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11:07, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Union dropship 'Raider'

Posted by GMFor group 0
Candice Rohdes
player, 49 posts
Sat 11 Mar 2023
at 14:49
  • msg #99

Union dropship 'Raider'

In reply to GM (msg # 72):

Well That would be great Alex I would hope for a panther over the commando.  Beggars cant be choosers.

Candice takes some more time in the cockpit before tapping out and almost vomiting over the side of the mech.

Ugh, not the best look i know.   I'm sure when i get used to it it wont be as bad, and i heard that when you use a specific mech and helmet it gets better also.
Alexander McNuir
NPC, 3 posts
Captain
Sat 11 Mar 2023
at 15:35
  • msg #100

Union dropship 'Raider'

Alex agrees.
It took me quite some time to get used to this big monster.
He taps the Highlander's side lovingly. Puked all over the dash a few times too. But once they tune helmet and Mech it gets better. Especially when you ride the same one all the time. This beast is slow and well armoured. Put me in a small and agile racer like a Locust or a Jenner, even a Cicada, and I'll get sick all over again probably. They just take some time to get tuned to. You'll get there soon enough.
Eileen Sutherby
player, 124 posts
Callsign - Clover
2 of 2 Life Points
Sat 11 Mar 2023
at 16:20
  • msg #101

Union dropship 'Raider'

Eileen tilts her head and regards the mech curious.

It was designated by the Lyran Armed forces as a 'MadCat'.

For the most part it superficially resembled a Catapult.  Though one with menacing looking Maurader arms at the end.

There was a lot that the schematics said, but perhaps more importantly was what was not said.

"Look.", she points out several parts of the schematics of interest, "These targeting channels don't go anywhere.  They lead into these shoulder and arm assemblies but reference out to different files... like variants.  So that all of these variants seem to use a standard infrastructure for fire controls.  File designations for software loads outs lead to other files.  So while this... looks like a Mech, it's really just a base chasis."

"These other files... look like hardware and software that have been standardized to be used in these hardpoints.  I'm doing something similar with Clover, but that's because she's a test bed for equipment and tactics.  This looks like a mass production, logistical strategy...", Cassady was giving her this 'look'.

"Let... me put it this way.

 Back in ancient times, everything was handmade.  Took forever to make everything, and no time things made were identical, because craftmen varied.  Things were not interchangabe.

 Along comes the industrial age, and parts are standardized.  A Martel Medium Laser... is going to be a Martel Medium Laser.  Take one off the shelf and fix it on the locust or other mech of your choice because the parts are the same.  You just have to wrangle the inner parts to fit the casings and software of various mechs.
"

"Eileen taps the schematics, this mech takes it a step further.  The parts are not just the same, but the variants all use the same chasis and infrastructure.  The infrastructure requirements are all the same, so there is nothing to fiddle with, it just goes in and you're done."

Eileen starts to pull up the referencing 'Variants' for the Mad Cat... or... Timber Wolf as it was labeled, and backs them up on her comp unit for review later.  She burns a seperate one on all the biotech that she can find for Nadine.  If they were going to a clan world, it would be nice to be immunized so that the whole unit isn't wiped out by a virus.  That would be embarassing...

"I think... we might be able to do something with this... later, but for now... i need to get this conversion working.  If i can't get it working with known tech, using this science fiction stuff will be a bad joke."

She goes back to work, though she does make a mental memo to share what's she learned with 'Ratchet' and 'Doc'.
Colin Browne
player, 50 posts
Sat 11 Mar 2023
at 16:48
  • msg #102

Union dropship 'Raider'

In reply to Buford 'Bubba' Johnsson (msg # 96):

Colin saw that the group was going to stay out with the Colonel and gave a nod to Skinner. “I’d love to get my hands on some of the controls. That you certainly help with calibrating response times and targeting systems. Even better would be to live fire the weapons to understand optimal ranges versus max effective,” he said with poorly veiled excitement.

“Colonel,” Colin ventured slowly after his excitement died down and was replaced by solemness. “I’d like to know why you chose me. There are people with more combat experience and talent. There are people, likely most people, who can function without dyscalculia to hold their hands behind their back. There are men and women like Skinner and Krieg here that have seen the clans. Why me?”
GM
GM, 96 posts
Sat 11 Mar 2023
at 19:39
  • msg #103

Union dropship 'Raider'

Buford plucked away at the strings of the ukelele. There might be better tacticians out there for sure. Better soldiers, better warriors, better medics... But I have selected the best ones right now, because of one thing all those others dont have...
He looked at Colin and smiled.
You all want to be here. Want to be part of this. That makes you better than all the others.

---

Cassidy looked at Eileen trying to make some sense of what she said. Clearly he didn't fully comprehend it all.
This Mad Cat, the Mech in those schematics... we have one back at base, but we cant get it to work. Somehow it doesn't respond to anything any of our Mechwarriors try to do with it without some kind of security override. So far my guess was it needs to be activated by a specific neurohelmet, maybe even coupled to a specific Mechwarrior. I thought that was bad enough, but you are saying it likely has something like interchangeable arms or something? Like giving a soldier a different gun based on its mission?
He pondered on that for a bit.
I wonder if Maximus knew about that... he sure never mentioned it.
Roland Skinner
player, 34 posts
Sat 11 Mar 2023
at 20:10
  • msg #104

Union dropship 'Raider'

"Sir. Sorry, old habits. Sir, Colin here has a system that would allow us to do some virtual training. I for one would like to get to know the team and how they will function as a team before we hit solid ground. Is that something we could do in route do you think?"
Nadia Franz
Npc, 11 posts
Doctor - Mercenary
5 Life points
Sat 11 Mar 2023
at 20:20
  • msg #105

Union dropship 'Raider'

He wasn't listening, wasn't even exactly talking to her. He was talking at her, so wrapped up in his worldview that nothing could put a dent in it. It was infuriating, especially for the already heated Nadia's temper, but the petite doctor had more self-control than that. If he wanted to talk, let him talk while she learned what she could, the better to deconstruct his arguments in private. She smiled, all honey and venom, and answered as pleasantly as she could. "No, Max, I am learning a great deal today about people who were only faceless invaders before now. What is bidding?"
Eileen Sutherby
player, 127 posts
Callsign - Clover
2 of 2 Life Points
Sat 11 Mar 2023
at 20:37
  • msg #106

Union dropship 'Raider'

"I can... take a look at it.  I couldn't promise more.", Eileen's lips twist into a slightly thoughtful look.

To have an actual 'live'... or mostly live anyway, prototype to look at could be interesting.  Most mechs have the option for some sort of security to be installed on them.  On a military operation, it made no sense, but a private one, like Solaris, it wasn't unheard of to have done.

There was no point in speculation at this point, because at this point there were alot of other things to be concerned with... like potential food poisoning.

'yick', Eileen hated being sick.
Michael Krieg
player, 63 posts
Pilot - Mercenary
6 Life Points
Sat 11 Mar 2023
at 20:43
  • msg #107

Union dropship 'Raider'

Michael fell quiet for a moment as the Colonel started playing, getting a feel for the music, then launched into a rhythm to match, taking up the part of the bass to the higher-pitched ukelele's lead. Slower than the flamenco he had been playing, it gave him time to think and process more. The Colonel wasn't really giving them any new information, not yet, but his answer to Colin was telling. "You're building a foundation. Believers, passionate people." A cult, he didn't say, because it would have been very impolitic. "To take the war back to the Clans."

"Sir. I'll be frank, in the last two years, we've been witness whether indirectly." He nodded to Colin. "Or more personally," A nod to Roland. "To them rolling over three of the Great Houses like they weren't even there. Last briefing I saw, though it's been a while, says a fifth of the Inner Sphere is under Clan control now. They've done in two years what no one has been able to in centuries of warfare. Redrawn the map." He sighed but kept playing. "How does our reinforced company of out-of-date mechs, one captured Clan OmniMech, and a single Elemental stop that?"
GM
GM, 99 posts
Sat 11 Mar 2023
at 22:33
  • msg #108

Union dropship 'Raider'

Bubba shook his head as he played on.
We dont stop them. We can't. We are only a small mercenary company, and not even an experienced one at that. In the grand scheme of things... we are nothing.
He changed the riff slightly, turning it into something more dramatic, as far as a ukelele would allow that.
I am counting on everyone overlooking us. We infiltrate their space, we steal their technology, we learn what we can, and try to find and exploit their weaknesses... And once we have done all that, we share that knowledge. With everyone!
Johnsson then brings the riff to a stacatto ending.
With everyone, so everyone benefits. The Inner Sphere needs to find a way to fight back, otherwise soon that fifth will be a fourth, half, or all of the Inner Sphere under clan control. And as much as I love Max... I dont like the idea of his people ruling us...

---

She was annoyed, he noticed that. Was it him, or his people that annoyed her? He wish he knew how to read people like dic Willy could, or like Bubba. But he couldn't. He was born to fight, it was all he could do.When the clans invade, he explained matter of factly, First thing they do is gather as much intell as possible. Then the bidding starts. That means that each clan puts in a bid to attack the target, and the lowest bid gets to actually do it. So lets say a planet like Tukayyid, which we invaded... a bidding was done and the clan that promosed to take it with the least amount of units was given the honor to actually lead the invasion. They however are not allowed to use more units and resources than the bid they put in, otherwise they would lose honor. And losing honor as a clan is like losing... well... everything.
His face betrayed it was something very important he was saying, but maybe more important was what he didn't say.
Nadia Franz
Npc, 15 posts
Doctor - Mercenary
5 Life points
Sun 12 Mar 2023
at 01:13
  • msg #109

Union dropship 'Raider'

Listening carefully, Nadia tried to absorb what Max was saying. On the surface, his explanation appealed. Minimal force, minimal risk of life. Far better than the bloody meat grinders of the Succession Wars. Maybe Clan society wasn't all bad, but it was still all about killing your fellow man faster than he could kill you. All for the notional concept of honor. "That sounds like a step in the right direction Max; less bloodshed is always good, but..." She scowled for a moment, then grinned.

"Have you ever played Hold-em? Poker? Any sort of card game?" Nadia loved playing cards, and Kreig had brilliantly managed to incorporate that into building the three of them into a unit.

"In my unit, we divide up our duties by thirds since there are three of us. Got a little magnetic whiteboard in the shop to keep track of who has to do what that week." She chuckled softly. "Every Sunday, we get together and play cards for a few hours, using our chores as ante. At the end of the games, everyone takes their winnings and decides who has to do the chores they won. It's fair; it's egalitarian; it makes it hard to bitch about having to clean the showers because you didn't win them."

She got a little more serious. "My point is this. My system and yours both work great to make everything fairer, but they only work as long as everyone obeys the rules. What happens when someone cheats?"
Maximus Blaze
NPC, 9 posts
Leutnant
Sun 12 Mar 2023
at 01:28
  • msg #110

Union dropship 'Raider'

Maximus looks at Nadia with some wonder in his eyes.
When they disobey?
He seems to need some time to progress the idea. Then he shrugs, as if the answer is simple to him. Logical.
We do not disobey. If anyone does... they die.

Look... in our society, things like what Bubba did, what Alex did... it would maybe happen once. They would have been killed immediately. Me... I survived a catastrophe on this very dropship and survived my battalion. They all died because life support failed. I should have died with them...

He hesitates before adding the rest...I can never go back. I failed my battalion. I would be killed immediately...
This message was last edited by the player at 01:33, Sun 12 Mar 2023.
Colin Browne
player, 51 posts
Sun 12 Mar 2023
at 03:51
  • msg #111

Union dropship 'Raider'

Colin remained silent and only nodded as Bubba spoke. He didn’t know what to say to add to the conversation anymore. Things were moving fast and his ideas that the forays against the clans would be superficial at best seemed to be evaporating as well.
Roland Skinner
player, 35 posts
Sun 12 Mar 2023
at 11:44
  • msg #112

Union dropship 'Raider'

Skinner listened. "Do we have a homeworld target?"
Buford 'Bubba' Johnsson
NPC, 16 posts
Colonel
Sun 12 Mar 2023
at 13:00
  • msg #113

Union dropship 'Raider'

Bubba shook his head.
No, no target yet. we have their star maps, with many systems we know nothing about, but we lack the means to get there for now. Our jumpships are not capable of doing some of the jump distances. But we have target systems where we hope to maybe acquire that technology, and work our way up from there.
He took a long drag of his cigar, letting the blue smoke twirl upwards.
That is why all of you were hired. Adventurous minds that think for themselves, improvise ideas and solutions. I have no need or use for 'yes sir' people. What we need right now is 'No idea how, but maybe this way' people, if you catch my drift.
Nadia Franz
Npc, 20 posts
Doctor - Mercenary
5 Life points
Sun 12 Mar 2023
at 20:40
  • msg #114

Union dropship 'Raider'

And there again was that casual, nonchalant approach to brutality that made her stomach churn. Killing people over what might be a simple mistake?  "That is... A very efficient way of making sure that no one disobeys. And that no one thinks for themselves. What happens if your orders are simply wrong, Max? You obey, and you fail; you disobey, and you die... If all you have is a hammer..."

She stifled her anger before it got out of hand, glancing from William to Max and back again. Nadia frowned, sliding the half a meal she hadn't finished over to Max, and rose from the bench. "You have given me a great deal to think about Max, and I hope we can discuss this more in the future. Please finish that, I am sure the chef would hate to see it go to waste, and I seem to have lost my appetite. Good evening gentlemen."

--> To IC Banter
Michael Krieg
player, 65 posts
Pilot - Mercenary
6 Life Points
Sun 12 Mar 2023
at 20:59
  • msg #115

Union dropship 'Raider'

Mike smiled as the tempo changed, following the Colonel into his more dramatic tune and speeding his own playing up a little, filling in the gaps that the smaller instrument simply couldn't reach. He found himself nodding as the Colonel elaborated on his plan a little. A recon mission he could understand; it was his field, after all.

The plan was the standard reconnaissance motif. Avoid contact, observe, gather information, withdraw, and report. For that, you wanted to be small, inconspicuous, and fast as if the devil himself were after you. Things that, to Krieg's mind, the enormous dropship around him was none of, but on an interplanetary scale... Maybe.

They'd need an off-axis approach. Intel from Drac space said the Clans had Warships, something that the Inner Sphere hadn't seen in centuries, to back their tremendous ground force superiority, and if the Raider ran into a Warship in space, there was a whole lot of nowhere to hide. "Who's the bigger fish, Colonel?" It was a strange question, one that probably needed some explanation.

"Look, I fly a Ferret. What you're proposing is our standard insertion plan. Avoid contact with the enemy, observe, and report." He chuckled softly. "But we all know; no plan survives first contact. At that point in a Ferret, we start looking for a bigger fish. Someone or something more important to waste ammo shooting at while we get the hell out. What's our bigger fish?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:00, Sun 12 Mar 2023.
Eileen Sutherby
player, 134 posts
Callsign - Clover
2 of 2 Life Points
Sun 12 Mar 2023
at 21:09
  • msg #116

Union dropship 'Raider'

After the initial shiny toy effect wore off, most of the crowd seemed to find their own particular brand of amusement.  Except for Cassidy who was willing to stick it out and assist with her engine conversion.

When it was all said and done, Eileen boxed up the work they had done.  It... was nearly half as light but no longer fit in the box.  Bits and smaller pieces were stored in her other boxes, and a crate full of Savannah master engine parts were put aside for donation.

She wasn't sure if the food was going to be good or not, and decides to skip meals and just eat in later.

It was a productive, but long day, and really she was ready to go bed now.


~~>  IC Banter
Buford 'Bubba' Johnsson
NPC, 18 posts
Colonel
Mon 13 Mar 2023
at 06:19
  • msg #117

Union dropship 'Raider'

Bubba shrugged before he rose up, ready to depart upon landing. He looked at Skinner and grinned.
There's always bigger fish. I happen to have information that one of those fish is soon to launch a counterattack on the clans. That should keep them occupied for a while.
Tamara Clay
player, 35 posts
Mechwarrior
Mercenary
Mon 13 Mar 2023
at 08:40
  • msg #118

Union dropship 'Raider'

Returning to the dropship only a few minutes after she left it on foot Tamara heads directly for the mech bay, to the pilot lockers in particular, and changes into her cooling suit, carefully folding her other clothes into the small bag intended for just that purpose she heads out to the mechs themselves to get into her own phoenix hawk.

With practiced ease and a friendly wave to the few technicians still on duty she climbs up into the mech's waiting head to begin the careful systems check and boot up process that will free it from the confinement of the dropship in short order.
Jason Kruger
player, 25 posts
Mon 13 Mar 2023
at 12:50
  • msg #119

Union dropship 'Raider'

Jason had slept on and off for most of the trip. When the dropship made landfall he was more than happy to gather his things and head out. After a brief stop to pick up his boxes from the armory he headed off ship.

----> To BR HQ Compound grounds
Candice Rohdes
player, 51 posts
Mon 13 Mar 2023
at 15:12
  • msg #120

Union dropship 'Raider'

Thanks for the lesson Alex.   I have a lot to learn still.

I think i'm just going to relax and get my balance back to normal for a little bit here.


->barracks
Alexander McNuir
NPC, 4 posts
Captain
Mon 13 Mar 2023
at 15:15
  • msg #121

Union dropship 'Raider'

No problem at all, McNuir grins as he walks with her off the ramp. Look me up when you are ready to try out an actual Mech without it being held up in the supports. For now go settled in, there should be enough rooms for everyone. And if not, you can always do what I do... make your own appartment of sorts. I have my place up in the rafters of the hangar bay.
Josephine 'Jo' de Vries
player, 28 posts
Mechanic for hire
But the sarcasm is free
Mon 13 Mar 2023
at 19:46
  • msg #122

Re: Union dropship 'Raider'

[OOC: Catching up to landing time]

Jo listened to Dar talk about his life with a contemplative look on her face. On the one hand, a quiet life on a farm in the middle of nowhere sounded kind of like heaven. Peaceful, simple. But even as she thought it, something inside of her rebelled at the idea. She had never stayed anywhere for long, and as nice as that simple life looked at first glance, it also felt... small. Confining. She could well understand why Darius would have looked up to the stars for a way out, and why the promise of serving and protecting the Alliance might have appealed to him. Even if the Alliance recruiting ads were just so much hot air, it seemed to Jo that the ideals still held true for the big mechanic. The man who had instinctively put himself between a complete stranger and a bomb was the same one who had signed up for the Army. Not only to get away from a small life on a small planet, but simply to help people.

As he spoke about fighting, and the loss of Nineteenth, Jo reached out and touched his hand softly. A fleeting touch, sympathy and support. She had lost people too over the years, but she couldn't imagine loss on the scale of war. It wasn't something she had ever really had to think about. Now that she had signed on with the Raiders, though, that would change. It was a not a pleasant thought.

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine losing so many people you have worked so closely with. Probably should have thought about that before joining a merc crew, but..." Jo shrugged. Her briefly somber expression brightened suddenly. "No regrets, though. My day started off looking like I might spend some time in jail, and somehow it went from that, to this. A new job, off that particular rock, hands on a beautiful machine, drinking good beer with excellent company."

Jo leaned back with a happy sigh, the brief worry vanishing as quickly as it came. She was not one to dwell, and from where she sat, life was looking pretty damned good.

Hours passed in casual conversation about anything and everything. The announcement of their imminent arrival at the Raider base caught Jo by surprise; she had not realized how much time had passed. "Guess I better grab my things. I'll see you dirtside? I'm looking forward to seeing her in action," she said, running her hand along Ophelia's door before hopping lightly down and heading for the bunk to prepare for landing.

-> To: BR HQ - Barracks -> (then to Compound Grounds/present time)
Tamara Clay
player, 36 posts
Mechwarrior
Mercenary
Tue 14 Mar 2023
at 17:34
  • msg #123

Re: Union dropship 'Raider'

Eventually satisfied with her startup procedures, and the relatively safe storage of her mech during a short flight with no combat Tamara triggers the release from the gantry and takes the Phoenix Hawk out of its individual bay under its own power.

While still a battlemech the Phoenix Hawk is fairly well renowned for its agility, and in some cases even grace, this holds true to that sentiment.  Stooping briefly to pick up to of the larger cargo containers that are ready to be moved by their top mounted mech handles Tamara manages the double pickup almost without slowing down and heads out of the dropship.


---> to Vehicle Hangar
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