Actual Play: Firefly "Old War Horses" Session 1 The Bank Job

Session 1: The Bank Job
Wednesday, October 11, 2017


Dramatis Personae:

• Captain Ramsey Zook, played by BR
• General Samuel Zook, played by BR 
• Doc Gaines, played by BA
• Bang Buckwheat, played by BB
• Prospero Jones, played by J
• John Havelock, played by A
• Fiona Webb Ryan, Registered Companion, lady friend of Ramsey Zook
• Drew and Stewie Sorox, bank robbers
• Sorox gang members
• Theo Doolan, bank manager of Kirkmeier Bank
• Miss Purdy, town school marm, 
• Sheriff, Deputies and Townsfolk of Kirkmeier
• Doctor Hassan Schumacher, 479th chief medical officer
• Chow Davis, 479th trooper

Planet: Ossolambria, moon of Shadow
Town: Kirkmeier

Close of view of Ramsey Zook, Doc Gaines and Fiona Webb Ryan. Someone off screen shouts "This is a stick-up!" and the camera pans back to see Ramsey, Doc and Fiona in a bank, holding their hands up.

A pair of rough looking bank robbers, Drew and Stewie Sorox, along with their 8 gang members, are holding up the bank in Kirkmeier, on Ossolambria, one of the moons of Shadow.

Other townsfolk in the bank also have their hands up, as well as the bank tellers and bank manager.

Roll back a minute or so and the rough men enter the bank while Ramsey, Doc and Fiona chat amicably waiting in line to see the bank manager about a job. Fiona is in town on a tour and met up with Ramsey and decided to accompany him.

Outside the bank, Bang is waiting in the mule and sees the gang enter the bank, with guns out. Prospero is in a nearby junkyard, looking for some parts. John is doing deals with Li Po, a merchant of the town.

Drew recognizes Zook as the officer who ordered him punished for a minor offense during the Unification War and wanted revenge! He starts talking crap to Ramsey and then grabs Fiona.

Doc Gaines gets involved and tries to land a punch on Drew (fails and rolls 2 jinxes), who coldly shoots him down (rolls 1 jinx) (End result: Doc Gaines gets Complication: Gut Shot D6).

As Doc falls to the floor, with Fiona rushing to his aid, Ramsey draws his pistol and shoots down two of the gang (rolls 2 jinxes creating new Complication: Fiona is a hostage D8). Drew grabs Fiona as Stewie shoves money into a bag.

After hearing gunshots outside, Bang tells one of the townsfolk to get the sheriff -- the bank is being robbed! -- and rushes across the street, drawing his pistol.

Bang tells Prospero that the bank is being robbed and asks if that was the plan. Prospero remembers that the Captain, Doc and Fiona headed to the bank to meet with the bank manager, and, no, robbing the bank wasn't on the menu for today. Prospero finds a part in the junk yard that could help the base on Ita with their atmospheric regulator (Asset: Part to repair Ita's Atmospheric Regulator D8) but it's huge!

At the door to the bank, his radio squawks to life -- Prospero needs the mule to haul the part he found to the ship (Complication: Bang's Radio is Squawking and heard by the Sorox Gang in the Bank D6). Members of the Sorox gang inside hear Prospero and they and Bang have a gunfight through the bank door. Bang shoots two of them dead (rolls 3 jinxes for a new Complication: Townsfolk see Bang shooting up the bank and think he's one of the bank robbers D8 and increasing Complication: Fiona is a hostage D10).

John is doing business with Li Po and a kid runs by screaming for the sheriff that the bank is being robbed. Then he hears gunfire and tries to get to the bank but Li Po is a shrewd businessman and tries to get the upper hand. John wins a good deal with caveats (rolled 2 jinxes for Complication: must deliver on deal in 5 days D8).

Bang crashes through the door and a gunfight erupts. Two more of the gang are down (rolled 3 jinxes, increasing Complication: Townsfolk think Bang is robbing the bank D12 and Complication: Fiona is a hostage D12). From the townsfolk outside the bank, it looked like Bang shot down in cold blood Miss Purdy, the school marm!

Fiona, absolutely disgusted she's being held hostage by Drew, gives Ramsey a look "you better kill this sumbitch and right quick". Ramsey shoots at Drew and one of his remaining men as Stewie runs out the back with the money. 

Zook kills one of the gangsters and almost gets Drew, but the last gang member steps into the bullet. Shoving Fiona at Ramsey, Drew beats feet after his brother.

Stewie runs out the back of the bank and runs into Prospero driving a borrowed mule with his part, dropping the bag of money all over the mule and the ground. Flustered, Stewie runs off, with Drew not too far behind and the sheriff, deputies and townsfolk in hot pursuit.

The bank manager makes sure Bang isn't arrested, explaining to the lawmen, as he helps up Miss Purdue, that Bang was helping fight off the robbers.

Gunfire sounds in the distance as the posse trade shots with Drew and Stewie.

A deputy stops where the money was dropped and starts collecting it, talking amicably with Prospero and asking about his part.

The sheriff came back and explained the Sorox brothers got away and made sure the bank got its money back.

Doc Gaines, Prospero and Bang headed back to the ship, since Doc has to patch himself up and Bang isn't sure that the townsfolk might not want to take a shot (or two) at him.

Ramsey, Fiona and John go talk to the bank manager.


///// Cut Scene /////
Planet: Ita, moon of Whittier

479th medical bay on Ita, Doctor Schumacher reports to General Zook that one of the troopers has. One down with a virulent disease that, on a normal planet, could lead to 30% fatalities. Ita, with its hot, hot climate, that number could become 50% or more!

General Zook asks who's sick and informed Chow Davis is the patient. Doctor Schumacher lets Zook know that the medicine to cure this disease isn't in their stocks and standard military delivery would take too long. Perhaps he should call his brother.

Zook chastises the doctor about presuming too much with respect to Ramsey and hangs up, thinks a bit, then places a Wave to Ramsey.

///// End Cut Scene /////

Planet: Ossolambria, moon of Shadow
Town: Kirkmeier

In the bank manager's office, Ramsey, John and Fiona wait as the manager makes sure everything is handed about the robbery and then comes in.

He introduces himself as Theo Doolan and asks why they want to see him. Ramsey states they were told that he was the man they should talk to about a job of a sensitive nature.

He smiles and pulls out a piece of paper, looks at it, and turns it over, as if he's expecting something more. Then he turns it back over and looks sheepishly at them.

He tells them that his employer needs some product moved for him. It's on Persephone, in the Eavesdown Docks Bonded Container Depot, No. 2337. There is a pass to get into the Depot (Asset: Pass into Persephone Eavesdown Docks Bonded Container Depot D6).

There are two old Type 47 Containers (large storage containers that hole a lot of stuff) at the location and the product is under a large blue tarp. One of the Type 47s has the delivery address but it's not on Persephone nor Ossolambria. 

The two Type 47 Containers and the product have to be removed from the Depot before No. 2337 lease runs out, which is very soon. Nothing on the sheet of paper tells the crew what the product is, simply it's under a large blue tarp and has to be moved.

Ramsey asks about the fee and Theo low-balls them. John jumps in and negotiates a very good deal, since the product, time to complete job and delivery location are unknown, and fuel costs, docking fees, etc, are known.

They shake hands and the crew heads back to the ship. Fiona has a few more weeks in the area and she bids Ramsey goodbye and they'll talk soon.

The ship launches and Bang tells Ramsey, at Full Burn, it'll take 3 Days 16 Hours to travel from Ossolambria, moon of Shadow, to Persephone.

Next Session: What's the Product? Where does it need to go? And what's up with a virulent disease on Ita?