Traveller Vignette 033

An honour guard of marines from the embassy was waiting at the bottom of the yacht's ramp, the chameleon surfaces of their battledress set to parade maroon with decorations and rank insignia.

Travis stepped forward, saluting “Sir Helen”

I returned the salute and got straight to business as we walked toward the grav limo “I read your updated report on the run in system. Is it as bad as...”

A high velocity rifle slug went wheet! past me and spanged off one of the marines, leaving a grey gash where it'd ripped the surface chameleon layer of his armour.

Six marines sprang to form a protective box around Travis and I, shielding us with their armoured bodies as they hustled us toward the armoured limo

“Shooter is on that building, top left corner” I heard one of the marines say through my ear bead; his suit computer's counter-battery function projecting the slug's trajectory backward.

“Don't return fire” I snapped. I was jumping the chain of command, and I'd apologise to the marine NCO later, but PGMPs aren't precision weapons, and media coverage was as much a tactical tool as a rifle. There was a good chance this whole incident was being staged in the hope we'd over-react and give the rebels another vid of “trigger happy imperial bullies” and a publicity victory


(Author's note - This is intended as a scenario setting. A world on the imperial fringe has a low level insurgency, and the characters - either as diplomats or agents - have to stop it, or at least prevent it getting worse. However, their opponents are media savvy, and any use of excessive force will cost the players local sympathy. Alternatively, since turnabout is fair play, the PCs may be working for the insurgents against the imperials)

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