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From: owner-traveller-digest@mpgn.com (Traveller-digest)
To: traveller-digest@Phaser.ShowCase.MPGN.COM
Subject: Traveller-digest V1996 #723
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Traveller-digest      Friday, December 6 1996      Volume 1996 : Number 723



(R)1996. Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.
All rights reserved.

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Uplifted Jabberwocks
Re: Off topic
Re: Rebellion
RE: Rebellion
Re: I can hear You knocking.
Re: "Basic Traveller"
Re: Uplifted Jabberwocks
Contents of Starter Traveller 
Starships--Got IT! (fwd)
The Grand Adventure 2:  Shawn Grey

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 12:27:29 -0500
From: lewis@chara.gsu.edu (Lewis Roberts)
Subject: Uplifted Jabberwocks

Hi,
I wrote up a short article about uplifted Jabberwocks. It still needs a bit of
work, but I wanted to get some feedback.  I wrote the character generation rules
for TNE, but I plan on doing rules for T4 later, once I understand T4 better.
Lewis Roberts
Crested Jabberwock
   The Jabberwock was the last uplift project started by GenAssist 
before the Collapse.  The project was started in 952.  The First
Solomani Rim War and the loss of the coreward sections of the Solomani
Rim forced the project to move from the Jabberwock's home world of 
Kassan/Vega (A-785757-E circa 1100). Several hundred experimental specimens 
and most of the research facilities were relocated to Alpha Crucis Sector. 
The loss of the the native population wasn't a fatal blow, a few Jabberwocks 
had been placed in zoos and GenAssist had stored enough genetic material to 
continue the project.
   GenAssist created the Jabberwocks to be another warrior species for the
Solomani Confederation.  The company had created several other warrior
species from Terran stock, but the Jabberwock were native to a world
with a dense atmosphere. It was hoped that Jabberwocks would be able
to fight on those worlds where Terran species would be ill suited.  
GenAssist's primary market was the military , but they also thought that the 
Jabberwocks could be used as guards.  Four hundred kilograms of teeth and
claws is alot more intimidating than the standard rent-a-cop with a badge.        
   The Solomani Military was divided on the use of of uplifted sophonts as
troops.  It was agreed that they would never serve as officers, but some 
thought any use of non-human troops went against the principals of the 
Solomani Movement.  GenAssist convinced a few member worlds of the 
Confederation to try a few small units of Jabberwocks.  
   Pre-sentient jabberwocks are one of the most aggressive species known to 
modern exobiology.  They are also extremely territorial, attacking any 
trespassers and only tolerating others of their species during a short
mating season.  These traits do not make them very social, and had to be
modified in the sentient brethren.  Uplifted Jabberwocks are still very
aggressive, but this aggression has been channeled into several areas.
Jabberwocks are very aggressive during combat and hardly turn down a
fight.  They are also extremely competitive, both in their professional
careers and their personal lives.  They are still solitary creatures and
tend not to engage in team sports, but more likely to compete in solo events
such as races, shooting competitions and the like.  
    Jabberwocks are still solitary creatures but they can stand and even
enjoy the company of others both human and jabberwock.  Jabberwocks tend to 
spend several hours a day alone. They spend this time exploring their
surroundings, practicing hobbies, or even contemplating the universe. Though
their philosophy is very simplistic and tends to be violent.
    One of the few activities that Jabberwocks gather together in large 
numbers to participate in is dancing.  GenAssist turned some of their mating
rituals into a fondness for elaborate dancing.  This dancing is very
energetic with Jabberwocks running, jumping, throwing themselves across
the stage and rearing up on hind legs.  The dance tends not to be a 
choreographed performance, but consists of all available jabberwocks
thrashing around.  The dance was performed for the enjoyment of the 
participants, not an external audience.  Occasionally an few favored people
would be invited to watch.  
     Originally Jabberwocks were bilaterally symmetrical, homeothermic,
quadrupeds, standing about 1.2 meters tall at the shoulder and measuring
some 2.6 meters in length.  Their anatomy is unusual in that they have four
two chambered hearts.  A fully grown specimen weighs over 400 kilograms.
Their head is mounted on a long neck, and is topped with a large
multi-colored crest which normally lies flat, but is displayed during
mating rituals and territorial fights.  Their mouth is full of razor sharp
teeth and spikes run down the spine to the base of the tail.  The skin
is very tough and furless.  Jabberwocks are colored a light reddish brown.
Sentient individuals tend to be a bit smaller, about 350 kilograms, about
2.3 meters in length. Their forepaws have been altered to be manipulative
members capable of using tools.  Their mouths have been altered to allow 
them to speak some human words.  This is very crude speech, and most 
Jabberwocks use electronic translators, but are capable of getting their
point across in a pinch.  GenAssist planned on improving this, but the
Collapse intervened.
   GenAssist instilled in the Jabberwocks a deep loyalty to the Solomani
Cause and to those humans who were in charge of the Jabberwocks.  This
loyalty did not correspond to all humans, for instance a unit of Jabberwocks
had no problems when ordered to help put down a rebellion on Kestral/Spica.
The Jabberwocks also believe that the humans are inherently superior to 
themselves and that most humans are smarter and better educated. If a 
Jabberwock is lost or without guidance it will seek out human leadership.
   

     Jabberwock
     Armor-(1) Only vs melee attacks.
     Claws&Teeth Attack Damage: 1d6 Pen:1

     Str    Agl    Con    Int    Edu   Cha   Soc   Psi 
    2d6+4  2d6+2  2d6+2   1d6   1d6-1 2d6-3  1d3    0

     Agility is halved when dealing with fine manipulation of objects.
  Skills that use the halved agility include: 
       Energy Artillery               Energy Weapons
       Forgery                        Intrusion  
       Jeweler                        Machinist
       Music                          Pickpocket
       Pilot                          Slug Weapon
       Tac Missle.
     Intelligence is doubled when applied towards Tactic skills.
     The minimum values for education and charisma are always one.
	 The roll for social standing is the standard when the Jabberwock
  lives in an area controlled by humans who are unfamiliar with Jabberwocks.
  Examples include the Solomani Confederation and the Reformation Coalition
  in the year 1202.  If the Jabberwock character was being generated for 
  another time period there might be a different roll.
     All Jabberwocks have a claw and tooth attack which does 1d6 damage
  and has a penetration of one.  The attack is made with standard
  unarmed martial arts rules.  All Jabberwocks are considered to have 
  Unarmed Martial-0.  If a Jabberwock has unarmed martial arts skill,
  calculate normal damage and add it to 1d6.
     Jabberwocks raised in the Solomani Confederation before the Collapse
  have the default skills of Heavy Weapons-0, Slug Weapons-0, Energy 
  Weapons-0, and Dance-1.

  Careers:Jabberwocks use the standard human careers. Some careers are
  off limits do to social constraints, these depend on the exact milieu
  that is being played in. For instance during the Solomani Confederation
  era there were no Jabberwock Construction Workers, Diplomats, Nobles
  or Farmers.
  
  Effects of Age: Jabberwocks use the standard human age charts, but begin
  to age two terms earlier.  By the time of the Collapse there were no 
  known anagathics that were manufactured for Jabberwocks.

  Hit Capacity: Jabberwocks determine hit capacity normally. In addition
  they have a tail location with hits equal to (Str+Con)x2.  

  Initiative: Jabberwocks roll initiative normally, and then add one to the
  roll.

  If not stated differently Jabberwocks are created as normal for humans.


  
  References:
  Best of the JTAS Vol. 4, "Bestiary:The Crested Jabberwock", John Marshall

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 6 Dec 96 18:07 GMT0
From: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
Subject: Re: Off topic

In-Reply-To: <32A5E0FF.5428@hotstar.net>

> 
> How does everyone pronounce the Vargr Archduke Brzk's name
> 
> I pronounce it Bar-Zack

Actually, I've never needed to say it. If I did, it would probably be 
BURR-zuk (or berserk!)

    ---------=========oooooooooOOOOOOOOooooooooo=========---------
Andrew M J Boulton                  http://www.compulink.co.uk/~fubar/
 "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste"

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 6 Dec 96 18:07 GMT0
From: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
Subject: Re: Rebellion

In-Reply-To: <961204.230151.9u4.rnr.w165w@krypton.rain.com>

> 
> In mail, aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk writes:
> 
> > 1. How do you get 11,000 worlds to agree on how to implement it? (Just 
> > look at the problems the EU has, and there's only 15? of them!)
> 
> By telling them "This is how it's going to be..." with a fleet in
> orbit. :-)

Ah, this is obviously a meaning of the word 'democracy' that I wasn't 
previously aware of...

> > 2. Since most of the worlds are non-democratic, how are they going to 
> > elect a representative?
> 
> Representative selection would have to be local option. Most
> non-democracies would appoint someone. Heck, given that local autonomy
> is pretty much guaranteed, I'd bet that most *democracies* would treat
> it as an appointive position. 

Again, hardly democratic.

> > 3. With a travel time from frontier to Capital of >1yr, just how 
> > representative is it going to be?
> 
> How representative is the US Congress? Not terribly. As the number of
> people represented goes up, the degree to which any *real*
> representation can take place goes down.
> 
> Frankly, I expect that even the Moot, as described in existing
> materials, is unworkable. 
> 
> What I'd expect to be workable would be a multi-level setup. Subsector
> to sector sized groupings of planets to deal with matters affecting
> their area. Such regions would be what had Imperial level
> representation.

Basically the same as we have already, only you call them Senators rather 
than Dukes?

    ---------=========oooooooooOOOOOOOOooooooooo=========---------
Andrew M J Boulton                  http://www.compulink.co.uk/~fubar/
 "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste"

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 6 Dec 96 18:07 GMT0
From: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
Subject: RE: Rebellion

In-Reply-To: <01BBE1E1.350FA6D0@flfnas01-p09.mts.net>

> >While romantic, its harder than hell to envision a democratic
> >government whose communications range a couple of years from border
> >to border becoming anything more than pure anarchy.  Perhaps concern
> >about basic human rights on a local level would be a nice touch, but
> >I can't see a democracy in the Western Civilization sense really
> >working.
> 
> Well, the Zhodani seem to be able to make it work. Okay sure, their 
> franshice is a little bit narrow, the Consulate is a full-fledged democracy

IIRC, only the Nobles get a vote (10% of the pop?). The Proles are 
brainwashed into obedience.

> The Solomani Confederation, while not completely a democracy, they are a 
> partial. Each world or governmental unit selects representatives (some of 
> them are elected) to the Solomani Secretariat.

The most democratic government, and even they have to rely on a degree of 
totalitarianism to make it work.

    ---------=========oooooooooOOOOOOOOooooooooo=========---------
Andrew M J Boulton                  http://www.compulink.co.uk/~fubar/
 "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste"

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 13:14:52 -0500
From: TPeterAZ@aol.com
Subject: Re: I can hear You knocking.

In a message dated 96-12-06 01:57:17 EST, Rich Ostorero wrote:

>  "shoot a
>  line over" -- toss a magnetic or adhesive grapple line from the boarding
>  ship to the victi -- oops, _potential prize_, and hand-over-hand between
>  ships. 


Challenge 45 presented a Ship's Locker which contained the Intership Transfer
Device consisting of 3 parts: the line, the launcher, and the crawler.  To
avoid copyright problems, I'll just give an overview.  The launcher propels a
100 meter plasteel cable across the void to the target ship, where a flanged
magnet assembly affixes itself to the hull.  There are c-clips at either end.
 The launcher's clip is fastened once the target ship has been hit and the
target-end clip can be used for a more secure connection, though the magnet
has more than enough hold to allow the crossing of personnel.  There are also
four "crawlers" per ITD, which clamp around the line and help witht the
transfer of personnel.  I have used these in my campaigns since I first read
about them in 1990.  Mark Gelinas wrote the Challenge article.  If anyone
knows how to get in touch with him, maybe he would allow the reprinting of
the article here.


Tim Peter
<TPeterAZ@aol.com>
"Never let your schooling get in the way of your education."--- Mark Twain

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 13:14:52 -0500
From: TPeterAZ@aol.com
Subject: Re: "Basic Traveller"

In a message dated 96-12-06 06:01:09 EST, Marc Miller wrote:

> Starter Traveller books were black and read and white; there were no
picture
>  covers for them. It seems to me there was a scenario/adventure in the pack

> as
>  well.

There was an adventure.  My copy of Starter Traveller is at my parents' house
in NJ, and here I am in Arizona.  Supposedly they will be sending all of my
old RPG stuff (only a couple of which are Traveller-related.  For some reason
most of my Traveller stuff has followed me wherever I've gone ;-) ) that I
left there when I moved out (10+ years ago) along with the Christmas
presents.  I think it was related to Tarsus somehow (or at least SuSAG),
though that could just be my memory playing tricks on me.  (Age does that I
hear ;-))  Am I on track here, Marc?  (About the gist of the adventure, not
the age thing.)

Tim Peter
<TPeterAZ@aol.com>
"Never let your schooling get in the way of your education."--- Mark Twain

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 19:38:32 +0000
From: "Kenneth Bearden" <dreamer@brokersys.com>
Subject: Re: Uplifted Jabberwocks

On  6 Dec 96 at 12:27, Lewis Roberts wrote:

> Hi,
> I wrote up a short article about uplifted Jabberwocks. It still needs a bit of
> work, but I wanted to get some feedback.  I wrote the character generation rules
> for TNE, but I plan on doing rules for T4 later, once I understand T4 better.
> Lewis Roberts

Nice Job, Lewis.

Kenneth.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 16:46:41 -0500
From: 34zbtxq@cmuvm.csv.cmich.edu (Susan M. Shock)
Subject: Contents of Starter Traveller 

>
>Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 05:56:24 -0500
>From: CardSharks@aol.com
>Subject: Re: "Basic Traveller"
>
>In a message dated 96-12-05 01:09:54 EST, you write:
>
>>
>>  Now my question is did anything come with Starter Traveller besides the
>two
>>  books?  Also I've got the first printing, and it has simple black covers,
>>  like the little books.  Was there also a version with picture covers?  Did
>>  it come in any kind of box or anything?  I found them a couple years ago
>>  sold separatly in a used games box at a store, and have been wondering.
>>
>Starter Traveller books were black and read and white; there were no picture
>covers for them. It seems to me there was a scenario/adventure in the pack as
>well.
>
>Marc Miller

With my copy of Starter Traveller here in front of me, I will tell you what
is inside of it:

1. Rules Booklet: This was basically The Traveller Book without the forms,
charts and tables, and with a simplified (vectorless) ship combat system not
too dissimilar from the one in MegaTraveller.

2.Charts and Tables: a 24-page booklet with the charts and tables for the
game in it. This was really useful, as it made running the game a lot
easier. If consideration is ever given to doing a boxed version of T4, I'd
like to see it done like this.

3. An adventure booklet, done in 8.5x11" format, no cover, with "Mission on
Mithril" on one side, and "Shadows" on the other.

4. TWO copies of the Player's handout for "Mission on Mithril"/"Shadows"
(maybe this was an error, and there was only supposed to be one.) These
handouts also appear in the above.

5. A sheet of heavy stock paper with a world map for Mithril on one side,
and the overhead view map from Shadows on the other.

Hope this proves useful to you.
                                Allen

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 16:00:20 -0600 (CST)
From: "Joseph E. Walsh" <ransom@connect.iconnect.net>
Subject: Starships--Got IT! (fwd)

Here's a message Fred Kiesche asked me to forward to the TML - his 
provider is down right now (the provider he gets TML through, I mean)...


- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 96 15:43:00 -0500
From: Fred Kiesche 
To: "Joseph E. Walsh"
Subject: Starships--Got IT!

Joe:

Feel free to post this on TML, my provider (the provider I'm subscribed via) 
is down at the moment...

I picked up Starships at my FNGS. It ran $20.00. It has a big "2" on the 
spine, if anyone was curious about the big "1" on the spine of the 
rulesbook.

Same size as the rulesbook, black cover, colored paintings front and 
back...107 pages, plus a page of "coupons" to become a Citizen of the 
Imperium or to subscribe to JTAS.

The book is broken into a few parts. Before I get to that, IG has nicely 
credited all the folks who worked their buttskis off on this supplement. For 
example, Joe Walsh's Corsair is credited as Naval Architect--Joe Walsh. The 
frontpiece lists all the folks directly involved and thanks TML, XBOAT and 
GDW-Beta.

The book: Introduction, Imperial Calendar, Ships--Rescue Ball, Launch, Ships 
Boat, Slow Boat, Pinnace, Slow Pinnace, Modular Cutter, Shuttle, Gig, 
Scout/Courier (though I don't see how the illo matches the plans...), Luxury 
Liner (sideview only), Free Trader, Far Trader, Secure Trader, Subsidized 
Merchat, yacht, Patrol Cruiser, Merc Cruiser, "Pesonalities",Lab Ship, 
Safari Ship, Corsair, Large Armed Freighter, Military Landing Ship 
(Infantry), "More Personalities", Military Frontier Cruiser, Light Fighter, 
Medium Fighter, Heavy Fighter, Missile Bomber...then the "Standard Ship 
Design System" with more tables than you can shake a stick at. Color illos 
by Foss, I think I recognize one from "The Book of Alien", but don't 
remember the others. B&W illos by Foss, from the first book and new ones.

Good points: Lots of ships, design sequence, a few "freebies" in terms of 
calendar and personalities.

Bad points: The same old tired ships. Some plans don't look like they match 
the illo. No gridlines on the plans, only a "2 meter square" to the side, 
showing relative size of the plan. Larger ships have sideviews only, no 
complete plans for them. 

Highest TL appears to be 12, I think that was one direct question from the 
list.

Lots of "black" on each page. Most of drove the printers nuts!

Rating: A good second try, downers are lateness, relative high price and 
lack of really good plans (I'm not looking for FASA, but some of the DGP 
plans and JTAS plans had better quality than these...).

Fred Kiesche
(FKiesche@concentric.net--writing from work today due to provider problems!)

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 21:47:10 +0000
From: "Kenneth Bearden" <dreamer@brokersys.com>
Subject: The Grand Adventure 2:  Shawn Grey

(Backstory to the Grand Adventure;  Detailed PC/NPC bio)



Grand Adventure Backstory Part I:  The March Harrier

by Kenneth D. Bearden



Shawn Grey was born on Porozlo, a back water world on the frontier of
the Imperium.  Porozlo has not yet achieved world unity and is
characterized by heated conflicts between its several countries.  From
time to time, Imperial forces are brought in when the fighting
interferes with interstellar trade or Porozlo's neighbors.  Since the
Imperium has a hands off policy when it comes to politics on member
worlds, this does not happen that often.  For the same reason, the
conflict is usually exceptionally heated when the Imperium does
interfere.  Shawn has seen the Imperial forces come to Porozlo several
times during his life.    

Most young men who get the urge to join the Marines have many choices
of enlistment.  There may be a Domain Marine Corps serving the
surrounding four sectors and under the leadership of the Domain's
Duke.  The sector itself may maintain a standing marine force. 
Sometimes the worlds of a subsector band together for defense and pool
their resources to support a marine force along with an army and navy.
 And very often, worlds will maintain a force as a last line of
defense, as support for customs, and a better controlled arm of power
for itself.  It is usually necessary for a world to be unified in
order to have the resources to support a space faring armed forces,
but some countries on balkanized worlds put enough into national
defense that their national armed forces reach into space.  Porzolo is
such a place.

Most young men joining the Corps, when given the choice, opt for the
best.  They want to be in the best equipped and most elite marine
force in existence.  The Imperial Marines.  But this was not the case
with Shawn Grey.  Since birth, national pride was drilled into him
from his parents, the culture he grew up in, and propaganda from his
country's dictator.  Sometimes this is a good thing, but judging from
the conditions on Porozlo, this was frequently a xenophobic, bigoted,
and racist way of life.  At age 5, Shawn was put in a military academy
to prepare him for the time when he would defend his country.  At age
13, Shawn became a member of his dictator's youth program.  At age 18,
he enlisted in the only force in which he ever wanted to serve, the
National Marines.

Two years in the Corps, he had an eye opening experience.  It was not
all the glory he had anticipated all those years.  He saw the way his
country treated foreigners, saw the fear they had from other countries
and the Imperium, and saw how the dictator twisted the truth.  And, he
saw death.  

He realized that Porozlo would never be great until the fighting
countries could lay down their arms and their differences and start
working toward a unified peace.  He realized that most space faring
cultures only succeed after solving their domestic problems.  This
wasn't always the case, and he knew of a handful of worlds who had
attained greatness without a single planetary government.  Earth was a
good example.  But, this wasn't going to happen on Porozlo, not with
leaders like his great dictator who seemed hell bent to keep this from
happening.  

This dictator had gotten him shot.  There was a scare that he would
not live.  Believe it that his eyes were wide open.  A person does a
lot of soul searching and belief testing when he is lying on a cloth
stretcher in a mud hole on some forsaken piece of disputed territory. 
Shawn didn't believe anymore that losing his life so that the leader
of his country could control more acreage was a noble cause.  

Lucky.  He beat death, and the limp went away after a few years.  He
was discharged with honor for medical reasons and awarded a purple
heart for service to his country--a country he no longer believed in. 


He was 20 years old.  His whole life was ahead of him, but his life up
until then had been shattered.  He was bitter.  He was wayward, and he
left the planet on which he had been since he was born.  

He made his way coreward to the planet of Aramis.  It is a small piece
of rock with a highly corrosive atmosphere and a wind chill factor of
- -243 degrees.  The place only has one city built in the mined out
veins of a mining operation deep underground.  It is home to 3/4 of a
million people and serves as the subsector capital on the fringe of
the Imperium.  Just over the border lay the Vargr Extents, an alien
civilization of bipeds evolved from the canine.  Shawn still held some
of the xenophobic beliefs of his people, but he was a lot more open
minded now.  "What the hell," he thought, "we evolved from apes."

Oberlindes lines, a freight and cargo operation specializing in the
hub worlds, had received an Imperial subsidy to start a program of
interstellar trade along the frontier.  One of the programs that
Oberlindes initiated in response to this was to, in turn, subsidize
free merchant captains with starships and assign them a route.  The
service was somewhat irregular, but this was better than what they had
before.  

This was dubbed the March Subsidy Program (taken from the frontier
sector name--The Spinward Marches), and a group of 400 ton merchant
vessels were constructed.  The March Harrier was one of these, laid
down on 363-1083 with its first flight on 060-1085.  A vargr captain
was awarded the Harrier and assigned a route along the Aramis Trace--a
collection of 8 closely linked systems.  The vargr had been operating
the Harrier along the Trace for two years before his communication
officer left for greener pastures.  It seems that the officer was not
happy with the financial success of the ship thus far.  This was when
Shawn Grey saw the posting on the starport terminal.  Even though he
had never crewed a star ship before, he had picked up communications
experience in the marines back home.  To his surprise, the captain
thought it a good idea to have a human aboard since they were
operating in Imperial space, and Shawn became the communications
officer on the March Harrier for the next 12 years.

Shawn tried hard to get along with his vargr crewmates at first, but
after working with them a while, he just couldn't stand them.  Various
things irritated him.  For one, they made him sick when they ate. 
They would choke down a raw piece of spiced meat and just let the
juices drip down their snouts and stick in their fur.  Half chewed
pieces of food would sometimes spray over to his meal.  Another thing
was their outlandish clothes.  The brighter and more gaudy, the
better.  As soon as they touched down planet side, it was watch out
flea markets and high school band auctions.  And when a vargr got
something that he really liked, he would wear it for days before he
would take it off to be washed.  Biggest of all, Shawn could never
depend on them.  One of them would agree to help him to fix something
like the communications array.  When it came time, sometimes they
would, and sometimes he'd be on his own.  They basically did what they
wanted when they pleased.  

The captain was no better.  His wonderful business sense ensured that
the ship never once made a substantial profit.  The captain would have
a choice between taking a charter, which would provide the ship with a
guaranteed income for several weeks, and running a one way shipment of
meat.  The captain would take the meat run every time just so he could
get a leg up on the auction at the destination world.  What really
irritated Shawn was that the other vargr agreed with this. 

Shawn knew that the other members of the crew disliked him as well. 
From time to time over the years, a new crew member would come aboard.
 But these were always other vargr, and they would fall right in with
their harry buddies pretty quick.  It seemed the captain had learned
his lesson with his first human.  

Shawn sometimes wondered why he didn't move on.  He hated his job.  He
hated his crew mates.  He hated his life.  He couldn't remember being
happy since before he joined the Corps back on Porozlo 14 years ago. 
But, Shawn never did anything about his situation.  He just kept the
arguments heated with the captain to remind himself that he was alive
and trudged along year after year.  He was trapped.  He was in a rut. 
He had no energy to move on, and he couldn't see a way to escape.  

Of course, in reality, all Shawn had to do was quit.  He could have
tried to get on with a human vessel.  But, Shawn couldn't see that. 
He was a little unstable.  The Marine Corps had brought that out in
him.  He just thought of himself as a little hot tempered.

In time, Shawn became paranoid.  It was him against the crew.  Human
against the vargr.  He knew that their dislike of him had grown into
hatred.  He began to see the conspiracy amongst the crew.  They wanted
to get rid of him.  He had heard them whisper of leaving him on a
world or killing him and calling it an accident.  He knew the time
would come, and when it did, he would be ready.    

It occurred to him that if the captain wanted to get rid of him then
all he had to do was fire him.  There was nothing in Shawn's contract
that would prevent the captain from doing so.  No, that was too easy. 
The bastards wouldn't get their satisfaction if they only fired him. 
Besides, the captain was an idiot.  In 12 years, the ship had never
turned a profit to speak of.  The Harrier just plodded along the Trace
making enough money to pay for expenses.  When any profits were made,
the captain would just plow it back into the ship.  

Shawn, on the other hand, had  been at this for 12 years and had
nothing to show for it.  He had never been given a promotion.  He had
no savings, and he lived from payday to payday.  He was now 32 years
old and felt like he was wasting his life.  Hell, he was wasting his
life.  

Day after day went by until one came along when it happened.  

The captain had been receiving pressure from the crew.  After all,
they were all here to make money and none was forthcoming.  The crew
had been loyal, sticking with the captain through the 20 or so years
that the Harrier worked the Trace.  Many of the crew could have left. 
Some did leave, but the majority of the crew had been with him since
he had received his subsidy from Oberlindes.  In reward for all of the
years of service, the captain partitioned out shares of the vessel to
each of the crew members making them partial owners.  The captain
thought that this may even give the ship the new life it needed to
start making them all rich.  Every crew member was given a piece of
the ship based on their previous contribution to the success of the
ship in the past.  Every crew member, that was, except for Shawn Grey.

"This is it!," thought Shawn, "They are going to make their play."  He
would be damned if he would let that happen.  

He caught the captain in hold.  The vargr was using some crates from
the last shipment that they had picked up on L'oeul d'Dieu as a desk,
and he was working on some administrative paperwork.  Shawn picked up
a cargo wrench.  The captain turned to acknowledge him, and Shawn
bashed him in the head.  He kept on bashing him until the tip of that
wet little pink tongue poked out that nauseating snout.  He kept
hitting him until blood matted the vargr's food stained fur.  He kept
hitting him until he had bashed the vargr's ear clear down the side of
his neck dirtying the captain's gaudy costume.  Shawn didn't stop
hitting him until he felt his arm ache from lifting the wrench.  

Then he stood there, sweat pouring off his brow, his heart beating in
his ears.  He clenched his teeth until they felt like they would crack
and drilled hate with his eyes through the pitiful mangled form of the
captain.                  

He noticed the blood on the paperwork and hand computer.  The screen
on the computer glowed in the recessed light.  It was not
administrative paperwork that the captain was working on.  It was the
termination record for Shawn Grey.  They weren't going to kill him. 
The captain was going to fire him.  The captain had even put together
a severance package for him.  The captain had thanked him for his 12
years of service.  They were in their home port system of Aramis, and
the captain was planning to give the rest of the crew a vacation as he
searched for a new comm officer.  

For a moment, Shawn did not know what to do.  He began to panic.  He
had just committed cold blooded murder on an Imperial citizen.  

Shawn had killed before but not like this.  

Before, it was in service to his country.  He was ordered to do it.  

Before, it was war.  This was murder.  

Before, it was humans.  They were enemies of the state, no less, but
humans all the same.  

And humans weren't trash like the vargr.

The captain was only a vargr, a fur covered piece of trash.  

So what the hell was he sorry about?

Shawn got control of himself.  

He thought about it.  This is what he had been waiting for.  If he
played his cards right, he'd have a ship and a chance to change the
rest of his life.  

He got his bearings.  Having just jumped in system, they were en route
to Aramis with a load of freight still several hours from orbit. 
Then, he punched the ship wide comm, "Ship emergency!  All hands to
the hold.  Repeat, all hands to the hold."

The first two vargr crossed into the hold wondering what that damn
human was screaming about.  Then they saw the captain.  The first
vargr, screaming at the top of his lungs, repeated the order on the
ship's comm in his native tongue.  

The other two vargr arrived on the double.  The first two were
hovering over their slain captain.  One of them asked where the human
was.  That's when Shawn did it.  He hit the control that sealed the
hold from the rest of the ship.  Then he threw the switch that opened
the outer cargo doors.  The freight itself was fastened to the deck,
but everything not nailed down blew out into space.  

Shawn looked impassively out the port at the vargr bodies, attempting 
to scream in the vacuum of space, then he caught his reflection in the glass 
on the port then smiled to himself.  This was the first day of the rest of his life.  
He repressurized the hold and went to work.  After several hours he had
released all of the ship's cargo out into the void with the vargr
bodies and other debris.  

He went forward to the bridge and sat in the pilot's seat for the
first time.  The original pilot had been with the ship since day one
and was very particular about anyone else sitting at his station. 
"Well look at you now, you bastard."  A bigger smile cracked across
Shawn's face as he glanced out the bow port.  The ex-pilot was
tumbling across the bow.

Shawn hit the thruster control.  The vargr pilot hit the view port
then slid aft.  Shawn didn't know much about engineering, navigation,
or J-Drives, but he could pilot a ship in system.  He had done a lot
in that two years in the marines. 

Two hours later, the March Harrier was well away from its previous 
position.  Shawn had put out a may-day.  A system defense boat was en
route from the Imperial Navy base on Aramis.

He told the naval officers that it was pirates.  One had come aboard
as a passenger at their last port and took them by surprise.  They
were forced to rendezvous with the pirate's ship then robbed of the
contents of the hold.  

The last part of the interview was what Shawn liked the best.  He had
to bite his tongue to keep from smiling.  

"Why didn't they take you as well." asked the Navy lieutenant.  

"They didn't take me," replied Shawn, "because they said that I was
human.  They said that if I gave them no trouble then they would let
me live.  As for my crew mates...well...I guess they had no respect
for vargr life."

Planet side on Aramis, Shawn implemented the rest of his plan.  He
contacted Oberlindes who, in turn, sent a subsidy agent to meet him. 
Shawn produced the computer log that the captain had made awarding
ownership shares in the ship.  Although the log was incomplete because
of a magnetic blast that damaged the log during the pirate attack,
Shawn assured the agent that his name was on the log.  Shawn said that
he was a little short of the 20 million credits required as a down
payment on a new ship like the Harrier, and he would like to resume
title of the ship as was his right as the last surviving owner.  

The Oberlindes agent looked at him with suspicion.  "The log will have
to be verified."  

To this, Shawn explained that the log was only established during the
last trip before the pirate attack.  It hadn't been posted or
authorized yet.  

"Unfortunate," replied the agent.  "The log may be able to be
reconstructed electronically.  I must say, you are in a very
suspicious position Mr. Grey."  

No.  No.  No.  Shawn had come too far to have this pointed nose little
turd piss on his parade.  What could he do?  What was there to do?  

Bribery.  Yes, of course.  It was a risk, but he could see no other
way.  The bastard.  Shawn was going to use that money to start his new
business.

Shawn made him the proposition.  If the agent would agree to validate
Shawn's claim based on the evidence at hand, then Shawn would let him
know the coordinates of 93 tons of cargo floating out deep in the
system with an attached value of close to half a million credits.  Who
would get hurt?  The owner of the freight was probably insured.  If he
wasn't, at half a million credits, he's an idiot.  And everyone thinks
that the cargo was pirated.  The agent could sell the cargo for 10% of
its worth and still make a bundle.  

The agent stared at Shawn for two full minutes.  He never blinked or
uttered a word, but Shawn could see the man's brain working.  It
seemed like an eternity.  

Then a greasy smile slid across the agent's face.  "You've got a deal.
 What are the coordinates?"

Yes!!!  Shawn was in business.  He was captain of his own vessel.  He
would do things a little different than that old vargr had done.  He
would assemble a crew of streetwise veterans.  He would find people
that didn't mind a little risk if the pay off was worth it.  He would
gather military veterans, merchant men, ex Imperial scouts, whoever he
could to crew the Harrier for its maximum potential.  He would take
his time and find the right people.  Oh, yea.  And they would all be
human.

His plan was to crew the ship with mercenaries.  The Harrier would
derive its income from transporting freight and mail and speculating
on trade and accepting charters as it had done in the past, but now
the ship would also get income from loaning out its mercenary
expertise.  Have gun, have ship, will travel.  This kind of work,
Shawn knew, paid well.  There was a lot of work to go around.  Hell,
look at Porozlo.  It was a scary universe out there.  Times were
tough.  Shawn couldn't suppress his laugh.  And there were pirates to
deal with.  In 10 years, he'd be in his early 40's, and he would
retire.  

But then, just like that, his dream bubble was busted again.  A man
from Navy Intelligence came calling.  He wanted to ask Shawn some more
questions.  Shawn could tell that they were suspicious but couldn't
prove anything yet.  Maybe he hadn't thought this thing all of the way
through.  Was there something that he had forgotten?  Some small piece
of info that would prove his undoing and leave him rotting on an
Imperial prison planet instead of soaking up the rays and a buxom
blond on a tropical paradise?  

Yes.  Yes, there was.  

Oh, shit.  The pirate.  

The pirate that he had told them that had come on board at their last
port o' call.  The one that had acted as the inside man.  A check of
the records at L'oeul d'Dieu would show that the Harrier did not take
on any passengers there.  

The captain did not want to bring aboard passengers to muddy up the
event of giving the crew ownership.  They were scheduled to take a
vacation at Aramis, and the captain wanted to keep it quiet on that
last trip.  That was another great command decision that the captain
had made-- giving up 89,000 credits in revenue just to ensure it is
quiet.  Well it was quiet all right.  All except that last sound. 
BANG!  Right on the head.  What a fucking idiot.

What the hell was he going to do now?  How could he bribe his way out
of this one?  Shawn felt that he just could not win for losing.  He
thought for two days.  The pressure was on because the information
from L'oeul d'Dieu could be there at any time.  The system was only a
parsec away, and the Navy might have already sent a message that way. 

Thank God for the bureaucracy, though.  Shawn was sure that was the
reason the information hadn't already arrived.  The Navy had greater
priorities than investigating the deaths of a few vargr.  But make no
mistake, the information would arrive sooner or later.  Probably
sooner.  When it did, Shawn's life would be over.  Any day, a Navy
trooper or the city policeman could come knocking at his door.  He had
to come up with something.  But what?  How?  

Shawn was walking the corridors of the city thinking of a way out of
this mess when an ad for the Imperial armed services flashed across
the public media monitors.  He still had that little itch about the
armed services.  His experience hadn't been that good, but he was also
fighting for a selfish megalomaniac.  Fighting for something worth
dying for was different.  

The ad was promoting a recruitment drive.  A dearth of enlistees had
effected the strength of the Imperial forces in the sector.  Join the
best, it said.  Join the Imperial Army, the Marines, the Navy, or
serve in the Interstellar Scout Service.  

90 minutes later, he didn't know why he was sitting in front of the
Army recruiter.  He couldn't quite say why he left the Marine
recruiter and came directly here after he had been turned down because
of his age.  Maybe it was because the Marine recruiter had told him to
try the Army.  "Yea," the recruiter had said, "they'll take anybody."

Shawn hated the idea of giving up the Harrier after he had come so
close.  But losing yourself on a 4 year enlistment in the Army beats
going to a prison planet for the rest of your life.  Hell, who was he
kidding.  He had murdered five citizens in Imperial space.  If they
caught him, he'd be probably executed on a prison planet.  Either
option didn't sound that good.  He was going to lose himself for 4
years and try to start over after he got out.  The Imperium is a big
place with over 1,100 systems.  He could try to influence his
assignment location and muster out anywhere in the Imperium.  In 4
years, who would care about a few dead vargr?

Shawn mentioned that he had a ship and he perked up when the recruiter
told him about a program designed for people like him.  

"Yea," the recruiter had said, "because of the lull in recruitment, we
have a new incentive program for people who want to join, such as
yourself, but can't because of government subsidy agreements."  

Not many people can fulfill their subsidy obligations while serving in
the Army.  The government will grant a waiver of subsidy
responsibilities and provide storage at an Imperial base while an
individual is in service to the Imperium.  

What?  Did Shawn hear right?  Did the man just say that Shawn can have
his cake and eat it too?  

"You mean I can join the Army today, and 4 years later, pick up my
subsidy like it was tomorrow at no cost to me?"  

"That's right."

"Where do I sign?"

That next 4 years Shawn saw a lot of action.  He fought pirates (real
ones), went against Zhodani on the wrong side of the border, and kept
the peace when it got out of hand on Imperial worlds.  He felt as if
he had found his calling, and he excelled.  He was promoted through
the ranks, and in his 4th year, they selected him for commando school.
 All of this he knew would make him a better commander of the Harrier
when he got out.  He studied hard, performed well, and groomed himself
for his special plan to make his fortune when he got out.

But the Army had some news for him.  They weren't ready to let him go.
 4 months before he was due to stand down, the Army invoked its
mandatory reenlistment clause.  It only happened to about 3% of the
enlistees.  Shawn couldn't believe it.  It seemed the Army knew what
it was doing when they sent him to commando school in his last year of
duty.  

"What about my ship?!"

"Oh, don't worry about that,"  they told him, "your deferment is
mandatory as well."

He was stuck.  In for another 4 years, and there wasn't a damn thing
he could do about it.  He was already 36.  So much for living on easy
street when he was 40.  That dream was just pushed back another 10
years.  When he got out, he was thinking of renaming the Harrier to
the Shit Out a Luck.

Another 3 years came and went.  He commanded a crack team that was
sent into hell holes all over the sector.  He was promoted again and
received medals for gallantry and heroism.  He couldn't believe it. 
He had become a damn war hero.  

Then during his last tour, his unit was sent back to Porozlo.  It was
Shawn's native country, and it was the first time he had been home in
20 years.  The great dictator was stirring up trouble again, and the
Imperial Army had been sent in to keep the peace.  

Talk about full circle!  It was eerie.  He was back home and in the
military.  Then, it happened again.  He was shot.  Not as bad this
time, but enough to rate him a medical discharge, with honor, 7 months
early.  He left Porozlo the same way he had 20 years earlier, and he
was headed to Aramis.  On the trip there, he was thinking.  Maybe he
should rename the Harrier the Mistress Fate.



Game Information:  Porozlo is located in hex 2715 of the Spinward 
Marches.  Aramis is located in hex 3110 and is the starting world for 
Marc Miller's Traveller Adventure.  The March Harrier is the ship 
detailed in that adventure.

GMs are encouraged to use Shawn Grey in their own campaigns as either 
a PC or a reoccurring NPC player nemesis, like I have done.  As 
always, feel free to use any of this information any way you see fit. 
If it intrests you, manipulate until it fits your campaign--this is 
what the Grand Adventure posts are all about.

Long Live Traveller!

Kenneth.

------------------------------

End of Traveller-digest V1996 #723
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