ma Ay FRAGMENTS FROM THE RIM = ey rae ne “ ae rs. a ‘ ,it GALA xXx Y GUIODE 9 FRAGMENTS FROM THE RIM by Simon Smith and Eric Trautmann Development and Editing: Bill Smith Graphics: Cathleen Hunter * Cover Art: Lucasfilm Ltd. RR 3 Box 2345 Honesdale PA 18431 40063 ©." spd. 1089 Lact La (LF) A Rights seen Tear of Led by Wet Ed Ga ner utara,Introduction, EE Introduction Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments From The Rim is a compilation of facts, feats, backgrounds and infor- mation for use with Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition. itis intended to be used by gamemasters for background atmosphere in their campaigns, and it is also intended to be inspira- tional. This accessory provides a mixed bag of Star Wars guilds, Rebels, Imperials, bounty hunter syn- dicates, prominent bands, criminals and crime bosses, exotic locations and tourist traps, new Force skills, and even common beverages of the Outer Rim Territories to add detail and realism to your campaign. Havingseen the “mode!” write-ups contained in Fragments, gamemasters should findit mucheasier to generate similar material of their own, or adapt the contents to serve their own adventures. Each ‘example included in Fragments has a brief descrip- tion, to help gamemaster’s capture the Star Wars “feel” when using the items in their own campaign. The individual entries are not carved in stone, however. A gamemaster can use each entry as it stands or modify as much as needed to help add some color to a gaming session. The Outer Rim Territories “Welt, if there’s a bright center to the universe, ‘you're on the planet that it's farthest from.” —Luke Skywalker The above sentiments expressed by Luke Skywalker about his homeworld of Tatooine are a briefand fairly accurate summary of the Outer Rim Territories. The Outer Rim Territories form the boundary of one edge of space currently con- trolled by the Empire. Since the days of the Old Republic, the Outer Rim region has been wild, untamed — the galactic frontier. However, since the recent boomin exploration, the area has steadily become more and more civilized, though much is still unexploredand wild. ‘The more affluent Core World citizens tend to take holidays in the more developed systems of the Outer Rim Territories “to get away from it all.” rR (ARS ‘TheRebellion found much ofitsearly supportin the Outer Rim Territories, as the Empire consid- ered the region good for little else other than exploitation. Some of the more infamous atrocities the Empire has committed have been in the Outer Rim Territories because there aren't many people around to see and report on such activity. The region is isolated enough that word of these ac- tions will seldom reach the Core Worlds. ‘The Outer Rim Territories encompass a vast tract of space, and rather than give a detailed analysis of the area as a whole, the “fragments” within are, for the most part, located in the same general area, namely the Parmel, Quence, Parmic, and Portmoak Sectors. These sectors are fairly representative of the Outer Rim Territories. Time Frame Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments From The Rimisset in the period of time following the destruction of the Empire's first Death Star, but before the Battle of Endor. At present, the second Death Star isin the preliminary stages of development, Darth Vader and the Emperor are both still alive, the Rebel Allianceis fleeing the Imperial fleet by hiding in the backwaters of the galaxy, and the few Jedi Knights ‘who remain are still being actively sought and exterminated by the forces of the Emperor. ‘What this means to the traditional Star Wars ‘campaigns that the player characters will have to keep their true feelings quiet. However, because of the kinds of atrocities that have been committedin this regionofspace, very few beings areloyaltothe Empire. Fearful of the Empire, yes. Loyal, no. Characters could, with some carefull maneuver- ing, tur this area of space into a hotbed of rebel- lion, Much as Tatooine seemed isolated from the goings-on of the rest of the galaxy, so will most Outer Rim worlds be relatively unruly. The Rebel- lion could gain much here, and smugglers have much greater freedom than in other regions of space. Fragments from the RimTAI =wal Mi Chapter One Rebel Operatives The following collection of Rebel operatives provides anumber of contacts for player charac- ters involved in theRebel Alliance. These charac- ters will be familiar to Rebels throughout the Outer Rim Territories, and may even be knownto local crime figures, corporate officials or the forces of the Empire. Corwin Shelvay Jedi Master Darrin Arkanian was an idealist and a dreamer. The Sullustan Jedi had learned to cherish life and tried to make his existence a model of peace and contemplation. Despite the rise of the Emperor and his despotic policies, he convinced himself that there would be no major threat as long as he and his fellow Jedi trusted in the Force. As time went on, Arkanian realized his errorinjudgementas the Jedi were hunted down. Fragments from the Rim Eventually, he took a dedicated apprentice, a young man named Corwin Shelvay. Shelvay was {ull of good intentions, but he was also easy to anger. Corwin tried to convince his Master to lead the fight against the Empire, while Arkanian fought to teach the young Jedi how to control his ‘emotions. As fugitives, Arkanian and Shelvay roamed the galaxy, trying to unite the scattered fragments of the Jedi Knights as the Emperor continued his campaign against the former guardians of the Republic. Eventually, Shelvay was captured by the Impe- rials, but their interrogators could not force him into revealing the location of Arkanian. Finally he was turned over to Imperial High Inquisitor Tremayne, and underwent two weeks of inten- sivelmperial tortureand coercion on Coruscant. Chapter One: Rebel OperativesChapter One: Rebel Operatives Corwin Shelvay ‘Type: Jedi Turned Rebel Operative DEXTERITY 4D Blaster 5D, dodge 6D, melee combat 40+2,melee parry 4D-2.lighisaber D2 KNOWLEDGE 20. Alien species 4D-2, streetwise SD, sur- Vial 5b:2, willpower: torture 8D+2 MECHANICAL 20 Space transports 5D+2, starship gun- ery 50-2 PERCEPTION 30 Con 5D hide SD+2, search S02, sneak D STRENGTH 2042 Bravling 8D-2, stamina 602 ‘TECHNICAL 20 Lightsaber repale 6D+2 Special Abilities: Force Sill Contr 3, sense 3D Control Acceleratehealing controls hibernation trance, reduce Injury. re- tain conscious, resist stun Sense: Magnity senses oni! and Sense: Lightsaber combat ‘This characteris Foreesensitive. Force Points:5 Character Points: 15 Move: 10 Equipment:Lightsaber GDdamage) clothes, atapad, blaster pistol (4 damage), macrobinocula's ‘Somehow (and even Shelvay doesn't know how) he managed to withstand the cruelty of the High Inquisitor, until Arkantan rescued him. Finally, as they were fleeing Coruscant, Arkanian faced Tremayne in a fierce lightsaber duel, which Arkanian lost. At the sight of his Master being severely injured by Tremayne, Shelvay attacked the Inquisitor with a ferocity that was incredible from one so young. Enraged, he severed Tremayne’s arm and damaged his face, and finally fled with Arkanian, who died a few days later. Alter the battle with Tremayne, Shelvay real- ized he had touched the Dark Side of the Force to defeat the Inquisitor, and if he had slain the Dark Jedi he would have firmly placed himself on the path of evil. Ina vision, he saw himself becoming atwinof Tremayne's, and this shocked him out of the Dark Side’s grasp. He is very cautious in the use of his Force powers, always conscious of the Jedi Code. ‘After Arkanian’s death, Shelvay,afugitivefrom the forces of the Empire, tried to return to his home, but found it deserted. Hehas since discov- ered that the Empire killed his family except for his sister, Elena (who has been indoctrinated into COMPNOR and is actively seeking Corwin's capture). That was over a decade ago. In the years since, he has wandered the Outer Rim Territories, never staying in any one place —_————— rar (ARS for too long. He was a Jedi adrift rom the Force, and fearing that he would never learn his pur- pose in life. Then he met Devon Fuller, who introduced him in turn to contacts in the Rebel Alliance. Corwin has joined the Rebels, and has proven an invaluable operative and recruiter. Corwin Shelvay looks much older than he actually is. He is one of the few people who has withstood an interrogation by Imperial High In- quisitor Tremayne, and the experience had a profound effect on him. His hair is beginning to grey prematurely, and he rarely smiles. He is courteous, polite and in all ways embodies the spirit of the Jedi Knights, though he regrets that he never got a chance to complete his training under Jedi Master Darrin Arkanian. Shelvay typically wears grey pants and a grey tunic, with a black vest over it. He sometimes wears a long grey trench coat if he wants to conceal his identity. Shelvay's attitude changed after the encounter with Tremayne. Ashe is fond. of saying, “The Force always shows youtthe right but nothing says that the path will be Devon Fuller Fuller resembles a rather lightweight, brash pilottype, seemingly moreat homein the cockpit of an X-wing than a beat-up tramp freighter. ‘Though he still retains some of the boyish good looks of his youth, work for the Rebel Alliance has left him physically marked, but with a new aura of determination. He usuaily wears a worn flight jacket and steelcloth heavy duty trousers, He also wears a battered Imperial captain's cap that he “procured” in one of his many misadven- tures. Fuller, despite his professed allergy to all mat- ters philosophical, was recently forced to take a good lookat exactly what he wanted from life. He was converted tobelievingintheForce by Corwin Shelvay (“The hard way, but don’t ask!”) — the last thing he wanted was to have his motivations brought out into the open Athis worst, Fuller is cynical, mercenary, sell- ish and over-confident (“Talk is cheap. Drinks cost money.”). He is honest about the con man side of his personality, making him instantly charming and untrustworthy (“Anyone for an honest game of chance? No? Me neither. Play, and I'll raise you fifty.) Despite this, he will go a long way to help hi friends, even if he does cook up some other “economically sound” reason to go after them. It’s true that he does try to keep the numbers of his closer friends down so that this tedious con- science of his doesn’t get too many chances to nag him, but he still has a fair number of allies, throughout the galaxy. Fragments from the RimIMPERIAL CRIMINAL DOSSIER 79/35/CF/50.272 reused ee ag Pee eer ele Re era Oren tre eee tes Pearce Po oe a aes rte etn ean Dechy reat eet ates er ect Pn ria nena Pe nena ry Ero rhy ieee tere at eer ness osm en Preorioanas ee High Treason eat eee RET ne) pene ura Raa erento ris Corte eres een ee rer Roe ea re Cen ete ke Tint nos ener eer eens Perea Pomme pact ee) eee ee ad ones rete enema reer ert are ee ea aera etna eee ener Serine een eet tran Se ee ete oe cea BOUNTY: 40,000 Credits a i > #79/35/CF/50.272 oa Eee a ere ee a) and highly skilled operative for the Rebel Alliance. ne eg Ea er ed errs nae eae ee eee Cee ee eee a High Inquisitor Tremayne has also indicated that aa a ee eee ese me eee eee) aa nae eee aren ea ee ae ne en eras Paty eee Re Camean Ce ee RC eg ae ae nae! eee ere oem Fe a eee aa ae Pe ea eee ee eres) | Fragme is from the RimDevon Fuller ‘Type: Smuggler DEXTERITY 3D+1 Blaster 6D, dodge 4D KNOWLEDGE 2041 Bureaucracy 2Dv2, planetary systems 9D, streetwise 30, survival 30, MECHANICAL sD+2 Astrogation 6D, repulsrlit operation 4D, sensors 4D, Specetransprt TD starship gnnerySD.sashipshieks PERCEPTION 3D Forgery 4D, gambling 6D ‘STRENGTH 3D ‘TECHNICAL 2042 First ald 4D, space transports repair 30-2 Force Points: 3 ‘Character Points: 13 Move: 10, Equipment: Heavy blaster pistol (SD damage), hold- outblaster(3D-2damage),2medpaes, modited Gros light freighter (he Solar Fair — see below) The Solar Flair Graft: Ghtroc Industries class 720 Freighter ‘Type: Modified light freighter Seale: Starlghter Length: 35 meters Skill Space transports: Ghtroc freighter Crew: I; 1 ean coordinate; unners:2 (Crew Skill: See Devon Fuller Passengers: 10 Cargo Capacity: 135 metric tons Consumables: 2 months Gost 45,000 Hyperdrive Multiplier: x15 Hiyperdrive Backip: x13 Passive: 15/0 ‘Sean: 30/10 ‘Search: 50/3012 Focus: 3402 feapons: ‘Two Twin Laser Cannon Fire Are Turret Crew: 1 ‘Sait Starship gunnery Fire Controt: 20. ‘Space Range: 13/12/30 ‘Atmosphere Range: 100300/1.2KM/3KM Damage: 40-1 CCapsute: The Solar Fairs atypical freighter that has been heavily modified over its years of service.Noone knows how iteame into the hands af the alliance, but ‘now that Devon Fuller has control ofthe vessel, iis getting the workout ofits career. Devon aay gives THON, and expects the same of his equipment. AS a resuli, the Fair is consistently pushed beyond its specifications, tackling Mights of TIE fighters, racing Imperial customs iigates and trying to bast through pirate blockades. Somehow, the ship has held to- {ether despite the fact that Fuller has never heard of “preveatative maintenance.” Chapter One: Rebel Opperativ 2S me STAR “+cheeressSE WA He was expelled from the Vensenor Flight Academy, served as navigator on a Corellian Corvette, ran his own botched gem-smuggling ‘operation (escaping Imperial capture by a mat ter of minutes), and basically has made a nul- sance of himself on hundreds of backwater worlds.Fullereventually boughtasmall freighter called the Crocof Gold. Hespent acoupleofyears, trading (in legal goods, for a change) and made friends with a Rebel agent named Owen Sareth. Owen's help was invaluable in Fuller's trading endeavors (he's a lousy businessman) but led to Fuller's involvement with the Rebel Alliance. Owen hasalso given himanew cursetoadd to his already colorful vocabulary: “This is all Owen's fault!” Since joining up with the Alliance, his ships tend to get blown up at a frightening rate. Fuller isnow onhisthird ship. TheCroc of Goldwas shot ‘out from under him by Imperials over Tashtor Seneca. His second ship, the Freebooter, was wrecked byaStar Destroyer attackingthe Ansarra Rebel base. The Solar Flair is on loan from the Rebel Alliance, with explicit instructions to fake care ofit.Sinceit’stheirfault he has lost two of his, ‘own craft, heisn'tbeing ll that careful, however. Fuller came to realize that the one thing he values more than any other is freedom, despite his protests that money is his major motivator. It is this love of freedom, and his realization that the Empire is systematically curtailing it, that has kept him with the Rebel alliance. Thila Thilaisajowled, mouse-eared femaleSullustan, with a hunched posture and a sour disposition. Very littleis known of theslaver Thila, She began ‘making herself known about 15 years ago, buying small number of slaves that were never resold. Within a month, however, the appearance of the infamous “Rancor Holos” from Jabba’s palace began selling like wildfire in the underground holofeature market. Thilawas suddenly veryrich. Presumably these slaves were Rancor-fodder for Jabba, or so the rest of the galaxy believes, and. she is more than willing to play up this story While I'm here, you wanna buy some banned holos? Bloody stuff, mostly. Do you have market contacts for that kind of stutf?”). Thila’s outward behavior is coarse, fouktem- pered, mercenary and cynical. She treats the slaves she buys like cattle or any other commod- ity (''m real sorry, pal, but the ones I buy never makeit to the econdhandmarket.”).Sheisknown to take almost any slave if the price is right, and her cargos seem to disappear without a trace See that old crone on the end? The fat one, shivering? Eating into your profits, is she? No- one else'll buy her, but I can dispose of her for Fragments from the RimSTAR craps One: Rede! Operatives =wal The Arkanian Dawn The Arkanian Dawn Craft: Y164 Thalassian slave transport Type: Modified medium slave transport Scale: Capital Length: 90 meters Skill: Space transports: Y164 Thalassian slave transport Crew:5; I can coordinate; gunners: 2; support (lor slaving): 8 Crew Skill: See Thila and Matt Talon Passengers: 12,400 (slaves) Cargo Capacity: 10 metric tons Consumables: I month Cost: 245,000 Hyperdrive Multiplier: x3 Hyperdrive Backup: x25 Nav Computer: Yes Maneuverability: 1D Space: 1 ‘Atmosphere: 210; 600 KMH Hull: 2D Shields: 2D Sensors: Passive: 10/0D Fragments from the Rim Sean: 25/1D Search: 45/3D Focus: 3/4D Weapons: ‘Two Quad Laser Cannon Fire Arc: Turret Crew: L Scale: Starfighter Skill: Starship gunnery Fire Control: 1D-+1 Space Range: 1-3/12/25 Atmosphere Range: 100-300/1.2KM/2.5KM Damage: 5D Capsule: The Arkanian Dawn is one of the most infamous slaving vessels in the Outer Rims. The sight of the vessel coming down ina slave camp isenough tostrike terrorinto the hearts of beings everywhere. The Dawn’s reputation is that of a death ship; one that takes slaves who are never seen again, Itis only when slaves are aboard and ‘on their way to freedom that they learn that the vessel will be their salvation, not their death.Chapter One: Rebel Operatives me STAR ‘Type: Slaver/Rebel Operative DEXTERITY 2D+1 Blaster 4D+1, dodge 30+1, melee com streatwise 30-2 jARS— Thila ‘vanced hearing and vision. Whenever they make Perception or search checks Involving vision nlowsightareas, they bataDet eta -2D bonus, KNOWLEDGE 2041 Location Sense: Once a Sullustan has Intimidation 6D, languages 8D, visitedantarea, she always remembers hhowtoreturntathearea, Whenmaking MecHnMcALSD<2 fn rogaron teal er pace Ihe Deus Netrogtion 4S, pace transports uate pronouly vate a so Siptothede rol PERCEPTION sDvt hart Panes ceeer ed cor aD2 tore rian 2 Enupment Heavy Distr pistol GD Sine 1 dntgd Zingnelc ines conta, A SeaineAL spe pan ocr QDs dag) 16h Y Speci Abies Fauoslan ve arapor Caton 7 ae Beicteed Sete: Sultans have at Dear teenage L L; Arkanian Dawn The control cabin of a Y164 Thalassian slave trans- port is generally not a nice place. The cockpit of the Arkanian Dawn was particularly unappealing, littered with the detritus of too many long watches spent with too little to do, on a ship powered solely by greed and the misery of others. The floor was mired in a layer of food wrappers and miscellaneous shreds of plastic. ‘The vessel's cockpit shelves were littered with cans and bottles and half a sabace deck, the remainder of which had fallen down a gap behind one of the dented consoles. ‘The view outside of the gloomy planetoid Dalastine IV complimented the interior perfectly, thought T! sourly. Overhead, three pairs of red lights moving in formation sped northward —Skipray blastboats oper- ating from the Rebel base located on Dalastine. Thila slumped in the co-pilot’s seat, nursing several canis- ters of Sullustan ale. ‘Corwin paused at the door, looked around at the mess, shrugged and went over to the pilot's seat. “I never thought!'d beon one of theseon friendly terms,” he said, sitting down, “Life takes strange twists some- times.” Thila allowed the silence to stretch on for a few moments. Then she tooka can, openedit and passed a second can to Corwin. After takinga sip, she said, “You ‘wanted to talk to me, Commander Shelvay.” It wasn'ta question. “Arkanian Dawn. Good name for a ship, that. It triggered a memory.” Corwin took a swig of the ale. “How long does it take to get used to a disguise like that?” “What2!” Thila paused, taken aback. Then she tooka deep breath and released it slowly. “A iong time. Years. Too many years.” She looked slowly at the mess in the cockpit, anda licker ofa wry smileappeared onherlips. “It's part of me now. Inever used to be this untidy.” Corwin smiled gently. “I thought about doing some- thing of the sort,” he said, leaning back. “Though, I suppose I did. There can't be more than three people who know the old Corwin Shelvay, and they probably wouldn't recognize me now.” He took a drink from the ‘can again, making a pause. “I wonder if anyone remem- bers Dawn Arkanian.” Thilalooked down foramoment,and rubbedherface with her hands. When she looked up, the har¢-lined features ofaSullustan slaver were almost gone. Now the resemblance to her brother was more apparent. But ‘Thila also looked careworn and tired ‘Ido. But not very well.” She gavea dry chuckle, with little humor in it. “I often wondered if naming my shi after my old self was a good idea.” Then she fel silent again, as more memories began to return. Corwin nodded, leaning forward again. “You're safe. Lonly knew you because of an old friend of mine.” Corwinstaredintohisalecan, his voicetrailingoffsadly. “A very good friend.” After a moment he rubbed his eyes, balanced the can on the console. “That friend of mine was calling himself Dimitri Melamor, and he was my tutor at college. That wasn't his real name. His real name was Darrin Arkanian, which he told me shortly Fragments from the Rim TAR chapter one: Rebel Operatives =wal Matt Talon Character Points: 3 Mover 10, ‘Type: Bounty Hunter DEXTERITY 4 Blaster 7D, dodge 60+1 KNOWLEDGE 20.2 Tatimidation 5D MECHANICAL 202 Repulsorlit operation 4D, space trans ports 8D, starfghter piloting 4D+2, Starship gunnery 4D PERCEPTION 3D Investigation 30.2, search 4D, sneak Equipment: SoroSuub QuickSnap 357 blaster carbine (SD damage), Blastech DY-225 heavy blaster pistol (3D dam- age), modified Merr-Sonn Happy Surprise hold-out blaster (4D. damage). 2 ‘ibroblades(STR+3D damage), datepad, macrobinoculars, Aratech Whisper Jumper let Pack (Carries single passen- ger 100 meters horvontally/70 meters 4D ‘Vertically. elcapacityforSjumps, must STRENGTH 3D12 Brawling 6D-2 TECHNICAL 2D ‘Armor repair 4D, demolition 3D secu ity ADe1 before he helped me make this.” Corwin lifted his lightsaber briefly in one hand and Tooked down at it, silently remembering. "Yes ... [guessed you were his ... pupil as soon as heard yourfullname.|... hada fewletters fromhimover the years ... Through letter drops and the like.” Thila looked up at Corwin and continued, “He spoke well of you.” There was a catch in her voice as she added, “What happened all those years ago?” Corwin looked up. She could sense his answer al- ready, he could tell. "We were travelling. I saw a lot on that trip —Iwas a lot younger ... then. [learned a lot about life, about the realities of the damned Empire. Bespin, Kessel, Tatooine, we even made a stop on Coruscant.” He looked away, out at the gloomy landscape, and sighed. “Wetried to keep quiet, but they found us. [was captured.” He drained the can, then quietly and pre- cisely squashed it, “They turned me over to Tremayne; Darrin came after me.” Corwin’s face was blank, as though all emo- tion had retreated below the shell. After a moment he blinked, and expression returned. Itwas one ofgriefand sadness and loss. “He told me to run, gave me a name and some cash. I disobeyed him, even fought with ‘Tremayne ... but I wasn't in time.” He dropped the flattened disc on the console and reached for another can, but didn’t open it. “Tremayne killed him,” he fin- ished quietly. “Looking back ont, think he knew how it was going ‘cool for one round after each jump, uses rocket packoperaionor Mechanical Scout Armor (2 pips, does not reduce Dexieniy ateibate or skills) i), to go. He marched into It as if he thought he had no choice ...asif he knew he was supposed to save me no matter what it cost him.” Thila nodded once, with tears brimmingin her eyes. “Yes,” she said, simply. Then she gave up the uneven struggle and sat with tears coursing down her face. She ‘seemed in a kind of equilibrium state, not sobbing, but ‘with tears flowing freely. Corwin sat silently, not moving, with the quiet, sad expression of someone whose tears have all been shed longsince. After awhilethere was thesharp hiss of acan being opened, but no movement to drink. “t've known fora long while, really,” Thila said, in the tight, painsilled voice of someone crying, “but Ineeded tobe told. Thank you.” She sobbed once. Then she put her head in her hands and started to quake silently. Corwin put down the can, and moved to put an arm about her shoulders, wondering why he felt nothing beyond regret. Then he felt his master’s presence sud- denly, very strongly. He breathed silent greetingto the shade (real or imagined, he didn’t care). He picked up the ale with his free hand, and sat with the two of them for company, gazing out at the surlace of Dalastine. Itwas some days later when Corwin sawher again. Or rather, he failed to see Thila. The slaver working for the RebellionseemedtohavefallenawayandDawn Arkanian hadifinally stepped out ofthe disguisethat shehad worn for years. When she saw Corwin, she smiled, and he realized that perhaps he had not been alone in feeling the presence of Darrin Arkanian, Jedi Knight. Fragments from the Rimyou. Fight credits is my final offer. Deal?"). This attitude has earned her the nickname of “The Butcher” among her peers (who are all afraid of her and her bodyguard, bounty hunter Matt Talon). However, appearances are often deceiving in these days of the Empire. Thilais not agruesome slaver. In fact, once the slaves are aboard her ship, theylearnthetruth. The truth of the matter, known to only a few Rebel Alliance operatives, is that virtually all of the holos that Thila sells are extremely clever fakes. Thila uses her shipping network to transport slaves to Rebel safeworlds, where they are freed and recruited intotheRebel Alliance. The profits she makes from the fake Kaiya Adrimetrum Blaster 4D-2, dodge 4D KNOWLEDGE $D:2 (MECHANICAL 2012 PERCEPTION 30+1 Bargain 4D+1, command 5D, con 4D+1 Computer programmingitepalr 3D.2, demolition 3D, first ald 3D Character Points: 8 Move: 10, Equipment: Heavy blaster pistol (3D damage), medpac, comlink. datapad, macrobinoculars, 200 credits Lt. Davaire Colmar Type: Reformed Imperial Soldier DEXTERITY 3D+2 Blaster 7D.2, dodge 6D+1, grenade 4D, vehicle blasters 5D KNOWLEDGE 3D Survival4D,tacties:ground assault 5-1, {acties: squads 5D+2 MECHANICAL 20-2 Astrogation 3D, beast riding 4D, repulsorlft operation SD, sensors 30, Space transports 3D, starship gunnery 8D, starship shields 3D PERCEPTION 20+1 Command 5D, soarch 4D12, sneak AD+2 STRENGTH 3D+1 Brawling 4D, stamina 4D TECHNICAL 3D Frstaid 4D, repulsorlit repair 4D,secu- rity 3De1, space transports repair 3D+2 (Character Points: 3 Move: 10 Equipment: BlasTech DL-18 pistol (4D damage), holdout blaster (D-2 dam= age), comin, glow rod Chapter One: Rebel Operative S STAR See emi holofeatures are more than enough to keep her solvent, at least for the time being. This “slaver” has saved thousands of people from the wrath of the Empire, and cruel, painful death. Matt Talon Matt Talon wears the uniform of the Fi Mobile (see Chapter Seven, "Military Units” uniform consists of light scout-style armor, with the company’s unit insignia on the right shoul der. Talon’s hair is jet black, pulled straight back into a tail. There is a scar that runs from just beneath: his right eye to the right corner of his ‘mouth. There is an aura of illconcealed violence about him, and most of the other slavers tend to, steer clear of him. His reputation for his past activities is a great aid with his dealings with other unsavory individuals (‘I did this to a xeno ‘on Raskane IV. He squirmed for three days unt he died. How long do you reckon you'll last?") Matt Talon was an impoverished young man from an agricultural planet when he Joined the First Sun Mobile. The mercenary unit seemed to provide opportunities to improve himself until a sector Moff decided to gain somepolitical ground by takingsteps against the First Sun Mobilefor its involvement in several atrocities. Consequently, the Moff’s personal stormtrooper guard bute! ered Talon’s company almost to a man. Matt Talon was one of the lucky dozen orso survivors. Alter wandering the galaxy for afew years asa bounty hunter, Talon made contact with the Rebel Alliance and signed on. His Alliance com- manders decided that working with Thila on the Arkanian Dawn would be a good assignment for him. Thishas provento bean extremely accurate assessment. Before Matt Talon met Thila he was ona fast track to the Dark Side. Given his history and the violent streak he possesses, it was sim- ply aquestion of how long until he turned to evil However, since he became involved with the Alliance, he has fully realized the evil the Empire represents and is determined to have a hand in its destruction, Talon isfiercely loyal toThilaand would go as far as to interpose his body between her and an incoming blaster bolt or grenade. While he still has a mean and violent streak, he is trying to turn it to productive results. Kaiya Adrimetrum Kalya Adrimetrumis lim and athletic. Shehas Jet-black hair, brown eyes and chisclled, aristo- cratic features. She is usually dressed in simple technician overalls, and carries a web belt of supplies. Kaiya Adrimetrum is a widow, her husband killed by the Empire during its occupation of Siluria Ill. Organizing her friends and relatives Fragments from the RimSTAR Chapter One Rebel Operatives Caer Ore fret Operatives into a revolutionary cell, she led an attack on the Imperial Governor of Siluria Ill, and was almost immediately recruited by Corwin Shelvay. Kaiya is young and extremely serious. She neverunderstands jokes, and she certainly can’t tell them. She is very aware of the responsi ties she carriesas.aRebel Unit Commander (even if her unit happens to be poorly trained and equipped). Her troops are doggedly loyal to her, and gaining their loyalty is all the more impres- sive considering she only just completed her eight week officer training course. A motley and dispirited Rebel unit is a stern test of any ‘commander's mettle, let alone a relatively un- tried one. Lt. Davaire Colmar Colmaris tall, strong, and has ajaw likea block of granite. His close-cropped brown hair is start- ing to grey and there sa haunted lookin his eyes that does not fit with the rest of his appearance. There is a subtle aura of quiet and extreme competence about him. Lt. Davaire Colmar of the Rebel Alliance is a known deserter from the Imperial Special Train- ing Corps, the fast-track to promotions and glory in the Empire. Ifthe Alliance wins, many Imperial Army officers will face trial for war crimes and Colmar's example will certainly deprive them of the defense that “they were only following or- ders.” Colmar was in charge of an Imperial army assault trooper unit that was part of a coordi- nated effort tolay waste to Dalron IV. His unit was engaged inbattlewhen afreakmalfunction caused by a Star Destroyer bombardment cut off the unit's communications. A mob of almost 2,000 citizens, wielding captured energy weapons, ral- lied and attacked. Even an elite army unit cannot last forlongagainst odds of nearly 50to I without backup. The troops only had time to make two calls for help before they were completely over- whelmed; Colmar suffered a head wound. He escaped and wandered aimlessly for two days, stumbling across the remains of anumber of clinically-executed massacres. With his train- ing, it was obvious who had perpetrated the killings, Perhaps this on its own would not have been enough to cause his desertion, since Impe- rial loyaltyis steadfast, particularly foran officer of Colmar’s dedication and reputation, However, asignificant part of an officer's train- ing is based on the fact that they are acting to protect the citizens of the galaxy from anarchists and other external threats, While the actions of military units may sometimes seem harsh, their ‘methods are intended to uphold law and order. Colmar could no longer find any way of reconcil ing this part of his indoctrination with the car- Fragments from the Rim nage around him. He concluded that the Empire and its agents had failed to follow its own pre- cepts of protecting its own people. This left him with little choice but to desert and join the Rebel Alliance. Colmar’s experience and training have made him a valuable addition to the Alliance. As a ground soldier, he often comes face to face with the units he used to serve in. He has helped the Alliance eliminate several of these units. As he is fond of saying, “They're Imperials. know exactly what they're capable of.” He also has extensive knowledge of repulsor vehicle operations since, as an assault trooper, he often served in conjunc- tion with repulsorlift units. Because of this, he can fly just about any speeder in a pinch, and never hesitates to let people know it (‘Let's see — the left maneuver vane is shot, the brath bearings are 7 degrees out of true, and the for- ward repulsor pod is loose. Sure, [can still fly it Let's go.’). Davar Hamalical Davar is a primitive individual who, though dressed in functional work clothes, still tends to look out-of place. He wearsa sleeveless coverall, with plenty of pockets, a supply belt, acloak, and high, shiny black boots. His long, blond ‘hair surrounds his head like a mane. Davar Hamalcal was a hunter and scout for his, village on Kaellin Il, a tiny, backwater world in the Malenstorr system. A skirmish between a Rebel warshipand an imperial supply convoy led toa Delta-class Assault Shuttle crashing near his village. Thestormtroopers on-board mistook the village elder's peace overture for an attack and Davar Hamalcal Type: Curious Explorer DEXTERITY 2D+1 Brawling parry 4D+1, dodge 6D, melee ‘combat 6D, melee party 5D+1 KNOWLEDGE 3D.2 Languages 3D, streetwise 5D, survival i) MECHANICAL 3D Beast riding 30.2, repulsorit opera- tion 30-1 PERCEPTION 4D Hide 7D, search 6D, sneak 6D STRENGTH 20 Brawling 5D, stamina 6D TECHNICAL 3D First aid 4D Character Points: 5 Mover 10 Equipment: MerrSonn Model 434 DeathHammer blaster pistol(SD-1 dam ‘age), SoroSuub stormtrooper Two blaster rile (5D+2 damage), vibroaxe (GTR3D damage, max 7D), 6 medpacsChapter One: Rebel Oper: Recruitment Speech Theoldmanston house, called “Dovecote” according to the faded wooden sign, was perched on the edge of Koved City, about half an hour from Siluria Il's main spaceport. Mostoftheneighboringhouseswere boarded up, abandoned when the Empire moved in. Thehouse’s ‘owner, Kaiya Adrimetrum, sat on a supply crate and looked sadly out across the city, watching the sunrise. There was activity in the house, her daughters prepar- ingfood, and patients in the make-shift infirmary moan- ing from their wounds. And the mysterious figure of Corwin Shelvay moved in and out of the periphery of Kalya’s awareness. Kaiya stared outacross thegardenforawhile. Corwin Shelvay went to pick up a couple of mugs from the ‘autochef, and sat down opposite, handing her a drink. “Good op,” he said mildly. Kaiya looked up. “Yes. twas.” Her voicewas clipped, in control. In her eyes was amemory of the firefight, the smoke, the flying blaster bolts, the excitement of biast- ingthose Imperial toy soldiers tohell and gone. Herface hardened, “We dicin’t find Governor Quannith's body, though.” “The house was coming apart at the seams. Good thing, I guess, or we'd have had more trouble with the Imperials.” Corwin tookanother sip of teaand removed his hat, brushed dustfrom the crown, He looked slightly saddened. “We had pretty light casualties considering we faced down two squads of stormtroopers,” headded with a glance at the infirmary room. “Fourteen injured is ligh?” Kaiya was amazed at this statement. Fourteen injured seemed terribly high to her. Especially fourteen of her people. “Fourteen injured is light,” Corwin affirmed. “Espe- cially against crack Imperial stormtroopers dugin tight in a house. It was the blaster cannon that did it, and Wincewith the rifle, suspect. Open ground would have given us fourteen dead.” He looked down for a while, perhaps at a memory. “Rule number one: never unde: estimate stormtroopers. They'reonly stupidwhentheir commanders are stupid, but give them a straight tacti- cal situation and they become very, very dangerous.” He shook his head, looked up at Kaiya again. “What the hell did Governor Quannith do to you anyway?” Corwin couldn't shake the memory of the evening's battle, of the ferocity of the quiet woman before him. “He ... I don’t want to talk about it.” Kaiya looked away, as if suppressing a painful memory. Corwin wondered briefiy what the memory could be, then remembered the house where Kaiya lived. Alone, but with room and personal effects for three ormore. family. Her daughters were here. But no husband. He looked down, one hand moving to the curious cylinder hanging from his belt. His eyes flicked up to —— [ARS Kalya’s face, then he turned his head to look out of the window. He said softly, “Yeah, I know.” Aiter a couple of seconds, he sighed and shrugged, working a little tension out of his back. Despite the hectic battle, he didn’t seem to be physically tired at all. He looked back at Kaiya. “So what's your next move?” Kalya stopped picking splinters. She looked up at Corwin, her expression hardening again. "We make sure,” she said, “that we finished the job.” “How long do you plan to spend doing that? The Imperial base on Siluria Three will know about you by now. You have a war on your hands.” “Notawar, surely. TheEmpire won't...” Shestopped short. Perhaps for the first time since Corwin had met her, he could see her thinking hard about all the conse- quences attending the local Imperial Governor's death. Afew moreseconds passed in which time Corwin heard the others moving about in the kitchen of the old house, preparing an evening meal. Seconds stretched to a minute or more before Kalya looked up, “We'll have to become guerillas. We'llall be hunted.” She paused, her face tightening as further implications sank in, “I haven't the resources for this. We'll need more money, more safe houses, equipment, medical supplies ...” She dropped her head into her hands “These people were my friends. What have I done?” Corwin watched her a moment. “My Master once told me about a warrior race,” he sald. “They were a careful, considerate people, which was unusual for the type. They had a religion, a belief concerning their commanders. They believed that the commander carried the soul of every warrior under him. it meant that for a man to place himself under a leader was an act of pure selflessness. It also made the officers very devoted to their soldiers. The commander bled with every one of his men and women — he felt them die, But their souls remained with their com- mander. To the end.” He paused, added gently, "No soldier of theirs ever died in vain.” “I conned them into following me,” Kaiya exploded, angry. “Ican see that now.” Kaiya raised her head and glared at Corwin, suddenly suspicious. She hardly knew this man, and somehow she'd let him in on her most audacious scheme. Whois thisman, shethought."What's ‘your interest, precisely, friend? Are you some sort of galactic crusader? I'm being led in this conversation, Where’ Corwin smiled wryly. “To be honest, yes. |am some sort of galactic crusader. Also, Ithink we should get you guys off planet. The Rebellion could use you.” “You're joking! What would the Rebels want with us? Ifyou are a Rebel,” she added quickly, her hand moving slightly toward the cutsdown blaster rifle on a nearby 12 Fragments from the RimSTAR chapter One: Rebel Operatives =wal crate. fhe’s an informer, he’s meat, she thought darkly. Corwin shrugged, sensing Kalya’s agitation. “One,” he said, enumerating points on his fingers, hoping he could reason with her. "You had enough leadership to gather a group of people. Two, you managed to get enough money together to buy four blaster cannons and get them trans- ported. Three, you did this and organized an attack and safe houses without the Imperials knowing. Four, you carried off a successful attack. That makes you very, very good officer material. You've got some good shots and medics on your team, and more people with other skills who can learn more, The Rebellion always needs people like you.” Corwin paused, grinning “And twenty-five thousand credits of Imperial bounty says that if'm not a Rebel, I'm doing something seriously wrong.” Corwin smiled faintly “Tiwentyfive thousand? Who are you?” “Twenty-fiveis the standard bounty for anyone caught with one of these.” Corwin unhooked theodd cylinder fromhis belt and helditout, Kalya stared at the device without a flicker of recognition. Cautiously, she took it and turned it over in her hand, taking care not to touch any of the control studs. “What is it?” Corwin tookit backand turned the end outwards with a practiced flick, touching one of the controls. A meter-long beam of brilliant light extended, sending shadows skittering away behind the crates. It made a slight humming noise, louder as he looped the end through a figure of eight so fast that the startling afterimage had not faded by the time it was complete. The number hung there on the retina, slowly fading. “Alightsaber,” Kaiya breathed. “I've heard of them, but never actually seen one. So you're a Jedi? I thought you all were supposed to be bearded, wrinkled old men commun- ing with the Force or something” Corwin flicked the saber off, smiling, The humming stopped. Kaiya paused for a breath. “Not all of us. Look, I can get you in touch with the Alliance, and give you a good reference.” He hung the lightsaber back on his belt. "Face it, you can't do much to the Empire here, and you're good enough to make a difference. What do you say?” Kaiya got up abruptly, and walked back over to the window, rubbing her eyes. “I can’t believe this. A Jedi Knight, asking me to work for the Rebellion. And I'm still not sure I can accept.” She paused, sighed deeply and tured back to face Corwin. Fatigue was plain in her face. {had planned to stay on Siluria to fight the Imperials,” she continued. “I don’t want to leave this place, or my friends. And I don't believe I have to.” She fell silent. Fragments from the Rim “if you stay here, you're hitting at empty air. This place isn't important to the Empire. If youdo manage to make yourselfa serious nuisance, they'lljust whistle up acouple of TIE bombers and blow you apart from orbit, and they won't care who they kill as long as they finish you.” Corwin drained his tea. “The Empire also has a tactic used on worlds it doesn't much need. They start killing the innocent population, It’s the oldest anti guerilla trick in the book: burn someone in the town, square at midday every day until they surrender. “Kaiya, you'll be a good commander, but you'll be wasted here. If you want the Empire off Siluria, you'll, haveto fightit offSiluria. You'lldomoredamage,and the people here will be safer. And you don't have to leave everyone behind. We'll try and get as many people as want to come out of here. If Siluria needs you, it needs you out there, hitting them where it counts.” “it’s that easy, is it? Just fly off, join the Rebellion and all will be well?” Kaiya ran one handthroughher hair, distractedly."Idon't think the universe works like that.” “Nothing worth doing is easy. You willdomoredamagetotheEmpirewith the Rebellion, though, You've levelled a Governor's house, Kaiya. Now imag- ine doing the same thing to a line com- ‘munications bunker ora reactor house. Not much, but doing it two minutes before a Rebel SpecForce unit hits the base. It can definitely give the Empire a bloody nose. Or worse. Siluria will be safe fromany reprisals, too, because they won'tknow who you are.” Corwin stood up, stuck his hands in his| kets. “Itwill be rough on you, and all of you who decide to ‘come. | won't lie to you. A jot of people get killed every day. It may be a while before I can find someone to contact, since security's run very tight. But plans are best left flexible: the need is there, the means are there, and you have the talent tomakeamark. Trust the Force for the rest.” ‘There was further clattering from the kitchen, and the door opened. A young girl, maybe ten or eleven years old, came in, bearing two steaming plates. "You ‘two have been talking for ages,” she smiled. “I thought you'd be hungry.” Kaiya smiled slightly, andtookone plate fromthegirl, her daughter. Then she sat down to eat, facing away from Corwin. It appeared the conversation was over. Corwin looked at her back fora few moments, then took the other plate. “icouldeat aBantha,” hesaid. “Thanks.” ‘Then he put his hat back on, and left Kaiya to her thoughts. 13cold blood. Responding to this outrage, the village warriors decimated the stormtroopers in a “glorious battle” (the Rebel Alliance landing party from the orbiting Block- ade Runner bailed them out of a hopelessly one- sided battle). Hamalcal stowed away onthe Rebel shuttleduringthe victory celebration. Impressed ‘with his charisma and fighting ability, the Rebels have let him tag along on various missions. Hamalcal is essentially a primitive barbarian who has been let loose on the galaxy and is loving every minute of it. The high technology often gives him pause, but, he figures, he coped with- ut it on his homeworld, so he can cope without itnow; once he has learned how to use the stuff, that will be an added bonus. He also hopes to learn how much money is worth ... eventually (CHow much is the red credit worth, again? How much is the blue credit worth? And how much is the yellow one worth? How much is the red one worth again ...” Repeat ad nauseam). Hamalcal has also learned that while he may not be knowledgeable about technology, he can use this to his advantage. More than once he has succeeded in making people believe that he was over-awed by technology and then turned the situation to hisadvantage (‘Look. Powerful magic. Davar not like magic. Maybe he should smash magic maker ...") Hamalcal is fond of using his trusty vibroaxe, firmly believing that “blasters have no finesse.” Heis a boisterous, hardighting, jovial man who thrives onviolenceand conflict, particularly with Imperial stormtroopers, because “they crun: really well!” Mazer Rackus ‘Type: Brash Pilot DEXTERITY sD Blaster 4D+1, brawilngparry 4D,2,dodge 4D.2 KNOWLEDGE 3D MECHANICAL 2Ds1 Astrogation 5D, repulsorlit operation 5D, starfighter piloting §D-2, starship gunnery 5D PERCEPTION 2D+2 cons ‘STRENGTH 3D ‘TECHNICAL 3D Starfighter repair: Xwings 6D Character Points: Mover 10, Equipment: Merr-Sonn Model 44Blaster Pistol (4D damage) in a shoulder ho ster, ‘comlink, -macrobinoculars, atapad, hydrospanner, 3 medpacs, Rebel uniform, dark starslasses, X-ving starlight Chapter One: Rebel Operatives mT /ARS— Mazer Rackus Mazer Rackusis atypical-looking Twi'lek, with piercing green eyes, long cranial tentacles and a penchant for spending money. Instead of his species’ traditional luxurious robes, however, Rackus usually wears a standard flight suit and his equipment. Rackus stole his first starship from his father at age 16, and promptly crashed it onto a Rebel- held world. Hewas captured, but soon convinced the Rebels of his “loyalties,” although among friendsheadmits hewas more afraid of facinghis father than anything else. He has flown raids for the Alliance ever since. Loud and brash, Rackus hates to see anything beautiful damaged, demonstrating unusual sen- sitivity for a Twi'lek. He is very sensitive about his piloting skills and nothing ever happens by accident — “That ten degree list to port? That must be, uh... mechanical problems. Yeah. That's it Rackus adores speed and risks, atleast those that won't cause his ship to crash. He is happy to dogfight TIE fighters, but he steers well clear of, Imperial capital ships. It’s not that he actually fears death; it's just that they have enough fire- power to endanger him, and a run of bad luck could resultinanother crash. The thought makes him remember his father and cringe (“A squad- ron of TIE fighters? Great! Anything's better than facing my father ...”). Special Operations Teams The vast majority of recruits for the Rebel Alliance and Empire alike consist of average in viduals. These people are assessed and t! trained for the roles of soldiers, pilots, admi trative staff or whatever other demand needs to be filled. It is a tribute to the Rebel instructors that the Alliance's troops and support personnel are as good as they are. Unfortunately, this gives rise to an awkward question for Alliance Command and Personnel: “What do you do with advanced individuals?” These people can fly starships and repulsorlits, shoot, trade, gamble, talk the hind legs off a Cracian thumper (or an Alliance commander!), jury-rig things, hack into computer systems, and do just about anything else that can be imagined. Giving thema rifleand sending them out with the line troops is a waste. Assigning them an X-wing, only uses half their skills. Where can they possi- bly be given work that uses their skills more efficiently? The answer is Special Operations: the pana- cea for beleaguered Personnel officers. Special Ops Is a perfect location for advanced, highly skilled individuals who don’t fit the role of a Fragments from the RimSTAI =wal standard soldier. Special Ops troops are known. for their flamboyant actions and the ability to succeed where only sheer luck and the favor of fate could have allowed survival. Special Ops as a concept has two levels of operation: beginning Special Ops units are called Mission Groups; experienced units, who are generally given more difficult missions, are called Special Ops Teams. Listening to aSpecial Ops operative talk is like hearing an old spacer weave stories about 50 kilometerlongspaceslugs. Younever knowwhere the truth ends and the fiction begins. “You need 100,000 credits by two weeks ago? No problem.” “The sector Moff needs his ytterbium stolen? Well, they didn’t have time to unload it, so they stole his landing barge as well ...” “You want us to blow up a what? Is that all? It's guarded by a company of stormtroopers? Oh, right. We'll be careful ... yeah, sure I know what careful means ... Do you want us to do any shopping while we're there?” Mission Groups Most groups of player characters involved in the Rebel Alliance will be assigned to a Special Ops Mission Group. This allows the Alliance to make full use of these individuals’ “exceptional” skills, while not restricting them to the duties traditional spec forces organizations Chapter One: Rebel Operatives Note To Gamemasters “Is my group good enough for Special Ops?” As a general rule, if you need to ask this, the answer is “no.” your group is good enough, you'll Anow they are. They'll havea habit of succeedingin their scenarios with ridiculous ease, perhaps even to the extent of inventing other mission- scale objectives of their own as spaceillers. This will be particularly true for published scenarios, which are usually written for average characters for obvious reasons. Good Mission Groups have been known to do the impos- sible; present a group of Special Ops caliber characters the same challenge, and they'll say “That's too easy,” come up with an even harder objective of their own, and do that as well. Be warned, itisn't really the skill evels ofthe characters that makes a group suitable for Special Ops Team status — it's the players. ‘The very best players can cause the Imperials more trouble with a bunch of starting characters and one Force Point apiece than most groups could manage playing Han, Luke, Leta and Chewie, and with Force Points to match. Only the first type of players are suitable for Special Ops Teams. Groups fit into the Alliance chain of command as “loaters” between Alliance command, standard forces and sector forces. They can be sent out on Joan to sector forces desperately in need of sup- port, but often end up travelling half-way across the galaxy in the course of their exploits, Italso means that all that free-floating cock Fragments from the Rim 15hapter One: Rebel Of SAE CS STAR ————————— WA ness is put to constructive use, rather than into driving base commanders and security person- nel crazy. As a result, the Alliance has a broad base of talented units who are willing to take a crack at any mission anywhere in the galaxy. Many Mission Groups are based at Rebel starfighter bases like Tierfon, Cathis, Ansarra or Dalastine. This means that they have somewhere to refuel and resupply their ships without ha- rassment. Most teams have their own transport, often a light freighter of some sort, and in addr tion the starfighter base can make use of the high piloting skills often present within such a group. Thisis a better set-up than even Alliance Intel- ligence (Intell) can provide; most Rebel intelli gence operationsare designed to becovert,which means that the operatives can be in place for a long time before doing anything. Mission Groups thrive onaction; in the Intell environment, they'd have blown covers inside a fortnight, and would end up making a spectacular escape off-planet, wrecking months or years of painstaking Intell groundwork as they went. True, they probably would escape, but this is of little benefit to the Intelligence department. Of course, Mission Groups are often sent to worlds to draw attention away from an Intell cell that is about to be discovered. Operating from a starfighter base isn’t the only arrangement, of course; some Mission Groups are used as roving agents, and are trans- ferred from one area to another as problems crop up, while others are used in the Intelligence Operations department (notwithstanding the comments above), in Ordnance and Supply, and even in Support Services. SpecForces also occa- sionally takes a Mission Group under its wing, usuallyas “other specialists” such as transporta- tionspecs, pilots, communications experts, trans- lators, medics, scroungers and the like. These areas are more fully detailed on page 40 of the Rebel Alliance Sourcebook. Using Special Operations Teams For frustrated gamemasters who have always wanted to know how to integrate player characters into the structure of the Rebel Alliance, Special Ops Mission Groups are the perfect route. Depending upon the situation, Mission Groups can be called on to do just about anything, at any time, for any reason. ‘These teams combine maximum free- dom (always a plus for notoriously inde- pendent players) with a way of helping the characters get involved in the heart of the struggle against the Empire. Special Ops Teams “Special Ops Teams are where Mission Group ‘members go when they have become ‘23ers’ but are still 100 young or energetic for a desk job.” — Adison Cray, Free Agent ‘m too old fora desk job, it appears, so | have to carom around the galaxy like a maladjusted space skeet, too. I have always suspected that 1 won't be able to retire on healih grounds until 've been dead for at least two years, such is the Alliance's need forskilled personnel. Many special ‘operatives are doubtless in the same position. I's not just @ job ..” —Takob Biddyn, Spe Operations Group Leader Special Ops Teams are “advanced Mission Groups” and are cut off from the Alliance com- mand structure. They are answerable to only a fewhigher-ups, and receive practically no backup whatsoever from any branch of the Alliance. ‘They receive no support from Ordnance and Supply, no X-wing or SpecForces support, noth- ing. They just don’t need this kind of “mollycod- dling” The difference between Special Ops Teams and Mission Groups? Mission Groups get orders; Special Ops get requests. Polite requests. If they wouldn’t mind, if they're not too busy, please. And if the Special Op says no, that's just too bad. Most of the time, “spooks” go looking for their own trouble Some Special Ops go on deep-cover missions, using a number of Rebel supply caches to keep running. Alternatively, they might set up a net- workof these caches themselves, possiblyas the nucleus for rebellion in a new sector. This often involves a fair amount of trading, then plunging the profits of the trade into the supply caches. Other Special Opsmay be freeagents, and simply roam the galaxy looking for things that need doing. Afterall, the security networkat the Impe- Shipyards around Seswenna was woefully lacking Where necessary, the Alliance does have ‘meahs of contacting Special Ops Teams in the field, via contacts, mail drops, personal ads and. the like. If a sector intelligence cell or Rebel ‘outpost has need of the talents of a Special Ops. unit, it can put a call out through one of these channels, and any spookin the area.can then pick up the message and arrange to meet at a neutral, venue. But by and large, these units are left to wreak havoc upon the Imperial war machine without the Alliance watching; an arrangement that suits all sides admirably (except for the hapless Imperials). Fragments from the Rim=wai Special Operations Slang Special Ops Teams take a lot of trouble to ensure that their Jargon Is at least twice as ob- scure as anyone else's, ‘Some Special Ops Teams also like to engagein conversations with members of other branches of the Alliance in order to see just how long they can get away with talking at cross purposes. Special Ops especially enjoy confusing the stuff- ing out of Alliance Intell operatives, who have their ownslang (see page 26 of the Rebel Alliance Sourcebook), although most Special Ops Teams have figured out all of their phrases. With a Special Operative around, conversations seem to get just plain weird: phrases like “5-G takeoff,” “cuddly toy,” “take a gander” and “she’s cuts have completely different meanings. ‘The following list is already somewhat out of date, as Special Ops Team slang is constantly revised to ensure that no one else is ever in danger of understanding what Special Ops per- sonnel are talking about. #Chicken Alarm: A hazard assessment, follows an exponential sequence: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 13, Chicken Alarms have been known. 13 is a Death Star sighting, 8is a fleet arriving in-system, 5is a solitary Star Destroyer, 3 is a ground army, 2is a smallfieet, lisany other sizeable operation. This, termis also used to rate the relative danger of a mission, 4G's: (7's, 86's) Number of hostile aliens. 23er: In Alliance Intelligence, an agent who has made 20 field assignments and been retired; in Special Ops, any very competent agent. ABH: Average Bounty Hunter, or rather, aboue- average bounty hunter. Acquisition Run: Any combat operation pre- senting opportunities for large-scale theft Battery: A lot of chickens huddled together. ‘enough to make even a Special Op slightly ner- vous. BBH: Boring Bounty Hunter, the common run of target practice Bear: Balinaka. BH: Bounty hunter. Birdwatcher: ISB Agent, from “Imperial Sunbath- ‘ers and Birdwatchers" (Special Ops crew tend to have a low opinion of the ISB). Black: Any large denoinination (1,000 credits +) that is probably “blackmarked” and traceable. Boring: Either “extremely dangerous” or “no threat at all” or possibly both at the same time. Only Special Ops know how this one works. Boys in White: Stormtrooper. Brass Mine: A Special Operative. BUG: (Big Ugly Guy) Any hostile alien. Chapter One: Rebel Operatives Fragments from the Rim 17Bursting: Physical: Dealing with a large predator by waiting until it opens its mouth and then feeding it a live grenade or thermal detonator. Conceptual: Entering a known enemy trap with much more firepower than the trap can handle, orusingan enemy's offensive action as an oppor- tunity to do him harm. Can't: Tank (deliberate misspelling), Cat: Orryxian (Not that any Orryxian would ap- preciate this). Catnot: (Contraction of “Categorically Not”) Re- fers to Kashyyyk, the Wookiee homeworld. CB: Cybernetic Bronchitis. Nickname for Darth Vader. Chicken: Any Imperial operation or personnel. Chorus Girl: Imperial AT-ST Walker. Coop: A lot of chickens huddled together. Cuddly: Incredibly Dangerous. Cute: Extremely Dangerous. Defenestrate: Throw person out of window. Delimit: A Wookie attacking in hanc-to-hand combat. Any hand-to-hand combat attack by a very strong opponent. This word is believed to bea corruption of ‘De-imb it.” Difficult: Easy. Dobbin: Imperial AT-AT walker. Doesn't: A Wookiee. Don't: Plural, several Wookiees. Drink Vouchers: Money. Duck: Any undercover Imperial operative that is trying not to look like an undercover Imperial operative. Dumb Orphan: Orphan with valuable informa- tion. Easy: Difficult. Easy Easy: Easy, Entertainment: Combat. ETLA: Extended Three Letter Acronym. A Four Letter Acronym. See TLA. Fatigue Scanning: Looking for the weak spots in a system or organization, Fear Gland: Self preservation instinct, Consid- ered a bad quality in Special Ops. Firework: Anything containingareasonably large fusion reactor. Fish: Fish. Fish: Mon Calamari (or any other aquatic spe- cies). Fish: Trouble (obviously, depends on context). (Chapter One: Rebel per ativ 2S STAR eo ee Frac: Fraction of a credit, particularly any non- Imperial currency unit, Fracs'n'Blacks: Large quantity of money in all denominations. Frag: Fragmentation grenade, as in “Frag ’em!” Gander: Grenade. Gark: Any flying species. GBH: Gross Bounty Hunter, .e. BobaFett, Zardra, Dengar, IG-88, etc. Gau: Gun, slugthrower. Grease: Funding for bribes Grease the Servos: Funding for bribes. Greenhorn: A new Rebel soldier who's way too eager for combat. Greenie: Rodian. Grey Man: Imperial Intelligence Agent. Gronk: Any species capable of generating a par- ticularly loud cry/alarm call. As in “Gronk!” Gruff: Any canine-appearing species. GS (Groundshaker): Imperial AT-AT Walker. GUB: Great Uncle Boba, refers to Boba Fett. Hammerheads: ithorians. Headhunting: Physically locating an enemy's “head” or main nerve center with a view to de- stroying it. Headshot: Any single operation that renders the rest of an enemy's operations useless. Hijack: Con, bribe, trick, order or otherwise per- suade a complete stranger to render assistance in some task. Hitching a Ride: Using someone else's intelli- gence network or facilities, usually without their knowledge or permission, HSS: (High Speed Surgery) Disabling an armored vehicle or starship by cutting a hole in its hull and jecting a grenade or thermal detonator into the gap. Hundred Club: Those individuals whose boun- ties exceed 100,000 credits and are still at large. Interesting: Very Dangerous. Invite: Explosive device. Jack: Anyone, as in “Hi, Jack,” said toacomplete stranger. KSA: KinkySilver Armor. An ImperialRadtrooper. Leech: A spook with ‘acquisitions’ skills (secu- rity, ete), Less Boring: Dead. See Boring. Lightly Tronned: A tron where the vehicle crew survives. See Tron. Fragments from the Rimsta =wi Livestock: Assorted weapons, explosives and heavy artillery. Mildly: (Adjective) Extremely. Million Shot: A“very easy” mission. “It'samillion to one chance, but it might just work.” Mindspook: A spook with Force skills. NRU: Nice Red Uniform, an imperial Royal Guards- man. One Percenter: Mission carrying a 1% survival chance. A “standard” mission. Orphan: Rebel soldier or pilot stranded in the field. Penned Orphan: Orphan captured by Empire. Planters: Ithorians. Plastic Soldier: Stormtrooper. Portable: Anything a Special Op finds necessary toremove. Even ifthe item in question weighs 60 tons and has been molecularly welded to the ground, if a Special Op needs it, it will be re- moved. PSC (Plastic Soldier Carrier): Imperial AT-AT walker. Raisin-head: A greenhorn who's seen too many war holos. Red Carpet: Large quantity of explosive devices. Salting the Ether: Generating spurious plans for Fragments from the Rim non-existent missions and broadcasting them in tight code in spare bandwidths to keep Imperial Intelligence’s Analysis Bureau fromgettingbored, Sandman: Imperial sandtrooper. ‘Scoping: Estimating resources needed for an operation. Or, maintaining surveillance on mem- bers of the opposite sex (Depends on context). Scrip: Corporate or Planetary currency. Season Ticket: Several explosive devices. Severely Tronned: Where practically nothing survives. See Tron. SideThink: Peculiar Special Ops mindset, blend- ing opportunism, careful planning and lethal effi- ciency with a healthy dose of mindless reckless- ness and pure cockiness. Slimebottom: Hutt Slug: Hutt. ‘Smart Orphi valuable informat Snowman: Imperial snowtrooper. Spook: A Special Operative, particularly a solo one. Squawker: Any flying species. Squid: Quarren, Squid Head: Quarren. Irphan without any particularly mn, Chapter One: Rebel OfSS: (Skywalker Surprise) Mission carrying a0.1% survival chance. An “interesting challenge.” Star Destroyer: 174,000 design flaws waiting to be exploited, ‘Sweet: Cute and cuddly. TAD: A thermal detonator. As in, “Add a TAD to, fix that Imperial squad.” Takeoff: Eliminating prime weapons, while leav- ing the heart of an objective intact. For example, destroying defensive ion cannon while leaving a Power plant intact, or downing the bodyguards of a powerful but unarmed crimelord, TAM: Threatening Armored Man. An Imperial Storm Commando. Ten Percenter: Mission carrying a 10% survival chance. An “easy” mission. TEPM: (Thermal Exhaust Port Mission) Mission carrying a 0.1% survival chance; an “interesting, challenge.” ‘Thinking Sideways: A compliment ‘Thousand Shot: Mission carrying 0.1% survival chance. An “interesting challenge.” Tinfish: Imperial seatrooper. Tinfish Bucket: Imperial AT-AT Swimmer. TLA: Three Letter Acronym. Toy: Melee or heavy weapon, ‘Trawling: Out looking for “fish” (see “fish”). ‘Tron: Cause opposing vehicle to suffer a “spec- tacularly debilitating irreversible maneuvering capability deficit,” or crash. “That's tronned it.” UCT: (Universal Cutting Tool) A Lightsaber. ‘Vapor Op: A hopeless plan, of the type produced by greenhorns, laser-brains and raisin-heads. Very Dumb Orphan: Orphan who “knows too much” and must either be rescued, silenced or discredited in some way. Wake-up call: Grenade. Won't: A town or a Wookiee village, believed to derive from a deliberate misspelling of “town.” Wotshisname: Practically anything or anyone, mainly depending on context, As in “Tell wots- hisname to get up here with that grenade!” Wolf: Shistavanen Wolfman. Yellow Stuff: Stabilized ytterbium. The Most Dangerous Positions In The Rebel Alliance The Rebel Alliance is full of dangerous jobs: fighter pilot, SpecForce operative, Wookiee hand- to-hand combat tutor, autochef operator and so, wapter One: Rebbe! Operative STAR ee SE eee WARS ‘on. However, some jobs are considered particu- larly dangerous, even by Rebels with no “fear glands.” Some of these positions are outlined be- low. Special Ops Teams Special Ops Teams consists of people who go out into the galaxy, find some trouble, get them- selvesas deep intoitas they possibly can,and then get out again. Special Ops Teams are so good that trouble that would be fatal to most other people seems to them to be all part of a day's work and they do get to choose how deep in the dip they go. Chicken factor: 5 or more per mission. Mission Groups Most of what applies to Special Ops applies toa lesser extent to Mission Groups. The main differ- enceis thatas the Alliance chooses ti ns, Imperial traps or poor estimates of the level of opposition may mean they occasionally getin over their heads. Chicken factor: 2 to 3 (theoretically; more likely 5 or more per mission). Field Agent Field Agents are given specific objectives (short or Iong term) by the Intelligence Operations De- partment. They go out, perform these tasks and then return. After twenty such missions, they must either retireor transfer toanother department. See page27of the Rebel Alliance Sourcebook for turther details. Chicken factor: 1 to 3 per mission. Free Agent Becoming Free Agent requires special dispen- sation from Alliance High Command. A Free Agent Js essentially a solo Special Operative. There does appear to be a subtle distinction between the two of these, as solo Special Ops are also known, but the two posts are basically the same. The most likely difference is that a Free Agent does report to the Intelligence department, either to the head of Operations, or to the Chief of intelligence himself. No Free Agent is anything less than a full 23er. Chicken factor: 8 or more per mission. Special Agent ‘The post of Special Agent is a catch-all category and is used to describe the unique posts filed by certain individuals. For example, Greg Somax, the ‘one Rebel agent at the Imperial Naval Academy (Gee page 141 of the Rebel Alliance Sourcebook ) is, a Special Agent. Chicken Factor: 3 or more per mission. Recruitment Agent ‘This is one of the most dangerous jobs in the Alliance. Recruitment Agents are people who are constantly on the lookout fornew membership for Fragments from the Rim