Inquisitor/Pulp Alley: Final Boarding

Shuttlecraft Helga sits being refuelled at Libertine spaceport.

After the ork pirates and the evil human mercenaries finished stealing each others wheels they went to the spaceport.  This is what happened next.

“Alright ya skurvy swabz, act kasual…”

As discussed last time, the planet known as Backside is a grotty sort of place, with a morally bankrupt society held together by the ruling Cartels love of profit.  As well as taking take a slice from local dealings, the local Barons control access to and from the planet via spaceport.

Backside has easygoing policies regarding many behaviours frowned upon on more civilised parts of the galaxy: if you have the money to pay for it and the Cartels get their cut, then more or less anything goes.  

Correspondingly, a dim view is taken of parties causing trouble at the spaceports: without unhindered access to and from the planet the Cartel system falls apart.  To that end the Backside spaceports are heavy on security, with armed forces ready to take out potential troublemakers with extreme prejudice before their behaviour spoils the status quo.  Even hardened mercenaries and alien pirates usually respect this, purely for reasons of self preservation.

The thing is, hell hath no fury like an ork pirate kaptin scorned…

The Purgators get their passports and identification ready in their deployment zone.

After playing a vanilla (but enjoyable) scenario while trying out the vehicle rules in the previous game, we decided to go for one of the more unusual scenarios from the Perilous Island expansion in this follow up game of Pulp Alley.

“Final Flight” was chosen and a convoluted explanation for why ork pirates and human mercenaries might be wandering around a spaceport, buying tickets and and talking to ground crew was invented: the Cartel run, hive(world) of scum and villainy known as Backside has been added to the ever expanding range of locations in our games.

Just another day at Libertine Spaceport, Terminal 3…

Three items of note:

1. Cartels: due to draconian security presence in the spaceport, characters that either Brawl or Shoot in the game become “Wanted”.  Wanted characters begin each action under fire from local Cartel security (Wanted characters are permanently in “Extremely Perilous Terrain” in rules terms).  Although this concept did not require representation on the table, we decided to put some security models around the spaceport to remind us that the protagonists were under heavy scrutiny.  They were literally there just for show, but were fun all the same.
2. Scenery: the scenery for this game was cobbled together to meet the demands of the scenario from what I have available, it isnt a dedicated set like I have for some other settings.  Therefore the terrain isnt really of the same quality as those shown in my other games (the buildings used have been in very many games since I built and painted them for use in games of GWs Confrontation back in the early 90s for example).  Im working on urban sci-fi terrain at the moment that will fill this gap, but for now, this is what I have.  But y’know, its reasonably easy on the eyes all the same.
3. Lighting: the top down lighting in the mancave is perfectly appropriate for gaming with, but not as good for lighting in-game photos.  Therefore my daytime games with natural light (like the Backside Roasting game that took place before this one) tend to photograph a little better than this one.  C’est la vie.

On with the story…

———

To begin, most of the Purgators head toward the gruff officials at the ticket terminal, while a small force splits off to the East.  All sides are armed, but nobody wants any trouble, even as the mercenaries eye up the vengeful greenskins heading towards them from the other side of the strip.

The orks (top right) have sabotage in mind, so are not heading straight for the ticket desk, but to have a nonchalant poke around the refuelling device in the back of the truck by the shuttle.

“Did you pack these plasma grenades yourself sir?  Mmm-hmm, everything seems to be in order, although you will have to discard that water bottle and the nail clippers in this receptacle immediately.”

Having been cleared for departure the Purgators now have to track down a compliant Navigator.  Local cuisine (pterasquirrel-a-la-mode) has not been kind to Heinleins refined physiology (known locally as a case of “Backside backside”), so the Navigator is currently to be found near the lav.

Whistling tunelessly, Kaptin Fiddy sidles up to the refuelling apparatus and nonchalantly plants a tracer-detonator, even as Cartel security forces start giving him some grief.  The sabotage device will be transferred to the shuttlecraft via the fuel lines. Although Fiddy doesnt plan to let the Purgators get to orbit without a fight, an ork doesnt get to wear a bicorne in the Skallywags without knowing the value of a backup plan.

With his usual utter disregard for his minions lives Purgator Captain Freeman subvocalises his “Attack” command to his low ranking troops, who advance and open fire on the Skallywags, wounding Kaptin Fiddy.  Cartel justice is swift and one of the Purgators is taken down as a result.

The Purgator fusillade continues, with a blast rocking Kaptin Fiddy and the fuel tank beside him. Big Billy walks through the firestorm, becoming wounded in the process, but the reassuring “CAW! Deep breaths Billy, deep breaths… CAW, CAW!” from Crackers on his shoulder keeps the huge greenskin from powering up his refitted mining laser in anger and drawing the ire of the establishment.

The Cartel take a dim view of the escalating exchange and show their displeasure by gunning down another Purgator and Roger Da Kabin Grot, but not before Roger manages to wound Buzzsaw as she approaches the Navigator with Bull as wingman.  Navigator Heinlein is unconvinced by the bleeding Buzzsaws verbal negotiation skills, but she has other persuasion techniques available.  The sound of a revving ripsaw joins the cacophony of shouts and gunshots…

Having planted the tracer/detonator under trying circumstances, Fiddy wants to have quiet, reprogramming words with the ships maintenance servitor, currently quietly ignoring the ruckus and continuing with routine shuttle maintenance.

Codename: Bull lends the considerable persuasive skills of a part man, part bulldozer to the conversation with the Navigator…

…while yet more Purgators open fire and draw the attentions of the Cartel forces.

But the Cartels are not to be trifled with. Chowing down on pentazemin, the Cartel sniper on the roof of the terminal isolates his target…

…gets the heavy weapon Purgator in focus down the scope of his “Icebreaker” rifle…

… and with a sound like a jar of Catachan Blood Hornet jam being dropped on tiles, separates the Purgators head from his body.

Meanwhile, the gretchin pilot, still nursing wounds from being forcibly removed from his vehicle last time, is taken out of action by Purgator fire as he tries to alter the maintenance servitors sub routines.

Big Billys limited patience is at an end.  With a roar of “BILLY SMAAASH!” he turns and blasts at the cowardly string pulling Purgator Captain and wounds him before he can get to the Navigator.  Regardless, the combined persuasive powers/industrial tools of Buzzsaw and Bull prove to much for the Navigator to resist and the Purgators are finally ready to board the shuttle.

Kaptin Fiddy is galvanised.  With a mutter of “If ya want somethin’ done…” he crams new instructions into the servitor with significantly more force than recommended in the user manual and then batters Purgator Codename: Anarchy to the ground with a backhand from his powerclaw.  The Cartel turns it attentions on the ork Kaptin, but he shrugs them off… but the distraction gives Anarchy an opportunity to gather her wits…

…and the Purgator deftly evades the Kaptin and makes it to the boarding ramp of the shuttle, winning the game.

———

This game was a nail biter, with the result in the balance until the very last moment.  It was loads of fun.

The “Wanted” scenario special rule made the game very enjoyably tense as rival members of our forces walked suspiciously past each other, biding their time until they attacked.  I have played a number of miniature games that featured sentries and alarms and the like in the past, but this is the very first time that I have seen it work in such an entertaining and atmospheric way.  Primarily I think that it was because each member of the force could become “Wanted” individually, rather than the actions of a single character incriminating their entire side, but there were actually a number of other factors.

Regardless, the game was very memorable and very enjoyable as a result.  Work has begun on a dedicated set of terrain that will cover spaceport duties in future.