Jack Elroy Powers's page

@Markus Have you been privy to the discussions of exactly what we need to get the TBolt up and running? It's been a bit messy so let me explain...no, there's to much, let me sum up.

We need a Heavy type Gyro, and a Heavy Leg Actuator.

We also need enough weapons to outfit it because we don't have any. We don't know the exact loadout of a Fate TB, but given that a Rifleman is 60 tons and has 8 IS Boxes of weapons, we'll need 9-10 IS Boxes of weapons. (And no medium lasers. Those are the one things we do got. Unless they can throw in some heat sinks. Otherwise long range options or SRMs would be useful.)

GM: In the Repair section is the sentence, "These times can be reduced by a successful Tech Overcome vs +2 with each success shift reducing the time by 15 minutes to a minimum of one quarter hour." Does this apply to all Repair related rolls? I sort of assume it does as it seems both thematic and reality applicable. It's the difference between a newcomer saying he can do it, but it'll take all day, and an old hand who's seen this a hundred times saying he can squeeze it in into an already packed schedule.

Jack: With Vikhaus signing off on the initial contract completion, you've been paid. And yes, I realized after the fact that no roll was necessary for salvage.

I'm sorry, and how much were we paid?

Is that amount each or total and is it all just put into a communal kitty? I assume it's communal.

Are there any more repairs being done or other conversations prior to the next mission? If not, then I'll bump things along over the weekend.

We are just waiting for Markus to ask the GJs if they wanted to do any dealing, specifically to offer our spare Wasp in exchange for parts to repair the TBolt and some spare weapons(SRM 2s) and heat sinks.

@Markus, if you don't want to do that now, that's fine. Just let me know and I'll do something else with my three hours.

Markus! Our scout lance requires a Thunderbolt!

Mach Schnell!

Atlas2112 wrote:

1.1. Does Lapeidra have a problem with just looking and NOT shooting at things? I assume yes, especially since there is now a cloud over if they are pirates or what.

You know what they say: see something, shoot something.

N-no. No that's... that's not what they say at all. More like 'see something, quietly report it back to HQ.'

Also, you. You're who Gunny is talking about. When you say how pleased we are in accepting the contract, could you please ask if they have a heavy gyro and actuator?

How many rolls do I need to make for the armor repairs? I know Jack did I bit, but I don't know how much we're still down.

@Charly: Looking at Lapeidra's spoiler for her mech, all six armor boxes are crossed out, thus needing repair.

Yes, Jack is absolutely going to compare your repair time with how he did on the Griffin. =]

Thanks, Gunny.

@GM: Does any of this count as a repair facility for the Commando's other problem? If we have another mech to use as scaffolding, and have all the labor and parts we need, I'm not sure what a "dedicated repair facility" can supply that we can't do right now.

@Lapeirda: Does your mech have internal damage? I can't tell from your header. IF you can please list it I can start to fix it.

Jack nods at Gunny's astute observations. "Well thank ye kindly, sir. I do appreciate a man with an eye for quality!"

Jack took a moment to weigh the value of good support services provided after the fight. A mech company with good repair people that can field mechs in good repair is certainly a leg up on mere pirates that need to put mechs in only half-cooked.

Jack accepts the offered slug and takes a wee sip, closing his eyes and savoring the deep, rich flavor. "Ooo, that's good. That's the good stuff." He tries to make it last, but after three such tastes the sweet, nourishing booze is gone and he needs to return the cup.

"Now that we observed good form, we must needs see to the tougher things.

Hopefully after them we'll know more about who is getting what for who."

Jack set to on the Commando's coolant leak first.

Repair! vs. +2: 4d3 - 8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (2, 1, 2, 2) - 8 + 4 + 2 = 5

He lasers off the damaged sealant, melts down the destroyed part, and re-welds a new replacement. Not hard. For him.

"Charly, are you able to keep on the armor replacement? It seems if we're called out in a pinch that can be our biggest lack.

We'll work together when the parts start rolling in and we need to get serious."

Mhmmm, yeah, just a general accounting.

I thought the GM even rolled for it, but I'm not sure.

Okay could someone please find that entry from our first battle? Just on the off chance we might have it? I'm sure that will provide some context.

Since we're taking an injury timeout, can someone comb back to our first battle and see what our salvage from that was?

I think we got a few weapons from it, but I forgot who was keeping track of it.

With everyone else off doing things not mech-related, Jack was finally left alone to get some work done.

Salvaging the few leftover weapons was easy. Well, easy for him. Mostly just re-aligning things that were knocked out of alignment from normal battle damage. And one laser had its housing completely cut in half and needed a new one, or it could be re-welded, which was no problem with The Tool.

With that done, that left the mechs. Jack frowned as he looked over the damage reports the techs had brought him. As things looked, it seemed like the Griffin and Panther caught his eye.

And where was Charly? He was counting on her help to get these mechs ready for battle. Oh, off talking to some boy. Psssh. Typical.
Well no use waiting.

He got to work.

With the first part of the morning gone Jack takes a soykaf break as he looks at the Griffin. Not bad, not bad.

@Gunny: It dawns on me that another thing we could barter is repair time. The GJs might have more and more serious repairs to make, so we could include some labor from us in repairing their mechs in exchange for their mechs.

@All: Does anyone have repairs that need to be done to their mechs beyond armor? If Charly and I can see the armor damage, I imagine we can knock that out, but we may need to be reminded of anything else.

Can we please just say Diego is dead so we can get back to the game?

Okay by my count you have the following mechs:

Locust - (NPC - Shauna)

Guys, what the f!~& is a Shuana??? GM is counting this against our total mech space.

I'm guessing this is an NPC we picked up along the way but we've picked up so many strays at this point that I'm starting to lose track. ^_^

Gunny: yes, right now everyone, the GJ too, are best up. That's why we landed in the frozen wasteland. We and them want to rearm and repair. We ain't gonna go nowhere until we are in shape to fight. That's where me and Charly earn our pay.

Lapeirda, talk to them about
1, what will they pay us to help them in their next strike. We are done. We have fulfilled our contract. But they have NOT. I expect they want some payback and will need our help to get it. But no pay, no fight.

And 2, we have too many mechs. Two too many infact. They are down two. As per the discussion above, I suspect they have more spare parts and weapons than us and will exchange them for two of our good, working mechs, because even two Wasps in a fight are better than nothing. We need, um, someone go check, I'm on my phone, but parts for the TB and BJ and a bunch of weapons for their load out.

It seems like we're in a timey-wimy kinda situation. We must needs wait for the current scene with Deigo to resolve, and then, Markus, you have already been described in the talking scene the next day.

I assume Lapeirda will be with you to do more talking, but I can't be sure.

Plan is to run and scream for help.

Um, are you running to anyone in particular to ask for help? Or are you just running around in a circle while screaming? =)

Anyone hear from Markus? Isn't he needed to reply here?

So to, as that happens the next day, it seems to me okay to have Lapeidra there as well to do the talking things.

@Charly: Sorry, I seemed to have written a check I can't cash. Feel free to write an exciting conclusion for however you see this scene going. I promise to accept whatever you write as canon. ;)

Seem's like Jack has been hit or miss do to being busy IRL.

This.

The next day Jack asks Charly and Gunny for a hand as he sums up the whopping three medium lasers they managed to scavenge from yesterday's battle and see if they have any life left in them.

If I have this right, we start with my Tech +4, add my stunt of +2, then for two people helping I get +1 from both of them.

ML +6: 4d3 - 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3, 1, 2, 3) - 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 9

ML +6: 4d3 - 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1, 3, 3, 3) - 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 10

ML +5: 4d3 - 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1, 1, 2, 2) - 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 6

It ain't pretty but after a bit there are three functional lasers and three tech covered in grease.

what kind of booze is Chernobyl Cherry?

Apologies, I keep forgetting that not everyone has played in every game I've ever been in. ^_^

As part of my "WhiteAngel-verse" one of the running themes is the "Awesome Atomics" line of pre-mixed drinks. They star a futuristic, as-yet-un-developed schnapps-like booze made from fermented soy, because _everything_ in the future is made from soy, which rivals schnapps in variety and versatility. (i.e. in college my favorite drink was the Candy Apple, which was made by mixing green apple schnapps with caramel schnapps. Big hit.)

It features a long line of flavors to brighten up your dystopian reality, such as:

Chernobyl Cherry: Like a Shirley Temple...but with Booze.

Nagasaki Nectarine: Like a Screwdriver, but with Nectarine-flavored juice and Orange soy-schnapps.

Three Mile Island Long Island Iced Tea, or TMILIIT for short, as in, "Pour me a Tmilitit, chummer!"

And Hiroshima Hotness for the spice-lovers, based off cinnamon soy-schnapps.

True story, the inspiration for all this came when I went over to my late uncle's house and reached for the gallon jug of orange juice. He said, not that, that's all screwdriver. Ever since then I've wondered why they don't sell pre-mixed mixed drinks.

I like the plan, Jack.

Excellent.

Lapeidra, at some point we need a good talker (you) to contact the Golden Janissaries and see what their disposition is, both to trade mechs&parts, and what their future plans are regarding the mission.

I assume they have a LZ picked out somewhere where we can land and do repairs.

Also, we need to stick with them in the short term. The enemy also has a dropship, and they probably have working guns, whereas we do not.

I like the plan, Jack. Makes sense. Hmm, Lapeidra and BJs - did something cause you to put those two things together?

;)

Heh, I stared at that sentence waaaay too long to not make it dirty. ('If Lapeidra likes riding the BJ' ...hrmmmm, no... If Lapeidra wants to go hard on the BJ...okay, not that either....) This went on for half an hour. ;)

But on a happier note, the T-Bolt wasn't completely Destroyed. You have a working engine and only a Damaged gyro, but its leg was blown off. Still it can be repaired given some time. The Blackjack does need a new engine and gryo as well as an entire upper torso and arm mount rebuild.

1) Generalities

Gunny,
Seeing as how the GJ are a motivated buyer--they are a mech merc company in the middle of a hot contract and are badly in need of replacements of things that are hard to find in the best of times--and as an already successful company--they have a Union--I would like to hear their offer before rejecting it in favor of credits that we would first need to find a supplier for.

One thing I learned while playing the video game--merc companies always have a LOT of spare parts! =] I the same vein, I think they would be generous with their spare parts, as it does no good to have a Union full of parts with no mechs to put them on.

Hence, let us build an expectation based on the assumption that we will find an amenable deal with them. If the parts they offer fall short, we can always back off. They are doubly motivated to get back on their feet as they are major player, and have not upheld their end of the contract.

Hence, are we in agreement about my initial plan? At least in principle?

It looks like the only "part" we really need is a gyro for the T-Bolt. The rest--a rebuilt limb, and armor--I believe are hand-waved as "needed repairs". To have a game go so far as to keep track of individual armor points to be bought and kept track of would quickly devolve into Math: The Game. Let us assume that non-specific item can be repaired merely with elbow grease and dice rolls. FATE especially is about getting back to full health and getting back to the game in that there isn't even a need for the soft, squishy meat to heal. =)

2) Specifics.

So, what we have to trade is: Commando (currently free, without a pilot). If we can fix the T-Bolt then we have a Wasp to trade. If we can fix the BJ then we have...another WASP? (see above for discussions on that topic. i.e. If Lape wanted the BJ, then we'd have a Panther to trade, which would be worth something even if we kept the weapons to put on the BJ.)

So for a Commando and Wasp (45 tons of mechs) we need 1 gyro and weapons enough to fill a T-Bolt. Hopefully more, as I value working mechs more than loose weapons. Many of us have builds we would like to execute if we had weapons/heat sinks enough for it.

If we can trade the second WASP for an engine, a gyro, and weapons for the BJ, that would be an even trade. (Likely, as if we didn't trade the WASP I could take it apart for the gyro and engine, and put the weapons on it. It would be under-gunned, but still tougher than just a Wasp. Hence, if the GJs are flush with parts they'll take that trade.)

3) Going Forward

It's quite possible that we might stay put in orbit with the GJs for a bit while we repair, and then drop again with them. There's still a contract to fulfill so this might not be over.

As a musing, for parts it seems like a good idea to try and get not only more guns, but also more heat sinks.

So far, I don't really see an advantage to having Jump Jets. Without an ultra map-heavy play system, all they can do is make it easier for a mech to go faster and get cut off from the rest of the unit. I'm not saying we shouldn't have any mechs with JJs, but so long as we have two P.Hawks, we'll not be short. I am saying that as far as the Griffin goes, if the choice if Jump jets or two more heat sinks, I know which I'd go.

All: The GM makes a good point about the GJs looking for another mech. I think we could trade one working Wasp for something good.

We still have a spare Commando so that trade wouldn't even make us short.

Off the top of my head, I think it might be fair to ask for an exchange of even weight of weapons. They get a 20-ton mech, we get 20 tons of guns.

Now that I think on it, we could even trade _two_ mechs. Assuming we trade the two Wasps, one goes in the Commando, and one would go in my Phoenix Hawk, as I crawl into the Thunderbolt.

If one of the Wasp pilots wants to stay in a Wasp (and here I'm thinking about Lloyd since he's usually doing the Sensor action and that has worked to our advantage) we could then trade a Wasp and the Commando for even more guns and maybe some spare parts.

Jack got to work right away.
His modifications both strengthened and consumed the wall. As he cut away a section to open up the space, the metal so widowed was consumed by his zero-point fire and turned into slag to be slathered on the arc just made. Once it was completed, there was a great reinforcing brace all along the edge of the arc. The wall thusly weighed the same as when he started, but was stronger for it and now took up less space.

It was hot, sweaty work, but when he was done he felt much better about the ability of the space to accommodate what it was asked to do. At least for now. The coming days would need some more creative dance in three dimensions, but if he had his way, something would be canabalized to give its strength to the others, and at least that would make more space.

His work had been observed by some of the new arrivals. In return for a few moments labor fixing someone's vis-capture, and another's whirligig (was it for a child? He hadn't seen one but it was hard to be sure) he found himself the owner of a brimming full bottle of high-octane Chernobyl Cherry and four memorial glasses. He grasped his new prize as he half-stumbled to his private room. He had heard that the officer quarters were supposed to sleep two to a room, but he had already converted half of it into a Bensom forge, so it was too late to cry about it now.

Charly looks to Jack and asks, "Engines or cargo first?"

Jack has to stand silent for a bit, his brain organizing much data, and he had little power to spare for such frivolities as talk or motion.

At last, at long last, it appeared that, yes, all the things could go on the single ship. What happened after that? That was a different problem for a different time. A time quite soon, just as the left atmo, in fact, but still different.

"Cargo," Jack says, at last answering Charly. "I don't actually want to remove the engines on the dropship, but I guess that's always a possibility," he says, mistranslating her question, and in one motion admiring her forethought for seeing that the engines were also a thing that could be removed. Admirable.

"I'm going to cut away that retaining wall!" Jack yells, stomping into the tumult of techs and cargo like an infantry commander yells at his regiments to form squares and receive charge.

"Yes, Captain Tsong, I know it "says" it's a supporting wall," he says, throwing up dynamic "air" "quotes" with his fingers, "but that's want they want you to think! I'll cut it in a dynamic arc and reinforce the stress points, it'll be fine. We won't be holding any grand balls in the cargo bay any time soon, but that is for a later time."

He had heard some rumblings concerning the well-being of that Deigo character, but now that we had his mech, the future of the meat-thing meant little to him.

He got to work cutting away formerly-important structures and shoving in the looted metal machines as quickly as he could.

I have put Science! down to +2 and Gunnery up to +3.

a) In Generalities

Space can be made to fit 1 more working mech plus the two salvaged mechs for a total of 7 and 2/3 mechs. So what do you keep and what gets left behind?

Total tonnage = 339 out of 900 tons.

Um, I also would like to appeal this decision that storage is based on "mechs" rather than "tonnage".

That a ship has 4 "bays" merely indicates that it has 4 places for mechs to be locked in and hooked up to maintenance machines--scaffolding for repairs, automatic coolant circulators, diagnostic computers, hydraulic fluid changers, snow-cone makers...all the things that make a mech combat ready. But there must be a walkway, and space for the techs to maneuver around.

Now if more of this space was taken up by spare parts and cargo and de-activated mechs, then we stretch the definition of what the ship can carry.

To take up the Battletech video game example, you do only have a finite amount of active "bays" for active mechs. When you go beyond that (pretty quickly) you have the option to "deactivate" a mech and send it to storage. Should you wish to bring that mech online, there is a lead-up time as the stripped-out mech must needs by given a full load out.

B) On Specifics

Specifically, if we are forced to pick a mech, I would rather take a WASP and cut it into 3,4, even 5 parts, and shove it into spare-parts space. This is because what we are going to do (spoilers!) is use a WASP's gyro to get the Thunderbolt back online. (It's cannon that all gyros are three tons and mostly identical.) Strip out the weapons (of course) and maybe use the rest as parts to fix the Internal Structure of the T-Bolt and BJ, and there won't be much left. Hence, it is spare parts now, so it's just a matter of how we shove it in there.

C) Meta.

I always try to keep an eye on the Big Picture. I know that the video game gives the players infinite storage space. That's because keeping track of things is hard, and throwing away hard-won loot is Not. Fun. We can see, in this fight, that mech chassises (is that the plural of chassis? My spell-checker is freaking out on me about that one) are easy to come by, but weapons and stuff to put on them is -hard-. We have the skeletons of two big, powerful mechs, but we didn't get enough weapons to even loadout a light mech (assuming we can repair all three of them!).

Hence, I would council keeping the video game's precedent of mandating 4 (or 6, in this case) active mechs, but anything beyond that is not ready for immediate combat as it is stored in a space-efficient manner that has sacrificed combat readiness. (I can think that you could fit several mechs into a single bay by just having them locked at attention at close ranks, butt-to-balls.)

Ah. Okay. Yeah, with Lape's assist and a whopping 125 tons of carrying capacity I don't need to put us all in danger just to satisfy my ego. =p

Well alrighty then!

Jack's eyes go wide as Lapeidra heaves the heavy mech with apparent ease, the over-powered Panther's engine sliding the large feet of the Thunderbolt along like a custom-made sledge in the grimy muck.

Casually he tosses off his half-cocked scheme and lends a hand, his light/medium trying to keep up with the leading heavy/light.

And here I thought I needed to propose a "something else".

If my crazy scheme works, then we just need to drag a P.Hawk, leaving 65 tons for the BlackJack or the Jenner and a Commando.

If my scheme doesn't pan out then we just do the T Bolt and the Jenner.

I think the push-pull-drag event is just for the current scene (since we can outrun them) and we can get the old Commando at leisure.

And, yes, this is a BUTT-TON of metal for the middle of nowhere. Planets have been conquered by less mecha than that which we now face.

Deigo got sum 'splainin' to do.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Jack yops in supreme frustration as the news comes down that they must needs exfil AND will not be allowed to claim that which is rightfully theirs.

"I came for a Thunderbolt and IMMA GETTING A THUNDERBOLT!" he cries. To describe the emotion that he had for getting a T-bolt was beyond something as trivial as greed. This is beyond mere avarice. This was -curiosity-. He *envisioned* himself in a big, slow, lumbering heavy mech. He wanted it, he desired it he...thirsted for it. The promise of such had lifted him from a fugue sublime and now NOW he is to be denied upon the MOMENT of TRIUMPH?

This canst not be.

But how H0W? How to pull the weight? With D00m most foul creeping along how to bring his prize? To drag it would invite death and one must needs breach the core now and be done with it. Perhaps a power boost? Yes. A boost. But to the Angel? Would it work could it work might it work must it work....

Perhaps the Angel is not the mech that must needs be boosted....

GM, I'd like to invoke my Curiosity Trumps Caution for a Fate Point. I already have all three but methinks Imma need it. My plan is to get out of my mech(!!) and into the Thunderbolt. Wherein I'll invoke my stunt of Combay JuryRigormortis to get the T-Bolt walking. Then we just have to drag out my 45-ton Phoenix Hawk. ^_^ Is this a thing that can be done in FATE or am I barking up the wrong moon? (Does that make sense? I'm not very good at animal-based metaphors.)

Have you guys ever heard of Habitual Linecrosser? I think y'all would enjoy his stuff.

And, yeah, based on historical precedent, destroying only half of the Iranian Navy for scuffing our paint seems entirely proportional. I mean, look at what happened to Japan's navy after Pearl Harbor.

On a more serious note, the 1980's was wild. Iran and Libya were not the only things simmering away.

Somewhere in my 8 trillion favs sites I have a meme. It was back when some third world country was feelings its oats, I think Venezuela, was taking about how it just darn might have no choice but to declare war on the US.

The meme has a cartoon character with wide eyes. His title is "Japan". He's saying, "We sank like three boats.

And they unleashed the SUN."

I can imagine the Steiner version would be more subtle.

"Enola Gay to base. The enemy has been proportionally scouted."

Keeping in line with our fun and fresh annexation and corruption of the word "scouting" I submit this little youtube recap of something called Operation Preying Mantis wherein we learn another fun and fresh word is "proportional".

Apparently Iran damaged an American naval boat.

So America said wait, we need to keep this proportional...so they blew up two oil platforms, an airplane and three boats.

Then when Iran tried to take the US to International Court (whatever that is) for violating some treaty in destroying the oil platforms, the US shrugged and said "what? That treaty only talks about boats."

Therein proving the maxim: It's never a war crime, the first time! =}

Oh man I haven't laughed this hard at a history lesson, like, ever.

I also don't see why we would just let them go. If you don't run away when you are beaten, when do you run away? If you don't pursue when you are winning, when do you pursue?

Jack looks upon the chaos and tumult caused by the two medium/light Steiner scouts. He gives his lancemate a quick mech fist-bump. "We have successfully scouted half of the enemy! But the other half are trying not to be scouted. Obviously we must scout them harder!"

Jack sprints forward, keeping pace with the aloft enemy Hawk. Once the enemy lands he greets it with a mighty fusillade.

"You were told to surrender if you knew what was good for you.

Obviously you and I have a different definition of what is good for you."

He unleashes a close-range assault.

Run to -6

ML at PH!: 4d3 - 8 + 2 ⇒ (1, 3, 3, 1) - 8 + 2 = 2

ML at PH!: 4d3 - 8 + 2 ⇒ (2, 1, 3, 2) - 8 + 2 = 2

Punching at PH!: 4d3 - 8 + 3 ⇒ (2, 3, 2, 3) - 8 + 3 = 5

MG at PH!: 4d3 - 8 + 2 ⇒ (2, 2, 1, 1) - 8 + 2 = 0

MG at PH!: 4d3 - 8 + 2 ⇒ (2, 1, 1, 3) - 8 + 2 = 1

Ht = 5 +1+2+2+0+0 -4 = 6/7

'What the? Is Charly messing with the sensors again?' Jack wonders as his screen goes all wobbly. He taps it a couple times and it re-aligns back to normal.

"Copy that, Markus! Sturmgeschultz! Attack pattern Steiner One go!" Jack yops barbarically as he leaps to the fray.

The Steiner training soon makes itself known as the two Pheonix Hawks begin to mirror each other's movements. For a time it seems not that there are two mechs, but there is only one, and it's reflexion of some mirror-universe now manifests.
As Markus runs forward, so does Jack. As the Large Laser discharges for the Thunderbolt, followed closely by two smaller cousins, so too does Jack's Angel echo the assault. As first a fist and then two machine guns rake the errent Blackjack, they also are joined by reflected images but from the other flank.

Some might say it is as if the two giant-robot pilots entered some kind of mental-handshake drift .

Mirroring Markus. Creepily. Run to -6

LL at TB. Using Boost from Markus for +2: 4d3 - 8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1, 3, 2, 2) - 8 + 2 + 2 = 4

ML at TB: 4d3 - 8 + 2 ⇒ (1, 3, 3, 3) - 8 + 2 = 4

ML at TB: 4d3 - 8 + 2 ⇒ (1, 1, 2, 2) - 8 + 2 = 0

Punch at BJ. Using Flanking because Markus used it here too and I think two mechs punching one mech at the same time would look SUPER cool. DRIFT!: 4d3 - 8 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (1, 1, 3, 3) - 8 + 3 + 2 = 5

MG at BJ: 4d3 - 8 + 2 ⇒ (3, 3, 3, 1) - 8 + 2 = 4

MG at BJ: 4d3 - 8 + 2 ⇒ (1, 2, 3, 2) - 8 + 2 = 2

As the combat gets hot and close Jack cranks up the METAL in his cockpit. A song about a METAL MACHINE blares out as Jack sings along. "Come touch my metal machine...."

Ht: 3+2+2+1-4 = 5/7

Jack power forward, aiming for the debit that gave him such troubles earlier, trying to use it as a makeshift trench.

Run Forward to -4. Piloting to Create an Advantage.
piloting: 4d3 - 8 + 3 ⇒ (1, 3, 2, 1) - 8 + 3 = 2

It will need to be a full push, which I think is likely going to be the play. The good things is, I don't think there is any range limitation's on creating an advantage, so the two smaller mechs can stay out of range and do their thing. That is unless you want to pew pew some.

Excellent.

Tally ho.

"Retreat? Balls! I just got here," Jack complains as his Angel walks backwards, large laser still pointed toward the bugging out enemy, daring them to renew the attack.

Mirroring Markus to -2.

Yeah, ECM Shroud straight sucks as is.

Not to defend it, as I just got here, but maybe we can explain it, and its relationship to current game rules.

As I understand things, some of the time there is a passive Aspect which can be invoked (using a FATE point) to gain +2 to a Defend roll. In this fight it looks there is a Heavy Rains Aspect currently in play? Hence, if you are standing in an area where it is raining, you can spend a FATE point to get +2 to a Defend roll, saying that the Heavy Rain interfered with the attack.

In the last battle, some spaces had trees, and some had old buildings to do the same thing.

But some did not.

Hence, if you were in a hex without an Aspect, you might not be able to spend a FATE point to get +2 to a Defend roll, even if you really, really wanted to.

Thus, the ECM Shroud thing provides a way to provide that opportunity. In theory we could be approaching an enemy base across a clear field at midday, but as long as 1 FATE point is spent to invoke the ECM thing, we could keep getting +2 to Defend rolls as long as we had FATE points to spend.

I can see how it -might- be good, but spending 1/3 of a scant resource to only have a possibility to have another effect certainly appears like weak soup.

Maybe if the two phases were merged? As in, it can be invoked at anytime by the owning player, but then stays around? Thus it goes from 2 to 1, as the first throw-away point thing is done away with?

My plan is that we all first eliminate the enemy Phoenix Hawk, then concentrate on the Thunderbolt. Only fire at the ShadowHawk if you can't shoot the T-Bolt.

Why? Because the SH is at full armor.

Lape, please check your email.

"But if you remove the jump jets, would that free up enough weight for the large laser? Of course. He'd have to rip the sensor suite out, but Lloyd didn't use sensors. Did he? Maybe that once. But he won't mind once he sees a large laser on a WASP. But what about power? The zinc-chroniton bracket would probably explode. Which would be tragic. Or funny. Or both. Perhaps with I could re-attenuate the nuclear electro-plasma containment field...."

Ever since the fish-out-of-water experience of guns-shooting at the mines, Jack had faded out and kept up a never-ending string of engineering considerations. Apparently technology, or the limits thereof, had presented a quandary that his brain simply could not ignore. Such problems always carried heavy coin in his internal economics, and such tertiary concerns as other people's lives could not dissuade him. Especially when he seemed -so- -close-.

"Jack, if you want a Thunderbolt you may never get a better chance."

Wait what now?

THAT was interesting.

His eyes blinked at 3000 rpm for a few heartbeats and he looked around, honestly surprised to see himself in the seat of his White Angel, surrounded by a rather hot firefight.

His eyes, once maintaining a stable orbit, swirled around his cockpit, taking in the various data readings, a legion of vehicular health readouts, both friend and foe. Whoa. Yep, there were some not-very-healthy mechs out here, and a T-Bolt was certainly one of them. That is trophy worth having.

Jack's fogged mind tried to work out a battleplan while his fingers reflexively followed doing whatever it was that Marcus was doing.

"Moving to scout the enemy Hawk," his long-dormant voice chirps out over comms. "Um, Phoenix, not Shadow."

All, please see discussion for proposed Plan.

LL at PH: 4d3 - 8 + 2 ⇒ (3, 3, 1, 2) - 8 + 2 = 3

GM? Permission to come aboard?

I'm going to rule that I'd be next to my Steiner Brother of STEEL, Markus, in wherever he is. Appears to currently be zone -4. Appropriate.

'Tis seems meat that I would've been ignored the whole of the fight since I've not been actively shooting. Why target something what ain't targeting you?

Can't really wait on a yea or nay, times being what they are, so Imma just post, m'kay?

Markus blasts the airwaves while running away. Artificially increasing his electronic signature by playing strange music over the open channel.

Beer Beer

I would've gone another way.

Song kicks so much ass I lift to this.

"You will FEEL AWESOME!"

I feel that any discussion about songs of drinking must needs include Alestorm's Drink, or else you're just not taking it seriously.

"For you, case o' beer."

Jack frowns in ulfish thought. "We may as well fall back, guys," he says loudly, but he's not sure if he can be heard over the tumult of combat. "They can't do any more damage way over there, and I'm sure our team will will have those pumps online.

Can't we hold them here while someone goes and rescues the...other...people?"

Can someone be hostage if there's no one watching?

He shrugs and adds his own fire to the gunplay.

Shoot!: 4d3 - 8 + 1 ⇒ (2, 3, 3, 2) - 8 + 1 = 3