Episode 2.01: Brushfire!

[Nolmir]

"Uh, just a second, sirs," Gerald adds as he re-checks the readings. "Those life forms I mentioned? They're mugatos. Looks like they're curious about something. Maybe they picked up your scent?"

[Patrick Goodman]

Tann-Tyra rolled her eyes as she turned to the west and raised her phaser to a ready position. "It's always something," she muttered under her breath.

[Davy, aka GM]

Gerald opens a communications channel to the three team leaders. "Sirs, I'm picking up two humans 75m north of your position, moving in your direction. But they're not moving fast, so I don't think they've spotted you. There are two non-humans 50m west of the LZ, so they might have something to do with them. You've also got two guards at the town gate."

The captain frowns and acknowledges the report. "Keep us posted if either party begins to approach."

Looking at the others, he adds, "We should probably take down the patrol, if we can do it quietly." He's about to give orders when his communicator beeps again.

"Uh, just a second, sirs," Gerald adds as he re-checks the readings. "Those life forms I mentioned? They're mugatos. Looks like they're curious about something. Maybe they picked up your scent?"

Tann-Tyra rolled her eyes as she turned to the west and raised her phaser to a ready position. "It's always something," she muttered under her breath.

"Understood. Teams out," he responds, his frown deepening.

"Team leaders," Styles commands, gesturing with a nod of his head that they should join him. When Cole and Tann-Tyra approach, he adds in a lower tone, "Options? Engaging the mugatos won't go quietly, and that'll earn the attention of the patrol. Taking out the patrol quietly will only give the mugatos time to track us by scent, and using phaser fire to take the patrol down would likely alert the guards at the gate, even if it might scare off the animals.

"We could just slip away, down the hill to the palisade wall, and let the two pairs deal with each other. Or split up and engage both the animals and the patrol simultaneously. I'd rather not leave either of them roaming around while we're outside the village walls. What do you two think?"

[Renny]

Cole ponders for a moment.
"I agree that having those two sets of....variables at our back is something we can't risk. We have to split and deal with them both."
He pauses a beat.
"As quietly as possible."

[Patrick Goodman]

"They probably scented me," she said softly. "Deltan pheromones are more potent than Human ones. What if...." She paused for a moment. "Do you think we could lead them closer to the gate? While most of us stay in the shadows close to the gate, we...I...lure the creatures out near the guard shack as that patrol approaches. Guards and patrol see mugatos, go out and deal with the threat, and we sneak into the village unnoticed."

[Renny]

Cole glanced at Tann-Tyra with thinly veiled approval. "Or that could work as well", he said.

"Are you sure you're up for this, Tann?", Cole states carefully. "The Mugato are dangerous, and unpredictable."

[Patrick Goodman]

"I believe I am, sir," she replied. "And I like my odds of doing it without getting mauled, or I wouldn't have brought it up."

[Renny]

Cole managed to avoid beaming with pride, although it took work. He turned his gaze on Styles.
"Well Captain, I respectfully submit that we follow the Ensign's lead on this. She has my full confidence."

[Davy, aka GM]

Cole and Tann-Tyra can almost feel the scrutiny poring over them as Styles assesses their confidence in each other and the plan. With a slight clear of his throat and a glance around the horizon, the captain nods.

"Bold; I like it. It's your game, Ensign," he says. "You're still going to need some backup. Mr. Cole and -" he looks first at Reed, then over Cole's shoulder "- Banks, the scuttlebutt on you is favorable, I'm told. You two, keep Tann-Tyra here guarded, but don't stay too close, so you don't interfere with her magic.

"The rest of the teams will head due east to the wall and wait for you to clear out the gate," Styles says. Raising his communicator, he adds, "Styles to Fryling. Focus your sensors on Tann-Tyra, Cole, and Banks, the mugatos and the roving patrol. We're going to attempt to lure the beasts into engaging the Apellans near the gate."

With a nod to the bait and her guardians. "On your lead."

OOC: Yes, I'm setting this up so that all four PCs are engaged.

That said, how do you want to reach your goal? The challenges I see here are:

1. Draw the mugatos to within sight of the gate.
2. Get both the guards and the patrol to chase the mugatos away.
3. Don't be seen in all of this.
4. Don't let the mugatos get close enough to attack you.
5. Don't let the mugatos get drawn instead to Cole and Ally.

Am I missing anything?

[Patrick Goodman]

I think you have the salient points covered.

[Doug Burke]

Ally nodded to Captain Styles and joined Cole and Tann-Tyra, skiing her best not to stumble. Are you kidding me? she thought, Bad enough to have caught the eye of my own captain, but now this guy too?!

[Renny]

OOC: Absolutely nothing to worry about with this plan, it's all good.

[Patrick Goodman]

Hope everyone rolls well. I foresee a lot of Momentum use on my part....

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Okay, we're going to go with a linear gated challenge. We'll have four tasks to complete.

First Task is to get the Mugatos' attention:
Tann-Tyra Presence + Command, Difficulty 2 (her Deltan Trait can be invoked as an Advantage). Unfortunately, she's on her own on this one.

Second Task is to get them to follow Tann-Tyra while managing distance:
Tann-Tyra Daring + Security, Difficulty 2 (her Deltan Trait actually works against her as a Complication in this case). Assisted by Cole & Ally Daring + Security to help manage distance.

Third Task is to pull them to the gate area without being seen:
Tann-Tyra Presence + Command (Deltan Trait as Advantage), assisted by Cole & Ally Control + Security and Fryling's Insight + Security. Opposed by Mugatos' Insight + Security (Tracking Focus applies), on assisted by the other.

Fourth Task is to draw the Apellans to the mugatos:
Tann-Tyra Daring + Command vs. Difficulty 1. Fryling can assist her on this one with his Insight + Security.

Tann-Tyra is up for the first task.

[Patrick Goodman]

Tann-Tyra looked from Cole to Styles and back again. "That was suspiciously easy," she muttered light-heartedly as she ambled a little to the west before turning in the direction of the road. "Come on, you hideous furbags," she said, mostly to herself. "I chose Starfleet over Father's restaurant; don't make me regret that."

And this is where Supporting Characters make things interesting....

Presence (10) + Command (1), TN 11, Diff 2, Deltan Advantage

Rolled 2d20 : 18, 3, total 21

All right, come and get me. Slowly.