Inchin: Planetfall

[Tiglath]

Jess

As she confirms her assailant is no longer a threat Jess sees Jakob's team moving up in support.

The dust cloud has now dispersed.

Moving forward to check the body she finds a young fighting age male with a shattered left arm, severe chest trauma and an obviously fatal head wound. He is armed with an ACR but otherwise has no other gear, webbing or indeed any other military possessions.

She sees the security detail from the fence seem to have re-grouped and are approaching her position. It seems all the protestors have (quite sensibly) legged it as soon as the shooting started.

A locally dressed person doubled over in pain staggers out of the launch hatch and begins to limp away. Another is bodily thrown out and the launch is declared "secure".

Charlie and "Kingy" King hurry the more distant looters on their way with single rounds.

Of the supplies that were accessed by the looters, despite various crates having been forced open, the only thing stolen was water.

[shaidar]

Frank

"Thank you recon. Sargent Major, Lieutenant Domici, be advised there are two spotters dug in approximately 200 metres south of your position. Apprehend alive if possible, it's time we had a chat with the locals."

[The Bindoner]

Jess looks at the sniper with sorrow more than anger: Poor sod, yer didn't stand a chance.

She quickly checks for an explosive belt and, if there is none, searches for a comm. Taking the ACR and ammo Jess heads for the Launch. As she goes she sees the looted containers, thinking of the water. Frell. I've been here before. Wrong side of the wire again, Jess.

Frank

"Thank you recon. Sargent Major, Lieutenant Domici, be advised there are two spotters dug in approximately 200 metres south of your position. Apprehend alive if possible, it's time we had a chat with the locals."

Oh, I want to have words with them alright.

Major, keep your eyes on them. Lieutenant Domici, I'm going to try and flank on the far side.

On IC: OK boys, we're moving around their position while Mr Domici takes the other flank. Kingy, you're on stag here. Do not shoot our fox. Eyes only, 'til I say. Charlie, 'Arry, lead off. Mike, with me. Keep low, go wide.

[Leitz]

Jakob grinned. This was a perfect moment. A quick switch to his team's channel.

"Beau, lead the team forward. Support the other squad, make sure no one cross-fires into them. Everyone, muzzle discipline, just like we practiced." With that, he switched off. No detailed instruction, no step by step plan. Beau was a leader who needed his chance to shine. The team they had been trained well, they had listened well. They would perform well.

Instruction-1, Int-C [2d6+3] = 10+3 = 13

He kept his weapon braced to provide over watch until Beau had everyone sorted an in motion. Jakob used the time to look for the enemy spotters and to chat external with the APC crew.

"It's easy to get excited. You were under fire. Our CO can talk to you CO later, and make sure this sort of accident doesn't happen again. Until then, if you don't mind, pay attention to our Captain back there. He's a combat vet and can make sure things go smoothly for everyone."

Recon-1 [2d6+1] = 7+1 = 8

When the team was forward and in good order, Jakob slid down the APC and brought up the rear.

[joertexas]

Prerna instructed the drone to loiter over the bunker entrance a hundred meters up, in a fifty-meter circle, random turns.

"Let's go check the delegates for injuries, and get them under cover," she instructs her team. "Command, Recon. We're moving the delegation underground."

[Tiglath]

Jess and Jakob

Jess finds no comm or any other military equipment, ID or currency on the shooter.

The security detachment from the fence show up. They would like their stolen ACR back.

She orders her squad to move on the spotter's right flank (from the side furthest from the ramp/palace).

Jakob has his squad move into position to the spotters' front/left. To his satisfaction they move like a well oiled machine.

Please Note Edit: added a line re: ACR

[Tiglath]

Frank

Receives a comm patched through by Dubs.

"Colonel Cross - my compliments. Colonel Pohlmann, Baronial Guard, what is the threat your infantry are responding to south west of the palace?"

(OOC: The palace is immediately North of your position. He can only be referring to the "spotters").

[Tiglath]

All

The Baronial Guard tanks on the south side of the parade move out.

Tanks "One" and "Three" of the four tank troop reverse backwards (i.e. away from the diplomats and "red carpet" route). They also begin to swing their turrets around bringing their main armament to bear to the south.

As soon as they are clear tanks "Two" and "Four" begin the same manoeuvre.

[Tiglath]

Prerna and Skip

Prerna and Skip and their squads gain the cover of the top of the ramp where they find the "Diplomatic Corps" to be very dusty and apparently rattled but otherwise well.

The SuSAG team have produced gauss pistols with some under barrel device (Mr Wint and Mr Kidd) and a milspec SMG (Kristín Vitt). Drace Keening remains unarmed.

[joertexas]

Prerna and Skip

Prerna and Skip and their squads gain the cover of the top of the ramp where they find the "Diplomatic Corps" to be very dusty and apparently rattled but otherwise well.

The SuSAG team have produced gauss pistols with some under barrel device (Mr Wint and Mr Kidd) and a milspec SMG (Kristín Vitt). Drace Keening remains unarmed.

Prerna brings up her suit speaker. "Please go down the ramp, we will follow behind you once the area is cleared."

[shaidar]

Frank keeps a close eye on the tanks as he replies over comms

"Good to speak to you, Colonel Pohlmann. My troops have located the spotters for the sniper they took out and I've sent them to apprehend. They are only two, so there's no need to bother your guard, my men will return with them shortly"

[Tiglath]

Frank

Frank receives the reply "Ah, you seek all the glory Colonel? The "Baron's Lions" will provide suppressing fire!"

The tank troop halt and swing their main armament to the south west. They then proceed to "plaster" the area around the "spotters" position with high explosive. After two rounds from each tube the troop commander (the tank has additional antenna and "command" pennants) "unbuttons" his hatch and enthusiastically waves Jakob and Jess' teams forward into the malestrom of dust the tanks have just created.

(OOC: Anyone with a concept of Tactics or Recon will realise that the approach of tanks who then point their main armament at someone might indicate to them that the "covert nature" of their position has been compromised. If that didn't do it then the salvo of direct HE would!)

[shaidar]

Frank sighs before replying to the Colonel "Thank you Colonel, I'm sure that's shocked any fight out of them"

He looks over to the dust thrown up, activates his sensor suite and looks for any sign that the spotters are using the dust as cover while they flee, readying his rifle.

ooc: I'm not sure how much of a clear shot Frank actually might have with tanks and troops around

[Tiglath]

Prerna and Skip

Prerna brings up her suit speaker. "Please go down the ramp, we will follow behind you once the area is cleared."

The now relieved looking delegates descend the ramp into what appears to be a hangar area. At the bottom of the ramp stands a figure dressed in baroque finery accompanied by another in ochre coloured combat armour. A squad of troops (in desert CES) are in attendance and present arms while the male in combat armour salutes.

Bringing up the rear of the group Kristín Vitt safes and stows her SMG and Prerna recognises the winged dragon on the stock as a little piece of home. The logo identifies Sacnoth Ríkisstjórn-Vopn Verksmiðju, Ohf (Sacnoth Small Arms Cooperative) purveyors of excellent high tech weapons. The company's more famous clients include the Jäger of the Confederation Patrol, Sword World Special Forces and several units of high end mercs).

Once the diplomats are safely off the ramp it begins to close.

(OOC: Roll(2d6)+3: (Int, Military Background, Sword World origin) 3,6,+3 Total:12 Total Recall! ).

[Tiglath]

He looks over to the dust thrown up, activates his sensor suite and looks for any sign that the spotters are using the dust as cover while they flee, readying his rifle.

Frank is reasonably sure that the spotters haven't changed position but can't actually see them. This would be entirely consistent with them taking cover.

(OOC: It's the sudden blooms of dust that temporarily throw your imaging gear but you can see through drifting dust clouds with your advanced kit).

[The Bindoner]

As the desert ahead blooms with HE, the shells wicker by overhead and the guns behind boom out Jess curses: Frell! Down! Everybody down! Frellin' frellers, what the frell d'they frellin' think they're frellin' doin'?

Deciding the beaten zone is distant enough to relax a little she rises to watch. I frellin' hate bein' infan-frellin'-tree.

Looking back at the armour to see when they decide to stop firing she observes the cheery wave.

*sigh* OK lads, they've given the target enough covering fire to escape or be destroyed, lets go see if there are any pieces of litter worth picking up.

Anyone left there knows we're comin''. We move in bounds, an' keep yer eyes peeled.

Over encrypted HQ link: So, we're staging a coup then, to save our lives? I mean, this bunch of clowns? We can take over today, once our kit's all here, we want to.

[shaidar]

Over encrypted HQ link: So, we're staging a coup then, to save our lives? I mean, this bunch of clowns? We can take over today, once our kit's all here, we want to.

Frank

"Agreed, working with the Baronial Guard is going to be interesting, we may need to revise some of our tactical plans. Nothing is off the books at this stage, Sargent Major"

[Tiglath]

Jess and Jakob

Both advance their squads on the "spotters" position.

They find the OP had been established in a natural depression among the desert rocks but that it has been abandoned - seemingly via a nearby culvert allowing a withdrawal to be made under cover from fire. A homemade camo sheet backed with a thermal blanket has been left behind but nothing else.

They can see a local "dune buggy" (for want of a better term) giving off a "rooster tail" of dust as it heads for the nearby worker's shanty town. This might well be "spotters" transport but no one's certain.

[Tiglath]

Prerna

Prerna is above to recover an image from her drone's footage that confirms little of the spotters age or even sex due to their desert gear. However, both seem of slight build and the comm and vision aids they were using must weigh at least a kilo apiece by their bulk and therefore hardly seem high tech.

[Tiglath]

All

The launch crew are grateful for their rescue. The steward was quite "put out" by the impromptu boarding party but all are otherwise hale.

The cutter reports they are continuing your lift and will next return with your G carrier and "Technical".

Otherwise the comm is silent and there seems little activity from the mansion that is revealed to have been built within the rock promontory overlooking the sea of sand that is the proto starport. A tedious and entirely unmilitary delay ensues...

However, after a while the ramp opens again and a Baronial Guard appears to impatiently wave you inside.