APAGear II Archives Volume 1, Number 6 June, 1999

APAGear II

Job's Barrington Light Cavalry

Alistair Gillies

Operating in the Barrington Basin, this mercenary unit has, in the last few cycles, developed a quiet reputation for professionalism and success. Its most noteworthy feature, however, is that it is composed mostly of GRELs. The unit consists of Captain Stephen Job, Sergeant Nigel Chea, Soldier Phillips (Isaac class), Soldier Hera (Isabella class) and eight other Mordred class GRELs.


Captain Stephen Job

Born on Earth in AD 6099, Stephen Job was an eager recruit of the Commonwealth Expeditionary Force straight out of high school. Showing aptitude for leadership he attended officer training and was immediately assigned to the Terranovan invasion force upon its completion. After further familiarisation training with GREL infantry on Caprice he landed on Terra Nova in TN 1916 as part of the first wave of landings at Port Baja. Assigned to secure the surrounding area while the rest of the reinforcements landed, Job's unit barely escaped when the combined Terranovan forces attacked the city. The rest of the war he spent as part of the CEF forces retreating slowly through the Eastern Desert, fighting Peace River Army units as they did so.

With nowhere to go after war ended and facing a hostile reception by locals, Job was part of an increasingly ragtag group of CEF soldiers leading a rover-like existence in the Eastern Desert until TN 1921 when he heard of Colonel Arthur's reorganisation of West Base. Arriving there in early TN 1922 he joined the newly formed Arthurian Korps where he served until TN 1926. Disillusioned with the Korps' slowly decaying equipment and personnel, Job resigned his commission but was unable to adjust to civilian life. After several failed jobs and relationships Job decided to re-enter the military life by forming his own mercenary unit. Recruiting from the hordes of depressed GRELs of Port Arthur, the Barrington Light Cavalry began operation in TN 1931.

Vital Statistics

Age: 48 cycles/34 years Height: 1.79 metres Mass: 73 kg Hair Color: Red Eye Color: Brown

Attributes

AGI +0 APP +0 BLD +0 CRE +1 FIT +1
INF +1 KNO +1 PER +0 PSY +0 WIL +1
STR +0 HEA +1 STA 30 UD 4 AD 4

Skills

Skills Skills Skills Skills
Athletics 1/+1 Computer 1/+1 Hand to Hand 1/+0 Swimming 1/+1
Bureaucracy 1/+1 Dodge 2/+0 Leadership (GRELs)* 2/+1 Tactics (Infantry)* 2/+1
Business 1/+1 Drive 1/+0 Melee 1/+0 Visual Art 1/+0
Combat Sense 2/+0 First Aid 1/+1 Notice 2/+0  
Communications 1/+1 F. Lang. (Universal French) 1/+1 Small Arms 2/+0  

*specialization

Equipment

desert suit, longcoat (AR 25), 9mm sidearm, digital goggles, collar communicator, sketch pad, military personal computer

Contacts

Major Skye O'Neill (specialties: leadership and gunnery), an officer in the Port Arthur Kavalry, Captain Iain Glassey (specialties: etiquette and social sciences), a Southern MILICIA Badlands liaison officer stationed at Azov, Caitlin Shboul, (specialties: investigation and small arms), marshal for the county of Basyl Ridge.


Sergeant Nigel Chea

Nigel Chea left the family farm, located on the northern edge of the Eastern Desert, in search of excitement at the age of 23 cycles. He found it in Peace River, the attractions of the big city totally new to him. Running low on funds he eventually enlisted in the defence force, where he spent several cycles in the cavalry as a gunner, picking up the nickname "Dawg" due to his acute eyesight. Eventually his wanderlust got the better of him again and he left the PRDF, signing on as a guard to a merchant caravan. Nigel criss-crossed the Badlands with the caravan on its trading route until TN 1931 when, looking for another change, he was recruited by Captain Job during a layover in Port Arthur.

Vital Statistics

Age: 32 cycles Height: 1.74 metres Mass: 67 kg Hair Color: Blonde Eye Color: Brown

Attributes

AGI +0 APP +0 BLD +0 CRE +1 FIT +0
INF +1 KNO +0 PER +2 PSY +0 WIL +0
STR +0 HEA +0 STA 25 UD 4 AD 5

Acute Vision

Skills

Skills Skills Skills Skills
Combat Sense 2 +2 Electronic Warfare 2 +1 Leadership 1 +1 Notice 2 +2
Communications 1 +0 First Aid 1 +0 Mechanics 1 +0 Small Arms 2 +0
Dodge 1 +0 Gunnery (Ground) 2 +2 Melee 2 +0 Survival 1 +1
Drive 1 +0 Hand to Hand 1 +0 Navigation (Land) 1 +0 Tactics 1 +1

Equipment

desert suit, light flak suit, 11 mm submachinegun, military throat/ear comm set, binoculars

Contacts

Dayvid Chea (specialties: farming and life sciences), Nigel's older brother and springer farmer, Sergeant Paul Gaukroger (specialties: tank driving and navigation), a Peace River Defence Force cavalry soldier, Miwa Arrow (specialties: business and navigation), a merchant caravan trailboss.


Badger

The APC used by the unit is a reconditioned Badger dating from the War of the Alliance. It is in fact one of the last of the "K" variant Badgers produced during the war. Shipped to the front lines too late to be used in the final offensive, it was abandoned in the Barrington Basin by exhausted Northern Guard forces when they returned home in TN 1917. It sat slowly rusting in a tank graveyard until Job purchased it from salvagers in TN 1931.

The APC has had several modifications made to it for its recall to service. The twin M56 autocannons have been replaced with a single Paxton Arms PA-55 autocannon to simplify resupply and maintenance requirements, while a HLB-16 AP grenade launcher scavenged from a Jäger gear has been mounted on the front of the APC for protection against infantry. Smoke dischargers have been mounted on either side of the turret while inside some of the seating has been removed from the troop compartment to make room for the unit's supplies. It has proved reliable and effective, although some of the Mordreds, weened on high speed hovercraft and sub-orbital shuttles, complain that it is "too slow at getting them to the fighting." The Badger is crewed by Soldier Phillips (driver) and Sergeant Chea (commander/gunner).

Vehicle Specifications

                Code Name: Badger APC
          Production Code: TTM-8/20K
          Production Type: Mass Produced
                     Cost: 130,813 marks (new)
             Manufacturer: Shaian Mechanics
                      Use: Wheeled Infantry Vehicle
                   Height: 2.37 metres
                   Length: 7.82 metres
  Average Armor Thickness: 28 mm
           Armor Material: Ceramic Alloy
Standard Operational Mass: 12,823 kg
    Primary Movement Mode: Ground
         Deployment Range: 560 km
             Sensor Range: 2 km
     Communications Range: 10 km
               Powerplant: Electric (x4) w/ gas turbine
               Horsepower: 300 hp (x4) + 150 hp

Modifications

                      Add: MAC (T, 60 ammo),
                           APGL (FF, 6 ammo),
                           Cargo Bay (8 cubic metres),
                           Haywire Resistant,
                           Smoke Launchers (10 shots)
                   Remove: Both LACs
                   Change: Passenger Seating to 12
    Modified Threat Value: 299
                Offensive: 342
                Defensive: 69
            Miscellaneous: 486

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APAGear II Archives Volume 1, Number 6 June, 1999