Part 427: Trial by Fire - Turn 18

Trial By Fire: Tactical Update 18

“You’re certain?”

“Aye, I’m a hit away from losing my arm, and that Wolverine’s not going to think twice about just running past you. Watcher,” Arianna sighed, hesitating only a moment as she watched the opposing force advance. “We’re unable to continue this fight safely. We surrender.”








Movement Phase
Crab (Player)
- Surrenders!

Battlemaster (Player)
- Surrenders!








Player Status:


Neutral Forces:


Opposing Force Status:




Mission Objective:
Plunder Recovered (0/1500 points)

Secondary Objectives:
Enemy Units Damaged (150/400 points)
Penalty Accrued (-250/-300 points)

Final Score: -100 points



Descending from her `Mech’s cockpit was always the easiest part of a training exercise. Without a moment’s hesitation, Arianna stepped off into space and started feathering her PA(L)’s jets about half-way to the ground. She touched down lightly, in a quarter of the time it would’ve taken to use the emergency ladder. Which was probably for the best, as most of hers had vanished when she’d taken that hit to the rear torso.

Other machines filed in slowly—all but a few were able to walk in under their own power, and the distant thrum of helicopter engines said the rest of the truly downed pilots would be picked up soon enough. Even the enemy forces filed in to the extraction zone, the armless Cyclops leading the way. The only conspicuous absence was the Wolverine, and with the utter contempt with which the pilot had turned its back on Rayford when the Watcher had broadcast the fight’s outcome, she didn’t expect to.

The assembled pilots dismounted, the roar of fusion engines subsiding to a background hum as the machines shut down and idled. The Watcher was the last, his or her PA(L) faceless and as devoid of any signs of femininity as Arianna’s own. The vertical black-and-white stripes were distinct and somehow menacing amongst the standard forest camo of the opposing forces and the olive green sported by Arianna and Rayford. The watcher paused, and put a hand on Rayford’s shoulder.

“There’s a medical helicopter on the way,” the Watcher’s voice was devoid of emotion, any that may have been was drowned out by the same distortion that so thoroughly hid the pilot’s gender and identity. “Make sure you’re on it. If you feel dizzy, or need to sit down, let me know immediately. Understood?”

“Aye,” Rayford’s salute was shaky. He looked strangely pale. “Sir.”

“It’s a hard thing,” the Watcher continued mechanically. “Giving up, with an objective in your grasp—a way to finish in the positive. You managed to rip open nearly every objective marker except the ones containing your actual objectives. You aren’t the first group of Cadets to score negative points in this exercise but you’re the first I’ve seen come so close only to fail in the end. For what it’s worth, I think you made the correct decision.”

“Who’s failed?” A voice boomed, clear and distinct. The thunderous footfalls of an approaching BattleMech silenced the Watcher for a few moments as the blue and red Wolverine crested the rise and began a slow descent. Rocks tumbled as its broad, wedge-shaped feet kicked them loose, but the machine’s mobility hardly seemed hindered by its bulky armor. They score points based on the number of objectives in the extraction zone, don’t they?”

The Watcher touched the side of his helmet, and his Cicada’s external speakers boomed. “Yes. No objectives were—”

The Wolverine flicked its left then right arms forward in an underhand motion, casually tossing a pair of glittering gold suits of power armor down a dozen meters away, right at the Cicada’s bird-shaped feet. The Watcher seemed dumbfounded for a moment as the Wolverine slowed to a halt.

“They fought well,” the red and blue `Mech pilot praised. “And came together as a team at the end. That’s not the kind of thing I think we should punish. I’d be willing to take them into my lance, given a little more seasoning. So judge their performance individually, rather than dismissing them all for arbitrary reasons.”

The Wolverine’s cockpit cracked open, revealing a slip of a woman sporting not the Republic’s standardized power armor but instead the thin artificial fibers of a Star League-style coolant suit. She didn’t even sport an armored Flak vest to ward off stray shrapnel; and as she released her lightweight Star League-pattern neurohelmet a shock of straight black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Arianna’s mind whirled in confusion—bravery was one thing, but to knowingly enter a live firefight wearing less protection than that sported by even a Capellan infantryman was mind-boggling.

The woman lowered herself to ground level using a device Arianna recognized as an “ascender,” a tool for making anti-Battlemech attacks without the aid of power armor. She’d never seen one up close but she’d been trained to spot the bulky and distinctive shape. Standard infantry weren’t much threat to a Battlemaster, but a few well-placed bombs could lay even an Atlas low.

“Lieutenant Varuna,” the woman saluted, her thin brown lips curled into an honest smile. As Arianna’s hand rose to return the salute, the other woman’s fell seeking a handshake. As Arianna scrambled to return the shake the other woman said, “Don’t be hard on yourselves, you were really coming together at the end. I just had a plan from the outset and a Lance that trusted me enough to stick to it.”

The Watcher stared in silence for a moment before interjecting, “You were supposed to use number Wolverine 874.”

Varuna shrugged, “I like 853 better.”

“It hasn’t been converted yet.”

Varuna grinned, “That’s why I like it. I know it doesn’t mean anything, but please pass my commendations on to the Colonels. This test is always really hard on newbies, but these ones are promising and we’re going to need every able body we can get.”



After-Action Report:

Final Score: 900 points!

Ok, that final score may involve a bit of cheating a little bit but my dice just had it out for some of the players all match long. Coupled with that last round of “every crit chance scores a critical hit” and there really was no recovery. I probably would’ve just let the Battlemaster grab the Locust and run (I was actually planning to have the Wolverine double back and blow open the truck and Karnov on the next few turns so it could return the objectives for them, but I’m not sure if the thread would’ve called me out for that).

I’m still not sure you won’t call me out for being a softie, honestly, but the players really did do a lot better once they started organizing in the thread, so Z the Ivth, Great Beer, JT Jag, Paingod556, Saint Celestine, and Cloud Potato, thank you for putting on a good match in spite of all the confusion and a series of disappointments. Thanks also to apostateCourier, who stepped in for Cloud Potato; and Cloud Potato I will be seeing you next mission. You’re a “veteran” now, so I’m going to count on you to help me keep the new batch of players in line.

Political update coming soon (but not tonight, I need to go to bed).

Vote for MVPs!