Avastan: Planetfall

[BackworldTraveller]

No Exploring! What do you think the term "Scout" means? But no - today, I'm keeping my head down and I'll let you "Keep me safe".

[Leitz]

Jakob

A cold wind blew snow flurries across the deserted flightline as the grav carrier moved north north east.

"Okay, plans are flexible. Pilot, after you drop us off, angle to the southeast and go slow for the first two hundred meters. George, Love, stay in the craft for forty meters, then jump off the side away from the berm and go prone immediately. Each of you takes one of the two guards at the entrance to the berm. Talk to each other, give us a heads up right before you fire. They're wearing chest and torso armor, so take your time and aim for a head shot while we move up. If they fire at you before we're in place, take your best shot."

Jakob turned to his second in command. "Beau, you and I will move as close as we can; right after George and Love shoot we go around the corner and finish anyone left."

"Caxton, once we secure the entrance, your people move in and secure inside the berm. Everyone, if there's an open hatch we will make for that as fast as we can. Open hatches are good for us, bad for them. Single shots if you can, stay quiet."

The pilot was good enough to follow directions, and the carrier's running lights were dimmed. Jakob, Beau, and Caxton's team dropped off as planned. Jakob in the lead, ACR slung and Anagun in hand. Beau had the same set up and stayed close as they moved forward.

"I've got the hottie on the left," Love said. "Fifty meter zero, no drop. Hold half inch right to account for a gust of wind."

George settled in and brought the head of the right side target into the crosshairs. "Victor One this is Victor Four, we are in position. Victor Three thinks Tango Left is cute."

"Roger that, we are moving in. You've got this," Jakob replied, and then switched to the command channel. "Alpha One, Victor and Uniform moving into position. Estimate nine zero seconds before the party starts."

Lacking specific designations, Frank is Alpha One, Caxton's team is Uniform, and Jakob's team is Victor. No real reason, except Tango is slang for "target", and not good for team morale.

George took a deep breath, and let his pulse settle. The snow added a slight risk, but this was doable. Love was good. As he timed his pulse and let his body relax, the wobble of the crosshairs slowed. Never to a stop, but diminishing over time. Single channel to Love. "Ready?"

"Ready. On ten count."

"Victor One, in six."

"Roger that." Jakob turned for a quick nod to Beau. Caxton was on the net and would see them move.

The left side Tango rubbed his hands over the brazier. His head exploded from multiple rounds.

The right side Tango was sprayed with blood and instinctively flinched. His head exploded anyway.

"Two down," George said over the team link. Jakob heard the impact and was already sprinting around the corner. He started to fire but the ice under the snow robbed him of traction and he slid a full two meters before tumbling.

Beau moved at a sensible rate, turned the corner, and shot the most mobile Tango.

Love looked at George, "guess the Captain can't dance."

George shot [2d6]=3
George damage [2d6+4]=9+4=13
Love shot [2d6]=7
Love damage [2d6+4]=8+4=12

Beau shot [2d6]=8
Jakob pistol [2d6]=2

[shaidar]

Frank notes Freya boarding the g-carrier and switches to a private channel with Jakob

"Good luck captain. Please remember that the Viper is to not leave it's berm unless I give explicit orders for it to do so."

[BackworldTraveller]

OK Dylan, Launch #3. Let's get an overview.

Then she sync's her suit and gun stats into her internal displays, shuffles the drone feeds into the least distracting configuration and precedes Freddie into the carrier.

[Tiglath]

Freya

OK Dylan, Launch #3. Let's get an overview.

Dylan replies "OK, boss. Hope it doesn't upset them. Should I keep it out of the port's airspace? I could maybe hang it lower over Startown?"

(OOC: Freya will be aware of the Starport's air traffic radar and auto landing sensors being active (let alone target acquisition radar that must accompany the AA sites). If you insert an object into that sensor environment it may well generate attention that you don't want as your drones are cheap and cheerful with no masking or stealth tech. Those you've been lauching "over the fence" and outside port airspace won't be as triggering as one apparently loitering within it with intent. From above Startown the on board cameras will have a partially compromised but still effective view of your area of operations.

This will all be well within Freya's IC knowledge. Apols for slight retconnery).

[Tiglath]

Jess

Jess' comm crackles "Er, breaker break... to Sergeant Major from Growl Tiger. There are some five oh up your sixty good buddy".

The transmission is abruptly cut off but after short while recommences with Dubs' irate voice "...ing callsign and proper R/T procedure!" The tranmission breaks again and then a chastened Doughal's voice comes back on "Er, hello? I see a unit of local law enforcement dealing with the crash from your last fight. Um... Muppet One, over".

After a minute Jess hears "Hello? It's Doughal again!" He's excited. "There's a fast all black suburban grav with police lights. It has stopped at the crash... er... scene. The local cops saluted it. The grav car crew are talking to them. Now it looks like the grav is following your route towards the Starport. Um... the cops were scared of it. Thought you would need to know. Muppet One, over".

[BackworldTraveller]

Freya

OK Dylan, Launch #3. Let's get an overview.

Dylan replies "OK, boss. Hope it doesn't upset them. Should I keep it out of the port's airspace? I could maybe hang it lower over Startown?"

Yep - Good catch Soldier! Go for that.

[Tiglath]

Jakob

It took Beau but a second's assessment of the casualties to lower the gauss pistol. He'd started “Watch your feet, sir. It's danged slippery...” before grabbing a handful of Jakob's webbing and dragging him into the tunnel that led through the berm's wall.

Even while Jakob regained his breath and his feet he saw the benefit of leadership redundancy, high motivation and good training. Beau's voice carried over the comm “All Victor elements close on me. Uniform – move, move!”

Beau moved away from the brazier and deeper into the tunnel. Jakob saw Love and George double across the snow ably coping with the imbalance the fitted “cans” brought to their ACRs. Each also carried a quarter of the laser cutter's mounting ring under their "close enough" urban and sea grey pattern Collace ponchos.

Jakob first heard then saw Caxton's squad jogging along under the burden of their own gear plus the HMG and boxes of ammo. However, they all soon joined him in the tunnel with Caxton pulling the outermost corpse in behind him.

Having checked his squad in Caxton simply looked at Jakob for direction.

Freya and Freddy then joined the company Freddy pulling the last body in with him and kicking some loose snow over the blood.

In the partial light outside Jakob saw the G Carrier continue on its way.

(OOC: Beau Leadership Roll(2d6)+2: 5,1,+2 Total:8).

[Tiglath]

Frank

Frank watched Jakob's squad take out the sentries and move on in. Jakob went down but soon regained his feet. No casualty reports came in and both the assault and support fire teams appeared to have stacked up in the berm's tunnel and were joined by Freya and Freddy without incident.

Direct command and control of this part of his own operation was now his.

[joertexas]

Jess

Jess' comm crackles "Er, breaker break... to Sergeant Major from Growl Tiger. There are some five oh up your sixty good buddy".

The transmission is abruptly cut off but after short while recommences with Dubs' irate voice "...ing callsign and proper R/T procedure!" The tranmission breaks again and then a chastened Doughal's voice comes back on "Er, hello? I see a unit of local law enforcement dealing with the crash from your last fight. Um... Muppet One, over".

After a minute Jess hears "Hello? It's Doughal again!" He's excited. "There's a fast all black suburban grav with police lights. It has stopped at the crash... er... scene. The local cops saluted it. The grav car crew are talking to them. Now it looks like the grav is following your route towards the Starport. Um... the cops were scared of it. Thought you would need to know. Muppet One, over".

"Recon copies," Prerna says dryly. She turns to Jess. "Intercept our next target. I'll watch for unwanted company."

[gurusql]

Kit

Not hearing another target, he will direct the car back in the general direction of the starport and await further orders.

[BackworldTraveller]

Freya keeps in the middle of the tunnel, mostly watching the end that she came in from (hoping nobody is sneaking in behind the assault-squad) and occasionally checking the end they are going (looking for the signal to head onwards).

To keep Freddy happy, she makes sure she is keeping him between her and the tunnel entrance - and the whole of the rest of the squad between her and the exit.

[shaidar]

Frank gets the driver to proceed along the route to the drop off point in the cover of the admin building

On the squad channel

"The carrier will drop of us at a point we can hop the fence under cover and do a nap-of-the-earth flight through startown to find an ambush point out near the road. Stick close and keep your eyes peeled, this isn't my first time at this kind of thing so I'll be taking point."

OMG, I need to look like I know what I'm doing and if any of Jess's squad get hurt then Frank is in real trouble. I'm pretty sure that none of Jess's team have any recon type skills, although I'd hope they have good spotting skills.

[The Bindoner]

"Recon copies," Prerna says dryly. She turns to Jess. "Intercept our next target. I'll watch for unwanted company."

On "away team" tactical net: 'K. We're drivin' by, weapons down, scopin' the vehicles. If we see patches, colours, anythin' pirate, we engage. One'v yer hit the lift-units on the 'raft, rest do the car like we did the other.

Lef'ten'nt Ghoshal, care ter follow up? We might need yer firepower ter drop the raft. If yer keep wide, yer might get a shot at the driver.

[joertexas]

"Recon copies," Prerna says dryly. She turns to Jess. "Intercept our next target. I'll watch for unwanted company."

On "away team" tactical net: 'K. We're drivin' by, weapons down, scopin' the vehicles. If we see patches, colours, anythin' pirate, we engage. One'v yer hit the lift-units on the 'raft, rest do the car like we did the other.

Lef'ten'nt Ghoshal, care ter follow up? We might need yer firepower ter drop the raft. If yer keep wide, yer might get a shot at the driver.

"I'll go for their lifters," Prerna says.

[Leitz]

Jakob

Jakob shook himself up, with Beau's help, and chucked in his armor. Ship decks usually don't have snow or ice, and you can run as fast as you can run. Avastan downport was a long way from being an Imperial ship deck.

The plan had to be simple since there was not enough time to practice. Caxton and two set up the HMG facing outward, in case the ship called for reinforcements. The HMG was set forward, near the entrance, to give a full field of fire and prevent anyone sneaking up close and lobbing a grenade in. Freya and Freddy stayed with Caxton until called, and were supposed to make themselves small.

Victor team and two of Uniform moved toward the front of the Viper's Nest, as quietly and stealthfully as possible. Once under the nose, Victor team set down the laser cutter's bits and pieces for Caxton's two to assemble. Once they were done assembling, those two moved under the ship to inspect the rear of the berm to assess other entrances or risks. If there were none found, they were to return to Caxton and defend the entrance.

Meanwhile, having studied their own ship, Beau and George moved down along the right side of the hull while Jakob and Love moved down the left. Their job was to quietly assess any entrances that might be open and to communicate as soon as they had something. All four had silenced weapons to eliminate any other outside guards.

Jakob Recon [2d6+3]=2+3=5
George Recon [2d6]=6

[gurusql]

"Recon copies," Prerna says dryly. She turns to Jess. "Intercept our next target. I'll watch for unwanted company."

On "away team" tactical net: 'K. We're drivin' by, weapons down, scopin' the vehicles. If we see patches, colours, anythin' pirate, we engage. One'v yer hit the lift-units on the 'raft, rest do the car like we did the other.

Lef'ten'nt Ghoshal, care ter follow up? We might need yer firepower ter drop the raft. If yer keep wide, yer might get a shot at the driver.

"Roger, wide like a left-mid." he replies over the comms

"Able get over into the the far outside lane to set-up a shot at the air-raft driver. Baker keep your head on a swivel to make sure while we are hunting that we are not becoming the hunted."

[Tiglath]

Frank

Frank's comm receives a tight beam message via HQ from the Trader.

His mind is still slightly thrown by Doughal's cheery "Call for you" preceding the laser comm connection but he then recognises Erica's businesslike tones through the detonations on the other end of the line "Colonel Cross, my apologies for the background noise. You can no doubt hear the mortars of a regular API light infantry company. They are fully committed to the mountains together with their locally hired mercenaries. So you now have about two hundred regulars and about the same of irregulars that you no longer have to fight. Press your advantage and good luck".

[shaidar]

Frank

"Good luck to you too. I appreciate you taking the flak for us."

Frank relays the information to Voss..."...and make sure the troops are ready for when the recon team is back. We'll have to plan and move quickly once we're all back."

[Tiglath]

Frank

Frank gets another call this time from Voss. It sounds like his XO's starting a migraine...

"Sir, I've spoken to the Aslan about finding a pilot. They state they are all excellent pilots and how difficult can it be?"

He sighs "Sir, in my opinion I doubt the furry b'stards could pilot a bath without the female showing them how to work the taps. I think there's a reason she has better spec armour than they do..."