Intelligence Summary #11: Invasion Plans Discovered

Stardate:  Wonday, 072-130 ABY/Tarsan Intelligence Service (TIS)

Subsector:  Shannekam

Bongolaanian Invasion Plans of Tarsan Agricultural (TAg) Market Islands

During the rescue mission on Gadnek Island, Diplomatic Security Team-Three (DST-3) downloaded classified files from the Bongolaanian base camp, just before they were evacuated.  One file contained detailed plans for an invasion of the TAg Market Islands on Zenya.

In addition to the invasion plans, DST-3 captured Lieutenant Onjo Naguza of the 7th Cohort/599th Droid Infantry Legion (7/599 DIL).  The Bongolaanian officer requested political asylum once the team touched-down at Pierson Station.  He is currently undergoing a debriefing, shown in the security camera image above and has provided additional information on the impending invasion.

Pierson Station and TAg Market Islands and the Tau Tau Archipelago

Shortly after delcaring a trade war with Tarsus, the Peoples Democratic Republic of Bongolaan began smuggling the 7th and 8th Droid Cohorts onto Zenya.  These units were then transported to Havran, Donmils and Concmar islands in the Tau Tau Archipelago, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Zenyan Mainland Union Government (Z-MUG).  The infiltration operation was accomplished with the clandestine help of one, or more, unknown members of the Z-MUG.  This venture does not appear to have official backing of the mainland, but this could be a case of maintaining plausible deniability.  The invasion plans make no mention of any Zenyan contacts or liaisons.

Pierson Station

At the time of this report, no Bongolaanian warships have been deployed to Zenya.  However, space assets could arrive to support the two droid cohorts in less than 48 hours.

The details of the invasion plans uncovered by DST-3 are as follows:

D-2:

Mobile surface-to-orbit batteries deploy covertly to islets around Vandalla Island. A platoon of battle droids are detached provide security for the batteries.

D-1:

Additional surface-to-orbit batteries conduct a covert deployment to islets west of Milquoor Island.  The intent of this prepositioning is to cut Pierson Station off from resupply and reinforcements.

D-Day:

On D-Day, the 7th and 8th Cohorts conduct a combined air and amphibious assault on Vandalla Island to seize the city of Vianda.  A half-wing of TIE fighters from Crimson Aces has been hired for five days to conduct air superiority, interdiction and close-air-support missions.

D+1:

The 9th Battledroid Cohort lands on Vandalla Island to support the drive against Ooverton. 

D+2:

The Bongolaanian task force launches a two-pronged attack against Kulovaan Island. 

D+3:

The task force converges on the city of Kul 'kva.

D+4:

The invasion of Milquoor Island.

D+5:

The final drive against Pierson Station, followed by mop-up and consolidation operations.

The Bongolaanians could seize the TAg Market Islands at any time.  However, according to Lt. Naguza, the task force commander is waiting for the 9th Cohort to be fully assembled, before launching the invasion. 

The TAg Market Islands are guarded by four platoons of corporate security troops, which may easily be overwhelmed.  There is no alliance or military support compact with the Tau Taus, since all off-world affairs are conducted by the Z-MUG, which leased the islands to TAg Market.

Another possibility for the delay is that Bongolaan, which is now part of the Empire, is having difficulties mustering transport ships for this operation.  The rapid collapse of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances and the need for Emperor Fel to consolidate his position, is the most likely cause for the shortage of heavy-lift assets.

This report has been forwarded to Prime Commissioner Winthrop Coghill, Ambassador Eleonora Heraud and General Gwyn Norrocks for their appraisal.

Outtake #2--The Better Part of Valor

(Click on image to enlarge)

Welcome to the Redshift...

(Image:  twi'lek, by Wil-Woods)

...the new home for my Star Wars Legacy Era campaign.  Without repeating myself too much from my spin-offs post, I decided this would best serve those specifically interested in Star Wars gaming.

I copied and pasted all the previous "SW Redshift Campaign" material from Stern Rake Studio, to include the dates and times of each post.  Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to conveniently transfer the comments some of you made.  For those of you who did provide feedback, please accept my apologies, but also my assurance that previous Redshift entries will remain on Stern Rake Studio.

Unlike Stern Rake Studio, this will be a more streamlined blog.  Game reports, After Action Reviews (AARs), or situational updates will be written as News Briefs or Intelligence Reports.  The difference being, whether or not the information posted is considered common knowledge, or classified information within the game.

Other Chronicle Contents include:  GM Notes, or a "how-to," so to speak; a Gazetteer, so players and readers can get a good visual orientation on where events take place; and finally, a Humor section, for those moments that lend themselves to a funny twist.

The Chronicle Blog List and Links will focus on sci-fi related material in general, and all things Star Wars in particular.  Like my other blogs, this will be a work-in-progress, something I'll continually update, tweak and add to. 

I appreciate the encouragement I've received from current fans and hope to gain more followers with this new venture.  Thank you and I hope you enjoy this new site.

Note:  If you admire Wil Woods art as much as I do, you can find more of his work posted on Deviant Art.

Pulp Title for the Gadnek Island Adventure

Intelligence Summary #10: Rescue on Gadnek Island, Part 6

Saved from a gruesome death!

Situation:  1900 hours.

En-route to Pierson Station at hypersonic speed.

Pierson Station and TAg facilities.

Cad So Billes and Seleq Seel escort Damathon Cohain off the rescue shuttle.

They're greeted by Penelope Pelletin and Adoko.

Rican Vranos Lah To Ceel escort Lt. Onjo Naguza off the rescue shuttle.

Damathon Cohain and Lt. Naguza were given a quick medical exam and determined to be suffering shock.  However, despite the party's harrowing experience, their time back on Pierson Station proved to be fleeting.

One of the files Sei'do Avari downloaded from the Bongolaanian computer contained invasion plans directed against the station and the surrounding Tarsan-held islands. 

Since it was now imperative that the invasion plans be taken to the Tarsan Defense Force Command, the station's only emergency express boat (x-boat) was prepared for immediate take-off. 

As the weary members of DST-3, along with Damathon Cohain and Lt. Naguza boarded the x-boat, they were joined by the Tau Tau Force Mystic, Gobar Been, who wanted to "follow the Will of the Force."

The x-boat lifted off from Pierson Station before midnight and once beyond Zenya-3's gravity well, Cad So Billes, pushed the throttles forward and the vessel fired into hyperspace. 

Destination:  Tarsus.

The invasion plan details will be addressed in Intelligence Brief #11.

Intelligence Summary #9: Rescue on Gadnek Island, Part 5

Preparing their last stand.

With only minutes to spare, the party split into two teams.  The first team with the most combat skills and led by Thege Kli'Klotaz, manned the rooftop barricade. 

Situation:  1700 hours.

The Bongolaanian basecamp was perched on top of a cliff, overlooking a small bay.  The camp consisted of one prefab building, two storage facilities and a dirt-packed landing strip.  The forward defense was in the form of a 1.5 meter-high wall, that extended between two rocky outcrops, the party hoped would be impassable for the oncoming mutants.

Several members vowed to throw themselves off the cliff, or save one blaster shot for themselves, if they were about to be overrun.

Barricading the door.

Meanwhile, the second team, led by Cad So Billes, worked on barricading and re-sealing the damaged door, while Sei'do Avari and Lt. Naguza reactivated the camp's computer and transmitter.  Naguza assisted Sei'do in bypassing the computer's security firewalls and swore that if he survived, he would seek political asylum on Tarsus.  Sei'do utilized Naguza's code cylinder and downloaded various files from the camp's computer.

The mutant horde charges out of the jungle.

The rooftop team opened fire as soon as the first mutants broke out of the treeline.  The rooftop team blazed-away at the mutant horde with impunity.

A Force-User leading the rifle-armed mutants.

However, within several minutes, the tactical situation took a turn for the worse.  The squad of rifle-armed mutants arrived and subjected the team to a steady barrage of suppression fire with their slug throwers.  As bullets pinged off the barricade walls, the rooftop team returned fire and spotted a human wielding a red-beamed lightsaber among the armored mutants.  The Force-User handily deflected any blaster shots directed at him.

As the battle raged, Lt. Naguza contacted Rican Vranos, another member of DST-3 (Diplomatic Security Team Three), leading a search party on another island.  Cad So Billes reported their dire situation and requested immediate evac. 

Rican promised he'd depart immediately--however--it was a two hour flight time to their position.

Cad replied, "Frak!  Better hurry, or there'll be no one left to evacuate!"

The mutants breakthrough!

Once the door barricade was in place and their exact coordinates transmitted to Rican, the ground team abandoned their position and scrambled on to the roof.  They arrived, just as the mutants neared the perimeter wall.  Thege braced his heavy blaster rifle, switched to full-auto and poured blaster fire into the seething mass of howling mutants.  On the other end of the rooftop barricade, Sei'do lobbed several hand grenades at mutants clustered behind the perimeter wall.  The rest of the team picked-off mutants as they climbed over the wall.

Despite cutting-down mutants by the score, more creatures poured into the narrow gap.  After nearly two hours of continuous fighting, the party was down to their last, half-empty powerpacks.  The hand grenades had all been expended during the first minutes of the battle.

At sunset, the mutants breached the perimeter, thanks to the Force-User, who used his lightsaber to gouge a large hole in the wall.  The mutant horde surged forward and swarmed around the building.  As the axe and club wielding mutants smashed windows and battered the door, the rifle-armed creatures intensified their suppressive onto the rooftop redoubt. 

All seemed lost, when the rescue shuttle dropped out of the sky, with repulsor engines screaming.

Saved in the nick-of-time!

Rican manned the entry hatch, firing his blaster rifle at mutants climbing the building.  Damathon was pulled into the shuttle first, while the rest of the party boarded two-at a time.  Thege was the last one to board, after draining the powerpack of his heavy blaster rifle.

Blasting-off amid a hail of bullets.

The rooftop redoubt overrun by mutants.

Situation:  1900 hours.

Once everyone was strapped in, the shuttle pilot shoved the throttles forward and set course for Pierson Station at hypersonic speed.

The epilogue will be found on Intelligence Brief #10, Rescue on Gadnek Island, Part 6.

Intelligence Summary #8: Rescue on Gadnek Island, Part 4

Mutants in pursuit.

Situation:  1100 hours.

Within minutes of setting-out for the Bongolaanian basecamp, the party was assaulted by scores of mutants.  The creatures attacked from all directions, even dropping out of trees and leaping out of spider holes. 

Barely maintaining the lead.

While traversing the southern hills, mutants threw rocks and even rolled down boulders in an attempt to stop the party.

Situation:  1200 hours.

When the party reached the crest of the southern hills, they discovered the primitively-armed mutants were the least of their problems.  From their impromptu observation point, the party watched several Lambda-Class shuttles air-dropping cargo containers onto the island's central valley.  These containers were identical to the one they came across earlier (see Gadnek Island AAR #2).

Lambda-Class shuttles dropping cargo containers.

The Lambdas sped off as soon as the containers hit the ground.  However, two vessels circled-back and landed near the Ruins of Mumbak (located at the "M" on the map).  The ships appeared to be Sith Infiltrators.  One member of the team mananged to keep his electro-binoculars during the pursuit and observed the activity near the Infiltrators.  Within minuts of landing, over a dozen rifle-armed mutants in red battle armor, disembarked from the ships.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Situation: 1500 hours.

At this point the party faced a tough choice:  Make a run for it in the open valley, gaining speed, over cover and concealment?  Or, continue to hack their way through the hills and jungle, mainting their concealment against the new arrivals?

Ambush!

Breaking through the trap.

After fighting through a major ambush near the treeline, the party made a break for it, on to the open plains. 

Situation: 1600 hours.

The mutants harried the party for 13 kilometers.

In sight of the eastern hills.

Through the mountain pass.

Outrunning the mutants.

By the time the party stumbled into the basecamp, everyone was suffering from some level of exhaustion.  Damathon collapsed and was dragged into the small compound. 

The Bongolaanian basecamp.

Everyone else took a moment to catch their breath and take stock of their situation.  Looking around, they realized the camp was ransacked--probably by the mutants, while Naguza and his battledroids went off to search for Damathon.  Everyone had lost, or expended, half their blaster power packs and hand grenades.  Sian Squnn and Jad Jo Dop had lost their weapons during the final run to the camp.

The roar and howls of the approaching mutants meant the party only had several minutes, at most, to establish a defensive perimeter and attempt to radio for help.

To be continued in Intelligence Brief #9: Rescue on Gadnek Island, Part 5.

Intelligence Summary #7: Rescue on Gadnek Island, Pt 3

Situation: 0900 hours.

The sound of blaster fire grew louder as the party moved northwest.  In less then an hour, the party came across a clearing, 200 meters wide.  On the north side of the clearing, a pack of mutants were advancing against several battledroids trapped against the cliff.

Mutants in the treeline.

The mutants were unaware of the party's approach and continued their assault against the droids.  The party spread out in two-being teams and approached the edge of the southern treeline.  Once in position, they steadied their weapons and took careful aim.

Sneaking up on the mutants.

Once everyone had a target in sight, they unleashed a volley of blaster fire into the backs of the mutants.  Several of the creatures were killed in the fusillade, but the surviving mutants pressed on with their attack against the battledroids.

Mutant vs droid melee.

Half the party sprinted across the clearing, while their remaining teammates covered them with their blasters.  Once the northern treeline was cleared of mutants, the rest of the team entered the jungle.  As they approached the cliff, they discovered two humans, in partial cover, among the rocks.

A battledroid falls victim to a rampaging mutant.

One of the humans was dressed in an Imperial officer's uniform, while the other wore the remains of a flight suit and binder cuffs.  The party found Damathon Cohaine.

"Meezah Zak Tenko.  Meezah here to rescue you!"

The Tau Tau warrior, Zak Tenko was the first to reach Damathon and began unfastening the binder cuffs.  The Imperial officer turned and aimed his blaster pistol at Zak.  However, before he could fire, Thege Kli 'Klotaz burst through the foliage.  Leveling his heavy blaster rifle at the surpirsed officer, the Durosian soldier demanded the Imperial's surrender.  The officer immediately dropped his pistol.

The rescue of Damathon Cohaine.

The party then spent the next hour consildating and securing their postion.  None of the droids survived the battle, while Damathon and the Imperial officer appeared to be suffering from shock.  The officer turned out to be Lieutenant Onjo Naguza of the 7th Cohort, 599th Droid Infantry Legion, from Bongolaan. 

After some questioning Lt. Naguza confirmed the location of the Bongolaanian basecamp and his mission to find and apprehend Damathon.  More importantly, Naguza informed the party, the basecamp contained a radio capable of signalling for help.  While the lieutenant talked, Sei'do Avari noticed a code cylinder in his brest pocket and removed it.

Before the team could question Naguza any further, the silent jungle erupted with roars and howls of mutants--hundreds of them--converging on the party's position.

Mutants in hot pursuit of the rescue party.

To be continued in Intelligence Brief #8:  Rescue Gadnek Island, Pt 4.