TEXT: Traveller
  The PiraTes of Drinax
  Written By Gareth Hanrahan
  The voriTo GambiT
  ‘Imperial assent and licence to be granted unto them, that they, 
  at their own adventures, costs, and charges, as well for the 
  honour of this Third Imperium of Humaniti, as for the increase 
  of our navigation, and advancement of trade of merchandize, 
  within our said realms and the dominions of the same, might 
  adventure and set forth one or more voyages, with convenient 
  number of ships and pinnaces, by way of traffic and merchandize 
  to the Outrim Void, in the Trojan Reach and subsectors adjacent 
  and to as many of the worlds, moons and ports, asteroids and 
  other places, thereabouts, as where trade and traffic may by all 
  likelihood be discovered, established or had; divers of which 
  systems, and many of the worlds, moons and ports, thereof, 
  have long since been discovered by others of our subjects, 
  albeit not frequented in trade of merchandize.’
  - Charter Document of the General Development Company
  The Vorito Gambit is the seventh adventure in the Pirates of 
  Drinax campaign. If you are a player in this campaign, STOP 
  READING NOW! If you are a referee, then you should first read 
  The Pirates of Drinax Campaign document to get an overview 
  of the campaign.
  This adventure takes place throughout the Trojan Reach sector. 
  The year is assumed to be 1105. The adventure can begin in 
  any system in Tliowaha or an adjacent subsector.
  aDvenTure synoPsis
  The pirates have a stroke of luck – they capture a courier 
  vessel intact. On board are documents implicating the General 
  Development Company in a grand scheme to fortify the Trojan 
  Reach against takeover by the Aslan. According to these 
  documents, the company has agents and informants in dozens 
  of systems – including Drinax! The merchant Rachondo is their 
  spy in the court of King Oleb.
  The characters must then choose how to confront Rachando 
  – and save him from assassins apparently dispatched by 
  GeDeCo to eliminate him. Under the right pressure, he 
  crumbles and reveals the sector headquarters of GeDeCo on 
  the nearby world of Vorito contains a secret vault, and in that 
  vault is treasure beyond compare. 
  Next comes the heist – even with Rachando’s complicity, 
  breaking into the secret vault will not be easy. They have to use 
  the opening ceremony for GeDeCo’s new starport at Vorito as 
  cover to sneak in. 
  After entering the secret vault and bypassing its defences, 
  they encounter a holographic representation of a scientist 
  named Dr. Gaemal Jaskarl, a psychohistorian and the 
  architect of GeDeCo’s secret conspiracy in the Reach. The 
  hologram explains the characters match a psychohistorical 
  profile that makes them perfect for his plans – he is willing 
  to put GeDeCo’s resources behind them, if they agree to let 
  Drinax fall when the time comes. Can the pirates escape the 
  web of fate woven by GeDoCo?
  The General DeveloPmenT ComPany
  The General Development Company, popularly referred to by 
  the staccato contraction GeDeCo, was founded more than four 
  hundred years ago, in the Year 700, by investors and nobles 
  in the Domain of Deneb. Its mission, as the name suggests, 
  was to be a long-term investment vehicle, a company that 
  would help struggling worlds develop and become productive 
  trade partners. GeDeCo has always looked towards the long 
  term – you invest your MegaCredits now, and your great-great-
  grandchildren reap the rewards. The company’s headquarters 
  and chief investors remain as they always have in Deneb 
  Sector, but the corporation focussed its effort on building up the 
  chaotic Trojan Reach.
  From the beginning, GeDeCo offered what amounted to a 
  Faustian bargain to its client worlds. Say you are a primitive 
  TL 6 warlord on some wartorn rock in the Reach. You rule one 
  of several nations on your balkanised planet. You know that 
  
   
  2
  there are other planets out there, but you have little conception 
  of the scale of the Imperium or the Hierate compared to other 
  local powers – after all, your only contacts with the stars are 
  infrequent visits by battered tramp traders, or raids by marginally 
  more advanced neighbouring worlds.
  Then a new ship arrives, a new ship, not one that has been 
  patched together for centuries. The newcomers bow to you, and 
  say that your civilisation has been pre-approved for a General 
  Development Type I contract. They’ll put the might of GeDeCo 
  behind you – give you weapons and training to unify your world, 
  build a new starport to attract traders, instruct your technicians 
  and scientists on new technologies to lift you into the modern 
  era. In return, they ask only for a small share in the prosperity 
  to come, a voice in your court, and a few minor monopolies on 
  certain imports and exports. 
  Within a year, you are the king of the world.
  Within five, you realise that everything you have  built relies 
  on GeDeCo’s support, and when they ask you for another little 
  favour, another minor monopoly, you cannot refuse. You are a 
  king – and kings are just one more thing that GeDeCo produces 
  on an industrial scale.
  The Jaskarl Report
  In 841, GeDeCo established a district headquarters at Vorito, 
  in Tliowaha sector. While GeDeCo had no direct involvement 
  in trade with the Aslan Hierate, they had development contracts 
  with more than 70% of the worlds on or near the trade route, 
  so monitoring Aslan trade was a concern of theirs. In 843, the 
  manager of that district headquarters hired a scientist to com-
  pile a report on how trade patterns were likely to develop in the 
  coming decades.
  That scientist was Gaemal Jaskarl. 
  Jaskarl is one of the galaxy’s greatest experts in the field of 
  psychohistory, the mathematical modelling of large populations 
  and forces to predict future events. Psychohistory was partially 
  discredited in the 800s after the psionics suppressions, but the 
  Jaskarl scandal didn’t help either. Jaskarl was found to have 
  experimented on primitive societies on isolated Red Worlds, 
  even introducing plagues to study how a civilisation reacts to 
  catastrophes. He fled into the Reach to avoid arrest by the 
  Imperial authorities. 
  He spent ten years travelling the Trojan Reach on a Leviathan-
  class trade ship, gathering data and modelling the sector in 
  his psycho-historical mathematics, and then submitted what 
  became known as the Jaskarl Report. The first section of 
  the report consisted of some nine hundred pages of densely 
  packed psychohistorical calculations, and a one-page 
  summary in plain Galanglic. 
  The summary of the summary: 
  ‘You are screwed. The Aslan are inevitably going to eat the 
  Reach for lunch, and there is a high probability that they will 
  go far enough to take Corridor sector and cut the Domain of 
  Deneb off entirely, as their attack will likely coincide with some 
  other Imperial crisis like a civil war. All your work building 
  up the economy of the Reach just makes the worlds more 
  attractive to conquest.’
  The second part of the report consisted of more than twenty 
  thousand pages of mathematical symbols, and there was 
  no plain summary. Jaskarl translated that part in person. He 
  outlined a scheme, or rather a complex, branching set of 
  probable schemes, that would turn the Trojan Reach into a tiger 
  trap for the Aslan. It would turn some worlds into fortresses, 
  others into xenophobes or conquerors. It would manipulate 
  both the Imperium and the Hierate into investing in trade, while 
  also promoting mistrust and militarisation of the border. It would 
  cost the lives of millions – but it gave the best possible chance 
  of stalling an Aslan advance within the next millennium. 
  The Trojan Reach branch of GeDeCo became the tool of a 
  grand conspiracy to remake the sector. Only a small fraction 
  of the corporation is part of this conspiracy; they are a secret 
  society within the GeDeCo, like an apocalyptic cult that worships 
  the mathematics of the Jaskarl Report. The Head Office in 
  Deneb has no idea that the Vorito branch has gone rogue 
  in a way that’s both spectacular and invisible, although their 
  accountants grumble about the number of strange investments 
  and unexplained losses reported by Vorito. 
  In addition to developing low-tech worlds, Jaskarl’s plan called 
  for other interventions. GeDeCo secretly sponsored the planet of 
  Theev to support piracy in the Reach (thus forcing the Imperium 
  and Hierate to invest more military resources in protecting 
  shipping); they founded the renegade transhumanists of 
  TechWorld (with the ultimate goal of producing superweapons); 
  they engineered amphibians on Thalassa and secretly supply 
  technology to the crazed priests of Tlazotleotl. 
  Recent Events
  The corporation deemed Jaskarl valuable enough to warrant 
  prolonging his life, though he is little more than a brain in a jar 
  these days, his withered organs replaced by cybernetic parts 
  or pumped full of anagathics. Jaskarl continued to refine his 
  plan and develop a psychohistorical model that could per-
  fectly predict the Aslan; he departed the Reach thirty years 
  ago to go and study with the Hivers, the acknowledged mas-
  ters of manipulation.
  
   
  3
  In 1098, mysterious saboteurs attacked the GeDeCo’s 
  headquarters on Vorito, destroying the planet’s Class-A 
  Highport with a fusion bomb while other assassins murdered 
  key GeDeCo executives. Everyone assumed that one of the 
  Aslan clans were responsible – the clans may not know about 
  the secret conspiracy, but they recognise that GeDeCo is a 
  threat to their expansionist goals. In fact, the attacks on GeDeCo 
  were orchestrated by GeDeCo – the loss of the Highport was a 
  necessary sacrifice according to the ineluctable mathematics 
  of the Jaskarl Report, and the murdered executives were 
  replaced by loyal members of the conspiracy.
  Players & GeDeCo
  The players may have crossed paths with GeDeCo in 
  the past – the sinister corporation plays a major role 
  in Adventure 2: Treasure Ship and Adventure 4: the 
  Demon’s Eye. 
  Now, in 1105, the Jaskarl Report predicts the rise of a new 
  power in the Reach. That power must be co-opted to serve the 
  plan. The mathematics admit no other options.
  
   
  4
  1. sour JumP
  A tradition dating back to the first Solomani explorers is the 
  belief in the ‘sour jump’. Sometimes (or so it is said) a ship 
  runs into a wavefront of concentrated bad luck in jump space 
  (bad luck is, as everyone knows, a psionic phenomenon). If a 
  jump goes sour, then everything the ship and her crew does 
  when they arrive will go disastrously wrong. Perishable cargoes 
  go off, buyers suddenly cancel the deal, the refined fuel’s full 
  of sludge, and the starport bar’s full of ugly belters instead of 
  pretty groupies. The only cure for a sour jump is to jump again 
  and try to shake off the bad luck. 
  The Far Trader that just jumped in near the Pirate’s ship is 
  having one hell of a sour jump. Not only did it arrive within 
  spitting distance of the player character’s Harrier (or whatever 
  they are flying at this stage in your campaign), it’s jumped in 
  well outside the hundred-diameter limit, meaning it has a long 
  flight ahead of it before it can land and refuel. From the way she 
  turns and accelerates, the PCs can tell that the Trader’s got a 
  full cargo bay – a very juicy prize for a pirate.
  The Far Trader is the Exalted Spirit, a rustbucket that’s been 
  knocking around the Trojan Reach for centuries. She is a familiar 
  sight in half the worlds on the Dustbelt. Her current captain is 
  Fria Belsen, who inherited the ship when she shot the previous 
  captain over a game of cards. She has a crew of five – three 
  humans, a Vargr, and an old robot of uncertain provenance 
  that also came with the ship. To keep the Exalted Spirit flying, 
  Belsen signed on with GeDeCo. She makes supply runs from 
  Vorito to various client planets throughout the sector, carrying 
  advanced machine parts and other high-tech goods. She also 
  picks up encoded reports transmitted by GeDeCo agents and 
  spies; these are automatically received and stored on a data 
  drum hidden in the Exalted Spirit’s smuggling compartment. 
  Belsen never needs to know who the GeDeCo agents are on 
  each world – she jumps in, the black box reports that it has 
  received a status report from someone in the system, and she 
  knows she is clear to jump out again. 
  As the Exalted Spirit turns (presumably to flee the players  – see 
  the Alternate Hooks sidebar if your players are not bloodthirsty 
  enough), one of her hull panels cracks. It is only a microfracture, 
  but it is enough to start leaking atmosphere. Unfortunately for 
  the Exalted Spirit, the law of the sour jump means that the panel 
  is the one over the smuggling compartment. She is leaking 
  air from what should be part of her fuel tank according to the 
  schematics of a standard ship of that class. That should be 
  enough to tell the players that there is something interesting 
  about this ship.
  Capturing the Exalted Spirit
  Belsen’s dealt with pirates before, and knows that her ship is 
  no match for a determined cutthroat. As soon as the PCs start 
  shooting, she offers to dump a portion of her cargo as a bribe. 
  If that fails, then she tries fighting back in hopes of convincing 
  the attackers that the bribe is an easier option than pressing the 
  attack; should the players keep attacking, then she surrenders 
  once the Exalted Spirit takes two Structure Hits or loses a 
  critical system.
  The Exalted Spirit has two double beam laser turrets. 
  Fria Belsen
  Age 34, 4 terms
  STR 8 DEX 9 
  END 6 INT 9 
  EDU 7 SOC 4
  Gun Combat (slug) 2, Gunnery (turret) 2, Tactics (naval) 1, Pilot 
  (spacecraft) 2, Vacc Suit 1
  Equipment: Vacc Suit (6), Shotgun (4D)
  Crewmen
  Age 26, 2 terms
  STR 7 DEX 7 
  END 9 INT 6 
  EDU 6 SOC 4
  Engineering 0, Gun Combat 0, Gunnery (turret) 1, Mechanic 1, 
  Pilot (spacecraft) 1,
  Equipment: Vacc Suit (6), Body Pistol (3D6-3)
  Rusty the Robot
  STR 12 DEX 6 
  Hull 4 Structure 4
  Mechanic 2, Melee Combat (brawl) 2
  Equipment: None (Robot Claws – 3D melee damage)
  On board, the players discover a cargo of 40 tons of Advanced 
  Machine Parts, 10 tons of Advanced Electronics, and 10 tons of 
  Robotics, for a total value of MCr8 (of course, the fence will take 
  most of that, but it is still a valuable prize). 
  alTernaTe hooks
  If the players do not bite at the dangled hook of the Exalted 
  Spirit, here are some other ways to get them involved:
  •	
  If they have a pirate fleet, one of their other 
  ships captures the Exalted Spirit, finds the 
  data drum, and passes it onto them
  •	
  If the players have a good reputation, then 
  Fria Belsen decides to quit GeDeCo and 
  sign on with the pirates. As proof of her 
  good faith, she offers them the data drum.
  •	
  An alien salvage trader offers the players 
  a curiosity – a data drum retrieved from 
  the wreckage of the Exalted Spirit, a Far 
  Trader. Decoding the data drum is beyond 
  the trader’s skills, but it is rumoured that 
  the players are closely associated with the 
  fabled Scholar’s Tower on Drinax. Perhaps 
  they can make something of it. 
  
   
  5
  They can find the hidden smuggling compartment with any 
  suitable skill – Investigate to search the ship, Engineer to 
  compare the schematics to the air leak seen from outside, 
  Comms to trace the connections between the drum and the 
  ship’s communications systems, Sensors to closely probe the 
  structure, Persuade to intimidate or convince the crew to give 
  up the compartment. Inside a cache of gemstones worth MCr2 
  (Fria’s emergency fund) and the data drum.
  If questioned, Fria admits that she is on contract to GeDeCo, 
  and that they installed the data drum.
  The Data Drum
  The data drum is a cylinder of TL 14 electronics the size of an 
  oil drum. It is similar to the mail containers used to transfer 
  non-critical data between systems in the Imperium. A quick 
  examination of the drum with Comms or Computers (an Easy 
  (+2) Education + the appropriate skill check) reveals the drum 
  is programmed to tap into the ship’s communication system 
  after each jump, and listen for a radio message containing 
  a particular code. It then records whatever data follows the 
  code, before signalling to the ship’s bridge that a message has 
  been received. 
  Breaking into the actual data stored in the drum is exceedingly 
  difficult (Intelligence + Computers, Formidable (-6), 1-6 years), 
  and the drum is rigged to erase all its contents if it suspects 
  someone is trying to hack into it. The players might be able to 
  get at it if they brought it to Scholar Voha of the Scholar’s Tower, 
  but even then it would take months and they would owe him a 
  huge favour.
  However, they can get into the low-security communications 
  database easily enough, which gives them a list of systems 
  visited by the Exalted Spirit and a timestamp noting if and when 
  the drum picked up one of the message it is listening to. The 
  Exalted Spirit’s been around the sector over the years, and has 
  picked up GeDeCo messages in dozens of systems. 
  One of them is Drinax. The Exalted Spirit has visited Drinax 
  nine times in the last seven years, and there are seven time-
  stamped messages. On another world, that would not be 
  enough to identify GeDeCo’s spy, but the Floating Palace is 
  a small place. Cross-referencing (possibly with an Investigate 
  or Computers checks) those visits with the movements of the 
  handful of residents who regularly come and go from Drinax 
  confirms there is only one possible suspect.
  The merchant Rachando arrived on Drinax seven years ago. 
  Every time both he and the Exalted Spirit have been in the 
  same system, there’s a timestamped message in the logs. The 
  players cannot read what Rachando sent to GeDeCo, but have 
  proof that he is their spy. 
  2. a Time To roll Carouse
  The players return to Drinax to find the courtiers of the Floating 
  Palace enmeshed in a new intrigue. Two weeks before the 
  players arrived, a courier brought a message to King Oleb, 
  inviting him or his representatives to attend a grand ball to 
  celebrate the opening of the new highport at Vorito.
  Vorito – the headquarters of the General Development Company 
  – is one of the wealthiest, most populous planets in the whole 
  sector. Its highport was destroyed in a terrorist attack seven 
  years ago, downgrading the planet from possessing a top-of-the-
  line Class A port to a paltry Class E and virtually cutting the planet 
  off from the rest of the galaxy. Now, after years of reconstruction, 
  Vorito will soon once again be fully open for business. The ball 
  is going to be the most prestigious social event of the year, 
  attracting dignitaries from across the sector. Even the notorious 
  insular Floriani will be sending representatives.
  The name of Drinax still carries a certain weight in the Reach. 
  This is the last outpost of the old Sindalian Empire, after all. It 
  would be unthinkable for Drinax not to send someone to the 
  ball, especially as Vorito is a mere six parsecs away. King Oleb 
  put the cat among the pigeons (or, as they say on Drinax, the 
  pet hypertiger among the Hawk Warriors) by declaring that he 
  does not want to attend the ball. Ever since the efforts of the 
  player characters brought Torpol back into Drinax’s sphere of 
  influence, the King’s developed an obsession with Torpolian 
  water polo, and they have nearly finished building his water 
  polo field on the Underlinth of the Floating Palace. He’s not 
  going anywhere for the next month.
  So, who will Drinax send? Potential candidates (all of whom 
  are detailed in the Pirates of Drinax Campaign Overview 
  document) are as follows:
  •	
  Princess Rao: The ambitious princess is the architect 
  of Drinax’s resurgent glory. She is an able diplomat, 
  and the heir apparent to the Floating Palace, so she 
  would be the obvious choice in normal circumstances. 
  However, her brother and his supporters in court object, 
  arguing that Prince Harrick is the eldest child and so 
  should represent Drinax. They also whisper that Rao 
  delights in playing politics and intrigue too much, and 
  her machinations risk annoying the powerful GeDeCo.
  •	
  Prince Harrick: King Oleb’s oldest son was severely 
  injured twenty years ago in an Aslan attack. It took the 
  scientists of the Scholar’s Tower that long to rebuild 
  him – more than 90% of his body is cloned flesh or 
  cybernetic replacement organs, but Scholar Voha 
  insists that Harrick’s brain was salvaged ‘mostly’ intact 
  and unburned. Since his resurrection, the Prince has 
  gathered a number of allies in court, to counterbalance 
  his sister’s influence. The opening of the HighPort at 
  
   
  6
  Vorito is the perfect opportunity for Prince Harrick to 
  present himself to the dignitaries and politicians of the 
  civilised parts of the Trojan Reach. 
  •	
  Lord Wrax: The commander of Drinax’s military forces 
  (well, acknowledged military forces, not whatever 
  fleet of cutthroats and thieves that the players have 
  assembled thus far) might be a compromise candidate 
  if the Floating Palace wants to show that it is a strong 
  military power. Lord Wrax thinks that this is a good 
  course of action – fly the flag, rattle a few sabres, and 
  ensure that Drinax is not targeted by any pirates or 
  raiders. Half of the nobles attending the ceremony 
  will be there solely to give the impression that their 
  worlds have GeDeCo support and protection. Drinax 
  is too proud to prostrate itself before a corporation, 
  so it needs a strong representative like Lord Wrax. 
  Of course, Drinax is a high-tech joke in terms of force 
  projection, with a space fleet composed mainly of TL 
  15 yachts converted into fighting ships.  
  •	
  Lady Hil: Lady Hil considers herself the mistress of 
  the court and the arbiter of proper behaviour. She has 
  more titles than there are systems in the Sector, and 
  woe betide anyone who fails to address her correctly. 
  If Drinax wants to keep a low profile, and reinforce its 
  reputation as a flying asylum for inbred nobles from a 
  dead empire, then they should send Lady Hil as their 
  representative. Lady Hil has made it known that she 
  would be willing to show the rest of the sector what 
  true breeding and decorum look like. 
  While the pirates have no official standing in the court of Drinax, 
  everyone knows they have the king’s ear. Their opinion carries 
  weight. Therefore, Prince Harrick, Lord Wrax and Lady Hil all 
  approach the players for their support. Each of them can offer a 
  favour in exchange for this support.
  •	
  Prince Harrick recently accompanied the Vespexer 
  tribes of Drinax’s seared surface on a hunt. He 
  discovered an underground structure that was still 
  partially intact, and managed to salvage and repair a 
  suit of TL 15 Battle Dress dating back to the old Empire 
  of Drinax. He will award this suit to the future Admiral 
  of his Royal Fleet – in other words, the player who 
  gives Harrick the most support.
  •	
  Lord Wrax grudgingly admits that the pirates may be 
  Drinax’s best chance for regaining something of its 
  former glory. If they bury any old grudges by supporting 
  him in court, he will put his best naval officers at their 
  disposal (three Excellent-quality crewmen).
  
   
  7
  •	
  Lady Hil will consider having sherry with the players; 
  in fact, she will let it be known that she intends to 
  have sherry with them. That is worth a permanent +1 
  increase to their SOC.
  Lobbying For a Delegate
  King Oleb is all too happy to hand over yet more of his boring 
  duties to the players – first warfare, now petty court politics. He 
  accepts whatever suggestion they make – if they want to tell 
  Rao that she cannot go and send someone else in her place, 
  that is fine, they have his approval. Just wait until he is out 
  playing inverted-gravity water polo before telling the Princess 
  that she cannot go to the ball. 
  If two or more players disagree, they can both take their cases to 
  the king – that is an opposed Social Standing + Persuade check. 
  Alternatively, the players can put themselves forward for the 
  post of Drinax’s representative at Vorito.
  The Chosen Delegate
  Note who is chosen as the delegate from Drinax. This dignitary 
  is referred to in later scenes as the Delegate. 
  The assassins
  Section  4, The Assassins, can be run at any point during 
  Sections 3 or 5, or in between. Send the Assassins after 
  the players or Rachando whenever the action lags. 
  3. The merChanT 
  Map the flow of trade across the Trojan Reach. The blazing 
  lights of the Imperium and the Aslan Hierate dominate two 
  opposing corners, where trillions of credits worth of trades 
  are done every day. The Florian League glows brightly too, its 
  trade patterns strangely regular and predictable. The Glorious 
  Empire, the Aslan splinter-state of slaver lords is like a dying 
  ember – still hot and bright, but fading with every passing year. 
  The Imperium/Hierate and Imperium-League trade routes are 
  blazing trails across the stars, setting fire to every world they 
  touch. Beyond those bands and patches of wealth, though, 
  there is little else in the sector. Vorito gleams with light reflected 
  from the nearby trade route, the Strend cluster is surrounded by 
  the weird infrared glow of high-tech smugglers, and the Senlis 
  Foederate sheds enough light to be seen. There are few other 
  trade routes of note in the sector.
  Tramp traders, then, are the backbone of interstellar commerce 
  in the Reach. These brave explorers, flying old Far Traders and 
  similar ships, bounce from world to world picking up whatever 
  cargo consignments or speculative trade is available.  According 
  to the stories told in the Floating Palace, Rachando was once 
  such a tramp trader, until he came to the Floating Palace.
  He was not the first trader to visit Drinax since the Aslan attack, 
  but he was the first to become staggeringly wealthy. According 
  to the old charts, Drinax was a rich world, so previous traders 
  brought luxuries and exotic delights and delicacies. Rachando 
  brought basic goods – cheap foods, building materials, practical 
  items like clothing. The Floating Palace had plenty of caviar and 
  fine wine, of jewelled gowns and ceremonial armour, but was 
  desperately lacking in basic necessities. Even better, Rachando 
  was willing to trade his supplies for antiques and treasures from 
  the Floating Palace instead of demanding actual cash. 
  Today, Rachando’s Bazaar fills two ballrooms next to the 
  hangar where his Far Trader, the Invisible Hand, is docked. It is 
  a bizarre market – here, you can trade jewels for bread, or gold 
  plate for simple steel, and count yourself ahead on the deal. 
  Investigating Rachando
  While the evidence from the GeDeCo computer records is 
  damning, it’s also circumstantial. The characters may suspect 
  Rachando of being a GeDeCo spy, but they may wish to gather 
  proof before confronting him, especially as the merchant is 
  one of the most powerful and influential people in the Floating 
  Palace. Everyone from King Oleb on down to the lowliest 
  hydroponics farmhand owes Rachando innumerable favours 
  (of course, since this is the Floating Palace, the lowliest 
  hydroponics farmer is technically able to claim the title the 
  Grand Duke-Admiral of Goertel). 
  If the players fail any one of the checks below, then not only do 
  they fail to gather any useful information about Rachando, they 
  also anger someone who owes him a favour. 
  •	
  Failing one check just leads to social complications 
  – someone complains about those dastardly pirates 
  harassing that nice merchant Rachando.  
  •	
  Failing two checks turns Drinax from a Haven to a 
  merely Tolerant Port for the players. Optionally, this 
  can be a good trigger to start The Assassins. 
  •	
  Failing three or more checks turns Drinax to a 
  Suspicious Port, and forces King Oleb to call the 
  players for a private hearing of their grievance 
  against Rachando. If the characters are unable 
  to convince Oleb of their suspicions, then this 
  adventure takes a different course – see Turn In 
  Your Pirate Hat, page 8.
  Background Investigation: There are several possible ways 
  for the players to investigate Rachando; they may come up 
  with tactics not anticipated here. Any plausible approach has 
  a chance of working – determine what the most appropriate 
  characteristic + skill combination is, then have a player make 
  that check.
  
   
  8
  Track the total Effect generated by all these checks.
  Gathering Rumours: Average (+0) Intelligence + Investigate, 
  1-6 weeks. Rachando claims to have been a free trader for 
  years before coming to Drinax and establishing his bazaar; 
  by asking questions in other systems, the characters discover 
  that Rachando lied; he was only a free trader for a few months 
  before arriving at the Floating Palace. His history before that is 
  a mystery – where did he get his ship and cargo?
  Observation: Difficult (-2) Intelligence + Deception, 1-6 days. 
  The characters watch Rachando going about his business. 
  They learn that he meets with several fellow pirates and traders, 
  the sort of people who might know about the players’ secret 
  operations on behalf of the King. 
  Financial Analysis: Average (+0) Intelligence + Broker, 1-6 
  weeks. Tracking Rachando’s financial dealings turns up a 
  suspicious set of transactions. As usual, Rachando trades basic 
  commodities for treasures from the Floating Palace. All those 
  supplies, though, can be traced back to GeDeCo suppliers 
  within one or two jumps. 
  Hitting the Starport Bar: Difficult (-2) Endurance + Carouse, 
  1-6 days. Getting various informants drunk in the palatial starport 
  bar reveals that Rachando has several of his own agents 
  working the bar and other entertainments of the Underlinth – he 
  is spying on the Floating Palace.
  False Signals: Very Difficult (-4) Education + Comms, 1-6 hours. 
  By spoofing a handshake signal from the Exalted Spirit’s data 
  drum, the characters can receive an answer from somewhere 
  in the Floating Palace. There is definitely a GeDeCo agent 
  somewhere on Drinax. 
  Sneaking Onto The Invisible Hand: Very Difficult (-4) Dexterity 
  + Stealth, 1-6 minutes. Rachando’s personal ship has elaborate 
  security systems that can be bypassed by a talented thief. On 
  board, the player finds a transmitter of a similar design to the 
  data drum, as well as encrypted instructions on a Vorito-made 
  data crystal. 
  Confronting Rachando
  Call for a Difficult (-2) Social Standing + Persuade check when 
  the players finally confront Rachando, and add the Effect of this 
  check to the total gathered through their investigation (failing 
  this check does not count towards the penalties for failing a 
  check during the investigation). The total Effect determines how 
  Rachando reacts.
  Less than 0: Rachando not only denies the accusations, he 
  goes straight to King Oleb and convinces the King that the 
  players are attempting to launch a coup in Drinax. See Turn in 
  your Pirate Hat.
  1 – 2: Rachando strenuously denies any involvement with 
  GeDeCo, but the characters have assembled enough evidence 
  for King Oleb to be suspicious. The king has Rachando 
  imprisoned and the Invisible Hand ransacked until they turn up 
  proof of the merchant’s duplicity. Proceed as per Interrogation, 
  but the public investigation of Rachando’s affairs alerts GeDeCo 
  that their agent is compromised. Run Assassins if you have not 
  done so already.
  3 – 5: Rachando admits involvement in GeDeCo. Run 
  Interrogation, as well as Assassins if you have not done so 
  already.
  6 – 8: Rachando not only admits involvement, he is very willing 
  to talk. The players get DM+2 to all checks during Interrogation. 
  9 – 11: Rachando confesses everything. There is no need to roll 
  during Interrogation. 
  12+: Not only does Rachando confess everything, he is so 
  completely devastated by the players’ expose of his secret 
  activities that he attempts to atone by giving them the 
  Invisible Hand. It is a converted Far Trader with pop-up beam 
  laser turrets.
  4. The assassins 
  The GeDeCo assassins can target the players (if their 
  investigations get too close to the truth) or Rachando (if he is 
  in danger of being uncovered, or if he is already in prison). The 
  assassins arrive as passengers on board a merchant ship from 
  Marduk. There is one assassin per two players. They pretend 
  to be a delegation of traders, here to negotiate for access to 
  Turn in your PiraTe haT
  Overly rash players may end up blundering through the 
  political minefield of the Floating Palace, and force King 
  Oleb to censure or even disown them. If this happens, 
  there are several ways to salvage the game.
  •	
  The 
  players 
  can 
  continue 
  investigating 
  Rachando. If they assemble an additional Effect 
  of 6+ through investigation, they can convince 
  the king that they are onto something.
  •	
  One of the other major NPCs of the Floating 
  Palace becomes the players’ patron. They 
  might ally themselves with Princess Rao or 
  Prince Harrick.
  •	
  King Oleb promotes an NPC pirate to command 
  his pirate fleet. The players must deal with their 
  former employee being promoted over them for 
  an adventure or two, until they can retake their 
  rightful position.
  •	
  **** the King! We’re pirates! Let’s blow this 
  overly linear adventure and go loot something!
  
   
  9
  Drinaxian high-technology expertise. They wear the traditional 
  garb of Marduk diplomats – elaborate head-dresses made to 
  resemble the Sea Gods, including articulated tentacles that 
  can be controlled by tongue-puppetry, so the diplomat can 
  communicate the gestural trade-language that is the only 
  common language on their balkanised world. Beneath the 
  masks, though, the assassins are all identical clones.
  If the players encountered the Widows of Blacksand in 
  Adventure 1: Honour Among Thieves, they may recognise the 
  underlying approach, although the assassins use a different 
  genetic template to the Widows. 
  GeDeCo Assassin  
  Age 16 – 4 terms (vatgrown)
  STR 10 DEX 14 END 12 INT 7 
  EDU 10 SOC 9
  Athletics (co-ordination) 2, Comms 1, Computers 0, Deception 
  1, Diplomat 0, Flyer (grav) 2, Gun Combat (energy) 3, Gun 
  Combat (slug) 3, Investigate 2, Medic 1, Melee (brawl) 3, 
  Persuade 1, Steward 1, Streetwise 2
  Neural Comm, Subdermal Armour (3), Enhanced Vision
  Lightweight Polycarapace Armour (12)
  Stunner (3D), Laser Pistol (3D+3), Gauss Rifle (4D)
  The assassins might:
  •	
  Stalk the players as they investigate Rachando
  •	
  Pretend to know something useful about Rachadno, 
  and lure the players to an isolated ballroom or down 
  onto the wasted surface of Drinax to ambush them 
  •	
  Stow away on board the players’ ship (or look for 
  passage on board)
  •	
  Send out a distress call and wait for rescue (or ‘rescue’) 
  by the pirates.
  If targeting Rachando, the assassins might:
  •	
  Break into the prison while the players are interrogating 
  Rachando
  •	
  Travel across the Underlinth and use an explosive 
  device to gain access to the section of the prison 
  containing Rachando
  •	
  Hijack a ship and attempt to crash it into the prison
  Rachando can identify the assassins as GeDeCo clones.
  
   
  10
  5. inTerroGaTion 
  Once they have Rachando in custody, the players can 
  interrogate him on any of several topics. He reveals the first 
  entry in each category automatically; give more detailed 
  information if the players have earned it (by accumulating 
  a high Effect during the investigation phase, excellent 
  roleplaying, good Persuade checks).
  No matter what questions he is asked, he will always suggest 
  the plan to break into the Vault (page 15). Ideally, let the 
  players draw the plan out of him; if they do not, then have 
  Rachando offer it in an attempt to save his own skin while 
  preserving GeDeCo. 
  When roleplaying Rachando, keep in mind:
  •	
  He knows he is in trouble, but believes GeDeCo is 
  much more dangerous than Drinax can ever be. He is 
  looking to find that point of balance where he reveals 
  enough about GeDeCo to convince the Drinaxi to 
  spare his life, but not enough that he can never make 
  amends with GeDeCo.
  •	
  He believes in the GeDeCo cause, and thinks the 
  corporation is ultimately beneficial to the Reach. 
  He also knows that GeDeCo members do ghastly, 
  unthinkable things in pursuit of the company’s goals.
  •	
  Factor the players’ reputation into his reactions. If the 
  players have a reputation as cunning tricksters, he 
  will try to strike a deal. If they are mass murdering 
  cutthroats, he will talk as fast as he can to save his 
  own skin.
  The General Development Company
  •	
  GeDeCo is more than just a trading company; it 
  conceals a secret conspiracy that manipulates events, 
  governments and whole star systems across the 
  Trojan Reach.
  •	
  The conspiracy’s aim is to prepare the Trojan Reach to 
  resist the Aslan, in order to protect the Imperium. 
  •	
  The conspiracy is, in Rachando’s opinion, ultimately 
  beneficial to both the Imperium and the Reach. They 
  do great and wonderful things – but there is nothing 
  they will not do to further their plan.
  •	
  GeDeCo has a plan. He does not know the details, but 
  knows that it involves a man named Jaskarl (a Very 
  Difficult (-4) Education + Social Science check lets a 
  player remember a Professor Jaskarl who worked in 
  psycho-historical modelling).
  Rachando & GeDeCo
  •	
  Rachando admits that he is a spy for GeDeCo.
  •	
  He believes he is the only agent on Drinax, but can’t be 
  certain. His only contact was his handler, a GeDeCo 
  spymaster on Vorito called Nierr. 
  Drinax & GeDeCo
  •	
  Rachando’s mission on Drinax was to observe 
  shipping and space traffic, as well as note visitors to 
  the Floating Palace.
  •	
  Vorito sees Drinax as a potential source of stability and 
  advanced technology. Once Drinax has moved out of 
  the shadow of its warmongering, Sindal-influenced 
  past, it can become a useful part of the Trojan Reach. 
  •	
  Rachando has (by default) little knowledge of the 
  players. If they have boasted openly about their 
  piratical exploits on Drinax, or otherwise exposed 
  themselves, then he has reported them to his 
  superiors on Vorito. Otherwise, he assures them 
  that GeDeCo is largely unaware of them (at least, 
  as far as Rachando knows – if the players went up 
  against GeDeCo openly in The Demon’s Eye, there 
  is definitely a file on them).
  GeDeCo’s New HighPort
  •	
  The new HighPort is exactly what it looks like. It 
  means that Vorito is once again open for trade. It 
  will bring lots more traffic past Drinax. This may offer 
  more opportunities for piracy, but it will also draw the 
  attention of the Imperium towards Tliowaha subsector. 
  This may interfere with the plans of the Drinaxians 
  and their pirate allies – do the characters want the 
  HighPort to reopen.
  •	
  The HighPort is heavily defended – the corporation will 
  not tolerate a second attack. Rachando has no idea 
  how saboteurs managed to make it on board the first 
  time. The only window for a raid on the HighPort would 
  be during the opening ceremony.
  The Opening Ceremony
  •	
  The ceremony will draw visitors from all over the 
  subsector. While security will be tight, it might be 
  possible for the pirates to sneak aboard, either as 
  guests or as part of some noble’s entourage.
  •	
  Rachando suspects that this gathering might be part 
  of some scheme by GeDeCo, but has no idea what it 
  could be. The company is capable of anything.
  The Vault
  •	
  At the heart of the new HighPort is a mysterious 
  Vault. The whole station was built around this Vault – 
  it is of immense significance to GeDeCo. Rachando 
  was only there once, when he was sworn into the 
  company’s service, and he only saw a small portion 
  of it. He believes that the Vault’s contents are precious 
  to GeDeCo.
  •	
  If the players could break into the Vault and steal or 
  threaten its contents, then they could negotiate with 
  GeDeCo. Maybe they could come to an arrangement 
  with the megacorporation. Both GeDeCo and King 
  
   
  11
  Oleb have a vision for a strong, united Trojan Reach, 
  and poor Rachando has been trapped between 
  these two visions.
  •	
  Alternatively, if the vault is at the heart of the HighPort, 
  and the HighPort is vitally important to GeDeCo’s 
  plans, then blowing up the station could temporarily 
  remove GeDeCo’s influence from the Reach, giving 
  the Drinaxians free reign to implement their own plans. 
  Nierr once hinted there were weapons in the Vault. 
  •	
  All Rachando knows about the Vault is its location 
  (at the heart of the HighPort) and two of its security 
  measures.
  o The door requires a DNA sample. He knows 
  that his handler, Nierr, was on the approved list.
  o The door also required a passcard. Nierr didn’t 
  have such a passcard – one of the guards that 
  escorted Rachando into the vault carried it.
  Note that there is no time to do extensive reconnaissance of the 
  HighPort before the opening ceremony.
  exeCuTe The TraiTor, my lieGe!
  Players unconvinced by Rachando may choose to have 
  King Oleb throw the merchant back in the dungeons, or 
  have him airlocked. Rachando goes to his death pleading 
  that while he may have spied on Drinax, he never truly 
  betrayed them. The players may choose to follow the 
  plan of breaking into the vault, or implement their own 
  schemes to counter GeDeCo.
  Planning the Heist
  Before the players depart for Vorito, ascertain:
  •	
  Who the Delegate from Drinax is (it may be one of the 
  players)
  •	
  Which ship they are taking to Vorito (taking more than 
  a single ship will draw attention)
  Depending on your preferred style of play, you may also wish 
  to determine what specialised equipment the players are 
  bringing with them. It may be simpler and more dramatic to 
  let the players decide retroactively what criminal tools they 
  brought along (‘of course I brought an electronic codebreaker’) 
  if you wish to avoid a lengthy planning session. 
  From Rachando, they know the vault has at least two security 
  systems – they need to obtain a passcode of the right security 
  clearance (he has no idea what that clearance is), and they 
  need a DNA sample from Nierr or someone else authorised to 
  access the vault. If there are other barriers, they will have to 
  cross them when they get there. It may be possible to bypass 
  some of these security checks, but doing so will take time and 
  risks triggering countermeasures.
  alTernaTe aPProaChes
  Your players may decide to try another approach, like 
  sneaking onto the HighPort or even attacking the Vault 
  from outside. If they do, run with it – everything leads to 
  the dark confrontation in the Vault in section 8. 
  6. The unveilinG 
  According to its designers, the Vorito Highport is a rotating 
  dodecahedron with reconfigurable docking arms extending 
  from each primary vertex. To the players, it resembles a metallic 
  spider or maybe a squid, reaching out to strangle them. 
  They are not the only ship in the system when they jump in. 
  Space here is crowded. Huge System Defence Boats in GeDeCo 
  livery guard the approaches to the world. Megafreighters – true 
  leviathans, ships of a size never seen in the reach outside the 
  trade routes – move with the stately implacability of planets, 
  while their escorts and tenders buzz around them like fast-
  orbiting moonlets. More interesting, from a pirate’s perspective, 
  is the cloud of smaller ships – traders, couriers, messengers 
  and government transports – that cluster around the starport. 
  Their IFF transmissions are a who’s who of the Trojan Reach, 
  and beyond. Imperial signals, Aslan, and even Floriani. Minor 
  systems too, especially those beholden to GeDeCo. 
  If the players do not have the Drinaxian Delegate on board, they 
  are challenged as soon as they enter the system, and politely 
  informed that Vorito is temporarily closed to non-authorised 
  visitors. Please proceed to the refuelling station orbiting the gas 
  giant Voree and then leave. Failure to comply will result in the 
  use of force as sanctioned by the governor-general.
  If they do have the Delegate on board, and present appropriate 
  credentials, they are permitted to dock.
  The Vorito Highport is staggeringly huge. Right now, it is 
  also very empty. The players are escorted through huge 
  hallways and concourses that are designed to welcome tens 
  of thousands of visitors at a time. When this station opens, it 
  will not just service the needs of the ten billion people living on 
  Vorito below – it will be the financial hub of the whole rimward 
  half of the Trojan Reach. 
  Once they dock, the players are greeted by Ammun Ko (see 
  GeDeCo Personnel) and escorted to the Grand Banqueting Hall. 
  
   
  12
  Security
  Entry into the HighPort means passing through several levels 
  of security.
  •	
  Before the players’ ship docks, it is scanned at close 
  range by one of the SDBs using a Densitometer. This 
  detects any usual objects or weapons on board. The 
  players can get around this security check with a 
  Densitometer Cloak (see Book 6: Scoundrel) or by 
  not bringing anything that would show up on a ship-
  level scan.
  •	
  After docking, the players are met by Ammun Ko 
  and an honour guard of GeDeCo security (one per 
  player). One of the GeDeCo guards has a handheld 
  densitometer and bioscanner, which is programmed 
  to detect weapons and other contraband. Any players 
  carrying illegal weapons may conceal them with a 
  Difficult (-2) Dexterity + Stealth or Deception check. 
  Failure means the guards request the players return 
  any illegal items to the ship, and keep a close eye on 
  the players after that, giving DM-1 to any further tests 
  to sneak around the station. 
  •	
  Ammun Ko gives each of the players a passcard, and 
  explains that it is used to open doors, purchase items 
  and track their needs on board the station. As a courtesy, 
  their passcards have been preloaded with credits, so 
  anything they purchase on board the station is free 
  (within reason – it is to cover drinks and souvenirs, not a 
  new starship). The cards give them Level 1 Clearance, 
  sufficient to access the luxurious corporate lounge 
  suites and other exclusive facilities on board. 
  •	
  The players are escorted through several security 
  checkpoints; at each checkpoint, Ammun Ko swipes 
  her passcard to open the hatch. It is clear that the 
  opening ceremony is taking place in an extremely 
  secure section of the station - the players may never 
  get this close to the core again. 
  GeDeCo Personnel
  Notable GeDeCo personnel encountered on the station:
  Ammun Ko: Ammun Ko greets the players when they arrive, 
  and introduces herself as their personal liaison. She is smart, 
  perky and very, very enthusiastic. She comes from Regina, 
  in the Spinward Marches of the Imperium; crossing the wild 
  and perilous Trojan Reach, even in a passenger liner, was 
  the biggest adventure she has ever had. She has a datapad 
  of facts about Drinax, and immediately launches into the 
  hard sell, trying to convince the Delegate and the rest of the 
  entourage to buy into a GeDeCo Development Contract. Why, 
  with GeDeCo’s backing, they could re-terraform the planet and 
  make the radioactive wastelands habitable again in only five 
  or six generations! For the low low price of 5% of your planet’s 
  GDP, GeDeCo will bring its eco-engineering expertise to bear, 
  and they will throw in an expanded starport for free!
  Ammun has no idea about the vault, Rachando, the conspiracy, 
  the Jaskarl Plan or anything else. As far as she knows, 
  GeDeCo’s just a great company to work for.
  If Princess Rao is the Delegate, then Ammun clamps onto her 
  like a star-struck limpet. A real life princess!
  Security Clearance: Ammun has a level 2 passcard, and her 
  DNA is not on the vault registry.
  Playing Ammun Ko:
  •	
  Bubble with enthusiasm. Customs are ‘quaint’, aliens 
  ‘adorable’ and pirates are ‘just like out of the holos’.
  •	
  Carry a folder of notes. Refer to it constantly, as if your 
  whole life script is (checks folder) written there.
  •	
  Smile. Smile. Smile more. Does it hurt? If not, you are 
  not smiling enough.
  Fae Borshune: The administrator of the HighPort and one of the 
  most prominent public faces of GeDeCo, Borshune’s a former 
  Imperial Navy officer who retired to take up a better-paying 
  corporate job. She is not part of the inner core of GeDeCo, but 
  is aware that the company is more than it seems. 
  The last Highport was destroyed by sabotage, and she is 
  determined not to let that happen again on her watch. She has 
  a special hatred for pirates and other terrorists, and will tolerate 
  no unusual or suspicious behaviour on her station. If ‘Vorito 
  Highport 5’ were a television series about a space station that is 
  a crossroads for humans and aliens, all alone in the night, then 
  she would be the charismatic star. 
  If the Delegate is Lord Wrax and the players encounter Borshune 
  at the ceremony, then the two of them get into a bitter argument 
  about military tactics (specifically, the career of Gani Peras, the 
  famed admiral of Sindal who played a part in Adventure 5: The 
  Treasure of Sindal). 
  Security Clearance: She has a level 4 passcard but is not on 
  the DNA approved list 
  Playing Fae Borshune:
  •	
  Keep a military bearing; stand up straight, speak crisply.
  •	
  Project strength; not only must you make it clear that 
  Vorito Highport is an unassailable fortress, immune to 
  pirate raids or sabotage, you have also been told to 
  show the delegates that GeDeCo can protect them 
  from the vicissitudes of history 
  •	
  Tap your finger on the table before making an 
  announcement or declaring something; it not only 
  draws peoples’ attention, it also reminds you of firing 
  your cruiser’s spinal cannon at enemy ships
  
   
  13
  Security Chief Brule: The station’s acting security chief is a 
  Vargr. She was severely injured in a pirate attack on a GeDeCo 
  outpost, and was surgically and cybernetically rebuilt by the 
  company. Now, she is fanatically loyal to GeDeCo. During the 
  opening ceremony, she stalks through the room, monitoring 
  everything through his augmented senses and data links. 
  If Prince Harrick is the Delegate, he and Brule have a lot to 
  talk about at the ceremony – both were brought back from near 
  death by advanced technology.
  Security Clearance: She has a level 3 passcard, but her DNA 
  is not on the list.
  Playing Brule: 
  •	
  Deliver corporate management speak in the tone 
  of voice you would normally use for feral roars and 
  demonic chants. GHRAWL! I am HAPPY to HELP you. 
  Rrrgh! Have a NICE day!
  •	
  Loom. Sniff the air. Look at people suspiciously. 
  Lando Nierr: A dull, plump man, Nierr introduces himself 
  as a ‘planetary network externalities consultant’ who can 
  help your planet develop trade links with its neighbours. He 
  is the conversational equivalent of white noise.  inoffensive, 
  almost relaxing, with the hint of a message or meaning 
  beyond the reach of your ability to perceive it. He is also one 
  of the members of the inner conspiracy of GeDeCo, and is 
  Rachando’s handler.
  Security Clearance: He has a level 2 passcard, and is on the 
  DNA approved list. 
  Playing Lando Nierr
  •	
  In public, be intensely boring. Speak in a low voice, 
  hesitate. Talk about trade volumes and relative 
  wealth indices. 
  •	
  In private, you are more commanding, more 
  determined, but still quiet. Drink information in, and 
  give nothing away.
  •	
  Fold your hands in front of you and speak to them 
  instead of the person you are actually talking to.
  oTher DeleGaTes
  Where possible, bring back previously established NPCs from 
  your campaign to attend the party. Almost anyone who is vaguely 
  connected to a planetary government in the Trojan Reach could 
  show up on Vorito. If any NPCs from the campaign made a big 
  impression on the players, then they are at the party. Some 
  potential candidates are listed below – adapt their descriptions 
  and attitudes to match developments in your campaign. For 
  example, if the players accidentally shot Gerret Hodol, replace 
  him with the maniacal Professor Rex Darke of TechWorld. 
  Unless otherwise noted, none of these delegates have any 
  security clearances beyond the level 1 passcodes given to all 
  visitors to Vorito.
  Keeper Malos of Clarke (Adventure 1): The lugubrious monk 
  enjoys nothing more than bringing down a celebration by talking 
  about death. 
  Grand High Provost Falx of Torpol (Adventure 1): Falx has 
  risen in station since the players last encountered him, thanks 
  to a GeDeCo development contract. He enthuses about the 
  company’s investments on Torpol.
  Olais of Marduk (Adventure 1): The lord of one of the more 
  powerful domes on Marduk, Olais hopes to attract GeDeCo 
  support so she can defend her people against Oghman raiders. 
  She will complain to anyone who listens about the Oghman.
  hiver Jim
  Perhaps the most exotic guest at the ceremony is a 
  Hiver, who introduces itself as Jim. Its real name is 
  untranslatable. Jim is a ‘consulting artist’ for GeDeCo, 
  and helped develop the Jaskarl Plan. The Sculpture 
  (see below) is its work, and its eager to talk about it 
  while throwing back wine and cheese (Hivers do not 
  metabolise alcohol like humans, but it is getting a 
  terrific buzz off the cheddar). Apparently, it symbolises 
  the ‘invisible connections of historical necessity’ and 
  ‘incorporates the observer into the art.’ If the players 
  wait long enough, Jim gets intoxicated on cheese to 
  start groping the character’s hands with its manipulator, 
  and even gives birth to a few larvae (Hivers treat their 
  hatchlings as inconsequential vermin). 
  Security Clearance: Jim has no passcard, but its DNA 
  is on the list. In fact, its hatchlings share enough of their 
  parent’s DNA that one of them could be used to bypass 
  the genetic lock.
  Playing Jim:
  •	
  Humans! Such simple, trusting creatures. 
  So brave, though, always rushing blindly 
  ahead without the slightest bit of planning or 
  preparation. A whole cluster of civilisations 
  fuelled by sheer undirected lust and greed. It 
  must be so relaxing to be so stupid.
  •	
  If you can, emphasise Jim’s alienness by 
  climbing down under the table, and holding your 
  hand up like a puppeteer using a glove puppet. 
  Talk with animated hand gestures. 
  
   
  14
  Vargas (Purser Vaughn) (Adventure 2): ‘Vargas’ was the 
  purser on board the Imperial Treasure ship in Adventure 2: 
  Treasure Ship. He was also a GeDeCo spy. If that adventure 
  ended with GeDeCo successfully spreading rumours of a 
  false treaty, then Vaughn’s triumph was rewarded with a new 
  identity and a position in the GeDeCo-influenced government 
  of Cordan. If it was a failure, then ‘Vargas’ was demoted 
  to the rank of tramp trader, much like Rachando or Talbis 
  Doherty (see Adventure 4: The Demon’s Eye) or Jarel Yean 
  (see Adventure 3: Ihatei!). Either way, he’s a member of the 
  conspiracy and is here to report to Nierr. He nervously talks 
  about trivia and the weather. (There is not any weather in 
  space, but he tries anyway.) Security Clearance: Passcode 
  Level 2, DNA
  Regent Stoylis of Bynri (Adventure 2): The commander of 
  the brave Star Guard of Byrni, Stoylis holds his world and its 
  fleets in trust for the Emperor of Sindal. If GeDeCo succeeded 
  in planting their false treaty, then Byrni has entered into a 
  development contract with them; if the plot in Adventure 2 
  failed, then Stoylis is here as a courtesy only. He discusses 
  Drinax’s history and future with the players – Drinax and Byrni 
  have a lot in common, as both are strongly influenced by their 
  Sindalian history.
  Takhweirl of the Company of Profits That Rise Like Mist 
  (Adventure 3): An Aslan trader from the world of Keiah, 
  Takhweirl is eager to find trading partners outside the Hierate. 
  Gerret Hodol of TechWorld (Adventure 4): Depending on the 
  events of Adventure 4: The Demon’s Eye, the characters may 
  be secretly conspiring with Hodol to break TechWorld free of 
  GeDeCo control, or he may be a loyal employee of GeDeCo, here 
  to talk about the benefits of advanced technological research. 
  Warden Rannib of Number One (Adventure 5): The child 
  ruler of Number One got to stay up past her bedtime for this 
  party. She still thinks pirates are yucky. 
  Visionary Prophet Zarn of Ace (Adventure 5): She claims 
  to be able to foretell the future in the storms of Ace, and tells 
  anyone who will listen that a giant star dragon will eat its own 
  tail when a hawk is struck by lightning. 
  Tiznee Zazzle of Salif (Adventure 5): The celebrity ruler of Salif 
  adds a touch of tawdry glamour to the ceremony. Her secret 
  police suspect the masses will revolt against her rule, so she is 
  on the look-out for a planet to retire to. Drinax sounds nice.
  Eridani, niece of the Duke of Tobia (Adventure 6): If the 
  players kidnapped her during Adventure 6, then they have got 
  an awkward conversation ahead of them at the party. 
  Ht! Ujj!: A Barnai representative from the Florian League, Ht!’s 
  idea of small talk is a little peculiar – ‘what useful information 
  can you convey to me in the next two minutes’ is her version 
  of ‘hello’.
  Mingling at the Party
  The players may wander freely about the party. They may 
  extricate themselves from a conversation without causing 
  offence with an Easy (+4) Social Standing + Carouse check. 
  They may also make Carouse checks to get into a conversation 
  with a specific GeDeCo rep or delegate (for example, if they 
  want to get close to Nierr). The party is an excellent opportunity 
  to offer plot hooks and side missions to the players, or to update 
  them on events in the Reach. 
  Observant players may spot other GeDeCo agents secretly 
  making contact with Nierr. Call for Intelligence + Investigate 
  checks; a successful test means the player notices a spy 
  approaching Nierr.
  The Sculpture
  In the middle of the room, surrounded by the best buffet table in 
  the sector, is a curious sculpture of alien design. It looks vaguely 
  like a tree made of glowing tubes and fist-sized nodes of what 
  appears to be marble. It is quite grotesque, and is exactly the 
  sort of corporate-funded art project one would expect to see a 
  starport like this; its deliberate ugliness makes the rest of the 
  place seem even more polished and streamlined.
  Anyone paying too much attention to the sculpture must make 
  a Difficult (-2) Endurance check to avoid developing a mild 
  headache. Psionically gifted players can tell the sculpture 
  incorporates some sort of psionic technology. 
  A close examination reveals that the sculpture is connected to 
  the station’s internal computer network by a high-density data 
  cable. It is producing (or somehow picking up) a staggering 
  amount of data. Tracing this connection with a Computers 
  check confirms the sculpture is connected to the secret vault.
  The Sculpture is the work of Hiver Jim. It scans the thought 
  structure of everyone in the room, generating psychographic 
  profiles of their personalities and feeding that into the Jaskarl 
  plan. This is not telepathy – it cannot read thoughts or memories 
  – but does give insight into the instincts and personality types 
  of the various delegates, which is immensely valuable to the 
  psycho-historical predictions used by GeDeCo. The Sculpture 
  uses Hiver technology and techniques unknown in the Imperium.
  Cutting The Cable: The Sculpture is harmless, at least in the 
  short term. Having their brains scanned by the sculpture will 
  not affect the players. However, it does underline GeDeCo’s 
  sinister intent. 
  
   
  15
  The Sculpture may be immediately useful as a distraction – 
  if the players sabotage the data cable, a swarm of GeDeCo 
  techs swoop in to fix it as quickly as possible. Borshune claims 
  it is a ‘necessary adjustment of the environmental systems, 
  nothing to worry about’, but all the comings and goings can 
  give the players an opportunity to sneak away (see Sneaking 
  Out, page 16). 
  The Ceremony
  For those used to the wild excesses of King Oleb or the 
  endless, dusty ceremonies of Drinax, the GeDeCo ceremony 
  is dull but mercifully brief. To polite applause, Borshune 
  address the crowd from a floating podium. She thanks all the 
  delegates for attending, and gives a brief description of how 
  GeDeCo’s investments and partnerships have improved trade 
  and technology across the Trojan Reach. Holographic displays 
  around the room echo her words with charts and friendly 
  diagrams. Brightly coloured arrows point to the future; curves 
  climb joyously skywards showing how the Outrim Void is slowly 
  becoming less of a war-torn wilderness, and more of a valued 
  adjunct to the Imperium, and a safe and secure highway for 
  trade with the Aslan and Floriani. 
  The re-opening of Vorito HighPort, she claims, will usher in 
  a new era of peace and prosperity for the Trojan Reach. The 
  coming years will put an end to piracy and raiding, as GeDeCo 
  intends to invest in more SDBs and patrol ships to drive these 
  twin scourges out of the system. The coming years will unite 
  the disparate worlds with trade links, and raise those planets 
  that have fallen backwards to ever-higher technology levels. 
  GeDeCo Standard Development Contracts are the future for the 
  Trojan Reach, and the HighPort is a symbol that the company is 
  here for a very long time to come. 
  One wall of the banqueting hall becomes transparent, and a 
  squadron of GeDeCo patrol ships takes up formation just 
  outside. One of them releases a cloud of gas from a tank, and 
  the others fire lasers and particle beams into the gas cloud. The 
  intersection of the beams forms the GeDeCo logo, which burns 
  for a moment in space before dispersing. 
  After the ceremony, the party bursts back into life. Knots of 
  delegates gather and break up, agreements are made with or 
  without GeDeCo mediation, friendships are forged, alliances 
  broken and the whirl of galactic politics sweeps around the 
  room. As the evening wears on, the business of diplomacy gives 
  way to carousing; the real deals will be made later on, in the 
  small hours of the morning, or in private meetings elsewhere 
  on the station. 
  The players, though, are here to break into the GeDeCo vault, 
  not to make deals. At least, that is what they think.
  7. breakinG inTo The vaulT 
  Outside the sumptuous banquet hall, the station is still 
  unfinished. All the essential systems are in place, but it’s a 
  warren of metal corridors and exposed life support systems. In 
  fact, it is much more like the rest of the Trojan Reach here than it 
  is in the completed sections – most of the other spaceports and 
  ships in use in this sector look similarly run-down and industrial. 
  Making their way through the highport, the characters come 
  closer and closer to the central vault. At times, they even catch 
  glimpses of the vault through portholes – it is a cube of black 
  metal, scarred in places as if it was once hit by laser fire. It is 
  obviously much older than the rest of the space station. A pair of 
  robot maintenance pods hover outside it, attaching power cables 
  and other infrastructure. Before the station is open to other 
  traffic, the vault will be walled away behind thick slabs of bonded 
  neutronium, and no outsiders will ever know it was there.
  To break into the vault, the players need to get to the vault, 
  bypass two major security systems, and defeat its internal 
  defences – and they need to do all that before GeDeCo realise 
  anything is amiss. 
  Timing 
  Start by rolling 1D+6 to determine how much of a safety buffer 
  the players have before they are discovered. This safety buffer 
  is referred to in the rest of the scenario as the Countdown.
  Modify this Countdown as follows:
  •	
  Subtract 1 for each roll made by the players that takes 
  less than sixty seconds.
  •	
  Subtract the Effect of a failed final roll in a task chain to 
  bypass security systems
  •	
  Subtract 1-6 for each check that takes 1-6 minutes
  •	
  Add 1 if the players succeed with an Effect of 4-5
  •	
  Add 2 if they succeed with an Effect of 6.
  If the Countdown drops below 0, and the players are not inside 
  the inner vault, then the alarm is raised. The players have one 
  more chance to make it into the vault – they get one more check. 
  After that, hit them with a GeDeCo security team. Defeating the 
  security team increases the countdown by 1-6. If they run out 
  of time again, then the next security team is twice as big, fully 
  equipped with battle dress, and has the Delegate as a hostage 
  (see page 7). 
  Ideally, the players should avoid doubling up on checks. Instead 
  of calling for a check from each player, they should instead 
  use Task Chains to work together. For example, when leaving 
  the party, one player might make an Intelligence + Deception 
  check to spot an opening, another could make Social Standing 
  + Carouse to cause a distraction, and finally one makes a 
  Dexterity + Stealth roll to sneak out. 
  
   
  16
  Sneaking Out
  To sneak out of the party, the players need to make Social 
  Standing + Carouse or Deception taking 1-6 minutes (remember, 
  the players can accept DM-2 to their check to act more quickly, 
  bringing the time needed down to 10-60 seconds). 
  Matching the right delegate to the right GeDeCo rep causes 
  enough of a distraction to give DM+2.
  Lady Hil can bore anyone; she just gives a flat DM+1 to sneaking 
  out attempts.
  Other distractions (making a scene, sabotaging the Sculpture) 
  should also give DM+2 or more. 
  Avoiding Detection
  To make it through the corridors while avoiding GeDeCo security 
  cameras and patrols, call for Dexterity + Stealth checks. The 
  players might make a Task Chain involving:
  •	
  Education + Sensors, 1-6 minutes to disable security 
  scanners
  •	
  Strength + Brawl, 10-60 seconds to take down some 
  guards without being noticed
  •	
  Intelligence + Engineering, 10-60 seconds to find their 
  way through the station’s maze of access tubes and 
  crawlspaces
  The Vault Entrance
  The door to the vault is strangely unguarded. The whole area 
  around it is suspiciously deserted.
  The vault itself is dark and oppressive. Even though it also 
  appears unoccupied, it hums with energy. 
  GeDeCo eliTe GuarDs
  Age 16 – 4 terms (vatgrown)
  STR 10 (16) 
  DEX 14 (18) 
  END 12 I N T  7  
  EDU 10 SOC 9
  Athletics (co-ordination) 2, Battle Dress 2 Comms 1, 
  Computers 0, Deception 1, Diplomat 0, Flyer (grav) 
  2, Gun Combat (energy) 3, Gun Combat (slug) 3, 
  Investigate 2, Medic 1, Melee (brawl) 3, Persuade 1, 
  Steward 1, Streetwise 2
  Neural Comm, Subdermal Armour (3), Enhanced Vision
  Battledress (18)
  Stunner (3D), Laser Pistol (3D+3), Gauss Rifle (4D)
  
   
  17
  Bypassing Security
  There are two security systems that control access to the vault. 
  The players need to swipe a passcard, and they need to provide 
  a DNA sample. 
  Passcards: Level 3 access is needed to open the vault door. 
  Call for an Intelligence + Engineering (electronics) check taking 
  10-60 seconds to gain access. Apply DM-2 if the players have 
  only a Level 2 card, DM-4 if they have only a Level 1 Card, and 
  DM-6 if they have no card. 
  DNA: If the players have a DNA sample on the system registry, 
  they can bypass this security system without a check. If they do 
  not have a suitable sample, they have to hack the sensor with 
  an Intelligence + Medic or Engineering (electronics) check. 
  Internal Defences
  If the players did not have both a Level 3+ passcard and a 
  valid DNA sample, then their tampering activates the vault’s 
  automatic internal defences. Hatches in the ceiling pop open to 
  deploy combat drones.
  8. in The vaulT 
  The doors slide open. Inside is an endless black space – no 
  visible ceiling, no floor, no walls. Objects can be dimly perceived 
  in the distance, cloaked by some sort of holographic distortion. 
  Are they files, computer archives, objects, treasures? It is hard 
  to tell. 
  When the players enter, a hologram appears. It is an old man – 
  well dressed, with a thin, devilish beard. 
  It is Professor Jaskarl – or, to be accurate, an interactive 
  computer program created by Professor Jaskarl. 
  ‘I am Professor Jaskarl. I don’t know who you are, but you fit 
  a very specific psycho-historical profile. I can say with 89.4% 
  certainty that you are or work for a resurgent polity within the 
  Trojan Reach. You have used piracy and economic pressure to 
  garner influence over neighbouring worlds, with the eventual 
  goal of forcing concessions from a major power. I commend you 
  on your efforts thus far. 
  “How do I know this, you might ask? I don’t know if you’re 
  asking – my predictive methods apply only to large populations, 
  to entire star systems and civilisations, not to individuals. I do 
  not know anything about you, I can only know the probable 
  shape of history.
  “The larger the population, the more accurate my predictions. 
  Applied to multiple sectors, probabilities become certainties. 
  Some time ago, a consortium of concerned Imperial citizens 
  hired me to apply my techniques to the future of the Spinward 
  Marches. In brief, my conclusion is that, without active 
  intervention, the Aslan Hierate will inevitably expand to conquer 
  the entire Trojan Reach and Corridor sector, cutting the Marches 
  off from the main body of the Imperium. Trillions will die.”
  As he speaks, more holograms appear in darkness. The stars 
  of the Trojan Reach – neutral stars in white, the deep purple 
  of the Imperium, the cool blue of the Florian League, and the 
  bloody red of the Aslan. The red expands, swallowing system 
  after system until it crashes into Tobia and Pax Rulin.
  “This disaster can be prevented. The General Development 
  Company’s secret purpose is to prepare the Trojan Reach. 
  By uplifting and fortifying key civilisations, we turn them into... 
  caltrops, into tiger traps that will disrupt and slow the Aslan 
  advance. By labouring in secret over many generations, the 
  company can alter the otherwise inevitable future.“
  The hologram rolls back, then displays another potential future. 
  In this version, the Aslan advance rolls forward much, much 
  more slowly, then stops. 
  “My predictions show an upcoming intersection between your 
  efforts and ours. As conflicts grows within the Aslan Hierate 
  between their trader and warmonger clans, this pressure 
  manifests as incursions into neutral space. You may have 
  already experienced such attacks; they are but a small taste of 
  the conflict to come. 
  “I have a proposition for you. Let us make your polity our 
  lightning rod. We will fortify you, lend you our aid. This will draw 
  the Aslan onto you. 
  “You will endure. You will fight bravely – but in the end, you 
  must lose. Your destruction will have consequences that ripple 
  out across the Trojan Reach, inspiring other systems to prepare 
  for the Aslan assault. The General Development Company will 
  protect you or a small few individuals of your choice, but the 
  destruction must be otherwise absolute and... memorable.
  “Refuse this proposition... and events will transpire as the 
  mathematics dictate. There is still an 88% chance that the Aslan 
  strike at you, even without GeDeCo assistance.“
  The players may question Jaskarl briefly. The hologram will not 
  answer any questions that do not relate directly to its proposition, 
  Drones
  Strength 12, Dexterity 10, Hull 4, Structure 4
  Gun Combat (laser) 2
  Armour 9, Laser Rifle (D+3)
  
   
  18
  saying only that “your query is outside the predicted parameters 
  of this interaction”. Subtract one from the Countdown for each 
  question asked. 
  •	
  If the players agree, then GeDeCo will support the 
  Kingdom of Drinax – until the Aslan attack.
  o After the attack, GeDeCo will ensure that 
  the player characters are ‘protected and 
  provided for’. The players may assume that 
  this means ‘a cushy corporate retirement’ or 
  ‘shot in the back of the head and buried in an 
  unmarked grave’ as they wish.
  o The Aslan must destroy Drinax. The destruction 
  of Drinax is a necessary adjustment to the 
  psycho-historical progression of the Trojan 
  Reach. If the Aslan attack is repelled, it will 
  throw Jaskarl’s calculations off and put the 
  whole Imperium at risk. So, if the players 
  are to keep to their bargain with Jaskarl, 
  they will have to ensure Drinax’s destruction 
  at the claws of the Aslan. They may have to 
  sabotage their own defences.
  o If the players speculate about taking the 
  GeDeCo offer, getting help from GeDeCo, 
  but then not betraying Drinax when the crisis 
  comes, then the simulation hologram just 
  says ‘your query is outside the predicted 
  parameters of this interaction’. 
  o If they ask why Drinax must fall, the hologram 
  explains that the plan requires the reactivation 
  of the golden age myth. To translate the subtle 
  mathematics of psychohistory into crude 
  words, the culture of the central Trojan Reach 
  is still haunted by the memory of the Empire 
  of Sindal. That empire is too far in the past to 
  be of use, but if those cultural associations 
  can be refired with the temporary ascension 
  of a new empire, then the destruction of that 
  new empire will be especially traumatic – it 
  will be the shock needed to drive the whole 
  Reach to adopt a new and more belligerent 
  attitude towards the Aslan. 
  •	
  If the players refuse the GeDeCo offer, then they are 
  free to go. As far as GeDeCo is concerned, Drinax is 
  doomed anyway – there is an 88% chance that the 
  Aslan will attack within a few years, and an equally 
  high chance that any such attack will wipe Drinax out. 
  The Rest of the Vault
  Roll on the Vault table to determine what characters exploring 
  the other sections of the vault discover. There is no easy way 
  to search the vault, as the holographic darkness occludes 
  everything until you are right on top of it. If the players have 
  a gadget like a densitometer, they make may a Hard (-4) 
  Intelligence + Sensors check and add the Effect to their next 
  roll on the table below. The players get one roll on the table 
  for each point of Countdown remaining. Note that there is no 
  guarantee that the players will be able to keep these treasures 
  – see Escaping the Vault. 
  2D
  Useful Item Discovered
  2-4
  Nothing – oh, there might be something buried deep 
  in these corporate financial reports or personnel 
  archives, but it is not immediately obvious
  5
  MCr1-6 in physical credits, gold, jewels, bearer 
  bonds and other easily portable treasures
  6
  Schematics for the HighPort, along with a high-
  clearance 
  computer 
  access 
  terminal. 
  With 
  these, the characters may be able to prepare an 
  escape route for themselves by opening hatches, 
  redirecting maintenance robots, or just overloading 
  the station’s reactors and running for their ship 
  while sirens blare
  7
  MCr2-12 in physical credits, gold, jewels, bearer 
  bonds and other easily portable treasures
  8
  Information about a GeDeCo scheme on another 
  world; exposing that scheme moves that world one 
  step towards Haven
  9
  Information about an exceedingly valuable cargo 
  being shipped through the Reach – a tempting 
  target for piracy
  10
  The identity of a GeDeCo agent in a position of 
  power on a neutral planet; exposing that agent 
  moves the world two steps closer to Haven
  11
  Computer 
  archives 
  containing 
  the 
  Jaskarl 
  calculations. Destroying these will severely disrupt 
  GeDeCo’s operations in the reach
  12+
  Something unusual – an Ancient relic, cryo-frozen 
  clones of key Imperial officials, some lost treasure 
  from the Sindalian empire, a Black Globe generator, 
  or a psycho-historical planning document for a 
  scheme that, if exploited, moves a world three steps 
  closer to Haven
  Destroying The Vault
  If the players brought explosives or heavy weapons with 
  them (and somehow got them on board the station without 
  being detected), or if they improvise some other way of 
  inflicting massive damage, they can damage the Vault with 
  its precious Jaskarl archives. The hologram and associated 
  computer systems are not the only copy of the Jaskarl Plan, 
  but it is the most up-to-date psychohistorical simulation, and 
  it does have all the added data from the Hiver Sculpture. 
  Destroying the Vault will therefore set GeDeCo’s plans back 
  by several years.
  
   
  19
  Escaping the Vault
  If the players have any Countdown left, they can try to escape. 
  Closing the door and leaving no trace requires a Difficult (-2) 
  Intelligence + Engineering (electronics) check taking 1-6 minutes, 
  and a Difficult (-2) Intelligence + Investigate check also taking 
  1-6 minutes to remove forensic evidence. They can return to the 
  party, have a few expensive cocktails on GeDeCo’s tab, then 
  stroll back to their ship, having committed the perfect crime.
  Alternatively, they can just race to their ship and blast off, and 
  hope they make the 100-diameter jump limit before they are 
  caught by GeDeCo (you can, if necessary, have GeDeCo let 
  them go – remember, GeDeCo want a ‘lightning rod’ like Drinax 
  to take the brunt of the next inevitable Aslan attack).
  Time To Leave The Party
  If the players are out of Countdown, then a heavily armed squad 
  of GeDeCo marines arrives at the Vault to take the players 
  into custody. The squad are mostly hulking, cybernetically 
  augmented brutes in battle dress, but at their head is Mr. Nierr. 
  He has the Drinaxian Delegate as a hostage, if necessary.
  GeDeCo security relieve the players of any money or gear 
  stolen from the Vault, as well as any weapons, but otherwise 
  do not ask any questions or interrogate them. If the players try 
  to describe what they say, Nierr just shakes his head and says 
  ‘it’s better not to talk about it.’ Fighting back or arguing with 
  Nierr results in violent repercussions; while the Jaskarl plan 
  calls for GeDeCo to let the players go, they do not have to let 
  them go unscathed.
  If the players try to follow Rachando’s advice about negotiating 
  with GeDeCo by holding the Vault’s contents hostage, then 
  Nierr just sneers at them. 
  ‘We only make deals on our own terms. You have  already had 
  our offer.’ 
   
  9. null ChoiCe 
  If you believe in psychohistory, and the Jaskarl Plan, 
  then it makes little difference what decision the players 
  make in the darkness of the vault. Whether they accepted 
  the hologram’s offer or not, whether it is Drinax or some 
  other world that is attacked and destroyed by the Aslan, 
  whether it is the pirates or someone else – history will 
  play out as it must. 
  King Oleb gambled that a few brave souls could change 
  the destiny of an Empire. 
  The General Development Company hedge their bets, 
  and believe that the destinies of Empires are dictated by 
  population pressures, by economics, by the needs of the 
  masses, and by the inevitable forces of history. 
  If the players did take the hologram’s deal, then GeDeCo 
  covertly builds up Drinax – the stronger and more 
  respected Drinax is, the more effective its fall will be 
  as a warning and inspiration for the rest of the Reach 
  according to their psychhistorical predictions. The players 
  may roll 3D, and move ports towards Haven a number of 
  times equal to their total (so, it would cost 7 to move a 
  port from Hostile to being a Haven).
  The full ramifications of the players’ choice – and whether 
  or not they flee Drinax before the end – will be determined 
  in Adventure 10: Finale.
  
   
  20
  The World
  Most of the population of The World have no idea that anything 
  exists outside their space station. They do not even know they 
  are on a space station – they assume that the entire universe 
  is a crumbling ring of corridors and hydroponics bays and 
  overcrowded habitat modules. Only the command staff – the 
  gods and rulers of The World – know the truth.
  Patron: Governor Olc.
  Reward: The World becomes a Haven.
  Mission: Find a replacement for the World’s malfunctioning 
  fusion control module. Replacing the ancient Second Imperium-
  era reactor is not an option, as it would expose the population to 
  the truth of the world. He needs the players to find a thousand-
  year-old reactor part (or a suitable substitute) and bring it to the 
  World before the lights go out.
  Pourne
  Named for the ancient writer Pournelle, this world is ruled 
  by a calcified, paranoid bureaucratic caste who assume 
  that all offworlds are probably saboteurs sent to destroy the 
  planet. Pourne customs officials are notoriously aggressive 
  and heavily armed, and the planet is protected by a bristling 
  array of SDI satellites. Despite this attitude, its stability and 
  technology level make Pourne is one of the most important 
  trade hubs in the subsector. 
  Patron: Nevin Yrral, Bureau of Investigation
  Reward: Cr10,000, and Pourne moves one step closer to 
  Haven
  Mission: A jump-capable scout ship of possibly non-human 
  design arrived in the Pourne system some months ago. The 
  only crew member was dead, and the remains were sufficiently 
  degraded by radiation exposure that it was impossible to 
  determine species. The Pourne bureaucracy fears this was an 
  advance scout for an alien invasion force. The mission is to locate 
  the origin world of the scout ship and determine if it is a threat.
  Vorito
  A company world, run exclusively by the General Development 
  Company. 
  Patron: Lando Nierr
  Reward: Become one of the Pirate Lords of Theev; Vorito becomes 
  a Haven for the purposes of selling cargo and avoiding spies
  Mission: This mission is only available if the players take 
  the Jaskarl Hologram’s offer. Later, Nierr contacts them and 
  offers them the chance to become a Pirate Lord. Theev is 
  secretly operated and maintained by GeDeCo, in order to 
  sow fear across the Reach and drive planets under GeDeCo’s 
  protection. The planet of Salif in Sindal subsector recently 
  fought off a pirate attack from Theev – if the players make an 
  example of Salif, then Nierr will give them the opportunity to 
  depose the current rulers of Theev with the assistance of the 
  fabled Widows of Blacksand. 
  Sink 
  The only settlement on Sink is a small monastery, established 
  by an obscure religious sect from Earth. They spend much of 
  their time sinking things in the deep swampy lakes around their 
  fortress.
  Patron: Malcalypse the Younger, Pope
  Reward: Sink becomes a Haven; five tons of flax.
  Mission: Sink something really, really big in the swamps. 
  Fantasy
  The inhabitants of Fantasy are the descendants of a slave 
  ship from the Glorious Empire. The human slaves were the 
  product of an experiment in genetic engineering by the Aslan; 
  traits like strength, endurance and physical attractiveness were 
  enhanced, while intellect and the capacity for independent 
  thought were diminished. The sex ratio was also changed, so 
  on average ten females are born for every male.
  The planet was named by an Imperial Scout who spent several 
  years monitoring the planet. 
  Patron: Tarya
  Reward: Fantasy becomes a Haven
  Mission: Tarya discovered the wreckage of the Aslan slave 
  ship that brought her ancestors to this world centuries ago. On 
  board, she also found notes on genetic modification that are 
  beyond her capability to understand, but she suspects the limits 
  placed on her peoples’ intellect can be reversed. She wants 
  some offworlder to take the genetic information and use it to 
  undo the Aslan modifications, allowing the people of Fantasy to 
  develop their own technology and advanced culture. 
  aPPenDix 1: WorlDs of The reaCh
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Traveller/08 - Mongoose Traveller/Third Party Materials/Adventures/The Pirates of Drinax - Adventure/Pirates of Drinax 7 - The Vorito Gambit.pdf