Scenario and Conditions
The Void Dragons try to cross a room containing a massive Power Conduit. Surrounded by zombies and facing another crew, the dangers are mounting.
| Crew Member | Role |
| Nightwind | Captain |
| Starburn | First Mate |
| Doc | Medic |
| Nitro | Gunner |
| Phantom | Striker |
| Lo-ball | Sentry |
| Gumball | Quartermaster |
| Headcase | Ravaged Trooper |
| Wolf | Commando |
| Sarge | Armoured Trooper |
This is fine
We sat there on the ground under the hatch, the area was mercifully clear of Hastian’s zombies. Doc was getting everyone patched up. Some of us needed it more than others. We hadn’t been able to pause for wounds since the horde started tracking us. Sarge looked across at Wolf and grinned. Wolf grinned back and they both started laughing. Pretty soon, we had all joined in. The 10 of us, just sitting there laughing, with only a small edge of hysteria to it. Eventually it worked its way out of our systems and we took stock of our gear. I had picked up a hand weapon that I’d never seen before. Some kind of Shock Maul thing. I swung it gently into a chair that was lying nearby. It blasted the thing halfway across the room. Fucking sweet.
We couldn’t stay here forever though and everyone knew it. The crew started pulling themselves together and getting set to move out. There wasn’t a sound to be heard other than ourselves. We moved quietly though, no need to attract any zombies if we didn’t need to.
As we moved through the deserted corridors Doc’s rad monitor started to chirp. Noises from a rad monitor are never, ever, a good thing. Doc checked the readout and declared it, “Safe, but not let’s not hang the fuck around.” Since the only person that would be shielded from it was Sarge in his combat armour we all agreed to pick up the pace a bit.
The Power Conduit
After a few more turns in the corridor it opened up into a massive expanse. I was expecting this as it was on the plotted route back to The Stone Shark. I was not expecting what was in the space. It was some kind of massive power generator. For “reasons” this generator was set in the middle of a massive hole. The kind that you fall down into and land 30 minutes later, if at all. There were a couple of bridges running to the generator, seemed like too few in my opinion but I didn’t build the damn thing. Technically this would be a power conduit, but honestly, why is it that big?
Doc’s scanners were picking up an unknown energy signal. It was obviously broadcast energy, but not in any recognised band. This could be worth a shipload of money if we could get the data on it and find the right buyer. There were, of course, a bunch of zombies hanging around the place. Also, because this seems to be how our time here is going, another crew turned up at the other side of the chamber. Time to get back to where the metal meets the meat.
Moving in
Starburn and his squad broke left, I took my guys to the right while Phantom and Lo-ball went up the middle. We took cover behind the industrial piping and got to work. Nitro kicked things off for us by blasting a zombie into oblivion. The impacts from his rapid fire knocked it backwards and it catapulted head over heels into the chasm around the power conduit. Phantom had ghosted forwards and taken out another zombie in single combat.
As the zombies woke up and started bringing their weapons to bear, which was new by the way. Somehow, these Hastian’s victims were carrying fucking carbines. Sagblu alone knows how that happens. I figured they were station security and retained some memory of how use them. Regardless of the cause they were shooting at us, which seemed wildly unfair under the circumstances. Anyway, since bullets were flying I charged up my Energy Shield to prevent any damage.
Why? Why the grenades!?
We were now in range of the other crew, especially Phantom who had surged forward to bring his axes to bear. Apparently, the other crew, like everyone else we’ve met here, had no sense as they started firing grenades around a radioactive chamber. I threw Phantom a grenade detector known as a Saving Grace. Essentially, grenades are slow moving. Small, so you can barely see them, but slow. A Saving Grace constantly scans your immediate area for grenades and, if it detects one, sounds a warning. It gives you just enough time to dive out of the way of the blast radius. Takes a huge amount of cell power to keep running though so it’s not perfect and you don’t leave it running if you don’t need it.
As that was happening the whole crew began to advance. Sarge broke from his cover as he’d spotted something that we might be able to grab. As he was bent over it, trying to break the lock open a Recruit from the other crew had run into the open. He was on a bridge across to the Power Conduit. While this would normally be a really dumb move in a firefight it gave him a perfect line of sight on Sarge. The little jerk shot Sarge and knocked him out of the fight. He went down like a sack of vegetables. Couldn’t believe it.
Neither could Phantom, who drove forward and took out the Recruit in a fit of vengeance. The last anyone saw of that Recruit he was somersaulting backwards over the chasm in a spray of his own blood. He hung there for a moment before gravity remembered about him and sucked him down into oblivion. May he rest in pieces.
Somebody kill that guy!
At this point the other crews Grenadier was beginning to really get on my nerves. Seriously, what is with all the mother fucking grenades IN. A. POWER. CONDUIT!? I hate people. This couldn’t go on. I told the entire crew their priority Target Designation was that Grenadier. If they could get a shot at him, they’d take it.
While that was going on Headcase, still living up to that name, had entered melee combat with the Captain of the other crew. Troopers, even Ravaged Troopers are not well known for the mano-a-mano thing. Headcase it would seem was not much of an exception to this rule. He went down under a flurry of blows from the Captain. The guy yelled something in victory. Sounded like, “Blah blah blah, Oberon McNevis, blah, blah.” Guess that was his name or something.
Starburn’s Heart Break
Whatever he was called, Starburn was on the receiving end now. Oberon had charged forward into combat with Starburn, and dragged one of his crew with him. Starburn was outnumbered, and possibly outmatched. I was able to see glimpses of the battle while exchanging fire with their Sniper. I managed to wing him but Wolf dropped him. No more concerns from that guy.
I saw Starburn block an attack by the crewman which left an opening for Oberon to strike. He aimed to the right side of Starburn’s head but before he could land the blow Starburn drove him back with his Firewhip. The flames flared in Oberon’s face but barely touched him. The crewman took the opportunity to seize Starburn’s left arm and stop the firewhip from arcing forward. Oberon leapt back into the fight using his left arm to batter Starburn’s block to the side. Before Starburn could break free Oberon plunged his sword into Starburn’s sternum, passing through his heart and erupting from his spine. Starburn didn’t even have time to scream. He just slid off Oberon’s sword and crumpled to a heap on the floor. There was nothing we could do, Starburn, my friend, was dead.
That’s new
All the bullets flying around had done some damage to the Power Conduit. Suddenly, and without any warning at all, the damn thing flared up. It shot a cone of flames in what seemed to be a random direction. Nobody was caught in the blast but it certainly signalled a shortage of remaining time here.
By now, Phantom had reached the Power Conduit itself and climbed to the top of it. It seems he had spotted some tech that we could grab and was wrestling with a data console. While he was up there another power flare took place but completely missed him.
Revenge is best served en masse
Doc, Wolf and Lo-ball, having seeing Starburn’s demise ran to their fallen First Mate. They leaped over Starburn’s body and attacked Oberon with a viciousness not seen outside of military ground assaults. They were on him before Oberon had a chance to raise his sword. Wolf’s Power Maul caved in Oberon’s ribs and doubled him over, Lo-ball swung his Stone Shard war club shattering the exposed spine. As Oberon fell to his knees, Doc grabbed his hair and hauled his head back. He pulled out his Beast Scalpel and all but decapitated the man with it. Wolf kicked Oberon to the ground and the three of them left him there, broken and bleeding to death in agony on the station floor.
As the three of them retreated back into cover the Power Conduit shook the entire station with an energy spike. Phantom, on top of the Conduit, had nothing to grab onto and tumbled down into the void, arms flailing as he plummeted.
Holy Sagblu! He’s alive
At this point the other crew, having lost their Captain and several others, started to retreat from the area. We pushed forward and drove them off into the station. Doc was able to revive Lo-ball and Sarge. As we were heading back en route to the ship I heard a cry from the Power Conduit. We ran over and saw Phantom hanging there, gripping a brace that was extending from the wall. We lowered a rope to him and he climbed out. Got to love that robot grip strength.
The Power Conduit was still trembling so we grabbed our gear and high-tailed it out of the area. We had no idea what we’d be facing next.
Stargrave is published by Osprey Games and was created by Joseph A. McCullough