The PCs can them proceed to Torrel, with the co-ordinates of the Norris Arm landing field. The landing field is a large flat field with a few huts and is apparently deserted. However as the PCs are securing the ship from landing, a truck will appear at the edge of the field and proceed towards their ship. A single man will get out and ask for the captain. The PCs can now experience the full measure of Torrel's slow government processes. No one is allowed to leave the field until the inspector has finished checking the ship. He will take at least an hour to read and check all the forms that the scouts have provided, then finally signs the PC's landing permit, and is about to sign the PC's permit to leave the field when the PC's hit a problem. To get permission to leave the field, the PCs need to provide a permanent address while on planet, and agreement from the occupants that the PCs can stay. The PCs don't know anyone on planet or the addresses of any hotels. The inspector is adamant, without this detail they can not leave the landing field. The PCs can attempt to find an answer to this problem. A call to the scouts or the University is the best answer. The University is happy to put them up in some student accommodation and will even send out a university official to sign the inspector's forms. After about 20 minutes, a minibus will speed onto the field and a casually dressed young man will leap out, wave towards the ship and rush over to the inspector. After a few minutes, the inspector will fold up his forms, get into his truck and drive off. The young man will jump back into the mini bus and drive up to the ship.

"Sorry about that" he says leaning out of the driver's window, "You know what governments are like, and now you have seen ours, here these copies are yours (passing the PCs a heap of forms), If you are ready I will take you to the university"

If asked about security, and leaving the ship their guide will reply "Don't worry, just lock it, the locals won't mess with it, it will disturb their happy dull lives too much. Ooh I forgot, the name's Stephan"

Stephan will them take the PCs on a speedy drive into the City of Norris Arm. The city is very impressive and huge, bigger than those on Oriflamme and in its day comparable with those the PCs saw on Renj. Unfortunately whilst the TL10 basic building structures are still intact, the high tech innards have failed, and the open park areas between the skyscrapers have been turned into TL6 roads. Even so, the city is almost serene, with the population proceeding about its business at a measured pace. Stephan's driving is in stark contrast with most of the locals. He swerves between lanes of traffic and even cuts several cars up. The drivers frown but don't even seem to cuss or wave their hands in anger. If questioned Stephan will remark that with such a large population, anti-social behaviour is frowned upon and the definition of anti social behaviour is pretty wide and included public violence and anger. Soon Stephan will turn into university grounds on the outskirts of Norris Arm.

The university appears to be the average college of higher education, with students milling around. Stephan will park the mini-bus and lead the PCs to the Dean's office. Dean Ivar Kaplan is an old but good-natured man, with a slightly bumbling forgetful manner. He will greet the PCs warmly saying that they are the first off world visitors for over a decade. He is almost drooling to examine the databases on the PCs ship to add to his library. He has always felt confined learning about a single world when the entire universe waits.

He will assign Stephan to be their liaison whilst on Torrel and can provide access to the University's records. He will then excuse himself, quoting college business, but just as the PCs leave, he can not contain himself and begs for a copy of the PCs library database. Agreeing will earn the PCs the Dean's undying co-operation.

The PCs can trawl through the University's library, and with Stephan's help soon gather the basic information contained within the Opal entry on BARD. Several texts that the PCs want are currently not available, being on loan to the History Department. A quick visit to the Dean will get him on the phone, and shortly a pretty young female graduate will arrive pushing a small library cart loaded up with the missing texts. A further trawl through the outstanding volumes will reveal nothing new. The naval base is a crater, and the naval records went up with the rest of the base.

Stephan can suggest that the PCs approach the government for access to its births / deaths registry, they may be able to find a few surviving ex-naval personnel who survived the strike and have lived this long, or at worst may be a living relative. It seems a bit of a longshot but the PCs have no other leads. However, Torrel's government incompetence will come into play. When the PCs turn up at the public records office they will find an acre of forms to fill in. Even with Stephan's help it will take days. Finally the forms will be completed and posted to the central government records office in Winchester, the records official promises a prompt response to their request for access, it will be no more than 3 months before their request is considered. The PCs will probably be considering planetary bombardment by now. Just as the PCs turn away despondently the records official will remind them to report to their local police station to swear the necessary affidavits as to their good character in support of their document request. Stephan's will calm any PCs fears, this is just normal rigmarole, although he warns them that as off-worlders, the police will probably take even longer than usual.

So, late in the evening the PCs will find themselves filling forms and having their fingerprints taken at the local police station. Suddenly the door of the station is flung open and a mob of police enters dragging a number of drunken young people with them. The PCs can overhear the police booking them for a variety of drunken disorder charges and sending them for a night in the cells. A sharp-eyed PC will notice the young woman who brought them the missing books in the Dean's office. A sharp hearing PC will hear one of the officers complain about these damned university ecology society students and their pranks. A PC can make a Fast Talk roll (difficult task roll) after the students have been booked to find out what is going on. Apparently the university ecology society has been doing the most unseemly things, taking hikes in the wilderness, farming, fighting and minor pranks / theft. The officer suggests that the Dean should really crack down on this group.

Next morning, as the PCs are going to breakfast in the refectory, they notice a police van drop of last nights revellers. If the PCs wander over, they will find a police officer complaining to one of the Dean's representatives. The Dean's officer will promise that the students will be confined to their dormitories.

The PCs now have several months wait until they get permission to examine the government archives. The PCs are likely to spend the day trying to work out a plan to break into the government records office. But at the evening meal, one of the PCs will notice some of the students from the police station enjoying a meal despite their confinement to their rooms. Suspicious PCs will follow them when they leave, but will soon loose them in the mass of students outside.

Research the next day will turn up some interesting items (difficult research rolls):

A visit to Dawn Constructions offices will reveal a small and newly formed firm who are happy to answer questions. They are very pleased with earning the university contract and will even give the PCs a small press pack.

Leafing through the press pack will give the list of company directors. The PCs can chase these directors down using the local phone book. However research will reveal that the directors are relatives or spouses of various university department heads.

A further trawl through the construction industry news will reveal that Dawn Construction has won several other turnkey contracts for university expansions including the construction and outfitting of new facilities of the Gun club, the physics and chemistry departments and well as the zoological and agricultural departments.

The PCs are probably wondering what is going on. Two possibilities will occur to suspicious PCs: 1. They have uncovered a plot by the ecology society to form a breakoff colony somewhere on Torrel away from the government 2. Dawn Construction and its directors are involved in various corrupt practices.

Stephan will suggest they see the Dean, who is an honest if somewhat dull man. When the PCs meet the dean and present their evidence, he will be flustered and outraged at the conspiracies. He will then send Stephan out to get the committee of the ecology society and the various department heads.

Soon there will be a knock at the office door, and Stephan will enter, saying the students have arrived. He will then usher the students in. The students are all armed with snub pistols, and the dean's voice will ask the PCs to lower their weapons and no harm will come to them. The Dean is pointing a gauss pistol at the PCs, he will then instruct Stephan to shut the door.

Conspiracy

"Well, Ivar, says the scout, what have they learnt". The Dean will then give Mikal a quick run down of the PCs findings. The hologram will then turn and face the PCs.

"Don't think badly of us, we have kept to our oaths of non interference with a planetary government, but Torrel is too fossilised to expand to the stars again. We however have the knowledge and the technology, but too much of our resources are being spent maintaining the infrastructure and life support of the base. So we propose to move the entire facility, and form our own colony. With the help of the University and the various university societies, we have amassed enough material to start a colony, the only problem is the real estate is occupied. By Vampires to be exact, you see we plan to colonise the moon Jerefnos, we can use its remaining infrastructure to support our efforts, and the land is good to support the colony. And most importantly we will be free of Torrel government interference.

We plan to build and detonate nukes in orbit around Jerefnos and blanket the moon with EMP, which will destroy the agricultural robots still operating. All we are lacking is the nuclear material and Torrel has none. Ironically we even found records of a consignment for uranium at a mine on Paro, all we lacked was a jump capable ship. And then you arrived" Mikal leaves a pregnant pause.

"Now if you can help us by retrieving that shipment, we will scour our archives for references to your message. Since you have journeyed over a dozen parsecs, for this, what are a few more?"

The PCs will probably agree to the scout's offer and go to pick up the uranium shipment at Paro. The Dawn Construction company can provide the names of several companies that can produce some vehicles for cargo hauling on Paro, and the University's chemistry department can attempt to provide some primitive coatings to prevent Paro's atmosphere from eating into the vehicles.

As the Crepsucle is accelerating out to jump point, a powerful radio transmission is received from the Torrel government. It pleads with the PCs not to travel to Paro or disturb the vampires on Jerefnos. The government is afraid that the scouts attack may not work and rouse the vampires for a full scale attack on Torrel. As the government begs, a tight beam laser com signal will be received from the scout base. Chief scout Mikal Khulas asks to speak with the PCs. He clams their fears. The scout have observed the robots on Jerefnos for almost 70 years, they are not space capable, Torrel's government has nothing to worry about. As the scouts cease transmission, the Torrel government plays its final card and states that it will not join the RC on any terms if the PCs continue with the venture.

What are the PCs to do - do they help a small by dynamic society (the scouts) or pander to the fears of the much larger but stagnant Torrel government?

Paro Bound

The scouts at Torrel have provided accurate co-ordinates for the mine, but how to translate these co-ordinates to an actual position on the planet. Latitude is easy and soon the computer can present a holographic image of the planet with the correct latitude displayed, but what about longitude? Normally, a beacon at the starport would provide a reference point, but that beacon is long gone.

The atmosphere will quickly overwhelm the PCs suits, so they can't make several abortive landings at the wrong site. A formidable survey roll (or impossible navigation roll) will match the scans of the planetary surface with locations / features on Paro held within the PCs databank.

Once the PCs have pinpointed the site, they can descend into the swirling atmosphere. A routine piloting roll will allow a successful landing. Failure will result in a landing several km from the site, with the resulting delays.

The PCs can quickly enter the despatch area of the mine. The atmosphere has dissolved most of the interior furnishings including interior doors. They will be confronted by a storage area containing many sealed transport crates. A quick look at the crates, will reveal that the atmosphere has also eaten away at the crate's labels. To search through these crates manually will take hours, however a radiation detector will quickly reveal the correct crates.

The PCs can then load them onto the trucks purchased on Torrel. Towards the end of the transfer, the atmosphere will overcome the primitive protective coatings and the Torrel trucks will fail and the PCs will have to manhandle the last few crates. This is a good point to worry the PCs about their suit integrity.

Soon the PCs will have the crates loaded and can vent the atmosphere out of the cargo hold. But by now, the atmosphere has started to degrade the Crepsucle's sensors and the take-off will require a difficult piloting roll. Failure will dunk the Crepsucle into the sea.

Once in orbit the PCs can check that the crates are still sealed, and providing adequate shielding before accelerating out to the jump point and jumping to Torrel.

Nuke Them Till They Glow

When they get the nuclear material, the scouts can quickly assemble some crude nuclear weapons (any PC help will be gratefully appreciated). The weapons will be loaded onboard the remaining scout ships and the Crepsucle and the fleet will move off towards Jerefnos. The fleet will deploy in orbit and place the nukes in orbit over known concentrations of vampires. (Routine vacc suit skills will allow safe and successful deployment of the nukes). The fleet will then retreat to a safe distance and detonate the warheads.

The resulting EMP pulse will blanket the moon, and the fleet will move in to scan for effects. The EMP seems to have knocked out the robots, and no movement can be seen within the range of the fleet's sensors. Things seem to have gone well. Whilst the fleet and the scout base are celebrating, Chief Scout Mikal Khulas comes on the laser comm. "Thank you for your efforts, It looks like we can successfully relocate the base and our volunteers and make a new world. Please thank the RC for its help, we will be happy to join, once the RC expands into this subsector. And now to our end of the bargain. We have cross referenced your message with our databases and found the following information."

"The PSI shielding, several cutter modules, and TL15 construction material was shipped from the naval base to the Halden Minerals survey base on Awyne, why the navy was shipping stuff to Halden is not recorded, but this is probably your best bet - good luck" and with that the comm goes dead.

The PCs can microjump to Awyne, and easily find the old survey base. According to the old records, the base was involved in surveying the gas giant as either a fuel source or a source of other minerals. The base is quiet and gives no indication of life to either passive or active scans, even direct hails gives no response. The base appears intact, at least the base power plant did not explode.

Either the launch or the Crepsucle itself can land on the simple landing field just outside the base. The base is a standard imperial design, with a central domed area and four smaller domes located at cardinal points linked by pressurised corridors. The airlock opens into an EVA suit room and hence into the main common room. Several corridors lead off from the common room, two lead to dormitories, a third leads to storage and maintenance areas while the fourth leads to the command deck. A quick sweep of the base reveals something unusual, although the base is shut down and no systems will work with the power plant offline, there seems to be little indication of collapse induced damage, no bodies and very little portable equipment left. The base appears to have been stripped post collapse. Eventually the PCs will discover a string of numbers laser etched into the wall of one of the staterooms. An easy navigation roll indicates they are stellar co-ordinates for a jump. The Crepsucle's computer will confirm that the jump co-ordinates are for the Edge system.

A difficult computer / admin roll will pull the old imperial era library information on the edge system - See Opal. Basically the entire system is interdicted as all fuel sources are contaminated. However, the Jump -3 tanks on Crepsucle and the fuel bladder obtained on Lorsch will allow the Crepsucle to jump in and out without refuelling.

The Crepsucle refuels at the gas giant and jumps for the Edge.

The Edge

The system does possess several gas giants, but the library data states that these refuelling facilities are contaminated.

Passive sensor sweeps detect nothing in the vicinity of the gas giants. A difficult survey roll will not pick up any signs of contamination in the gas giant's atmosphere. Another difficult sensors task roll will pick up radio chatter about the Edge itself.

As the Crepsucle approaches, the Edge, the sensor rolls to pick up the radio chatter become progressively easier. Once the chatter has been detected, then a routine navigation roll will pinpoint the source as orbitting the main planet. A difficult sensors roll will confirm that there are two radio sources. As for the radio chatter, it is in code and the PCs will not be able to break it. A remnant PC from the Imperial Navy will recognise the code as an old IN code on a difficult intelligence roll, but will not be able to decode it.

The radio chatter is from the two vampire insats orbiting the Edge. They are primarily watching each other, but will soon train their sensors outwards if the PCs do something to attract their attention i.e. active scans, radio communications etc.

The two insats dislike each other intensely, but are both equally matched and heavily armoured (Type 37 Insat - See Bard Pages). Their sensors cover the approaches to Edge. At best, the PCs will be able to sneak close, but not passed the two vampires. When the vampires detect the Crepsucle, they will gleefully open fire with their nuclear missiles. Fortunately for the PCs, they will each keep one loaded turret pointed at the other insat. Also they have limited missile resources (7 and 5 missiles respectively) so each will only fire one missile per turn at the PCs.

If the PCs can cripple the two vampires then they can scan Edge or board the vampires. Fortunately as they were designed primarily as remote satellites, they only have 1G floor fields and no inertial compensators, so the PCs will not suffer grav pong. The insat is basically a two deck design. The top deck contains the bridge at the bow (with an iris valve down), and a long central corridor leading to engineering at the rear (containing the power plant and manoeuvre drives and an iris valve down to the lower deck). The hanger for the launch / cutter occupies most of the port side of this deck, with access via an Iris valve towards the rear of the main access corridor. The lower deck consists of the staterooms with a cluster of four rooms at the bow, and the rest along the central corridor. The cutter hanger extends for virtually the entire length of the deck on the portside. There is no access to the hanger on this level. At the rear of the lower deck is the airlock, and the missile magazine (with external loading door).

The vampires will attempt to repel boards by use of the environmental systems and control of the iris valves. But once the PCs have boarded and are advancing steadily, the vampire will cut and run by transferring its mind to the launch and making a run for it. The Insats will be a useful source of salvage.

Scanning Edge

The PCs can land where they like, the area around the underground base is sufficiently stable and level for the PCs to land the Crepsucle if they so desire.

Approaching the area of the base will soon reveal a personnel airlock in a small structure protruding from the ground. The vegetation around the airlock shows signs of the passage of creatures. About this time the PCs will start to experience the effects of the Tarlant psionic hallucinations (see the following sections for explanations of the Tarlants and their psionic abilities). About the time that most of the PCs are running around screaming or curling up in small balls, the airlock will open and three robots will emerge and attempt to capture the PCs. Two are grav powered animal care robots armed with snub pistols with tranq rounds, the third is a LSP security robot, who will happily shoot anyone who resists or looks at it funny.

If the PCs can defeat the robots, they can enter the base un-molested. If captured they will end up lock in the animal cages for subsequent experimentation. Fortunately they have hidden allies at the base - See the section on the Gaia research facility. If some of the PCs escape, they can stage a later rescue, the airlock door only has a simple lock (primarily to prevent animals wandering in) and there are no external sensors. Once inside the base the PCs will be shielded from the Tarlants and will stop hallucinating.

Research Facility Gaia

The bases compliment consisted on five robots and a highly advanced research computer (with borderline TL16 AI provision). The robots were a LSP PR-317 security robot (for base security), two animal care robots (who performed the actual experiments under the direction of the computer and looked after the test subjects), a MK XX starship assistant robot who maintained the facility and specifically the Jump Message Torpedoes, and a Intect AJ-63 Janitorial Robot for general cleaning duties.

The base itself consisted of two areas linked by a secure tunnel. Area 1 is a circular sample holding area with 12 holding cells / sample areas around a central lab facility. This is where the animal care robots performed their experiments. The second area is rectangular and consists of the base power plant, fuel processors and fuel storage (linked to a nearby river via underground pipes), next is the Jump Torpedo storage area and launch facility, workshops and general storage. The next section contains the base computer and recharge areas for the robots. Finally the last segment of Area 2 contains 2 large staterooms, a small galley, and a lounge for occasional visiting personnel. These areas are linked by a secure corridor (with airlocks at both ends and covered by security cameras and co-axially mounted laser carbines (TL13)). A second corridor branches from this secure corridor, and leads to the surface (for sample collection).

The Virus infected the base robots and computer in different fashions. The computer and the security robot became reproducing doomslayers, the two animal care robots became hobbyists, the janitor robot became an alliance builder (but a rather stupid one), while the maintenance robot became a peacemaker. The security robot and the base computer fought a brief and destructive power struggle, but the base computer's superior intellect was no match for a laser rifle. The security robot now spends its time intimidating the other robots and randomly shooting the local wild life. The two animal care robots have expanded their programs and perform all sorts of pointless experiments on the local lifeforms and at least one will be found outside looking for new experimental subjects. Any PCs captured by these robots can expect to end up on the operating table. The maintenance robot pretends to be a simple minded hobbyist whose only interest is maintaining the base. It has managed to convert the janitor robot to a peacemaker as well (so he has someone to talk to). They know that they could not convert the other three robots before they were discovered and destroyed. The maintenance robot knows of the Calibration point (from its work with the J Torps but has not sent a message in case it attracts unwanted attention). They hope that the entire empire has not fallen and someone will comes to free them from the madmen.

Security Robot: armed with laser rifle
Animal Care Robots: Armed with snub pistols as per the Naasirka D9 mechanical dumbot, but with Mechanic / electronics replaced by biology and medical
Maintenance Robot, Horatio: (has a laser wielder hidden in the workshop)
Janitor Robot, Randolfus: no effective weapons, except cleaning equipment - club)

In the event that PCs discover the base, the maintenance and janitor bots will attempt to aid them, covertly at first (not reporting seeing them, opening cell doors if they are captured), but they won't stand up and fight unless things are desperate and only prompt action will save them (i.e. shooting the security robot in the back, before it kills most of the PCs).

If they meet the PCs without the other robots being present, they will surrender, placing arms in the air, and pledge loyalty to the Imperium. They may be slightly surprised when the PCs identify themselves as from the coalition and the empire fell over seventy years ago. They will attempt to reassure the PCs as to their friendship and provide any information the PCs ask for. They will be happy to accompany the PCs around the base and preferably off the base and back to civilisation. They will also tell them of the calibration point and can provide precise co-ordinates. They will suggest that the PCs journey to the calibration point.

Tarlants

Tarlant Psionics

Calibration Point Darwin

1 command module
1 lab module
1 habitation module
1 medical module with 4 emergency low berths.
1 support module
1 cargo module (supplies)
1 cargo module fitted out to support the J torpedo operations
2 Fuel modules

Also hanging in space near the station and protected by the insat are two star class armoured merchants, the Pulsar and the Burnstone, their crews in low berths.

As they approach the station, they will receive a compressed data squirt from the insat demanding the security password. Fortunately Horatio know the code (it was programmed into each jump torpedo to stop the insat from destroying the torpedo). With the password, the Crepsucle can approach the station or the two starships. In all three cases, the station / ships are powered down to minimal levels and the crew are in low berths. Operation of an airlock will result in all three crews awakening and moving to determine who is on their ships. They are armed and cautious. It will take the PCs a couple of difficult inter-personnel skill rolls to get the crews sufficiently relaxed to view recording that prove the collapse. Once they have accepted the collapse, they will be eager to return to civilisation, and specifically the RC.

Pulsar / Station Crew

Burnstone Crew: Calman Bennit, Age 39, Ex scout B89779, JOT 3, Pilot 1, Mechanical 1, Gunnery 1 A peaceful easygoing type who asks questions first and shoots later. He is frequently taken advantage of. During his service in the IISS, he served in the courier branch and has visited a large part of the old expanses.

Terry Lanst, Age 25, Ex navy lieutenant, 48A647, Forward Observer 1, Cutlass 1, Gunnery 1, JOT 1 He as initially assigned to the interdiction force at Arcolund but was discharged when it was automated. He feels cheated of his naval career.

Kyrk Ryan, Age 28, Ex navy starman, 54AB48, Engineering 1, gunnery 1, JOT 1 Kyrk was the sole survivor of a pirate attack on his 400tn naval courier "Informant" in the Sarid subsector. He was decorated for his actions but is haunted by guilt for surviving and still blames himself for the death of his captain "Commodore Neeson"

Doug Walshon, Age 32, Ex merchant 3rd Officer, A8756C, Steward 1, Shotgun 1, navigation 1, streetwise 1, medical 1, gunnery 1 An out of place noble, who once hoped to own his own merchant ship, he signed on due to his interest in starships. He specialised in providing services to other noble passengers.

Melissa Hallory, Age 27, ex scout, 945BA5, gunnery 1, Pilot 1, computer 1, electronic 1 A member of the IISS contact and liaison branch with an interest in alien societies and cultures. She has served on and visited several low technology worlds within the expanses.

Prentis Wier Age 35, ex merchant 3rd officer, 628587, JOT 2 streetwise 1, mechanical 1, electronic 1. Prentis has wanderlust moving from place to place every few years. He has seen a large part of the old expanses in his travels.

Bernie Klinger, Age 40, ex merchant 4th officer, 739958, gunnery 2, gambling 1, streetwise 1, mechanical 1, electronics 1. An experienced merchant officer with years on star class merchants. and part time smuggler.

Chuck Hans, Age 36, ex army colonel, 9C8478, Rifle 1, SMG 1, tactics 1. An army colonel, now working as a security officer for a merchant line. He is slightly disappointed with his military career. He never saw action, with the exception of some minor activity along the border in the Bascoj subsector.

The PCs can now return to the RC, with the answers to their mystery, two new heavily armoured / armed starships and two potential covert bases for further RCES expansion into the region. No one will mess with such a potent if small fleet. When they return to Renj, everyone will be debriefed by the RC ambassador, and can either return to the RC - just in time for the Solee conflict, or remain at Renj assigned to the RC embassy.