“It is always a trip, winking back into existence, you never know what you’ll find there.”
-a random spacehand
Naryan is a nice world, different, but fine as worlds go, it out gasses a little chlorine at times, but nothing a filter mask can’t handle. As the UTREE expedition exits jumpspace, however, they see things are less than ideal, it appears there is a attack by the Korsumug Empire in progress. Dag, in 8D, the fusion gun control room, hears over the comm:
“Naryan control, this is the Loreli of the UTREE expedition, it looks like …uh..you have an interesting situation going on.”
“This is Naryan control, yes, we are under attack by the Zerps, this is an unusually heavy raid, we’ll have it under control in a day probably. Oh, it looks like the Zerps are sniffing you hard, there, they just peeled off four escorts to intercept you. We won’t be able to break cordon to assist you for the day probably, do you think you can handle them, can you run?”
“No, some of our ships aren’t that fast, our mother is only one gee, she’ll get run down and killed if we turn.” Behind this voice, now one can hear that the captain has hit the panic button, loud klaxons peal out with red flashing lights and a recorded voice: “Battle-stations, battle-stations,” it repeats insistently. “Vacc suits” a petty officer harshly barks, after which an ecstasy of fumbling, fitting the clumsy helmets, suits are doned.
“Dulce et decorum est, Naryan control, this is Loreli out.”
“This is Naryan control out.” and as if an afterthought:
“Good luck.”
Comments
With no gas giant, the expedition is going to have to fight it’s way through to Naryan to refuel.
People of the party will control the UTREE ships, I’ll run the Zerps, this is High Guard second edition for the most part, I will have ship cards up soon.
Montana, hearing the general alert, rushes to the ship’s locker and gets into a vacc suit. Tapping his comm, he asks Ty, “what are the orders? should we gear up for boarding and man the airlock?”
Dag waits for orders on the Gunnery Comm channel, ready to order the gun crew…
Montana, would get into his combat armor, and yes, hit the armory and get to the G-carrier deck, in case they need to bail out or go as a boarding party.
People should bone up on their HG tactics as well, though one of the major things different, is that the Ravens at least, have anti-matter missiles.
Since the Loreli is down in the Engineering section, Jaq grabs her helmet and gloves and seals her suit as she heads down to Engineering. She stops by the armory to check out her pistols in off-hand case that they are boarded. “Never a dull moment,” she says to anybody, nobody, herself.
Montana moves to the G-carrier deck waiting for orders, either to repel a boarding attempt or mount a boarding attempt. I assume that with the general alert I will be able to get my gauss rifle from the ship’s locker.
(OOGM: sorry about lagging a bit with the ship cards, I have had a ton of work to do this weekend like a seven page managerial accounting assignment and I still have an excel spreadsheet to fill out, bleh and a ton more.)
Montana gets his gauss rifle from the armory, and on his way up, he also gets a text from Abrie on the command channel in the HUD of his helmet saying: “Watch Ty, he is unreliable.” One can get the feeling that in some ways, they blame Ty from the failure of the Gumrak assault.
Dag can see four – four hundred ton Zerp escorts heading on an intercept course for the UTREE expedition ships.
Ship Cards
Weird, the Loreli has turned out somewhat different, oh well.
Now for the Zerps
Dag waits for orders, laying in targeting information on all four targets but with priorities given to those whose vectors will bring them closest to Loreli first…
(He’s in the Fusion gun section after all.)
The Zerps Roll: 2d6
10 = 6 [d6] +4 [d6]
So they have initiative I bet, unless someone rolls a natural 12, because they get +! for four ships in their primary line and +1 for higher agility. The Mother (Fiona) is being put in the reserve line. Does anybody have any ship tactics? I assume the Loreli’s black globe is on, though with the advanced AI, she doesn’t receive penalties for firing as the AI can plot the algorithm of it’s flicker. First range is always long, the Ravens have anti-matter missiles, which hit like normal missiles but damge like a “K” pa spinal, normal is “L” but these are an older mark of missile.
I figure I will roll for the Zerps and everyone else can roll for the UTREE ships, but people can break it up however they want.
[ooc— for me, I am not certain what action to take next— Montana doesn’t have starship combat skills and would know nothing about ship combat. Do any of the other players have skills for this situation?]
{OOC me too, Dag has Gunner but other than firing his Fusion guns, I’m not sure what to do either?}
OOC: Does it matter where in the ship the character is? Previously, I had declared that Jaq was headed to Engineering. She doesn’t have ship’s tactics.
I was thinking that maybe people might want to step out of character for a moment and play high guard as a short interlude, if no, that is fine with me, we used to do it a long time ago, though my old group was more war-gamerish. I would like five 2d6 rolls from everyone to at least run it out ands see what happens, I don’t think the Zerps will last long, probably not past the second round.
cool, Dag rolls-
1 + 4 = 5
4 + 6 = 10
5 + 5 = 10
2 + 3 = 5
4 + 4 = 8
Dag/Ian “Man the guns boys! Let’s melt the hulls right off those Zerps!! Fire!”
Ok, Rolls post:
6+6=12
5+2=7
6+5=11
4+5=9
4+6=10
“Hit the decks a-running boys and turn them guns around, Let’s melt the hulls right off those Zerps, We gotta burn’em down” (Sung to Johnny Horton’s Sink the Bismark)
2d6 → [4,5] = (9)
2d6 → [2,2] = (4)
2d6 → [3,6] = (9)
2d6 → [2,3] = (5)
2d6 → [6,6] = (12)
Thanks everybody, I’ll get this written out and we can see what happens, it’s a little exciting, the unknown quality.
BTW Montana, I don’t know if you noticed, but Jaq and Dag have been dealing with Mari down in the thread below this one, if you want to read up on it.
Montana sees Ty nevously tapping his foot as the battle rages outside in the vacuum of space. He mindlessly sings to himself …“the world’s so big, and we’re so small.”
Intense energies rage outside, the Zerps oncoming launching a storm of nuclear missiles, which many fail to penetrate the Ravens defensive energy beam fire. The Ravens in turn returning missile fire with their anti-matter missiles. The Zerps are focused in their attacks on the Ravens, maybe through a mistaken assumption by them that if they can get the Ravens, the Loreli and Mother will be at their mercy. It is to no avail, they manage to only disable the jump drive on the Stellar Jay before a raft of missiles, anti-matter from the Ravens and nuclear from the Loreli, rip them to pieces. Exploding almost immediately from hits, turning into fast moving clouds of debris, one turns and flees the battlefield, leaving one lone crippled Zerp ship, it atmosphere boiling through ragged gaping holes in it’s hull. Life may remain on board but it is hard to tell. The UTREE expedition decides to break off pursuit of the last lone Zerp ship, turning it’s attention to the crippled hulk floating nearby. Hail and call for surrender? Unlikely though a definite possibility, or maybe a boarding action, though this ship is anything but a prize, it powerplant, drives and weapons are all but destroyed.
If the decision is to try to hail them, roll 2d6, or to board then suit up…
Montana taps his comm and says “Give them a chance to surrender first.”
Roll 2d6 for the reaction table in book3, that will give their response. Not that many will be alive, they took a crew hit.
Jaq Rolls a 9 (6+3)
“Damaged Zerp ship, Stand down, Heave to and prepare to be boarded. We are prepared to offer humanitarian aid and assistance to your survivors. Repeat, Stand down, Heave to and prepare to be boarded. We read your drives destroyed and your life support failing and will render humanitarian assistance.”
The Zerps comm back: “What are your conditions?”
Montana taps comm and says to Jaq, “ask them to jettison all sidearms out airlock and transfer a list of all personal and passengers who are alive.”
“Passengers? What do you mean, passengers? A voice says, before being interrupted by another: “We will die fighting before we surrender and are shot down like snarfle-beasts!” It yells over the comm, in a rough manner.
Oddly enough, from through one of rents in the hull, you can see a figure crawling out onto the outer hull. Using digital magnification, it appears to be a Naasirka model robot, fairly common in the old Imperium and copied by many megacorps.
Jaq comms in again, “We would not offer aid if we intended to shoot you, fact of the matter is that you will die without assistance. Why waste ammo on a dying ship. If you don’t wish to be boarded, then rot in space.”
One can hear over the comm a certain interest in the robot that is hanging on the outside of the hull, it is highly unusual for it to be in a Zerp ship.
Was there any reference in the material that Jaq searched as to the identity of the mechant referenced? If so, Jaq will inquire on the radio about this robot on the outer hull.
The merchant is unidentified, the robot is a model often used on merchants and could be a good source of infomation.
Montana, watching the robot through a portal, taps his comm and asks “do we have a robotic arm on our ship to try to nab that robot? If yes, let me give it a go.”
8
Jaq focuses the magnification on the robot. What actions does it appear to be taking? What kind of motivation does it appear to be using (wheeled, grav, limbs, etc).
Meanwhile, Jaq gets back on the radio with the Zerp ship, “Disabled vessel, our scans indicate that your repair efforts are futile and your fleet is not sending out assistance. Surrender and we will ensure your safety, or don’t surrender and soffocate. Or try to fight and, well, I’d suggest you look around you. That was only 1 volley and a small one at that.”
The robot is humanoid form. It might be carrying a messenger bag of some sort and it appears to be waving.
Meanwhile there is no reply from the Zerp ship.
The Loreli doesn’t have a robotic arm, but there is talk of a boarding mission with the pinnace, any volunteers?
The robotic figure stops waving and climbs further around the hull towards the point nearest to your ship – looking back sometimes towards the hole he came out of as if expecting to be followed. You can see that he is carrying no firearms – in fact nothing other than the bag.
Dag volunteers for the boarding party!
Montana reports to the airlock for boarding duty, decked out in combat armor with gauss rifle.
Anyone want to make a plan? The pinnace is the same as the kinunir’s from adv 1, there are some EVA guys with the first squad that can go with. I am sure Jaq will want to go as well.
The biggest problem is that if one of the Zerps decides to fire a missile.
OOC: Sorry for my brief absence.
BIC:
Jaq, already in engineering, goes ahead and starts getting the Pinnace warmed up.
(OOC sorry guys, will be mostly afk the next couple of days due to holiday duties)
Montana’s time to shine? Jaq, plans anyone?
Montana taps the comm and says "anyone on the bridge able to send us a schematic of the ship that can be loaded into our comms. It would be nice to know the floor plan. Once we breach, I will through a flash-bang and then we rush in, hugging the walls until we take and control the first room. Stay low and guns up.
If no other pilot comes down, the Jaq will take the pinnace out once the boarding crew is aboard. Otherwise, she will take her place on the boarding crew with her twin Guass Pistols on her hips and her SMG handy.
If Jaq remains the pilot, she will take an evasive route in, assuming the potential for missile launch still an option for the crippled ship. She will keep the pinnace to the damaged side of the enemy ship.
If she is on the boarding crew, she will prepare for boarding action, letting Montana provide advice on where she should be in the order.
Any plan on how to retrieve the robot?
Bridge says that their densimeters can’t see through the bonded superdense, plus they might be running grav plates off of battery power.
Is there an artificial grav field or can I project myself from this ship and grab on to this other ship?
You can jump away and they can do a flyby with the pinnace to get you, yes. Someone with zero G on a tether could grab you, similar to the way helicopter rescue is done today.
“Chances of survival on action pathway: jump from ship, are low”
Any chance I can get near to the place where they are going to dock/board?
I think they are just coming for you and not necessarily anything else, unless Montana or Jaq has some other idea? Dag should be around again soon.
I will just get to the place they are looking like they are boarding – I can’t know that they are coming for me.
[OOC – Montana doesn’t have Zero G skill so he won’t be trying that]
{OOC neither does Dag have ZeroG, looks like we’re boarding?}
“Bring her in to board, Jaq!”
“We’ll need someone to fly this crate, then.” Jaq prepares to go out on a tether like a yo-yo.
The pinnace’s regular pilot will fly it, Jaq roll 2d6 for 10+ to be successful, For each level of zero G Combat expertise: + 4, Dexterity of 9 + : + 2, Dexterity of 11 + : +4.
Jaq tethers up and steps out of the airlock, pushing off gently as the pinnace silently glides toward the pick-up spot. “Diver in the water” she says bemusedly, thinking of some tri-vid she once saw about a planetary search and rescue swimmer. She floats down as the tether unreels behind her.
[2d6=5+2+(4 for 0-G Combat)+(4 for Dex of 12)=15 Success!]
As her tether comes to the last few meters, she reaches out and snags the figure’s outstretched hands, wrapping her arms around the wrists of the subject of her rescue. On Comms, “I’ve got him, start reeling us in.” She hopes that the robot can read lips or otherwise hear her radio, “Ok, push off gently,” she says, exaggerating her mouth movements so that the robot can read her lips more easily.
Excellent, others on the pinnace watch nervously for any movement of the working missile turret, which thankfully, doesn’t happen. (rolled 11)
TINU will push away gently as instructed, holding the bag close to him as he is reeled in.
Montana, wearing a vacc suit, assists bringing aboard the new arrival.
TINU gets reeled into the ship, guess he owes one to Jaq and Montana. The pinnace docking with the Loreli, TINU is greeted by the officers and crew with curiousity, many have questions, where is he from, how did he get here? The UTREE expedition makes it’s way to Naryan, where to no surprise, some crew decide it is too dangerous, they will quit. The stellar jay, with a damaged jump drive, will be left behind, only her commander staying to oversee repairs and wait for a replacement crew. Some new personell are hired as well, one a ex Naryan Defence Force Col,looking for who knows what?
Any questions?
Upon entering the pinnace: “TINU 666, currently commissioned by Dag Thorskeld and built on Cyril, thanks you. I have been a prisoner on that ship for some time – I was captured after service in the merchant navy of Makhidkarun Megacorp. May I know the names of my heroes and heroines?”
Meeting Dag: “I have been errant in my duty to you – I will give you this opportunity to renew my contract with the additional terms that I am repaired and granted leave upon your vessel.”
Assuming we are introduced I produce a memory card from the bag: “On this chip is recent information gathered by scouts – I picked it up as I escaped. It may be of more use to you than me.”
{Dag looks aghast…then overjoyed!} “TINU? What are you doing here?” {he almost hugs the ’bot} “By the stars, how did you get way out here?”
Whilst I was undertaking part-time work for a variety of employers a vessel from the Korsumug Empire’s fleet took over the station and I was taken as part of the spoils. I would guess that they would have wanted to reprogram me after I was broken down – your ship’s fire broke the electronics that were powering the cell locks. I see that you are working for UTREE now – how did you manage to get so lost, sir!
“It’s a long story, TINU. It’ll keep. For right now, let’s go see if my renewing your contract is ok with the Old Man…”
Montana, watching the whole greeting with a puzzled look on his face, turns to Jag and says “I know being in deep space for a long time can make a man, well…err.. let’s say crazy, but did you see the joy on Dag’s face over a robot? He needs some shore leave….”
Once the airlock is pressurized, Jaq removes her helmet and gloves, stowing them away. When TINU asks for the names of it’s rescuers, she looks at him and says, “I am Scout Jaq Nylora Yancy.” She gestures to Montana, “This is Retired Colonel Montana Mason.”
A pleasure to meet you – my thanks for your aid. May I have the pleasure of knowing why you are firing at these ships – given that you are a scientific mission? What is your heading?
Montana grunts when he hears “scientific mission” and says “Since I been aboard we done a lot of scientific stuff, like treating innocent civilians…….” He remembers the stern lecture from the Captain earlier in the week and says, “… yes… scientific stuff.” Leaning towards he Dag, he whispers “a little vagueness saves a world of explanation…. and another 3 days in the brig.”
GM: Good conversation everybody, very interesting; so, we are heading to Naryan, do people want shore leave or to keep on moving?
Dag nods back, quipping, “I’ve always been a little vague myself, so count me in.”
To TINU he continues, “TINU, what would you say to having your contract switched off? Do you think you could handle true autonomy?”
“TINU, scientific missions into this region of space require protection and what we did was to defend ourselves. The Zerps fired first and even though we offered humanitarian aid, they continued to be hostile toward us. As far as our heading,” Jaq says, “we are heading to refuel and resupply.” Jaq looks quizzicly at the robot, then asks, “Pretty long odds that you would be reunited with your contract holder under these circumstances, don’t you think?”
to GM: i dont have much to do on shore leave so moving would be my preference
to Dag: It is illegal to regard myself as human or another sentient species but it is not illegal for me to have no owner – under these circumstances I will do what is best for those around me and myself. This would be an interesting experience.
to Jaq: The probability of me meeting Mr Thorskeld again was low but robots have an intuition about being able to find their owners – a basic protocol so that lost robots can find their way back.
So one vote no to a shore party. Eve is interested in TINU, so is Archeron, any machine life like themselves is interesting.
“Then TINU, I hereby ‘disown’ you. You can now consider yourself a full member of the group, however you need to reconcile that.” laughs Dag.
(Probably for the best, if TINU can pass a turing test, Dag would be in trouble once Tinu stepped on Terrelayne grav plate.)