Part 256: Jeronimo Campaign Turn 4
“Intermission”A great shark descended slowly, its blue body clashing with the blood-red field behind it. The Union-class dropship Sincere Apology touched down; its great engines searing the ferrocrete a sooty gray that would fade with time and rain. The sharp pings of cooling metal echoed from buildings throughout the starport. Some minutes after the ground cooled, the ship’s passenger ramp extended to divest the ship of a young man wearing the icy blue uniform of a New Rim World Republic general.
The massed firepower of an entire regiment of League Battlemechs were unimpressed and pivoted slightly to track him as he strode across the tarmac.
“That’s quite far enough, thank you,” General Kalma called while the Rim Worlder was still some twenty meters distant. Replete in the white paramilitary uniform of his office, Captain-General Duncan Marik watched passively as Kalma strode forward to meet the man a safe distance away. The tiny microphone on his lapel and the flesh-colored receiver in Duncan’s ear would enable him to hear the entire conversation.
The Rim Worlder dropped into a respectful bow as Kalma came to a stop and, either expecting or deducing the setup, spoke respectfully. “My name is General Kemper Varas. I do not expect you to welcome me to Atreus, however I would like to pay my respects to Captain-General Duncan Marik. Please convey to him my regards, and the sincere apologies of my nation for our recent misunderstanding.”
Kalma frowned. “A misunderstanding in which your forces seized several of our worlds.”
Varas nodded, his expression full of regret. “A misunderstanding I am here to rectify. The New Rim Worlds Republic has withdrawn our forces from the worlds we have seized. We regret that we were… misinformed from intelligence reports that we suspect have been doctored by the Maskirovka that seemed to suggest the League was plotting an invasion. Our invasion forces uncovered no such proof, indeed quite the opposite as your garrison troops clearly hadn’t received any orders from Atreus in months.”
Duncan frowned quietly, for all the man’s apparent sincerity, there was something about him that was difficult to trust. At Duncan’s side—and as if sensing his Commander in Chief’s very thoughts—General Halas remarked in low tones, “This Varas seems a slippery weasel of a man.” Duncan felt himself break into a faint, humorless smile.
Varas opened his arms, “It is President Amaris’ conclusion is that someone has been playing both of our nations, and I quote, ‘like suckers.’ In order to prevent further incidents, I have been sent as an embassy to re-open negotiations with the League and,” he paused dramatically, dropping to one knee. “By way of apology for our terrible mistake, I swear personal fealty to Captain-General Duncan Marik on behalf of myself and the `Mechwarriors under my command. We hear you are assembling a unit to combat the sons of Kerensky—if this is true, we humbly request that we be admitted into your Knights of the Inner Sphere so we may bring the fight to them.”
The Rim World General’s head rose so the man could meet Duncan’s icy gaze. “You also need not worry about equipping us,” Varas said calmly as though that would be Duncan’s primary reservation. At his words, the bay doors of the Rim Worlder dropship slid open with a rasping hiss. Huge and menacing, a pair of the Rim World Republic’s ‘Mojave’ line Bobcats strode from the ship, followed in close formation by another nine `Mechs. The twelfth member of the company, presumably Varas’ own `Mech, remained safely aboard.
Varas smiled, “We have brought our own.”
Jeronimo Campaign Turn 4
Objective Update:
Company Yan: Captured Mt. Gila!
Company Ma Mian: Defeated a massive counterattack from Apache Junction!
Company Niu Tou: Captured Sonora!
Campaign Map
A) Potter’s Field [Taken]
B) Apache Junction [Taken]
C) Sonora [Taken]
D) Chihuahua [Primary Objective]
E) Mt. Gila [Taken]
F) Pebble Beach
G) Topside Woods
H) Long Sound
I) Kas-Ki-Yeh
J) The Dales [Taken]
K) Bottomside Woods
L) Mosquito
Company Xi (Death (unless I’m mistaken))
Xi1) Ho He (p2g1 (3+))- Banshee IIC (Status: Ok!)
Xi2) Lukas Boehm (p2g1) - ARC-2R Archer (Status: Damaged!)
Xi3) Ethan Parkinson (p2g1) - PO-2L Po (Status: Damaged!)
Xi4) Jabel Jaime Meraz (p1g0) - MLN-1A Merlin (jump jets) (Status: Ok!)
Xi5) Shin Hytönen (p1g1) - MAD-3L Marauder (Status: Ok!)
Xi6) No Pilot - HBK-4G Hunchback (Status: OK!)
Xi7) Tanta Hogpen (p2g1 (3+)) - BJ-1DB Blackjack (jump jets) (Status: Ok!)
Xi8) No Pilot - DV-6M Dervish (jump jets) (Status:Ok!)
Xi9) No Pilot - VND-1R Vindicator (jump jets) (Status: OK!)
Xi10) Chiyoe Takahasi (p2g1) - MON-67 Mongoose (Status: Ok!)
Xi11) Lian Chia (p1g1) - HSR-300-D Hussar (Status: Ok!)
Salvageable `Mechs
S1) Crockett (1 repair to replace Cockpit with Flashman’s cockpit (no penalties))
S2) Atlas (1 repair to replace Cockpit with Flashman’s cockpit (no penalties), 1 repair to replace MRM-40)
S3) Banshee IIC (1 repair to replace Clan ER PPC)
S4) Cyclops IIC (1 repair to fix damaged sensors)
S5) Exterminator IIC (1 repair to fix all leg actuators)
S6) Y5 Archer (automatic LRM-20 replacement, 1 repair to replace missing arm/laser)
Dispossessed:
Yan) Reece Collier (p2g1)
Yan) Louw Bouman (p2g1(3+))
Yan) Nkiruka Olisaemeka (p2g1(3+))
Ox) Alimah Hayaam Attia (p2g1 (3+))
Horse) Emil Voronov (p1g0 (3+))
Bondsmen:
B1) Wilberforce (p2g0)
- “Coward” trait: piloting and gunnery scores reverse if he suffers 2 pilot hits; +1 penalty to hit targets at short range. Reverts to a 2/2 in a ground vehicle.
B2) Miranda (p4g3 (3+))
- “Useless” trait: Clanners prioritize other targets.
B3) Piet (p4g3)
- “Vicious” trait: -1 gunnery if no one else engages her target, -1 gunnery while alpha striking.
- “Contempt” trait: +1 penalty to piloting and gunnery if not piloting a Clan `Mech.
B4) Steve (p4g3)
- “Blindside” trait: -2 gunnery if attacking from a side arc.
Too Injured to Fight:
Yan) Terrace Williams (11+)
Yan) Urjasz Sobczak (9+)
Yan) Zdenko Horvat (7+)
Ox) Phùng Tan Tuy (11+)
Ox) Jafar Nur al Din Issa (9+)
Ox) Zoja Nowicka (11+)
Horse) Xiang Chiu (9+)
Bondsman) Tegrin (9+)
Dead:
Yan) Xiang Yi
Yan) Cong Tsui
Yan) Iskander Vassiliev
Ox) Hob Sibenik
Ox) Luan Araujo Carvalho
Ox) Joseph Lapresse
Ox) Gustave Allaire
Ox) Yu Ts'ai
Ox) Ilve Duran Leiva
Horse) Petrit Hul
Horse) Lucilla Iadanza
Horse) Karolin Ostermann
Horse) Faruz Neftalem
Horse) Quennel Pelletier
Horse) Antonina Balashova
Horse) Fai Chiang
Injured and reclining in a wheeled bed, Terrance Williams waved his hand at the tactical hologram. “We have secured most of the planet,” he wheezed softly. In spite of the smoke damage that make talking painful, Williams was focused on the task at hand. “The last remaining Clan stronghold is the capital at Chihuahua. They are undoubtedly digging in—”
“They are not,” Wilberforce announced softly, drawing silent stares from all assembled. He did not meet them, but simply stared ahead like a junior officer receiving a dressing-down. “Star Captain Tjris Amirault commands a front-line binary. He may have remained in Chihuahua if the defensive turrets were still active, but I sincerely doubt it. The Star Captain believes too strongly in a mobile fight and will undoubtedly move to engage you whichever direction you choose to approach.”
Williams stared quietly. Wilberforce could not bring himself to meet the injured man’s gaze and simply stared straight ahead. “What do you suggest, bondsman?” Williams said after a time, “can this Amirault be drawn into an ambush?”
Wilberforce shook his head, “Not an ambush, no. He is too wary and has no qualms about disengaging to fight a hit-and-run campaign. You can, however, engage him in terrain that better suits your forces. The approach that will most throw Star Captain Tjris Amirault off his usual tactics is Mosquito; but the salt-water swamp is largely flat and open and has very few trees. The bog will hinder you at least as much as it does the Star Captain, I suspect. In your position, I would try to engage him from the Bottomside Woods. The trees and ridgelines will reduce his weapons ranges but he’d likely be able to use his mobility to great effect there. There is also another concern:”
Wilberforce swallowed, “Your technicians will almost certainly be able to repair at least three `Mechs to bolster your forces; yet most of your dispossessed pilots will be too injured to fight and several others could use the rest to recover from their injuries.” He turned, finally looking down to meet Williams’ eyes. “If my estimates are correct, you will almost certainly be at least one pilot short.”
Campaign Options:
- 4 Repair Points to spend (see Salvageable `Mechs)
Pilot Assignments
- Up to 7 (but probably 6) `Mechs lack pilots, but there are only 5 dispossessed `Mechwarriors. Do the Death Commandos allow one (or more) of the Clan Bondsmen to pilot a `Mech (and if so, who, and which `Mech)?
- Injured `Mechwarriors will heal by 1 stage if they are not fielded
Objectives
A) Attack Chihuahua via Mosquito where the swamps will help negate the Clan mobility advantage
B) Attack Chihuahua via Bottomside Woods where the woods and rock outcroppings will reduce the Clan range advantage
Duncan Marik
A) Welcome Kemper Varas and his New Rim World Republic `Mechwarriors to the Knights of the Inner Sphere
B) Send the New Rim World Republic’s volunteers home