Among the ruins of a lost civilization;A FPFH campaign turn 5

The 5th turn of my Five Parsecs campaign was a quick but exiting affair, it's really beginning to pick up the pace, and gets more exiting every time!
 

For first-time readers;
The adventurers can be found here: Link

The first Campaign round summary: To the beginning!
The second Campaign round summary: The adventures continues!
The third Campaign round summary:  A quest is begun!
The forth Campaign round summary: The Quest continues!

Last time the Adventurers aquired a substantial amount of data on alien artefacts from the site they searched, but most of it was in a clearly alien cipher! They needed an expert in the field of xeno-archeology. The word was put out through whatever sources they had, now they could only wait.

Using some of the big pile of local currency they had amassed, captain Al managed to trade some of it for a frak grenade and an odd-looking pistol. Closer inspection revealed that the handgun was infact a shard gun, a prized and quite rare weapon out on the fringe!
 Chiyo secures another handgun in a trade, and Mr Hammer holds down the fort.
Mr Smith works out, while Duke tries to recuit some local muscle for the next mission; Sensing that there's more danger than he claims, nobody takes the offer though.

Finally they get the answer they're looking for; A local contact have heard of a excavation site in the deepest regions of the western desert, set up to investigate a newly unearthed alien ruin. The leader of the expedition is a former marine turned relic hunter by the name of Gina.

Armed with this knowledge the group sets out, hiring a grav-speeder to make it there in record time (breaking only a few traffic and safety regulations along the way).


For the first time the entire crew is all going on the mission!
Captain Black brought his trusted revolver and a knife. Mr Hammer had his usual combo of gattling gun and brutal melée weapon. Mr smith chooses to go with a auto-rifle instead of his usual rattle-gun; choosing speed of firepower for this mission.
Chiyo had her automatic and socket-wrench, while Duke came loaded with body armor, a hunting rifle, his power-fist, a handgun and a grenade; Armed to the teeth as usual.

When they come upon the site, the silhouette of a stone monolith is dominating the area. Strange crystal formations and local flora grow in patches, and they seem to be angling toward the alien pillar, like flowers turns to the sun.. At the pillar´s base, there is a team of scientist, along with a woman in armor. Is this the archeologist they came to see?

 Our heroes barely have the time to survey the landscape before they notice someting approching the campsite from the far side.. 

..It's the Andromeda Cult! Their precence seems to indicate higher stakes than the adventurers had originally thought! 

Knowing that the numerical superiority of the cult would wear them down should the battle go on for long, Both the captain and Duke bounds forward. Al is aiming to reach the scientist as fast as humanly possible, and Duke goes into a overwatch position, to cover his allies.

The Cult and the small group of  scientists led by Gina spot soon spot each other, the cult surging forward while the scientist look for cover. To them it looks as if they are beset from both sides!

A Brunt mercenary, a spieces of big anthropromorphic rhinos, charges Gina.
This looks disastrous to onlookers, but dont forget that Gina used to be a marine!

The brunt swings heavily, but hits only air, Gina is already behind him, and in one swift stroke she brings her combat knife down between his skull and spine severing their connection.

One of her crew tries to use the range-finding laser on his survey gear to scare a cultist into cowering, but he easily spots the con!

The cultist keep coming, probing to try and find a way through to their prize.
 When the cthuul carring a rattle-gun swings out of cover, he is quickly faced with a swarm of bullets from Mr Smith and the captain, forcing him behind cover once more. 

 Captain Al manages to reach the beleaguered scientists, putting his revolver away and explains who they are and why they've come.
Gina listens to his story, and considering that the adventurers are the only ones within a 100 miles not trying to capture her or worse, she accepts Al´s proposal. They are leaving, posthaste.

Mr Hammer moves into a better overwatch position as well, to cover their escape.

While everyone is focused on the events around the pillar, the rattle-gun toting cultist swings out of cover yet again, intent to supressing our heroes to give his fellows a chance to close the distance. Mr Smith is forced to hunker down, keeing in cover, but Chiyo, less experienced on the battlefield, bails and runs back towards the grav-speeder. Eventually, she stops and hunkers down as well, waiting for her crew-mates to catch up. 

Retaliation is swift and brutal, Mr Hammer opens up with his gattling, spraying the small cluster of cultists that's gathered on the near side of the camp. 3 of their number is forced to dive for cover, one of them bails far enough to flee, but summons up his nerve last minute. 

The Scientists and Gina starts to fall back, with out heroes laying down covering fire.
Seeing their prey almost slipping their grasp, the Cultists advance with alacrity, trying to catch up by sheer force of will. But the forward 2 cultists are pinned down by Duke and the captain. 

With 2 scurry turns back to back, the adventurers and their new scientist allies fall back to the edge of the site, Mr Smith and Chiyo runs along to make sure that the Grav-speeder is warmed up and ready to go.

 But then, just as Gina and the rest of our heroes are leaving the battle, distaster strikes! The rattle-gun carring cultist that has hounded our heroes comes into view, his machinegun firing full auto.
 Before anbody can react, Gina lets out a grunt and collapses.
The return fire from Al, Mr Hammer and Duke turns the unlucky assailant into a pink mushy paste, barely recognizable as a once living thing.

Captain Al and Mr Hammer carry Gina between them, and as soon as everyone is loaded onto the speeder, they take off. As they speed away at dangerously high speeds, Mr Smith and Duke administers first aid to the wounded Gina, while the Cult is once again left in the dirt behind them..


Mission successful!


The team comes through the mission unharmed, but their Xeno-archeologist is worse off.
Due to the quick first aid she only sustained minor injuries, and will be bedridden one turn (31 on the injury roll).

The crew found some old, but perfectly servicable colony-rations, along with a survey map and a blade given to them by the greatfull scientists. One of them pledged his services to the group, as a way of thanks and repaying his life-debt. (he will be added as a goon to the roster).

With the artifact they seek in sight, all members, assisted by Gina, started to decipher the alien writing.

What strange things will they uncover? Is this somehow connected to the ancient device Gina once found while still in the marines? What lies ahead?


While short, this battle was exiting! It was really cinematic, right up until the end, with a twist that has got me planning the next installment already!

Till next time,look to the stars!