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Contents
The Way of It 2
Sam’s Smugglers Emporium, part I 3
Sam’s Smugglers Emporium, part I 7
Jeremiah’s Bounty Hunting Gear 11
Pilot for Hire 13
Word on the Street, Part I 17
Word on the Street, Part II 21
Word on the Street, Part III 25
Word on the Street, Part IV 29
 The Way of It
In 2007 and 2008, Margaret Weiss Productions
released, via their web site, a series of free PDFs,
expanding the material available for the Serenity
RPG.

This volume combines all of these volumes together

in one place, complete with corrected formatting. You
can’t stop the signal.

Covering a range of locales, organisations, ideas and

plots, this material is invaluable to GM and player
alike, from greenhorn crews to those with an
overabundance of adventures. Simply add whatever
you like to your existing game.
Sam’s Smugglers
Emporium
It’s taken a while to find the store, hidden
away from the main strip as it is. You’re
somewhat surprised to find it to be little more
than a battered metal door set into a grubby
wall, with little to identify it beyond a crudely
painted sign nailed above it. The sign has only
a single word, painted in bright red letters:
“Sam’s.”
Despite your doubts, everything you were
told confirms this is the place, so you push open
the door and cautiously step into the gloom.
Somewhere, a bell rings, announcing your
arrival.
The lighting is dim and a sprawling clutter
takes up almost every available space, aside
from the confined walkways that someone has
gone to a special effort to keep clear. Standing
there, wondering what to do next, you’re
surprised by a grey-haired old man appearing
from behind a large pile of mechanical parts. A
wide grin stretches across his face.
“So you’re the new faces asking after my
store,” he states in the raspy voice of a man
with a lifetime of smoking and drinking behind
him. “Well, don’t be looking so worried now
… just ‘cause I’m old don’t mean I isn’t still
connected. I still has me eyes and ears on the
street, y’know?”
He steps out of the shadows, one alert blue
eye taking in everything with a well-trained
glance. His other eye is lost to a scar that cuts
across the right side of his face. No doubt
there’s an interesting story to go with it.
“But where’s me manners? The name’s
Sam, and this here’s me goods emporium …
no better place in the ‘Verse to get what you’re
after and the most likely place to be having it on
the shelves … just so long as you know where
to look.” His sweeping gesture draws attention
to the many shelves and stacked tables of the
store.
“Surviving as a freelancer ain’t an easy
thing out in the Black. While it may be true that
a head full of smarts, a charming manner, and
a winning smile goes a long way, it’s havin’ the
right tools for the job that’ll make the difference
between a full belly and a belly full of lead.” He
laughs at his remark before composing himself
and straightening up his stained coveralls.
“So, what’ll it be then, youngsters? Maybe
you’re jus’ not sure … I’m guessin’ you’ll be in a
hurry, as you young folk always seem to be. Out
of the kindness of me old heart, I’ll just show
you around and you can pick out anything that
takes your fancy.”
Part One
Sam pulls a heavy cover from one of the
many tables scattered around the store to reveal
a pile of assorted items.
“This here’s what I like to think of as part
of my Whole-‘Verse survival collection. Now I
know what you’re thinking: maybe some of this
stuff don’t rightly look like survival gear, but let
me tell you, havin’ it could make the difference
between surviving and bein’ worm food.” Sam
lets out a hearty laugh, and starts rummaging
through the items.
“First up, an old faithful, a piece that most
any folk traveling the ‘Verse can find a use for—
a coil of Nylex rope. Good ol’ Nylex, a wonder
of modern synthetics. Stuff will hold when it
needs to, and it ain’t easily cut or snagged.”
Nylex Rope (50’)
Cost: 1₡ / 2p Weight: 2
Availability: E
Nylex is a man-made synthetic material that
is incredibly flexible, while at the same time
particularly strong and remarkably light. Nylex
rope is often referred to as being “flexible as
leather, strong as steel and light as silk.” The
standard coil length is fifty feet, but it can be
purchased in any ten-foot increment from ten
to five hundred feet to length. Nylex rope can
be used for climbing, towing, holding down
heavy loads or even tying folk up as to keep
them safe from hurting others.
“Here’s a companion to the Nylex rope, the
Winderman & Cole complete climbers pack. Yep, it’s
pretty much everything a professional climber could need
in one handy backpack. Most you’ll need to be sortin’
out for yourself is some boots and as much rope as you
think you’ll be needin’.”
Winderman & Cole Complete
Climbers Pack
Cost: 15₡/ 40p Weight: 10
Availability: C
This all-in-one pack contains almost
everything a body needs to go mountain
climbing or even rappel down the side of
a building. It includes a full Nylex climbing
harness, ascenders, carabineers, crampons,
pitons, pulleys, pads, rappelling gloves,
adjustable helmet and a small climbing hammer.
The backpack is durable and waterproof, and
3
 comes with extra side pockets and clips for
anything else. The only climbing essentials not
included in the pack are climbing boots and
rope, which must be purchased separately.
“Now, just ‘cause you have a hundred foot of
Nylex rope and a climbing harness, it don’t mean you
have to be using it for just climbing mountains you
know. It can work for all manner of things from scaling
buildings to goin’ out of the bomb-bay doors of your
Mid-Bulk Transport and down onto a movin’ vehicle,
like a train. Mind you, if you’re thinkin’ to be hanging
around under a fast movin’ boat, you might be wanting
the next couple o’ items too, unless you want to be chilled
down to your nethers.” Sam shows a toothy grin before
digging through the pile of gear again.
“These may be a pretty standard pair of protective
goggles, for keepin’ your eyes safe from the elements, but
look around a bit and you can find these things with all
sort o’ extras from flash protectors to image intensifiers.”
Protective Goggles
Standard Cost: 0.5₡ / 1p from the extreme cold of the Black should a
Weight: - Availability: E
Flash Protectors Cost: 10₡ / 20p assuming that there is still breathable air of
Weight: 1 Availability: E
Light Intensifier Cost: 25₡ / 80p While the suit looks somewhat bulky when
Weight: 2 Availability: C
Standard protective goggles are little more
than durable scratch resistant lenses that protect
the wearer’s eyes from high winds, dust or dirt.
Generally used by most folk who work outside
where airborne grit may be an issue or by
miners just in case any stone chips fly back their
way.
Flash protectors offer the same benefits as
standard goggles, but they have fancy lenses that
darken considerably should there be a sudden
flash of ultra-bright light. Thus, they protect
the wearer’s eyes from temporary blindness and
negate step penalties caused by these effects.
Light intensifier goggles provide the
wearer with night vision, allowing them to see
clearly in all but total darkness. The intensifier
needs a minimal light source to function,
though stars in a night sky are more than
enough. Most versions also include a small
infrared torch built in, just in case of total
darkness, but this only provides vision out
to about thirty feet. A flash protector may be
added to these goggles for only 5 credits more.
Light intensifier goggles are powered by a small
power cell, which provides up to 8 hours of
continuous use before needing a recharge.
4
“Here we have the McKinney Cold Weather
Survival Suit that keeps that chill away. It’s great
in arctic conditions or harsh winters and like
I said, it’s what you need when hangin’ at high
speeds from the bottom of your transport.”
McKinney Cold Weather
Survival Suit
Cost: 20₡ / 50p Weight: 5
Availability: E
This outfit consists of a pair of padded
trousers and jacket with hood and gloves. The
padding is made up of layers of insulating
material, including a special coolant layer linked
to a heat regulator. This prevents the wearer
from overheating, especially in wildly dynamic
environments. The suit is designed to provide
significant warmth and protection in arctic
conditions for extended durations. It provides
little or no protection against the deep cold
of vacuum, but that’s what vacuum suits are
for. The suit protects the wearer for a time
ship’s environmental controls cease function,
course.
worn, it doesn’t significantly restrict movement,
though the gloves can hamper fine manipulation
tasks due to their padding.
“Now this is another mighty useful pack, something
we spacers refer to as a ‘Crash Pack.’ It’s the Merrill
& Gibbs Spacer Survival Kit. This handy backpack
is hardy and waterproof, and full of all sorts of shiny
extras that’ll make the difference between life and
death, ‘specially when you’ve had to drop down on some
inhospitable backwater rock due to engine failure. It even
comes with a pack of cards to help pass the time.”
Merrill & Gibbs Spacer
Survival Kit
Cost: 10₡ / 22p Weight: 10
Availability: E
Any good Captain makes sure that they
have at least one or two of these on their boat,
normally stashed in a shuttle or escape pod.
Spacer survival kits are referred to as Crash
Packs due to the most likely time they see use.
The Spacer Survival Kit comes in a durable
and waterproof backpack containing the
following items when new: a 2-man expanding
tent; a canteen with 10 packets of purification
crystals; a sealed bottle of drinking water; 2
protein bars (each can last one week if thinly
sliced); 1 large blanket; 1 basic first aid kit; 1
flash light (the battery pack is good for one
month of use); 1 standard battery pack; 1 box
of waterproof matches; 1 can of fire jelly; 1
survival knife (as combat knife, but includes
small compass, needle, nylon thread and piece
of flint in handle); 3 thermal flares; 1 pack of
playing cards.
“Course, there is always room to add a few choice
items of your own and most any good spacer soon adds
a loaded firearm, a portable distress beacon and a radio,
just in case.
“Last up for this selection, we’ve got the Blue Sun
survival tent, which is surprisingly good for somethin’
that rolls out of mass production. This thing comes in
two, four, or six occupant varieties and pops up into a
solid shape just as soon as you pull this here cord.”
Blue Sun Survival Tent
2-Occupant Cost: 75₡ / 180p same protective qualities as a ballistic mesh
Weight: 12 Availability: C
4-Occupant Cost: 100₡ / 260p protection to the occupants.
Weight: 14 Availability: C
6-Occupant Cost: 150₡ / 400p also includes a built in short range commpack,
Weight: 18 Availability: C
The Extreme Survival line has been a great
success for the Blue Sun Corporation. It has
found popularity across a wide range of sectors,
from the Military to Core World extreme
sports enthusiasts. The survival tent is one of
that line’s best sellers, not only due to great
advertising, but also because of the quality of
the product.
No matter the size of tent purchased, they
all include the exact same features and there is
little difference in the size of the pack, only in
the overall weight.
To erect the tent, the pack is placed on
the ground and a cord on the side is pulled,
at which point it will burst out from the pack,
pop into shape and then go rigid. Along the
bottom of the tent are a number of spikes that
will lock down into most any natural surface
to secure the tent in place, just by pressing a
button on the tent control panel just inside
the door. Once erected, the tent is completely
watertight, which allows for limited use as a life
raft. Blue Sun discourages this, however, except
in emergencies.
The tent includes a thermal inner skin to
provide warmth, and cooling vents should the
environment be overly hot or humid, all linked
to an environmental regulator built into the
control panel.
Lastly, the outer skin of the tent has the
suit, making it durable and offering reasonable
The military version of the survival tent
a chameleon coating, and a toughed outer skin
that provides twice as much protection, though
it is also twice as expensive and illegal outside
of the Alliance Military.
“This thing’s watertight as my hip flask, which
means that if you’re smart enough to combine this with
the M&G crash pack, you’ll be surviving in all manner
of comfort until help happens by.”
With that, Sam puts the pack back down among
the pile of goods and throws the cover back over the
table. He gives you a moment to make any decisions on
purchases before leading you off to another part of the
store and more interesting items …

Credits
Writer
Robert Edmunds

Content Editor
Cam Banks

Layout
Digger Hayes

5
6
Sam’s Smugglers
Emporium
The following continues the tour of Sam’s
Smuggler’s Emporium, wherein a grizzled
veteran trader and smuggler named Sam shows
off his wares to those folk fixing to stock up on
appropriate supplies . . .
Part Two
Sam leads you through the maze of
shelves and boxes to a large metal rack
next to what appears to be a pile of engine
parts. On the rack is yet another mixed
assortment of items, from what appear to
be large storage boxes to a pile of cargo
netting.
“Well, you had me ‘Verse survival
collection, now this here is what I like to
think of as your Spacer’s essentials, at
least if you’re runnin’ any manner of
transport that is.”
“Here we have something I don’t
think any spacer should be without,
the good old Traveller’s Lockbox, for
storing all your bits of precious, safe and
sound…I still have one of these myself,
ah the memories…”
Traveler’s Lockbox
Cost: 10cr / 15p Weight: 5 many of the more common injuries experienced
Availability: E
The Traveller’s Lockbox provides a safe
and convenient way for regular space travelers
and crews to store and carry their worldly
possessions. They come in a variety of shapes
and sizes, but are most commonly found as
large rectangular boxes or chest, and they are
made from hard, extremely durable, but light
weight materials.
How much can be stored really comes down
to their size, but your regular Lockbox can
hold most everything most spacers carry, with
the exception of large items like rifles, having
the carry capacity of a rather large suitcase.
The Traveler’s Lockbox also includes a decent
electronic lock that is HARD to open and will
prevent your goods being stolen by common
thieves. The weight listed above is for an empty
Lockbox.
Not only is the Traveler’s Lockbox good
for storage, but given its size, it also makes for
a handy seat or table, if furniture’s in short
supply.
Lastly, some folk in the ‘Verse go one step
further with their Lockboxes and either have
them made from scanner resistant materials, or
include a well hidden secret compartment, just
to store those shiny bits and pieces of you don’t
want the Alliance knowing about. This kind
of modification ranges from 25 credits for a
false bottom to 100 credits for the full scanner-
scamming package.
“…I got labels from most every
corner of the ‘Verse on my old lockbox.
“Now these here gloves may look
bulky and all cumbersome like, but I tell
you, when a metal transport crate slips
and drops down hard on your hands,
these’ll stop ‘em from being crushed to a
bloody mess—not to mention saving you
from those painful moments when you
catch your fingers up against the airlock
frame while trying to move some heavy
piece of cargo.”
Hauler’s Gloves
Cost: 8cr / 14p Weight: 2
Availability: E
Hauler’s Gloves came about as a way to stop
by deckhands and cargo loaders at busy ports.
They cover the hands and upper forearms
and are made from thick, durable material,
reinforced with special gel inserts and light
armor plates. They protect the hands from cuts
and scrapes, as well as preventing fingers from
being crushed by heavy objects. The gloves have
special coated finger and palm pads that assist
with gripping boxes, crates and most any regular
load.
While these gloves do offer a lot of
protection, they are also quite bulky and are less
useful for anything other than their intended
task, imposing a –2 Agility step on any other
7
 task beyond the loading and unloading of cargo.
They provide an Armor Rating of 4W to the
hands and forearms only.
“Of course, once you’ve loaded up all
that cargo, the last thing you want is for
it all to be sliding around the ship if you
gotta be making any sudden maneuvers,
so you usually got one of two choices: tie
it down with a few feet of rope and hope
those knots hold, or secure it all good and
proper with cargo netting or magnetic
clamps, depending how good your budget
is. Most transports I know generally mix
it up with a bit of both.
“Your Nylex cargo netting is for the
bulk of your cargo, all that general stuff
and any gear which you won’t often be
needin’, but rightly needs holding down...”
Nylex Cargo Netting
(10 ft square)
Cost: 2cr / 4p Weight: 3 oxy and heat sucking real quick out
Availability: E
There’s cargo netting, and then there’s
Nylex cargo netting. The same man-made,
strong, light and flexible synthetic material first
used in Nylex rope has many other practical
applications, and this is one such example. It is
light enough so as to be easy to move around,
but strong enough to hold down and support a
cargo load during rough re-entry or while flying
through a storm.
Given its durable nature and reasonable
price tag, Nylex cargo netting is widely used
across the ‘Verse, from small independent
operations right up to the big haulage firms.
“…While your mag-clamps, are
generally reserved for the expensive or
delicate loads you really don’t want shifting
about too much or at all.”
8
Magnetic Clamps
Cost: 6cr / 18p Weight: 2
Availability: C
Magnet clamps or ‘Mag-Cs’ are a more
technologically advanced way to hold your
cargo secure. Mag-Cs are disk shaped slabs
of metal that fold in the middle, combining
simple electronics with two powerful magnetic
surfaces. One surface attaches to the cargo,
normally a metal crate or drum, while the other
surface attaches directly to the deck of the ship.
Once the Mag-C is activated, the two magnetic
surfaces lock, holding the cargo securely in
place until the device is deactivated. Most loads
require two Mag-Cs to keep the load completely
secure, but as long as the cargo is some form of
metal container, you can be sure it won’t move
anywhere until you want it to.
While these devices are a tidy and
particularly secure cargo restraint, they are also
quite expensive, so they are usually used only
for transporting especially delicate or precious
loads.
“Now, as any veteran spacer will tell
you, there will come a time when something
breaks down and maybe your trusty old
boat springs a leak, with all that precious
into the Black. Times like that, you’ll be
wanting a quick way to plug that hole
until you can get it fixed up all proper-
like. Now these little chemical strips,
together with any old piece of metal plate
from a scrap pile can do that in a flash.
They’re also good for jamming up doors so
as not to be easily opened by folks.”
Seal Strips
Cost: 2cr / 5p Weight: 1
Availability: E
Seal Strips are thin patches of synthetic
material, about a foot long, that are filled with
highly reactive chemicals and a sticky outer
surface. They were originally designed for use in
sealing small hull breaches in an emergency.
To use the Seal Strip, you first peel away
the protective cover, placing one of the sticky
sides against the hull and the other against
some scrap metal. You then pull the cord that
mixes the chemicals and step away. Once the
chemicals mix, they flash burn the area and the
strip, producing an instant weld and plugging
the breach long enough for you to get your
Ship’s mechanic to fix it properly. Relying on
the Seal Strip to indefinitely plug the hole is not
recommended.
While this was the intended use of Seal
Strips, it didn’t take long for folk to figure
that they could also be used to seal up doors,
jamming them shut just as if they’d been welded
up or locked down. This enabled the locking
of doors that otherwise didn’t have locks, or
keeping people out of places they’d normally be
able to access. The only real disadvantage to this
strategy comes with the fact that you can’t open
the door any more either, so you’d better not
want to be going back the same way.
Opening a door that has been jammed with
a Seal Strip would take a HEROIC effort or the
use of proper welding tools to burn open the
seal.
“Lastly, the cheap man’s budget
escape pod, the Blue Sun Vacuum Bubble.
It might save your life, but it has all the
comfort of a life raft at sea.”
Blue Sun Vacuum Bubble
Cost: 50cr / 180p Weight: 20
Availability: C
The Vacuum Bubble is an inexpensive
alternative to escape pods or shuttles, but is
not recommended as your primary form of
escape craft. This device comes folded down
in a handy backpack, making it nice and easy
to carry around, but in an emergency, simply
pulling on the emergency cord has it folding
out into a moderately sized sphere of rugged
material, capable of holding up to two people.
Once inside the sphere, all that’s required
is the simple press of a button for the sphere
to become airtight and vacuum-sealed, which
also activates the internal air supply and thermal
regulators that can support life in a vacuum for
up to 48 hours.
Also included in the Bubble are hygienic
attachments for the disposal of bodily fluids
and a self-activating distress beacon that
broadcasts your location on all emergency
frequencies, in the hope that someone will hear
it and come to your rescue.
Once you’ve been rescued, or in a
safe environment, the vacuum seal may be
deactivated and the door panel opened.
While the Vacuum Bubble may certainly
keep you alive, it is far from comfortable.
The thermal regulators are basic and while
the outer material has a protective coating, it
won’t protect you from strong solar activity.
Also, there are no beds, seats, or any other
comforts apart from the short-range radio to
communicate with the person who responds to
the distress beacon.
It’s highly advised that before entering a
Vacuum Bubble you take food, drink, and some
form of entertainment with you. Of course,
in most cases where you may need to use the
Bubble, these may be the last things on your
mind.
Vacuum Bubbles are single use items and
once activate, can’t be reused, although Blue
Sun does offer a return discount of 10 credits
when purchasing a replacement.
“Thankfully, I gotta say that I never
had a captain tight enough to be forcing
me to use one of these things, but I
understand that some folk have to work to
a budget and all.”
With that, Sam gives you a moment
to make any decisions on purchases before
he heads off to yet another part of the
store and the promise of other fascinating
goods.
Credits
Writer
Robert Edmunds
Content Editor
Cam Banks
Layout
Digger Hayes
9
10
 Jeremiah's Bounty Hunting Gear
by Doug McArthur
A dark, middle-aged man sits at the
bar of a run-down tavern on Persephone.
He’s got his back to the room, but as you
approach you know he’s aware of you—and
could probably take your gorram arm off if
you did anything rash. Instead, you mosey
on up next to him and slide over a slim bar of
platinum. He palms it, turns away from the
bar, and heads out the door. As you watch
him leave in the bar mirror, you realize he’d
seen the whole room in its reflection.
You give him a minute, then follow out
the door and head to the port. There the man
waits at the airlock of a nondescript freighter
and motions you inside.
“So yer lookin’ fer some hardware? Can’t
say I’m generally in the merchant business,
but times been a might bit slow lately and
can’t get by on Yee Yan. So step on over to the
locker n’ have a look-see. Yer coin seems
shiny so methinks we can do some tradin’.”
Bounty hunting’s an ancient and honorable
profession often taken up by old, dishonorable
folk. There’s coin to be made, no doubt, and
some of it legal, so if you’re up for the task you
might think about getting some specialized gear.
Some bounties specify dead-or-alive so two
barrels is good enough. However, many want
their quarry alive, and even some of the DOA
bounties pay more if they’re still kickin’ when
you bring ‘em in.
Here’s an assortment of non-lethal tools of
the trade that can prove invaluable when you
need to bag the mark without dropping him
dead. Refer to the table at the end of this article
for specific game statistics.
Netgun
“This here’s one of my favorites. I
designed it m’self and it’s come in handy on
more than one tussle. She’s not for getting
‘em from far off, but up close and personal.
Best of all’s you can get more than one,
even if you don’t get ‘em all with the shot.
Har har! It ain’t quiet, cause you gotta use
shotgun shells to fire it. I needed to keep the
power for the shocker, see. But it’ll get the
job done right enough.”
This jury-rigged contraption looks like a
small bazooka. It consists of a 4-foot long, 6-
inch diameter tube containing a compressed
duramesh net. Four weights load into the front
of four smaller tubes surrounding the main
barrel. The net connects to a battery pack at
the base of the main tube by a spool of wire
40’ long. A small pistol grip is located at the
midpoint of the main tube, which is hoisted up
on the shoulder before firing. Shotgun shells,
one for each of the four weights, are discharged
simultaneously when the trigger is pulled. They
launch the weights at a shallow angle, pulling
out the net and the wire from the spool as it
expands. Maximum range is about 40 feet,
but it is generally only effective at about 20. A
second pull on the trigger sends a strong jolt of
power down the cord from the battery, stunning
anyone in contact with the surface of the net.
It is a HARD Agility + Athletics action
to escape from the net after being struck
successfully or a HEROIC Feat of Strength
(Strength + Strength) check to break the net.
Triox-9 Gas
“The Alliance goons don’t rightly like
me having this stuff, seein’ as they call it a
controlled substance, but it’s saved my Shiang Jing
several times ‘n I don’t go without it. Mostly
I use it on Silver Star as a deterrent if those that
I take get riled up. It bein’ a gas makes using
it in the open a waste of good cred. Best of
all it ain’t lethal, though it’ll leave ‘em one
gorram good headache, so’s you don’t lose a
valuable mark.”
Triox-9 is an aerosol-dispersed chemical
that attacks the nerve receptors in the brain.
Usually a defensive measure installed in airtight
passageways and chambers, it is loaded into
grenades, though any wind quickly disperses
the gas and renders it ineffective. The Alliance
developed Triox-9 during the Unification War
and it’s still considered a military weapon,
though select security firms and corporations
11
 Weapon Damage Range Increment Cost (Credits/Platinum)
Netgun d6 S 10ft (40 max) 35/80
Triox-9 3d6 S 20ft 10/18 per canister
Revlonis-3 3d8 S — 10/18 per application
Sleep Salt 4d8 S — 6/15 per application
Charge Cuff d6 S — 5/12
have a license to use it. Certain individuals have
made a pretty coin selling “surplus” canisters on
the black market. A single canister is enough to
fill 1200 cubic feet (such as a typical hallway or
medium sized room).
Revlonis-3
Knockout Poison
“This one’s more limited in use. Ya see,
it’s gotta come in contact with exposed flesh
to work, the more porous the better. I know
one lady, though I hesitate to call ‘er that—“
he winks. “That uses it in her lipstick. Calls it
her “goodnight kiss,” she does. The trick is
to get it on the lips, or maybe the eyes, where
it can pass quickly into the system. Bare skin
works, but it takes a mite longer that way. Ya
gots to be careful though, since it doesn’t
care whose skin it gets on!”
Revlonis is a contact poison, passing
through dermal layers and into the bloodstream
where it induces a semi-comatose state. The
biggest danger to the user is that any exposed
skin is vulnerable. A clear sealant may be
applied beforehand to protect the user from
accidental poisoning, though you’ll need to be
careful when applying it.
It’s an EASY Agility + Covert action to
apply the poison without accidentally dosing
yourself. It’s a HARD Alertness + Perception
action to spot the toxin on bare skin with
protectant. It’s a FORMIDIBLE Alertness +
Perception action to spot it if it is masked in
something such as lipstick.
Sleep Salt
“I don’t use this much. Probably wouldn’t
use it at all if it weren’t so gorram effective.
Nothing works faster if you can get it in a
mark, but that’s the problem. See, this stuff
needs to be eaten and it’s far from subtle on
the taste buds. Unless the mark really likes
12
Weight Availability
20 E
4 I
1 I
1 I
1 E
the salt on his food they’ll probably spit it out
before you get any use from it. Best target for
this stuff are spacers, since they tend to love
any seasoning they can get for their protein
mash.”
Sleep Salt is an ingested poison. It works
extremely fast, but it has a highly noticeable
salty taste that makes it obvious in anything
other than food covered in salt. Once swallowed
it deals Stun damage within 60 seconds.
It’s an EASY Alertness + Perception action
to notice the taste when applied to food where
salt is not normally used. The Difficulty changes
to FORMIDABLE when mixed into heavily
salted food. Success means you’ve detected it
before toxic amounts have been ingested; so
long as you drink a lot of water, you’ll be fine.
An Extraordinary Success means you haven’t
ingested any at all.
Charge Cuffs
“So ya caught yer mark. Now what? Can’t
keep ‘em drugged to the eyeballs duhn ruhn
. . . too expensive. And ‘til you can get ‘em in
a secure room or cage you gotta move ‘em
without them making too much of a ruckus.
These little beauties do the trick every time!
‘Bout the same size as regular cuffs, but with
added fun. With the push of a button ye give
‘em a little shock to remind ‘em who’s lao
buhn now.”
These manacles feature a thin band of
conductive material around the inside of the
cuffs connected to a small battery pack located
on the 4 inch bar between the cuffs. A small
control device (often worn on a utility belt or
harness) delivers a jolt of electrical power. This
jolt is painful and, while generally not strong
enough to knock a person out, strong enough
to make a person drop anything in their hands.
It definitely gets their attention.

Pilot For Hire
… Begin cortex news feed for June
12th, 2514
SENATOR WEATHERBY
DEAD
Although details are still coming in
at this time, we can confirm that Senator
Alexander Weatherby is missing and
presumed dead. Senator Weatherby
was the senior Member of Parliament
from Persephone and served in that
position for over 15 years. The Senator
is better known throughout the system
as the ‘Voice of the Browncoats.’ It was
Senator Weatherby who successfully led
the campaign to grant clemency to all the
independent soldiers who fought against
the Alliance in the War of Unification.
It is ironic that the Senator was fulfilling
the promise he made, in his recent
Unification Day speech, to visit the outer
planets at the time of his death.
Sources in the military tell us that
Alliance Lieutenant Edward Blake,
who was in command of the Senator’s
transport, is being questioned in the
affair. However, it is too early to know
if the Lieutenant will face any kind of
court martial.
… Begin cortex news feed for July
18th, 2514
OUTER PLANETS IN
UPROAR AFTER SENATOR
WEATHERBY DEATH
RULED ACCIDENTAL
More information has come to
light about the mysterious events
preceding the disappearance of Senator
Alexander Weatherby. It appears that
Alliance Lieutenant Edward Blake, the
commander of the Senator’s transport,
admitted to ejecting the transport’s third
passenger module after coming under
attack by unknown aggressors.
The Lieutenant believed that Senator
Weatherby was in his stateroom, located
in the middle (or second) passenger
section, but the Senator was instead
giving interviews to the press corps in
the rear compartment. By dropping one
of the three cargo modules, Lieutenant
Blake was able to evade the attacker and
save the rest of his unarmed transport.
Although the identity of the attacker
is still unknown, our sources in the
military have completely discounted
the rumors that it was done by so-called
“reavers.” In the words of one high level
official: “Poppycock! Reavers only exist
in the tall tales of men who have been in
space too long.”
Key Members of Parliament are
calling for a further investigation to
clear up two questions that still remain
unanswered at this time: first, why was
the armed escort ship assigned to the
Senator’s transport delayed; and second,
what happened to the visual records
from the Senator’s transport that could
have confirmed Lieutenant Blake’s story.
Lieutenant Blake, who was decorated
for exemplary service during the war,
remains unavailable for comment at this
time.
… Begin cortex news feed for July
19th, 2514
BUTCHER BLAKE
ALLOWED TO GO FREE
In an unprecedented miscarriage
of justice, Lieutenant Edward Blake
was allowed to leave the Alliance Space
Service to avoid punishment for his
part in the death of Senator Alexander
Weatherby. “It is an outrage . . . there
were twenty-seven of our kids in that
passenger pod,” was the reaction of
Walter Hicks, Managing Editor of the
Alliance News Network.
Alliance Space Command has stated
that no further information is available
and the matter is closed. However, Blake
is not completely off the hook. “The
families of Blake’s victims will not rest
until he is brought to some kind of
justice. If the criminal courts will not
give them satisfaction, we will have to
use the Civil Courts,” said a spokesman
from the law firm of Baker, Chan, and
Wu.
13
 EDWARD “NED” HANCOCK
BLAKE [Call Sign: “Mother”]
Agi d10 Str d6 Vit d8 Ale d10 Int d6 Wil
d8; LP 16; Init d10+d10
Traits Born Behind the Wheel (Major
Asset), Talented: Pilot (Major Asset), Branded
(Major Complication), Dead Broke (Minor
Complication), Things Don’t Go Smooth
(Minor Complication)
Skills Athletics d6, Discipline d4, Guns d6,
Pilot d6/Aerial Navigation d8/Astrogation d8/
Mid Bulk Transport d12/Patrol Vessel d10/
Short Range Shuttle d12, Unarmed Combat d6
Equipment Pistol (8 rounds, ROF 3, d6
W), change of clothes
Description First child of Martin McCall
Blake and Deidre Marie Hancock Blake.
Born 23rd September 2482, Westfield City on
Beaumonde, where his father was an upwardly
mobile junior executive in DynaCorp, a
manufacturing corporation. [Bought out by
Blue Sun in 2499.]
Blake’s parents and infant brother (Armand
Kendrick Blake) were killed in a shuttle crash
while on vacation on Bellerophon, 10 July 2487;
Ned survived with only minor injuries. His
maternal grandparents Ulysses Marlborough
Hancock (age 48: a colonel in the Alliance
military) and Marjorie Winifred Taylor Hancock
(age 47) took him in.
He was raised on a number of Alliance
military bases where the Colonel (later General)
was stationed. A member of the Alliance Youth
at the age of thirteen, Blake joined the Alliance
army at seventeen and transferred to Alliance
Aerospace Corps at nineteen after displaying
superior talent as a pilot.
When the Unification War began in April
2506, Blake was serving as a Lieutenant, Junior
Grade, with the 222nd Tactical Transport
Squadron attached to the 7th Space Wing.
Blake was promoted to Lieutenant and
decorated (equivalent of Silver Star) during the
recapture of Boros in Feb. 2507. The delivery
of ammunition to a brigade under heavy
fire allowed the unit to resist a determined
Independent assault and repulse it with
catastrophic loss to the enemy.
Blake’s grandfather was killed in action
leading his division (24th Mechanized Air
Assault: “Black Eagles”) at the Battle of
Greenleaf on 3 July 2508, a major Alliance
victory. He was posthumously decorated
(equivalent of Medal of Honor).
In February of 2511, Blake was flying
troops and supplies in the Hera Campaign and
was decorated (equivalent of Navy Cross) at
14
Serenity Valley when he used a transport to lift
in the 11th Commando Battalion to Hill 642,
a dominant position on the Independent left
flank, in a maneuver which led to the breaking
of their last MLR. He flew 23 sorties in 72
hours to keep the 11th supplied and to evacuate
wounded. (Also received equivalent of Purple
Heart and a Presidential Unit Citation).
In August of 2512 he was promoted to
Lt. Commander and attached to Alliance Fleet
HQ. His new assignment was to the 1st Special
Executive Transport Squadron, “The Golden
Ducks,” all of who are pilots of politicians,
dignitaries, and the affluent elite.
Recent Events On January 2514 Blake was
assigned as primary pilot to Senator Alexander
Weatherby, a former Independent general and
hero of the Battles of Verbena and Three Hills
(major Alliance defeats). Senator Weatherby was
now a symbol of the unification of old enemies
and a figurehead of the cooperation of former
Independent Border worlds with the Alliance
Core planets. His ship, Samaritan, is a converted
ore carrier with three separate in-line pods for
passenger transport. Though underpowered, it
is a sturdy vessel quite capable of long flights.
On Friday 13 April 2514, the Samaritan
was scheduled for a flight from Ariel to
Three Hills where Senator Weatherby was to
speak to a large gathering of Independent
veterans, extolling the virtues of the Alliance.
A mysterious system failure warning light
grounded one of the two escorting Lightning
HF’s while the other was detached to “aid in
the apprehension of a smuggler’s transport.”
Senator Weatherby, not wanting to be late for
his scheduled speeches, ordered the Samaritan
to fly unescorted. At 2342 AST, nearly eighteen
hours out from Ariel, a Reaver ship appeared
out of nowhere and attacked the Samaritan.
Attempting to outrun the Reavers proved
impossible; only superior maneuvering kept
them from securing grapples. Blake, making
quick calculations with the help of co-pilot Lt.
David Chang, decided upon a harsh solution:
by jettisoning the aft-most passenger pod, the
Samaritan would be able to outrun the Reaver
ship. The third pod was chosen as it had the
fewest occupants (27 members of the Press
Corps), was best located for trim of the ship,
and was in the best position to theoretically
crash into the closely following Reaver. The pod
was jettisoned, striking the pursuing vessel a
glancing blow. The Samaritan outran the Reaver,
who turned back to grapple the pod. The ship
and the remaining 78 passengers and crew
were saved. Unfortunately, Senator Weatherby,
without informing the flight deck, had gone
back to the press pod to give interviews.
Aftermath The resulting political
firestorm was of Biblical proportions. Former
Independents angrily decried the “murder” of
their favorite son; the Press, who had lost quite
a few well known personalities, broadcast hours
of indignant rants against the injustice done
to members of the Fifth Estate and even shot
a few jabs at the military’s inability to protect
space lanes; and the Alliance was forced to
perform hurried damage control. A scapegoat
was needed and the pilot of the vessel looked
ideal. Blake was court-martialed, found guilty,
stripped of rank, had his decorations rescinded,
and was dishonorably discharged with extreme
prejudice in record time.
In another lightning fast series of civil
trials, all of Blake’s savings and holdings were
confiscated as payment to grieving relatives of
the “sacrificed” reporters. Ironically, 11 of the
27 were multimillionaires at the time of their
death; the others were all far better paid than
a Lt. Commander. The excoriation continued
unabated for months; all major networks spent
hours with bits on “Butcher Blake,” “Leave
‘em behind Blake,” “Reaver Blake,” “Blake the
Bolter,” and “Baby-Killer Blake” [the youngest
victim actually was 25, but all possible images
of Weatherby kissing and holding babies were
dredged up. The popular public perception
became that there was a large kindergarten on
the jettisoned pod. It was so badly received that
a common space slang term of “do a Blake” or
“make like Blake” has come to mean dropping
cargo to evade capture (“Make like Blake and
get us outta’ here before that gorram Fed
catches us!”).
A small independent film company rapidly
produced a hagiography of Weatherby (and
quite a few reporters who took on Christ-
like nobility in the story) called “The Great
Betrayal.” Blake was portrayed by a black-clad
Rasputin lookalike with implications of being
a drug-addicted child-molesting cannibal. The
movie went on to win several prestigious film
awards.
Where is He Now Blake, with nowhere
to go (his grandmother had died in Nov. 2513),
no hope for employment as a pilot for any
reputable firm or even criminal gang, and no
money, eventually ended up on Persephone
doing odd jobs at Eavesdown Docks.

Credits
Writers
Mitch Williams, Eugene Murrell

Content Editor
Cam Banks

Layout
Digger Hayes

15
16

Word on the Street
By Michael Chumbler
At first glance, the dimly lit nondescript
tavern seemed so perfect for a clandestine
meeting that it might as well been a cliché out
of a bad tri-dee stage setting. Moving inside
the tavern, the nervous young man put on a
brave face and let his eyes adapt to the smoky
darkness. He could see a handful of customers,
all sitting in pairs, scattered among the poorly lit
booths. One barely visible figure sat alone and
had no trouble making a friendly gesture toward
the newcomer.
“Welcome young’un, glad ya made it fit as a
fiddle. Some folk say they are interested in, shall
we say, alternative money makin’ opportunities,
but when they find where they gots to go to get
started in the ‘business’ as it were … well let’s
say I get stood up more than I don’t. Not that
I take it personal, my line of expertise ain’t for
the weak-kneed. Now I know what your first
question already is, so excuse me if ’n I just cut
ya off a’for ya ask.
“I’m known around these parts as Frankie
‘Twice Pipe’ Whitaker. Now why do they call
ya Twice Pipe? I could spin ya a hell of a yarn
if ’n I wanted, but the gospel accordin’ to me
is, when I was makin’ my bones on the street,
I used to carry a sawed off double barreled
shotgun with the stock cut down to the pistol
grip. Only had to use it once and that was on
a hun dan what had it comin’. Made a hell of a
mess outta that loser, but sure pumped up my
rep. After that one bad deal, not too many folk
thought it was worth getting’ splatted by that
there twice pipe shotgun, so the wags I used to
run with hung me with that moniker and I’ve
worn it ever since.
Blackout Zones
“Now I know ya’ll didn’t contact me to talk
about back in the day, so I’ll give ya the quick
skinny on makin’ coin without the overhead
of bein’ a legitimate businessman. First thing
to ken is that regardless of what rock ya calls
home what is part of the ‘Verse, if ’n ya know
how to look, ya can find a means to make coin
off the books. The look on your mug tells me
ya thinks not on the Core Worlds ya can’t, but truth
is, what most of those uppity folk what live on
those fancy beacons of our fine Alliance won’t
 Jerk
fess to kenning even if ’n they do ken it, is that
them shiny Central Planets gots places them as
what are in the know calls “Blackout Zones”.
“Now the reason they calls it a Blackout
Zone is that in the ‘Zones you can get away
from those infernal monitors what poke at ya
from every side on a Core World. Them as what
lives in the ‘Zones have jimmied the monitors
so many times that the Feds have given up tryin’
to get a straight feed from ‘em. So the Feds
figured they’d let rats in the ‘Zones have their
little victory in exchange for at least bein’ able
to pretend at knowin’ where the rats are and
settlin’ for makin’ life difficult for any otherwise
upstandin’ citizen what tries to pay the rats a
visit.
“Its bad news for a citizen to visit a ‘Zone
cause the Feds reckon, and with good reason,
anyone talkin’ to anyone in a ‘Zone is up to no
good thing. Cause while the monitors in the
‘Zones don’t work worth a tinker’s damn, the
ones on the outside work just fine and the Feds
always keeps a beady little eye on the ‘Zones.
Ya gets snatched up by the Feds in a Blackout
Zone, ya better have friends and be prepared to
fork over five thousand in credits to cover the
fine for bein’ dense enough to get pinched.
“The main reason the Feds drop such a
heavy load is, regardless of which one of those
oh so lovely areas ya visit ya can finds purdy
much anythin’ what makes ya happy. Drugs is
the most common thing folk with too much
coin and not enough sense likes to score in
the ‘Zones, but if ya got the cashy money, ya
can pay to play with no shortage of unseemly
entertainments and I’ll let your own mind fill in
the blanks of what I mean, but I can bet, unless
ya gots a leaky brainpan, I doubt if ya can really
imagine just how unseemly some folk like their
entertainments.
Getting Started in
the Business
“Now as for what ya called about, which
I wouldn’t be much of an information broker
if I didn’t know, is how to get into the business
of less than legal coin. Since you’re still about
as green as they get, I’ll start with the Blackout
Zones that ya didn’t even know about. Anyway,
as I said the ‘Zones exist only on the Central
Planets. Gettin’ in without those external
monitors resultin’ in your gettin’ pinched, ya
only gots two choices. One, ya got to have
a connection on the inside of the ‘Zone or
two, ya got to figure out how to slip past them
infernal monitors.
17
 “Havin’ someone on the inside is the best
way, but if ’n you’re as new to the street as ya
are, kid, that is gonna be a problem. Either ya
gets someone that knows to make an intro, or ya
slips in. Once ya’ve met a real rat though, things
get a lot easier cause all ya gots to do is send
them a short wave and they’ll reply with some
sort of prearranged place and time to meet.
They’ll take care of spoofin’ the closest monitor
or have a shill stage a distraction that will allow
ya to slip in. This of course only works once
ya know a rat cause they only deal with folk via
Cortex after they have met ya face to face.
“Since I don’t know ya kid, I can’t vouch
for ya, so that leaves slippin’ in, so I’ll give ya
the skinny on how to make that happen. Since
sure as the sun rises in the East, ya can bet,
that on any given night, ya ain’t gonna be the
only one tryin’ to get into a ‘Zone. Trick is to
spot the moneyed individuals and piggy back
off of them. Rich folk lookin’ to score drops
or some other kinda drugs is plumb easy to
spot, fancy threads and shiny over chromed
hover cars make ‘em look like beacons in the
dark. Thing is, since they do stand out so plain,
Feds swarm outta their hidey holes to snatch
up them as what obviously don’t belong, that
my young friend is your cue to move. When the
Feds pounce, ya beats feet into the ‘Zone and
as long as ya move fast and ya don’t trip or do
somethin’ a stupid as a bag of hammers, it’ll be
too easy to slip inside.
“Now, once ya are inside, don’t go acting
like ya belong there. The rats know everyone
what lives in their ‘Zone and they are a close
knit bunch. Since each one knows everyone
else, ya can’t claim to be with someone else or
have an invite as they will suss out right quick if
ya is or is not lyin’ out your pi gu. And merciful
Buddha kid, be prepared to face down the
scariest moment of your young life the first
time once ya do meets with someone as they
will take your measure and if ya looks weak, ya
might just find yourself as the newest sack of
merchandise in some slaver’s cargo hold. Be
tough and don’t take no gumption, but for pity’s
sake keep it to fists. Gorram gunplay is bad
business and ya’ll end up losin’ that stand off.
Next Steps
“Okay, now ya are on the inside and ya’ve
made contact, ya best have an idea of what
ya want at that point ‘cause these are hard
folk that don’t suffer fools and ain’t got much
time for jawin’ and such. Speak your words
well and I guaranty ya, someone will have a
 Bottom
18
way to get ya what ya is lookin’ for. There are
all manners of money makin’ opportunities
to be had in a ‘Zone. Some of the more
popular ones are smugglin’ goods, most just
to avoid them endless taxes and tariffs what
the Alliance likes to make off of goods what
ain’t theirs, but some more lucrative goods that
the Feds don’t cotton to no way, like drugs,
guns, and if ya is cussed enough to stomach
the gig, human trafficking. And when I said
popular, I mean those last two commodities
are the most commonly smuggled goods in the
‘Verse. However, if smugglin’ ain’t your thing,
gambling, prostitution, protection rackets, and
good old thievin’ opportunities are to be had.
Sealing the Deal
“What you can get into is mainly what ya
got the gao wan for and who ya can gets to take
a chance on a new operator such as yourself.
Typically, the one havin’ the job is a go between,
they lets ya in on an opportunity, such as a
under protected payroll, for a cut of the take.
How big their cut will be will be based on how
well they trust ya. That part don’t bode well for
ya kid as a complete unknown can, at best, hope
for is a fifty-fifty split. Ya get a rep for gettin’
the job done and ya can easily get sixty-forty, or
after ya has made your bones, ya can count on
as high as eighty percent with your contact bein’
in touch with someone what can fence what ya
got.
“Well, I reckon that should do ya for now
kid. I can see ya was countin’ on more, but I
do make my livin’ by obtainin’ information and
gettin’ it to them as what needs it. I know ya
paid a nice little consideration for what I done
gave ya already, but as they say, anythin’ worth
doin’ is worth doin’ for money and while my
information ain’t exactly what ya calls a tangible
asset, it ain’t exactly free neither, so ya make it
back from the ‘Zones and prove ya can make
it in the business, then maybe we’ll move on to
some of the other elements like the Tongs what
make up who will be your competition in this
here ‘Verse of ours, should ya find that ya got
what it takes to make it in this thing we do, what
them as don’t, call the criminal world.
Frankie watched his young client exit the
tavern and the older man nodded in approval
at how the younger man carried himself as he
departed. “Good luck, kid,” He murmured,
signaling the bartender for another drink as he
lit his pipe, leaned back, and waited for his next
appointment.
 Testicles
 FRANKIE ‘TWICE
PIPE’ WHITAKER
Agi d6, Str d6, Vit d6, Ale d12, Int d10,
Wil d8; LP 14, Init d6 + d12
Traits Dull Sense: Vision (Minor
Complication), Friends in Low Places (Minor
Asset), Good Name (Minor Asset), Hooked:
Tobacco (Minor Complication), Nose for
Trouble (Minor Asset), Prejudice: Wealthy
(Minor Complication), Scrawny (Minor
Complication), Talented: Investigation (Minor
Asset)
Skills Athletics d6, Guns d6/Shotgun d8,
Covert d6/Hide d8, Influence d6/Persuasion
d10/Streetwise d12, Knowledge d6/Business
d8, Perception d6/Deduction d8/Hearing
d8/Intuition d10/Investigation d12, Unarmed
Combat d4
Description Frankie is a thin, older,
bespectacled man, but his exact age is difficult
to discern; those that meet him are unable to
agree beyond something between forty and
sixty. For those that move in his circle, his
knowledge of and ability to provide timely
information on the inner workings of the
‘Verse’s underworld for a ‘consideration’ are
Credits
legendary. Frankie is not known to have any Writer
affiliation with any specific criminal elements Michael Chumbler
operating below the surface of the Alliance’s
thin veneer of civility. His only known dislike Content Editor
is the disdain with which he holds the wealthy, Cam Banks
regardless of what part of the Alliance they’re
from, but only Frankie knows the reason why Layout
he feels this way. Digger Hayes

19
20
 Word on the Street II: The Tongs
by Michael Chumbler
The young man walked into the
tavern with an air of confidence he didn’t
have the first time he visited. He walked
directly to the booth in the back to meet
his contact, only to find the booth empty.
He managed not to panic and, instead, cast
what he hoped was a surreptitious look
around the dim room. He heard a soft
rustling to his left and wheeled toward the
sound, his hand shifting discreetly to the
small of his back, before he recognized
Frankie ‘Twice Pipe’ Whitaker grinning at
him.
“Hey young’un, there’s no need for the
ironmongery. So I’m sittin’ somewheres
else. You need to know up front you don’t
live long in the business if ya go gettin’
predictable.
“It does warm these old bones to see
ya again after your little escapade in the
Osiris ‘Zone. Now don’t go lookin’ so
surprised kid, I wouldn’t be much of an
information broker if ’n I couldn’t tell what
was goin’ on in a place what I sent ya to.
It’s my business to know such things, and
since I’ve taken an interest in ya, I thought
I’d track how your little trip went. Can’t
quite say ya’ve made your bones yet, but
ya got in and out without gettin’ pinched
and with some coin for your troubles, so
I guess ya’ve earned the right to pick up
on who’s likely to be your competition.
However, you know how this exchange
goes, so I’ve got to see your consideration
before I can go any further.”
The young man nodded,
understanding, and dropped a small pouch
onto Twice Pipe’s table with a clink. His
contact picked it up, gauged its value
adroitly by its heft in his hand, and nodded
in satisfaction. He slipped the pouch into
his pocket, relit his pipe, and continued
with his line of thought.
Tongs Back Then
“Now, I’m sure ya have heard of the
word Tong, as ya don’t gotta be in the
business to know about ‘em. Might be as
ya know already that the word Tong means
‘hall’, which sounds harmless enough.
‘Course, as with most things in this here
‘Verse of ours, harmless ain’t harmless
enough. Ya see, the gist is that some folk
what came from China proper on Earth-
That-Was up and left their homes and
spread out back on Man’s homeworld.
Well, for some fool reason, they weren’t
exactly welcomed in their new towns,
and them fellers had to band together for
protection from some unfriendly liu mang.
They met in ‘halls’, which they called
Tongs, and formed secret societies to
keep them unfriendly folk off their backs.
Ya know how folk are, it don’t talk long
for the best intentions to go astray. Since
these secret Tongs were good at protectin’
their own and operatin’ unseen by the
local law enforcement of the day, it didn’t
take long for the Tongs to branch out
from protectin’ their own to straight up
protection rackets. Once on that road, well
… drugs, prostitution, smugglin’ and other
crimes followed. Soon the word Tong
came to mean somethin’ far more sinister.
“So there’s your two-bit history
lesson behind how Tongs came to be,
which might be some great info for
impressin’ some of them uppity rich folk
at some Core World cotillion or some
such folderol, but not what ya might call
practical on the Rim.
Tongs Right Now
“Anyway, despite the big upheaval
caused by the Exodus to the ‘Verse, the
Tongs survived the long trip and dropped
right back into the same old things they
got known for. If ya go stickin’ your nose
into the less than pleasant parts of our
right shiny Alliance, you can bet dollars to
doughnuts that ya’ll find a Tong a’waitin’
for ya.
“Thing is, what most upstandin’ folk
don’t ken, is that not all Tongs is bad news.
Some are no different as them as were
back on Earth-That-Was, just folk what
banded together to protect themselves
from somethin’ what was givin’ ‘em a hard
time. These Tongs can be the difference
between livin’ and dyin’ out on the Rim,
cause sweet merciful Buddha knows the
Alliance ain’t gonna be there to help ya
when ya really needs help. Figurin’ out if
 Hoodlums
21
 the Tong group ya’ve hooked up with is just
a protective group or a bunch of xiong can sha
shou is only a matter of knowin’ the family tree.
Family Tong and
Fightin’ Tong
“If the name mentions a male member
of the family—brother, father, uncle, nephew
or that sort thing—then that there Tong is
a protective association and is not usually
involved in criminal activity. Most important
thing to ken is they don’t use a family member
name just cause they likes the name; they really
consider themselves a family. Cross any one of
‘em and ya cross all of ‘em. On the other side
of the coin, if ’n ya make friends with one, ya
makes friends with every single one of ‘em.
They defend their own. They don’t go lookin’
for trouble what don’t come to ‘em first.
“Now the Fightin’ Tongs is a different
story, they name the group anythin’ they want
and it usually ain’t friendly. Some glommed
onto names from the original Earth-That-Was
Tongs like Hip Sing, Tong Tran, or Bing Kong.
Others went for somthin’ what makes ‘em
sound tough, like Black Lotus, Swift Dragon,
Strikin’ Fist, or some such. Ya hears name like
one of those, then ya better step lightly, like a
woodpecker with a headache, around ‘hem and
their territory, cause they would just as soon
spill your guts ya as look at your miserable hide.
The main thing to ken with the Fightin’ Tongs is
they consider themselves a family too, but they
will go lookin’ for trouble and if ’n they can’t
find trouble by lookin’, they’ll just start some
cause they can and that’s trouble ya’ll ain’t never
seen a’for. [1]
Dealin’ with the Tong
“So how is an up and comin’ feller such as
ya‘ll to deal with a Tong? Best way is to make
friends with a member, but in tian xiao de do
not join a Tong unless ya’ll is ready for a lifetime
commitment! Regardless of kinship, once ya
joins, ya becomes family. Ya picks up all the
baggage that family owns. Ya gets some friends,
ya gets some enemies, and ya gets a whole
passel of obligations, just as with any other
family … for life. If ya ain’t ready for that sort
of obligation then ya best leave it alone, like a
grizzly with a toothache. Tongs are big on tough
 Ruthless killers
 Name of all that’s sacred
22
love and ya don’t walk away from a Tong. At
least not under your own power—typically, it’s
toes up, if ’n anybody finds ya corpse at all. [2]
“Makin’ friends with a member is no
different than makin’ friends with anyone else,
so there ain’t no one sure fire way to go about it.
Best way is doin’ ‘em a service, as they are real
big on honor. Even the worst of ‘em respect
a debt of honor for someone that does ‘em a
service or, even better, renders aid to a member.
Ya might get to thinkin’ hey, I can stage a
situation where I save a Tong and that way
they will owe me. I won’t say it ain’t been done
successfully before. But, ya better be a Pan-
Universal Award winnin’ actor, as I can tell ya
straight up, ya’ll ain’t got the life experience to
realize just how bad what they will do to ya will
be if ’n they suss out that ya fooled ‘em. Cause
all Tongs, good and bad, are big on mianzi
and if ’n ya make one lose face, there will be a
reckonin’. One ya won’t like and won’t survive.
[3]
Savin’ Face
“Even though I came at it from a different
road as I had planned, since I done mentioned
how important the concept of mianzi is to the
Tong, guess I might as well clue ya in on the rest
of the story. No one likes to be embarrassed,
but savin’ face is a cultural thing for the Tong. If
bein’ there for a fellow member is their first rule
in what passes for their ‘code of conduct,’ then
the second rule is that any insult which causes
a loss of mianzi must be repaid in full and is
almost always in blood. Never forget this if ’n
ya’ll try and swindle a Tong. [4]
Getting’ in on
the Action
“Workin’ between the spaces of our
glorious legal system means sooner or later,
if ’n ya wants to be an operator, ya will have
to deal with one or more of the Tong. Trick
is, how ya goes about it is based on exactly
what business ya’ll is runnin’. Just as Sun Tzu
said know the enemy and know yourself; in a
hundred battles ya will never be in peril, learnin’
about what the Tong ya’ll is tryin’ to work with,
or work around, is into, is the key to survival.
Just like the original Tongs, some run protection
rackets, others drugs, smugglin’, prostitution,
gun runnin’, slavery, and anythin’ else ya’ll can
 Cultural concept of how an individual’s prestige is
perceived by others
think of. Tryin’ to muscle a Tong out of an
established operation is a damn fine way to end
up very dead, so don’t even try.
“Ya want the best way to deal with a Tong,
I’d put long money on findin’ out what a given
Tong is into and do somethin’ else. If ’n a Tong
starts musclin’ in on your operation, it’s usually
best to let ‘em, cause not many folk have got
the juice to go toe to toe with a Fightin’ Tong
and live to talk about it, but since that don’t
fit your situation yet young’un, ya ain’t got to
worry about it now. However, if ’n ya do make
your bones and ya’ll do find yourself in that
situation, remember this here little talk we had
tonight, forget all about pride and let ‘em have
it, cause ya can’t get paid when your dead.
Partin’ Words
“I guess if ’n ya don’t remember anythin’
else I say tonight, make it be this … Tong folk
ain’t all that different than other folk and are,
in most cases, businessmen — hard, ruthless
businessmen — but businessmen just the
same. Ya’ll show ‘em the respect they’re due
and never try to cross ‘em and ya’ll will do right
well around ‘em. Even the Fightin’ Tongs can
be worked with, but never forget, unless ya’ll
choose to go and get as stupid as a doorknob
and join one, ya’ll never be a part of their world.
[5]
“Now I think that ought to be enough for
tonight cause goin’ by how your eyes is gettin’
that glazed over look, I’m startin’ to sound like
just another old man what’s been talkin’ too
long. Ya’ll run along now and cogitate on what
I just told ya for a bit and if ’n ya choose to
return, I’ll clue ya in on once of most lucrative
gigs in the ‘Verse, which just happens to be
the ship-jackin’ business. But, that’s a story for
another place and another time.”
The young man smiled and slid out of the
booth, stopping to talk briefly to the bartender
before leaving the tavern. None of this was lost
on Twice Pipe, but he did feel unusually pleased
when the barkeep brought him another drink,
compliments of his young friend. He took a sip
and smiled with contentment at the fine vodka,
savoring the fact that he didn’t have any more
appointments for the night.
“The boy bothered to learn what I drink,
shows real promise he does, gotta be sure to
keep my eye on him”.
Game Notes on
Using the Tongs
[1] Make an AVERAGE (7) Intelligence
+ Covert (or Streetwise) action to know the
difference or an AVERAGE (7) Intelligence
+ Perception (or Deduction) action to figure
out the difference if the PC has never dealt
with a Tong before. If they’re old hands at this,
then it’s an EASY (3) Recall (Intelligence +
Willpower) to remember the difference.
[2] Joining a Tong requires sponsorship by
a member of the Tong. The GM can design a
specific set of circumstances that results in a PC
meeting a member and gaining their friendship
in that manner. Otherwise the PC can attempt
a HARD (11) Willpower + Influence (or
Persuasion) action to earn the friendship of
a Tong member. Gaining sufficient trust to
be sponsored into the Tong requires a second
Willpower + Influence (or Persuasion) action at
a FORMIDABLE (15) level.
[3] An example of staging a fake event to
gain a Tong member’s trust would be pulling
the person out of the way of a speeding hover
mule, which would be a HARD (11) Agility +
Performance (or Acting) action for the event
and another FORMIDABLE (15) Willpower
+ Performance (or Acting) action to act out
gaining the Tong member’s trust. However,
failing in either roll will result in the Tong
member inviting the PC to the Tong meeting
place before they are subdued by overwhelming
numbers, leading to an excruciatingly painful
interrogation and creates a ready made hook for
GMs to exploit.
[4] Any form of dealings with a Tong by
an outsider carries the additional burden of
avoiding embarrassing anyone in the Tong.
This includes something blatant such as directly
stealing from the group to something outwardly
less obvious like interrupting an elder while
they are speaking. A severe embarrassment,
such as swindling a Tong in a con, results in
that PC gaining a Deadly Enemy Complication.
A minor embarrassment would result in the
individual being unable to do any further
business with that Tong. Avoiding minor insults
is an AVERAGE (7) Intelligence + Influence
(or Streetwise) action for short interactions for
someone without knowledge of that particular
Tong. Longer interactions would be a HARD
(55) Complex Action of the same skill with each
23
 roll taking ten minutes. Once the Threshold is
reached, the PC knows enough of the Tong’s
rules to not have to roll again. A single Botch
increases the task to FORMIDABLE (75), while
a second Botch insults the Tong and ends any
dealings with them. Credits
[5] In most cases, gaining information Writer
on a given Tong requires observing them as Michael Chumbler
they operate, which is a FORMIDABLE (15)
Agility + Covert (or Surveillance) action, unless Content Editor
the Tong is known to be especially secretive. Cam Banks
Finding someone who would know if a Tong
has that reputation is a HARD (11) Willpower Layout
+ Influence (or Streetwise) action. If the Tong Jamie Chambers
is known for secrecy, the GM provides either
a specific means of gathering information on
them, or the PC can make an INCREDIBLE
(23) Agility + Covert (or Surveillance) action to
learn anything about the Tong.

24
 Word on the Street III: Ship heist
by Michael Chumbler
The man known as Frankie ‘Twice Pipe’
Whitaker waited in a run down section of
the Persephone spaceport silent as a ghost.
His hand rested on the butt of the cut-down
shotgun that was the source of his nickname
as he watched a young man approach. The new
arrival looked around, oblivious to Frankie’s
presence, trying to keep up a brave front despite
not seeing his contact anywhere. He took up a
reasonably defensible position near some solidly
built crates and waited.
“Good spot young ‘un,” Frankie said aloud.
“I’d say you’ve got a future in the business,
but that might make ya’ll’s head bigger than it
needs ta be.” The young man smiled; if he was
surprised, Frankie was impressed by how well
he hid his reaction.
Used to some of the older man’s
idiosyncrasies by now, the newcomer walked
over to Frankie’s hiding place and wordlessly
presented a small bag. Frankie knew the young
man wasn’t the cheating type and pocketed the
bag with only the slightest pause to verify its
weight.
“As I said last time,” Frankie said, “Gettin’
predictable is a good way to get dead. Since
our little conversation tonight’s gonna be about
ships, I figured that meetin’ at a less-traveled
part of the spaceport would be the best place
for this here palaver. I know ya’ll is runnin’
in that Wren-class freighter Babylon docked in
Gamma Twelve…”
Frankie’s client twitched in shock.
“Son, ya gotta stop lookin’ so surprised
when I knows stuff about ya. It’s my job to
ken stuff ya know. Anyways, not that there’s
anythin’ wrong with a Wren—and I’d never
go insultin’ a man’s boat—but even ya’ll has to
admit, something a mite larger would be nice.
The upright thing to do, of course, is to earn
enough coin to buy into a bigger ship. But that
there’s the rub, earnin’ enough coin to buy into
somethin’ nice usually requires a nicer ship to
begin with, puttin’ ya’ll in a right vicious circle it
does at that.
Moving Up to the Big Time
“Okay then, up ‘til now, we’ve just been
two folk jawin’ about how some of the seamier
things in the ‘Verse go. Tonight, what I’m about
to tell ya, will set ya on a course that will make
yer bones or break them, in the business of
less-than-honest livin’. I need to know that ya
fully understand what sorts of things can be
on that road a’fore I will continue. Cause, may
the Buddha be my witness, I ain’t tryin’ to talk
ya into nothin’ what might go get ya killed or in
the Dyton Colony prison, but if ’n ya know how,
there are ways short of buyin’ what ya’ll can use
to ‘upgrade’ to a prettier boat.
“However, the first thing to ken is that
folk’re mighty attached to their boats. Damn
thing could be the biggest rustbucket since the
invention of rust, but to the owner, that boat’s
the most beautiful thing ever to take to the
Black and folk will kill ya over their boat. Never
forget that or ya’ll will find yerself real dead real
quick dong ma?”
Choosing Your Mark
Frankie waited until the young man nodded
in understanding before continuing.
“All right, now that ya ken the nature of the
beast ya’ll is dealin’ with, let’s get down to brass
tacks. Boostin’ a ship is mainly about pickin’ the
right target. Ya gotta ken yer target’s schedule
better’n they ken it themselves. It’s always best
to pick a boat what ain’t got no one aboard to
raise up a fuss. This means casin’ the port and
seein’ if ya can spot a boat run by a rookie or a
daigua what leaves his boat unattended. [1]
Getting Inside
“Once ya got a ship tagged, they’re not all
that different from homes when it comes to
getting’ inside without the permission of them
as what owns ‘em. Just like ya need the right
tools to fix a busted compression coil, ya gotta
have the right tools for a ship job. The first
thing y’all need is the very best set of electronic
lockpicks ya’ll can get yer hands on. Ya see,
modern locks needs modern tools. The things
are a bit spendy, but tryin’ to slip inside a ship
without a good set of picks is guarantin’ a hard
burn trip to an Alliance cell with a large and
over-friendly cellmate. Now if ya’ll can find
them, a set o’ quality ship-picks is the real deal,
‘cause they are as rare as hen’s teeth and the
dang-blamed things will run ya five times as
much as a regular set, but they are specifically
designed for ships and are the sweetest thing on
the shadow market for boostin’ a boat. [2]
 Understand?
 Fool
25
 “The real trick to gettin’ yer hands on a boat
what ain’t belongs to ya, is knowin’ where to
look and yer best option’s a repair yard. See, the
mechanics gotta be able to work on the boat.
Most of the time that means if the ship’s got
special security it’s gotta be turned off. Word o’
warning, though—just cause a ship’s in a repair
yard ain’t no law says the security has to be
turned off.
“Now the downside of tryin’ to steal a boat
outta a repair yard is the yard has usually got
some sort of security and more importantly,
them as what own the boat brought it to a
yard for a reason and ya’ll will look right stupid
tryin’ to lift in a ship what don’t run. Gettin’
info on ships in a yard requires a bit of talkin’
with the right folk. Mechanics and ship crews
are a loose-lipped bunch and for the price of
a few drinks, ya’ll can usually find no shortage
of information. Ya find the right guy and for
the right ‘consideration’ they can be talked into
leavin’ doors unlocked or to be lookin’ in the
wrong direction when ya makes yer move. Just
make sure ya ain’t stingy with the coin, ‘cause
anyone that flips one way, is usually more’n
willin’ to flip back if they don’t think they is
gettin’ their due. [3]
Getting Out
“Regardless if ’n ya got the ship from a
port or a repair yard, gettin’ the thing started
depends on the owner. Ya find a paranoid type
and ya got a problem, ‘cause Buddha alone
knows how many ways there are to lock down
a ship’s computer or engine, but the other side
of the coin is, if ’n ya finds a chump, you’re
shiny as the King of Londinum’s hat. This is
where yer mechanic, if ya got one as a partner,
or them engineerin’ data disks, if ’n you’re in this
alone, earn their keep. Best stick to ships what
got made the most, ‘cause they are the easiest
to figure out. Tryin’ to suss out a limited run
boat usually takes too long and, at this point,
time is not yer friend. The best tool for tappin’
into a ship’s computer is called a spike and they
don’t come cheap neither. A spike is kinda like a
SubKelvin, costs twice as much, but works ten
times better. Slip the thing in and let the spike
do the work. As soon as the computer unlocks,
it’s time for the most important part of the
score, gettin’ the hell away. [4]
“Couple things up front what ya should ken
about ships if ’n ya don’t know already. First,
any commercial ship that runs the Black has
got two things what the Feds can use to track
her: One is a doodad called a pulse beacon what
identifies the ship. Ya gotta find it and pull it,
26
‘cause unless the hun dan ya stole it from can’t
go to the Feds due to bein’ too hot their own
selves, ya can bet that the ship’s pulse beacon
will get tagged as stolen and get Waved all over
hell and gone. Second thing is the Nav-Sats
what ya gotta use for navigatin’. Ya can’t pull
that, so here’s where spendin’ some coin up
front will more’n pay for itself. Buy as many
decoy missiles as ya afford, cost ya about fifteen
credits each and the more the merrier, they are
each worth their weight in platinum as it will
confuse anyone tryin’ to track ya long enough
for ya to go to Hard Burn. [5]
Making the Sale
“Now comes the final and most dangerous
part of ship-jackin’, unloadin’ the goods. First
thing to ken about a hot boat is the closest thing
to a friend ya got is the Rim. Times are always
hard on the Rim and ship’s registries is less
well regulated out there. If ’n ya got the right
contacts, ya can sometimes make for a Border
Planet, but that is somethin’ ya gotta have set up
in advance. No fence worth the name will take a
chance with a hot boat brought in by somebody
what they don’t already ken.
“Main thing to know if ’n ya boost a ship
is, are ya plannin’ on keepin’ it or are ya gonna
sell it? If ’n ya keeps it, ya gotta get it registered.
This is a two part deal. Ya gotta get a new pulse
beacon and ya gotta get new ship’s papers.
Reprogrammin’ the beacon is actually fairly easy,
any mechanic can do that, just takes awhile.
It’s gettin’ new papers that’s the tough part. Ya
either gets some forged or ya bribe some mei
yong de Fed into givin’ ya a legit set. [6]
“If ’n ya wants to sell the boat, ya gotta
find a buyer and since ya can’t go sendin’ out
a Wave, ya gotta start poundin’ the pavement.
Since ya’s too new to have the contacts, kid, this
is where things can get dicey. Ya gotta trust yer
gut and watch yer back at the same time. Talk to
spacers, they usually know someone that knows
someone. If worst comes to the worst, ya can
always take the ship to a dealer, but be prepared
for a painful hagglin’ ‘cause if ’n ya go to them
gou cao de pirates ya’ll be lucky if ’n ya break
even. [7]
Last Thoughts
“I know I got yer head spinnin’ ‘cause I
done give ya a lot to chaw on at once and I can
almost hear the gears a’whirlin’. I think ya got it
in ya to be a real operator in the business, but ya
 Jerk
 Useless
 dog humping

gotta be sure that’s the life ya want. Ya’ll needs
to sleep on what ya learned tonight, so don’t go
makin’ any half-cocked decisions tonight, ‘cause
there ain’t nothin’ wrong with the Babylon. If ’n
ya decides that ship-jackin’ ain’t yer idea of fun,
when ya comes back, maybe we can talk about
simple smugglin’ what ain’t as simple as ya
think. See ya next time kid.”
The younger man shook hands with Frankie
and slipped away. The older man could tell that
the lad was deep in thought as he left just by the
way he held his head.
“Poor kid is havin’ a tough time right now,”
Frankie thought. “But he’ll be back, his eyes
had that gleam in ‘em that all but screamed
‘Look out ‘Verse, I’m on my way’ and the thing
is, he’s right.” This thought made Frankie smile
before he noted it was almost time for his next
appointment and he vanished into the shadows
of the Persephone spaceport.
Notes
1. Successfully observing the operations at a busy
spaceport requires a HARD (11) Alertness + Covert /
Surveillance action. Spotting an unattended ship is the
purview of the GM, but Crew can spend 8 Plot Points,
with GM approval, to find a ship that is unattended.
2. Bypassing the security on a ship can’t be done
without electronic lock picks. Ship-picks are a refinement
of basic electronic lock picks and give a user a +2 skill
step to Intelligence + Covert / Open Locks actions,
but only when used on ships; they confer a –2 skill step
when used on any other type of lock. Locating these
specialty items can be an adventure hook all by itself,
but at a minimum, they require a FORMIDABLE (15)
Intelligence + Influence or Covert / Streetwise action.
In addition, they are highly illegal and if caught by
authorities while in possession of a set of Ship-picks, the
crew faces a trial and if convicted, two years in a penal
colony.
3. Finding a contact aware of a vulnerable ship
in a repair yard requires Friends in Low places and an
expenditure of 5 Plot Points or a HARD (11) Willpower
+ Influence / Appropriate Specialty action and sufficient
Credits. Actually bribing a repair yard worker to assist
in the theft is an additional FORMIDABLE (15)
Intelligence + Influence / Persuasion or Willpower +
Discipline / Intimidation action and a bribe of no less
than one percent of the ship’s value.
4. A Spike is an illegal computer disruption
device that adds a +2 skill step to the user’s Intelligence
+ Covert / Disable Devices action and is as difficult to
locate, using the same Skills, as the Ship-picks listed above
(and just as illegal).
5. Removing a ship’s pulse beacon takes a
COMPLEX AVERAGE (35) Intelligence + Technical
Engineering / Communications Systems action with each
roll representing three minutes. Escaping a planet or ship
that is actively seeking the stolen ship is an Opposed Roll
pitting the crew’s Intelligence + Technical Engineering
/ Sensors or Hacking Skill versus the tracker’s Skill, and
each decoy missile deployed gives a +1 skill step bonus to
the crew’s skill.
6. Reprogramming a pulse beacon is an
AVERAGE (35) Complex Action of Intelligence +
Technical Engineering / Communications Systems roll
with each roll taking an hour. Forging ship’s papers is
a HARD (11) Agility + Covert / Forgery action, or
Friends in Low Places and 5 Plot Points. Bribing an
official for legitimate papers requires either a HARD (11)
Intelligence + Influence / Streetwise action, or Friends
in Low Places and 5 Plot Points. These difficulties are for
the Rim; increase the difficult by 4 for a Border Planet
and 8 for the Core.
7. Finding a fence requires a HARD (11)
Intelligence + Influence / Streetwise action, or Friends
in Low Places and 5 Plot Points. These difficulties are
for the Rim, increase the Difficulty by 4 for a Border
Planet and 8 for the Core. Negotiating a price is an
Opposed Roll of Intelligence + Influence / Appropriate
Specialty versus the fence’s Willpower + Discipline /
Mental Resistance; Success earns 15% of ship’s value, an
Extraordinary Success earns 25%, a Failure earns only
5%, and on a Botch the fence won’t buy the ship. Dealers
only give 5% on a Success, 15% for an Extraordinary
Success, and will refuse to buy on a Failure or Botch.
Credits
Writer
Michael Chumbler
Content Editor
Cam Banks
Layout
Digger Hayes
27
28
 Word on the Street:
Smuggler Essentials
by Michael Chumbler
“Ya know son,” Frankie ‘Twice-Pipe’
Whitaker said to his young companion. “Based
on yer last second decision not to go through
with stealin’ that Pride-Class mid-bulk freighter
last week, it occurs to me that smugglin’ might
be more yer cup o’ mud than the shipjackin’
gig.”
The two of them sheltered in the lee of
a warehouse near the Eavesdown Docks on
Persephone from the fierce rain that was lashing
the area. The rain made conditions unpleasant,
but provided a welcome level of cover from any
prying eyes that might be about to notice the
two men hidden in the shadows.
“Stealin’ from or at least short-changin’ the
Alliance is a lot easier on the soul than makin’
off with a spacer’s only source of makin’ a
livin’. Makin’ ends meet on the other side of
the law’s a tough life. Ya gotta know what lines
yer willin’ to cross and more importantly, the
lines ya ain’t.” Frankie went silent for a moment,
replaying in his mind the Alliance blotter report
he’d obtained, without his client’s knowledge,
of the young man’s aborted theft replayed,
unbidden, in his mind of the boy’s all too close
escape and just how close he’d come to disaster.
The lad had been smart enough to get away
clean, but it had been a close run thing.
The Most Important
Thing to Know
“The first thing to ken about movin’ goods
without the blessin’ of our dear Alliance is that
the vast majority of smuggled cargo ain’t illegal.
In fact, most smugglers avoid illegal goods as
the price for gettin’ pinched with somethin’ like
drugs or guns is mighty high for them as what
ain’t prepared to pay that price. Truth is, the
most common things smuggled are actually legit
goods. Folk just don’t like havin’ to pay taxes
and tariffs and other Alliance le se . . . puts a
right fine dent in the profit margin it does, and
most folk don’t cotton to payin’ more than what
they gots to for goods what they want.
“Now I’m sure yer just a’brimmin’ with
questions as to why we’re out here in the drivin’
rain rather than one of our usual meetin’ places.
The real deal answer is, ya gotta see stuff with
yer own eyes to really understand how things
 garbage
work in this here ‘Verse of ours. Ya see, yer
witnessin’ first-hand the most important trick
what a smuggler uses to slip goods under the
Feds noses, and that is, my young friend, make
the gorram Feds work. They don’t like that
much, as most are about the laziest bunch
of hun dan ya’ll ever see in yer life. Ya gotta
move at night, bad weather, or anythin’ else
what makes the life difficult of the Feds. Bury
the stuff ya is smugglin’ in the center of a full
cargo hold, slippin’ the goods ya don’t want
found inside dummy Trojan packagin’, or even
in an unflushed bilge. Not many Feds what
would look real deep when the job gets tough.
Cause if ’n its hard or unpleasant to find, or the
inspector has got his attention somewheres else,
then ya can just about bank on gettin’ the goods
through. That’s the number one trick of bein’ a
successful smuggler. [1]
The Second Most
Important Thing
“The number two tool of the trade is
knowin’ the weaknesses of the inspectors what
will be lookin’ over yer boat. Make a few straight
runs through the port ya want to slip somethin’
into first. That way, ya get to talk to the customs
officers what work there, be friendly like and get
to ken ‘em. Ya’ll find all manner of interestin’
stuff, like that some will turn out to be on
the take and all ya need is to offer the proper
consideration and ya is shiny. Others will like
the ladies, so make sure ya gots a honey showin’
losta skin for him to admire, if they is partial
to eats, make sure to have somethin’ fresh and
tasty for ‘em. Ya see, simple greasin’ the skids
goes a long way kid, never forget that.
“Thing is son, just like the best defenses are
in depth, so are the tools the smuggler has to
use. Pullin’ several things at once gives ya the
best chance of avoidin’ gettin’ humped in the
process, ‘cause if ’n the Feds manage to stumble
through one of yer pitfalls, ya just make sure
they gets tripped up by the next one. I know
ya knows how to keep yer head or I wouldn’t
be still dealin’ with ya, so just make sure ya
remembers what old Twice-Pipe just told ya and
ya’ll be shiny.[2]
 jerks
29
 The Art of Avoiding the Feds
“Now the very best deal when it comes to
the art of smugglin’ is to avoid the Feds in the
first place. If ’n the Alliance can’t find ya, they
can’t pinch ya. Sounds simple, but I know ya’ll
knows what a monster the Alliance has become
since the end of the U-War. Stayin’ off the radar
is not easy, but there are a few things ya can do
to keep the Feds off ’n yer pi gu. Here’s where
havin’ a pilot what knows their stuff comes
in right handy like. Plottin’ a course what will
keep ya outta regular shippin’ lanes will make
yer trip a long one, and I mean the turnin’ an
eighteen hour trip into the better part of a week
sort of long. Now the downside to ken about
bein’ completely off the radar is if ’n anythin’
goes south on ya, may the ren ci de Fo zu help ya,
cause there ain’t gonna be no one else to help
ya. Thing is though, if ’n ya want to make it big
as a smuggler, ya gotta be willin’ to take some
risks, big risks. [3]
Helpful Gear
“Now, just like shipjackin’ had special tools
for the job, smugglin’ has the same sorts of
specialty items what makes the job run smooth.
I already done mentioned earlier that ya can
hides goods inside fake coverin’ what we in the
business like to call Trojan packagin’. I doubt
if ya ken the story of the Trojan Horse and I
know ya ain’t here for a history lesson, so ya can
look up that part on the Cortex later. Ya see,
Trojan packagin’ is an old trick—old, but since
it still works, folk keep on usin’ it. What ya do
is take legit lookin’ crates and such, hollow ‘em
out, and slide what ya is sneakin’ past the Feds
on the inside of that right proper-lookin’ cargo.
[4]
“As with everythin’ else, if ’n the Feds never
look at somthin’, they can’t suss out that it ain’t
proper. The very first thing a smuggler needs
to do is to look through his ship, and see if ’n
he can find parts of his boat what’s hard to get
to or can be made that way while still lookin’
normal. And I mean damn hard to find, like
under the deck plates, or sealin’ off a few cubic
yards off the back of yer cargo bay with a fake
bulkhead. Thing is though, ya gotta be careful
with modifyin’ common boats like a Firefly,
cause everybody has one and anythin’ too
different is gonna stand out like a pile of niu fen
on a ballroom floor. [5]
 bottom
 merciful Buddha
 cow poop
30
“Last thing I’ll mention on tools and such
is a wonderful little toy called a ‘cry baby’.
These sweet little items are so simple to build,
ya can put one together, usually outta stuff
what ya already got on yer boat for less than
ten in platinum. A cry baby provides one last
level of defense if ’n a job goes south on ya.
Let’s say despite all yer tricks, some Fed runs
a scan and finds ya where ya shouldn’t be. Ya
sets off yer cry baby and just like the name, it
starts cryin’ wolf about some upright citizens
bein’ in distress and all. Since all the Feds got
on ya at this point is ‘suspicious activity’ they
will lose interest in ya and hare off to the
rescue, givin’ ya a chance to bug out on Hard
Burn. Thing about cry babies though, ya gotta
be smart enough to have dropped ‘em before
ya need one. So ya drop it on the way into yer
meetin’ place and if everythin’ goes as smooth
as Sihnon silk, then ya picks it up on the way
out. [6]
Here’s To a Bright Future
in the Shadows
“Son, smugglin’ is about as time-honored
means, if one less than legal, of makin’ coin
what dates back clear to Earth-That-Was. Hidin’
in plain sight is one of the best ways to slip
somethin’ past the Feds and yer little Wren-Class
boat the Babylon is one of those boats what Feds
barely even notice cause they is so common,
which ain’t no slight on yer boat young’un, just a
fact, and when in comes to smugglin’ common
and not bein’ noticed is exactly what ya wants
and needs. I know ya ain’t asked me, but if ’n ya
did, I think this here little chat we had tonight
is yer callin’ son. I know ya will go out and do
great things in the business. Since ya done come
to be what I like to call a regular client, I’ll put
in a word for ya with some folk I ken that yer
lookin’ for a cargo. I’m sure that will open a few
doors what might be closed to ya otherwise.
Now go on and git. When ya get back from yer
first run, we can talk about a natural progression
from smugglin’ and that would be the salvagin’
trade. Great gig if ’n ya can get it, but ya gotta
make sure to keep an eye out for them qing wa
cao de jiu from Unified Reclamation while ya do
it.”
The young man blinked in surprise as he
realized that Frankie had come to trust him
enough to make introductions. He shook his
mentor’s hand vigorously before flipping up the
hood on his jacket and vanishing easily into the
driving rain.
 Frog humping vultures
 “Kid’s not weak,” Frankie thought to
himself. “Might not have had the cut throat
instinct for boostin’ ships, but he’s steely
enough to be a right fine smuggler.” He
shivered and pulled his coat tighter around him.
“First thing I needs to do is to get these old
bones outta this ruttin’ weather. Once I’ve got
me a nice little hot toddy goin’, I’ll be sure’n
send a couple Waves to Kaili the Hand, Monk,
and Demetri. That’ll grease the skids for the boy
and get him that run he needs to boost his ego.
Yeah, this one is the one; next time I see that
young feller, he’ll be a business man.”
Despite the heavy rain, Frankie took care
to check for surprises—always a part of the
less pretty side of the ‘Verse—before slipping
silently into the gloomy night to make the
connections he’d promised for his young client.
Notes
[1] Smuggling goods in a normal cargo
hold is an Opposed Action of the smuggler’s
Intelligence + Covert / Camouflage (or a new
specialty: Smuggling) versus the searcher’s
Alertness + Perception / Search. However, each
layer of legitimate cargo between the searcher
and the smuggled goods imposes a –1 Skill
step. Every additional hundred tons of a ship’s
cargo bay after the first provides enough room
for one layer of legitimate cargo. There are too
many other possibilities for place to hide cargos
to list fully and it is up to the GM to specify,
but, as a guide, other examples include: hiding
goods in the ship’s bilge (–2 Skill step); hiding in
the waste extraction tank (–4 Skill step).
[2] Casing the port before departing or
scouting the route in advance with a legitimate
cargo to learn the specific habits of inspectors
at a given port requires an AVERAGE
(7) Willpower + Influence / Appropriate
Specialty test to gain the Crew a +1 Skill step
on subsequent Influence actions against that
inspector. An Extraordinary Success on the
roll provides a further +1 step. Spending a Plot
Point during the initial action uncovers a hidden
weakness that the Crew can exploit for a final
+1 Skill step.
[3] Plotting an ‘off the nav-sat’ course to
avoid Alliance patrols is a FORMIDABLE (15)
test of Intelligence + Piloting / Astrogation or
Technical Engineering / Astrogation, but makes
the course take six times as long. Such a course
will be off of all shipping lanes and reduces the
chance of encountering another ship, barring
GM intervention or Plot Points spent on story
manipulation to the contrary, to essentially zero.
If this roll is Botched, the GM may insert a
serious problem en route: a collision with space
debris; or a catalyzer on the port compression
coil failing and leaving the ship on the drift.
[4] Constructing fake containers or ‘Trojan
packaging’ requires minimal tools and materials.
The Crew can purchase the crates or build
them from scrap wood available ‘Verse-wide
for one Gold Coin per cubic yard of material to
be covered. The material can also be obtained
by barter or even theft from any warehouse or
port area. The test of the Crew’s workmanship
is an Opposed Action of Intelligence + Craft
/ Carpentry versus the Alertness + Perception
/ Search of the observer. Creating the proper
labeling on the exterior of the crates is a second
Opposed Action of Intelligence + Covert /
Forgery versus Alertness + Perception / Search.
[5] Creating a hidden compartment on a
ship is as easy or as complicated as the GM
wishes to make it. The Crew can spend Plot
Points, hire a dishonest mechanic, or, if they
have the skills, do the work themselves. A rough
rule of thumb would be that for each 100 tons
of cargo space, the ship has room for one
hidden compartment. Building such a hiding
place requires either an Opposed Action of
Intelligence + Craft / Appropriate Specialty
versus the Alertness + Perception / Search of
the observer or, if the GM is feeling generous,
a straight unopposed HARD (55) Complex
Task of Intelligence + Craft / Appropriate
Specialty with each roll taking four hours.
However, any ship with the “Everybody has
One” Trait applies the –2 Skill step from that
Trait imposed on any Skills used to create such a
compartment.
[6] A Cry Baby is essentially a home-built
Distress Beacon from the Serenity Role Playing
Game with a range of 75 miles and priced at
€3. These devices are cobbled together from
simple, readily available components and require
only an AVERAGE (7) Intelligence + Technical
Engineering / Communications action to
construct.
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