Jag – Officer’s Dispatch 19
Heroes: Jag, Atobe Keigo, Dust, Jean Reno, Lord FLASH, and Balarai Snowe
Enemies: Raging Rioters, The Raiders Hockey Team, Blackadder, Team Roy, and the Green Ambler
Recent Duties: When you haven’t been busy preparing for Kilant’s upcoming court case (which is practically never), you’ve been working with Shellback on your tennis game. Of course, this doesn’t actually involve playing any tennis, but rather scouring the rulebooks for technicalities that can be used to give you the game. With the tennis doubles final match coming up later today, you intend to be able to say you’ve had more success than any other tennis team in greater Electra.
Troop Status
Supplies: Schmitzer SMGs, Armored Flak Vests, Deluxe Laywers’ suits, Field Medkit, Healing Syringes and briefcases full of legal documents.
Morale: Mattar is positively furious about having to run in that ridiculous sprinting competition. He’s also claiming that all the other runners jumped the gun, allegedly giving him the win.
Health: As far as you’re concerned, it’s a good thing Special Forces Major Xelme hasn’t been around to witness Mattar’s dismal performance in the race. Your lawyers remain disgruntled at the thought of any physical training, something she would likely not approve of either.
The Shark Pack is at –10 to Training Checks for this Adventure.
Military Communiques
Despite your best efforts, Law Division HQ has informed you that there is still not even any deliberation over the possibility of a trial for Vygrymm, Dragon of Sphere. The execution date has not yet been set, but it’s expected to be within the week. While you still can’t say you agree with that hippy Dredd or his protesting, you can’t help but grudgingly sympathize with his cause if the Senate continues down this legally obstinate path.
You’ve been told that your first meeting with the prosecuting team against Commander Kilant has been scheduled for tomorrow. It looks like you’ll have until then to figure out what angle you’re going to take on this case.
Personal Notes
You’re quite pleased to see Jean-Paul’s exceptional performance in the marathon preliminaries, and you’re glad he made the call to bring in you. With your expert coaching, you expect to see him go all the way to the top.
McMason’s friend Officer Gus Gustopherson seems quite concerned about the possible presence of escaped arch-criminal Mysterio at the National Games, which he’s expressed to you repeatedly over a tasty egg-salad sandwich lunch. You’re not quite sure what Mysterio’s motivation might be for any such presence, but there’s certainly no doubt that there’s some shifty characters at these games. You’ll have to keep your eye out for skulduggery in any form.
Mini-Objective
Make sure Jean-Paul Jean-Paul wins the Marathon finals.
Investigate any allegations of cheating or skulduggery at the Games.
Balarai Snowe – Officer’s Report 18
Recent Duties: As far as you’re concerned, your duties at the moment are entirely towards the Khanucks, as their Team Captain, and ensuring they take home the National Games. This could be tougher than it sounds: you wouldn’t put it past your opponents to resort to some form of skulduggery, but you’re willing to do whatever it takes to bring your team to the cup.
Troop Status
Supplies: Heavy Field Mortars, 2 Remote Mines, Gortex winter parkas and snowshoes, and a ‘dangerous’ dunebuggy which is hopefully the biggest danger you’ll have to deal with for a while now.
Morale: Your men are big into the National Games, and are looking to see their team go all the way. Unfortunately, some of them have also taken note of the presence of Jack Frost, and are commenting on how well he seems to have done for himself. Damn the man, he’s not even IN your unit anymore and he’s still causing dissent!
Health: A few of your men are a little chilly from sitting in a cool hockey stadium with their shirts off. They also spent all last night celebrating the Khanucks’ hockey victory, which hasn’t done much for their condition.
The Avalanche is at –10 to Training Checks for this Adventure.
Military Communiques
None.
Personal Notes
Under your leadership, the Khanucks have defeated the mighty Red Wings, in spite of Zeterburg’s last minute amazing performance, and advanced to the next round. You hear that the team you’re up against next is called the Raiders, and what’s more, their Team Captain is none other than Jack Frost. This is one match you don’t intend to lose – it’s Captain vs. Captain, and you’ll show that traitorous Frost just who the real leader is around here.
Quite frankly, there certainly seems to be a lot of suspicious characters hanging around these games. Not only is there Jack Frost and his whole team of Raiders, but also that ‘Captain’ Smith, and even a known kidnapper like Arch Hall Jr.. That police detective, Gus Gustopherson, even claims that a master criminal named Mysterio is on the loose somewhere in the environs, though you've yet to see any evidence of this.
Mini-Objective
Outscore Jack Frost in the upcoming hockey game.
Atobe Keigo – Officer’s Report 18
Recent Duties: If there’s one thing you know, it’s that Seigaku is strong!! Those civilians are just no match for your crack squad’s tennis prowess, as your performance in the preliminaries clearly shows. Unfortunately, many of your colleagues seem more concerned about that ridiculous hockey game than the true noble sport of tennis, but you wouldn’t really expect foreigners or Conventionals to have any class anyway.
Troop Status
Supplies: FLAME-THROWERS, Deluxe uniforms, kamikaze headbands, several exploding “tennis balls” and LUBOSH, your personal tennis trainer.
Morale: Your men continue to be abuzz over the excitement of the games, although you had to give Eiji a bit of a beat-down for daring to score against you. At your insistence, they’ve also changed most of their tennis fan posters to support ‘AK,’ which while still ambiguous, is at least better than saying the wench’s actual name.
Health: You haven’t had much time to worry about the fitness of the rest of your men, as Lubosh has really been putting you through your paces, as well as of course criticizing your equipment.
Military Communiques
Given the high profile performance of the military team, you’re a little surprised that some of your top-ranking officers haven’t been around to support the team. As a physical fitness enthusiast, Xelme’s absence is particularly noteworthy, but no one at SF HQ has been able to tell you where she’s been recently.
Personal Notes
With their prolific tennis performance and strange under-age appeal, it appears that Team Seigaku has managed to pick up one of the most annoying things imaginable: fangirls. You saw several such young girls – likely Medical Corps. friends of Nurse Joy’s - getting out pompoms and practicing irritating high-pitched cheers this morning on the base Training Field. All you have to say is that those despicable little twits had better not distract Echizen and Tezuka from the job they’re out there to do.
You’re a little dismayed to see that the sponsor of these games is none other than Arch Hall Sr., father of his butt-ugly wannabe-teen-star son. If Junior there tries to call you ‘Vicky’ one more time, he’s going to get a racket upside the head, no matter who his daddy is!
You’re a bit concerned, however, at Senator Lorinda’s continued presence at these games, and her association with Arch Hall Sr.. She’s got her icy claws dug much too deeply into this whole affair for your liking, and you intend to find out just what it is she’s doing here.
Mini-Objective
Continue steam-rolling your way to the Tennis Finals.
Investigate the connection between Senator Lorinda and Arch Hall Sr..
Dust – Officer’s Report 17
Recent Duties: Despite the strong performance by Zeterburg in the last few minutes of that game, you and the Khanucks managed to take the victory and advance past the preliminary rounds. You don’t intend to let any amount of skulduggery or racism prevent you from going all the way to the final.
Troop Status
Supplies: SIR Rifles, Camouflage Scout Uniforms, Sniper Scopes, a Spheran ‘Highwind’ Light Infantry Rifle, several new kegs of Charlie Mops’ best hops, which you have just had imported to the base.
Morale: Your Denchulli Boyos are thrilled so far about the strong Conventionals showing in the hockey game. Unfortunately, they’ve also become a little frightened of this Lord Flash character, who seems to keep wanting to use them as foot-rests and encouraging them to join the airforce.
Health: Your Boyos are in good health now, but rumor is out that that wouldn’t last very long if they were to take Flash’s advice and join the RAF. 20 minutes is supposed to be the average life expectancy of pilots over there.
Military Communiques
With Special Forces Commander Kilant confined to the city with his pending military court-martial, it’s been assigned to the Conventionals to hunt down the remaining Spheran troops on the planet. As such, various Conventional units have been dispatched all around the Velguara mountain range and surrounding region. There have been several minor skirmishes, but no major battles, and the remaining Spheran leaders, particularly the fearsome Lord Keldon of the Tiger, remain unaccounted for.
Personal Notes
You enjoyed your role as a defenseman in yesterday’s hockey game, but at the same time, it’s the scorers who seem to get all the recognition, and you wouldn't mind scoring a few in the name of your Denchulli Boyos. Of course, for a man as precise as you, doing this while playing defense from your own end should still be no problem.
You’re getting more and more fed up with all this Electran racism. Following yesterday’s game, you’ve heard several sports commentators complaining about how foreigners are taking over ‘their’ game. Given the way the Khan all but owns your team, as well as the games themselves, you’d have to say you agree, but you fail to see why that’s such a bad thing.
Mini-Objective
Condemn Electran racism as much and as vocally as possible.
Score more goals than any other defenseman in the upcoming hockey game.
Lord Flash – Officer’s Report 2
Recent Duties: WAAAF!! Most people probably wouldn’t appreciate what a tough job it is, just being you. It’s certainly been keeping you busy for the past little while. While, that and beating down Krauts like that Red Baron. They really ought to pay you time-and-a-half for that one.
Military Communiques
With Special Forces Commander Kilant confined to the city with his pending military court-martial, it’s been assigned to the Conventionals to hunt down the remaining Spheran troops on the planet. As such, various Conventional units have been dispatched all around the Velguara mountain range and surrounding region. There have been several minor skirmishes, but no major battles, and the remaining Spheran leaders, including some big-shot Warlord they call Lord Keldon, remain unaccounted for.
It seems like the Conventionals brass concerns are about to materialize in a direct Conventionals vs. Special Forces clash in the Tennis singles. Of course, she is a woman after all, and no woman can resist Lord Flash. So basically, no matter what happens, you’re the real winner of this match. WAAFF!
Personal Notes
It’s a good thing for all the ladies on this planet that you’re in these games, because otherwise, they might forget they have a reason for living. As such, it’s really your moral duty to make sure as many women as possible notice your presence. All in the name of preventing unnecessary suicides, of course.
Mini-Objective
Make sure you receive more female attention than anyone else at the Games.
Jean Reno – Professional’s Report 3
Recent Duties: These Electran games, they are almost as terrible as their coffee – which is to say, very terrible indeed. Unfortunately, without your participation, they would be even worse. After all, you wouldn’t want one of these unprofessional civilian teams winning the cup.
Troop Status
Supplies: RD-22 Rifles, Combat Daggers, and full supplies of ammunition and rations. Sadly, these rations are not in fact French, and the quality suffers as a result.
Morale: The Foreign Legion’s morale is a little down ever since you dismissed your overly cheerful subordinate, Fat Albert. However, the risk of your men developing anything resembling team spirit was simply too great to warrant keeping him around.
Health: You could all but swear that this terrible Electran coffee is going to make your men sick. You’ve raised such concerns with the military health officials, but your complaints seem to have been largely ignored.
Military Communiques
None.
Personal Notes
Clearly, the Electrans just have to do something about the incredily poor quality coffee they’re making you drink. Well, admittedly, no one is making you drink it, but how do they expect you to get through the day without numerous coffee breaks? It’s almost as if these Electrans don’t even know how bad their coffee really is. The only way this could possibly be the case is if they haven’t even tried it themselves. You will have to correct this, and in doing so hopefully convince them of the need to import some foreign coffee.
At a competitive event like the National Games, you are a little concerned about the possibility of cheating from the other side. You have heard that the team you’re playing next in hockey are a bunch of pirates after all. Needless to say, cheating in an event like this is very unprofessional, and you’ll have to keep your eyes open to make sure everything is on the level.
Mini-Objective
Convince as many people as possible to drink some terrible Electran coffee.
The day started early in the O.C. - 9 a.m. to be precise, and all the PCs were up and ready to face the next day at the National Games. Jag, however, was livid - Jean Paul was not yet up, and his race was in an hour. "What? Why isn't he up?!" the lawyer demanded, and went to fetch the runner. Within minutes, Jag and Jean-Paul were there, and within minutes, Jean Reno was attempting to foist "crappy Electran coffee" on the endurance runner.
Varin, Dust, and Snowe, however, seemed all too happy to simply discuss strategy for their next hockey match. Dust's strategy was simple: "get the puck to me, and I'll score." The other two men paused for a minute, unsure what to make of this. Dust was, after all, a defenseman first and foremost, even though the man kept referring to himself as "the Denchuli Bobby Orr". As it was, Varin just looked at him funny, and suggested getting the puck to Snowe instead. The long-haired Electran seemed to have few problems with this.
Soon after, Jag and Jean-Paul left on the motorcycle and sidehack, ready to make the race. The rest of the heroes, wanting to catch the marathon, had a quick breakfast. Most left soon after, the exception being Keigo, who who had the opportunity to train with Lubosh several times before leaving.
At the gates, waiting in line, they were greeted by a chant of "No circuses! No circuses! No circuses!" Two lone protestors, Axen Dredd and another (later identified as Steve Wilson, Garage Lawyer), stood chanting and waving signs. Dust took this opportunity to point out to the protestors that if they wanted to protest anything, it should be the inherent racism of Electran society, Jag and Snowe notwithstanding. With that, Dust broke from the line, and started to chant "No racism! No racism! No racism!", though without a catchy sign his protests fell upon deaf ears.
Eventually, the lineup made its way into the stadium, and the heroes found themselves confronted by a reporter with poofy hair named Gerri Poveri, who seemed to be intent on getting "the scoop" and stirring up controversy while doing so. Dust tried to get a word in, but she seemed to look at him funny when she realized he wasn't Electran. This enraged the Denchuli man, who went and dragged in Axen Dredd for an impromptu "No racism!" chant/protest.
But with that done, it was time to find some seats. Moving towards the seating area, the heroes ran into Senator Lorinda, who in typical fashion had little to say, and less of it nice. Dust seemed to enjoy her verbal barrage on Keigo, clapping the senator on the shoulder, hard, and seemed especially interested in a remark she made about young Keigo's father. Lorinda didn't seem to appreciate Dust's camraderie, but he didn't really seem to care, either.
Soon afterwards, they were met by a voice: "Keigo dear, there you are." A middle-aged woman with hair done up with chopsticks stood near them, and the resemblance to Keigo was more than just passing. Looking around, Ms. Atobe must have noted the large number of foreigners (ie, Jean Reno and Dust), as she said, "Come, Keigo dear, let's go sit in a place befitting of our station." Reno pointed out that they were already near the nosebleed seats, to which Ms. Atobe just sniffed. And with that, she and Keigo left, leaving the rest to find their own seats.
Jean Reno, on the other hand, had other ideas in mind. Driving his motorcycle down near the racing track, he filled up small water-cups for the runners, waiting for them on the first bend around the track. As they came around and drank, most of them spat the substance out: Reno had fooled them into drinking more "crappy Electran coffee", and he raced about to the next bend, ready to repeat the process.
In the end, though, it was Jean-Paul who captured first prize, with Brock coming in second and Stenda in third. Ben Hur, Captain Falcon, and the Green Ambler all came in afterwards. From the looks of the fans, there was discontent brewing, and that discontent wasn't crappy Electran coffee: a number of cries to the effect of "Hey, I had money on the Green Ambler!" and "I thought he was going to try something!" rang throughout the stadium as fights broke out. It was up to the military to calm things down.
Jag and the Shark Pack protected Jean Paul and the other runners down in the centre of the stadium. His high defense, coupled with his flak vests, meant that in the event that the agitators missed (which was often, as they were just civilians), the Shark Pack took no damage. Keigo, Dust, Reno, and Snowe all had their units positioned up in the stands. They shouted to each other not to use lethal force, as the military would frown exceedingly on it. Besides, most of their weapons, their rifles and mortars, had been left back at the base. Some units still had psychic abilities, but hopefully those would not be needed.
Objective: Break all units. (as none had leaders, they couldn't rally)
Dust quickly managed to break a unit of hooligans, while Jag took an unfelt pounding from four units in the stadium's centre. Meanwhile, the Avalanche and the Foreign Legion were both quickly broken. Seigaku proceeded to lay a beating on a number of the hooligans as well.
Eventually, Jean Reno and the Foreign Legion got back up, and managed to break one of the two units attacking him, but not before he himself lost two men - dead, not unconscious. The scruffy Chalchakian was enraged, and broke from his unit to fire on the crowd with his Schmitzer. This seemed effective in breaking the unit, though of questionable legality. Meanwhile, Snowe kept trying to move onto some rioters, but the Avalanche seemed more likely to join them - they too had thought the Green Ambler would try something. Eventually he made his way onto the unit and broke them with his unarmed flailing.
At the same time, Dust was taking a verifiable beating by a group of veteran protestors, who apparently hadn't seen the Denchuli protesting earlier. McReagan went down, also killed. However, the Boyos responded by calmly flailing the group into submission.
Meanwhile, down in the stadium centre, Jag (and now Keigo) were making progress on clearing the throng of units. And eventually, order was restored, but not without casualities: of all the Republic men taken down in the battle, some were knocked unconscious, some killed. The Conventionals took the highest rate of death, losing all their downed men. They were not amused.
Meanwhile, Jean Reno, posing as a French waiter, managed to convince several high-brow (or supposedly high-brow) people to drink the "terrible Electran coffee", taking off on motorcycle when he was discovered not, in fact, to be a waiter.
Getting ready for the events meant a drug test. Snowe looked nervous, but Jag reassured him that since his grunts weren't participating, he had nothing to worry about. After all, Fats was just a dealer, not a user, and they couldn't prove anything about that from a drug test.
They were met in the room by The Raiders, who guaranteed a victory. Orangebeard waved about his wooden broadsword, while Odie the Stupid just barked and drooled. One note of confusion, though, came from when Ferris stood in the men's lineup. It seemed clear to everyone that she was a woman, but...
Other than that, the drug test seemed to go uneventfully, and everyone prepared for their respective sports.
The first goal was scored by Snowe, and though they had their chances, a penalty to Jack Frost seemed to take the wind out of the Raiders' sails. Dust had the second goal, backing up his on-the-record "Denchuli Bobby Orr" claim, and Snowe had the last two. The Khanucks, playing an impressive game, had a 4-0 blowout against the Raiders, with Kupp recording his second shutout in as many games.
Meanwhile, the Doubles tennis teams were in the process of warming up. Coming to oversee the preparation of her men, Echizen and Tezuka, Keigo was shocked to find a group of annoyingly cheery pom-pom waving fangirls cheering on the two under-age tennis players. Nearby, a bemused pair of Special Forces Majors, Lanver and Khaurus Vanbaal, remarked how displeased Xelme would be if she saw this sickening display. Fortunately, Lord Flash was on hand, and was more than happy to redirect fire from young Echizen. In spite of this fan-following, however, Shellbach and Jag rolled to victory over team Seigaku, eventually defeating Team Roy in the finals, in spite of the insidiously difficult Super-Quiz of ace tennis player Roland Roy.
Meanwhile, in the women's locker room, Ferris and her blade took exception to Keigo. Never one to back down from confrontation, the fiery Electran first launched tennis balls at the female pirate, and then when that didn't work, used her flamethrower. With Ferris continually missing her target, Keigo made quite short work of the pirate.
Gerri Poveri
Race: Electran
Rank: Civilian
Affiliation: The free press of Electra
Gerri Poveri was a poofy red-haired news reporter with a simple goal: bringing in the scoop for her show, "In Your Face with Gerri Poveri." For Gerri, controversy was the order of the day, and when none was available, she wasn't above stirring it up herself with inflammatory comments and hard-hitting questions.
Atobe Kunimitsu
Race: Electran
Rank: Civilian Aristocracy
Affiliation: The House of Atobe
The similarity in name is no coincidence: Atobe Kunimitsu is the mother of Lt. Atobe Keigo. Kunimitsu is a regal-looking woman, still quite handsome despite her age, with black hair held back with chop-sticks and a black and silver kimono with a fiery design emblazoned upon it. Haughty, elitist and demanding in the extreme, it is clear that Mrs. Atobe holds her household and the nobility well above the level of mere commoners and has exacting expectations of her only daughter.