Conquering the verse, one parsec at a time.

Behind the Scenes

I just thought I would share a little of the ‘Behind the Scenes’ with how this campaign is going.

Basically, what I have done is enter all the background material into an AI program, and then, when we roll out the conditions of a scenario as per the Five Parsecs rules, I enter all those details into the same AI program.   This includes things like who the employer is, what the pay is, who the enemy is, and what they are armed with.

I also add to that the outcome of the previous battle and the details from the post-battle phases.

Next, I ask the AI to generate a short description of the ‘contract’ that we have rolled out.

AI then does its magic to generate a very short briefing.

I take that briefing and format it into a player briefing, fine tuning some of the details.

I then ask the AI to generate a selection of different alternative short backgrounds for the moral dilemma of each mission.

I put those into a list that we will roll for AFTER the mission.   This way we have no way of knowing if we are helping or hindering one faction of the Heptagon over the other.

For example, in the last mission, the ‘background’ could have been any of the following;

The Truth Roll 1D100

01-25

Verity Is Telling the Truth

The data contains proof of a planned attack on several poor districts. If delivered, thousands may evacuate in time.

Moral angle: The crew are doing the right thing, but the robots are following lawful orders to stop an “unauthorised broadcast.”

26 – 50

Verity Is Manipulating the Crew

The data is not a warning. It is a propaganda package designed to blame rebels, justify a crackdown, and redirect public anger away from the Heptagon.

Moral angle: Delivering it helps Verity control the truth and may get innocent people killed.

51 – 75

The Data Exposes Verity

A rogue Verity editor is using the crew to leak proof that Verity has been manufacturing public fear, editing casualty figures, and burying corporate crimes.

Moral angle: The crew are helping one faction inside Verity wage war against another.

76 – 100

The Data Is Incomplete

The packet contains real evidence, but Verity has edited it. Delivering it may save lives while also framing the wrong people.

Moral angle: Is partial truth better than silence?

Once we have established that, I then add that to the AI program to log it against all the other background information it has gathered.  I have no idea where each of the members of the Heptagon has their allegiances, nor do I know if they can be trusted in the long run or if they will become persistent rivals that hunt us across worlds if we continually work against them.  I also have no idea when doing a mission if I am actually working against who I think I am or if we are being lied to.

Why do I do this?

Well, I don’t want to know what is coming up next.  Something that can be a bit tricky when GMing a campaign you are playing in.  Doing it this way, I have absolutely no idea what we will need to do to gather the items we need to complete the ‘Acquired a viable colony package’ part of our objectives.  This is probably the main story arc in this setting.

Verity Public Communications hires the crew for what it calls a critical information transfer.

A senior Verity editor claims that one of their internal news teams has uncovered evidence of a planned attack on several civilian districts. The information must be delivered to an old emergency broadcast relay before the window closes. Verity says its main network has been compromised, and the data cannot be sent remotely.

The job is simple:

Carry the data packet through the relay district and upload it at the public broadcast terminal.

The payment is generous, and having Verity on side could improve the crew’s public profile if they succeed.

But as soon as the crew enters the district, automated security systems activate.

Novatek-built security robots move to intercept them.

Someone does not want that message delivered.

Battlefield – Uplink Relay Tower 12.

Set the scenario in a civic communications district with a relay broadcasting station in the centre.

Objectives

A chosen crew member is carrying the package.

The package must be delivered to the exact centre of the table.  Uploading the data packet safely requires a combat action.

If the carrier becomes a casualty, roll 1D6.  On a 1, the data packet has been destroyed, otherwise it can be picked up by spending a combat action.

Scrapper was given the crucial task of carrying and uploading the data. Equipped with a jump belt, he was able to cover ground quickly, leaping over walls and broken terrain while the security robots moved to intercept him.

The rest of The Redacted took up supporting positions, accompanied by Jane, an old acquaintance of Adams and new member of the crew, while the others laid down long-range fire to keep the robots pinned. Cara advanced through cover, closing the distance before unleashing devastating blasts from her shotgun.

The crew’s aim was sharp. Robots fell one after another beneath a steady hail of bullets and laser fire, their metal bodies sparking and collapsing across the relay district.

Scrapper reached the upload point and completed the data transfer before taking cover. With the broadcast sent, the rest of the crew pressed the attack and mopped up the remaining robots.

By the end of the fight, the data was delivered, the machines were down, and Verity’s message had made it through.

Background

Verity Is Manipulating the Crew

The data is not a warning. It is a propaganda package designed to blame rebels, justify a crackdown, and redirect public anger away from the Heptagon.

Moral angle: Delivering it helps Verity control the truth and may get innocent people killed.

Post Battle – Round Three

We got incredibly lucky in this fight and managed to take out all the robots with little trouble.  Our initial plan was to get the upload done and then leave, but in the end, with things going in our favour, we decided to finish off the droids to hold the field.

As it turns out, Verity seems to be about as trustworthy as Helix; at least they pay well.

With the mission successful, we once again concentrated on keeping our rivals distracted and tried to find some more gear for our crew.   We didn’t manage to locate anything of vast value, but we did manage to recruit another crew member, this time an Alien, bringing our party up to 8 now.

Jane, the member who joined us on this mission, was acquired by using the ‘Once per campaign special rule to add another character at any point’.

I will do a proper Introduction to her and some pictures soon.

We were not able to locate any further missions from Patrons, so it looks like our next outing may well be back with Helix and the ‘Bitter Medicine’ mission we were offered previously.

After that, I think we may try to see if we can find a different Patron or two, as it feels a bit like we are supporting the wrong side in this.

Unfortunately, the game we had lined up to play this weekend to continue our campaign had to be postponed due to injury.

On the plus side, it did free up some time for me to do some Sci-fi Vehicles to help pretty up some future terrain layouts.

I printed these out in PLA on my K1 Max’s and then just painted them up with rattle cans before using a sponge to add some chipping and then just the odd bit of detailing here and there.

I will probably go back over them and add some more detailing later, but for now they look like pretty generic industrial vehicles that fit in with my somewhat downtrodden setting.

I actually printed a few of the chassis and multiples of the interchangeable ‘tool’ components so I can switch them around if needed.

The roofs are removable, allowing figures to be placed inside.   Which reminds me I need to print out and paint some seated versions of our crew.

The larger explorer-type vehicle has room for 8 figures inside, and once again, the roof is removable.

Part of the game is travelling from one planet to the next, and for this, you need some form of spacecraft.

It is not necessary to actually have a model to represent this ship. Still, I am completely for doing the unnecessary whenever possible, so I set about making a 28mm spaceship to represent the ‘Worn Freighter’ we rolled out when generating our starting crew.

Thankfully, the 2nd Dynasty has a range of 3D printable 28mm Starships, for which I bought the STLs some time ago.

On a side note, my crew also come from the 2nd Dynasty, and I like the way that they have various poses of the same model, including sitting and lying models.   You will probably notice that I change from armed and unarmed models in some of the pictures.   It really just depends on which model we pick up to use at the time, as to which gets photographed.

Anyway, back on topic, the ship.

Cerberus Class 4 Freighter

General Specifications

Length 54m (180 ft)

Beam 13.5m (45 ft))

Depth 10.5m (35 ft)

Crew capacity 8

Decks 3

Auxiliary Craft 1 x Minnow Lander (6 passenger capacity)

Escape Pods 2

Overview

The Cerberus Class 4 Freighter is a versatile medium-haul cargo vessel designed for independent operators, frontier merchants, survey teams, and colony-support missions. Building upon the proven design of the Class 3, the Class 4 introduces enhanced safety features and greater operational flexibility while retaining the rugged reliability that made its predecessor popular throughout settled space.

The most significant improvement is the addition of two dedicated escape pods mounted within the upper deck. While this increases crew survivability during emergencies, the modification comes at the cost of reduced accommodation space.

Crew Accommodations

Unlike the Class 3, which offered individual crew cabins and additional guest quarters, the Class 4 adopts a more utilitarian arrangement.

The upper habitation deck contains:

• 4 crew cabins, each fitted with 2 bunk berths
• Accommodation for a total crew of 8
• 4 large storage rooms replacing the former guest quarters

While less luxurious than its predecessor, the revised arrangement provides significantly more internal storage capacity for long-duration voyages and colonial operations.

Internal Layout

Lower Deck

The majority of the vessel’s internal volume is dedicated to cargo operations.

Features include:

• Large central cargo hold
• Heavy-duty side loading ramp
• Vehicle and pallet handling space
• Access to the Minnow lander

The cargo bay occupies the central section of the vessel and can handle a wide range of commercial and industrial freight.

Main Deck

The forward section houses the ship’s command and operational facilities:

• Spacious bridge
• Situation room and briefing area
• Fully equipped galley
• Crew recreation and dining facilities

Beneath these areas lie the vessels:

• Main data cores
• Servo banks
• Primary control systems
• Communications and sensor processors

Together, these form the ship’s central nerve centre.

Upper Deck

The upper deck contains:

• Four bunk cabins
• Four storage rooms
• Two escape pods
• Access crawl spaces for maintenance

The layout is designed to maximise utility while ensuring rapid evacuation capability.

Engineering Section

Occupying the aft third of the vessel is a large engineering compartment built around the ship’s twin primary thrusters.

Features include:

• Full-height maintenance access
• Twin fusion drive assemblies
• Power distribution systems
• Environmental control machinery
• Tug Hauling Close Proximity Tractor Beam Arrays

The generous engineering space allows maintenance crews to service most major systems without the need for external dock facilities.

For those difficult-to-reach jobs, an Aft airlock is located between the main thrusters.

Minnow Lander

Every Cerberus Class 4 is delivered with a standard Minnow utility lander.

Capabilities include:

• Crew capacity: 6 personnel
• Surface-to-orbit supply runs
• Emergency evacuation support
• Survey and scouting missions

The Minnow allows the freighter to conduct operations on worlds lacking developed starport infrastructure, making it particularly valuable for colonial and frontier work.

I did have to modify the design of the original starship to include 2 escape pods and 4 large storage rooms on the upper deck.  To do that, I had to reduce the number of cabins on the upper floor.

The original plan was to have the escape pods nearer the front, but by placing them there, it weakened the integrity of the design, causing the fore section to dip down a little and creating a gap in the top of the build.

Finally, a picture of the model as it currently stands.  I may add a ship name to the front and possibly a logo of some sort.

As a little fun fact, Unit 57 was the name I gave to my little gang in Necromunda when it came out and it’s kind of stuck with me through multiple game systems.  You will often see 57 on my terrain builds.

One of the things I really like about the 5 Parsecs system is that the opponents are all randomly generated.  For the two missions that our crew has access to for the next round, we rolled out Warbots for one and Mercenaries for the other.

The Mercenaries, I have pretty much covered, as I can just use the Salvagers from the last game.  They are generic enough to cover most Human types.

The Warbots, on the other hand, I just quickly printed out and applied a quick, simple paint scheme.

I had used Colour-shift paint on some Hummingbirds that I painted up to go with my Burrows and Badgers stuff and figured that I could use the same on the Warbots.

The Colour-shift Paint works best over a glossy black coat, so that’s what I did.

After that, I just painted the bits that were not armour plates with flat black and then highlighted them with a dark grey.

Finally, I dotted in the lenses with fluorescent paint that I had from when I did my Ghost Ship for my Pirates project.

I ended up doing 9 robots in total, which should be plenty.

The Black Box

Helix contacts The Redacted with a discreet but urgent contract.

The crash site from the earlier medical flight has not been fully cleared. The wreckage is still scattered across the ruined edge-zone near Low Spire Ward, and Helix claims sensitive medical records remain aboard the aircraft.

A salvage team from another mega corporation has entered the area. Officially, they are “recovering hazardous debris.” In reality, they are searching for the aircraft’s black box recorder.

Helix says the recorder contains confidential patient data, flight records, and proprietary medical transport protocols. If stolen, it could be doctored and sold to the highest bidder, causing public panic and damaging relief operations across Veyr’s Fall.

The crew are hired to return to the crash site and stop the salvage team.

Helix’s instruction is direct:

“Fight off the Salvage Team so that Helix Scientists can safely extract the sensitive information.”

Battlefield – Crash Site: Helix Relief Flight HDC-19

The battlefield is centred around a crashed cargo aircraft.

The aircraft has come down hard in the ruined edge-zone between Low Spire Ward and an abandoned industrial block. Its nose is buried in rubble, one wing has sheared off, and the rear cargo section has split open. Smoke rises from the wreckage. Medical crates, burned luggage, twisted cargo pallets, and broken drone containers are scattered around the site.

Objectives

Hold the field and Fight Off the enemy.

Background

Helix is lying.

The black box proves that the aircraft was deliberately sent into danger. Helix orchestrated the crash as a calculated public relations weapon.

Their plan was simple:

1. Load the aircraft with medicine intended for multiple sick districts.
2. Redirect it over rebel-influenced territory.
3. Trigger a controlled system’s failure or remote sabotage.
4. Blame the crash on Low Spire tax rebels.
5. Use the disaster to portray Helix as the victim of terrorism.
6. Justify harsher security action against the rebels.
7. Win public sympathy while eliminating a troublesome district movement.

The crash killed innocent crew and nearly condemned multiple districts to medical shortages.

Helix wants the truth buried.

The salvage team belongs to Tarsk Meridian Transworks, though they operate through a shell contractor called Rillmark Recovery Services.

Tarsk Meridian wants the black box because it is valuable. They may sell it, doctor it, trade it to Verity, blackmail Helix, or use it to win concessions over transport and fuel rights.

They are not heroes.

They are scavengers in corporate armour.

Battle Report – The Black Box

Location: Crash Site Theta-9, Veyr’s Fall Outlands
Crew: The Redacted
Patron: Helix Dominion Consolidated
Outcome: Victory

The salvage team had barely reached the crashed aircraft when Caesar opened fire with his newly fitted Rattlegun. The sudden barrage tore one salvager from their feet and sent another fleeing back toward their employer. With the enemy shaken, the rest of The Redacted moved into position.

The salvagers recovered quickly and returned fire with brutal accuracy. Caesar was struck repeatedly, sparks bursting from his chassis before the robot collapsed and went still.

Angered by the apparent loss of one of their own, the crew unleashed a storm of gunfire. Scrapper ignited his jump belt, clearing the half-buried nose cone of the wreck and crashing into the enemy line. A vicious melee followed, but the salvagers proved far tougher than expected. They overwhelmed the Feral and brought him down.

With Caesar and Scrapper lying motionless, Adam led a renewed assault. The Redacted pressed forward, inflicting several casualties and refusing to give ground. Under the mounting pressure, the salvage team’s nerve finally broke. The survivors abandoned the crash site, leaving the wreckage—and its secrets—safely in the hands of Adam and his crew.

Post Battle – Round Two

We were pretty lucky with both Caesar and Scrapper suffering no long-term effects from being taken out of action.

With the money we earned, we continued to pay off the debt owed on our spacecraft and sent the crew out on different tasks.

Two of the crew went to act as decoys so our existing rivals wouldn’t locate us.  If they catch up with us, it would force us into a battle, which would then prevent us from doing a Patron mission and earning some much-needed money.

We also tried unsuccessfully to recruit another crew member.  We did, however, find some meds and a few other useful supplies that could come in handy down the track.

We didn’t have the chance to go looking for any new jobs, but we were offered another job from Helix, as it appears that they were very busy.

____________________

Bitter Medicine

Helix Dominion Consolidated contacts The Redacted with an offer.

A small mercenary unit has seized an old medical distribution depot on the edge of Greyhook District, a polluted industrial zone suffering from outbreaks of lung disease and chemical fever. Helix claims the depot is needed to restart local treatment deliveries, but the mercenaries have refused to leave.

According to Helix, the mercenaries were hired by criminal interests to loot medicine, extort sick citizens, and disrupt disaster relief.

The job is simple:

Clear them out. Secure the depot. Do not damage the medical equipment.

____________________

So, there we have it.  That means we still have two missions to choose from next time.  This new one from Helix, or the one that we were offered last time from Verity.

I have been knocking out a few more generic Sci-Fi figures to add some variety and so that I don’t have to resort to using Fallout Wasteland Warfare figures for the opposition.

I have gone with really quick paint jobs on these to match the character models.

First, I blu-tac the models to little wooden pegs so that they are easier to hold.

I undercoat everything brown and then do a zenithal highlight with an off-white colour.  After that, I use speed paints to block in all the colours.   I do this without really taking too much care, as I want to keep a grubby feel to this stuff.

Once that is dry, I cover everything in a brown wash or Army Painter quick shade, just like dipping, but I brush it on.  Basically, I use whatever comes to hand first.

Once that is dry, I go back over some areas and highlight them in the Kevin Dalimore style and call them done.

I am using clear bases as I imagine that the games could take place on different settings, both indoors and out.

After each ‘Battle’ phase, there is a post-battle phase during which things like resolving rival and patron statuses, gaining loot and pay and a whole host of events can occur.

I won’t go over everything that happened after this very short introductory scenario; suffice to say that we gained a couple of weapons and made a small number of credits.

____

After that, we decided to continue through all the steps up to the next battle.

The reason for this was that it would give me a little bit of time to try to get any bits needed for the next scenario painted.

____

Part of the process is to see if any new interesting jobs get offered to the crew.

We got lucky and managed to score two jobs to choose from.

______________________________

The Black Box

Patron: Helix Dominion Consolidated

Job Type: Fight Off

The crash site from the earlier medical flight has not been fully cleared. The wreckage is still scattered across the ruined edge-zone near Low Spire Ward, and Helix claims sensitive medical records remain aboard the aircraft.

A salvage team from another mega corporation has entered the area. Officially, they are “recovering hazardous debris.” In reality, they are searching for the aircraft’s black box recorder.

Helix says the recorder contains confidential patient data, flight records, and proprietary medical transport protocols. If stolen, it could be doctored and sold to the highest bidder, causing public panic and damaging relief operations across Veyr’s Fall.

Helix’s instruction is direct:

“Fight off the Salvage Team so that Helix Scientists can safely extract the sensitive information.”

Battlefield – Crash Site: Helix Relief Flight HDC-19

The battlefield is centred around a crashed cargo aircraft.

The aircraft has come down hard in the ruined edge-zone between Low Spire Ward and an abandoned industrial block. Its nose is buried in rubble, one wing has sheared off, and the rear cargo section has split open. Burned luggage, twisted cargo pallets, and broken drone containers are scattered around the site.

Objectives

Hold the field and Fight Off the enemy.

______________________________

The Dead Drop Broadcast

Patron: Verity Public Communications

Job Type: Delivery

A senior Verity editor claims that one of their internal news teams has uncovered evidence of a planned attack on several civilian districts. The information must be delivered to an old emergency broadcast relay before the window closes. Verity says its main network has been compromised, and the data cannot be sent remotely.

The job is simple:

Carry the data packet through the relay district and upload it at the public broadcast terminal.

Battlefield – Uplink Relay Tower 12.

Civic communications district with a relay broadcasting station in the centre.

Objectives

The package must be delivered to the exact centre of the table and uploaded.