The Organisation Space Pirates 03

In this post I continue my reviews of pirates who work for the Organisation. This time, the three figures featured were all produced by Citadel Miniatures in the 1980's for the Rogue Trader game, which as I mentioned before, was the original title of Warhammer 40,000. Suffice to say, these figures are long out of production, which is such a shame, as many of them were high quality sculpts.

At the far left is Kort Kosyga, an ambidextrous human smuggler who has a ridiculous sense of dress. Kort grew up on Starhaven, a giant asteroid that travels through space, and is known to a select few as the headquarters of the Organisation, a massive, galaxy-spanning criminal empire. Kort's parents were both space pirates and they led a gypsy-like existence as they rarely stayed at any one location for too long. However, they would frequently return to Starhaven, which they all regarded as home. At the age of 11, Kort settled down for three years on Alpha Oram, a rich agricultural planet in the Mercura star system. Here, he excelled in sports and outdoor activities. But the urge to travel ran deep in his veins and he took a job as a space jockey on board a small Class III pirate raider. After three more years he signed on as a gunner on board much larger pirate ship, a Class V scout ship. Once again, he stayed with the ship for three years. He really wanted to pilot his own ship but the Organisation were not ready to trust him to captain his own vessel just yet. Instead, he was assigned to another pirate crew, but this time as co-pilot. The agreement was that if he performed well on this tour of duty, he would be given command of his own ship. This was all the incentive he needed and he worked hard and kept his nose clean. So, at the age of 23, he was given command of a Class III fast attack craft, named The Golden Dagger, with a crew of 20. He excelled at his job and ten years later, he and his crew are in high demand for pirate raids and dangerous, illegal missions.
Kort is a very striking individual with his long spiky, white hair, handsome face, sparkling blue eyes and heavily muscled body. However, when it comes to fashion, Kort makes his own rules and loves to wear outlandish, garish and mismatched clothing. He says he dresses to impress, and whilst he certainly does make an impression on everyone he meets, it most likely is not the impression he was hoping for! Kort rarely fails to deliver on any job he is offered, except on the odd occasion when something beyond his control has gone wrong, such as a double cross. He has survived a few of them, whilst his double crossers have survived none. Kort is rank grade 7 and is armed with a high quality laser pistol with scope-sight and a high quality short sword.

Next to Kort is Aleseus Thorson, a massive human street thug who never shows pain or discomfort. He was born and raised on the planet Fabius 5 in the Antares starsector. His parents ran a gymnasium in the capital city of Colonia Maximus. Colonia Maximus (formerly New Los Angeles) is an industrial centre, the only one of note on the planet, which tends to specialise in the outfitting of colonial expeditions heading for the Mercantile League out-worlds. It is also the headquarters of the Mercantile League Survey Service. The rest of the planet is essentially engaged in agriculture. Aleseus's parents encouraged their only son to attain high levels of physical fitness and to excel at sports at school. Aleseus was a typical jock, who was noted for his running prowess. His academic knowledge was below average but neither he nor his parents were at all concerned. Upon graduating from high school, Aleseus enrolled in a running club. For seven years he achieved success after success, winning many medals and trophies. However, he fell in with a bad crowd and was soon in trouble with the local authorities. After one bar-room brawl, he was arrested but let off with a caution. The manager of the running club was furious with him. He took a dim view of Aleseus's increasingly belligerent behaviour and dismissed him from the club. Aleseus was beyond caring and turned to a full time life of crime. He was recruited by one of the capital city's crime families as a bruiser, due to his superb physique. Two years after joining the crime family, he was approached by a flamboyantly dressed starship captain called Kort Kosyga. Kort saw him as a kindred spirit and offered him a job on his ship, The Golden Dagger. Kort was very persuasive and Aleseus accepted the posting. His role on board the pirate ship is almost the same as his role with the crime family - he deals with anyone Kort regards as a threat or an obstacle. Aleseus is not the brightest of people but he is very loyal to Kort. In combat, he tends to be gung-ho and impulsive, as he frequently acts before thinking. His crew mates, and others who know him, regard him as a vicious brute. He is rank grade 5 and is armed with a plasma caster rifle and a high quality knife.

Finally, is Loretta Masaryk, a deadeye human assassin who frequently suffers from insomnia. Loretta was abandoned as a baby as soon as she was born and placed in an orphanage on the planet of her birth, Maat 2. Maat 2 is an airless planet exhibiting many of the characteristics of Luna in the Solarian system. The human community live in five domed cities and a number of mining settlements. It is also noted for its lawlessness due to its corrupt officials. Loretta had a tough childhood but she soon learnt how to defend herself and how to fight dirty. At the age of 13, she and a few other orphans absconded and teamed up with a gang of street thugs known as the 203s. They got up to all sorts of trouble but her life of crime was cut short, when she was arrested in her 16th year. She served a six year prison sentence, which toughened her up even further. However, upon her release, she decided to fight crime instead of being a part of it. With her street smarts and criminal know how, she enlisted as a bounty hunter and for the next two years she made a good career of it.
Her life was was turned around, when after a high profile arrest she made, she was contacted by a middleman for the Organisation. He was on the lookout for suitable candidates for a team of elite assassins to work for his superiors. Loretta carefully considered the offer and after a few days, she accepted the deal. So, she became a member of the Organisation's Assassination Bureau, a role she excelled at. For the next 12 years she performed countless assassinations with a 90% success rating. Twice she has been promoted and now she is in command of a group of 50 assassins.
One of her few failures, and the one which caused her the most hurt, occurred three years ago. She was assigned a solo mission to terminate a corrupt casino owner who had been holding out on his Organisation paymasters. However, the local authorities were also after him, and knowing how well connected he was, had placed a termination bounty on him. It was Loretta's bad luck that a highly skilled bounty hunter called Julia "the Ice Lady" Frostorm took on the bounty. Loretta tried to thwart Julia but "the Ice Lady" was always one step ahead of her and in a dramatic confrontation, Julia stabbed Loretta in the right eye, abruptly ending their clash. Julia also claimed the bounty for killing the casino owner. This infuriated Loretta and she has vowed vengeance on "the Ice Lady." She had her right eye replaced with a cybernetic implant. She does whatever is necessary to achieve her goals. She works hard and plays hard but ever since her clash with Julia Frostorm, she has frequently suffered from bouts of insomnia. Loretta is rank grade 7 and is armed with an assault laser rifle.

Note that both Yussef "One Eye" Kobe (see my previous post) and Loretta Masaryk have had run ins with Julia Frostorm and that they both lost an eye in the encounters. They are just two of a long list of people who would like to get their hands on Julia and extract bloody revenge. Watch your back, Julia!

The Organisation Space Pirates 02

In my last post I showcased three prominent members of the intergalactic crime syndicate known as the Organisation. This time I want to show you four more space pirates, but these are all rank and file members. As with the previous three that I showed, these were all sculpted by me in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Note that all four of these men are members of Rufus Scurvy's "Scarlet Scourge" pirates. My personal favourite is "Doc Billy Two Skulls" who is quite a character.

At the far left is Yussef "One Eye" Kobe, an athletic human pirate who has anger management issues. Yussef was born and raised on Chi Librae 5 (Kalan), an independent planet of human colonials who mainly lived in and around its one major city and starport. The rest of the world was a barren wasteland. Yussef had one brother, Yoram, who was two years older than him. Neither of them were particularly bright at school but they both excelled at sports. Upon graduation, Yussef followed in his brother's footsteps and joined a martial arts school, where he specialised in the Krav Maga discipline. The local criminal element had been watching both brothers with the intent of recruiting them into their gang. Yoram saw this as a great opportunity to rise above the daily grind his parents had to endure just to ensure the family were fed and had a place to live. Naturally, Yussef followed suit. Where his brother went, he went. After three years of running with a gang of street thugs, in which they fought hard but were never once caught, they were offered a post working for the Organisation, who controlled 95% of the criminal enterprises on Kalan. Now they were working for the big boys their work was more dangerous but the rewards were greater. They served the planetary crime-lord for five years, after which he offered them promotion as pirate raiders aboard a starship. This was too good an opportunity to turn down and they readily agreed to take to the stars.
Six years ago they received another promotion, this time working for the infamous pirate captain, Rufus Scurvy, known as the "Scarlet Scourge." For three years all went well for the two brothers but that all changed when they were on leave at a starport orbiting Bellerophon in the Antares starsector. A female bounty hunter named Julia Frostorm had recognised Yoram from a wanted poster. Yussef was away on other business when the woman arrested Yoram but he arrived just as she was leading his brother away for transportation. Yussef immediately opened fire on her but he shot too quickly and too high and missed. She shot back with a disruptor pistol and hit Yussef in the left eye. He blacked out and if one of his colleagues hadn't dragged him away to safety, he would surely have been arrested with his brother. Yoram is currently serving a 10 year prison sentence. Yussef is furious - both at the bounty hunter and at himself for not doing more to save Yoram. Since then he has become much more vicious and sadistic. He is filled with rage and anger. He dreams of one day meeting up with Julia Frostorm and exacting bloody revenge upon her. He is rank grade 6 and he is armed with a high quality blaster pistol with scope-sight.

Next up is "Doc Billy Two Skulls," a commanding human medic who loves to gamble. William Chandler was born on Sol3i (Luna) and was an only child. His father, Grant, worked as a medical technician for the Luna Liners shipping company, who provided a shuttle service to the planets of the Solar system. William studied medicine at university, with a view to following in his father's footsteps. Sadly, his father died in a car crash shortly after William graduated. In a fit of depression, William developed an addiction for gambling. Occasionally he'd win big, but very soon he was deeply in debt. He and his mother, Marge, whom he lived with, had to downsize and move to a much smaller apartment. He still studied medicine and worked part time as a hospital intern. By the time he was 26, he was so deep in debt to a local casino owner. Having finally run out of patience with him, the casino owner offered William a special deal. If he would perform an illegal brain transplant operation on the casino owner's ailing brother, William's slate would be wiped clean. Clearly, William had no other choice but to agree. He wasn't told who the brain donor was and he never asked. Unfortunately for William, he was under suspicion for stealing drugs from the hospital he was working at - a crime he was totally innocent of. Two detectives tailed him to the backstreet operating theatre he was to perform the brain transplant surgery in, and decided to arrest him there and then. William panicked and attacked the detectives with a laser chainsaw and by a fortuitous stroke of luck, killed them both. He coldly decapitated them then performed the brain transplant operation, which was a success. Something must have snapped inside William's brain. He skinned the two decapitated heads and kept the skulls as mementoes of his first kills. The casino owner was so impressed with William's work and coolness under pressure that he offered him membership in the Organisation.
He was quickly whisked off planet and offered a job as a medic with a group of space pirates. Because he has the skulls of the two detectives permanently attached to his belt, he earned the nickname, "Doc Billy Two Skulls." After a five year probationary tour of duty with the Starlane Pirates, Billy was assigned to the Scarlet Scourge pirates, led by Rufus Scurvy. For the past 11 years, he has been a valued member of the Scarlet Scourge. He is far too valuable to be used in boarding party actions but Rufus is always appreciative of Billy's medical skills when a crew member needs patching up. Billy is aloof and very precise in the work he does. He does not suffer fools gladly. He is rank grade 6 and he is armed with a high quality miniaturised laser pistol.

Third in line is Drom Kizlyr, a tough as nails human engineer who is obsessively punctual. Drom was an only child and was born on Hadrian 5 in the Antares starsector. This terraformed planet is very beautiful and is a member of the Mercantile League. Drom's parents worked for the Chilo Weapons Corporation, a large heavy armaments complex just outside the capital city of Colonia Marsalla (formerly New Chicago). Drom was an above average student at school. His grades were acceptable but he hung out with the school bullies and trouble makers, which held him back from achieving higher grades. With no clear indication of what he wanted to do with his life, he drifted into a life of crime with his local street gang. He was 18 when his gang was practically wiped out in a fierce gunfight with a large drugs cartel. Drom was one of the lucky ones to escape unharmed. He saw this as a sign to get as far away from Hadrian 5 as possible and he found a job as a space jockey on a Class IV transport ship, The Little Hind, captained by Theresa "Jolly Sword" Price, a notable gambler. Here, he mainly worked in the ship's engine room, and so his interest in engineering began. When his five year contract was up, he sought employment elsewhere. This time, he was recruited by pirate captain, Alison Jones, aka "The Charcoal Corsair." She owned a Class IV scout ship called The Cold Sword. This time, Drom took on the job of assistant engineer. Once again, he had signed on for  a five year contract and his tour of duty passed successfully for him.
Good engineers were always in high demand with the space pirates and Drom's third and most recent starship posting was on board The Scarlet Scourge, captained by the notorious Rufus Scurvy. Scurvy appointed Drom as his chief engineer and also made him a member of the Organisation, a vast criminal empire, of which Rufus was a commander. In one bloody confrontation with an IPA patrol ship, Drom was cut across the face with a laser sword. It left him badly scarred and very wary of anyone wielding a laser sword or laser knife. Drom is just an average Joe. The most noticeable thing about him, other than his facial scar, is his obsession with punctuality. He gets on well with his crew and enjoys a beer and a laugh with them when off duty. He is rank grade 5 and he is armed with a blaster pistol.

Last of all is Mico Tork, an athletic human pirate who loves to play pool. Mico was born on Trajan 5 (Traianus), an ocean world in the Antares starsector. He and his parents lived on the huge floating city of Dacious Maximus, which is 12.5 miles long and 5 miles wide with a population of one million. His father was a low paid corporate staffer and his mother worked part time as a shop assistant. Mico was a slow learner at school but performed admirably at sports. He was a good all-rounder and he gained a scholarship with a college swimming club. He won a number of medals and awards and he could have gone far, but he was coerced into joining a street gang and he found he liked this lifestyle more than college life. He was very lucky that he never got seriously injured in any of the gang fights he participated in. On the couple of occasions he was arrested, he was let off with a caution and then a fine. When he reached the age of 21 he had saved up enough money to buy a ticket off planet.
The starliner he was travelling on was attacked by three space pirate raiding ships. Its engines were disabled and it was quickly boarded by a large group of pirates led by Captain Rufus Scurvy. Mico pleaded with Scurvy to let him join his crew. Once again luck shone on Mico, and Rufus decided to take the youngster on board. Mico was eternally grateful and he has thrived in his new role as a space pirate. His loyalty to Scurvy and the Organisation, of which he was recently indoctrinated into, borders on fanatical. He is often tactless and overconfident but he has more than proved his worth in a fight. He is rank grade 5 and is armed with a dart-gun pistol (loaded with tranquilliser darts) and an old-fashioned scimitar. He favours his scimitar in combat to firearms.

The Organisation Space Pirates 01

My The Ace of Spades Campaign has a very rich and highly detailed background. I have taken elements from three sci-fi role-playing games - GURPS Space, Space Opera and N.E.W. to create the setting for my campaign. In past posts I have detailed the main forces and races that are taking part but there is one organisation that I have not yet covered and it could potentially be the greatest threat to the galaxy ever encountered.
The shadowy syndicate known as "The Organisation" is the largest criminal empire ever to exist. Its influence stretches through nearly all interstellar nations. The Interstellar Police Agency (IPA) is only beginning to realise that a single organisation is behind centuries of crime. The "Big O" dominates interstellar drug trafficking, gunrunning, prostitution, the black market and murder for hire.
On many worlds, criminal activities require the approval of the Organisation - with a piece of the action going to the syndicate. And on any world with a population of more than a few hundred, there's an Organisation contact. Organisation VIPs live like royalty, often on syndicate-controlled worlds where crime bosses are feudal lords. The Organisation also sponsors sanctuary worlds. A sanctuary world does not extradite "criminals" who may be hunted elsewhere, whether they be true criminals, or religious or political refugees. There may be a Sanctuary Tribunal to decide each petitioner's fate. Lawmen or bounty hunters from other worlds are outlaws here. A sanctuary world risks takeover by the criminal element, which is usually the Organisation.
The Organisation is run by the Council of Seven. These are extremely powerful individuals of various races. Their main headquarters is located on Starhaven, a huge asteroid that has FTL capability, thus making it exceedingly difficult to track down. I will detail the Council of Seven in a later post. I have names and stats of them all.
For this post I want to showcase three high ranking Organisation space pirates who will most likely be making an appearance in my The Ace of Spades Campaign.

At the far left is Mal DuCham, a persuasive human politician who likes to watch violent blood sports. He is 50 years old and is a rank grade 10. DuCham is a repulsive man, both morally and physically. He is grossly overweight, oily-looking and he always wears odious-smelling colognes. His voice is nasal and his manners boorish but he wields immense power and influence. An only child, he was born on Dalos 7 (Idyllis), the most beautiful and highly advanced planet in the Mercura star sector. His parents were rich directors of the Dalos Trade Council (DTC). He studied law at university but decided this was not the career he wanted to pursue. Instead, he joined his parents on the board of the DTC and made many useful contacts, most of whom ran illegal operations. He was 23 years old when he branched out into a full time criminal career, as he began to participate in blackmail, drug-running, racketeering, slave-trading and smuggling. He was very careful about setting up middle-men to take the fall should the authorities get too close. His forte was working behind the scenes, planning and scheming. He very rarely got his hands dirty. That is what minions were for and he could afford to hire lots of them. By the time he was 34, his holdings had grown immeasurably. He owns luxurious mansions and dwellings on Idyllis, Vesta and Alhambra.
It was at this point in his life that he decided to move into politics. It was a shrewd move. Almost as soon as he made his announcement, he was contacted by the Organisation and offered a high-ranking post in the empire spanning criminal outfit. He had no hesitation in accepting the posting and he was soon made Organisation Commander of the whole Mercura star system. So far, good fortune has smiled down upon him. In addition to his political and criminal careers, he also partly owns the Sabroth/Girrell Transports Corporation (he works under the assumed name of Radionn Girrell), and he fully owns Kapital Weaponry Systems and Midsummer Media-discs - both successful big businesses. This is in addition to his other less savoury professional interests - black market manipulation, protection rackets and good old fashioned blackmail and murder. He is armed with a high quality Overwatch P12 Electron Auto-pistol and a high quality miniaturised laser pistol.

Next in line is Rufus Scurvy, a rugged smuggler who enjoys fine dining and wines. This 44 year old human is rank grade 7. He grew up on the agricultural world of Menkaar 5 in the Terran starsector, a planet noted for its vintage wines. At school he developed a reputation as a bully and his gradual slide into criminality was obvious to all who knew him. Suffice to say, upon leaving school, aged 15, he joined a local street gang and a few years later he took over its leadership when the gang suffered heavy losses in a police clampdown on violent street crime. Rufus narrowly avoided arrest and soon the gang was even stronger than before. At the age of 20, he was offered membership in the Organisation, who had recognised his strong leadership qualities. With the clout and respect membership brought, Rufus readily agreed to join them. He raised hell on Menkaar 5 for the next three years but eventually the authorities caught up with him. He was arrested and sent to jail, where he served a seven year sentence. As soon as he was released, he was deported off planet.
However, the Organisation looks after its own, and he was recruited to join a small fleet of space pirates. He quickly rose through the ranks and four years later he was captain of his own pirate ship, a small Greywolf Cutter. On one mission, he was part of a fleet of three Greywolf Cutters who had been ordered to raid a Cygnet class merchant liner. Rufus had suspected it might be an IPA trap and he was right. He only just managed to escape the ambush, which destroyed the other two ships. Upon his return to base he confronted his superior and shot him dead, causing a bloody mutiny, which ended with Rufus in sole command. This earned him the nickname "the Scarlet Scourge," which was also taken up by his own crew as their group name. His pirate fleet has grown and he now pilots a much larger and better equipped starship. Rufus treats his crew harshly but fairly and in his 14 years as a space pirate, he has never been caught. When in his more mellow mood, he has two passions in life - fine dining and vintage wines. He is particularly fond of the wines produced on his home planet of Menkaar 5. Rufus's personality can be described as blustering, deceitful, suspicious and vicious. He is armed with a high quality blaster pistol.

At the far right is Lynda Van Brack, a nimble human smuggler who is a strict disciplinarian. She is only 34 years old and like Rufus, she is also rank grade 7. Lynda was the only child of plantation owner and slave trader, Arnie Van Brack, on the jungle planet of Canopus 5 in the Terran star sector. Her mother died whilst giving birth to Lynda. She was brought up to look after herself and by the time she was 16, she was developing into a rough and ready woman. She left home to join a crew of mercenaries on board their ship as a general dogsbody. This earned her valuable starship experience and helped toughen her up even further. After a three year tour of duty, she returned home to help her father run his business. Knowing he could rely on her to maintain harsh discipline, Arnie put her in charge of his slave trading business. Slavery was legal on Canopus 5, much to the annoyance of the UFP. They knew that there was slave trading going on between Canopus 5 and other planets and an active IPA investigation is still ongoing. For the present, the UFP is severely hampered because it has no authority on Canopus 5, which is an independent planet. However, two years into running her new venture, Lynda was caught and arrested off world in a sting operation set up by the IPA. She was sentenced to eight years imprisonment but was released early after serving five years. She immediately returned home and with the aid of her father and a number of his close associates, she was able to discover the location of the IPA agent, Derek McKellan, who had arrested her. He was stationed on a neighbouring planet called Capella 5. Being an independent planet with a similar policy regarding slaves, Capella 5 was one of the Canopan slave traders' main business partners. Lynda was able to infiltrate McKellan's apartment whilst he slept. She drugged him and then tortured him for many hours before killing him.
Unbeknownst to her, the Organisation had been monitoring her career for many years and they stepped in to offer her a job as a space pirate on one of their starships. She joined Rufus Scurvy's crew of the Scarlet Scourge pirates and stayed with them for four years. She proved her worth as a formidable fighter, who frequently led her men into battle from the front. After her first tour of duty was over, she was promoted and given command of her own ship, which she named, The Silver Stiletto. She had no difficulty in finding recruits as she had developed quite a reputation as a devious, sadistic and vicious bitch with a nasty, cruel streak. She is armed with a high quality Silver Sun BRA7 Antimatter Assault Rifle with scope-sight and a high quality silver stiletto dagger.

These three 28mm scale figures were all sculpted by me many years ago and thus, are unique. I am very happy with how they turned out. They were sculpted at a time when I was working on making lots of figures for my Space Opera campaign. The stats for these three were then converted into NPCs for GURPS Space and then much more recently, for N.E.W.

Venetians 01

Here are four 28mm scale figures from another one of the seven main races featured in the N.E.W. role-playing game - the elf-like Venetians. Note that these are all very old figures that I bought many years ago and they are all no longer in production.

Physically, Venetians are slightly smaller than humans. They have long pointed ears and bald heads - even their females are bald. At the far left is Merellian, a male Psi-Cop officer. He is armed with a sword and he has a holdout laser pistol hidden behind his back. Next to him is his younger partner, Jorildyn. He is armed with a standard laser pistol. Jorildyn is wearing a wig. These two figures were produced by Grenadier Miniatures as part of their Shadowrun range. I filed off the hair on Merellian's head but I decided to leave the hair on Jorildyn and explain it away as a wig. Perhaps he needs it for an undercover assignment.

The only female in this group is Mayen and she is one tough cookie. She is a Grade 10 young, brilliant Star Knight who sings softly when relaxing. Young is a relative term. She is actually 100 years old but Venetians don't reach maturity until they are 190 and can live to well over 500 years. Note the laser sword hanging from her belt. This figure was produced by West End Games from their Star Wars range and she was a Jedi Knight, hence my reasoning for making her a Star Knight in my N.E.W. campaign.
Last but not least, is Delon the Priest. Venetian adventurers tend to be healers, priests or scientists. Delon is both a healer and a priest as he is a Biopsyche, meaning he can use his psionic powers to heal others. He is also a young Venetian, aged just 55. His hook is that he is obsessed with correct speech and grammar. As with many Venetians belonging to one of their hundreds of monastic orders, he is highly skilled in martial arts, but by nature, he is a pacifist. This figure was produced by Citadel Miniatures for the Rogue Trader game by Games Workshop, which later went on to be called Warhammer 40,000. The fact that Mayen and Delon are wearing hooded robes, meant I could easily use them as Venetians because you can't see their ears or heads.
Of course, those of you who have been following my The Ace of Spades Campaign, will be aware of another Venetian - Danica the scout, who is an important member of Kimberley's crew. Currently in development is a N.E.W. supplement wholly devoted to the Venetians called The Holds of Vendalyr. Suffice to say, I am eagerly awaiting its release.

Felans 01

I continue my look at the figures I have for the alien races found in the N.E.W. rulebook. This time I am focussing on the catlike Felans. In my campaign, there are a few feline races. The MekPurrs are the most technologically advanced, whilst Feline Avatars are more warlike and aggressive. The Felans, however, have a deserved reputation for being easily distracted, and often flit from career to career. The different species do all share certain traits, such as being very agile and graceful as well as being fearsome in combat.

The two Felans shown to the left are Makil, a male pilot and Arhel, a female scientist. They are husband and wife. These two figures were produced by Space Vixens from Mars as part of their Rim Aliens range of 28mm scale figures, where they are listed as male Mahboc and female Mahboc respectively. They cost £2.50 each. They are just perfect for Felans, both in size and pose. I do like them a lot.

The large fellow at the right is Waroakhei, a bounty hunter. He is produced by Alternative Armies as part of their Ganesha Games sci-fi range. He is listed as a Techno Barbarian and he costs £7.00. You can also get him as part of a pack of three (the other two are male and female humans) for £11.00, which is what I did. He is quite large for a Felan and would work just as well as an Avatar, but I decided to make him a Felan because he looks very similar to the two figures by Space Vixens from Mars, albeit taller.
I do have a great fondness for cat-like races as I am very much a cat lover. Expect to see more feline figures in the future.

The Ace of Spades Campaign - Raid on Sterling part 16

Timo the Whistle-blower

"I was assigned to Finn's Mercenary Company two months ago," Timo Olmstead began in a calm and assured voice. "I am an employee of Hoag-Warner GmbH. Hoag-Warner hired Finn's Company to run the colonists off their land. I don't know why. I wasn't privy to that information. I was assigned to the mercenaries as a watchdog and to operate the sophisticated FTL communications equipment. I have no idea of the content of the messages, since they were all in code. I simply received the messages and sent an acknowledgement signal. On a couple of occasions I sent a message from Captain Finn to a company official named Joachim Alvarez. Those messages were also coded. Finn must have a codebook or a translator program keyed to a particular cipher, because he never asked me for help in deciphering the codes."
"That's very interesting," Kimberley said thoughtfully. "How do you feel about testifying against Finn?"
"Gladly!" the young technician agreed unhesitatingly. "I did not sign on to be party to kidnapping and murder. That's not the kind of person I am. I am happy to make whatever amends are necessary."
"You're a good man, Timo," Kimberley said, smiling warmly at him. "Thank you."
"You little shit!" Erik Finn snarled with unbridled fury. "I'll..."
"You'll do nothing whatsoever," Katja said menacingly as she jabbed the barrel of her Starbird Disruptor Rifle in his right cheek. "Now shut the fuck up!"

"Timo, do you have copies of the messages Finn sent and received?" Julia asked. As a former detective she had a different outlook on matters to the rest of the crew. Gathering clues came naturally to her.
"Absolutely," Timo replied. "They're all saved on the computer here."
"Let's see what you've got," Julia requested amiably.
"What are you thinking, Julia?" Kimberley asked, her curiosity now piqued.
"If we send these files to Sharuna," the bounty hunter smiled knowingly, "I bet she could crack them."
"Oh, I just bet she could," Kimberley responded with a wink and a grin to Julia. "Timo, I'm going to open a channel to The Ace of Spades, okay?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Kimberley calling The Ace of Spades. Come in."

"Hi, Kimberley," Storm answered cheerily. She was clearly happy to hear from her captain. Whilst Sharuna and Judith had plenty to occupy themselves onboard, she was bored. "How are things going?"
"Very well indeed, Storm. I'm hoping we'll be back with you very soon. Can you put Sharuna on, please?"
"Sure can. She's with me here on the bridge. Sharuna, Kimberley wants a word."
"Hi there, Kimberley. Nice to hear from you."
"Hi, Sharuna. Listen, I have a little job for you to do. It should be right up your street."
"Ooh, cool! What is it?"
"I'm going to send you some coded files. I want you to crack them for me, please."
"Rock on!"
A mere five minutes later, Sharuna got back to Kimberley.
"That wasn't too hard, Kimberley," the young hacker said smiling from ear to ear. "I was hoping for more of a challenge."
"Attagirl, Sharuna! Tell me what you've got."
"Finn used the password "Warner" for these files. I've got a list of the hostages his men kidnapped, brief dossiers on the council members of the Sterling Agricultural Company and rather worryingly, our crew. That's naughty! Oh, and an interesting file that was code-named "CHMNLUWNCIHM". What it is, is a set of instructions directing Captain Finn to run the colonists off their land in no more than two months. The instructions say that the mercenaries may use any means necessary short of nuclear weapons to carry out their assignment. The orders are signed by a man named Joachim Alvarez."
"Brilliant work, Sharuna! You hit the jackpot for us." Kimberley was delighted. "With this evidence we should be able to prosecute Hoag-Warner."

Aftermath

A few hours later, the crew of The Ace of Spades gathered on the small landing strip of the Sterling Agricultural Colony as they prepared to take their shuttle back to the mother ship. Alfred Sterling, his wife Radula and son Mearc, along with Sheas Danelish and Royce Tavahi were present to see them off.

"Miss Wells, once again, I can't thank you enough for all you have done for our colony," Alfred said with sincere gratitude. "You have done us a great service, my dear. Thank you so much."
"I don't like bullies, Mr. Sterling, and so I was more than happy to lend a hand," Kimberley replied. "I am so glad it all worked out for you. So what happens next?"
"With the coded transmissions you gave us, the comm tech witness and your statements, I'm going to the Interstellar Trade Commission to file charges against Hoag-Warner. I strongly believe we have an excellent chance of winning."

"I wish you well, sir," Kimberley smiled affectionately at the old man. "I hope you take them to the cleaners and sue the bastards for every credit you can. Now if it's okay with you, I'd like to get back to The Ace of Spades."
The two parties hugged, kissed and made their goodbyes. Then Kimberley and her crew boarded the shuttle The Jack of Spades and returned to Downport. Mission accomplished.

With them was one passenger - Captain Erik Finn. He was placed in a cell onboard The Ace of Spades, to be dropped off at the nearest Interstellar Police Agency station, where he would face charges of murder and kidnapping. He would later be found guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He died in prison a few years later, a broken man. He had lost a total of 28 men (29 if you included Timo Olmstead) of his 50 man company in this costly debacle. His company was disbanded and the survivors found jobs elsewhere.
The multi-stellar corporation of Hoag-Warner GmbH hired the best lawyers in the galaxy, whose defence rested on the claim that Joachim Alvarez was working on his own with no authority from the company's board of directors. The arguments from both sides were dazzling and convincing. Timo Olmstead gave his damning testimony, citing his experience as a Hoag-Warner communications officer and his knowledge that one man could not have garnered the funds needed for the transmissions without company help or approval. The opposing lawyers countered by calling Alvarez himself to the stand, hoping that he would affirm that he deceived the company accountants and misappropriated funds that were earmarked for peaceful projects.
Unfortunately for them, Alvarez snapped on the stand and he spilled the entire story about the plan, fingering his superiors. He broke down completely and apologised to Alfred Sterling for aiding in this desperate, greedy scheme. He offered to pay his price, whatever it was. The judge found for the Sterling Agricultural Company and granted them a one hundred million credits award. Joachim Alvarez and Timo Olmstead had to perform 500 hours of community service. The Hoag-Warner executives loosened their collars slightly, but otherwise showed no response to the decision. However, the part played by the crew of The Ace of Spades was duly noted by the board and filed away for future reference. When the time was right, there would be a reckoning.
Alfred Sterling passed the colony leadership to his son, Mearc, (with no protest from James Akira and his abashed council opposition) and retired early, a very wealthy man.
As for Kimberley and her crew, they had been offered as payment for helping out the colonists, two shares each of the colony's profits for the next five years, payable once a year. Originally, the fee was to have been for 30,000 credits per person per year but with the colony's windfall and ensuing boom in trade, that was increased to 50,000 credits per person per year. It turned out to be a tidy profit for all of them.

Conclusion
This has been, without doubt, the best scenario I have ever ran, and I have been games mastering since the late 1970's. N.E.W. has proven to be a superb sci-fi role-playing game and with this scenario I really gave the rules a good try out. Many thanks to Russ Morrissey for creating the perfect RPG! Credit should also go to Thomas S. Gressman who wrote this scenario for GURPS Space. For me, it was the ideal scenario to showcase the N.E.W. rules as it had a bit of everything - mystery, intrigue, starship combat, a bar-room brawl, a hostage rescue and it culminated in a huge battle which really stretched the ground combat rules to the limit. There was a heck of a lot of work that went into producing this narrative for my blog but I enjoyed every second of it. I did make a few changes to the scenario as written, but they were mainly for thematic reasons that helped enhance the story. I also deliberately kept the rules to a minimum and instead concentrated on the story, which I firmly believe was the right decision. The story was far more important than the dice rolls and skill checks.

As a final note, the crew earned the following experience points for completing this mission. Everyone earned 6XP, which is equal to their grades, because this was considered a Medium Difficulty mission. All of the human characters (i.e. everyone except Celeste and Danica) earned an extra 6XP for having the Explorer exploit, which grants them XP equal to their grade every time they travel to a star-system that is new to them. Finally, for the planning and execution of the hostage rescue mission I awarded Celeste, Danica, Julia and Katja a further 6XP each. I decided that no one had completed a milestone in this mission, so no points were awarded for that. So, Celeste, Danica, Gwendoline, Jeanette, Judith, Kimberley, Kyran, Lynda, Rebecca, Sharuna and Storm earned 12XP each and Julia and Katja earned 18XP each. Note that I am playing my campaign using the cinematic rules so I'm using the Fast Progression advancement rates for awarding XP.  No one spent their XP.

Until next time (and yes, there definitely will be a next time) thanks for reading and if you have any comments you'd like to make or questions you want answering, please don't hesitate to do so.

Bryan Scott aka Vampifan.

The Ace of Spades Campaign - Raid on Sterling part 15

The Battle for the Sterling Agricultural Colony

"Finn's an idiot!" Julia said as she raised her Transfarer R43 Fireflash Microwave Sniper Rifle to her right shoulder.
"How so?" asked Royce Tavahi, who was standing next to her on the roof the barn.
"He has no idea of tactics. He's brought his artillery truck in far too close," Julia answered knowingly, "and those two gunners are ripe for the plucking. Just watch."

She fired twice in rapid succession and shot the two gunners manning the 40mm cannon. Both died of devastating head wounds.
"Bloody hell!" Royce gasped in disbelief. "You killed them both. Thank the Lord you're on our side!"

Danica and Katja broke cover from the small grove of trees they'd been hiding in. They sprinted to the back of the command truck, unseen by any of the mercenary raiders.
"Someone doesn't sound happy," Katja said as the sound of Erik Finn throwing a hissy fit reached her ears.
"He does know a lot of swear words," Danica remarked with a grin.

"Artillery crew, open fire," Erik Finn ordered over his communications channel.
"They're not responding, sir," Timo Olmstead, the young communications technician behind him said, stating the obvious.
"For fuck's sake!" Finn fumed. "Why haven't they got an open channel to command?"
"Because they're dead, sir," Olmsted gulped. "I've got them on the screen now."
"WHAT!" Finn bellowed. "How the fuck did that happen? What a clusterfuck this is!"
"Sniper fire, sir."
"God-damned snipers. I bet it was that  frigging bitch, Frostorm!"
He continued to rant and rave for quite a while, much to the amusement of Danica and Katja, who could hear every word he spoke.

In the centre of the battlefield, Lieutenant Pierre Lascelles led his men out of their truck to launch a frontal assault against the defenders hiding behind makeshift barricades.
"Forward, men!" he shouted with confident authority. "Let's show these farm-boy wimps how real men fight!"

What he was not expecting was such swift retaliation from the defenders. Kimberley who was well hidden in a bedroom on the first floor of the apartment she and her crew had been assigned, shot first. One slug from 12mm autopistol hit one of the mercenaries in the centre of his chest and blew a huge hole through him, fatally wounding him.
From the rooftop of the same apartment, Jeanette Grey had also been on over-watch, just waiting for a target to present itself. As four mercenaries emerged from the back of their truck, she fired her laser sniper rifle at one. He crumpled to the ground with a burning hole through his heart.
Rebecca Ellington was not happy at being ordered to help man the barricades. She'd much rather have been up on the roof of either of the two buildings. Being down on the ground she felt too exposed and vulnerable. So when the mercenary driver dropped down from the cab of his truck she took her frustration out on him by shooting him in the head with her phaser pistol. It was on the kill setting and the red beam hit the unfortunate mercenary in the right eye, killing him instantly.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the truck, Royce Tavahi took out another mercenary. He was by far and away the best marksman of the colonists and so had been a natural candidate to have been issued with one of five laser sniper rifles the crew of The Ace of Spades had bought for them. He put it to good use by shooting his target in the neck with a single lethal shot.

The remaining seven mercenaries from Squad Lascelles returned fire. Lieutenant Lascelles blew the head off a colonist hiding behind a pair of barrels to his right. His short burst of rifle fire was precise, controlled and very accurate. The other mercenaries in his squad poured out a load of 9mm rounds from their HK18 assault rifles, but most hit the barricades. Only one other colonist was hit and he died instantly from a head shot.

Squad Zegers disembarked next. Sergeant Mitch Zegers and the truck's driver and navigator took cover behind  a hedge. The eight mercenaries from the back of the truck jogged towards an opening in the hedge.

The two mercenaries leading the advance were cut down by highly accurate and lethal fire from Celeste's built-in disruptor pistol. Their mesh-lined armour was not enough to absorb the twin beams of energy. The four colonists standing alongside Celeste cheered in delight when they saw the two mercenaries drop to the ground dead.

This just spurred the mercenaries on to seek revenge. Every one of them opened fire with their 9mm Harrison and Krupp HK18 assault rifles. Once again, the hard cover of the defenders prevented them from suffering greater casualties. Sergeant Zegers managed to kill a colonist who was standing right next to Celeste. One of the colonists standing on the apartment roof was also hit and killed but on the whole it was a poor display of shooting by the mercenaries.

Over on the opposite flank of the battlefield, the squad commanded by Corporal Demer Millius disembarked in an identical manner to Squad Zegers.

This time, it was the mercenaries who got to fire first. Their fusillade of 9mm rounds was only marginally better than that of Squad Zegers. Corporal Millius managed to clip Royce in the left shoulder. He drew blood but it was just a minor wound that caused the sniper to flinch and cry out in pain. Two colonists standing on the roof of the floor below Royce suffered fatal chest wounds and died almost immediately. But the rest of the fire from the mercenaries was way off target.

The colonists immediately returned fire. Blayne Culver was one of the other colonists who had been assigned a laser sniper rifle. He was positioned on the same level as Julia and Royce. He acquitted himself fairly well by hitting Corporal Millius. Sadly, it was not a killing shot, it merely wounded the corporal in his right side. The other two colonists on the roof below both shot and hit the same target. The mercenary would have survived either one of the two laser beam hits but the two hits were enough to kill him outright. Was it a co-ordinated attack or pure luck? Most likely, given the colonists lack of combat experience it was pure luck.

Back on the other flank, Kyran inside the apartment and Lynda from behind the central barricade, managed to clear away all of the mercenaries on the left side of the truck. Both women were firing phaser pistols and both had them on kill settings. With the two men out in the open it was not difficult for them to achieve killing hits. They both took their time to aim before firing. It was a lesson that had been drilled into them by Julia. When shooting, take your time. Be accurate, not hasty. It was sound advice, which they heeded.

Mearc and Sheas moved a short way along the central barricade to plug a hole in the defensive line vacated by their fallen comrade.
"I'm really scared, Mearc" Sheas confided. "I don't want to die out here. I don't want you or any of us to die."
"I understand, Sheas, I really do," Mearc said, trying his best to reassure her. "But what we're fighting for is worth dying for. We can defeat Finn and his raiders. Kimberley and her crew will make sure of that. Trust me, sweetheart."
His heart went out to her. She had lost her father in a border skirmish a few years ago and hated soldiers ever since. Although he abhorred violence himself, he firmly believed in their cause to defend the colony at all costs.

He raised his laser sniper rifle to his shoulder and fired at the truck's navigator. The powerful beam hit the young mercenary in the centre of his upper chest and spun him round. He was dead by the time he hit the ground.
When Sheas fired her laser sniper rifle, her hands were shaking so much that she fired high and wide. She had been a decent markswoman the previous week when practising with Julia. But then her targets weren't shooting back and she suddenly realised she was not cut out for combat. Tears filled her eyes as she began to sob.
The four colonists to the left of Mearc had mixed fortune with their firing. Two hit and two missed. Of the two hits, one was a light wound on Lieutenant Lascelles, but the other was a kill shot on one of the mercenaries.

On the defender's right flank, the colonists struck back at the mercenaries belonging to Squad Zegers. Yuri Katona was the fifth colonist to have been issued with a laser sniper rifle. He proved he was worthy of the honour by killing a mercenary by shooting him through the heart. Two of his colleagues on the roof chose the same man to shoot at and both hit. The mercenary couldn't sustain that amount of damage and he fell to the ground in a lifeless heap. The rest of the fire from the colonists was woefully inaccurate.
Gwendoline Papillion had been biding her time before making her move. She did not enjoy taking a life. She was a nurse after all. But this was no time for cowardice or squeamishness. Kimberley had made sure that her phaser rifle was set to kill. Gwendoline almost always had it on stun setting. She took aim at the person whom she considered to be the greatest threat - Sergeant Zegers. She shot him in the right shoulder, which rather gladdened her. For one, she had actually hit the person she'd aimed at and secondly, it was not a killing shot. Her conscience was clear.

Celeste, however, had no compunction in taking a man's life. She put two shots into Sergeant Zegers' head and blew the back of his skull off.

Julia was equally without conscience when it came to killing. Two shots from her high-powered microwave sniper rifle snuffed out the lives of Corporal Millius and one of his men.
"Take that, you bastards!" Royce said through gritted teeth. Once again, he was in awe of Julia's prowess as a sniper. His left shoulder was bleeding badly and it hurt like a bitch, but he'd fight on. He could feel the tide of the battle turning in favour of the defenders.

Katja opened the door at the back of the command truck. She expected it to be locked but it wasn't.
"Surrender now!" she yelled at the two occupants inside.
Timo Olmstead reacted immediately by throwing his arms high in the air and pleaded, "Don't shoot me. I surrender."
Erik Finn glowered at the two women and made a grab for his HK18 assault rifle, which was lying on the console he was facing. No sooner had he touched it than Danica shot him in the chest with her phaser pistol. She had the pistol set to stun. Finn toppled off his chair unconscious.

Danica stepped inside and pointed her phaser at Timo, who stared at her in alarm.
"Order your men to throw down their weapons and surrender," Danica said sternly. "The war's over. You lost!"
"Absolutely," Timo said, nodding his head, eager to please. He spoke into his microphone, "This is command. Abort mission. I repeat, abort mission. Drop your weapons and surrender to the defenders."

There was a moment of confusion amongst the mercenaries. Lieutenant Lascelles demanded confirmation, which he received very swiftly. With a resigned sigh, he dropped his rifle and raised his hands in surrender. All around him the other mercenaries followed suit.
Mearc led his colleagues over the barricades to confront the clearly crestfallen officer.
"Why?" he asked. He was finding it hard to believe what had happened.

Lascelles just shrugged. "It's orders. Finn has decided to end the fight now. I have no idea why. You'll have to ask him for his reasons. It sure as hell beats me."
The mercenaries began congregating behind the lieutenant. They looked just as bewildered as he did.

A few minutes later, the command truck was a hive of activity. Kimberley had been summoned by Katja and Danica to hear something important. By the time she arrived with Celeste, Julia, Mearc and Sheas, Erik Finn was coming round. He was about to protest but guns to the head from Katja and Celeste forced him to keep his mouth shut. He had lost and he knew it. Reluctantly he accepted his fate.
"Kimberley, let me introduce you to Timo Olmstead," Danica said as soon as her captain arrived. Kimberley could tell from the look on the Venetian's face that she was excited.
"Hi," Kimberley said to Timo, offering him a friendly smile. He smiled back.
"Timo has an interesting story to tell, Kimberley," Danica announced. "Go ahead, Timo, tell her what you told me."