Okay, so...
"RENDEZVOUS"[/big]
This scenario would see two sides pitted against each other. One one, we have the retinue of Inquisitor Alaric Balthier:
(l-r: Salem "Slim" Rios, Inquisitor Balthier, Ishmael Castor)
BRIEFING – INQUISITOR BALTHIER
Having finally arrived at Nova Castille after a month of travel, you have sequestered a small strike force comprised of Arbitrators and PDF forces, and stand ready to destroy the White Snake Cartel utterly.
Like the centre of a web, you plan to strike at Nova Castille first before hunting down any remaining tendrils.
However, mere hours away from the execution of the strike, you receive a coded message marked with Inquisitorial ciphers requesting a clandestine rendezvous in the slums of Cantium.
Whilst on the other, we have Interrogator Ra'ef Venris, currently operating undercover on the planet of Nova Castille:
(l-r: Nasrine Arbest, Ra'ef Venris, Elias Quinn)
BRIEFING – INQUISITOR FEROX
With frustration, you have learnt through your contacts within the Dalthan Conclave that in the wake of the Lady Evangeline’s death, Lord Dire has set one of his lapdogs upon the trail of the White Snake Cartel.
Inquisitor Balthier plans a series of high-profile frontal assaults designed to smash the Cartel and leave it reeling. This will surely prove disastrous for your plans – especially as Interrogator Venris has reported that he is on the cusp of securing the information you require.
With these concerns at the forefront, you have directed Venris to arrange a meeting with Balthier in the hope of convincing him to at least delay the raids.
If Balthier cannot be convinced to hold off, he must be detained. Killing another Inquisitor – even one as dense as Balthier – is a drastic course of action, one that should not be entered into unless all other avenues have been exhausted.
We set the board up, using our "favela" terrain:
And the stage was set for the confrontation!
Night had begun to fall upon the slums of Cantium city, bringing with it a fog that was more like a thick woollen blanket, smothering the narrow streets and diffusing the dim light the glow-globes could produce.
Inquisitor Baltheir turned to regard his followers. Salem Rios stood tall, the legacy of a childhood spent on a low-gravity agri-world. His hair was braided and coloured in a style popular on Dalthus Prime, his beard shaped into a goatee that seemed to dance around his lips as they twitched into a slight smile. His hands hovered over the holsters that contained his customised laspistols as he listened to Balthier’s instructions.
Beside him stood the stout warrior-priest, Ishmael Castor. Ishmael’s craggy face, marked deeply by a long, vertical scar sustained in the defence of a pilgrim ship raided by slavers, was as dour as ever. He wore crimson robes and silvered armour swathed with purity seals and trinkets gathered during his years on the pilgrim trails. In his hands he carried a bulky “warspite” auto-rifle.
"Cover my advance as I meet this stranger." Balthier said, curtly. He needed to say no more; he trusted these two individuals to do what must be done.
Balthier moved cautiously through the fog, towards the designated meeting-place. He turned abruptly as he heard the sound of a scuffed heel from close behind him. Scowling, he attempted to discern the noise, but could see nothing.
There were others moving in this fog, but he could not tell exactly where they were.
A shadow passed overhead and Balthier looked up to see the dark underbelly of an Arbites Valkyrie sweeping low over the slums. The growl of the craft’s engines was a counterpoint to the howl of the wind.
He dropped his eyes to the street ahead and stopped.
A hooded figure stood before him, regarding him steadily. Its face was hidden by the wide, shadowy cowl of it cloak. The dark fabric trailed in the wind, billowing up around its legs. Given the figure’s size and bulk, it had to be a man. There was little else that Balthier could discern.
The stranger spoke, after a moment regarding him.
"Greetings. Are you alone?"
Balthier ignored the question.
"Who are you, and why have you sent for me?" The Inquisitor did little to hide his irritation.
"That is of no concern. We know who you are, and that is enough." The mysterious figure appeared almost to smile.
"Then you know I am not renowned for my patience. I ask you again - why have you brought me here?"
"We know your mission is to bring down the White Snakes. You must halt your strikes."
Balthier drew back, drawing his plasma pistol as he did so. The coils of the deadly weapon hummed to life, casting a glow that illuminated the face of the stranger - a face that seemed implacable.
"I have travelled half-way across the sector to complete a mission any novice explicator could accomplish," Balthier hissed. "The assault on the cartel is imminent. I will not halt my work on the words of a robed figure in a backwater street who refused to tell me why - or even to give me his name!"
The figure shrugged.
"Your orders come from Lord Dire. I serve a higher authority. If you love the Emperor, you will do as I ask." He inclined his head toward the plasma pistol. "Killing me will accomplish nothing." It was not a plea; rather, it was a statement of fact.
Balthier found himself caught between outrage that the stranger should insult his faith in the Emperor and incredulity at his gall. What did he know of Lord Dire? Who did he serve, and what was his agenda here?
"And what would delaying the strikes achieve?"
* * *
Nasrine Arbest moved quickly through the fog, gripping her autopistol tightly.
Venris had ordered her to locate and silence Balthier's men. Although there had been no sign that the Inquisitor had brought followers, he was predictable enough. Somewhere in these streets, his lackeys were to be found.
She glanced back, trying to discern where Quinn had settled. The fog made it impossible to see more than a few metres, and she trusted that the marksman would be able to protect her, if it came to it.
* * *
Quinn stared down the scope of his hunting rifle, 'Audrina'. Named after his ex-wife, it was a vicious weapon - though not quite the equal of its namesake. Through the thermal sight, he could see Venris talking to Balthier. He settled his crosshairs on the Inquisitor, and waited for the signal...
* * *
The stranger inclined his head slightly.
"We have plans in place that must be seen to fruition."
Balthier shook his head, raising his plasma pistol. "I will not listen to these riddles and veiled truths. Speak plainly!"
"We are working at cross purposes. Your actions against the Cartel must be halted - one way or another. Let us end this amicably."
"I do not wish to raise arms against another servant of the Emperor." Balthier grimaced. "But if you attempt to halt my work here, then you will leave me no choice."
The stranger sighed. "Neither of us have the luxury of choice here, Inquisitor. What we do here must be done. The ends justify the means." He raised his hand and gestured.
Balthier felt the shot before he heard it.
* * *
The shot took Balthier high in the chest, knocking him off his feet and smashing him to the ground. Coolly, Quinn pulled back the lever, loaded another shot, and fired again.
He caught movement in his peripheral vision, and saw a priest of some kind in silvered armour raising an out-dated autorifle and firing it at his position. The bullets blew chunks out of the brickwork around his position. In truth, the priest was too far away to do much damage, but he was exposed. Quickly, he packed up his rifle and left for the arranged location.
* * *
Nasrine turned the corner of the building, and found herself abruptly confronted by a tall and undeniably handsome man with two laspistols held confidently in his hands. Both found themselves with guns in their faces.
"Well, this is embarassing." She said.
He smiled wryly.
And then she punched him in the face, diving backwards, doing anything she could to escape. She could hear gunfire, shattering the stillness of the night, and the Arbites would be here soon.
Disappearing behind a building, she heard lasfire hissing past her. Doubtlessly she would see this man again...
Conclusion
Balthier was shot in the chest and heavily wounded. The medicae in question should be praised for their tolerance - the Inquisitor is not exactly known for his patience! With the Inquisitor injured, the raids against the Cartel have been delayed, much to Balthier's annoyance.
Knowing that there must be more to the situation than meets the eye, Balthier has requested more intelligence on the White Snake Cartel. The Arbitrators have been able to bring the Inquisitor a transcript from a vox-thief installed in the offices of Gidaeon Kane, the head of the Cartel. It reads:
CLASSIFICATION: BLACK OMEGA
DATE: 910.m41
AUTHOR: Arbitrator Vaun
Subject: Trasncript of meeting between Gidaeon Kane and unidentified individual.
Recipient: Inquisitor Balthier
Inquisitor,
The following transcript is the result of a sound capture obtained by covert methods. The meeting detailed below took place within the offices of Gidaeon Kane, suspected to be the leader of the White Snake Cartel. The manner of both parties would indicate that this was not the first time they had met. Throughout the transcript, Kane is designated ‘K’ and the unidentified mercenary is designated as ‘M’.
[transcript begins]
M: You summoned me?
K: Yes, sit down. [Pause] I’ve been observing you for a couple of months now and I’m impressed with your work; the way you dealt with Bivander was impressive and saved me considerable loss of income. I am now prepared to let you into the inner circle, but first there is something you must do for me. You must take this data-slate to a contact in the riverside district. It must be taken personally. I cannot risk anyone else getting knowledge of this.
M: You wish me to run a simple errand?
K: Yes, but is of the utmost importance. This is why I’m trusting you with it. Take someone else with you as protection, but not a large group as that would raise suspicion.
[Transcript ends]
Seizing upon this opportunity, Balthier orders a squad of Arbitrators to capture the courier and get him that data-slate. Something is going on on Nova Castille, and Balthier intends to find out what it is...
"AMBUSH"
Leaving Kane's office, Venris takes with him a Bounty Hunter by the name of Gaius Varrus, known to all as "Gunhound". They set out for the Riverside district.
Against him are Judge Theophilius Frost, a hard-bitten man who's not about to let a Cartel member disgrace him in front of an Inquisitor.
(L-R: Arbitrator Knox, Arbitrator Laceo, Judge Frost, Arbitrator Vaun, Arbitrator Cagnus)
The table was laid out like so; Interrogator Venris would be starting on the left-hand side and would have to escape off the right, whilst the Arbitrators were at the right end of the board, hidden ready in ambush.
The two of them moved briskly along the street, stopping at the corner so that the Gunhound could try to spot anything untoward...
... but the coast seems clear, so the two of them begin to move down the street.
The end seems to be in sight for Venris, who must be wondering why Kane made this all sound so serious!
Suddenly, an Arbitrator bursts from cover. Judge Frost knocks the Gunhound out of action straight away with a clean hit straight to the head with his crackling shock-maul.
The Judge orders Venris to surrender - he is clearly outnumbered and outmatched. The Arbitrators begin to close in from all sides. Vaun aims at him with the shotgun, intending to shoot him if he runs.
Venris smiles. Outnumbered he may be. But outmatched? He thumbs the activation rune on his chainsword and plunges into the fray. As he trades blow after blow with the Arbitrators, he quickly has the upper hand, his ferocious technique making up for the Arbitrators' superior armour. Judge Frost quickly falls, as does Arbitrator Laceo. As he is about to deliver the killing strike, Laceo lashes out with his shock maul, bringing Venris to his knees.
Arbitrator Knox quickly steps in and delivers a savage blow to the back of the neck, rendering Venris unconscious.
Lastly for today, we have...
BREAK OUT
Ra'ef and "Gunhound" have been captured by the Arbites, and are being held in a temporary holding facility before they can be transported and interrogated.
The facility is located in the slums. The three uninjured members of Judge Frost's squad have been left to guard the facility - Laceo, Knox and Vaun.
(The jail is the building in the centre of the board.)
Little do the Arbitrators know that the White Snake Cartel is mounting an assault. Not to rescue Venris - but to get that data-slate back at all costs!
The scenario begins with the White Snakes unleashing a torrent of fire against the Arbites guarding the cell-block.
Over forty shots later, Arbitrator Knox is still standing. The suppression shield that has saved his life is pock-marked and dented, but he stands resolute!
On the other side of the board, Ra'ef's comrades arrive to rescue him. Led by Parragus, a slightly deranged serial-killing Tech-Priest, they make haste toward the cell-block. Nasrine Arbest reminds behind to guard their escape route.
Arbitrators Knox and Vaun notice none of this, because they're too occupied fending off the assault of the White Snakes. Vaun kills three of them outright with accurate shotgun shooting, whilst Knox takes one out in close combat, smashing the ganger's head open with his suppression shield.
Parragus works with machine-like efficiency, detonating a Krak Grenade against the jail cell's wall. As the dust from the explosion begins to settle he moves in quickly, hacking open the cell bars. A full-scale melee breaks out inside the cell block as Arbitrator Laceo struggles to contain his prisoners.
At that moment, Inquisitor Balthier and his retinue arrive. With Rios and Ishmael providing support, Balthier charges towards the cell block, ordering the Arbitrators to aid him.
Balthier kicks open the door to the cell block. Surveying the scene qiuckly, he sees the Bounty Hunter "Gunhound" equipping himself from the cell's equipment locker. Balthier raises his plasma pistol and fires. The pistol spits out a ball of energy that incinerates Gunhound's torso, leaving him dying on the floor. Balthier notices to his dismay that the courier is gone! As is the data-slate!
Balthier charges through the cell-block, exiting through the hole in the wall and finding himself confronted by Elias Quinn. Without so much as pausing, Balthier impales the unfortunate marksman on his power sword, leaving his broken corpse twitching on the floor. He sees the other two leaving, and orders them to stop.
Venris turns and laughs at Balthier, and in that moment the Inquisitor recognises the shadowy man who warned him off the White Snakes. With a cry of "You!", Balthier launches into combat, although the Tech-Priest manages to interject himself as Venris flees.
Only Ishmael Castor is in a position to stop Venris as he flees with the data-slate!
Unfortunately the hardy warrior-priest finds himself outmatched in combat and falls, allowing Venris to escape.
CONCLUSION
Again Balthier has met Venris, and again he has been thwarted! In a real case of "so near, yet so far, Balthier could not manage to engage the Interrogator in close combat. Not that Balthier knows Venris is an Interrogator, yet!
Still, he knows now that powerful forces are attempting to force him to leave the White Snakes alone, and few can stand against Inquisitors - aside from other Inquisitors. He has little choice now but to pursue Venris and attempt to recover the data-slate.
Venris, for his part, has had his cover blown within the White Snakes. Kane is a suspicious man, and will be wasting no time in attempting to move his assets off-world. Venris must attempt to stop Kane before he leaves Nova Castille and attempt to find out just where they are getting the mysterious drug "Haze" from.
for Capt. Picard!!
) Very very nice idea. I like him best looking in the direction the commissar was looking in originally. 
The veteran upgrade pack is really good...I just wish the shotguns were all separate from the bodies. I like the bionic leg and it looks familiar but I cannot place the part. Its also looks crude enough to be Arbite issue 
I'm going to check out the heresy site again but its so dangerous.... I'm going to crack sooner or later and buy their ghouls. 
Please don't let put you off though...I'd be gutted not seeing the fiendgrn due to a throwaway comment!
