While in Mos Shuuta, my PC's killed some storm troopers, put on their armor and stole the Lambda shuttle. They earned a group obligation.

What are your thoughts for the following possibilities and how to resolve them?

They decide to keep it: Obviously they will have to do something to mask the fact that it's an Imperial shuttle but I don't think they will be able to just fly this thing around and land in any space port. This could lead to many encounters but I feel like will make their lives very difficult.

They want to sell it: Rarity of 6 and restricted. Some major knowledge underworld and streetwise would be required to get rid of this, without it being free and then later sold out to the Empire.

Trade it to the Rebellion: Assuming they know about the Rebellion, but difficult like above. Maybe its the ship used in the adventure in Age CRB

Would it be too nice to let them find a bunch of loot in the storage areas? It is an Imperial Shuttle after all. Crates of blasters, trooper gear etc.

If they want to keep it, then they’re going to have to make some modifications to the transponder codes so that it doesn’t come up as the same ship they stole. That would take some major mechanics rolls — to change or mask the fingerprint resonance harmonics of the engines, or to swap out the engines with ones from a scrap yard that come from another shuttle that has been scrapped.

It might also take some major computers rolls, if they have to hack into the Bureau of Ships and Services (BoSS) database. Wikipedia has some information on BoSS at http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Bureau_of_Ships_and_Services

They might be able to get some assistance from some Black Market contacts, if they’re willing to pay large enough fees.

If they want to sell it, then that would definitely be Black Market, and they’d be lucky to get 10% of the full retail price since it is obviously a “hot” item. Some seriously good rolls might get them closer to 25% of retail, if they’re really lucky.

The Rebellion could definitely be an option, if you want to give it to them. But that’s more a narrative thing as opposed to having to roll really well for their black market contacts.

Work out a difficulty for selling to an interested party—the Rebellion is indeed a possibility—and base it on how Vigilant or Perceptive you think the local Imperial authorities would be in looking for a stolen shuttle. The results of such a skill check should inform you and the rest of the group as to how the heroes did on moving their hot merchandice

For the "Keep it" option they could disable the Transponder or steal/swap out the codes for another (Side adventure anyone?)

One possibility would be impersonating an ISB agent or some such, works well on local stationed Imperials who just tow the line when ISB get involved, just could get tricky if confronted by said ISB agent!

Creates of Trooper armour could be fun to give them, very hard to sell but if they built up a militia somewhere it could prove very useful. probably won't fit most PC's unless they are all Human. Also some basic Blaster Pistols or Rifles, nothing to powerful would be good.

of course this all depends on the makeup of your party, is anyone into tinkering (Outlaw tech, Slicer, Scientist, Gadgeteer, Rigger etc) or into finding that massive payout (Smuggler, Entrepreneur, Thief, Trader, Scoundrel etc) don't put too much thought into unless its something the party will be sure to be interested in.

Throw some mud at the wall, see if it sticks.

All good options.

When you think about it, there’s not much of a market for stolen police cars.

When you think about it, there’s not much of a market for stolen police cars.

You win...

Although they are often striped of the good bits and sold to become cheap taxis etc... (I feel a daunting computers check coming on)

Uh.... I'm curious as to why they got obligation for taking the ship. Sounds like they outsmarted the troopers and stole is 'fair and square'.

Not to say that they should be able to liquidate it easily or for a ton of credits, but I don't understand how obligation enters into it...

If they left forensic or other information or records that might lead the Imperials to suspect who took the craft, it could create Criminal obligation that would rear it's head once ImpInt or ISB or Sector Rangers catch up with them. Or for that matter, just worry that they did.

Well only 2 were dressed as storm troopers and were using the other two as jedi prisoners (one is a jedi with training saber) when they tried to talk their way past the imperial captain they despaired but forced their way on, took off and made a pitiful jump into hyperspace basically by button mashing. I'm still hanging onto that despair as an option that when they drop out of their short jump they're immediately in space combat. But I want to put them through Trouble Brewing and am working on how to do that. Seeing as how there is an imperial bounty out they could come across it to while scanning ship computer, but will still deal with landing on a planet with an imperial presence.

thanks for the info otherwise, basically confirmed my thought that they are going to remain broke, ship less and wanted by the empire. But you guys really backed it up with hard pressed facts. Maybe the four of them could share a speeder bike

One thought I had was when they come out of hyperspace, the rebellion immediately attacks them. If they convince them they aren't imperial perhaps they can workout a trade. The labda shuttle for a busted up freighter. Like a YT-1000 with some damage

It could depend on when in the timeline your game is taking place. Early in their production, Lambda shuttles are purely produced for the Imperial military. It's not until some time later that they're sold on the civilian market. I worked this out when I was planning my game, when I was going to give my players the option of stealing an Imperial shuttle. Even if they weren't identified as individuals, the ship would set off alarms. Appearing anywhere with Imperial forces present would potentially lead to immediate confrontation. The benefit would have been a fully loaded, armed and armoured Imperial shuttle, which wouldn't be such a drawback in the fringe as much as the coreward.

An adventure to find an expert slicer or BoSS insider to at least fix the transponder or ownership records was a possibility I came up with. I also thought to take a cue from the Rocinante in the Expanse series and leave the chance to try and pass it off as legitimate salvage. It might have just meant that systems fully controlled by the Empire would be trouble, but ones with a minor presence would be okay.

If they stick to shadowports, Hutt Space, and other lawless places on the very edge of the galaxy's edge they could successfully lay low and still move around enough to establish a means of trading it away, perhaps in exchange for a non-hot star ship.

I could see it making for an interesting series of adventures, provided you outline some viable locations and interested NPC parties.

I could just see an encounter with some actual Imperials...

"You there! How did you get that Imperial shuttle?"

*Roll for Deception*

When you think about it, there’s not much of a market for stolen police cars.

I guess it depends on how far away from authority you plan to operate. ISIS is more than happy to run around with stolen military vehicles (and a pickup truck from Texas).

The problem with a Lambda-class shuttle is that it's basically impossible to disguise as anything else, and the only people with an legitimate reason to have one are Imperial VIPs or the Imperial military. Therefore, unless you can successfully masquerade as Imperials, taking it to any spaceport with an Imperial presence, or indeed any planet with Imperial ships in orbit is going to be... interesting. It may well be useful for your PCs to have when they want to get through Imperial security, but unless they've got somewhere safe to hide it between times, it's probably more of a burden than a benefit to them.

First I would have them determine where they are headed being that will determine what options are available. Of course, jumping into a system will minimal Imperial Presence can work for them to make contacts to transfer the shuttle to a shadow port or swap it out. It gives them a greater advantage to Masquerading as an Imperial team. Let a character slip away to handle any dealings outside the space port as the two in Storm Trooper Armor catch peoples attention inside the space port. (Keep them near the shuttle) Have it just being resupplied for now. The majority of the populous will give them a wide birth just to be safe. That should give them enough room to see what they really want in that scenario.

Jumping into a system with a substantial Imperial Presence. Well, that can be tricky and the question is how much of a presence and what objectives do they have there. Being it is an Official Imperial Vessel they could bluff their way down to the planets surface and just ditch the vehicle. If it is shortly after the theft of the shuttle. The report of the stolen shuttle may not have made it to that system yet. Look at it like this. It is an Official Vehicle and until otherwise noted it will probably treated as such.

The PC's may not need it to fool the Empire, but there are those out there (not just the Rebellion) who do. Considering how rare the shuttle is outside of Imperial Hands. It really does bring strong value to be sold on the Black Market. Of course you won't be dealing with your regular smugglers or other small time NPC's. Thinking more of a Smuggler Baron. Someone with enough clout and credits to get the conversions they need for it and who will see the Value it has for making them money.

We drove around in a very nice (rolled 6 success on the refurbishment) salvaged Imperial Sentinel Assault Shuttle for a week or so, until the GM had our Hutt patron impound it until we finished a job for her. Note that we had a character with a very good naval intelligence cover identity so it was vaguely plausible.

(A lambda is much safer than that thing. I was half-way considering (when we get it back) to huff and puff and blow down the Hutt's tower!)

In my AU, the party acquired a Lambda-shuttle by other means. I had a rebel cell steal it from them when they swept in as the cavalry during an encounter with a dark force user.

The party was like "Yay! Friendly rebels!" and then the guest PC who was playing a rebel saboteur cameo and her rebel comrades were like "We'll rescue you, sure! Let's drop you off on Corellia. Thanks for the shuttle, suckers!"