Deserts of Moirae (IC)

[Fisher]

*Knock Knock*

Not waiting for a reply a voice speaks out "The transport is about ready. Make sure you and your teammates are prepared within the hour. The captain will be waiting in the hangar."

It had only been a few hours ago when you and your team had been informed about the assignment. Caravan raids had been on the rise for the past few weeks, crippling supply lines to the outer territories. Corbin Mining, renowned throughout Moirae for their trade of precious water seemed to have been especially hit. Unable to solve this persisting problem themselves, the corporation had enlisted Solitaire's help.

Within the hour the team would be flying out in one of Solitaire's three ships, ready to search for clues and track down the bandits and their hideout. But first, you had to get to that hangar!

[Matterthief]

Benjamin Granin was in the process of unpacking what meager possessions he owned into the room that Solitaire assigned him. Those first nights when he was recruited were pretty hectic and the idea that he now have a semi-permanent place of rest did not hit him until now.

"Wha...? Oh Jeez, just when I am about to move in." Granin talked to himself. "Bah, there's enough time to unpack and for a shower after the mission."

Granin then took out his Pistol and check it before loading it and concealing it within his clothing. Like wise, he made sure his three speed loaders were in an easily reached place and secure for any kind of action. With that done, he left his room and began to make his way to the hanger where his most prized possession awaited. On his way there, Granin took care to not rush and avoid the traffic in the halls, unlike some of the rookies that are running to their respective squads. "Why rush when there is one hour worth of time before the mission starts? Plus all you save is a few measly minutes? No... getting there without causing problems and blocking other people's progress is key to working as a tight orderly company." Granin thought to himself as he arrives at the hanger. He looks around to see if any other person from his unit have arrived. The first time he met them was brief and there wasn't any time for trading names let alone introductions then.

[Silverkiss]

Damn it. I don't know why I'm going to do this. Why did I accept it in the first place ??

...

For my sister. Yes. For her, not for that bastard.

Lost in her own thoughts, Alexa was checking through her neatly organized room for the stuff she would need. Getting her small bag with a few random stuff in it, adjusting her sunglasses and checking again her katana, beneath her long coat, Alexa prepared to leave. Walking quickly through the company's corridors, she moved like a cat to the hangar, where she would meet the rest of the team.

Arriving at the place, she soon found out that it was mostly desert, and no one from the meeting was there. No, wait there was one. Seeing the man with the dirty overcoat, the one long hair, Alexa waved. She did not know his name, though.

"Hello there. I think we're on the same mission, right ? The desert raids. Well, I'm Alexa, pleased to meet you." - The girl talks naturaly, but there's a hint of coldness in her voice. She extends her hand politely for a handshake, waiting to hear the man's name.

[Matterthief]

Granin turn to look at the girl addressing him. She looked like she was barely out of her teens, 19 maybe 20 years old. "Too young... too young to be a merc. Must be one of those rookies that joined to see the world and all that romantic fiction ****. No matter, experience will come with time and in a group as big as this, there are plenty of people to fall back on when the **** hits the fan." Granin thought as he looked her over. "Hmm... not bad, a bit boyish in her choice of clothing but that just means that she is more aggressive than the average girls her age. Considering the fact that she is not doing a good job of hiding that blade under her coat, she must be our melee combatant."

Granin shook her outstretched hand, noting the calluses gain from constant practice. He noded and replied, "Nice to meet you, I am Benjamin Granin, I will be the Recon and E.W. Operator for the group. Sorry if I insult you, but you do not seem to be a local, you arrived from off planet?"

[Silverkiss]

"Not really, I just... huh... come from a different part of the planet. I'm not insulted, but rather curious, why do you say I do not seem to be a local ?"

Alexa looks around the hangar, scanning it for the rest of the team. Standing and talking was just a waste of time, and it brought nothing of meaning to her... Still, she couldn't be inpolite, moreso with her teammates.

"Well, do you know the whereabouts of the rest of the team ? I don't fancy standing here doing nothing."

[Kioran]

"So, back on the job" Illen thought, slightly smiling, adjusting the collar of his coat, which he still wore closed, smiling nonchalantly as he approached the two mecha pilots. His goggles were dangling around his neck, and he looked a bit rumpled. Somewhat as if he had slept till a few moments ago. That perception was not mistaken.

Nevertheless, he had quick, ground-eating steps. His eyes roamed, inquisitively, over the forms of both the grizzled veteran and the female swordfighter before him, who seemed to be in conversation. Shrugging slightly, he ambled over to the next wall, and casually leaned against it. He could wait, kick back until others arrived or the conversation was over. An hour was ample time to get to know each other...

[fendrin]

Saul Greylight

A young man with a dark brown ponytail, apparently in his mid twenties, comes sauntering into the hangar. He is wearing faded blue jeans and a black t-shirt, and over one shoulder he is carrying a black leather jacket. Despite the fact that he is indoors, he is wearing dark sunglasses. The man's lightly muscled arms are tattooed, but not overly so.

On his right forearm is a tattoo in block lettering spelling out SAUL GREYLIGHT, and his t-shirt all but covers a tattoo on his right shoulder that appears to be a set of vertical lines of varying thickness. These two are faded, indicating that they are fairly old.

On his left shoulder the bottom half of a mecha-stylized skull and crossbones peeks from under the sleeve of the t-shirt, and a line of stylized barbed wire spirals his left forearm. These two tattoos are definitely newer than those on the right arm, but are also obviously cruder, as if done by an inexpert artist.

"Hey,"
He says in a melodious baritone voice to the pair already in the hangar. Then, noticing that one of the two is a beautiful young woman, removes his sunglasses, revealing deep blue eyes as he begins again.
"Hello."
Tucking his sunglasses into his shirt pocket, he offers a firm (but not aggressive) handshake to the apparent veteran.
"I'm Saul, Saul Greylight."
Offering his hand in turn to the young woman, he asks
"And you are...?"

He has apparently failed to notice the young wallflower that entered shortly before him.

[Silverkiss]

Alexa ignored, or didn't seem to notice, the man who entered the hangar and went for the wall. She wouldn't speak to people if they didn't speak to her first. As the young ponytailed man speaks to her, however, she makes an effort to put a sweet smile on her face as she shakes the man's hand;

"I'm Alexa Harker, pleased to meet you."

[Matterthief]

Granin smiled, "Ah... youth, your attention is always fleeting between all kinds of new and exotic things, people among them. Oh well, at least I am spared having to tell her that only off-worlders or spoiled rich kids who never walked the sands of Moirae will decide to wear an all black outfit. No matter what kind of high tech heat dissipation system your clothes might have, you stand out too much from the everyday person. Here in the relative safety of the guild, that is acceptable, in the wastelands that will mark you as a target for any common street thug around. Plus there is only one reason why a local would choose such clothes." Granin thought as he looked over the newcomer, "The reason why a local would wear clothings that is out of place with the populace is to make sure people remember him, just like this kid. Heh... I know that tat, popular among the raiders. To send a thief to catch a thief, someone in the brass must have heard of that old saying."

Granin gave a slight nod and said, "I'll leave you two kids to your fun, play nice and remember to check up on your Mechs before you launch." Granin gave a small wave and walked toward the young man leaning against the wall, "Tired, patient, or both? The name's Granin, Benjamin Granin." Granin told the young man as he gave a small salute, recognizing him as a fellow Caravan Guard. "I heard of you, you're the kid with the tank. You don't see those as much as Mechs since they are a bit bulkier and slower but they sure pack a punch and there is nothing like the feel of several inches of thick powerful armor between you and the enemy. Glad to have you with us."

[Kioran]

"Patient" he said, smiling "or rather not in a hurry, I would say. We" indicating the others can still greet and shake hands when they finish their conversation, whatever it may be. As for the tank - well, it's a lot less bulky than you may think - or powerful, at that. But it has it's uses. It's a light escort, but I think this version has...some tricks up it's sleeve".

Internally, he sized Granin up, noticing both the scars on his face and the stocky, muscular build. He probably had some fight left in him, Illen decided, and it was nice to have others with military experience, more experience than his own at any rate, behind him.

"But where are my manners? The name's Illen Yaron" Illen said, offering his right hand to Benjamin.

[Matterthief]

Granin took Illen's hand and shook it, "Nice to meet you Yaron. I am the unit's Recon and EW Operator, I spot the enemy and make sure that they can't hit us until it is too late." Granin took a look around the Hanger for the Captain, if there is still time left, he would like to double check his Mech before they start the operation.

Seeing that the officer still have not shown up, Granin turned to Illen and said, "I am going to go check up on my Mech, if anyone asks, I'll be right over there..." Granin point toward a mismatched Mech in the corner of the Hanger.

This Mech seems to be an old retrofitted model of a Civilian Long Range Weather Surveyor. The head, torso, and back are streamlined and shaped to promote airflow around the Mech. Although it looks like the shape would not give any benefits to high speed maneuvers but is there only to prevent the Mech from falling over during a sand storm and to decrease maintenance costs. The main body itself is colored a dark desert tan, with a small emblem of a hand on the front of the Mech on the left chest area. Contrasting the Utility and Uniformity of the main body are the limbs which seem to be put together from parts from different Mechs. The right arm is from a military model that is now retired, its color is a dirty grey with a blue plated hand. The left arm is a civilian model from ten years prior which by now is out of fashion, although who would want to use a purple/gold speckled Mech is beyond the imagination of many. The only parts that seem to come from the same Mech is the legs which are forest green in color and seems to be salvaged from the more recent military issue. With the exception of the legs (which show some signs of scorch marks) the Mech itself is pretty worn looking and old. Overall the mech looks like a junked up beater except for one detail that ruins the image. strapped to the back of the Mech is a huge Gatling Cannon, this thing has six rotating barrels each a good 4 meters. The ammunition box on the bottom is almost as big as the firing mechanism itself. Although the caliber of the gun is not that great, the shear amount of ammo that hits the enemy will wear down most armor within a few seconds.

[fendrin]

Saul

Saul takes Alexa's hand and plants a kiss on the back. It is warm, gentle, and not at all slobbery.

"'Alexa' is a beautiful name. It suits you well."

Noticing the older man's eyes glancing at his tattoos, he pulls on his jacket, revealing in the process that the leather is lined with mesh cloth armor, and a silver-grey tube in a holster built into the jacket.

"So tell me, Alexa, what's a woman like you doing in a merc outfit like this? Not that I don't think you will be a valuable member of the team, just curious why."

[Kioran]

Illen looked at the haphazard, makeshift construction, mouth agape. At first, he was taken aback, then, he started to scrutinize the construction, regaining his countenance after maybe ten seconds of incredulous scrutiny.
"Say, Mr. Granin, this machine is more than meets the eye, right?" he said. Without waiting for a response, he extracted a remote control from the right pocket of his coat, and pressed a button. With a dampened hydraulic hiss, a ramp at the rear of his tank lowered to the ground.

The machine itself was a sleek, maybe two and a half meters high, with a flat, angular surface with a light grey finish, still looking to be near-new and in very good condition. However, it looked like this tank was a modified version of an APC, with variant armor and a light tank's turret, the barrel protruding another 2 meters in front of the tank.
Even while the access ramp near the rear still lowered itself, slowly, Illen spoke again: "Oh, it's not like this is a real meatgrinder." ambling over to the rear of the tank "MORE LIKE MY LIVING ROOM. OKAY, FEW LIVING ROOMS HAVE A 84MM CANNON, BUT HEY..." he shouted from back in the hangar, retrieving a water bottle and tossing it to the Granin.

"WANT SOME? BE MY GUEST!"

[Matterthief]

Granin smiled and gave a small bow as he caught the water bottle. "Heh, no matter how many time I see the look people have when they see my Machine, it is always priceless." Granin spoke half to Illen, half to himself.

Continuing on to his Mech, Granin used his lift line and entered the cockpit after inputting his passcode into the hatch. Granin buckled himself in and put on the helmet that he stowed on the side of the seat. Granin then tuned his headset into the Unit's radio channel in case the Captain arrives, he can still listen in and converse while starting up the Mech.

Granin went through a basic cold-start procedure, starting by initializing the diagnostic systems and auxiliary power. "Yaron is right, there is more to this machine than how it looks. Even though these parts are salvaged and bought from junkyards, I paid the best mechanics around to make sure that all the systems and equipment are up to date and is in working order." Granin smiled as the system check turned out positive and he began to activate the cold fusion reactor, sending power to the Hydraulics and the many different electronics that the EW and Sensors are composed of.

After verifying that the IFF codes are installed properly, Granin began to test out the sensors by randomly scanning a few other machines in the hanger, each time cross-referencing the scans with stored data on the model and type of anything he scanned. Granin knew that he is not wasting his time since Targeting Analysis learn and work faster the more times you scan a certain model and who knows, maybe some bandit out there uses the same model as some the pilots we have here.

[Kioran]

Looking slightly perplexed, Illen watches as Granin starts to enter, and power up his mecha, then turns around to where his other two prospective teammates were standing. With a shrug, he strode over there, approaching from the woman'ss left and the man's right side, lifting one eyebrow, then saying, with a light note of mischief:

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything here. Thought I might introduce myself if we're all in such a terrible hurry to get out of each other's faces. The names Illen Yaron."

This was followed by a short, playful curtsy. Illen came back up grinning, waiting for a response....

[Silverkiss]

Alexa

"Thank you. No particular reason at all."

Alexa remains silent for a while, uninterested in continuing any kind of conversation.

No... I'm being unpolite...

"What's... What's your especialization ? I'm more confortable doing combat up in the front lines, and my mech is designed for that. I know that guy over there - She points to Granin - will be our recon man. What about you ?"

Being cut by Illen's entrance in the conversation, Alexa turned to him and smiled as best as she could.

"Just a conversation. I'm Alexa Harker, pleased to meet you."

Seeing that Granin was already powering up his mech, Alexa thought it to be the perfect excuse to withdraw from the conversation;

"Excuse me boys, but I'll follow Granin's lead and go check on my mech. I'll be on the radio soon, if you want to talk to me."

She then quickly strode away to where her own mech was resting. A few minutes later the hangar was trembling slightly under the weight of the DGM-031 walking nearer to the others. As could be clearly seen, the pitch-black mech invoked the image of a samurai, and held no visible weapons....

[Ambon]

Nino

"I'm still not sure about this."

Nino was standing in front of the mirror in his room, a small square of glass barely larger than his hand. The past few nights for him had been anxious, nearly sleepness nights, and it showed in the bags under his eyes. He realized he was probably due for a haircut a month ago. It was disheveled and mane-like and, when he looked into the small mirror, he barely recognized himself; it looked less like his reflection and more like one of those devotional portraits of madmen and saints with eyes wild like an animal, in the throes of insanity or divine grace they cared nothing for civilization. The only hint of 'civilization' on his face was his lack of a real beard, he had taken the time to at least run a trimmer over his chin a few days ago and unlike his hair it kept itself under control, a gift of his genes, like the darkened gold of his skin or his brown eyes.

Tim was still in bed, but he was sitting up and fully awake, with the thin blanket wrapped around him like moss on a tranquil stone. Almost fully dressed and finished with the mirror, Nino looked over to him as Tim replied.

"It'll be fine, Nino. We'll stay here for as long as we need." He said with a sleepy drawl and a stupid smile. Between the two of them he always seemed the more composed, more controlled - Nino had some poor history when it came to stress. Even in appearance Tim was more compsoed. He was due for a haircut too, but his hair, a short shock of bright red, a surprising colour, seemed more in control, not a mane but a crown. Though Nino couldn't really be an objective judge. "You should hurry," Tim dug their only clock out of a pile of clothes. "You're already late. It kinda reminds you of being back at the Loyola dorms, doesn't it?" he smiled as he spoke.

Nino gave him a slanted nod and smile, thinking he was referring to the mess in the room - they left their home planet nearly with barely any stuff, and still, together, they managed to make a mess out of the small room. He packed up his equipment, maneuvered around columns of books on the floor, covered with piles of laundry, gave his beloved a quick kiss and ran for the hanger.

Running in and seeing everyone else in the middle of business, he cursed to himself for being late and headed straight for his mecha first to give it a very quick look. It had a terrible paint job, a sad attempt at desert camouflage made it look like a beige nightmare, but Nino barely noticed since it was his creation. It had been built out of salvaged parts, mostly from construction mechas. But over time, as the demands of the civil war had changed he had been changing more and more of it to make it combat ready. The result was aesthetically unpleasant, not even symmetrical, but suited Nino's needs. After he finished, he turned to see the rest of his team.

[fendrin]

Saul

Watching the pretty lady scamper off to her mecha, Saul grins and turns to Illen.
"Seems a bit shy, that one. I'm called Saul Greylight."
He shakes the hand of the younger man.
"That's my mech - a skirmisher, melee primarily."
He points to a dusty beige and brown mech. It is a few feet shorter than the other mechs in the hangar (excluding, of course, the tank). Two heavy blades peek out behind the unit's head, looking vaguely reminiscent of attentive canine ears. There is a small blaster turret protruding from the unit's torso.
"I call it 'Desert Fox', but considering the mess I make with it I'm thinking of renaming it 'Bad Wolf' or 'Bad Dog' or something like that. I just had it custom made. This will be it's first real mission. My last mech was really just a loaner, and was pieced together out of salvage. I'm looking forward to seeing what this baby can do in real field conditions. Don't let it's size fool you, it's got top end hydraulics in there, peak strength-to-weight ratio. I'm up to my eyeballs in debt for that, but hey, I don't see myself as the retiring type anyhow."

[Kioran]

Illen

Breaking into a grin at Greylight's commentary concerning Harker, Illen mumbled a short "Seems that way..." while returning the handshake, firmly. He turned his eyes upon the assembled machines, taking in details, as far as he could make them out. His grey eyes turned slightly sceptical, his expression thoughtful and perhaps slightly worried, as he examined the mixed and matched assemblies and armaments.
"We'll have to see how well any of this works in practice. But then, I'm not white-hot myself. 'Specially considering I've still not managed to scrounge up a full complement of kit. I hope I won't need it where we're going". His left hand in a pocket of his still closed coat, the right outside, pointing loosely in the direction of the mecha. "It's a pleasure meeting you, but apparently I've started a trend when I went for my tank. Seems we are indeed more eager to fight - or eager to retreat to familiar solitude - than to know each other. That's fine by me. Fellow soldiers first and foremost. Here's to hoping we'll collect another paycheck" he said "Even if we're not the retiring type."

Illen nodded, and left for the still open rear hatch of his tank, his booted feet falling lightly on the concrete as he went. Maybe, for a short moment, he looked a bit out of his place among the giant machines, making a mockery of any bluster he might have held. Shortly, before retiring to the dim interior of the Gungnir, he shouted "OH, THE CALLSIGN'S WRAITH.".
With that, his head and athletic frame disappeared, and the hatch hissed again, softly closing.

[Fisher]

The Hangar
As the group went about their introductions and system checks a metallic clang echoed throughout the quiet hangar, signaling that the far door had been opened. From within the door issued forth three Solitaire personnel. As they walked the distance towards the pilots their steps echo a machine gun-like sound as their feet strike the cement floor.

Leading the trio was Elias Salt, the founder of Solitaire. A man who was ruled by precision, exampled by his cropped gray hair and finely trimmed goatee. He had personally seen off every group who left on an expedition or mission, never missing a single takeoff since the company's creation. A stern, yet kind individual, many of Solitaire's members remarked that a smile upon his face was as rare as the desert rain, or any expression at all for that matter.

To his right was his only daughter Emily. Dressed in a standard cerulean blue pilot outfit, her ochre-colored hair was tied in a french braid that fell to the small of her back. Like her father: punctuality, organization, and overall precision were extremely important, although she was ten times more expressive than her father ever could be. Everyone on the base knew of her hard work for the company, especially how she had attained the rank of head pilot at the age of 22 after only three years of training.

Finally there was Sid, the company's junior accountant. A wiry young man, he had joined the company straight out of college and performed his duties excellently for the past two years. His cream colored hair was ruffled and a mess and his arms were loaded with books upon books, relaying matters of finance vehemently with the other two.

Nearing the group Elias signaled Sid to be quiet and paused to look over the crew and their equipment. Patiently, he waited for the team to finish their talks, his placid expression unchanging as he did so. Once he had their full attention, he activated his headset* and began to speak.

"Is this all of you? Good. Since everyone is here I'll begin the overview of the mission. You'll be heading west northwest from here to investigate a series of bandit raids against various trade caravans. Their actions have halted supplies from reaching many of the outer settlements leaving them stranded and many without a constant supply of water. The rest, you should already know from your earlier mission briefing."

"Originally, it was planned that your group would set out on one of our three ships, but things have changed. As you may have already noticed, the Valentine and the Blackjack have already launched and the Ace of Clubs is currently down for repairs. So instead, you'll be taking"

"You don't mean to say were taking that old piece of scrap, do you?" Emily curtly interrupted.

"That's right. You'll be taking the Rolling Shuffle for your transport," he said flatly. "Now, I want you all loaded up and on your way in the next 15 minutes. If you have any questions direct them to Emily, as she will be your pilot during the course of this mission. That is all."

His instructions finished, he and Sid turned to depart, leaving Emily in charge of the team.

Slightly irritated, she looked at the team and shouted, "Well, what are you standing around for? Let's go!"


*This "headset" is nothing more than a clip attached to his ear with a short microphone extending from it's base. He uses this to talk to not only the crew members standing in the hangar but also those who already boarded their mecha.

The Rolling Shuffle is a glorified Half track, sporting wheels in the front and tank treads in the back. It's Capable of holding 5-6 mecha in the rear loading bay and contains small living quarters inbetween the back loading bay and the vehicle's "bridge", which has enough seats for 8 people. It contains two storage pods attached to each side which hold spare ammunition and other extra supplies.

Holidays are over, let's get this game moving! =D

[fendrin]

Saul

Stifling a chuckle, Saul salutes the head pilot and casually but swiftly makes his way to his mech.

Piloting Desert Fox onto the aged transport, he sets his computer to analyzing the other mechas.

+Glad to have you as our pilot, Ms. Salt. Always nice to work with the best.+

[Matterthief]

The Phantom Hound gave a salute to Elias Salt as the mismatched machine began boarding the Rolling Shuffle's Hanger bay.

+This is B.G. Ma'am, locked in and good to go. I have a question, I wasn't briefed upon the "Rolling Shuffle" so I am curious about it's current system load-out. What may I ask, is the transport's sensor range and EW?+

[Kioran]

Illen

Nodding, Illen started the generator of tank, every light in the modified cockpit coming back to life. He had just stowed the rest of his possesions and provisions in the lockers and cargo netting, and was, more or less, ready. Within seconds, the electric motors in all 4 sets of tracks revved up, accelerating the Gungnir out of the hangar.
So this was it. Moving out. "Almost looks like this thing has "target" painted on it's sides" Illen thought, seeing the "Rolling Shuffle". He wondered just how fast that thing would be, and whether it's speed warranted a change of tactics...

[Ambon]

Nino

Nino only nodded slightly as a response to Emily's command and proceeded to immediately prepare. There was little left to do after guiding his mech into the transport so he spent a few minutes calming himself down. He always felt anxious before a new mission. Whispering to himself a small mantra, a fragment of a poem first, but then as his memory failed him a few nonsense syllables, he finished and reported:

+This is Nino in the Catalonia. Ready here.+

[Silverkiss]

Alexa

Quickly powering Musashi's systems and checking for any anomaly, Alexa turned her radio on and replyed;

+Alexa here, with Musashi. Ready to go.+

[Fisher]

The Rolling Shuffle
While the pilots and their mecha board the vehicle, two additional Solitaire members join the crew: Zazie Robins, the Shuffle's mechanic and Alexander Collins, one of Solitaire's Inspectors. As the two board Emily replies over the radio.

+ I look forward to working with all of you as well. As far as specs for the EW and Sensors go, I'm afraid I won't have that information till I run a full diagnostic. I don't think we'll need to worry though. +

After a short pause she added + Alright, lets get this rig moving! +

Not a moment later the Shuffle hums to life, rumbling slightly like an old car. Nearby the hangar bay doors open, revealing the red sands and clear blue skies of midday Moirae. With a slight jerk, the Shuffle speeds off, tossing sand and stone aside in it's wake.

As the vehicle made it's way on it's journey Zazie could be seen hopping about checking monitors and adjusting machinery, her short brown pigtails bouncing up and down as she went. The Rolling Shuffle hadn't been used since Solitaire acquired the Ace of Clubs and needed continued supervision for the first few legs of the trip.

Meanwhile, Mr. Collins could be found in the hangar, jotting down notes upon a clipboard. Occasionally he would readjust his half-rim glasses as he went around observing the pilot's mecha. As an Inspector it was his job to evaluate the new recruits who had recently joined Solitaire and keep track of company supplies and equipment.

After a few hours of travel an announcement was broadcasted over the channel.

+ Look alive everyone. It looks like there's a destroyed transport up ahead. Scanners don't show any activity, but I want everyone ready in the event any raiders decided to lay low. +

+Illen, prepare the Gungir for active stealth. Before proceeding to the transport's location you and your tank will be dropped to provide support should an ambush take place. As for the rest of you, be ready to launch at a moment's notice. We're not taking any chances this far out. +

[Matterthief]

+Rodger that, beginning preparations.+

B.G. started up an active scan for concentrations of heavy metals such as Tungsten, Carbonized Iron and Titanium. Such concentrations of metal are not common and usually mean that a large Mech is in the area. Meanwhile, Granin did not forget to pay attention to spikes in the Local EM Field and differentiations in heat sources which would expose smaller Mechs. If anything suspicious is laying within the 15km Sensor range, B.G. would see it.

Action 1(Sensor Sweep!): Int(8) + Aware(6) + Prof(1) + 1d10 = [roll0]

Action 2(Sensor Sweep!): Int(80 + Aware(6) + Prof(1) + 1d10 = [roll1]

Note: This is the first time I have ever used a skill in this game so I don't know if this is correct or not.

[Fisher]

Near the Transport
Precursor heat scans reveal no hint of mechanical activity, although there are signs of a few fires around or within the wreckage. Scanners do reveal, however, readouts for three mecha, one north of the transport while the other two are located a short distance to the west. All three of these mecha are less than half a kilometer away. Neither of the three register any sort of electronic signature.


Matterthief: You don't really need a sensor roll to use the Advanced Sensor Package, only for the sensor jamming. :smallsmile:

When you use the Sensor Jammer, you'll make an INT + EW Skill + 1d10 vs 9 ((Equipment Value * 2) + 5). In this case you would only need to make a roll to check for critical failure, and even then it would take a secondary roll of five or higher.

Also, please remember to put your skill rolls in a spoiler. :smallsmile:

[Kioran]

Illen

The sound of his footsteps reverberated lightly through the bay of the transport as he emerged from his tank after hearing the order. He looked a lot more awake and ready, and almost like he had somehow turned out for the occasion. Almost. But then, the effect was mostly ruined by the fact that grease stains on the arms of his uniform, and even worse, on the rim of his cap hardly looked...presentable.
He smiled as he turned to his "audience". However, that smile faltered in the face of rather questioning looks, and Illen examined his outfit once more. THis prompted a grimace from him, followed by a short, vigourous shaking of his head. "Maybe it's a good thing to fade from view..." he grumbled. "I'll maintain radio silence as long as I am out there, unless something happens which warrants giving away my position. You won't know where I am, just that I am out there. I have your backs".
This said, the somewhat less than smartly dressed Illen exited the stage to the right.


Only one minute later, the Gungnir slowly slid towards the slightly opened rear of the transport, then shimmered before some sort of effect rippled over it's form from the front to the rear, rendering the tank invisible save for the smallest of disturbances in it's general area. It's departure from the rolling shuffle was marked by a low dust cloud as it hit the desert below, but soon, the last obvious trace disappeared...

[Fisher]

The Desert
Pulling up near the downed transport, the Shuffle came to a stop.

+ Alright, Alexa, Rey, Saul, and B.G., I want each of you to take up position on one of the corners of the transport. If this is an ambush, I'd rather us be ready instead of stuck inside of the Shuffle. Meanwhile, I'll radio in Solitaire HQ and let them know what's going on. +

Having said this the back gate of the Shuffle opened, allowing the four pilots to exit with their mecha. The desert outside seemed docile, without even a wisp of air to toss about a bit of the red sand.

[fendrin]

Saul

+Aye aye, skipper.+

Positioning his mech at the southwestern corner of the transport, Saul readies his primary weapon.

Desert Fox pulls the bladed object from it's back, straightening and locking it's components into place with a quick twist. The weapon looks like a glaive or kwan dao, but with a blade on each end.

Armed and ready for action, Saul sets his computer to analyzing the three unknown mechs. Meanwhile, he sets his mind to analyzing the situation, trying to find any tactical advantage he can.

This certainly *feels* like an ambush.

[Matterthief]

+Careful everyone, there is one mech in front of us and two more west, since they are obviously exposed to sensors then it could mean that there are more waiting somewhere around here. Watch out for enemy hiding in the wreckage and tunnelers. I'm going to initiate Defensive Sensor Jamming in a 200 meter area around my Mech. If we get attacked by long range enemies that area will be shielded from the farthest enemies.+

B.G. started up the Sensor Jamming Array, configuring it so that the effect field of the EW covers a 100 meter radius around the "Phantom Hound', large enough to protect the "Rolling Shuffle" and the team from long range enemies by decreasing the enemy's sensor range and preventing them from gaining a computer lock on the team.


Int(8) + EW(5) + Prof(2) + 1d10 = [roll0]

[Ambon]

+Acknowledged+

The Catalonia shudders to life and, following Saul's lead, Rey takes up position southeast of the Shuffle.

He looked over his systems, weapons and propulsion in particular, again while B.G. was talking. Desert warfare seemed to be quite different from the city fighting that he had known, and he had some difficulty imagining the shape of such an ambush in these in such a docile and open space.

Still, it did look like a trap. He went over his systems again.

[fendrin]

Saul

+One more thing. I'm a medic of sorts. If you get hurt, let me know.+

[Kioran]

Illen

His tank skidded slightly as he climbed yet another dune, staying high to keep both the Rolling shuffle and it's surroundings in view. Despite the relatively high speed, he was kicking up a very small dust cloud, and the cold fusion plant didn't give away much heat or radiation - but enough to find him, were one to look.
He shrugged slightly, once again taking a short look at the surrounding and silently plowing through the sand on top of the dune. With two keystrokes, Illen initiated the autoloader, inserting a cartridge into the cannon's breach. All that's left was...anticipation.

[Fisher]

*GM hands out a card to each player.*

Feel free to use and discuss this information at your own discretion. :smallsmile:

[fendrin]

Saul

What the... ah.
+Stay alert everyone, we've got a psychic in the area. Also watch out for treaded vehicles from east and west.+

[Ambon]

Nino

Something about the situation had been bugging him since they had arrived, beyond his usual pre-combat anxieties. It only dawned on him slowly, as after he had gone over his systems again, just waiting.

Hearing Saul's warning, he added:

+There's something else... I don't know if you noticed but that mecha to the north. That doesn't look like combat damage - it looks like a shoddy atmospheric entry. Not a recent one either.+

[Kioran]

Illen

He breathed deeply, trying to focus, looking out over the desert. He could make out both the forms of is allies and the hulk of the destroyed on his sensors, but neither of the details the others were seeing. "What next? he thought, indecisively grabbing for the throttle, then contemplated again "If what they say is correct, we are running into an ambush. Running now will give away our knowledge of them....only thing to do."
He pressed down the throttle, his face serious. He tried smiling, pulling up the corners of his mouth, the eyes weren't along though. "Watch this!" he said into the emptiness of his cockpit, the communicator turned off.

The tank sped forward, this time kicking up a small cloud of dust before he headed down the dune, keeping to the valleys. The vehicle jolted as he nearly jumped over an obstacle, doing 110 km per hour, skidding and fishtailing as he blasted over the sand at maximum speed. Finally, the feral grin he had aimed for was emerging. Straight north. If the were trying to spring a trap, he would break right through. Let 'em adjust their plans to that.....

[Silverkiss]

Alexa

She had been silent until now, as she led the Musashi out of the transporter and into the desert's sand. Alexa noticed that the destroyed machines had the insignia of Corbin Mining, and she wasn't too sure if she was happy or sad that they were destroyed. Still, she said nothing.

As the threat of enemies became iminent, Alexa put the Musashi's system into a full battle-stance, and activated the Blade of the Heavens, the mecha's laser sword, getting in position for battle.

"Strange..." - Alexa muttered to herself.

[Fisher]

The Desert
Zooming by the transport and his fellow allies, Illen hastily made his way north. First 100 meters away. 300 meters. 500. Soon everyone else was a tiny speck behind him.

Slowly coming to a stop, the situation was obvious. There was no indication of bandits here or any sign of life for that matter. Besides the occasional vulture gliding by, this part of the desert was mostly empty. There weren't even any tread marks or vehicle tracks out here.

Meanwhile, back at the transport, smoke continued to pour out of it's open wounds as the small fires found their way to additional fuel. Concerned that the fires could reach any leftover munitions supplies, Zazie radioed over the comm.

+ Hiya Everyone! Zazie here. The sensors are showing that the fires on board our neighbor are spreading throughout it's interior frame. There's a chance the whole thing could go kablewy so you might want to maintain a safe distance. K bye. +

+ You heard the girl. I'll be moving the shuffle a short distance away to the east as well. Once everyone is clear, we'll prepare to move out. Unfortunately, it looks like whatever bandits attacked here did a thorough job. Emily Out+

[fendrin]

Saul

+Something is wrong here people. I know there's someone around. Zazie, BG, any chance there's someone out there mucking with our sensor readings?+

What if the girl is a survivor, calling for help?

+Sorry Emily, you're not gonna like this. I'm going in for a personal look.+

He maneuvers Desert Fox next to the burning transport and activates his exit sequence.

[Fisher]

Near the Transport*
When his cockpit opened Saul was immediately assaulted by the scorching desert heat and the smell of burning metal. Descending near the rear bay of the transport he quickly came upon the debris that had fallen moments ago. Careful observation revealed no sign of a survivor.

Glancing momentarily to his left, he noticed that both of the transport's doors were wide open. Much of the carrier's storage area was empty, most likely pillaged by the raiders. What little supplies remained were either about to catch on fire or already burning. Looking closer, he could see snake-like scorch marks along the walls and floors.

At the far end of the room a number of metal lockers had either fallen or been knocked down, one noticeably blocking the door to the rest of the transport. Before he could do anything else, however, a message came over the comm from Emily.

+ Blast it Greylight! You've got 3 minutes to do your check. After that your out of there, even if I need to come down and get you myself! +

*This information is based off Saul being at the south end of the carrier on the left side. The transport is to his left while the desert is to his right.

[fendrin]

Saul

+Yes Sir, Ma'am Sir.+

Bandits wouldn't have left any survivors if they found them, so they'd have to be in that blocked off portion.

He pulls out the silver-grey tube from his jacket and presses a recessed button on it. It telescopes into a full-length staff.

Jamming it in behind the locker in front of the door, he uses it like a lever or pry bar to move the locker out of the way.

+Don't worry about me. This isn't the tightest spot I've been in. Remind me later and I'll tell you about the time I stowed away on a Corbin ice shipment. One hell of a ride from Atropos, let me tell you. 'Course, that was cold and this is hot.+

Great, now they're gonna think that I'm some sort of hot shot. Well, maybe I am. Ain't that a kick in the pants.

[Matterthief]

He could not risk the chance of harming Saul by blasting the extinguishing foam into the transport but he could not stand by and let the fires be. Turning to the ground outside the transport, Granin sprayed the foam onto the ground where it won't harm Saul.

Granin with a great heave of his machine, dug the hands of the "Phantom Hound" into the foam and lifted it as if he was a bulldozer and spread it manually with his hands onto the exterior fires before bending down to Saul.

+Saul, cover your mouth and nose. I am going to shovel a little foam in there.+ Granin spoke to Saul on his speakers.

Carefully, B.G. shoveled one mecha handful of foam onto the fires near the door while taking care not to harm Saul. When the foam is no longer usable, B.G. gathered the wet dirt and pat the fires with them.

[Kioran]

Illen

"One of our's on foot, the other a non-combatant...that leaves them at two...If these vehicles break cover to attack, I'd have to have a lot of trust in the others.." Illen thought. He didn't have that kind of trust, he admitted. Reducing the acceleration and turning the vehicle, he once again ascended a nearby dune, looking for an elevated spot...and stopped, a little more than a kilometer out from the others.
Slowly, lazily, the desert wind blew away the small cloud of dust around him, until only a small disturbance, little more than heat mirage, remained of his tank. Since he didn't yet have a lock on the purported mecha, Illen trained his cannon at the derelict transport and watched the sensors intently, a few small beads of sweat forming on his brow as he waited for them, for anyone, to make their move....

[Fisher]

Outside the Transport
The handfuls of foam quickly do their job, dousing the flames in seconds. Bursts of steam rise from within the rear bay and the exterior hull of the carrier as the metal drastically cools.

The danger isn't past, however. Interior scans reveal varying amounts of heat within the bridge and crew quarters.

Inside the Transport
With a shove and a heave the locker slides away hitting the floor with a clang. As the locker falls so does the temprature as the coolant takes effect. The metal hatch*, though clear of debris, remains closed. It doesn't appear to be locked.

The Desert
The surrounding area appears calm besides the occasional gust of wind. From where the Gungir rests, Illen can see clouds of steam rise from the hull of the transport.

*The door swings outward and has a lever style door handle.

[Matterthief]

+Saul, I bought you some time but don't sit on your ass and dawdle. Finish what you are doing quickly and get back to your Mech cause we just sent up a big ass beacon to every random bandit in the area.+

Confident that Saul can take things from here, B.G. stood his mech back up and got back into formation, his great Gatling Gun ready in his mech's hands.

[fendrin]

Saul

+Thanks for the help, but I have no intention of sitting on anything in here.+

He twists the handle and opens the door. Stepping through he calls out:

"Hello, anybody home?"

[Fisher]

Within the Transport
Though the fires were out, the metal was still hot to the touch. Something Saul quickly learned after burning* his hand upon the door. As the hatch opened the first thing he was met with was black smoke that poured out of the passageway.

The majority of the smoke cleared not long after, revealing five doors. Two doors were in place on each side of the passageway while a fifth could be seen at the end of the hall, possibly leading to the bridge. Bits of burning debris were littered about the floor in addition to several long, thin scorch marks on the walls.


*-1 HP to whichever arm Saul used to open the door

The far left door, the far opposite door, and the door closest on the right are all closed. Thin lines of smoke trail from the door on the far right.

No one responds to Saul's shout.

[fendrin]

Saul

Yow, that hurt. Best not tell the boss, she'll just order me out sooner. It's not insubordination if I don't get the order, right? Maybe not, but whatever.

Waving his burnt hand around as if that would make the pain lessen, Saul proceeds to the left most door.
"ANYBODY IN THERE? I'M HERE TO HELP!"

Regardless of any answer, he checks the handle for temperature, and if it is cool enough that he won't burn his hand (again), he opens the door.

Saul is going to repeat this procedure at each door, so if you want to skip ahead, feel free.

Saul is right handed, so that damage is on his right hand. Should I track the damage, or are you?

Also, how much of Saul's 3 minutes has elapsed?

[Fisher]

Radar Display


http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/truehunter22/Deserts%20of%20Moirae/RadarDisplay.gif

Inside the Transport
Approaching the far left door, Saul could feel heat emanating from one of the rooms on the right. Passing by the first room, what seemed to be left of some sort of medic bay, he could see that it had already been ransacked. Sheets of paper and medical supplies littered the floor, though there was little sign of anything burnt or burning. Continuing forward he arrived at his destination.

Finding the door handle warm to the touch, he cautiously tapped the lever to avoid further burns. Slowly it began to swing open. It hadn't moved nary a few inches, however, before it became snagged on something. From within a barely audible and timid shriek could be heard.



Radar Display: For those who are actively using their sensor equipment here's a quick readout. The radar uses the traditional NS setup, so the top of the radar is North, etc. Each block represents roughly 500m. The image will loop, so no need to worry if you missed the first run through. The signal is centered on the Shuffle.

Fendrin: I'll keep track of Saul's Health, though feel free to keep a record as well. Roughly 1 minute has passed.

[Ambon]

Nino

+Oh... Hey! Illen, Alexa, do you guys see that? I'll try to get a better look.+

Wandering west of the Shuffle, Nino activates the thrusters on his mech and hovers above the sandy dunes, hoping to get a look at the approaching blip.

[fendrin]

Saul

"It's ok." he says, then stops. Realizing the anxiety in his voice, he starts again in a much more calm tone.
"It's ok, I'm here to help you. Are you hurt? I can help, if you let me in. I gotta say, it's only going to get hotter in here, so the sooner we can get out the better."

+Hey, Keep me in loop on what's going on out there. I've got a survivor in here, so it's more than just my life at stake.+

[Matterthief]

+Good, you played hero enough, get that survivor out of there and get back into your mech before someone decides to blast your deactivated Machine. There is an unidentified moving object 4.5 kilometers west of our position.+

B.G. started the matching program in his Target Analyzer in order to identify what the object on the sensor is.

[Fisher]

Inside the Transport
"No. No, Stay Back." the timid voice cried out. "She said. The fire lady said she'd get me if I tried to get away! I don't want to burn like the others. Not like the others... as the voice trailed off the only sound that remained was the muffled cries of the young girl sobbing.

Before he had a chance to reply, a message came in over the comm.

+ Alright Greylight, so you were right. + Emily comments over the comm. + Now get yourself and whoever is in their out before things get worse.+

In the Distance
Searching the western horizon, all Nino can see is a trail dust. Whoever or whatever it is, they're still a couple of kilometers away. Judging by their speed, however, that fact could change very soon.

B.G. on the other hand, aided by his sensor array, can see a little more clearly. Although barely. The dust cloud seems to be the result of several vehicles making their way towards the transport. It looks like their could be five or six total.

B.G.'s Command Screen


Subject Out of Range For Target Analysis...

Would You Like To Try Again? (Y/N)

[fendrin]

Saul

Fire Lady? A pyrokinetic? Or just a pyromaniac. No wonder she's frightened.

"It's ok. I can protect you from the fire lady, but you have to let me in. What's your name?"

Whispering into his radio, he responds:
+Roger that. Believe me, I don't want to be in here any longer than I have to.+

He tries to see what the door snagged on.

OOC: when it snagged, did it hit something hard (like debris or a chair), or something soft (like a little girl)?

[Fisher]

Inside the Transport
Looking downward between the door and the frame Saul could see the edge of a desk and other bits of small furniture. It seemed to be a sort of makeshift barricade hastily made.

After a short pause the girl replies, "I... I'm not coming out. The others seemed nice at first too. Then they, they destroyed everything. Your friends have even surrounded my home just like the others did!"


When the door snagged earlier it hit something hard. The girl's voice is coming from one of the opposite corners of the room.

[Kioran]

Illen

Seeing the Incoming vehicles on the sensor closing in, but still at some distance, and manageable speed, Illen bared his teeth in a grimace, and made a decision. Within seconds, his turret was realigning with his tracks as the motor of the tank revved up, heading down the dunes in westward course. "Whatever it is, it's slow enough I can intercept it, and the way this looks, it might be better if I at least have the option of buying the others time or warning them if I can't handle it", he thought, and pushed the tank to higher speed, accelerating almost eagerly.

[fendrin]

Saul

You gotta be kiddin' me...

"Well if you're not coming out, I'm coming in. You might not trust me, but I am not going to leave you here to die!"

Saul then uses his staff as a prybar to try to get the door open.

[Matterthief]

B.G. switched his Target Analyzer to automatically scan the unknown units as the come toward the group while turning to address Emily +Should I hail them or do you wish to do the honors?+

[Fisher]

Stealth Mission
Traveling expediently southwest, Illen quickly approaches the source of the unknown signal. Though the unknown group is still kilometers away the line of sight is enough to reveal their numbers. Six retrofitted hover sleds were hurtling across the desert sands in the direction of the Rolling Shuffle. Four of the six vehicles look to have cannons mounted atop their frames. To learn more would require getting closer.

Within the Transport
With a shove and a heave the door jerks open, leaving a large gap wide enough for Saul to push through. A surprised yelp reveals the girl to be cowering in the opposite corner of the room, her hands clutched atop her head in defense as if shielding against an expected blow.

Outside the Transport
+ We'll wait until they get a bit closer B.G. There's a slim chance they could pass us by. If they do get much closer go ahead and hail them. +


Just to keep track of everything, I'll be listing things in actions for the upcoming posts. When/If the group moves on I'll resume with the normal form.

Turn 1
Kioran: Moves 300 meters SouthWest. (2 Actions)
Fendrin: Open Door (1 Action).
Matterthief: Maintain EW (1 Action). Target Analyzer (Free Action).

Info
-Unknown Group has gone from being 3.5 km away to 2.5km.
-There's roughly 2.2km between Kioran and the group.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but the Shuffle is mainly a transport vessel and at the moment doesn't contain any weapons. To make up for this it possesses decent armor and shielding.

[fendrin]

Saul

Collapsing his staff, he puts it away.
"There, that's better. Now we can see each other. Are you hurt? I can help."

[Kioran]

Illen

"Come on, I need a reading on these guys!" Illen mumbled, into the emptyness of his cockpit, communications still only passive. He raced on towards the column of tracked vehicles, and directed the scanners to get a glimpse at the equipment of one of the cannon-sleds.
"I will need to stay north of them, at least a bit, so I can draw them off if it comes to firefight...Of course I could just start slugging at extreme range, and there would be little they could do, probably, but I would prefer for the other side to initiate hostilities" Illen thought, is finger occasionally straying a bit closer to the trigger as he waited for the Target analyzer's readout or clarification of the column's intentions

I use the TA to get a reading on the cannon-sled, as stated, but it's no tragedy if I get nothing distinct.
Also, Yay Cannon! With an 11 base range, I have an extreme range of 6km! I can fire at any known target right now, if at penalty :smallbiggrin:

[Fisher]

Survivor Situation
Entering the room, the first thing that strikes Saul was a powerful burnt scent.

The girl remained in the far corner, visibly frightened by the man. The moments tick by slowly as Saul stands waiting for a reply.

It is now that he gets a full look at the contents of his surroundings. To his left lies what remains of the door blockade: an oak desk and chair, bits of clothing, a brown suitcase, and a few unlabeled boxes. Two twin size beds sit in the center of the room each decorated similarly with matching blue bedsheets and pillows, now littered with dust and ash. What grabs his attention, however, is a charred, adult corpse resting on the floor near the door. It was obvious that this was the source of the smell Saul had encountered upon entering.

Noting the intruder's lack of aggression, the girl finally responds, "I... I'm fine. Who... Who are you?"


Stealth Illen
The oncoming vehicles continue to advance, unerring in their path. The target analyzer continues to ping the hover sleds, attempting to gain a lock on the equipment. Finally a result begins to printout on the display screen.



Incoming data...

- Unknown Weaponry... Custom Design.
- Lack of Energy Signature. Suggests Projectile Based Payload
- RC82 Revolt Brand Multi-feed mechanism recognized.
- No Serial# Found

[Kioran]

Illen

"I don't know about their intentions...yet. But I do not need to, right now" he thought, "speed and heading are enough." Carefully, he steered his tank hard to the south, trying for a straight intercept across the most direct vector of the unknown vehicles towards his allies. The plan was madness.... glorious madness.
If they were intent on attacking his allies, they were in for a nasty surprise. Provided they'd bite. Illen would just have to make sure they did before they started firing on his comrades or the Shuffle.

Okay, I'm going to cut south to be exactly in the way of the oncoming column, at which point I will turn around toward my allies, driving up towards our "friends" in reverse.
Ideally, I'd need a good idea of their speed and heading to pull the stunt I've been brewing.

[fendrin]

Saul

"My name is Saul."

He steps to the beds and pulls off a sheet, using it to cover the corpse like a shroud.

"I'm not going to force you to leave this room, but I can promise you that it will safer to come with me than to stay here."

He slowly approaches the girl.

"If you come with me, my team and I can protect you, and take you somewhere safe. If you stay..."

[Fisher]

Stealth Illen
Lining up with the approaching mob, Illen prepares to initiate his daring plan. The path of the oncoming vehicles remains unchanged.

Survivor Situation
Slowly, the young girl thought over her situation. Glancing over at the shrouded corpse and again up toward Saul there was no way to tell what thoughts were racing through her mind, although Saul could likely guess. Hesitantly she stood to her feet and nodded, agreeing to go with her potential rescuer.

Turning toward the door Saul could feel the hairs on his neck stand on end as he approached the entrance way.


Danger!


Round 2
Kioran: Moves 600 M (2 Actions)
Fendrin: 2 Actions remaining
Ambon: 2 Actions remaining
Matterthief: 2 Actions Remaining

No actions from Ambon or Matterthief the first round?

Info
- Hover Sleds move an additional 1km. Current Distance is 1.5k away from the shuffle and 500m away from Illen.
-Illen is currently between the sleds and the shuffle. Not sufficient MA to get behind the vehicles this round.

[fendrin]

Saul

"Good choice. Let's get out... hold on, stay back."

Great, what now?

Pulling out his staff, he extends it and steps cautiously to the door.

[Fisher]

Survivor Situation
Carefully nearing the open door, Saul notices nothing wrong. The feeling was still there, at the back of his neck, warning him that something was wrong. His gut told him whatever it was, it was close. Perhaps something in one of the adjacent rooms.

"...What is it?" the girl hesitantly asks, upon seeing the older man's worry.


Fire!

[Matterthief]

B.G. started radioing the incoming vehicles, +This is Solitaire Company calling unidentified hover sleds, you are wandering into an active operation. Please stop your vehicles and state your identification.+

While he was talking, B.G. took his mech and stood on top of the Rolling Shuffle in order to protect it from a possible missile barrage.

+Repeat, you are entering an active operation, if you do not stop your vehicles now, we will be forced to open fire.+

Action 1: Maintain EW
Action 2: Move on top of Rolling Shuffle

[fendrin]

Saul

Closing the door, Saul collapses his staff and puts it away.

"The fire's cut off our escape route. I'll just have to have another one made."

Alexa's mech has that sword... that should do the trick. I hope.

He clears out the rubble from in front of the desk and pushes it back against the door. He pulls a bed over to it, shifting the mattress to cover the desk as well as most of the bed.

"Crouch under the desk. It should protect us from any debris. Face towards the door."

When the girl is under the desk, Saul ducks under the bed, using his body to shield the girl from any debris that might find it's way around the improvised shelter.

+Alexa, I need you to make me a door. Carve off the left wall of transport. Start just behind the cockpit and go back fifteen feet or so. And for the love of God, don't cut more than a few feet in.+

"Cover your ears, this could get loud."

Saul takes his own advice, and waits.

[Kioran]

Illen

Illen's face was locked in concentration as he lined up his tank with the hoversleds and turned the turret slightly towards the advancing column. Then, abruptly, Illen stopped, and waited, reviewing the Target analyzer and the status read-out of his cannon and autoloader, waiting for the rearmost vehicle to move up, only seconds away now....

Given the fact that 1 Hex = 50m, and that the enemies move 1km/turn, I'll stay put and in direction, since that puts them at ideal 10 hexes next turn :smallsmile:
If that's the distance to the front vehicle, I'll move back any required increment of hexes up to 6 and get ready to rock. Can I use the aim action on moving target? If I can, I'll use for any of the actions I don't need for moving.

[Fisher]

Incoming Data (Illen's Console)

Part Weight Armor
Frame 14 Tons M.Striker
GES Pod 4 Tons M.Striker
Booster Pod 2 Tons L.Weight

Armament Weight Payload Range
Multi-Feed Cannon 3 Tons N/A N/A

Current Speed: 360 km/hour
ETA: 5 seconds

...Deep scan in process

The Wrecked Transport
No sooner had the girl ducked behind the desk when Saul heard a loud explosion from down the hall. A wave of fresh, black smoke cascades into the room, filling it like a thick fog. The smoke settled quickly, however, and the sound of crackling debris down the hall soon faded as did the sense of impending danger.

On the Radio
Static fills the empty channel as B.G. awaits a reply from the oncoming vehicles. While positioning his mecha atop the Shuffle a voice replies in a measured, deep voice, +You are wrong. It is you who have entered our territory. Drop your weapons, equipment, and any supplies you may have and then leave.+


Vehicle Group Distance: 500m from Illen and 500m from the Shuffle. If anyone decides to attack this round, I'll consider it a "surprise round" and roll initiative at the start of the next. This doesn't mean that the enemy won't fight back this round though.

[Kioran]

Illen Yaron

The virtual HUD superimposed on the images of the armed hoversleds displayed distance, the crosshairs displayed elevation, angle and prpbable impact velocity. The sleds were racing over the desert, fast enough to make aiming difficult, make waiting for the perfect moment a strenous task.
"One shot, for glory and victory" he thought, leading the rearmost, vehicle, waiting, almost lining up...

The roar of the cannon reverberated through the desert, it's muzzle flash kicking up a cloud of dust as Illen resighted and fired again, the Gungnir's cloak dropping, the tank becoming visible again in patches that rapidly spread, until it's gunmetal body was clearly visible again.
+Well, well. Looks like you overplayed your hand, not knowing your own territory and all+ he transmitted, unencrypted over the channel they used, grinning madly. He could have claimed the bluster was meant to distract them, to draw them to him, and to give Saul and the others time to kit up and regroup. He could. But then, he had to admit, he loved the pure audacity and drama of it....

BAMM!

Two shots at the rearmost vehicle, modify with movement penalties as appropriate
[roll0]
[roll1]

[roll2]
[roll3]

[roll4]

[fendrin]

Saul

"Well that wasn't as bad as I thought."

+Alexa, forget the door. We can make it to the exit. You go help Illen.+

Smiling to the girl, Saul extends a hand to help her out from under the desk.

"Stay close behind me, and we'll be fine."

He then begins making his way back to the hatch he entered from, as fast as he can while still checking doors for heat, and making sure that the girl is keeping up.

I wonder what her name is?

[Matterthief]

+Sorry, about that. My comrade's warning shots tends to do too much damage for it's purposes but I did warn you that we will fire if you wander too close. I assure you will lose more than you will gain in this fight. Don't let my trophies fool you, (B.G. points to his mismatched mech parts) We are a Private Military Company on a Search and Destroy mission and we are armed to do so. This is your final warning, turn around and go back to whatever place you call home or else we will mercilessly kill you down to the very last man as we are not paid bonuses to bring back prisoners+


Action 1: Decrease EW range from 500m to 50m

Action 2: Intimidate the hell out of bandits

Cool(6) + Intimidate(0) + 1d10 = [roll0]

[Fisher]

Round 1
Illen's shot strikes true, crippling one of the vehicles booster pod which explodes in a fiery blast. Startled, the mob scatters posed to attack. Several level their weapons toward the Shuffle and it's crew while two others prepare to retaliate against the one who initiated the surprise assault.



Intimidation Successful! Enemy 1, 2, 3, and 6 suffer -2 to actions this round. Enemy #4 was injured by Illen's attack.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/truehunter22/Deserts%20of%20Moirae/DesertOfMoiraeB01R01.jpg

Initiative

Illen: [roll0]
Alexa: [roll1]
Nino: [roll2]
Saul: [roll3]
B.G. [roll4]

[fendrin]

Saul

Emerging from the burning vehicle, Saul takes in the situation and turns to the girl.
If they are here to clean up after the initial attack, they might target a survivor...

"You'll be safest in our transport. I'm about to get up close and ugly with these guys. I'll carry you over there."

He then climbs into his cockpit and starts up his mech. He lowers a giant mechanical hand to the ground next to the girl.

+Zazie, I've got a passenger coming your way. Can you open the door for her?+

[Matterthief]

+God Dammit Saul! Don't go and expose your sorry ass to enemy fire. Drop the girl off at the left crew entrance and take care of enemy targets 1 and 6; I'll take care of 2 and 3; Illen you take the last two, your cannon should be enough to take them down.+

B.G. moved off the Shuffle and headed 250 meters (5 Hexes) Southwest toward the direction of Target 3, his Minigun raised and the clutch depressed the winding screech of the large barrels foreshadowing the thousands of forearm sized shells tearing through armor like debris in a tornado. B.G. hopes the guy is lucky enough to die from a direct hit, otherwise he might get to see his body parts fly off his torso before he die and that is a bit too cruel a death for a human being. Oh wait, these guys are bandit scum so its okay after all. B.G. smiles as he pulls the trigger and unleash a storm of metal.



Mecha Reflexes(8) + Mecha Gunnary(2) + Profession Bonus(1) + 1d10 = [roll0]

[Fisher]

Update
+ Can do Saul! I'll have the hatch open so you can drop her off. +

While Saul tends to getting the girl to safety, the battle has already begun. B.G.'s assault, charged with adrenaline and excitement, flies wild and misses completely. The shells do little more than embed themselves into the red desert sand.


Forgot to mention, the two tiles labeled G are the two guard mecha found when the Shuffle first arrived. They'll provide partial cover.

Initiative
Saul (19)
B.G. (17)
Kioran (14)
Alexa (12)
Nino (10)


http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/truehunter22/Deserts%20of%20Moirae/DesertOfMoiraeB01R01A01.jpg

[Kioran]

Illen Yaron

With a metallic ring, the autoloader ejected the second cartridge and slammed a third one home. Silently, Illen cursed at the ineffectiveness of the fire laid down by his comrades and him, and at the inconvenient heroics displayed "Seems like I don't get to be the hero" he mumbled, realigning the cannon and firing again, the muzzle flash whirling up dust even as he, sweating now, took aim once more and fired again.
"This time, it seems I get to be the target..." he said into the emptiness of his cockpit, hoping to take down at least one of the two targets in range.

"Only one more shot in the barrel.....

Both actions used to fire on the previously damaged 4, switching to 6 should I, via some miracle, destroy 4 on my first shot. No movement, of cause.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[roll2]
[roll3]

[roll4]

[Fisher]

Battlefield
Illen's first shot hits home, damaging the target while blasting off several scraps of metal plating. The second, however, veers off course colliding with the desert floor.

Annoyed and frustrated the bandits move into action. Several audible, metallic clicks can be heard as the ammo cartridges switch over on the hover sled's cannon chambers. En masse one group unleashes a hail of shells towards the Shuffle and it's crew. Instead of a rain of bullets, the assault leaves splatters of green, sticky gunk throughout the area, fixing Nino, Alexa, and the Shuffle in place*.

Two other vehicles move in to pin Illen, fearful that the tank may vanish once more. Their attempts to cover the Gungir similarly in sticky green goo fails, however, as their shots whiz over past the tank. Trying to create some distance between himself and B.G.'s blitz, the third bandit retreats while laying down a small burst of cover fire. His attack also fails, leaving the Phantom Hound unscathed.




*Escape Roll vs 18 to break free from grapple.

Map on the way...

Init
Kioran
BG
Fendrin

Edit: And Here's the map.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/truehunter22/Deserts%20of%20Moirae/DesertOfMoiraeB01R02.jpg

[Kioran]

Illen Yaron

Even while the nearby impacts were throwing up dust, shells zipping past, Illen tried to clam himself. The target reticle crawled slowly over the landscape and the moving targets, flickering on and off the mark. It was hard to concentrate with the enemy bearing down on him, and so far, half his shots had veered off, failing to inflict serious damage or make a kill.
His hands were slick with sweat as the made some more adjustment, eyes squinting in concentration, before he pulled the trigger. The cannon flung out the shell with a deafening roar, the lock slamming to reveal the empty, smoking receiver. Empty.

Okay, my last shot. Actions:

1: Aim at enemy 4 for the +1
2: [roll0]
[roll1]

[roll2]