BAha, great plot trap...

[archhealer]

Especially for ship-hungry characters...

Ok, an agent of a religious terrorist group (Who also happens to be placed fairly high on the executive ladder of a major weapons manufacturer) wants to smuggle a large quantity of laser rifles illegally to the homeworld of his sect. He owns several sips (Essentially far traders, though my own design). They're simple, relatively cheap, and have a j-2 rating, so good ships for PCs.

However, he is aware that the plan has been blown open, and naval agents are just waiting to board, inspect, and impound the "sundrop" (One of his ships) and confiscate the weapons. Ok, here's the great part! He hires the PCs to pilot the Sundrop to the target system three parsecs away (So it takes two jumps), and sends them by one route, preferably through a system with a naval base. He sends ANOTHER ship, also transmitting from it's little black box the ID of the 'sundrop', through an empty parsec to get to the target system.

The PCs don't find out till they get to the new system that the highly secretive cargo they're carrying in all those locked cases is 'illegally smuggled laser rifles', and get impounded and all. Here's the kicker: Their ship is NOT the real Sundrop, so they're using an altered box, and, the cargo is just salt. They're a decoy. And they took the job because the owner of the ship offered to forgoe the down payment if they did this job and wanted to buy the ship. Meanwhile, the Navy is convinced they must know what's going on, since they were obviously acting as decoys... heh heh heh. My players have no idea what's going on.

 

[deadlock]

Greetings and salutations,

That's just evil. I LIKE it!

Too throw a monkey wrench at the players, you can do this to them.

Since the Navy is convinced that they know what's going on and the PCs are not being 'forecoming' with the information, the Navy impounds the ship (as they would do normally) and place the PCs in the brig until they either cough up information on the smuggling or their trial date.

Now here's the twist. Set them free. If the PCs want their ship back (and you know they do), give it back to them. The twist, they have to work for the Navy (or MoJ) as agents within the smuggling operation. If they refuse, mention things like prison time for smuggling, invalid transponder codes, and grand theft starship.

LMAO.

Since they were transporting salt, their cargo could be considered an illegal substance on a certain planet (or subsector). I got the idea from the TV show First Wave and a race out of the Star Wars RPG, but made the substance sugar instead. Smuggling salt is the same as smuggling illegal drugs in the particular system.

How does working for the Navy (or MoJ) sound to them now? Either way, the PCs are getting bent over a table.

If they agree to work for the Navy (or MoJ), then saddle them with someone from the appropriate branch. If not, then tell them not to go anywhere alone, bring plenty of cigarettes, and don't drop the soap. (Oh, I'm sorry. Cigarettes are illegal here).

BTW, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Bwaaahahahahahaha!!!

Another option is to have a noble intervene. Of course, he has a job for them in exchange for getting them out of the Navy's hands. Your call as to whether or not the noble is on the side of the weapons smuggler or not!

 

[deadlock]

LMAO

The Noble is the leader or high ranking in the opposition of who is getting the weapons. He/she too wants to stop the smuggling but after he/she gets a shipment or two of the illegal weapons.

Upgrade a portion of his/her forces still using lower tech on someone else's credit.

"You seem to be very flexible. Don't give me any lip service, just bend over the table, please."

At least the Noble is polite about it.

 

[archhealer]

Heh heh heh. Love the suggestions. A little more background, the planet the weapons are being smuggled to is a redzone world, with a TL of 5 due to the fierce religious dictatorships and incredibly oppressive laws. If the PCs do ever make it there, and get caught there instead of at the system with the naval base, they're in for another nasty surprise if they think they're in the clear.

 

[deadlock]

Is the Noble from the world or is it a Noble with some sort of authority there (Imperial or otherwise)? If it is Imperial, then he will keep the laser rifles for his Huscaries.

"Forget the local law. I intend of being one of the last ones standing when the fighting is over."

If the Noble is from the planet, then he/she will retain the PCs as a cadre to train his Huscaries in the use of the laser rifles. Hope the PCs know how to use them or can be self taught rather quickly.

"Pick up your soap!"
"But I haven't dropped it."
*slap soap out of hand*
"Pick it up!"

Man, I don't want to be your players in this adventure. Come to think about it, I have a Cyberpunk group I'm running soon. Change a few details here and there... It's good to be the GM.

 

[archhealer]

Actually, the Patron in this adventure isn't a noble at all. He's a high-ranking executive working for a branch installation of Instellarms. He has no original connection to the destination world, but the religious seperatists have been working for some time off-world to convert/recruit valuable persons to their cause, and got their hooks into him, to such a degree that he's willing to risk multiple starships just to get them the weapons they need to win their holy war.