The Ground Battle:”DTG” wrote: 5 February 3026
1340.30hrs
Winter; 10०F
Clear
Anyone attempting coordinating will have a difficult time with the traffic over the air waves currently and is overwhelmed by the amount of traffic on the waves,
Gamma 1 they just ran past you!”
”Keep moving!”
”I’m taking fire!”
”Get that Centurion!”
Two to our right, Shit They’re opening up!!!”
”Keep rolling boys!!! FIRE!!!”
”Kit! Where did you go? Tango! Don’t split UP!! Damn it! Can anyone hear me!?!?!”
”You’re in my way Can’t get a shot!”
”For the Dragon!!!!”
”Keep moving on the flanks!”
”They’re coming round the hill! Help!”
”Taking fire from the tank!!”
”I’m hit!! I’m…SSHSHSHSHSSKKKKK”
Bluto realizes he’s lagging a little behind everyone. He was sure his trick had worked but likely due to the initial bombing run it didn’t have the same impact as it would have otherwise. Bluto also notes there was an error in his targeting computer. For some reason a safety engaged when he bent over which prevented him from firing between his legs. He’ll have to get that removed after this fight if he wants to continue his impulsive shenanigans. As Bluto moves forward he spots a hover tank and Locust dash past Gamma in a flanking maneuver to his right. As he faces them his grasshopper shudders and his mech is illuminated green as one of the medium lasers from the locust impacts his right torso. Looking at his screen it shows only minor damage to the armor.
Bluto does see Gamma 1 get hit by a volley of SMRs and lasers from the commando, but it’s clear his armor is still holding. Suddenly Bluto’s grasshopper is rocked by several cannon rounds and machine gun fire from the pike next to the locust. Bluto knows the pike has a pair of MGs and a pair of AC2s. Bluto looks over the minor damage across the front of his mech and is unconcerned. Bluto lines up his own shot on the Locust and open up with all of hit weapons. He does notice on of his medium lasers impact the ground near the locust, but all the others combined into a swarm of deadly energy and missiles blasting off the left side of the mech and melting off the armor on the right arm. Bluto looks back to check on Gamma in time to see Gamma 1 detonate as an AC10 round impacts the Shadow Hawk’s LRM magazine. The left arm is thrown several dozen meters away as the explosion rips the mech to pieces.
Bluto moves towards the Gamma mechs as the lights seem to be moving around them. The locust blasts past Bluto, but he lets it go as he notices the two AC10 Hetzer tanks flipping around to deal with it. Bluto wounded it severely and it should be easy for the tanks to finish. Bluto however locks onto the commando as it flips around to hit Gamma from behind. Well not on Bluto’s watch. He moves up right behind the commando and basically executes it. Ignoring the heat spike from his weapons fire, his medium and large laser cut into the paper thin rear armor and the larger leaser actually punches out through the chest of the commando. The engine flares and dies as the cockpit rockets away from the stricken mech heading towards the north. Not finished, he launches his LRMs at the Battlemaster. His computer registers a hit, but He’s a bit too far out to actually see what he hit. Sweat is beginning to pour down Bluto as the heat sinks work to keep up with all the weapons fire.
As Bluto looks back to Gamma he watches as the Archer moves into view and hammers Gamma 4 with LRMs. They potmark the mech's armor before he sees the mech balloon out and detonate throwing parts across the battlefield in a spectacular explosion. Bluto can surmise the SRM ammo in the Center Torso lit off and detonated.
Bluto then spots Centurion 2 twist towards him and fire. The LRMs fly over his head but the AC10 and Med laser are on target. Bluto is twisted to the right as the AC10 impacts his right arm blasting more armor plates off and the medium laser melts off more armor from his center torso. While jarring, neither hit bypasses his armor.
Perun moves up to Jackson’s vacated area and can now see the headless javelin that Darvin piloted. There’s no way he survived that hit. Perun can see the shrapnel pattern in the ground fanning out behind the mech as it would for any human getting their head removed via a shotgun. Perun holds where Jackson used to be, Ivy pulls up on his left side her AC5 and Large Lasers spit fire as she lays into the crowd. Perun tries to line up a shot on Centurion 1, but it seems to have moved backwards so you end up having a difficult time targeting it from your vantage point. You're still able to get your LRMs to hit its center torso, but all your other weapons streak harmlessly by the mech and burn great furrows into the ground behind it.
Perun loses sight of Centurion 1 as the combat becomes one mass furball brawl. There are no lines and more Friendly and enemy are mixing around trying to gain the advantage of their opponent while trying to keep others from gaining the advantage over them. Perun spots Enforcer 2 close by and opens fire. He lands a single medium laser and his LRMs, but the other medium laser and the large laser burn into the ground next to the mech. His shots don’t do much as the enforcer seems to have not sustained any damage yet. Perun is rewarded with his LRMs impacting the Enforcer’s left leg and his Medium laser melting armor on its left arm.
Perun spots Tabatayo engaging Centurion 3, which has been damaged. Perun watches as Tabatayo’s rounds crack into the internal structure and light off the AC10 ammo stored in the right torso of the Centurion ripping the mech apart in a glorious fireball. The detonation of the magazine sends shockwaves through the ground, felt even through constant combat.
Perun sees a pair of PPC flash from his right and slam into his targeted Enforcer. They both impact the left torso blasting off the armor plates there and punching into the structure. Ivy also adds her fire to Enforcer 2 blasting off nearly all the armor on its left leg and landing an AC5 round in its torso. The Enforcer sways from the impacts, but remains in the fight.
Jackson begins a backwards movement around Ivy as she moves forwards. Jackon cuts his run short as the enforcers and centurions form a firing line. Jackson is pummeled by fire from Centurion 1. LRMs and a medium laser hit his legs and the AC10 impacts his right arm blasting away armor panels. As Jackson is rocked back and forth in his crab, he doesn’t see any alarms and but does not his right arm armor is very low. A shiver finds it’s way down Jackson’s spine as he looks to his right as the Von Luckner hammers Shui in his Kintaro. The concussion of the explosion can be felt through the ground and they rattle Jackson’s teeth. Jackson realizes the Von Luckner is a close range brawler. He saw an AC20 and several SMRs impact Shui. Shui looks to still be in the fight but has taken a lot of punishment from both the Von Luckner and the Battlemaster. Jackson knows they will soon be on him too. Jackson sees a set of missile trails coming up from the back of the formation and he tracks them as they impact Shui further ravaging the Kintaro. The left arm is finally blasted off the mech, but it seems to continue to stand. Jackson lets loose with his weapons and returns the favor to Centurion 1. You watch as the the armor melts over it’s left and center torso, but fails to penetrate the armor. Just as your lasers finish you are rocked by an AC10 round from Enforcer 3. The blue hue of a large laser illuminates your cockpit as the enforcer’s larger laser eats into your left torso, while the AC10 round impacts the center of your mech. Still your armor has stopped everything and nothing has penetrated…yet.
Jackson moves closer to ensure he has a good shot and gets ready to slug it out as he stops next to the ruins of Darvin’s mech. Faced with a tank with an AC20 and SRMs right next to him Jackson can’t ignore this level of threat and opens fire on it. Jackson smiles as he watches armor plates begin to melt under the barrage of his lasers. Unfortunately none of them penetrate the armor. Jackson smiles at his marksmanship as all three of his lasers found their target. The heat immediately spikes in the cockpit as the heat sinks can’t vent all the heat generated by his weapons fire. Jackson can feel the coolant in his vest snaking around his chest to combat the rise in cockpit temperature.
Jackson’s smile is short-lived as he watches the turret turn towards Shui’s Kintaro and removes it from the battlefield. Its SMRs and MG tear into the sides and the AC20 hits so hard it knocks the mech onto its back. Jackson sees the engine sputter and die as the cockpit ignites and carries Shui to safety somewhere to the south. Dread sinks into Jackson's stomach as the turret begins to turn his way. Jackson does see a set of LRMs come overhead and impacting the Von Luckner’s front armor dealing minor damage.
As Jackson is watching the missiles, Enforcer 3 lines him up and fires. Jackson is rocked by the AC10 shell and his torso is illuminated by the bright blue larger laser. Alarms sound and his screen flashes, ”Warning…Armor breached.” The computer calmly alerts him to the breached armor of his center and left torso. ”Warning Critical Damage detected. Heat sink…offline.” The impacts shake the sweat on Jackson’s face and into his eyes. (Left Torso heat sink destroyed; -1 heat sink)
The Air Battle:
V flips over in an immelman. The G-forces crushing him into his seat. As he comes out of the maneuver he spots his target a little ways away opening fire on him. His Stingray shudders under the fire of the SRM’s exploding on his nose and the medium laser melts off armor from his nose and right wing with their green energy. V not to be out done fires all of his weapons in return. The heat in the cockpit immediately spikes and sweat breaks out across his forehead. V finds the pilots suits are not nearly as cooling as a mech warrior's vest is and he is quickly staining his flight suit with sweat. V’s weapon hit their mark, but fail to bring down the enemy craft. He can see the armor splinter off and the engine coughs black smoke. The craft is really on its last legs.
Zoe thinks about maneuvering but she’s far enough away she can bring her guns to bear with a simple gentle bank to her left. She opens up with her weapons immediately spiking the heat in your cockpit as the heat sinks fail to keep up with the weapon heat. Zoe watches through the heat waves as her weapons find their mark and slice through the wing of the enemy craft. Sending it spiraling down towards the ground.
The wingman targets V as he’s closer. His lasers flash over top of your canopy giving your display a green hue for a moment. Before V’s teeth are rattled as several SRMs impact his right wing.
Zoe and V do see the pilot eject from his stricken craft. As they turn to engage the second fighter, they get a second pair of pings on their sensor screens as their computers resolve another pair of SL-21s inbound to their position. Zoe still gives the other pilot a chance to surrender. ”Get bent, puta!!” is his response. V and Zoe can tell the new contacts are close and will be on them soon.
V drops onto the tail of the wingman as he turns to engage Zoe. It’s an easy maneuver not even worth mentioning; it's so routine V could drop in an enemy's tail like this in his sleep. Zoe rolls over and initiates a head on pass with the wingman. The wingman’s fire passes harmlessly on either side of Zoe’s Stingray. However both her and V’s shots are very accurate. The heat reduces from V’s cockpit, leaving it warm but not as uncomfortable as it was. He will have sweat stains on his flight suit when he’s done here. V’s weapons bite into the wings and the aft of the SL-21. V can see pieces of armor sluff of like dandruff from his weapons fire.
Zoe stands on a wing tip and banks hard right to line up her shot on the wingman as she unleashes all her weapons a second time. Her hits are a little more spread out this time and while she watches armor panels buckle under the attack, the SL-21 remains defiantly airborne. The heat is now making Zoe’s extremely uncomfortable. Her controls are moving sluggish as the computer struggles under the increased temperature and her targeting system is now having difficulty tracking targets. (-1 from Attack rolls/Roll straight 2d6 against TN 5 to keep control of your craft.)
The two new SL-21’s have arrived.
You are both at Altitude 3.
The two new SL-21's are at altitude 6.
