Tarkine Down - Amber Zone Reviews #19

Amber Zone: Tarkine Down, by Roger Moore 
Check out the series introduction here.

Free Trader Beowulf, now landing at Dock 12.

Location: Tarkine (District 268/Spinward Marches)

Patron: Administrator of Scout Base Tarkine

Mission: A one-year security ticket for a battalion sized mercenary unit. The mission is to provide security for the base and starport, as the local populace is in a state of unrest.

Complications: The planet is under Imperial occupation, and is mostly cut off from the rest of the District. Anti-Imperial rioting has been on the increase. A riot in a nearby town spreads towards the starport, and the mercs are subjected to harassment attacks, bombs, mortar & rocket attacks, snipers, sabotage, etc. It is likely that any kind of offensive moves against the populace will result only in more anti-Imperial feeling. An unexpected guerrilla attack is launched against the starport and base, in near-equal strength, and with near-comparable weaponry in the hands of the guerrillas.

Payoff: 4 MCr up-front money, MCr 0.5 per month in payroll, and a success-only bonus of 5 MCr at the end of the year.

Strong Points: This is another adventure for the Mercenary/Striker players, but again, it could be undertaken by BK1 characters, taking the part of the mercenary leaders and keeping the major action centered around the PCs. Once the assault described in the adventure is resolved, the referee still has the bulk of a year in which to challenge and bedevil the players. The cause of the civil unrest is beyond what the mercs could manage to change, but diplomatic PCs could give it a try. The group will be on Tarkine long enough for the referee to develop other adventures out of this setup.

Weak Points: Once again, this scenario is set on a world with only near-current Earth technology. If the mercs are armed with TL 11+ weapons, putting down the guerilla incursion will be too easy. The description of the facilities to be defended are sketchy, the scout base is not described at all.

What I'd change: I don’t think that I’d change anything about this adventure; I’d flesh it out some (introduce important NPCs) if I were to use it as a campaign basis, but that’s all. It is a solid, if unspectacular adventure.

In My Traveller Universe: This adventure would make sense on an Independent planet that is near to one of the Big Four. Urdova (Five Worlds-American 0703) has a larger population but comparable tech level, and it is within Jump-2 range of the UPA planet New Georgia. 

The Map: this map was made by me, using Hexographer (www.hexographer.com) it may be used or modified without restriction.

 Legend: the red building is the Scout Base office. The smaller buildings are other buildings. The Skyscrapers are the starport, with four spaceships around it for the four landing pads. The fence is light gray, the paved surface of the port is darker gray. The anchor is the river port, the ships are the docks. The four corners are the guard towers. The triple dots are the minefields surrounding the port. The infantry figure is the mercs barracks.