"Good evening. I'll keep this brief, since we all have things to do. I know that you've each been surprised to receive a summons from two of the Legion's higher-ups: Rickus Redspear of Clan Hammerheart and Lady Charisma Stalton of the Cyber-Knight Fellowship. And not just general summons; you have each been asked for, specifically. The reason is because of me.
"My name is Moses Stafford. I'm a Captain in the 2nd Battalion of the Tomorrow Legion, under the command of Colonel Roland Durge. I have been ordered to put together and lead a new "Special Exploratory Team." For those of you who are unaware, a Special Exploratory Team (SET) is a special unit within the armed forces of the Tomorrow Legion. These teams are the most eclectic and adventurous of the special units and are charged with long range patrols, investigating troubling rumors, exploring new areas, and extending the Legion's influence to places beyond the direct reach of Castle Refuge. SETs tend to be combat oriented, but all have members trained in additional disciplines. Given that these units are troubleshooters intended to operate far from home base, and sometimes deep within hostile territory, they're provided fairly wide operational parameters. Still, they're expected to hold to the honorable rules and foundations of the Legion.
"In order to set up my new team, I was provided access to the personnel profiles of all available Legionnaires. It was from these profiles that I selected each of you, but drawing mostly from our new recruits. Each of you has been chosen to fill a role on the Special Exploratory Team because of your skills, unique abilities, and/or training. While SETs are occasionally criticized as being a way of keeping the Legion's more unruly and "off-center" members close together and away from the rest of the Legionnaires, I personally do not believe this to be true.
"Generally, I prefer to lead teams that have worked together before in the past, since putting together individuals who've never worked with each other can have unpredictable results. Personalities can clash, and some groups simply can't seem to reach a cooperative equilibrium. Still, the strengths that you each possess, whether supernatural or mundane, have been enough to overcome any of my reservations. Most of you are new and untested, so consider your time on this team as a means of cutting your teeth and earning your place in the Legion. It will be as much a learning experience for me as it will be for you, I'm sure."
The Assignment
"For several months now, the Tomorrow Legion has been receiving classified intelligence from a sympathizer imbedded in Lonestar City, capital of the Coalition State of Lonestar. The source of the intelligence is a CS National named William McKenneth. The reports have been brief messages concerning Coalition troop movements, supply schedules, anti-Pecos defense strategies, and some scientific data about Psi-Hounds and other mutant animals. The information is not extremely sensitive or terribly damaging to the Coalition, but it's still enough to provide us with a better understanding of their goals and operations in Texas. Certainly, the info is enough to secure McKenneth a death sentence for the crime of treason, were his activities to become known.
"We can't tell you much about McKenneth himself. He asserts that he is a scientist, and that his work is related to the production of mutant animals at Lonestar. The scientific nature of some of the intel that he has provided us seems to support this. He claims to be a CS citizen who has grown disillusioned with his homeland and its philosophies. In fact, his dissatisfaction motivated him to one day locate and contact the closest Cyber-Knight in the region. At first, McKenneth operated as an anonymous informant, providing semi-regular intelligence in return for payment in untraceable Black Market credits. The Cyber-Knight to whom he's been reporting, in turn, has been passing the information to Lord Coake and the Legion. However, recent events have forced Dr. McKenneth to reveal his identity, and to request protection from the Cyber-Knight Fellowship. Dr. McKenneth was too panicked to explain his situation, but it's assumed that his betrayal may have been discovered by CS authorities. As such, he may now be on the run.
"In his last dispatch, Dr. McKenneth stated that he had tremendously valuable intel to share. He didn't detail the exact nature of this intel, other than stating it was plans or schematics of some sort, and that they were highly classified. Consequently, our unit's mission is to meet up with the doctor, verify the validity and value of his intel, and bring him (and the intel) back safely to Castle Refuge. If McKenneth's information is as good as he says it is, then the Tomorrow Legion may be in a position to offer him asylum.
"We were originally supposed to meet with our mission target at a rat hole of a town called "Laredo." Unfortunately, circumstances have forced the meet location to change; apparently Laredo had too much of a Pecos presence and McKenneth claims not to feel safe there. As such, we will now be picking him up in another small, isolated community known as "Waco-By-The-Wastes," or just "Waco" for short. This new location is farther east, which puts it a longer distance from both the Coalition and the Pecos Empire. It means we won't have to travel quite as far, but it also means McKenneth will need to cross more distance to get to us. Since his request for aid from the Cyber-Knight Fellowship, McKenneth's contact with the Legion has been brief and erratic. The doctor sounds frightened, exhausted, and is on the move.
"McKenneth does NOT know about the Tomorrow Legion or its existence. At the moment, he believes he is solely in contact with the Cyber-Knight Fellowship and that his intelligence leaks are going to them. For security reasons, we see no reason to correct this misconception.
"There is a very obvious possibility that McKenneth and his intel are a ploy; that Dr. McKenneth is working for CS Intelligence and passing faulty information in order to deceive the Coalition's enemies, or to set a trap. Perhaps William McKenneth doesn't even exist. Alternately, it's possible that McKenneth has no valuable information, and that he's only saying this in order to secure our help and protection from the CS. The Legion's mages and psychics have augured over the matter and foresee no deception on the doctor's part. Still, spells and psi-powers have been known to be wrong.
"Regardless of the dangers, Dhara Hammerheart and General MacGruder have determined that the risks are worth it. Depending on what he has, Dr. McKenneth's information might be extremely helpful to the Legion, giving us an advantage over the CS once we eventually expand into Texas. Even if he doesn't actually possess earth-shattering intel, he has worked as a CS scientists for many years. His inside knowledge of Lonestar's inner workings alone would likely prove quite valuable to the Legion. The Coalition may well be in pursuit of McKenneth, which means that a violent confrontation between our forces and theirs is still a strong possibility. Let's make something clear, however: the Tomorrow Legion wishes to avoid violence. Combat is authorized only if absolutely necessary. For those of you that might have a bone to pick with the Coalition due to past grievances, this is NOT an opportunity to waylay Dead Boys. Don't forget that you'll be on their turf, and their reinforcements are much closer than yours."
The Sulfur Gulch Guns
"Once we arrive in Texas, but before reaching Waco-By-The-Wastes, our unit will be meeting with another group waiting in the region. This five-man unit of freelancers is not officially a part of the Tomorrow Legion, but they are on the Legion's payroll, and they've been hired to assist us in seeing Dr. McKenneth safely out of Texas. Popularly, the group is known as the "Sulfur Gulch Guns."
"Maybe you've heard of them. Maybe you haven't. They are a small mercenary unit that operates in the Lower Midwest and New West territories, and they have a reputation for ONLY taking contracts against one target: The Coalition States. Though small, the outfit is highly skilled, ruthless, and unafraid of the Coalition. For this reason, the CS has the merc group "blacklisted," meaning that any CS squad has the authority to arrest the group's members or kill them on sight. The Guns regard their blacklisted status as a badge of honor, and proudly proclaim it while flipping the bird at the local Dead Boys.
"Some soldiers-of-fortune view the group as amateurish, but the Guns are actually very capable warriors who've survived dozens of small skirmishes with CS forces. This is thanks to the clever strategies they employ, more than anything. The Guns are smart enough to avoid engaging the Dead Boys head-on, using hit-and-run tactics, ambushes, and other classic tricks of warfare. They know the Coalition has the advantage in numbers and better equipment, so they take care to only fight the CS on "their terms."
"For the last few months, the Sulfur Gulch Guns have been repeatedly hiring themselves out to the Tomorrow Legion. Our contacts in Texas meet with them, provide the assignment, and pay them when it's done. So far, all of the Guns' jobs for the Legion have involved smuggling refugees or contraband, and spying on (and sabotaging) CS activities in Texas and Arkansas. Our current assignment, however, will represent the first time that they've engaged in a joint operation with one of our teams. Their purpose on this mission is purely to act as support. The Guns will serve as backup in case things don't go as planned. As I stated before, the CS may be pursuing Dr. McKenneth, which means he might have a lot of heat on his tail by the time we find him. Also, because they are native to the region, the Guns know Texas and the surrounding areas quite well, and they can be local guides during our visit.
"Although the Guns are operating independently and are not under my authority, they know that they are expected to follow our lead and do things our way. Otherwise, they don't get paid. If all goes well, we won't need the help of the Sulfur Gulch Guns. Unless there's trouble, the group's members will simply shadow us for most of our time in Texas.
"All that said, make sure that you keep your wits about you. These mercenaries may be our allies for the time being, but they've only worked for the Legion for a few months. That's hardly a long time, which means we don't ultimately know much about them. We do know that they were bandits at one point and rode with the Pecos Empire a few years ago, but we've also heard stories portraying the Sulfur Gulch Guns as Robin Hood types and outlaws with "hearts of gold." It's likely that such tales are exaggerations. Nonetheless, they are reputed to only attack and rob Coalition military targets, and they seem to sympathize with the plight of the Tolkeenite refugees, D-Bees, and other victims of the CS. So for now, they get the benefit of the doubt, but we Legionnaires aren't naive or stupid.
"Keep one eye on the Coalition, and the other eye on them..."
"My name is Moses Stafford. I'm a Captain in the 2nd Battalion of the Tomorrow Legion, under the command of Colonel Roland Durge. I have been ordered to put together and lead a new "Special Exploratory Team." For those of you who are unaware, a Special Exploratory Team (SET) is a special unit within the armed forces of the Tomorrow Legion. These teams are the most eclectic and adventurous of the special units and are charged with long range patrols, investigating troubling rumors, exploring new areas, and extending the Legion's influence to places beyond the direct reach of Castle Refuge. SETs tend to be combat oriented, but all have members trained in additional disciplines. Given that these units are troubleshooters intended to operate far from home base, and sometimes deep within hostile territory, they're provided fairly wide operational parameters. Still, they're expected to hold to the honorable rules and foundations of the Legion.
"In order to set up my new team, I was provided access to the personnel profiles of all available Legionnaires. It was from these profiles that I selected each of you, but drawing mostly from our new recruits. Each of you has been chosen to fill a role on the Special Exploratory Team because of your skills, unique abilities, and/or training. While SETs are occasionally criticized as being a way of keeping the Legion's more unruly and "off-center" members close together and away from the rest of the Legionnaires, I personally do not believe this to be true.
"Generally, I prefer to lead teams that have worked together before in the past, since putting together individuals who've never worked with each other can have unpredictable results. Personalities can clash, and some groups simply can't seem to reach a cooperative equilibrium. Still, the strengths that you each possess, whether supernatural or mundane, have been enough to overcome any of my reservations. Most of you are new and untested, so consider your time on this team as a means of cutting your teeth and earning your place in the Legion. It will be as much a learning experience for me as it will be for you, I'm sure."
The Assignment
"For several months now, the Tomorrow Legion has been receiving classified intelligence from a sympathizer imbedded in Lonestar City, capital of the Coalition State of Lonestar. The source of the intelligence is a CS National named William McKenneth. The reports have been brief messages concerning Coalition troop movements, supply schedules, anti-Pecos defense strategies, and some scientific data about Psi-Hounds and other mutant animals. The information is not extremely sensitive or terribly damaging to the Coalition, but it's still enough to provide us with a better understanding of their goals and operations in Texas. Certainly, the info is enough to secure McKenneth a death sentence for the crime of treason, were his activities to become known.
"We can't tell you much about McKenneth himself. He asserts that he is a scientist, and that his work is related to the production of mutant animals at Lonestar. The scientific nature of some of the intel that he has provided us seems to support this. He claims to be a CS citizen who has grown disillusioned with his homeland and its philosophies. In fact, his dissatisfaction motivated him to one day locate and contact the closest Cyber-Knight in the region. At first, McKenneth operated as an anonymous informant, providing semi-regular intelligence in return for payment in untraceable Black Market credits. The Cyber-Knight to whom he's been reporting, in turn, has been passing the information to Lord Coake and the Legion. However, recent events have forced Dr. McKenneth to reveal his identity, and to request protection from the Cyber-Knight Fellowship. Dr. McKenneth was too panicked to explain his situation, but it's assumed that his betrayal may have been discovered by CS authorities. As such, he may now be on the run.
"In his last dispatch, Dr. McKenneth stated that he had tremendously valuable intel to share. He didn't detail the exact nature of this intel, other than stating it was plans or schematics of some sort, and that they were highly classified. Consequently, our unit's mission is to meet up with the doctor, verify the validity and value of his intel, and bring him (and the intel) back safely to Castle Refuge. If McKenneth's information is as good as he says it is, then the Tomorrow Legion may be in a position to offer him asylum.
"We were originally supposed to meet with our mission target at a rat hole of a town called "Laredo." Unfortunately, circumstances have forced the meet location to change; apparently Laredo had too much of a Pecos presence and McKenneth claims not to feel safe there. As such, we will now be picking him up in another small, isolated community known as "Waco-By-The-Wastes," or just "Waco" for short. This new location is farther east, which puts it a longer distance from both the Coalition and the Pecos Empire. It means we won't have to travel quite as far, but it also means McKenneth will need to cross more distance to get to us. Since his request for aid from the Cyber-Knight Fellowship, McKenneth's contact with the Legion has been brief and erratic. The doctor sounds frightened, exhausted, and is on the move.
"McKenneth does NOT know about the Tomorrow Legion or its existence. At the moment, he believes he is solely in contact with the Cyber-Knight Fellowship and that his intelligence leaks are going to them. For security reasons, we see no reason to correct this misconception.
"There is a very obvious possibility that McKenneth and his intel are a ploy; that Dr. McKenneth is working for CS Intelligence and passing faulty information in order to deceive the Coalition's enemies, or to set a trap. Perhaps William McKenneth doesn't even exist. Alternately, it's possible that McKenneth has no valuable information, and that he's only saying this in order to secure our help and protection from the CS. The Legion's mages and psychics have augured over the matter and foresee no deception on the doctor's part. Still, spells and psi-powers have been known to be wrong.
"Regardless of the dangers, Dhara Hammerheart and General MacGruder have determined that the risks are worth it. Depending on what he has, Dr. McKenneth's information might be extremely helpful to the Legion, giving us an advantage over the CS once we eventually expand into Texas. Even if he doesn't actually possess earth-shattering intel, he has worked as a CS scientists for many years. His inside knowledge of Lonestar's inner workings alone would likely prove quite valuable to the Legion. The Coalition may well be in pursuit of McKenneth, which means that a violent confrontation between our forces and theirs is still a strong possibility. Let's make something clear, however: the Tomorrow Legion wishes to avoid violence. Combat is authorized only if absolutely necessary. For those of you that might have a bone to pick with the Coalition due to past grievances, this is NOT an opportunity to waylay Dead Boys. Don't forget that you'll be on their turf, and their reinforcements are much closer than yours."
The Sulfur Gulch Guns
"Once we arrive in Texas, but before reaching Waco-By-The-Wastes, our unit will be meeting with another group waiting in the region. This five-man unit of freelancers is not officially a part of the Tomorrow Legion, but they are on the Legion's payroll, and they've been hired to assist us in seeing Dr. McKenneth safely out of Texas. Popularly, the group is known as the "Sulfur Gulch Guns."
"Maybe you've heard of them. Maybe you haven't. They are a small mercenary unit that operates in the Lower Midwest and New West territories, and they have a reputation for ONLY taking contracts against one target: The Coalition States. Though small, the outfit is highly skilled, ruthless, and unafraid of the Coalition. For this reason, the CS has the merc group "blacklisted," meaning that any CS squad has the authority to arrest the group's members or kill them on sight. The Guns regard their blacklisted status as a badge of honor, and proudly proclaim it while flipping the bird at the local Dead Boys.
"Some soldiers-of-fortune view the group as amateurish, but the Guns are actually very capable warriors who've survived dozens of small skirmishes with CS forces. This is thanks to the clever strategies they employ, more than anything. The Guns are smart enough to avoid engaging the Dead Boys head-on, using hit-and-run tactics, ambushes, and other classic tricks of warfare. They know the Coalition has the advantage in numbers and better equipment, so they take care to only fight the CS on "their terms."
"For the last few months, the Sulfur Gulch Guns have been repeatedly hiring themselves out to the Tomorrow Legion. Our contacts in Texas meet with them, provide the assignment, and pay them when it's done. So far, all of the Guns' jobs for the Legion have involved smuggling refugees or contraband, and spying on (and sabotaging) CS activities in Texas and Arkansas. Our current assignment, however, will represent the first time that they've engaged in a joint operation with one of our teams. Their purpose on this mission is purely to act as support. The Guns will serve as backup in case things don't go as planned. As I stated before, the CS may be pursuing Dr. McKenneth, which means he might have a lot of heat on his tail by the time we find him. Also, because they are native to the region, the Guns know Texas and the surrounding areas quite well, and they can be local guides during our visit.
"Although the Guns are operating independently and are not under my authority, they know that they are expected to follow our lead and do things our way. Otherwise, they don't get paid. If all goes well, we won't need the help of the Sulfur Gulch Guns. Unless there's trouble, the group's members will simply shadow us for most of our time in Texas.
"All that said, make sure that you keep your wits about you. These mercenaries may be our allies for the time being, but they've only worked for the Legion for a few months. That's hardly a long time, which means we don't ultimately know much about them. We do know that they were bandits at one point and rode with the Pecos Empire a few years ago, but we've also heard stories portraying the Sulfur Gulch Guns as Robin Hood types and outlaws with "hearts of gold." It's likely that such tales are exaggerations. Nonetheless, they are reputed to only attack and rob Coalition military targets, and they seem to sympathize with the plight of the Tolkeenite refugees, D-Bees, and other victims of the CS. So for now, they get the benefit of the doubt, but we Legionnaires aren't naive or stupid.
"Keep one eye on the Coalition, and the other eye on them..."