Mission Synopsis

The newly commissioned Tech 3 Federation flagship is dispatched on its maiden operational assignment: travel to Sawn Prime to extract the disgraced Judge Carthic from the fortified Citadel Prison amidst widespread civilian riots. On the ground, the away team meets desperate prison officials and interrogates a captured human insurgent named Markus Cole, who reveals that Carthic was funneling Federation labor and technology to Dark Claw on Tarienth, where Markus's lover Susan is leading an imperiled resistance. After securing Carthic aboard ship, the crew breaks orbit for the temporary Federation capital on Kurgian Prime, only to be ambushed by a stealth Dark Claw strike corvette armed with Shield Piercers attempting a high-risk boarding assault to seize the Judge!

Mission Encounter Flow

Scene 1: Mission Debriefing in the Situation Room

Read the following aloud to the players to open the campaign:

You all find your seats in the ready room. The air still smells of fresh chemicals and recently fabricated deck plates. The ship has yet to shed its newness. Once everyone is seated, the lights dim and the main screen lights up, showing Admiral Tavik at her desk. She is a proud and stern-looking Kurgian. She pauses, a piercing gaze felt even through the video feed. Then she speaks.
"The Federation stands on the precipice, at a turning point in our great but short history. I cannot help but feel that the recent events at our border, and now on Sawn Prime, point to a greater challenge ahead. One that we must face with bravery and resolve, or else it may ruin us.
Your mission is to go to Sawn Prime, retrieve the dishonorable Judge Carthic, and bring him back to Kurgian Prime to be questioned by the Federation Council.
The citizens there at Sawn Prime are, as you are already aware, in riot. The Hall of Justice is practically besieged. People want blood; they demand justice. And they think their judiciary is corrupt. And I do not blame them for what Carthic is accused of doing. Hopefully some good will come out of this. As he may know some of what the Lepidonians are up to. If he dies, the truth goes with him. That is information we desperately need.
Sending the elite new flagship of our navy on this task will hopefully send a strong signal to the citizens of Sawn Prime that their government takes this seriously, and to the Lepidonians that we mean business. However, the Federation Navy is worried that won't be enough to calm the people. We are redirecting our Following Fleet, with Admiral Orin Pike at the head, to rendezvous with you in orbit above Swan Prime. They will stay behind and, if necessary, enact martial law for the first time in all Federation history."
She pauses again. With a sigh, she continues. "The council fears the same: that sending the flagship to pick up Judge Carthic won't be enough. So, in their infinite wisdom, they have required a Mission Specialist to come with you, a politician taking on a political advisory role. When you land at the Hall of Justice, it will be his job to give a speech and, hopefully, calm the citizenry. His name is Counselor Vael Aquila, and he is running for re-election; keep an eye on that one.
You may have noted I said 'land' at the Hall of Justice. No beaming! We want cameras on the disgraced judge in chains as he is carried away. Just having a beam take up won't do. I want all you officers there too! I want you wearing your best formal dress uniforms! I want those uniforms to look so sharp and clean it will take an electron microscope to find a mistake. I want your badges and medals so polished that when a report takes a picture, people will have to cover their eyes! You will be a shining but stern reminder of the honor, duty, and strength of the Federation Navy... which also happens to have a winged Carrier in orbit."
She pauses again to make sure that all sinks in. Then she speaks again: "When you leave, you will be winged." She raises a hand in anticipation of any retort. "This isn't an insult. We know you do not need support on this mission. The FSS Abyssal Hunter, a tried and true Battleship that your design will be replacing, will accompany you. She will also be winged with the Battlecruiser FSS Thresher. I actually served on the Thresher; never have there been two finer fish to swim the void sea than these. The Sayorian capital, Swan Prime, is on the way to the Lepidenian border. Swan Prime isn't their target; instead, they're on a different mission."
She pauses again. "Any questions?" <The GM should open the floor to interactions, but this should be kept brief>
She pauses once more to collect herself. "Counselor Vael Aquila should be arriving any minute. You have my permission to disembark. May the wind be at your back and the waves follow; may the void be gentle to your souls. You leave immediately."

Key Information & Dialogue with Admiral Tavik

Why Kurgian Prime instead of trying him on Sawn Prime?

"That was the original idea. However, Sawn Prime's courts are compromised and currently encircled by burning barricades. This has become a larger issue now that Lepidonian is building up at the border. And as you know, the Federation council moves every 5 cycles from Kurgian Prime to Swarn Prime and back again. So the council is currently on Kurgian, and it wants to interview Carthic to see what he knows about the current Lepidonian activity.

What exactly did Carthic do?

"Officially? Bribery, treasonous communication, and signing illegal extraterritorial transport permits. Unofficially? We suspect he has ties to the Dark Claw, a paramilitary Lepidonian terrorist group that has been growing in strength and size recently. We need him interrogated by Naval Intelligence on Kurgian Prime."

What about the ship's readiness?

"We are telling the public that the FSS Vanguard final shake-down cruise is to escort the Judge back to Kugrian Prime. But we understand the ship is not 100% ready."

Skill Checks During the Briefing

Sense Motive (DC 15): The Admiral is deeply shaken. Beneath her stern posture, her voice has an edge of quiet dread—she suspects that Carthic is merely the visible tip of a conspiracy that reaches deep into the Federation Senate.
Knowledge (Culture) (DC 14): Relocating the trial to Kurgian Prime is legally sound but politically flammable; Sayor civic nationalists may view the Kurgians as meddling in Sayor judicial sovereignty.
Knowledge (History) (DC 16): The Grayling Envoy possesses arbitrary legal authority under the Treaty. If they deem the Federation incapable of governing its territories, treaty protections dissolve automatically.

Scene 2: Transit to Sayor Space – The Shakedown Interlude

The ship appears to disembark with little fanfare. Usually, a ship like this launched on its first mission would draw a crowd, with traditions observed, politicians giving speeches, and cheers from the public. Instead, just a few rushed reporters hurriedly set up camera equipment on the observation deck of the Spacedock.
The ship leaves the station gracefully in silence and turns to face the void of space.

The voyage across the core transit corridor to Sawn Prime is smooth and unaccosted by enemy patrols. This stretch provides the GM and players an ideal opportunity to test their bridge stations and introduce their characters.

The ship is given the Quirk: Experimental. Once the ship is on its way, the GM should roll a d6 to find out which ship system is failing. Inform whatever Officer position is most related to the ship system. If in doubt, just inform the person playing the Chief Engineer. If no one is, then perhaps the Chief Science Officer, or simply role-play the correct Officer informing the Players of the problem. Below is a list of 'checks' different positions may do to find the issue to resolve.

The Captain should order, or be suggested to order, by an NPC to do ship-wide diagnostics on this new ship. The positions and checks are noted below. One of these systems should be failing due to the Experimental Quirk.

Bridge Station Diagnostics (Level 5 Shakedown Checks)

Ranking Helmsman (Piloting DC 14):

Action: Fine-tune sub-light thruster balance and inertial dampeners.
Success: Grants +1 to Tactical Mobility for the first round of the upcoming starship combat.

Sensors & Comms Operator (Computer Use or Electronics DC 15):

Action: Calibrate long-range sensor arrays and filter local emergency bands.
Success: Intercepts planetary law enforcement audio from Sawn Prime early, gaining advance layout data on the Citadel landing pad (+2 on Initiative during Scene 3).

Chief Engineer (Repair or Engineering DC 15):

Action: Optimize the Tech 3 Core reactor's power grid.
Success: Grants 1 temporary Overcharge Point (can be expended during spaceship combat to grant a +2 bonus to any single CSA for 1 round).

Chief Tactical / Weapons Officer (Weapons / Tactical DC 14):

Action: Run bore-sight diagnostics on point-defense turrets and missile racks.
Success: The first Point-Defense reaction roll in starship combat rolls with Advantage.

Chief Medical / Science Officer (Medicine or Science DC 14):

Action: Prepare medical trauma stations and review physiological files on Sayor neuro-biology.
Success: Prepares tailored tranquilizer and anti-shock kits; any healing done during the boarding encounter restores +3 additional HP.

Marine Squad Commanders (Alpha & Beta) (Tactics / Leadership DC 14):

Action: Drill the squads in non-lethal crowd containment and CQB corridor defense.
Success: Marines gain +2 on saving throws against fear and disorienting conditions during the mission.

Character Trait Roleplay Prompts

Trait 1 (Captain's Confidant): A quiet discussion in the Captain's ready room over synthetic tea regarding the political fallout if the flagship fails.
Trait 4 (Traumatized by Lepidonians): The character notices subtle Lepidonian cyphers in the encrypted comm chatter coming from Sawn Prime, triggering flashbacks of the occupation.
Trait 6 (Ties in the DMZ): The character receives a fragmented personal transmission from an orbital relay near Tarienth, mentioning escalating strikes and missing workers before the signal abruptly clips out.

Arrival in Sawn Prime Orbit

Dropping out of FTL, the sapphire-blue jewel of Sawn Prime fills the primary viewport. However, high-orbit views immediately reveal the crisis: black smoke spirals upward from several civic sectors of Swan, the planetary capital. The planetary traffic beacon transmits on repeat:

"Attention all arriving commercial vessels: Swan Metropolitan Spaceport is operating under Code Red emergency restrictions. Planetary curfew is in effect. Avoid Sectors 4 through 9."

Scene 3: The Sawn Prime Citadel & The Rebel's Plea

Planetary Insertion & The Restless Crowd

The away team, accompanied by a detachment from Marine Squad Alpha ("Hell's Hammer"), boards an armored atmospheric shuttle and descends through the smog and low clouds to the Central Detention Citadel of Swan.

The Citadel is an ominous, brutalist structure of reinforced ferro-concrete and blast-resistant durasteel rising above the city's lower industrial district. The dropship lands with a hydraulic hiss on the elevated exterior landing platform, sixty feet above street level.

Read the following aloud as the ramp opens:

"As the shuttle's boarding ramp lowers, the smell of burnt rubber, tear gas, and ozone hits your nostrils. Below the security catwalks, an ocean of protesters has surrounded the base of the Citadel.
Thousands of voices merge into a deafening roar: 'Hang the traitor Carthic! No secret courts! Sayor will not be sold!'
Banners painted in Sayor glyphs and human English flap in the wind. Handheld searchlights sweep the barricades. Suddenly, a volley of improvised projectiles—cracked paving stones, glass bottles filled with burning fuel, and smoke canisters—slams against the magnetic riot barrier along the platform's edge. Local planetary riot police in scuffed blue carapace shields struggle to hold the perimeter stairwells."

Skill Challenge: Navigating the Platform:

Diplomacy or Intimidate (DC 16): Project Federation authority and broadcast a calming loudspeaker message explaining that Carthic is being remanded for trial, not exonerated. Success: The crowd pauses; missile fire drops significantly.
Perception or Sense_Motive (DC 15): Spot masked agitators in the rear ranks equipped with military-grade smoke grenades intentionally egging on the crowd to provoke the guards into opening fire.
Athletics or Defense (DC 14): Intercept a thrown incendiary bomb with a riot shield or kick it harmlessly off the platform edge before it ignites fuel lines.
Lethal Force Warning: If the PCs use lethal weapons on the crowd, the riot escalates into an all-out assault; local security morale shatters, and Admiral Tavik issues an immediate reprimand.

Meeting the Officials

At the reinforced blast doors of the Citadel, two figures hurry forward surrounded by four exhausted prison guards:

Warden Kren (Sayor Male): Sweaty, dark circles under his grey eyes, wearing scuffed tactical armor. He has not slept in 48 hours.
"Thank the stars you're here! Our automated turrets are down to ten percent power, and half my guards abandoned their posts when the crowds broke the outer plaza gates! If Carthic stays here another night, they'll pull this citadel down with their bare hands!"
Magistrate Solas (Sayor Male): A high-ranking civic official in rumpled diplomatic robes, trembling with anxious energy.
"Captain, here are the extradition codicils signed by the Ministry of Justice. Take him. Take him off our world before this city burns to the ground!"

The Rebel's Tale: Interrogating Markus Cole:

Before the Warden leads the team to Carthic, two prison guards drag forward a battered, bruised human man in magnetic restraint cuffs:

"Warden Kren spits on the deck: 'We caught this one thirty minutes ago in the coolant tunnels beneath the secure cells. He was trying to bypass the secondary generator. Another lunatic here to slit Carthic's throat!'
The human man lifts his head. His lip is split, and his knuckles are bloody, but his eyes burn with desperate conviction.
'I wasn't trying to kill him!' the man shouts, his voice hoarse. 'Listen to me! If you take Carthic out without understanding what he did, everyone on Tarienth is dead! My name is Markus Cole! I'm from the DMZ colony!'"

Markus's Revelations

His Lover, Susan: Markus explains that his partner and lover is Susan Ward, a brilliant human environmental engineer and leader of the independent reclamation workers on Tarienth.
The Truth About Tarienth: The official narrative claims the Federation failed its terraforming obligations due to neglect. Markus swears that Dark Claw—the Lepidonian black-ops syndicate—deliberately sabotaged the main atmospheric scrubbers in the southern hemisphere. They created an artificial environmental collapse to force the Federation into default.
Slave Labor & Secret Shipments: Dark Claw has seized the southern geothermal installations on Tarienth, forcing abducted human refugees and indentured Sayor miners to strip-mine raw hyper-conductive crystals to fund their terror fleet.
Carthic's Real Crime: Judge Carthic didn't just accept bribes. He used his judicial authority to sign falsified quarantine seizure orders and off-book convict transfers. Carthic legally "disappeared" hundreds of dissidents, refugees, and engineers from Sawn Prime and secretly shipped them directly into Dark Claw's forced-labor compounds on Tarienth!
Susan's Mission: Susan discovered the paper trail on Tarienth and organized an underground resistance cell called the Vanguard Free Union. She sent Markus with a cracked data-crystal to Sawn Prime to deliver the evidence to Federation authorities, but when he arrived, Carthic had already been detained and martial law declared.
The Plea:

"Susan is still down there in the dust storms, fighting Dark Claw with mining lasers and scrap wrenches! Carthic has the master decryption key to the manifest databases on his private terminal. If you let Dark Claw silence him, or if the Grayling Envoy rules against us, Susan and everyone on Tarienth will be butchered! You have to save her!"

Evidence Provided: Markus hands over a battered data-chip. A quick check (Computer Use DC 14) verifies that the files contain encrypted cargo manifests signed with Carthic's personal judicial hash, routing heavy industrial atmospheric converters to an uncharted grid in the Tarienth DMZ.

Securing Judge Carthic

Warden Kren orders the inner holding cell opened. Judge Carthic is escorted out by two heavily armed guards.

Description: An elder Sayor with slicked-back white hair, sharp aquiline features, and expensive silver-embroidered robes now stained with sweat. He wears class-4 neural dampener cuffs.
Demeanor: Inwardly terrified but attempting to maintain an aura of aristocratic disdain.

"Federation lapdogs. You think you understand the complexities of interstellar diplomacy? You strut around in your polished armor while the Lepidonians amass dreadnoughts on our borders. Everything I did was to preserve the peace! Sawn Prime would have been turned to glass if not for my arrangements!"

Reaction to Markus & Susan: When Markus steps forward and mentions Susan Ward and the encrypted manifests, Carthic's face drains of color.

Sense_Motive (DC 14): Carthic is not just contemptuous; he is petrified. He glances nervously at the sky through the high reinforced skylights.
Carthic's Warning: "You fools... you think Dark Claw will let you put me on a witness stand? You have just signed all of our death warrants. We will never reach Kurgian Prime alive."

Extraction Under Pressure

With Carthic secured in suppression clamps and Markus taken along as a vital material witness under protective custody, the team retreats to the dropship. The crowd surges forward, attempting to breach the catwalk gates. Through well-timed flash-bangs, non-lethal repulsor fields, and smart piloting (Piloting DC 14), the shuttle roars into the sky, leaving the rioting streets of Swan behind.

Scene 4: Deep Orbit Ambush – The Shadow Claw Strikes

Arrival Aboard the Flagship

The dropship lands in the flagship's secondary shuttle bay.

Judge Carthic is marched under heavy guard by Marine Squad Alpha down to Deck 4: Cell Block B (The Brig), where he is placed in a reinforced magnetic stasis cell.
Markus Cole is escorted to the auxiliary medical bay for treatment and debriefing.
The ship clears planetary orbit, raises shields, and charts a course for the primary jump gate toward Kurgian Prime.

The Ambush: Out of the Dark:

Halfway between Sawn Prime's upper orbital perimeter and the hyper-spatial jump buoy, the flagship's bridge goes on red alert!

"The bridge klaxon blares with a sharp, dual-tone screech. Tactical displays flash crimson across all main consoles.
'Sensors picking up severe gravimetric distortion three hundred meters off our starboard quarter!' the comms officer shouts. 'No engine wash, no transponder—it dropped out of active stealth at point-blank range!'
Through the forward viewport, the stars distort. A sleek, predatory warship—black as obsidian, shaped like a barbed dagger with angular sensor baffles—phases into reality. Its hull bears the crimson insignia of the Dark Claw syndicate.
'Hostile targeting lock!' Tactical shouts. 'Multiple missile launches detected! Fast movers—they aren't standard ordnance!'"

The enemy vessel is the Obsidian Fang, an elite Dark Claw Infiltration Corvette. It does not intend to destroy the flagship—doing so would kill Judge Carthic. Instead, it unleashes a coordinated strike designed to strip defenses and board!

The Weapon: Shield Piercers!:

The Obsidian Fang fires a volley of specialized Shield Piercer Rockets directly into the flagship's forward shield arc.

Mechanics of the Attack: Under FuturePath rules, Shield Piercers roll a single d10 to breach the shield frequency without needing to overcome standard hull damage resistance.
The Obsidian Fangs Weapons Officer rolls d10 + 3' vs the Flagship's Shield DC.
Hit Effect: Instead of inflicting Battle Damage, each successful hit strips 2 points of Shields (Reflectors) from the ship's defense grid for the duration of the engagement!
Narrative Result: The flagship shudders violently as emerald electrical discharges ripple across the hull. The primary shields flicker and collapse across the midship quadrant, creating a blind spot in the ship's defensive perimeter!

Scene 5: Tactical Starship Defense & Boarding Action

Phase 1: Bridge Crew Tactical Round (1-2 Rounds):

The GM runs 1 or 2 quick rounds of Starship Combat using the standard 3-Phase Crew Sequence while the enemy closes distance to launch boarding craft:

Support Phase:

Captain: Uses Give Command or Encourage to provide bonus d10s to the Tactical Officer or Helmsman.
Science Officer: Attempts an immediate Electronic Counter-Hack or Boost Shields (Science DC 15) to restore 1 stripped reflector or trace the enemy's cloaking frequency.

Action Phase:

Helmsman: Performs Defensive Maneuvering (Pilot DC 15) to deny the corvette an optimal docking vector (+2 Tracking DC).
Comms Operator: Activates Sensor Jamming (Electronics DC 15) to disrupt the enemy's boarding pod guidance telemetry.
Weapons Officer: Fires ship batteries at the Obsidian Fang (Targeting BD-DC 6, 6) and coordinates Point-Defense.

Response Phase:

Chief Engineer: Reroutes emergency power to bulkheads and life support (Repair DC 15).
Medical Officer: Prepares trauma teams on Deck 4 for incoming boarding casualties.

The Point-Defense Interception

The Obsidian Fang fires 2 Heavy Breaching Leeches (Boarding Pods) aimed at the secondary maintenance airlocks on Deck 4.

The Weapons Officer rolls Point-Defense (Opposed d10 vs d10, highest wins; roll with Advantage if calibrated during Scene 2).
If Successful: Point-defense lasers blow 1 Breaching Pod into molten slag! Only 1 pod penetrates the hull, cutting the number of enemy shock breachers in half!
If Failed: Both Breaching Pods slam into the hull with bone-jarring force, penetrating the maintenance airlock and deploying the full strike team!

Scene 6: Climax – Defending the Brig (CQB Encounter)

Setting the Battlefield: Deck 4 Corridor & Cell Block B:

Sirens wail, and amber hazard strobes illuminate Deck 4. The enemy breaching clamps have cut through the hull plating of Maintenance Airlock 4-B, only forty yards down the corridor from Cell Block B where Judge Carthic is locked inside!

Deck 4 Tactical Layout

Breach Point (Airlock 4-B): Where the enemy breaching leeches latched on. Smoke and pressurized frost pour into the corridor.
Bulkhead Blastdoors: Positioned halfway down the hall. Can be sealed via a wall terminal (Computer Use DC 15) to block line of sight or divide enemy forces.
Service Corridor: 10 feet wide, lined with high-cover cargo containers and conduits.
Hazardous Conduits: Stray weapon fire near the exposed plasma conduits can rupture power feeds (Reflex DC 14 or take 2d6 electrical damage, 10-ft burst).
Cell Block B Foyer: Directly outside Carthic's cell. This is where the Sapper Drone deploys its thermal cutting beam.

The Enemy Forces

Commander Kraven Vael (Level 6 Cyborg Infiltrator): Armed with a Masterwork Heavy Pulse Carbine, active optical camo, and a vibro-shock baton. He coordinates the assault and covers the sapper drone.
Dark Claw Shock Breachers (3 to 6 Troopers; 3 if 1 pod was destroyed, 6 if both landed): Heavy assault mercenaries wearing pressurized kinetic weave armor, wielding Arc-Scatterguns and thermal breaching charges.
1 Heavy Sapper Drone: A hovering, tracked cutting unit deployed at the entrance to Cell Block B to slice open Carthic's magnetic blast door.

Encounter Objectives & Hazards

Primary Objective: Protect Judge Carthic from abduction or assassination.
The 3-Round Sapper Timer: The Sapper Drone requires 3 full rounds of uninterrupted cutting to breach Carthic's cell door.

A character can destroy the drone (HP 22, AC 15) or disable its cutting laser via an Electronics / Computer Use check (DC 16).
If the door is breached, Kraven's orders are: extract Carthic into a mag-capsule; if extraction is impossible, execute him to prevent interrogation.

Bulkhead Blastdoors: An officer can use an adjacent wall console (Computer Use DC 15) as a Move Action to seal an emergency bulkhead, cutting the enemy team in half or blocking line of sight for 1 round.

Carthic's Panic During Combat

Inside the cell, Carthic watches through the reinforced viewport in absolute hysteria:

"Shoot them! Kill that cyborg! If they get in here, they won't leave me breathing! Commander, open the external venting valves—blow them into space! Do something!"

Tactical Enemy AI

The Shock Breachers deploy smoke canisters and hunker behind corridor cargo containers, providing covering fire with Arc-Scatterguns.
Commander Kraven activates his active optical camo (+4 Stealth) to slip through flanking maintenance vents, attempting to ambush the player Captain or Security Officer from behind.
If Kraven is reduced to below 15 HP, or if the Sapper Drone is destroyed and half his breachers fall, he orders a fighting retreat back toward the airlock leeches.

Scene 7: Aftermath, Revelations, and Strategic Crossroads

Breaking the Ambush

Once the boarding team in Deck 4 is neutralized, the Obsidian Fang in orbit realizes the mission has failed. Battered by the flagship's main turrets and with its boarding party eliminated, the corvette engages high-output thrusters and warps into hyperspace, retreating into the border expanse.

Interrogating the Survivors & Recovering Intel

Players can interrogate captured mercenaries or hack Commander Kraven's cybernetic data-slate (Computer Use DC 16):

Direct Orders from Tarienth: The data-slate contains signed transmission logs from "Overlord Xul", Dark Claw's regional commander stationed in the badlands of Tarienth.
The "Clean Sweep" Directive: The orders state clearly: "Extract Carthic if viable. If extraction fails, liquidate him immediately. The Grayling Envoy must find no living links between the Syndicate and the Sayor Judiciary."
The Acbar Connection: Encrypted sub-routines reveal that Dark Claw has established an automated comm-scrambler network in orbit around Acbar. The planet was intentionally forced into silence to keep the Federation and Graylings blind to movements in the DMZ!

Carthic's Complete Breakdown & Confession

Seeing Kraven's corpses in the corridor and knowing his former "allies" sent a hit-squad to execute him breaks what little arrogance Carthic had left:

"Judge Carthic slumps against the wall of his cell, trembling violently.
'They were going to kill me... after everything I gave them! Those insectoid bastards were going to butcher me like an animal!'
He looks up at the players, tears welling in his grey eyes.
'Markus was telling the truth! It was Dark Claw! They blackmailed me three years ago—they held my daughter on an orbital transport! I signed the transfer orders. Over six hundred political prisoners and engineers were shipped to Tarienth under false treason warrants. They built a subterranean refining facility beneath the Great Geothermal Rift!
Here—take my private biokey! It unlocks my hidden server in the judicial archives. It contains every coordinates manifest, every invoice, and every frequency Dark Claw uses in the DMZ. Just please... keep me alive. Hand me over to the Kurgian tribunal. At least in a Kurgian prison, I'll live to see tomorrow!'"

Arrival at Kurgian Prime

The flagship completes its journey to Kurgian Prime, dropping out of warp before the gleaming emerald orbital spires of the Kurgian defense fleet.

Judge Carthic is formally handed over to Federation Military Police and Naval Intelligence under heavy guard.
Markus Cole is placed under official protective status as a primary whistleblower witness.
Admiral Tavik greets the crew via priority hologram:

"You did the impossible. You extracted Carthic without igniting a civil war on Sawn Prime, preserved our ship, and secured the smoking gun that exposes Dark Claw's plot. The Federation owes you a profound debt.
However, our time is short. The Grayling Envoy has already entered the sector. We have two urgent crises, and I am granting you the authority to choose your next deployment."

Mission Rewards & Level Milestone

Milestone Advancement: All Player Characters advance to Level 6! (Gain Class Talents, HP, and Skill points according to the progression table).
Ship Upgrades & Requisition: The crew receives 25,000 ISK in requisition credits for ship modifications, masterwork gear, or Marine squad equipment.
Commendation: The Captain and senior officers receive the Federation Star of Valor, granting +1 on all social interaction checks with Federation military personnel.

The Strategic Crossroads: Next Missions

Option A: Control of Tarienth: Speed toward Tarienth to link up with Susan Ward's resistance, expose Dark Claw's subterranean slave-labor camps, and restore the atmospheric scrubbers before the Grayling Envoy and Jovian escort arrive to rule the treaty breached.
Option B: Acbar in the Dark: Travel to the silent trade metropolis of Acbar to investigate the electronic blackout, disable the syndicate scrambler relays, and rescue the trapped Grayling Ambassador whose testimony can prevent full-scale war.

Appendix: Stat Blocks & Technical Specifications

1. Non-Player Characters (NPCs)

Fleet Admiral Valen Tavik (Federation Flag Officer)

Medium Sayor, Level 10 Aristocrat / Naval Commander, Lawful Neutral

Initiative: +4 (+1 Dex, +3 Wis) | Perception: +17
HP: 68 | AC: 16 (+5 Dress Carapace, +1 Dex)
Attacks: Masterwork Sidearm Laser +9 ranged (1d8+2 energy, crit 19-20)
Key Skills: Diplomacy +16, Knowledge (Civics) +15, Knowledge (Tactics) +14, Leadership +16, Sense Motive +15
Special Ability – Fleet Command: Allies within voice range gain +2 on saving throws vs fear and +1 on attack rolls.

Markus Cole (Human Resistance Courier)

Medium Human, Level 4 Scoundrel / Tech Specialist, Chaotic Good

Initiative: +6 (+3 Dex, +3 Wis) | Perception: +10
HP: 26 | AC: 14 (+1 Padded Liner, +3 Dex)
Attacks: Unarmed +3 melee (1d3 non-lethal) or Improvised Shiv +3 melee (1d4)
Key Skills: Acrobatics +8, Computer Use +9, Demolitions +8, Stealth +10, Survival +7
Possessions: Cracked data-crystal with Carthic's shipping manifests, worn locket containing a holovid of Susan Ward.

Judge Carthic (Disgraced Sayor Magistrate)

Medium Sayor, Level 6 Bureaucrat / Jurist, Lawful Evil

Initiative: +1 (+0 Dex, +1 Wis) | Perception: +9
HP: 28 | AC: 10
Attacks: None while restrained (Neural suppression cuffs impose Disadvantage on mental checks).
Key Skills: Bluff +13, Diplomacy +14, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (Law & Treaties) +16
Possessions: Hidden biometric cypher-chip (implanted beneath collarbone).

2. Combat Encounter: Boarding Party

Commander Kraven Vael (Dark Claw Infiltration Leader)

Medium Cyborg Human, Level 6 Soldier / Operative, Neutral Evil

Initiative: +5 (+2 Dex, +3 Wis) | Perception: +11
HP: 52 | Personal Shield Belt: 12 Temp HP (Recharges 5 per minute)
AC: 18 (+6 Heavy Tactical Ceramic Armor, +2 Dex) | Touch: 12 | Flat-Footed: 16
Speed: 30 ft
Attacks:

Masterwork Heavy Pulse Carbine: +9 ranged (2d8+3 energy, crit 19-20/x2, range 60 ft)
Vibro-Shock Baton: +8 melee (1d6+2 slashing + 1d6 electrical, DC 15 Fort save or Shaken for 1 round)

Abilities: STR 14 (+2), DEX 15 (+2), CON 14 (+2), INT 13 (+1), WIS 16 (+3), CHA 10 (+0)
Skills: Athletics +8, Computer Use +7, Demolitions +8, Perception +11, Stealth +11
Gear: Active Optical Camouflage Cloak (+4 Stealth when moving at half speed), 2x Flashbang Grenades (DC 15 Reflex or Blinded/Deafened for 1 round), Breaching Datapad.

Dark Claw Shock Breachers (3 to 6 Troopers)

Medium Human / Lepidonian Mercenaries, Level 4 Soldier, Neutral Evil

Initiative: +2 (+1 Dex, +1 Wis) | Perception: +7
HP: 34 each | AC: 16 (+5 Reinforced Kinetic Weave, +1 Dex)
Speed: 30 ft
Attacks:

Arc-Scattergun: +6 ranged (2d6 energy, 15-ft cone or 30-ft single target)
Tactical Combat Knife: +5 melee (1d4+2 piercing, crit 19-20)

Gear: 1x Frag Grenade (3d6 explosive, 15-ft burst, DC 14 Reflex half), Breaching Shield (+2 AC against directional fire).

Sapper Drone

Small Automated Breaching Construct, Construct Traits

Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex) | Perception: +5 (Darkvision 60 ft)
HP: 22 | AC: 15 (+1 Size, +3 Dex, +1 Hardened Shell)
Speed: Fly 30 ft (hover)
Attacks: Internal Arc Arc-Taser: +5 ranged (1d8 electrical, range 20 ft)
Special Action – Thermal Door Cutter: Spends a full-round action cutting a sealed bulkhead or cell door. After 3 successful rounds, the door is breached.

3. Spaceship Stat Blocks & Mechanics

Enemy Vessel: The Obsidian Fang (Dark Claw Infiltration Corvette)

Tech Level 2.5 Infiltration Hull, Size: Medium (Max Battle Damage: 3)

Core System Attributes (CSA Budget: 16 Points):

Engines: +3 (High tactical mobility)
Weapons: +3 (Reroll up to 3 successful attack d10s)
Structure: +2 (Base 4 + 2 = 6 successes needed to deal 1 BD)
Shields: +2 (Reflectors: Base 4 + 2 = 6 minimum roll to hit)
Electronics: +4 (Cyberwarfare and Cloak management)
Sensors: +2 (Passive Detection: 12)

Secondary Attributes:

Battle Damage Defense (BD-DC): (6, 6)
Tracking DC: 13 [10 + (3 Mobility + 2 Shields) - 2 Structure]
Stealth DC: 17 (Active Silent Operations Cloak)
Tactical Speed: 7 Squares

Armament & Equipment:

1x Twin Pulse Laser (Hard Points 3, Range: Medium)
1x Shield Piercer Missile Rack (Ammo: 4 Shield Piercers; on hit, strips 2 Shield Reflectors from target instead of dealing damage)
2x Heavy Breaching Leeches (Boarding Pods with magnetic hull grapples)
Active Stealth Cloak (Disables engines/shields while active; +4 to Stealth DC)

Player Vessel Baseline: The FSS Vanguard (Federation Tech 3 Flagship)

Tech Level 3 Cruiser Hull, Size: Gargantuan/Colossal (Max Battle Damage: 4-5)

Core System Attributes (CSA Budget: 20 Points):

Engines: +3
Weapons: +4
Structure: +4 (Resistance: 8 successes needed to deal 1 BD)
Shields: +4 (Reflectors: 8 minimum roll to hit)
Electronics: +3
Sensors: +2

Secondary Attributes:

Battle Damage Defense (BD-DC): (8, 8)
Tracking DC: 13 + Helm Pilot Mods

Shield Piercer Interaction: When hit by the Obsidian Fangs Shield Piercers, the flagship's Reflectors temporarily drop from 8 down to 6', opening a vulnerability window for the Breaching Leeches!