AMBER ZONE: Lanthanum Hunt

Players’ Information:

Many centuries ago, Jafa’raltay’yar was a bustling Solomani colony world. It was divided between two religious groups that prayed to the same god, albeit under different names. Unfortunately, one of these groups took their religion much more seriously than the other, leading to an all-out war. Chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons were all used in the initial phase of hostilities, and over half the population was killed outright. Those who survived continued the conflict, fighting initially with planes and tanks, then with guns, and finally with sticks and stones. When the fighting ended, less than 1% of the planet’s pre-war population remained. Those who hadn’t died in direct combat fell victim to radiation, starvation, disease, and various hazards of the alien biosphere. Needless to say, the world was quarantined.

The PC’s are passing through the system, simply hoping to refuel at a nearby gas giant, however, the refueling operation is a little bumpy, and although they manage to acquire enough hydrogen to jump on to their next destination, there’s now a new problem. Their ship’s lanthanum grid is damaged. It can be repaired, but they need lanthanum, and the only conceivable place there would be any would be in the nuked ruins of the old starport. In short, they have to break the quarantine.

Warrior Race

Image from Project Gutenberg – Public Domain

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GG

AMBER ZONE: A Call to Arms!

Players’ Information:

The players are in a tough spot, down on their luck and down to their last credit and living hand to mouth in the local Startown. A local pirate gang has been making the news for their brazen and brutal nature. Several ships in local space and in the surrounding systems have been shot to pieces, their crews tortured and spaced by the “Main Rouge Sang” (ancient Solomani French, for the Red Bloody Hand, an ideogram of which is also left behind in the aftermath of the raids.

The local navy is powerless, as the world is off the beaten path of the spacelanes and the local officials have been screaming for help to the central government, albeit to no avail as the last two jump couriers never made it past the pirates. In short, things are beginning to get tense on-world as the world is a net food importer and the government is beginning to mention things like “crisis” and “rationing”. The government has put a bounty on every pirate, dead or alive, but there has been few takers.

The players should be in a Startown bar, nursing their last drinks for a while, when in strides Jak Pagonis (or whatever name suits your campaign). Jak by reputation is a “man’s man”, a decorated hero of the last war who was forced out of the central government’s navy because of politics, or so the story goes. He has taken down pirates across the subsector, and has done it in style. He and the 4 man crew of his converted Scout ship have prices on their heads from half a dozen pirate bands throughout the subsector. They dress and look the part of “bad guys doing good things that need doing”.

Pagonis will get everyone’s attention, loudly. He will say that he knows where the pirates are, and he knows they have more than one ship, but he’s ready to lead a force of his fellow spacers to do what the local navy can’t or won’t do. So, who’s with him?

GG

Image from ESA – Public Domain

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AMBER ZONE: Welcome to the Grand Illusion!

Players’ Information:

During a layover on the planet Sands (UPP E363613-7 Amber Zone, Gas Giant), the players are contacted by Jae Bussi, an elderly parolee. He has information suggesting his former ship, The Grand Illusion, was never recovered after crew was captured. Jae is offering Cr 10,000 each as payment for recovering a special coin collection onboard, as well as a percentage of any special cargoes recovered.

Pirate

Image from Wikimedia – Public Domain

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AMBER ZONE: Out of the Frying Pan

Players’ Information:

There is a planetary-wide distress call from an adjacent system with a Population size of 4 or 5. That system is experiencing a series of unexpected solar activity that is having a strong adverse effect on the planet’s weather and ecosystem. (The affected planet should be size 4-A, atmosphere 4-9, hydrographics higher than 1 and no more than two parsecs away). Medicines, heavy equipment, worker droids and emergency services gear are needed immediately. Solar activity is making communications with the surface difficult and it is hoped that the activity will subside soon.

The IISS (Imperial Interstellar Scout Service) is hiring civilian ships for a single-mission contract to go to this planet with the load their load master chooses. The IISS will coordinate all rescue efforts planetside. All ships taking this offer need to leave within 48 hours. Fuel costs will be picked up by the IISS as well as payments for space onboard to haul cargo at double standard rates (1000 credits/ton/parsec). As the PC’s are gathering their gear, the IISS will give them priority to purchase any goods they need, while the ship’s fueling is taking place.

Quiet Corona

Image from NASA – Public Domain

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AMBER ZONE: Sinking Ship

Players’ Information:

While on a stopover at Rech (Lanth 0502 D9957AA-6), the PCs receive a message on the local emergency frequency from Honus Burk, Administrator for the Starport Authority. He is seeking immediate assistance from all the starships in port, citing Imperial laws requiring assistance to vessels in distress.

An ocean-going vessel, the SS Laurentic, has foundered several hundred kilometers offshore, and no other water craft are in the immediate area to respond. The SPA is calling anyone with a flight-capable craft especially contra-gravity vehicles and small craft to render assistance; rescuing passenger from the ship or from the water, and transporting them back to land. Any crew that signs up and provides six hours of assistance will receive a 50% discount on refueling at the starport, and one week’s berthing fees will be waived.

Sinking Ship

Image from wikimedia – Public Domain

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