Words of compassion and unity from Tegrodera succeed in diffusing the hostile energy of the crowd where bluster and braggadocio failed. It’s as if a magic spell has been lifted, and those around you all seem to have somewhere better to be, most looking ashamed, or at least chagrined. The man on the soapbox splutters, trying to regain the crowd’s attention, but his moment has passed. He glares at the four of you before scuttles off in a huff.
As you resume you walk to meet with the Commander, a young female human—one of the medics who helped attach Commander Najiri’s prosthetic leg the previous day— approaches, thanking Tegrodera for calming the citizens. “Dr. Loachwurt has been stirring up trouble since he got here. Last time, a handful of people ended up with black eyes and broken noses. Since we won’t need them this time, why don’t you take these serums of healing?”
She hands the party a small satchel containing three mk 1 serums of healing.
Returning to Commander Najiri’s new office, you find her practicing a few off-balance side-kicks, while standing on her prosthetic leg. The chamber has been tidied a bit, and a holographic map of the surrounding region is projected onto one wall.
Commander Najiri offers the party small tin cups filled with hot coffee and speaks. “Earlier this morning, I received a call from President Daglaan. Suskillon is lost.” She gestures at the map. “In a few days, this is all going to be Swarm country. But we still have a lot of work to do before we let them have it. Get suited up, because we’re scuttling the fort in an hour to make our way west via convoy into the Sahtor Region to assist with the planetary evacuation. It’s the end of the world, soldiers. Dismissed.”
You can return to Quartermaster Janxer to receive your new equipment and, if you wish, volunteer to help the civilians pack up into large, armored personnel carriers. The mood around camp is grim.
When the convoy is ready to leave Fort Gallant, Lieutenant Gorham assigns Midnight Squad to be part of the rear guard, and tasks you with operating the mounted weapons on an SDF Mobile Striker, one of the heavily armored assault vehicles that have seen much use during the war. The Striker already has a driver—one Ameiko Sune—and has a pair of machine guns and a pair of flak cannons mounted on it. “Hoho! It’s my old squad. Seems a year since I saw you last. War sure is funny, huh?”
Bustling through the events of the day, Tegrodera would pitch-in to help the civilians as best he could between necessary duties. The labor provides a welcome distraction as he mulls over what the general said regarding the evacuation of Suskillon.
A planetary evacuation...we’ll all be refugees then, going to Hylax only knows where. Perhaps, once this is over, I could return to Castrovel and continue my practice there or somewhere else in the Pact? Then my family could settle there as well and perha- ...if they all survive...Hylax keep us safe…
Stirred by Tegrodera's speech, Sevash will also do her part to help with preparations.
Upon seeing Ameiko
"Private Sune, glad to see you are unharmed. I will go ahead and take the wheel." She will wait for Ameiko to move from the driver's seat.
[ooc]If anyone has any equipment they would like but could not afford, I, and I believe Telsix, can spend some time to convert a one item into another of similar type.
Ameiko stares at Sevash for a long second, as if deciding if this is a fight worth picking, and seems to decide against it. She takes her hands off the wheel and slides over into the passenger seat. "Be my guest, birdie!"
Tegrodera would look sheepishly to the ground as Sevash climbs aboard the striker.
"It's good to see you doing so well Private Sune, I hope your journey to this camp went better than ours. I want to apologize for the situation when we last saw each other, and while I know you're not a fan of Shirren I hope we can work well together in the future. On that note, um..."
Glancing around at the various gun emplacements on the vehicle...
"Where could I be of most use here? I'm afraid I'm not a great marksman but if you needed a lookout or navigator perhaps I could suffice?"
He'd then clamber up into whatever seat had the least-lethal piece of hardware connected to it that's not already taken, at least until told otherwise.
Speaking across Sevash in the driver's seat, Ameiko replies,"HA! No worries doc, it was that wanker Corporal Jax I had it in for, and the fate's have graced me with his death, so now I'm ready to kill some more vexxers."
Aysén would hop on a machine gun, in a dour mood.
Planetary evacuation? Curses, so much time wasted here...
It is good that another member of the squad survived.
Telsix would take a seat at one of the flak guns, though they are no expert at such weapons.
The convoy begins the journey west on roads and highways that have been cleared of vehicles. The border of the Sahtor Region is 2 hours from Fort Gallant. As the encampment falls into the distance, you see a controlled explosion engulfing the fort—a standard procedure to keep the structures out of enemy hands.
An hour after the convoy gets underway, a distant buzzing sound grows louder and louder, as a small Swarm starship crests a frozen hillside and approaches the convoy. As it gets closer, the vessel launches a pulsing green torpedo. The weapon explodes only a few dozen feet behind your vehicle, engulfing the cabin of the rear most Mobile Striker in a gout of acid. The driver screams in pain and slumps against the steering yoke, causing the vehicle to list to one side. The Swarm starship circles around for another pass on the convoy.
Sevash will maneuver the vehicle
She grits her teeth and focuses on driving, trying to ignore the cries coming from the back of the convoy
In phase two she will attempt to take evasive action
Telsix aims the unfamiliar machine gun and fires, hoping to interfere with their pursuer.
Tegrodera joins Telsix in their use of unfamiliar weaponry
Sevash shows everyone why she demanded to drive, swerving in an erratic pattern that retains control. Telsix and Tegrodera show why they have other specialities. Can Aysen connect?
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Aysén follows suite, firing the machine gun.
"Shoot like you want to see tomorrow! I have a vested interest."
Aysén strafes the Fleetfury, moving it from the best angle of attack.
Ameiko pounds at some of the controls to try and give Sevash more speed, but to no avail. Frustrated, she climbs out the window and into the open flak cannon seat.
Another torpedo launches at you . . .
vs. DC 25
. . . . and flies wide thanks to Sevash’s agile maneuvers and Aysén's gunnery.
Round 2: Phases 1& 2! Piloting from Sevash, actions from all.
Telsix wildly blasts around, hoping for the best.
Mirroring Telsix, Tegrodera fires at will hoping at least one shot lands
Aysén fires the machine gun like his life depends on it.
Sevash cracks into a wide smile as the adrenaline kicks in
Same phase 2, evasive maneuvers!
"Keep your seats everyone, things might get bumpy!"
Sevash continues to handle the bulky Striker like a nimble skater on ice. Tegrodera scores a direct hit with the flak cannon, obscuring the starship’s targeting sensors. Ameiko manages to score the hull with machine gun fire as well.
Another torpedo launches at you . . . but again goes wide of its mark.
vs. DC 22
The Swarm Fleetfury rockets away to the west, slingshotting around a rocky spur, and comes screaming back towards the convoy. The scream seems to convey frustration at failing to hit you twice!
Meanwhile, ahead in the road, Sevash spies the burned-out husk of a large, overturned vehicle in the middle of the highway. She swerves to avoid it, and manages to keep the vehicle upright, although some paint gets scraped off the side as it passes by.
vs. DC 16
On to Round 3: Phase 1&2!
"The storm billows beneath my wings!" Sevash says in Strix
Continuing to evade in phase 2
Hoping that their blasts at least distract the pursuers, TElsix continues to fire.
FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE
Like a majestic roc soaring through the desert, Sevash continues to pilot with aplomb, and Tegrodera is starting to show a real knack with flak cannons. Telsix and Ameiko are not as skilled. Can Aysén strike again?
Boons Earned
Gunnery DC is set at 22
Evade Success = Lower DC of Reflex save by 1
Flak Success from Teg = -2 on Fleetfury Gunnery Check
Aysén unloads his machine gun at the starship in a wild pattern to no effect.
The starship fires another torpedo . . .missing again, but getting close enough to spray acid over everyone.
vs. DC 22
acid damage.
You hear another sound coming over the horizon, and a pair of SDF fighters come into view, and chase the Fleetfury away over the horizon, instigating rousing cheers up and down the convoy.
The remainder of the journey to the Sahtor Region border is uneventful, if tedious. The Sahtor Region (see map in slide deck) consists primarily of massive agricultural processing centers amid miles of automated farmlands. It is bounded by the Jurdos Mountains to the north, the Dethomar River to the northeast, and the Eskue Ocean to the west and southwest. The capital of the Sahtor Region is Reos City, located on the western coast. The distance between Fort Gallant and Reos City is approximately 400 miles along several highways, and the convoy will not reach the metropolis until 8 hours after the fleetfury’s attack.
Along the way, the convoy passes through a few small towns with large, neon-yellow evacuation notices plastered on every door and window. All of these areas are completely abandoned. The convoy makes brief stops for biological needs, but no one is allowed to leave sight of the convoy unaccompanied. Shortly before nightfall, the convoy rolls over a hill and into the outskirts of a city overflowing with evacuees.
Dozens of starships can be seen landing and taking off from a spaceport to the north of the city. The convoy stops a mile from the city limits, where the road is blocked by a tangle of abandoned cars. Commander Najiri gives the order to abandon the vehicles and walk. As the civilians move ahead, Najiri meets with each squad to hand out further orders, accompanied by Quartermaster Janxer, who hands out R2Es for the night’s dinner.
When Commander Najiri, still slightly unstable on her new artificial leg, makes her way to the Midnight Squad, she commends you on harrying the Swarm Fleetfury until support could arrive.
“Midnight Squad, muster up. I’ve been in touch with SDF command here in Reos City. Evacuation is underway, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. They recently sent a squad up to a temple of Hylax north of the city but haven’t heard back from them yet. I want you to make your way up there via the main highway. A shirren priest named Xelonan runs the temple. See if he has any information about the lost squad and bring him back here to safety. If you see any civilians along the way, make sure they’re moving to the evacuation zone here. Any questions before you move out, soldiers?”
mountainous roads. You’ll be issued a standard troop transport in case you need to pick up any civilians.”
Wrapping up the mission briefing, Commander Najiri claps a few of you on the shoulder before saying, “Keep your comms open, and let us know what you find up there. Good luck, Midnight Squad.” Quartermaster Janxer then leads you to some tents where you can get a night’s rest before embarking once again.
"We should be able to reunite the missing squad with our forces. There are roads that lead to the temple?"
"Yes, the main highway north takes you up past Lynmari. Once you hit the mountains though it'll be smaller roads. Nothing your transport carrier can't handle easily."
At dawn the next day, Lieutenant Gorham wakes the squad and takes them through the outskirts of Reos City in a small hovercar to an SDF checkpoint on the highway leading north out of the city. He pulls up alongside a battered SDF Troop Hardtop and tells you, “It’s all fueled up and ready to go. Try not to let it get destroyed...” He furrows his brow for a moment and then smirks. “Though chances are we won’t be taking it with us off the planet.” The lieutenant transmits a map of the Sahtor Region to your comm units and wishes you luck on the mission.
Sevash will jump into the driver's seat and inspect the controls
"I can work with this"
The equipment doesn't matter when you've got these skills"
She's still ridding high from her successes the previous day
Telsix will settle into the cabin as well.
"I am interested to see what this priest knows. Any information about the Swarm will be to our benefit."
"I wonder if it relates to all the rumors we've been hearing about their hive mind and psychic abilities? We'd heard mention of stuff back on our first night on patrol, remember? I've definitely felt something come off them whenever we've engaged in combat"
Shuddering at the memory, Tegrodera would squeeze into whatever equates as a backseat in the Hardtop.
"Oh, as we're expecting hostiles would you each be willing to contribute some genetic matter again? It greatly aids my abilities to provide support though unfortunately the coding doesn't last for more than a day."
Sevash will hand Tegrodera another feather
"If you're feeling strange around the swarm, maybe we should come up with a password to make sure you've kept your faculties"
Aysen will indeed sit in the bed of the truck, as far away from Tegrodera as possible.
"I think that would be a good idea to have such a password."
Ameiko gives Tegrodera a look that says her view on sharing material with him has not changed since the last time he asked.
On the road north...
Approximately 60 miles north of Reos City, Sevash and Ameiko both spot a figuring in the road ahead, waving their arms above their head, occasionally pointing to the ground at what could be a body, but at this distance it isn’t clear. You are closing fast however.
"Should we stop? Our mission is urgent, but we could give this person a ride, if they consent to travel with us."
"Okay, what would make a good phrase then? Perhaps something familiar only to us or pertinent to the SDF? I'm not certain if it would cause confusion but the phrase for getting beaten-back by a Swarm contingent, BBBS or Triple-B S, seems pertinent."
Over the course of the drive and discussion, Tegrodera will take whatever samples his allies provide and work to attune his custom microlab to each .
"If they consent to riding closer to known combat sites and we feel comfortable taking them along, I'd say we let them join. I'm concerned about what they're doing out here though, and what the story behind that body is."
Ameiko turns around to address Tegrodera, "Isn't it your sworn duty to help those who need aid, dear medic?"
Aysén Ory frowns and shouts from the bed of the truck
"Right now his sworn duty is to find this priest, Xelonan. I believe we were told to point any civilians in the right direction though. We've got more important things to do right now than play hero."
In regards to the earlier password talk
"Tripple-B S it is"
Now
"They may have information on where we are headed. We should stop and see what is going on"
Unless someone says otherwise Sevash will slow prior to getting to the figures. She will take a quick look around for signs of danger before pulling up in front of them.
As you get closer and slow down to a stop, you can see it is indeed a body on the road, and seems bloody. The man waving yells, “My friend got attacked by one of those damned bug things! He’s bleeding to death, you gotta help him!”
Upon hearing this Tegrodera would rapidly gather his supplies and spring from the cabin, calling over his shoulder as he does so.
"You're right Ameiko! Can one of you lookout in case anymore vexers appear?"
Without waiting for a response he hastens over to the body on the ground, dropping beside it in preparation for Space CPR .