Author Topic: Interactive Battletech Story: Choose your Own Adventure: Academy of Life  (Read 9542 times)

McKenna

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This is a concept I've been toying with for a long time and I've finally decided to try it out. My general idea is to create a story that we can all participate in. I, much like any GM will give you choices of where the story can go, you will make the choice and I will post up what happens.

Let me know what y'all think? and please don't hesitate to participate.

If any of y'all wish to remain anonymous you can PM me and I will post your submission without your name attached.

Without further ado, here is the beginning.
----------------------------------------

The stage is set. Your intel says that the enemy forces are going to attack from the hills. So you array your forces in the valley utilizing several little ambush points. You even have a back up plan incase things don't go exactly as planned.



Outlying province somewhere in the periphery
11 March, 3052

You never went to a proper military academy, but you were taught by your dad. He taught you how to pilot a Mech, he taught you how to shoot a gun, he even taught you to think critically. But the one thing he left out was what to do when your thrust into a position like this one.

You're head of a militia on your home world. With the exception of the ocassional pirate raid, nothing much happens around here. The militia HQ is a simple drafty old shack built on the outskirts of the city, long before you were born.

You're stadning over a table with a huge map spread on it while your second in command reads a message that just arrived. The message says that a group of unknown dropships will be landing in the nothern hills sometime later that day. Reports indicate that this is a group of mercenaries hired by your rival to take over the city.

Looking the map over you designate the spot where the ships are supposed to land Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and begin planning your own deployment. A report comes in later in the evening that the enemy has landed but have not yey made a hostile move.

     Do you wait and see what they do, prepared to order your men to battle at a moment's notice?

or

     Do you send a delegation to speak with the enemy and try to make peace?

McKenna

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No takers?

DoctorMonkey

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Sorry, was waiting to see if anyone else bit

I'd be sending out recce forces and possibly a negotiating party but might leave that to an attache to the civilian authorities I assume would lead on such things
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McKenna

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You send two of your best recon pilots out with the city liaison. The trip takes about two hours, and because of the mineral content of the mountain range you lose contact with your 'Mechs about an hour in. They've taken a long range comm unit with them and a satellite phone in order to communicate with the Mayor and city officials. The time elapses and the Mayor's aide rushes into your shack wringing his hands. "They're over due!"

Do you assume the worst and mount up the remaining units in your militia following their charted path?

or

Do you take the more laid back approach and do more recon?

DoctorMonkey

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McKenna

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Comandeering the helicopter from the local police force, you take the route that the attache and his escorts were supposed to take. As you approach the mountains you see a collumn of smoke rising from a ravine. Going in for a closer look is tricky due to shearing winds and diminishing daylight conditions, but the pilot, an old veteran, manages to get you down among the rocks. He points out a clear landing site about a click from the column of smoke.

Do you set down and investigate?

or

Do you try to radio your recon forces?

DoctorMonkey

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Set down and investigate
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McKenna

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You set down and as the rotors are spinning down the trees part. One of your recon 'Mechs, a Commando piloted by your most seasoned pilot, comes limping out. Over the external mic you hear a garbled voice. "...down... trees everywhere... no.... tell...sir." He taps the side of the 'Mech's head. You hear the actuators lock and the ladder descends.

Do you climb up to him?

or

Do you make him come down to you?

DoctorMonkey

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climb up
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McKenna

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You climb up the chain ladder and the hatch opens before you. Before you is standing Lt. Kyle Peterson. "Sorry sir, my comms were damaged in a rock slide. we never made it to the meeting. The Attache's car was shoved into the ravine by the slide. "Rogers and I were trying to get it out when the car exploded. I don't know if he's hurt or not, but his Wolverine is buried under a ton of rubble."

From somewhere beyond the ravine you hear the whine of servos and the telltale sound of approaching battlemechs.

Do you call for reinforcements?

or

Do you investigate the approaching unknowns?


DoctorMonkey

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Call for Reinforcements!
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McKenna

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You shout down to the helicopter pilot, "Call base and get the rest of my unit up her ASAP!" Turning back to the mechwarrior, you bark, "Get strapped in and get me a reading on those 'Mechs that are incoming. I'll get down the ravine and asee if I can't assist Rogers in getting out. use your personal comms to reach me." Scasling down the ladder you hit the dirt running as the chopper dusts off and you hear the actuators grinding together on the hulking machine beside you. Hitting your personal comms you dash down the rocky path tripping and stumbling over fallen debris. As you near the bottom, you can smell the acrid scent of charred paint and hair. Corporal Rogers' Wolverine is prying the top off the car as you approach.

What do you do at this point?

DoctorMonkey

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Contact the Wolverine pilot and move up to see if anything can be done for the car's occupants


By the way, thank you for doing this. My name is Dan [waves]
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McKenna

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Hello Dan. I'm Tami, though most call me McKenna (my commando handle and my Silver Eagles callsign).

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

You try to raise the Wolverine on the comms and get nothing but static. Figuring that the comms may be damaged, you maneuver into his line of sight and waive your arms to get his attention. After several minutes you see him tap the side of his head and lock his actuators. The chain ladder releases and the wiry 'Mech pilot climbs down to you.

"Sorry sir. My Comms were damaged in the slide. The Attache is still alive. I'm not too sure about his driver."

You notice then that he is carrying two large pry bars. He hands you one and you get to work prying open the rest of the roof on the mangled car. in no time the two of you have the Attache and his driver out. They are both badly injured, but alive. The ravine is still kicking up a lot of interference, but you are able to get a message through using the sat phone. You let the mayor know that you have injured that need immediate medical evac and ask about the ETA of your reinforcements. He tells you that the chopper just radioed in and you would have your reinforcements in half an hour.

What do you do now?

You have a medkit from the Wolverine and  it's getting dark.

DoctorMonkey

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Attempt to move the attaché and driver to a spot outside the canyon where comms work better and a VTOL can land with the Wolverine on overwatch while I do so
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McKenna

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You're in luck. The Wolverine is equipped with hand actuators and Corporal Rogers is able to carry the lot of you to the top of the ravine. You tuck the injured back in a small grove against the cliff face while the the Wolverine stands overwatch. Twenty minutes later the world around you explodes in a cacophony of sound and chaos. Four heavy battlemechs bearing an unfamiliar insignia break from the trees to your north and the chopper returns kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

A medic leaps out of the chopper and races towards your position. The new 'Mechs swing their attention toward the grove and the Wolverine is standing between you and the chopper. What do you do? please elaborate.

DoctorMonkey

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Er, Wolverine to go for maximum dodge but not hide to draw attention from the helicopter while we load up, if we can't do that the helicopter will have to pull back
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theCrowe

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Mind if I chime in?

This is a great topic you have going. I'm enjoying just reading along. I'm seeing that early on there were A or B choices but now it's just open to suggestion. I guess both approaches have their merits.

I'll not contradict Dan's choice but if I may oblige your request to elaborate...

Given that help is ten minutes away I'm looking to escape with the attaché in whatever direction I'm expecting them to come from. The wolverine and the chopper have their orders as per Dan's response but I have a funny feeling that chopper's going down so I'm getting this guy out of here myself and I'm taking the med-kit with me. Two human targets escape into the night as the enemy focuses on the two larger threats.

McKenna

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Dan: I'm still working on the next part.

Crowe: Thats an interesting chime in, except two issues. 1) both of the people from the hover car are badly injured and cannot travel on their own. and 2) at this point the enemy is pointing a gun at the men on the ground.  >:D

I've had a very bus weekend. I'll get up what happens next and the next set of options soon

McKenna

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The enemy 'Mech tracks the every move of the medical personnel. As they are loading the attache and his driver into the chopper, the enemy commander opens his external microphone. "Commander, your medical personnel mey leave, but I would ask that you and your mechwarrior stay. We have much to discuss."

From down the slope you hear the telltale sound of your unit approaching. Over your personal comms you hear the nervous voice of the rookie Wolverine pilot. "Orders sir?"

The chopper lifts off with the medic and both injured parties, coming under no fire.

Do you Order him to stand down and prepare for parlance with the other unit commander?

or

Do you hitch a ride on the Wolverine and head for the hills?


DoctorMonkey

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Stand down and talk
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ChanMan: "Capellan Ingenuity: The ability to lose battles to Davion forces in new and implausible ways"

McKenna

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The enemy commander dismounts once the chopper is gone and approaches you. He's tall like you, grizzled like you, and nearly the same age. He holds out his hand. "Major York, Gordon's Division, sir, and you are?"


[Requirements for naming: cannot be a cannon unit. cannot be a non cannon unit of someone else. Unless that person gets in touch with me via PM and I have their permission and cooperation.]

DoctorMonkey

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"Captain Nick Carter of Carter's Cuirassiers"


(I can't comment on the rank really without knowing the size of my unit so it might be too high or too low)
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ChanMan: "Capellan Ingenuity: The ability to lose battles to Davion forces in new and implausible ways"

McKenna

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You have a light company. You are stationed on the Outworlds Alliance Planet of Valasha. You can work out if you are local or mercenary

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

He shakes your hand and steps back apraising you. "We're not here to attack your people, Captain. Our intentions are actually not hostile at all. Our DropShip suffered communications problems  after a meteor shower and we were unable to contact the surface. We were hired by the First Prince to patrol the borders between the Outworlds Alliance and the Commonwealth."

Do you trust his story

or

Do you remain skeptical an dtry to get more information  seeing if you can trip him up


DoctorMonkey

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sceptical

[/size][size=78%]House was right, everybody lies [/size]
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ChanMan: "Capellan Ingenuity: The ability to lose battles to Davion forces in new and implausible ways"

McKenna

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Too true. I'll try to get more up soon.

This Silver Eagles is why i've been so busy and unable to post here. That and planning my eldest boy's 13th birthday

McKenna

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Ok... long awaited....  :-[


You gesture to a clump of rocks. "Let's sit over there, Major York. You said that your ship suffered damage in a meteor shower. Where was this? We haven't had a meteor shower in these parts in over two years."

He rubs a hand over the back of his neck. "Yeah, we were actually nearer to Draconis space than we should have been. That was two days ago, and this is the first port we've been able to put in to since. Our Captain is a little squirly you might say and refused to return to Suns space with the damage. He kept saying something about honor and glory." He shrugged. "Anyway, we tried tog et at least the short wave communications working, but those were scrapped beyond belief. I didn't think it would be prudent to launch one of our fighters to act as a relay. Didn't want you folks taking it as an act of war and all."

You glance over your shoulder at the four battlemech's he came with. "I see what you mean. Perhaps we should include the mayor in this little discussion. I'm sure he is better equipped to render aid than we are, especially at the moment. However, I suggest that you would be better off sending your heavy artillery back to your ship. we wouldn't want to send the wrong message and all."

He scratches his chin. "I don't know."

Do you press the issue and insist that his 'mechs return to his dropship, thus proving that he  is telling the truth?

or

Do you cave and let him bring his forces into the city, assured that your men can handle whatever they throw at you?


Decisions, decisions.... >:D

snakespinner

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Better send the mechs back to the dropship.
If he insists maybe his own mech and one bodyguard mech can come to the city as a compromise.
I wish I could get a good grip on reality, then I would choke it.
Growing old is inevitable,
Growing up is optional.
Watching TrueToaster create evil genius, priceless...everything else is just sub-par.

McKenna

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Hmmm.... interesting out of the box thought... a give a little get a little approach... I'll see what I can come up with in the morning. fedrats... er... davion forces can be tricksie... :P

snakespinner

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It's easier to defeat a divided force, especially if the commander is separated. >:D
I wish I could get a good grip on reality, then I would choke it.
Growing old is inevitable,
Growing up is optional.
Watching TrueToaster create evil genius, priceless...everything else is just sub-par.

 

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