The Paxton Gambit

Wheels Within Wheels

"We are agreed then?"

Nigel Shirow's words hung in the still, humid air of the council chamber in the heart of war-torn Basal. Once it was air conditioned, but like so much else the cooling system no longer worked thanks to war damage. Heads around the table nodded as the rebel emir's advisors committed themselves and their city to a dangerous course. Seeing no dissent Shirow turned his eyes to his boyhood companion.

"So now we must see what our Northern friends say, and how much Paxton demands of us."

Victorya Hiro said nothing. Her dark eyes betrayed no hint of her tiredness and she remained silent as the other councilors left the room.

"Is the risk truly worth it, Vic?"

Victorya bowed her head at Nigel's soft, rhetorical question. One obstacle always led to another. They seemed to be in a maze and she often wondered if Patriarch Oliver Masao, with his insane glee at puzzles and games, was not manipulating all this for his own perverse pleasure. Perhaps as some vengeance for Nigel rebelling against him.

"Yes, it's worth it." The gentle reply showed no signs of her doubts. Nigel was under enough pressure as it was. "Paxton will sell us arms. They were quite happy to do so before your deal with deRouen, so things have just gotten easier for them."

"And the cost?"

"More than we can afford, as you well know," she smiled. "Everyone is desperately buying weapons so it's a seller's market."

Thoughts of the past cycles gathered behind her eyes at that, and the smile died. "But we're more desperate than anyone else."

Nigel reached out and took her hand, his eyes gentle, and led her out to the balcony. The palace gardens were beautiful, the darkness hiding the craters and other damage, and a shining field of stars made up for the fact that Basal was under curfew.

"You're wearing yourself out, Vic. Why don't you let Lord Choi lead the delegation to Peace River." He hesitated before speaking again. "Besides I don't like it when your gone."

Leaning out over the balcony, Victorya breathed in deeply; the thorn flowers were out and their sweet scent of happier days washed her tiredness away - for now at least.

"I started this," she said, "and I persuaded you all that it was an acceptable risk. I have to make it work; it would be disgraceful for me to shirk the task."

Nigel snorted, "You persuaded us of nothing Vic. The Republic may now be off our backs but not that madman in Strathclyde. We need weapons, lots of weapons. Who else can supply them? Not our friends in the Dominion or the Humanist Alliance; they're under too many demands from the Republic. We have to go Paxton, however greedy they are"

"It's not Paxton Nigel," Victorya replied, her magnificent silvery hair falling to cover her face, "It's the rest. Paxton doesn't care who pays the bills, but you can bet the Republic will."

Suddenly the enormity of what she was risking seemed to rear up before her and she remembered simpler, happier times. Victorya turned to the man who was her friend and her lord.

"Stay with me tonight?"

"And always."

1.1 Cities on the Edge

In the Autumn of TN1935 the destinies of two great cities, Basal and Peace River, intersect thanks to mutual self-interest. Basal - in its fourth cycle of rebellion - needs arms to protect itself from Oliver Masao, mad Patriarch of the Eastern Sun Emirates. Paxton Arms, Peace River's corporate master, needs increased sales to swell its coffers and allow it to fend off enemies from both within and without. Representatives of both cities are to meet in Peace River to arrange an arms sale central to both their futures.

Such a synchronicity of needs is not a simple affair, however. Many powers would like to see one or both cities fall. The enemies of their enemies are naturally attracted as well, though they are friends of neither Basal nor Peace River. Even factions generally unconcerned with either city are drawn towards such pivotal events. So the streets of Peace River, already home to a dangerous game of cat and mouse by terrorists and secret police, have become darker and more violent still.

In the South, AST Lord Protector Molay, incensed at the Oxford Agreement that gave Basal's Emir Shirow a free hand within the ESE, plots the destruction of the upstart emir. His influence in the Southern Republic Intelligence Directorate (SRID) and its puppet Allied Southern Intelligence (ASI) gives him potent resources with which to pursue his vendetta. Agents loyal to him have involved themselves with the talks in Peace River.

Patriarch Masao, too, watches affairs with interest for he may be mad but he is no fool. Keeping Paxton weapons from reaching Basal is important to his campaign to suppress rebellion. He can ill afford not to intervene in the talks. His agents are notoriously blatant and often do not survive their tasks, but their losses do not bother him and they, in their fanaticism, are willing to die for the Patriarch. Successful or not, they are likely to extend their master's bloody reign to Peace River.

Not all Southern eyes turning north are hostile, however. ESE Lord Chancellor Tanaka and his allies do not wish to see Basal fall and the Patriarch triumph. Neither have they any love for the Lord Protector and fear the reign of terror he would bring to the ESE were he was able to overturn the Oxford Agreement. As long as Basal does not risk the security of the Republic, they care little for what it does. If they will risk Southerner fighting Southerner is unclear but with the MILICIA's Special Intervention Unit (SIU) available and trustworthy they have the means to intervene.

Inevitably, where the South is drawn the North soon follows. Despite the growing conflict with the Republic not all that Northern attention is friendly. Northco has no desire to see Paxton making large sales of Gears, and their pressure through the UMF on the CNCS council has ended confederate offers of financial support for any deal between Basal and Paxton. Whether Northco and UMF would do more is hard to say but keeping Paxton Arms from securing a major foothold in the Gear market is worth a lot of money.

There are some for whom morality plays a larger roll than money. The Norlight government understands that Basal cannot come to the North for arms and are ready to stand by their Massadan Revisionist brothers in the South. What they will give is of great concern to Basal because it will determine how much they can buy from Paxton. Consequently, Peace River too looks to a positive Norlight intervention. Norlight intelligence agents and other spies are sure to appear in the wake of any covert involvement.

The slowly boiling cauldron of Riveran politics lies as a backdrop to all these polar machinations; the Badlands city-state may yet prove to be its own worst enemy. The reaction of Paxton's internal opponents to the arms talks with Basal remains a worry. With paranoia becoming a way of life in Peace River, the security forces of the city are being mobilized in a way unseen since the War of Alliance.

1.1.1 Contents

The Paxton Gambit is a fully detailed campaign for Heavy Gear Gamemasters and Players set in the city of Peace River (detailed in the Second Edition Heavy Gear Rulebook). Chapter 2 provides an update on Peace River (covering events presented in Crisis of Faith, the first storyline book), and describes some groups and areas of the city in greater depth. Chapter 3 is the campaign itself; split into three acts of three scenarios, it covers a week of game time, the time period of the Basalite-Paxton talks, and finishes with sections detailing possible outcomes and containing handouts for the Gamemasters use during the campaign. Chapter 4 details the main Gears produced by Paxton Arms.