It will be readily apparent that the two groups of Xatha are bitter rivals. If the PCs ask either party about the dispute, they will receive extensive, very biased answers. Each party blames the other for their current problems.

Sorting through the rhetoric, it will quickly become apparent that Xatha society is divided into two factions. The planet below, known as Lith, has a single unified federation. Similarly, the moon base and asteroid settlements are all part of another loose federation. These two factions are in the midst of a bitter trade war.

When the Xatha first ventured off-world, their space program was a cooperative effort administered by the Unified Federation of Clans. All who ventured into space were either employees of the UFC or of various associated corporations. Permanent settlements were made on Lith's moon and later on various asteroids and orbital settlements.

After more than a century, the inhabitants of these settlements grew tired of being regarded as a mere resource for the planet and ruled by politicians and corporate heads who lived on Lith. The spacers declared their independence. Given the time and difficulty involved in space travel and the large number of settlements already established, the planetary government realized that it would he impossible to retake these settlements without massive military force. In addition, both sides realized that either group had the potential to devastate the other.

The original impetus for space travel came when Lith was hit by a small asteroid. The impact precipitated the planet's current ice age. Later, the planetary government realized that the asteroid settlements could launch another asteroid toward Lith. Likewise, the Xatha in space realized they were extremely vulnerable to any attack which could destroy the pressure domes they lived within.

For the past 30 years, there has been a cold war between the spacers and the planet-dwellers. Neither side can afford to openly attack the other, and neither side trusts the other. In addition, the two groups are mutually interdependent. The planet-dwellers need electronic components, medicines, and other products from the betters to maintain their current standard of living. They rely on a network of solar-powered satellites and their microwaves to melt the glaciers in an attempt to end the current ice age.

Similarly, the spacers need radioactives mined on Lith, as well as other biological products grown on Lith.

There have never been open hostilities between the two groups, but tariffs, temporary trade embargoes, and a few rare incidents of piracy and hijacking have kept feelings on edge. Recently, things have become more tense, and people on either side have begun worrying that the conflict may erupt into open warfare, with the possibility of massive loss of life on both sides.

The heart of the problem is scarcity. The planet- dwellers are still adapting to their current ice age. Space travel with the Xatha's level of available technology is expensive and time-consuming. Both sides want access to the resources possessed by the other, and both sides are reluctant to part with their own resources in return. This difficulty, combined with the hard feeling produced by the spacers' declaring independence, has lead to the current state of affairs.

When refereeing discussions of this conflict, try to make the NPCs seem passionate about their cause and worried about the possible reactions of the other side. The spacers regularly accuse the planet-dwellers of being over-hearing and greedy, and of wanting to take their freedom away. The planet-dwellers accuse the spacers of being selfish and greedy, and of forgetting their debt to the planet-dwellers for sponsoring the original ventures into space. Both sides worry about the possibility of an actual attack by the other. The Xathas have not openly warred for several hundred years, and the possibility frightens almost all of them.

Visiting the Aliens

The PCs can journey to either the Xatha homeworld or the moon base. Regardless of how the negotiations are concluded, the PCs must take their ship to a spaceport to be fitted and measured for drop-tanks. The two closest choices are on the Xatha's horneworld Lith and on the moon base. Even if the PCs try to work with both factions, a choice must be made as to which spaceport to take the ship.

Lith, the xatha homeworld

The spaceport is located in the northern hemisphere of the planet. The Xatha seem inured to the cold, but they keep their buildings quite warm. The city around the spaceport is clean and well run. The Xatha appear loud and argumentative. The main thing the PCs will notice is the architecture. The buildings all composed of smooth, brightly colored, "organic" curves which blend together to make a beautiful, alien whole, and making city planning seem an aesthetic endeavor. Electric cars and trucks run in the streets, and there are all the shops, offices, townhouses and other buildings which make up the cities the galaxy over.

the moon base

Lith's moon is a small slightly irregular rock around 1000 km in diameter. It has no atmosphere and no water, but there are several large subsurface ice deposits which made its colonization much easier. There are 5 settlements on the moon with a total population of 10 million. The spaceport is in the largest city, which has a population of 3 million. All the cities are clearly visible from space. They all consist of transparent domes covering deep craters.

The city around the spaceport is similar to the city on Lith, except that it is moderately warm, and the architecture is much more baroque and elaborate. The moon has a gravity of only one-twelfth of a G. Buildings exist primarily for privacy and emergency shelter and need to bear very little weight.

Regardless of which destination the PCs choose, the reaction is much the same. Enormous crowds of Xathas turn out for the landing. Reporters from electronic newspapers will demand to see the PCs; scientists and politicians will want to meet with them; doctors will want to examine them. The PCs are instant celebrities. While the Xathas are somewhat more cooperative and sensible than many modern First World humans, to them, this is the biggest event to ever happen.

Common opinions will range (as they should): the PCs being tools to defeating their rivals; fear of the Imperium the PCs represent; wonder at the chance to learn of thousands of worlds beyond their star system. A number will openly worry that the PCs arrival will be the catalyst which finally causes open warfare between the two factions.

The PCs will be shielded from many of these opinions if they stay within their ship and try to refrain from contact with the locals. However, if any of the PCs decide to venture out of the port, have them roll the following task.

To evaluate the Xathas' responses:

Difficult, Liaison, Int, 30 minutes

Give the PCs some or all of the above information depending on the results of this roll and the degree to which they make contact. The PCs will not be allowed to wander around alone; government bodyguards (and observers) will always accompany them, and will keep the PCs away from the populace. If the any of the PCs protest, the guards will inform them that it is for their own protection. The guards will refuse to leave the PCs alone whenever they are outside the main spaceport. However, if the PCs insist, the guards will take the PCs anywhere they want to go.

Referee's note:

The government is worried about the PCs' safety and the reaction of the populace. The Xathas are not at all xenophobic, but tensions are running high at the moment. Keeping the PCs happy is almost as important to the government as keeping them safe, though, and if the PCs want to go for a night on the town, the guards will be forced to allow them. Regardless of where the PCs go, the Xatha city should be run as an alien place. The Xathas are less warlike and xenophobic, and more confident and cooperative, but they have a society and a culture which has a few similarities to the one the PCs come from.

A Plea from the Other Side

Regardless of where the PCs go or how they have decided to interact with the Xathas, they will be contacted by an agent representing the opposing faction. This agent will talk to the PCs at some point when they are alone and explain that the people the PCs are dealing with will use the new technology to conquer and destroy their rivals. The agent will be quite passionate in its belief and also quite canny as to political realities.

The agent will talk to the PCs about giving the faction they are working with falsified technical data and giving the real data to the agent. The agent will try to appealing to either altruism or greed. After a short while the agent will leave, promising to return when the PCs have made up their minds. The agent will insist the PCs keep the visit a secret.

Kidnapped

One of the PCs will be kidnapped. Since the security on the ship will be very tight, the kidnapping will occur when one or more of the PCs are out in the spaceport or the city. This episode will not occur if the PCs decide to spend their entire stay inside their ship.

Who the kidnappers are will depend on the actions the PCs have taken so far. If the PCs did not agree to work with the agent, the kidnappers will be associates of the agent. If the PCs are only dealing with one side, the kidnappers work for the other side. If the PCs have promised to give their knowledge to both sides, the kidnappers will belong to a radical fringe group that wishes the technology only for themselves or perhaps is a purist throw-back group interested in seeing the technology kept from the hands of the Xatha.

The kidnapping should be done when one PC is alone; the rest of the PCs will need to be free to help in the rescue effort. The kidnappers will strenuously avoid killing or seriously harming the PC since they need a hostage, not a corpse.

The kidnapping will be a very quick, very professional affair. The preferred method is to stop the vehicle, kill or (preferably) incapacitate the driver and guards, and hold the PC at gun point.

There will be at least 5 kidnappers, each armed with a snub pistol with mixed ammunition, tranquilizer spray, and a zapper (to use on the PC if necessary; drugs might be too dangerous). Each kidnapper will be wearing a combat environment suit. They will use a radio jammer to prevent the guards from calling for help. The kidnappers will not go out of their way to kill anyone and will try to avoid having to use any force. Among other goals, the kidnappers want to try to convince their target that they are not blood-thirsty killers, making the kidnapping as bloodless as possible.

If the PCs avoid getting into a vehicle, they will abduct their target in any semi-private setting as far from the spaceport as possible.

Far From Home Sci-Fi Traveller Adventure

Introduction
Referee's Guide to the Xatha
The Awe Factor
The Conflict
Rescues and Solutions
NPCs