Amber Zone: Soft Bunk

SOFT BUNK, or

What to Do When The Zhodani Attack.

Tionale (Vilis 0701-C674321-8) is a non-industrial world outside the sphere of direct Imperial influence, although it is considered to be an Imperial client state.

The world's tainted atmosphere and lack of any readily exploited resources caused it to be settled relatively recently compared to its neighbors.

Settlement still clusters around the single starport on the world, but a slowly expanding belt of farms and small settlements surrounds the port city. The world's extensive outback is inhabited by a little studied alien race which until recently was peaceful, but of late has become increasingly hostile to the human inhabitants of Tionale. Attacks on outlying farmsteads have occured with increasing frequency over the last few months, and the area has been posted as an amber travel zone.

The players' group is contacted by a representative of the ruling council on Tionale, with a job offer. The council seeks a small band of mercenaries to serve as a training cadre for a newly raised and equipped citizen militia, to counter the threat posed by the hostiles, and protect the growing colony. The council will pay twice standard salaries and transport charges to Tionale to any mercenary group willing to undertake the ticket.

Referee's Information:

The human population of Tionale is roughly 8800, including technicians and starport personnel. Only a little over 400 citizens can be spared for training in the militia overall, and no more than 200 of these will be available at one time. Local manufacture of arms is practically nil, but sufficient equipment has been purchased off-planet to outfit the militia to tech level 6 standards. The group's first task when they arrive is to take 200 members of the militia out and begin small arms familiarization.

Approximately two weeks after the group arrives on planet, the Zhodani will invade Tionale. A small naval force will enter orbit around the world, achieving complete surprise, and meeting little resistance from the populace. After determining that there are no Imperial forces on the world, the fleet will move on, leaving a small occupation and pacification force. The council will issue one last order to the militia, to act as a guerrilla force, and make life as difficult as possible for the Zhodani army of occupation.

Most of the militia's supplies and equipment were captured during the landing. The militia has small arms (rifles, submachine guns, and a few machineguns) plus whatever equipment the mercenary unit had with it. Ammunition will be in short supply.

The Zhodani garrison on Tionale consists of a battalion-sized task force of Zhodani colonial troops from the planet Querion. Due to Querion's low tech level (9) their troops are used exclusively as garrisons on primitive worlds such as Tionale.

The Querion garrison battalion consists of picked troops armed with the best equipment available to that world. Specific elements of the unit are drawn from seven different parent regiments and brigades, and although the unit has a high esprit de corps, inter-unit rivalry makes cooperation difficult.

The battalion consists of the following units:

Two infantry companies, each of three platoons. Each infantry platoon has 41 men, five wheeled APCs (armed with tac missiles and auto-cannon), about twenty disposable anti-tank rocket launchers (ATRL), and five laser rifles. The infantry are armed with assault rifles and flak jackets.

One artillery company, of two batteries. Each battery contains three self-propelled multiple rocket launchers (MRL).

One engineering platoon of about forty men, and demolitions equipment.

One lift cavalry platoon of two grav tanks (armed with lasers and auto-cannon) and two grav APCs (armed with tac missiles and auto-cannon).

Onetransport squad, with five unarmed and unarmored G/carriers (enough to lift one platoon of infantry and their equipment).

A military government platoon of forty men.

A military police platoon of forty men, armed with assault rifles, flak jackes and various riot control gases.

The exact nature of the indigenous alien race and their position in this situation must be determined by the referee. They could be hostile to both sides, or side with the colonists or the Zhodani. A lot could depend upon the initial actions of the players and those of the Zhodani towards the aliens.

The referee must devise a map of the surface of Tionale and whatever other details of the planet are needed.

The referee should keep in mind that Zhodani high officers are psionic, and spies among the city's population will quickly be apprehended.