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Frank

Frank decides to head the team sweeping the spire himself, so the major can focus on her team and the arcology. He picks up his armour and gauss rifle on the way to the lift.

Jess

The Bindoner wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 8:20 pm Here’s something to think on.

She repeats the message:

Three brigades of brodyaga have been sent against your leaders
while here at home the alphas gather
guided by the dead man's hand

The dead man. I keep thinkin’ of that guy with the nuke we offed. Mikhailov. His last words were about Urvash Gudrun, I listened to the recording. Think on it.

Having spent some time examining the dead servers The Tartar mooches over accompanied by Charlie who explains " 'e's free range... in the way of a room restricted trustee, Ma'am". On seeing Frank The Tartar stops eating from his napkin full of scavenged chops, wipes his hands and nods respectfully. He simply acknowledges Frank with "Pakhan".

Waiting for both Frank and Jess to stop their conversation he volunteers "The verse is as I learned it perfectly from Avtoritet Sergei Timofeyev. He was insistent so I believe all the words are of significance to you. Only some words make sense to me but the dead here are all Bratva. They are Boyevik... ah - "street soldiers", yes? They are nearly all faces I know from the Little Avastan Brigade on Collace. Brigade is a "Firm" on Collace, no? Alphas are the "zinky boys" ex Avastan military - very good soldiers. Spetsnaz - tough men".

The Bindoner wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 8:20 pm Having no pockets, Jess “safes” the pistol, tapes it back under the tray, gestures to Tartar to wait with Charlie, and goes to check on the Zhodani delegation.

She makes light of the whole incident with them:

Poor quality entertainment, I’m afraid. I’ll be honest, I’m insulted by the half-arsed attempt, I thought we were worth professional stand-ups, not a clown troupe.

I will want to have a word later though. A friend told me a riddle, and if none of our officers get it, you may be able to help us solve it.

Jess sees that the Ambassador is still present though his staff have withdrawn to their ship as have the Guard officers. He is in conversation with Erica who may have instinctively lapsed into her liaison role. The Ambassador kisses her hand as she withdraws to interact with Prerna and then settles to brooding shadowed by her robot.

The Ambassador dismissively waves away the firefight "I have seen far more professional displays. I understand these men were criminals - they were certainly neither professional nor soldiers". He seems to find Jess' last a welcome diversion "A riddle - how intriguing. We Zhodani are ever fond of mind games".

Frank, Prerna, Kit & Klaus

shaidar wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 3:40 pm Frank decides to head the team sweeping the spire himself, so the major can focus on her team and the arcology. He picks up his armour and gauss rifle on the way to the lift.

gurusql wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 10:25 pm Kit will make sure his squad is securing or sweeping whatever section they are assigned. He will take it slow looking for planned explosives.
Demolitions Skill [_2d6+3]=(2+5)=7+3=10

Frank armours up and Kit deploys his team onto the craft lift from the hangar ready for transit to the flight deck above. He finally completes his routine as the elevator nears transition through to the flight deck. Prerna plus Uncle and XRay join their comrades on the oversize lift platform together with a now armoured Klaus who, finding himself on the periphery of a Diplomatic Mess Dinner, now finds something purely military to do.

Prerna gets a comm from baker "Ma'am, movement on the flight apron. Confirm that's not friendly".

Kit completes his check of the Bartizan's "in house" computer systems and decides to make sure he scans for explosives. As the elevator nears the underside of the flight deck a section neatly retracts and stows under deck level. As this happens Kit's forming stratagem is immediately rewarded when a "chain" of blocks of milspec explosive linked together by det cord drops at his feet seemingly scraped off the surface of the retracting flight deck door/plates mere meters above. From above someone calls "блять, стреляй!"

As the elevator continues to rise (stopping it is an option) the head and shoulders of a retiring pair of figures are seen. They wear enclosed milspec helmets with hard shoulder and torso armour.

Anyone who served with SEMC on Avastan immediately recognises the "ratnik" camo scheme worn by that planet's armed forces.

The patch of sky above the elevator (which is entirely Collace "thick mizzle") is suddenly illuminated by strobing green and red flashes. Indeed one or two ricochets arc skywards like fireworks as the distinctive sound of the unit's "Ma Deuce" HMGs together with the slower deliberate thump of 30mm autocannon* splits the night. Within the cacophony the Command channel has Caxton calling "Dang, Charlie's in the wire! Yeehah - get some!" followed by "Negative - I'm in the ruddy bar, mate!" and Gaughan adding "Avastan airborne forces on the flight deck. Welcome to Collace, ye bastards!"

(OOC: And, no, you can't have a map - you don't yet know what it isn't that you can't not see!

Kit has his whole squad with him in fighting order: Able (Corporal), Riflemen Dog, Ink, "Killer" and Johnny, Whiskey has the SAW (ACR LMG) while Nuts totes the squad PGMP 12.

Prerna's spotters Uncle and Xray are likewise fully kitted up.

* Mounted on the "liberated" Avastan IFVs used by the Rangers for base security).

PS Oh, and..... Booyah!

Anyone party to the proposed tactics of the Soviets in the 80s is welcome to try to take advantage/pass them off as rational - but no one will believe you...

Freya

Interrupting her plans for enhanced security Freya's bot pings her as a gap in the "pea soup" reveals figures on the flight deck moving in a military manner. She can't tell whether they are SEMC or not but their rifles have the crescent shaped magazines of the Avastan "AK" (ACR variant). She knows (because thieving gits) that a number of AKs are in service either officially with SEMC or with individual soldiers as "spares". Odd that her bot didn't pick these guys up on IR despite the murk...

Maybe three or four(?) groups of about the same number...

Still needing a double take she eyes a moving group of ten heading for the Spire.

Ferya thinks aloud "If they're not SEMC then how did they get here - unless they literally "fell off" a passing craft as it flew by...".

(OOC: See PS above... ).

Freya

Voss - I count ten (10) potentially hostile para's on the flight deck.

The waiters were a diversion or supposed to be a set of door openers.

Where do you want Freddie and I?

Waiting for both Frank and Jess to stop their conversation he volunteers "The verse is as I learned it perfectly from Avtoritet Sergei Timofeyev. He was insistent so I believe all the words are of significance to you. Only some words make sense to me but the dead here are all Bratva. They are Boyevik... ah - "street soldiers", yes? They are nearly all faces I know from the Little Avastan Brigade on Collace. Brigade is a "Firm" on Collace, no? Alphas are the "zinky boys" ex Avastan military - very good soldiers. Spetsnaz - tough men".

Jess takes the warning seriously. On the All SEMC channel she transmits: Be aware, previous attack likely a distraction. Expect professionals, immanent.

To Charlie: Best we get ready for serious guests. Take the muppets to a safe place, secure 'em, get the lads armoured up and ready to receive visitors.

Tartar, wait for me, I’ll find yer some armour.

After talking to the Zhodani, Jess takes Tartar to the Armoury. She issues him a CES and puts on her own CA.

Jess sees that the Ambassador is still present though his staff have withdrawn to their ship as have the Guard officers. He is in conversation with Erica who may have instinctively lapsed into her liaison role. The Ambassador kisses her hand as she withdraws to interact with Prerna and then settles to brooding shadowed by her robot.

The Ambassador dismissively waves away the firefight "I have seen far more professional displays. I understand these men were criminals - they were certainly neither professional nor soldiers". He seems to find Jess' last a welcome diversion "A riddle - how intriguing. We Zhodani are ever fond of mind games".

I’ll look you up when things are back to normal then. For now, I’m afraid it’s best if your people stay in your ship. That lot were crims, next won’t be. This kerfuffle is our problem, not yours. Well, mostly our problem, 'part from... nah, we'll talk about that later.

Tiglath wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:08 pm Frank, Prerna, Kit & Klaus

Prerna gets a comm from baker "Ma'am, movement on the flight apron. Confirm that's not friendly".

Prerna keys her team comm. "I confirm that they are hostiles. Engage their officers and heavy weapons teams first. Weapons free, I repeat weapons free."

She shifts the encased heavy gauss rifle further around her back on it's strap and charges her ACR. "Team, lock and load. Stand by."

Prerna switches to the command net. "We have forty, that's four-zero, hostiles on the flight deck apron, plus ten in an assault demolitions team. There are more coming behind them, numbers and ETA unknown. Kill them." She drops the information into the battle comp and readies herself to engage the enemy.

Freya

Florence: These guys are running a dispersed attack - Any sig-int on any group heading for the causeway from the Archology? And any hit on locating their command centre transmitters?

She thinks for a moment

Dylan: Can you talk to any of your gang contacts and see if you can get eyes on any force assembling by the causeway? And any rumours on guys watching the tower so we can scan those particular locations. Liv may be able to provide additional contacts when you need them.

Dougal: Get those drone images on the battle comp so Voss and Dubbs can start providing useful control info.

Data Trawl Roll (2d6 + EDU+ Computer): [2d6+5]=4+5=9 Freya sends a search into the Archology's computer network seeing if she can identify who (and where) people are that are linked to the archology's security sensor net. (n.b. The rapid nature of the search DM (-2) offsets the hacking deck's DM (+2) - Not a great effect and easily countered by half-way decent security software.).

All

Well, I've got the crayons out - damn but they're tasty...

Here's a map... as per the Battle Computer entries just added by Prerna.

It is demonstrative rather than strictly to scale but for reference the small craft elevator (marked in Blue) containing Frank, Kit (plus First Squad), Prerna (+2) and Klaus is about 25m across.

As is these folk don't yet but will soon have LOS to the nearest unit of the enemy (in RED).

All RED squads are the same strength (10 men). The "elongated" squad is dispersed along the runway for some reason. The squad on way to the "blood bin" are being engaged by autocannon and HMGs from the gatehouse.

Gaughan is in (St Patrick's Day Green) occupying the Gatehouse which forms the ground floor of the Spire/Tower and is pierced by a tunnel for the road access.

For reference North is "Up/Top of the page" so Freya's bot is due South / in the nine o'clock posn.

Those wishing to declare pre-combat and/or combat actions please do go on ahead!

Freya

BackworldTraveller wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 5:30 pm Florence: These guys are running a dispersed attack - Any sig-int on any group heading for the causeway from the Archology? And any hit on locating their command centre transmitters?

Florence replies "I have tactical comms at very short range in Avastanian. No speech just sounds like codewords or commands".

BackworldTraveller wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 5:30 pm Dylan: Can you talk to any of your gang contacts and see if you can get eyes on any force assembling by the causeway? And any rumours on guys watching the tower so we can scan those particular locations...

Dylan replies "Um... when I may have inferred I was in a gang... which I was... it was more MMORPG and LARPing oriented..."

BackworldTraveller wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 5:30 pm Dougal: Get those drone images on the battle comp so Voss and Dubbs can start providing useful control info.

Data Trawl Roll (2d6 + EDU+ Computer): [2d6+5]=4+5=9 Freya sends a search into the Archology's computer network seeing if she can identify who (and where) people are that are linked to the archology's security sensor net. (n.b. The rapid nature of the search DM (-2) offsets the hacking deck's DM (+2) - Not a great effect and easily countered by half-way decent security software.).

Doughal's input from the drone maps exactly onto Prerna's previous input on the Battle Computer's Tactical display.

Freya gets no luck penetrating the Bartizan's net. However, if she were able to make a non hasty attempt over coffee she reckon it would be a walk in the park. (OCC: Missed by not very many at all... ).

BackworldTraveller wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 10:16 pmVoss - I count ten (10) potentially hostile para's on the flight deck.

Where do you want Freddie and I?

Voss replies "I could really use you help on sensors there's a lot of profiles to crunch and my money says the bad guys got here aboard something... Patching you the feed through or via hardlink if you're near a data port".

Please make a Sensor Ops Roll (Skill plus Int and +1 for actual visual range! )

Jess

The Bindoner wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 11:12 pm I’ll look you up when things are back to normal then. For now, I’m afraid it’s best if your people stay in your ship. That lot were crims, next won’t be. This kerfuffle is our problem, not yours. Well, mostly our problem, 'part from... nah, we'll talk about that later.

The Ambassador chuckles "Ah, then that will be the cue for the non combatants to go to the rear Quarter Master Sergeant Major? Good luck, warrior and may fortune guide you".

He chaperones any who seem to be "left out of battle" "Ms East perhaps a tour of the ship might be diverting - or a least distracting? Lady Iyhlua would you care to come aboard? Ms Ellis we have much to talk upon...".

The Zhodani and their hostages ... er... guests(!) withdraw safely aboard.

Kit

Kit wants to see if he can stop the lift in an unnatural position? The goal would be to have lots of cover while the enemy in in the open. Perhaps down a meter from the normal landing place.

He will have his unit focus on the unit that is almost in HTH range at 3 o'clock maximizing bullets in the area and his unit using the lift to create the cover.

Electronics Skill [_2d6+1]=(3+4)=7+1=8
Computer (Computer-2 +2, Int B +1) [_2d6+3]=(4+4)=8+3=11

Frank

With Kit's team handling the closest group, Frank suggests to the Major that they scope out the extended group to the west to try and determinewhat they are up to and cause some interference.

Freya

Retreating into the Armoury proper - but leaving a fibre-linked camera watching the corridor - Freya plugs into the SEMC's network and the drones and tries to find the "Something" that delivered the drop-troops. Freddy: Make sure nobody shoots me in the back will you!

Sensor Ops Roll (2d6 + INT + Sensor Ops): [2d6+3]=4+3=7 +1 for Visual range makes it 8

It becomes clear that the stress is getting to her (or she needs a new dice-roller)

Not seeing what's what, control!

Dylan - See if you can help Florence triangulate the Avastanian's HQ's transmitter.

"Are we sure about popping up in the middle of this mess," Prerna asks over the command net. She looks for an alternate route by which to engage the troops on the flight deck.

Flight Deck Firefight Round 1

Kit

Using his electronic know how Kit successfully overrides the safety and stops the lift “short” of a flush fit with the flight deck effectively making a broad “weapon pit” out of the halted elevator. First squad open fire at close range against the closing assault group (which they very fortunately now know are to their east). The squad hoses autofire at the approaching enemy who are wearing "half" hard armour (full head, arms and torso) over CES. The hostiles are hit multiple times in the simultaneous and mutual exchange of fire. The penetrators of the SEMC DS rounds mostly either deflect off or impale themselves into their carapace armour. The sheer volume of the SEMC fire means that some rounds must get through and many of the advancing men are hit and wounded - but they do not stop. However, Corporal Able drops one of them and Route One puts most of a mag into another which finally fells him.

Caught in a meeting engagement by the (vertically) approaching SEMC the hostiles do not flinch at all but instead immediately attempt to win the firefight with a torrent of very accurately placed autofire. This contrasts with some bursts from the mercs' rifles and the bolt from the PGMP which miss their mark. From their weapons handling (newest mark of suppressed AK), cool reaction to an emerging threat and apparently ruthless mission focus Kit rates these men as top quality troops.

Kit's action in stopping the elevator to provide cover for his squad pays dividends galore (Lawks, not many Benny - see below! ) as many rounds that would have hit them instead deflect off the bartizan's deck plates. However, the approaching enemy's accurate fire is not without some success. Johnny grunts as he is hit and although his return burst goes wide he stays in the fight. Able is targeted by a retributive burst and, hit multiple times, staggers back and falls. What may be the squad leaders use their underslung grenade launchers to deliberately target threats. One shoots an HE grenade at Nuts on the PGMP but the merc ducks below the level of the flight deck in time enough to be safe. Alas, Whiskey still firing the SAW, fails to appreciate the threat and is hit by what must be an HEAP grenade and is killed instantly.

Although two of the enemy squad are down Kit realises that First Squad are still outnumbered and outgunned.

First Squad Fire:

Able (Corporal)
[2d6+4]=10+4=14, Four hits
Located [1d8]=2,[1d8]=5,[1d8]=2,[1d8]=5,
Effect (penetration @ AV 10 Pen 6 so net -4) [2d6]=7 [2d6]=11,[2d6]=5 [2d6]=8
Result 11-4=7 LW, 8-4=4 LW (3 or less = No Effect) [1d6]=2, Target KO

Riflemen:
Dog
[2d6+4]=4+4=8, One Hit
Located[1d8]=2 AV 10
Effect [2d6]=8 8-4=4
Result LW [1d6]=5 Not KO

Ink
[2d6+4]=8+4=12, Three Hits
Located [1d8]=2,[1d8]=7,[1d8]=2, AV 10, AV 6 AV 10
Effect [2d6]=6, [2d6]=6,[2d6]=7 No Effect, Cloth CES (legs) 6-6=0 LW, No Effect
Result LW [1d6]=2 Not KO

"Killer"
[2d6+4]=4+4=8, One Hit
Located [1d8]=4, AV 10 Pen 6 = -4
Effect [2d6]=6 6-4=2
Result No Effect

Johnny
[2d6+4]=3+4=7, Miss

Route One
[2d6+4]=10+4=14, Four Hits
Located [1d8]=1,[1d8]=6,[1d8]=3,[1d8]=5 All AV 10
Effect [2d6-4]=9-4=5,[2d6-4]=9-4=5,[2d6-4]=9-4=5,[2d6-4]=9-4=5 Four LW
Result [1d6]=3 Four LW Target KO

Whiskey has the SAW (ACR LMG)
[2d6+6]=9+6=15, Four Hits
Located [1d8]=4,[1d8]=5,[1d8]=6,[1d8]=6
Effect [2d6]=7, [2d6]=8,[2d6]=5,[2d6]=3 8-4=4 LW [1d6]=3 Not KO, three No Effect results
Result LW [1d6]=3 Not KO

Nuts on the squad PGMP 12.
[2d6+2]=4+2=6, Miss

Enemy Return Fire:

One: [2d6+5]=6+5=11, Two Hits vs AV 10 all locns so 10-6=-4 on effect
Effect [2d6]=9,[2d6]=8 Two LW
Result [1d2]=1,[1d2]=1 Both saved by 50% cover!

Two:[2d6+5]=7+5=12, Three Hits
Effect [2d6]=9,[2d6]=7,[2d6]=7 One LW, Two No Effect
Result [1d2]=1 Saved by 50% cover!

Three:[2d6+3]=8+5=13,Three Hits
Effect [2d6]=5,[2d6]=4,[2d6]=8 Two No Effect, One LW
Result [1d2]=1 Saved by 50% cover!

Four:[2d6+5]=8+5=13,Three Hits
Effect [2d6]=5,[2d6]=7,[2d6]=3 Three No Effect
Result No Effect

Five:[2d6+5]=5+5=10,Two Hits
Effect [2d6]=10,[2d6]=7 One LW, One No Effect
Result [1d2]=2 Not stopped by cover [1d6]=2 LW Not KO

Six:[2d6+5]=6+5=11,Two Hits
Effect [2d6]=6,[2d6]=4 Two No Effect
Result No Effect

Seven:[2d6+5]=8+5=13, Three Hits
Effect [2d6]=10,[2d6]=5,[2d6]=9 One LW, No Effect, One LW
Result [1d2]=1,[1d2]=1 Both saved by 50% cover!

Eight:[2d6+5]=11+5=16, Five Hits!!!
Effect [2d6]=4,[2d6]=8,[2d6]=9,[2d6]=10,[2d6]=5 Three LW
Result [1d2]=1,[1d2]=2,[1d2]=2 One stopped by cover Two LW [1d6]=2 Target (Able) KO

Nine:[2d6+3]=8+3=11 (HEAP No Frag – no additional hits)
Effect [2d6]=9 Av=10 Pen=32 10-32=-22 22+9>12 Target KIA
Result [1d2]=2 Not stopped by cover Target (Whiskey) KIA

Ten:[2d6+3]=6+3=9, One Hit (Burst sufficient for extra Hits)
Effect [2d6]=8 AV=10 HE Pen=9 One LW
Result [1d2]=1 Stopped by cover

NB Without the cover provided by Kit SEMC would take EIGHT more Light Wounds and see below re: Morale!

Morale tests:

SEMC 1st Squad [2d6]=11 which, since you want low scores would be horrendous. Fortunately the squad's morale value is boosted by +3 for Cover, +3 for Col Cross' personal presence, +2 Officer within 100m (Prerna/Kit), +0 for NCO present as Able is a casualty, -2 for Casualties taken (1KIA, 1KO). Result: Pass.
Visitors [2d6]=8 Casualties (1KO). Result: Pass.

Freya

BackworldTraveller wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 4:38 pm Retreating into the Armoury proper - but leaving a fibre-linked camera watching the corridor - Freya plugs into the SEMC's network and the drones and tries to find the "Something" that delivered the drop-troops. Freddy: Make sure nobody shoots me in the back will you!

Sensor Ops Roll (2d6 + INT + Sensor Ops): [2d6+3]=4+3=7 +1 for Visual range makes it 8

It becomes clear that the stress is getting to her (or she needs a new dice-roller)

Not seeing what's what, control!

Dylan - See if you can help Florence triangulate the Avastanian's HQ's transmitter.

As Freddy replies "Oh, you can assume I've got it covered". Freya hears Dylan inputting data and presumably then comparing plots and scans... He replies "Woah, dude... er... Ma'am - that's like odd! The only craft that actually like overflew the flight apron at the same time as these guys appeared was the service boat from our old ride the Four Nine... Looks like it has a comm signal compatible with the tactical radio chatter we picked up. Um, over?"

(OOC: Dylan Computer/Sensor Ops [2d6+2]=10+2=12 Bonza! )

Tiglath wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:05 am Freya

BackworldTraveller wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 4:38 pm Retreating into the Armoury proper - but leaving a fibre-linked camera watching the corridor - Freya plugs into the SEMC's network and the drones and tries to find the "Something" that delivered the drop-troops. Freddy: Make sure nobody shoots me in the back will you!

Sensor Ops Roll (2d6 + INT + Sensor Ops): [2d6+3]=4+3=7 +1 for Visual range makes it 8

It becomes clear that the stress is getting to her (or she needs a new dice-roller)

Not seeing what's what, control!

Dylan - See if you can help Florence triangulate the Avastanian's HQ's transmitter.

As Freddy replies "Oh, you can assume I've got it covered". Freya hears Dylan inputting data and presumably then comparing plots and scans... He replies "Woah, dude... er... Ma'am - that's like odd! The only craft that actually like overflew the flight apron at the same time as these guys appeared was the service boat from our old ride the Four Nine... Looks like it has a comm signal compatible with the tactical radio chatter we picked up. Um, over?"

(OOC: Dylan Computer/Sensor Ops [2d6+2]=10+2=12 Bonza! )

Sotto voce Bloody merchants!
To Dylan Pass that to HQ and see if they deem it necessary to cost them more than their transport fee by downing the small-craft. Any of the assault team look like they have headed for the balconies on the lower decks - or are they all out on an open deck with their asses free to be shot?
To Freddy, passing him a camera and fibre reel from stores Nip down to that corridor junction and place this so we can see what's coming, then get back here. We may need to make an Ammo run.
Who's the SEMC armoury clerk?

Frank and Klaus

shaidar wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 1:29 pm With Kit's team handling the closest group, Frank suggests to the Major that they scope out the extended group to the west to try and determine what they are up to and cause some interference.

Frank sees that the dispersed section of paras on the runway are trying to close up towards their own center whilst directing suppressing fire on the Bartizan's Spire roof in reaction to what must be sniper fire from that location. As Frank watches an AAHMG opens up further thickening the fire directed at this group.

However, as far as the more immediate crisis goes Frank sees that first squad are in danger of being overwhelmed by enemy fire.

(OOC: PM sent to dongriffiths).