Saving Private Ryegrass 514

Incoming Transmission
Source Identifier: Private Endeavour, 509, City Administrator, Azuria
Destination Identifier: TE3-Firebrand#Her Glorious Command#Starlight Ebbing#Muse IX#Endeavour#Unquiet Journey#*
Subject: The Private Dynasty is in Peril!
Message Begins: It is a terrible day in the life of the Private dynasty, 5th century in line to the Glorious Throne of Alta, we have received word that in the pursuit of the rogue, Aces High, and her scurrilous crew of con artists and swindlers by Her Glorious Command, one of the last scions of the Private dynasty, our beloved Private Ryegrass, 514, my grandson, has become the sole survivor among my direct heirs. Obviously the death of this prestigious branch of the Altairian Dynasty cannot be countenanced, so it falls to me to ensure his safety. I call thus for adventurers, mercenaries, combat capable people of the boldest stripe, to enter the fray and retrieve him!

The favour of the Dynasty will be upon you for your aid.

• Genuine Article - Anna
• Last Resort - Katie
• Wretched Export - James
• Endless Flame - Rory

• The PCs met Private Enterprise, 509, the grandfather of Private Ryegrass, 514 (actually 510 as of the date of the adventure, but sometimes untimely deaths in the family take some time to catch up in the psyche, who gave them details of Ryegrass and his unit, as well as one of the family heirlooms as proof of identity. Whilst there, Last Resort borrowed a coat.
• They left on Enterprise’s ship, which sustained significant damage in the ground-to-air combat surrounding the war zone on the surface of Ace’s World.
• The ship landed more or less safely, but it turned out one of the local ship hearts had been moved to avoid decay in the war zone, and the ship started decaying, as Resort successfully divested it of its autopilot to add to her legs.
• Entering the war zone from HGC’s side, they were escorted into the presence of Colonel Aggressive Tendency, 421, who confirmed Ryegrass is present, and otherwise refused to provide information. She said they were welcome to try to move through the warzone if they wanted, but they would not be provided with assistance. Last Resort returned to the command centre to spy on the map, successfully, and Genuine Article returned to steal one of a large case of medals which were present in the command centre.
• Moving through the neutral areas of the war zone towards their target, the PCs were ambushed by a patrol of Ace’s soldiers, who were, after some violence, persuaded by Article’s diplomatic immunity card from Ace, and allowed to leave, with some grumbling.
• The crew then ran into a tank. They summarily deconstructed the tank, after several of them were run over by it without much effect. They proceeded to take the tank apart to enhance their gear, with Resort claiming a sponson weapon, Export its scanner, and Article its main gun to attach to her drone and some of its armour.
• They then encountered a single soldier pinned down by sniper fire. The soldier matched Ryegrass’s description. Whilst Resort hunted down the sniper, being repeatedly perforated by sniper fire in the process, the rest of the party found out that Private Missed Take was not in fact, Private Ryegrass, but was able to direct them on to where Rygrass’s unit, the Decorated Lancers, were stationed.
• The players found the unit, and rescued a member of it, Private Wry Grass, from an assault by Ace’s robots, and retreating behind their tesla wall, were able, after some Who’s On First shenanigans, to persuade Ryegrass that he should return with them.
• On their way back to Luckworth to secure a ship, they ran into an Elegy Spectre and her crew of hired lackeys, who was about to execute Ryegrass, when Article prevented her from doing so, causing her to flee and promise to return. Resort refused to participate in the assault, which the operative noted.
• In Luckworth, they talked with Seven Broad, who directed them to a ship he wanted dealing with, belonging to some pirates who were attempting to profiteer off war scavenging; Article left Broad with a note containing the location of Ryegrass’s unit, and Resort witnessed this. They dispatched the pirates with relative ease, and were able to obtain some of their treasure including some looted Altairian jewellery and robot parts. And a ship. Article hacked the autopilot to return them to Siruta, and then was able to compose a new pirate anthem.
• Ryegrass was returned home to his grateful grandfather, and the loaned heirloom the PCs had used to prove their story was returned with him.

• Broad sent out a team of people to back up the robots attacking the Decorated Lancers, with the result of the unit being wiped out.
• However, without the Fabeland facility which was supposed to be built, Ace lost a significant air control facility (in the background, a bit).
• Last Resort contacted the Elegy to provide Ryegrass’s location and confirm her non-involvement.
• Endless Flame visited Pandemonium, and made an excellent first impression, regaling the gleefully criminal ship heart with tales of his exploits. If Flame is interested in joining, it expresses some level of interest, which is bolstered by Article’s recommendation.
• Genuine Article provided Flame with a lift to Pandemonium, and a tour, and a warning. Article also visited with Ace’s Org, and Seven Broad was willing to part with a healthy stack of chips in recompense for her trouble. Her drone also gained a significant gun.
• Export was approached by an Elegy representative, pled his case, and was let off from interfering, given that the hired hands were mostly there specifically to interfere and be interfered with.

• Altairians in the system with numbers greater than 509 go up by four, i guess? Do we care enough to actually track this or is it just sort of written off?
• Ace gained significantly on the ground in the war, but lost some presence and power in the air.
• Private Ryegrass was returned home, but is still under threat from the Elegy, who now know his location for certain.

+3 Clout with the Altairians (NOT with HGC), or +1 with any other faction except HGC -1 Clout with HGC +5 Clout with Private Enterprise, 509 +1 Clout with Ace’s Org

• -3 Clout with the Elegy
• +1 Clout with Ace’s Org
• -5 Clout with Private Enterprise, for stealing his replacement ship
• +2 Clout with Pandemonium
• Mk2: Wait there's a drone on that gun?! 1x YOU: BLAST per encounter

• -3 Clout with the Elegy
• +2 Clout with Pandemonium

• +1 Clout with the Elegy
• +1 clout with any faction other than Altairians or HGC, for fencing the stolen jewellery (or you could spend some time working out WHOSE jewellery it was, and whether any of it had heirloom significance - this would cost you a future downtime action, but you could take +2 clout with the Altairians instead, or +5 clout with a specific relevant Altairian)

• You get NOTHING! (But you also lose nothing.)

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