The Loyal One

This adventure can be for any group of player characters but is not well suited for a beginning characters.

Introduction

The PCs are on a recon patrol of a remote area in Kelrath territory. They are helping establish the location of a base in the region by finding out where the Kelrath travel. They need to travel quietly and not alert any Kelrath patrols to their whereabouts in the process. The characters are equipped to be out on this area for several weeks.

The Favor

As the PCs are doing their recon, they find ample sign of Kelrath presence. Some roads are well used and occasionally it will seem that they have just missed actually encountering Kelrath traveling through the area. The need is for an area that the Kelrath do not use so the characters need to move on to fresh territory. After a day’s travel, with no let up on the signs of Kelrath presence the PCs need to find a place to camp. Somewhere undercover would be good. If there is a Scimrahn in the group they might be helpful in recommending a good place to sleep.

The players should decide ultimately where to stay the night but if they’re not coming up with ideas offer the following.

Staying out in the open would be dangerous, somewhere hidden would be preferable.

Tunnels in the floor could be used but they only leave two options for escape if discovered.

Camping out on a conveyor can be done but may cut off escape options. It’s better than a tunnel.

Camping in the buildings of a residential hex is possible but sometimes the buildings are crumbling.

Hiding inside the Hosent of industry hexes is an option but may have the same problem as the res hex buildings.

The character’s should have someone stand guard while the others rest. If there is a vehicle, leaving it’s sensors on to passively monitor may be a good idea. Have each player roll for their characters to see if they stay awake. They can use either their Con or Psy to pass this roll and the Iron Will skill if they have it.

If any fall asleep then a message arrives while they are sleeping. If no one falls asleep it can arrive on the last watch. It is a written message and it is sent by someone in the area close to the PCs. In very broken english it says “You are found but useful to me. Do what I say and you leave here safe. Stay here two days. Do not leave or I hunt you.”

The players will have to decide what they will do with this information. If a Communications Officer examines the transmission, a successful radio skill roll will reveal that the signal was sent by a Kelrath radio. If a quarter or eighth column is rolled, the Comm Officer will recognize that the signal was sent by a low power system that was very close to where the PCs are. Possibly only 200 meters away.

If the players do not decide to stay, go to The Hunt.

If the players decide to stay, in ten hours a single Kelrath Gijorn will walk directly towards the location the players are in but at 10 meters away, will put a piece of paper on the ground and walk away. If the PCs try to call out to him as he approaches, the Gijorn will put the paper on the ground and immediately walk away. He will not speak to the PCs (he cannot speak english at all). The note will say the following. “My loyal one is coming. You take him home and go in peace. He is not safe here. He come one more day.” Again figuring out what to do with this information is up to the players. If they do not listen go to the hunt.

The Hunt

The messages are being sent by a high ranking Gijorn. He is the equivalent of a general. At the moment there are ten Rall 4s in the region, several groups of 20 Geetin and the general in his Enhanced Variant Rall 3 (see The Fringe sourcebook for stats). If the players do not follow the instructions the whole force will be mobilized to track them down. One Rall 4 is within 30 Km. Others are farther away. Even if the characters can outrun the Ralls, there are more in any given direction that can intercept them. How many is up to the GM.

The Ralls have orders to detain the PCs not to harm them, much. The harder the PCs push the harder the Gijorn in the Ralls will push back. They don’t need all of the PCs, just one with a vehicle would be preferred.

The Act

Once the two days have passed, either because of the PCs volunteering to wait or because they are detained by the Ralls and Geetin, they will eventually see the Enhanced Rall 3 and a wheeled vehicle approaching. As it does, the Rall 3 will power up it’s shields. Through the loudspeaker, the pilot of the Rall 3 will say in english “You want my loyal one? You can not have him! I will defeat you!”

If there is an E-suit or tank in the group the Rall 3 will go up to it and start to punch at it (punches pass through shields). If there is no E-Suit or tank the pilot will exit the Rall with full Gjorn Armor on and declare “I do not need machine to beat you! I beat you with hands only!” and start boxing the largest PC.

This is an act. It is done with the Scimrahn so that observers will see some kind of a fight. The Gijorn will really fight but will not use any weapons unless punching is clearly ineffective. The more the PCs act like they are being hurt the more the Gijorn will let up. If the players try to use weapons, the Gijorn will do his best to disarm them but if that is not possible he will use the Rall 3s Plasma guns (which he can command remotely if needed), a knife or a Plasma Sphere depending on the situation. He will try to make it clear to the PCs that he is only there to fight with one of the PCs and the rest must watch. He may fire the Rall 3s weapons in between him and the other PCs if needed.

A turn or two into this staged fight, either by laser communication or by whispering it, the Rall 3 pilot will tell his opponent, “You steal him now, tell your friends.” He may say this several times. He means for other PCs in the party to break into the wheeled vehicle and take the occupant hostage. If the PCs aren’t getting the idea he will try again and again to indicate this is what they are supposed to do but only with limited english. If the PCs say anything about this over radio or out loud so that others can hear, the Rall 3 Pilot will proclaim that they will be defeated.

If at any time the PCs beat the Rall 3 Pilot, the remaining Rall 4s in the region (which have been closing in on the PCs) will attack.

Rall 3 Pilot

	Full	1/2	1/4	1/8
CON	60	30	15	8
STR	50	25	13	7
AGI	70	45	23	12
REF	60	30	15	8
DEX	60	30	15	8
BTY	30	15	8	4
CHA	70	45	23	12
INT	50	25	13	7
IQ	60	30	15	8
PSY	60	30	15	8
HP	20

Once the PCs break into the wheeled vehicle (use the stats for an ASO transport) they will find an elderly Geetin in Geetin Armor. He will go with the PCs but will tell them “Make it look good” in Kelrath. Once the PCs have the Geetin, the Rall 3 Pilot will shout “No I will stop you!” but not make any other adjustments to his strategy he may even ease up. If the PCs use the Geetin as a hostage he will stop and declare that he and his men will leave if the PCs promise to not hurt the Geetin, refering to him as “My loyal one” in english.

The idea is for the PCs to escape with the Geetin. The Rall 4s will not attack as long as they have the Geetin and he is safe.

Conclusion

The Geetin has been an advisor to the Gijorn for many years. Recently he had to protect his master from an embarrassment which meant the death sentence for the Geetin. Because of his loyalty the Gijorn sent him out on one last task before his execution. The last task was where the PC’s intercepted and took him. The Geetin explains that they must leave and get away from the area or the General will not be able to protect them any longer.