Cosmic Odyssey: A Hostile Solo campaign. Episode 16: Time to go.
Chief is hunkered down in a firefight with a Con-Am security goon, deep in the cave system.
Kristi and Jamal, our ex-marine landing team are racing across the planet surface in the Armadillo towards the cave system.
Captain Sambrano has recovered from his visions and is now elbow deep in the plasma coils of the Odessey trying to fix the results of Vergis sabotage.
Jack Leftwich is babysitting Dr. Kory Novara in the med bay and at the moment she is stable.
Sambrano is attempting to fix the plasma coils of the Odessey, damaged courtesy of some delay tactics from Vergis.
This attempt at fixing the plasma coils takes three hours.
Roll 2D6 (+1 for engineering): 4+1. 5, A failure. Sambrano is unable to discover the issue and keeps working.
As another bullet whined off the rocks in front of his face, Chief leaned back, with his head well out of the line of fire. Suddenly the road of the Armadillo’s engine echoed down into the caves.
With an excited whoop Chief popped up and pointed his pistol in the area of where he thought the Con-Am goon was hiding. A flash of movement confirmed his suspicions, and he squeezed off a shot.
Roll 2D6 (-2 for the Con Am guy being in cover.): 7(-2): 5, a miss.
The shadowy figure ducked down as the bullet ricochetted harmlessly wide.
“Keep your head down hoss.” Chief shouted as he glanced over his shoulder to see the Armadillo enter the entrance to the cave system and screech to a halt.
The side hatch slammed down and two figures in bulky hostile environment suits barreled out and looked around.
“Over here.” Chief said as he clicked his comms. The landing party waved and headed towards him, keeping low, rifles at the ready.
Our Con-Am goon is going to pop up and take a pot shot.
Does he shoot at one of the oncoming landing team? Unlikely.
Roll2D6: 1,2: No.
The shot goes at Chief who has probably shown a little of himself while waving to the landing team. He’ll still get his cover bonus though.
Roll 2d6 (-2): 4(-2): 2 a miss.
A bullet whines off the rocks behind him, causing Chief to duck back to safety.
“Keep your head down Chief.” Jamal scolded him over the helmet comms.
Does the Con-Am goon see the landing team and try to make a break for it? Likely.
Roll 2D6: 6,2: Yes.
Are any of the crew able to get a snapshot off as the goon makes a run for it? Unlikely.
Roll 2D6: 2,5: No.
The ex-marines crouched next to the big engineer, cautiously looked over the rocks trying to locate any threats.
“You OK Chief?” Kristi looked at him worriedly.
Chief smiled, “I’m fine. Wanted to come see if these folks wanted a ride of this shithole but some moron decided to take a pot shot at me.”
Jamal took a hurried look over the rocks and ducked back down, “OK, you ready to get going now?”
Since Chief came to the cave system to try and rescue the colonists he thinks are trapped her, let’s do another reaction check.
Roll 2D6: 7, a failure. What’s his reaction?
Roll 1D6: 4, Stubborn. A choice has been made, and the character does not like it. They refuse to co-operate unless things are changed.
Chief scowled at Jamal. “We need to find those colonists.”
“They tried to kill you!” Kristi put in exasperated with the engineer.
“One security guy is not the whole group.” The big man grumbled.
Jamal holds his hands up, “Alright, if we go a little further in and see if we can find anyone, you going to be ok with that? But if we don’t find anyone or someone shoots at us again, we’re out.”
Chief chewed his lip for a second, “Alright.”
Does the security goon try and ambush them as they go further into the cave? 50/50
Roll 2D6: 2,5: No.
For several minutes the three crew members cautiously make their way deeper into the cave system. The Con-Am security goon is nowhere to be found.
Do they find any colonists? 50/50
Roll 2D6: 2,6: No and… they find evidence of a camp
” Careful.” Jamal’s voice came through the helmet comms as he crept forward into the large cave, rifle swinging back and forth.
“What do you see?” Chief whispered in spite of himself.
“Looks like someone was here. Give me a minute to make sure the coast is clear.”
The ex-marine carefully covered the floor of the cave checking all the potential hiding places for any would be assailants, while Kristi covered him from the top of a rocky outcrop that leaned out from the cave wall.
He was soon walking back to them, rifle held pointing upwards. “Looks all clear.”
Chief walked forward still holding his pistol, “A camp?”
Jamal nodded, “Seems like it. Some blood-stained bandages in a pile over there.” He gestured vaguely behind him.
“No people?”
The ex-marine shook his head, “There’s a passageway going down out the back of the cave, but I didn’t see anything.”
“What now?” Kristi asked quietly over comms.
“We go back to the Odessey?” Jamal looked at Chief questioningly.
The big engineer leaned around Jamal as if trying to see down the passage that led away from the back of the cave. “I guess.”
“We can’t chase them forever.” Kristi added.
Back aboard the Odessey Sambrano is going to make another engineering roll to fix the plasma coils.
Roll 2D6 (+1): 7(+1): 8 a success!
“How is she?” Sambrano called from the doorway of the med bay.
Jack Leftwich glanced up from the chair beside the bed, “She’s sleeping, seems to be improving.”
The captain nodded, “The plasma coils are fixed, and the landing team is on its way back with Chief.”
“He’s, ok?”
Sambrano nodded, “Yep, I just talked to Jamal.”
Leftwich took a deep breath, “That’s good.”
“Let me know if anything changes with Kory’s condition.”
Leftwich nodded, “Will do.”
Sambrano turned and headed back up to the bridge.
Really great write up! I have heard of Hostile. I'll need to check it out sometime.