Five Parsecs from Home, Session 9
Exterminators
A techno-pop track blared from the grill of the wall speaker in the galley. Protein bars, stacked in a rough pyramidal shape, glowed warmly in the light of the single candle that burned at the apex. A printed banner taped to the wall wished Cyril Nombre 663x “Happy Birthday.” Cyril aimed a cooling vent and extinguished the candle. The Echoes applauded.
Captain VanDerkin presented a cheerful facade, but inside he fumed at the delay. Unity had no right—other than supreme command of the galaxy—to ground ship traffic on Trustinc.
“Your frown is showing,” Anatole whispered as she sidled up to him. “Relax, we’re here until the travel ban is lifted.” She turned to stare intently into Derderk’s eyes. “We’ll find her.” His cold gaze held a moment, then something broke and Derek VanDerkin looked away. “You did a nice thing for Cyril,” Anatole continued. “Don’t blow it now.”
**
In the morning Derderk hid in his cabin. The first thing he did was check the status of the restriction. His throat rumbled a low growl at the lack of change. After that he performed the detested but necessary administrative duties of a starship captain.1 He continued to wait in seculsion until the others had left the ship. Then, before heading out for his own training session he sought out Uri Glenchester.
The wounded mercenary granted entry to his cabin though he did not rise from his bunk when the captain entered. “Uri,” Derderk said, sounding as world-weary as the other looked. “Want to talk?” Derek winced as he asked the question, knowing his crewman’s status as a “Feeler,” one who was extremely emotional by culture.
“I’ve been removed from combat four times,” Uri said quietly, staring at the ceiling. “Four times, Captain. That’s more than anyone else.” He rolled onto his side, his face dark with rising blood. “That’s three times more than Brad Chen.”
Derek forced himself to remain unexpressive. One had to be careful not to trigger a Feeler’s instincts. “Is that so,” he asked when the other’s complexion had softened back to its regular hue. “I haven’t been keeping track.” He shoved the Echo’s legs to the side and sat on the corner of the bunk. “Uri, I didn’t bring you aboard for your fighting ability, strong as it actually is despite what you think. You’re here as the moral compass of the Enola Mirror.” He squeezed Uri’s ankle. “When we met you were on a mission of faith to discover true meaning. Anatole and I are too much alike. We needed someone like you to keep us from becoming the cutthroat outlaws everyone thinks we are.”
Uri did not smile. “I’m afraid I might disappoint you, Captain,” he said. “I’m done with faith. I’m done with being shot. From now on, it’s shoot first.”
This was not the time to press the issue. Uri’s commitment to his words was unbreakable at the moment. Derderk nodded in understanding and left Glenchester to recover.
**
“Zedfinity is a chemical eugenics manufacturer,” Anatole read from the company information site. “It doesn’t sound like a big job, but nothing else presented itself.”
“What do they need?” Brad asked. Belatedly he turned a sheepish gaze to Derderk and apologized for speaking out of turn.
“Stiffen up,” Derek grinned. “We’re not that kind of crew. It was a good question. Costas?”
Anatole brought up the communique and highlighted a sentence. The projection on the wall mirrored her actions.2 “They have an infestation and need us to play exterminators. Kill the insects and find and seal up their point of access.”
Captain VanDerken stared at the correspondence glowing on the wall, looking for a hidden clue to a concealed pitfall. Finally he shrugged and started to get up. “In the end we have nothing else to do.” He pointed to Anatole. “Signal our willingness and get the details.”
**
Zedfinity’s manufacturing site was a warehouse-sized plant. Though the walls climbed upward at least 40 feet, the space was not divided into multiple levels. The equipment required to fabricate the life-exending chemicals was mammoth in scope, with some of the machinery extending from the fused concrete floor to break through the flat roof above. Anatole keyed in the access code and they heard the heavy mechanical lock on the door release. Captain VanDerkin pulled on the door and leaned in, looking down.
“All clear,” he said with forced bravado. “No little creepy crawlies. Chen, you’re our scout. Costas, Nombre, let’s fan out and kill some insects.” He advanced blithely into the plant, treading confidently down an aisle between two pieces of equipment about the size of the Mirror. He froze at the end of the lane. “Bugs?” The word, constricted in his tightening throat, came out as a squeak.
Anatole peeked over his shoulder. Her breath caught.
“So much for the square-cube law,” Cyril noted.
Five insects, each the size of a ground transport vehicle, turned at the same time to face and charge the Echoes.3
Derderk let loose what he would later insist was a war cry and fired his Needle Rifle. His confidence rose when he saw one of the large bugs rock backward on its skittering cursorial legs. Anatole, veering to the right, shot a second target; her Blast Pistol bolt ricocheted off the hardened carapace, but the vermin was momentarily halted in its tracks. Instinct honed in training alerted her to danger and she spun with her arm out to use the pistol butt as a club. The weapon clipped a second bug’s head, momentarily dazing it so she could dodge out of the way to safety.
After the initial shock of the size of their opponents wore off, the battle ended fairly quickly.4 “Captain, I’d like to thank you for so handily keeping the bugs from attacking me all at once so I could pick them off.”
“I dispatched one of the creatures with my blade,” Cyril pointed out with a clipped accent. Derderk was glad to see the bot had finally decided to execute his personality modulator.
Brad Chen jogged up to join them. “Loose drain cover,” he said out of breath. “I’ve locked it down. Echo Exterminators deliver!”
“No,” Derderk said while Anatole shook her head. “We are not calling ourselves that.” He surveyed the plant floor. “Let’s make a quick sweep and head back to the ship.”5
Travel: N/A due to the Unity enforced restrictions on travel.
World
Upkeep and Repairs
Salaries and Upkeep: 1 credit, ship total is now 7 credits.
Debt: N/A.
Ship repairs: N/A.
Medical Care: Uri will remain in Sickbay for this campaign turn.
Crew Tasks
Derderk: Train for 1xp. New total xp is 6xp.
Anatole: Find a Patron, automatic success for turning in Vital Information last campaign turn.
Brad: Train for 1xp. New total xp is 6xp.
Cyril: Explore (d100), 67, Information Broker. Don spend credits to obtain information.
Determine Job Offers
All Patrons on Trustinc are Corporations, +1 to Danger Pay table roll.
Danger Pay: 5 (d6 roll) + 1 (for a Corporation) = 6 on the table, 2 credits.
Time Frame (d6): 7, this or next turn.
Benefits: No.
Hazards: No.
Conditions: Yes, One Time Contract, this Patron, Zedfinity, cannot be retained as a contact.
Assign Equipment: The Blast Rifle found in the Memorial Gardens battle is allocated to Anatole.
Resolve Rumors: N/A.
Choose Battle
Check for Rivals: No.
Select Job: Corporate Patron Job for Zedfinity.
Battles
Deployment Conditions (d100): 22, No Conditions. Notable Sight (d100): 09, Nothing Special.
Determine Objective (d10): 6, Secure.
Determine Enemy (d100): Roving Threats (d100); 75, Large Bugs. Easy Targets, +1 when firing on a Large Bug; they are Stubborn and ignore first casualty when making a Morale Check. Number of Large Bugs: 4 (d6) + 2 (from table) = 6 - 1 (Easy Mode) = 5. Enemy consists of 3 regular Large Bugs, 1 Specialist and 1 Lieutenant (+1 bonus to listed Combat). Unique Individual: N/A.
Battle Round 1
Initiative Actions
Derderk: Optimal Shot, Fails to find a target.
Brad: Scout for Location, Fails.
Firefights
Specialist Large Bug vs. Derderk: Derderk fires 2 shots with his Needle Rifle, Hit, Hit, rolls damage Stun, Stun. Stunned figures do not enter into combat.
Large Bug 3 vs. Anatole: Anatole fires 1 shot with Blast Pistol, Hit, roll damage Stun.
Lieutenant Large Bug vs. Anatole: Lieutenant Brawl attack, 4 + 2 = 6; Anatole Brawl 3 + 3 + 1 (Pistol) = 7. Anatole Hits, damage roll Stun.
Battle Round 2
Initiative Actions
Derderk: Optima Shot, Failure too find a target.
Anatole: Optimal Shot, Successfully targets Lieutenant, Hit, roll damage Kill. Anatole scores 1xp bonus for first kill.
Brad: Scout for Location, Failure.
Firefight
Bug 1 vs. Anatole: Anatole has aready fired so close combat occurs. Bug 1 attack roll 5 + 1 = 6; Anatole attack roll 5 + 3 (Combat) + 1 (Pistol) = 9. Anatole Hits, damage roll Kill.
Bug 3 vs. Derderk: Derderk fires 2 shots, Hit, Miss, damage roll Stun.
Specialist Bug vs. Derderk: Specialist Bug Brawl roll 6 + 1 = 7; Derderk rolls 4 + 2 (Assault Blade attached to Needle Rifle) + 4 (Combat) = 10. Derderk Hits, damage roll Stun.
Morale Check: Bug do not scatter.
Battle Round 3
Battle Flow Event (d100): 15, Stumble into Each Other.
Large Bug 2 vs. Cyril: Cyril attacks with Blade, 5 + 2 (Blade) + 2 (Combat) = 9; Bug attack 3 + 1 = 4. Cyril Hit, damage roll Stun.
Initiative Actions
Derderk: Optimal Shot, Failure.
Anatole: Optimal Shot, Successfully targets Specialist Bug, fires 1 shot, Hit, damage roll Kill.
Brad: Scout for Location, Success, finds the loose drain where the bugs are coming in.
Cyril: Optimal Shot, Successfully targets Bug 2, fires 2 shots with Shotgun, Miss, Hit, damage roll, Kill.
Firefight
Bug 3 vs. Anatole: Bug Brawl attack 3 + 1 = 4; Anatole Brawl attack 1 + 3 (Combat) + 1 (Pistol) = 5. Anatole Hits, damage roll Kill.
The Echoes Hold the Field. Brad easily Secures the drain.
Post Battle
Rival Status: N/A.
Patron Status: One Time Contract.
Determine Quest Progress: N/A.
Get Paid: 6 (d6) + 1 (Easy Mode) + 2 (Danger Pay) = 9 credits. Ship total now 16 credits.
Battlefield Finds (d100): 18, Usable Goods (d100); 36, Kiranin Crystals, 1 Use.
Check for Invasion: N/A.
Gather Loot (d100): 99, Rewards (d100); 99, 3 Story Points. Story Point total now 10.
Injuries and Recovery: N/A.
Experience and Upgrades
Derderk: 3 (Survived and Won) + 1 (Easy Mode) = 4xp. Total xp now 10xp. Spend 7xp to raise Combat to maximum +5. Total xp now 3xp.
Anatole: 3 (Survived and Won) + 1 (First Kill) + 1 (Easy Mode) = 5xp. Total now 8xp. Spend 7xp to raise Combat to +4. Total xp now 1xp.
Uri: Sickbay, no xp earned.
Brad: 3 (Survived and Won) + 1 (Easy Mode) = 4xp. Total xp now 10xp. Spend 7xp to raise Combat to +3. Total xp now 33xp.
Cyril: No xp for bots. Spend 7 credits to raise Reaction to 3. Total credits now 9 credits.
Advanced Training: No.
Purchase Items: No.
Campaign Event (d100): 20, add a Rival.
Character Event (d100): Uri, 3, Letter From Home, receive 1xp, total xp now 1xp. Also, roll d6, 6, receive a Quest (on hold until current Quest is completed).
Galactic War Progress (2d6): N/A.