Five Parsecs from Home - Campaign Turn 3

    In the hinterlands of Taxore, a Planetary Militia unit has gone 'rogue' - setting for our 3rd mission

 Captain's Log

Ship's Log, Interstellar Yacht Inconceivable, Capt. Alistair Valentine recording. I received an invitation from the Varxian ambassador on Taxore. He requested a meeting as soon as was convenient for us. He had matters that he needed to relay us concerning the well-being of the crew. I took along both Gunny McBride, my second in command, and Cephvarx Hul -- my Varxian crewman.

Capt. Alistair Valentine, Gunny McBride, and Cephvarx Hul sat comfortably around the oval-shaped table in the ambassador's office. The Varxian ambassador had invited Alistair to his office to discuss a possible mission the crew could undertake for him. Alistair was happy he'd brought his Cephvarx Hul along. He could tell his crewman was enjoying the company of his own race, chatting with the office staff excitedly before they were seen in to the ambassador's office. 

"This mission," the ambassador continued, "unfortunately could land your crew in trouble here on Taxore. Of course, my office will exert diplomatic pressure on your behalf, if things go badly. So, if you refuse, my old friend, I completely understand." It always amazed Alistair how talking with the alien ambassador, his passenger on many flights during his career with Amazonas Galacticus, seemed so normal. His language skills were paramount, and he had even mastered the art of human body language. He nodded, leaned forward, and even sighed as a native speaker. 

    Capt. Alistair & Doc Mercosius deploy in Taxoran woods with a good line of sight of the militia base

Gunny's voice interrupted Alistair's thoughts, "Exactly what kind of trouble, Honorable Ambassador? There are some on Taxore who are still simmering a bit from us shooting up the guards at the spaceport..."

The ambassador laid his huge palms on the table. "I want to be 100% upfront, Gunny. I know it is your personal mission to keep your captain -- your friend -- safe." Gunny leaned back and folded his arms. "Apparently, a Taxore planetary militia unit has recently gone rogue. Gunny's marine contacts can confirm this. They are not answering communications with their superiors at the capital. Satellite surveillance confirms they are alive and well, though, and still training at their barracks site."

    Gunny takes up the best position with a military rifle equipped with a bipod for long-range shooting

Gunny shook his head. "How does this concern the Varx? Sounds like a matter for the Taxorans to work about amongst themselves."

"We believe they have made contacts with a terrorist group that unfortunately originates from my planet -- the Pure Brotherhood of Varx." Upon hearing the name, Cephvarx Hul sat upright. He looked from the ambassador to his captain several times. "Yes, Cephvarx, I am worried they are concerned with your own activities. You see, my friends, the Brotherhood feels no Varx should go off-world and associate with alien races. Contact with other races pollutes us, they feel. Their goal is to kidnap or kill all Varx in the employ of non-Varxian organizations or working off-world. So, as you can imagine, we in the diplomatic corps are always trying to monitor their activities."

    Zorina & Cephvarx advance through the vegetation on one side of the road, SAS B61 on the other

Alistair placed his hand on Cephvarx Hul's chair, "So, by hiring Cephvarx I have endangered his life? My honorable crewmate and warrior, I know you welcome this fight as a true Varx would. If you feel the call to resign your post and devote yourself to this challenge, you are free at any time." The ambassador reached across the table and placed his lavender-colored hands on the captain and Cephvarx.

"Captain Alistair - you truly understand our race. However, Cephvarx would lose honor if he resigned. He doubtless forgives you for your concern, but likely welcomes this challenge to face dishonorable terrorists who would kill in their cowardly ways. The terrorists have contacted this territorial militia unit and offered them heavy weapons in return for being granted shelter, information and logistical help on Taxore. The Brotherhood plan to strike out from this militia unit's base at Varxian citizens on the planet, murdering and then returning to the safety there."

    Taxoran Planetary Militia deployed on the roof of the barracks, next to their heavy laser droid

Gunny cleared his throat, "These terrorists sound despicable, but is the crew of the Inconceivable to take on an entire militia unit, Honorable Ambassador?"

The ambassador reached into a desk drawer, pulled out a strange device that seemed more fitted to Varxian hands rather than human. He showed it to Cephvarx Hul. "You know how to use one of these, Crewman Cephvarx?" The Varxian reached across, took it from the ambassador's hand, and turned it around in his long-fingered hands several times. He spoke a few words in Varxian. "With this device, Cephvarx can verify the presence of any of our race nearby. If he can get close enough to this base, he will have proof of the Brotherhood's presence. From there, Gunny's old companions will take care of cleaning out these rebels and terrorists. All you have to do is get Cephvarx close enough, give him enough time, and then get him out. Do you accept?"

    Right hand side of the sentries on duty at the Taxoran Planetary Militia base that had gone 'rogue'

After the meeting, Alistair returned to the ship and briefed the crew on their mission. First, he smiled and welcomed back Zorina Valthea, who had just returned to full duty after being wounded in the last mission. The mission would also include a repositioning of the Inconceivable. Officially, in response to threats made against the crew by the spaceport guards' families and friends, the interstellar yacht was being relocated across the planet. No charges were made against the crew in light of their previous hero status for discovering and taking out the Converted infiltration team, though. Conveniently, the new spaceport where they would land after their first flight on their ship was close to the militia unit's base. Gunny took over the briefing, and pull up images of the militia unit's base and its surroundings. He began to explain his and the captain's plan.

    Another look at the base - the Inconceivable crew would come in on the left side of the board

The Game

I used my MDF prison that I'd made for my post-apocalyptic campaign as the militia unit's base. I surrounded it with 3-D printed sandbags and a few other bits of Sci-Fi scatter terrain. For the area covering where the Inconceivable crew would approach from, I used some colorful jungle scenery pieces I'd made long ago for Frostgrave Ghost Archipelago games. I was a bit worried as the militia unit, who would have six members, had military rifles, which are longer ranged weapons than all but one of our weapons. We needed to get one of our crew, Cephvarx Hul, within 2" of the center of the table. I placed a little mechanical droid to mark the center point of the table. Near him, behind the sandbags, was a civilian technician who would grant a "story point" if I could interact with him.

    Doc moves down from the woods to the cover of a massive mechanical drill to get within range

Gunny's plan would first make a tactical switch in the crew's usual deployment. Gunny traded his "hand cannon" pistol to Cephvarx and took up the military rifle with bipod. Gunny's Combat skill is +1 and the bipod would add another +1, meaning he'd hit targets in cover on a 4-6 on 1d6. Though Cephvarx had a similar combat skill, he also has melee bonuses that the crew was not taking advantage of with the alien acting as the crew's "sniper." Gunny taking on that role would be more efficient, it seemed to the ex-marine. Cephvarx, Zorina, and the security bot SAS B61 would advance up the treeline on either side of the track leading to the militia base. Gunny would deploy in the woods with the best line of sight on the base, while Alistair and Doc, with their slightly shorter-ranged colonists rifles, would deploy in the other corner's woods.

I rolled up "Cautious" for the militia's A.I., and deployed them as specified in two groups of three. The one carrying the short-ranged, hand flamer would be on the ground. The other five would begin behind the sandbags on the roof of the base's main building. Their plan would be to aim and fire and pick us off as we advanced. Unfortunately for them, they were of a poorer quality than the Inconceivable's veterans. They were +0 when shooting, meaning they hit only on 6's (they would Aim, though, which would allow them to re-roll 1's). Gunny's plan seemed solid. Let him snipe them, hitting on a 50%, while they hit only on a 1 in 6 chance.

    Gunny opens the game sniping one of the militia sentries, as another panics and loses heart

The crew did not roll well enough to "seize the initiative" and receive a free move or shot. In addition, of the seven dice rolled for "Reactions" (Alistair has a Communicator which gives a bonus die), I scored only a single "1" or "2" (which would allow the character assigned that die to act first, before the enemy). Gunny took the die, aimed, rolled a "1", then re-rolled that one for a hit. The militia were Toughness 3, also, which would make them easier to knock out of action when hit. Gunny rolled high enough and the closest militia man leaning against the sandbags pitched backwards with a cry. On their turn, two of the militia moved up to the sandbags to get line of shot on the crew. The flamer, held fast behind a small control building until the enemy came within range. Those armed with military rifles all fired, missing completely.

The rest of the crew began to execute Gunny's plan. B61, Zorina, and Cephvarx dashed forward as fast as they could through the thick underbrush. Alistair squeezed off a shot and stunned one of the militia on the wall, who ducked behind the sandbags. Doc Mecrosius realized the closest target was out of the range of his rifle and dashed forward behind one of the iron supports of a mechanical drill. I rolled to see if any of the militia panicked after losing one of their own, and lo and behold, rolled a "2." One of them called to the others that he would go and get help. They should stay and hold off the intruders as best they could.

    Meanwhile, Zorina, Cephvarx, and B61 all dash forward as fast as possible through the undergrowth

On Turn 2, I rolled two dice to act first. From his advanced position, Doc raised his rifle, aimed, and missed as the round slammed into the sandbags. Gunny switched targets, steadied the bipod, aimed, and rolled another "1." I re-rolled for Aiming and bang! Another militia man went down! The militia man with the flame thrower ducked around the corner and estimated the enemy were still out of range, so stayed put. Two others fired, one putting a stun marker on B61 as a slug ricocheted off the droids metallic head. Next, the rest of the Inconceivable crew acted. Alistair aimed and stunned the same militia man he had last turn, as the man cautiously peaked his helmet over the sandbags. 

    Hard luck Zorina Valthea, entangled by Taxoran Grasping Vines, is out of the game!

Zorina, B61, and Cephvarx continued to hurry through the alien vegetation. In fact, on Random Battlefield Events, I rolled "Lost! A random crew member loses their way and is removed from the battlefield." I numbered my crew and rolled and hard luck Zorina was the designated one. I reasoned she blundered into a patch of Taxoran Grasping Vines, and was pinned in place by the vegetation. Meanwhile, on the panic roll, another militia member lost heart and fled away from the sandbags. We'd "lost" Zorina, but they had two men down and two run off the battlefield already by the end of turn 2!

    Gunny's second shot drops another militia sentry showcasing the ex-marine's military skills

Turn 3 began with Alistair firing at the same militia man and stunning him again. The militia man carrying the flamethrower saw the intruders were almost within range, so dashed up to the sandbag wall protecting the base. Gunny saw him stop at the wall, shifted the bipod slightly, and squeezed off another shot. The militia man was hurled backwards by the force of the bullet and lay motionless. Gunny was in his element! Three shots, three enemy out of action! The remaining militia man fled the sandbags lining the rooftop (all three panic rolls had been failures -- fortune was favoring the crew this day, for sure).

    And once again, after seeing one of the number fall, another militia man panics and runs

The rest of the game was spent mopping up. Cephvarx moved out into the open (not far from the small tracked droid) and used the device the ambassador had given him. He scanned the complex thoroughly for two turns and then said he was ready to move out. He dashed back to help Zorina, who was still trapped by the vines. B61 continued forward to where the civilian technician lay crouched and cowering not far from the dead militia man. He leaned over the sandbags and assured the technician that he would not be harmed. The two had a conversation for a minute (story point!), when the droid thanked him, and instructed him to lay there till they were gone.

    As the crew gets closer to the base, the militia man with the flame thrower dashes up to the sandbags

When Cephvarx's called that Zorina had been freed from the Grasping Vines, the Inconceivable crew began to quickly back up. Alarms had been sounding inside the base for several minutes. It was time to get out of there before more militia came back for vengeance. As they regrouped a kilometer away from the base, Cephvarx held up the ambassador's device. "The ambassador's information was right. The Pure Brotherhood of Varx is inside the base." 

    That sentry becomes Gunny's third enemy knocked out of action -- truly, the ex-marine was on fire!

Gunny waved the way forward, "Let's go everyone! Double-time on the trails back to the ship. I'll call the marines when we get there."

    Wrapping up -- Cephvarx scans the militia base, while B61 goes to speak to the "person of interest"

I was surprised how easily this game seemed to go. However, I honestly feel it was due to some great die rolling on my part. Gunny was three for three in his 50% chance of getting hits on militia. His two misses were both 1's, permitting re-rolls, which then hit. All three damage rolls exceeded the enemy Toughness. And all three militia panic rolls failed. When shooting at us, the militia rolled only one hit, albeit that was probably not far off from average, with only a 1 in 6 chance. When Doc went over to check on the militia man carrying the flame thrower, he found he was dead. Scrounging through his pack, he found a Stim-Pack, along with a couple damaged pieces of equipment that he snagged and took back to the ship.

However, the post-battle roll resulted in the Taxoran Planetary Militia becoming a Rival. Things might get tougher, now, with both the terrorists and the planet's militia gunning for us! We earned only 4 credits on this mission (our least amount yet), barely paying our expenses on Taxore. If I can roll well enough in the in-between mission rolls for Alistair to finish his Pilot Training Course (which I rationalize is familiarization with the Inconceivable), we may take off and leave Taxore behind. We shall see!

Miniature Painting & Purchasing Tally for 2024

• Miniatures acquired in 2024: 170
• Miniatures painted in 2024: 164 (see next blog post)