Uncertain Times

After being captured in the last episode, the PC’s ship is flown to the secret Neo-Browncoat headquarters. Each crew member is politely interviewed and asked to join the cause. If they refuse they are kept onboard ship under close guard as manual labor force. Anyone agreeing to join is assigned back to ship, but with a “buddy” to ensure their loyalty until they have proven themselves. Since the Neo-Browncoats are on their home turf, they do not feel threatened; Stephen Montag will be extremely difficult to fool. To convince him that they are serious converts to the cause, they have to beat three opposed rolls of INT + Influence versus his INT D12 Interrogation D10 skill. Any result other than three successes, keep the PC a guest of the rebellion. Regardless of status, the crew is assigned to their own ship, either as deckhands if on “probation” or as stevedores if held captive.

Montag is all too proud to report that the Neo-Browncoats ranks are swelling and they now have gathered enough local strength to go on the offensive. In addition to aggressively attacking convoys to capture equipment and shipping, the rebels will hit smaller and isolated Alliance facilities. The Lattimer’s Ghost assignment will be right behind the main fighting to provide medical support during these upcoming close skirmishes with Alliance forces. Since the ship will be so close to the fighting the Neo-Browncoats arm the ship with missiles in the cargo bay, manually launched by crew in spacesuits from the airlock to give the ship a surprise punch if the Purplebellies get too close.

True his word, the ship lifts and heads immediately into battle. Probationary PCs will be used as the missile deckhands and will have a “Mark 1 eyeball” view of the battles. The “guests” will only know the ship is in the middle of hard maneuvering and being tossed around by explosions. As soon as the ship returns to normal flight, they begin to receive casualties. Deckhands and guests alike are used as little bearers during these moments. PCs can make INT + Medical Expertise to assist. The target number will vary based on how wounded the person is. Roll a D4 1 = Average, 2 = Hard, 3 = Difficult, 4 = Formidable. Most of the wounded are Neo-Browncoats, but some are civilians, an Average INT + Perception roll will quickly deduce that no Alliance casualties are ever brought aboard.

If the GM has a PC that has joined the Neo-Browncoats, they are deeply tied up with assisting in treating the wounded. If a PC can make a Hard AGL+ Covert roll they can get a few seconds with the rebel character and a Formidable INT + Influence roll will break through the psychosis enough for them to realize they have not acted in the best interest of the crew, but there isn’t enough time for them to free themselves of the need they has to “win” the Unification War this time. One of the medics returns and the PC is hustled out of the infirmary to fetch the next casualty.

After this first battle, the ship pulls back to headquarters to offload wounded and restock medical supplies. Montag lets the crew know that the successful raid netted three freighters, a tanker, and an Alliance gunboat. If pressed about losses, Montag growls they lost one ASREV with all hands and sustained multiple crew casualties, as the crew knows better than all. If pressed about the civilians, Montag softens a bit and said their losses were “regrettable” but a small price to pay for the greater good of freeing the Rim of the Alliance strangle hold. If asked about why there weren’t any Alliance treated, Montag goes nearly apoplectic and he orders that person to be immediately taken and held in solitary confinement in a 2’ x 3’ x 6’ sweatbox. If they were probationary, they lose that status as well being returned to the role of captive stevedore.

The GM is welcome to stretch this part of the adventure out with additional battles that show the aggressive nature of the fighting and the rumors of how well the rebels are doing. As this portion of the adventure is linear in nature and most players will be tired of being in POW mode, it might be best to get to the endgame quickly.

The crew that is still loyal to Captain work an angle to free ship from Neo-Browncoat control during this downtime. The crew that has “buddies” can finally earn enough trust to turn tables on their watchers and get free. If they do one of two things, first participating in dragging the loud mouth that questioned Montag to the sweatbox and making an Average INT + Performance roll, or by making a Hard INT + Influence roll stating the big mouth had it coming afterwards. If either of these tasks succeed, the “buddy” will talk to Montag and that PC will be considered a full Neo-Browncoat. Just as freed crew manages to gain their freedom, a warning klaxon sounds that a major Alliance force has arrived.