Characters: Joe, Arthur, Darrurz, Mazun
NPC:Thaedznou, Aerrak
Location: Initially Kakh Town, then the highway to the downport
System: Akofitsidano
The rain has ended, and the pick-up truck has been refueled. The raiders were
locked into a supply closet. The comm gear was found in the office and smashed
by Joe.
With two hours left before the pit stop raider team is supposed to check in and
sunset, the group hops in the pick-up and gets back on the highway, heading
south towards the downport. As it's 258 km (155 miles), ETA is half an hour
after sunset. Thaedznou would like to stop about a kilometer or two away so that
the group can recon the place under cover of darkness. Aerrak has a pair of
nightvision goggles, so he plans on driving without headlights to avoid being
seen.
The road is in good condition. Signs of pothole repairs are evident, so the road
is being maintained. No vehicle wreckage is evident either along the median or
the sides of the highway. Old structures built alongside the
highway—commercial signs, building, petrol stations—have been torn
down or burned. The only remaining signs are the intermittent distance to the
downport markers.
Farm houses and barns are occasionally spotted in the distance, well off the
highway, but they don't look inhabited. The fields may or may not be tended.
Dirt roads are spotted leading up to these places but there are no exit ramps
from the highway leading down to them.
No traffic is encountered along the highway.
The sun sets and Aerrak dons his goggles. As the group gets closer to the
downport, a glow is evident over the southern horizon. As the truck climbs a
small rise two kilometers away from the downport, Thaedznou instructs Aerrak to
pull over. Finding the ground to be solid, Aerrak is able to drive far enough
off the highway to avoid being easily spotted.
Joe says, "Ed says that there's vakh down there.
"How many?" Thaedznou asks.
"He says at least three. He's still parsing through the chatter."
The group gets out and makes their way to the top of the rise. Down below on a
flat plain lies the downport. The place is lit up—which it wasn't when
the group arrived over the planet several days ago—and surrounded by a
fence, several meters in height.
Even with the naked eye, there are several features of interest about the place.
There are several starships on the tarmac. All are in shadow save one: a
Garu class far trader. A couple of large cables can be seen emanating
from the ship's cargo hold and headed into a hangar bay. The opening faces west,
so the group is unable to peer inside. Crates are being loaded into the far
trader. Figures are seen walking about. Some are vargr; others are robots.
Binoculars reveal that brush surrounds the downport up to 20 meters of the
fence. It's short, requiring anyone wishing to approach without detection to
crawl or crouch. There doesn't appear to be a "best approach" to observe the
trader or the hangar. Due to the angle, anyone wishing to see inside the hangar
will have to circle around to the west for a better view.
Joe announces, "Ed says that the Garu class far trader is vakh and that
the drones are slaved to it. They're autonomous, so the trader isn't wasting
processing power on them, but they obey its commands without question. The
security robots are independent. All in all, there are eight security robots
and twelve drones.
Thadeznou asks, "Any communications with the rest of the vakh fleet?"
"Just a status ping."
While the group mulls this info over, Joe says, "I'd like to get a look inside
that hanger before we decide our next move. Those cables must be connected to
something, and I'd like to know what!"
"Agreed," Thaedznou replies. "Any volunteers to go with him?"
"I'll go," Arthur replies. "Sneaking on enemy encampments is in my wheelhouse."
"Alright. Check in after recon's done."
"Will do."
Characters: Joe, Arthur, Darrurz, Mazun
NPC: Thaedznou, Aerrak
Location: Akofotsidano Downport
System: Akofitsidano
As Joe and Arthur make their way to the west of the downport for a better look,
the rest of the group watches through nightvision goggles.
The six idle starships are identified as: an Angrorghag class seeker,
another Garu class far trader, an Animal class safari ship, a
Kaegkofaeg class trader, a Yetsable class Zhodani courier, and an
Aeksakughu class scout. While Thaedznou and Aerrak are familiar with the
vargr ships and the Garu, the Zhodani design throws them. Mazun has to
identify it for them.
"A little surprising to find one this far to trailing," he says.
"Who are the Zhodani?" Aerrak asks.
"Human civilization to spinward that practices heavily with psionics."
"Psionics?"
"Oh wow. You haven't heard of that either. Uhhh, mental abilities like
telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation..." The blank stare on Aerrak's face clues
him that he has to dumb it down a bit. "Reading minds, moving objects with
thought, stuff like that."
Aerrak nods in understanding. "We were told that was all just fantasy."
"Well, not exactly," Mazun replies.
He's about to explain further, but Thaedznou stops him. "Save it for later," he
says. "Focus on the hunt."
Meanwhile, Joe and Arthur have maneuvered into position and are hiding in the
brush. They note that one of the cables was connected to a starship inside the
hangar while the other one led inside the structure. The starship is a Type S
Imperial scout ship.
While they wait, a fuel tote enters the hangar bay from somewhere deeper inside
the structure. It's being towed by a little freight trolley. The fuel tote
appears to be empty as the trolley is moving with speed and ease. It tows the
tote into the Garu's cargo hold. After it's done, the cables get rolled
up by crew members and loaded aboard the Garu.
Ed tells Joe that the chatter that he's picking up indicates that the
Garu and the scout ship are preparing for departure.
Joe looks at Arthur. "The Garu and scout ship are preparing to leave. It
should be quieter once they have gone. Let's head back to the others and find
somewhere to hunker down for an hour or so. We might then be able to survey the
other ships for potential and for any more vakh then."
Arthur agrees, so the two of them return to the group and relate what they
observed.
Sure enough, Joe's prediction holds true. The Garu seals its doors and
lifts off from the tarmac. Shortly thereafter, the scout ship is towed out of
the hangar, and once the tug is out of the way, fires up its engines and lifts
off, heading to join the far trader in space.
Ed tells Joe that comm chatter indicates that the vakh fleet is assembling in
orbit and preparing to head out to the jump point. Meanwhile, the downport
appears to be shutting down. Landing field lights and large floodlights are
turned off. There are still several small exterior lights on, illuminating the
immediate vicinity around the downport structures.
Several vargr in raider garb can be seen checking on gate locks and equipment
before heading inside the structure. Once inside, doors close and the exterior
lights are shut off. Nightvision picks up about four guards patrolling along the
roof tops, observing their surroundings.
Mazun asks, "Are we going to try and sneak in or take out the guards from a
distance?"
Thaedznou replies, "Both. We'll have snipers take out the guards so that we can
sneak in. Assuming, of course, that no one objects to wiping out the raiders and
finding a ship that we can fly out of here." He looks around the group for
signs of dissent. "We can start just as soon as that Vakh fleet jumps."
Joe responds, "Sounds good. I'll let you know if anything changes with the
Vakh."
Characters: Joe, Arthur, Darrurz, Mazun
NPC: Thaedznou, Aerrak
Location: Akofotsidano Downport
System: Akofitsidano
"They're gone."
It's been about three and a half hours since the two ships left the downport.
The group has been patiently waiting for Joe's cybernetic cerebral companion,
Ed, to let him know when the vakh fleet jumped.
Thaedznou asks, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Joe replies. "Ed detected vakh transmissions through the fleet giving
the order to assemble for jump, and now there's total silence on the vakh
communications band."
"Then it's time to move."
Thaedznou explains that he thinks the best bet is for he, Joe, Mazun, and Aerrak
to creep down among the scrub brush to the main gate. Darrurz and Arthur pick
off the four guards with their laser rifles. From there, the gate team locates
and defeats the locking mechanism. Checking out the gate with binoculars has
revealed that there are no cameras. Arthur joins them while Darrurz maintains
lookout.
"We have a choice at this point: hijack one of the ships on the landing
pad—hoping that the one we pick has enough fuel to just go—or we
find a way into the downport and take out the raiders. I'd prefer to the latter
option as it gives our friends back in the city a chance to build something
without worrying about outside interference, at least in the short run."
Joe says, "It's time for some payback on these raiders. Let's teach them that
siding with the Vakh has consequences."
Arthur nods. He says, "Let's take out the raiders. It’s the only way to be sure.
After we take out the guards, Darrurz and I need to take up a position to
provide overwatch fire support, or join the sweep through the complex. Your
call, Thaedznou."
"I'd rather have you on the sweep. That's what you're built for, no? By the time
they notice the guards are gone, we'll already be in their den. Darrurz should
be able to handle overwatch." Thaedznou looks to check Darrurz's response,
sniffs the air. "Alright, let's get to it."
Darrurz and Arthur get their targets lined up while the rest of the group make
their way down to the gate. Once there, Thaedznou gives the all clear to the
two snipers.
Arthur and Darrurz appear to have successfully taken out the four guards. As
Arthur races down the hill to join the others, Darrurz keeps watch.
The rest of the team approach the gate to see what locking mechanism the raiders
employ. It turns out it's a simple sliding bolt. No lock picking required.
Aerrak says, "That's pretty stupid."
Thaedznou replies, "Look at it from their perspective. Who's going to come all
this way? The raiders seem to have commandeered all the functioning cars and
trucks. They're better equipped than all of the locals. Our friends back in the
city were at their mercy until we came along. And the uerroksafuekhskuez are big
dumb lizards. Locks aren't going to keep them out if they decide to overwhelm
the fence.
"So let's go introduce ourselves," he adds with a smile.
Joe says, "I've been thinking about where we want to strike first. If I were to
defend this site, I'd be commanding it from the control tower—it having
the best views as well as the best access to any operational systems. So that's
my proposed main target. Eliminate raider leadership and then neutralize any
other remaining defenders before exploring the site further.
Thaedznou nods in agreement. "Sounds like a plan."
Characters: Joe, Arthur, Darrurz, Mazun
NPC: Thaedznou, Aerrak
Location: Akofotsidano Downport
System: Akofitsidano
The group hustles across the open space between the fence and the closest
building. Hugging its eastern wall, the group cautiously makes it way to the
building's southeast corner. With the coast all clear, the group races up the
concrete steps and convenes at the eastern entrance to the base of the control
tower. The doors and the adjacent facade are glass from the top of the concrete
platform to three meters up. Brass frames contain the glass. They appear to pull
open. Push bars are on the inside, but have been wrapped in chains. There are
placards in Gvegh and Galanglic which read, "Authorized Personnel Only."
Looking inside, the lobby is unlit. Nightvision reveals a metallic staircase on
the far side leading upward, presumably to the control tower. The glass facade
motif continues on the opposite wall with a set of doors leading to the tarmac.
Corridors extend to the north and south behind glass doors much like the ones
the group is front of now. No lights are visible down either corridor.
Joe says, "I don't have any tools for this."
Arthur says, "I suggest we find an alternate way in. Rousting the balance of the
garrison early with a forced entry would probably be sub-optimal."
Thaedznou replies, "Agreed."
Joe says, "I'll head south and see if I can find another way in."
Arthur says, "I'll head back along the way we came."
Thaedznou nods. "We'll spread out to relay communication along the route between
you two. Paw signals."
Joe has reached the public entrance to the downport. He heads up the steps to
the main doors for a better look when a pair of flashlights (torchlight)
flashing around inside the building catch his eye. Instinctively he drops to the
concrete. Thaedznou notices and crouches. His movement ripples along the line.
Meanwhile, Arthur hasn't found any doors on the east side of the building. He
doesn't want to go around the corner without alerting the others. He looks south
but can't see Joe. The others appear to be crouching.
"What gives?" he says in his loudest whisper, hoping Aerrak can hear him.
"Guards," Aerrak replies.
Arthur looks up to sky as he considers going around the corner. Then he spots an
open window, the glass swinging outward, canopy fashion. It's out of reach, but
he can easily lift someone up to climb inside.
He takes a moment to listen for sounds emanating from the darkened window. Not
hearing anything, he says to Aerrak, "I got a way in."
Aerrak signals to Mazun, who signals Thaedznou. While Mazun and Aerrak join
Arthur, Thaedznou creeps up to Joe's position. Upon seeing him, Joe gestures
that he sees two guards. The beams from their flashlights shine through the
glass of the entrance. Joe is pinned to the steps. Thaedznou is out of sight,
but stays to provide backup.
Meanwhile Aerrak and Mazun have joined Arthur. "Alright, up you go," he says to
Mazun.
"What?"
"The window. I'm giving you a boost. Once you're in, go around to the front and
let us in."
Mazun frowns, but reluctantly agrees. Climbing on Arthur is like climbing on a
step ladder. He's up and, after cutting away the screen on three sides, in. Once
inside he notes that he's in an open room with some file cabinets and desks and
a long partition that closes off the entrance to the space. It's chest high
with stools. To his left, in the back of the room is a set of double wooden
doors.
"Mazun, are you ok?" he hears Arthur ask in a hoarse whisper.
He returns to the window. "Yeah."
"Well, get a move on."
Mazun walks the length of the partition, looking for an easy way over. The floor
on the other side is lower. He doesn't want to risk twisting his ankle by
jumping over it. Finally, on the far wall, he spots a gate. Going through it, he
makes his way to the front door. It's glass and surrounded by floor to ceiling
glass panels separated by metallic dividers. He slides his hands along the door
and finds the deadbolt lock just as Arthur and Aerrak come into view.
Meanwhile, the guards have turned their lights away from the main doors. Sensing
his chance, Joe rolls away from the steps and joins Thaedznou.
"Arthur's found a way in," Thaedznou whispers. "Let's hurry."
The pair dash across the compound to join their compatriots. Joe snatches a
glance back and sees the guards flashlights light up the corridor connecting
the main terminal to the control tower.
"Shit. They're heading this way."
By the time they get to the others, they're already inside. As soon as they get
inside, Joe says between breaths, "Guards. Coming. Down. Corridor."
Arthur, Aerrak, and Mazun were giving the room a cursory examination but then
rush through the gate to join the others. All five crouch down below the
partition in what must have been the visitor's waiting area.
Arthur says, "Ok, in my opinion, it's either take them quietly or let them pass.
It kinda defeats the 'find another way in' routine if we wake the garrison."
Everyone nods in agreement, so they sit and wait.
They don't have to wait long. A minute later a door can be heard to open. Two
flashlight beams play on the far wall.
One guard can be heard to say in Gvegh, "Yep. Just like last time. Not sure why
we even bother with this. It's like going on a nikh hunt."
"Be still a moment," another one says.
"What?"
"Do you smell something?"
"That stink? It's a small room with smaller windows on a hot day with no breeze
occupied by vargr all day long. Of course it stinks."
"There's something else. Something I've never smelled before."
"It's rained this afternoon. Maybe something blew in on the storm. Forget about
it."
"Perhaps you're right."
"Come on. Let's go."
With that the flashlight beams disappear and the door is heard to close.
The group makes there way over to the door that the guards came in from. Arthur
opens the door just enough to peek out. The corridor is L-shaped with the door
at the base of the L where the two lines meet. Straight ahead appears to lead
towards the control tower. He can't stick his head out into the corridor to see
where the other end leads just yet as the vargr can be heard heading in that
direction.
Finally a door is heard to open and slowly close.
"Does anyone besides Darrurz have a laser weapon?" Arthur asks.
The group exchanges blank looks.
"Ok." Arthur unsheathes a blade (7.5", 19 cm). "We'll have to get the drop on
them." Thaedznou and Aerrak nod in understanding and unsheathe blades of their
own.
They open the door and head off down the corridor where the two guards went. In
just a few meters, they come across a pair of double doors. There's a push bar
for each door.
Aerrak listens at the door. After a couple of minutes, he shakes his head. "I
don't hear them."
Arthur slowly presses the handle and opens the door. On the other side of the
door is a small room that appears to be something of a connecting space between
two buildings. There's a pair of doors on the other side which mirror the ones
the group just passed through. A sign above the door states "Warehouse."
Aerrak listens to the new set of doors and again doesn't hear anything. Arthur
cautiously opens the door, which pulls into the connector room. With no noise
heard, the group proceeds into the warehouse.
It is indeed what the sign says. There are racks which extend upward and on
those racks are various crates. Entering the space, one set of racks is up
against the wall with nightvision goggles revealing several more aisles
extending past this one. There is a central corridor that runs directly across
from the doors with aisles running to the left and right. At the end of each
aisle, where the walls are, there appear to be large doors. They can be assumed
to be loading docks.
Upon entering the warehouse, there's a temptation in the group to see what's
here, but Thaedznou keeps the group focused. "No time to sniff around. Have to
find those guards."
Next: Taking the Power Plant