Part 523: Rise of the Phoenix - Turn 1

Rise of the Phoenix: Tactical Update 1

Another pair of Stuka aerospace fighters roared overhead, their lasers and missiles chewing up the rocky soil on either side of Carlos’s Grand Titan. He ducked back behind cover, cursing. They’d walked right into this one. They’d had to, after the Capellans shot down the Spring Rain. He wasn’t prepared to leave a dropship’s worth of survivors—and precious supplies—to the Capellans. The decision may have been a mistake, but the Capellans didn’t have enough aerospace assets to keep them pinned indefinitely. The question was: whether or not they had enough to hold Carlos’s command lance in place long enough for their frighteningly quick ground assets to move in.

“Here they come again,” Lieutenant Coronado growled as the distant specks of the Stuka flight made a broad, sweeping turn. It wouldn’t take them long to set up another approach, even if it seemed they’d exhausted their bombloads on the first pass.

“Don’t waste ammo,” Carlos advised, “but if you’ve got a shot, take it. I’m sick of--”

One of the Stukas disintegrated in a flash as a pillar of laser light struck it from above. The other two broke formation and split as an aerospace fighter Carlos had never seen before dove through the center of their formation. Its hull glinted a deep iron gray pattern in rust-orange tiger stripes. He tagged it, his brow furrowing in distress as his targeting computer tried to designate it first a Slayer, then a Hammerhead, then began flashing back and forth between. He patted the central display. “Whatever the Capellans did to you,” he offered as though trying to comfort his hundred-ton BattleMech, “we’ll get it fixed once we’re off this hellhole.”

“Who the hell is shooting down those fighters?” Staff Sergeant Rory Almeier broadcast. The old man was a veteran with, Coronado always joked, more experience than the rest of the Company put together. “I don’t recognize those colors.”

As if to confuse matters further a pair of bright crimson Corsairs followed in the strange, steel-colored fighter’s wake. As the Stukas split to evade it the red Corsairs followed, making good use of their maneuverability and engine power to close on the far-heavier Stukas. Separated by nearly a kilometer, both fighters exploded nearly in tandem as the lighter fighters dodged their rear-firing medium lasers and blew them out of the sky.

“Whoever they are, they’re killing Capellans,” Coronado replied. The wariness in her voice told Carlos she half expected the fighters to turn on them next. “This isn’t ComStar’s doing, is it Acolyte?”

“I don’t think so,” Justine Kreszentia replied. “I’ve never seen a fighter like that one.”

“So, what do you think boss?” Rory demanded. “Enemy of my Enemy?”

“Yeah,” Carlos replied dubiously. “Right. As if we’d get that lucky.”





PTN’s note: All enemy units have a +2 movement modifier this turn



Player Status:




Opposing Force Status:





Mission Objective:
- Break Through (0/1)



Orders Due: Midnight Tuesday!



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