Part 109: Combat Theater Vote 5 Results - Kerensky's Gambit

Combat Theater Vote 6 Results:

??? senses blood in the water and secures a win with 31 votes!
The 1st Republic Fusiliers go be evil somewhere else, while bookies on Solaris VII predict a second place tie with 11 votes each!
The 4th Legion of Vega fail to regain their lost honor with 10 votes!
The Celestial Throne weeps as the 2nd Chesterton Voltigeurs only manage to massacre 8 civilians lining up to vote in the Towne general election.



“We’re going down!”

“No shit,” Gerber Vost spat at the panicking technician. With the failure of a helium seal mid-jump, they were all lucky to be alive—but even survival in the face of near-certain annihilation wasn’t enough to make Gerber Vost a pleasant man to be around. With a scowl, he scampered up his Panther’s leg. If nothing else, he could jump his Panther clear at the last minute and survive the little Leopard-class Dropship’s final moments.

He was not surprised to see Pesht and Seagroves appeared to have the same idea. That left Goodall and Brank’s Locusts a write-off; but Vost hadn’t paid for any of them. He frowned at the utilitarian green of Holly Goodall’s Locust. It never paid to bring a woman along. Holly was a good ‘Mechwarrior, but Vost’s Draconian sensibilities would never let him admit it. If anything, this disaster was surely her fault.

“Vost!” a voice carried through the Leopard’s tiny drop bay. “What the hell are you doing?”

He turned, flipping the bird at his employer. Sho-sa Yubari Takuda and his DEST commandos were doomed, yes—but that wouldn’t stop Vost from doing the right thing: looking out for his own ass. His Panther took a step forward, wrenching itself free of its moorings—and slammed a fist into the bay doors. Designed to carry four ‘Mechs, only the fact that the Locusts took up barely any space had allowed them to fit in the mission’s required five. Well, the mission was a total loss now. Scout a Clan-held world? Sure, if the pay was high enough. Die in a dropship crash? No.

The Leopard’s massive door failed with a sudden shriek, flowing air ripping the massive slab of steel away like a kite in a hurricane. The Leopard slewed hard to the right, nearly throwing Vost’s Panther into Pesht’s still-immobile Javelin. The sudden spin cut the out-of-control Dropship’s airspeed drastically; but Vost raged as the spin trapped him in the giant flying coffin.

With a jarring impact, the Leopard pancaked into the surface of a massive lake. Skipping like a stone, it bled momentum rapidly. When it hit the shore, the impact drove Vost’s Panther to its knees—he stood, wobbling, heart pounding with adrenaline-fueled terror, and took stock of his situation.

He panted quietly in his cockpit for a few minutes, then cut on his loudspeaker. “I just saved all our lives, Sho-sa,” Vost announced with a voice that was far more composed than he actually felt. “Exactly as planned.”



**********



Star Commander Inari’s Kit Fox ate the kilometers like a massive angry ostrich, it’s retrograde legs pounding massive divots in the soft loam. Her star spread out behind her, maintaining a tight formation.

“Star Commander,” her radio crackled. Mechwarrior Elfrede, one of her freeborn warriors continued, “we are here to rescue an aerodyne full of crashed merchants, Quiaff? Why the combat formation? Should we not spread out to facilitate our search?”

“The dropship’s origin was not identified before it crashed,” Inari explained quietly. This mission was her first—but it was still hers. She was hard pressed to explain why, but something did not feel right. “Aff, we have been expecting Jade Falcons—come to trade—but that does not mean these are Jade Falcons. It could be the Hell’s Horses, come to cause trouble.”

She grinned quietly, “We are close friends of their greatest enemy. A raid would not be unexpected, especially once they find out what has been traded.”

“I do not understand, Star Commander,” another warrior—Elias, she thought, his Jackrabbit’s ancient radio had always been problematic—asked in indeterminate tones. “What have we done to earn the Hell’s Horses’ ire?”

“We are here,” she replied with a chuckle. “That alone will rankle them to no end. In a few days, our secret alliance with the Goliath Scorpions will no longer be a secret. The IlKhan will be most displeased. I expect—” she paused, her ‘Mech’s sensors caught a blip for an instant. It vanished almost immediately, before she could identify it. She was young, yes, only twenty years old and fresh from her Sibko—and worse, assigned to a garrison cluster with freeborn warriors—but she was no fool.

“Enemy ‘Mechs detected,” she growled into her Cluster-wide comms. “They are shrouded by an ECM. Warriors of Clan Sea Fox, this world is under attack!”



42nd Combined Strike Cluster “Shark Eaters” Beta Trinary, Otter Star:
Kit Fox – Star Commander Inari p4g3 (Mary Annette)
Jenner IIC – Mechwarrior Salah p4g3 (a good poster)
Jackrabbit IIC – Mechwarrior Elias p4g3 (XavierGenisi)
Piranha – Mechwarrior Elfrede p4g3 (Hauki)
Piranha – Mechwarrior Nioclas p4g3 (Dolash)

Alternates, please stand by:
Octatonic
Raverrn
paragon1
Others (as-needed, but hopefully won't be)



Mission Objectives
Defeat all enemy forces!



New House Rules:
Ninja Ambush: An infantry squad with ‘Ninja Ambush’ remains undetected, regardless of terrain and enemy proximity, until they attack.

Lone Ninja: An infantry squad with the ‘Lone Ninja’ rule does a minimum of 2 damage, even if casualties would normally reduce the squad’s damage further.