Probe Recovery
INITIAL SET UP
TERRAIN: Radius 9 Gas Giant (P2.22) at 2215, with Rings (P2.223) that begin at the 14th hex from the center and extend to the 19th hex from the center.
FIRST PLAYER: within two hexes of 1310, speed max, heading E.
SECOND PLAYER: within two hexes of 0130, speed max, heading A.
LENGTH OF SCENARIO: The scenario continues until all forces belonging to either player have been destroyed, captured, or have disengaged.
SPECIAL RULES
MAP: Use a floating map. Any unit that is more than 50 hexes from the gas giant center is considered to have disengaged by separation (C7.2).
SHUTTLES AND PFs: All shuttles and PFs have warp booster packs if the year selected allows them. Shuttles are advanced types if the year selected allows their use. MRS shuttles may be purchased [up to the limits in (J8.5) ].
If using EW fighters, one fighter in each squadron may be of this type.
COMMANDER'S OPTION ITEMS
Each ship can purchase additional or special equipment as Commander's Option Items (e.g., T-bombs, extra marines, etc.) up to 20%% of its Combat BPV. See (S3.2) for details and exceptions.
All drone speeds and types are available, subject only to the year selected for the scenario.
Each drone-armed ship can purchase special drones up to the historical racial percentages as part of the Commander's Option Items. Note that (S3.2) allows drone ships extra points for this purpose.
If players wish to use the optional rules for Prime Teams (G32.0), they can purchase one team (25 points each) as part of their Commander's Options.
MODULES: At the scenario start, the second player writes down the location of three Probe Drone Modules (FD6.14). One must be in the atmosphere of the Gas Giant, one in the rings of the planet, and one in the open-space area between the rings and the atmosphere. No two modules may be less than 20 hexes from each other and none may start within 20 hexes of 0130. These modules are no longer emitting a homing signal (FD6.142), but the first player will know of the module's location as soon as the second player tractors it. The modules are not subject to death dragging (G7.54), but note that they can only be recovered by (J1.620). Module(s) that start in an atmosphere will not crash land, but is deep enough in the atmosphere that it's first movement must be at a speed of 1. The module is still recovered in this fashion if the unit recovering the module does not have a shuttle bay (it is instead docked and then dogged with mechanical linkages. Do not treat as docked, treat as recovered.) A recovered module is not destroyed if the shuttle bay that the module was recovered into was destroyed. However, modules on board a ship that explodes are also destroyed.
VICTORY CONDITIONS The second wins if they disengage with 2 or more of the modules. Otherwise the first player wins.