Part 298: Jeronimo: Breakout - Turn 30
Breakout: Tactical Update 30Movement Phase
X2 Exterminator
- Initiates a DFA on S3 Awesome!
X9 Cyclops IIC
- Movement interrupted, ally occupying hex!
Combat Phase
H2 Cougar D
- Fires Large Pulse Laser at S3 Awesome (3 base + 4 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement - 2 pulse = 7): rolled 8, hit Right Arm (14/24 armor remains)!
- Fires Large Pulse Laser at S3 Awesome (3 base + 4 range + 1 movement + 1 enemy movement - 2 pulse = 7): rolled 8, hit Center Torso (20/30 armor remains)!
- Gains 26 heat, sinks 25!
X2 Exterminator
- Unable to fire!
- Gains 4 heat, sinks 26!
X7 Vindicator
- No Line of Sight to target!
- Gains 1 heat, sinks 24!
X9 Cyclops IIC
- No Line of Sight to target!
- Gains 2 heat, sinks 30!
X11 Merlin
- Fires LRM-5 at S3 Awesome (0 base + 0 range + 3 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 smoke - 1 LK Missiles = 4): rolled 5, 5 missiles hit Right Arm (9/24 armor remains)!
- Fires Medium Laser at S3 Awesome (0 base + 4 range + 3 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 smoke - 1 LK Missiles = 8): rolled 12, hit Center Torso (15/30 armor remains)!
- Gains 2 heat, sinks 27!
S1 Mackie
- Torso twists to threaten hex 1607!
- Fires Heavy PPC at X2 Exterminator IIC (2 base + 2 range + 0 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 heavy = 7): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires HVAC/10 (High Explosive) at X2 Exterminator IIC (2 base + 2 range + 0 movement + 2 enemy movement = 6): rolled 7, hit Right Torso (12/22 armor remains)!
S2 Battlemaster
- Torso twists to threaten hex 1208!
- Fires Heavy PPC at X2 Exterminator IIC (2 base + 2 range + 0 movement + 2 enemy movement + 1 heavy = 7): rolled 10, hit Right Torso (0/22 armor, 12/15 structure remains)! Crit!
S3 Awesome
- Fires PPC at X2 Exterminator IIC (2 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement + 3 minimum range = 8): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires PPC at X2 Exterminator IIC (2 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement + 3 minimum range = 8): rolled 7, miss!
- Fires PPC at X2 Exterminator IIC (2 base + 0 range + 1 movement + 2 enemy movement + 3 minimum range = 8): rolled 6, miss!
End Phase:
X2 Exterminator IIC
- Critical chance in Right Torso! No critical hits sustained!
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (2 base + 1 massive damage = 3): rolled 6, succeeds!
Physical Combat Phase:
X2 Exterminator IIC
- Delivers Death from Above to S3 Awesome (2 base + 3 movement + 1 enemy movement - 1 piloting difference = 5): rolled 5, hit!
- - Deals 5 damage to Right Arm (4/24 armor remains)!
- - Deals 5 damage to Head (0/9 armor, 0/3 structure remains)! `Mech destroyed!
- - Deals 5 damage to Center Torso (10/30 armor remains)!
- - Deals 5 damage to Head!
End Phase:
X2 Exterminator IIC
- Must pass a piloting test or fall (2 base + 4 DFA Attack = 6): rolled 3, fails!
- - Suffers falling damage to Left Arm (0/16 armor, 6/10 structure remains (Crit!)), Center Torso (25/26 armor remains)!
- Critical chance in Left Arm! No critical hits sustained!
The Awesome’s PPCs lashed out at random, filling the air with bolts like artificial lightning. Static electricity, the detritus of the weapons’ discharge, filled the channel left by a few grams of charged particles moving at a reasonable fraction of the speed of light. Those PPCs promised death to anything the Awesome faced, and yet each shot missed its vulnerable, airborne target by scant centimeters.
The nearly imperceptible jerk of the Awesome’s shoulders as the flinching pilot relaxed was telling. Tjris Amirault smiled a cruel smile, and lined up another shot. Though his laser pistol had no hope of actually damaging a `Mech at this range, from his personal experience the sound of a handheld laser pistol striking Transplex was nearly indistinguishable from the sound of a small laser doing the same.
He fired again, and the Awesome paused for a fraction of a second as the pilot scrambled to find where the shots were coming from. The Exterminator’s great wedge-shaped foot crushed its cockpit with an unceremonious contempt. The heavy `Mech stood for a moment, balanced on the unguided Awesome for nearly a full second before they both fell in a heap of metal and twisted limbs.
Tjris holstered his pistol, walking with stiff legs towards his Dropship. He paid little mind to the BattleMaster as the Capellan Vindicator distracted it while the Cyclops IIC blew it apart. He paid less mind to the distant Mackie, its body wreathed in the flames of clinging, gelled incendiaries and crawling with Salamanders. One of them punched a hole in the transplex windscreen and filled the Assault `Mech’s cockpit with fire.
He ascended the boarding ramp of his dropship with arms held at ease, ignoring the bustling technicians as they scrambled to finish bringing the great ship’s systems online. Tjris stopped only when he reached the bridge, commandeering the radio even as Talyn’s badly-damaged Cougar clambered aboard. “Inner Sphere Freebirths: it seems we have suffered the indignity of a draw. So, I grant you this boon: anything that cannot leave the field under its own power is yours; and you may travel safely through Hell’s Horses territory for the next six weeks. That should see you beyond our borders after which, you are on your own.”
“Death Commandos: know that I shall look forward to the day when I can again face you in honorable combat. We shall prove once and for all whom the superior warriors are. All the Clans shall know of your prowess, that we may one day take your survivors as bondsmen. Until that day,” he paused as the Overlord-C’s engines ignited with a piercing roar. “I wish you well.”
He paused again for a few moments before adding, “And Wilberforce? Try not to die before I see you again.”
Mission Objectives:
Secure the Dropships (complete)
Hold off the 1st Kestrel Grenadiers (complete)
Optional
Defeat the 1st Kestrel Grenadiers’ 2nd Battalion (38/40)
Death Commandos: Defeat more Kestrel Grenadiers than the Hell’s Horses (20)
Hell’s Horses: Defeat more Kestrel Grenadiers than the Death Commandos (20)
Key:
X2 Exterminator IIC, X7 Vindicator, X9 Cyclops IIC, X11 Merlin, H6 Gargoyle Tjris
Player `Mech Status
After-Action Report:
The Overlord-C class Dropship Wild Mustang hung in a low orbit, her great engines burning with a low intensity to hold her stationary as a pair of surviving fighters moved to board. They paid no mind to the tiny Capellan Thrush that watched from a safe distance, caring little if their temporary allies learned anything from Clan combat doctrines. Star Captain Tjris Amirault undoubtedly stood like a statue on her bridge, adamantly refusing medical help for his numerous cuts and bruises.
Too distant to see with the naked eye, the Death Commandos’ own dropship broke orbit, likely counting on their little fighter’s speed to see it to a safe rendezvous point. On the bridge of that vessel, Wilberforce stared at the navigation console for a few silent moments before depressing the ‘transmit’ stud on his microphone.
“That was an excellent speech,” Wilberforce replied with a voice full of raw with emotion. His gut still seethed with ice and fire as memories of a young woman he’d hated intensely filled his mind. His fingers brushed the radio’s transmission keys for a few moments before he continued. “However, I believe you should know: our mission was to eliminate or capture all Clan forces on Jeronimo.”
“Fare thee well, Star Captain.”
The little Thrush fighter, in its parallel orbit below and behind the Wild Mustang suddenly burst into motion. Heedless of the G-Forces, the pilot brought his craft up to its maximum safe speed and beyond. The disc-shaped craft smashed into the Wild Mustang’s idling engines like an exploding buzzsaw, sheering off thruster nozzles and sending the Dropship spinning out of control. Wilberforce watched the navigation display in silence for a few minutes as the slow Inner Sphere computers tried to estimate the craft’s course; but eventually turned away with disgust before it ever finished.
Perhaps the Wild Mustang would skip from the Atmosphere a few times before it burned up; perhaps it would be incinerated right away. It didn’t matter to him. Not anymore.
You know the drill, guys! Time for an MVP Vote!
I need ONE player MVP in addition to the Exterminator IIC and Rifleman IIC.