A narrative scenario with a covert operation, led by a ruthless spymaster. A desperate team of wild cards and heroes try to kill one of the game’s most powerful warriors before the last of them dies. It is a great chance to explore victory conditions other than objectives, with an attrition element to both sides.

Storyline

Lieutenant Gramon of the Secret Defense Service was ready to strike Idrian II – an Iron Star factory world and known as a shining light of the alliance. But he has recently discovered a cancer at the core of the world, a deep network of cultists of the Aeternus Continuum. All large industrial worlds had a few madmen who saw the divine and began seeding rebellion, but a Divine Tempest on such an important world was another matter. Such incompetence of the local government and garrisons may indicate corruption among them – a rare occurrence, but one that the SDS saw every day. 

Gramon had never heard how a temple formed on a world: whether it was smuggled in piece by piece, or if the cabal and Tempest somehow manifested from the local population. All he knew was it needed to be snuffed out, and that he couldn’t rely on the locals to do it. He began bringing in favours and bribes to every mercenary, criminal and deviant on the roster. They could be trusted for about an hour of killing before falling out with him and each other. As a precaution, they wore explosive collars: for an hour Gramon would destroy them if they showed a hint of doubt when given an order. To Gramon this was a standard and fair contract with mercenaries.

The hard part had been breaking a renegade warcaster out of prison, and building a command console for her on world. But a few big bribes to small officials go a long way. The Warcaster Selis was a ruthless pirate before being brought in, and could only be counted on to try to escape. She would have control of the arc supply, but Gramon held the radio to his ‘troops’, sitting behind her every moment with his handgun at her neck. This would be an interesting operation.

Rules

Lists and setup

• This Skirmish Scenario has an attacker (the assassins) and defender (the temple)
• The attacker can take up to 1 warjack, 1 squad, and 1 arc relay solo. The rest of their roster must be heroes or wildcards that work for the faction.
• The defender must take 1 cadre. The champion of the cadre is the target of assassination and starts the game on 5 Health (regardless of the usual health of the champion).
• The target must be deployed at the start of the game

Special Rules

• The defender’s cadre are treated as heroes and cannot be deployed again if destroyed. For each cadre squad within 5” of the target, the target gains +1arm.
• Once per game, when an attacker’s hero is destroyed, the attacker may instead choose to recall them. They can be deployed again later and do not count as destroyed.

Victory Conditions

• If the target leaves the table for any reason (destroyed, recalled…), the attacker immediately wins.
• If the target is still in play at the end of pulse round 3, the defender wins.

Narrrative conclusions

If Defenders win

Gramon watched as the dots on his screen went dark, listened as the radio chatter reduced to just death gasps. The few survivors starting to flee. He considered exploding their security collars, but it was a futile act and he might need them again. He let them go, hoping the survivors can at least cause some damage as they make their escape.

Suddenly every nerve in his body flared in pain, absolute agony for a fraction of a second, then faded. Selis was on her feet, hands outstretched. All her power blasted at Gramon, but it was absorbed by his null field. He knew that little precaution would come in handy. Gramons gun fired, then again, riddling Selis with bullets.

He threw a timed explosive at the former Warcaster’s arc reservoirs, and walked out the door. His assault had failed, the world’s cancer too deep. He will need to regroup and find another way to extinguish the temple. 

If Assassins Win

The giant temple prophetess fell to the floor, her robes collapsing against the ground. What was visible of her skin aged hundreds of years in an instant, before the dust blew away in the wind. A purple arc-infused smoke drifted from the pile of mechanika that used to be the body. The video captured by his agents would be sent across the world: the powerful symbol of the temple now a pathetic pile of bent metal and rags.

If the locals had any sympathy for the Divine Tempest, it was not the ISA assassinating her but a band of criminals and aliens. The ISA will deal with the assassins, they will protect the good workers from terrorism. He could deny the people had ever been enthralled, deal with the incompetent and corrupt officials later. Purges of these worlds were rare, but one that the SDS existed to carry out. The world’s loyalty will return: Peace, Prosperity, Perseverence.