So with recent forum threads I've been thinking up an opening game that could allow an edge game to veer into the rebellion should that be of more interest.

What I'm planning is to have the players' "invited" to an impromptu meeting with an underworld fixerwith an offer "they won't want to refuse".

For edge PCs this means their obligation has come up and the fixer can help them "if" they help him first...

For rebel PCs this is set before the AoR beginner game and their means of getting access to Whisper Base is explained.

Their mission is to intercept an automated Imperial transport, locate one cargo crate and safely transport it via their ship to a specific location (this is Whisper Base for the rebels).

The crate holds a young woman in stasis, releasing her she will reveal she was kidnapped and (in the edge game she's a wealthy heiress who when brought to the Wheel will pay the PCs their reward whilst in the rebel game she's the granddaughter of the admiral the base is eavesdropping on and her rescue will allow the rebels to capture Whisper base and a powerful ally) this was kept secret as she has quite powerful links in the Empire but is considered a potential rebel sympathiser by personal rivals in particular.

My main question is how much should the reward be?

I was thinking an initial 10,000 would be mentioned but depending on whether they kept their word this could increase to as much as 100,000 but does that sound right to you?

Is that enough or is there something I should be prepared for?

Thanks in advance!

Be prepared in case your PCs decide to double cross everyone. They may transport the Heiress to the rebels but also sell them out to the Empire. Or they might just turn her into the Empire themselves and collect a rather large reward(likely reducing and transferring their obligation to service to the Empire)

Even if she's not actually a rebel supporter, the suspicion she has on her would be enough to make the Empire interested.

PCs can and will sell their own mothers out for a few creds.

Rather than credits, I'd allow her safe return to eliminate Obligation. However, the amount could fluctuate depending on how the PCs do things. They might end up getting credits out of it if they try to renegotiate on the fly, but at the cost of not reducing Obligation.

Or throw in a new contact someone with the resources and patronage to really help their business plans?

Yes they could still go for the double cross and then gain a new obligation but maybe I should look at their obligations and involve them so they have a reason to want to go along with this?

I think 10,000 is a nice number for a table of four to five players. There could be an Obligation reduction depending on who they owe it to. Keep in mind they may actually gain Obligation with the Empire depending on how things go down.