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Jack grinned.
He couldn't not. He walked forward slowly, in his tall, stalking machine of death made manifest. All about him lasers and missiles flew in great numbers, but none dared touch him. In his conscious mind he knew this was all an illusion of chaos, a comedy of errors that made others a more convenient target, in the moment, than his Angel. But in this moment, his moment, he rode stride a towering machine of destruction, untouched by the efforts of others, bringing doom where he but willed it.
He broke his revelry but long enough to spirnt forward, into the hole Marcus already charged through, to bring his own guns into the great cacophony now playing against the already-dead Manticore.
Jack looked over an noticed his heat-O-meter climbing beyond normal tolerable levels. But it was okay. He had worked in or on mechs all his days. He could Take the Heat.
Charly's temper cools to the point she can start thinking rationally again as she realizes that the tank outmasses her three to one. Brief daydreams of hurling the thing into the tower vanish as she starts thinking up more practical solutions to her problems. The tank is large, and her wasp is tiny for a mech, so she moves to stay out of it's line of fire and to put it between herself and the tower to make targeting her a risky proposition for the gunners up there.
The tactical situation sorted, she begins to run through what she knows of the Manticore and where best to put a beam into it.
Charly interposes herself between the tower and tank, while Jack's laser fire hits the earthen barrier in front of the tank, but not the battle machine itself. His machine gun fire, added to Markus' certainly has the tank crews ears ringing as the large caliber bullets beat the heavy armor like metalhead drummer on Spazz.
Lloyd sends a pair of missiles streaking into the already damaged tank. The two warheads detonate deep inside of the heavy vehicle causing a foul looking green-tinted smoke to begin billowing from its bowels. The Wasp pilot then rapidly retreats from any potential return fire from the wounded tank.
Markus batters the stubborn defender with laser, fist and bullet with each method taking a toll upon the internal workings of the tank. In a satisfying display, the Steiner mechwarrior pulls his fist free of the tank dragging the remnants of its FarFire LRM launcher.
Avoiding some, but not all, of the autocannon fire, Gunny decides to end the little dance in one assault. Letting the Griffin's faulty PPC charge a bit longer than standard, the mechwarrior sends a beam of artificial lightning lashing into the high fortification. This is followed up with another missile barrage. For several seconds the top of the mine facility is engulfed in smoke and fire and missiles detonate and the PPC blast vaporizes armor, crew, and mechanisms. Then a massive explosion as whatever ammunition stores remained join the destructive chaos. Debris begins to rain down upon Charly, Markus and the others still assaulting the tanks.
From her new vantage point inside the compound, Charly witnesses the debris crash down among those poor souls assaulting the entrance of the tower facility on foot. Too late to warn her companions, Lapeidra also witnesses the results of assault on the mines upper defenses. A long mass of bent steel, possibly one of the barrels of the autocannons, crushes a redheaded man. The impact driving his lower body several feet into the mud. A piece of ferrocrete decapitates another while yet another goes sprawling with a two foot length of rebar piercing her shoulder. Still the remaining few of the ragged band regain their feet and quickly reach the entrance. More gunfire rattle as they small group blasts their way inside only to be met with some level of resistance as one assailant comes staggering back out of the entrance riddled with bleeding bullet wounds.
Its SRM still functional the first tank launches another quick salvo at Markus and his Phoenix Hawk. More than half the missiles do not achieve lock and go flying into the open landscape, but one of the heavy warheads does track unless the Steiner scout can avoid it at the last moment.
The second tank does the same to Jack and his Phoenix Hawk but also adds a quick shot with its still functioning laser to the attack. Similar to its companion, several of the warheads veer off course, but a pair manage to fly true.
|__Ll___|________|___La____|______|J_M_G_Ma|___Ch__|___T___|________|
|__6____|___5____|___4____|___3___|_____2____|___1___|___0___|___-1___|
Current Aspects:
All Zones: Pouring Rain;
Zones 6-3: Open Field of Fire
Zone 2: Fortified Positions
Zone 1: Falling Debris
Zone 0: Above It All; Falling Debris
Manticore One: 0/12 armor; 7/24 IS (PPC Destroyed, ML Destroyed, LRM Damaged)
Manticore Two: 6/12 armor
Tower: 0/5 armor; 0/4 IS - Destroyed
Wärs du kein Dreckspirat könntest du zielen! ICH MUSS DICH WOHL NOCH MEHR AUFKLÄREN!
--If you werent a s~+@ty pirate, maybe you could aim! I MUST RECONEUTER YOU MORE!--
1 damage
1 damage
2 damage
2 damage
2 damage
Markus is a Lyran, one with, for a Lyran, an above average degree of common sense, situational awareness, and understanding of non meme scouting, but he is a Lyran, and too focused on the chaotic melee to notice what is going on at the tower.
Soviele Panzer zum aufklären! Ich werde noch lange mit aufklären beschäftigt sein!
--THERE IS SO MUCH SCOUTING TO BE DONE WITH THESE TANKS! I SHALL BE BUSY SCOUTING THEM!--
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Gunny observed with amazement when the tower came crashing down. Heartfelt regret, due to the collateral damage, was not something new to the veteran. It was a tough call. One he wished hadn’t been necessary. When measured against the cannons wreaking havoc across the battlefield, his choice was clear.
With his target now eliminated, Gunny had a moment to consider his lance's ongoing struggle with the tank. He could see the tank's thick mass protruding out of its hovel. Its weapons began to heat up and their target became clear. Without hesitation, Gunny dug the tip of his mech’s right foot deep into the rain-soaked ground and then kicked it forward. This sent large chunks of mud, dirt, and debris flying over the front half of the tank. His action wasn’t very tactical, but he felt the added muck might foul up the tank's targeting system.
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"Ha! Good job scouting that tower, Gunny!" Jack calls as the far-shooting structure comes tumbling down.
His celebrations are cut short as, at last, war decides to include him.
The burst of SRM fire he avoids easily. What was with these short-range missiles? He knew that technology had fallen far since the old days of the Star League, but missiles used today seemed especially sloth. Was there no way to salvage or improve them?
The laser he had more trouble with. Naturally. Laser technology needed no homing, was not affected by flight conditions or strong wind. One needed but point and shoot at the laws of light speed took care of the rest. He had executed a pretty decent Twirling Willow, but all he managed to do was kick up a lot of mud.
That was when his minor mud was joined by a Non-Minor Amount of Mud.
It turned out that even lasers can be defeated, if you throw enough mud at it, Jack thinks as the medium laser suddenly makes a Non-Minor Amount of Clay.
"We have lead these tanks a merry dance, but I think it is time they were SCOUTED properly and had done with!" he agrees with Markus, mirroring his attack pattern with his own.
Having seen the consequences of their actions, and not knowing friend from foe, Lapeidra sighs heavily and follows the destruction toward the mine.
Lloyd is too far back to see anything human-scale, so he simply breathes a sigh of relief when the cannon tower goes down. He still doesn't want to risk getting close to the remaining tanks, though, so he just focuses on painting the most intact remaining tank with every sensor he can for the benefit of the heavier mechs in the group.
Lloyd lights up the pair of tanks, his targeting computer providing solid firing solutions for anyone willing and able to tie into his system. At the same time, Lapeidra runs her Panther past Charly to try and get a better idea of what is actually occurring within the mining compound. When her mech arrives nearer the tower, she spots more bodies scattered about the area. Through her viewscreen it is obvious that most of them are not the result of her or her companions fire. Small arms fire and a few telltale blasts from the supposed defenders within the Manticores.
Most of the fallen wear a hodgepodge of light clothing. Simple coveralls or civilian clothing. A scattered few wear a jacket or ragged shirt containing the spider and plasma bolt symbol associated with Hutton's bandit crew. Whatever fighting was happening in the compound appears to have moved inside the remains of the main tower. A duo of fighters urgently attempt to wave off the Panther apparently under the impression Lapeidra is about to completely level the facility.
Meanwhile Gunny uses an ages old tactic slightly modified for 30th century fighting and manages to kick a large mass of much and debris onto the least battered tank. Several larger rocks ping and batter the armored hull even as mud covered various cameras and other sensor components to hinder the heavy vehicles capabilities even further.
Markus continues to poor fire and fist into scouting the first tank. Unfortunately much of his assault is absorbed by the surrounding bunker. Even the punch goes astray as his mech's feet slip on the slick, muddy hillside. His laser does manage to slice off the main support for the Manticore's long range missile launcher. The midsized weapon sheers off completely and tumbles down the hillside.
Jack finds himself in similar circumstances as his lancemate. The bunker-like fortification proving a nuisance to try and circumvent. His machine guns and small lasers both pelt and melt away more armor, but his punch hits nothing but dirt and stone.
Both tanks fire off a salvo at their attackers. A dozen short range warheads burst forth filling the area with smoke and explosive debris.
|__Ll___|________|___La____|______|J_M_G_Ma|___Ch__|___T___|________|
|__6____|___5____|___4____|___3___|_____2____|___1___|___0___|___-1___|
Current Aspects:
Target Lock with 1 Free Invoke
Covered in Mud with 1 Free Invoke
All Zones: Pouring Rain;
Zones 6-3: Open Field of Fire
Zone 2: Fortified Positions
Zone 1: Falling Debris
Zone 0: Above It All; Falling Debris
Manticore One: 0/12 armor; 5/24 IS (PPC Destroyed, ML Destroyed, LRM Destroyed, SRM Damaged)
Manticore Two: 1/12 armor
Tower: 0/5 armor; 0/4 IS - Destroyed
Having never really experienced a killing field before like this one, with the exception of when her concert venue was obliterated, Lapeidra feels her blood run cold. She doesn't have a personal weapon but there are plenty of them scattered about amongst the bodies below.
"I'm going out there," she says into the comm before dropping her Panther to a knee and opening the canopy.
In the smoking debris and flaming wreckage of the tower she picks a rifle off a bandit corpse, checks to make sure it's loaded and then advances on foot to where the other fighters were waving her off.
"Who are you?" she demands.
Alright, time for some proper STEINER SCOUTING!
The Lyran snarls as 5 effing SRMs narrowly sped by him.
Seeking to finally put down the first manticore, Markus probably does just that, with 1 mg and both laser blasts presumably hitting this time.
YOU CANT FACE MY LYRAN MIGHT
AND YOUR ABOUT TO FIND OUT IM RIGHT!
Semi drunk on Endorphines, the young dropout advances on the other manticore.
Charly pushes back the horror she saw when the tower collapsed onto some of the people trying to get into the mines. She has a job to do and she can't afford to let it distract her.
She can, however, channel her rage and frustration into the Manticore. She sees where the fight or the rain had eroded part of the earthen fortifications and decides that's where she'll make her mark.
Following the mudslinging ordeal, Gunny slogged through the mud-covered hillside in order to close distance between himself and the tank. Before long, Lloyd’s targeting system lit the tank up like a roman candle. “Hehe. This is going to hurt. “ He stated as he brought the Griffin into powerful two-handed hammer swing. The Mech’s hand actuators locked together as the Mech raised both arms high into the air. With extreme inertia, the Griffin brought both arms down as hard as it could. The colliding impact thundered across the compound, leaving little doubt that Gunny struck something hard.
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'What is going on with these S R M's,' Jack thinks as the full salvo sticks together as a group--which is good--but streaks by him with but the smallest of movements. Have we fallen so far that even short-range missiles are of no use at short range?
Ah, well, this is not a problem that plagues Phoenix Hawks. He had often thought that missiles were a non-optimized offensive solution, and nothing had happened to change his mind.
Turning back to the problem at hand, Jack again attacks the tank, but this time he tries using his machine guns as target-tracers. The effect is that the guns continue to impact only the barricade, but he's able to follow up with more accurate laser fire. Then he uses that data to initiate a good punch.
Seeing the two Phoenix Hawks brutalizing the tanks, Lloyd decides he can risk getting in range again. He moves forward and fires off his laser at one of the manticores, not thinking they're worth wasting ammunition on at this point.
Gunny, Jack and Markus unleash a furious blend of bullets, lasers, and fisticuffs upon the two tanks. Markus finally punches through into the very heart of the Manticore's power plant severing conduits and powerlinks. Several minor explosions erupt within the heavy vehicle. With smoke billowing from the interior all signs of activity and power disappear from his scanners. The machine finally appears to be nothing but scrap.
Bone rattling squeals of metal striking metal fill the wet Stettin air as both Gunny and Jack manage to bust through the second tanks armored exterior. Myomer powered fists drive deep into the bandit defender's interior ripping at various components and crew as they do. Jack manages to draw his fist back dangling the main energy generator for the tanks PPC. The Phoenix Hawk casually flips the now junked component off into the distance.
Lloyd moves back up and fires a quick pot shot at the still active tank only to see the ruby beam stab and the wet earth and rock well below the defender's position.
Filled with rage Charly rushes her light Wasp forward to join Jack and Gunny in battering the immobile beast into submission. But rather that adding her laser, SRMs or fist to the frenzy of destruction, she reaches out with both mech's human-like hands to grip Manticore by its slightly lighter forward section. Grinding her teeth and ignoring the sudden flashing warning all across her instrument panel, she pushes her little mech even harder. Metal screams in protest nearly in equal volume between tank and Wasp. Slowly the tank starts to shift and lift from its foundation. Fortunately for the former Capellan, the tank is sitting at a slight incline to help increase its field of fire. This helps the severly underweight and underpowered Wasp gain a bit of additional leverage as it continues to heave the massive vehicle up and over.
As the tank nearly reaches the tipping point, there is a massive snapping sound and following by a shearing and grinding of metal that both Jack and Charly recognize and being 'not a good thing.' The Wasp's shoulder actuator freezes and the 60-ton tank starts to slip forward, likely crushing Charly and her Wasp in the process. Fortunately, Jack and Gunny are both there and both in heavier mechs. Seeing the Wasp's suddenly precarious situation both step up and slam their shoulders into the underbelly of the tank. The additional 90 tons of mass powered by churning legs and fusion plants helps topple the tank over.
Armor plating crumples while those inside scream in both surprise and pain as they find themselves slammed into the hard metal roof of their vehicle. One gunner, desperately scrambling for a hand hold manages to grab the firing trigger for the short range missile system as the tank tumbles backward. A half dozen warheads launch themselves straight across the battlefield and into two of the nearby buildings. Already weakened ferrocrete walls simply disintegrate under the high explosive impact causing both buildings to collapse in a mass of grit and smoke.
The entire incident has everyone caught in the open diving for cover until the initial debris is finished falling to the ground and the smoke clears. This includes Lapeidra who emerges from the cover of her own Panther to confront the nearest bedraggled and confused combatant.
"Who are you?" She demands.
The wide eyed, pistol carrying man whose age was hard to judge beneath all the grit, blood, and smoke. If forced to guess she'd say he was something around forty. This impression is justified a bit more when he opens his mouth and a gruff voice, gravelly from years of smoking or some kind of lung condition replies.
"Name's Walter, who the hell are you?" He growls slowly starting to recover his wits following the chaos of destruction. Only to duck aside at the sound of further small arms fire erupting from somewhere in the depths of the main building. "Nevermind. Unless you plan to shot me." His eyes glance at the mass of mech behind Lapeidra. "I'll be asking you to step aside while I go about trying to save some of our folk."
Manticore One: 0/12 armor; 0/24 IS (PPC Destroyed, ML Destroyed, LRM Destroyed, SRM Damaged)
Manticore Two: 0/12 armor; 17/24 (PPC Destroyed; ML Destroyed,)
Tower: 0/5 armor; 0/4 IS - Destroyed
"F#&+!" Lapeidra shouts at the exploding air around her. The battlemechs flipping over the tank results in more unnecessary destruction, and she hopes innocent people weren't holed up in those buildings. When the debris stops raining down momentarily she addresses the older man.
"Walter, that's not how I work. I'm coming with to help save your people. Lead the way."
The Wasp lurches as the actuator gives way and the arm swings down under its own weight. Charly shakes as she settles the mech on its knees and feels the strangeness of having a busted arm that is perfectly find and functional. It takes her a few minutes to power down the mech and regain enough control to risk talking to others. In the meantime, she curses herself for a fool.
===
Charly comes jogging up as Lapeidra tells Walter to lead the way. She doesn't look towards the carnage of either the collapsed tower nor the blasted buildings.
Lloyd breathes a sigh of relief as the company disables the last of the tanks. He finally takes a look around at things other than the immediate threats and winces. That... that all looked bad.
He walks slowly towards the minehead, scanning the structures as he does. Finally he notices that Lapeidra has... exited her 'mech?
"Lapeidra? What are you doing?" he radioes, than realizes she might not have anything to receive with on her.
"Any idea why Lapeidra's out of her 'mech?" he transmits to the others.
Responding to Lloyd’s question, Gunny keyed his mic as he brought the Griffin into an immediate reverse turn. “I believe she is attempting to help free the prisoners or is making a beeline into the facility to try and stop any flooding. Either way, she is out of here Mech and in harm’s way. For me, that means I’m out of my Mech as well.”
After brining his Mech into closer proximity to Lapeidra’s Panther, Gunny powers down the Griffin and then locks its neural system. “Damn it girl. You’re going to get us all killed if we don’t stick together.” He said out loud as he collected his medical kit and then headed out to join the group.
With his laser pistol drawn, Gunny rushed to catch up with Lapeidra and Charlotte. “Hold up ladies. This old man can’t run as fast as he used to!” He shouted as he did his best to close the distance between himself and the group.
“Any idea what we are looking for?” He asked after closing the distance.
Nice job scouting that Manticore Charly! Once we get you an Atlas you will be a proper Lyran scout! Steiner fistbump of approval!
Why are gunny and Lapeidra on foot? If I recall my infantry rating is worse then you lots, but I made some cunning preparations!
Enjoy these Lyran Milspec security Kevlar vests in the smuggling compartment that I have in my mechs left lower leg! Also, 5 needle SMGs including ammo! Ideal for close quarters!
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Jack lets out a long sigh. He wasn't really that good at combat, and surviving another one made him feel lucky.
He tried to keep his brain from immediately starting to analyze just how much work it would take to repair all the mechs...but that was never going to work.
"I wonder how much salvage is in that overturned Maniticore?"he wonders aloud.
The activity that is going on outside the mechs finds no purchase in his head. It doesn't have to do with mecha.
Walter gives the Canopian woman another quick glance. Sees the resolute determination etched upon her features and gives a simple nod.
"Best grab your gear and follow me then." He says as another burst of gunfire echoes from within the building.
A few moments later Charly and then Gunny hurry over to join Lapeidra. A set of heavy vests and needlers are revealed by Markus as he pilots his Phoenix Hawk nearer the trio of Stormhammers. After gathering what they wish, the three cautiously duck inside the mining facility, while Markus, Jack and Lloyd stand watch or begin to ponder what could be salvaged from the Manticores.
"They're probably holed up in central control." Walter says. "As long as they hold control of the lifts and pumps, they still have some leverage."
You all pass more bodies littered across a set of locker rooms, a small workshop, lounge and then up a set of stairs to where a trio of civilians trade bursts of gunfire with a hidden group of defenders. A steel grated catwalk leads to the main control room of the mine. The facility itself is lined with ferroglass windows set into a solid steel foundation atop an outcrop of solid rock. The large windows allows those within to overlook the main lifts and processing machinery below. Massive conveyors, stamps, loaders, winches, and whatnot fill a huge area excavated from the side of the ridge. Most of the machinery is heavily rusted and clearly not in working order. What once used to be a facility capable of pulling hundreds of tons of ore from Stettin's depths on a daily basis, might now pull a few hundred a year. Of course, based on the ruined state of nearby Cederville it is surprising that anything would be operational in the old facility.
Water pours in streams everywhere, especially from the upper reaches of the building where gray daylight shines through. Captured within the gray beams of light are the wreckage of one of the Whirlwind Autocannons that used to be mounted in the tower above. The end of the multi-barreled system pokes out from the wreckage of one of the big stamps used to crush the raw ore.
Two other catwalks lead to the control section. One similar to the one currently occupied by Walter and his compatriots but on the opposite side of the room. The third a long open stretch that stairsteps down into the heart of the mining facility. Several sections of which appear to be damaged from collapsing debris and long neglect.
Fighters engage defenders from the second catwalk as well. Protected by the thick ferroglass, an additional half dozen defenders can be seen moving around within the room itself.
"Give it up Walt. Shauna." A voice echoes over a loudspeaker. "The fates of those below were sealed when Shauna left Deigo."
"For the last time Roarke! I didn't leave that bloated bastard, he surrendered. Gave up. How'd you think someone else showed up driving his mech so quick. The chicken s$%t must have given up his codes." A familiar feminine voice shouts from across the way. Her afro-asian features obscured by smoke and dust and falling water. But dressed in little more than shorts, boots, and a thin shirt, she's clearly the pilot of the Locust encountered earlier.
"That's right Roarke." Walter adds shouting at the control room. "Ain't no reason to keep fighting for Diego or Hutton. Both have left you here to rot just like the rest of us were left a hundred years ago. Let us get out people out."
Lloyd brings his Wasp to a stop near the others. A quick sweep, both visual and electronic, over the area builds something of a picture of what's going on. He grimmaces, too familiar with the kind of pirate brutality that is commonplace out here on the Periphery.
"They're fighting inside?" he asks the others who are still in their 'mechs. "Did any of them take a comm? If they could identify a target that's safe to fire on, a 'mech laser or two could make all the difference in that kind of fight."
He pauses and flips through the frequencies he's pretty sure their comm units are set on. "Lapeidra, Charly, Deigon, what's going on in there?"
As the situation intensifies, Gunny pulls out a cigar and fires it up. After a couple good drags, he turns to Lapeidra. “Do you think you can reason with them? After all, we do have the entire facility under heavy guns now. Escape is looking bleak for them. Perhaps we could offer them a way out in exchange for giving up the control room. If you think the time for talking is done, let me know and I’ll take point on a frontal assault. I doubt these guys know what they’re doing.”
Quickly glancing around, Gunny starts looking for anything that would give the group an advantage.
After hearing Lloyd's transmission, Gunny activates his helmet's comm and then responds. "These clowns have barricaded themselves in a control room, which controls the water and lifts. There is a chance Lapeidra can reason with them. We'll see how it plays out. We might be forced to try and breach the room somehow."
For morale boosting purposes, Marcus plays this
Lyran Might to erode the bad guys morale.
When the Locust pilot admits to not purposefully leaving the pirates, Lapeidra pauses. She might have been willing to work with this woman, but now she has to wonder. Maybe this was just a desperate mother trying to reason with the captors of her children, or maybe this was something else entirely.
Instead of trying to give the pirates another lifeline, an idea she loathes, she instead turns to Shauna.
"B$@!*, I'm giving you one chance to be straight with me. Tell me what's really going on here; why are you working with them, and what will you do if we save the people that are holed up in the mine? No b*~+%@%& or we walk out of here right now and our battlemechs turn this entire facility into a crater."
Charly takes the gun and the flak vest from Markus and follows the others into the facility.
"Hahaha!" Roarke's voice cackles through the loudspeaker. "I see you've already made more friends Shauna. Perhaps they'll do what Diego should have done with your treacherous hide and dump you down one of the shafts so your bones can feed the mine rats."
"You're the damned traitor Roarke. You and the others who sided with Hutton and Diego in the first place." Replies the woman from across the way. "You who helped him steal our kids and families and lock em below. And its you keeping them down there when you know f$%#ing well those tunnels are flooding without the pumps workin'."
The man, Walter turns to Lapeidra. His face full of anger, pain, and dwindling hope as he looks from the Canopian and back to the situation at hand. He ducks as a burst of gunfire erupts from the top of the stairway at the office door's entrance.
"When the Free World's abandoned Stettin twenty years ago, a few of us stayed. We'd had enough of the Great Houses and their wars. We thought, let Stettin disappear from the maps, let it drift out of history, then maybe we could just live in peace. Raise our families, live out lives." He says as he pops up to return a few quick shots that ricochet off the thick ferroglass.
"For several years, it worked. We haven't had any trouble except that which comes with trying to survive." He tilts his head toward the office. "Then Hutton's lot arrived. Dropped into the ruins of Cederville first, but soon enough were knocking on our settlement here and the one further back in the hills."
"We didn't have much choice. It was work with them, for them, or die. For months they had us digging in the ruins and a bunch of other places. Forced labor slogging around in the mud for some pipe dream of an old Free Worlds or Star League cache. Of course, the whole thing was...is...nonsense. Ain't never been anything on this rock worth protecting, which is why the Captain-General abandoned it."
"Anyway, we'd come up with a plan to escape into the mountains, knocking out several of Deigo's mechs in the process so he couldn't pursue. Only we didn't know the fat bastard had paid off a few folk like Roarke to keep him informed. The day we were supposed to put things in motion he took a bunch of folk hostage. Put 'em down in the depths of the old mine and locked up the pumps and the lifts so only he had the codes and ability to unlock them. As long as we did what he told us, our kin lived. If not, then no more food and water being sent down. No more pumps to keep the waters out."
His hand points across the way to Shauna as the mechwarrior and other with her fire from their own precarious perch toward the office. "Shauna came back saying Deigo had been captured. Before Roarke and any of the other pirates knew what was happening, she'd killed Esme and knocked the evil witch's Jenner out of commission. We thought maybe the others would listen to reason, but instead they took to those old tanks and here."
A look toward the lift and other machinery arrayed below the steel catwalk. "With this rain, if we don't get the lifts and the pumps working soon, they'll all be dead for certain down there. And while we're certainly grateful for you taking out those tanks, there ain't much your mighty mech can do down here. Already been enough damage when the tower collapsed."
"I already told you and Walter. I don't have the codes. Can't turn anything on without Diego. If you left him behind, it's your fault everyone down below dies. Should've gone back and got him away from those mercs. Instead you went after me and my men. Now we ain't comin' out so you can put a bullet in the back of our heads."
Roarke replies to the Shauna's rough plea to help free those trapped somewhere in the depths of the flooding mine.
Looking further you see another catwalk leading off to another small facility back on the ground and across the way. A sign overhead reads Central Pumping Station.
"Everyone topside is already dead," says Lapeidra, turning from Shauna to Walter to Roarke. "And since you don't have any value and you're a f&%%ing pirate, you're on borrowed time. When the hostages die I won't have any reason not to kill you, so maybe think of a way to keep them alive as long as possible."
She turns to Gunny. "You seemed to have an understanding with Deigo. You want to run back and get him or should I?"
"I doubt they've got top-line security locks on those pumps," Lloyd says, looking over the general state of the equipment. "Give me five minutes, ten tops, and I can probably hack my way into whatever systems they've still got operational. But that requires not getting shot while I'm working. Any ideas? Spots a 'mech could put a hole in a wall or a roof without bringing the whole thing down?"
“We will require those codes. We have three pilots’ topside that can retrieve Diego, assuming he is still hanging out where we left him. Regardless, I’m assuming we will need to take this bunker, I mean control room.” After sharing his thoughts, he points out the clean looking lift. “Assuming we can quickly get that working, we should be able to access the upper area. From there, it would be a breach situation. I could try and drum up something for portable cover and simply press the fight right up to the room’s entrance. I’m not sure if they have an open line of fire outside that entrance or not. Either way, will need to breach the room. That’s going to come down to a straight up gun fight.”
Gunny points to a small room off in the distance. "That room says plumbing. It might control the pumps. If we can hack that system, we might be able to restart the pumps from there. Maybe.'
After sharing his observations, Gunny keys the comm in his helmet. “OK, here’s the rundown. The Duche-bags have barricaded themselves in what looks like the main control room. There is a second control room here that reads plumbing. By the sound of it, we will require Diego’s private cod in order to restart the pumps, which vacates the water in the lower cave area. The lower cave area currently houses the local’s family. There is a possibility that the second control room could be hacked. In addition, access to the main control room is elevated and will require a lift to access. There is a lift here, but it looks like some chunks of ferrocrete knock it out of alignment. There is a good chance Charlotte and I can get that lift working. Once we do, I can take a run at that main control room. As fare as the second control room goes, it’s on the ground floor. I think we can make it there safely. Head in Lloyd and I’ll do what I can to escort you there safely. There is a catwalk leading out of that room. I’m not sure if we can access the walkway to the main control room from there or not. As a precaution, I would send at least one Mech to retrieve Diego, quickly. Lloyd stays here and assists with hacking the plumbing system. Charlotte and I begin working on the lift’s alignment, while Lapeidra continues to negotiate with the ass hats. That’s my thoughts, for what it’s worth.”
"Umm, Gunny, wouldn't it be better for me to help Lloyd? I'm not a great hacker, but I know computers better than I know lifts."
Gunny looks over at Charlotte and nods. “If you feel more comfortable with that, then sure thing.”
With little choice, Gunny moves over to the lift and begins realigning it.
"I'm done negotiating. I'm going to go get Deigo and when I get back I'm going to kill Roarke and the rest of them and then we'll free those people trapped down there.
"Roarke, you've got about twenty minutes to live unless you change your mind and start kissing Shauna's ass."
Using a FATE point to compel Desperate on the pirates
On her way back out she relays the tactical situation inside to the rest of the team outside.
Running Markus breaks his phoenix hawk into a sprint.
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Having been given the tactical overview of all that went on in the underground, Jack taps his chin in ulfish thought. At last he says, "Lape, Marcus, I have a plan. We could just..." but his sentence trails trails off as he sees the backs of the other Hawk and the Panther sprinting away on an errand that may take longer than the people trapped down there have.
Sighing, he turns his comms over to Charly and Lloyd, the two most important people left in the situation.
"Charyl, Lloyd, Gunny already gave us the alternative we need here. He said there was a secondary control room, and he said it could be hacked.
Lloyd, you could talk an ATM into selling fizzy-softs, so I have ultimate faith that you can save the day here.
Charly, if there is some complication, I think you have the know-how to bypass the controls and rig an adequate way of pumping the water out...at least to keep it non-lethal.
With the stalemate out here, there's nothing keeping us up here. Let's all go in, find out where this secondary room is...and save the day!"
Jack waits for confirmation that those can do the plan are in, then grabs his personal weapon and exits his mech.
Lloyd gets out of his Wasp with considerable trepidation. He doesn't feel safe with its flimsy armor between him and danger, but without it?
Even worse.
Still, people are dying here. Periphery folks who've been exploited a left to rot by the Inner Sphere, and he can't just go and abandon them too, can he?
He keeps telling himself that as he stays down and groups up with the others.
"Get me there and I'll get those pumps running," he says, hoping his fear isn't too evident in his voice.
Bullets ping and bling off the metal barrier of the catwalk platform. A pointed response to Lapeidra's threats, although no verbal parry from Roarke himself has the Canopian thinking she may have scored a hit during the exchange. But seeing the potential need to gather up the missing bandit lieutenant the Magistry trained mechwarrior hurries back to her mech and is soon loping off back to the star port with Markus' Phoenix Hawk at her side.
With little else to do but sort through the wreckage of the Manticore's Jack joins the others hunkered down on the catwalk as plans are made to try and circumvent those holding out within the central control office.
Gunny and Charly start to make a break for the platforms that can get them down into the lower area where the pump controls reside, but they are quickly cut off and sent scurrying back by a flurry of gunfire from the office barricades. Lloyd and Jack arrive just in time to witness the two diving back for the cover of the platform from the open doorway leading out over the pit.
Roarke: 2/3 Mental Stress
Charly feels herself shaking, though whether in fury or in fear, she can't say. After taking a moment to steady her hands, she decides that maybe it's time to put some bullets into some pirates' heads.
"Pretend you're at the range, Charly. Just like Aunt Hua taught you," she whispers to herself before rolling around the cover and taking aim.
Two shoots go zipping across the void as she swings back around into cover again.
Running... let me know when we get there.
With the lift so far away, Gunny decided to give up on the idea of repairing it. Instead, he glanced around for something to use as a shield. Moments after ducking several rounds from the office, he noticed a nearby utility table, that had been supporting several small mining parts. Without delay, he grabbed the table and held it in front of himself. The table wasn’t ideal, but it would accomplish what he wanted. Keeping the table between himself and the office, he headed back onto the catwalk. “Lloyd, get behind me and let’s move together to the pump's control room. Charly, I’ll come back for you next.” Using the table as cover, Gunny placed himself between the office and his teammate. Then together, moved towards the pump room while returning fire on the pirates held up in the office.
Charly nods as Gunny gathers up Lloyd and explains the new plan to her.
Lloyd looks at the 'cover' doubtfully, thinking that any decently powerful slug-thrower would put a round through it without really slowing down. Trying to calm himself he breathes deeply, steadies his pistol, and follows, firing off a round around the table from time to time to try to keep the pirates' heads down.
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"Hold up, Gunny," Jack says as Deigon starts to heave up an office table to use as a mobile barricade. Jack had guessed his intention, and thought he might aid it somewhat.
Taking out The Tool, he grabs a nearby box of staples and plops it into the hamper. Within moments the office-metal is turned into a turning red slurry ready for re-purposing. He quickly applies a metal reinforcement coating around the ends and in the center. "There, that won't stop a charging Stone Rhino, but it might break less-quickly that before."
Bullets continue to fly between the office and the twin assault teams trying to press in on either side. But the stalemate holds. Charly and Lloyd provide a bit of covering fire for Gunny as he turns a table into a reasonable makeshift shield. Lloyd adds his own sidearm to the fray while Jack works to reinforce the shield with some nearby scrap metal. The Wasp pilot's bullets ricochet and plang off of just about everything except the office barriers or the pirate fighters hunkered down inside.
Tucked behind the barricade, Gunny grabs Lloyd and the two start to scuttle along the open catwalk toward the ladders leading down to the pump house. More gunfire bursts from the central office opening and the pirate try to prevent whatever plan their enemy might be trying to pursue.
In an ill advised and overzealous attempt to get a better angle on the two would be rescuers, one of the pirates leans out and temporarily forgoes the protection of the office barriers. For all his efforts, his shots are still far off the mark and Gunny and Lloyd reach the first platform safely.
The snap and crack of breaking branches and the thump-thump-thump of seventy-five tons of destructive power echo through the forest as Markus and Lapeidra hurry back to the original conflict zone at the ruined spaceport. Rain continues to fall from the sky in great blustery sheets, reducing visibility to less than a few hundred meters. The constant patter of the heavy drops against the ferroglass is almost meditative as the two mechwarrior's hurry on their way.
Thus it is startling when the urgent bleep of the comm panel in the Phoenix Hawk and Panther breaks through the droning of the rain. An incoming signal from the Captain.
"This is Vikkhas to Stormhammers Command. Come in Stormhammer command. You have hostiles maneuvering to your north. Repeat flyover scans indicate hostiles approaching your position. Estimates indicate they are making for a set of coordinates deeper within the mountains. But their current trajectory will directly intersect your team. The weather and tree cover make actual identification of the hostile force impossible but estimates would indicate a full company of mixed assets scattered along a ten kilometer length.
Resistance at Alpha has been stronger than expected but last reports indicate a breakthrough by the Janissaires and remaining pirate forces are withdrawing, but no immediate support for your position is available.
You are ordered to pull back and avoid engagement with the enemy at this time. Do you acknowledge?"
The message begins to repeat itself, clearly waiting for some kind of response or signal from a Stormhammer.