5 Parsecs from Home - Battle Report 2 - Message to the Scrapveins
/Game 2 of my 5 Parsecs Campaign, I have tweaked a few areas following feedback from my last video to make it clearer. I hope you enjoy it.
Video below for those who prefer to watch:
First up a video of the table, where I explain where the various bits of terrain are etc.
and now the actual battle report.
Cinematic battle report:
The acrid smoke of Sagrama Starport's industrial sprawl hung thick in the air as La Chasse Eternelle's crew navigated the treacherous Scrapveins. Captain Cade Janvier had accepted what seemed a straightforward escort contract from Calyx-Miranda Corps—eliminate a priority target and secure passage to the far side of the battlefield. The intelligence proved catastrophically wrong.
As the crew approached their designated intersection through the maze of gutted hab-blocks and overturned cargo-haulers, the familiar hum of servo-motors cut through the ambient noise. From behind a collapsed gantry emerged two Veilspire Enclave troopers, their neo punk gear glittering in the filtered light, hand lasers ready. Between them loomed their mechanical guardian—a hulking MK2 Security Bot, its plasma cusps glowing with lethal energy and battle-scarred chassis marking it as a veteran of countless engagements.
Calyx Miranda, did not want this to be a simple showing in the Scrapveins, an example had to be made.
Atop a wrecked auto-truck cab sat their primary target: Quela Voss, casually scrolling through her phone, oblivious that her uncle Kael Voss being the boss made her a priority target. Unaware of the approaching danger until the bot's sensors began their ominous ping. The crew found themselves caught off-guard, their careful planning undone by faulty intelligence as azure energy bolts began chewing through ferrocrete around them.
Despite the ambush, L'Équipe Brise-Coin rallied with characteristic determination. XF2 and Captain Janvier concentrated their fire on the mechanical threat, gradually overwhelming its systems with sustained damage. When the Security Bot finally unleashed its devastating plasma barrage, Mira fell to the searing energy while Jurgen barely survived the onslaught. But Cade's precise shooting found its mark, and the mechanical monster collapsed in a shower of sparks and twisted metal.
With their primary protection destroyed, one enemy trooper's nerve broke and he fled into the industrial maze. The remaining engagement became a deadly game of cat and mouse as the crew manoeuvred through the debris. When the last enemy trooper managed to down Ryn with accurate fire, Krag Sarrn stepped forward with cold precision, his aimed shot cleanly eliminating Quela Voss and securing victory for the crew.
Campaign Turn 2
Summary of activities and preparations before the next engagement:
Upkeep and Ship Repairs - Upkeep cost 2 credits for seven crew members. Ship debt payment of 4 credits made, reducing total debt to 7 credits. Total expenditure: 7 credits, reducing funds to 11 credits.
Assign and resolve crew tasks - Mira Vex and Ryn Tazelle conducted training (both gained 1 XP, totals: Mira 4, Ryn 1). Krag Sarrn and XF2 performed decoy operations. Captain Janvier and Jurgen 3 went exploring: Janvier discovered another quest rumour, Jurgen found a tip to trade in rivals. Lira Klyne conducted trading, acquiring trade goods.
Determine Job offers - Confirmed Calyx Miranda Corporation contract requiring movement through area with priority target elimination.
Assign equipment – Ryn Tazelle equipped with military rifle and kept grappling hook. Everyone else stayed the same.
Resolve any rumours - Three quest rumours now accumulated, building toward quest activation.
Choose battle –
Next engagement confirmed: Move through scenario
against Guild forces including one Guild Trooper, one Priority Guild Trooper, and one Mark 2 Security Bot.
Mission requires moving through corporate city terrain but with a twist of needing to eliminate the priority target.
Caught off guard - all crew act in slow phase of round one due to being caught off guard.
The Table:
The Combatants:
In this game, Lira is not participating.
Deployment:
The crew are in cover in the bottom right of the battlefield with the enemy opposite them, also in cover.
Turn 1
The crew, caught unawares but not exposed, shuffled cautiously forward while the enemy repositioned for better tactical advantage.
Initiative Phase: Skipped due to being caught off guard—crew started in slow phase only.
Fast action Phase: No actions taken as crew was caught off guard.
Enemy Phase: Both Guild troopers moved and dashed forward into cover behind a building, staying out of sight. The Security Bot ambled closer to the crew on the other side but remained out of direct line of sight.
Slow Phase: The crew moved forward tactically. Krag and Rin ran across behind cover underneath a building on the right flank. Cade moved up behind the direct cars in the middle. XF2 moved behind a barricade while Mira and Jurgen advanced up the centre. XF2 took a shot at the Security Bot, scoring a hit but no damage, applying one stun. Cade followed up with his auto rifle, also hitting but causing no damage, leaving the bot with multiple stuns but still functional.
End of turn Phase: No morale checks required.
Turn 2
XF2 attempted to finish off the Security Bot but failed, while the mechanical beast retaliated with devastating plasma fire, dropping Mira and stunning Jurgen before Cade's accurate shooting finally destroyed it.
Initiative Phase: Only XF2 rolled successfully to act in the fast phase—everyone else relegated to slow phase.
Fast action Phase: XF2 stayed still to shoot at the Security Bot, needing only a hit to triple-stun and disable it, but failed to connect.
Enemy Phase: The two Guild troopers moved around the side of the building attempting a flanking manoeuvre. The Security Bot moved to a new position and opened fire with devastating effect—successfully taking out Mira (who avoided injury rolls due to a previous character event) and stunning Jurgen, who barely survived when the bot rolled a one.
Slow Phase: Cade stood still to shoot, gaining an aiming reroll and scoring two hits on the Security Bot, bringing its total stuns to three and taking it out of action. On the right flank, Rin used her grappling hook to jump onto a container and take a shot at the priority target but missed. Krag ran around the corner with an aimed shot but also missed.
End of turn Phase: With the Security Bot destroyed, one of the Guild troopers decided to flee, reducing enemy numbers to just one remaining opponent.
Turn 3
XF2 manoeuvred for position while the remaining enemy trooper managed to down Rin before Krag delivered the decisive shot that ended the engagement.
Initiative Phase: Again only XF2 rolled successfully for the fast phase.
Fast action Phase: XF2 ran up the street, attempting either a flanking manoeuvre or to secure the objective.
Enemy Phase: The remaining enemy trooper shot and took out Rin. The crew used their Stimpak to stabilise her.
Slow Phase: Krag decided not to move, standing still for an aimed shot that cleanly eliminated the priority target, ending the game in victory.
End of turn Phase: Mission completed successfully.
POST Battle Events
Rival Status - The Guild troopers did not become rivals
Patron Status - Calyx-Miranda Corps retained as patron
Quest Progress - Not applicable—mission was not part of an ongoing quest
Payment - 9 credits total (rolled 5, plus 2 for danger pay, plus 2 for eliminating priority target). Battlefield find yielded a personal trinket
Injuries and Recovery - No injury rolls required due to Stimpak use and Mira's character event protection
Loot - Ship parts found—provides 2 credits discount on next ship upgrade
Experience and upgrades
Cade: 1 to 6 XP (survival + first casualty + killed unique individual), bought Toughness 5
XF2: No XP gained, spent 6 credits to increase Toughness to 5
Jurgen: 3 to 6 XP, bought Toughness 5
Mira: 4 to 7 XP, bought Toughness 4
Krag: up to 3 XP
Rin: up to 4 XP
Advanced training - None undertaken
Purchase items - None purchased
Campaign event - "A bit of luck"—recent events provided learning opportunity, all crew gained +1 XP
Character event - Cade found true love but gained no XP as motivation was not true love—received 1 story point instead, bringing total to 11
Galactic War Progress - Not applicable
Cinematic Preamble to next turn:
With the stink of the Scrapveins still clinging to their void-suits, L’Équipe Brise-Coin limps back aboard La Chasse Éternelle, docked in Sagrama Starport's underbelly. Captain Cade Janvier wipes the chem-residue from his Autorifle, a grim satisfaction etched on his frontier-hardened face. The Calyx-Miranda gig paid out fat—Kira Voss's broken phone yielding encrypted data that netted a bonus haul of tainted stims to fence later. But word from Kael Voss? A scratchy vox-threat slips through the ether: "You touched my blood, Janvier. The Veilspire remembers." It's not rivalry yet, just a shadow on the horizon, but Cade knows it'll fester. For now, the crew licks wounds, counts creds, and eyes the next opportunities amid New Baldwin's World corporate grind.
As the crew hunkers in the ship's cramped galley, Cade's slate pings with incoming contracts—three patrons vying for their ragtag muscle. Calyx-Miranda's handler follows up on the Scrapveins hit: a terse offer for another pharma-sabotage run, this time torching a Veilspire drop-site to "finish the message." Drakarion Syndicate chimes in too, their energy-weapon schematics dangling as bait for a quick plasma-tech heist against a rival corp's convoy—easy creds, but tied to New Baldwin's volatile power grids.
But Ecliptica Group's pitch stands out: a bio-aug hit job with strings that stretch galaxy-wide. Cade weighs it over cheap synth-caf: "Calyx and Drakarion? Solid gigs, but we're frontier-born—gotta keep mobile. Ecliptica's got hooks off-world; the others? They'd drop us like spent casings if we jump systems." The crew nods—Krag growls approval, XF2 whirs in agreement. You ghost the other two patrons politely: a vox-decline to Calyx citing "overcommitment," and a no-show on Drakarion's meet-up. No burned bridges—they don't turn rival, just fade into the corporate haze. Calyx's handler shrugs it off with a parting finger emoji ("Thanks for the memories"), while Drakarion logs the crew as "unreliable assets" but keeps the door cracked for future worlds. Loose ends tied; focus sharpens on Ecliptica.