#3 | Starport Raiders
Sunbound, a tabletop sci-fi narrative campaign
The Sunbound campaign takes place in our star system, approximately 1,000 years in the future. Humanity has scoured every corner of the Solar System, yet frustratingly remains unable to break into neighbouring star systems and the vastness beyond …
Echoes from Helios
Captain Lance ‘Glancing Hit’ Tweaker stood by the tactical table, its projection frozen on a blinking point deep in the Driftline. A faded label pulsed beneath it: HELIOS EXCHANGE.
First Mate Kane folded his arms.
“Codebreaker once again coming in clutch with the data scrape,” he said. “Damn those Drifters – what was their leader’s name? Moist Squid Lips? As discreet as they were leaving Io, damn they were loud on their comms. And I’m self aware enough to know that they were weirder than me!”
Lance smirked. “Well, the Fence wasn’t just moving information. Jimmy knew about the signal before anyone else.”
“And he buried it.”
“He tried.” Lance tapped the display. “Doesn’t matter now. The original transmission passed through Helios. And it turns out the last complete copy, as far as we know, sits in their archive core.”
Kane gave a dry laugh. “Which would be perfect ... if Helios wasn’t famous for refusing every warrant, subpoena and military request sent its way.”
“The Exchange has always believed information belongs to whoever can keep it.”
“And they keep it behind blast doors, biometric locks and enough security drones to invade a moon.”
Lance nodded. “Which rules out asking nicely.”
Silence settled over the bridge as Beltbreaker Gambit drifted toward the edge of charted space.
Finally, Kane sighed. “So we’re doing this, then?”
“We’re doing this.”
“There’s not much to it, really. All we’ve gotta do is Infiltrate one of the oldest comm relays on the frontier, break into an archive no one’s ever broken into, steal the transmission and escape before they lock every dock and vent our ship into vacuum. Could be worse. Beats being miserable on Mars.”
“When you say it out loud, it almost sounds reckless – desirable even.”
“It is reckless.”
Lance grinned. “Good. I’d hate for us to develop a reputation for careful planning.”
Kane shook his head with a reluctant smile.
“I’ll brief the crew.”
Beltbreaker Gambit’s engines flared to life, and the ancient beacon of Helios Exchange grew steadily brighter against the black.
The Helios Heist
Slipping into the archive and retrieving the hidden transmission was simple enough. However, evading Helios Exchange Security, and exfiltrating with everyone intact, could prove to be a different matter.
The Beltbreaker Gambit crew split into three fireteams …
Turn 1
Everyone ran! The two main fireteams maintained a disciplined, coherent advance whereas the Runner left his two Recruit colleagues behind.
Turn 2
Unwanted attention – x2 Security troopers and a shock trooper responded to the call for aid.
The Commando’s carbine blasted a hole in the side of a security trooper’s breast plate. It took him by surprise and he screamed from the ferocious impact. Blood poured from the wound, the snow turned crimson red around him.
The trooper fell to his knees and begged for a medic.
Codebreaker aimed for the throat, blap.
Kane’s squad bolted up the ladder. He attempted a data knock but failed.
Medic took aim with a pistol but the shot went wide.
Sentry hit a target but the bullet didn’t penetrate the security trooper’s armour.
But then the security forces returned fire.
Sentry was caught in the carbine volleys and succumbed to his bullet wounds.
The Runner and the Recruits heard the clatter of gunfire. They didn’t slow down.
Turn 3
Unwanted attention – The security forces deployed a bounter hunter and a grotesque drone.
Kane successfully unlocked and acquired a data loot token and activated the power ‘camouflage’.
Medic fired a pistol at a security trooper and inflicted damage.
Despite being out in the open, without and safety railing to protect them, the security forces missed with all of their return fire.
However!
A drone intercepted the Runner and inflicted a whopping 11 points of damage. That’s 1 shy of death. Stunned, battered by an alien monstrosity, he picked himself up and continued to haul himself toward the extraction zone.
The other Recruits freaked out at the horrific scene and instead of helping their colleague decided to put some distance between themselves and the enemy.
Turn 4
Unwanted attention – Reinforcements have arrived: x1 security trooper, x2 drones, x2 security troopers.
Turn 5
Ship number three lifted off! A Recruit was caught in the exhaust and was cast 10” backwards only to land in front of the bounty hunter!
The other Recruit held his ground.
Turn 6
Unwanted attention – x2 shock troopers, x2 security troopers.
The survivors of the first two squads successfully escaped!
Turn 6
Unwanted attention – x4 shock troopers.
Helios Exchange Security created a perimeter and tightened the noose.
The Recruits sustained damage but remained in the fight.
Turn 7
Unwanted attention – x2 drones, x2 security troopers.
One Recruit made it out. The other … he was brutally torn to shreds by a dozen active shooters as he desperately tried to retrieve the data.
Post game sequence
Casualties:
Sentry: Dead.
Medic – Full Recovery … but must pay the bounty of 40 credits.
Recruit – Full Recovery … but must pay the bounty of 40 credits.
First Mate Kane did cast the power ‘Camoflague’.
Calculate XP and levels:
Glancing Hitters:
+30XP for each game played.
+30XP if the crew had at least one member reduced to 0 health.
+35XP for x7 crew escaping.
+40XP for x2 digital loot unlocked and recovered.
+20XP for killing one security member (Codebreaker).
+10XP for activating a power (Kane, ‘camouflague’).
Total: 165XP.
Roll for loot.
Glancing Hitters:
Digital loot > x20 credits.
Digital loot > x75 credits.
Note: I still need to sort out experience level and those rewards. The updated roster for reference is below.
To be continued …
Catch up on the story
#2 | The Broken Fence
The Sunbound campaign takes place in our star system, approximately 1,000 years in the future. Humanity has scoured every corner of the Solar System, yet frustratingly remains unable to break into neighbouring star systems and the vastness beyond …
#1 | Plasmonic Hitchikers & Signal Scramble
The Sunbound campaign takes place in our star system, approximately 1,000 years in the future. Humanity has scoured every corner of the Solar System, yet frustratingly remains unable to break into neighbouring star systems and the vastness beyond …