Last Stand

Late one evening, just as the night shift had taken up positions in the base a soldier came by Terreck's bunk. Rook was a fellow member of the 277th, a stocky Mon Calamari who had been force sent for any aquatic or jungle operations. In the cold Obroan winter he was heavily rugged up, only his eyes visible between heated goggles.

"The General wants to see you in the Officer's Quarters, he's got something to ask you."

"Mmm." Terreck grunted in ascent as he set aside the datapad he had been reading and climbed out of his cot. He hadn't been sleeping but hadn't been too far off either.

"Any idea of what he wants?" Fec asked as he took a few moments to become presentable. It was unlikely, but it never hurt to ask.

"Hard to tell, but he'd smoke his cigar to within an inch of its life. Something is bothering him, haven't seen him this worked up for a while."
Rook waits before walking with you to the Officer's Quarter's. This late there are only a few other Hopers there, and none of them have mustered the courage to bother Novar who is sitting in a corner surrounded by a thick cloud of smoke.

The General stares out the window with his brow slightly furrowed, the ash tray at his table full to the brim. As you two approach he offers a salute and a grunt.

"Terreck, Rook. Thanks for coming." He gestures at the chairs opposite. "Have a seat."

"Mmm..." Terreck replied with a small nod. That didn't bode too well at all. "I suppose it can't be completely FUBAR as long as he still has cigars though." He continued after a few moments. Which still meant it was likely still well past a simple Snafu.

Walking along with Rook Terreck saluted the general as they arrived. "General." He replied politely in turn before taking the offered seat with a nod of gratitude. He didn't ask any questions yet though, letting the older man get to the matter at hand in his own time.

Novar doesn't rush it, seeming content to let everyone wait for a few minutes before his cigar finally burns down to nothing more than a nub. With an irritated look he snuffs it out in the mountain of ash.

"This morning we received word that Mynock Squad might still be alive." Mynock Squad was one of the 277th's scout squads. An elite unit like Terreck's own, odds are he knew them. A week after the Concord Dawn crash landed the squad had been sent on a long range scouting expedition to try and locate a mobile Mandalorian command base out on the frozen sea. They had checked in for the first week or so but after that...nothing.

"Our intel isn't good, but we managed to get a blurry photo of sergeant Olemna and several other members. Looks like they were being captured and our being held in a Mandalorian prisoner of war camp out on the ice. From what I understand conditions are bad, the crusaders treat most of them like banthas, or worse."

Novar's expression is calm but he practically radiates anger. "But, it's far enough away and well enough protected that a conventional assault would stand no chance of success, not before they'd have a chance to execute the prisoners. That's where you come in, Fec. You and Rook. Can I ask one last mission of you?"

No solider wanted to be captured by the enemy. It wasn't death, but it could be much worse in some ways, so the answer to Novars question was easy, at least for Fec.

"Of course, Sir."

Rook doesn't hesitate either, simply giving the general a firm nod.

"Good, I appreciate this. We can't provide much support directly. Our resources and stretched thing and the Mandalorians can't have a hint that we're coming. But I've requisitioned a speeder truck, some explosives and our best intel on the site."

He leans back in his chair. "And I'm authorizing you both to use any means necessary to bring our sentients home. Do what you have to do. These bastards should never have picked a fight with the Republic, but I take them coming at the 277th personally.".

He rises to his feet, a little more tired and a little older than you remember him from before this campaign. But the vigour is still there.

"Good luck to you both, and may the force be with you."

Terreck nodded at the generals words. Two men a box full of explosives and a speeder truck. They should be able to accomplish something with that.

"They'll regret picking a fight with us General." Fec offered grimly as he rose to his feet along with the general "And msy the force be with you too, Sir." He finished before saluting. Ready to set off immediately.

You two don't waste any time. The speeder truck is an older civilian model a little the worse for the wear. it's got a fully charged powercell and the generator still works. It will do.

Your directions point you straight towards the Frozen Sea, to an area known as the 'Pale Oasis". Evidently before the war it was some kind of stopping point for the various nomads living on the ice.

((Roll me an average survival check with a setback to see how well you two navigate towards the target))

The going was tough given the time and conditions. Though the truck did manage to make it. Though there were a few hiccups along the way.

Survival at average with a setback.

Net Successes: 1; Net Advantages: -2

A blizzard blows in and you have to hunker down with Rook to wait it out, the truck rocking and swaying in the gale force winds. The generator grumbles as the climate controls works desperately to keep the interior warm, the cabin windows fogging until everything outside is just a blur.

But eventually the storm weakens and you're able continue your journey, arriving at the Oasis in the afternoon of the next day.

The Pale Oasis was originally a series of large holes in the ice where boiling water heated by deep geothermals bubbled to the surface. Much of the ice is constantly melting and refreezing around their edges and the resulting microclimate is cold but not freezing. Evidently the Neo-Crusaders thought this made for an excellent prison camp site as they'd setup shops shortly after the invasion.

The camp is initially ringed with a tall wire fence, then a lower crackling powered wall with pylons connected by spitting arcs of electricity. Inside are a series of rickety long house for the prisoners, a better built slabcrete barracks and a series of high guard towers where armed Mandalorians operate searchlights.

A small nomad camp is clustered nearby outside the walls, clearly taking what business they can from the invaders. Otherwise cover is limited to the occasional ravine or snowdrift.

How would you like Rook and yourself to approach?

Dressed for battle as they both likely were venturing into the nomad camp was probably a little out of the question, without some sort of cover. Though the Thermal cloaks might help cover some of their armor.

First we will park the truck in a nearby ravine that's out of sight and try to figure out if there are any patrolling Mandalorians, or if the only watch are those in the towers.

Terreck Fec'klee wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:32 am

Dressed for battle as they both likely were venturing into the nomad camp was probably a little out of the question, without some sort of cover. Though the Thermal cloaks might help cover some of their armor.

First we will park the truck in a nearby ravine that's out of sight and try to figure out if there are any patrolling Mandalorians, or if the only watch are those in the towers.

((Average perception with a setback from the wind and snow))

The truck hidden in a convenient ravine the two of you carefully crawl through the snow until you have a clear view of the camp itself, eyes searching for roaming guards.

The optics in his helmet helped Terreck see through the snow. While the Hud from his integrated scanner helped point out movements and signs of heat. It wasn't much help but hopefully it would be enough.

Day 10: Average Perception with a setback from wind and snow. Enhanced Optics suite to ignore setback. +1 boost from integrated scanner to detect movement or hidden enemies.

Net Successes: 2; Net Advantages: 2

((1 success, 1 advantage if boost does not apply.))

The optical suite struggles for a moment before it's able to pierce through the snow, but the advance software is able to compensate and show you two small patrols of dual Mandalorians wandering the perimeter.

The two sentient teams are roughed up against the cold and with their hunched shoulders and quick walk are clearly keen to finish their rounds and return to the barracks. You calculate there's a 2 minute window if you time it right when both patrols will be safely away from any one point on the walls.

By now it's starting to get dark and the Mandalorian tower floodlights ignite, slow beams of piercing light sweeping the camp, but also casting long deep shadows...

Rook rubs at his chin and curses as his face mask has partially frozen to his face. He then curses louder as he jerks it free. "Well Fec, how do you want to play this? We could go in real quiet, cut through the outer fence and then try to find a way past the powered once, or maybe we could angle take out a patrol or someone in the guard tower?"
He squints at the camp. "Got enough explosives here to make a big hole somewhere, or a distraction I reckon, if we can find the generator."

"With patrol's that tight it's going to be hard to take one out and it go unnoticed for very long." Dead bodies begged for questions too. They wanted to evade detection after all, you couldn't save dead prisoners.

"We go in quiet I say, avoid the patrols and get past the first wall. Second in going to be tricky, wish i had a pair of jump boots or something to get over that wall. A closer look might bring us a better answer though, and if all else fails we can always punch a hole in it."

"Might see about setting up some of sort of distraction out here before we go in too. Might make exit easier if the Mandalorian's are looking in another direction."

((Will possibly look for something to rig to explode outside of the base before making our way past the first wall and towards the second. A speeder or something of the nomads, or even animals that can be made to stampede if those are around. If there isn't anything will just proceed towards entering.))

((Average mechanics to rig some explosives to blow up a speeder or a small exterior generator or building.

Average survival with a setback to prep for a tauntun stampede))

The taun taun stampede seemed the best bet, though if perhaps didn't go as well as Terreck hoped. Perhaps he would be able to get something that could serve as some use out of the situation though.

Survival at Average with a setback to prepare for a stampede. of taun tauns!

Net Successes: -1; Net Advantages: 2

Triumph + advantage to find a better possible distraction or something he might use to help get past the second fence?

The tauntaun's temporary pen is well guarded, and despite trying his best to setup a cunning distraction Terreck isn't able to get in without being noticed.

However, from the lower ground he's able to see small generator set in the corners of the second electric fence. Taking them out either with mechanics or simply shooting them would probably bring down two sides of the fence!

"You any good with mechanics Rook?" Fec asked as he spotted the generators. They would certainly make entering easier.

Nevertheless it was time to move closer, passing the first fence needed to be done sooner rather then later.