Adventure - "Enter Chimera"

“Enter Chimera” is an adventure for use with Last Unicorn Games’ Star Trek: The Next Generation Roleplaying Game. In this adventure the characters take the roles of Starfleet officers investigating a phenomena with its roots in the Romulan Neutral Zone. The only book that is of utmost necessity here is the Core Rules. Although not required for play, The Way of D’era Boxed Set should prove useful as well.

The adventure is set to take place in the year 2371, the third season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It can take place, however between the years 2366 and 2372.

SYNOPSIS

Before Humans and Romulans reached the stars, there were the Iconians. The ancient, highly advanced Iconians mastered the technique of dimensional transport. These gateways allowed instantaneous movement across interstellar distances without use of starships. The first known discovery of an Iconian gateway was in 2365 by the crew of the starship U.S.S. Enterprise on the planet Iconia. The Enterprise crew destroyed it rather than let it fall into Romulan hands.

Far off in the Gamma Quadrant laid a second Iconian Portal on Vandros IV. This portal, in turn connected to a third portal on a small planet orbiting Nico’s Star in the Neutral Zone. On Vandros IV an orphaned changeling infant, known henceforth as Chimera, found the portal, went through it, and found himself on that small world in orbit of Nico’s Star. He was not alone.

On that world was a team of Tal Shiar technicians that discovered the portal. They reacted hostilely to the changeling and the it fled into the surrounding jungle. Quickly the changeling adapted and grew. One by one, it began to attack and kill his Romulan adversaries. It disposed of the bodies through the Iconian Portal. One of the bodies was transported into the characters’ ship and that’s where the adventure picks up.

The characters track the body to Nico’s Star where they face a tough decision and eventually enter the Neutral Zone to investigate. The characters are not the only ones. A coded distress call gets sent to Major Sela of the Tal Shiar. She commandeers the D’vairin, a Bird of Prey captained by Commander Modex.

Commander Modex has served with distinction along the Klingon and Federation borders. More than one lost ship has fallen to Modex. He has a strong distaste for the Tal Shiar and Major Sela knows this. One of his crew, a Tal Diann agent named Alita, was sponsored by her and she finds her to be an ideal cat’s paw in the event of things not going as planned.

Alita is the daughter of Admiral Jarok, a Romulan who defected to the Federation when he thought that a Romulan invasion was imminent. Her family name blackened, Alita’s prospects in serving the Empire looked like they were coming to an end. Major Sela, a woman whose mother tarnished her name, sympathized with her and sponsored her herself. Alita owes Major Sela a debt that can never be fully repaid.

Alita is about as naīve as one gets in the Tal Diann. She has no head for politicking, only a love for her Empire. When the crew goes down to the planet and meets her, she will find herself in a conflict between two debts of honor.

OTHER SETTINGS

Two setting that this can be adapted to playing a Federation crew during the original series and playing Romulans in the era of the Next Generation.

When playing in the era of the original series, make the D’vairin a Tellus-class vessel instead of a D’deridex-class. The characters will be able to trace the energy particles on the Romulan to Nico’s Star but will have no idea that its origins are Iconian. The virus will be of pure Romulan manufacture. Major Sela, of course, will be replaced by a non-player character of the Narrator’s own making.

When playing with Romulan characters, it is their ship that gets commandeered by Major Sela or a non-player character that is a patron of one of the characters. They will meet a Federation ship there to determine what is amiss (perhaps Captain Fanon of the U.S.S. Himori, for those owning A Fragile Peace: The Neutral Zone Campaign Vol. 1). The virus, of course, will not come from the Federation ship but from the planet below. It is quite possible that Chimera learned to work some Iconian “magic” of his own.

During patrol, one cannot avoid the day-to-day drudgeries of ship’s maintenance. One of the characters (preferably Command or Engineering) is monitoring a Level 1 Diagnostic being conducted in one of the transporter rooms by the Transporter Chief. Of course, if one of the characters is the Transporter Chief, he can do it on his or her own.

In the middle of the diagnostic, the computer will announce that it cannot complete the diagnostic due to a break in one of the ODN relays. Finding the location of the break will require a Computer (Simulation/Modeling) Test at Routine (3) Difficulty. If successful, the computer will report that the break is located in one of the Jeffries Tubes just above where the character is standing.

A panel (again, just above the character) can provide access to the Jeffries tube. When that panel is opened, a Romulan will fall on top of the character. Green blood trickles off the Romulan’s chin as he lies limp, probably slumping over the character most likely to be perturbed. If this were a television series, this is the part where the opening credits will roll. This is a role-playing adventure, so the character will likely have to figure it out without the benefit of a station break. The Romulan is not wearing a military uniform, but the disruptor he wears as a sidearm indicates that he is not a tourist.

While Security will, without a doubt, become involved, the key to moving the story along lies in Sickbay. If an autopsy is performed on the Romulan, have the Medical Officer roll a Medical Science (Romulan) Test at Routine (4) Difficulty. If successful, the Medical Officer will be able to discern that the Romulan was killed less than an hour ago by a stab to the upper midsection.

In the event of a Dramatic success, the Doctor will be able to discern that death was instantaneous. Who ever killed him was likely intimately familiar with Romulan anatomy.

By now the players should be all riled up. If there is one Romulan on board, who is to say that there aren’t others? This is all a Red Herring that the GM should let the players to pursue for a few minutes before putting everything back on track. A character making a Security (Security Systems) Test at Routine (4) difficulty will realize that the ship’s databanks are familiar with Romulan transporter signatures. If Romulans did transport here by conventional means, they sensors would have detected them and called for an alert.

This still might not satisfy the Chief of Security. Have an NPC security officer suggest that they do a ship-wide search of the whole ship (if he or she hasn’t thought of it already). That search will turn up negative as well. If that doesn’t work, have the captain declare that there are probably no other Romulans on board. He will however, have the ship remain at Yellow Alert. Finally, if the Captain is a PC and shares his Security Chief’s concerns, pull a “GM’s Fiat” and tell them of the cuff that there are no more Romulans on the ship.

They key here is to scan the Romulans for any energy traces. If the characters do not come up with this themselves, have an NPC suggest that. Scanning the Romulan is reflected in a Personal Equipment (Tricorder) or Shipboard Systems (Medical Test at Routine (5) Difficulty. If successful, the character will be able to determine that the Romulan has Iconic particles clinging to him. These particles are not common to Starfleet vessels. In fact if a character makes a successful World Knowledge (Iconia) Test at Routine (4) Difficulty, he or she will realize that they could only come from the transport devices of the Iconians, an ancient spacefaring race that was wiped out thousands of years ago.

Searching the ship for these particles will get the players nothing but an assurance that the dead Romulan was the only one aboard (at least the only one that reached the ship by these means). If characters download the particle signatures into their computer and conduct a long-range scan, they will find trace amounts of it in the Nico’s Star system. This requires a Shipboard Systems (Sensors) Test at Routine (5) difficulty. Remember to factor in the bonus for the ship’s long-range sensors.

Once characters find the location of the particles, give them Handout #1 detailing Nico’s Star. It should be fairly obvious to everyone who gets the handout that Nico’s Star is in the middle of the Neutral Zone.

Any characters monitoring the hailing frequencies in that vicinity will detect a continuous signal with a successful Shipboard Systems (Communication) Test at Routine (5) Difficulty. A character making a successful Strategic Operations (Romulan) Test at the same difficulty will note that a signal that open flies in the face of standard Romulan communications protocols.

Deciphering it is a tougher nut to crack. It requires a Computer (Hacking) Test at Nearly Impossible (17) Difficulty. Alternatively, the GM may wish to have the characters make an Extended Test at Challenging (10) Difficulty. When the character’s total reaches 85, the code has been deciphered. To save time, the test may be combined as well.

The code is a distress signal addressing the Tal Shiar. It claims that agents are killing one another and requests rescue.

Regardless whether the characters cracked the code or not, the signal can be traced back to the third planet in orbit of Nico’s Star with a successful Shipboard Systems (Sensors) Test at Moderate (8) Difficulty.

The Tal Shiar has already received the signal. In Romulan space, Major Sela has commandeered the D’vairin and is on her way.

Without a doubt, the fact that the system is in the Neutral Zone puts things into a tight spot. On one hand, Starfleet vessels shouldn’t go into the Neutral Zone. On the other hand, neither should the Romulans.

Let the players debate the why and wherefore of the mission. Do two wrongs make a right? Will things only get worse if they ignore what they’ve found so far?

If it appears that the discussion is in an impasse, have the characters make a Law (Starfleet Regulation) Test at Moderate (6) Difficulty. If successful, they will realize that Starfleet Command can authorize a ship to go into the Neutral Zone. Of course this requires authorization from Starfleet.

The current authority in this sector is Fleet Admiral Elsa Kiel at Starbase 39-Sierra. Statistics, although not applicable to this specific adventure, can be found on page 18 of A Fragile Peace: The Neutral Zone Campaign. After some discussion and the characters going into excruciating detail to the current situation, she will give them her tentative approval. Admiral Kiel could also order the ship to investigate the situation if the players are dragging their heels. Try to have her convince them before issuing a direct order to that effect, to avoid the players feeling railroaded.

The terms that she dictates are to enter the Neutral Zone quickly, conduct a cursory scan of the point of the signal’s origin, and determine what activities the Romulans are involved in. Once evidence is collected, they are to leave with all expediency.

The GM needs to play up the tension as they approach and enter the Neutral Zone. Have one of the NPC count down as they reach the barrier. Have the computer pipe in warning of their imminent approach to that space. To heighten the players’ tension, have the computer request the authorization code from the captain to continue along the current course and heading. Once they enter, the GM might want to borrow a line from a certain film: “Captain, we are now in violation of treaty.”

As they travel toward Nico’s Star, the GM should routinely ask the Tactical Officer to make Shipboard Systems (Sensors) Tests every now and then. When he or she announces the result, nod and make notations. There is no other reason for this than to mess with the players.

Once the characters reach Nico’s Star, They should proceed immediately to the third planet. If they were unable to trace the signal back in LCARS 1.3, they can try again at Routine (5) Difficulty due to its considerably closer proximity. Simply scanning the planet for life will be a Starship (Sensors) Test at Routine (3) Difficulty. The scans will reveal the planet to be a stormy tropical world abundant with life.

Narrowing the scan down to Romulans only will raise the Difficulty to Moderate (6). A success will reveal that there are two Romulans on the planet. In the event of a Dramatic Success, the character will detect another life form in close proximity of the Romulans. The computer has nothing in its data banks to correlate the life form to.

If the Tactical Officer is still scanning the system for hostile craft, have him or her make a Shipboard Systems (Sensors or Tactical) at Difficult (13) Difficulty. Sensor bonuses do not apply. If he or she is successful, a Romulan craft is detected approaching their ship’s aft section. The Flight Control Officer has one action to change the ship’s bearing before the D’vairin decloaks. Use the chart provided on page 141 of the Core Rule Book to determine the difficulty of the maneuver.

When the D’vairin decloaks, there will undoubtedly be a flurry of activity. The D’vairin raises its shields but does not arm weapons. This gives each character one action to prepare for the encounter. Instead of a barrage of disruptors, none other than Major Sela will hail them. Of course, if the character fail this roll, they will be “caught with their pants down.” Luckily for the characters, the D’vairin is here only to talk. If the characters ready weapons and raise shields, that will not derail the adventure. Opening fire will. In the event that a character states his or her intention of doing this, point out to him or her that a Federation Starship in the Neutral Zone is bad enough. Initiating fire will only make things worse. If they fire, Major Sela will raise a flag of truce. Again, she only wants to talk…for now.

Immediately fleeing the vicinity might also derail things. If the characters elect to do that, Major Sela will hail them, identifying them by ship registry number and the captain’s name. Try to give the characters the impression that they’ve been caught with their hands in the cookie jar anyway and running will not make things any better. If worse comes to worse, have them blocked off by another warbird, the Vigilance.

Statistics for Major Sela can be found on pages 45-46 in the Romulan Characters booklet found in The Way of D’era Boxed Set. GMs not owning the Boxed Set shouldn’t worry too much. She is here in a strictly role-playing aspect. In her interactions with the players, she will lie several times. For a character to catch her lie outright, the character should make a Receptive Empathy or Telepathy Test (hereafter referred to as a “Lie Test”) at Difficult (14) Difficulty.

She will begin by admonishing the crew for violating the Neutral Zone. She will then demand an explanation for their presence here. The characters can just as easily turn the tables by pointing out that the D’vairin being in the Neutral Zone is as much a breach in the treaty.

If that fact is pointed out, she will concede and state they are here to investigate a strange signal of Romulan origin coming from the planet. She quite embarrassedly admits that she had gotten word that there was an illegal activity of Romulan origin conducted by a “motley band of renegades” occurring on the world below. It was her hope that the Tal Shiar could resolve the matter in an “unobtrusive” manner. A character succeeding in a Lie Test, will detect not so much a lie but an obfuscation of the truth.

If asked about the distress signal, she again pleas ignorance. She will tell the crew that so far as they are able to determine, the distress signal is a civilian one. A Lie Test will reveal that this is a bald-faced lie, plain and simple.

She will tell the captain that she is dispatching an Away Team of her own to investigate the matter. As a show of good faith, she suggests a joint venture. To show her sincerity she offers to let the characters to choose the site where they will meet.

If the captain agrees to this arrangement, she will tell the captain that she is sending what information she has on the situation. Again, a Lie Test will reveal that there is a great deal that she is concealing.

The fact that she is not giving the characters everything that she has is not the center of the problem. The data she transmits is laced with an old Iconian virus improved upon by the Romulans. It is very important that a player specifically says that he or she is analyzing the data. If the answer is affirmative, give the character Handout #1 again. A virus has just been released on the characters’ ship.

If the characters downloaded the Romulan data, they have taken in a virus that will begin to screw up systems. Like the Iconian virus portrayed in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Contagion”, it begins with the less important systems and works its way from there. This is illustrated on the chart below

	Main Deflector	Sensors	Transporters	Communication	Impulse Engines	Shields	Warp Nacelles	Weapons	Life Support	Warp Core	TN
Phase 1	-4	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	5
Phase 2	O	-4	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	10
Phase 3	O	O	-4	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	15
Phase 4	O	O	O	-4	N	N	N	N	N	N	20
Phase 5	O	O	O	O	-4	N	N	N	N	N	25
Phase 6	O	O	O	O	O	-4	N	N	N	N	30
Phase 7	O	O	O	O	O	O	-4	N	N	N	35
Phase 8	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	-4	N	N	40
Phase 9	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	-4	N	45
Phase 10	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	-4	50
Phase 11	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	B	55

A “phase” in this case is a purely subjective block of the time determined by the GM. Along the top of the chart are the various systems that can be affected by the virus. “-4” on the chart reflects the system succumbing to the virus. Any attempts to use the affected system will have a –4 penalty to all tests associated with it. When the system is put offline (“O”), the crew can no longer access it. When the warp core containment field goes down (“B”), that’s the end of the ball game.

Fighting the virus is an Extended Computer (Data Alteration/Hacking) Test at Challenging (9) Difficulty reflecting he or she having to rewrite the code as it gets altered. The total that the engineer needs to surpass the Target Number listed on the right side of the chart. Merely meeting the total only means that he or she repaired what was damaged without destroying the virus itself; the virus will just march on to the next system. Each attempt takes one phase. When Life Support goes down in the tenth phase, assign a –4 penalty to the dies rolls during Phases 10 and 11.

Unlike the Iconian virus presented in Star Trek: The Next Generation, simply shutting down all shipboard systems will not work. The Tal Shiar not only replicated the virus, it was improved upon. The engineers have their work cut out for them.

In the event that one of the characters is the Chief Engineer and is going with the Away Team, this could pull him away from where he will be most critically needed. On their way to the transporter, have passing technicians order another one to get his repair kit and an environmental suit: the deflector dish is acting up. This should be an initial hint. In the event that the hint is ignored, don’t worry. There is a way to get him or her back to the ship, illustrated in LCARS 3.3 in the encounter titled Alita’s Bane.

The site where the Away Team beams down to is a tropical island approximately five square kilometers across. The outer perimeter is a beach extending some 100 meters inland. Dominating the island as a whole is dense tropical foliage.

At whatever point the Away Team chooses to arrive, the Romulans will appear approximately fifty meters away. The Romulan team consists of Legate Alita and one Romulan Soldier for every Away Team member less one. In other words, there will be the same number of Romulans to Federation characters.

The characters will not have to be telepaths to sense a general air of suspicion (mixed with a slight amount of hostility) coming from the Romulans. To get this across, have one of the Romulan Soldiers reach for his Disruptor. Legate Alita will angrily hiss an order at him to stop. She will them calmly look over the Away Team for their leader (she is aware of Starfleet’s rank structure).

When he or she is seen, she will calmly apologize for her soldier’s aggressive action and introduce herself as Legate Alita. Anyone making a Culture (Romulan) at Challenging (9) difficulty will recognize the title “Legate” belonging to a member of the Tal Diann, the intelligence wing of the Romulan military. Although she will not volunteer that tidbit of information, she will not deny it if asked. Regardless, she will state that if this mission is to succeed, there must be a certain amount of trust between the two leaders.

As the leader of the Away Team talks to Alita, other characters may choose to survey the surrounding area with their tricorders. A Personal Equipment (Tricorder) Test made at Routine (4) Difficulty will indicate that the island contains a high quantity of vionium and not much else. The tricorders, as a matter of fact, barely register the nearby foliage. A character making a Planetary Science (Geology) or Material Engineering (Personal Equipment) at Moderate (7) Difficulty will know that vionium can interfere with small survey instruments like tricorders. If the characters don’t arrive at this conclusion, the Romulans will.

Legate Alita will state that they have a great deal of terrain to cover in a short period of time. She will suggest that they break into teams of two: one Romulan and one Federation member per team.

If a character asks her why she is in such a hurry, she will tell him or her that she is uncomfortable about being in the Neutral Zone. Although this might invite scoff from players, a Receptive Empathy or Telepathy Test made at Moderate (7) Difficulty will confirm that she is indeed telling the truth.

If the characters do not like that idea, she will then suggest teams of four with half being from each side. She will listen to counter proposals but the bottom line is where ever a member of Starfleet walks on this planet, she wants a Romulan nearby. If worst comes to worst, they will all travel in one large group.

As the characters go with the Romulans (in small groups or as a whole, give one of the characters an opportunity to talk with Alita. It can range from small talk to grave tactical matters that could crop up. At some point in the conversation, Alita will mention “following the Way of D’era”. If asked about this she will reply:

Before the characters can ask for clarification to any of these tenets, go to one of the encounters listed in LCARS 3.2.

All this time, Chimera is observing them. The hunt begins. The hunt is broken into four encounters: Paranoia, Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, An Enemy in Need, and Alita’s Bane. Alita’s Bane should be the last encounter. If the characters are broken into small teams with the Romulans, the other three can be played in any order. If the Federation and Romulans are all in one group, Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing should be merged with Alita’s Bane. For the sake of drama, no hit against Chimera does more than one point of damage. Chimera is needed to survive through the end. On the other side of the coin, he should not spell the doom of the crew. Should he be used to kill a Romulan of a Romulan or two? As long as that Romulan is not Alita, Chimera certainly should be used to that end. Chimera is there to bring a sense of urgency to the mission (and to herd the occasional plot that goes off track).

Paranoia

Of the two Romulans left alive on the planet, only one, Joachim, is in any condition to move. Unfortunately his past encounters with the changeling have left him clinically paranoid. His disruptor is currently on Setting 5: perfectly capable of vaporizing a humanoid. So far, he has only managed to spell the doom for three of his comrades and a great deal of shrubbery. Use the Romulan Soldier statistics for this poor lost soul. His current condition is “Injured”.

As the team or group approaches this area have the players each make a Survival (Jungle) Test for each of their characters at Challenging (9) Difficulty. Those who succeed notice a scent of ozone in the air and see scorch marks along the ground.

If all of the characters failed this test, they will be ambushed by Joachim and suffer a surprise. Otherwise roll initiative normally as the Romulan leaps from the brush shouting, “I see you brought friends, Chimera!”

Joachim is 20 meters away from the character closest to him. Due to the tangling foliage, assign a +2 penalty to any actions that characters take. This penalty can be ignored if characters make a Survival (Jungle) Test at Challenging (9) Difficulty. Joachim also placed himself behind some natural cover (he’s paranoid but he’s not nuts). This incurs a +2 Penalty if characters attempt to take a shot at him.

Obviously, due to the setting of his disruptor, a firefight with him could bring a character to a sudden end. To illustrate this, have the first shot he takes be against a Romulan. If the Romulan is hit, he is vaporized. If he missed, a tree will glow and vanish and characters should get a hint. Another option is for Joachim to run out of “ammo” at a critical moment, especially if one of the characters managed to get into melee range.

Once subdued, Joachim will babble incoherently with the word “Chimera” cropping up occasionally. There is no way to break through verbally or physically.

A Vulcan character may attempt a Mind Meld at Moderate (7) Difficulty. If the character is successful, he will get a blurry image of a random assortment of Romulans with demonic grins on their faces.

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Another group, or later if they are all together, will encounter a Romulan leaning against a tree wounded. A dark, cyan stain can be seen on his tunic. He gasps in pain. One of the Romulan Soldiers moves to treat him.

In the event that a character is scanning him (or the general vicinity) with a Tricorder, have him or her make a Personal Equipment (Tricorder) Test at Challenging (9) Difficulty. If successful, he or she will suddenly learn that the wounded Romulan is anything but a Romulan. Any word of warning to the Romulan Soldier will come too late. The “wounded” Romulan’s hands will melt into blades and skewer his “compatriot”. Treat the attack as a surprise. The characters have just been introduced to Chimera.

Following that, Chimera will turn and make a run for it. Assume that the characters have one round to take their shots at him, any Romulan’s with the characters definitely will. Following that, he will turn onto a common rodent and vanish into a hole somewhere. Assume that any hits on him do one box of damage each on him. Describe Chimera morphing into several different shapes avoiding the bulk of the damage. Keep track of the damage, but remember that you will need him in one piece for Alita’s Bane.

An Enemy in Need

This encounter should be set aside for the team with a doctor among them or at least a character with some competent degree of medical training. The encounter set up is identical to Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. There will be a wounded Romulan with obvious trauma to the midsection (courtesy of Chimera). This Romulan, however, is the real McCoy (pardon the pun). Use the Romulan Soldier statistics provided. Assume all boxes have been filled through “Wounded”.

Any character making a Medical Science (Romulan) Test at Routine (4) Difficulty will realize that the man is losing blood at an exponential rate and will be dead in minutes. Diagnosis is easy. Treatment is hard. Treating the wounded Romulan will require a repeat test. The test’s difficulty level, however, is Challenging (8). If the character succeeds, the Romulan is stabilized. If the character fails, however, another box is filled on the Romulan’s condition monitor. The character may repeat this test until the Romulan is either stabilized or dead. In the event of a dramatic success, The Romulan’s condition actually increases a level.

Alita’s Bane

Eventually the search parties will regroup around a former campsite. Torn and burned canvass hangs from the trees and a random compilation of technology ranging from tricorders and computers can be found here. In the center of the clearing is something more amazing: an Iconian portal.

The Iconian portal has a metallic base of two meters by one meter. Rising from that base is a two-dimensional portal one-meter wide and two meters tall. The portal, every two minutes or so, flashes to a new scene. The scenery varies and is left to the GM’s whims. There are three images that are highly recommended.

Characters crossing the threshold of the portal will appear in whatever scenery is shown. Character entering the portal when it flashes to the Jeffries Tube will find them in the Jeffries Tube. One thing to keep in mind is that the Portal is one-way only. There is no going back by that means.

Commander Modex will calmly greet characters so foolish to go through to the Romulan Bridge. He, and every Romulan on the bridge will then draw disruptors. He will then calmly inform them that for the time being that they are guests of the D’vairin and mention that they would consider it polite for he or she to drop their phasers and come along quietly. Ensure that the characters are outnumbered. The Romulans will have their disruptors set on stun in the event that the characters decide to “go down in a blaze of glory.” Dead Starfleet Officers are of no use to him, the Romulan Navy, or the Tal Shiar.

The portal to the ship’s bridge is an ideal way to get the Chief Engineer back to the ship in the event that he or she is with the Away Team. Set the damage level of the ship (described in LCARS 3.1) to an appropriate level to where the Chief Engineer will have a difficult time but still conceivably “save the day.” If a character asks Alita what is going on upon getting an image of their bridge, she will briskly tell them that she has no concern for the goings-on in the character’s ship. A successful Receptive Empathy or Telepathy Test made at Difficult (12) Difficulty will reveal that while she really isn’t sure, she has a sneaking suspicion it involves Major Sela.

In the event that a character chooses to leap through the portal when it shows scenery not described above, the character is out of range of the Away Team and the ship. The character is out of the remainder of the episode. A merciful GM will let the site be a secluded area of a Federation world where he or she will eventually be picked up. On the other hand, this would make for a great solo adventure hook.

While some characters will be interested in the portal, there is a lot of Romulan technology lying about. Legate Alita will order her team to gather the equipment together and to get what data they can. This should take three rounds or so. Once those tasks are complete, they will be piled together and vaporized.

Characters will have the opportunity to pick up some items themselves. A successful Material Engineering (Personal Equipment) test at Routine (4) difficulty will identify the equipment as a Romulan tricorder or computer console. A character making a dramatic success will learn that this is state-of-the art technology; something one would not expect a “motley band of renegades” to possess.

Eventually Alita will ask that it be handed to her. Alita will meet any arguments with resistance and stand firm. She will accidentally let it slip that this technology is sensitive to Romulan security. Before this breaks into a protracted argument or firefight, the Chimera (who has been silently observing in the form of a shrub, technology, or any unobtrusive item) will attack.

Chimera’s first target will be Alita. While Alita shouldn’t be killed in this part of the episode, an enterprising narrator might want to plant the seed for a “Doomed Romance from Hell.” One of the crew could save her. The character should be one who has no romantic entanglements (or with, if the narrator is real sadistic) and played by a player who is likely to put his/her character’s life on the line. Pass the player a note claiming that he sees and an object morph into a humanoid shape with blades for hands. Also inform him or her that the creature is heading directly for Alita. Let the character make whatever move to save her and roll some dice. The result will be Alita’s life being saved and the character being “nicked” for one point of damage.

Let the battle progress as described in Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. Once Chimera is at the verge of being killed or stunned, have him leap through the Iconian Portal just before it shifts to new scenery.

Commander Modex is not a happy man. To destroy an enemy in combat is one thing. To destroy an enemy by deceit when the only thing offered was a helping hand is another. Although he cannot defy Major Sela directly, he can steal her victory from her and give his honored opponents a way to live to fight another day.

Meanwhile back on the characters’ ship, the crew (hopefully assisted by the Chief Engineer) is desperately trying to keep her together. Toward the end, Commander Modex of the D’vairin will hail the ship requesting to speak to the captain. If the Captain is a player character, role-play it out as normal. If not, have the captain elsewhere and one of the characters on the bridge in charge. He maintains an even tone and a steady poker face when talking although a telepathic character may detect a trace of regret with a successful Receptive Empathy or Telepathy Test made at Difficult (12) Difficulty.

He will tell the character that there isn’t much time and he could save the lives of the ship’s crew. He tells the character to shut down all systems. Once that is done, the D’vairin will provide the ship’s life support with its own. The D’vairin will then take the characters’ ship into Romulan space. The ship will remain with the Romulan Empire but the characters will be returned to Federation space unharmed and without question. To this, he gives his solemn word. Commander Modex is not lying and he has enough political pull to do this.

If this is done, the adventure could very well be over unless the characters pull some rabbit out of their hat (which they are prone to do). If the characters refuse this offer, Commander Modex will say, “I salute you” with the fullest sincerity. With that, he will end the transmission and back his ship away so that the impending explosion would not damage it.

After the battle with the shapeshifter (and before the Chief Engineer can get things put back together on their ship), another team of Romulans will beam down. How many is up to the GM. It should be enough that the Romulans outnumber the Federation two to one. Initially, the Romulans will ignore the characters until the task of destroying everything having to do with the research station. The final touch would be destroying the Iconian Portal with their disruptors. If the characters try to impede them, Alita will be far more forceful this time; even going so far as to make her demands at disruptor-point. If a fight ensues, the Romulans will change their disruptor setting at Setting 1. Alita feels that she owes the characters at least that.

Once the task at hand is done, Commander Modex will hail Alita. She will walk off into the brush to talk to him in private. When she returns, she will sadly announce to the characters that their ship had been destroyed with all hands. She will state the characters are to set their phasers to the ground and come with her. She promises safe passage back to Federation space and offers her word on it. A Receptive Telepathy or Empathy Test made at Difficult (13) Difficulty will confirm that she is telling the truth…or at least what she believes to be the truth. Commander Modex preemptively reported the destruction of the ship and she has no reason to doubt him.

Until this point, the characters back on the ship should not have repaired transporters or communication. Allow some time for the characters below.

If characters balk at this offer, she will point out that they have nowhere else to go and, by Treaty, they cannot remain on this planet. If the character who saved her life starts talking to her about “owing him/her one” she will apologize and state that she is “bound by the Way of D’era”.

Once this exchange is done, it is always possible for the character’s ship to hail them or to be simply transported back to the ship (see LCARS 4.2). The Romulans will do nothing to stop or impede them. In fact, they will all be rather shocked.

As was stated in LCARS 3.1 and 4.0, the characters that stayed behind or returned to the ship to conduct repairs have quite a task in front of them. However long it takes, it is important that they do not finish the job until the encounter in LCARS 4.1 runs its course.

Once the other characters are back aboard and it’s readily apparent to Commander Modex that the ship will not be destroyed, he will hail the character’s ship. He will thank the Federation for their assistance and marvel at their luck. He will then suggest that they both leave the system (“Let’s not have either of us push our luck.”) citing that both ships are in violation of treaty. That said the D’vairin breaks orbit and cloaks.

HANDOUT #1

Other Planets: There are eighteen planets in orbit. Six have been confirmed as Class-J Gas Giants by long-range sensors.

SIS: By treaty, it is illegal for Federation or Romulan military craft to enter Neutral Zone.

NONPLAYER CHARACTERS

LEGATE ALITA

Attributes

Fitness 2
   Vitality +2
Coordination 2
Intellect 2
   Perception +1
Presence 2
   Empathy –1
Psi 0

Skills

Administration (Romulan Military Bureaucracy) 1 (2)
Athletics 1 (2)
Behavior Modification (Resistance) 1 (2)
Computer (Research) 1 (2)
Culture (Romulan) 2 (3)
Dodge 2
Energy Weapon (Disruptor) 2 (4)
Espionage (Counterintelligence) 1 (2)
   (Traffic Analysis) (3)
History (Romulan) 1 (2)
Intimidation (Cross Examination) 1 (3)
Language, Romulan 2
Law (Romulan) 1 (2)
   (Romulan Military Regulations) (2)
Personal Equipment (Tricorder) 1 (2)
Security (Security Systems) 1 (2)
Shipboard Systems (Tactical) 1 (2)
Social Science (Political Science) 1 (2)
Starship Tactics (Federation) 2 (3)
   (Romulan) (3)
Surveillance (Electronic Surveillance) 1 (2)
Unarmed Combat (Romulan Navy Martial Arts) 1 (3)
World Knowledge (Justarus) 1 (2)
   (Romulus) 1 (2)

Advantages/Disadvantages

Benefactor (Commander Modex) +2, Contact (Romulan Military) +2, Dark Secret Revealed –2, Obligation (Romulan Military) –3, Obligation (Tal Shiar) –1, Rival (Romulan Military) –2, Security Clearance +3

Background: Legate Alita is the daughter of the disgraced Admiral Jarok who defected to the Federation after failing a test of loyalty. From that point, loyalty has been a real sticking point for the young legate.

A young Romulan with such a background would not ordinarily hold good prospects with the Romulan Navy much less the Tal Diann. Commander Modex saw otherwise. Modex once served under her father who found him to be a sterling example of a Romulan Officer until that tragedy many years ago. He sponsored her through the War College and, through, various contacts, ensured that she was accepted into the Tal Diann. As a result of this considerable investment, he now has a legate whose loyalties are certain.

“Certain” is a mild term. Alita, with honor restored, will happily die for her commander. She serves him with the utmost loyalty and ensures that the crew’s loyalty is up to par with hers. She has never encountered a “morally gray” area, and generally views things as “black and white.”

She has genuine concern for the Romulans sending the distress signal. To her, the Romulans below are scions of her proud Empire and seeing to their rescue is her duty as a daughter of Romulus.

Role-playing: Try to keep a poker face when dealing with these enemies of the Romulan Empire. Make sure that you sound decisive and every possible instant. When things don’t go the way that they are supposed to do. Dart your eyes back and forth or lick your lips before issuing the next order.

CHIMERA

Attributes

Fitness 3
   Strength +1
   Vitality +2
Coordination 3
   Dexterity +1
   Reaction +1
Intellect 4
   Logic +1
Presence 4
   Empathy –2
   Willpower +1
Psi 0

Skills

Culture (Romulan) 0 (1)
Dodge 2
Energy Weapon (Disruptor) 1 (2)
Medical Science (Romulan) 1 (2)
Security (Security Systems) 1 (2)
Shapeshift 5
Social Science (Sociology) 1 (2)
Stealth (Stealthy Movement) 2 (3)
Unarmed Combat (Changeling) 2 (3)

Advantages/Disadvantages

Arrogant –1, Dark Secret (Changeling) –3, Poor Chemoreception –1, Telepathic Resistance +4

Background: Chimera has no idea who he is or where he is from. He found his way into the Alpha Quadrant by way of an Iconian Portal and took this small planet as his home. The presence of the Romulans was an infringement on his territory, an act that cannot be tolerated. He has since been tracking the Romulans down one by one and killing them. He disposes of the bodies by throwing them through the Iconian Portal. One of the destinations wound up being the characters’ ship.

Role-playing: These solids are nothing more than unwanted animals to be hunted down. You bother with speech only to lure them to you. Your eyes are soulless and you act without remorse.

COMMANDER MODEX

NOTE: Statistics for Commander Modex can be found on pages 23-24 of A Fragile Peace: The Neutral Zone Campaign Vol. 1.

Background: Commander Modex is the captain of the warbird D’vairin. Major Sela of the Tal Shiar to investigate a Romulan distress signal originating in the Neutral Zone commandeered his ship. He has little love for the Tal Shiar and their machinations.

Role-playing: By the time you make contact with the Federation ship, you know their days are numbered. The deplorable tactics used by Major Sela are a black mark upon the Romulan Empire’s proud military history. You are ashamed but you hide it behind a stone cold exterior.

MAJOR SELA

NOTE: Statistics for Major Sela can be found on pages 45-46 in the Romulan Characters booklet of The Way of D’era Boxed Set.

Background: Major Sela is a Romulan Tal Shiar agent who claimed to be the daughter of Enterprise Security Officer Natasha Yar and a Romulan official. Although Yar died in 2364 without ever having a child, it was believed that an alternate version of Yar entered this continuum in 2366, and then went into the past, where she gave birth to Sela. Her past exploits are detailed in “Mind’s Eye”, “Redemption, Parts I and II”, and “Unification, Parts I and II”

The discovery of the Iconian ruins was a coup for her career. The distress signal, to her, is a crimp in her ambition. The arrival of the characters’ ship is an outright annoyance. Major Sela has a way, however, of making lemonade when life hands her a lemon. The characters’ ship is an excellent opportunity for her to test a computer virus that came her way from a previous mission…

Role-playing: Although you are superior to these Humans, the Federation is an enemy that is not to be underestimated. Keep your face neutral when you are on uncertain ground. If they start getting on your nerves, however, scowl.

ROMULAN SOLDIERS

Attributes

Fitness 2
   Strength +1
Coordination 2
Intellect 2
   Perception +1
Presence 2
   Empathy –1
Psi 0

Skills

Athletics (Lifting) 1 (2)
Computer (Research) 1 (2)
Culture (Romulan) 2 (3)
Demolitions (Shipboard Demolitions) 1 (2)
Dodge 1
Energy Weapons (Disruptor Rifles) 2 (3)
History (Romulan) 1 (2)
Language, Romulan 2
Law (Romulan) 1 (2)
Personal Equipment (Tricorder) 1 (2)
Physical Science (Mathematics) 1 (2)
Planetary Tactics (Small Unit) 2 (3)
Planetside Survival (Urban) 2 (3)
Primitive Weaponry (Knife) 1 (2)
Strategic Operations (Ground Forces Strategies) 1 (2)
Unarmed Combat (Romulan Navy Martial Arts) 2 (3)
Vehicle Operations (Shuttlecraft) 1 (2)
World Knowledge (Romulus) 1 (2)

Advantages/Disadvantages

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