Monday, August 15, 2011

Chavo Lution and the Servo Commandoes

Servo Commando 454

After the wide spread destruction of the Servo Rebellion, the import of armed droids into any of the cities of Titan Colony was prohibited. This prohibition was strictly enforced by the Rangers. However like all such prohibitions throughout history, there were always those who sought a way around them for a profit.



Chavo Lution was one such. A scavenger of some talent, Chavo headed a Free Company that specialized in salvage. Only a lunatic would have brought active war droids into the city, but inactivated droids would fetch a high price on the black market, and Chavo had come into the possession of six. Well five combat droids and their command unit. These artifacts would be worth a fortune in creds to the right buyer. It had been an easy matter for Chavo to smuggle the contraband into New Meg. Now to find the right buyer.

The dark of the cargo container gave way to a dim red glow as servos hummed into motion. “Defenses penetrated. Commence offensive sweep”. Their orders received, the combat droids set about checking weapons and breaking free of their packaging.


This game came about from my desire to expand on the criminal element of Titan. Two new foes are introduced for the Titan Rangers here. First up is Chavo Lution, a not entirely evil fellow who is just trying to make a living on the streets by matching people who want things up with the things they want. Sure what he does is illegal and the Judges must put an end to his career, but at least he is not gun crazy.

However Chavo's greed has brought a great evil into Eos City: Servo Commandos. Brought by the original Titan settlers, the Servos were employed as robotic protectors of the fledgling colony. About the time terraforming had revived Titans dormant giant reptiles, the Servos broke out into open rebellion. The Servo War brought the colony to the brink of extinction and only the most diligent and strenuous campaigning on the part of the Rangers allowed humanity to prevail.

Servo War era war droids are illegal in the Colony but fetch a high price on the black market from private collectors.

Here a small unit of war droids have used Chavo's gang as a means of entering Eos City in pursuit of aims as yet unknown...



The game started with Servo Commando 454 deployed in some shipping containers in the north west corner of the table,
View of game start looking north
Three Possible Enemy Forces (PEF's) were placed on the table. One in the building directly south of the Servo starting location. This building served as Chavo's base of operations and the PEF there would resolve as Chavo and his associates. 

The second PEF was located across the street from Chavo in front of the tenement block. The third PEF was having a go at the restaurant south of Chavo's haunt.
Even PEF's have to eat sometime
The game started with the Servos moving out from their start location only to be confronted by the tenement PEF which had itself moved north west. The PEF resolved as a preacher out with his flock. There were eight of them but only three were armed.
These are not the organics you are looking for
The friendly man of the cloth had come over to speak with the Servo leader and determine his intentions. The preacher didn't really believe the Servo's claim that the group was just "looking up an old friend", but didn't wish to cause a scene and let that slide. After their chit chat the preacher led his flock north and away up the street while one of his body guards discretely placed a call to the Rangers. A side development of this little episode was the creation and random placement of 3 more PEF's.

Leave no stone unturned
Next the Comando proceeded south along the street, preparatory to entering either Chavo's lair or the tenement. 

At this point the need for a decision on that point was removed as a gang of goblins swarmed out of the tenement right in front of the Servos.

As if that were not surprise enough it turned out that one of those gobbos was the object of the Servo incursion and his capture was job one on the mechanicals' to-do list

Battle rages as a Titan looks on
A fierce gun battle developed at close range with the goblins quite surprisingly being faster on their triggers than the Servos.

Less surprisingly perhaps nearly half the gobbos fired off all of their ready ammo in the first exchange.

There were six goblins armed with an assortment of pistols, SMG's and shot guns. Four of them were Rep 4 and two Rep 3.

In contrast Servo Commando 454 was was well armed. Their leader was a command model with Rep 5, and a BA pistol equivalent. All the troopers were standard Rep 4 combat models, 2 toting BA assault rifles, 2 standard droid blasters, and the last a rotory barreled heavy machine carbine.
Battle lines being drawn

The first round of firing left two gobbos, including the Servos' target, stunned. In return one standard war droid was rendered inoperable, if not irreparable, and another was temporarily offline. 

Of the four goblins remaining, one fled, two sought cover and time to reload, and the fourth defiantly held his ground.

Which proved a costly error as his frame was shredded by large caliber assault rifle rounds.
Nobody's right, if everybody's wrong

Servo commander moved in to finish off one of the two stunned goblins then taking strong hold on the target and heading off north up the street. The remaining Servos moved to cover their withdrawal.

Oi, Bolt fer brains! Get back ere.
At this point, Chavo's gang put in an appearance, apparently unwilling to let his "merchandise" get away without a fight.  Chavo, his lieutenant Skyla, and Six Pack burst out through the front door, while Fokker and Deets, ran up to the roof. Deb took a more cautious approach and crept out the side door and towards the street.

Chavo needs to change his trousers
Another furious gun battle broke out with both gangers and Servos taking hits. Skyla and Six Pack fell wounded while another combat droid was stunned.

With his left and right hand cohorts down writhing on the ground, Chavo did the only thing he could...and ducked back into the building he had just left with a snarled "Why does fis always appen to me!" ad he did so.

Stone Cold Gangsta 
Up on the roof Deets and a Servo both emptied their magazines at one another with no effect while Fokker preened and vogued in his best dead hard gangsta pose.

Deets had the good sense to duck back into the building to reload.
Fokker no doubt emboldened by the "click-click" sounds coming from the droid's gun, turned his machine pistol sidewize and fired, temporarily stunning his target.
See! It does work better when you hold it sidewize
Back on street level, Servo Commando 454 continued its withdrawal up the street while gobbo and human gangsters both cowered in cover and reloaded their weapons.
Our work here is done

And so the game came to a close with the remaining 5 Servos and their captive leaving the table unmolested.

Call for the clean up crew
Two goblins had died, two of Chavo's gangers severely wounded, and one motionless Servo remained behind.


Game Notes:
This game was essentially played on autopilot. I had planned to take on the role of the Rangers when they arrived but as it happened they arrived after the party had ended.

Rules used were primarily 5150 New Beginnings with some additional material from Rebel Minis "Scourge" supplement and a few bits and bobs of my own.

So what's next for Judges Baen and Esqueza?  I had planned on their being tasked with escorting prisoners across the wastelands for incarceration in Prometheus. However now that there are Servo on the loose in Eos City they may have to be reassigned.

And why on Earth (Titan?) did the Servo feel it necessary to abduct a seemingly innocuous goblin gangsta?

Only time will tell I suppose.


Better late than never?
"I din't see nofink. 'Onest."

Post Script: Later that morning Judges Baen and Esqueza arrived to make enquiries. By that time the Servos and gangers had long gone.






Despite the blood stains and shell casings littering the area no one in the neighborhood could recollect having "seen or heard anything"...








Hope you enjoyed the AAR and as always thanks for stopping by!

5 comments:

  1. One of the best write-ups I've seen in a long time. Thanks!

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  2. The plot thickens. Obviously the gobbo has something the servos' want - either a skill, an object or information. I wonder which?

    Great write up!

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  3. The excitement and tension builds. Well done.

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  4. Thank you all! Have just about worked out where this is heading.

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  5. Interesting developments. The Judges have a mystery on their hands!

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