Last Episode
Burdened with refugees from the destroyed Copernicus Dome on Luna, the Beautiful Dreamer made a stopover on Mars. Complications arose, and the Jovian agents being smuggled home by the Dreamer’s crew found themselves fleeing up the Martian Elevator. As the Dreamer left Martian orbit, a terrorist organization severed Heaven Station from the Elevator, sending it plunging to the surface below and wrecking untold havoc.
The Scenario
With the disaster on Mars behind them and the eyes of the solar system focused on them, the Dreamer finally manages to slip away from its CEGA pursuers. With fresh supplies and full fuel tanks from their stopover at Mars, the Dreamer is easily able to make Jupiter. There, the players deliver Dr. Peyarje (or his notes, if the doctor did not survive or was recaptured) to the JAW Skunk Works team on Joshua Station. While refitting the Prometheus prototype exo-armor, the team begins constructing a CAT-equipped recon drone to follow up on the hints of Floater Creatures found in Slumbering Eidolon’s memory banks or uncovered by the players during their travels.
Desperate to cover up the evidence of their plot, the Bank has ordered Kleb to take whatever action is necessary to prevent the Jovians from discovering the Floaters. Kleb, his last shreds of sanity destroyed by Venusian drugs, orders the CEGA 4th Fleet’s 1st Battlegroup, still assigned to recover Peyarje and waiting just outside of Jovian space, into action. Their objective is the total destruction of Elysee, Joshua Station, and however many other Jovian colonies as necessary to dispose of the evidence!
The Elysee Station sensor net has been disabled by a CEGA agent, allowing the fleet to close with the colony undetected. A powerful web of jamming devices has been deployed by the fleet to prevent the station from calling for help. Kleb’s plan is to deorbit the station with retro-rocket packs placed on its hull by squads of exo-suited marines. This will plunge the colony through dense Jovian radiation belts in less than twenty-four hours and drop the then-empty colony into the Jovian atmosphere mere days later. This will take care of the inhabitants quite nicely and avoiding the massive munitions expenditure necessary to destroy a colony cylander.
Character Involvement
Pilot characters are the easiest to involve in this episode, as they were what the segment was originally written for. JAF combat pilots can trivially become involved in the Battle of Elysee, fighting to turn back the CEGA invasion fleet. (See “The God and the Dragon, Part I”, below, for the way this was originally scripted) This should involve daring duels, close calls, wounded or lost friends, and a desperate battle against overwhelming odds. High-tension heated arguments between bitter foes in the midst of mortal combat should be employed for sure!
JIS agents are the next easiest to involve. They can become involved in the exo-suit battle on the hull of Elysee station and the race to disarm the thrusters Kleb is using to de-orbit the station. Or they can become embroiled in intrigue while the battle rages outside, trying to track down the agents that opened a hole in the Elysee defensive/sensor grid for the CEGA fleet to slip through. If they can disable the jammers and restore the sensor net, Elysee can call for help. Or they could try to protect important figures (those that know things about Methuselah or the Floaters) from Venusian assassins sent to garuntee they don’t escape.
Reporters are the hardest to involve at this point. There’s nothing they can really do to affect the course of the battle itself. What they can do is try to get word out past the CEGA jamming screen, warning the other Olympus colonies of the attack. This could be an adventure in itself - slipping out past the CEGA blockade, then convincing a disbelieving (or possibly suborned) military commander that he needs to take action now, or millions of people will die. They can also use their press passes to get places they normally couldn’t, such as military bases. This could allow them to get in touch with higher-up officers that’re normally unavailable, or perhaps being held captive by the Venusians.
NPCs, Organizations, and Plot Points
Admiral Thorsen (NPC)
Faction: JAF/VenusBank
Suggestions: See Episode 1.
Admiral Avram Thorsen, commander of the JAF, was the one who let the CEGA fleet slip through the Elysee sensor net. Thorsen was compromised by the Venusians almost five years ago, in exchange for his very ill wife recieving advanced medical treatments on Venus, and has been slipping them information, performing small tasks, and recieving a substantial paycheque from them in exchange ever since. This is the first time they’ve actually called on him to betray his nation, and he is somewhat uneasy about doing so. He had been mislead about the objectives of the CEGA fleet, and may reconsider his actions when their purpose becomes clear.
Unfortunately, Avram is one of many Venusian moles in the JAF command structure, and many of the others lack his misgivings. If he shows signs of turning against their masters, they may take steps to eliminate him.
Admiral Thorsen is best used in a campaign focusing on reporters or JIS agents as a villain or questionable ally. As a villain, Thorsen has not yet worked out what the CEGA fleet is up to, or refuses to believe it. He will use the other Venusian agents to hinder, by any means necessary, players attempting to get the word out, remove the CEGA rocket packs, or expose the Venusian spy network. Pilots could also have to deal with comrades or superiors who have been suborned by Thorsen, or who have recieved conflicting orders or bad information from him.
As an ally, Thorsen’s loyalty would be questionable, but his help would be useful. His position gives him knowledge of and access to areas on Elysee that PCs would otherwise not know of or be able to enter. He also has knowledge of much of the Venusian mole network on Elysee, and can use his authority to order JAF units or JIS or colony police divisions to aid the players.
For pilot PCs, Thorsen’s actions probably won’t have any direct impact on the episode, though they could find themselves fighting former comrades who have been turned by the Venusians. Or news of Thorsen’s defection could reach them mid-battle, disenheartening them or leading them to question their loyalties or beliefs. The GM should try to make Thorsen pitiable, not villanous. He’s a man torn between loyalty to his country and loyalty to his wife.
Ranho Garand (NPC)
Faction: CEGA Navy/Independent
Suggestions: See Episode 2.
Ranho Garand has a pivotal role in the historical version of the battle. (See The God and the Dragon, below) His intense will and discipline give him near-perfect control over the flawed CAT/Rapid-Scan control system fitted to the prototype Dragonstriker. Despite Admiral Kleb’s dislike for him, he has thus been assigned to pilot it because he’s the only one that can do the job.
Knowing that Ranho would object to the true purpose of the operation (out of a misplaced
sense of honor and responsibility), Kleb has kept him as far away as possible from the attack on Elysee. While Ranho knows that it is taking place, he is unaware of its true purpose and believes that Kleb merely seeks to conquer the Confederation or cut off its head. He and the troops loyal to him have been sent to perform a diversionary attack against Joshua’s Station (and, Kleb hopes, get himself killed there) outside of the jamming field, to distract any JAF forces that might be in a position to intervene.
Kleb’s insanity, hatred, and total lack of honor have pushed Garand’s loyalties to the breaking point. If he finds out about the true plan for Elysee and Kleb’s backers, he will turn on Kleb’s fleet. (This might even cause other fleet elements crewed by those loyal to the Chang faction to withdraw from combat or even switch sides.) The problem is getting news of the plan through the jamming field. This can make a good element for a reporter
campaign - after punching through the jamming field, they find themselves face-to-face with a monstrous CEGA exo-armor… Which offers to help them!
Pilot PCs should probably start the adventure on Joshua’s Station, helping the Skunk Works team test out their new CAT-equipped Vindicator and Prometheus prototypes. When Garand attacks with the Dragonstriker they, of course, launch to defend the station. Garand’s exo-armor (and any allies) should be powerful enough to turn the confrontation into a stalemate, until DeMers (or whoever) arrives with word of the attack on Elysee…
Admiral Kleb
Faction: CEGA Navy/VenusBank
Suggestions: See Episode 2.
Kleb, by this point, is thoroughly insane. The Venusian drugs have consumed his sanity and restraint, and he will do anything to recapture the traitorous colonies for Mother Earth. The officers of his fleet have noticed the change in the Admiral’s personality, but have put it down to stress from the Odyssey affair and pressure from above to recapture Peyarje. They have, after all, been pursuing terrorists and one of CEGA’s most valuable assets across the solar system for months without any progress.
With prodding from his Venusian backers, Kleb developed his plan for Elysee station. He sees his role as taking revenge on the Jovians for the deaths they
caused on the Moon and Mars, and the indignities inflicted on CEGA over the past fifty years. (They are, after all, far richer than the Earth that gave them everything they have.
) Kleb will fight to the last to achieve his objectives, even if defeat is certain. His officers, however, may not be as dedicated. If the GM doesn’t want to use the historical outcome, Kleb’s officers could mutiny (or attempt to) when his insanity becomes clear.
Just how much Kleb knows about Methuselah is up to the GM. He could know absolutely nothing, and have been completely duped by the Bank. Or he could have been promised an early shot at the treatment the Bank hopes to create as a reward. In the later case, if the PCs have been slow picking up on the Venusian angle, he could become unhinged as the battle progresses and start babbling about eternal life.
Devron Malachai (NPC)
Faction: VenusBank
Suggestions: See Episode 1.
Devron, at this point, is in full cover-up mode. There is no way to salvage Operation Methuselah, and with Peyarje in Jovian space, it’s only a matter of time until the Confederation discovers the Floaters. The VB’s best option is to use their CEGA pawns to destroy the evidence and everyone who knows about it. Then, maybe, Methuselah will be able to continue as planned. Most of the people Malachai needs to elimiante are on Elysee, and will be destroyed when the colony enters the Jovian atmosphere. The rest are on Joshua’s Station, and will be killed by Garand and the Dragonstriker.
Knowing the full details of Kleb’s madness, Devron is not foolish enough to remain on the Scylla. He will either observe the battle from his own ship or take place in the covert operation on Elysee or Joshua’s Station, ready to escape at the last minute with his agents. He could be leading a Ronin team seeking to ensure the elimination of the Jovian agents on Joshua’s Station, or monitoring Admiral Thorsen, to ensure that he doesn’t have an attack of conscience and try to pull things out of the fire.
For JAF pilot PCs, the GM could consider giving Malachai his own prototype exo-armor. (See the Ryujin on the Vehicles page) This gives pilot characters the oppartunity to go head to head with the evil mastermind that’s been dogging their steps all along and get an epic mecha battle after Garand changes sides. Malachai is a former exo-armor pilot, and still knows his way around a linear frame. He could be observing the battle from hiding, watching to make sure that all goes well, and spring into action once Garand and the PCs arrive from Joshua’s station.
For maximum effect, by this point, the PCs should have encountered Malachai personally two or three times, and unravelled his hand in other events. If not, Kleb could describe how Malachai’s been manipulating (or attempting to manipulate) events from behind the scenes as his plans begin to unravel.
Carl DeMers (NPC)
Faction: JAF
Suggested Stereotype: Rookie
Suggested Archtype: Pilot
Carl DeMers is the pilot that broke through the jamming net around Elysee and brought word of the attack to the other Jovian stations. (Specifically, Joshua’s Station) In the original Odyssey, he died of radiation poisoning soon afterwards, but sufficiently skilled PCs could save him. One way to do this is to have him pursued by CEGA exo-armors loyal to Kleb and the Bank, making it easier for the PCs to save him, though he still might be in critical condition from a bad radiation overdose. Alternatively, he could be pursued by mysterious exo-armors that turn out to be Venusian in origin.
Ysa Cantroni (NPC)
Faction: Independent
Suggestions: See Episode 2.
Ysa’s involvement in this episode is, as usual, completely optional. If she stayed with the PCs when they left Mars, she could become involved in any number of ways. As a reporter, she could provide a live account of the battle of Elysee once the PCs (or other defenders) take down the CEGA jamming net. She could also participate as an exo-armor pilot, or become involved in the battle on the hull of Elysee station.
Ysa could also be instrumental in convincing Garand to break off his attack on Joshua’s Station and return to Elysee to confront Kleb. He could initially be dubious of Carl’s account, believing it to be nothing more than a dishonorable Jovian trick, until Ysa berates him for his pride. What happens to her afterwards is likewise open, though she would probably use the stepping-stone given to her by the Odyssey (and any reporter PCs) to launch a proper career as a reporter. This could then be used to involve the same set of PCs in future SEEDs.
The God and the Dragon (Plot)
This is a historical summary
of the battle of Elysee, describing the original course of events from the Green Book. GMs should, of course, see fit to alter or ignore this as necessary. A good way to treat this is as the default
course of action if the players hadn’t been there.
With Dr. Peyarje finally safe on Joshua’s Station, the JAF spend a brief period grilling him about his CAT/Rapid-Scan system before turning him loose to relax in Jovian splendour. From this and the prototypes recovered from Slumbering Eidolon, they can develop a simple CAT/Rapid-Scan add-on to the Prometheus and Vindicator prototypes. This provides comprable performance to the Dragonstriker’s version, but is much easier to operate, thanks to the advances made by Peyarje since his departure from Project Dragonstriker and superior Jovian technology. It is, unfortunately, still not feasable for mass-production, requiring far too much fine-tuning and hand-tweaking.
The Dragonstriker’s immense power would make short work of the Pathfinders, Retaliators, and Lancers that compose Joshua’s Station’s garrison. The JAW Skunk Works Team decides that Something Must Be Done, and drafts the PCs (this is assuming they’re pilots, even if they weren’t assigned to the JAW as test pilots after their return) to pilot the Vindicators and Prometheus against the Dragonstriker and its modest retinue of exo-armors. (And, possibly, warships) The PCs launch and engage in a short battle with Garand. It quickly becomes obvious that the Prometheus and Dragonstriker are evenly matched, and that any conflict between them is going to be very drawn-out.
At this point, a damaged Pathfinder arrives, pursued by Kleb-loyal Wyverns or Venusian exo-armors. The pilot, Carl DeMers, broadcasts a warning about Kleb’s activities near Elysee, and is then destroyed by the Wyverns. The Wyverns, low on fuel, either surrender or are made short work of by an infuriated Garand and PCs, who are then issued booster packs (again, by the JAW Skunk Works - basically, huge engines and lots and lots of fuel) and depart for Elysee. Alternately, the Wyverns could be ex-members of Garand’s division or students of the famous ace, and decide to support their former leader or teacher once he berates them for following an obviousy dishonorable commander. And the Beautiful Dreamer could well provide transport to Elysee for both the players and Garand.
They arrive at Elysee to find the battle in full swing, with the Jovian forces slowly being driven back by the CEGA Fleet, and the retro-rockets are just beginning to fire. The JSS Godsfire, its weapon block mauled by enemy fire, is trying to evacuate as many civilians as it can, using its remaining firepower to keep the CEGA exos and fighters at a distance. The arrival of the Prometheus and Dragonstriker, and a detachment of other exo-armors, quickly turns the tide of battle, shoring up the badly-depleted Jovian forces. The battle seems unlikely to be resolved soon, thanks to the power of Kleb’s Posideon flagship and his remaining exo forces, until Garand sacrifices himself and the Dragonstriker to destroy the Scylla’s bridge. (Either ramming it or clamping on and self-destructing)
With the flagship destroyed, the Kleb loyalist elements among the CEGA fleet break and flee. The infuriated Jovian defenders pursue, doing incredible damage to the CEGA 4th Fleet’s 1st Battlegroup. Enough manages to limp back to Earth to form the core of a new unit, but the Battlegroup, the core of the 4th Fleet, is effectively destroyed.
This, of course, only works for pilot characters, though it does work well for them. It keeps them in the center of the action, and allows them to interact with the villains (Garand, Kleb, and Malachai) they’ve spent the entire campaign running from and thwarting. While Garand is ultimately responsible for eliminating Kleb, the PCs should take center-stage in the rest of the battle, and can be responsible for defeating Malachai and a second prototype exo-armor. As many of his troops are worried about their Admiral’s lack of mental stability, the PCs could convince some of them to switch sides with impassioned speaches.
For reporters and JIS agents, things are much harder. Reporters can become involved in convincing Garand to help the defenders, as part of getting word out about what CEGA is planning for Elysee. JIS agents are best used to thwart Malachai’s sinister behind-the-scenes plotting and other such keep-the-planets-orbiting tasks while the flyboys play with their flashy toys.
Operation Methuselah (Plot)
With the CAT/Rapid-Scan technology in their hands, the Jovians can finally attract and examine the skittish Floater creatures found in the upper Jovian atmosphere. While they still don’t know for sure of their existance, they would’ve gotten hints from Slumbering Eidolon, and potentially from information uncovered by the PCs during their travel. And once they have CAT/Rapid-Scan equipped vehicles, its only a matter of time before they do. This would quickly lead the JIS to piece together the clues they have about Project Methuselah, or confirm any information the PCs might have brought with them.
The Venusian agents on Elysee and Joshua’s Station, of course, do not want this. At Malachai’s orders, they are assisting the CEGA assault teams and (of course, at the GM’s discretion) working to assassinate anyone in the know, such as President Itangre. This is a great way to involve JIS agents - as the battle rages outside, they race to rescue their President from a bunch of suit-wearing maniacs with guns and get her to the Godsfire evacuation, as the entire station is in extreme danger.
By the end of the Episode, the Jovian government in general and the PCs in particular should have a good idea of what Venus was up to with Project Methuselah. They should know what Venus was trying to do and have some hints about how they were doing it. This should come from a combination of facts discovered by the PCs, information recovered from Slumbering Eidolon, Dr. Peyarje’s testemony, and other intelligence sources.
Timing and Objectives
This adventure should start slow and then become be fast-paced and desperate, but not as chaotic as Episode 3 or 4. Its the climax of the entire series, a do-or-die battle where the conflicts that have been simmering under the surface or behind the scenes come to a head, and the PCs should be able to clearly see everything that’s been going on. Don’t stretch things out too long, lest the players get bored, or turn it into an overly tactical fleet battle. (Unless your players really like that kind of thing, of course) Keep things fast-paced and focus on the interaction between characters (eg, Ranho and the players) rather than on the mechanics of the battle as a whole.
The characters’ objective is, of course, to save Elysee and drive off the CEGA fleet. Uncovering the Venusian agents on Elysee should be considered a bonus. Several means of going about this are detailed above. These will definitely not work for all characters, or all groups, and should be able to easily be changed, mixed, matched, or mutilated.
Vehicles
Ranho Garand is piloting the Dragonstriker Prototype. This differs enough from the mass-produced version published in the Cislunar Space planetbook that stats have been provided for it on the vehicles page. It adds command armor
and the CAT/Rapid-Scan system, in addition to numerous higher-performance components. It focuses on size and raw destructive power, though its massive engines and CAT system give it impressive maneuverability for something so large.
The Scylla, Kleb’s command ship, is a stock
Posideon. It has slightly bigger exo-armor bays than usual, as it is intended to operate with the escort fleets
, farther from the easy resupply available in Earth orbit. These bays carry both more exo-armors and fighters and the needed parts and fuel to keep them operating on long deployments. The rest of the CEGA fleet is mostly Bricrius, Hachimans, and Tengus, with a squadron of Ullers. The Scylla’s bays are large enough to carry 12 exo-armors or interceptors, instead of the standard 8.
The Prometheus is the Jovian prototype next-generation exo-armor. Unlike the Dragonstriker, it focuses on speed and maneuverability over raw power. Like the Dragonstriker, it has detachable Storm Attacker
armor that is integrated in the mass-production model (the Stormrider) and has recently had a CAT system added, thanks to the efforts of the PCs. If the PCs are pilots, one should definitely wind up piloting the Prometheus.
Other exo-armor pilot PCs should get the Vindicator prototypes. These should be more powerful (and expensive) than the mass-produced version, and should definitely have unique quirks and problems. If you need some ideas for alternate load-outs, check out the image on the GM’s screen. The Swordfish Lancer could be a good prototype for fighter pilot PCs.
The Jovian defenders for both Elysee and Joshua’s Station are mostly Pathfinders, Retaliators, and Lancers. Hectors are only deployed in the Trojan states and the Vindicator is not yet beyond the late prototype stage. Warships are limited to the older designs, like Thunderbolts, the Godsfire, and possibly a few Javelins. No Athenas were present for the Battle of Elysee and the Valiant is not finished yet. Though the Valiant could arrive dramaticaly at the last second to save the day, GMs who opt to use this plot device should be careful not to upstage the PCs. It is, however, a good way for reporter PCs who’ve gone for help to impact the battle. Reporting from the Valiant’s high-tech bridge as it crushes the attackers would produce some very impressive footage. (Optionally, the Chariot light carrier from Europa Incident SEED could be used to flesh out the JAF forces.)
Wrapping Things Up/Historical Outcome
Of Garand, no remains are found. The Dragonstriker’s cockpit region appears to have been completely annihilated by the blast. While he could have escaped in the escape pod, it seems unlikely that he survived. That the CSS Karana, an Uller-class missile cruiser believed destroyed during the battle, is missing is noticed during cleanup months later, but no connection is ever made between the two events. Garand did, in fact, manage to eject in time, before the blast wiped out the pilot’s compartment but was horrifically wounded, and recovered later by the crew of the Karana, many of whom had trained under him and admired his integrety, patriotism, and self-sacrifice. The Karana could also have discovered the drifting remains of the Dragonstriker, recovered him, then obliterated the pilot’s compartment. Unfortunately, the Karana was badly damaged during the battle and takes months to limp back to civilization - and even then, its crew is careful to not make its survival (or the survival of Ranho Garand) known to the CEGA government. This leads directly into the events of the Replicant Syndrome.
Kleb is killed in the destruction of the Scylla’s bridge. The CEGA government publically writes him off as a lone gunman
who acted without official sanction, and engages in a ruthless purge of the Navy’s command structure to remove any who might seek to follow Admiral Kleb’s example
. In fact, they use this to eliminate to expunge or marginalize those taught by Garand or corrupted
by his philosophy from the upper ranks. Garand’s rebellion against Kleb has the higher echelons of the CEGA government very scared. Their shadowy ties to Venus remain as strong as ever, and, much to their relief, the direct diplomatic repercussions of the Odyssey affair fade away over the next year, though its effects are still felt for years to come. An unintended side-effect of the purge is dissatisfied CEGA personel slowly but surely swelling STRIKE’s ranks.
Malachai falls into disgrace with VenusBank for his failure to produce results or protect the existance of Project Methuselah, and becomes a dissatisfied freelancer. For the next decade he wanders the solar system, hatching mad schemes to put him in the good graces of his former employer once more and destroy the Confederation. He is eventually captured by SolaPol and disappears. VenusBank begins scaling back its operations slightly, uncertain of just how much the Confederation knows. No public or private charges or accusations are ever made by the Confederation over the poaching of the Floaters or the aims of Project Methuselah, leaving the Bank executives in a very unpleasant information vacuum.
The consequences of the Martian Elevator that take a long time to show themselves. The impact on the terraforming project is uncertain, but scientists suspect it might help counteract the out-of-control microorganisms seeded in the planet’s polar regions. Initially, neither Martian government accuses the other of the collapse - evidence is sketchy, and the presence of Jovian and CEGA agents on-site makes things even more uneasy. STRIKE is initially blamed, at CEGA’s insistance, but evidence is produced in 2212 calling this into doubt. (See the Mars planetbook and Chaos Principle for further details)
Avram Thorsen is convicted of treason against the Confederacy and sentanced to death. However, he escapes his confinement on the eve of his execution, aided by a number of mysterious figures who somehow manage to disable or bypass all the security systems in his block, and travels to Venus to get revenge against those who sought to use him to destroy the Confederacy. He dies there, amidst the strange events surrounding the rise of the Venusian Planetary Advisory Board in 2211 and described (at some point) in Thunder and Wind.
Doctor Peyarje retires to blissful anonimity in the Confederation. Despite her hunger for power, Itangre never forces him to use his skills to help the JAF. She already has the design for the CAT/Rapid-Scan system, which has years of refinement ahead of it before it can be mass-produced, and attempting to conscript Peyarje could lead to unpleasant diplomatic consequences for the Confederation. Letting sleeping cats lie seems to be the best approach… For now. Its possible that Peyarje could become interested in the Floaters, and lead the effort to study them and learn more about them in their natural habitat.
The PCs are allowed to go their own way, but it is made clear to them that revealing the classified information discovered on their travels would be very hazardous. Those that want to stay out of the media spotlight will be provided quiet, out-of-the-way postings.
Of course, many things still remain unresolved. For an extended campaign involving the same PCs, as opposed to switching to different characters for another OCA, the PCs could become involved in any number of related events. Pilot PCs are actually, again, the hardest - there’s really nothing left for them to do, directly. However, they can become involved in Chaos Principle, replacing Jared St. John, or even the entire cast. They can also, after having more in-the-field experience than most, enter the JIS agent training program. (And thus, become involved in the plot threads below) To move them into further OCAs, they could become involved in the events around Titan in 2211, or the Europa Incident. The easiest next step (and one that is, coincidentally, already written) is to make them members of the JSS Valiant’s crew on its shakedown cruise, detailed in Madman’s Gambit.
JIS agents and Reporters can become involved in the followup of any number of plot threads. Why did Thorsen turn, how did he escape, and what is he doing now? What, exactly, was the Bank’s plan? How far does the corruption go in CEGA? Who was really behind the Elevator collapse? The repercussions of the Odyssey will take a long time to die down, and the motivations and agendas that drove the events that transpired will take even longer to uncover.