STALKER7

An INSURGENT EARTH AAR

After their semi-successful shopping trip downtown, the Rowville Resistance Cell sneaked into the fuel depot a few days later. Located in an industrial park on the outskirts of town, the facility sees regular invader traffic and worse, is home to a strange alien transmitter of some kind that is guarded round-the-clock by a pair of slithery xenos with tentacles and claws.

While Ellen Rapley loves sushi and Coporal Ortiz wouldn’t mind some calamari with his MRE Spaghetti-O, Trip and Jasper remind them they’re after gasoline. (Molotov cocktails – giving the invaders a warm welcome to Earth since Day 1)

The Alien Occupation Sentries start deployed on the table at their post. (the alien transmitter) The Rowville Resistance cell enters per standard deployment from a corner of their choosing. The Sector Patrol rolls for their entry point and ends up coming on opposite them.

Staying out of sight, Trip and Corporal Ortiz shift left toward a truck the promises salvage that happens to be near a ladder leading to a second level gantry. “Gotta get that high ground.”

Jasper and Ms Ellen move toward some oil barrels. Fuel, right?

In Insurgent Earth, alien units must stick to their normal operating procedure (their Combat Role) until they have direct line of sight to a Resistance cell model or combat has been initiated. Until then, they follow their predetermined route trying to ‘detect’ any human presence or activity.

All’s quiet so far, so the Sector Patrol advances, heading toward the opposite corner, and the Sentries stay put.

But then Corporal Ortiz climbs to the gantry and takes aim with his M4.

Crack goes the rife. Down goes a Sentry. Up goes the balloon. The fight is on. So much for being sneaky.

Sentry Two moves past the body of his hatchling-mate trying to hit Trip or Ortiz with his venom spray. The Sector Patrol calls for reinforcements and advances into the main avenue.

Ellen and Jasper, who had been so successful at the oil barrels they opted to make a dash for another pair of salvageable locations, find themselves suddenly in a bad spot.

Ortiz takes out the second Sentry. Trip tries to assist Jasper and Ellen but there’s a lot of green laser pew-pew-pew flying through the air and all three have to scatter for cover.

And that ominous jet sound that’s getting louder? That’s an Alien Occupation Rapid Response team.

A pair of scything clawed slithery things lands off-center of the mission area. One charges Ortiz, the other Trip. Trip’s little pistol suddenly looks very inadequate.

Meanwhile, Jasper and Ellen Rapley stage a slow withdrawal, trying to grab a bit more salvage on their way out of the mission area. (They can exit via any corner) Jasper’s Glock 17 and Ellen’s Tech 9 burp out flurries of 9mm and manage to take down two of the five patrol aliens.

The rest keep coming though. “Kill all humans!”

Trip evades the big nasty claws, grabs a bit of salvage, and makes a hasty retreat. He exits out through a corner one step ahead of the Rapid Response Alien.

On the other hand, (claw) Corporal Ortiz is not so fortunate.

The second Rapid Response alien manages to close the distance and starts slicing away at Corporal Ortiz. (that’s what you get for opening fire on the aliens before everyone was ready)

Ortiz takes hit after hit as his pistol rounds bounce off this ugly creature’s carapace. There is a lot of blood and a string of Spanish profanities as our brave National Guardsman staggers toward the Resistance cell’s original entry corner. All it would take is one good shot to drop the beast but it doesn’t happen.

Even using his Med Kit, Corporal Ortiz finds himself in desperate straits. Repeatedly trying to extricate himself from melee, he’s been wounded twice. (so a D6 action die + Free Move) At least, he manages to slip out of reach and drag himself to safety.

He’s gonna need stitches…

Our heroes stay low and meet at the rally point.

Another reasonably successful mission, Ellen, Jasper, Trip, and Ortiz head back to their hideout in the state forest. It’s time to rest up, tally their salvage and convert what they can into usable supplies.

Two decent missions. They struck back against the invaders – but the fight has just begun.

Insurgent Earth – Humanity’s survival is at stake. Get ready to take back our planet.

Thanks for stopping by. Have an excellent weekend. Stay Safe – Game Hard.