. Whether the Travellers 
  believe him is up to them.
  The Travellers are of course bound by the regulations of 
  their service not to mistreat Izshtitl whilst he is aboard. 
  If they are decent towards him (rather than just locking 
  him up and leaving him in the brig), Izshtitl is willing to 
  share what information he has with the Travellers. He is 
  quite open about the fact that removing the rogue ships 
  from the region benefits his government and that he is 
  essentially using the Travellers to that end. However, 
  it does improve the stability of the Arden arm of the 
  Spinward Main and reduces the chance of another war. 
  Izshtitl served in the Fourth Frontier War as a very young 
  officer and is quite sincere when he says he would not 
  want to see a renewed conflict.
  If Izshtitl is cooperative, the Travellers immediately 
  gain D3 points of Intel towards locating the rogue ships 
  and will gain an extra point on a straight 2D roll of 8+ 
  any time they gather information, providing Izshtitl is 
  allowed to provide his insight. This may grant him some 
  intelligence gathering opportunities of his own, so the 
  Travellers need to make their choices accordingly.
  Izshtitl will also quite happily offer advice if asked. He 
  will not give away any secrets but he is a professional 
  naval officer with considerable experience of operating 
  in the region. He will suggest workable solutions to 
  problems like how to repossess the skipped Kuldukian. 
  His reasoning is simple and honest – he will help if 
  asked because he has absolutely no reason not to. If he 
  has a reason not to help, he will not. The Travellers may 
  seek some convoluted plot behind Izshtitl’s helpfulness 
  but there is none. If the Travellers cannot accept that 
  then they may end up tormenting themselves with 
  attempts to see through a deception that is not there.
  Eventually, however, Izshtitl must be delivered to a 
  starport from where he can make his way home. His 
  government has been informed of the situation by a 
  courier from the embassy on Arden and it is possible 
  that the Travellers’ vessel may meet a Zhodani warship 
  diverted to bring Izshtitl home. He is, after all, a 
  member of a powerful Zhodani noble house. He may be 
  a useful contact or reluctant foe at some point in the 
  future but for now he is simply a courteous guest.
  33
  
  LOCATE AND RETRIEVE
  C
  H
  A
  P
  T
  E
  R
  -
  T
  E
  N
  Finding the misappropriated ships is the primary 
  driving factor for the Travellers in this mission. Doing 
  so requires a minimum of 8 Intel. Routine intelligence 
  gathering might not be quick enough to allow the 
  vessels to be located in time but the Travellers have 
  additional options. Commander Izshtitl can provide 
  information and smart Travellers might find other 
  ways of getting more Intel, such as sending personnel 
  shoreside with a specific intelligence mission. 
  If the Travellers are not diligent in their information 
  gathering, they could fail to locate the targets altogether 
  and run out of time. The options at that point are to 
  return home in accordance with their orders or extend 
  their patrol in defiance of them. Each has consequences 
  but returning empty-handed is a lot less serious than 
  being declared overdue and having warships sent to 
  look for you. If that happens then the mission is a 
  total failure no matter what else is achieved and the 
  Travellers will get a look at the court-martial rules from 
  the other side.
  Assuming they manage to obtain enough Intel, the 
  Travellers will have a 2D days-long window in which to 
  make an intercept. The Referee should decide which 
  system the target ships will be in and if the Travellers 
  miss the intercept, they can generate another. Once the 
  gathered Intel reaches 12 points, the Travellers have a 
  clear indication of which system the ships are using. This 
  is likely to be a backwater starport or a small port at one 
  of the settlements on a world like Zircon or Utoland. 
  The circumstances of an encounter might dictate its 
  outcome. It is possible that the rogue ships might be 
  caught in port with some of their crews planetside, 
  although if the Travellers have not been discreet about 
  their intelligence gathering operations this is unlikely 
  – if they know they are being hunted, the crews will
  be alert. An encounter in a system that does not like
  to cooperate with the Imperium could be awkward and
  the Travellers might even have to let their targets go.
  One very interesting option would be for a Zhodani
  warship to warn the Travellers against firing on the
  ships they are pursuing within the jurisdiction of an
  anti-Imperial planet. Are the Travellers willing to risk
  war to complete their mission?
  Ultimately, however, the Travellers should be able 
  to chase down the target vessels and demand their 
  surrender. There is an outside chance their captains 
  might actually do so, especially if caught in a bad 
  situation. More likely, however, they will attempt to make 
  a run for it and jump out. Firing on the misappropriated 
  ships was given as a last resort, so should the Travellers 
  do so? If they do, it will be very apparent that an 
  incident of some kind has occurred and word about the 
  misappropriation is likely to get around. 
  The ideal solution is to catch the rogue ships 
  somewhere they cannot easily escape from and where 
  there are no witnesses. That is a lot easier said than 
  done, however. More likely the intercept will have to be 
  made on the fly and the Travellers will have to work out 
  how best to deal with the situation. In all probability 
  the rogue ships will be overmatched but this does not 
  mean they will not fight rather than surrender. The 
  Travellers might try to make a limited strike and then 
  demand surrender, using negotiation as well as force, or 
  they could perhaps get a boarding party into the rogue 
  ship(s) and force surrender. 
  How the Travellers handle the intercept is wide open. 
  There is no perfect solution and a very large number of 
  ‘workable but wrong’ answers to the question of how 
  to do it. So long as the job gets done and the rogue 
  ships are eliminated or recaptured, the mission will be 
  a success. Of course, the Travellers may have to explain 
  some of their actions and justify any decisions that led 
  to their ship becoming damaged.
  It is possible that the rogue ships might be recaptured 
  early in the mission, in which case the flag-showing 
  patrol should be continued as if nothing has happened. 
  Alternatively, there may be more than one rogue ship 
  and a second intercept may be required to catch ‘the 
  one that got away’. As always with a naval campaign, it 
  is the Travellers’ decisions that dictate what will happen 
  and often the fallout from one decision will lead to 
  further adventures.
  34
  
  RETURN TO BASE
  C
  H
  A
  P
  T
  E
  R
  -
  E
  L
  E
  V
  E
  N
  The Travellers were tasked with recovering the missing 
  ships, assisting the ambassador at Arden and showing 
  the Imperial Sunburst among the worlds of the frontier. 
  Once their mission time is up, or if their ship is too 
  damaged to continue, they must return to base.
  Upon their return to Extolay Naval Base, the Travellers’ 
  performance will be assessed according to the Mission 
  Success Indicators. The Referee should resist the 
  temptation to be too lenient about objectives, however. 
  Complete success should be hard to achieve and the 
  Travellers may need to learn lessons about operating as 
  a naval crew. The Travellers are expected to make their 
  report in the manner described in the Naval Campaign 
  Guide, giving an overview of the mission and answering 
  Three Tough Questions about their performance. Note 
  that these questions are sometimes asked to allow the 
  officers being debriefed to shine, rather than to find 
  flaws in their performance. It is entirely possible that 
  their superiors will express approval or sympathy for 
  having to make a tough decision. 
  Possible Tough Questions include:
  •
  Explain why it took so long to locate the missing ships.
  •
  Why did you let that suspect Free Trader go?
  •
  Explain the reasoning behind the decision to deal
  with the court-marital situation the way you did.
  •
  You brought a foreign officer aboard an Imperial
  Navy ship and allowed him the run of the place.
  Please explain.
  •
  You locked up a member of a foreign noble house we are
  trying to maintain good relations with. Please explain.
  As a general rule, if the Travellers tried hard to behave 
  like a navy crew and acted in a responsible manner, the 
  questioning should be neutral or even positive. If they 
  rampaged around the spacelanes like a bunch of trigger-
  happy yahoos then the Admiralty will have more searching 
  questions for them. Either way, the debriefing is an 
  opportunity for the Travellers to learn what they might have 
  done instead or what the consequences would have been 
  had they chosen a different course of action. 
  Finally, the Referee should determine the final Mission 
  Outcome. This is the sum of the Effects from the 
  captain’s Leadership check, checks to resolve the 
  Travellers’ answers to their Tough Questions and the 
  Mission Success Indicator total. This value is applied 
  to the Mission Outcome table (on page 39 of the Naval 
  Campaign Sourcebook) to determine the Admiralty’s 
  opinion of the Travellers’ performance.
  FURTHER EVENTS
  The situation around Arden remains complex and 
  it is entirely possible that there will be fallout from 
  the Travellers’ decisions. If Commander Izshtitl was 
  executed, Consulate relations with Arden will cool 
  rapidly for a time… which suits the purposes of the 
  people who misappropriated ex-Imperial warships and 
  dispatched them to cause friction with the Zhodani. And 
  speaking of those people… there will be an investigation 
  into how these ships were diverted from going to an 
  approved client government or merchant line. Who 
  knows what adventures or missions might spin out of 
  that can of worms?
  35
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Traveller/01 - Classic Traveller/Traveller - Mongoose 2E - Naval Adventure 2 - Showing The Sunburst.pdf