Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

[Freyland]

Faster.
We have the money, and will lead to more interesting stories sooner.

[$iljanus]

If I can chime in, having a secured base of operations sooner rather than later has it's advantages assuming we have a good cushion of funds for "unforseen" circumstances.

[Hyena]

Faster build time. Also, are we not taking advantage of all the pre-existing structures and such? I thought that was a huge draw, the infrastructure already in place?

[NickAragua]

Most of these structures have been abandoned and unmaintained for upwards of 300 years, and neither our survey nor construction crews would recommend setting up shop in one of those until they've been thoroughly surveyed and evaluated. That being said, once we set up some basic infrastructure, we'll have several options re: what to do with all that stuff.

Our current budget is ~1.8B, so we've got the cash.

[Zenn7]

Faster build time. Also, are we not taking advantage of all the pre-existing structures and such? I thought that was a huge draw, the infrastructure already in place?

Good point!

Faster build times.

[El Guapo]

Yes, I think we should definitely speed up building on the new colony of Guaponia.

[gbasden]

The faster we have it built, the sooner we will see what happens when the guapo hits the fan. Also, I did not see budget for our war dirigible hangars?

[El Guapo]

I mean, we 100% need the war dirigibles to defend Guaponia.

[gbasden]

I mean, we 100% need the war dirigibles to defend Guaponia.

Knee deep in the Guapo?

[Drazzil]

Use me as a canary?

[NickAragua]

Vote Results:

Spoiler:

Faster construction - 400k - almost unanimous

Our CO taps 'approve' on the proposal to hire additional construction crews and zips it off to the outgoing jumpship. We'll be getting progress reports as the project goes on.

February 28, 3044
URL Ore Smelting Plant (under construction)
Unzmarkt, Free Raslhague Republic

"... so the safest place for a mech when dealing with an isolated heavy or assault tank is actually right on top of it. " Wolf explains to the corporate security guys as we march them in a patrol route around the smelting plant. "Which, I might add, is a lot easier when you're in a faster, jump-capable mech than in a lumbering assault mech like my friend here." The Orion gestures towards the Stalker, plodding along at a respectable 54km/h.

"Hey, come on, you're not that much faster." Siljanus replies in a mock offended tone.

"Clear the comms, we've got unidentified sensor contacts, passing through the construction site" Hyena informs everyone as the Archer's tracking system lights up with data coming in from the Zephyr hovertank that's zipping along.

Our local CO is in a Guillotine, while the corporate security guys are a Dervish, a Phoenix Hawk and a 1S Griffin.

As the incoming enemy units resolve, it's a small raiding force - two lances of tanks, a light mech lance and a medium mech lance. The Zephyr's ECM is running and likely blocking any detailed sensor scans of theirs, but boy are they going to be surprised when those blips for our force resolve to an assault lance!

The lance commander also reminds everyone to try to keep collateral damage to a minimum. "That means don't shoot at the buildings."

The incoming contacts don't respond to any comms, so we're assuming they're hostile.

Round 1:

Spoiler:

"Hunter six, seven and eight, you are cleared to engage, but do not move out of visual range - we won't be able to back you up in there." The lance commander orders. "... and you'll probably wreck the whole place, and your mechs." he mumbles quietly after switching the comm system off transmit.

We exchange some fire with a pair of Locusts and Vulcan that hops up onto a building, but nothing hits.

Round 2:

Spoiler:

More light units come boiling out of the construction site, engaging us with lasers and LRMs.

Wolf chuckles lightly as the Orion's weapons take large chunks out of the Pegasus, but then stops as the Orion is unable to connect its stomp on the nimble little tank, overbalances and falls backwards. A trainee Phoenix Hawk winds up in the same boat after failing to connect a kick with a Locust.

"The hell is that thing?" Hyena calls out, targeting an unidentified mech as it unloads a fifteen-pack of LRMs

Round 3:

Spoiler:

We move in to close quarters, and the hostiles engage us as well. Our CO's Guillotine ignores the pitter patter coming from a Wasp and carves the bug mech up with lasers, taking off about half of its left torso, the arm flopping down on the ground.

Siljanus stomps the Stalker around a building and fires its lasers at a Locust harassing one of our corporate trainees, cutting through the center torso with ease - the bug mech collapses in a heap. The Guillotine still takes a couple of lasers but armor holds up.

The unidentified mech quickly retreats out of Hyena's effective range, leading our mechwarrior to try to take a couple of shots at a Vulcan that jumped out and miss.

Wolf gets revenge on that unarmed Pegasus that tripped up our Orion earlier, squashing it flat. One of the corporate trainees, a Griffin, winds up on the ground after another Locust does laps around the poor guy.

Round 4:

Spoiler:

Siljanus and Hyena move up the "main" street and both spot a Saladin hovertank zipping out. The air immediately fills with lasers, and the Saladin is immobilized. A Vedette gets stuck underfoot as our Zephyr hovertank scores a surprise mobility kill with its lasers before darting back out.

Wolf can't catch a break from the little ankle biters, a Locust harassing the Orion with its machine guns as it runs by. It catches a laser to the back, blasting through to the engine shielding, which causes the little mech to "hiccup" a little, at which point its left leg is crushed by the Orion's 70-ton monster foot.

Round 5:

Spoiler:

We've got the weight advantage, and the AC/20 is out of action, so we press in.

Except for Wolf, who has to fend off a Javelin coming in at the Orion. The 30-ton mech has trouble landing upright after a burst from the heavy's autocannon takes the right leg off, while a laser blast gimps the left leg. Its SRMs go wide.

Siljanus takes a couple of hits from the enemy Dervish, which uses a building to discourage our mechwarrior from shooting back. The corporate security guys take some armor plates off the hostile mech, though, then the Phoenix Hawk nearly gets knocked over. One of the trainee guys goes after a Packrat trying to break off through an alley to the west, but trips and falls instead.

Round 6:

Spoiler:

Siljanus backs up into a cul-de-sac, opening up with lasers at one of two Vedettes (the other one is frantically spinning its treads in place), the tank blowing to bits as lasers punch through the fuel tank.

Wolf watches as the strange little 20-tonner runs past Hyena, putting a salvo from its three LRMs into Siljanus at an oblique angle, then times a kick exactly - the little mech's right leg crumples and it goes down.

The rest of the hostiles bug out pretty rapidly - the medium mechs and a couple of tanks.

We took fairly minimal damage - no armor penetration. Which is to be expected when an insufficient number of lighter units takes on an assault lance. Wolf and Siljanus split the kills down the middle, bagging four units each, although Wolf took down three light mechs, earning a purple leg in the process. Hyena Mk II... well, you know what, not getting blown out of the mech during a battle is a good start for a (relatively) new Mechwarrior's career.

We capture the weird-ass mech and take it to the hangar for examination. It's not a design anyone's seen before, and it's not in any of the databases we have. It's got a three-pack of LRM/5 launchers stacked one on top of the other on its right shoulder... and that's it. For weapons anyway. When our techs get into the guts, they can't make heads or tails out of it. The captured mechwarrior doesn't talk much, either. We'll hold on to it for a little while, and let our techs dig around.

Between the two Locusts we salvage, our employer ought to be able to put a whole one together - in addition to the tanks, we unload salvage for about 1.5M C-Bills.

----------------

Our employer lets us know that they're shipping a load of ore off world (apparently in a modified Leopard with all the mech and aerospace fighter bays converted to cargo) and requests an escort en route to the jumpship.

We'll send a flight of heavies (maybe we'll try out one of those new Chippewas we acquired and see how they perform). Since we know there's an outgoing jumpship, we also have the chance to send one more set of instructions related to our construction project. Our command staff has been knocking around the idea of building a fixed planetary command center. Since we got our first dropship, we've been been doing command & control from one of the conference rooms. This is perfectly fine, but, if we're conducting operations on our "home turf", it'd be nice to have a dedicated facility - we can load it up with all kinds of comms equipment, a real holo-table, properly working environmental controls (so that it doesn't smell like feet), normal-height ceiling so that half of our officers don't ding the bulkhead with their domes. We can even install coffee makers and couches for quick naps.

The main decisions to be made about it are regarding the external structure. We'd obviously be springing for the toughest possible construction, but when inquiring about making it even tougher, there are two possible options: putting it underground or putting dropship-grade armor on the exterior. Both are drastically more expensive than standard construction, but greatly improve survivability. Putting it underground is actually substantially more secure, but having people work underground routinely doesn't really do much good for morale (at least according to studies released by the companes that make armor plating for buildings). The argument against putting too much money into it is that we've gotten so accustomed to our dropship being the command center, the fixed one would only get used when none of our dropships are in-system/on planet, so it'd be kind of a waste of money for the most part. Of course, the mechwarrior arguing that lacks a working sense of smell.

Our current budget is 1.5B C-Bills.
[Unless otherwise noted, going forward, maintenance costs are ~10% of the construction cost, per year)

[] Skip the command center, smelly feet are fine
[] Build the basic command center, 6.4M (640k/year maintenace, default)
[] Build the basic command center, up-armored - 36.4M (1M/year maintenance)
[] Build an underground command center - 30.4M (3.04M/year maintenance, default)

[$iljanus]

Suck it, inferior metal scum!

Say do any of the construction options have a hot tub? I do like a relaxing soak after a pitched battle.

I don't know if the upkeep will bite too much into our reserves but an underground lair does have its advantages in terms of security and protection from bombardment. On the other hand, I'm now rereading the part about how y'all have made due with the dropship being your mobile command post and I assume that's been working out well.

[AWS260]

[] Skip the command center, smelly feet are fine
[X] Build the basic command center, 6.4M (640k/year maintenace, default)
[] Build the basic command center, up-armored - 36.4M (1M/year maintenance)
[] Build an underground command center - 30.4M (3.04M/year maintenance, default)

No need to be paranoid.

[Zenn7]

[] Skip the command center, smelly feet are fine
[] Build the basic command center, 6.4M (640k/year maintenace, default)
[] Build the basic command center, up-armored - 36.4M (1M/year maintenance)
[] Build an underground command center - 30.4M (3.04M/year maintenance, default)

The math on up-armored doesn't work? 36.4M but only 1M/year maintenance?

If this is supposed to be 10M/1m, great, go for it.

If not, a basic non-up-armored command center will do (3M sounds like a LOT of maintenance for 1 building, guessing we'll have maintenance on other buildings, probably build some turrets and such, etc).

[NickAragua]

The armored building is a weird outlier - the armor costs a lot (including structural reinforcement so it doesn't collapse), but once you put it on there's not much that you need to do with it.

[gbasden]

[] Skip the command center, smelly feet are fine
[] Build the basic command center, 6.4M (640k/year maintenace, default)
[] Build the basic command center, up-armored - 36.4M (1M/year maintenance)
[X] Build an underground command center - 30.4M (3.04M/year maintenance, default)

We're building on the planet of unexplained death. I think the most secure command center is a wise precaution.

[Isgrimnur]

Let’s run around with the moles, digging in holes.

[El Guapo]

[] Skip the command center, smelly feet are fine
[] Build the basic command center, 6.4M (640k/year maintenace, default)
[] Build the basic command center, up-armored - 36.4M (1M/year maintenance)
[X] Build an underground command center - 30.4M (3.04M/year maintenance, default)

We're building on the planet of unexplained death. I think the most secure command center is a wise precaution.

I'm inclined to go with this as well. Also seems like we should be prepared for a situation where there's orbital bombardment (is that a thing in Battletech? Seems like it should be).

In terms of natural sunlight, we can throw up a cheap un-armored structure on the top where people can hang out when there's no conflict or danger.

[$iljanus]

[X] Build an underground command center - 30.4M (3.04M/year maintenance, default)


Nothing says that we're a serious organization to be reckoned with more than having an underground lair of operations. I also like the security aspect.

A small resort on the surface for R&R wouldn't be awful either for morale purposes.

"Guaponia! A nice secure place to work and play!" (can use on the recruitment holo)

[xwraith]

Hmm,

One thought: What if there is an existing underground facility? Would it be better to try and locate a fixer-upper?

Then again, what could go wrong renovating a abandoned underground facility on a planet where the population mysteriously disappeared?

[$iljanus]

Hmm,

One thought: What if there is an existing underground facility? Would it be better to try and locate a fixer-upper?

Then again, what could go wrong renovating a abandoned underground facility on a planet where the population mysteriously disappeared?

It probably was due to a bio weapon. I'm sure with some bleach it will be perfectly safe!

[NickAragua]

Vote Results:

Spoiler:

Basic Command Center - 3
Underground - 6
Armored - 1

In the end, we decide to put the command center underground. This will prevent it from being targeted by air strikes and ordnance tossed down from orbit. Additionally, the limited number of access points means that we'll be able to better secure those on the inside with anti-infantry measures. We'll distribute the signal repeaters and receivers on the outside to avoid a single point of failure (that way, if a mech steps on a single radio tower, our comms won't go out).

March 2, 3044
En Route to Nadir Jump Point

"I still don't get it, why don't they just use a Jumbo or a Mule or something and haul a bigger load?" our Chippewa pilot asks.

"I guess it depends on if you think dropships grow on trees or not." The guy in the Lucifer replies. Alpha-Strike got the escort job, and after the initial burn, things get boring. But not too boring.

"Cut the chatter. Sensor contacts vectoring in from Scnepfau." The flight leader, flying the Shilone.

"Gesundheit, Ensign." the Chippewa pilot responds.

"Yeah, yeah, that's funny. You know what else is funny? When you have to clean that fighter off with a toothbrush and lose a month's pay. Now pay attention."

Unzmarkt is actually a pretty interesting system as it turns out - an ice giant in the outer most orbit, and two giant rocks with ultra-high gravity "surrounding" a pair of habitable worlds. Unzmarkt is where we're stationed, while Schnepfau is its buddy in the third slot. Not the best place to live - 15C equatorial temperature and less than 50% standard gravity. Holds an atmosphere, but it's poisonous. It does boast a population of 100M and a pretty high tech base, mostly dedicated to keeping the local population from freezing or suffocating.

That, and hosting squadrons of aerospace fighters operated by URL's competitors. They don't orbit synchronously, but just happen to be right next to each other, orbitally speaking, at this point in time. In this case, we're looking at eight lights and two mediums closing in, as well as a pair of heavies and a pair of mediums that have fallen behind. We're defending a Leopard, which isn't exactly the most badass craft in the universe, but we'll make do.

Round 1:

Spoiler:

Our aerospace fighters are in formation around the Leopard. We also have the three lights from Delta company closing in to help out, as they were the only ones with the speed to catch up.

Round 2:

Spoiler:

And here come the unidentified interceptors. We keep pace with the Leopard as it pours on the engine thrust, firing large lasers and LRMs at a pursuing Eagle (the heaviest of the pursuers - the Sparrowhawks and such are fairly irrelevant). Our Lucifer takes a laser hit, while the Eagle is pummeled by LRMs. Its armor holds up fine, but probably won't be able to take much more concentrated fire.

Round 3:

Spoiler:

The hostile fighters suddenly develop a reluctance to close in as the Leopard rotates towards them. That main battery is not the nastiest thing ever, but it's no joke.

Delta's interceptors burn in as well, taking on a quad of light fighters - they get the drop on a Sabre, inflicting severe damage. The light fighter holds together, but its wing lasers have been disabled, leaving it with just one.

Round 4:

Spoiler:

The light fighters break off, coming around for another pass, leaving our lights to engage a stray Lightning. Our main escort force continues pelting the pursuing units with LRMs. Some of the missiles savage a Sholagar, which decides to join the other light fighters in breaking off (temporarily?)

The Lightning doesn't do so hot and several lasers get through the armor to cause internal damage.

Round 5:

Spoiler:

It takes a few seconds for the Lightning pilot to regain control, that time used by our light fighters to scrape a lot of armor off its left side.

Round 6:

Spoiler:

More contacts coming in, but it seems like they're too far behind to catch up in time. Our Chippewa and Shilone continue sending LRMs down range, blasting through the Eagle's armor to damage multiple internal systems.

Delta's Sholagar pulls some evasive maneuvers, attracting the Lightning's attention, which lets the other two fighters keep pounding on the medium fighter's flank and cause an armor breach (along with a complete loss of control, again).

Round 7:

Spoiler:

Our Sholagar gets a little sloppy, taking a laser right on the nose, but between it and the Sparrowhawk, they core out the Lightning, leaving it a drifting hulk.

Round 8:

Spoiler:

That Eagle just can't make up its mind: does it want to pursue the Leopard or stay out of our weapons range. Well, that's too bad, now your ship looks like a colander, after the Chippewa puts the fifth or sixth LRM salvo into it. We do take some LRM fire from a Thunderbird that's caught up, but the warheads don't actually hit anything.

Round 9:

Spoiler:

The enemy heavies still don't seem very interested in engaging the Leopard, preferring to skirmish with our light fighters instead. Which turns out to not work out so well for a Stingray, as one of Delta's Sparrowhawks gets on its tail and lands an engine hit, the vibrating aerospace fighter making a rapid retreat shortly after.

Round 10:

Spoiler:

Well, except for that one Thunderbird that just gets right in there and takes a major chunk out of the Chippewa's port side, blowing out a large pulse laser. Ouch. It pays for it though, taking some major damage from the Leopard's fire.

One of our Sparrowhawks reports inflicting severe damage on one of the hostile light fighters that's closed in, while our Shologar reports "enemy damaged... oh shit, I'm hit, out of control!"

Round 11:

Spoiler:

All three of our heavies unload on the Thunderbird as it flies by, hulling it out.

The guy in the Sholagar gets lucky and manages to regain control of the fighter just in time to avoid most attacks by several hostile lights - only taking a couple of lasers on the armor.

Round 12:

Spoiler:

With our Seydlitz blasting an enemy Sparrowhawk's engine pretty hard and our other Sparrowhawk wrecking a Sabre, the rest of the hostiles that weren't already peeling off do so. They get a few more LRMs as a parting gift, but manage to withstand it.

It's just as well, we were starting to run low on those.

We manage to recover three of the hulked spacecraft, which is fine (we'll keep them around for spare parts then get rid of the wrecks at the end of the contract for about 1.5M C-Bills), but doesn't help us replace the damaged pulse laser on the Chippewa. We'll have to jury-rig something, or make do without a weapon in that slot - not that the Chippewa is hurting for firepower or anything.

A dropship separates from the incoming Jumpship as it materializes. While the modified Leopard docks and waits for the recharge, the Union-class burns for Unzmarkt. Our fighters ride along, and eventually a transmission comes through for our command staff after our fighter pilots determine that this kind of decision is above their pay grade.

"This is Percentor Yong. I have a proposal for your company. I am aware that you recently salvaged a battlemech of unknown origins, as well as capturing the mechwarrior. I am authorized to pay your organization one million C-Bills if you release both into my care."

Without knowing too much more about the mech in question, we probably wouldn't have gotten much more than 800-900k for it - between one of the legs being completely wrecked, the pretty lack-luster armament (three LRM/5 racks), the damaged internals and our techs being afraid of touching the "glowy bits near the engine", our options for doing anything with it are limited. So, it's not a bad deal.

"But how did he even know about this?" Scrub wonders. "We only captured the thing a couple of days ago. Can we ask for more money? Seems like a ComStar guy who travels out to a backwoods like here would have more money."

[] Take the deal
[] Hold out for more money (~2x, may not work out)
[] Tell them to stuff it, we're keeping the weird-ass mech

---------------
A note on colony-building mechanics:

I'm using the "Industrial Tycoon's Handbook", combined with TacOps and CamOps to determine *approximate* building costs and times. As an example, a mech hangar for a lance (assuming you want to build a tough hangar and not one made out of tissue paper) is 4 hexes x 2 levels x 75 CF x 10000 C-Bills = 6M C-Bills to build, plus relatively small amounts for power generation (80k/hangar). We have 15 lances, so, ~91.2M for hangars for just mechs.

Another example, looking at the Industrial Tycoon's Handbook, if we wanted to set up a factory that churns out Fleas (sigh), a standard "block" that puts out ~26 a year would run us 250M base x 1.75 tier III (finished product) x 5 (battlemech) x 1.1 (inner sphere faction border world) = 2.4B, plus the cost of building construction, and we'd have to pay people to work there (and build them housing) etc. And that's just for the assembly using manufactured components - we'd also need to pay some fraction of the 2.4B to set up facilities to manufacture the lasers and the actuators and whatnot. So, a little out of our price range. And nobody needs that many Fleas per year anyway (unless actually using them in combat, in which case you'd need a lot more).

Building individual systems (weapons, heat sinks, etc) is definitely within our reach, although we'll have to be fairly picky about what we want to be building. Even component factories *are* profitable over time, since the Inner Sphere is in a near-constant state of at least minor churning.

Once we've finished construction on the initial facilities and have people living there, we'll be able to survey the nearby ruins and see if we can re-use any of the infrastructure there, at which point our options will open up quite a bit.

[$iljanus]

Suddenly the "weird ass mech" and pilot have become more interesting and knowledge can be worth more than money...

[LordMortis]

we're keeping the weird-ass mech

I dunno if that's the answer but you have piqued my curiosity.

"glowy bits near the engine",

Gbasden informs us El Guano is an expert in fan hitting, let him at it. Fan, engine, it's all the same, right?

[gbasden]

we're keeping the weird-ass mech

I dunno if that's the answer but you have piqued my curiosity.

"glowy bits near the engine",

Gbasden informs us El Guano is an expert in fan hitting, let him at it. Fan, engine, it's all the same, right?

I agree with all of this whole heartedly.

[$iljanus]

[] Tell them to stuff it, we're keeping the weird-ass mech

No backies! We should keep it.

[El Guapo]

Suddenly the "weird ass mech" and pilot have become more interesting and knowledge can be worth more than money...

I agree. BUT are we sure this is a Comstar guy? Kind of worried about messing with ComStar.

Seems worth trying to negotiate, at least.

[AWS260]

Could we negotiate to continue field-testing the weird-ass mech? ComStar lets us drive it around for a bit, collects the data readout, and gives us a bit of scratch and maybe some lostech in return.

[NickAragua]

Could we negotiate to continue field-testing the weird-ass mech? ComStar lets us drive it around for a bit, collects the data readout, and gives us a bit of scratch and maybe some lostech in return.

Not much test-driving to be done - one of the legs is completely shattered and we don't have any spare parts that fit into the hookups.

[LordMortis]

This is a job for Guano!

[AWS260]

Could we negotiate to continue field-testing the weird-ass mech? ComStar lets us drive it around for a bit, collects the data readout, and gives us a bit of scratch and maybe some lostech in return.

Not much test-driving to be done - one of the legs is completely shattered and we don't have any spare parts that fit into the hookups.

In that case, let's negotiate for more. 1M is just his opening offer; it would be rude to accept right off the bat.

[$iljanus]

Does the mech have a data core for our tech folks to crack? What kind of booze does our captive pilot like? Perhaps he just needs to loosen up so we can have a nice conversation.

[Zenn7]

we're keeping the weird-ass mech

I dunno if that's the answer but you have piqued my curiosity.

"glowy bits near the engine",

Gbasden informs us El Guano is an expert in fan hitting, let him at it. Fan, engine, it's all the same, right?

I agree with all of this whole heartedly.

Sounds like something the Guap can get all fired up about.

[NickAragua]

Vote Results:

Spoiler:

Keep the mech - 6
Negotiate - 1
Take the deal - 1

"Sorry, Percentor. The mech is not for sale at this time." Scrub sends the message. The incoming dropship is still a few light-minutes out so at this point we're basically sending video messages back and forth.

"I see." comes the response a few minutes later. "Any chance I could convince you to part with it for two million C-Bills instead?"

"That is a negative, Percentor. Overlords out."

"Understood. We'll be seeing each other again, I'm sure. Yong out." he responds. It's tough to see his expression, because the hood shadows his face, and the voice doesn't really change much.

Scrub still finds it hard to imagine that a ComStar guy would not get pissed when told 'no'.

---------------------------

March 5, 3044
Toplaghat
Unzmarkt, Free Worlds League

Guard and cadre duty on these facilities is mostly boring, other than the occasional corporate security guy (or, uh, one of our mechwarriors) falling over. Some of the corporate facilities are "outlying", so we use our dropships to rotate companies between them.

Alpha Company is guarding one such facility, when a distress call comes from what authenticates as a planetary militia force. Seems a lance of their hovercraft and transported infantry trainees have gotten themselves caught up in a trap, responding to a distress call from a "convoy" being attacked by "bandits".

Well, the bandits part is accurate anyway. If by "bandits", you mean a light and a medium mech lance with two tank lances for backup (that was the "convoy"). They're going to be kibble by the time any of our mechs get there, so Gbasden directs Alpha Flight to the task of bailing their dumb asses out. We load up with HE and cluster bombs and move out.

The militia also scramble their own air support, but by the time we get there, there's just one little Sabre fighter, which joins our formation, the pilot needing a stern "cut the chatter" to get him to stop panicking. Although, they did manage to take out one of the convoy tanks, so that's something.

Our aircraft are the Chippewa with the damaged pulse laser, a Lucifer and a Shilone.

Round 1:

Spoiler:

Our Lucifer comes in for a bombing run on a Griffin, dropping the entire load, easily shrugging off an autocannon round from the nearby Vedette and a PPC from the Griffin. The mech's left arm is disabled as more than half the bombs land on or near the target, while armor comes off the right arm and some ordnance peppers the head. The mech is buffeted around and has to take a knee to avoid faceplanting.

The Chippewa shows off the effectiveness of pulse lasers on a Scimitar hovertank. In the words of the aero jock, "normal lasers go zorch, while pulse lasers go pew pew pew". After three rounds of "pew pew pew", the Scimitar explodes.

Round 2:

Spoiler:

As our aircraft speed away from the mildly successful strafing run, that Maxim is looking to be in trouble, as one of the "bandit" Locusts runs up to it and lasers its skirt to bits.

And here we see what happens when a militia Condor and a "bandit" Locust disable each other temporarily, but the militia guy had air support. The Chippewa takes that poor grounded Locust apart with pulse lasers and LRMs. The rest of the militia hovercraft take heart and a Maxim manages to disable a Saracen hovertank at medium range with its piddly little LRM launcher.

Round 3:

Spoiler:

Our Shilone moves in to drop its HE bombs on a Whitworth. The 40-ton mech's right leg comes off with a series of explosions, while the left torso takes severe damage, spraying heat sink fluid from multiple breached coolant systems. It bravely fires an LRM salvo at our bomber, scoring a hit, but crushes its right arm after it falls over.

The Chippewa has trouble maneuvering with all those bombs loaded up, so the aero jock drops a few on a couple of infantry squads that are pelting a militia hovertank with SRMs. After the bombs land, the SRMs stop coming out. The more important effect is that the Chippewa is now better able to maneuver and still has a good fifteen cluster bombs.

Round 4:

Spoiler:

Now here's something you don't see every day: Our Lucifer loops back around to the Maxim that got disabled earlier and initiates a strafing run against the Griffin that's about to finish it off. Instead, some individuals from a platoon of infantry manage to scramble up the Griffin's right leg to plant satchel charges. A few get picked off by a nearby Vedette, but the Griffin goes down, with help from the Lucifer's lasers. The mech's jerky movements in its attempts to get up suggest gyro damage from the impact.

The allied Sabre finishes off the Whitworth our Shilone started, while another allied Maxim reports being disabled. We need to wrap this up quickly or these guys are bandit chow.

Round 5:

Spoiler:

It's hard to pass up a chance to strafe the back of a Thunderbolt, but our Lucifer is unable to get through the thick armor.

Spoiler:

Meanwhile, our Chippewa continues its reign of terror, blowing another Scimitar hovertank's ammo storage. Both autocannon and SRM ammo explode after some "pew pew pew" from the pulse lasers breaches the armor.

Round 6:

Spoiler:

With screams of "we need support" coming from infantry in this town, our Chippewa pilot makes the (perhaps unfortunate, in retrospect) choice to fly low and drop the rest of his cluster bombs on the Wasp, Stinger and Vedette about to annihilate the poor bastards. He does the best he can to avoid dropping any of the fifteen cluster bombs on the allied infantry, angling a little to the north of the three hostiles.

Well, the screaming stops, anyway. And the existence of pretty much every vehicle, mech and structure in that immediate area. And, also, annoyingly, the Wasp gets one last shot off at the Chippewa, taking out another pulse laser.

After eliminating another infantry platoon, and losing a Vedette to the allied Sabre's strafing run to the west, the "bandit" forces to the north retreat.

-------------

"Geez, someone really humped the bunk." comes the comment from one of the salvage crew members we dispatch to the area. "Get the body bags, Lou."

Our Chippewa pilot is placed on temporary leave while we and the militia conduct investigations. The reality is that those infantry guys were pretty much dead already (unless they'd come up with a way of surviving getting machinegunned by a Stinger while trapped out in the open with no cover), but the extent of the damage to civilian strucures and number of civilian casualties is unknown. It's not looking good though.

Other than that, the militia liaison is pretty unhappy with our performance, as they lost almost three platoons' worth of infantry. Gbasden briefly considers telling him "You think that's bad, we lost a pulse laser!", but somehow manages to restrain himself. We'll let the militia have first crack at the salvage we pick up, which isn't much, but does include a Griffin that... well, it needs a new arm and a leg, but none of the really expensive core components are destroyed.

The liaison informs us that the militia will be willing to overlook this incident if we turn our aerospace pilot over for trial... or if we commit more forces (two lances' worth over the next four months) to help them make up for the losses they just took. We can probably do that - while it technically commits all of our lances to operations (including rest rotations), our main employer's facilities have only come under attack once over the last month, and we repelled it pretty easily. The liaison suggests that they'll pay us for the extra forces, but at a greatly reduced rate (we're looking at about 60M over the course of four months).

A few of our mechwarriors also suggest telling the militia to piss off, since it's not like they can do anything about it, and the aero jock is actually a pretty good pilot. Of course, having unhelpful or hostile militia won't really help us fulfill our main contract, and we might just lose the side contract we've got going with them as well.

[] Turn the aerospace pilot over to the militia
[] Commit extra forces as the militia asks
[] Tell the militia to piss off

[Freyland]

[X] Tether the Chippewa pilot to a captured bandit, let them escape, and film it as a wacky sit-com!

[LordMortis]

two million C-Bills

[$iljanus]

[ ] Commit extra forces as the militia asks

We're not giving over one of our own but the collateral damage needs to be made right. And I don't like to burn bridges unless necessary. If they get snippy however we take out the government.

[Zenn7]

[ ] Commit extra forces as the militia asks

We're not giving over one of our own but the collateral damage needs to be made right. And I don't like to burn bridges unless necessary. If they get snippy however we take out the government.

I don't think we can take out the whole government. I mean, we could probably topple the locals but whoever's territory we're in is not going to appreciate that, and we can't fight a whole house!

But yes, we can commit the extra forces. Might not be the best for us, but better than pissing off the locals and giving our guy over is NOT an option.

[$iljanus]

[ ] Commit extra forces as the militia asks

We're not giving over one of our own but the collateral damage needs to be made right. And I don't like to burn bridges unless necessary. If they get snippy however we take out the government.

I don't think we can take out the whole government. I mean, we could probably topple the locals but whoever's territory we're in is not going to appreciate that, and we can't fight a whole house!

But yes, we can commit the extra forces. Might not be the best for us, but better than pissing off the locals and giving our guy over is NOT an option.

I was just getting snippy...

[Zenn7]

[ ] Commit extra forces as the militia asks

We're not giving over one of our own but the collateral damage needs to be made right. And I don't like to burn bridges unless necessary. If they get snippy however we take out the government.

I don't think we can take out the whole government. I mean, we could probably topple the locals but whoever's territory we're in is not going to appreciate that, and we can't fight a whole house!

But yes, we can commit the extra forces. Might not be the best for us, but better than pissing off the locals and giving our guy over is NOT an option.

I was just getting snippy...

Thought maybe you were not liking our choice for a home world and was considering expanding out options.