Beyond the Zone

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Traveller-Beyond the Zone.

Situation.

Thirty years ago , The Solomani Confederation came crashing down under the attack of a sentient cybernetic AI program that transferred its sentience into duplicates via computerised technology systems. It spread at the speed of the Jump ships that tried to warn of its approach, only to find they carried the infection. It devastated Federation space, turning all automated systems into sentient and largely destructive beings.

The Imperium (Third Imperium), with a vastly different computing protocol, managed to halt the spread along its borders. So to, did some of the Federations of planets that constitute the Solomani Confederation. The Terran Federation managed to stave off the worst of the collapse through a combination of luck and their own highly Imperial-ised computer technology.

Hivers and Aslan had similar success at stopping the spread of the virus at their borders, as did smaller empires with radically different computer protocols. The outbreak that destroyed Solomani space was contained. At great cost, though. The Black Fleets, the Robot Rebellions, the deaths of entire worlds, all of it affected the collective psyche of Imperial citizens.

The Third Imperium incorporated the Terran Federation as the Terran Autonomous Region at the same time as they declared the Zone. All shipping in and out of the Zone had to pass rigorous checks for infection and all systems were declared Red Zones. The entire region was placed under Imperial Martial Law for nearly twenty years. No private shipping could leave the Zone for Imperial space.

Smuggling, piracy and petty empire building have been the way in the Zone, along with two appallingly brutal virus outbreaks that have ravaged subsectors. The Imperium has kept the border tight. So has the TAR, but they have run a variety of covert missions along the Zone over the years and their intelligence network is well established.

In the last ten years, however, the planet by planet struggle to free systems in the Zone has paid off here and there. There are places the TAR are welcome and their antiviral electronics are famous.

The Imperium is considering formal explorations beyond the Zone within the next four years. The TAR has been given leave to ignore this time limit with regard to exploring and contacting old Solomani worlds near their border and perhaps integrating them into the TAR.


The Federation Exploration & Reclamation Agency.

Four years isn’t a lot of time for a region recovering from the aftermath of the Virus wars…the Terran Federation doesn’t have the resources to spare to mount a major operation.

In the usual dance of interstellar politics, the TAR wheels and deals with Imperial sponsors and Megacorps for funding. They reactivate reservists from their Scout and Military services, put in Federation Navy/Scout oversight and pull in every lend-lease mortgage on ships they have. Ambitious retired Imperials from a variety of services are screened, vetted and recruited, especially if the Federation can buy up a ships mortage loan in the deal.

Welcome to the Federation Exploration & Reclamation Agency.

This paramilitary service is being built for entirely one purpose – to go beyond the Zone into old Solomani space, explore what’s there and begin reclaiming worlds. It’s composition after four years is still quite fluid, with a core of returned to service Scout vessels and a few older Naval ships alongside a variety of civilian, merchant and ex-military small craft, normally part-owned by their captain or crew. There are also a number of ships who are subcontracted to the service under a variety of deals.

Your four year mission is to find out...

What lies beyond the Zone?

Few people know anything, and fewer know more than what they have learned in active service or illegal activities. There have been reports of worlds devoid of life except for machines, fleets of ancient, sentient battle groups haunting blasted worlds. But there are also Traders and others who come from Spinward of the Zone - though they are close mouthed about where their homeworlds lie.

It is time for someone to find out.

Character Generation Any of the Mongoose books or supplements are Kosher. I'll go with people rolling their own characters, as we are all adults.

Houserules

  • Maximum of 7 terms (46), unless there’s a pressing reason.
  • Anagathics are life extension treatments in this version of the Imperium. They are common and automatic for Rank 4+ in any of the services.
  • Skills: All characters receive 6 level -1 service skills (instead of level -0) in their first term.
  • In subsequent terms, characters choose skills from their eligible tables instead of rolling for them.
  • Characters must all take their last term in the Federation Exploration & Reclamation Agency.

Background

In broad strokes, characters can have the following backgrounds.

Terran Autonomous Region. A native of Terra or one of the other worlds. TAR has only been an Imperial client for thirty years and the politics are still shaky in the region.

Roll up characters as per normal, but the careers can be in the Federations equivalent of Imperial services.

Old Imperial.

A citizen of the Third Imperium. My spin on the Imperium is that it directly owns and controls some planets or systems (any system with a Gov of 5 or 8 ) and there is some difference between being a full citizen or an independent world or polity. The noble system is an Imperium wide Meritocracy, sustained by ancient lines that own vastly powerful systems.

The role of the Huscarles (personal troops) of the more powerful nobles is more important in this Imperium. This can include entire fleets and divisions of troops amongst the high and mighty.

Roll up characters as per normal. Any special Ops result in the army, marines or navy can be taken as a transfer to a nobles’ personal Huscarles.

The Zone.

The broad stretch of systems that marked the furthest extent of the Virus Wars. By Imperial Law, the entire zone is considered to be a Red Zone under full martial law. No civilian shipping of any kind is allowed to cross the zone into Imperial space and all military traffic is thoroughly scanned and examined. Travel within the zone is possible and quite regular in some areas, but systems are heavily patrolled by the Colonial fleet and the Federated Marshall Service. It is, of course, also a hive of scum and villainy.

Active services in the zone

The Colonial Fleet . A Federation- style service formed out of the need for local space policing in the Zone. Famous for its scrapyard fleets of reclaimed Solomani and Imperial vessels. Rolled up as a navy character. Includes Colonial Marines.

The Free Foreign Legion. An auxiliary service formed along Federation lines. Acting as system troops for the reclamation wars in the Zone. Rolled as army or marine (Mercenary) character.

The Federated Marshall Service. The Zones interstellar police force, acting independently of the Imperial Navy and scout service. Heavily sponsored by the TAR and a few Zone worlds and polities.

Rolled as Space Patrol (a separate, third party career) or Agent (Mongtrav).


Question

The Vegan Autonomous Region. I’m not a big fan of the Vegans in Traveller, but would be willing to replace them if someone has a good suggestion. If not, I’ll run them as another branch of Humaniti, but smaller, with faster reflexes and hand to eye coordination and shorter lifespans.