Operation Terminus

Turn04-Mission03
June 13, 3049

Zone K3: After a full day of rest and repairs, Alpha was ready to lay siege to the Goretti bunker under the mountain. The preperation was well deserved for the Gorettis had placed two mixed infantry battalions in our path. The intel we had gathered from the locals rang true; this was an extensive underground facility. Not only did it hold multiple storehouses, but it also had an underground tunnel that extended north to the otherside of the mountain range.

The battle was tight and fierce with heavy casualties on both sides. Alpha would not have succeeded at all without support from local infantrymen. They seemed more eager to drive the Gorettis from their lands than even we were. In the end we were victorious. Unfortunately,, the Gorettis had emptied the facility of most of its supplies (no doubt smuggling most into Beaconlight), but we still managed to secure over a million C-bills in equipment.

As our fortune turns for the better, the memory of the Butcher still lingers in the commander's mind. We are safe for now, but old hatreds cry out for blood and that 16 million C-bill bounty may be too good to give up just yet. Regardless, a clear path now lies before us. Beaconlight is within our reach... or do we push east and rescue our bretheren and assets held by the Gorettis at their stronghold?... or do we betray all honor and glory to hide behind these walls until help arrives?



Victory!
-------------------

Winner is: TEAM #1

MagnusEffect: 2324 BV remaining (from 2712 initially) 0 BV fled
Goretti: 0 BV remaining (from 10013 initially) 0 BV fled
Trevnor: 1995 BV remaining (from 2426 initially) 0 BV fled
The Ghiest: 103 BV remaining (from 909 initially) 0 BV fled
Val: 2179 BV remaining (from 2930 initially) 0 BV fled

Survivors are:

Graveyard contains:

The following utterly destroyed units are not available for salvage:

Enemy BV Destroyed = 10013

Member Rewards:
BV Rating = 10013 / 13 = 770
x2 victory multiplier = 1540
Member Pay = 1540 / 4 = 385 = +400k C-bills (Val excluded)
Cache Discovery Bonus! = +350k C-bills (Val excluded)

Salvage (100 tons max) :
x1 Hobelar Light Tank (35t)
x1 Hetzer (40t)

Transporting (100 tons max) :
x2 Riposte LAV (30t)

 

savefile updated:
TRMNS-Turn04-aftermission03

Reports are coming in that Martillo mercenaries assaulting the Goretti stronghold in Zone H4 have been wiped out. Fighting between the two sides seems to be subsiding. Word is out that we are the biggest threat to the status quo on Novo Cressidas. Tread lightly, everyone.

 

Turn04-Mission04
June 14, 3049

Zone L4: Once more we have been set upon by opportunists seeking Goretti riches. This attack seems more determined than the last; no doubt attributed to our rising infamy. Still repairing damage sustained earlier, Gamma was the closest available to meet this new threat. They chose to meet the bandits in the field rather than risk any further damage to Outpost Ignis. Although crippled by half-finished repairs, the plan worked and Gamma claimed a solid victory. Well done!



Victory!
-------------------

Winner is: TEAM #1

MagnusEffect: 0 BV remaining (from 0 initially) 0 BV fled
Tzeentch: 1704 BV remaining (from 2064 initially) 0 BV fled
Derak: 2229 BV remaining (from 2273 initially) 0 BV fled
Raiders: 0 BV remaining (from 6294 initially) 0 BV fled
Sardonic: 1387 BV remaining (from 1851 initially) 0 BV fled
LagCat: 0 BV remaining (from 0 initially) 0 BV fled

Survivors are:

Graveyard contains:

Detailed unit status saved to entitystatus.txt

Enemy BV Destroyed = 6294

Member Rewards:
BV Rating = 6294 / 13 = 484
x2 victory multiplier = 968
Member Pay = 968 / 3 = 323 = +300k C-bills (MH excluded)
Secondary Objective Bonus! = +100k C-bills (MH excluded)

RTV #1 Salvage (65 tons max) :
x2 Riposte LAV (30t)

RTV #2 Salvage (65 tons max) :
x2 Riposte LAV (30t)

RTV Transporting (65 tons max) :
-none-

 

Turn04-Mission05
June 15, 3049

Zone L4: These damn bandits seem more determined than usual. Perhaps they have outside support? After giving them a bloody nose, they apparently thought to return the favor the following day by raiding our outpost at dawn. Once again, Gamma rose to the occasion, but the sudden and rapid attack proved to be too much for their already battered mechs. The bandits knocked out our primary power generators and with it, our ability to use the outposts limited upgrade facilities... at least for now. No matter. auxiliary power will suffice for our needs and Delta will soon be arriving to shore up our defenses.



Minor Defeat!
-------------------

Winner is: TEAM #2

MagnusEffect: 0 BV remaining (from 0 initially) 0 BV fled
Tzeentch: 2347 BV remaining (from 2392 initially) 0 BV fled
Bandits: 5583 BV remaining (from 8380 initially) 0 BV fled
Derak: 1988 BV remaining (from 2121 initially) 0 BV fled
HG: 631 BV remaining (from 710 initially) 0 BV fled
MH: 1855 BV remaining (from 2071 initially) 0 BV fled

Survivors are:

Graveyard contains:

The following utterly destroyed units are not available for salvage:

Detailed unit status saved to entitystatus.txt

Enemy BV Destroyed = 2797

Member Rewards:
BV Rating = 2797 / 13 = 215
x2 victory multiplier = failed
Member Pay = 215 / 3 = 72 = +50k C-bills (Sardonic excluded, HG included)

RTV #1 Salvage (65 tons max) :
x2 Riposte LAV (30t)

RTV #2 Salvage (65 tons max) :
x1 Goblin Medium Tank (IFV-S) (45t)

RTV Transporting (65 tons max) :
-none-

+3 XP awarded to all of Gamma Lance + LagCat & HG
cash rewards given to Tzeentch, MH, Derak & HG

 

Turn04-Mission06
June 16, 3049

Zone L4: Those damn bandits returned today, but this time we were ready for them. By rerouting power we were able to get some of the defensive turrets back online. With these and our brave infantrymen dug in all along the perimeter, we stood a much better chance. The final battle took place on Delta's watch this time and the bandits seemingly threw everything they had at us. Sheo's King Krab was the first to go down, but not before absorbing a sickening amount of punishment. Soon after, Dihm in his Warhammer had an Inferno SRM cook off that almost cost him his life. Downed and unconscious, only quick thinking from Ghizmo saved him from a grizzly death. Thankfully, Dihm was quick to recover and safely ejected and Ghizmo was only too happy to disengage. As Ghizmo's Victor limped back to safer ground, our remaining infantry successfully plugged the holes in our line. The remaining bandits, too crippled to press their attack and too disorganized to withdraw, shattered against their ranks. We wiped the bandits out and with this last attack, the outpost once again is safe.



Victory!
-------------------

Winner is: TEAM #1

MagnusEffect: 0 BV remaining (from 0 initially) 791 BV fled
DimeBag: 0 BV remaining (from 2591 initially) 0 BV fled
Gihzmo: 3065 BV remaining (from 3545 initially) 0 BV fled
Skwisgaar: 3979 BV remaining (from 6220 initially) 0 BV fled
Bandits: 0 BV remaining (from 16244 initially) 0 BV fled
Tzeentch: 0 BV remaining (from 0 initially) 0 BV fled
LagCat: 0 BV remaining (from 0 initially) 0 BV fled

Survivors are:

The following units are in retreat:

Graveyard contains:

The following utterly destroyed units are not available for salvage:

Detailed unit status saved to entitystatus.txt

Enemy BV Destroyed = 19444

Member Rewards:
BV Rating = 19444 / 13 = 1496
x2 victory multiplier = 2991
Member Pay = 2991 / 4 = 748 = +750k C-bills

Salvage (100 tons max) :
x1 Wolverine 6J (55t)
x1 Goblin IFV-S (45t)

Transporting (100 tons max) :
-none-

 

TURN FIVE
June 18, 3049 (Standard Terran Calendar)
System: Star's End
Planet: Novo Cressidas (northern hemisphere)



After another week of fierce battles we have finally crushed the local bandits and cemented our hold on Outpost Ignis. Although this has established ourselves as the defacto power in the region, it will no doubt raise the attention of the Gorettis and Martillos. We have to assume they know by now of our conspiracy against them. What we don't know is if they will be able to anticipate our next move.

Fortunately, we've gotten some help. The local farming communities are only too happy to see us put the screws to their former overlords and have provided us with capable if somewhat untested manpower. They will be instrumental in keeping our infantry forces at full strength. We've also managed to coordinate with our dropships long enough to get a much needed supply drop; all of our reserve mech forces are now available to us. Currently we are holed up at Ignis using the lull in the fighting to catch up on rest and repairs.

The plan remains the same. Our primary objective is to get the hell off-planet. New intel suggests that if we can knock out our enemies' surface radar networks, they will not be able to track and intercept our dropships. Both the Gorettis and Martillos use their own separate triangulation system. One radar station for each faction is at their respective HQs and both of their sister stations are at Beaconlight. Knocking out one station of either pair will disrupt that faction's ability to track our dropships.

At first glance, attacking Beaconlight seems like the obvious choice as we could knock out both radars systems by taking the city. Unfortunately, Beaconlight is also the capital of this region and well defended. The city has many competing interests, but none of them are likely to want to see it fall into our hands. Simply put, if we attack Beaconlight we are in for one hell of a fight. However, there is an alternative. We could avoid Beaconlight altogether and go after the Martillos and Gorettis directly. The HQs of both are relatively isolated and attacking them would not make us any new enemies... and it might even make us a few more allies.

Secondary to all this (but still important), there is also the matter of recovering Beta's lost equipment from the Gorettis... they would be most grateful for our help. Also, there is that 16 million bounty to consider. The Butcher of New Belfast... Savio Drago... we will have to go through the Martillos to get to him.

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS:

• Get an up to date look at the map by logging into Mechwarrior: Ejected on Roll20!
• Any and all dropship support will be unavailable until communications with our dropships is reestablished.
• Players that are captured may request a POW exchange as per normal rules (see Master Rules, page 5). Consider the Gorettis and Martillos to be "Hired Muscle" when applying costs and modifiers.

 

June 20, 3049
Zone H4 - Alpha Lance Mobile HQ (1,200 km North of Outpost Ignis)

Major Magnus Sullivan sits alone in the mobile command center. He pulls his eyes from a stack of recon reports and rubs his temples.
"How long has it been since I slept? Two... no... almost three days now?"

The rest of the Commandos were still back at Outpost Ignis working on repairs. Out of frustration and impatience, Sullivan had insisted on pushing north to pursue retreating Martillo forces before they could regroup. Alpha Lance was now close on their heels, but alone and exposed. If the Martillos learned that only a single lance pursued them, they could reverse direction at any moment and crush Sullivan's command lance. He was determined to not let them learn this advantage. For days he had been completely absorbed in the pursuit; no rest, no relaxation. His persistence had been paying off, but now it was beginning to take its toll on him.

He reaches across the table for the bottle of whiskey he's been nursing, but lack of rest has dulled his senses and he misjudges the distance; the elixir topples and falls, smashing to pieces.
"Dammit. Now that's a real shame."

He stares dumbly at the liquid as gravity sends it slowly spreading to one side of the room. His trance is interrupted as his XO, Trev, enters the command vehicle.
"What the hell, Mag? I told you I had this. Now you are breaking things in our HQ? Go get some rest."

Sullivan rubbed his head again before looking up sullenly at his friend.
"I'm sorry Trev. I never should have dragged you all into this."

"It's too late for that now and you know it. You are sleep deprived and you are no good to any of us like this. Get some rest before the others see you."

"You are right. It could be any day now. We will hit them hard and fade away before they can respond... like we planned. I know I told you to stay behind, but I'm glad you are here with me now."

"Just promise me one thing."

"Sure, Trev."

"Whatever glorious warrior's death you and the Butcher have planned... just don't forget about the rest of us. We need you alive to help get us off this damn rock."

Sullivan sleepily smiles and slowly blinks his eyes.
"Heh... of course, Trev. Of course."

 

Turn05-Mission01
June 21, 3049

Zone G4: As the rest of the Commandos awaited repairs, Alpha Lance pushed north to pursue fleeing Martillo forces. After days of intense marching, they finally caught up with their quarry. The Martillo hired mercs never stood a chance. Alpha Lance cut into them like a hot knife. Another enemy lance destroyed or captured and one more step towards a final victory.



Victory!
-------------------

Winner is: TEAM #1

MagnusEffect: 2893 BV remaining (from 2925 initially) 0 BV fled
Trevnor: 2356 BV remaining (from 2532 initially) 0 BV fled
LagCat: 868 BV remaining (from 963 initially) 0 BV fled
Martillo Mercs: 0 BV remaining (from 5317 initially) 0 BV fled

Survivors are:

The following units are in retreat:

Graveyard contains:

The following utterly destroyed units are not available for salvage:

Detailed unit status saved to entitystatus.txt


Enemy BV Destroyed = 5317

Member Rewards:
BV Rating = 5317 / 13 = 409
x2 victory multiplier = 818
Member Pay = 818 / 3 = 272.6 = +250k C-bills

Salvage (100 tons max) :
x1 Dragon (60t)
x1 Blackjack (45t)
(will settle this later)

Transporting (100 tons max) :

 

Turn05-Mission02
June 22, 3049

Zone G4: Today, Alpha Lance continued its assault on fleeing Martillo forces. This time, Val's Marauder was in position to lend a hand and with her help, we demolished the rest of the mercenaries. Zone G4 has been wiped clean of hostiles. Only two badly damaged mechs managed to escape. Good... let them tell their master's we are coming for them. The fear they spread will only make it that much easier to crush them all.



Victory!
-------------------

Winner is: TEAM #1

MagnusEffect: 2675 BV remaining (from 2925 initially) 0 BV fled
Hired Guns: 0 BV remaining (from 10860 initially) 1607 BV fled
Trevnor: 2223 BV remaining (from 2566 initially) 0 BV fled
LagCat: 905 BV remaining (from 963 initially) 0 BV fled
Val: 2485 BV remaining (from 2930 initially) 0 BV fled

Survivors are:

The following units are in retreat:

Graveyard contains:

The following utterly destroyed units are not available for salvage:

Detailed unit status saved to entitystatus.txt

Enemy BV Destroyed = 9253

Member Rewards:
BV Rating = 9253 / 13 = 711.7
x2 victory multiplier = 1423
Member Pay = 1423 / 4 = 355.8 = +350k C-bills

Salvage (100 tons max)
Salvager Savant active (double salvage limit) :
x1 Dragon (60t)
x1 Blackjack (45t)
x1 Hatchetman (45t)

Transporting (100 tons max) :

 

Turn05-Mission03
June 23, 3049

Zone L4: The Gorettis are not content to leave us alone to rebuild. At night they hit us with an airstrike. Delta Lance was in position, but their mechs were in no shape to fight so they led our partisan infantry forces from the ground. The foul weather made it extremely difficult to shoot down the enemy VTOLs and aerospace, but Delta managed it well. Roughly 75% of the enemy units were shot down before they abandoned their fruitless assault.

After the battle we were able to deduce the airstrike was an attempt to destroy the outpost's remaining fuel reserves. Some of the storage tanks had received damage, but none had ruptured. Excellent work, Delta!



Victory!
-------------------

Winner is: TEAM #1

MagnusEffect: 0 BV remaining (from 1164 initially) 1154 BV fled
Skwisgaar: 1805 BV remaining (from 3032 initially) 0 BV fled
Sheo: 450 BV remaining (from 450 initially) 0 BV fled
Gihzmo: 485 BV remaining (from 685 initially) 0 BV fled
Dihm: 1495 BV remaining (from 1520 initially) 0 BV fled
Goretti VTOLs: 1118 BV remaining (from 4824 initially) 0 BV fled
LagCat: 0 BV remaining (from 0 initially) 0 BV fled

Survivors are:

The following units are in retreat:

Graveyard contains:

Detailed unit status saved to entitystatus.txt

Enemy BV Destroyed = 3706

Member Rewards:
BV Rating = 3706 / 13 = 285.07
x2 victory multiplier = 570.15
Member Pay = 570.15 / 4 = 142.5 = +150k C-bills
Secondary Objective Bonus! = +50k C-bills

Salvage (100 tons max) :
x4 Cavalry Attack Helicopter

Transporting (100 tons max) :

 

Thanks to Sheo's connections (+6 roll on Negotiations), The Butcher of New Belfast, Savio Drago, has been located in Zone G5 (Martillo Force #2). 16 million will be awarded to the group that successfully captures him alive (half that if dead).

Approach with extreme caution.

 

TURN SIX
June 25, 3049 (Standard Terran Calendar)
System: Star's End
Planet: Novo Cressidas (northern hemisphere)



We have reached a turning point in the campaign. Our objectives are laid out before us. We need only summon the strength of will to reach out and take them. After weeks of petty squabbling, the Martillos and Gorettis have finally reached an agreement. The details of this truce matter little to us. What is important to know is that they have joined forces out of desperation and hope of crushing us once and for all. Fortunately, we have been busy in our preparations for this eventuality.

The Gorettis are a shadow of their former strength; only their best two companies stand against us. The Martillos had a large number of mercenaries under their command, but thanks to Alpha's actions last week, these guns for hire are abandoning their contracts in droves. Only the Martillo's most desperate and most hardened soldiers remain. Of the latter, we must be particularly wary; not only are they the most well equipped force on the planet, but they are led by the notorious Savio Drago. He will not stop until every one of us is dead. His bounty is still open, but killing him will not be easy... capturing him alive even less.

Gamma and Delta Lance are still undergoing repairs at Outpost Ignis, but we believe we are ready to make our move this week. Again, our objectives remain the same: destroy both the Martillo and Goretti radar stations at their main headquarters, retake possession of Beta Lance's lost assets, and get the hell off this planet.

We expect to make contact with our dropships again in the coming weeks. If we can knock out the Goretti base to the northeast, they should be able to airdrop additional assets. This should help shore up our losses and sustain us for the final push on the Martillos in the far north.

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS:

• Get an up to date look at the map by logging into Mechwarrior: Ejected on Roll20!
• Any and all dropship support will be unavailable until communications with our dropships is reestablished.
• Players that are captured may request a POW exchange as per normal rules (see Master Rules, page 5). Consider the Gorettis to be "Hired Muscle" when applying costs and modifiers.

 

Turn06-Mission01
June 27, 3049

Zone J4:

Major Magnus Sullivan glares at his HUD as if trying to force his enemy out of hiding through willpower alone.

Damn you bastard... where are you.

He shakes his attention back to the tasks at hand and stabs his comlink with frustration.
"Trev, keep an open com with those helis. I want up to the minute reports on those forward enemy positions."

"Roger that, boss."

"LC, are those infantry in position yet?"

Malcolm "LagCat" Gerard was one of many new recruits they had found on Novo Cressidas, but he was one of the few who also happened to own his own Wolfhound. Sullivan knew the risk in taking him in, but the rebel leaders had vouched for him and the Commandos were in too tenuous a position to argue. Besides, Sullivan had a good feeling about the man. He couldn't put his finger on it, but talking to Gerard you could just tell... the man had a natural gift... was wise beyond his years... and seemed genuinely eager for a ticket off this backwater planet.

"Yes sir! They are waiting just beyond the hilltops you specified and ready to give those Martillos hell."

"Roger that, LC. If things go to shit, I want you to cover their escape while we draw the Martillo's fire. The partisans know the rendezvous point. No heroics here. We need them alive and ready to fight another day."

"You got it, Alpha 1."

Using official callsigns. Professional. Steiner deserter maybe? Might explain where Gerard got the battlemech.

"Alpha 1, this is Alpha 2."
Now Trev was playing along.
"Helis have confirmed contact on Martillos assault lance coming from the northeast with a mechanized platoon moving in support."

"Roger that Alpha 2"

"Mag, there's more... "
Trev pauses to say what Sullivan is already thinking.
"The Banshee at the front... it's him."

"Trev... are you sure?"

"Yeah, blood red arms... greyish torso... and his XO is right behind him in her Zeus as expected... so yeah... pretty sure it's him."

Sullivan gripped the controls of his Shadow Hawk tightly in anger.

"Then let's make this count. No mistakes. If I get a window, I'm going after that Banshee. Cover me, but don't get in my way. I need that bastard alive."

"What about the plan?"

"We stick to the plan, but I need you to buy me more time. Get me a window on that Banshee. Call in Delta if you have to."

"Roger that, Alpha 1. Just be careful"

"Maybe before, but not now...", Sullivan thinks to himself.
"Now is the time for vengeance."

=====

After weeks of preperation, the Skjaldborg Commandos began their final push on the main holdings of the Gorettis and Martillos. Leading the way, Alpha Lance moved to intercept and blunt the attack of the Martillo's assault assets, the Martillo Guard, while Gamma and Delta moved up from the south. Assuming to be heavily outgunned, Alpha setup a defensive position with the intent of dealing maximum damage before fading away into the hilly countryside. However, thanks to unexpected reinforcement from local partisan infantry, Alpha not only bloodied the noses of the Martillos' elite Guard, but utterly crushed their vanguard forces.

Yet, even in victory, there was reason to be wary. Alpha Lance had fought brilliantly, but still... for a supposedly elite command lance, the Martillo's capitulated far too easily. Something wasn't right and Sullivan could feel it like a worm in his stomach. Even as the savaged Banshee tumbled to the ground, Sullivan was already rushing to exit his Shadow Hawk and secure the downed pilot.

"Too easy..."




Victory!
-------------------

Winner is: TEAM #1

MagnusEffect: 3409 BV remaining (from 3775 initially) 0 BV fled
Martillo Guard: 0 BV remaining (from 5236 initially) 0 BV fled
LagCat: 1861 BV remaining (from 2008 initially) 0 BV fled
Trevnor: 2282 BV remaining (from 2566 initially) 0 BV fled
HG: 0 BV remaining (from 2624 initially) 0 BV fled

Survivors are:

The following units are in retreat:

Graveyard contains:

The following utterly destroyed units are not available for salvage:

Detailed unit status saved to entitystatus.txt


Enemy BV Destroyed = 7860

Member Rewards:
BV Rating = 7860 / 13 = 605
x2 victory multiplier = 1210
Member Pay = 1210 / 3 = +400k C-bills

Salvage (100 tons max) :
(will settle this later)

Transporting (100 tons max) :

 

June 27, 3049
Minutes after Alpha Lance's first battle with Martillo Guard in Zone J4...

Major Magnus Sullivan hastily scrambled down the outstretched right arm of his Shadow Hawk before leaping the last few meters to the ground. Partisan infantry had already reached the Banshee and were now attempting to secure the pilot inside who had failed to eject. That pilot was Savio Drago. Baron of Northdale, Commander of the Martillo Guard; he had many aliases, but one of those, the Butcher of New Belfast, was the only one that mattered to Sullivan. Despite being an experienced pilot, Drago had apparently failed to eject. Now the wreckage of his Banshee was being scoured over by Sullivan's allies like ants upon the carcass of a large beetle. Sullivan studied the wreckage from ground level as he walked toward it, but soon broke into a run. A body was being hoisted from the cockpit.
"Please be alive... Please be alive."

As Sullivan neared the wreckage he spotted the platoon leader, slowed his run to a jog, and tried to hide his mounting anxiety. Reaching the officer, Sullivan jumped right into business with a grim and formal salute.
"Greetings lieutenant. Nice work out there today. Give me a status report on the scene here."

"We attempted to make contact with the pilot from the outside, but saw no response. Proceeded to cut open the cockpit using standard procedure. No resistance encountered. The pilot is dead. As you can see, we're hauling him down now."

Sullivan clenched a fist and hid his anger by turning and walking a few steps away.

The disappointment was too hard to conceal from the lieutenant.
"Sir? Is something wrong?"

Sullivan tried to contain his anguish. He turned back to the lieutenant, but fixed his gaze up at the Banshee. Sullivan traced his eyes over the Banshee's hull with special attention made to its gun ports.
"Lieutenant, I couldn't tell for certain earlier when it was shooting at me, but would you say that's a standard 3M model?"

"Uh... Yes sir. Still waiting on the report from the salvage teams, but I believe you are correct. Two PPCs and secondary lasers. Not the worst of the Banshees, but still a piece of junk for an assault mech."

"No arm mounted weapons right?"

"None that I've seen, sir"

Sullivan's mind was now a million miles away as he pondered possibilities.
"Why would the commander of Martillo forces be piloting a second-rate assault mech", he asks himself.

Then a thought dawned on him. Sullivan pointed at the body of the pilot still being carried down from the Banshee.
"Lieutenant, I need to see that body. Right now."

Moments later, Sullivan paced impatiently as the body made its descent down to him. As it comes to rest at the foot of the massive battlemech, Sullivan is there waiting for it. The pilot's neurohelmet was covered in blood; the faceplate cracked. Sullivan knelt on the dead pilots chest and forcefully gripped for the helmets release straps. He manhandls the bulky helmet until it came off, possibly breaking the neck of the corpse in the process. As the helmet slid off, a tangle of congealed blood and hair emerged. Sullivan gripped the head of the dead pilot with both hands and pushed the bloodied hair away from the pilots face. A few onlooking soldiers made uncomfortable glances at each other.

Captain Treabhar Holmre arrived just in time to see his commander staring into the bloodied face of a dead pilot.

"Uh... Major? What's this all aboot?"

"It's not him Trev."
His mind already shifting focus, Sullivan irreverently drops the head as he stood to face his XO.
"I'll be damned... it's not him."
Sullivan betrayed a sigh of relief as he wiped off his bloody hands on his pants.

"You mean Drago? How do you know this?"

"This man's asian. Kuritan or Rasalhagian maybe... but definitely asian.
Magnus gave a dismissive wave to the corpse at his feet.
Don't give a damn who he is. All I know is that he's not Drago. His ancestry is Italian like the rest of these shithead wiseguys. That Banshee is not Drago's either... although they purposefully painted it to look like his. I'll bet he's still out there somewhere... waiting."

Sullivan pauses as his gaze appears to wander off at nothing in particular. A moment passes before he snaps back to attention.
"Thank you, lieutenant. Finish up here and meet back at the reindezvous point. Trev, let's get back to our mechs. Time to plan our next move!"

 

Turn06-Mission02
June 28, 3049

Zone K5: As Alpha and Delta worked their trade in the battles the hills to the north, Gamma took the most direct route to the remaining Goretti holdings. Skirting the edge of the vast Koachi Desert, there goal was to attack the southern flank and disrupt the Goretti supply chain. They engaged in skirmishing actions until nightfall, when they finally came upon the main Goretti force in the area. Gamma had come well equppied, however, and deployed scout VTOLs to spot the enemy in the cool desert night.

They also had the help of another local Mechwarrior, Han Johnson. He had an axe to grind with the Gorettis and was eager to see them all dead. Relentess, he held the line even when the enemy tried to overwhelm him. Unfortunately, his heat management systems had malfunctioned and failed to warn him of the stresses he was putting on his mech. Suddenly, his mech exploded in a brilliant fireball, but not before his autoeject system had triggered and he rocketed to safety. His mech was utterly destroyed, but he had played his part. What enemies remained had been so hammered by firepower that it was a simple matter for Tzeentch and Derak to clean up. For his sacrifice, Johnson was allowed to claim a new mech from their fallen foes.



Victory!
-------------------

Winner is: TEAM #1

MagnusEffect: 0 BV remaining (from 0 initially) 0 BV fled
Derak Darksun: 2244 BV remaining (from 3374 initially) 0 BV fled
Tzeentch: 2404 BV remaining (from 2811 initially) 0 BV fled
Goretti Regulars: 0 BV remaining (from 8600 initially) 779 BV fled
Alexia: 0 BV remaining (from 0 initially) 0 BV fled

Survivors are:

The following units are in retreat:

Graveyard contains:

The following utterly destroyed units are not available for salvage:

Detailed unit status saved to entitystatus.txt


Enemy BV Destroyed = 7821

Member Rewards:
BV Rating = 7821 / 13 = 602
x2 victory multiplier = 1204
Member Pay = 1204 / 3 = +400k C-bills

Salvage (65 + 65 tons max) :
(will settle this later)

Transporting (100 tons max) :

 

June 28, 3049
Somewhere to the north...

The afternoon sky had darkened prematurely. It was starting to rain again.

The driver was the first to break their hour long silence.
"Captain Arbis, we're approaching the main camp."

Captain Brenda Arbis sat in the backseat of the transport. Her thick black hair helped to hide some stitches above her left eye. She had some other minor cuts and bruises from her last encounter with their enemies, but was none the worse for wear. She looked out her rain-streaked passenger window as they approached the Martillo camp. A lance of medium mechs appeared to be preparing for another patrol. Drago's lance was parked and idle. He would not be hard to find.
"Good"

At the main gate they were stopped only briefly.
"It's Captain Arbis", the driver told the guard. "She has words for the Major."

Arbis had left with a lance of heavy mechs and returned in a light wheeled trasport. The guard knew what that meant. He took one look at her, frowned, and let them through quickly.

As the transport pulled away from the gate the driver asks if Arbis wants to stop at her tent first before seeing the Major.
"No", she says. "I want to surprise the sonnavabitch."

As the transport pulled up to the front of Drago's tent, the rain began to intensify. Arbis took one step out the door, but then leaned back in.
"Pull off to the side over there and wait. This won't take long."

Arbis stepped off the transport and zipped up her jacket to shield her from the rain. She walked briskly up the muddy path to the tent entrance. Two guards barred the doorway, but they were quick to get out of her way once they recognized her. Arbis' simmering frustration heated to a boil as she recognized music and laughter imminating from deeper inside the tent. Passing through a couple more curtains, Arbis reached the interior to find a scene more reminiscent of ancient Roman times.

Unlike the cold and drab exterior of the Drago's tent, the inside was warm and plush. Food and wine of expensive quality sat upon low tables. Velvet and silk pillows, carpets, and sheets adorned every corner of the room. In the center sat a raised platform a pole with accompanying stripper working her trade. And at the far end of the lavish room sat Savio Drago on an expensive looking sofa. The rest of his crew sat scattered along the walls of the tent. They were all enjoying the company of the most recent batch of slavegirls that met their ever changing carnal tastes.

Drago lift a goblet of wine to Arbis as she caught his attention.
"Welcome Brenda! I had expected you earlier! It's good you came when you did. We were beginning to worry you might miss out in this fine assortment of spirits!"
He poured the rest of his goblet onto the naked breasts of a curly blonde straddling him before burying his face in her cleavage.

Arbis was not in the mood for Drago the Drunk.
"Cut the bullshit. Your plan failed, the lance was lost, Boss Martillo is beginning to lose faith in us, and you owe me another Zeus."

Drago's affable demeanor turned sour. He grabbed the naked girl by the hips and violently threw her on to a pile of velvet pillows.
"Sorry dear", he grinned a deranged toothy grin. "The bitch demands an audience."
He pushed himself off the sofa to stand. Arbis had not noticed before, but he was completely naked.

One of his bigger henchmen protested.
"Drago, put some clothes on, man. I'm trying to have some fun over here."

Drago threw his empty goblet at his underling, pegging the man squarely between the eyes, dazing him. For being clearly plastered, the feat was impressive.
"You better shut the fuck up, Roz, if you don't want me to come over there! You are in MY tent! Look away if you don't like it!"

Drago turned to Arbis and slowly approached with a confident strut.
"So Brenda... did my plan really fail?"

Arbis was not phased by Drago's nakedness. Years before, she would have found his solid physique quite attractive. Indeed, they had shared a bed on more than one occasion. His twisted mind and black heart had long since shaken her to her senses, though. He had bought her loyalty, but never again her soul.
"You sent me down there on a suicide mission... bait for YOUR problem. We have gained nothing and lost plenty."

"Did we really? Or did our little distraction gain insight on our enemy? Tell me... was it really him in the Shadow Hawk?"

"Yes... unmistakable. Akiyama in that decoy Banshee lured him right in like a moth to the flame. How did you get him to agree?"

"Simple... I threaten his wife and daughter with... the usual methods. Men are easily manipulated when you threaten to rape their loved-ones in front of them."

"How very... resourceful of you."
Arbis hated Drago, but hated more that she was beholden to him and his Martillo connections.
"So what did any of this accomplish?"

"Your distraction allowed my agents to get into position. We know where they are heading. I know what he wants... and only I can give it to him. That gives us leverage, Brenda. All the leverage we need. The man has come so very far for answers. He will do anything to get them."

Arbis was not wholly convinced, but it seemed like a better plan than the one before.
"If that is so... what will we get out of it?"

"Nothing less than the destruction of our mutual enemies."

Arbis gave a sigh of resignation. The long road had worn down Arbis' attention span and exhaustion had finally dulled her outrage. She would hear more of Drago's machinations later when she was less tired. Only one other subject concerned her for the moment.
"Great... more on that later... now what the fuck are you going to do about my Zeus?..."

 

Turn06-Mission03
June 28, 3049

Zone J4: It was Delta's job to ensure our supply lines remained open as we pushed forward towards the Goretti stronghold. Knowing their time was running out, the Gorettis threw their very best at Delta hoping to shatter our center and send our logistics into chaos. However, Delta proved their reputation again as the anchor of the Skjaldborg Commandos; they stood undaunted in the face of the so called Goretti Honor Guard's assault and expertly deflected their forces. With the majority of our supply tucks safely escaped, Delta's defensive strategy abruptly changed to an offensive one. The Goretti line crumbled and, with it, so did their hope of victory against us. The commander of their Guards narrowly escaped in their crippled Grasshopper... all the better... how fitting that their very best be the one to deliver the bad news to Boss Goretti.



Victory!
-------------------

Winner is: TEAM #1

MagnusEffect: 0 BV remaining (from 0 initially) 0 BV fled
Sheo: 2562 BV remaining (from 4171 initially) 0 BV fled
Dihmgleberry: 4134 BV remaining (from 4677 initially) 0 BV fled
Convoy: 512 BV remaining (from 1792 initially) 512 BV fled
Goretti Honor Guard: 0 BV remaining (from 10650 initially) 522 BV fled
Gihzmo: 3256 BV remaining (from 3545 initially) 0 BV fled

Survivors are:

The following units are in retreat:

Graveyard contains:

Detailed unit status saved to entitystatus.txt

Convoy BV Saved = [GM edit: 100% = 1792]

Member Rewards:
x5 convoy multiplier = 8960
BV Rating = 8960 / 13 = 689
x2 victory multiplier = 1378
Member Pay = 1378 / 3 = ~+450k C-bills

Salvage (100 tons max) :
x2 Salvager Savant (pick 2 of 3)
Thunderbolt TDR-5SEr = 2,6m
Guillotine GLT-4L = 2,75m
Hobelar Light Tank = 350k
total = 5.7m / 3 = 1.9m

Transporting (100 tons max) :

 

July 3, 3049
2 km Southwest of Goretti Castle

They had reached the designated hilltop. The APC's door opened and a gentle gust of dry desert air blew in.

The Commando negotiators nodded to each other in quiet resolution.
"This is it", they seemed to think in unison.
Stepping out, the negotiators walked toward the waiting Goretti delegation.

The morning was dry and clear. The stage was set for a glorious battle, but battle would have to wait for now. In the distance, Goretti Castle stood like a black monolith on a sand dune. Boss Goretti and his underlings hid behind their towering walls, but had not been standing idle. Trenches, metal barriers, and all manner of static defense had been built up inside and beyond the castle walls. Boss Benito Goretti was prepared to go down fighting, but not before making a last ditched effort of diplomacy.

For the past few days he had been in private communication with the Skjaldborg Commandos' leadership. They were kept private, because the local partisans who had been assisting the Commandos up to this point were out for Goretti blood; they would not be the least bit interested in pursuing any diplomatic solution. The Goretti Family had plagued this region of Novo Cressidas for generations and the partisans had a long memory.

Yet the Commandos had no such longstanding hatred; their priority remained getting off the planet. Apprehensive diplomacy was engaged in secret and despite all indicators suggesting otherwise, a deal was met!

Interestingly, the more dangerous action was breaking the news to the rest of the Commandos and their partisan allies. The duty of sharing the bad news ultimately fell on Delta's chief negotiator, Lars Saknussen. Although a few Commandos openly objected, they took it in stride. As expected, the partisans took the news far, far worse. On the verge of a massive riot, only the quick thinking of partisan mechwarrior Malcom Gerard rescued the escalating situation.

Grabbing the mic, he pleaded with his fellow partisans to remember what they were fighting for.
"The Skjaldborg Commandos are not our enemies! They have fought hard to give us a stronger footing and have asked for nothing in return! Outpost Ignis is OURS because of their intervention! Goretti is weakened and thinks to defeat us by removing our crutch... but we have grown strong! We will show him that the crutch is no longer needed! And when his fortress is in ruins, his minions slaughtered, and our blades at his throat, he will know that WE beat him. VICTORY WILL BE OURS AND OURS ALONE!"

Miraculously, the silver tongue bastard spoke with such candor and eloquence as to give the partisans pause. In the end, the Commandos and partisans came to terms; it was time to go their separate ways. The partisans would indeed carry on the fight against the Gorettis. Although terms with the Gorettis dictated that the Commandos would abandon Outpost Ignis, the partisans would retain it as their main headquarters. If the Gorettis wanted their land back, they would have to take it by force. As the Commandos rode out, the partisans fired their guns in salute and bid gloomy, but determined farewells to their former allies.

Ironically, at the time of his pivotal speech, none of the partisans knew that Malcom had already planned to leave with the Commandos... and by the time they did, it would be too late to matter. He had already privately agreed to join the Commandos as a full member, but obviously this was a fact that needed not be shared. He had come to Novo Cressidas to escape a Lyran bounty. Naturally, the appearance of the Commandos stirred his desires to return to the Inner Sphere. It was in his best interest that the Commandos succeeded in getting off-planet with minimal issue.

His keen negotiating skills had won him a seat for dealing with the Gorettis. Now he and Lars were standing before the Goretti delegation. The Gorettis had seen fit to dress in formal black-tie attire. Compared to Malcom's and Lar's dusty mechwarrior uniforms, this hilltop meeting of the two groups looked oddly comical.

An attractive brunette in elegant blue dress stepped forward with open arms.
"Buongiorno Skjaldborg! I am Lady Ada Alescio, chief negotiator representing the Goretti Family. Welcome to Castle Goretti! Magnificent, isn't it? We have been very busy... hehe... preparing for your arrival."

 

July 5, 3049
Goretti Castle

Two days had passed and much had already been accomplished. Goretti and Skjaldborg Tech crews had worked side-by-side and around the clock to make repairs and upgrades to the their forces. Time and manpower was a premium, but thankfully, spare parts were not; previous battles with the Martillos had afforded no small shortage of supplies.

In preperation for their march north into Martillo territory, Major Magnus Sullivan was to have one final face-to-face conversation with Benito Goretti. Lady Ada Alescio had been sent to escort him. As Sullivan walked the halls of Castle Goretti, he couldn't help but notice the opulent decorum that filled the castle. It was particularly striking because of the deep poverty the rest of the planet's locals languished in.

Valerie Boroson looked more annoyed than usual. "I will be glad to put this place behind us. If I have to subject myself to one more lingering frisk, someone is losing a finger."

Lady Ada Alescio gave a winking nod that seemed both friendly and menacing. "My sincere apologies Förvaltare Boroson. If it happens again, I will gladly see to them myself. No need to dirty your hands. The men occasionally need lessons in manners."

Along with Boroson, Fanjukare Lars Saknussen and Sergeant Malcolm Gerard formed Sullivan's escort. The possibility of an ambush had forced Sullivan to leave his XO, Kapten Treabhar Holmre, behind. Holmre had orders to kill every last Gorettis without mercy should the crimefamily reneged on their deal.

<WORK IN PROGRESS>
<This article is intended to flesh out the Gorettis a bit better>
<check back later>

 

TURN SEVEN
July 9, 3049 (Standard Terran Calendar)
System: Star's End
Planet: Novo Cressidas (northern hemisphere)



We begin our final push north into Martillo territory. The Martillos will throw everything they can at us with reckless abandon in hopes of slowing us down. These half-starved, half-trained, or half-dead recruits shouldn't be much trouble on their own, but it is likely they will buy the Martillos precious time needed to prepare their defenses.

In our travels, we have obtained intelligence on the existence of a major mining operation in Zone E1 owned by the Martillos. Major Sullivan seems disinclined to focus any attention away from the Martillo HQ, but Delta Lance has expressed interest in raiding it for supplies they still need. Although strongly against the idea at first, Sullivan has unexpectedly changed his mind today on the matter. Delta will now have the opportunity to investigate the site. How a mining facility could help us achieve our current objective remains unclear, but perhaps time will tell.

Regardless, our Goretti allies seem pleased with our progress. At this rate, we could achieve complete victory as early as the end of this month. Still no word from our dropships or Skjaldborg Command, though...

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS:

• Get an up to date look at the map by logging into Mechwarrior: Ejected on Roll20!
• Any and all dropship support will be unavailable until communications with our dropships is reestablished.
• Players that are captured may request a POW exchange as per normal rules (see Master Rules, page 5). Consider the Gorettis to be "Hired Muscle" when applying costs and modifiers.