SheliakBob
Mongoose
The other night, I was generating a career background for an EarthForce Officer character (chargen is kind of like knitting, it passes the time, keeps one amused, and you end up with something you might even be able to use--eventually).
For the crucial Minbari War year, he got assigned to a colony world (Ceti Gamma) on a Diplomatic mission to try to gain allies for the EA.
At first, I looked at that and went "Hunh?", but I started mulling possibilities and came up with some that would work excellently as story or even campaign hooks. Since I won't get to use any of them (at least any time soon) and I'm bored at work, I thought I'd offer them up--free to a good home.
Who was the EarthForce talking to on Ceti Gamma and what did they hope to achieve?
1) THE GAIM: The Bugs tried to take the world once already and got beaten back. Suppose Earthforce tried to open channels to them (really, really difficult, but doable) and ask them what, exactly, they wanted from that system. They probably wanted the whole rich biosphere, but then again, it's a different kind of atmosphere and biota than they are used to so it wouldn't really have made a very useful colony.
Suppose--The Gaim discovered some bioproduct that could be obtained from the system's flora or fauna and that they had a dire need for it. Medicine? An enzyme that promotes breeding or caste assignments? Raw DNA for genetic experiments? What if it is something that the EA could trade to the Gaim without losing the planet, in return for help against the Minbari?
The Gaim space fleet wouldn't be at all useful, but Gaim ground soldiers would be one of the few things that could make a Minbari Warrior Caste fighter wish he'd been born Worker Caste instead!
Didn't happen in canon, at least on any large scale, but picture a more localized success. The Minbari invade the system and lay seige to a stronghold. EarthForce digs in and prepares to fight to the last man. Things get grim, but...
"Look for my coming at the dawn of the third sun..." suddenly a Gaim assault force arrives and tears into the Minbari onplanet. Now, it's the Minbari's turn to play a little "Starship Trooper" as two of the most feared ground combatant forces in the Galaxy clash.
Good for tense "doomed last stand" scenario for Earthforce characters, with a happy ending/rescue. But you could also do a Minbari focussed version where certain victory turns into a grim struggle for survival.
I'd try to play it from all three sides, with the diplomacy turns starting first (using Gaim diplomat characters and the Earthforce mission), then switch to the battle--Minbari vs Human probably not pc vs pc, but then again that might work too, depending on the group--then add in the Gaim as combatants. Say, 'bout two or three nights worth of gaming.
THEN I'd turn around and use that as the background/flashback for those same characters coming back to the scene of the chaos and horror years later to resolve outstanding issues or try to investigate unsolved mysteries from those confused and ferocious days.
2) THE VREE: As one of the oldest spacefaring races around, it's reasonable to assume that if anyone could help counter the Minbari tech advantage it'd be the Vree.
Right off, I see the Vree telling the Earthers, in their most kindly unemotional way, that the EA could NOT afford to pay what it would take to hire Vree ships to go head to head against the Minbari. They'd do it for the right price. But Earth just doesn't HAVE that many credits, even if they hock the entire Alliance.
But, with some wrangling and negotiations, it might just be possible for the EA to convince the Vree, or at least some Vree, to sell them advanced tracking and targetting systems, systems that might stand a chance of getting decent lock-ons against the Minbari. Such a coup could change the outcome of the war, so it'd have to be limited in scope and success.
Maybe one task force or even just one ship, gets the new gear, and possibly Vree "military advisors" along with it. How much good could one ship do against the Minbari juggernaut? Enough to make a good game of it, at least! Afterwards, these unknown successes are buried by those involved, the Vree not wanting to be on the bad side of the Minbari, the Minbari not wanting to admit that they lost more skirmishes than just the Black Star ambush, Earthforce because if the Minbari ever learned just why that scout group never reported back, it could inflame tensions and possibly start a new conflict. Everyone could have a reason to not want this previously unknown series of actions to come to light.
Which could make the basis of a whole 'nother scenario! How do you keep the veterans who survived the battles from talking? Where do you hide the suspiciously saucer-like ship that Earthforce "acquired" somewhere?
What would any of those involved be willing to do to halt any such investigation?
3. THE YOLU: The Yolu have been in space since before the last Shadow War. They have a formidible space force and technology to rival the Minbari. Sadly, Earthforce, all optimistic like, doesn't heed the advice of their LONAW contacts who assure them that there is absolutely no chance in Hell that the Yolu will get actively involved in anybody else's war.
Still, some shred of hope lingers with the Diplomatic Mission, since, after all, Earthforce did help the Yolu (among others) out during the Dilgar War. MAYBE that will count for something?
So the diplomatic mission sets up its base on Ceti Gamma and starts long range diplomacy efforts in the hopes of arranging some sort of meeting.
What they get, eventually, is an invite to visit the Pa'rl Monitor station.
While they will not be able to get a strategic alliance out of the Yolu, they could quite easily wind up with a shipfull of would be Mutai martial artists just aching to prove themselves in combat. This is the sort of hopeless, romantic, insanely dangerous mission that such folk live for!
enter..."The Seven Mutai-ists" or the "Magnificent Mutai..." or..oh, you get the idea.
Again, it's a local victory instead of a history-rewriting strategic one, but imagine the fun of having cinematic style alien martial artists guarding some isolated human outpost/colony against the Minbari. To keep them from getting blasted to bits right off, try playing the "I challenge your BEST warrior to face me in honorable combat!!" ploy.
Perhaps a series of contests to determine the fate of the outpost.
Or, there's always guerilla style resistance fighting, as the Mutai warriors seek to find and extract humans while the Minbari go on a murderous binge, holding back the superior numbers and technology of the Minbari with cunning and some serious Mutai-Fu!
4. OTHER...Ceti Gamma is a jumping off point for most of the LONAW and beyond. Desperate times call for desperate diplomats taking desperate risks. You could get some truly bizarre results.
"Now! Fight like Apes!!"
...such as they somehow manage to convince one of the Kor-Lyan kingdoms to loan or sell them a shipload of ape-host soldiers. Brutish warriors yes, without their symbiote masters, but still enough to make a difference on a small scale engagement.
And a nifty way to get a Kor-Lyan PC involved in something as unlikely as the Minbari War.
Hopefully there's something in one of those that somebody out there can use, or at least finds interesting.
Anyway, sure did kill an hour or so of down time at the desk!
For the crucial Minbari War year, he got assigned to a colony world (Ceti Gamma) on a Diplomatic mission to try to gain allies for the EA.
At first, I looked at that and went "Hunh?", but I started mulling possibilities and came up with some that would work excellently as story or even campaign hooks. Since I won't get to use any of them (at least any time soon) and I'm bored at work, I thought I'd offer them up--free to a good home.
Who was the EarthForce talking to on Ceti Gamma and what did they hope to achieve?
1) THE GAIM: The Bugs tried to take the world once already and got beaten back. Suppose Earthforce tried to open channels to them (really, really difficult, but doable) and ask them what, exactly, they wanted from that system. They probably wanted the whole rich biosphere, but then again, it's a different kind of atmosphere and biota than they are used to so it wouldn't really have made a very useful colony.
Suppose--The Gaim discovered some bioproduct that could be obtained from the system's flora or fauna and that they had a dire need for it. Medicine? An enzyme that promotes breeding or caste assignments? Raw DNA for genetic experiments? What if it is something that the EA could trade to the Gaim without losing the planet, in return for help against the Minbari?
The Gaim space fleet wouldn't be at all useful, but Gaim ground soldiers would be one of the few things that could make a Minbari Warrior Caste fighter wish he'd been born Worker Caste instead!
Didn't happen in canon, at least on any large scale, but picture a more localized success. The Minbari invade the system and lay seige to a stronghold. EarthForce digs in and prepares to fight to the last man. Things get grim, but...
"Look for my coming at the dawn of the third sun..." suddenly a Gaim assault force arrives and tears into the Minbari onplanet. Now, it's the Minbari's turn to play a little "Starship Trooper" as two of the most feared ground combatant forces in the Galaxy clash.
Good for tense "doomed last stand" scenario for Earthforce characters, with a happy ending/rescue. But you could also do a Minbari focussed version where certain victory turns into a grim struggle for survival.
I'd try to play it from all three sides, with the diplomacy turns starting first (using Gaim diplomat characters and the Earthforce mission), then switch to the battle--Minbari vs Human probably not pc vs pc, but then again that might work too, depending on the group--then add in the Gaim as combatants. Say, 'bout two or three nights worth of gaming.
THEN I'd turn around and use that as the background/flashback for those same characters coming back to the scene of the chaos and horror years later to resolve outstanding issues or try to investigate unsolved mysteries from those confused and ferocious days.
2) THE VREE: As one of the oldest spacefaring races around, it's reasonable to assume that if anyone could help counter the Minbari tech advantage it'd be the Vree.
Right off, I see the Vree telling the Earthers, in their most kindly unemotional way, that the EA could NOT afford to pay what it would take to hire Vree ships to go head to head against the Minbari. They'd do it for the right price. But Earth just doesn't HAVE that many credits, even if they hock the entire Alliance.
But, with some wrangling and negotiations, it might just be possible for the EA to convince the Vree, or at least some Vree, to sell them advanced tracking and targetting systems, systems that might stand a chance of getting decent lock-ons against the Minbari. Such a coup could change the outcome of the war, so it'd have to be limited in scope and success.
Maybe one task force or even just one ship, gets the new gear, and possibly Vree "military advisors" along with it. How much good could one ship do against the Minbari juggernaut? Enough to make a good game of it, at least! Afterwards, these unknown successes are buried by those involved, the Vree not wanting to be on the bad side of the Minbari, the Minbari not wanting to admit that they lost more skirmishes than just the Black Star ambush, Earthforce because if the Minbari ever learned just why that scout group never reported back, it could inflame tensions and possibly start a new conflict. Everyone could have a reason to not want this previously unknown series of actions to come to light.
Which could make the basis of a whole 'nother scenario! How do you keep the veterans who survived the battles from talking? Where do you hide the suspiciously saucer-like ship that Earthforce "acquired" somewhere?
What would any of those involved be willing to do to halt any such investigation?
3. THE YOLU: The Yolu have been in space since before the last Shadow War. They have a formidible space force and technology to rival the Minbari. Sadly, Earthforce, all optimistic like, doesn't heed the advice of their LONAW contacts who assure them that there is absolutely no chance in Hell that the Yolu will get actively involved in anybody else's war.
Still, some shred of hope lingers with the Diplomatic Mission, since, after all, Earthforce did help the Yolu (among others) out during the Dilgar War. MAYBE that will count for something?
So the diplomatic mission sets up its base on Ceti Gamma and starts long range diplomacy efforts in the hopes of arranging some sort of meeting.
What they get, eventually, is an invite to visit the Pa'rl Monitor station.
While they will not be able to get a strategic alliance out of the Yolu, they could quite easily wind up with a shipfull of would be Mutai martial artists just aching to prove themselves in combat. This is the sort of hopeless, romantic, insanely dangerous mission that such folk live for!
enter..."The Seven Mutai-ists" or the "Magnificent Mutai..." or..oh, you get the idea.
Again, it's a local victory instead of a history-rewriting strategic one, but imagine the fun of having cinematic style alien martial artists guarding some isolated human outpost/colony against the Minbari. To keep them from getting blasted to bits right off, try playing the "I challenge your BEST warrior to face me in honorable combat!!" ploy.
Perhaps a series of contests to determine the fate of the outpost.
Or, there's always guerilla style resistance fighting, as the Mutai warriors seek to find and extract humans while the Minbari go on a murderous binge, holding back the superior numbers and technology of the Minbari with cunning and some serious Mutai-Fu!
4. OTHER...Ceti Gamma is a jumping off point for most of the LONAW and beyond. Desperate times call for desperate diplomats taking desperate risks. You could get some truly bizarre results.
"Now! Fight like Apes!!"
...such as they somehow manage to convince one of the Kor-Lyan kingdoms to loan or sell them a shipload of ape-host soldiers. Brutish warriors yes, without their symbiote masters, but still enough to make a difference on a small scale engagement.
And a nifty way to get a Kor-Lyan PC involved in something as unlikely as the Minbari War.
Hopefully there's something in one of those that somebody out there can use, or at least finds interesting.
Anyway, sure did kill an hour or so of down time at the desk!
