In reply to Pvt. Althea McCormic (msg #302):

Ah insulation foam.  No.  That wont do the work, i've used it before.  It's not impossible to remove.  It's not like a bucket of cement, which will kill the field peiece.  The foam is soft enough that the worst of it can be removed, and a good solvent (real or space age) will do the rest.

I'm not totlly unreasonable.  In an age where space travel is available, and practical hand powered lasers are available.  Something like that, if it existed today, should be available (if not thought of) for use.

The Bravos are infantry.  Their equipment list are harder to tally as a technical read out.  I'm not going to let them point out a specific weapon to make stats for (sorry not that much of  gun connsoiuer, so .. it'd be lost on me), but for something like utility equipment especially for a specific mission function, i'm open to looking at alternate out of the box solutions.

Do we have to bring in a man portable TAG? for Laser guiding our artillery fire?

Nope.  Kristy can be old school and call for it using a Mini Comm.  (not micro, micro is too short ranged.)

kitten what i meant was to fill the barrel with foam and then fix a way to fire the piece without it exploding all voer the squad...

stuff in barrel when fired = bad crap for any gun.

(except the AK 47 which you can apparantly bathe in sand, reload and continue firing.)

You have no idea what sentries/guards/field crews will be around.  You have no idea what munitions are around to make use of such a plan.  It's alot of 'if' on an operation where a battalion of mechs, and a company of air cavalry, and ground troopers are distracting the Dragoons to get something done.

Nuke it from space... i mean with artillary.  It's the only way to be sure.

just sounded like artillery odds are so small it wasn't worth even trying is all ;)

In reply to Pvt. Althea McCormic (msg #308):

Five rounds on a bunker is an insta kill...   Those are long odds?

O.o

I'm thinking you break into two teams of three.  One team sets demolitions and takes them out.  The other team, finds, and marks the location of artillary for counter artillary fire to take out.  Between the two teams, you 'should' clear the mission.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:41, Sat 14 Jan 2012.

I would presume grenades would work about as well as demo?

Also, spiking the barrel is a time-honored method of screwing up artillery. I don't really think it'd be better or faster than demo, but a fallback measure if we lost all the demo and comms, perhaps.

that assumes i can refrain from failign stealth checks left right and center ;)

There is also the classic winch the gun around to point ant another one and use their own artillery as direct fire weapons to take out each other...

Haven't we totally derailed the RP thread?

Totally.  But it's my job to torture in all ways possible it seems so...

6th Company's Bunker was filled with good cheer, as a crate of champagne was sent over from Nate.  It was a good day for the Federated Suns, and a very good day for the Eridani.  The Dragoons were tied up and 6th Companys Alpha and Omega squads were able to hit the base to guide Eridani VTOLs and artillary down to take out the Combine Thumpers.

Fighting was fierce, but damage was light considerin how formidable the Opposition was, nothing less that Wolf's Dragoons were fought down and forced to withdraw from the field at the hands of 6th Company.  That elements of the unit gathered up to link up with a adhoc assault force to liberate mechs from the Hoff R&D hangers was just icing on the cake.

Already arrangements were being made to get the most able LAM pilots on the planet into the seats of the super rare mechs.  Dom and Holly in particular were pleased about this.  It didnt matter that they had all but morgaged away 80% of their pay check... for a good long time... they were in LAMs.

Of course, it was 6th company's lot to ever balance good news with bad.  Lt. Schmidt had received two new pilots from Battalion to break in.  Both were from 8th Battalion, who was in need of an Aero Pilot.  A trade was struck, and Jillian would get to fly again, and in return 6th Company would pick up two new pilots.

Of course.  There was always the issue of organizing the new pilots into the unit...

In the aftermath of the latest successful action to take out Combine artillery units, Johan seemed to require reports upon reports from every commander, every member of the rank and file, every technician and even every janitor.  All of the paperwork was pretty much driving most everyone insane.  To add to the foolishness, the lieutenant even asked each member of the Company to sit down for hour-long interviews, where he never said much except, "So, tell me about how you think the Company/your Lance/you are doing right now?" and the words "Go on." when the conversation stalled.  It could have been misconstrued as him caring...but only if one were very dense.

Much commiserating and reminiscences of better days gone by echoed in the commissary.  No one bothered approaching the lieutenant and no one really wanted to, so no one knew for certain what was going on.  Meanwhile, those with more foresight...or possibly, just more active imaginations...spent their time dreading what was to come.  The theories grew far and wide, crossing over the border of the ridiculous at times.

This message was last edited by the player at 17:39, Sat 04 Feb 2012.

Cade finds himself standing outside 1st Lt Johan Schmidt's office, and he puts down his duffel bag, that's stuffed full of gear.  Cade lets out a loud breath, calming himself before he knocks on the door.  Moving to a new unit is always a pain in the rear.  Once he has his nerves settled he knocks on the door.

"Mech Warrior Cade Murphy reporting as ordered, 1st Lt.", he tells the LT once he is told he can enter the office.  As almost an after thought the young man hands 1st Lt Johan Schmidt, his transfer orders.

Cade is a fit young man with brown hair cut in a short military manner and matching eyes.  It is obvious that he is also a bit green around the ears.  He might have the skills that is needed to pilot a mech and cause some damage, but it is obvious by his manner and his record jacket that he hasn't seen much in the terms of actual combat.

In reply to MW Cade Murphy (msg #318):

From his vantage point, the new assignee couldn't quite see what the lieutenant was polishing as he walked in, but the man made him wait for his response.  After a bit, he closed the container, stuffed it into his drawer, and then looked up.  "Well, Private Murphy.  You're in luck, if I do say so myself.  You're going to be assigned to the Wild Stalliions, led by myself.  Pay attention and you can learn quite a bit.  I'm sure you can find your way around here, but I wouldn't get too attached if I were you.  We'll be moving out soon.  If you have any questions...important questions, you may ask them now."  From the way the lieutenant was staring at him down the end of his nose, it was clear that he didn't expect any.

In reply to Capt. Johan Jakob Hinklemeyer-Schmidt (msg #319):

Never one to disappoint a commanding officer, Dade smiles at the 1st Lt.  "I'll be sure to stay attentive sir.  Thank you.... Actually sir, you said moving out.  As in a mission or actually moving the base of operations?", he asks before doing an about face and leaving.

The commander raised an eyebrow at the mechwarrior.  "Just take my words for what they are.  You're dismissed."  Watching the new transferee leave, he went back to his drawer to retrieve the box and the item inside that he had been working on prior to his subordinate's arrival.

OOC:  I just know more of you want to have a "private" IC exchange with Johan.  I just know it....

Cade exits the Captain's office (grats on the promotion), a bit confused and heads to the company's barracks.  Finding an empty bunk he tosses his duffel bag on it and gets dressed in his MW gear and heads out to the motor pool (?) for some impromptu maneuvers.  Nothing like taking the mech out for a spin to help shake the new guy jitters.

After a bit of R&R, the long dreaded moment arrived with Johan calling a meeting for everyone in the company.  Johan showed up so late that even the perpetual stragglers had time to join the rest of the group.  Rumors were now being spread that their CO might have had met some (un)fortunate fate on his way to the meeting, just as he entered the room...with another armload of paper.  As he was stepping past one of the air cavalry pilots, Johan steps onto a...what could only be described as a land mine of sticky chewing gun.  It exploded and grabbed such a firm grip on his shoe that he had was unable to wiggle free.  Unable to put down his papers, he was forced leave the shoe behind and hobble his way to the front.  Many in the company found it hard to stop smiling, even as he turned around with a fierce expression.

"Who the hell did that?  Who the f*** did that?  Tell me right now!  Right now!"  Blueblood's red-blooded face showed that he was just about to blow his lid.  There was the occasional snicker escaping from the covered mouths of the people in the company.  After a few futile minutes of continued yelling and recovering his dignity, Johan finally calmed himself down a bit.  He began to put up a few organization charts, which looked little like the 6th Recon Company as everyone knew it to be.

At the very top was Johan leading Camille, Thanos and Cade in the Wild Stallions Lance, followed by Adam leading Amos, Svend and Oliver in the Dancing Horses Lance and then Sandra leading Devlin, Caitlin and Marcus in the Dark Horse Lance.  "Against my own better judgment, the brass has seen it fit to try to promote some of you into more responsible positions.  Effective immediately, the 6th Recon Company has been reorganized as shown in this chart.  There will be no complaints about any of these assignments, as they reflect the best and most efficient deployment of force based on hard facts and data which I was able to compile.  These force adjustments will create more diversified lances capable of meeting more varied kinds of threats and of deploying more types of tactics."  He paused here, as if it were some kind of applause line...or simply to be congratulated by...by himself...internally.

Suddenly, someone to the right politely clapped.  Everyone turned to see Patrick Flanagan doing the clapping.  He looked around sheepishly...then turned towards the back and winked before stopping.

Coughing a bit to regain the group's attention, Johan breathed in and out deeply to calm himself again, and then continued.  "They will, in fact, better serve the 6th Recon Company as we move into the next phase of our operations, which will be discussed in greater deal at 0800 tomorrow morning.  In the meantime, I would like the lance commanders and their NCO's to stay behind to talk a bit about the logistics support a bit.  The rest of you are dismissed until then."

In reply to Capt. Johan Jakob Hinklemeyer-Schmidt (msg #323):

Cade was one of the late stragglers that made it to the meeting, still in his MW suit since he heard of the meeting while he was training.  He was greatly relieved when he came running into the room that the CO was not there yet.  Taking a seat in the back, Cade just tried to make himself blend in.

Once the meeting was over, Cade headed over to the barracks for a shower and then to the mess hall to get something to eat.  0800 will come faster than he would like, and its best to be rested and well fed.

Camille stared in disbelief when she saw where the damned bastard had put her...
nothing of the rest of what was said even reached her, and Adam, whom she had sat down next to, would notice the letter of resignation she was writing out on her datapad.

no amount of recognition would be worth working as that idiots direct subordinate, odds were she would get dragged to court for shooting a superior officer in the back... several times.
That would only add to her woes, not advance her goal.

and of course none of that would be in the letter.

Finally, after finishing the letter, but having not yet signed or sent it, she looked up... and around at the people she ahd fought and bled besides, was this really it?

Svend simply stared at the board and the new organization. The 4th had always let their pilots choose the lances they served in, mostly since they tended to fight the best that way. When he saw the young noble try to force his authority on the company, Svend could only stifle the laughter from those on the edges of the room. He then saw Camille looking. Very upset for some reason, likely getting the boot from his own lance and into the desk jocky's. When the meeting was over, Svend approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. His smile was slightly warped by the scars on his face, but it was genuine. He had a good reason to smile. "Hey, don't look so down spitfire. It ain't gonna be so bad." He motioned to the mech bay. "You saved my ass out there last time so I have a treat for you. It's over in the mech bays. Care to join?"

The look on Adam's face was the same as before, stoic and working his mind in overtime to work with what he had and making the best of it.  Loosing Camille and her nimbleness to exchange it for the brick that was Amos...he shook his head in affirmation to the newly minted Captain before looking over to Svend and Oliver, "You and Oliver over to the bays and try to think up what sort of superior tactics we can accomplish now.  I'll meet you there with Amos after this sit-rep is done...Camille can come with too to get your present since I know Schmidt is going to want his new XO here..."

With his house of cards as stable as they could be he looked over to Amos to signal him to stay before mouthing a congratulations to Halo.  Looking to his left at Camille he added his two c-bills, "Stick around.  Guys like him don't spend a long time in the field.  Hold down the fort in your area and with a little luck he'll get shifted up again since Command will need more experienced people to help Nate out next. Then there will be the question of who takes over the lance when he's gone..."