Idea: Space Hunt

(throws out idea)

We have a Free Trader Crew being chased by Gadrin's Zhodani crew through all kinds of situations and environments, a sort of ongoing rivalry? A mutual "quest" for some kind of object?

Then it raises the questions of good guys and bad guys...

ZHODANI MISSIONS

Planetary Survey Cover
While doing a survey on the remote planet of Galatea, the players are contacted
by an individual who claims to have information for the Zhodani government. As
a salvage operator, he came across a wrecked Zhodani ship and found a Messenger
Stone (telepathic crystal) on one of the crew. Since the item is used by Zhodani
telepaths for secret communication in foreign lands, it piques the interest
of the Intendant. When he finds the ship has been attacked by an enemy he's
more than willing to pay for it and wishes to be taken to the craft. Eventually
they discern it was attacked after leaving a Zhodani cache base on a nearby gas
giant. The base has been attacked too. This leads to finding the perpetrators
of these heinous acts.
Imperial Finder's Keepers
While their ship is undergoing repairs, the Zhodani team finds themselves on the
quaint TL6 world of ________, waiting for a part to arrive. During the course
of the previous week they discovered a local restaurant that was able to make a
fair version of a Zhodani delicacy, so they've been eating there. At the current
meal, a group of gunmen quietly take over the restaurant to steal money and the
team discovers this. They evacuate the building and stop the crime. One of the
wounded men has an Imperial sunburst tattoo and while recovering the Tavrchedl
officer finds out he's an Imperial Marine and actually the only survivor of
an Imperial cruiser's misjump. The ship ran to the nearest gas giant, but was
disabled when an eruption hurled debris from it's surface. They escaped to the
planet. There's a 400-ton Imperial Patrol Cruiser in orbit, holding god knows
what kinds of information. The ship's self-destruct couldn't be activated, so
a salvage would be in order. They can contact their friend from adv #1 above,
but in the meantime the wreck needs to be found, confirmed and assessed.
Improptu Negotiations
The planet White Hart is prime for Zhodani influence. A chance pass-through of
the world gets a warm reception from the locals who understand the Zhodani are
"peddling influence". Rather than be absorbed in the Mnemosyne Principality,
they're looking for a more autonomous stance. Naturally Zhodani arms and
surplus naval items would help tremendously. Interestingly enough, local
rulers know the Zhodani have more to offer, including helping them upgrade
their medical system (strategies and medicines) and infrastructure suggestions
for the world in general. After landing at what was originally a "pass thru" jump,
the team begins a month-long tour of the planet.

When the players return, they find an Aslan blockade around the world!
Kidnapped
As the players move thru the ________ system, they discover some old texts
that talk about a Vargr starship that had crashed here decades ago. Checking
this out is on the list of items given to the Intendant. The players spend
several days talking to locals about where the craft crash-landed and get an
approximate location. Survey equipment will come in handy. In the meantime
Faraday Robotics Division has suffered a setback, when the head of it's
production company is kidnapped. Rather than take him off-world, the kidnappers
have secreted him...you guessed it, in the neighborhood of the wreck. The team
has a chance to rescue the victim and make a big ally!

-- or --
squeal on a nest of pirates back in the days, which enabled the "Freedom Fleet"
of Zhodani and local forces to invade the world and end an era of dangerous
freebootery.

IR Picket but no posting signs/warnings

From orbit, they scan the general vicinity and choose several spots likely
to be the wreck. There's some carry-over as far as land marks and eyewitness
statements so it takes a few days. They isolate the three most likely and then
make planetfall.

On the last day while hiking towards the spot, they come across an area which
was clearly once a construction site, long since abandoned: except it has an active IR
picket around it. Most security systems post warnings but this one doesn't. Up ahead
in the clearing is the detached module of a 50-ton cutter, serving as an office or
living space. Without setting off the alarms, the group observes the place from a distance
via binoculars. After a bit, a pair of men exit the module, one with an assault rifle,
the other in a jumper, with chained ankles and wrists, clearly a prisoner. His jailer isn't
too happy with him and pushes him around none too gently. They spend 30 minutes outside,
mostly sitting and taking in fresh air. An aircar drops down with the markings of local
security forces. Must be an important prisoner.

The Zhodani, withdraw and eventually find the Vargr wreck. The jungle has overwhelmed it,
but none-the-less the team follows it's mission to photograph and explore it. They plan
on spending the night there. Late that night, during a break, the Intendant (or one of the
others) realizes where he saw the man in chains: his face was splashed all over the local
news services the day they made planetfall! He's been presumed to be off planet, at least
that's the word from local security, who are obviously deflecting interest away from the
world.

Spoofing the sensor: can be done by utilizing the Intendant's IR cloak. He can simply wrap
himself up completely then use clairvoyance to watch where he's going. Once there he can
drape the cloak over the sensor to blind it. Another method would be to have the teleporter
do the same, or 3rdly, have "Werewolf" utilize his CES and IR cloak.

Intercession
Once again acting on behalf of locals, the Zhodani team finds itself negotiating
with a group of Droyne on the local world. The negotiations don't go far, but
instead take a turn for the better for the Zhodani, since they discover the
Oytrip will agree to build the Intendant one of their star-shaped scoutships
in exchange for long-term supplies of foodstuffs and medical equipment from
the Consulate. This is quite a boon, as the Droyne craft are all handmade,
and usually quite good. This means the Intendant can operate a 2nd craft for
expenses and expand his own operations. However the cost of the supplies would
have to be borne by the Intendant, unless he can get the Droyne to agree to
the local world's arrangements.
Ghosts!
After a bizarre event on the local world of __________ the visiting Zhodani are
asked to inspect the site of a recent theft, the museum. It seems during the
course of an evening one of the night watchmen found a glowing, amorphorous
form of a man literally "wandering through" the place. Part of it was caught
on camera and shows the glowing spectre moving through walls and into secure
areas. An inventory the following morning shows that the place indeed suffered
a burglary. Is this a psychic phenomenon?

Baron Saarthuran wrote:(throws out idea)

We have a Free Trader Crew being chased by Gadrin's Zhodani crew through all kinds of situations and environments, a sort of ongoing rivalry? A mutual "quest" for some kind of object?

Then it raises the questions of good guys and bad guys...

I love it, I am so glad I have you guys as part of this project. This is a lot more interesting than clear-cut good crew vs. evil crew storylines.