Another Day at Camp: The Last Week
From SSDC, Inc.
The Last Week
It is the beginning of the fourth week when the commander announces to the teams that they will have to pull guard duty since the normal guard detail are being sent to handle a crisis between three of the nations that could overflow and effect the camp itself. “Don’t worry this is a common occurrence, it should be over within a few days.” Each of the six teams draw lots for guard duty time and the characters pull the midnight shift. Once the drawing is done the other teams head off to their various training regimes. The sound of fighting rises and ebbs over the next few days and it seems as if some army or another will burst from the forest and charge the thick tritium walls and sturdy flexsteel gates. At night lights from numerous fires dot through the woods and the flare of guns firing are the only indication of how truly close teh fighting is.
About midday on the day before the final test of the Commander's Trophy the sound of static and loud popping noises comes over their radio while the team is out near the obstacle course, prepping for their own test. (IQ check to realize it is gunfire) The noise cuts out finally and a few minutes later the commander comes over the radio, “...Under attack! All squads report in, we are under attack by an unknown force. I want a count of who's still alive people, do it now!” After the group reports in they are ordered to establish a patrol and shoot any suspicious personnel, questions will be asked later but none will be held liable.
BM's Note: They were out doing a field exercise so have them write down what they carried out to the field with them.
It is less than half an hour later when the commander comes back on the general frequency. “This is the Commander, HQ is under attack! All squads are required to assist. They must've breached the armory, we need assistance NOW!” Gun fire erupts and cuts out the radio transmission. Before reaching HQ another radio transmission crackles over their headsets, on the secure channel this time, level 3 hand radio check to activate the channel and get the message. “All hands muster in the mess hall! This is the executive officer; all hands muster in the mess hall, ASAP!”
BM's Note: Player's don't need to go to the mess hall, if they feel it is a trap they may pursue a different course, just remember the other squads sent out may run into the players and mistake them as rebels then. Have them roll intuition checks if you feel it prudent.
The mess hall is a long rectangular steel and concrete one story building near the outskirts of the main base, it is a place the players have become familair with and loathe as the food is subgrade and barely suitable for consumption. When the players arrive there is a considerable amount of commotion as other mercenaries are erecting blockades at all the entrances, securely blocking off all but the main front entrance which has several large tables spread in front to give the defenders cover if they need it. As they come into view they can see members of the other squads suited up, they take a notable interest in the players as they approach, verifying ID badges, names, and photos on a computer pad.
As they enter one of the older mercs, a man in his late forties with thinning salt and pepper hair and a pock marked face used to seeing trouble and wearing faded green camies unmarked of any rank, greets them and checks them in on a roster. His voice is gravelly as he tells them to stow their gear somewhere and make themselves useful setting things up. He mentions that an attack may occur at anytime and they had better be ready.
The interior is almost empty. All but a handful of tables remain and those are quickly being carried off to fortify the entrances and windows of the building. It looks as if anything not nailed down is being used as a means of blockade, in the kitchen area, huge kettles are full of cooking food, gruel-equivelant from that morning is being reheated for meals while MREs are also being brought out. Stacks of equipment line the walls giving the center an open desolate look about it where the few base doctors are setting up for incoming wounded and hoping things don’t get worse.
Finding an open place along the wall the characters drop their gear. Seeing that the other teams kept their weapons and are suited up it is assumed the players do the same.
BM's Note:If they do not keep someone as a guard some of their equipment will disappear, have them make an intuition check to realize this, there are no obvious guards except at one or two among some of the piles if any think to ask. Amount of gear gone is up to you, the BM.
After most of the defenses are done being erected(half hour after the group arrives), the XO announces that he wants everyone in the dining area for a briefing, his voice easily carries and the others spread the word quick enough. (Remember if the characters did not set up a guard they will discover some of their items missing.)
The same man that checked them in stands in the center of the room. A young communications tech stands next to him with a stack of papers, glasses perched precariously on his nose. “All right ladies, we have a base to retake! A group of feudal soldiers infiltrated our defenses at approximately 1400 hours this afternoon. My guess is that the crisis was actually a diversion to get the normal guards out of the way. Weaken our position, though I've never seen any two lords work in concert like this. Their objective is unclear right now but I would wager my paycheck it is to grab supplies, equipment, and vehicles. Already the armory and vehicle bay have been taken, as many of our troops found at the cost of thier lives when they tried to assemble a strike force to relieve teh overstressed headquarters defenders. The team that was on duty hasn’t reported in since they announced the beginning of this assault so we must assume they are all dead. Among the rest of you we have lost another half dozen brave men and women to these pirate tactics. I will not allow these insurgents free access to my base, my equipment, and no bloody quibbling lordlings are going to get away with killing my people!” The crowd cheers at this statement and the XO lets the noise die down before continuing.
“We have 6 main objectives, places that are vital to our operation, and where we know they have struck and are assumed to be holding for now. The Communications Bunker which fell only in the last hour, the Armory which I need not inform you holds the bases gear, equipment that cannot fall into the hands of these lowly backwards people. General Storage and the Commisary both have troops crawling around so they can loot our food and our liquer." The XO sounds very upset at this last. "The vehicle bay, my guess is they're using our own trucks to cart their ill gotten goods back to wherever their base is, went down first; medical and the base power station also have troops swarming around them." The crowd is silent while the XO announces how overrun the base is.
"HQ is surrounded but was holding its own last I heard so when we have a chance we'll clear that force out, but we need to keep these bastards from running off with our gear, our food and our weapons!” He pauses for just a moment as he takes the papers from the technician. “Here are the assignments, no arguing, and those not assigned any tasks are staying here to protect this command post. Don't worry people, you'll have a chance to kick some lordling ass before the day is through."
"Isthar-ican, your team will sweep the vermin out of the medical and storage buildings, and keep the commisary intact will you, but use whatever means required to kill these scum. Fermir, your squad gets the communications bunker and power plant, and for god's sake cat, that's a live reactor, don't go blowing it up or we're all dead okay. (Team Leader), you get the armory and the garage, salvage what you can, anything useful back here to bolster our defenses with and try not to blow up any of those vehicels, they're worth more then your team.” Each of the team leaders acknowledge their assignment and get their team set to gearing up. “The rest of us will keep the home fires burning. When you get back we’ll finish these scumbags; do well people and make your families and me proud.”
[The players may do these in either order; at the end of each section will be noted changes for doing them in one order or the other.](All enemy troops have 3 M-95 grenades in addition to any noted equipment)
The force is a rebel unit and is in low to mid line armor but with patch designations saying they work for one of the local feudal lords. It won’t be evident that this is a rebel raid without closer inspection.
Next: Another Day at Camp: Armory
Next: Another Day at Camp: Vehicle Garage
Prev: Another Day at Camp: Camp Nowhere
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