Worse Than the Disease IC

[Shoot Da Moon]

The prisoners shrug and admit it, "Yes. Help is on the way. The flares are meant to signal to patrols. The radio messages are to an intelligence office who handles the dispatches. The battle bus is a reinforced double decker loaded with elite soldiers, used to protect the higher ranked camps."

Sean, meanwhile, hears the telltale rumblings of a big heavy motor vehicle, probably 200 yards away...

[u-b]

"Vehicle incoming!" After this warning shout, Sean decides he would continue to inhabit the building, puts the replaced and still mostly full magazine back in the corresponding pocket, then crouches taking cover behind a doorpost or some such and waits for the bus to approach.

Spoiler

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Sean takes the wait maneuver, aiming at the hex he expects the bus driver to move through assuming the bus moves right along the pre-existing tracks. This is done using the optics and the hex chosen is as far as Sean can thus target. If Sean hears that the bus has stopped (even if the engine is not shut down), he will reconsider this plan.

I guess Tariq and Richard still have time to administer nanomachines before the combat starts.

[Volthawk]

"Dammit!" Richard first runs over to Tariq, quickly realising that he can't do much for him at the moment - not enough time to patch him well enough, and from what they knew about it he'd need several nanomachine injections to get back up (they had enough, but the risks involved weren't worth it in Richard's mind). Instead, he whispers "Trouble's coming. Bus full of elites. Hang on in there a little longer, and I'm borrowing this." Grabbing Tariq's grenade launcher and any easily accessible grenades, Richard gets to a position where he has cover and can see where the bus seemed to be coming from.

[GnomesofZurich2]

Tariq scopes out his situation, knowing he can't do much to help, but trying to gauge whether he's in sufficient cover should an enemy come across him.

[Shoot Da Moon]

The sounds of the heavy wheeler automobile grow louder and louder.

It takes the "battle bus" another 2 and a half minutes to drive into view of the camp, 20 yards behind the cabin (the total opposite end of the camp would be 33 yards if the cabin did not block the view). Just as the prisoners said, it is a double decker bus that got reinforced with metal plating. Inside, over 20 armed men sitting or standing, and one driver at the wheel.

(OC: Sean, Bart, Tariq and Richard all see it before the enemies see them, they act first.

Some notes for the battle; -1 to shoot both into or out of windows unless the shooter/target is leaning out, the bus is moving at a speed of 4 yards per second, the bus is SM+5, hit locations are G4W, the driver has Driving-12, the bus Dodges at 9, bus is -1 Hnd and SR 4, failed Control Rolls spoil Aim and give attack rolls a penalty equal to failure margin (B469), bad guys inside have -2 to attack rolls when bus Dodges, bad guys' Aim and bracing bonuses cannot go above SR.

Action!)

[u-b]

Still crouching behind the doorpost, Sean shoots a long burst at the driver and passengers. He hopes to observe the effect and shoot another burst before he's pinned.

[Shoot Da Moon]

The scout's lead spitting slaughters 5 passengers and the driver.

(OC: Richard, what are you gonna do? With the driver dead, we roll a die each turn to see if the bus spins out or crashes.)

[Volthawk]

Richard considers trying to get a grenade through a window, but decides to hold his fire for now. If the bus crashes, that might force the people inside to reposition, and he'd rather they didn't expect the grenade launcher (well, they might expect it anyway, if they figure out it's the exiles they're up against and know Tariq's style, but nonetheless). That, and he hadn't trained with a launcher before, didn't trust his ability to pull off precise shots like that.

Spoiler

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Taking Wait actions until a shooter exposes themselves somehow (either leaning out of a window or getting out entirely) at which point Richard will launch a grenade at them.

[Shoot Da Moon]

(OC: Tariq, you probably Do Nothing. What should Bart the Hunter and his dogs do?)

[GnomesofZurich2]

(OC: Tariq, you probably Do Nothing. What should Bart the Hunter and his dogs do?)

(OC: Yes, for the foreseeable future).

[u-b]

(OC: Tariq, you probably Do Nothing. What should Bart the Hunter and his dogs do?)

(OC: Yes, for the foreseeable future).

Unless directed by Tariq, I think Bart's plan would be to keep an eye on the scenery, including Tariq, the prisoners, the forest and such. He might crouch behind a tree while at it, but won't do anything active unless and until an attacker appears in his view (I think currently the house blocks line of sight to the attackers).

[Shoot Da Moon]

(OC: the roll is above SR, the bus is out of control.)

The double decker turns randomly and accelerates - it is out going towards the cabin, as if trying to ram it. It is now going at 8 yards per second. It is now 16 yards away from the cabin...

Aboard the battle bus, the marauders scramble. Half of them duck down below the windows and the other half spread out through the two levels.

(OC: Sean, your turn.)

[u-b]

As the bus accelerates in his direction, Sean holds his position for a moment to shoot a long burst at the men that remain visible, making sure to walk this burst onto one of the front tyres of the bus before he runs out of ammo.

[Shoot Da Moon]

Sean's gunfire slays another handful of enemies inside the bus, and blasts the front tyre, too.

The tyre is damaged but does not go flat or fall off.

(OC: Richard, your turn. I believe.)

[Volthawk]

Seeing that the occupants are planning on just hunkering down, Richard considers his options. Firing grenades from here didn't seem like a good idea - he figured that they armoured that thing with resisting explosions from outside in mind, and at this range he didn't think he could fire one with enough precision to get inside. So that meant he either switched to his rifle or he got closer. Hoping that the passengers' attention were taken up enough by Sean's shooting that they wouldn't spot him straight away, Richard starts making his way closer to the bus - or more accurately, towards the point on the cabin that it looked like it was heading towards.

[Shoot Da Moon]

Richard sneak around, but he mostly has to stay down, with the stone barriers between him and the enemies.

Tariq is still staying out of the fight as best as he can.

(OC: what does Bart the Hunter and his dogs do this turn?)

[GnomesofZurich2]

Richard sneak around, but he mostly has to stay down, with the stone barriers between him and the enemies.

Tariq is still staying out of the fight as best as he can.

(OC: what does Bart the Hunter and his dogs do this turn?)

Bart will continue keeping an eye on things, and look for an opportunity to do some damage to the raiders. With a shotgun, there's no point in engaging the bus, but if they come out and he can get a decent shot he'll take it.

(OC: Wait maneuver).

[Shoot Da Moon]

TURN 2

Without a driver at the helm, the battle bus hits a large stone obstacle.
As the bus smashes into the hard surface, it suffers massive crumpling, stops dead in its tracks, the engine looks to be dead, and the whole thing starts to catch fire.

(OC: the bus now takes 1d-1 burning injury per second until the fire is extinguished.)

The people inside are knocked around and down. None of them seem likely to shoot back in the next few seconds...

(OC: Sean, your turn...)

[u-b]

Sean remains in position and ejects the empty magazine.

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Reload 1/3. What is the distance to the bus now? Is it positioned such that people can open the doors and/or get out of them without Sean noticing?

[Shoot Da Moon]

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Reload 1/3. What is the distance to the bus now? Is it positioned such that people can open the doors and/or get out of them without Sean noticing?

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The bus was 15 yards from the cabin when it crashed. Only half of the doors can be seen by Sean, they can probably be opened by hand with some effort (the controls at the helm can be used, but no-one is currently at the wheel). The bad guys inside have a choice to make, it seems.

[Volthawk]

Richard keeps moving closer to the bus - it looked like his opportunity was coming up, and he wanted to be close enough to get a good shot if it happened.

[GnomesofZurich2]

Seeing Sean's maneuver, Bart will try to gauge how far he is from the bus and if necessary move to get a better shot with his shotgun should the raiders emerge.

[Shoot Da Moon]

TURN 3

Those watching the bus can see men inside the buss standing up.

The fire continues to burn...

[u-b]

Sean remains in position and draws a new full magazine.

Spoiler

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Reload 2/3. Sean would like to know when someone attempts to aim at him or open any door of the bus. Roll vision or hearing 15 as appropriate. If atacked right away, will dodge with extra effort.

[Volthawk]

Richard keeps approaching the bus.

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How close is Richard to the bus now?

[Shoot Da Moon]

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How close is Richard to the bus now?

(OC: 16-21 yards minus (2 turns worth of your Move after encumbrance)? You did not start the combat encounter in the cabin. Tariq and Bart, your turns.)

[GnomesofZurich2]

Tariq will continue staying in cover.

Does Bart have line of sight to one of the bus doors? If so, he will cover that door, prepared to fire on the first person out.

(OC: Wait maneuver. How far is he from the bus?)

[Shoot Da Moon]

Tariq will continue staying in cover.

Does Bart have line of sight to one of the bus doors? If so, he will cover that door, prepared to fire on the first person out.

(OC: Wait maneuver. How far is he from the bus?)

Bart has line of sight on the bus.

(OC: Let's call it 18 yards from the bus, for Bart.)

TURN 4

The bus continues to burn.

At the two doors that can be seen, a man each walks over to it and prepares to open it up. Some of the raiders are looking out the windows.

[u-b]

Sean remains in position and inserts the magazine into the rifle.

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Reload 3/3. I am assuming they are looking, but not pointing guns, out the windows. Will take a step into total cover if they actually do. Sean is going to attack next round, so will need either a list or just a number of those that can be targeted when it is his next turn. Roll vision or hearing 15 as appropriate. If atacked right away, will dodge with extra effort.

[Shoot Da Moon]

Spoiler

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Reload 3/3. I am assuming they are looking, but not pointing guns, out the windows. Will take a step into total cover if they actually do. Sean is going to attack next round, so will need either a list or just a number of those that can be targeted when it is his next turn. Roll vision or hearing 15 as appropriate. If atacked right away, will dodge with extra effort.

(OC: Sean counts six raiders at their windows.)