Part 413: Trial by Fire - Turn 4

Trial By Fire: Tactical Update 4

“Nothing in these cargo—shit!” Lucaino dipped his Crab’s shoulders involuntarily as a quartet of lasers flashed over his Crab’s ball-shaped head. He rolled forward on his machine’s dome-shaped feet, twisting to get a good look at his attacker before it moved on.

“Hoo,” he exclaimed with an accent a Terran native might’ve found reminiscent of the Louisiana bayou spoken with crisp, British precision. “Now there’s a beast I haven’t seen in a while. Positive ident on an enemy Cyclops. I know the Watcher said there’s no enemy commander but that’s a command vehicle or my name’s Kerensky. Hope it’s one of the fragile ones.”

“Can you see if it’s got longs?” Ariana asked in grim tones. “I hear LeVault did a limited run of a Cyclops they brought up to Mk. 6 specs by stripping out the LRMs and—I don’t remember what else they did. I remember it making a stir a few years ago right before the Mark 7 and 8 trials. It just dropped off the radar after that.”

“Couldn’t tell you, miss,” Lucaino drawled apologetically. “I just saw lasers. Wasn’t even that many.”

“Nevermind,” Ariana interjected as the actinic flash of her Plasma Rifles boiled the very air itself as her target ducked behind a low ridge. Fireballs blossomed on the Battlemaster’s leg and chest, but the machine didn’t even rock. “I see it—damn, they scored first blood on me. The carbide armor works, that should’ve been worse. We’re thirty seconds in and we’re already in negative points because of me.”

“Points didn’t even budge.” Shoji was grinning ear-to-ear, Lucaino could hear it. “Maybe the Watcher didn’t see it? Either way, don’t worry about it. The first minute of battle’s always the worst. All maneuvering and sizing the other guy up. They’re playing this defensive, trying to goad us into a knock-down drag-out fight for that cluster of objectives. We’ll get `em back with interest, don’t you worry.”








Movement Phase
Crusader
- Player w/out internet, temporarily controlled by apostateCourier



Combat Phase
Crab (Player)
- Fires ER Large Laser at Cargo Container 1923 (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement - 4 enemy movement = 1): automatically hit (7/15 durability remaining)!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Cargo Container 1923 (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement - 4 enemy movement = 1): automatically hit (2/15 durability remaining)!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Cargo Container 1923 Cargo Container 1923 (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement - 4 enemy movement = 1): automatically hit (0/15 durability remaining)!
- Fires ER Large Laser at Cargo Container 1722 (3 base + 0 range + 2 movement - 4 enemy movement + 1 secondary target = 2): automatically hit (0/15 durability remaining)!
- Gains heat 36, sinks 36!

Battlemaster (Player)
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 1223!
- Fires Plasma Rifle at Coyotl (3 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 partial cover = 11): rolled 8, miss!
- Fires Plasma Rifle at Coyotl (3 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 1 partial cover = 11): rolled 6, miss!
- Gains heat 22, sinks 34!

Coyote (Player)
- Holds fire!
- Gains heat, sinks 30!

Sentinel (Player)
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 1722!
- Fires Light Autocannon/5 (Precision Ammo) at Coyotl (3 base + 2 range + 2 movement + (3-2 =) 1 enemy movement + 1 partial cover = 9): rolled 7, miss!
- Secondary target destroyed!
- Gains 3 heat, sinks 20!

Shadow Hawk (Player)
- Fires Light AC/5 at Building Hex 1622: no Line of Sight to target!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Building Hex 1622: no Line of Sight to target!
- Gains 5 heat, sinks 20!

Crusader (Player)
- Holds fire!
- Gains 1 heat, sinks 20!

Coyotl
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 0524!
- Fires Plasma Rifle at Battlemaster (3 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 partial cover = 9): rolled 6, miss!
- Fires Streak SRM-4 at BattleMaster (3 base + 2 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement + 1 partial cover = 9): rolled 9, 4 missiles hit Right Leg (damage blocked by terrain), Right Leg (damage blocked by terrain), Right Torso (27/28 armor remains), Center Torso (39/40 armor remains)!
- Gains 12 heat, sinks 20!

Cyclops
- Torso-twists to threaten hex 0920!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Crab (3 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 2 light woods = 14): automatic miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Crab (3 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 2 light woods = 14): automatic miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Crab (3 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 2 light woods = 14): automatic miss!
- Fires ER Medium Laser at Crab (3 base + 4 range + 2 movement + 3 enemy movement + 2 light woods = 14): automatic miss!
- Gains 22 heat, sinks 24!









Player Status:


Neutral Forces:


Opposing Force (level)
Cyclops (Mk. ?) – Walked +1
Woodsman Prime (Mk. 6) – Walked +0
Mountain Lion (Mk. 4) – Stationary +0
Thunderbolt (Mk. ?) – Ran +0
Kintaro (Mk. ?) – Stationary +0
Wolverine (Mk. ?) – Walked +0
Coyotl A (Mk. 6) – Ran +2
Commando (Mk. ?) – Ran +2



Mission Objective:
Plunder Recovered (0/1500 points)

Secondary Objectives:
Enemy Units Damaged (0/400 points)
Penalty Accrued (-0/-300 points)



Orders Due: Saturday Night!