Echo heard the call to mount out go out and was quick to stow away her gear and squirrel herself back up into the cockpit.

"Princess checking it.  Warming up.", She kept an eye on the friendly unit markers on the map and noted who was where.  She was still adjusting her neurohelmet on and settling into her seat as the discussion of assignments was going out.

The two enemy dropships had dropped mechs at two different locations.  Olaf was observing some at the East Field, location 'B' and are able to make out the distinct silouette of a Hatchetman coming down on the field.  With him, a three other mechs were droping in close proximity.  The Hatchetman's lancemates were a mystery to Olaf.  All he was able to observe, was that they all made steady jumps down.  The flickering heat signatures of jump jets in use meant that the entire lance was jump capable.

Zoe had missed the earlier action and was eager to get into the thick of it.  She was farther west and settled to observe the field from the dubious cover of trees.  From the edge she marked the drop locations of a lance of mechs.  The largest of them, with the common silouette of a Phoenix Hawk.  Too large to be a wasp or stinger, it could only be a Phoenix Hawk.  The two smallest mechs drop down quick and fast, no jump jets on those mechs help to hint at what they might be.  The unique silouette of a Locust was one of them, the other was a mystery.  The last mech, is a mystery.  All that could be observed of the last mech the flickering lights of jump jets in use.

---

OOC - Setup notes...

The dropships are dropping far enough apart that the players will have to split up to deal with them.  I am waiting to see if Zenha returns, or will sit this fight out as well, giving her till monday to check in.

At the moment tentative mission commanders will be Pax for the Wolfpack and Olaf from the Militia...

Tentative units assignments are...

Rat Pack
25 tn - Mongoose - Pax
35 tn - Jenner - David
35 tn - Fire Starter - Henriette

Militia
40 tn - Whitworth - Olaf
30 tn - Valkyrie - Roger
35 tn - Firestarter - Zoe

Liason
25 tn - Power Loader - Lina
20 tn - Locuse - Echo

For roleplaying reason, the Rat Pack and Militia will keep unit integrity.  You may assign Lina and Echo as you think best.  I would suggest spliting them up between the two lances to field four mechs against your potential opponents.

You will also have to decide who will deploy to field A, and who will deploy to field B.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:54, Sun 10 Nov 2013.

Lucius grumbled as he left the field more for his own issues rather than his mechs.  Still as much as Pax might like to think he was some suicidal pilot Luc picked his fights when he knew he could win them.

Shaking his head he kept his sensors active on the return trip just in case the Banzai Bastards had sent a unit to flank them from the diversion that those big guys from the 101st had dirtside.


---
18:06, Today: Lucius McMurphy rolled 8 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,2. Scouting Checks on return trip, TN11+

The fight was over as far as Regina was concerned.  The wisdom of Blake says that all things have a time and place, and Regina felt that this was the time to withdraw while Blakes blessings were still with her.

It was all good and quiet.  Not at all likely that anything was going to find them on the trip back to Miller's Creek so she opens her copy of "The Word of Blake" and studies his teaching while they travel.

Regina is suitably clueless to her surroundings as she travels.


18:48, Today: Regina Arlington rolled 4 using 2d6 with rolls of 2,2. Scouting tn 9+.

 He scanned the land around the drop ship pad for signs of air craft or skulking infantry they may have missed and listened to the code chatter. tapping the code enforcer on his radio, he offers out, "I am good where ever i can be the most useful to finish the mission with the drop ship. Just better with my missiles then a straight shoot um up."

Watching his sensors grimly, Olaf keyed the command channel.  “Cancel that idea, Pax.  Looks like we've been dealt a different hand.” he said flatly.  “I agree that the only way to do this is to split up.  We can’t let either scouting party have it easy otherwise the dropships will be right behind them.”  With his commanding officer off the field, his was stomach a tight knot as he fought to keep the apprehension he felt from creeping into his voice.  “Miller Creek militia, guess you’re stuck with me until I’m dead or someone better comes along.  I’ve got a positive ID on one of those hatchet carrying mediums off to the east along with three unidentified hostiles on Objective B.  Headed that way unless anyone has a better idea.”  He started the Whitworth moving at an easy walk then reached up behind his head to close the open access panels, sealing the cockpit for the second battle of the day.

As the 40-ton war-machine strode off toward the enemy landing zone he added: "I'd be glad to keep you with the militia Viking, we could definitely put those LRMs to good use.  Princess and Iron Maiden; happy to have either or both of you join us as well." he added, "Glad to have you join us Dirtnap, welcome to the team, we could use all the help we can get."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:04, Tue 12 Nov 2013.

"Lina, which way do we go?", Echo was uncertain which group of mechs she had been assigned to, had she missed that critical piece of information?

"They haven't decided Echo.  If they don't shortly I'll link up with Pax, David and Henriette while you link up with the rest of the militia unit of Olaf, Roger and Zoe." replied Lina to her fellow Edenite as she pulled back to where the units were seemingly trying to figure out where they were going to go and who they were going to go against.

"Sorry Olaf, had a temporary comm glitch.  I received your last. Your taking the Militia to point 'B' and I take the Pack and point 'A'.

Sounds like there are two more mechs not heading back, Let me take Lina and you Echo to even out the tonnage.

Rat Pack and anyone coming with me switch to the Company comm channel 3."

After giving the team a chance to switch.

"Remember this is a delaying action.  We need to slow them down."

"Don't get yourselves killed out there.
It seems the eleven of us, are the only people standing between these lunatics and a bunch of non-combatants"

then she too switched to comm 3, and began prepping for departure.
"Alright, Road runner, lets see if we can't throw a wrench in their wheels"

Traxx led Avenger, Shield Maiden, and Iron Maiden off towards the West Air field.

(*laughs*  You sound like a superehero group with those callsigns...)

It was on the edge of the space port and most of it was a clear field.  There a long landing strip for Aerodyne drop ships to land on as well as a simple drop pad for spheroid dropship to come down on.

There wasnt alot of terrain to use for cover, but what little around the drop pad that existed was currently occupied.  Now that they were closing into combat distance, they got a better idea of the weight classes involved on the battlefield.

There was a P-Hawk positioned in some wood with a Locust beside him.

A hundred meters or so beside the run way was a hanger of some sort.  There was the silouette of a medium mech of sort inside the building.

Behind the hanger, out of sight, was the last mech a light of some sort.

Range is currently 900 meters.

You are approaching from the east and are currently deployed in a diamond formation, with Pax at the point.  Avenger on the south flank and Shield Maiden on the north one.  Lina is rearguard on the East point of the diamond as they approach.

Probably tonnage of Op Force is between 125 tons and 155 tons.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:51, Tue 12 Nov 2013.

Berserker led, Viking, Dirtnap and Princess off to review things on the East Field.

The field had two runways, and no obvious drop pad for a spheroid to land on.  The paired run ways were made for light commercial conventional flights, though they could be adapted for aerotech use as well.

While there was no obvious hard point for the dropship to land on, it was not impossible for a good pilot to set down on the field.  While a hardened surface would certain make for an easier landing and departure, it was hardly impossible.  The field was at least clear of landing hazard.

There were half a dozen hangers at he end of the landing strip.

Simple map

    {Hanger}  {Hanger}
     =================================================== (landing strip
    {Hanger}H{Hanger}
     =================================================== (landing strip
    {Hanger}  {Hanger}

H = Hatchetman

You catch a glimpse of the Hatchetman as it move from the east side of the strip west to taking cover among the hangers.

You pick up heat signatures in the three hangers on the east side.  Based on the signatures, it's not a hard presumption that there is nothing larger than a medium in them, probably lights is a fair assumption.  You catch movement from them as they're redeploying themselves to the hangers on the West side to greet you.

Range is currently 900 meters.

You are approaching from the west and are currently deployed in a 'box' formation.

Dirtnap is on the North East corner of the box, with Princess on her south flank.

Berserker is on the North West corner of the box, with Viking on his south flank.

Probable Op Force tonnage is between 105 tons and 210 tons.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:50, Tue 12 Nov 2013.

Mexican intel gathering for this roleplaying 'mission'.


Intel gathered on Base Mental roll adjusted as follows...

You get a penalty of 2 for not being a scout.  (No one is a scout, it's an infantry role)

You get a penalty of 6 for 'extreme' range.  (Scouting ranges are based on medium laser ranges, you need to close to 270 meters or less to reduce this penalty)

You get a BONUS based on your def modifier, from movement.  (The better your def modifier, the more mobile you are, the faster you'll get the angle you need to catch a glimpse of something from mobility)

Characters with Edge, may apply it normally to an Intel Roll once, for this intell gathering 'mission'.

For Example.

Echo has a Mental stat of 1, giving her a bast tn of 7+

She's not a scout so the tn goes up to tn 9+

We're at extreme range so the tn goes up to 15+

She is however in a Locust, a very good scouting mech that can easily get up to a +4 Def Modifier, reducing the tn to 11+

Echo will gather useful intell on a roll of 11+

Simon Says...

Lina - Out
Echo - Out
David - Out
Roger - Out
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:59, Wed 13 Nov 2013.

Lina tried to alter the vector on her sensors to bounce the signal off the interior of the hanger to get a solid read on the mech that was inside.  At almost a kilometer out she didn't have the sensing equipment that she needed which just made her realize she needed to requisition an active probe as a sensor addition to swap out for her left arm pulse laser.

Shaking her head to keep it focused she wished she had payed more attention to her ECM/ECCM/EW instructor.  She vaguley remembered that even with the standard electronics on the older mechs that one could...modify it's output and receiver to get a better signal.  The X3a might not be the EW version but they were among the newest and best out there she should be able to pick up something useful...

((Subject line wrong, out for Simon says))

---
09:44, Today: Lina Todd rolled 3 using 2d6 with rolls of 2,1. Corner pocket off the hangar, TN11+. And the horrible rolls keep on coming, lol.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:03, Wed 13 Nov 2013.

 As they moved over the slight ridge line and into sight of the commercial runways, his heads up binged a tone of the hatchman ducking back into the series of hangers that his old sensors showed a blob of heat coming from a few.

 Taping the safety off his missles and laser he scanned the sides of the airport for any possible mechs hidden by low power output. "Are these heroes going to try and hold this airfield?. I know its was never really built to handle any ovoid drop ships, Is this just to split our force?.

 Ok, Beserker, how we doing this?."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:40, Tue 12 Nov 2013.

As the remainder of his lance fell in with him, he pushed the mech into lumbering a run, wanting to close the distance but not drag them into a close fight.  He searched the area for a spot to shake out with his lance mates while adjusting his targeting computer.  Although he still had a fix on the medium weight mech lurking among the airstrip’s hangars he had not yet got a read on the others.

Trying to remain unfazed as his scans continued to come up empty, Olaf jumped onto the command channel.  “Viking, stick with me and take up a position to the west of the hangars.”  Jostled inside the cockpit he quickly sketched out a plan on his tactical computer and transmitted a map chip across the command net.  "Princess and Dirtnap, I’ll bet they’re looking for us to come into that small group of buildings and get into a street fight.  Make a show of moving fast off to the north-west as if you were scouts looping in on the hangars then headed back to HQ to make a report.  Viking and I will be positioned to look like a rear-guard.  Ideally they bite on our deception and our moving around will draw them out away from the hangars.  Once we've got them in the open Viking and I hit him with LRMs while you two swoop in for the kill.  Priority for fire goes to the Hachetman unless any of you have found something better.”


TN 5 + 2 (Scout penalty) + 6 (range) - 2 (run) = 11
08:59, Tue 12 Nov 2013: Olaf Oleeson rolled 9 using 2d6 ((3,6)) FAIL



                            PRINCESS / DIRTNAP
                                (Counter-Attack)
                                         \
                                          \
                                           \
                                            V
BERSERKER)-LRM->                                 {Hanger}  {Hanger}
                                                                 ===================================================
                             <------ENEMY Advance  {Hanger}  {Hanger}
                                                                  ===================================================
                                                                  {Hanger}  {Hanger}

VIKING)-LRM->
This message was last edited by the player at 16:45, Tue 12 Nov 2013.

Fix your compass.

Damn solar flares.

Avenger selects the appropriate channel on his comm before responding, "Traxx, should we head in for a closer look so we know what we're dealing with?"

OOC: scouting roll pending

Echo was a little fuzzy on what exactly Berserker considered 'better'.  Better as in easier to kill?  Better as in more dangerous?  Wasnt the Hatchetman plenty dangerous already?  It was twice as heavy her locust, with a gun that made her light auto canons look like squirt guns.

"Closing for a look then.", Princess announces on the Comm.

Scouting ahead was something Echo felt alot more confident about.  The Small locust cuts it's approach vector from East, to North east and runs parallel to the Hangers for 300 meters before turning East again.

"I'm seeing a lot of nothing.  Are we making an attack run then?  I cant see anything from this distance."

Scouting tn 7 + 2 + 6 - 4 = tn 11+
13:18, Today: Echo Snow rolled 4 using 2d6 with rolls of 3,1. Scout check tn 11+.

((Subject line wrong, out for Simon says))
This message was last edited by the player at 00:03, Wed 13 Nov 2013.

2 Meduim mechs ... oh, that's just DUCKY!

Traxx decided to go for a faint to see if he could get the other lance to flinch.

"All right Pack, We're going in to see if we can ID the other 2 mechs.  Stay at full throttle and stay out of LRM range.  We don't need to be sucked in and caught in a medium mech's missile envelope.  This is a delaying action we'll let the situation develop and adjust on the bounce."


11:11, Today: Pax Tarkin rolled 5 using 2d6 with rolls of 1,4. scouting TN11  NO

Intel TN: 6 (Base) + 2 (not-scout) + 6 (range, unless we go closer) - 4 (Max DM) = 10+

15:25, Today: David Crain rolled 12 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,6. Mexican intel roll, TN 10+. [PASS]

Avenger triggers his comm, "Avenger copies, rattle our sabres and hope they take the bluff.  We got this one!", as the moves his throttle forward to maximum speed in an attempt to get a visual on the unknown mechs.

(Subject line wrong, out for Simon says)
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:02, Wed 13 Nov 2013.

 Shifting slightly to the south of Berserker, he aligned his torso with the hangers until he could shift the torso back around to align the body.

 "Roger that, setting the fire line".

Henriette nodded and then tapped her comms.
"Roger that Traxx, lets see if we can't ID these bastards"
She then sped up to surge around the hostile LZ, scanning for their other two mechs.

she couldn't make anything out, however.


Base difficulty mental 2 = 6+, +2(untrained), +6(range) -3(defmod) = 11+

TN 11+, Roll 9, FAILURE

01:25, Today: Henriette Karlsdottir rolled 9 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,3. TN 11+ scouting roll.

The Militia skirt about the edge of the airfield but fail to discern the identity of the mechs skulking about the hangers.

Word comes from the Trinite, that theyve taken command of the dropship and only need five more minutes to boost off to safety.

While five minutes might not sound like alot, entire battles are often decided in a fraction of that time span.