Avastan: Planetfall

[Tiglath]

Frank

Frank switches the call to speaker (but keeps the microphone set to his unit) so Liv and the others can hear:

Frank can't suppress a smile. He raises a questioning eyebrow at Liv.

"So Imperial Intelligence and the not-so-good Doctor have finally caught up with you? I guess they don't like their agents going rogue. If you want extraction from the Hawkwind, then tell me everything you know that will help my men get to you first...oh and I want the deactivation code for the nuke."

Mikhailov cackles “Van Owen? I've got enough on him so I don't have to give one sideways shit about that murderous little prick! However, despite my being a man of defined and singular vision, he had enough on me to force me to betray another deal I made...”

He continues his rant “Imperial and Naval Intelligence have been doing nothing more useful in this sector than playing grab arse with each other for years now. Please tell me that he paid you for this job - at least that will end his career!” He pauses for a burst of maniacal laughter “Oh, and if you renegades are backed by ImpInt then I'll admit that I didn't see that coming. However, if you are than tell them that their agent Ellis fell into the hands of some local hoodlums - which can hardly be my fault”. He sniggers “That bitch was always way too sharp for her own good”.

He then excitedly adds “Deactivation code? Hah, in this game I've learned not to rely on sophistication. I have made myself a very straight forward little trigger. A little something I picked up from the Ine Givar movement when I was on Tarkine”.

Frank pops up the following text on the holo-terminal in HQ:

"Liv: How likely is ImpInt to work with us to make it look like we've extracted him until we get the nuke?"

Liv types: The pirate set up looks like a NavInt Op. Imp Navy assets and Scout Base in play. Starmercs bonded and based in Mille Falcs - the biggest Imperial Naval Base just over the border? Unimaginative. Short sighted. Heavy handed. Straight outta Kirkton*

Rogue/dissavowed agents = safari / fair game for all – no Camarena Protocol

I'm NOT an ImpInt asset

She sighs and then types and then deletes: I report to someone else

Then: Possible ImpInt may have worked other of their assets into the op either as spoilers or insurance - local or Imp forces sleepers?

Tarkine was a textbook clusterfek - massive Int failure

Then she swears, Dubs blushes and she types very fast:

this is an outworld op - wrong agency

(OOC: * Collace's moon (common knowledge) which hosts the ISS(common knowledge)/NavInt (restricted knowledge) base).

[gurusql]

Kit

As Kit is moving towards the Hawkwind, he reports into the comm on the officers channel "I saw another unaccounted for armored figure consistent with the ISS Sec For, just like one that tried to take out Freya. I no longer have eyes on him, repeat he is a rogue variable. Last known location was near an interior door off the loading bay and then I assume heading inside the building on the northern side of the berm. Anyone able to get eyes on him?"

[BackworldTraveller]

Kit

As Kit is moving towards the Hawkwind, he reports into the comm on the officers channel "I saw another unaccounted for armored figure consistent with the ISS Sec For, just like one that tried to take out Freya. I no longer have eyes on him, repeat he is a rogue variable. Last known location was near an interior door off the loading bay and then I assume heading inside the building on the northern side of the berm. Anyone able to get eyes on him?"

Freya
Detailing my eyes to look
And with that sends her grav-drone on a dog-legged course looking in that general direction

[shaidar]

Frank face darkens.

He quickly flips to the command channel "Be advised, negotiations ongoing. Sleeper agents from unconfirmed agency are live in the area and after Mikhailov."

He then switches back to Mikhailov

"It's your lucky day then, I'm not in the pocket of the Imperium. My people will get you off the ship alive and in return you will give them the nuke, deactivated. To do that I need to know your location, and any surprises along the way. Speed is of the essence if you want my people to get to you first."

He sends a text message to Erica: "Does the operation have any interest in Mikhailov? Are these agents Outworld? Is that why you're here?"

He then replies to Liv: "Kit and Jakob need to know anything you know about Ine Givar devices. You're saying Outworld agents are the ones after him? "

[Tiglath]

Frank

...switches back to Mikhailov

"It's your lucky day then, I'm not in the pocket of the Imperium. My people will get you off the ship alive and in return you will give them the nuke, deactivated. To do that I need to know your location, and any surprises along the way. Speed is of the essence if you want my people to get to you first."

Mikhailov replies to Frank with increasing desperation "Look, all of Solonik's men are dead. Whoever you sent on board is too slow. I'm dropping the bow cargo ramp - we're coming out that way. Get me out and you can name your price". Then, in apparent moment of realisation, he looses it and just screams "Oh, now I know who it is! They are coming for me!!!"

He sends a text message to Erica: "Does the operation have any interest in Mikhailov? Are these agents Outworld? Is that why you're here?"

Erica replies on the command channel "Mikhailov is a possibly insane deputy despot running API and hence controlling the planet. He is an entirely corrupt, traitorous and vile individual - so I believe my client can do business with him. I can see no one but API personnel on board so far - perhaps we should add paranoid and delusional to the list of his endearing characteristics? My role here is to coordinate and facilitate the disparate elements of the raiding force". She adds "As far as agents go in 268 in my experience it really is quite difficult to tell who's who". Then with an audible smile "It seems it's a good job that I can both walk, talk, and chew gum Colonel. Mikhailov's trapped himself in the Hawkwind's cargo hold".

He then replies to Liv: "Kit and Jakob need to know anything you know about Ine Givar devices. You're saying Outworld agents are the ones after him? "

To his first Liv replies "On it" then "Well, if he's gone rogue he's on his own. If he flipped on Tarkine that might go a long way to explaining the Intel failure. If he then tried to come back in or played as a triple agent... then they'll make an example of him. Most inter agency assassinations are low key - often disguised as accidents or random crime. Those carried out to make a point usually fall within the definition of... "spectacular".

[Tiglath]

Kit and Jakob

As both SEMC officers get within 100m of the Hawkwind they both see the bow cargo ramp (facing west / towards them) begin to lower.

Liv speaks tonelessly on the command channel "The Colonel has asked me to brief you on Ine Givar IEDs - specifically trigger or detonation mechanics. Whilst they make use of the full range of military fuses and detonation protocols the devices put into the hands of those fanatics convinced to deliver their ordnance personally are absolutely simple mechanically completed circuits. You are looking at plungers, push/pull switches or, with more complexity, a dead man's hand/failsafe requiring continual pressure to avoid arming the device - analogous to the safety handle on a Marine issue hand grenade. Be careful and good luck".

[Tiglath]

Freya

Detailing my eyes to look
And with that sends her grav-drone on a dog-legged course looking in that general direction

"Ma'am. We both part own a starship". Freddie takes post next to Freya. He groans slightly as he settles himself. Freya notes he has freshly treated arm and leg wounds but otherwise seems cheerful and content.

Freya steers her drone to zero feet and scopes out the loading bays of the logistics hub. She can see no movement within and even on entering the open vehicle bay door sees nothing.

To discover more beyond that the bay is so far "clear" on a basic tactical level she would need to steer her drone deeper into the confined corridors of the building.

To delve further please make another Sensor Ops roll.

[joertexas]

Prerna switches her rifle to her left shoulder and steps up to the iris valve next to the starboard airlock. When the valve to the cargo bay opens, she kneels and leans around enough to cover everyone next to the warhead and turns up her suit amplifier volume as high as it will go. "EVERYBODY FREEZE!" She watches them over her rifle sight, looking for anyone who is even thinking of moving.

[Leitz]

"Kit, we need to do this right. Otherwise Liv'll never talk to me again." Jakob said to the other two. He switched to the command channel as they headed up the ramp. "That lone person in ISS armor worries me, they may have set up a remote trigger if the hands on failed. We may want to eliminate that risk. What's the status on the toolkit?"

As they boarded, Jakob opened his mind to the risks, options, and setting. Terrorists seldom made things simple, and anyone dumb enough to think a nuclear warhead was a local option really needed to sit on it when it went off.

Jakob Recon [2d6+3]=8+3=11

[Tiglath]

Kit and Jakob

The two SEMC officers see the forward ramp on the trader drop and four figures start down the ramp. They identify the four as below:

Vladimir Mikhailov, Avastan Secretary who is closely followed by a drone grav platform carrying what looks very much like the front end of a missile. He is holding a trigger (mechanical button) which is physically linked to the warhead.

Viktor Solonik aka “The Gravedigger” a local hoodlum armed with a local ACR (aka the AK).

A "Technical Guy" wearing coveralls and carrying a toolkit.

An ISS Sec For officer (Captain) armed with a gaussrifle.

Liv comms Jakob "That is a Sword Worlds Navy Darraðr class ship to ship nuclear missile warhead - and they are so screwed. Go get 'em honey”.

[BackworldTraveller]

Freya
From her position in the airlock on Deliverance, Freya has a clear view across the bund to Hawkwind. She will be jerked from her Drone Recon by this immediate, local movement and reports
I have a direct line to the Hawkwind's debarkees. Any priority as to which I engage?

[shaidar]

Frank

To Mikhailov: "I'm Colonel Cross of the SEMC. Surrender the nuke and yourselves to my people and they will not harm you. This is your one chance to get out of this alive."

On the command channel "I've given Mikhailov one chance to surrender and hand over the nuke, if he does so he is not to be harmed. The man is completely paranoid, so identify yourself to him. That ISS Sec For officer, is he the lurker? He could be the sleeper. "

[Leitz]

Jakob slowed his pace slightly, and replied on the command channel. "I will step forward and give him the chance to hand me the switch. I would recommend he be given that moment, and just that moment, to surrender. Any talk, any action, and they lose. Prerna, Kit, waste them if they hesitate."

"Liv, find me data on that warhead, I don't want there to be any surprises inside. Well, I expect them, but we need to move fast on deactivating them."

On speaker as he moved forward slowly: "I am Captain Jakob Domici, of the SEMC. Surrender the trigger and the warhead."

[gurusql]

Kit

Kit is selecting his targets and preparing to fire advancing a few steps behind Jakob.

[BackworldTraveller]

In the absence of any specific direction from SEMC command, Freya will choose the "Technical Guy", on the grounds her rifle is only 50:50 for penetrating Combat Armour, and she will aim (very carefully) for the back of the right knee. If we need technical help to disable the warhead, we don't want him running away!

[Tiglath]

All at the Hawkwind

This includes those in the vicinity and monitoring at HQ

Empress Marava (Hawkwind) Lower Deck Tactical.jpg (159.24 KiB) Viewed 393 times

[Tiglath]

Jakob

As they boarded, Jakob opened his mind to the risks, options, and setting. Terrorists seldom made things simple, and anyone dumb enough to think a nuclear warhead was a local option really needed to sit on it when it went off.

Jakob Recon [2d6+3]=8+3=11

Jakob notes that of the four figures before him Vladimir Mikhailov seems nervous and distracted. Viktor Solonik seems calm and dispassionate or maybe that's just probably sociopathic - but Erica's the "shrink". He holds his "pimped" local AK (bespoke top rail system and IR/LI sights with underslung small calibre GL or shotgun). The "Technical Guy" is either a very good actor or is expecting to get shot quite soon - not particularly by any deliberate act of war but just due to his work environment's "particularly robust" HR regime. It appears he's regretting certain parts of his career path. The ISS Sec For officer (Captain) is a pro ready to go and holds his ("vanilla" Imperial issue) gaussrifle ready to "rock n' roll".

Both Solonik and the Captain haven't got fingers on the trigger but are definitively "ready to engage".

Jakob recalls an old tune in his head: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCEwUFtjAr4

Behind the four Jakob both hears Prerna issue her challenge to "Freeze" and sees her in cover to his left. To his right he sees Erica likewise tucked behind a bulkhead and aiming a suppressed and cut down rifle (rather than carbine) version of an unfamiliar make of ACR. Jakob notes it has a disrupted pattern "mountain" not full "snow" camo.

Beyond them he can see the cavernous and mostly empty cargo bay of the Hawkwind. There is some cargo crates at the deep back which would make poor fire positions (the ramp and level difference would make the ramp and just beyond "dead ground" out of LOS from there). [Note: Tac Map above].

In the area of 12 he sees a sturdy bench and work lights set out.

(OOC: I'm skewing the result here to focus detail forward assuming Jakob's dealing (not unreasonably) with what's in front of him rather than "360" focussing elsewhere).

NB More IC Info inbound in a further post.

[Tiglath]

All at Hawkwind (and Frank via comms)

To Mikhailov: "I'm Colonel Cross of the SEMC. Surrender the nuke and yourselves to my people and they will not harm you. This is your one chance to get out of this alive."

Mikhailov replies to Frank “You have me convinced Colonel. What? Static on the comm... haha... sounds like whispering. I see your men now”.

On speaker as he moved forward slowly: "I am Captain Jakob Domici, of the SEMC. Surrender the trigger and the warhead."

Mikhailov responds to Jakob with maniacal cheerfulness “Ah, Captain... be quiet!” He rallies with “I was just speaking to your... shut up!” He then he screams “Take it! Take the trigger! Get out of my...” Then suddenly “Noooo! My hand!!!” Mikhailov extends the hand bearing the trigger to Jakob as his eyes roll back into his head and his knees buckle. He cries out “Tell... van Owen... Urvash Gudrun... Sorarrrggghhh”.

Jakob concludes from the bloody tears and the cerebrospinal fluid leaking from his ear that all is not well inside Vladimir Mikhailov's cranium. In purely medical terms and despite diagnosis at distance Jakob believes that the Avastan Secretary appears to have suffered a negative patient care outcome. In a military sense he concludes that the term "with extreme prejudice" very likely also applies...

Viktor Solonik doesn't even glance at Mikhailov and drops his finger to the trigger of his AK.

The Sec For officer states "Aww, sh!t". He thumbs forward his fire selector, raises the barrel of his weapon and drops his extended index finger to the trigger of his gauss rifle.

The "Technical Guy" starts to move sideways/south.

(OOC: "Bullet time" may have just started

Please react away! Remember talk is cheap. Well, cheaper than action points. Continuing Aimed actions (e.g. "covering fire" from Freya, Erica, Prerna) will beat "quick draw" snap shots. I am assuming at least a round of aiming (+1) from those stating that they were/may have been for longer. NB Small stationary targets (limbs/heads) are -4 to hit but all bonuses (autofire, Dex) do apply.

Option: In this circumstance you could not react and get shot bank your action points. Only crazy guy would do that... this must be a trap ).

[joertexas]

The Sec For officer states "Aww, sh!t". He thumbs forward his fire selector, raises the barrel of his weapon and drops his extended index finger to the trigger of his gauss rifle.

Prerna settles her sights on him and fires a three-round burst into his center of mass.

[gurusql]

Kit

With the Tech Guy running into the open, there is time to get him and he shoots the target right in front of him - Viktor Solonik attempting a full autofire to the chest.

Rifle Shot [_2d6+3]=(6+5)=11+3=14 (Rifle-2, A DEX) + 4 for autofire which I think is an 18!
(And then there was some talks about bonuses for additional aiming - that just gets crazy.

Just rolling for the first bullet
Targeting [1d8]=3
Effect - [_2d6]=(2+6)=8

and letting our fine GM tell me how many bullets hit and roll the additional affects.