3FT SOLO Campaign 2

[sirjames]

Operation Grievance

3FT SOLO Campaign #2 – Mission Introduction

I'm using Stellagama's Cepheus Light, Zozer's SOLO, and the One Page Solo Engine by Inflatable Studios for this campaign. SOLO uses a scene resolution mechanic called "The Plan.” The One Page Solo Engine (OPSE) will be used in place of The Plan mechanic. I may still utilize The Plan from time to time in this campaign. The OPSE is not needed to play Zozer's SOLO, but I like to use it as a means of creating more details to go beyond The Plan mechanic. My last 3FT campaign, The Dean Team, worked great using just SOLO.

My campaign utilizes the Classic Traveller setting, occurring shortly after the start of the Fifth Frontier War in 1107. Beyond 1107, everything becomes non-canonical. I am also using Judges Guild's Glimmerdrift Reaches for this campaign, which is no longer part of the Traveller Canon.



Background Info:

The Imperium's Naval Intelligence Service (INIS) has activated its Special Branch Unit to be inserted into the Sosie Subsector. Recently, four systems within the Republic of Krax (ROK) have declared their independence from the ROK. These systems have formed an alliance with the independent systems of the Sosie Subsector. Various news agencies, including the Travellers' Aid Society have dubbed it the “Independence Movement” (IM).

The 3 Fists Triumvirate (3FT) has been slow to respond due to their consolidation of power at the center of the systems they control. An increase of 3FT agent activity has been recently detected by agents of the INIS. Numerous 3FT agents are being reported on Lindran. The citizenry of Lindran are getting restless again, and a political movement calling for Lindran's return to the ROK is growing. INIS officials believe the growing discontent means the 3FT has already established a fifth column within the IM on Lindran. A tactic they used with great success to gain control of the Krax Confederation.

I-Con Squad's mission is to counter the ROK's fifth column operation. Code-named, “Operation Grievance,” the I-Con Squad will be operating within the Independent Systems of the Sosie subsector to monitor 3FT activities. The squad is to destroy any cells and/or members they encounter. Officially, the Imperium will disavow the I-Con Squad if they are caught by the 3FT. Officials of the IM understand the covert nature of the mission , and seek to keep the Imperium's involvement a secret. They will also disavow the I-Con Squad if the team is caught by the 3FT.

250-1122

Icond and his team recently arrived on Firenzi, a system located along a major trade route of the Independent Systems of the Sosie Subsector. Although surplus Imperium scout ships are common throughout the Glimmerdrift Reaches, the ISS I-Con is well known to the ruling members of the 3 Fists Triumvirate and their security services. The I-Con will take the squad as far as Vassal, then the team will board a supply ship bound for Abin to meet up with IM Defense Forces to make plans to address the situation on Lindran.



Cast of Characters (I-Con Squad):

Icond (INIS Squad Leader)

-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Ignores Col. Janice Mehlberg.

Janice Mehlberg (Imperium Marine Colonel-Retired)

-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Rival of Icond.

Chance Morgenstern (INIS Agent-Retired)

-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Admires Dr. Slager.

Dr. Merrick Slager (Scholar/Team Doctor-Retired)

-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Secretly hates Col. Janice.

Ritch Duhart (INIS Agent-Retired)

-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Inseparable buddy of Chance.



Up Next: Heading to Abin

 

[sirjames]

3FT SOLO Campaign 2 - The Journey Begins

Cast of Characters (I-Con Squad):

Icond (INIS Squad Leader)

Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Ignores Col. Janice Mehlberg.

Janice Mehlberg (Imperium Marine Colonel-Retired)

Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Rival of Icond.

Chance Morgenstern (INIS Agent-Retired)

Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Admires Dr. Slager.

Dr. Merrick Slager (Scholar/Team Doctor-Retired)

Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Secretly hates Col. Janice.

Ritch Duhart (INIS Agent-Retired)

Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Inseparable buddy of Chance.

…..............

GM Note: I have decided to incorporate an alternate star drive from Cepheus Engine SRD to replace the jump drive rule in Cepheus Light. I will be using the warp drive option found on p.97 of the Cepheus Engine SRD from Moon Toad Publishing. Jump distances are the number of parsecs that can be crossed in a week's time at maximum warp. I like the warp drive concept better than the original jump drive system of Traveller.



Current Adventure: Operation Grievance

Date: 295 - 1122

Subsector/Sector Location: Sosie/Glimmerdrift Reaches



System: Firenzi

295 – 1122

Prepare to Leave Starport: Routine with no issues. The 100 ton Scout Ship, I-Con, is ready to go.

Starport Encounter: none

Board Starship/Departure/Ship Encounter: The Light Patrol Craft, Tentacle (200 ton) needs assistance and makes a request for civilian parts. A routine request that occurs from time to time. The I-Con has the parts and the two ships dock to make the transfer.

Jump: Firenzi to Vassal at Warp 2 with no issues

Onboard Events: Icond conducts a shipboard training seminar to familiarize the team with the ins and outs of operating a starship. Although the team will be leaving the scout ship at Vassal, the training will come in handy if the team finds itself needing to operate a starship in the near future.

Enter New System/Check for Encounter: The I-Con arrives at Vassal after a week of travel in warp. Radio chatter in-system indicates the 50 ton mining cutter, Diamond Star has a medical emergency. Their ship's doctor is severally ill. Dr. Merrick volunteers to assist. While onboard the mining cutter, Dr. Merrick discovers the vessel's crew belong to a faction that is loyal to the Republic of Krax (ROK). Although the faction is pro-3FT, they have begrudgingly accepted the situation with the systems that chose to leave the ROK. After all, business must go on. The doctor treats the Diamond Star's doctor, and she should make a full recovery.

Starport Encounter: Upon arrival at Basira Starport on Vassal, the team witnesses the crew of a free trader being arrested. They later learn the free trader was also seized as evidence. Looks like a smuggling operation was caught in the act.

On-Planet Activity: Vassal is an asteroid belt located at the endpoint of a major trade route that exists between several systems of the Sosie Subsector. Far traders, free traders, and frontier supply ships use the class A starport, Basira, as a jump off point for delivering goods to frontier and backwater systems. Merchant traffic is booming, so smuggling operations are exceptionally high in this region. Three large asteroids are home to three major cities located in the Vassal system. Basira is the largest, with Chibueze being second, and Venkat City being third. A mining consortium exists on Chibueze, operated by the Chibueze Mining Cooperative. Venkat City is the gambling center of the subsector, comparable to twenty-first century Las Vegas on Terra.

Resolve the Plan: The team is scheduled to meet Vassal officials during their week-long stay. While visiting the Basira Starport entertainment district, the group meets a fellow traveler. He initially seems very interested in the group, and even hints at needing to hire someone for an important delivery. Before the group can even respond, the patron suddenly loses interest in the team and quickly heads out the door of the restaurant bar. “I wonder what that was all about?,” quips Ritch. “Who cares?,” was Icond's reply. “We have more important business to attend.”

Later on, the group meets with their Vassal contacts and an INIS field agent. The I-Con Squad will be traveling aboard the supply ship, Igraine, as passengers. The Igraine is a Frontier Trader in the 300 ton class. Traveling only at Warp 1, it will take four weeks to reach Abin at maximum warp. The team will be contacted by Abin officials upon their arrival. On Abin, they will be updated about the current situation on Lindran. Current conditions will be a determining factor with regards to finalizing the mission plan. The INIS field agent encourages his comrades to enjoy the trip and get some rest. “You're all going to need it,” was his departing reply. Chance smiles and says, “At least we get to travel first-class on the INIS's dime.” "Yeah, and it sure beats sleeping in the freezer,” was Ritch's glib reply to Chance's comment. The phrase, “sleeping in the freezer” is a slang term for traveling in a low berth compartment. Colonel Janice rolls her eyes with a slight sigh of disgust in response to both of the retired INIS agents' comments.

GM Notes: none


Up Next: Onward to Abin

 

[sirjames]

3FT SOLO Campaign 2 - Onward to Abin

Cast of Characters (I-Con Squad):

Icond (INIS Squad Leader)

-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Ignores Col. Janice Mehlberg.

Janice Mehlberg (Imperium Marine Colonel-Retired)

-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Rival of Icond.

Chance Morgenstern (INIS Agent-Retired)

-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Admires Dr. Slager.

Dr. Merrick Slager (Scholar/Team Doctor-Retired)

-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Secretly hates Col. Janice.

Ritch Duhart (INIS Agent-Retired)

-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Inseparable buddy of Chance.

302-1122

Prepare to Leave Starport: Board the Igraine

Starport Encounter: As the I-Con Squad approaches the supply ship, they cannot help but overhear the irate Captain barking complaints at his cargo loading crew. Later on, the group discovers that 20% of the cargo has been damaged beyond salvage. Icond learns the damaged cargo was important ship replacement parts destined for Independent Navy starships making repairs after their recent battles with Republic of Krax warships. A rumor is going around the Igraine that the 3FT was involved and the accidental damage was actually sabotage. At this time it is just a rumor.

Board Starship/Departure/Ship Encounter: none

Jump: successfully achieves maximum warp with no issues

Onboard Events: Week 1: The group settles into their staterooms and take it easy for the first two days. During a gathering in the ship's recreation area, a fellow passenger tells Colonel Janice she noticed a weapon in the stateroom of another passenger. She was in his room for a nightcap last night, and spotted it in a partially open desk near the lavatory. She initially did not think anything about it, but after thinking about the incident with the damaged cargo before departure, she thought she needed to say something. “Why didn't you go straight to the Captain?,” the Colonel asked. “I was going to, but right before I reached the bridge, I spotted the passenger with the gun talking to a crewman near the bridge. I did not want to go near him, so I headed to the recreation area.” Colonel Janice could tell she was terrified by the non-stop trembling of her hands. The young female passenger was obviously an ordinary citizen who has never had to deal with a situation like this in her past. The Colonel calmly reassures the female passenger that she will report the matter immediately to the Captain, and encourages her to stay with the large group gathered in the recreation area. The Colonel notifies her fellow team members of the situation, and the group makes its way to bridge. Colonel Janice informs the first officer of a potential threat onboard and he immediately takes the group to see the Captain.

The I-Con Squad volunteers to assist the Captain and crew of the Igraine to locate the now missing passenger. Captain Hargis agrees. The team member's weapons are released from the ship's locker and given to each of them. Ship's security will search the inhabited portions of the ship, while the I-Cond Squad will search the forward cargo hold area. Upon the team's arrival to the forward cargo hold section, Icond hears the swoosh sound of a closing iris valve just down the cargo hold corridor. The group quietly approaches and listens at the door, but hears nothing. “Weapons ready,” Icond whispers to the team members. He activates the iris valve, and the group enters forward cargo hold A. As the valve closes behind them, there is no sound. Scanning the area, the team spots no movement either. The group moves forward cautiously down the narrow aisle between stacks of cargo reaching toward the top of the cargo hold. As Colonel Janice moves about 6 meters, a gun blast fires out from behind a stack of crates. The Colonel is hit, but somehow stays on her feet. She quickly snaps off a double tap in the direction of the muzzle flash. A loud groan is heard, and a body slumps to the floor. Dr. Merrick quickly advances to the slumped body and secures the individual's weapon. The rest of the team surrounds the unconscious man, with weapons trained upon him. The wounded passenger awakens to find five gun barrels pointed at him. The team takes him into custody and heads off to find the Captain.

The Captain, ship's security, and the I-Con Squad interrogate the passenger in the security section of the Igraine. The Captain and security officers get nothing out of him, so Icond and Ritch try their hand at questioning him. They also fail to get the passenger to say anything. The Captain pulls aside Icond and tells him to feel free to use ANY means necessary to get him to talk. Although Icond is tempted, he refuses to use extreme methods to get the passenger's mouth to open. The Captain is not happy, but doesn't press the issue. The passenger is thrown into the brig, or at least that is what the Captain has told the I-Con Squad. Icond wonders if that is really the case.

GM Note: The Captain has kept his word, and the prisoner is not harmed or interrogated any further. Captain Hargis will leave that matter to officials on Abin. If this passenger is a spy, he won't receive kind treatment at the hands of IM Security Services. “Oh, he'll talk,” the Captain quietly chuckles to himself. “Or die trying.”

Up next: Onboard Events - Week 2

 

[sirjames]

Onward to Abin Part 2

Cast of Characters (I-Con Squad):
Icond (INIS Squad Leader)
-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Ignores Col. Janice Middleton.
Janice Mehlberg (Imperium Marine Colonel-Retired)
-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Rival of Icond.
Chance Morgenstern (INIS Agent-Retired)
-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Admires Dr. Slager.
Dr. Merrick Slager (Scholar/Team Doctor-Retired)
-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Secretly hates Col. Janice.
Ritch Duhart (INIS Agent-Retired)
-Character Reactions (SOLO p.18): Inseparable buddy of Chance.

…..............

Current Adventure: Operation Grievance
Dates: 309-1122 to 340-1122
Subsector/Sector Location: Sosie/Glimmerdrift Reaches

309-1122

Onboard Events: Week 2

In-Game Reaction Roll (SOLO p. 19): Col. Janice [2d6=10] – none

GM Note: I like to use the In-Game Reaction Roll for lulls in action, especially during jump week. The Colonel is not a fan of Icond and really despises his condescending attitude toward her. Dr. Slager also secretly hates her, so these character reactions can build some group conflict. Col. Janice makes her roll, so no event.

Onboard Event Check: none

316-1122

Onboard Events: Week 3

Onboard Event Check: none

In-Game Reaction Roll (SOLO p. 19): none made for this week


323-1122

Onboard Events: Week 4

Onboard Event Check: Engineering issue

A component failure on the ship's maneuver drive will require repairs. Captain Hargis orders the crew to make the repairs in deep space since the component is available, and he has complete confidence in his Engineer. The Igraine drops out of warp, and the crew begins repairing the maneuver drive. This will cause a one week delay in the trip to Abin in order to complete the repairs.

In-Game Reaction Roll (SOLO p. 19): Dr. Merrick Slager [2d6=6] – fail

Dr. Slager is dealing with a high level of stress due to personal reasons as well as the long confinement associated with interstellar space travel. He has been taking tranquilizers to deal with his anxiety, but recently has started taking far more than he should. His addiction is getting worse.

330-1122

Repairs are completed, and the Igraine gets underway for the last week at warp to the Abin System.
Onboard Events: [d66=32] – typical trip/no issues

337-1122

System Arrival: Abin

Ship Encounter: none

Starport Encounter: The I-Con Squad disembarks from the Igraine, and takes a shuttle to the planet's surface. The team is met by their Imperium Naval Intelligence Service (INIS) contact, Parth Faizel. Parth serves as the official INIS Liaison officer to the government of Abin. Parth informs the I-Con Squad that they will be meeting with Independence Movement (IM) Allied Forces Leaders and staff in three days, including General Zaq Ronan, the Abin Armed Forces Supreme Commander.

World Encounters: Phase 1

The team decides to take in a little R&R before their meeting. The team makes its way to Chef Kyofunoko's Famous Flaming Pit, a culinary legend in the Sosie Subsector. After dining, the team makes its way to a nightclub located next to Chef Kyofunoko's.

World Encounter Check: [d66=66] – offworlder in a spot of trouble

The team is approached by a well-dressed man of noble character. He introduces himself as Lord Riku Wafiya of Taglia. Icond is a little familiar with the history of Taglia, which is also located in the Sosie Subsector. He has heard of the Wafiya Royal Family, but is unfamiliar with Lord Riku. Lord Riku is friendly, but unfortunately suffers with a nervous tic that makes him look like he is constantly looking over his shoulder. Ritch leans over to Chance and whispers, “Looks like someone thinks he's being followed. Keep your eyes open.” Chance nods his head in agreement. Lord Riku pulls up a chair and joins the group at their table, as if he has known them all his life. Dr. Slager gives Icond an uneasy look, and Icond returns a reply with a conciliatory nod. All of the sudden, Lord Riku stops talking, and fixes his gaze on Dr. Slager. In a monotone, but eerily calm voice he says, “If you are approached by someone who makes you an offer to refresh your purity, I suggest you take it, Merrick.” Dr. Slager stares in stunned silence thinking, “how does he know my name?” Suddenly, Lord Riku dismisses himself, and turns to leave. All of the I-Con Squad members stare at one another in disbelieve. After a moment, the shock wears off and the team decides to call it an evening. Dr. Slager returns to his room, and reaches for his bottle of tranquilizers. He hesitates, then slowly places the cap back on the bottle. As he lays his head on his pillow, he mutters softly, “I am going to do it.”

340-1122

World Encounter: Phase 2

The team meets with Abin officials at a military complex located near the starport. Thinking the team would be making its way to Lindran, Icond is surprised to hear their next mission involves searching for an artifact within the city of Dakala, the capital of Abin. It turns out the artifact isn't just an ancient relic, but an ancient artifact fitted with a decoding chip used to decipher intelligence messages of the 3 Fists Triumvirate (3FT).
The I-Con Squad learns that 3FT operatives are still quite active on Abin. Intelligence services on Abin have been monitoring recent chatter between 3FT operatives that indicate something has gone wrong within their network. A recently captured and interrogated 3FT operative has revealed the 3FT's network uses a deciphering device that is embedded within an ancient medallion. The medallion was recently stolen by a local criminal network that operates within Dakala. The operative does not believe the criminal network is aware of the hidden deciphering chip. She knows they deal in stolen artifacts which are sold to private collectors on Abin and elsewhere in the Sosie Subsector. Her mission was to kill the 3FT agent that lost the medallion, then seek out those who stole it and deal with them accordingly. Her capture by Abin Intelligence Services (AIS) means she will be marked for death by the 3FT, so she is seeking asylum and a reduced sentence by cooperating with AIS. The AIS desperately wants to get its hand on the deciphering device. This would greatly assist them in their effort to remain free from 3FT tyranny.
The I-Con Squad's mission is to recover the medallion before it gets into the hands of a private collector or goes off-world.

GM Note: I decided to break the World Encounters Check (SOLO p. 58) into phases. The group will be killing time until there meeting with the military commanders of the Independence Movement, so I conducted an encounter check before the meeting. The meeting with IM commanders will take the place of an encounter check dice roll in phase 2. I used the One Page Solo Engine's (OPSE) Plot Hook Generator to create the mission. I find the combination of the OPSE with SOLO makes it easier for me to create a more detailed narrative. I jot down the roll results in a notebook, then type up the narrative later. Not exactly the same as playing with a GM, but still a satisfying experience that is quite fun.
In the next update, I will be using SOLO's Resolving The Plan system located on p.23 to see if the team can locate the whereabouts of the medallion through underground channels.