1. It’s Only Armageddon

[Pursuit]

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN TEMPTATION

Our story begins in the city of Temptation (no, stranger, that is not a nickname), where humans first mined ghost rock on Banshee. In present day, Temptation is home to almost 30,000 souls, making it the largest human settlement on Banshee by plenty.

Now, you happened to be in Temptation yesterday when a strange broadcast overtook the airwaves: "Okay, it's working now? Okay, got it. Listen up, Temptation: this is Major Lee Bansen of the Colonial Rangers. The Banshee Orbital Defense Force has detected an asteroid that looks like it's going to make planetfall, and soon. They tell us they are trying to figure out where this thing came from and how big a hit we're looking at, but we're encouraging everyone to get off planet if you can. We'll be coordinating the evacuation from the spaceport, so make your way over there. I know you're likely to be spooked, but we've got this in hand. We've been practicing for something like this since the World Storm, except this time we've got advance notice. Be calm. Make your way to the port. And we'll get you out until we get a better idea on this. Oh, and pack light: nothing bigger than a backpack or a purse. We'll be running shuttles regular, so you're not going to miss your ride. If you got questions, we'll have volunteers manning the emergency lines. Be safe and be seeing you soon. Okay, now where's the off button? Oh, it's a switch? Is it thi..."

People panicked, as they are wont to do, but the Rangers and volunteers mostly did okay at keeping bedlam and tramplings to a minimum.

You didn't go right away to the spaceport right away for your own reasons (whatever they may be). Today, though, you decide to go. Maybe you want to leave the planet, like Major Bensen said. Or maybe you want to volunteer to help. Or maybe you just want to watch the chaos unfold as the gullible masses of the city struggle to get off world.

While you are on your way towards the port, several good sized explosions rock the city. Smoke billows into the air and you can feel the ground shake hard beneath your feet. And as soon as the sound of explosives fades, the sound of gunfire replace it. A lot of gunfire.

You head towards the sound (because the story would get pretty boring if you did not!), and you find an ongoing gunfight. 4 soldiers wearing the regalia of the BODF (Banshee Orbital Defense Force) are pinned down and outgunned by 4 times their number of un-uninformed gunfighters. Bodies litter the ground on both sides (and you can't help but notice some of those bodies belong to civilians), grim testimonies of the brutality of the fight.

And as the soldiers and their attackers battle, the husks of several spaceships smoke and burn in the background.


HOW QUICK ARE YOU?

Welcome to the thick of things! We are going to run this as a dangerous quick encounter. Describe what your character does upon discovering this scene and then roll whatever skill you think most appropriate (shooting to intervene, stealth to hide so as to not become a target yourself, taunt to distract someone and allow the other side to gain some advantage, etc.). See Savage Worlds page 134 for more details on quick encounters.

[Roxy]

Roxy is dejected thinking of having to leave the bike she brought to come to Temptation. "So much money! Bah, at least I was travelling light enough already I don't have to leave anything else." She wasn't talking to anyone else, but she was near enough for Marti'i to hear her grousing respond if she was inclined, same for any of the others. They'd all decided to go on the same day, which was odd enough, but then all of them had the same response - run towards the danger.

Seeing the fight, Roxy made an attempt to make sense of the action. Why where there ships on the ground in flames, why were soldiers fighting cilivians, why were civilians hurt? She made her way to cover and began surveying the situation. As she noticed things, she called to her fellow idiots who ran into the danger, informing them of what she sees.

1d6!: [6!, 2] = 8 , 1d6!: [3] = 3

[Nathan Cavendish]

Nate observes the sight in front of him. This is plumb stupid. It’s like fighting on a sinking ship. Not sure the best way to handle this. Well no better time to start shooting and hope for the best.. Nate jumps behind some cover. Aims his Gyrojet Pistol and

Shooting: d8+1: [2]+1 = 3 , Wild: d6!+1: [2]+1 = 3
Bennie: d8+1: [5]+1 = 6 , Wild: d6!+1: [4]+1 = 5
Damage: 3d6!: [5, 1, 5] = 11

an explosive round in the largest pack of the men firing on the BODF. ”Let’s se how these guys like the odds evenin up.”

[Ames Jean-louis]

Ames abruptly pushed the stool back from the bar and stuffed a bill into the the whiskey glass that had long gone dry.

"Fine. We'll go."

The bartender, the only other soul in the saloon, sighed in relief and began to pack up so he could finally make his way to the spaceport, too. Everyone else with any sense, having left days ago.

You know you're lucky that old sod thought you were talking to him. You really need to keep our conversations quiet.

Ames replied to the voice in his head in a more subdued whisper this time, "That's enough out of you Del. You damn well know why I don't want to go to the spaceport. I hate Zero-G. My stomach wants to spew that rotgut back up just thinking about it."

First, don't call me Del. You know I hate that. I am Unk Deltuve, Scourge of the Belt and soon to be Reaper of Banshee. Second, the time we spent together aimlessly drifting in the void was wonderful. Ha! did you see what I just did, Ames? Aimlessly. I believe I made what one of you mortals call a pun!

Ames rolled his eyes as he trudged towards the spaceport as the sound of gunfire erupted ahead of him. Plans of a sharp retort lost as he sees the devastation the battle has already caused.

Ooooh, this is going to be fun!

Ames grimaced. He knew the best way to end this quickly was to let the gravity wraith out a bit. Raising his cybernetic hand he willed the spirit to lend him some of its power. Instantly every nerve from the base of his skull, down his spine, and through his hand burned with eldrtich electricity as

Psionics (Gravity Manipulation) 1d6!!: [1] = 1 1d6!!: [3] = 3 Benny 1d6!!: [1] = 1 1d6!!: [5] = 5 3d6: [4, 2, 1] = 7 PP spent in encounter Success: Bumps and Bruises

increased the weight of the guns in the hands of the unmarked gunfighters, pulling their arms and weapons down so they fired into the dirt.

[Marti'i]

Marti'i did not look too pleased with the idea of going off planet. In fact, she looked rather like she might be considering her options of staying and fighting the asteroid from land instead. Then the gunfire started and her attention was diverted. She runs that way and when she gets close enough to see the bodies on the ground she hesitates just long enough to identify one that looks like they are still alive and darts forward. She pulls a medkit out of her bag and sets it down rather like a sign screaming MEDIC then focuses on the patient in front of her and begins healing.

Healing 1 Wound, +1 Fatigue (4sux)

Faith: 1d6!!: [3] = 3 +1 Benny Wild: 1d6!!: [3] = 3 +2 for Elan

+1 Benny here instead:Faith: 1d6!!: [1] = 1 +2 for Elan
Wild: 1d6!!: [2] = 2 +2 for Elan

[Blackcat]

Success, 1 level of Fatigue

Transmute 1d12!!: [4] = 4
Wild Trans 1d6!!: [3] = 3
PP Spent 3d6: [4, 1, 5] = 10

Jonas had spent the last few days, ever since the announcement, pulling odd jobs to afford enough booze to get nice and pickled, and stay that way for as long as the trip was going to last. He figured it'd be necessary if he was going to get on the ship off-world without too much hassle. Dead drunk passengers wouldn't be surprising, in the circumstances; dead ones, on the other hand, might have a difficulty arguing their case that they should get a berth on a vessel meant for the living.

He'd just finished today's gallon of rotgut and was heading towards the launch site when the explosions started. Figures. And if I ain't mistaken, that gunfire... yup, right in my way. He sighed, pulled his scarf around his face, and lowered the wide brim on his hat. He still hoped he could bypass whatever fracas was going on and get to the ship, but those hopes were dashed when he came upon the scene of carnage.

He didn't really want to get involved, but the corpses spread over the area made it clear the mob shooting at the lawmen weren't too picky about their targets. Wulp, let's do this....

First things first. He flexes his hands, and emits a swarm of nanobots. Suddenly, the bad guys become the Gang That Can't Shoot Straight. Guns jam, they can't seem to hit the broad side of a barn, and one poor soul loses his hand to a misfire that also vaporizes much of his gun. Once that's taken care of, he gets serious.

Electricity arcs from his hands. Not at the shooters, but at their cover. Everything Breaks--that's the rule they all learned. And when the barrel or the wagon you've been using to intercept bullets on your behalf suddenly is split in twain by a sudden lightning bolt, well, you find your life getting both more interesting AND much shorter. The first time, both the hapless man exposed by the tactic and the BODF troopers were a bit caught off-guard, but the soldier-boys figured things out pretty quick, and after that, just started aiming at the space behind the lightning-strikes, sometimes before the dust even settled.

He does get a bit taxed hurling all that power around, but escapes relatively unharmed besides that. It's only after the fight's over that he sees that one of the smoking hulks in the distance has the same name as is printed on the ticket in his trenchcoat pocket. Yeah. That tracks, he thinks, tiredly, before looking around at the others who got involved in the mess. Mebbe the BODF boys can pay me back by getting me off-world before the rocks fall and everyone dies....

Status

PP 10/20
Wounds: 0
Fatigue: -1
Bennies: 2/2

[Mick Maguire]

Stealth 5

Stealth 1d4!!: [2] = 2
Wild 1d6!!: [5] = 5

Since The Annoucement, Mick found his usual workload increasing tenfold as he wracked up a hefty amount of flying hours in a short amount of time. After a while he gave up trying to keep track of the number of shuttle runs he'd done, preparing instead to focus on his flying. By the time he finally got to lay down his wary head upon his pillow, he was well and truly worn out. Pushing fifty, he was lacking the energy reserves he had possessed in his youth.

Sleep was going to be a luxury that remained just out of his grasp.

The explosions that rocked the city rudely woke him and left him in a half dazed state to try and figure what was happening as his brain got up to speed, the sound of gunfire helped greatly to sharpen his focus. Dressing quickly and then grabbing his pistol and walking stick, Mick hurried out of the billets as fast as his bad leg would allow. He took stock of what was happening and deduced that some sort of battle was happening, a fact made obvious by the wrecked starships and the continuing gunfire that sounded like it was getting closer.

Until he found out who was fighting who, he stuck to cover least he got shot at.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Status Tracking: 1 Level of Fatigue (Bumps & Bruises)

[Pursuit]

Wires spark, smoke billows, and gunfighters die.

The party of disparate souls come together at just the right time and in just the right ways to save the day for the BODF. Gives you a nice, warm, hopeful feeling in your heart, don’t it?

Nathan and Jonas get hardy claps on the back from survivors and spectators for their very obvious interventions.

Ames… the people mostly don’t get too close to Ames, for whatever reason. He gets his cheers from a distances.

Roxy gets a few nods, as people recognize her from her rather vocal participation.

Mart’i, though. People don’t seem to know what exactly to do with Mart’i. The soldier she saved is certainly grateful, if a little awkward. ”Um. Thank you. Thank you so much, ma’am. If I can call you ma’am? I’m, ah, not sure how that works for you…” the boy (for that’s what the soldier is; he can’t be more than 17 or 18 years old) trails off.

And Mick? Well, Mick goes largely unnoticed, as planned.

Fifteen or twenty minutes pass, and more soldiers of the BODF arrive (though, you note, not all that many). You are pulled aside politely but firmly - “Just some questions for you, nothing to be concerned about,” the soldiers say.

After milling a bit more, you are brought inside, where a very angry, very large, and very bandaged man sits in a chair that is at least a half size too small for him (anyone interested can make a healing check).

Healing Check Success

Those bandages are fresh and his speech pattern suggests pain meds. This guy was hurt very recently, likely in the attack that just finished.

The man speaks to you in a slightly slurred voice, saying: ”I am told that I owe you a debt of gratitude for pulling some of my people out of a tight spot. Thank you for that. My name is Lee Bansen, and I have got a bit of a proposition for you.

“See, this attack puts us in a hellofa spot. Looks like the Reapers, but this don’t make any damned sense. We was leavin!”

Anyone who wants may make a Common Knowledge roll and, with a success, will remember

The Reapers are a group of human, pro-anouk activists who are prone to violence and who allied themselves with one of the largest anouk clans in the last war. Their activities died down after the WorldStorm, but they still show up from time to time.

He shakes his head, grimaces like he tweaked something, and continues, ”Anyway. You should know our science people are telling us this new asteroid should be impossible. They claim they tracked the whole damned sky and had every potential collision plotted out for decades. Decades! Do you believe that? The things they can do.

“But this one ain’t playing by their rules, and we got to do something about it. Apparently, our intel says we might be able to knock this thing off course, but it will take a nuke to do it. Don’t look at me like that. I’m being serious, and we’ve got a couple of nukes lying around. We can do it, but it’s got to be a precise placement. Can’t just shoot the thing.

“Which means a manned mission. Which is what one of our ships was supposed to be doing, before someone blew it to the third Hell and back. And that is where you all come in.

“They hit damned near every fueled and manned ship at the port. I don’t even know how they knew which ones were ready, but they did. I got one, exactly one ship left I can requisition for this. Everybody else is itching to get off planet, and I don’t have time or men to fight with em over it. I need to get someone in the sky now.

He levels a long look at you all.

"Any o you want to make some money savin' the world?"

[Blackcat]

Jonas may get some claps on the back, but most of the celebrants tend to move on from him quick enough--it's one thing to be grateful, it's another entirely to stand next to someone who smells like a distillery--and not even one of the good ones, at that. He keeps his scarf pulled up, but even then, the sight of the scars on the bit of face visible under the wide-brimmed hat he wears are enough to dissuade the rest.

He asks a few of them if they happen to know of any ships with an empty berth, considering his is on one of those ships now burning, but most folks just shake their heads--a few possibly trying to discretely hide their own tickets off-world. Yeah, if you were the sort who was gonna give me a ticket, you prolly would've been in the fight in the first place.

Then the Bodifs (as he's always called them) show up, and keep him and the other Good Samaritans from heading out. He frowns at this--he really wants to get about his business of getting off the big rock before the little one arrives--but they seem insistent, and he suspects making an issue of it will just make it that much harder to get that new berth.

Common Knowledge 1d4!!: [1] = 1 Wild CK 1d6!!: [5] = 5

, he just snorts, muttering under his breath. "Crazy people actin' crazy, go figure...."

Then Bansen makes his pitch, and Jonas' mind goes into overdrive, running the angles.

One: My ship is blown ta bits.
Two: Any empty berths on other ships have already been snagged by other passengers from mine and the others that were blown up, and there's prolly a line of folks who didn't get in, yet.
Three: Planetside ain't gonna be a great spot once the little rock gets here.
Conclusion: Not much choice at all, really. Still, there's a matter of principle, here, 'specially since the Bodifs are the ones who ensured I can't get another flight outta here....

He pulls himself up straight, and tips his hat back enough that the scarring radiating from his cybernetic eye is more readily visible, and he stares hard at the lawman.

"Nosir, I don't reckon I want to make some money that way." He pauses just a heartbeat--if he still had one--and then continues. "I reckon I want to make a ~lot~ of money to save the world. And I'm gonna need some special, ah, dietary accommodations made if I'm gonna be workin' in space."

[Mick Maguire]

Common Knowledge 1 (Crit Fail!)

Common Knowledge 1d4!!: [1] = 1
Wild 1d6!!: [1] = 1

"Reapers?" Mick blurted out. "Weren't they some freaky military unit? Special brainers or something....no?"

"Guess not..." He trailed off when he saw the blank faces and then kept quiet as Major Bansen continued.

As the Colonial Ranger explained the situation and the plan, Mick couldn't help but frown. A rogue asteroid that has seemingly appeared out of nowhere? Something didn't sit quite right about the whole affair, but the asteroid was the more pressing issue that needed dealing with. There might be a chance later to find some answers, but first they had the planet to save.

"I'm a soldier and Defence Force at that." Answered Mick when the Major mentioned about money. "So I see it as duty, especially since the world and countless lives are depending on it."

[Ames Jean-louis]

Well damn, Ames, you done got us a way off this mudball for free! And here I thought you were gonna make me find some some other poor soul to torment!

Ames winced, letting Del out a bit while hungover had not been a great idea. The skirmish had left him drained and now the gravity wraith was playing his last nerve like an out of tune fiddle. Ames wanted nothing more than to just lie down and sleep through the asteroid strike. However, and Ames would never admit it, the gravity wraith was right about getting off planet. Del was a pain, but Ames had no desire to cash in his chips just yet. Staying in Temptation was a bad idea but just the thought of space made the last of the rotgut whiskey still in his belly want to come back out the way it went in. At least this might be a way to make some money while doing it.

Ames shook his head to clear the cobwebs and to shut Del up so he could focus on what Bansen was saying. The

1d4!!: [2] = 2 1d6!!: [2] = 2 -1 =1 Fail

were not a group Ames had heard of. Probably just one of the many gangs looking to profit from the lack of law on Banshee.

"Yeah, as the..uhh..gentlemen said, a 'lot' sounds better than 'some' money, Lee. How much we talkn'? And when you say precise placement, it can still be done while stayin' on the ship, right? No space walks required."

[Marti'i]

The Shaman giggled at being called Ma'am. She knew she should pretend to be more solemn and mysterious but it tickled her too much that someone basically the same age as her was tripping over himself with this. "You are welcome, be safe...r." Adding the r after a pause as she realized how silly it was without it.

When she is rounded up with the others she does have a more solemn and serious demeanor. She grimaced at the idea of leaving the planet. "You cannot shoot these 'nukes' from here?"

Reapers

Common Knowledge 1d4!!: [5!!] = 5
Wild 1d6!!: [2] = 2

[Roxy]

Notice 1d6!!: [5] = 5 , 1d6!!: [5] = 5

Roxy acknowledged those who acknowledged her, and began helping with clean up of the wreckage,

1d8!!+2: [2]+2 = 4 , 1d6!!+2: [4]+2 = 6

- This is more RPing for some sweet swag later. I will be getting Scavenger with advances.

.

At the talk of Reapers, Roxy chimes in. "Oh

Common Knowledge 1d4!!: [6!!] = 6 , 1d6!!: [5] = 5

are the worst. You'd think they'd be happy to see us leave. But they're probably hoping we all die instead." As they are gathered, Marti'i

She grimaced at the idea of leaving the planet. "You cannot shoot these 'nukes' from here?"

.
Roxy helpfully replies to her drinking buddy. "Nah, Marti'i. They could but it'd do a fat lot of good. Kinda like how you can kick a small rock easy enough, but kicking one and hitting a second is hard and rarely gives you the power you'd have up close. Planted up close you can channel that force really well, split the rock, divert the rock like shooting billards, just depends on what you want to do with it. You'd need to do some pre-blasting to create your optimal bomb placement. Gonna need lots of explosives. And some gear to help with the digging. Power Loader would do the trick, shovels and pick axes in a pinch. Need all sorts of tools, especially stuff to set all those shaped charges and detonate them safely, not to mention something to carry them on - an atv or cargo skiff or something." She rambles on a few more minutes listing needs and "nice to haves," unconsciously adding 20% more gear to the list than is strictly needed - for redundancy needs. "Oh and I am totally down for being well paid to blow up a rock with a nuke, just need space gear, preferably with an exoskeleton. This girlish figure of mine isn't built for heavy lifting. Not being well paid isn't an option, so find the funds. I will take trade though, if its rare and valuable enough." She smiles as she thinks of getting to use a nuke. 'How could I say no?!'

[Pursuit]

Bansen looks at you all with slightly lidded eyes. Those pain meds must be hitting him hard.

"End of the goddamn world and I have to haggle with mercenaries. Okay, let's take 'em in order.

"You," he points to @Blackcat, "I have been authorized to give you approximately one shit ton of money. That said, the government round here is basically broke, so I wouldn't hold your breath. I can give anyone who knows how to pilot a ship or knows how its systems work, mechanical or electrical, $2,000. Anyone else, I have been told I can offer $1,500. Between you, me, and the walls, that's not enough for what we're asking you to do, so I plan to rustle up something else between now and when y'all get back. You save us all, and I'll see about doubling your payday. Also, you get the added benefit of still being alive to spend your money, which I'm told is nice."

To @Mick Maguire, he eyes you warily when you seem to have no idea who the Reapers are, but when you tell him you are Defense Force, he says, "Good! I can use someone who understands a chain of command. Congratulations: you're at the top of yours, now. I'm pulling whatever rank I've got to borrow you from BODF and have you run this shin-dig."

"And you," he looks at @Ames Jean-louis, "You will probably need to get your boots dirty. You'll need to find a decent landing spot and then place the explosive on the surface of the asteroid. Space walk required."

He looks at @Marti'i and you notice 0 reaction to your being an anouk. "Your friend is correct. Shooting it won't work. We need you to go put it where it needs to be."

And as @Roxy goes on, he holds up a bandaged hand. "Okay, okay. You know your stuff. That's great. You'll get less than half of all that what you just rattled off. Desperate times and all that."

He waives over an elderly looking man in a rumpled flight suit with distractingly long ear hairs and continues, "There was one ship left untouched by the Reapers, the 'Reckless,' for…uh, reasons which may become clear later. Its captain, Captain Alquist here, has agreed to carry the warhead, but he’s currently without a crew. I’m out of action for a couple weeks, and my other pilot is on his way to Boot Hill right now, courtesy of the Reapers. That’s where—hopefully—you lot come in."

"What do you say?"

________

Perhaps a half an hour later, you find yourselves suited up in spacesuits of appropriate sizes, complete with maneuvering thrusters and spiked boots to help you move on the asteroid’s surface, standing outside a light freighter that seems more replacement parts than original—and most badly installed. Rust competes with at least three different colors of paint on those surfaces that aren’t just bare metal.

Once inside, you find the interior isn’t in much better shape. Most furnishings not permanently affixed to the superstructure appear to have been scrapped, removed, or most likely sold. Anyone examining more complex features, like the galley stove or the facilities in the head, find they function apparently only on capricious whim.

The elderly Captain Alquist declares, "“Don’t let her looks fool ya. She’s a good ship and has seen me through many a storm!” before heading for the pilot's chair. Just before sitting down, he seems to think the better of it and turns to ask you, "Unless one of yous would like to take the stick?"

Before you take off, Ranger Bansen hands one of you a pair of secured detonators. "Now, all you need to do is place it at the marked location and hightail it back a few hundred miles before the timer runs out.”

He pauses for a moment, then laughs.

“Naw, I’m kidding. Just use one of these remote detonators to trigger it once you’re at a safe distance. They’ve got a range of over 100 miles.”

With that, he disembarks the ship painfully, turns, and gives you all a grin that is part smile, part grimace.

So What Do You Do?

Does anyone have Piloting who wants to fly the spaceship? Or do you let old Alquist take the controls?

Does anyone have any questions or want to do any exploring in the ship?

[Marti'i]

She grimaces but agrees. Having Roxy there will help. She hopes. Once they are on the ship she looks it over, and frowns. The lack of seats is likely to be an issue. How were they supposed to launch without becoming a mass of injuries? She wasn't sure she'd be in any state to do -that- much healing. She looks rather dubious about the whole setup. Would it be safer staying behind, she begins to wonder.

[Blackcat]

Jonas considers the lawman's reply, then nods. "Fair 'nuff. I accept your terms."

However, when the others disperse to get whatever it is they're going to need for the trip, he just walks over to Bansen, leaning close so he can speak softly; the lawman gets the full effect of his pickling. "Okay, how long's this flight likely to take? I need meat, at least two pounds for every day you expect us to be up there. You want this to succeed, then believe me," he adds, pulling down his scarf while looking eye-to-eye with Bansen, so the man should get a very clear idea of who--and what--he's dealing with. "You do not want me getting peckish when the only source o' protein around me is my teammates. My advice, have one of your boys go find a sheep or calf-or, if it's gonna be longer, then maybe a cow or a horse--commandeer it under some emergency powers you give them to do so even if you gotta make up the rule for it, and give it a good whack, then stick it in a lockbox on the ship, and give me the key."

He adds, with an unsettling grin, "Don't worry about it staying fresh; carrion's just as good." With that, he pulls the scarf back up, and lowers the front brim of his hat, and lets his new 'employer' get on with it.

OOC Comments

Yeah, seriously, he's not getting on the ship without an ample supply of meat.

***************

Once they meet up at the ship, he nods at the condition. "Figures," is all he says after taking a quick look. Once everyone is on board, he'll do a more thorough examination--he wants to know where all the exits are, since those are also where someone else might try to gain access. He'll also try to get a grip on lines of sight in the ship, in case there's any gunplay aboard.

He notes Marti'i's obvious discomfort with their conveyance with a neutral expression. Internally, he chuckles. She's not looking too keen on this whole thing, now.

[Ames Jean-louis]

Just the sight of the spacesuits caused Ames to go cold. He swallowed hard, and tried not to let it show, but anyone watching could see that he'd gone pale and was silent, putting on the suit with deliberate jerky motions.

It wasn't like he had anything to fear from a space walk, his implants were designed to keep him alive out in the void even if the suit was breached. No, it was the thought of tumbling out of control staring out into nothing that scared him so much. Sometimes that 'nothing' stared back. He had had first hand experience of that.

Now Ames, you got nuthin' to worry about. You know you can make walking on the outside of this rust bucket just as easy as a high falutin' ballroom dance floor. You can also crush that Bansen like the an egg if he don't pay us fairly....

The irritation of the gravity specter in his head served to break Ames out of his rising panic.

"Yeah, I accept as well, Bansen. Long as you stick to your word and treat us right on this. I can't fly this thing or fix it if it breaks, but I do bring things to the table that will prove useful--just like everyone else here I 'spect. So you pay us all equal. Got it?"

[Mick Maguire]

Mick listens and nods as Bansen talks, conscious of both the gravity of the situation and the responsibility he'd been given. "Service before one's self and all that, still some fight left in this old dog."

~ ~ ~ ~

"Well beggars can't be choosers I guess." Frowned Mick as he saw the ship, whilst the Reckless was a far cry from craft he'd piloted on duty he was sure he had seen and flown on worse....though he couldn't exactly recall at this particular moment. Still, if they made it off the ground then hopefully that would bode well for the mission.

"Captain." Mick said when Alquist asked if anyone else wanted to take the controls. "I'd like to volunteer, got more years of flight experience than I care ta admit."

[Roxy]

And as @Roxy goes on, he holds up a bandaged hand. "Okay, okay. You know your stuff. That's great. You'll get less than half of all that what you just rattled off. Desperate times and all that."

Roxy looks dejected as if her favorite ratchet broke on her mid-teardown. "We'll make due. That's how it works after all."

He waives over an elderly looking man in a rumpled flight suit with distractingly long ear hairs and continues, "There was one ship left untouched by the Reapers, the 'Reckless,' for…uh, reasons which may become clear later. Its captain, Captain Alquist here, has agreed to carry the warhead, but he’s currently without a crew. I’m out of action for a couple weeks, and my other pilot is on his way to Boot Hill right now, courtesy of the Reapers. That’s where—hopefully—you lot come in."

Roxy does what she does when she meets anyone new, she overflows. "Hey Captain! I'm Roxy, gearhead and demolition expert. If I can't fix it, I can certainly blow it up! If you'll allow it, I'll definitely help keep your lady flying while we're aboard. But I can't fly it. You or someone else will have to figure that out." If he allows it, she'll shake his hand, respectfully, but vigorously. She then begins to ask him questions about his ship, ignoring Bansen until he brings supplies, though she does give a non-verbal assent to his question about being willing.

________

Upon looking at the ship, inside and out, Roxy is impressed by the fact it's still spaceworthy at all. "Captain, I may donate you some labor after this is all said and done. You're lady here needs it. She's sturdy, steady, and ready to go, but she needs a little makeover and touch up." As she says this, she gives everything a once over,

Raise! Repair 1d8!!+2: [6]+2 = 8 , 1d6!!+2: [2]+2 = 4

.

Before you take off, Ranger Bansen hands one of you a pair of secured detonators. "Now, all you need to do is place it at the marked location and hightail it back a few hundred miles before the timer runs out.”
He pauses for a moment, then laughs.
“Naw, I’m kidding. Just use one of these remote detonators to trigger it once you’re at a safe distance. They’ve got a range of over 100 miles.”

Roxy does chuckle at his joke. "Yeah, I could tell those were remote detonators. I was just hoping you weren't going to say their receivers are busted. That would be Banshee luck. I'd probably just set it up with a timed explosion if so." She trails off as she goes to stow the detonators and explosives - including the nuke, inspecting it all, as well as any tools they gave them. She looks hard for a skiff or even just a pushable hover platform to move all the gear.

If nothing is there, Roxy will make a quick survey of the spaceport,

Notice 1d6!: [1] = 1 , 1d6!: [3] = 3

for anything that will work in an airless environment. She finds nothing and ends up in a restricted area,

Stealth 1d4!: [1] = 1 , 1d6!: [1] = 1

, and is chased off with them yelling for her to stop and be detained, making it back to the ship with them chasing after her, as its ready to depart. Only the presence of Bansen's men saves her from having to spend time in lockup being questioned and delaying the launch. She shoots a wave to them as they shake their heads and deal with the shitstorm she stirred up.

[Pursuit]

However, when the others disperse to get whatever it is they're going to need for the trip, he just walks over to Bansen, leaning close so he can speak softly; the lawman gets the full effect of his pickling. "Okay, how long's this flight likely to take? I need meat, at least two pounds for every day you expect us to be up there. You want this to succeed, then believe me," he adds, pulling down his scarf while looking eye-to-eye with Bansen, so the man should get a very clear idea of who--and what--he's dealing with. "You do not want me getting peckish when the only source o' protein around me is my teammates. My advice, have one of your boys go find a sheep or calf-or, if it's gonna be longer, then maybe a cow or a horse--commandeer it under some emergency powers you give them to do so even if you gotta make up the rule for it, and give it a good whack, then stick it in a lockbox on the ship, and give me the key."

He adds, with an unsettling grin, "Don't worry about it staying fresh; carrion's just as good." With that, he pulls the scarf back up, and lowers the front brim of his hat, and lets his new 'employer' get on with it.

"I was wonderin'. You got the look. You ain't the first deader I've dealt with. We'll handle it."

Sure enough, when you board, you find a cooler (with one broken handle, naturally) full of raw meat of varying types.

"Yeah, I accept as well, Bansen. Long as you stick to your word and treat us right on this. I can't fly this thing or fix it if it breaks, but I do bring things to the table that will prove useful--just like everyone else here I 'spect. So you pay us all equal. Got it?"

”Ease down there, slick. I already told you, I will do what I can. I don’t control the purse strings, and I was authorized to offer what I was authorized to offer. That don’t mean that’s all you’ll get.”

Upon looking at the ship, inside and out, Roxy is impressed by the fact it's still spaceworthy at all. "Captain, I may donate you some labor after this is all said and done. You're lady here needs it. She's sturdy, steady, and ready to go, but she needs a little makeover and touch up." As she says this, she gives everything a once over,

Raise! Repair 1d8!!+2: [6]+2 = 8 , 1d6!!+2: [2]+2 = 4

.

Roxy learns that this entire ship, the whole thing, is Recycled Goods (see Lost Colony p.42 for more). That said, it looks space-worthy enough.

Reckless Stats

The Reckless: Size 12 (Gargantuan), Handling -2, Top Speed 1000 MPH (atmosphere), 10K MPH (space), Toughness 20 (4), Crew: 1+4,

Cost: $5.52M, Remaining Mods 16

Notes: AI, AMCM, Atmospheric, Gravity Drive, Sensor Suite (Planetary)

Weapons:
• Dual-Linked Light Autocannons

Special: The Reckless has 2 Bennies of her own, which the Pilot (and only the Pilot) may spend for any Piloting roll or to Soak Wounds against the ship.

"Captain." Mick said when Alquist asked if anyone else wanted to take the controls. "I'd like to volunteer, got more years of flight experience than I care ta admit."

Alquist happily moves out of the pilot seat to one of the crew seats in the back, straps himself in, and promptly falls asleep.

She grimaces but agrees. Having Roxy there will help. She hopes. Once they are on the ship she looks it over, and frowns. The lack of seats is likely to be an issue. How were they supposed to launch without becoming a mass of injuries? She wasn't sure she'd be in any state to do -that- much healing. She looks rather dubious about the whole setup. Would it be safer staying behind, she begins to wonder.

They don't look like much, but a handful of seats with restraints fold out of the bulkhead, giving enough spots for the assembled crew.

---

Bansen explains that, due to the proximity of the asteroid, the ship will not be able to engage its gravity drive, which will leave the crew operating in zero-g during the trip. See the rules on Lost Colony p. 63 for more on operating sans gravity, but the gist is that spacers subtract 2 from all Agility and Agility-based skill rolls while in a gravity other than their own.

@Mick Maguire, please go ahead and make a Piloting roll to see how well your journey goes. Because this roll will be for a trip that starts out in familiar gravity (the surface of Banshee) and then heads out to unfamiliar gravity (you know, space), let's say the roll will be at -1 instead of at -2 for true zero-g. Don't forget to also take into account the Reckless' -2 penalty to Handling!

Anyone who would like to do so may Support Mick with any relevant Skill, as usual. Just keep in mind that if you use any Agility based Skills, you suffer the same penalty as Mick (i.e., -1 to your Skill roll).

[Roxy]

Notice: 1d6!!: [2] = 2 , 1d6!!: [8!!] = 8
Repair: 1d8!!+2: [4]+2 = 6 -1=5, 1d6!!+2: [2]+2 = 4

Roxy tries not to let her face reflect the dread in her soul. She knows how many times she's had to rebuild her bike and nearly everything else she has that is recycled. She makes her way to Mick before he sits down proper and leans in after getting his attention. Her voice is quiet, helpful, and informative. "I got nothing against recycling things. Hell its something I do all the time. It keeps things going when you can't get parts anymore. Treat this lady real gentle. She's going to kick and buck. I'll do my best to help, but fact is you don't have a lot of room for error. Good luck. Nice thing is I'm pretty sure I can rebuild everything on it, in time. But that isn't going to be quick. So no screw ups, yeah?" She offers a smile. With a bit of reverence in her voice, she adds, "I will say Cap certainly has done a good job keeping her going." After he replies she walks over to a bulkhead and tightens a bolt, seemingly at random. She then pulls out a circuit tester and begins checking around it, nodding sagely. She repeats this until the launch happens, going over various systems, pulling diagnostics and making minor tweaks.

[Blackcat]

Blackcat looks over his rations and nods in approval; the lawman's impressed him, both in rolling with his revelation and in accommodating him so smoothly. This might not be such a bad gig, after all.....

He remains seated during the initial launch, but then moves to the sensor array, using the advanced sensors to try to help

Notice 1d6!!+2: [4]+2 = 6 Wild Notice 1d6!!+2: [9!!]+2 = 11 ; Raise = +2 to Piloting

any cross-traffic before it gets too close. After all, with so many folks fleeing in panic, they can't necessarily rely on ground control to provide accurate info about flight paths....

[Mick Maguire]

Piloting 9

Piloting 1d8!!+3: [6]+3 = 9
Wild 1d6!!+3: [2]+3 = 5

"Don't worry lass." Mick replies to @Roxy. "Handled worse crates than this in me time, ye keep her runnn' and I'll try me best ta keep her flying smooth."

With that Mick set about running through the pre-flight checks, something he'd done countless times but he knew that each craft had it's own quirks and the Reckless' own ones wouldn't become apparent until they left the ground. Thankfully the ship, despite her appearances, seemed responsive and even with some more than distressing noises she rose up into the air,

[Marti'i]

Marti'i sees the seats finally and with some relief she sits and straps herself in. She checks the straps three times then unstraps herself finds a bucket somewhere then comes back and straps herself back in. She sees Roxy already "fixing" the ship and her grip on the bucket tightens. She waits until the other woman passes by her and whispers "What's wrong? Don't say nothing because I can tell something is."

[Roxy]

"What's wrong? Don't say nothing because I can tell something is."

Roxy gives her a winning smile. "Whole ship is held together by binding tape and prayers. But its well done for all that. But stuff like this requires constant maintenance. I can't let things like that just lie. Don't worry Marti'i, nothing is wrong, this is mostly just me dealing with nerves. Not appropriate to drink with all this on the line after all." She grins at her friend. "Soon as we land though, I forsee a couple of bottles and shot glasses between us!"