It was a sign of things to come. The Sian sun could be seen dimly over the Forbidden City through the haze as ash drifted lazily through the breeze. The perpetual nauseating odor of smoke permeated the cockpit of Sang-Wei Powers' Warhammer. Strewn about the streets, rubble and wreckage impeded the red armored Warhammer's gait. It was hard to believe that only days before this had been the thriving metropolitan jewel of the Confederation. Powers' blood went hot. The Blakists would pay.
Powers' com speakers crackled to life. "Cobra Leader, this is Manta 3, do you read?" Powers knew Manta 3 was an aerospace ident from the 4th Sian Defender Wing.
"I copy, Manta 3," said Powers. "Good or bad news?"
"Cobra Leader, multiple signals inbound from near orbit. Looks like a combat drop headed for your grid sector. They'll be making ground fall just north of you in about 3 minutes. Transmitting coordinates now."
"Can you pick any off?"
"Negative, I'm doing all I can to hold my own out here. I'll peel away and drop bombs if I can."
"Very good, Manta 3. Cobra Leader out." Damn, he thought. The city-wide evacuation was still underway.
Powers switched to his lance's common frequency. "Team, we've got intruders dropping north of our present location. Watch your feet, but lets not dawdle." His lance had fanned out on different streets. Beyond the haze he imagined the shapes of a Catapult, Men Shen and an Emperor picking their way through the cracked and rubble strewn streets.
Two more friendly signals appeared on Powers' tactical display and the com light blinked. He flicked his com back to the Red Lancer common frequency.
"Cobra Leader, this is Fire 1 reporting in."
"Fire 1, where's the rest of the Fire Lance?" Powers made out the reddish shapes of a Vindicator and a Cataphract. The Cataphract was somehow misshaped- no Fa Shih battle armor soldiers clung to its torso.
"We are the rest of the Fire Lance," he said. The mechwarrior had a country boy Cantonese accent.
"Fine. You two and the Fa Shihs are folding into my lance. Now let's move it!"
"Copy that, Cobra Leader."
The smokey haze prevented Powers from seeing the descending enemy 'mechs, but he knew they were there. A veteran of the Smoke Jaguar war, he would again prove his worthiness of life or else bleed for the Confederation.*******************************
JTP: Sian
Track 1: Signs of Things to ComeTrack Cost: 600
Objectives:
Headhunting! Destroy the Commander:
300No Mercy. Destroy or cripple all defenders:
400Options Taken:
Evactuation in Progress: +200 (Civilian "platoons" automatically move towards nearest map edge each turn)
Airstrike: +600 (+100 per strike, taken 6 times!) Simplified radar map from SO used.
Special: Building and woods hexes are rubble or rough respectively on a 9+. They are also on fire if the roll is 11+. No wind during the scenario.
ATTACKER (Player Force)
Elements of the Dragon's Breath Mercenary Regiment (REGULAR):
Command LanceArcher ARC-9W (3/4) (Commander)
Warhammer WHM-8K (4/5)
Rifleman RFL-6X (4/5)
Flashman FLS-9M (4/5)
Close Combat LanceAxman AXM-VSPL Custom (4/4)
Hatchetman HCT-6M (4/4)
Nightsky NGS-6T (4/4)
Nightsky NGS-6T (4/4)
DEFENDER (Opposing FOrce)
Elements of the Red Lancers (ELITE):
Ad-Hoc Assault Lance:Warhammer WHM-4L (2/3) (Commander)
Men Shen MS1-O Prime (2/4)
Catapult CPLT-C5 (1/5)
Emperor EMP-6A (3/5)
Cataphract CTF-3L (4/5)
Vindicator VND-3L (4/5)
Fa Shih (Flamer) (4/5)
Aerospace Support:
F-92 Singray (4/5)
Turn 1
Capellans win initiative. The Command Lance and the Axman and Hatchetman land this turn. The Capellans mass on the South-East corner of the map where the Axman lands. The Dragon's Breath commander holds his Void-Signature equipped Archer back outside the city in the woods.
Capellans concentrate fire on the Axman and the Stingray makes a striking run on the mercenary command 'mech.
Turn 2
The mercs drop the two Nightskys in the city and advance the rest of their forces towards the city. The Axman makes a medium building its new home.
The Hatchetman doesn't stand a chance being surrounded by elite Capellan assault 'mechs. It succombs to three engine hits and its pilot sits out the rest of the battle in his busted 'mech. The Capellans decide to bust up the building protecting the Axman, turning it to rubble and bruising the Dragon's Breath 'mech up a bit.
The Arrow IV equipped Capellan Catapult fires an artillery round at Dragon's Breath archer to flush it out. Being more than 17 hexes away, the round will land next turn.
The Stingray maneuvers around getting ready to make another airstrike next turn.
Turn 3
The Dragon's Breath commander decides he doesn't want to be anywhere near where the Arrow IV will land and advances toward the city.
Capellan forces surround the isolated Dragon's Breath Flashman and the remaining Dragon's Breath ground forces advance looking to take shots between the buildings.
The Stingray lines up another run agains the Archer. It unloads its bomb payload but only dents the armor. The Stingray in turn takes anti-aircraft fire from an LBX equpped Rifleman and the Archer's LRMs.
The Dragon's Breath Warhammer lines up a shot with its Heavy PPC against the Capellan Commander's Warhammer and scores a headshot! The Heavy PPC incinerates the Commander instantly thus securing the first Objective for the Dragon's Breath.
Turn 4
Dragon's Breath forces advance. The Capellan Men Shen attempts to occupy one of the buildings but stumbles on rubble before getting there. The Cataphract successfully moves into the building. With their Commander dead, the Capellan Vindicator makes a mad dash towards the mercenary's Warhammer and Rifleman.
The Catapult's Arrow IV round fired last turn lands far outside the boardmap. It attempts a direct Arrow IV attack against the Warhammer, but the shot goes wide. It takes massive return fire and falls.
Both sides trade fire with little consequence outside of a headshot to the Flashman that injures its Mechwarrior.
END GAME
With the withdraw order given to the Red Lancers, they withdraw. Standing toe to toe with some of the Confederation's best, the Dragon's Breath claim the battlefield victorious.
WP won:
300 Headhunting
200 Evacuation in Progress
600 Aerospace Support
Salvage: 1 x WHM-4L Warhammer
1100 Total!
The Player Force net is 1500 WP
*******************************
Missiles, coherent energy beams and autocannon slugs blasted ferrocrete and timber to flying chunks. Weapons converged on a mercenary Dragon's Breath Hatchetman and it fell prostrate. The otherwise disciplined Red Lancers warriors filled the comm channel with cheers.
"Silence!" Shouted Sang-Wei Powers. "All units, converge on the hotel!" Yet more Dragon's Breath 'mechs descended from the sky.
"Say again, sir?" screeched Powers' comm over the roar of weapons fire.
Powers had no time to reply- it was the last thing he heard before the blinding light of an intense particle stream bathed his cockpit, then incinerated him in incomprehensible heat.
What followed was chaos. The Men Shen tripped over rubble and the Catapult crumpled under fire. The flight vector of the Catapult's Arrow IV went horribly wide. Finally the 40 ton Capellan Vindicator charged the Dragon's Breath line of heavy 'mechs and somehow lived to tell the tale before the regiment-wide withdraw order came over the comms.
"All units regroup grid sector Green 0-1". Green 0-1 was the coordinates for the Celestial Palace. The next engagement would be the final stand...
