Tarsus para bellum

[Tiglath]

Kit

"With all the chaos today, we are running Weapons Tight?"

Kit gets a "Ready" laser comm call from gunship pilot Skuzz Twittly mentally translating his "Rimward States" vernacular "Cap'n Ghosal we are shortenin' up our loiter - still waitin' on your call. Dang, we're ready to party like Charlie Sheen".

He notes both the enemy formations (armoured brigade and mobile HQ/camp followers) have entered the valley (now as per map positions) performing either a bold or entirely reckless advance.

The leading tank battalion still advances in line with its center squadron blazing shells of apparently random type at the pair of civvy transports fleeing before them up the valley.

[Tiglath]

Dzofin

The "far too slow" civvy transport bucks beneath Dzofin as he clings to the roof - at least he can see from up here. He pulled his vehicle back to cover the wagon driven by his last fire team member and containing his own wounded human comrade and the majority of human non combatants. They are just different types of farmers - what could he expect. He rationalizes that's why they hired him. If the other frontier farmers had done same more likely they'd have lived. Nevertheless he'd lost half his four man squad in a request to rescue some neighbours who hadn't had the sense or funds to get hired protection.

Being chased by the main thrust of the Son of the Star's invasion hadn't been in any way a plan. He had thought that driving blindly into a valley might deter a military mind and allow his small command a chance to slip away. According to the local free radio there was a refugee camp here run by religious humans - raw bait for these humans. Maybe he could shout a warning on the way through and still fulfil his security ticket. Damn this went Trailing quick enough...

Two windows pop and the roof sags as the humans inside scream. Making them lie on the transport floor was a good idea but that was a frekking tank DS round that, thankfully, simply went clean though the sheet metal and plastiglass of the civvy transport. He knows that if the tanks either use their auto coaxial weapons or (finally) engage with HE rounds his civilian charges are toast. It appears that, to borrow a colloquial 268 term, he's playing "Avastan roulette".

Dzofin assess his assets: one LAW of ancient provenance from a local "Boer" (territorially crazy human farmer) but he recognizes the runes on it which mean it's made by the Sword Worlders - likely it's good, he also has his "lucky" grenade that he won fighting Hvrghrbapht "The Droopy" - but no one knows what is does. In more immediate and mundane terms, he has (by now) two FN variant ACRs with two and a half mags, plus his own gear and his SnubSMG.

If he stopped retreating his one LAW would come within its 200m range but against an advancing "wall of tanks" that seems like a crazy option.

He gets the terrible feeling that he's just dropped right into someone else's war...

Military options (in addition to continuing to wisely flee) include taking

(OOC: Oh, and welcome to the game!

helvorn enters the fray! ).


EDITED: Additional text

[Tiglath]

Frank

"I don't believe in ghosts, Voss, or angels or demons. Tell the Deliverance that we should be happy we have allies with really advanced tech. I try not to worry about it too much."

"Fek my old boots!" Voss turns to Frank "Sir, Deliverance sends they have a confirmed signature of Transient One since it just went active. Confirmed as an actively scanning near three thousand ton vessel with military shielding vectoring towards Tarsus prime boosting towards three G. This being consistent with previous serial micro boosts consistent with sub system launches in that track. The vessel is now actively prosecuting contacts in near orbit. Deliverance states they are absolutely not locking on to that target without specific orders. No attempt at EM counter measures, fekkin' 'ell, actively broadcasting...".

"Standby... broadcasting in Trokh... and now lagging Galanglic... stating that they are offering that the garrison of Evander surrender with full military honours since they are at an obvious military disadvantage and have clearly been out manoeuvred... Um... wait.. Failure to acknowledge the military reality of these terms will result in a planetary assault with no quarter expected or offered to wait... mistranslate... "Corporate Ashigaru". That bounced the translation and is an undefined term, sir".

In receipt of and processing another com call Voss adds "Sir, a so easy it was almost invited inverse spatial location of the carrier signal for the background transmission reveals the source as a huge holographic of an Aslan flag flying on the inbound Intruder Transport. Just running that... oh... fek... fek on a ruddy hardcart! Sir, that is the fekkin' personal banner of Warlord Ikazuchi “Thunder” Commander of the Teahleikhoi the Regiment of the Falling Night... um... himself, sir".

He offers "Sir, as your XO I have just three observations and forgive me for leaning into the Collace colloquial: the Aslan are very much here, someone's gettin' it and they are goin' deep. I'm holding out some confident hope that it won't be us, sir".

Transient One Ref: viewtopic.php?p=706487#p706487

[joertexas]

Prerna

Kit

"With all the chaos today, we are running Weapons Tight?"

Prerna can hear her divided team calling in:
"Easy, on target TC"
"Pik, on target Infantry Leader"
"Baker, on - tank driver".
"Carel, on APC driver"

Beau's voice adds "AT defence is set solid in your six. Retire at your discretion. If they oblige us by running in close we are prepped for boarding action. 'Ooorah!"

"Weapons hot. Light them up." Perna selects a tank commander of her own and sends a gauss round his way.

[shaidar]

Frank

As Voss reports Frank lets out a short bark of a laugh, but as Voss continues he quickly sobers.

"I hope they surrender, the collateral damage if they decide to fight doesn't bear thinking about... and I hope the Aslan don't use this to get a foothold on Tarsus."

Judging by the look on his face Frank doesn't like that idea at all.

"Voss, lets keep an eye on Rond, see how they react. Tell Deliverance to be ready, just in case we need to stop any reinforcements reaching the planet."

[helvorn]

Dzofin

Two windows pop and the roof sags as the humans inside scream. Making them lie on the transport floor was a good idea but that was a frekking tank DS round that, thankfully, simply went clean though the sheet metal and plastiglass of the civvy transport. He knows that if the tanks either use their auto coaxial weapons or (finally) engage with HE rounds his civilian charges are toast. It appears that, to borrow a colloquial 268 term, he's playing "Avastan roulette".

Dzofin assess his assets: one LAW of ancient provenance from a local "Boer" (territorially crazy human farmer) but he recognizes the runes on it which mean it's made by the Sword Worlders - likely it's good, he also has his "lucky" grenade that he won fighting Hvrghrbapht "The Droopy" - but no one knows what is does. In more immediate and mundane terms, he has (by now) two FN variant ACRs with two and a half mags, plus his own gear and his SnubSMG.

If he stopped retreating his one LAW would come within its 200m range but against an advancing "wall of tanks" that seems like a crazy option.

He gets the terrible feeling that he's just dropped right into someone else's war...

Dzofin's ears were laid back against his skull and he bared his teeth in anger at the oncoming horde. It was one thing to fight gloriously against worthy foes but dying almost randomly while being chased by these idiots was too much. There was no honor or profit to be gained in confronting this mob but then again…

He yelled the down to the driver. "Turn around and charge! Once we get close enough they can't engage us or will more likely kill each other try to hit us!" The Vargr half stood and waved his rifle in defiance.

[Tiglath]

Dzofin

Two windows pop and the roof sags as the humans inside scream. Making them lie on the transport floor was a good idea but that was a frekking tank DS round that, thankfully, simply went clean though the sheet metal and plastiglass of the civvy transport. He knows that if the tanks either use their auto coaxial weapons or (finally) engage with HE rounds his civilian charges are toast. It appears that, to borrow a colloquial 268 term, he's playing "Avastan roulette".

Dzofin assess his assets: one LAW of ancient provenance from a local "Boer" (territorially crazy human farmer) but he recognizes the runes on it which mean it's made by the Sword Worlders - likely it's good, he also has his "lucky" grenade that he won fighting Hvrghrbapht "The Droopy" - but no one knows what is does. In more immediate and mundane terms, he has (by now) two FN variant ACRs with two and a half mags, plus his own gear and his SnubSMG.

If he stopped retreating his one LAW would come within its 200m range but against an advancing "wall of tanks" that seems like a crazy option.

He gets the terrible feeling that he's just dropped right into someone else's war...

Dzofin's ears were laid back against his skull and he bared his teeth in anger at the oncoming horde. It was one thing to fight gloriously against worthy foes but dying almost randomly while being chased by these idiots was too much. There was no honor or profit to be gained in confronting this mob but then again…

He yelled the down to the driver. "Turn around and charge! Once we get close enough they can't engage us or will more likely kill each other try to hit us!" The Vargr half stood and waved his rifle in defiance.

"Are you a berserker then Dzofin? What about the Boers on board we're hired to protect?" Jón Jónsson shouts up from the driver's position. He's a solid "Swordy" human from the Regiment area of Tarsus - they seem to give their geographical areas either utterly obvious or utterly unobvious names... because humans are... odd. Rounds impact and immediately penetrate the transport's skin. A farmer screams in pain and Jónsson shouts "Dzofin - they got me... the steering's off. I think we're done - I'll try for those rocks".

Miraculously the transport, despite increasingly laboured noises from its transmission and decreasing speed, just makes the cover of some jumbled boulders some most of the size of the transport itself. The onboard farmers mostly take complete cover but two ready their rifles over the rocks. Jónsson has tied a tourniquet above a wound through the meat of his thigh and with the aid of a farmer pulls out the shattered transport's windshield. Remaining in the driver's seat he states "Dzofin, my leg's gone. Looks like I'm fighting from here".

Taking stock of his position and with the tanks now almost within the most optimistic long range of his one launcher Dzofin now hears one of the farmers shouting in "Swordy". Jónsson gasps a translation "He says this is a place of dead men!" He adds in re-translation "He means he can see corpses!

Guided by the frantic pointing of his charges Dzofin sees three insurgent "Reaver" grav bikes thrown down behind the boulders - masking them from the armoured advance and masked with cut pieces of brush. Dzofin sees the farmer who made the find rubbing the fresh brush sap off his hands. A moment's count tells that each seat on each bike has its corresponding body thrown on top of it. He notes that the ex-riders and their mechanical steeds are both riddled with high velocity over penetrating strikes.

[Tiglath]

Command channel at Spion Kop

The Greys Sergeant breaks into the channel "Be advised those vehicles the insurgents are chasing are local Boer transports. There's a Vargr on the roof but he's holding an FN and we confirm a Newland troopie is driving the rear vehicle. Looks like escaping Boer families on board".

[helvorn]

"Are you a berserker then Dzofin? What about the Boers on board we're hired to protect?" Jón Jónsson shouts up from the driver's position. He's a solid "Swordy" human from the Regiment area of Tarsus - they seem to give their geographical areas either utterly obvious or utterly unobvious names... because humans are... odd. Rounds impact and immediately penetrate the transport's skin. A farmer screams in pain and Jónsson shouts "Dzofin - they got me... the steering's off. I think we're done - I'll try for those rocks".

Miraculously the transport, despite increasingly laboured noises from its transmission and decreasing speed, just makes the cover of some jumbled boulders some most of the size of the transport itself. The onboard farmers mostly take complete cover but two ready their rifles over the rocks. Jónsson has tied a tourniquet above a wound through the meat of his thigh and with the aid of a farmer pulls out the shattered transport's windshield. Remaining in the driver's seat he states "Dzofin, my leg's gone. Looks like I'm fighting from here".

Taking stock of his position and with the tanks now almost within the most optimistic long range of his one launcher Dzofin now hears one of the farmers shouting in "Swordy". Jónsson gasps a translation "He says this is a place of dead men!" He adds in re-translation "He means he can see corpses!

Guided by the frantic pointing of his charges Dzofin sees three insurgent "Reaver" grav bikes thrown down behind the boulders - masking them from the armoured advance and masked with cut pieces of brush. Dzofin sees the farmer who made the find rubbing the fresh brush sap off his hands. A moment's count tells that each seat on each bike has its corresponding body thrown on top of it. He notes that the ex-riders and their mechanical steeds are both riddled with high velocity over penetrating strikes.

Dzofin gives a short barking laugh and wags his tail wildly in response to Jon's question. "No I would never be so foolish as to run amok like your berserkers. I follow the teachings of the human Prophet Montrose. You Sword Worlders would appreciate him." He sways and growls as the transport is hit. Dzofin leaps to the ground and turns to Jonsson. "Stay low and don't draw their fire. I will get their attention to me with the LAW. The rest of you can hide. These idiots can never catch me!"

He darts back and waves the humans down. "Stay down in the rocks! You will only draw their fire. From the sight of these wounds and the concealment there is a professional military force about that is going to probably be fighting those idiots. Keep Jon alive." Dzofin quickly checks to see if any of the bikes are usable.

[joertexas]

Command channel at Spion Kop

The Greys Sergeant breaks into the channel "Be advised those vehicles the insurgents are chasing are local Boer transports. There's a Vargr on the roof but he's holding an FN and we confirm a Newland troopie is driving the rear vehicle. Looks like escaping Boer families on board".

Does Prerna's team have LOS to the Vargr's group?

[Tiglath]

Command channel at Spion Kop

The Greys Sergeant breaks into the channel "Be advised those vehicles the insurgents are chasing are local Boer transports. There's a Vargr on the roof but he's holding an FN and we confirm a Newland troopie is driving the rear vehicle. Looks like escaping Boer families on board".

Does Prerna's team have LOS to the Vargr's group?

Yes they were just ahead of the enemy armour and therefore preceded them past you/across your front and into the valley.

[joertexas]

Command channel at Spion Kop

The Greys Sergeant breaks into the channel "Be advised those vehicles the insurgents are chasing are local Boer transports. There's a Vargr on the roof but he's holding an FN and we confirm a Newland troopie is driving the rear vehicle. Looks like escaping Boer families on board".

Does Prerna's team have LOS to the Vargr's group?

Yes they were just ahead of the enemy armour and therefore preceded them past you/across your front and into the valley.

"New targets," Prerna says on the team circuit as she uses her HUD to paint the nearest threats to the Vargr's position. "Engage!" She selects a tank commander and fires her heavy gauss.

[helvorn]

Guided by the frantic pointing of his charges Dzofin sees three insurgent "Reaver" grav bikes thrown down behind the boulders - masking them from the armoured advance and masked with cut pieces of brush. Dzofin sees the farmer who made the find rubbing the fresh brush sap off his hands. A moment's count tells that each seat on each bike has its corresponding body thrown on top of it. He notes that the ex-riders and their mechanical steeds are both riddled with high velocity over penetrating strikes.

Dzofin gives a short barking laugh and wags his tail wildly in response to Jon's question. "No I would never be so foolish as to run amok like your berserkers. I follow the teachings of the human Prophet Montrose. You Sword Worlders would appreciate him." He sways and growls as the transport is hit. Dzofin leaps to the ground and turns to Jonsson. "Stay low and don't draw their fire. I will get their attention to me with the LAW. The rest of you can hide. These idiots can never catch me!"

He darts back and waves the humans down. "Stay down in the rocks! You will only draw their fire. From the sight of these wounds and the concealment there is a professional military force about that is going to probably be fighting those idiots. Keep Jon alive." Dzofin quickly checks to see if any of the bikes are usable.

After checking the three bikes Dzofin chooses one of them and takes one of the medals hanging from his jacket, rubs it in blood from one of his minor wounds and pins it to the webbing of the seat. Then he gives it a kick, spits on both hands, rubbed his hands together and sits on the bike. He firmly grips the handlebars revs up the bike and yells. "By Klono's Carbidium Balls I command thee to fly like a bat out of hell and smite mine enemies!" By some miracle the grav bike starts up although it gives off a disturbing whine. Dzofin throws back his head and howls in triumph. "Now we will teach them a lesson never again to mess with Dzofin's Dreadnoughts! Keep your heads down while I draw their attention away!"

Slinging both rifles over his shoulder and the LAW in front of him, Dzofin screamed out from behind the rock pile in a cloud of dust and gravel. He flipped on all of the lights and jammed down on the horn as he sped toward the tanks with a minimum amount of zigzagging. His plan was to get amongst the tanks in close as quickly as possible such that they would have trouble shooting at him. When he got in amongst them he would slow down and fire his LAW at the rear of one of the tanks.

A quick "salvage" roll reveals that one bike seems more viable/less shot up than the others.

[2d6+1]=8+1=9

Vroom, vroom - it starts!

[Tiglath]

Dzofin

Dzofin kicks the grav bike thrusters and the machine sweeps forward. The machine's speed eats up the few hundred meters between the first line of AFVs and the jumble of rocks that form the sanctuary for his charges. He notes that the crew are fighting their vehicles "unbuttoned" with even the drivers exposed. A few are waving AKs - this is no doubt a strategic doctrinal failing as to tank operation but of immediate tactical concern as more than a few start engaging him!

He braces the LAW against the bike's faring at under 45 degrees and lines up on a tank festooned with insurgent infantry. To his dismay the TC is hauling a turret mounted "Dushka" heavy machinegun around to bear on his unarmoured ride when his body suddenly "folds" sideways momentarily leaving his image suspended as an outline of pink mist. Another TCs head seems to somehow contract into a much smaller space as the infantry leader stood behind him drops onto the tank's engine deck. Dzofin sees an APC career into a left hand turn across the bow of an MBT which plows into it shunting it onto its side mashing its roof mounted infantry in the process. Meanwhile another MBT breaks formation to accelerate right as its commander hurls invective down at the driver who's brains spatter the gun mantlet.

Please declare your top aspect attack with Law and/or make a "To Hit" roll

[Tiglath]

Kit

Kit continues to monitor his battlespace. In the valley the enemy armour will enter his kill box once they pass the jumble of rocks.

Meanwhile outside the valley he sees Major "Dooley's" K car (air/raft) is circling the broken insurgent infantry column picking off targets with its side mounted slow firing cannon. The Newland G Carrier again transits the display and makes a return run up the enemy axis of advance. Cannon fire stiches among the troops attempting to rally then the pilot expertly corrects to place two cluster munitions "danger close" supporting the drive of the advancing paras. This shatters any semblance of cohesion from the still numerically superior insurgent force who are clearly no match as for the professional "shooters" of the parachute infantry aggressively driving on and now overrunning their initial position. To his amazement he sees a civvy air raft scooting in to perform a combat re-supply run. The standard G cars still maintain their "carousel" orbiting the enemy infantry while engaging with their crew served machine guns. They break off to herd groups breaking away into the nearby "donga".

The IFV has displaced to enfilade the enemy line from the west.

Able settles the mercs in their camouflaged weapons pits and trenches "Mark yer targets. Straight on, plenty of LAW so no rushin' yer shots". Gaughan echoes Able's advice to his Rangers "Best dinner manners now boys. Eat what's in front of you - no stealin' off anyone else's plate. Wait. Wait".

[Tiglath]

Frank

"Voss, lets keep an eye on Rond, see how they react. Tell Deliverance to be ready, just in case we need to stop any reinforcements reaching the planet."

Voss replies "Sir, I'm moving Deliverance in at a cautionary distance. Corporate assets are lighting up system wide. In retrospect that didn't seem strategically or tactically wise. Outsystem: in the positions expected per the "boiler plate" Imperial doctrine patrol pattern two of their patrol cruisers were immediately attacked by passively loitering anti radiation missiles. In both cases those missiles had a milspec nuclear payload - that's two K Kills. SuSAG are continually hailing their deep outsystem boat but constantly receive only signal acknowledgement as the reply. Another patrol cruiser just went dark after reporting a contact closing at 6G. In system there's just serial conflicting reports. Two massive subterranean explosions in our tactical planetary aspect... maybe consistent with the destruction of dense pack planetary defense missile batteries. Other terrestrial and orbital missile batteries are engaging but a lot of their nuclear warheads are being shot down inbound or are failing to detonate at all. I suggest that in addition to their formidable and expertly managed defensive beam weapons the Aslan have an active nuclear damper aboard of significant strength. The rest of the Corporate insystem flotilla are engaging the Aslan vessel piecemeal. Against a vessel about ten times their displacement... "It's not going well" is maybe generous... fek... contacts merged! Sir, I think the Aslan Intruder Transport just boosted to 5G and rammed a patrol cruiser".

[Tiglath]

Prerna

Prerna orders her team to engage and listens to the calls of the team spotters as she selects targets from her own observation and those from the "pool" on the comms net.

The enemy armoured force crosses the front of her position seemingly oblivious to the flanking fire. Indeed the "cavalcade" of land trains, high capacity civvy transports as well as what might potentially be command vehicles continues on along the same course as their armour.

She can see her own targets drop and is also aware of her own team's success as well as some special insight of a certain other sniper at work shooting from east of Spion Kop itself.

The Greys attached to her teams on both sides of the valley are also contributing to the kill count by using their own considerable marksmanship with their "factory issue" ACRs to engage the passing targets of opportunity.

[joertexas]

Prerna

Prerna orders her team to engage and listens to the calls of the team spotters as she selects targets from her own observation and those from the "pool" on the comms net.

The enemy armoured force crosses the front of her position seemingly oblivious to the flanking fire. Indeed the "cavalcade" of land trains, high capacity civvy transports as well as what might potentially be command vehicles continues on along the same course as their armour.

She can see her own targets drop and is also aware of her own team's success as well as some special insight of a certain other sniper at work shooting from east of Spion Kop itself.

The Greys attached to her teams on both sides of the valley are also contributing to the kill count by using their own considerable marksmanship with their "factory issue" ACRs to engage the passing targets of opportunity.

Prerna reaches out to T'Lia in a "low power" link, coordinating their fire to avoid engaging the same targets, and to protect the Vargr who is apparently hellbent on committing suicide. She also marks the Vargr as a protectee on her team battle map to focus their fire on threats to him.

[helvorn]

Dzofin

Dzofin kicks the grav bike thrusters and the machine sweeps forward. The machine's speed eats up the few hundred meters between the first line of AFVs and the jumble of rocks that form the sanctuary for his charges. He notes that the crew are fighting their vehicles "unbuttoned" with even the drivers exposed. A few are waving AKs - this is no doubt a strategic doctrinal failing as to tank operation but of immediate tactical concern as more than a few start engaging him!

He braces the LAW against the bike's faring at under 45 degrees and lines up on a tank festooned with insurgent infantry. To his dismay the TC is hauling a turret mounted "Dushka" heavy machinegun around to bear on his unarmoured ride when his body suddenly "folds" sideways momentarily leaving his image suspended as an outline of pink mist. Another TCs head seems to somehow contract into a much smaller space as the infantry leader stood behind him drops onto the tank's engine deck. Dzofin sees an APC career into a left hand turn across the bow of an MBT which plows into it shunting it onto its side mashing its roof mounted infantry in the process. Meanwhile another MBT breaks formation to accelerate right as its commander hurls invective down at the driver who's brains spatter the gun mantlet.

Please declare your top aspect attack with Law and/or make a "To Hit" roll

Dzofin continued to count on the incompetence of the rebels but the sheer amount of firepower would eventually prove the old adage that enough idiots can defeat even the best leader. He flips them off and even stands in the stirrups and slaps his bottom a few times in insult. Even the fortuitous intervention of a sniper or two is accepted as his due for exhibiting exemplary bravery and leadership. Obviously even anonymous warriors were drawn to his shining charisma! Now the only minor thing to do was survive and then accept the accolades of his clients and teammates as well as these anonymous warriors. Indeed it looks like someone was pulling off a very nice kill sack. The only thing they lacked was a bit of pizzazz that Dzofin was happy to provide.

He picks the largest and most dangerous tank, lines up the bike to point at his target and fires. Dzofin immediately swerves into a series of wild turns as he fires one of the ACR's with one hand.

[BackworldTraveller]

Freya watches the carnage (and the stupidly brave charge) from her position just beyond the ridge via her sensors.

Come on - lets put some of those rocks into a pile so we have cover if they get here before we are prepared to leave.