Five Parsecs from Home Turn 7: Cultists

 

In which the crew are hired to escort an esteemed academic to investigate an alien monument that may or may not be a hoax. 

But first: the crew disperse for their usual post-mission activities: 

• Yodel stays on the shuttle, tinkering with her dueling pistol, but can't seem to get it working again. 
• Mireille, minding her own business at what is fast becoming her favorite watering hole, strikes up a conversation with a smuggler who is able to sell her some military weapons: a boarding saber and two infantry lasers! 
• Hearing this, Hob finds a fixer working for an erstwhile resistance group who is desperate to get their hands on any kind of weapons; Hob's happy to hand over some of the team's more basic gear for an influx of hard cash. 
• On his way back to the shuttle bay, Ulf finds a stim pack hanging half out of a Dumpster - it looks like it might be fixable. He doesn't tell anyone where he found it. 
• Sally goes off to a far quarter of the city to draw attention away from the rest of the crew, and comes back unscathed. 
• The two new crewmembers get in trouble again. Kangal comes back pretty banged up, having been jumped for his colony rifle. The gun won't be missed but the bipod attached to it was useful. 
• Mandy returns looking pale and jittery, claiming that he ate something bad. They both end up in Sick Bay. 

The next day Mireille's Wapcaplett, Vendetta and Prang contact offers them another job. Rumors are floating around that a cult has formed out in the sticks, in one of the private mining collectives. This cult is alleged to be centered around an ancient monument constructed by a long-dead alien civilization. The WVP contact wants the team to escort a staff xeno-archaeologist to the site and determine if any of this is true, as any ancient alien artifact may prove to be immensely valuable. The cult is known to be armed and dangerous, so the crew can expect the team to encounter resistance. 

Because the mission will take place in a populated area, WVP insists that only four crew members participate, and adhere to a strict time limit so that neither local authorities nor itinerant journalists are alerted. Given these constraints, the corporation is willing to include a significant completion bonus. 

Keeping her reservations to herself, Mireille accepts the job. 

Dangerous Cultists! (Unit9 stl, special guest appearance: Wolfgang Amadeus Wolf by Corvus Belli)

Dr. Arasaka, Xenoarchaeologist (Unit9 stl) 

The Scene of the Investigation

The crew split into pairs and make their way swiftly to the site. Soon, however, Dr. Arasaka is spotted by a group of nearby cultists, and the mission turns hot! The team is outnumbered almost 2 to 1, but the Cultists are armed only with short-ranged and makeshift weapons, and so are cut down en masse in their futile attempt to protect their shrine. Sally, meanwhile, is able to identify the curious object nearby, and determines it to be a Cybermask holo-spoof, presumably used by the recently-deceased cult leader to lure the credulous into his service. She shuts it off and packages it up, knowing it can fetch a fine price from the right buyer. Nearby, in a pile of rubble, Ulf finds a full set of spare parts for the Cybermask, along with a brand new Blast Pistol. He grins and tucks it into his belt. 

The Tragic Consequences of Fanaticism

Pleased with the result, WVP pays them a staggering sum. The credits are starting to roll in... 

Five Parsecs from Home Turn 3 - Mercenaries!

 

Breaking out the big guns - can the team overcome a merc with a rattle gun? 

The Zouave entering orbit over Lanzerac IV

With the ship finally fueled, and no further jobs, Mireille decides to take the crew to Lanzerac IV, deeper in the subsector. A corporate state where no freelance license is required, it is sure to be a lucrative source of income. 

The trip passes uneventfully, aside from a blip on the edge of scanning range that Ulf thought for a minute might be pirates (1 Story point spent). 

On landing, the crew disperses to various tasks. Hob manages to find some interesting high-end spirits that may be of some value at the next port of call. Yodel hears about this renegade mercenary with a bounty on his red head, and Mireille gets hit on by a nerd who talks her ear off about the minutia of bioscanners. Ulf and Anja stay on board and train up on the simulators. 

The next day Mireille gets a call from the site manager of a mining operation in the north. It's been occupied by mercs hired by a rival operation. The risk of damage to the site is too high for a full scale assault, but a data cache in the residences cannot be allowed to fall into a competitor's hands, and so the manager hires the crew to get close enough to spike a virus into the base's network and irretrievably corrupt the data. Mireille accepts, and the crew head out to the site via shuttle. 

Dropping the scanner bot ahead of their deployment, Mireille discovers that the mercenary Yodel heard about, Marcus Tranh, is leading the opposing contingent! 

Figure: Unit 9 stl 

Not only that, but the rumored bounty has more than doubled - some anonymous contractor wants this guy bad. 

The scanner IDs the rest of the mercenary squad: 

All figures: Unit 9 stls

Visibly well equipped, including a squad machine gun. A risky engagement to be sure - but the Zouave's crew have surprise on their side! 

Terrain: Micro Art Studios, Antinociti's Workshop

The crew approach the staff barracks building through a small parkette. They've got to get pretty close for the hacking device to be able to burn through the network firewall! 

Ulf and Hob are both spotted by a mercenary fireteam, but after a brief exchange of fire, each takes out their respective target without getting hit in return. 

Marcus, having crept close, peeks around the corner, fires, and eats a face full of plasma for his efforts. He falls in a smoking heap. Emboldened, Mireille pops out of cover to try and hit the machine gunner while Yodel covers her left from the parkette. She misses, and the HMG sends her scampering out of the line of fire, and straight in the sights of the specialist's partner, who throws her back. A stim pack keeps her from being stunned, for now. 

The HMG rattles once more, and this time Mireille hits the ground and doesn't get back up. The remaining mercenary leans out of cover and fires at Yodel, sending her groundwards as well. Anja and Ulf, dismayed by this change of fortune and bent on revenge, move into firing position. Ulf's rifle hits but does not down his target, but Anja blasts the machine gunner with her shotgun. Sally activates the hacking device. 

The last remaining mercenary stubbornly holds his ground, but is eventually pinned and killed by concentrated fire from the remaining team members just as the device finishes destroying the data. The mission is successful, but at what cost? 

The crew run to assist their fallen comrades. Yodel turns out to be fine, having struck her head on a bench as she dove for cover. Mireille, however, is not so fine, with bullet wounds to her left arm and shoulder that will require some time in sick bay. 

Ulf recovers a laser sight from the wanted merc Marcus' blasted body, and also a commlink with some encrypted data on it, that might prove useful to the right patron. Hob, meanwhile, finds that one of the military rifles so recently used against them is still functional. He hands it to Sally to replace the colony rifle she lost in her recent scuffle. 

With Mireille in sick bay, Ulf meets with their corpo contact, who pays them handsomely for a job well done - enough for advanced care to speed up the boss' recovery, in fact! 

Returning to the ship, the crew retire to the mess to reflect on their jobs so far, and discuss how they will find the next one. With many promising leads, they are confident that they will have their pick. 

Five Parsecs from Home Turn 2: Isolationists!

Grateful for the prompt intervention, the starport pays out six credits! As the crew celebrate their first successful contract, word gets around, and Mireille is contacted by a regional administrator who needs some quiet, outside help. 

It seems that a small group of anti-Unity Isolationists, led by an ex-naval officer, have occupied a government environmental support center as a sign of their determination. The administrator wants the crew of the Zouave to move in, assess the extent of the Isolationists' defenses, and if possible drive them away. 

Unit9 stls, except far right: Authorized Bounty Hunter, Corvus Belli

Mireille accepts gladly, and sends the crew off to explore the shanties around the launch pads, while she logs some time in with an expert AI. 

A few hours later, the crew return, buzzing with stories to tell: 

-Hob managed to trade some scrap for a Med Patch, just in case; 

-Yodel found a Swift pub, hoping to find rumors of her former gang, but just ended up having a good time; 

-Anja, also carousing, started talking to a bartender who eventually asked her to deliver a package to a friend. She figured that Mireille would get a kick out of using the old Type S Scout/Courier for its intended purpose. 

-Ulf found himself at a boxing gym, where he got in a vigorous session of Krav Maga with a local expert. 

Sally, however, was nowhere to be found, until starport security called. She had gotten mixed up with some chavs - possibly friends of the ones the crew had tangled with earlier - and had gotten injured and robbed (2 turns Sick Bay, lose Colony Rifle with Assault Blade attachment). After a brief commiseration, Mireille sends Sally up to the sick bay to recover, while the team prepares for their assault. 

Terrain: Hlokk Scenery Pack, Corvus Belli 

Sending Ulf alone to check out the small outbuilding, the rest of the team prepare to investigate the two larger ones. Ulf checks windows, determining that the building is empty, but sees a team of three militia approaching! Taking up a firing position at the base of the stairs, he blasts away with his Plasma gun - but misses. 

The militia trooper returns fire inexpertly - and a round connects, sending Ulf tumbling down the stairs! Meanwhile, on the right, autogun fire erupts, as a specialist opens fire on Anja, missing. Hob returns the favor with his own auto rifle, and scores a lucky shot, downing the hapless gunner. 

Yodel, hearing the exchange of fire to her left, repositions, finding a narrow firing lane from cover. Taking careful aim she shoots - and drops the trooper who shot Ulf. 

A third trooper, seeing his friend felled right in front of him, turns and runs. 

The leader, a seasoned navy vet, is not so easily deterred, however. She moves up under cover to try and get enfilade shots on the team. Repositioning, Yodel fires again - and again her shot hits, punching a neat hole under the leader's left eye. 

The remaining pair of Isolationists back off and hunker down, back to back, giving the crew time to catch them in a pincer. Anja closes and blasts away with her shotgun, driving one from cover; Yodel fires at her but her shot fails to injure the militia woman. 

Finally, Hob appears, and the weight of numbers bring down the remaining Isolationists. 

Mireille, closest to Ulf, runs to check on him. Miraculously, he is completely unhurt! (00 injury roll - the first in this game!). Yodel, despite her battlefield success, seems troubled by the lives she has taken, and is overcome by a deep feeling of melancholy. 

Meanwhile, a quick rifle through the bodies finds a few Dazzle grenades, and also a comlink on a particularly well-equipped Isolationist, who turns out to be a Bounty Hunter, with some very interesting data on his person... 

The Administrator pays the crew 5 credits, under the table. 

Five Parsecs from Home Turn 1: Bot Rampage!

Drones from Battle Systems: Core Space

(Wanted: Dead or Alive and In the Line of Fire)

"We have a problem," the security head said. "Something's gone off with the security bots - they have been randomly attacking folks all morning, and the master reset's been disabled. Nobody's been hurt yet, but your pad's off limits until we can find someone to deal with the problem." 

Mireille smiled. Sounded like a paying job - and they were headed that way anyway...  

The Zouave's crew shake out into a skirmish line and take up firing positions, hoping to outrange their opponents. 

On the right, Anja moves up and starts a duel with a pair of drones, drawing their fire while Hob and Sally pour it on. They put one down straightaway but the other one is stubborn! 

Mireille moves up while her crew covers. A bot takes a bead on her but is chewed up by Yodel and Ulf's shooting. 

Patrol Drone
(Battle Systems, Core Space First Born) 

Meanwhile a strange drone appears, looking unlike the security bots they've been fighting. Could this be the reason for their malfunction? 

Mireille charges to the rear of the shuttle to investigate, ignoring the dismayed cries of her crew. A brief exchange of energy weapon fire turns the drone to slag. 

The drones are tough! The team have to focus them down one by one, but eventually get the job done. 

A brief search of the downed drone proves futile, though Sally is able to recover a Hand Laser from it. Hob scrounges a Stim-Pack from an unsecured crate. 

Impressed by the team's thoroughness, the starport administrators award the crew six credits. Each crewmember gains 3xp; Hob (first kill) and Mireille (drone kill) each get one extra. 

Five Parsecs From Home Turn 0: A Starport Shanty

One time, in the stash house, Tina complained to Jhonny about their moniker. "Why you gotta call us scum, Jhonny?" she whined. "We can't even be rats?" 

Jhonny Rat took a long drag on his stogie. "Rats are smaht, doll. And resourceful. And vicious fightahs. You wanna be a rat? You gotta earn it." 

Terrain and mat by Battle Systems. Zouave's crew on the left, scum on the right. 

After another night on the town, the crew heads back to the starport. They are ambling through the Iron Triangle of makeshift huts and ramshackle shops when a sudden silence descends. Sally starts sniffing the air and Mireille's sensor bot gives a quiet warning beep - too late! A group of local thugs round the corner. The crew have uninvited company! 

Johnny and the Scum, awaiting their next unsuspecting victims. 

Front row: Johnny Rat, Loot Studios. 

Back row: Unit 9, various

Sensing danger, the bystanders start to flee, kicking over chairs and leaving behind belongings in their haste. Ulf sets up to shoot across the plaza, as Hob moves to flank and Mireille waits to pick her spot. 

Sally takes up a firing position at the corner of the nearest building, while Anja sprints across open ground to close with the enemy. The scum waste no time in attempting to join her. 

A Scanner Bot (foreground) observes the Starport Scum charging around some shipping containers. 

The Scum are caught in a vicious crossfire, but manage to weather the storm! 

Sally tries to hold down the flank but does little more than slow down the enemy with desultory fire from her Colony Rifle. Mireille springs from cover and adds her Beam Pistol to the weight of fire, to no effect. Finally, the combined fire of Hob, Yodel and Ulf finally bring the scum boss down - but his minions are undeterred! 

Anja looks to be in a rough spot. Civilians are impeding her actions. The scum don't care though - the first one dives onto Anja, blade flashing, but it pushed away at the last second! 

Anja finishes him off with a concealed knife, then moves to join her crewmates. Her shotgun fails to down a second ganger. The sudden violence causes one of the scum to flee! 

Ulf, surging forward, brings down Anja's target, his big Plasma Rifle booming. Finally, Yodel connects from downrange with her infantry laser, piercing the last of the scum before she can escape. 

The young gangsters seem to have nothing of value on them, and the crew decide to flee the scene before law enforcement arrive and start asking delicate questions. 

Five Parsecs from Home: The Crew of the Zouave

 

"Miranda Ashcroft, Authorized Bounty Hunter",
Corvus Belli, OOP
"Drone", Neon Street 3k, Loot Studios, STL

Mireille Asheville came from a family of wealthy colonial administrators, but had big dreams beyond even her considerable means. Imagine her delight when she won the Megacredit lottery! She immediately purchased a decommissioned S-class scout ship and some gear, then posted on the planetary ad boards looking for an experienced pilot and first mate. A rugged man named Ulf responded, and fit the bill, so she immediately hired him!

"Ulf", Raiders of Ymir, Unit9, STL 

Hired by Mireille as executive officer and pilot, Roarke "Ulf" Taylor found the rest of the crew in local bars or just hanging out at the starport, and just pocketed the rest of the bonus cash. He wants everyone to think that he is a Special Forces Military Veteran, but he was really just running the security department of a local tug that also acted as a customs cutter. The closest he came to combat was when his ship was occasionally dispatched to catalog contraband. However, despite his equivocations, he is trained, and can shoot straight as well as pilot a ship.

Sally Pantro 314UPLSL1PT. A lab-grown chimpanzee raised to sentience by Elexa Labs' Uplift Division, 'Sally' and her cohort were bred to provide heavy labor for a high-G mining colony. She was freed by one of Elexa's scientists who had had a coup de conscience, and makes a living as an itinerant ship engineer. As such she is the only person besides Roarke who actually knows how to operate a starship.

"Cyberpanzee", Neon Street 3k, 
Loot Studios, STL

Robert "Hob" Hobart, petty thief, pickpocket and card sharp, is as likely to grab the kitty and run as he is to stash a cold deck up his sleeve. Hob never stays in one place for long, since the private games that he typically targets are usually hunting for his head soon after he makes his move. Mireille's ship is as good a place as any to dodge his marks even as it piques his curiosity.

 

"Hob, Survivalist Hipster", 
Undercity Exiles, Loot Studios, STL

Anja Tretiak is a human hybrid bred for survival in the blasted wastes of her home planet. Desperate and tired of eking out a bare sustenance as a nomadic scavenger, Anja stowed away on board a merchant ship, and survived by doing odd jobs whenever the opportunity arose. She was the bouncer working the door when Roarke started hiring "ships crew", and leapt at the opportunity.

"Tretiak Anyat", Dire Foes 1: Train Rescue
Corvus Belli, OOP

Yodel, whose real name is untranslatable and untransliteratable, was part of a criminal gang on her homeworld. As punishment for an infraction, she was 'sold' to a long-haul colonization mission as security/cannon fodder, her brain implanted with behavior inhibitors. Befriending the colony's medic, she managed to disable the lock on her personality and has since made her way back to civilization, bent on exacting revenge from the gang that tried to dispose of her.

"Jackal Ranged Vulture Veteran",
One Page Rules, STL