Corporate Division Report

Streel Corporation

Founded F.Y. 23
Corporate Headquarters: Pale, Truane's Star System
Chief Executive: Hilo Headow (Yazirian)
Subsidiaries: The largest are Greater Vrusk Mutual Prosperity Institution, First Dralasite Savings and Loan chain, and the Yazirian Financial Co-op. All of these were once major competitors that Streel acquired.
Allies: MercCo
Enemies: PGC, Galactic Task Force Inc.

Brief History: Streel has grown remarkably in the last few decades, despite near catastrophic events in F.Y. 49 with the quake on Pale and the 6 years of conflict during the Truane's Star Food war. It is fast approaching PGC in size and financial power. Streel offices are now spread throughout the Frontier and Rim, the latter, an area the PGC has neglected. Streel backs technological research, banking systems, mining operations, savings and loan institutions, and financial backings for real estate and agricultural areas.

Corporate Division Report:

Resource Acquisition & Development (RAD), the division within Streel that is tasked with system and or planetary resource acquisition for the exclusive exploitation by Streel.

Division Head: The executive vice president, Perenni Epiphytes, is a human female educated at the University of Fromeltar in diplomacy and finance with a minor in horticulture. She is famous for hard ball diplomacy and patronage of The Earth 2 Horticultural Society.

Headquarters: Pale, Truane’ Star

Secondary Interest: Terra-forming

Covert Activities/ Interests: Strong ties to Merco and to R&D Division.

Branches: Farway Freight (FF) 30% of RAD budget; Negotiations & Administration (N/A) 40% of RAD budget; Prospecting, Exploration & Survey Team (PEST) 15% of RAD budget

History: Aggressive acquisition of mining rights in several developing systems that lead to accusations of extortion and even terrorism.

Reputation: Aggressive and underhanded

Allies/ Affiliates: Merco

Enemies/ Competitors: PGC

GM Background for Crash on Volturnus

       Truane’s Star is officially ruled by a republican form of government from the planet of Pale. New Pale is an agriculture colony and has the status of territory with limited representation (2 representatives). New Pale is administered by a governor that is appointed by the president. The colonists of New Pale enjoy citizenship rights as well as an exemption on income tax as an inducement to move to the colony planet.

            Pale is the headquarters of the Frontier’s second megacorp, Streel. Being headquartered here gives Streel quite a bit of weight with the government but their campaign contributions have all but bought the corporation control of the government.

     A division within the company, Resource Acquisition & Development (RAD) has committed a huge chunk of its budget toward campaign contributions. It was decided that new exploration was more costly than stealing the resources of others. The RAD has plans in place to take over the agriculture resources of New Pale as well as usurping the mineral rights of the Zebulon system which are currently owned by the Pale Republic.

            The plan for New Pale is to create a crisis that requires nationalization of the farming operations followed by legislation appointing Streel to manage them. Since the population of Pale would starve without the food shipments form New Pale it’s been relatively easy to engineer a crisis.

            The Palonite military under the auspices of Pale Aerospace Command (PAC) was responsible for exploring the Zebulon system but did little since the discovery of the system. Once they finally sent a manned expedition, Streel was forced to take action lest their secret mining operation on Volturnus be discovered. Contact was lost six months ago when the expedition entered orbit around Volturnus. Streel’s interference has not only caused the long delay in sending a rescue expedition but has forced its way onto the expedition which is now a joint venture with PAC.

            With the percolating crisis on New Pale caused by a new terrorist group and the colonists’ resistance to the government’s first move at nationalization of the farms, the government has a low priority on exploiting its rights to Zebulon. Streel has all but taken over the rescue mission and has had to scramble for personnel to man the mission. Luckily, a new draft of new employees has arrived in Truane’s Star expecting to take low level technician and security jobs and they’re about to be “volunteered” for the mission or discharged from company service. The company will of course turn over the names of those discharged to Pale’s Selective Service Corp which is charged with raising several drafted regiments of Peace Keepers for the impending civil disturbances on New Pale.

PC Backgrounds and NPC Contacts

Player Character Backgrounds:

            Players will most likely begin as the Streel new hires that are forced to transfer to PEST. At GM discretion they could also be PAC personnel from the regular militia or from the ESO depending on the character created and the player’s temperament.

            The culture of Pale’s space navy is very patriotic in nature with a strong belief in the constitution. There is near universal resentment toward Streel and politicians who appear to be sell outs to the mega corp. The Exploration & Sciences Organization (ESO), though under military control, is largely staffed with civilian contractors.

NPC contacts for the Player Characters:

NPC contacts encourage role playing as the help or information that they can provide is only obtainable through role play. They also provide the GM with a voice in the adventure but that should be limited to hints. The PCs should ask for information and the NPC would not be overly helpful without good reason. Provide the PCs and opportunity to interact with their NPC contacts and to shop for any equipment they can afford before they embark on the Serrena Dawn. The info that they may generate in this way should not give them the whole picture as to what is going on though the developments on New Pale could be used as a distraction (red herring).

Lucritia Dolores, a writer for The Star Republic, an independent and conservative periodical with largely electronic distribution. Lucritia is known for her patriotic and anti-Streel views. She is a critical analyst on politics and mega corps. Her contact with a PC could be as family (distant cousin) or through past association (knew each other in school but not necessarily close). She’ll gladly answer questions or research info concerning her areas of expertise since she often feels frustrated over Streels seeming control of the government and would welcome a sympathetic ear. She could easily find a corporate division report on RAD (Resource Acquisition & Developement) if asked.

Ch’S’R T’Seck of House Ch’S’R. House Ch’S’R is a vursk trade house, focusing on accounting and are reputed to be among the premier accounting firms in the Frontier. T’Seck's expertise are in accounting and finds the changes in budgeting at RAD interesting as well as the fact that House Ch’S’R no longer audits RAD’s books just reviews a prepared book that seems a little too prepared. House Ch’S’R is still retained for accounting all other departments and divisions at the Streel headquarters. His association with a PC could be familial; in the case of a vursk PC or through prior business association (maybe he audited the books for the PC’s family’s business and is known to the PC).

Bork the Bartender (race can be flexible for this character), Bork is a ne’r do well and spacer with a checkered past who has settled into bartending. His lack of respect for authority bounced him out of 2 separate militia organizations. He was in the 1^st Common Muster and has little love for pirates but keeps his finger on the pulse of criminal activity in the capitol of Pale as his bar is in one of the seeder neighborhoods. He’s an astute judge of the character. His association with a PC would most likely derive from the PC knowing a friend of his who told them to look him up.

Saleck Chin (any race) is an aging scientist (lvl 6 environmental skill) in the ESO. He is a civilian contractor and is biding his time till retirement next year. He will in no way jeopardize his pension but is generally unhappy with interference by Streel in the Zebulon Survey Project that first started with loss of funding for the ESO and now the usurpation of the Volturnus mission by Streel. He’s well versed in environmental issues concerning Pale and New Pale and the astro sciences of Truane’s Star. His association with a PC could be as past professor for a PC with a physco-social PSA or as a friend of someone known to the PC or as past professional association if the PC’s background started him as part of the ESO.

Sgt. Grick (any race) is a true blue patriotic Pale citizen and career militia spacer. Words like crusty and salty come to mind for those asked to describe him. He works hard and parties hard with a fondness for strong drink. He recently dodged “the bullet” avoiding transfer to Training Command to be a drill sgt. for the new Peace Keeper force (an occupation force being raise to strong arm New Pale). He has family on New Pale and is disgusted with the prospect of being ordered to take action against them. His new assignment is as quartermaster sgt. and maybe able to issue some non-weapon equipment to the PCs party by virtue of some creative paperwork and or proper paperwork issued by the PCs but coached by him. His association with a PC in the military PSA would be through past professional association especially if the PCs background started him as a member of the militia or of the ESO.

Barlow Kuman, is an undercover star law agent (real name is ?). He has been investigating RAD and may decide to provide some help to the PCs on the down low as long as it doesn’t risk his cover. He’s obtained a support personnel position at RAD’s headquarters.

SF:2KH "Liberation of Volturnus"

Game #1: the Volturnus Squadrons

The Eorna and Mechanon fighter craft take the battle to the worms this time, in a free for all in space! Sathar transports are positioned around Volturnus, collecting the retreating troops and their equipment. Several dozen shuttlecraft are making their way back to their host craft in order to retreat back to their homeworlds. The heroes of Volturnus have decided to land one final blow against these invading foes to ensure they never forget their humiliating defeat at Volturnus.

--- Set Up ---

 

Counters:

15 Sathar Destroyers

7 Sathar Light Cruisers

25 Sathar Fighters

6 UPF Fighters

6 UPF Assault Scouts
1 Planet counter

Place a planet counter at the center of the fold out hex map. The 15 Sathar Destroyer counters represent Sathar troop transports recovering Sathar warriors, the 7 light cruiser counters represent freighters recovering equipment and cyber-beasts. The 25 Sathar fighters represent shuttles. All transports start at a speed of zero, shuttles are moving at a speed of three hexes per turn. Troop transports can be placed anywhere but no closer than 6 hexes to the planet, freighters can be placed anywhere no closer than ten hexes to the planet. Shuttles can be placed anywhere, no closer than four hexes away from any transports or three hexes to the planet.

The UPF fighters represent Mechanon fighters, the assault scouts are the Eorna heavy fighters. They may begin in any hex orbiting the planet and facing any direction away from the planet (as facing the planet would result in a crash landing), with a speed of 1 hex/turn.

Replacements: none, although every three turns (during the repair turn) two sathar shuttles can leave Volturnus' surface (as PC craft, starting with a speed of 1 hex/turn in any orbit hex around the planet) for every three that were destroyed or recovered. This represents the sheer number of shuttle craft that landed versus the limited number of transports that remained to collect them (as there were heavy troop and equipment losses during the ground battle).

--- Special Rules ---

> Eorna fighters must land on the surface in order to resupply their rockets. They must end their turn in orbit with a speed of zero, the next turn they may enter the atmosphere. The third turn is spent on the ground, by the fourth turn they may exit the atmosphere and rejoin the battle (craft leaving the atmosphere begin with a speed of 1 and may face any direction away fromthe planet in one of the six orbit hexes around the planet). Care must be taken during these maneuvers...as the Eorna fighters can become sitting ducks to any nearby Sathar transports. No repairs can be made during the re-entry or take off turns (although if the repair turn comes up during the rearming turn, repairs can be effected).

> Sathar craft must have matching velocities and direction in order for the shuttles to dock. Both ships must be in the same hex to enable this. A freighter can recieve four shuttles, a troop transport can recieve eight, but once a freighter takes on three shuttles or a troop transport recieves six they will attempt to leave the board (although more shuttles may dock if they can match speed and direction). Craft that make it off the board with a minimum compliment of shuttles are out of play and can be considered as safely retreated from the skirmish.

--- New Equipment ---

 
Forward Firing Rockets (FFR): Simply put, the FFR is a set of fixed launchers similar to those found on a Rocket Battery, but instead of having a 360º field of fire they are forward firing weapons. Damage Table Modifiers are as a RB system, 2d10 with a range of 40,000km (four hexes), treat as an assault rocket for the resolution (head on bonuses are applicable). Restrictions are FF, MPO, LTD

Laser Turret (LT): A smaller scale version of a Laser Battery. Treat as a LB for all regards with a range of 40,000km (four hexes).

Pod Laser (PL): As described in Dragon Magazine, the Pod Laser is a set of laser cannons (down scaled laser battery guns) fixed to a fighter's hull. Treat as a Laser Cannon for combat resolution, 1d10 damage and a range of 50,000km (five hexes).

--- Victory Conditions ---

The Volturnus Squadrons must destroy at least 8 troop transports and four freighters

Sathar must evacuate at least 8 troop transports each having recovered at least six shuttles, and 4 freighters each having recovered at least three shuttles.

If fewer than 8 transports/4 freighters escape or 8/4 escape without the minimum compliment of shuttles and all Volturnus forces are destroyed in the process, it is a draw (note that characters may bail out of destroyed craft, to be picked up later by a reserve Eorna craft).

--- Experience Rewards ---

Award 2-6XP per player based on participation (2 for low participaiton, 4 for medium, 6 for highly active). Double XP rewards if the Volturnus Squadrons achieve their goals.

Sathar Transports & Shuttles

Sathar Assault Transport

HS:9  HP:45  Powerplant: 3 Ion B
ADF:1  MR:3  DCR:60  Crew: 32 + 800 troops
Armament: LB, RB(x4)
Defenses: RH
Comm/Detection: SSRadio, Radar
Misc: armory/repair lab

Cargo Accomodation: 0

Crew Accomodations: 16 double dreamsleep berths
Passenger Accomodations: 200 quad dreamsleep cabins plus armory
Ship's Vehicles: 8 shuttles
_______________________________

Sathar Freighter

HS:12  HP:60  Powerplant: 4 Ion B
ADF:1  MR:2  DCR:56  Crew: 12-24
Armament: LB
Defenses: RH, MS(x2)
Comm/Detection: SSRadio, Radar
Misc: 2 cargo arms

Cargo Accomodation: 12

Crew Accomodations: 12 double dreamsleep berths
Passenger Accomodations: 15 quad dreamsleep cabins
Ship's Vehicles: 4 shuttles
_______________________________

Sathar Drop Shuttle

HS:2  HP:10  Powerplant: 2 chemical A
ADF:1  MR:4  DCR:25  Crew: 1-2
Armament: none
Defenses: RH
Comm/Detection: SSRadio, Radar
Misc: streamlined

Cargo Accomodation: 1 (freighter) or 0 (assault transport)

Crew Accomodations: 2 seat cockpit
Passenger Accomodations: 4 acceleration couches* (freighter) or 50 acceleration couches* (assault transport)
Ship's Vehicles: n/a

* acceleration couches seat two each

Volturnus Fighter Craft

E-1A Eorna Heavy Fighter

HS: 2  HP: 14  Powerplant: 2 sub-atomic A (jump governor installed)
ADF: 5  MR: 4  DCR: 40  Crew: 3-4
Armament: FFR(x4), LT
Defenses: RH
Comm/Detection: SubSpace Radio, Radar, Intercom
Misc Equipment: Streamlined, Medium Armor

COMPUTER

Alarm(2) Analysis(2) Astrogation(2) Computer LockOut(3) Computer Security(3) Damage Control(2) Drive, Atomic A(4) Forward Firing Rocket(2) Industry(1) Information Storage(1) Installation Security(3) Laser Battery(1) Life Support(1) Maintenance(2)

Cargo Capacity: 0
Crew Accomodations: 0
Passenger Accomodations: 3 command chairs (optional fourth chair for a rocket gunnery assistant on the bridge)
Ship's Vehicles: none

Deck Plans

Deck 1: Bridge - The helm is inverted 90º, a secondary command chair can be added to the starboard side (opposite of the hatch) for a rocket gunner to assist with the forward firing rockets

Deck 2: Gunnery - controls for the fighter's laser turret are here, along with a small galley for crew dining as well as  afresher on the starboard side.

Deck 3: Maintenance - an engineer may coordinate repairs from this station, as well as monitoring the drives. The hatch leads to an airlock below, where the outer hull hatch is located. Space suits can be stowed near the shielded port drive bulkhead when not in use.

________________________________________________________


NME-16 Neo-Mechanon Enhanced Fighter

HS: 1  HP: 6  Powerplant: 1 sub-atomic A (jump governor installed)
ADF: 6  MR: 6  DCR: 30  Crew: 0 (automated)
Armament: PL
Defenses:RH
Comm/Detection: SubSpace Transmitter, Radar, Camera System
Misc Equipment: Streamlined, Light Armor

COMPUTER

Alarm (1)
Analysis (4)
Astrogation (2)
Computer Security (4)
Damage Control (1)
Drive, Atomic A (4)
Guidance/Analysis (3) = LVL:1 pilot
Information Storage (1)
Installation Security (2)
Laser Cannon (1)
Maintenance (1)

Cargo Capacity: 0
Crew Accomodations: 0
Passenger Accomodations:0
Ship's Vehicles: none

Zoological Catalog of Volturnus Species