SW Redshift Chronicles, Intelligence Brief #10: Gadnek Is AAR, Part 6

Saved from a gruesome death!

Situation:  1900 hours.

En-route to Pierson Station at hypersonic speed.

Pierson Station and TAg facilities.

Cad So Billes and Seleq Seel escort Damathon Cohain off the rescue shuttle.

They're greeted by Penelope Pelletin and Adoko.

Rican Vranos Lah To Ceel escort Lt. Onjo Naguza off the rescue shuttle.

Damathon Cohain and Lt. Naguza were given a quick medical exam and determined to be suffering shock.  However, despite the party's harrowing experience, their time back on Pierson Station proved to be fleeting.

One of the files Sei'do Avari downloaded from the Bongolaanian computer contained invasion plans directed against the station and the surrounding Tarsan-held islands. 

Since it was now imperative that the invasion plans be taken to the Tarsan Defense Force Command, the station's only emergency express boat (x-boat) was prepared for immediate take-off. 

As the weary members of DST-3, along with Damathon Cohain and Lt. Naguza boarded the x-boat, they were joined by the Tau Tau Force Mystic, Gobar Been, who wanted to "follow the Will of the Force."

The x-boat lifted off from Pierson Station before midnight and once beyond Zenya-3's gravity well, Cad So Billes, pushed the throttles forward and the vessel fired into hyperspace. 

Destination:  Tarsus.

The invasion plan details will be addressed in Intelligence Brief #11.

SW Redshift Chronicles, Intelligence Brief #9: Gadnek Is AAR, Part 5

Preparing their last stand.

With only minutes to spare, the party split into two teams.  The first team with the most combat skills and led by Thege Kli'Klotaz, manned the rooftop barricade. 

Situation:  1700 hours.

The Bongolaanian basecamp was perched on top of a cliff, overlooking a small bay.  The camp consisted of one prefab building, two storage facilities and a dirt-packed landing strip.  The forward defense was in the form of a 1.5 meter-high wall, that extended between two rocky outcrops, the party hoped would be impassable for the oncoming mutants.

Several members vowed to throw themselves off the cliff, or save one blaster shot for themselves, if they were about to be overrun.

Barricading the door.

Meanwhile, the second team, led by Cad So Billes, worked on barricading and re-sealing the damaged door, while Sei'do Avari and Lt. Naguza reactivated the camp's computer and transmitter.  Naguza assisted Sei'do in bypassing the computer's security firewalls and swore that if he survived, he would seek political asylum on Tarsus.  Sei'do utilized Naguza's code cylinder and downloaded various files from the camp's computer.

The mutant horde charges out of the jungle.

The rooftop team opened fire as soon as the first mutants broke out of the treeline.  The rooftop team blazed-away at the mutant horde with impunity.

A Force-User leading the rifle-armed mutants.

However, within several minutes, the tactical situation took a turn for the worse.  The squad of rifle-armed mutants arrived and subjected the team to a steady barrage of suppression fire with their slug throwers.  As bullets pinged off the barricade walls, the rooftop team returned fire and spotted a human wielding a red-beamed lightsaber among the armored mutants.  The Force-User handily deflected any blaster shots directed at him.

As the battle raged, Lt. Naguza contacted Rican Vranos, another member of DST-3 (Diplomatic Security Team Three), leading a search party on another island.  Cad So Billes reported their dire situation and requested immediate evac. 

Rican promised he'd depart immediately--however--it was a two hour flight time to their position.

Cad replied, "Frak!  Better hurry, or there'll be no one left to evacuate!"

The mutants breakthrough!

Once the door barricade was in place and their exact coordinates transmitted to Rican, the ground team abandoned their position and scrambled on to the roof.  They arrived, just as the mutants neared the perimeter wall.  Thege braced his heavy blaster rifle, switched to full-auto and poured blaster fire into the seething mass of howling mutants.  On the other end of the rooftop barricade, Sei'do lobbed several hand grenades at mutants clustered behind the perimeter wall.  The rest of the team picked-off mutants as they climbed over the wall.

Despite cutting-down mutants by the score, more creatures poured into the narrow gap.  After nearly two hours of continuous fighting, the party was down to their last, half-empty powerpacks.  The hand grenades had all been expended during the first minutes of the battle.

At sunset, the mutants breached the perimeter, thanks to the Force-User, who used his lightsaber to gouge a large hole in the wall.  The mutant horde surged forward and swarmed around the building.  As the axe and club wielding mutants smashed windows and battered the door, the rifle-armed creatures intensified their suppressive onto the rooftop redoubt. 

All seemed lost, when the rescue shuttle dropped out of the sky, with repulsor engines screaming.

Saved in the nick-of-time!

Rican manned the entry hatch, firing his blaster rifle at mutants climbing the building.  Damathon was pulled into the shuttle first, while the rest of the party boarded two-at a time.  Thege was the last one to board, after draining the powerpack of his heavy blaster rifle.

Blasting-off amid a hail of bullets.

The rooftop redoubt overrun by mutants.

Situation:  1900 hours.

Once everyone was strapped in, the shuttle pilot shoved the throttles forward and set course for Pierson Station at hypersonic speed.

The epilogue will be found on Intelligence Brief #10, Gadnek Is AAR, Part 6.

SW Redshift Chronicles, Intelligence Brief #8: Gadnek Is AAR, Part 4

Mutants in pursuit.

Situation:  1100 hours.

Within minutes of setting-out for the Bongolaanian basecamp, the party was assaulted by scores of mutants.  The creatures attacked from all directions, even dropping out of trees and leaping out of spider holes. 

Barely maintaining the lead.

While traversing the southern hills, mutants threw rocks and even rolled down boulders in an attempt to stop the party.

Situation:  1200 hours.

When the party reached the crest of the southern hills, they discovered the primitively-armed mutants were the least of their problems.  From their impromptu observation point, the party watched several Lambda-Class shuttles air-dropping cargo containers onto the island's central valley.  These containers were identical to the one they came across earlier (see Gadnek Island AAR #2).

Lambda-Class shuttles dropping cargo containers.

The Lambdas sped off as soon as the containers hit the ground.  However, two vessels circled-back and landed near the Ruins of Mumbak (located at the "M" on the map).  The ships appeared to be Sith Infiltrators.  One member of the team mananged to keep his electro-binoculars during the pursuit and observed the activity near the Infiltrators.  Within minuts of landing, over a dozen rifle-armed mutants in red battle armor, disembarked from the ships.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Situation: 1500 hours.

At this point the party faced a tough choice:  Make a run for it in the open valley, gaining speed, over cover and concealment?  Or, continue to hack their way through the hills and jungle, mainting their concealment against the new arrivals?

Ambush!

Breaking through the trap.

After fighting through a major ambush near the treeline, the party made a break for it, on to the open plains. 

Situation: 1600 hours.

The mutants harried the party for 13 kilometers.

In sight of the eastern hills.

Through the mountain pass.

Outrunning the mutants.

By the time the party stumbled into the basecamp, everyone was suffering from some level of exhaustion.  Damathon collapsed and was dragged into the small compound. 

The Bongolaanian basecamp.

Everyone else took a moment to catch their breath and take stock of their situation.  Looking around, they realized the camp was ransacked--probably by the mutants, while Naguza and his battledroids went off to search for Damathon.  Everyone had lost, or expended, half their blaster power packs and hand grenades.  Sian Squnn and Jad Jo Dop had lost their weapons during the final run to the camp.

The roar and howls of the approaching mutants meant the party only had several minutes, at most, to establish a defensive perimeter and attempt to radio for help.

To be continued in Intelligence Brief #9: Gadnek Is AAR, Part 5.

SW Redshift Chronicles, Intelligence Brief #7: Gadnek Is AAR, Pt 3

Situation: 0900 hours.

The sound of blaster fire grew louder as the party moved northwest.  In less then an hour, the party came across a clearing, 200 meters wide.  On the north side of the clearing, a pack of mutants were advancing against several battledroids trapped against the cliff.

Mutants in the treeline.

The mutants were unaware of the party's approach and continued their assault against the droids.  The party spread out in two-being teams and approached the edge of the southern treeline.  Once in position, they steadied their weapons and took careful aim.

Sneaking up on the mutants.

Once everyone had a target in sight, they unleashed a volley of blaster fire into the backs of the mutants.  Several of the creatures were killed in the fusillade, but the surviving mutants pressed on with their attack against the battledroids.

Mutant vs droid melee.

Half the party sprinted across the clearing, while their remaining teammates covered them with their blasters.  Once the northern treeline was cleared of mutants, the rest of the team entered the jungle.  As they approached the cliff, they discovered two humans, in partial cover, among the rocks.

A battledroid falls victim to a rampaging mutant.

One of the humans was dressed in an Imperial officer's uniform, while the other wore the remains of a flight suit and binder cuffs.  The party found Damathon Cohaine.

"Meezah Zak Tenko.  Meezah here to rescue you!"

The Tau Tau warrior, Zak Tenko was the first to reach Damathon and began unfastening the binder cuffs.  The Imperial officer turned and aimed his blaster pistol at Zak.  However, before he could fire, Thege Kli 'Klotaz burst through the foliage.  Leveling his heavy blaster rifle at the surpirsed officer, the Durosian soldier demanded the Imperial's surrender.  The officer immediately dropped his pistol.

The rescue of Damathon Cohaine.

The party then spent the next hour consildating and securing their postion.  None of the droids survived the battle, while Damathon and the Imperial officer appeared to be suffering from shock.  The officer turned out to be Lieutenant Onjo Naguza of the 7th Cohort, 599th Droid Infantry Legion, from Bongolaan. 

After some questioning Lt. Naguza confirmed the location of the Bongolaanian basecamp and his mission to find and apprehend Damathon.  More importantly, Naguza informed the party, the basecamp contained a radio capable of signalling for help.  While the lieutenant talked, Sei'do Avari noticed a code cylinder in his brest pocket and removed it.

Before the team could question Naguza any further, the silent jungle erupted with roars and howls of mutants--hundreds of them--converging on the party's position.

Mutants in hot pursuit of the rescue party.

To be continued in Intelligence Brief #8:  Gadnek Is AAR, Pt 4.

SW Redshift Chronicles, Intelligence Brief #6: Gadnek Is AAR, Pt 2

Situation: 0600 hours

Once the team entered the jungle, the Tau Taus noticed it was quiet.  Too quiet.  Other than the sound buzzing insects, there were no indications of the wildlife normally present in such an environment.

The rescue party enters the jungle.

After travelling 3 kilometers (km) northwest, the team, discovered a cargo container in a clearing, along piles of animal bones strewn about the field.  After a careful search, the team determined the cargo container was airdropped, sometime within the past two weeks. 

Discovering the bone field.

All the bones were broken in several places and hollow.  Every bone examined were scarred with deep gouge marks, as if a carnivore gnawed on them and sucked out its marrow.

Situation: 0700 hours

Scouting ahead, Cad So Billes spotted a dozen, large red-skinned creatures hiding along the path the party was following.  The creatures, wearing animal skins and wielding simple weapons, appeared to be a deformed, possibly mutated version, of a Gunganoid race, like the Tau Taus. 

Avoiding a mutant ambush

Cad backed away from the mutant pack and briefed the rest of the team.  They spent the next hour navigating around the ambush site.

Situation: 0800 hours

After traveling 2 kms northeast the team discovered the remains of six battle droids. 

Destroyed battledroids

Every battle droid was bashed to pieces and their parts scattered over the jungle floor.   Sei'do Avari and Sian Squnn examined two droids that still had their heads intact.  Sei'do noticed the number "7/599" stenciled on both heads.  Cad recalled the battle droids they encountered during their escape from Bongolaan had the numbers "4/599" stenciled on their heads, which stood for 4th Cohort/599th Droid Infantry Legion (DIL).

They surmised then, the destroyed droids were part of the 7th Cohort/599 DIL, from Bongolaan.

Examing the battledroids

Sei'do and Sian extracted the memory chips of the two droids and installed them into Sei'do's data pad.   He played back the droid's memory and discovered the following details--

--The droids were part of a squad consisting of ten droids, led by a Bongolaanian/Imperial Reserve officer, from the 7/599th DIL.

--Their mission was to find Damathon Cohain, but no reason given as to why.

--They were activated at a small basecamp on the eastern tip of the island, less than 15 kms northeast of their current position. 

--The squad found Damathon and four crewmen of the Ivory Bantha less than three days ago.  Two of the crewmen were killed by the battledroids in the encounter.

--Two days ago, while on their way back to the base camp, the squad was attacked and overrun by the mutants. 

--The last two crewmen from Damathon's ship were killed--and devoured--by the pack of mutants.

The team decided to head towards the basecamp to see if they could pick up the survivors trail.

After travelling another kilometer, the party was startled by the sound of blaster fire echoing through the jungle...

To be continued in Intelligence Brief #7: Gadnek Is AAR, Pt 3.

SW Redshift Chronicles, Intelligence Brief #5: Gadnek Is AAR, Part 1

Stardate:  Fiday, 069-130ABY/Tarsan Intelligence Service (TIS)

Subsector:  Shannekam

DST-3's Mission to Zenya, After Action Report (AAR) 

On Senday, 057-130 ABY, Diplomatic Security Team Three (DST-3) dodged a harrassing flight of TIE fighters from the Zenyan Restricted Zone and landed safely on Pierson Station.  Based on the information from the Ivory Bantha's flight recorder, the team determined Damathon Cohain and several crewmembers escaped the destruction of the ship and landed somewhere on Zenya-3. 

Pierson Station's location in the Tau Tau Archipelago

Within hours, Penelope Pelletin, director of TAg Facilities on Zenya and Adoko, Pierson Station administrator, organized search and rescue (SAR) effort to find the Ivory Bantha's crew.

On Tuday, 059-130 ABY, DST-3 joined the operation and was assigned to search Gadnek Island.  King Gethen and Force Mystic, Gobar Been, joined the planning session.  The Tau Tau king informed the group they have been unable to contact the inhabitants of the island for the past several weeks.  Communications have gone unanswered and teams have been sent to investigate, but none have checked-in, let alone returned from Gadnek.  (The island serves as an historical, spiritual and nature park).  The Tau Taus were reluctant to discuss this matter with offworlders until they had more information on this strange occurrence.

Situation: 2300 hours, 060-130 ABY--the team is selected

The members of DST-3 selected to lead the Gadnek Island search party, were:  Sei'do Avari, Thege Kli 'Klotaz and Cad So Billes.  King Gethen assigned some of the best warriors of his bodyguard to augment the team.  These were: Seleq Seel (Knight of the Guard), Lah To Ceel, Zak Tenko and Jad Jo Dop.  The Royal Engineer, Sian Squnn (a Sullustan), would also join the group.  The remaining members of DST-3, Rican Vranos and Coden were re-assigned to lead a search party on Tandek Island, 500 kilometers to the northeast.

Gadnek Island's location, just below the Zenyan Equator

Despite filing several complaints with the Zenyan Drylander Government, aerial harassment and electronic jamming continued throughout the Tau Tau Archipelago.  Drylander officials claimed these actions were caused by pirates and swoop gangs.

Because of this ongoing threat, the team decided to ingress via waterspeeder.  (Undersea transport was available, but deemed far too slow).

Using the islands for cover, the team sailed through the archipelago and arrived at the northern tip of Gadnek Island at 0200 hours, local time, Forday, 061-130 ABY.

Northern view of Gadnek Island

Southern view of Gadnek Island and crash site

Within several minutes, the speeder's sensors picked up a faint signal from the escape pod's distress beacon.

Situation 0230 hours--Ivory Bantha's escape pod discovered

The search party discovered the escape pod, submerged in 60 meters of water, one kilometer south of the island.  Once over the crash site, the Tau Tau warriors dove into the sea to investigate.  Within minutes, they resurfaced to report the escape pod was empty.

Situation: 0300 hours--search party attacked

As soon as the Tau Taus dried off from their swim, the waterspeeder's alarm klaxons blared to life.  Sensors indicated an approaching air speeder--with weapons systems activated.

The airspeeder turned out to be a droid Hunter-Killer Assault Craft (H-KAV).  The airspeeder opened fire as soon as it was in range.

Situation: 0400 hours--waterspeeder is destroyed and the team swims to shore

Piloting the waterspeeder, Cad So Billes led the H-KAV on a high-speed chase through the barrier islands.  However, the droid craft re-acquired the waterspeeder at every turn and repeatedly hit the waterspeeder with blaster fire and concussion missiles.  Within minutes, the starboard-fore and port-aft repulsor fans were destroyed and the port-fore fan was on the verge of failing. 

Throughout this pursuit, everyone else wrapped as many weapons and as much gear as they could into waterproof bags.  Once everything was wrapped, the bags were dropped at the points selected by the Tau Taus.  After all the equipment was jettisoned, Cad locked-in a course for Gadnek Island's southern beach.  As the flaming waterspeeder careened towards the shore, each Tau Tau grabbed an offworld team member and dove into the sea--just seconds before the waterspeeder crashed onto the beach. 

The H-KAV strafed the wrecked waterspeeder one final time and then veered off to the northeast.  The team swam to shore, once they determined the H-KAV was gone for good.  Sian Squnn could not swim and was pulled ashore by Jad Jo Dop.  When everyone flopped onto the beach, Thege Kli 'Klotaz revived the Sullustan engineer, while the Tau Taus swam back into the sea to retrieve their weapons and gear. 

Most of the bags were recovered.  Once their equipment was checked and cleaned, they set out to into the southern jungle in the hopes of finding the Ivory Bantha's crew--and transportation off the island.

Continued in Intelligence Brief #6: Gadnek Is AAR Part 2.

Gamemaster's (GM's) Notes:

The planet map of Zenya, was derived from the world of Lefiguura, found on page 76 of Smash & Grab, Traveller:  The New Era, by GDW (1994).

The Pierson Station map was derived from Elinore's Realm, on page 78 of Smash & Grab.

The map of Gadnek Island was derived from the map included in Rescue On Galatea, by Mark Lawerence, FASA (1982).

The characters, Damathon Cohaine, Thasallah Cohaine, King Gethen and Seleq, were also derived from Rescue on Galatea.