Tarsus para bellum

[Tiglath]

Freya

Freddie finds Freya and reports "Ma'am, movement north - military ground forces. To the south it looks like we might being getting some action over the boundary fence from the local rough trade". His deadpan doesn't even twitch. He then adds "Dougal's moving a pair of our old skool drones in each direction. They won't raise any eyebrows here - the air's already full of similar spec agric monitoring drones".

She can't help but note that Freddie has managed to obtain some "short shorts" which have no internal space left to spare - even for loose change. They appear to be military issue and colour if not a traditional military cut so must be a local purchase. She can't help but notice that Freddie has either not been skipping leg day... or may have just spent entire weeks actually skipping. She's reasonably sure that even if his new shorts are "field expedient" his cerise ascot is "discretional".

He purrs "If you want to get ahead with the local fashion speak to the laundry staff". He makes to close with "If there's nothing else, Ma'am?"

[Tiglath]

Kit

Mission: HumInt observations South from the Kruger farm boundary towards friendly/allied territory

Kilometers to the south of the Kruger farm Kit (in his forward CP set back from the border) gets a report from his squad deployed unarmed (but with weapons in reserve) as "recon in mufti" among the farm workers.

Able reports "Guv'nor, Able, we 'ave a group of about twenty canutes of fighting age approaching the farm boundary fence. Most of 'em are tooled up but a few are armed with handguns or shotguns They are escorting a civilian engineering vehicle with dozer blade. They are moving wiv purpose towards the Kruger farm fence".

He adds "Civvy fekkers versus a Collace firm? We'll fekkin' shit 'em even at odds two to one!"

"I am on my way, but remember that luck can beat skill some of the time (or they would not call it luck). Get the non-coms away from the fence and get set-up in a defensive formation with cover - weapons down until they breach or fire. If they breach or fire take out the big guns first and ground vehicle's tires/treads second."

Kit gets an update from Able "Guv'nor, we've pulled the civvy workers back and set 'em off back to the farm. These fekkers seem to expect no opposition. Just as well cos they're not military and just look to be a pack of pissed wombles. They've not changed direction at all so I've put in an ambush to catch 'em bang to rights after they breach. TWOCing their digger might piss on their strawberries an' plant's expensive and saleable almost anywhere... apparently. Er... if this is peacekeepin' I suppose we don't want 'em all brown bread then? We could just kick off wiv the nostrils?"

Kit is but a couple of minutes out and can pick up the area of the potential incident on the G Carrier's enhanced vision aids. He can see the boundary fence, the course of the intruding civilian spec vehicle (from its obvious emissions) and also his squad hidden among the crops and laid out in an L shape (with the long shaft parallel to the enemy line of advance). Able has placed a classic ambush.

Please sling in an SEMC knowledge roll for Kit. DM +4 (Tactics, Int).

(OOC: Collace Trans service: Guv'nor an always respectful honourific - whereas "Sir" might not be... A womble is a bizarre (almost mythical) Collace indiginous rodentine creature associated with pacifist refuse collection but in its martial aspect eco terrorism. TWOC = Taking Without Consent (Vehicular) - a Collace hobby or pastime / rite of passage / life skill / pestilential scourge - depending who you ask (and their current access to mobility). To piss on a person's strawberries = an unneighbourly act. Plant = actual Imperial use! = machinery. Brown bread = Dead. Nostrils = the "sharp" end of a sawn off side by side shotgun universally waved at bank tellers, etc when performing Collace skullduggery. In this case and context surely referring to the farmers' pump action shotguns that half of the squad are also supposed to be armed with).

[Tiglath]

Frank, Prerna, Klaus

The G Carrier makes good time over the prairie through clear weather. Although there is no legal requirement Frank recalls that local flights log themselves with local air traffic as "common decency/citizenship" which also makes common sense when "feet wet" over water.

A comm call to Kochstadt Control logging your plan receives a cheery reply "Welcome to Regiment airspace. Thank you for logging your flight with us and enjoy your stay on Tarsus. We have you transiting the Sea of Winds with projected course and speed noted. Go in safety across Rán's realm, traveller. Kochstadt Control, ende".

T'lia has been busy both on her own comm and also serial cheap comms which she uses no more than once or twice and then "toasts" with a welding laser before tossing them into the G carrier's slip stream over the ocean.

She informs Frank "I have information on increased activity of covert SuSAG assets in Regiment through certain contacts some of which might amount to a credible threat to your family. I have managed to alert the huscarls - the local militia force which operates in the area of your family's farm. Given what I limited information I could pass on these assets will now be on the alert for off worlders so while at least your family now has active protection you too must be cautious. However, I'm sure you will be most diplomatic in leveraging your local social contacts and thereby avoid this asset becoming a blade that cuts both ways".

[BackworldTraveller]

Freya works out where she is in relation to Kit's fence breach. Sub-Sonic, they should be able to get to the same area in about 2 minutes. Unless directed otherwise, they will set up a sniper/obs position between the fence and house.

Any deployed radio sensors will be used sparingly - don't want all to be locatable in one hit; fibre-linked and laser-LOS linked ones will be generally used as needed. The supporting drone from the farm will sit a few km back and nearly at cloud level to give a good panorama. Freya's personal drone is standing by just in case.

Florence will act as spotter only.
Freya checks on ROE with the ops room.

[shaidar]

Frank

"Thank you T'lia, I shall be my usual diplomatic self." he grins, and looks over the Klaus "Kids gloves then. Let's hope we don't get stuck between an over enthusiastic militia and an enemy squad."

Maybe we should have brought Nilsson for more recent local knowledge. From the name I'm assuming he's from Regiment. Oh Well.

[joertexas]

Prerna accesses the planetary datanet and pulls up any information she can find on their destination.

[gurusql]

Kit

Please sling in an SEMC knowledge roll for Kit. DM +4 (Tactics, Int).

Tactics (Tactics-2 +2, Int B +1) [_2d6+3]=(2+3)=5+3=8

Was not sure if you also wanted another roll
[_2d6+4]=(5+3)=8+4=12
If yes, use it if not please ignore.

[Tiglath]

Kit

Inbound in the G Carrier Kit studies his (short handed) team's deployment. He notes that Ink is out front solo as the short stroke of the L shaped ambush. This is where the squad support weapon would be placed. He also sees that "Killer" is out solo at the tip of the long stroke as flank guard/stop group.

He now notes that the main body of the "insurgents" and their "digger" are already through the boundary fence and indeed past Killer (adjacent to the fence) and are about to fully occupy the ambush "kill box".

He recalls that after Whiskey "bought the farm/went to Iceland" Ink took over the squad SAW. Now Kit's as sure as he can be that his team have no SAW issued and only half their issue of ACRs and the rest of the squad have pump "farmer guns". He's equally sure that they have no issue grenades or light anti tank weapons. But then he recalls that Collace is both a "self preservation society" and embraces an open market philosophy also that, given their disarmed situation, his troopers are entirely likely to have given themselves a "little edge".

Kit

Please sling in an SEMC knowledge roll for Kit. DM +4 (Tactics, Int).

Tactics (Tactics-2 +2, Int B +1) [_2d6+3]=(2+3)=5+3=8

Thank you. My error The +4 shown above included your Tactics and Int bonus but I omitted to show the "SEMC in house knowledge bonus" which gave you the extra +1.

Nevertheless - success!

[gurusql]

Before I post a reaction, can I get clarification on what kind of vehicle (ground, tracked, hover) and the numbers of SEMC present vs locals.

[Tiglath]

Kit

Kit's tactical appreciation is that Able has placed the squad in an ideal ambush position enfilading the advancing column. The only thing reducing the squad's combat effectiveness is their lack of a full loadout of milspec weaponry. However, Kit is sure they will more than compensate for that with surprise, aggression and speed of action.

Tactics on your behalf: 2d6 + 3: (6 + 4) + 3 = 13 Success!

The intruding vehicle is a wheeled civilian ground tractor with an open cab requiring one operator. It has a front excavator and a back hoe. In this particular case the trespassers have partially raised the excavator's bucket at the front and used it as a bulldozer to breach the fence.

There seem to be about 20 locals accompanying the tractor in shabby civilian gear (which looks like work clothes in cut and style). They have left their own transport (five "pick up" type ground cars) beyond the breached fence. All are armed with improvised melee weapons (e.g. machetes, iron bars, chains) and/or handguns with no more than half also armed with either civilian model carbines or shotguns. A minority are clearly intoxicated.

(OOC:

For ease of mental referencing the vehicle is a "JCB".

I show your squad as currently seven strong (Whiskey being KIA at the flight deck firefight vs the Avastan VDV).

There was a recruiting drive after Avastan and so you may have elected to top up the overall squad strength so feel free to add two or three more riflemen).

[gurusql]

Kit

"The primary mission of this guard duty is to chase off the hostiles and keep the unit safe. Outside of that the plan for this encounter is to shoot out the tires of the Juliett Bravo Charlie stranding it on the 'good' side of the fence and then laying down suppression fire to force the hostiles to retreat. Given a choice between taking a wound and putting down a hostile the selection should be to put down the hostile, but if they are not offering resistance let them go."

[Tiglath]

Kit

"The primary mission of this guard duty is to chase off the hostiles and keep the unit safe. Outside of that the plan for this encounter is to shoot out the tires of the Juliett Bravo Charlie stranding it on the 'good' side of the fence and then laying down suppression fire to force the hostiles to retreat. Given a choice between taking a wound and putting down a hostile the selection should be to put down the hostile, but if they are not offering resistance let them go."

As he closes Kit hears Abel transmit "Have that, boss". Abel then switches to tactical direction "All units. Signal check. Inky?" She replies "Si jefe" over the comm. "Killer?" The response is two clicks. Abel then takes charge "Standby... standby... Fire, fire, fire!"

The meandering progress of the trespassers is struck as if by a sudden gale. Ink purrs over the tac link "Say hello to my little friend!" Kit can hear the distinctive staccato reports of a full auto weapon - apparently firing off a truly capacious magazine! The advancing trespassers stop and flinch as it appears that nearly everyone in the front of their column is hit and flinches or crouches in response. Shotgun blasts simultaneously rake the column from the flank and with his bird's eye view Kit can see it recoil like a living thing as its gestalt "crowd consciousness" shies away from the surprise onslaught.

Able screams "C'mon then!" and the main body of the fire team move forward from their ambush positions. Kit notes that all are wearing the Collace "business" balaclava, skull printed Avastan variants or Downspire gang bandanas over their lower faces (Ink) who is now firing what must be a full auto CPD riot gun (with an assault box mag) from the hip at targets on the far side of the tractor.

From the rear of the insurgent group two or three return fire with carbines or pistols but immediately drop to bursts of ACR fire. This ends any semblance of effective resistance as the application of military aggression is simply too much for this "scratch" force of apparent amateurs. They break and run. The operator of the tractor stops it dead and simply bails out and holds his hands high instead of joining the rout.

A lone figure runs forward from a possible command group(?) stood among the parked pick ups as the now routing mob desperately streams back towards the gap in the fence. This figure moves through the breached fence and stands before the retreating mob shouting and waving his arms. When this gets no response he then draws his sidearm and fires into the routers causing one to stagger and drop. Killer forming the ambush stop group and who, as per orders, has been holding his fire comments "Warwick Hunt!" and instinctively drops the shooter with a burst from his ACR.

At this the routers recoil again but Killer waves them on inducing some of the more cognizant to drop their gunbelts or longarms as the price of safe passage while panicked others just bolt past him.

Kit now arrives on scene landing the G carrier as per his discretion.

(OOC:
Morale Check 2d6: (2 + 5) = 7
Current Morale = 4 - 8 (Casualties) = 0
So fail by 7 = Rout
Do not pass Go do not collect £200...).

[BackworldTraveller]

Freya, from her position acting an improvised back-stop, observes
Well Florence, no business for us today.
She flips her drone into the air and sets it to tracking the runners (using the high-quality optics to track from a distance rather than crossing into someone else's land), hoping to see who appears from way-back to rally the troops. A good picture or two of the opposition commanders would be useful.

[Tiglath]

Freya

Freya observes that at least two of the HQ group, now hastily retiring from the vehicle park in a better quality civvy "suburban", are wearing para military uniform under their long "dusters".

She passes this on via the tactical and HQ channel.

Voss states he is logging the drone footage of the action for unit records / later Intel reference.

[Tiglath]

Frank, Klaus, Prerna

After an uneventful flight the party arrive over Dragør (Frank's hometown).

An early afternoon dusk is settling over the fields and lights begin to show in the outlying farms beyond the small settlement. One is indeed Frank's family farm and he is reassured to note that all appears well with the reassuring movement of the farm's vehicles and few drones steadily going about the season's business. The communal "green" at the settlement's centre has a hard standing / grav vehicle park screened by spruce trees. This area also is the closest to cosmopolitan that it's going to get with the small high street boasting two small pubs and a bigger alehall/diner (where all the landowners or an agent from their farm will be available for informal business or local issues) and an inn, a worker's hostel, a few eateries and stores for basic food and goods.

He sees places he remembers: Hoffmann's stables still dominating main street, Christoffer's Gifts was gone - replaced by a Tech Shop, but Asmus Therkelsen's Fresh Goods was still there together with "Big" (Thorbjørn) Thorsen's Hardware and Supplies store. The "sisters" bakery was there! Frank recalled the two girls his age starting the place up just about when he left. With the knowledge of years he now guessed that Anni Hansen and Vibeke Bjerre maybe both rebuffed his romantic efforts for the same reason! He notes that Margit Matthiesen's "Herbs" was still a going concern. Maybe the shrewish old bat had somehow had offspring...

If you want to get a "feel" for the town, garner any Intel or make contacts before treating your destination like a "Hot LZ". This would be the opportunity.

Your standard flight sensors and then long range visual shows a handful of definitively "used" air/rafts (heck they probably still call them that! ) together with two enclosed mid tech G Carriers and another which appears to be a locally converted animal transport variant. Two heavy haul Carriers: one an agric bulk transport and the other a universal cargo pod carrier type are parked behind the ale house. The only other vehicle of note among the half dozen ground cars is a militia liveried SUV with a roof hatch and pintel mount bearing nothing but a searchlight "twinned" with the vacant weapon station. From historic memory of local bones of contention Frank reckons is (still) illegally parked out front of the alehall.

(OOC: Options galore!)

Prerna and T'lia will need to part ways here to hopefully hire a grav vehicle (which seems most unlikely but possibly worth a try) or otherwise continue north towards the Icewald (which as per Prerna's enquiries seems to be where they need to go). This is also possibly the last chance for civilised meal/ablutions before rations, the "shovel recce" and a handful of snow take over.

(OOC: If only witchery were a science... ).

[joertexas]

Frank, Klaus, Prerna


Prerna and T'lia will need to part ways here to hopefully hire a grav vehicle (which seems most unlikely but possibly worth a try) or otherwise continue north towards the Icewald (which as per Prerna's enquiries seems to be where they need to go). This is also possibly the last chance for civilised meal/ablutions before rations, the "shovel recce" and a handful of snow take over.

"Do you think you could arrange for us to hire a vehicle," Prerna asks Frank.

[gurusql]

Kit

Kit will check on the unit making sure that all are well and that all of the hostiles are gone. Once that is done he will say "Let's collect the dropped weapons just making it harder for them to shoot them at us. Once that is complete please check and secure check your new ride that perhaps just needs new tires."

The goal at the time was to stop the vehicle, but now we will need to see if we can get it moving if not for sure we will take the keys and lock it up.

[shaidar]

Frank

"Do you think you could arrange for us to hire a vehicle," Prerna asks Frank.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea for me to flash my local ID around here. Maybe T'lia has a contact who can help."

To Klaus:

"We need some burner phones, so I can message my sister, and the squad can keep in touch. I'd rather not use unit comms unless there is no other option, they might get noticed. It makes sense for you and your squad to get familiar with the area and monitor the farm visually from distance while I head into town and see what that tech store has. I'm always open to suggestions, lieutenant, it's been a while since I've done this and your team is more experienced in this than I am."

[dongriffiths]

"Yes sir.

I'll take Naffo and Venner with me and discretely scout the area round the house and likely approach routes. Asels can keep the carrier on standby a little further back, ready to either swoop in to extract your family or get you if needed. It may be a good idea to let the family know we're nearby, wouldn't want to spook them and cause undue distress."

We'll prepare to go in with ACRs but have the Snub SMGs and grenades accessible in the carrier.

"Lads in the first instance we'll use the phones for comms and keep this quiet. With luck we are just providing a bus but be ready for unpleasantness. No one gets near that house without the Colonels say so."

[shaidar]

Frank

"OK, let's find a spot to conceal the carrier while I get those phones, but somewhere you still have a good view to keep watch. Remember, the local militia are not the enemy, and they have been warned of danger from off-worlders. So if the militia does find you, play it cool, tell them that you're here with Frank Kjóss who's visiting family."