Star Wars D6 - Green Vipers Briefing

Game Notes: We're about to embark upon the Long Shot Campaign from the "Classic Campaigns" supplement; much of the material hereon in is either reworded or fully captured from the information given in that book. I've largely changed details based on my own personal preferences and for the story I want to tell. This entry is to provide my players the background information for the campaign. Special thanks to starwarstimeline.net for hosting the PDFs; I own the campaign book but the ability to pick pieces of text out for my players is a massive help!

Arrival at Nowhere:

Nowhere

Following their success in protecting the Rebel transports during the evacuation of Yavin Base, the team of new recruits land on the battered ship, Nowhere. Commander Shepherd meets them off the ship.

Shepherd: You did well navigating that asteroid field and getting those troop transports to safety. I had several messages from the people on board asking to me to convey their gratitude to you personally. They wouldn't be alive were it not for your actions. It looks like your ships've taken quite a hammering though! As you've probably noticed, we're low on resources ourselves. We're trying to get the Nowhere into some kind of semblance of working order - but we'll try to get your ships repaired too. We've got some great engineers on board but what we lack is parts. Come on, I'll show you around.

Commander Shepherd

Shepherd leads them through the capital ship, explaining the workings of the ship - but there's little that impresses. It has no turbo-lasers or shields, meaning a single TIE could easily tear the vessel apart. It's for this reason that Nowhere keeps moving, following no discernible pattern and never visiting the same place twice. Personnel leaving Nowhere are not told where the ship will be going next. Instead they are given the frequency and coordinates of a communications satellite which they contact to send requests for pickup after a mission is completed. The message passes through a series of satellites before reaching Nowhere - and the same network is used to provide the team with the new coordinates for rendezvous.

Other than the landing bay, several holds have been turned into living quarters, communications centres, and supply warehouses. There is plenty of food, basic gear and medical supplies in the stores, but, other than blaster rifles and ammo packs, there isn't much sign of any heavy weaponry.

Shepherd: This is Captain Hark'r, Nowhere's supply master. You're not gonna try and bribe my new recruits into smuggling you off Nowhere, are you Hark'r?

Hark'r: Sss-chk-chk, of course not Commander Shepherd. I wouldn't dream of such a thing. Your new recruits look like an excellent crew who'll have the Empire shaking in their boots. I expect I'll see a lot more of them in the future.

Captain Hark'r

Shepherd leads the team away, continuing his briefing. He explains that there are various squads which operate out of Nowhere. The squads number in size from four to ten operatives, but they prefer not to reveal exactly how many squads there are operating from the ship - although the patches that squads wear gives an idea; the team are assigned to Green Squadron but have seen operatives wearing patches of red and blue as Shepherd leads them through the twisting corridors of Nowhere. There may be more. He leads them to the command centre where two humans, a male and female, and an alien are discussing a mission, falling silent and deactivating the holographic display as Shepherd and the team enter. All three wear white patches on their sleeves. The female casts a wary eye over the team.

Shepherd: And this is where I say goodbye. I'm handing you over to General Lens Reekeene. Her Roughnecks have been plaguing the Fakir Sector for months...but I'll let her explain more.

Lens: Thank you Commander Shepherd. I'll be overseeing all of your operations here along with my husband Mikka, and our advisor here, Santhou Lazith'chika. We run a tight ship around here so I won't stand for any insubordination. You don't like the orders I give, you quit - and make sure you keep several lightyears away from my Sector.

General Lens Reekeene

Mikka: This is the team that led the troop transports to safety! I don't expect we'll have problems with them. They'll be an excellent addition to the Roughnecks.

Mike Reekeene

Lens: Sure. Good job. Pity your ships are a bit of a mess, they would have come in handy...but we'll do our best to patch them up. Meantime, you'll be serving on the Long Shot. Santhou here will explain the basics you need to know about the Fakir Sector...

The alien steps forward, activating a holographic display of the sector. The team find his appearance, and indeed the way he speaks, slightly sinister.

Santhou: There are several hundred planets in the sector, approximately one hundred and fifty of which have been colonised. We have other business to attend to, so I will keep this short. Doneer'so is a jungle world where the Imperial's sector headquarters are based. It's heavily protected, and it goes without saying that you would be best advised to stay away from this world. Also worth taking a wide-berth of is Sinkar, a frigid, heavy gravity world where the Imperials have placed a garrison outpost. We have been unable to discover the purpose of that garrison so we are keen to hear of any rumours you hear about this on your travels. Finally, the Sarnikken Asteroid Belt is where we purchase some of our precious heavy-metal resources to upgrade this ship. The Empire would love to control the field, but the miners there value their independence almost as much as their precious resources. Be delicate in your dealings with them, they don't take kindly to outside interference, as several Imperial tax collectors have discovered to their cost...

Santhou Lazith'chika

Mikka: Full details of those locations will be forwarded to the Long Shot. Read them over at your leisure.

Lens: I heard you were part of Green Squadron in the Yavin evacuation. The squadron designation works for us, so you can keep it. Ah, here's Captain Ixsthmus and his first mate, Siene Symm. It's his ship you'll be serving on.

The team turn around to see an Ithorian and Sullustan have entered. Ixsthmus, the Ithorian shakes his massive oddly-shaped head.

Ixsthmus: Why can't you bring me some Ithorian recruits, General? Humans are so frivolous and decadent. This line of work demands the most serious minds and their kind lack discipline. I don't want these new recruits putting my ship at risk.

Captain Ixsthmus

Lens: Are you forgetting I'm human too, Captain?

Ixsthmus: You're the exception to the rule.

Siene Symm laughs throughout the exchange before shaking the team's hands.

Siene: Don't mind Ixsthmus, he's humourless but he's not all bad. Pleased to meet you all! Want to check out the Long Shot? Of course, you do!

Siene Symm

Ixsthmus sighs as he and Siene lead the team back to the hangar bay, where the Long Shot, a former pleasure yacht, has landed.

Siene: She's a beaut, isn't she? Don't let appearances fool you though, even though the Roughnecks liberated her from an Imperial Admiral, she's been completely stripped out and repurposed for the rebellion. I've made a few special modifications myself! Have a look around!

The team inspect the ship and are reasonably impressed by the vessel. It'll certainly do until their own ships are back up and running. Now all they need is a mission...

Full details on places of interest:

Fakir Sector Map

The campaign begins soon!

Star Wars D6: Green Vipers Episode I

Episode I - Escape From Yavin

Introduction: 

Welcome to Star Wars Green Vipers! While the global lockdown is in place all normal gaming has been curtailed so I've started running a new Star Wars D6 (West End Games) RPG Campaign. Most of the sessions will be published games, although this opening adventure is one I put together for the team. We use Google Hangouts to talk to each other and Roll20 to run the adventures. I'll record the team's adventures here. I do not own any of the images or John Williams' wonderful score.

On with the adventure!

Opening Crawl:

The Adventure:

Admiral Ozzel

Space. A crippled TIE fighter drifts in the distance. The underside of a dark grey gargantuan ship slides into view and passes overhead for what seems like an eternity. Its tractor beams lock on to the stricken craft and bring it in to one of the hangar bays. This is Darth Vader’s personal flagship, the Super Star Destroyer, Executor.

In the hangar bay, Darth Vader emerges from the TIE Advanced Fighter and is met by Admiral Ozzel.

Ozzel: My lord, its is a relief to see you again. When we heard of the destruction of the Death Star, we feared the worst.

Darth Vader

Vader: You may dispense with the pleasantries, Admiral. The evacuation of the Rebel base may not yet be over. Set course for the moon of Yavin IV. I want those rebels. 

Ozzel: Yes, my lord. It will be done.

The Centurion - a modified YT-1300 carrying new recruits to the Rebellion's cause - drops out of hyperspace and begins its descent into the atmosphere of the jungle moon of Yavin 4.

The Centurion does a flyby of Yavin

As the recruits troop off the Centurion, they see the base is a hive of activity, with personnel hurriedly loading up their transports and ships blasting off every other minute. 

The Rebel Base - no longer hidden!

Out of the confusion, a large man, Commander Shepherd, strides up to them. A pilot - the last surviving member of Green Squadron, the decoy squadron who took most of the heat during the attack on the Death Star, Tarrik Nightburner - and an R2 unit hurry after him. As Shepherd addresses the group, he casts a scrutinising gaze across each one of them. He doesn’t look impressed.

Commander Shepherd

Shepherd: I’m Commander Shepherd - and you’re late. We’re a little rushed for time so I don’t have time for a proper debriefing. You missed the main excitement. The Death Star has been destroyed, but not before the location of this base was uncovered. It’s a sure bet half the Imperial Fleet are on their way here. The evacuation is well underway but we’ve several more transports requiring escort. Nightburner here will help you but we’ve still got two spare X-Wings that weren’t employed in the attack upon the Death Star, anyone want to pilot one?

A scout, Skye Bodelyn, volunteers, despite having never flown an X-Wing before!

Skye Bodelyn: Player Character

A klaxon sounds across the base as something blocks out the sun. Rebels look to the sky and cry out in dismay. Vader's flagship, the Executor has arrived!

Shepherd: Looks like we’ve run out of time! You’ll be protecting two troop transports. Once they make the jump, you can follow too. Your designation is Green Squadron. Tarrik, take Skye to the hangar and into your X-Wings! The rest of you, back on your freighter - and take my droid R2-G8 with you. He’ll provide your ship’s hyperdrive with the co-ordinates to the rendezvous point.

R2-G8

Alliance HQ: Green Squadron this is Alliance HQ. Enemy fighters coming your way. Head for bearing 6-7-3. You’ll have to navigate a small asteroid belt before you can make the jump to hyperspace, but it should offer you some protection from those fighters. Those transports will be right behind you, use your sensors to clear a path for them. A few of our flyboys use the field for training, they say the larger the asteroid, the easier they are to dodge. Still, the smaller asteroids will do less damage! Good luck.

Alliance HQ

The ships blast off - but while Skye expertly navigates her X-Wing out of the hangar bay, Tarrik stalls his!

The smuggler Jaden Jericho plots his course through the asteroid field, flying at hair-raising speed through the maze of rocks...

Jaden Jericho: Player Character

Jimi Ackbar, who claims to be 'Admiral' Ackbar's nephew, acts as navigator for Jaden as his sensors scan the field!

Jimi Ackbar: Player Character

The Centurion and two X-Wings enter their asteroid field, leading the way for the troop transports.

TIE fighters are soon upon the vessel, strafing it repeatedly!

The Centurion Heads into the Asteroid Field!

Kira Rishkar, doesn't appreciate the smuggler's gruff demands for her to operate the shields, but does so anyway - their lives could depend upon it!

Kira Rishkar: Player Character

She successfully angles the shields but the attacks come fast and thick - and the freighter suffers extensive damage!

The Centurion under fire!

Fortunately Kaleban Maars is operating one of the Centurion's guns - returning fire at the marauding TIE fighters. He curses the low power the guns have...

Kaleban Maars: Player Character

But with Jiba operating the other gunnery port, the two coordinate to shoot down several TIEs! 

JiBa: Player Character

Skye takes down another couple - but she too suffers heavy damage to her X-Wing!

Thankfully Green Squadron's last survivor comes to the rescue, picking off several TIEs! It's almost as if the force guides him as he weaves his way through the field and shoots down one TIE after another!

Tarrik Nightburner lights up TIE Fighters!

[Game Note: Tarrik Nightburner used a Force Point and destroyed 3 TIEs in one round! As it was heroic and occurred at a climactic moment, he regained his Force Point at the end of the session.]

Action in the Asteroids!

Nightburner: Woohoo! Let's turn and burn baby! 

Tarrik then leads the convoy out of the asteroid belt...

Tarrik Nightburner: Player Character

And the Centurion makes the jump to hyperspace!

As does Tarrik and Skye - and crucially, the two transports they protected!

On the bridge of the Executor, Darth Vader stares out as the Rebel ships vanish out of sight. Admiral Ozzel feels a tug at his throat and falls to the ground…

Captain Piett: Lord Vader, the Emperor commands you to make contact with him.

Ozzel feels Vader’s force choke release and he lies on the deck gasping for breath as Vader walks past him, his cloak billowing in his wake. Ozzel is the least of Vader's worries. The Emperor will want an explanation as to how the Death Star could have been destroyed... 

The Rebel ships drop out of hyperspace in an area of space their sensors indicate is in the Fakir Sector. They see a battered old capital ship, a relic from the Clone Wars by the look of it. Huge sections of the ship, which should be twinkling with light, are in darkness. As they close in, they can see activity in the hangar bay where a number of X-Wings and a few A-Wings have landed. Astromech droids buzz across the ship’s hull, their arc-welders flickering in the dark. Several troop transports hang in space around the vessel.

Alliance Vessel Nowhere

Commander Shepherd (over comms): Glad you rookies could make it! You’re clear for landing. Welcome…to Nowhere.

To be continued...