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CSB-11718
BARD PAPER: MARI0015 | Home | Traveller | BARD | MARI |
This is a transition adventure for up to two groups of player characters with starships. Successful completion of this adventure will present the PCs with sufficient rewards to either retire from active adventuring or move to a different type of adventure of politics and high intrigue amongst the movers and shakers of their polity.
The squadron escorted the Botany Bay back to the Diaspora Naval Depot. They were then rotated to the Madoc subsector and after two years at the front, they were caught and effectively destroyed by the Solomani strike on the Waverly Naval Base in 1121.
The Botany Bay was used by Imperial forces for a year or so, in the same function as the Solomani had used it, i.e. POW transport. But by the end of 1121, the major battles had died down, especially after the destruction of the base at Waverly curtailed the Imperial ability to launch attacks across the Madoc Subsector. With no major battles, there was no need for large POW transports, and the Botany Bay was forgotten in a corner of the Depot system.
With the "failure" of his military forces in expelling the Solomani from the Old Expanses, the Emperor Lucan turned to his intelligence services to devise a way of removing the Solomani. The rump of the Scout Service Covert Survey Bureau came up with the eventual plan.
Prior to the war, a senior scout within the CSB had been caught using scout service funds and facilities to manufacture and sell an addictive form of combat drug known as Yag. The CSB proposed to set up the captured facilities and distribute the addictive Yag with the Solomani garrison forces within the Khulam subsector.
They choose the frontier system of Desel as the port of entry into the Solomani occupied area. Desel had maintained a reasonable starport (type C) and technology levels (D), with good communications with the rest of the Solomani occupied world. However, Desel was a minor world, and not heavily defended by Solomani patrols, and its government unpopular and repressive. There was already a thriving smuggling trade.
Raw materials for the drug manufacture were readily available on Aaneru (2430), which was already a major supplier to the pharmaceutical industries. A simple dummy company could purchase all the required materials.
Now where to place the manufacturing facilities. Worlds within the Solomani occupied zone were too risky, and the CSB did not want to place it on an Imperial world, no clues must lead back to the CSB and the Imperium. So a deep space location was chosen, the CSB scoured the IGS files for a suitable deep space body somewhere between Aaneru and Desel, but no suitable bodies were found. The plan stalled, until someone remembered the old Solomani transport Botany Bay currently in storage at Depot.
The Botany Bay was stripped of its holding cells, and refitted with large quantities of TL14 light industrial equipment to manufacture the drugs (even now TL15 equipment was starting to get scarce). They co-opted some pharmaceutical staff from displaced SUSAG facilities, supported by robots (primarily medical robots similar to the animal care robots from the Research Station Gamma Adventure, and the unsuccessful starship assistant model detailed within Challenge #75), overseen by a small CSB team.
In early 1122, the Botany Bay, accompanied by the 50ktn naval replenishment ship Provider and a Star Merc. Broadsword class cruiser Scythe - actually a CSB vessel, travelled down the edge of the blight and finally jumped into deep space in hex 2829 (halfway between Exeter and Execute). The Provider deposited its cargo of inflated fuel bladders, and took off the transfer crew off and returned to the Imperium.
The Botany Base started producing Yag, raw materials were brought in by an Explorer class long range scout (300tn J5) from Aaneru, and the finished product to Desel via another Explorer class scout. The operation was successful as Yag flowed into the Solomani occupied areas.
However, by the end of 1124, things were starting to go badly. The general destruction associated with the Rebellion and Hard Times had forced the retreat of Lucan's imperial forces back towards the coreward border of the Diaspora sector, leaving the Botany Bay dangerously exposed and difficult to re-supply. Pirate activities made the voyages of the scouts more perilous, trade at Desel had fallen off as its starport closed making it more difficult to distribute the drug. Additionally the addictive drug had only weakened second and third line garrison units, leaving the core of Solomani ground forces intact. The final straw was the loss of the Poloodaar during a drug run to Desel due to an M drive fault that left it stranded in the outer system.
The project was abandoned, the CSB team was taken off by the remaining Explorer class scout, whilst two type A2 far traders loaded down with emergency low berths took off the Susag personnel for a rather slower return to Imperial territories. The manufacturing equipment was shutdown, the robots turned off, and the ship shutdown and left drifting.
Minor high tech personnel effects can be found in the staterooms, and the ship is functionally intact except for the failed M drive and lack of fuel. Access to the cargo hold has been blocked, as the iris valve has been disabled. A letter attached to the valve stated that the cargo hold contains private staff details from the "Interstellar Express Couriers LIC" and the company is within its rights to restrict access to these sensitive documents. The letter finishes with a request for any discover to contact the company offices on Desel to return the files, and offers a reward.
PCs will break open the iris valve (a formidable task) and discover a large number of sealed metal containers used to hold holo-crystals. A warning label states that the crystals are security protected and will be erased on exposure to light. If they open a case (a difficult task) they will find small bags of white pills rather than the holo-crystals.
A chemical analysis (difficult task) will identify the pills as combat drug. A task roll that passes the requirements for a formidable success with detect something strange with the chemical composition. Further tests (formidable on board ship, difficult at a forward salvage base, and routine at a properly equipped facility) will determine the addictive nature of the Yag.
The pilot has two letters in his pockets. The first is to his girlfriend and is predictable if harrowing. The other is to the chairman of "Interstellar Express Couriers" detailing the circumstances of their accident, the specifics of the M drive failure and recommendations how to prevent a similar accident.
The computer has been wiped clean of all course, history and personnel files.
Pilot's Stateroom: A neat and tidy normal looking stateroom. There is an emergency vacc suit on a hanger near the bed (in all staterooms), there are starship piloting manuals on the bookshelves, spare uniforms in the wardrobe etc. In the desk drawers there are more love letters from the pilot's girlfriend, and a small holocube, that shows a small message from the girlfriend. In another draw is a flight plan dated early 1121, which states that the vessel was travelling from Taumotu to Desel. The dates agree with those on the letters in the pilot's pockets and presumably detail the ships last flight.
Navigator's Stateroom: Another neat and tidy stateroom, the navigator had packed everything away. There is a sealed letter in plan view on the desk unit. It is to the navigator's parents, stating that they should not enquire to deeply into his death. It was for the good of the empire, but he can not reveal details for security reasons, but he consoles his parents that he knew the risks and considered the task worthwhile.
Chief Engineer's Stateroom: This room is a complete mess, with clothing and other items randomly scattered about the room. In the corner is a strange and makeshift device.
Second Engineer's Stateroom: A neat stateroom, where the occupant has packed away his belongings, as if going away for a long time. Nothing of significance will be found in this room.
Sickbay: A spare stateroom which has been converted to a sickbay. Again everything has been packed away.
Crew Common Area: A deserted common area, with all the cooking and recreational equipment tidied away. There are numerous posters with emergency procedures etc. on the walls. A floor iris valve leads to deck two.
There is nothing significant here.
Medic's Stateroom: The medic has tied her stateroom up (in-fact the corpses medic and her boyfriend can be found locked in an embrace on the bed). The room contains the usual clothing and personal items associated with a starship medic. There is a TL14 medical kit, in the top drawer of the bedside cabinet. At the bottom of the wardrobe, there is a large carry-box full of mountaineering clothing and equipment sized for the medic.
The medic's bookshelves are full of medical textbooks and mountaineering guides. Most of the mountaineering guides are instructional books, detailing particular techniques and could be used by the PCs to gain a basic level of skill in mountaineering. Only one actual book is a route guide and details climbs within the various mountain ranges on Aaneru.
Airlock: A standard air lock with all the usual EVA equipment and 6 vacc suits on a rack near the inner door. All the vacc suit air tanks are empty, the crew bleed the air into the ship.
Ships Locker: This room is about half full of survival supplies. There a few blades and rifles, preserved rations, water canisters, liferafts, survival tents etc.
Port Drive Access Crawlway: This passage obvious allows access to the drive machinery. All the access panels to the M drive have been removed, and an attempt to jury rig the damaged drive has been made. There is an engineering toolkit and the ships schematics spread about in the crawlway.
Drive Room: This room holds the ships drives. The floor iris valve leading to the cargo hold has been disabled. The ceiling iris valve leads to the dorsal turret.
Starboard Drive Access Crawlway: Similar to the port crawlway. Again all the maintenance hatches have been removed.
Circulation Space: An empty corridor. To either side are small alcoves with couches in them, obviously control positions for the ventral turrets.
Air/Raft Bays: Both these rooms contain standard air/rafts, which are launched through hatches in the floor.
Circulation Space: Another empty corridor, except here the various access panels have been removed and the machinery behind them has been tampered with.
Emergency Airlock: A cramped chamber containing a single vacc suit and a small first aid kit. As with the main airlock, the vacc suit air tanks are empty.
Fresher: Obvious really
Cargo Hold: Detailed previously.
Overall whilst the ships flight plan says it came from Taumotu, this generally does not seem plausible as the actual drive setting were from a J4 destination, not a J3 one like Taumotu. There are some subtle clues (the dead plant and the mountaineering books) to another destination - Aaneru.
C978875-B 823 Li M2 V
The short one paragraph summary states that the planet is agricultural and produces a number of pharmaceutical compounds, and derivatives used in the synthesis of a wide variety of high tech drug treatments. An advisory notices states that the atmosphere, whilst breathable is tainted with the pollen of numerous native plantlife and has been noted to cause severe allergic reactions in approx. 10% of cases. Standard Imperial anti-allergy drug treatments (now sadly no longer available) and filter masks will protect individuals from the affects of the pollen.
Asking around the salvage base, and the traders that ship the salvage back to the RC, will eventually (formidable task roll), turn up a salvager who used to serve on a free trader (until a run in with a local TED), who knows the following bits of info. He has never been to Aaneru, but has heard the following over the Free Trader Network.
As they approach nearer to the planet, they may detect a jump event back towards the gas giant (difficult sensors roll), a type A free trader has just jumped in and is making its way to refuel. The trader is actually an independent, shipping equipment to Aaneru to support its industrial revolution.
At Far Orbital distance, the PCs will be able to detect a few small asteroid moon-lets around the main planet. Just then they will be hailed by radio from the planet's surface. The voice will identify itself as Aaneru approach control, and ask their business. If the PCs give a non-hostile answer, approach control will thank them and give them landing vectors. The ships passive sensors will immediately detect a radio beacon from the designated co-ordinates.
This does not match the description given by their informant on Desel. Close scans of the planet, will detect signs of considerable new construction, both in New Groton and various other cities. There are even signs of primitive industrial pollutants in the atmosphere.
If the PCs land at the starport, they will get a considerable surprise, instead of an X rated ruin, there is a flourishing port - although probably still rated E. There are three landing pads with large flagged stones, a fourth larger pad is being cast in concrete as the PCs watch. Several large TL5 searchlights are positioned around the site, and there are even a few basic electrical landing lights. Around the perimeter of the field is a low wooden picket fence. Towards the other end of the port are a number of wooden warehouses, several large wooden tanks, and a tall stone landing control tower with a primitive radio mast. A plume of smoke rises from behind the large wooden tanks. Wooden electricity pylons lead off in the direction of New Groton.
As soon as the PCs ship has landed, a party will approach on horseback from the other end of the field, several are obviously troops, armed with TL7 assault rifles, and Guild manufactured deck-sweepers. The PCs are probably very worried that they have stumbled on a Guild Base. If the PCs don't open a hatch, one of the party (not a trooper) will dismount, knock on the hatch, wave at any obvious bridge view ports etc. to try and get the PCs attention. If he sees anyone at a view port, he will shout / gesture for them to open the hatch. Paranoid PCs will now be certain this is a Guild Base and that the "Guild" troops want them out of the ship. Attempting to contact approach control will be successful, control will ask them to open up for customs and medical inspection, and then ask what cargo they are carrying.
Actually the troopers are there to protect the customs / medical team and will not fire first. The planet is not a Guild Base (See Recent Aaneru History). If the PCs fire first, the troops will retreat, realising their weapons are ineffective against a starships hull. But the starport is not entirely defenceless. Two of the warehouses conceal four Pandina LRVs with a selection of the TL8 special rounds - including the armour piercers for just such an eventuality. Also concealed around the port and the surrounding area are approx. 10 anti-armour sniper teams armed with the Guild manufactured Crunch Gun. They will happily fire at exposed sensor and comms antenna, any debarking ships crew, bridge view ports etc. They are experienced troops who will change positions after shots to hinder return fire. If combat persists, a battalion of "Company Forces" equipped at TL7 and supported by Pandina LRVs will appear from New Groton in about an hour.
If the PCs are friendly and co-operative, they will quickly pass the inspections, and be free to go. If they have cargo to trade, the inspector will direct them to the various warehouses around the port, where local merchants have set up offices. If the PCs want accommodation / a decent meal then there are several inns just outside the starport fence - these resemble old-world English pubs.
If the PCs start looking for records dating back from the Imperial era, they will be disappointed. The optical storage mediums were destroyed in the lawlessness immediately after the collapse. Disappointed, the PCs will probably retire to their ship / inn to contemplate their next move. While they are regaling the barman with their tales of woe, he will suggest that they see Winston Kidlow, at the starport tomorrow, he may be able to help.
Arriving at the port tomorrow, the port guard can direct them to Winston, he is over by the large wooden tanks. As the PCs approach, they will get a true glimpse of the technological surge happening on Aaneru. A steam engine is pumping water from a local river into the large wooden tanks. From there plastic pipes lead to a hydrogen purification plant (obviously salvage from a spaceship), which converts the water to hydrogen, which is then pumped via metal pipes into an underground storage tank (obviously an import). A small group of men is clustered around the purification plant.
Asking for Winston Kidlow, an old man in his nineties will turn towards the PCs and ask how he can help. If the PCs ask about events at the starport during the 1120's, and the Poloodaar, he will gaze off into the distance as if recalling past glories. "Aha, those were the days, I was a bit of a starship spotter in my youth, there may be something in my old spotter books, I really loved starships then." If asked what he is doing at the starport, he replies "I am one of the few people on planet, who can still remember the old starport, and has even a vague clue as to what should be at a port!". If asked for his old notes, he will happily promise to get them from his house and meet the PCs at the Inn tonight. As he leaves to get his notes, he turns and says "my notebooks, were old imperial optical books, they haven't worked since the collapse"
That night Winston will join them for an evening meal at the Inn, and afterwards hand over one of his notebooks. It is an imperial era TL11 personal notebook using optical storage media. As foretold, it does not operate. Once the PCs get it back to there ship, they can easily get the book to work (the battery power unit has simply run out and can be recharged from the ships power systems). A search through Winston's notes will record several visits by the Poloodaar, and another Explorer class scout, the Pinta over a period of years from 1122 to 1124. But no details besides the fin numbers are recorded.
The next day they can return the now working notebook to Winston. If they show him the entries on the Poloodaar, then he will again gaze into the distance, rubbing his lapel and remembering. Then the spark of remembrance will light in his eyes, and he will turn over his label to reveal a bright lapel badge. A formidable Intelligence roll will notice that the badge exactly resembles the depression in the hand computer recovered from the Poloodaar. "One of the crew of the Poloodaar, gave me this one day as I was admiring his ship" he notes, "may be it means something". "You can borrow it if you want, on one condition - that I accompany you on your next voyage, its ages since I have been in space, and it would be nice to see another star-system before I die". Can the PCs refuse an old man's wish, especially since he holds the next clue?
Onboard ship, and after Winston has settled into his cabin, he will join them in the common room and hand over the label badge. The lapel badge will fit perfectly into the depression in the hand computer. The screen will flicker and a short message will appear:
Code Key 1 Entered - Please Enter Code Key 2
After a few minutes the screen will blank, as the PCs do not yet have code key 2. Where to now?
The next morning a new trader has arrived at the port, and its crew have taken lodging in the Inn
The 2nd group of PCs are assumed to be Free Traders operating in the Khulam / Promise / Madoc / Blight subsectors. They have arrived on Aaneru, following a rumour of the medicinal plants available for export. They may conduct their normally trading activities. Aaneru wants industrial and agricultural machinery, and can offer the medicinal drugs and a number of TL5 Crunch guns in exchange.
As they are concluding a deal at the port facilities, a teenager cautiously approaches them and respectfully waits for the PCs to finish their deal. He will then approach and identify himself as Victor Kowalski. He says that he is trying to fund a university place off-world - in the RC and is trying to raise the necessary cash for the travel expenses. He has a number of relic books to sell and wonders if the PCs are interested. He will quite happily show the books to the PCs.
The books are a number of technical journals etc. that detail the potential uses of the native Aaneran plants and specifically gives details of the processes needed to produce a variety of such drugs. The books are made of flexible high tech plastic, and the letters were fused into the very structure of the book. A label in the front cover states they are the property of the "Australis Pharmaceutical Company". They are virtually indestructible and were obviously written during the Imperial Era, no such facilities exist in the Wilds. They would be very valuable for any TL8 world to set up pharmaceutical plants and would complement the plants currently in the PCs hold very nicely. They would be worth approx. 60,000 Cr to such a world. Victor needs approximately 30,000 Cr. to get him to university and pay for initial living expenses. All in all a good deal for all involved.
The PCs can load up, and jump to their next destination. Whilst in jump, sensible PCs will attempt to scan in the various journals both as a safeguard against accidents and also to allow them to sell the same information to several planets. Several of the books still contain their shipping notes, which states that they were imported to Aaneru on the starship Poloodaar. Whilst scanning in one of the larger titles, the PC may notice (difficult intelligence roll), a bump in the spine of the book when it is folded flat out. Careful examination will confirm that something long and thin (approx. 1 inch by 1/4 inch, with virtual no depth) is hidden in the book's spine.
The problem is how to get it out. The plastic structure of the book will resist knives and attempts to tear it. Heat will cause the plastic to melt but risks damaging the hidden item. A formidable research roll will eventually identify the solvent holding the book together, however, it requires a TL11 facility to produce an agent capable of dissolving such a solvent. A difficult Physics roll will come up with the solution. If a sub zero fluid was dripped onto the spine (i.e. any of the numerous coolants aboard ship, or even liquefied Nitrogen / Oxygen from the life support system), will cause the spine to become brittle and allow the PCs to gently crack open the spine and retrieve the object.
It is a standard imperial optical data strip commonly used by TL 10 to 12 societies prior to the advent of holo-crystals. The PCs ships systems can almost certainly read such a data strip. Any attempt however will result in failure. A difficult computer task roll will confirm that the data strip is intact, and there are files present, however the entire strip has been encrypted using a very high tech system. The PCs computer will not be able to break the encryption, it is just too complex.
Curious PCs will trade their cargo and return to Aaneru to follow up their strange find. Back at Aaneru port, they will find an RC vessel has been in port for several days. When they lodge at the Inn, they will soon hear about the off worlders from the RC who have been asking around. Asking about Poloodaar will soon turn up the information that the other crew have also been asking after the same thing.
Both groups of PCs will soon find out that the other has been asking after the Poloodaar.
It is up to the PCs if they fight over the keys or co-operate.
Once both code keys are inserted into the hand computer the screen will clear and display the CSB logo. A routine computer roll can find the details of the Botany Bay project - information presented in the History Introduction. Attached to the end of the file are the deep space co-ordinates of the Botany Bay.
With these co-ordinates, the PCs (either or both groups) can proceed to the Botany Bay without any apparent delay.
The Botany Bay is completely powered down and in vacuum and zero-G. Thankfully it is not infected with Virus. The PCs may explore to their hearts content. Engineering crews can restart the power plant with a routine engineering roll and a 8 hour wait. Once power is available, the Bridge controls and computer will power up and the PCs can establish the state of the vessel.
The Botany Bay is intact and actual contains enough fuel for Jump 1. The industrial areas are currently off line as are the robot workers. The computer can initiate start up of the robots and industrial equipment almost immediately although it will take several days of pre-operational checks before the plant can start producing anything. The robots will start their pre-programmed routines for the start-up and running of the industrial plant.
PCs can override individual robot's work related programming via the main computer. Such an action will take 4 hours and require a difficult computer task roll (or a routine robot operations task roll for suitably skilled remnants). Each of the four computer consoles can be used to control a robot. Once the first robot has been overridden, the process is understood and can be completed on a Routine computer task roll. One robot can be overridden per control console per 15-minute period.
These robots can then be used to explore the Bay or do mundane jobs like loading cargo. They make poor troops, as each will require individual control via the computer (acts a -1 Initiative in combat situations if the PCs attempt to get a robot to attack - reflecting the delay imposed by the remote control process). The robots are unarmed and un-armoured, and none of them have weapons skills programmed.
Salvaging is hard, lonely and dangerous work and is only undertaken by those after the large salaries, or who want to escape something back home. It tends to attract those with flaws in their personalities. Adam Karovitch is such a man, the payments to his divorced wife and family take a significant amount from his wages, but Adam's has a thirst for gambling. Unfortunately his desire to gamble is considerably greater than his skill.
He has been selling information to the Guild since he arrived at Desel in return for money to pay his gambling debts. Upon hearing of the PCs discoveries, and their intent to travel to Desel (the flight plan will have leaked), he will report to his guild masters. When he next ventures out into the vacuum frozen ruins, he separates from the rest of the salvaging party and retrieves a maser communicator hidden in one of the ruins. From there he will make a tight beam transmission to a waiting Jump Drone (a J1 message torpedo), which will then proceed to jump to a deep space rendezvous point for latter pick-up by passing Guild ships.
Several hours later, Captain Ggrothu sat in his command chair, rubbing his bruised knuckles and pondering his options, his scout crew had turned over the missing information, and after the beating he had given them, he was inclined to believe they were telling the truth. After a short while, he ordered his pilot to set course for the jump point, he would check his contacts and informants in the Promise Subsector and see if he could find his prize. And if not, he was sure they would bump into a Coalition merchant ship that would provide a tidy profit. The Guild raider Raptor set course for Promise.
Arriving at the Deep Space Rendezvous point, Iimek Ggrothu retrieved the jump message torpedoes, including the one from his informant on Desel. Aware that he has competition, he immediately starts out for the Botany Bays reported position. Unfortunately, he has to stop off to refuel, and will arrive at the Botany Bay about two days after the PCs.
If the PCs have considerable military assets including military space craft, then upgrade the number of fighters carried by the Raptor or upgrade the entire ship to a Bulldog class frigate. If the PCs ships are weak, then downgrade the raptor to any small military warship in the 400 - 600tn range (a patrol cruiser is ideal).
These vessels can be found on the SARA pages
The Raptors boarding party will be armoured with TL10 combat environment suits, and TL10 ACRs with a few RAM grenades. The party will have at least two LAGS. Communications will be limited to TL8 short range radios, and night vision gear will be limited to helmet mounted flashlights.
If the Guild raider detects the PCs already there, it will move to the attack, deploying its fighters as it comes.
Intelligent use of the PCs forces can spilt the Guild forces into several smaller groups (i.e. a boarding party with the launches fighting a battle on the Bay, whilst the two PC ships dog fight the Raptor and its two fighters around the Bay and in the nearby maze of floating fuel bladders.
The PCs are now set up for life. Selling the Bay and its cargo of TL14 industrial equipment will net them millions and they can retire to the lap of luxury. Or They now have a very large J3 merchant vessel and enough TL14 industrial machinery to maintain the ship and produce over a million credits of TL14 light equipment per month (although the plant will require retooling). This moves the PCs out of the minor leagues and puts them in with the corporate big boys.
Finding finance to set this all up, a reliable crew to fly the Botany Bay, establishing a trade route, and supporting infrastructure, establishing a factory, and then protecting it all from pirates, industrial espionage, spurious legal claims etc. will keep the PCs busy for years.
And for those referee's that want to keep the PCs in their place, the Botany Bay and its contents can always be claimed as "Eminent Domain" at the RC Auction.
As a minor note, if the PCs capture the Raptor, they will be able to find the message from the Guild informant on Desel. Since the message is recorded in the informant's own voice, it won't take the RC long to route out the spy in their midst.
Then 10 years ago a free trader entered the system with offers of off-world trade. The Director General was intrigued at the though, but most of the stewards feared that such trade would decrease their power. Unfortunately for Aaneru, the Director General was as politically naive, as the stewards were afraid. When he tried to get his 16 year old daughter elected as his successor, whilst in the middle of negations with the Free Trader, the stewards refused and instead turned to the commander of the Company Forces, who assumed control of the planet, deposing the Director General, his daughter and one loyal steward. The Free Trader crew was imprisoned.
Unfortunately the young commander was not as compliant as the stewards had hoped. He was soon establishing a firmer control of the planet than the old Director General. He created three new stewards from his own supporters and deposed of three existing stewards (using planted evidence) and replaced them with his lackeys. His final effort to secure control was to attempt to marry the daughter of the previous director general. Fortunately she escaped with the help of some supporters, and fled into the wilderness, where she spent the decade putting together a rebel army.
In 1202, more traders entered the system made contact with the rebels and started supplying them with weapons (including Guild manufactured equipment seized / traded from nearby TEDs). When the Daughter's army started making gains (with their higher tech weaponry) and offered the stewards retention of their power base, the stewards fell in line, and the Company forces eventually surrendered after the General was killed by a grav mobile strike team.
Since then Aaneru has undergone an industrial revolution. The freed trader crew have been shipping equipment in, in return for the various drug plants, mass produced (TL4 cotton mills) textiles, and other agricultural products such as alcohol. Imports included solar power units, hydro and wind power units from Kheshendua, Bikar and Ryvo, a fission power unit from Saagii, and a variety of TL4-6 industrial equipment from various worlds in the Madoc/Khulam Subsectors. TL5 refinery equipment is producing alcohol for use in internal combustion engines, steam powered trucks have appeared on the streets, hydro, wind, and wood combustion power plants are providing electrical light to the cities to power the growing industries. TL5/6 steam railways are being constructed along the tracks of the old TL11 maglev lines. Steam and alcohol powered agricultural machinery is appearing on the farms and the beginnings of an industrial urban society are emerging.
SH-3252551-000000-20002-0 300tns TL14 Crew 5 MCR 255.328 1 Battery of each weapon. Fuel plant and scoops, Fuel=165, EP=15, Ag=2, Pass=1, Low=0, Cargo=11, 2 air/rafts. The ship had a dual turret on the dorsal surface and ventral hardpoints
I will leave it to the enthusiast to convert this ship to TNE.
The Australis Relocation Transport is a GURPS design originally published in JTAS. I have modified it and converted to High Guard:
RT-K431343-000000-00000-0 15ktns TL14 Crew 63 MCR 6622.02 No fuel plant or scoops, Fuel 4950tns, EP=450, Ag=1, Scientists=185, 3 Gyms, 1 Sickbay, 1 Operating Theatre, 1 Machine Shop, 1 Electronics Class, Hangers for 2 x 300tn vessels, Cargo=6763.5.
The above cost does not include the industrial equipment or the robots. The Botany Bays crew consisted of 30 misc. service personnel, 18 engineering crew and 15 command crew (replaced by CSB overseers).
Its cargo holds contain 280 Units of TL14 Light Industry, 75 Units of TL14 Heavy Industry, and 75 Units of TL14 Construction Industry. With all this machinery only 1745.375 tns of cargo hold is available to actually store cargo. There are also over 250 robots on board to operate the drugs plant. The heavy and construction industrial units maintain the vessel whilst the light industrial units produce the drug and spares for the robots.