We didn't order pizza (D3 EE Szekeres Combat)

[GM Yuusha]

Numerous high speed vehicles have been detected approaching the Comms Site from the direction of the barracks. We've been expecting this. Intercepted communications and intel from our informant has made us aware of this reinforcement group. When Szekeres stops transmitting communications, they are under standing orders to check and secure the Site. Command Company will be assisting with this, as we expect up to a company of hover vehicles. While we will ambush them on the highway, we'd like your lance to lie in wait on the slope to take on any enemy that break past us. As they'll be under orders to get to the site, we expect they will engage a smaller force rather than flee. Your lance is ideal for this.

Objective: Defeat the enemy.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

Mei and her lance were all nervous. She had been debating with herself all day if it was right to go out. They might fail, they might die, they might go crazy and destroy more than they needed. But John had done it and she needed to be strong, they all did. They didn't chat much, all of them thinking about the Starlit Knights and all of them vowing this would be different.

[GM Yuusha]

Fortunately, only a hover tanks get past the first and second lance of command company. Those that did were fast, but minimally armed. The greatest danger to the scout lance were the pair of Scimitar medium hover tanks with their AC/5s. The Savannah Master was blindingly fast, but it only had a medium laser. The J.Edgar had a good amount of short range weapons however.



As Mei and her lance lie in wait they hear about the approaching enemy and the order to intercept them.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"OK guys looks like some of them slipped through the net. Pickles, go distract those Scimitars and make sure if they run they run back into Command lance. Turtle your in the middle, go up by those trees on the hill due East and wait for the push. Hoops you with me in the left, lets try and keep that AC/ from barking too much."

Talon RUNS RFFFFFRFFFF to 1505 facing SE
Javelin JUMPS to 1403 facing SE
Hermes RUNS RFFLFFFFF to 1106 facing SE
Mongoose WALKS FFFFFF to 1209 facing SE

[GM Yuusha]

Mei-Ling took a chancy shot on the lead Scimitar, but it impacted just behind it as it sped up to climb the hill.



The J.Edgar had lost control for a moment and really fell out of position. The Savannah Master sped forward to make a giant nuisance of itself.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"Hoops fall back and burn it down, you two GO!" Mei raced up the hill and past the Savannah Master popping a shot off at it before closing on the J.Edgar

Talon RUNS RFRFFFF to 1906 facing SE
Talon targets Savannah Master with ERPPC
Talon Targets J. Edgar with 2x Medium Lasers

Javelin JUMPS to 1103 facing SE
Javelin targets Savannah master with 2x SRM/6

Mongoose WALKS FFFRFR to 1710 facing SE
Mongoose targets nearest Scimitar with 3x Medium lasers

Hermes RUNS RFFFRFFFFFFR to 1712 facing NE
Hermes targets nearest Scimitar with 3x Medium Lasers

[GM Yuusha]

The hover tanks were up for a scrap. The tiny 5 ton Savannah Master lands a medium laser hit on the Javelin that had moved ahead of it (5 damage LL). Meanwhile, Mei-Ling's Talon was struck by a few impacts. One of them nearly hit the mech's head if not for Mei-Ling taking a particularly high stride at the last moment (5 damage RT, 4 damage RL, 1 edge used to avoid HD hit). The Mongoose took a little damage too (5 damage RT).

Somehow, all the scout mechs missed their return fire. It was like their targeting systems all had a glitch at the same moment. Bizarre!

(Hermes is on 1 heat)



All four hover tanks sped around the area, trying to make themselves difficult to hit. It had worked so far.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"OK guys lets knock the rust off already its a bunch of tanks, no reason we should be missing like this."

Talon WALKS FLFFFLLL to 2305 facing SW
Talon targets Scimitar(2005) with 1x ERPPC
Talon targets Scimitar(2005) with 2x medium lasers

Javelin JUMPS to 1703 facing S
Javelin targets Scimitar(1605) with 2x SRM/6

Mongoose WALKS RRRFFFR to 1408 facing N
Mongoose targets J. Edgar(1606) with 3x Medium lasers
Mongoose targets J. Edgar(1606) with 1x Small laser

Hermes WALKS LLFRFFF to 1608 facing N
Hermes targets J. Edgar(1606) with 3x Medium lasers

[GM Yuusha]

Mei-Ling's encouragement paid off. Not only did she land two thirds of her shots on the nearby Scimitar (10 damage RR, 5 damage RR), but her lance mates were now landing shots too. Well, except the Javelin. However, it had jumped and tried to then hit a fast moving target. Anyway, the Mongoose immobilised the J.Edgar with well aimed medium laser fire (5 damage RR, major damage, vehicle immobile, 5 damage LS) and the Hermes then finished it off (5 damage LS, crew stunned, 5 damage LS, crew stunned for 2 turns now, 5 damage LS, section destroyed, tank destroyed by damage!). As the Mongoose hit it in the back the Hermes hit it in the side. There was a tearing sound as the tank opened up and the crew inside were obliterated by the constant firepower hitting their vehicle.

The return fire was less hot, which was a good thing. A few SRMs struck the Talon (4 damage RT) and a medium laser removed the Mongoose's right torso armour (5 damage to RT) triggering a warning light as its structure was exposed.

(Javelin 4 heat, Mongoose and Hermes on 1)



The remaining 3 hover vehicles swung around, moving back south east to try giving themselves some distance.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"Hoops if you don't wanna listen to Hankey's drunken gloating I suggest you hit something quick. Perhaps NOT jumping all the time could help? Turtle swing around and cut them off, they picked this hill to die on lets not let them change their minds."

Talon Does not move.
Talon targets Scimitar(2006) with 2x Medium lasers
Talon targets Savannah Master(2008) with 1x ERPPC

Javelin WALKS FFFR to 1705 facing SE
Javelin targets Scimitar(2006) with 1x SRM/6

Hermes WALKS RRRFFLFFL to 1811 facing NE
Hermes targets Scimitar(2111) with 3x medium lasers

Mongoose WALKS RRRFFFL to 1710 facing NE
Mongoose targets Savannah Master(2008) with 3x Medium lasers
Mongoose targets Savannah Master(2008) with 1x Small laser

[GM Yuusha]

Mei-Ling hits the nearby Scimitar twice with her medium lasers (5 damage TU, LS). Its armour was holding however. The same could not be said for the Savannah Master as her PPC blast catches it and appears to completely disintegrate half of it (destroyed!). At the same moment the Mongoose hit it with a couple of lasers, melting most of the other side of the vehicle. It was obliterated. Her lance mate in the Hermes hit the other Scimitar with a laser (5 damage RS) while the Javelin missed its intended target.

The lance had taken down two of the hover vehicles, but the more threatening pair were still operational. They made their presence known. The Talon was hit with a couple SRMs (2 damage RL, 2 damage LT - edge spent to avoid a through armour critical). It was Mei's good fortune that stopped one hit from penetrating her torso as she twisted it for her own shooting, reducing the damage. Still, her left torso was now in danger as she was out of armour there. The other Scimitar duelled with the Hermes, one SRM impacting an hitherto unknown weakened part of the armour and penetrating through to damage the engine (2 damage to LT, critical, engine hit [+5 heat a turn], 2 damage LL).

None of the mechs were attempting to get stuck in for melee, but they did now outnumber the hover tanks two to one. Would their armour hold?

(Hermes on 6 heat, Mongoose on 2)



Both tanks zipped south. One lost control and crashed through woods, damaging itself in the process. It somehow kept going.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"Shit. Come on guys we should be halfway home by now. Stella I swear if you don't do something with those fucking missiles soon...GET IN THERE!"

Talon WALKS FFFFFR to 2310 facing SW
Talon targets Scimitar(1913) with 2x Medium lasers
Talon targets Scimitar(1613) with 1x ERPPC

Hermes WALKS FFFFRFRR to 2214 facing NW
Hermes targets Scimitar(1913) with 2x Medium lasers

Mongoose WALKS RRFFFLL to 1411 facing SE
Mongoose targets Scimitar(1613) with 3x Medium lasers
Moongoose targets Scimitar(1613) with 1x Small laser

Javilin WALKS RFFFFF to 1911 facing S
Javilin targets Scimitar(1613) with 2x SRM/6

[GM Yuusha]

The lance continued to stick to their shoot-only strategy. It was having mixed results. Mei-Ling misses her ERPPC shot, but lands medium lasers on the damaged Scimitar (5 damage TU, RS, heavy damage, +3 driving skill rolls, 1/2 MP). The Hermes did likewise (10 damage RR). The vehicle looked much worse for wear now. Stella missed her shots, but the Mongoose pilot landed two medium lasers in the lead Scimitar (5 damage TU, RS).

The return fire was minimal, but it was still a threat to walking light mechs. Four SRMs hit the Javelin, including one to the head, shaking Stella up (2 damage HD, 1 pilot hit, RT, RL, CT). The Mongoose takes only a single SRM hit (2 damage LT). The Hermes, with its engine hit, was generating a lot of heat.

(Hermes on 9 heat, Mongoose on 3)

Stuck on the branches at the edge of the woods, the crew of that Scimitar bail from it to try hiding among the trees. The other turned about. It could still do some damage.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"Shit Hoops get out of there! Turtle, keep an eye on those woods and cool off a bit. Pickle lets finish this and go home."

Talon does not move
Talon targets Scimitar(2110) with 1x ERPPC
Talon targets Scimitar(2110) with 2x Medium lasers

Javelin WALK FRFFLF to 1714

Hermes does not move

Mongoose WALKS LFFFFR to 1909 facing SE
Mongoose targets Scimitar(2110) with 2x Medium lasers
Mongoose targets Scimitar(2110) with 1x Small laser

[GM Yuusha]

Mei-Ling and her lance mate Pickle bring down the final hover vehicle, knocking out its engine and stunning the crew. They're a bit late to exit the vehicle, but when they do and no more enemies appear, it was clear the fight was over.

(All enemies eliminated! Congratulations!)

One of the vehicles was fully salvageable, but would need repairs, while the rest would only be able to contribute parts. In return, the scout lance were mostly in good condition. The Hermes would need an extended stay in the hangars to undergo engine repairs.

(The Hermes cannot participate in a fight or patrol until after day 6.)

Informing base about the combat, the lance are thanked and told to return home. As they said this two mechs from another company arrived to watch the area. Salvage would have to wait until the next day.

[GM Yuusha]

Mei-Ling Zhou gains 0.3 fame for her contributions toward a successful combat.

Combat closed.