Starfarers: Gemini webpage

After the unprecedented united Earth effort required to develop the first jump-capable space-ships and build the first colonies, much of this period has been marked by all the usual politics and power struggles which have characterised humankind's societies from time immemorial. Ever more distant and self-sufficient colonies declared independence from Earth, now usually referred to as "Terra" and viewed as a domineering imperial presence, and formed alliances with each other to prevent forced reintergration. These alliances shifted almost constantly for a larger part of the 25th century before settling.

With stability a new period of exploration and settlement began. Serious scientific attention was turned to the most puzzling aspect of colonisation - why do second and third generation colonists develop significant physiological adaptions to non-earth environments ranging from pigments in the skin to modified corneal filters to additional internal organs? This process begins at conception and works by simple realignment of existing DNA sequences with no higher natural failure rate than terran births. Debate continues not only in the scientific but also in the philosophical and theological fields - micro-jump evolution or the human race as designed beings?

Early in the 27th century, war was initiated by the only other race yet encountered with self-developed jump-point technology, the Mesakan. They were (and are) indiscriminate in choosing their human targets and a new military alliance was formed across human-controlled space. This was called the Terran Confederation in acknowledgement of the common origins of it's members - no matter what colour, height, or preferred atmosphere. Sol system was once again metaphorically at the center of humanity's universe.

The Gemini Sector is one of the richest parts of Terran Confederation Territory, although colonised only shortly before the war, and it shares a small border with the Mesakan. The Confederation moved quickly to secure it, while the Mesakan moved just as quickly to try and claim it. Martial law was declared in the sector and all resources were directed to the war effort. A stalemate ensued, and held while colonisation and development continued apace, driven by the military's need for access to local resources.

The border in Gemini is now considered secure, although raids and occasional assaults continue on both sides. Martial law and it's restrictions (such as standardised prices across the sector) have been lifted and the door opened for private enterprise to make the most of the opportunities available. It is a time when newly self-determining colonies suddenly have to find ways of ensuring their futures. A time when anyone with a spaceworthy ship, a jump drive and the hold capacity to transport a cargo stands a chance of making their fortune despite the best efforts of the once government-backed monopolies. A time when combat-ready pilots and other skilled individuals are in constant demand by the ConFed forces as auxilaries, by merchants whose cargos are threatened by those who feel that it is easier to take a fortune than build one, and by the Exploratory Service as they continue to map and expand the newest frontier.

Background mostly taken from Wing Commander: Privateer & Righteous Fire. A dash of Last Legionnary (Douglas Adams) and stray other influences. Whole cloth. Blended with a whisk and a power-drill. Contact marsden@mailpuppy.com for further information. This material is not intended to infringe assorted copyrights etc etc.

The Campaign

Gemini usually has 3-5 players interested in playing against the backdrop of an evolving science-fiction setting. The campaign need not be focused on inter-system activities although the setting does lend itself to this - one new planet could easily hold enough excitement to keep an exploratory service party busy for many sessions, likewise the underworld dealings of New Detroit alone could keep the hands of a group of corporate troubleshooters full.

The PCs (as a group) could be:
An Exploratory Service survey team, exploring and cataloguing new planets on the furthest frontier of jump-point exploration.
Owners/employees of a small intra-system trading enterprise about to expand into inter-system commerce, or a freelance trading enterprise with no fixed base of operations.
Mercenaries hired by the militia or military to "handle" a dangerous sector, or operating as freelance merchant escorts.
"Troubleshooters" for a major corporation with business interests throughout the Gemini Sector.
?? Other (player) suggestions that I think I can work with.

The next Gemini campaign is likely to be run in 2007 or 2008

Previous Campaign: Gemini II

Crew:

Travelling aboard the Galaxy class freighter "Mjolnir".

Kenneth Cadal
A Welsh born Confed engineer latterly of the Exploratory Service whose overzealousness for explosives earned him postings as far out of the way as possible. This assignment provided him with the opportunity to indulge in his other great passion, engines. After two years of this however he once again yearned for the danger (and explosions) of battle so when he learned of an upcoming vacancy with a band of troubleshooters, he leapt at the chance. Unsuspectingly he had afforded his senior officer to rid her department of embarrassment. She thought of this also as an ideal form of revenge as the last time she come into contact with these troubleshooters they had been left stranded out in the bush because they had shot down their own skimmer!

Padel Aedro
Padel Aedro trained as an actuary on Oxford and after graduating was very quickly hired by the Exploration Fleet to work in their main offices. Padel was an excellent worker with an extremely high efficiency rating and had it not been for his nasty habit of cheating at games of chance could have done quite well. Instead he made the mistake of cheating one person to many and before he knew it was on an express shuttle to work field duty on the newly discovered planet in CM-N1054 without sufficient notice or training. His first on planet assignment was to supervise and assist a group of hired troubleshooters who arrived shortly after he did.

Juniper Torrence
Juniper comes from an affluent family of "fixers" in Sol sector. Her family's polished reputation is marred only by the occasional scandel over the legality of their methods. Juniper has come to Gemini in the hopes of establishing her own reputation without the overshadowing influence of her family, and to that end hooked up with a bunch of potential troubleshooters and got them their first real job together.
Juniper is currently following up her own leads independantly of the rest of the group but their paths can be expected to cross again.

Raymond Vince
Raymond was brought up on the wrong side of the tracks in a small industrial/trading planet that only really existed because it was a convenient stop-off between two much larger worlds. Throughout his teenage years he put together a small operation involving several of his friends and siblings who would search the scrap heaps and sell whatever looked promising. Aged 22, Raymond managed to acquire his first ship, a beaten-up Talon, and he immediately decided to set off and seek his fortune offworld. Unfortunately, he got waylaid by a band of pirates coming out of the jump to XXN-1927 and had to flee. He managed - just - to escape them, and limped into Jolson with a badly-damaged ship and a cargo of damaged machinery. He sold the ship for scrap and the machinery for what it was worth, and headed to the auction grounds, hoping to find something he could afford to carry on his career... (session log)

Alexi Ladenik
Alexi was born on Perry, and a descendent of the Russian colonists in this sector. He signed on as officer class, but was quickly moved to intelligence (age about 20). During an operation on a major pirate base his cover was blown In the ensuing chaos he was hit in the eye and upper skull by shrapnel. He needed extensive surgery to fix the damage, and half chose, half was forced to have cyber replacements. After performing more operations he retired from active service. He rapidly decided he didnt like the quiet civilian life, and was chosing a mercenary team to hook up with when he ran into a beaten up looking Dave, a former military comrade. Dave was happy to introduce him to a suitable mercenary group... [session log]

John-Paul Krunt (J.P.)
An experienced fire and support trooper. Previously associated with Dave, Hagen, and Mike.

Retired Characters

Major Hagen Nykenan (Retired)
Hagan Nykenan was born in St. Petersberg to a Finnish mother and a Russian father. He earned a degree in electrical engineering while a cadet in the Confederate Star Force reserve. He was called to frontline service during the late Mesakan Wars, where he served as engineering supervisor to a number of fighter, transport, and recon squadrons. His actual combat experience is limited; he has been involved in a few space battles and survived some air strikes on Confederate bases, but had never (until recently) been involved in a firefight on the ground. After fifteen years of service he was given an honourable discharge, and he used his savings and allowance to buy a half-share in a Tarsus, late upgrading to a controlling share in the Galaxy class ship Mjolnir.

Physically Hagan is tall and slender, with sharp facial features, black hair, and a well trimmed goatee. He speaks with a pronounced russian accent. His bearing is distinctly military, standing straight, and even his relaxed posture looks to be at attention. He has a tendency to divide people into "superior officers" and" juniors/enlisted" and treats them accordingly.

Dave
A talented military dropout with a dislike for authority, Dave was badly shot up in an operation on Helen and retired from the group, introducing Alexi to take his place.

Mike
A failing sole-trader, Mike sold a half-share in his ship and business to Hagen in an attept to keep afloat. However after a little incident on Jolson he was sentenced to 30 years hard labour in an asteroid penal colony. His half in the ship was auctioned by the planetary milita and purchased by Raymond.

Hide Current Crew

Gemini I consisted of four ex-military bar-barbuddies who pooled their resources and attempted to run a small freelance trading and salvage enterprise with forays into other mercenary work, before stealing a military ship and turning to piracy.

I generally anticpate the game being 50% GM plot / 50% player generated plot overall - heavier on the former in the early stages and on the latter towards the end of the campaign.

Location: UCSA building, Lower Common Room, Meeting Room 2 or International Room

System: Based off MechWarrior Second Edition, tweaked heavily and with a custom space combat system intially based on S2HACK bolted on.

Documents

These are extracted or derived from a variety of sources, mainly the Privateer game manual and the Mechwarrior rulebook.
Disclaimer: Portions of these documents (especially the first one) may be inaccurate as regards this campaign, or subject to change.

Links

Other resource sites dedicated to the Wing Commander / Privateer universe. Nothing in any of these sites should be assumed to apply directly to this campaign.

Font

Disclaimers

Rights to the Wing Commander / Privateer Universe are held by EA/Origin Systems Inc.
I believe rights to the MechWarrior roleplaying system are held by WizKids Games.
Rights to S2HACK are held by Cody Menzies.
Reproduced and mutilated without permission but in the assumption that it's not likely to matter much.

Welcome to the Gemini Sector

Introduction

GEMINI SECTOR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES