Part 497: Behind Enemy Lines - Turn 15

Behind Enemy Lines: Tactical Update 15

“Begin the withdrawal,” Hellhound strode forward, his Cerberus huge and imposing but it paid a heavy price for its speed and firepower. The Cerberus was under-armored for its weight, and while its secondary armament was an excellent deterrent it wasn’t built to engage multiple fast-moving enemies singlehandedly. Carlos Marik’s car passed a few dozen meters in front of his machine, the beatle-like shape of the Rotunda armored car had been modified to more closely resemble the local groundcars. Hellhound hadn’t been long on-world and even he found the resemblance uncanny, it was only up close where the seams in the vehicle’s armor-plating was truly apparent.

“I’ll hold the line and buy you all time.”

“Yeah, with all due respect boss?” Bad retorted, breaking their broadcast protocols. “Fuck that. There’s absolutely no need for you to play the big dumb hero here. Pull back. We’ll form a firing line and Jesus fucking Christ!”

The enemy’s spheroid DropShip moved, its massive drive column wilting what few scraggly plants grew on Abadan. The ship descended, hovering perhaps fifteen meters above ComStar’s stark white administration building. White-hot plasma rolled down the building’s walls, setting the steel and glass aflame. The walls turned black, and a few moments later a cascade of explosions sent a hundred tons of shattered, half-molten glass raining down on the street below as the DropShip’s drive column poured down the building’s elevator shafts floor by floor. A half-minute sooner and Carlos might’ve still been inside, small consolation though that would’ve been to the smoldering remains of ComStar’s staff.

Hellhound dropped his crosshairs over the azure `Mech perched like a hawk on the rim of the HPG. It’s body looked to be a single color from a distance, but as he zoomed in he saw a pattern of darker blue splotches running down its breast and leg that resembled a Chinese dragon. The workmanship was impressive, the only real telltale was the difference in gloss easily visible from below. From straight on, the machine doubtless looked completely uniform in color. The machine reacted the instant his crosshairs touched it, feathering its jump jets and sailing off the roof. It descended behind a row of shops even as two of its allies rounded either end of the block. Hellhound had been right, they both looked perfectly uniform when viewed from the height of another BattleMech. Whatever patterns the machines sported were lost to him.

He adjusted his aim, targeting the green one, the closer of the two. It turned his direction with a swiftness he’d never expected from a Shadow Hawk, its pulse lasers flashing past as the machine’s power spoiled the pilot’s aim. It corrected back in an instant, the shoulder-mounted PPCs flashing and scoring deep wounds in the Cerberus’s flank. Hellhound’s own counter-fire was disrupted as the white machine fired, it’s Heavy PPC boring into his armor and sending molten globules raining down in the street. He realized about ten seconds too late that this hadn’t been his greatest idea.

His secondary monitor beeped. The Capellan machines were still running their IFFs at least. Thinking quickly he queried the green one for its model number. It came up SHD-O-7RX, an experimental designation. Not unsurprising. He queried the white machine as well and cursed as the designation came up the same.

“Damn, they’re running fake IFF transponders,” Hellhound broadcast. “They’re both showing identical model numbers, and there’s no way that’s right. They’re too different.”








Movement Phase
War Dog (Player)
- Must pass a piloting test to avoid skid (4 base + 0 range = 4): rolled 12, succeeds!
- Generating Ghost Targets on War Dog (4 base + 2 ECM Tuning = 6): rolled 6, succeeds! MOS: 0!

Maelstrom (Player)
- Generating Ghost Targets on Thunder (4 base + 2 ECM Tuning = 6): rolled 7, succeeds! MOS: 1!



Shooting Phase
War Dog (Player)
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 1810!
- Fires Large Pulse Laser at Jinggau (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 8): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Jinggau (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 8): rolled 8, hit Left Leg (16/22 armor remaining)!
- Fires One-Shot Streak SRM-2 Jinggau (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 6, fails to lock-on!
- Fires One-Shot Streak SRM-2 Jinggau (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 3, fails to lock-on!
- Gains 16 heat, sinks 20!

Nightstar (Player)
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 1407!
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Jinggau (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 4, miss!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Jinggau (4 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 12): rolled 5, miss!
- Gains 7 heat, sinks 28!

Maelstrom (Player)
- Fires ER PPC at Thunder (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 7): rolled 11, hit Rear Right Torso (0/7 armor, 7/15 structure remaining)! Crit!
- Fires ER Large Laser at Thunder (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 7): rolled 10, hit Left Arm (10/22 armor remaining)!
- Fires Medium Laser at Thunder (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 7): rolled 8, hit Right Leg (0/15 structure remaining)! Leg blown off!
- - Damage transfers to Rear Right Torso (6/15 structure remaining)! Crit!
- Fires Medium Laser at Thunder (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 7): rolled 9, hit Right Arm (17/22 armor remaining)!
- Fires Small Laser at Thunder (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 7): rolled 8, hit Rear Center Torso (0/9 armor, 20/22 structure remaining)! Crit!
- Fires Small Laser at Thunder (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 7): rolled 9, hit Right Torso (3/15 structure remaining)! TAC!
- Fires Small Laser at Thunder (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 7): rolled 10, hit Left Arm (7/22 armor remaining)!
- Fires TAG at Thunder (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 0 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 7): rolled 6, miss!
- Gains 38 heat, sinks 34!

Cerberus (Player)
- No Line of Sight to Primary Target!
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Shadow Hawk Tengshe (Green) (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 9): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires Gauss Rifle at Shadow Hawk Tengshe (Green) (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 9): rolled 5, miss!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Shadow Hawk Tengshe (Green) (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 9): rolled 4, miss!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Shadow Hawk Tengshe (Green) (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 9): rolled 5, miss!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Shadow Hawk Tengshe (Green) (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 9): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires Medium Pulse Laser at Shadow Hawk Tengshe (Green) (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 9): rolled 7, miss!
- Gains 20 heat, sinks 30!

Grim Reaper (Allied)
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 0717!
- Fires LRM-20 at Shadow Hawk Zhu Que (Red) (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 dusk + 1 heat = 10): rolled 7, miss!
- Gains heat 13, sinks 20!

Thunder
- Fires LRM-5 at War Dog (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 11): rolled 9, miss!
- Gains 4 heat, sinks 22!

Jinggau
- Fires Gauss Rifle at War Dog (4 base + 0 range + 3 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at War Dog (4 base + 0 range + 3 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 5, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at War Dog (4 base + 0 range + 3 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 8, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at War Dog (4 base + 0 range + 3 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 11, hit Left Arm (13/24 armor remaining)!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at War Dog (4 base + 0 range + 3 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 10): rolled 7, miss!
- Gains 26 heat, sinks 26!

Shadow Hawk Bai Hu (White ACE!)
- Fires Heavy PPC at Cerberus (4 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 7): rolled 7, hit Right Arm (6/21 armor remaining)!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Cerberus (4 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 9): rolled 4, miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Cerberus (4 base + 2 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 9): rolled 9, hit Right Torso (13/24 armor remaining)!
- Gains 26 heat, sinks 26!

Shadow Hawk Zhu Que (Red ACE!)
- Fires Plasma Rifle at Grim Reaper (4 base + 0 range + 3 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 9): rolled 10, hit Center Torso (6/26 armor remaining)! Target gains 2 heat!
- Fires Medium X-Pulse Laser at Grim Reaper (4 base + 2 range + 3 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 9): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires Medium X-Pulse Laser at Grim Reaper (4 base + 2 range + 3 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 9): rolled 10, hit Right Leg (20/26 armor remaining)!
- Gains 25 heat, sinks 26!

Shadow Hawk Xuan Wu (Black ACE!)
- Holds fire!
- Gains 5 heat, sinks 30!

Shadow Hawk Tengshe (Green ACE!)
- Fires Medium X-Pulse Laser at Cerberus (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 8): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires Medium X-Pulse Laser at Cerberus (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 8): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires Medium X-Pulse Laser at Cerberus (4 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk - 2 pulse laser = 8): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires Light PPC at Cerberus (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 8): rolled 8, hit Right Arm (1/21 armor remaining)!
- Fires Light PPC at Cerberus (4 base + 0 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 dusk = 8): rolled 9, hit Center Torso (26/31 armor remaining)!
- Gains 30 heat, sinks 26!

Shadow Hawk Bai Hu (Blue ACE!)
- Holds fire!
- Gains 5 heat, sinks 30!



End Phase
Thunder
- Critical chance in Right Torso! No critical hits sustained!
- Critical chance in Right Torso! 1 critical hit sustained!
- - XL Engine Hit!
- Critical chance in Center Torso! 2 critical hits sustained!
- - XL Engine hit!
- - XL Engine destroyed! `Mech destroyed!
- Through-armor critical chance in Right Torso! No critical hits sustained!

Cerberus (Player)
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (4 base + 1 massive damage = 5): rolled 5, succeeds!








Player Status:




Allied Status




Opposing Force Status:




Mission Objective:
- Protect Carlos Marik (0/1)

Secondary Objectives:
- Damage but don’t destroy the Civillian `Mechbay in hex 0517 (1/1)
- Destroy the Capellan Checkpoint in hex 1418 (1/1)
- - Make it look like an accident (1/1)
- Avoid Antagonizing ComStar (succeeded!)
- Rescue the ComGuard, if possible (0/1)

Vengeance Counter: 7



Special Rules:
Dusk – This mission takes place at dusk, applying a +1 penalty to-hit. This penalty may worsen if the mission lasts long enough for night to fall.

Escort Mission – This mission has a mobile objective that must be defended.



Orders Due: Midnight Saturday!