Part 11: Kell Hounds: Cylene - Turn 1

First Battle Tactical Update 1

“Newbies,” Lieutenant Barnes called, throwing up his hands in exasperation. “Why the hell aren’t you suited up? We touch down in five, and the snakes know we’re coming.”

“S-sorry, sir!” Desmond snapped a sharp salute. “We didn’t think—”

“Damned right you didn’t.” Barnes railed, “Get those cooling vests on now, I want you in your ‘Mechs hot to trot ten minutes ago!”

“We’re in the back of the bay.” Yoshita pointed out helpfully. His eyes carried the sharp look of a veteran ‘Mechwarrior, but as a Kuritan expatriate, Desmond thought his loyalty questionable. “It’ll take ten minutes to clear out the assault lance alone.”

“Bossman says bounce,” St. Croix countered, tossing Yoshita’s cooling vest at him. She was already pulling hers over the loose shirt and shorts favored by ‘Mechwarriors. “So we bounce. Probably wants to put on a show for Colonel Kell, and beat the company efficiency record or something.”

Desmond couldn’t help but smirk as the young lieutenant rested his face in the palm of one hand. “Newbies,” Barnes grunted, uttering the word like a vile curse—yet, at nineteen, he wasn’t any more experienced than Desmond was. After all, it was Barnes’ first actual combat deployment. Desmond realized his cooling vest was half on before he’d finished that thought. Kell Hounds training was good.

“The boys upstairs,” Barnes explained as Desmond finished tightening the straps on his vest, “want us to run counter-recon. We’ve got a good feel for the terrain, but the snakes can’t be sure exactly where we are. They’ll have to send scouts, and the Colonel wants us to pick ‘em off. Once Third Lance is out, we’re next—second’s gonna have to wait a bit.” Barnes paused, looking at the men (and woman) under his command. “I don’t see you in your cockpits, Mechwarriors. If you’re not in them in sixty seconds, I’m going to make you climb out and do it again! MOVE!”

Our ‘Mechs and Pilots
A Lieutenant Kearney Barnes – GRF-1N Griffin (Tempest_56)
B Mechwarrior William Desmond – BJ-1DB Blackjack (Axe-man)
C Mechwarrior Sandra St. Croix – VLT-5T Vulcan (Pladdicus)
D Mechwarrior Hikaru Yoshita – JR7-D Jenner (Cthulhu Dreams)

Tactical Analysis
“Hey, I got something,” St. Croix announced over the comms. There was a hint of excitement in her voice, garbled as it was. “It looks like a,” she paused, her voice replaced by the sharp hiss of static, “—I have no idea what that one is, a Spider, a Jenner, a,” again, the static, “And a couple of those little J. Edgar tanks the Kuritas love to hate. I don’t think they’ve spotted me.”

“Sit tight, Sandra,” Barnes cut in, “We’re on the way.”

“It’ll be bad news if we let either of those J. Edgars escape,” St. Croix replied, her voice becoming clearer as Will Desmond’s Blackjack chewed up the distance between them.

“They’ll stick around,” Yoshita announced quietly, “until things start going sour for the ‘Mechs. They can’t share in the glorious victory if they run too early.”

Enemy Forces
K1 Unknown Light
K2 SDR-5K Spider
K3 JR7-D Jenner
K4 DRG-1G Grand Dragon
K5, K6 J. Edgar light hover tank (x2)

Victory Condition: Disable or Destroy both J. Edgar hovertanks (K5, K6)
Optional Secondary Condition: Disable or Destroy all House Kurita forces




because I forgot to document it, every Kell Hound ‘mech is facing south, towards the bottom of the map except C, who is facing southeast.


Kell Hounds ’Mech Status
A GRF-1N Griffin (Tempest_56)
Weight: 55 tons (Medium)
HD A(S): 9/9 (3/3)
LT A(S): 20/20 (13/13)
LT R A(S): 6/6
CT A(S): 20/20 (18/18)
CT R A(S): 7/7
RT A(S): 20/20 (13/13)
RT R A(S): 6/6
LA A(S): 14/14 (9/9)
RA A(S): 14/14 (9/9)
LL A(S): 18/18 (13/13)
RL A(S): 18/18 (13/13)
Heat: 0/30
Overheat Penalty: None
Heat Sinks: 12
Movement: 5/8/5
Mechwarrior: Pilot 6, Gunnery 3
Mechwarrior Status: OK!
Armament:
PPC – RA (Heat: 10, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:18 M:12 S:6 Min:3), Status: OK!)
LRM 10 – RT (Heat: 4, Ammo: 24, Range: (L:21 M:14 S:7 Min:6), Status: OK!)
Notes: 2 hands—may punch with either arm (may not punch with right arm if PPC is fired)

B BJ-1DB Blackjack (Axe-man)
Weight: 45 tons (Medium)
HD A(S): 9/9 (3/3)
LT A(S): 14/14 (11/11)
LT R A(S): 5/5
CT A(S): 16/16 (14/14)
CT R A(S): 7/7
RT A(S): 14/14 (11/11)
RT R A(S): 5/5
LA A(S): 11/11 (7/7)
RA A(S): 11/11 (7/7)
LL A(S): 14/14 (11/11)
RL A(S): 14/14 (11/11)
Heat: 0/30
Overheat Penalty: None
Heat Sinks: 17
Movement: 4/6/4
Mechwarrior: Pilot 5, Gunnery 4
Mechwarrior Status: OK!
Armament:
Large Laser – RA (Heat: 8, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:15 M:10 S:5 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Medium Laser – RA (Heat: 8, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:9 M:6 S:3 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Large Laser – LA (Heat: 3, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:15 M:10 S:5 Min:), Status: OK!)
Medium Laser – LA (Heat: 3, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:9 M:6 S:3 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Notes: No hands or actuators —may not punch with either arm (may fire arm-mounted weapons into the rear arc)

C VLT-5T Vulcan (Pladdicus)
Weight: 40 tons (Medium)
HD A(S): 9/9 (3/3)
LT A(S): 12/12 (10/10)
LT R A(S): 4/4
CT A(S): 15/15 (12/12)
CT R A(S): 6/6
RT A(S): 12/12 (10/10)
RT R A(S): 4/4
LA A(S): 11/11 (6/6)
RA A(S): 11/11 (6/6)
LL A(S): 14/14 (10/10)
RL A(S): 14/14 (10/10)
Heat: 0/30
Overheat Penalty: None
Heat Sinks: 12
Movement: 6/9/6
Mechwarrior: Pilot 5, Gunnery 4
Mechwarrior Status: OK!
Armament:
Medium Laser – LT (Heat: 3, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:9 M:5 S:3 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Medium Laser – RT (Heat: 3, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:9 M:5 S:3 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Medium Laser – RT (Heat: 3, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:9 M:5 S:3 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Medium Laser – RT (Heat: 3, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:9 M:5 S:3 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Flamer – RA (Heat: 3, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:3 M:2 S:1 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Machine Gun – LA (Heat: 0, Ammo: 200, Range: (L:3 M:2 S:1 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Notes: no hands—may not punch with either arm

D JR7-D Jenner (Cthulhu Dreams)
Weight: 35 tons (Light)
HD A(S): 7/7 (3/3)
LT A(S): 8/8 (8/8)
LT R A(S): 4/4
CT A(S): 10/10 (11/11)
CT R A(S): 3/3
RT A(S): 8/8 (8/8)
RT R A(S): 4/4
LA A(S): 4/4 (6/6)
RA A(S): 4/4 (6/6)
LL A(S): 6/6 (8/8)
RL A(S): 6/6 (8/8)
Heat: 0/30
Overheat Penalty: None
Heat Sinks: 10
Movement: 7/11/5
Mechwarrior: Pilot 4, Gunnery 4
Mechwarrior Status: OK!
Armament:
Medium Laser – LA (Heat: 3, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:9 M:6 S:3 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Medium Laser – LA (Heat: 3, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:9 M:6 S:3 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Medium Laser – RA (Heat: 3, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:9 M:6 S:3 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Medium Laser – RA (Heat: 3, Ammo: 0, Range: (L:9 M:6 S:3 Min:0), Status: OK!)
SRM 4 – CT (Heat: 3, Ammo: 25, Range: (L:9 M:6 S:3 Min:0), Status: OK!)
Notes: No hands or actuators —may not punch with either arm (may fire arm-mounted weapons into the rear arc)



Enemy ‘Mech Status
K1 Unknown Light
Walked: 4
Damage: None
Status: Fine
Armament: Unknown

K2 SDR-5K Spider
Walked: 4
Damage: None
Status: Fine
Armament: Unknown

K3 JR7-D Jenner
Walked: 4
Damage: None
Status: Fine
Armament: Unknown

K4 DRG-1N Dragon
Walked: 4
Damage: None
Status: Fine
Armament: Unknown

K5 J. Edgar light hover tank
Cruised: 6
Damage: None
Status: Fine
Armament: Unknown

K6 J. Edgar light hover tank
Cruised: 5
Damage: None
Status: Fine
Armament: Unknown

Pilots, you'll receive a PM / E-Mail in just a few minutes.