Place: Babylon 5 in autumn of 2259, shortly afte rthe episode Now for a Word, in which Narn and Centauri ships have fired at each other while waiting to dock at the station.

As a result, B5 advisory council debates a motion designed to safeguard the neutrality of the station by introducing mandatory search for smuggled weapons before any vessal from either power may dock or leave.

The council is currently deadlocked, Narn and Centauri against, Mimbar and earth for, and the Vorlon abstains. The casting vote goes to the league of Non-Aligned Worlds, who, so far, have failed to come to an agreement.

Scenario Problems

So late in the timeline and aboard the station asks, "Why aren't the series characters involved in the centre of the action?" The short answer: better things to do.

As an episode, the diplomatic maneuvering is the A plot; the primary focus of interest for characters busy with the bribery and backstabbing to concern themselves with the PCs (in other words, you have the perfect excuse not to let NPCs sort everything out while players sit on sidelines. But if you want to let PCs interact with Sheridan, Ivanova and others, fair enough). Meanwhile, the guest stars (your players) are getting stuck into the B plot.

Bennett

Kyle Bennett, Free Mars guerrilla leader, is on B5 to collect a shipment of smuggled weapons and oversee the transfer to an outbound ship. Once the cargo is transferred, he accompanies it back to Mars. The cargo arrives aboard a Centauri ship, whose Captain and crew are blissfully unaware of what they've actually delivered.

Unfortunately for Bennett, the Council is currently debating a motion calling for the compulsory inspection of all cargoes entering or leaving neutral space aboard Centauri or Narn vessels; if the motion is passed the crates will be opened by Station Security, so he has to get them moving before the final vote.

As a further complication, though he doesn't yet realise it, his security has been compromised. Jacinta Martinez, the cargo broker handling the transfer, is the leader of a Homeguard cell aboard the station, and has discovered the true nature of the shipment. She now intends to hi-jack the weapons, and use them in a terrorist attack against the assembled representatives of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds.

How the PCs get involved in all this will depend on what kind of characters they wish to play. (Or are already running, if you intend slotting the scenario into an ongoing campaign). If you're taking the option of avoiding the series characters, they should be outsiders, without access to much in the way of official backup.

Some suggestions: The crew of either ship involved in the transfer would be less than thrilled if they discovered what their cargo really was, and could face gunrunning charges if Station Security found out what was in the crates. Lurkers could be hired to help shift the cargo, and stumble across its true nature. Alien PCs would have every reason to try and frustrate the Homeguard, whatever they felt about the Free Mars cause (if anything; moreover any Narn in the party would have a lot to gain from exposing apparent Centauri involvement in gunrunning, wheras any Centauri present would need to cover it up.

Alternatively, the PCs could be official Earthforce investigators tracking the shipment, or trailing Bennett to see what he's up to.

In this case they still shouldn't count on too much support from the station staff; especially if the party includes a psicop. If they seem too keen to break cover, remind them that the judgement and loyalties of the senior command staff have been called into question repeatedly in the past couple of years. If they're staying in character, as loyal Earthforce lackeys, they may distrust Sheridan's help even if it's offered.

Suggested Timeline:

DAY 1: Bennett, and any transient PCs, arrive on- station. The council is deadlocked on the question of introducing mandatory customs inspections of Centauri and Narn freighters passing through neutral territory, in the wake of the recent incident near Babylon 5. The Narn and Centauri are against, Earth and Minbar for, and the Vorlon abstaining, leaving the League of Non-Aligned Worlds with the casting vote. The League representatives adjourn to confer among themselves. Martinez attempts to steal the weapons using forged documentation, but fails because of irregularities in the paperwork.

DAY 2: Council negotiations continue. Brawls break out in the Zocolo between several Drazi delegates, and between Centauri and Narn. One of Martinez's stooges involved in yesterday's attempted theft is found dead, along with evidence implicating him in Homeguard activities. He was actually killed by Bennett, in an attempt to find out who was behind the attempted theft, but alien antiHomeguard activists are blamed. Bennett makes arrangements for the weapons to be transferred. Martinez makes another attempt on the weapons.

This time she's partially successful, getting hold of several guns and some explosives. The Homeguard cell makes plans to bomb the League ambassadors' conclave.

DAY 3: Bennett discovers some of the weapons are missing and tips off Station Security that a Homeguard cell is planning a terrorist attack, hoping to transfer the rest in the confusion. If Martinez is arrested, she threatens to make embarrassing revelations about Centauri complicity in arms smuggling; she's later found dead in her cell. The League announce that they've decided to abstain, and the motion falls.

How the end game is resolved is up to the players; if they manage to foil the bombing and prevent the arms shipment reaching Free Mars they should feel that they've won a major victory against heavy odds. It's quite possible that Bennett or Martinez, or even both, manage to get away, in which case the PCs should keep watching their backs; terrorists aren't known for being the forgiving type.

If you've been using the Homeguard or Free Mars as regular antagonists, this could slot into an overall campaign very easily. If you used the suggested campaign outline from the rulebook, this encounter could be run as a coda to that, bringing old enemies back from the past as the PCs prepare to confront an even greater danger: the shadowy forces behind the conspiracies themselves.

NPCs:

Jacinta Martinez: Martinez is a small- time cargo broker on Babylon 5. Her business is struggling, which she blames on preferential treatment for alien-owned brokerages, but which is actually due to her reluctance to deal with anything other than human-owned ships and companies. This means that cargoes entrusted to her often arrive later than they need to, and shipping agents are increasingly turning to her only as a last resort. She accepted Bennett's cargo from a Centauri ship because he's paying over the odds, in cash; this has roused her suspicions enough to do some checking through her Homeguard contacts, who use the same arms dealer as Bennett, and she's uncovered the true nature of the shipment.

Charm: 5
Intelligence: 5
Strength: 5
Finesse: 5
Insight: 4
Agility: 4
Presence: 6
Wits: 5
Endurance: 5
Xeno: 3
Perception: 5
Coordination: 5

Primary Skill:

Business 4
Major Skills:
Combat (Ranged): 3
Combat (unarmed): 3
Savvy: 3

Kyle Bennett Bennett is an idealist, totally committed to the Free Mars cause, and has used his position in an agricultural supplies company to smuggle arms into the colony before. None of his colleagues or superiors at Syrtis Agritech suspect that anything other than hydroponics equipment has ever passed through their hands. He selected a smalltime broker with cash-flow problems to handle the shipment on the assumption that Martinez would be willing to look the other way if any problems arose; as the scenario begins, he's still unaware of her Homeguard links, or that she has plans of her own for the weapons.

Charm: 6
Intelligence: 5
Strength: 4
Finesse: 6
Insight: 5
Agility: 5
Presence: 4
Wits: 4
Endurance: 4
Xeno: 5
Perception: 4
Coordination: 5

Primary Skill:

Engineering (Chemical): 4
Major Skills:
Combat (Ranged): 3
Combat (unarmed): 3
Savvy: 3