A small act of piracy.

    In keeping with games run at TravellerCon-USA 2014 I ran a space combat game using some of the Classic Traveller ship minis from RAFM.  A couple of Full Thrust Islamic cruisers converted into Vargr Corsairs and two Studio Bergstrom fighters used as Rampart fighters.  We used the GURPS Traveller Starship combat rules.

The pirate forces.

 The Lab ship is the objective for the pirates.

Bottom to top: Gazelle class close escort,
 S-class scout,
 Subsidized merchant,
 Vargr corsair and a second Vargr corsair.

The rescue forces.

Left to right: 2 Rampart fighters,
a Patrol cruiser,
Far Trader merchant with a rescue team on board,
a second Patrol cruiser.

    The scenario, research ship Sagan a 400 ton Lab ship has gone silent.  Local authorities have dispatched a small rescue team, the pirates have sent in a small force to retrieve valuable equipment/data from the lab ship.  Victory conditions: the pirates must dock the Subsidized merchant with the Lab ship for 3 turns then escape.  The rescue team must stop them.

    

Final turn.  Oh the humaniti!
The Subsidized merchant is off the board to represent it being docked with the Lab ship.

    End of battle, the Subsidized merchant had docked with the Lab ship and had suffered about 50% damage.

the Close Escort had taken minimal damage,

both Vargr corsairs undamaged,

the Scout 50% damaged,

 both fighter pilots dead,

 the Far Trader obliterated by 2 Particle beam hits at close range,

  the first Patrol cruiser 30% damage,

the second Patrol cruiser minimal.

    We ran out of time this being a Sunday convention game so we called it a pirate victory.  Assessment: the Close Escort was king of the battle with it's heavy armor and array of weapons the rescue team was no match for it.  The fighters did prove to be elusive keeping themselves just out of full damage range.  .   

Cost analysis of risk vs gain.

The place - - TravellerCon/USA 2014.

 The expense - Vargr mercenaries. 

The risk - A Bwap settlement bordering the Ten Thousand Worlds attacked by K'kree forces.

The gain -  A world of our own to live in peace.  

At TravellerCon/USA 2014 I ran a skirmish between the K'kree and some Bwap bureaucrats with their Vargr mercenary allies.  The story behind the battle is simply the Bwap had a small satellite office complex on a world bordering the Thousand Worlds of the  K'kree during the Long Night.  One of the fanatical K'kree families learned of this threat and decided to remove it.  

Bwap office complex.

Upon arriving in system the K'kree space forces were met with Vargr forces.  Unable to directly bomb the settlement the K'kree commander was able to land one of his troop carriers near the Bwaps. 

K'kree forces ready to attack.

The K'kree charged the settlement looking to free the world of G'nack (Bwaps and Vargr).  At one point during the fighting the Bwaps were able to request (using much paperwork) one of the Vargr ships to blast a section of the settlement killing nine of the K'kree invaders.  This seemed to unnerve the K'kree and they soon fled the field of battle leaving the Bwaps in peace.

The K'kree decimated and broken flee in disarray.

 The rule set used is one of my own design I call it Bill's System or BS for short.  It's designed for four or more people to play.  Minimal rules, fast play.  This scenario was set up for 10 participants.  We ended up with for.  If you would like a copy I can email you a PDF copy.  I did design it with Traveller in mind.