The first 2 games in my solo Zona Alfa inspired campaign are here:
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=142142.0 (https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=142142.0)
This is a continuation of those games.
SCENARIO BACKGROUND
Captain Lillianne Tomoe was feeling in a benevolent mood as she beckoned Sergeant Ken "Slasher" McKay into her office. His squad had only recently been tasked with missions into The Territory and they’d done pretty well. They’d made useful contributions to the widows and orphans fund and the Captain was keenly interested in the prosperity of that fund. So she was awarding them another mission. Although missions into The Territory were frequently dangerous, they were strongly sought after by the squads. Badly paid, poorly trained, inadequately equipped and, frankly, not of the highest quality, the Security Squads were able to make decent money from salvaging useful or unique equipment during Territory runs. So, although the troopers always moaned and complained when told another mission was in the offing, they were desperate to get them.
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Captain Tomoe outlines the Team’s next mission to Slasher McKay
"Sergeant McKay, are you familiar with Stoney Valley in the north of The Territory?"
"Yes, mmm," lied Slasher. Mmm was the closest Slasher could bring himself to address his superior by the customary honorific due to her rank. The idea of using the full "ma’am" was inconceivable to Slasher who was a throwback to values commonly held many decades ago. And anticipating a lucrative mission in the offing, he felt it advisable not to admit to ignorance about the likely area of operations.
"As you know, that area was notorious as a centre of occult activity - every kind of wacky, loony, crazy cult claims it as the hub of their beliefs. There’s a stone circle thousands of years old, now crumbling and overgrown since The Incident."
Slasher nodded along, looking, he hoped, knowledgeable and wise.
‘Well, there’s been an illegal incursion by a particularly obscure cult which has announced an intention to restore the stone circle to its pre-Incident state and then put into effect various ceremonies and practices with the guaranteed result of reversing the effects of The Incident and bringing about a beautiful new world, controlled and run by this cult. Obviously, we can’t allow this to go on. If they are allowed to carry on like this all sorts of incursions will be encouraged and our control of The Territory will be compromised. Your job is to end this nonsense. Apart from the usual benefits, I should remind you that this is a remote, off the beaten track area but at one time was planned as the sight of a scientific base. It never came to anything but a number of shipping containers of equipment were brought in by Chinook and dumped there. They have been looted several times since but I’m sure your lads will be able to find stuff the average, amateur looter will have missed."
"Thanks for the opportunity, mmm, it will be an honour to protect the Service’s interests." Slasher almost managed to make that blatant falsehood sound genuine. In fact, the thanks were genuine because this could be a nice little mission. The honour of the Service was a non-existent concept but was called upon from time-to-time to make plunder and looting respectable.
"Some more good news, continued the Captain. Pigeon McGrath has gained a stripe."[had some stats improved by spending Advance Points].
"Im sure he’ll be very grateful, mmm. Well deserved; good man."
"And, she continued, Faith Heals has potential but he’s fat and unfit. What did he do before joining the Service?"
"Er, he was a cleaner in an abattoir, mmm."
"Classic record for one of our troopers."
"Yes, mmm."
"Well, I’m sending him on a strength and conditioning course and Windy Trumper with him. They both need slimming down and toning up. However, I’m not leaving you under strength. I’ve got a civilian, very experienced and capable, knows the area. He’ll be seconded to you. He’s a local man."
"Local..! Interrupted Slasher not a bloody P…."
"Stop there, Sergeant." The Captain cut in. "We don’t use the P word and you know it. Any of that talk and you’re busted. We’re trying to be inclusive towards the indigenous population. Hearts and Minds, Sergeant; Hearts and Minds."
Slasher had a vague memory of that expression being used in some forgotten 20th century war. He also remembered the standard response from the sharp-end; something to do with encouraging Hearts and Minds by taking hold of other anatomical parts first. Anyway, whatever the Captain said, this civilian was a bloody Pom and the squad were not going to like that.
"Oh, and by the way, you already know him - it’s Tremlett Dukes……"
"What?’ Slasher was incredulous. "WHAT..!!!" Slasher was enraged. "WHAT THE F-"
"Enough, Sergeant." For the second time, Slasher was interrupted just in time to stop him saying something that would get him demoted.
"He’ll be a great asset. He’s à Territory veteran, an outdoorsman and a great shot. He favours a rifle and none of your squad use one, as I recall. Now I think of it, didn’t you find a scope on your last mission? Perfect, you may as well give it to Tremlett; none of the others can use it. Excellent."
Captain Tomoe studiously ignored Slasher who appeared to be having a seizure.
"Thank you Sergeant - any questions. No? Right, see Lieutenant Langer for maps, transport and so on. Dismissed."
Lieutenant Langer was waiting in his office for Slasher. By the standard of the Security Service, Langer was a spit-and-polish man; he’d even been known to request that subordinates salute him which never failed to raise a laugh. Slasher quite liked Langer and always threw him an approximation of a salute which was appreciated out of all proportion to its quality.
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Lieutenant Langer in ‘Listen Up, Soldier’ mode
Langer’s briefing was mainly a repeat of what the captain had already said. The team would be taken by truck to the edge of Stoney Valley. From then on, the terrain was impassable to vehicles so they were on foot, on their own. Their objective, the old stone circle, was almost totally overgrown but its location was on the map so they would have no problem finding it. Langer assumed that, like most members of the Security Squads, Slasher and his Team would have mediocre map-reading skills so he reminded Slasher that they would have the local knowledge of Tremlett to help them find it. This made Slasher swear horribly but not out loud. The approximate location of the abandoned shipping containers was also on the map
"Should be some good stuff for your boys there, Slasher" said Langer, trying to sound enthusiastic.
Slasher merely nodded, making no attempt to mirror the enthusiasm.
"We think this cult have found something: artefact, weapon, hi-tech gizmo, maybe even magic, who can say these days? Whatever it is, we need to take it off them. I say ‘we’. Of course, I mean you. Go and brief the Team, get your stuff together. Truck will pick you up at 04.00 tomorrow. Questions? No? Excellent. Good luck - see you when you get back."
When he got back to the Team, he found that Tremlett Dukes had already joined them. He seemed to be getting on with the rest of them which pissed Slasher off even more than he already was. Even worse, Tremlett was kitted out as a sniper from the Old Army and it turned out that that was what he’d been before The Incident happened and everything changed. This meant he was certainly better trained and more capable than any Security Squad member, not excluding Slasher himself. Nevertheless, he had a job to do and first, he had to brief his Team. As he ran through the details of their mission, he couldn’t help noticing that Tremlett seemed to be quietly amused by something. He vowed that Tremlett’s rôle would be point man when they reached the valley.
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Tremlett Dukes - ready for action
scenario outline nd AAR follows
Doug