Crewmembers
Jedburg
- Provoked a riot to escape and took a guard's uniform and equipment
- Willing to kill any rival to become captain
- Was imprisoned for vacc'ing the crew and passengers of a cruise ship
- Took Thorn with him in the prison break
- Thorn is Jedburg's only non-criminal acquaintance
Steel
- Left his comrades behind
- If we don't listen to him we lose the advantage of his years of military leadership
- Is huntind down the President of the Federation
- Steel and Darius are secessionists imprisoned by the President
- Allies are coming to rescue him
Thorn
- Imprisoned for his research into sentient robots
- Has an AI embedded into his cybernetic torso
- Is willing to meld his mind with the ship to become its captain
- Wants to got to Xerox 5 to meet a beautiful smuggler who knows the secret of Haven
- His research was shut down after the discovery of the robotic aliens known as the Omni threatened human civilisation
Darius
- Is willing to save up for a ship of his own to become the captain
- The other prisoners didn't trust him because he refused to take bribes
- He distrusts Steel because Steel betrayed his oath of service
- He is going to watch Steel like a hawk
- Darius knows the smuggler, Diem, on Xerox 5
Carver
- Mass-murderer
- If the crew don't listen to him then they lose the ability to kill their opponents
- Is killing his way to the squad of scientists who transformed him
- Constantly requires a feed of painkillers
- Marks his victims with the Federation symbol
Rogue vessel: The Freebird
The Freebird is unique because it can create its own jump gates. It is an experimental ship built by the separatists and while it has an excellent cocktail bar it lacks any form of weaponry.
The adventure
The ship has run out of supplies and is parked on the opposite side of the system to a notorious free station. Darius and Jedburg are in the shuttle docking with the station in search of resupply. They intimidate the docking handler and avoid being shaken down. They make their way to the biodomes and contact a trader called Naomi. She is being harassed by smugglers and is willing to trade food for security.
Using Naomi's coordinates the Freebird warps into position next to the smuggler's ship the Jet Black. Taken by surprise the Jet Black opens comms, it's captain is none other than Diem! Darius and Diem have history, the crew decides to join forces with Diem and steal what they need from Naomi.
Diem crosses to the Freebird and the ship warps back to the station. Thorn meanwhile has been trying to fix the personality switching of the ship AI and discovers a section of the ship that is not described in any of the schematics.
Pretending to have taken Diem captive Steel, Jedburg and Darius return to Naomi while unknown to the rest of the crew Carver has also docked intent on confronting one of the scientists who created him: the infamous pirate, Blue-eye.
In Naomi's office the double-cross is revealed, Steel points a gun at Naomi and demands the supplies the crew need.
Carver takes his time entering the casino. He wants to make sure Blue-eye notices his arrive, make the fight fairer. The guards close in overly confident in their numbers. Carver takes them down unarmed and then taking one of their assault rifles starts to hunt through the empty tables and slot machines for the pirate captain.
On-board the Freebird, Thorn cuts through the floor of the gravity ring and enters a tiny crawlspace that leads into a secret room, losing touch with the computer as he does so. As he shines his torch around the darkness he sees stasis pods!
Naomi concedes the supplies bitterly, Steel accepts the cargo pods and then shoots her in the hand, destroying it. As Naomi collapses in pain Steel shoots her other hand.
In the casino bullets tear apart the machines, sending credits flying. Blue-eye's laser targeting system allows him to pin down Carver with burst of fire. The guards flee in fear of decompression. Relentlessly though the warrior is getting closer to his goal.
In the cargo bay Darius and Steel are furiously arguing about Naomi's mutilation. Away from them Jedburg is looking at the manifests: in one container are valuable medical supplies worth a fortune on the black market, in the other is the food and water the crew needs to survive. He catches Diem's eye and punches in the code for the medical supplies...
Thorn sees the life-support systems on the pods are active
and before his eyes the automatic systems begin to activate. The first
pod cracks open and inside is an Omni!
Back on board the Freebird, Steel and Darius discover the medical supplies. They look for Jedburg but Diem appears and tells them that he has joined her crew and offers to sell the medical supplies to the benefit of both crews. The deal is done but as Diem turns away Steel draws his gun.
The first Omni starts to emerge from the stasis pod. Thorn looks grim, he opens a panel in his cybernetic chest and pulls out the glowing green AI. He slams it onto the carapace of the Omni.
"Seize the ship. Leave no-one alive." he commands.
"Yes master" replies the alien.
