Freetrader “Destinys Child”: How It All Started

[Techno II]

Cracking stuff, Mike !

Cheers - Phil.

[Ithoriel]

Freetrader "Destiny's Child": Turn 4 – Down In The Sump Station At Midnight

Making their way down through The Sump to the station that processes the sump sludge, the crew became aware of people scurrying away in the gloom. Clearly word of their exploits had travelled far enough that the local denizens didn't fancy tangling with a bunch of heavily armed and armoured folk with murder on their mind!



Arriving at the Sump Station with it's vats of black sludge oozing and bubbling slowly away, the crew heard the punks in the gloom at the far end of the entrance hall. Nearest them, the giant maw into which autotrucks would tip waste to be processed with the sludge was a metre or so below ground level giving cover to those within.



On the other side of  of the central sludge sewer was a similar lower area this time with some sort of furnace far enough below it to allow it too to act as a sort of ad hoc trench.

The crew were, once again, able to seize the initiative and took the opportunity to make a cautious advance into the building.

The swirling murk briefly parted revealing the opposing punks



Rolling for visibility (1D6 + 8 ) gave the maximum 14 spaces.

The reactions phase was disappointing with only Gunner and Mila able to move forward and open fire. Gunner managed to put down a shotgun armed Specialist but Mila missed with both shots.

The punks advanced in a line, opening fire but, of the surviving seven, only one managed to score a hit. The basic punks count as Poor Shots and hit only on a natural 6.



THK07 was hit with enough impact to put him down but his armoured carapace saved him, leaving him stunned. The punk rolled a 6 to hit, 6 to beat toughness and THK07's saving throw was a 6. I should buy a lottery ticket

The rest of the crew stepped forward and opened fire but the only effect was that Scrapper put the punk leader down.

One of the punks decided he'd had enough and bailed.

Morale Phase, rolling 1D6 per casualty scored 1 + 5. Punks bail on 1-3.

So, one turn in and the punks have their leader and a specialist down and a grunt has bailed.

In return THK07 is stunned and can move or shoot, but not both, next turn.

In turn 2 the conditions are slightly worse and visibility is down to 13 squares.

The reactions phase is no better than the first and only Gunner and Mila are able to do anything before the punks.

Gunner now performs his party piece, putting the remaining specialist and a punk down and stunning a second punk.

Mila climbs up on the crate in front of her to get an angle on the two surviving, unstunned punks but again misses with both shots.

The punks, needing natural 6s return fire and, no surprise, miss.

At this point I remember that the punks have scrap pistols with a range of nine squares so most of their firing has been out of range. No harm done to be honest because their firing has been abysmal.

The last punk moved to within range (as his AI type says he should) and unstunned.

Mr Smith opted to fire at the two punks farthest away and put both down (for once I remembered his +1 if not moving, for his gun sight!).

The remaining crew failed to hit the last punk.

Morale phase, 4D6, 1-3 on any of them and he bails, surely he's gone anyway?

Nope, four 5s! What a hero!

Reaction phase and NONE of the crew get to go before the last punk!

Can he inflict damage on the crew at the eleventh hour?

Nope. Another 5. He needs a natural 6.

Mila fires twice, knocking him back and stunning him again with the first shot and putting him down with the second. The last opponent is down.

Showdown over. Time to see if the Laytown Buzzards have learned their lesson. On a 4+ they are no longer rivals. The crew's roll is 3. Plus one for having sought out the punks and another 1 for putting down at least one specialist. The Laytown Buzzards have had enough.

Scavenging the battlefield the crew find 3 credits in cash, a useable shotgun and a blade carried by one of the specialists.

Gathering dust in a dark corner is a plasma rifle also in working condition. Seems the punks were as bad at scavenging as they were shooting!

The crew accumulate some useful experience that will make them even tougher opponents in future.

Sightings of P'rang ships in the area lead to an Imperial lockdown of non-military travel for two campaign turns.

And in a surprise move Mr. Smith decides it's,"time for a makeover." This is basically just a cosmetic change but the game system suggests that if you have another appropriate figure you should use that. I have an Elheim figure I've recently acquired that I think would fit the bill. Time to get out the paintbrush!

Onwards to campaign turn 5 (of 20)

[pierre the shy]

entertaining read as always Mike.....your reasoning behind the crew opponent's actions seem fine to me.

Did you have Quadraphinia (sp?) or something from Sid Vicious playing in the background for a bit of atmosphere in the background while you were resolving the latest scenario?....I'm guessing probably not James Last though 

Look forward to the next episode....

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great report.
I can confirm a disturbing lack of punks in LB recently too!

[fsn]

Could Mila not go down to the shooting range for a bit of practice? 

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

More good stuff

[Techno II]

Definitely !!

Cheers - Phil.

[Ithoriel]

entertaining read as always Mike.....your reasoning behind the crew opponent's actions seem fine to me.

Did you have Quadraphinia (sp?) or something from Sid Vicious playing in the background for a bit of atmosphere in the background while you were resolving the latest scenario?....I'm guessing probably not James Last though 

Look forward to the next episode....

Thank you! Nothing playing during the game but The Jam playing as I wrote up the AAR - starting, naturally, with "Down in the tube station at midnight" :-)

Great report.
I can confirm a disturbing lack of punks in LB recently too!

Cheers!

I doubt lack of punks leads to people thinking "Can't Get used to Losing You"*

Could Mila not go down to the shooting range for a bit of practice? 

What? She's the captain! Shooting is what the others are for!

More good stuff

Thank you.

Definitely !!

Cheers - Phil.

Thanks Phil.

*As sung by the Leyton Buzzards

[Ithoriel]

Freetrader "Destiny's Child": Turn 5 – Will They Never Learn

"There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves." - Will Rogers


The bar is dingy, dark even. Just how the furtive patrons like it.

In the dimmest corner sits a blonde, eking out her Vadrassian Brandy while pondering the immediate future.

Destiny's Child's finances are pretty buoyant at the moment but won't stay that way without a steady stream of work and neither Gibbons nor House Rimush have anything for them at the moment.

"Gentleperson," an oily voice interrupts her thoughts,"May we speak?"

She says nothing but points at the chair opposite.

A tubby, grey-skinned alien with slicked back black hair sits. He is sweating profusely, staining the armpits of his cheap brown suit.

Mila wonders if this is down to his species' physiology, the humid atmosphere of the bar, or if he knows she has her glare sword in her hand, under the table, and that the flick of a switch will eviscerate him.

She says nothing.

"Gentleperson, I am an .... introducer. I introduce those with jobs needing done to people with the skills to do them."

"Sorry," Mila interrupts,"I don't do plumbing work any more."

The alien wheezes, it could be laughter or irritation. Who knew?

"It is said," the alien continues,"that a certain crew went to Cybot's off the books landing site, turned their warbots into scrap and extracted much useful information for their employer. Such a crew could be useful to a client of mine. Is yours that crew?"

"I'm not saying we are that crew ... but I'm not saying we couldn't handle such a job either."

More wheezing, laughter then,"All you need to know is on this." The alien stands, bows ever so slightly and oozes out of the bar.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"So," said Gunner,"We go to Downbelow Station, find the sleep box, hack the door data to find out who's stayed there and pass the info to Mr. Slimey."

"About right,"agrees Mila, looking at the data cube's display.

Micah,"At least the fate of the Laytown Buzzards should keep the locals out of our hair."
Scrapper snorts.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Late evening, the crew are ambling towards Downbelow Station when a voice calls out from the gloom,"Well lookee, lookee! It's Destiny's Babies! Lookin' all shiny and bright."

"Back off!"yells Mila,"We have no beef with you!"

"Dat right? Well we have a beef wid you Blondie! This is Banshee territory and you are trespassin'. I bet you think, cuz you croaked the Buzzards that youz are all that. But you ain't nuthin'! We're comin' for you, nomarks! We'll put Destiny's Babies to bed!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The crew have an Access opportunity job with 9 punks as opposition. They need to make it to the centre of the map and  complete a successful hack. All the rest is my interpretation of those bare facts.

[fsn]

 

[Scorpio_Rocks]

Really enjoying these - keep up the great reports!

[Techno II]

Good stuff, Mike !

Cheers - Phil.

[fred.]

I do like the story you are spinning out of the fairly basic outlines given to you by the game

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Very good

[Ithoriel]

Thanks or the feedback folks always much appreciated.