Traveller: Patron Encounter - The Package

1 - 4 Players

Corporate Agent    

Required Skills: None

Required Equipment: None

At the high port at a system at the edge of the Imperium, the adventurers are approached by a tall gentleperson of indeterminate gender (not uncommon in this system). Offering to buy the adventurers a meal at the Redonkously Expensive restaurant, they will tell their tale.

"My employer had me send a package via X-Boat to the neighboring system. The boat is currently docked in the Scout Bays. I found out that the package was switched by an agent for the Ine Givar and will cause the Imperium and the neighboring polity to possibly go to way. The Scout Service won't allow me to retrieve the package via the normal channels as it is already locked in the mail vault. Perhaps you could manage to retrieve it? The boat is in bay 1 undergoing routine maintenance before getting towed to the jump point. I can pay Cr5000 each for your services."

Some notes: the Xboat Service takes data and package delivery very seriously. Once a package is consigned to the mail locker on the boat there should be no retrievals. So this is definitely an illegal theft even if the owner of the package wants it retrieved. But hey, we are on the edge of the Imperium.

Even though Xboat Tenders tend to do most of the work, sometimes in busier systems that have a high port, the boats will get towed to the station and moved to the Xboat docks. This allows the pilots more space to stretch their legs while the boat is serviced, as well as being a convenient location for those small packages that they can transport for a significant fee to the next stop on their route. Additionally, the tender will restock their supplies from the port as well. 

1. All is as they said: the package is already locked into the mail vault of Xboat 334-A and they are who they say they are if any intelligence gathering is made.
2. All is not quite as they say: they are  in fact the agent of the Ine Givar and want that package removed to prevent the Imperium from considering annexing the neighboring system.
3. As per 1, but the package is actually in the cargo bay area and not yet loaded.
4. As per 2, but the package is actually in the cargo bay area and not yet loaded.
5. The "corporate" patron is in fact Scout security: there have been rumors that packages are not as secured as they are supposed to be, and Scouts may be taking bribes to part with physical mail and fix the data trail. If the players balk at illegal activity, they may reveal themselves and give them a temporary warrant to try to get the package.
6. the package is actually a remote detonated device and the Ine Givar or local terrorist group wants to make the Imperium look bad. The players are to be victims of lax Imperial safety precautions.

The Xboat docks are from Yet Another Traveller Blog that has some excellent resources. This link takes you directly to the geomorph post. 

My backgrounds rotate through my deck plans directory, and when this popped up, it really made me want to use it for something. And it has been too long since my last actual Traveller post on what was ostensibly a Traveller blog (as noted before, I really don't see a reason to create blogs specific to my games even if they are free. One blog to rule them all for me works)