Previous Entry: Rushdown 00 - Setting the Scene
Rushdown enters Butcher's office in Minami City. He's just arrived in the city today, after a long flight from Red Suns HQ.
Butcher is standing at the window, facing away from Rushdown and staring towards the giant landed Ironhome that dominates the skyline. He is wearing his full uniform despite the tropical heat.
"Captain Rushdown, reporting for duty, sir."
"Bizarre sight, isn't it? Like a beached sea creature." He waves theatrically with one arm and says "Take a seat. Care for a drink? Tea? Something stronger?"
"No thank you, sir, my crew is eager to get to work so if we could just get our orders..."
"Orders? Ha!" Butcher finally turns around to face Rushdown, who is able to see that Butcher's helmet has been modified to include a grotesque ballistic mask in the shape of a skull. "There are no orders. We've been hired by Takamaki to keep order in the sector and make sure that the Minami Clan keeps control. But the Minamis don't know that they're being supported by Takamaki, so we're not receiving missions from them directly."
"No orders? I don't understand."
"You'll just have to find your own missions. I'll let you know if I get any contracts through the branch office here, but until then just fulfill the mission brief: Keep the peace and support the Minami Clan. I'd suggest you get the lay of the land first, the key settlements are Minami City, Tranquilo, and Gallows. Give each of them a visit and see if anything crops up."
"Understood, sir," says Rushdown. He takes out his black iron blade. "I vow to search the key settlements for any signs of trouble."
Swear an Iron Vow(Heart)—7 vs 7|1
Using my Bannersworn ability to reroll the 7
1d10→2
Which gives me 7 vs 2 & 1, Strong Hit
Momentum:2 → 4 bonds +1 (0/10) 01 - Visit the three key settlements in Ashitaba 00 - Connection Butcher +1 (1/10)
"Oh, you don't need to stand on ceremony with me," says Butcher. "All that swearing on black iron is terribly old fashioned."
"All the same, sir."
"Very well. Report back when you've a better idea of the situation."
Rushdown turns and leaves the office, and heads back to the ship.
Rushdown decides to head to Tranquilo first. It would make sense to look into Minami seeing as they were already there, but it had been a long journey from HQ and the crew looked about ready for some shore leave. Rushdown was sure nobody wanted to miss out on a chance to sample the delights of the famed pleasure city for themselves.
Set a Course(Supply)—10 vs 10|2 01 - Visit the three key settlements in Ashitaba +1 (2/10)
Story Complication(17)Enemy reveals their true agenda or nature
They arrive safely at Tranquilo and dock, and the crew are in high spirits as they make their way ashore. Rushdown stays aboard to look at the local 'net for any potential jobs. There's an unexpected ping from his console - a frigate called the Hidden Blade is hailing the Rude Awakening. Rushdown accepts the hail and a familiar face appears on the screen.
"It was only a matter of time before you showed up here," says Cassidy, the Takamaki spy.
"Cassidy. I should have killed you while I had the chance," replies Rushdown.
"Don't kid yourself; you never had the chance. And besides, that's no way to speak to your new employer."
"Yeah, yeah. What are you calling me for?"
"I was the one who recommended the Red Suns to Takamaki. I'm the reason they requested you by name for this assignment. Every victory for you makes me look good to my superiors. You're putting your life on the line just to advance my career. I wanted you to know that."
"One day, I'll get the opportunity to settle our differences face to face, we'll see how smug you are then."
"Oh, I doubt that. If this campaign is a success, Takamaki is going to acquire the Red Suns. You'll be taking orders directly from me, in a Takamaki uniform."
"And if it's not a success?"
"Well, you'll be dead if that happens so it hardly matters one way or the other."
"Ok, you've had your gloat. Any clues on where I should be looking? My sector commander just told me to look busy, we don't have any work in the sector."
Gather Information(Wits)—7 vs 4|1 Momentum:4 → 6
"It's fun watching you squirm and try to figure out what you're here for, but I suppose it'll reflect better on me if you're productive," replies Cassidy. "Something's happening a few sectors over, in The Expanse. Something big. Might spill over into neighboring or nearby sectors. It's not our territory so no details yet, but keep an eye out for increased pirate activity. And they won't play nice with the local pirates if they do come, so don't expect to find anything out on Gallows."
Rushdown ends the call, and gets back on the local 'net looking for leads. He finds out that Tranquilo is run by the Angel Brothers, a gang of half-brothers fathered by the infamous outlaw Papa Angel who terrorized the sector and beyond a couple of decades ago. Papa Angel hasn't been seen for 25 years, give or take, and his fate is a mystery. Some say he's dead, some say he left the sector, some say he retired, but nobody knows for sure what became of him.
His sons run a gang that operated in Tranquilo, and over time managed to take control of the city through being more united and organized than the other gangs, and maybe just a little bit meaner too.
Rushdown requests a meeting with the Angel Brothers using his credentials as ship captain and representative of the Red Suns and to his surprise receives a reply. A man's face flashes up on the vidscreen. He looks like he's used to giving orders and having them followed without question.
"I'm Florian Angel. You're the merc?"
"That's me," replies Rushdown.
"I've never heard of you, if this is some kind of joke you're a dead man for wasting my time."
"We're new in these parts but trust me, we're battle tested."
"We might have work for you, but first I'm going to give you a little test. A band of Ironsail Raiders are attacking ships a couple of jumps from here."
"Ironsail Raiders?"
"They're a group of tribes from The Expanse, they send raiding parties into Ashitaba from time to time when their various factions aren't warring with each other. Get rid of them and we can talk about real jobs. They have a few multipurpose vehicles, enough to overwhelm a civilian ship but no match for a warship like yours. Let me know when it's done."
The call ends abruptly.
"I vow to get rid of these Ironsail Raiders" says Rushdown to himself.
Swear an Iron Vow(Heart)—8 vs 10|9 01 - Get rid of the Ironsail Raiders
The crew return by the allotted time, but one of the crew comes in covered in blood and immediately goes to the medbay and has a broken nose seen to. Rushdown goes to find out what happened; it turns out the crewman had taken a shortcut down a backalley and got jumped by a gang who took his credstick and his sidearm.
Rushdown heads to the alley. His security officer protests that he should take more men, but Rushdown tells them to just prep for departure and makes his way there alone.
Rushdown gets to the alley and sees 1d6→3 three men standing around, chatting and laughing. As he approaches them, they notice him coming. One of the gangers sees his uniform and steps forward. He says "What, you came back for more?"
"That's not him, it's a different dude," says another.
"Oh, that's even better-"
Rushdown reaches the apparent ringleader, grabs him by the throat, and shoves him against the wall. "Give me back what you took or they're gonna be scraping you and your friends off the pavement," he says.
Compel(Iron)—7 vs 7|7match
"Oh, you mean this?" says one of the other gangers, pointing the missing weapon at Rushdown. "You want it?"
"Oh, he wants it," says the one pinned to the wall, "give it to him."
Enter the Fray(Iron)—6 vs 6|5 01 - Alley Fight
Rushdown whips round and lunges at the ganger holding the gun before he has a chance to pull the trigger. He tries to knock the gun out of the man's hand.
Strike(Iron)—6 vs 2|1 01 - Alley Fight +2 (6/10)
His blow sends the sidearm skittering down the alleyway and the ganger is stunned for a second. Rushdown doesn't miss the opportunity and pulls his arm back with a huge backfist into the man's face, dropping him to the ground. He turns his attention back to the man next to the wall.
Strike(Iron)—9 vs 4|10 01 - Alley Fight +2 (10/10)
Rushdown grabs the man and slams his head into the wall and he falls limp to the ground, but the third man is behind Rushdown with an iron pipe and he swings it at the back of Rushdown's head.
Making a Clash move using Armored to set the Action Dice to 4 giving me a total of 8
1d10→5 1d10→5
8 vs 5 & 5, Strong Hit with a match
The pipe bounces off Rushdown's power armor and Rushdown turns to face the new attacker. The man drops the pipe in surprise, his face a mask of fear.
Take Decisive Action(track)—1 vs 10|3 01 - Alley Fightcompleted
"Run," growls Rushdown, and the man turns and takes off sprinting down the alleyway. Rushdown retrieves the stolen gun and searches the two unconscious gangers.
Does he find anything interesting? Small Chance(86)No
Finding nothing, he makes his way back to the Rude Awakening where the crew are ready to depart for the showdown with the Ironsail Raiders.
End a Session Momentum:6 → 7