Chapter Four: High Stakes

[Purr]

"Ain't arguing the sentiment, Cera, but lower the volume if you please," she said, forcing calm into her voice in the hopes that it would help Cera calm down too, if only a little.

"I will comply, Elly Nor," Cera's voice softened apologetically. Again, she had returned to the meek and mild Cera as if some switch were flipped in the recesses of her alien mind. "Forgive my insolence, Dentalla, but may I... could I... assist you in the destruction of this arrogant male that seeks to lure us? With his ancient trick, he treats us as if we were the greatest of fools. I would return the favor."

* * *​

"Mack, we've got one Zeki in Male Power Armor here, took a missed shot at Toph then took off for the other door. Also, the outer doors are closed. We're aiming to take out the Zeki before he gets away; Cera recommends no pursuit."

Unit One's ever-cheerful voice came over the polyphonic nexus along with bright feelings filled with assurance. For someone who was stuck on the other side of a starship door with only one way out, the scrath sounded as if she were hosting a tea party instead of attempting to escape an enemy starship bent on humanity's destruction.

"Salutations, Elly Nor and Wild Cards! Combat update: Leader Mack and MechaKitten are currently indisposed and cannot answer your transmission at this time. Furthermore, Spaceman Sam is ineligible to communicate in our nexus, be it binary or polyphonic. Therefore, in the interests of our continued survival, This One will advise you as best she can from this side of the blast door. Query: Do any of you have queries This One might answer?"

* * *​

So she did. "Fox five," she called, sending a burst from her GU-11 flying through the bay at the retreating Zeki-Zentraedi.

The Zeki-Zentraedi pilot performed a wide barrel roll that neatly and excellently dodged every last round fired from Elinor's GU-11 burst. Somewhere in the distance, a pillar shook as it erupted from the exploding 55mm HEAP rounds. Blackened and battered, the pillar held. Still, the Zeki-Zentraedi flew on toward the door, yet at one moment, the pilot turned back to look at you before flying on.

It is Mario's turn. What does he do?

 

[Sherwood]

With a flick of a switch, Mario drops his mecha down into its Tank mode to ready the main gun. Selecting a APFSDS round, he takes careful aim and then fires, the barrel spewing a jet of flame as the shell flies out.

Spoiler

APFSDS x 30/26 rounds (Range: 4 miles. 3D6x10 M.D.)
HEAT x 6/6 rounds (Range: 2.2 miles. 2D6x10 M.D.)
MPAT x 6/6 rounds (Range: 2.2 miles. 2D6x10 M.D. to a 50 foot radius)
Plasma x 6/6 rounds (Range: 1.5 miles. 2D8x10 M.D. to a 25 foot radius and an additional 4D8 M.D. per minute for 1D6+1 minutes

Main Body: 475
Left Shield: 500
Right Shield: 500
Currently in Tank mode

In the Hover Tank
Number of Attacks: 8
Strike: +10 / +12 with the EU-11
Parry: +16
Dodge: +15 / +17 in Transport Mode from Combat Driving
Roll With Punch: +6
Disarm: +3
Pull Punch: +4
Initiative: +3
Action Points: 6 (2)

 

[Kaerri]

Spoiler: Valkyrie currently in Guardian mode

Elinor's character sheet

In the Valkyrie:
Initiative: +4 = +1 JKD, +2 MECT, +1 Valkyrie
Number of Attacks: 6 (+4 JKD, +2 MECT)
Ranged Strike: +9 = +4 PP, +2 JKD, +2 Valkyrie, +1 Weapon Systems
Ranged Strike with GU-11 gun pod: +10 = +4 PP, +2 JKD, +2 Valkyrie, +1 Weapon Systems, +1 GU-11
Missiles will have their own Strike which is generally 4 = +3 missile, +1 Weapon Systems
Melee Strike: +10 = +4 PP, +2 JKD, +2 MECT, +2 Valkyrie
Parry: +12 = +4 PP, +3 JKD, +1 Athletics, +1 MECT, +3 Valkyrie
--Automatic Parry (Jeet Kune Do)
Dodge: +15 while flying = +4 PP, +3 JKD, +1 Athletics, +2 Combat Flying, + 2 MECT, +3 Valkyrie
--Automatic dodge while flying
Auto dodge while flying in fighter mode: +16 = +4 PP, +3 JKD, +1 Athletics, +2 Combat Flying, + 2 MECT, +4 Valkyrie
Roll with impact: +10 while flying = +1 Athletics, +2 Gymnastics, +3 Combat Flying, +1 MECT, +3 Valkyrie
Disarm: +1 = +4 PP, +1 MECT
Pull punch: +6 = +4 PP, +2 MECT

M.D.C. by Location
*Sensor Head – 120
Arms (2) – 150 each
Hands (2) – 60 each
Utility Arms (3 in right forearm) – 10 each
Legs (2) – 180 each
Feet/Vectored Thrust Nozzles (2) – 120 each
**Wings (2) – 180 each
***Vertical Stabilizers (2) – 90 each
Head Weapons (1A has 1, 1J has 2, 1R has 3, 1S has 4) – 60 each
GU-11 Gun Pod – 150
Wing Hardpoints (2 each) – 25 each
Reinforced Pilot’s Compartment – 175
****Main Body – 420

Valkyrie munitions:
- GU-11 Gun Pod (22/25 bursts)
- two sets (10/10 missiles total) of HEAP SRMs
- one set (5/5 missiles) of Fragmentation SRMs
- one set (15/15 mini-missiles) of HEAP minis

"I will comply, Elly Nor," Cera's voice softened apologetically. Again, she had returned to the meek and mild Cera as if some switch were flipped in the recesses of her alien mind. "Forgive my insolence, Dentalla, but may I... could I... assist you in the destruction of this arrogant male that seeks to lure us? With his ancient trick, he treats us as if we were the greatest of fools. I would return the favor."

"Have at," Elinor replied. "Let's give him whatfor!"

 

[Purr]

"'Whatfor'?" Cera wondered aloud but did not further query. Instead, she further focused on the weapon systems on Elinor's Valkyrie. In but moments, Elinor knew something had changed - for now the Southern T.A.S.C. pilot had something she had never had before in combat - a gunner.

* * *​

Mario's 105mm round soared over and past the Male Power Armor. It smashed into and penetrated the distant wall with a deafening blast.

Now just over 1,500 feet away, the Zentraedi pilot swung about and briefly faced the Wild Cards. Everything about his body language shouted anger and frustration. He chose to express this hate with a rapid-fire burst from his chest cannon. THOO-THOO-THOOMMP!! roared the cannon as he turned again and sped away.

From the way he was positioned, Mario knew he was the target...

 

[Sherwood]

With the miss, Mario grinds his teeth in frustration. Damnit! That should have hit! Then he sees that the Zeki-Zentraedi pilot is firing at him in return. With a kick of his foot pedals, he triggers the jump jets of the Spartas to get out of the way of the incoming shot.

Spoiler

APFSDS x 30/26 rounds (Range: 4 miles. 3D6x10 M.D.)
HEAT x 6/6 rounds (Range: 2.2 miles. 2D6x10 M.D.)
MPAT x 6/6 rounds (Range: 2.2 miles. 2D6x10 M.D. to a 50 foot radius)
Plasma x 6/6 rounds (Range: 1.5 miles. 2D8x10 M.D. to a 25 foot radius and an additional 4D8 M.D. per minute for 1D6+1 minutes

Main Body: 475
Left Shield: 500
Right Shield: 500
Currently in Tank mode

In the Hover Tank
Number of Attacks: 8
Strike: +10 / +12 with the EU-11
Parry: +16
Dodge: +15 / +17 in Transport Mode from Combat Driving
Roll With Punch: +6
Disarm: +3
Pull Punch: +4
Initiative: +3
Action Points: 5 (2)

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Game Master note for all

Get ready, gang! I think this scene is a wild one! I hope you enjoy it! =)

Spoiler: Mood music you have heard before from Iris

"Scarecrow" by Ministry. I like the drums in this rock song. I think they befit the Zeki and their warlike ways.

It is one thing to commend the fighter pilot in her speeding combat aircraft when she dodges some source of impending doom with their famous grace, grit, and mind-blowing speed. It is quite another when a tanker in a VHT in Tank/Guardian Mode successfully dodges a row of 10 mega-damage grenades in a vehicle configuration that has a top speed of only eight miles an hour...

Mario's timing was nothing short of excellent; he kicked in his thrusters just as the pilot of the Male Power Armor had fired his chest cannon. Mario had waited for just the right moment for the pilot to commit his projectiles through the air. A bright trail of hull-shaking, explosive destruction fired the deck where Mario had been, but it did little more than make the VHT's hull glow momentarily like a red Floridian sunset.

* * *​

Mario, Toph, and Elinor saw the burning, smoking Nousjadeul-Ger reach its destination - the great blast doors that stood ominously but three hundred yards away from the Wild Cards. It was in that moment, as the red and black power armor spun about, that Cera's warning seemed to ring true. The ambush within an ambush became suddenly clear. For unlike the wreckage-strewn carnage under the Wild Cards' feet that provided ample means of cover, there was no cover of any kind at the great blast door. Anything or anyone who followed the Male Power Armor would have been wide open with, as infantry soldiers might say, "their ass hanging out in the breeze."

Incredulous yet filled with fear, the Male Power Armor looked back the Wild Cards once more. He did not touch the controls near the doors. Instead, before him, the humongous door swiftly opened all by itself...

Out of the Wild Cards' line of sight, a forceful and irritated voice that could only belong to a male, alien giant rang out from behind that door. "What is this?! Where is my Micronian gun fodder?!"

The Male Power Armor pointed at you, "Master, they would not follow! They, they..."

Irritation gave way to anger. The warrior's voice boomed through the aerospace hangar and echoed off of its hypercarbon walls. "Insolent dolt! I desire targets and you provide excuses?!" Though you could not see him, there was a sensation movement and suddenly, the Male Power Armor shook in terror.

That voice held no mercy. "Incompetent wretch! I send you to where you belong! To an honorless oblivion!!"

There followed a hollow thumping sound. Something hurtled crazily through the air toward the Male Power Armor. It struck his leg and seemed to stay there. As the Male Power Armor's back was facing you, you could not get a good view of the thing, but one thing was certain - it was crawling up the Male Power Armor...

...and crawling toward his face.

The pilot struggled in vain. "No, master, no! Spare--"

KA-WHOOOM!! A horrific explosion rattled the air as the Nousjadeul-Ger erupted into an ugly ball of fire and debris. As the remnants of the burning alien armor fell and clattered against the starship deck, you could hear laughter like that of a madman as the warrior approached from the great blast door and into the hangar bay...

Cera seemed to know what it was before you even saw it. With a touch of awe and an avalanche of raw hatred, Cera spat a word over the polyphonic nexus...

"Beastmaster!!"

Spoiler: Beastmaster

Heya gang! Imagine a combination of odd and alien things. One familiar, one not, joining to become something that should not be.

Imagine a 25% larger-than-usual Nousajadel-Ger with an over-sized shoulder cannon almost too large for its size...

(Image credit: Pinterest )

...and completely merge that with this good-looking and trendy fellow...

(Image credit: YouTube )

...until they are one and the same creature. The creature is not a Zeki-Zentraedi in a huge suit of Male Power Armor. The Beastmaster IS a Zeki-Zentraedi melded INTO the armor! Under those hunchbacked shoulders, his face sticks out just above his chest cannon in a horrid, biotechnical nightmare fusion of Zentraedi and machine.

Attached to the warrior were small rectangular pods that reminded you of Zentraedi ammunition pods, except something inside each of these armored pods seemed to move. With practiced ease, the Beastmaster reached into one of these twelve or so ammo pods and pulled forth a snarling, toothy wargoth. But not just any kind of flesh-eating, green-skinned wargoth; one that had something strapped quite securely to its body. This, the Beastmaster stuffed into its oversized cannon. Its living ammunition went in with the utmost obedience and eagerness. The Beastmaster then slid a small latch back on the cannon and grinned.

As if this were not threat enough, the Beastmaster and his pets were far from alone. Eight Zentraedi Battle Pods, all painted red and black and in pristine condition emerged in a wide, disciplined line behind him. Their particle beam cannons and autocannons swiveled your way as they spread out with incredible nimbleness despite their gigantic size. Each of you had been trained in the Army of Southern Cross that the Zentraedi overwhelmed their opponents with superior numbers. Now was no exception.

The Beastmaster pointed at you and gnashed his teeth savagely. "You dare to steal from us the key to the Broadsword?! You think you can end the Maelstrom? FOOLS!" He laughed with a gruesome snarl. "Lord Dalzak has ordered your death! You pitiful micronians in your hopeless, ancient battle-machinery! You will scream for mercy as I teaaaar yoooou apaaart!! ATTAAAACK!!"

The Wild Cards now saw their first true glimpse of what the Zeki-Zentraedi war machine had in store for them, for Eglin ASC base, and for all of humanity on Earth...

Spoiler: Game Master note for all.

As the scene has changed into a new battle, roll Initiative again. But before you do, I want to remind you of something I have not seen any of you perform yet. It concerns Action Points.

Remember that Action Points, unless I say otherwise, can be used for any d20 or d100 roll...

... including Initiative rolls. Just saying. =)

 

[Sherwood]

Damn! This party just keeps on getting better and better! Lets try and thin these assholes out a bit. With a grin of a man completely at home in his environment, Mario toggles the main gun to fire one of his MPAT rounds, aiming to catch two of the Regult Battle Pods in the blast radius.

Since there are still so many of the Zeki-Zentraedi forces over there, Mario decides to put as much armor between his own self and them and quickly shifts modes into Battloid, getting his massive arm shields ready to come into play.

Spoiler

APFSDS x 30/26 rounds (Range: 4 miles. 3D6x10 M.D.)
HEAT x 6/6 rounds (Range: 2.2 miles. 2D6x10 M.D.)
MPAT x 6/5 rounds (Range: 2.2 miles. 2D6x10 M.D. to a 50 foot radius)
Plasma x 6/6 rounds (Range: 1.5 miles. 2D8x10 M.D. to a 25 foot radius and an additional 4D8 M.D. per minute for 1D6+1 minutes

Main Body: 475
Left Shield: 500
Right Shield: 500

Currently in Battloid mode

In the Hover Tank
Number of Attacks: 8
Strike: +10 / +12 with the EU-11
Parry: +16
Dodge: +15 / +17 in Transport Mode from Combat Driving
Roll With Punch: +6
Disarm: +3
Pull Punch: +4
Initiative: +3
Action Points: 4 (2)

 

[Purr]

Among tankers, you always want to be the one that gets that good shot - that shot that people talk about long after the battle. You definitely don't want to be the one that embarrasses himself in front of his fellows as you'll probably never hear the end of it. Mario was the only tanker in this fight, but when he missed earlier with his APFSDS round, he could almost hear his gunnery instructor screaming at him in his mind. "Oh yeah! That ant hill you just hit cost the United Earth Government about a good 5,000 bucks! Hope you're happy!" And everyone had heard that instructor's voice. Probably because missing meant allowing your enemy another chance to kill you or one of your buddies.

But then there that sweet sound, the cheer of tankers and the smiling nods of instructors when that round, like a football thrown by the powerful quarterback soaring downfield into the waiting arms of an open wide receiver for that perfect touchdown, just made everyone present happy. Getting a 'crit' shot' was more than bragging rights, it was a morale raiser. Even the enemy knew that.

KABOOOOM!!

Mario knew something good was going to happen when he pulled the Cadillac trigger, when the whole VHT shook from the main gun's power, and that round took to the air. There is always that moment of suspense after you fire that main gun. Once the round is out, it is also out of your hands. Either it hits or it doesn't and damned near everyone is going to know the result.

Mario's round, a crit' shot, landed square between two hastily-moving Battle Pods that had just set into their positions. Mario saw them move and something in him knew where they would end up. By the time the two alien pilots realized what was heading at them, it was too late. Sure, they tried to dodge, but their time was up.

The magnificent explosion was seen by all, as were the burning pieces of the Battle Pods as they twirled and hurtled through the air.

"Yeeeeeah!"

Mario heard Cera's fierce cheer over the squadron radio. Her shout at the death of two the Zeki was the most jubilant sound the Wild Cards had heard out of her yet. She might not have been a tanker, but in that moment, she certainly cheered Mario on like one.

Perhaps it was just imagination, but one of the songs the VHT tankers in Eglin ASC liked to play seemed to soar through the wind like a mighty spirit crossing the battlefield...

Spoiler: Mood music

"I Got the Power" (Rock version) by H-Blockx. The text in the "Show More" bar from the YouTube poster is also worth reading. Dig those jammin' video clips! Roll on, tankers! =)

 

[Psychie]

"Yes! Excellent shot, Mario! Well done! Lets see what we can do about the rest of these!" Keeping her already damaged mecha down behind what cover that there is, Toph raises up her Ajax's arm and fires a well-aimed burst from her own main weapon at the Beastmaster.

Spoiler

Currently in Battloid mode

Toph's/Muppet's Ajax munitions:
2/15 Mini Fragmentation 5d6 MDC
8/15 Plasma/Heat 1d6x10 MDC
and 24/30 HEAP 1d4x10 MDC

Muppet's Ajax (240/400 M.D.C.)

Number of Attacks: 7
Strike: +12
Parry: +13
Dodge: +14/+18 to Auto Dodge While Flying
Roll: +7
Initiative: +4
Action Points: 6

 

[Purr]

The Beastmaster not only saw Toph lining up on him; he waited, toyingly, for the very last moment to dodge her ion blast in a way that just roared, "I saw that coming a mile away." Her shot bounced uselessly off of the burning aerospace hangar floor.

"Ha!" he barked with a smug grin. "A frightened pilot in a half-destroyed piece of antiquity! How utterly typical of you Micronians!"

* * *​

It became Elinor's turn to act. However, due to their circumstances, it was Cera's too.

Elinor understood, far better than her Ura-Meltrandi companion, that Cera could now act as a gunner in Elinor's Valkyrie. Elinor could provide Cera verbal permission over certain weapon systems while she made use of others. This meant Elinor's Valkyrie could potentially dish out a significantly larger amount of weapons fire than Elinor alone.

Elinor's education and background as a test pilot informed her of a special hunch, likely true, concerning Cera; she seemed to lack Mecha Elite Combat Training of any kind. Since Cera had evidently not Traversed with Elinor's Valkyrie, logic suggested Taniya's crewmate had instead used a skill like Weapon Systems, likely with some difficulty, to comprehend the Valkyrie's weaponry - and she had done so successfully. Elinor could ask Cera if she wanted to be certain.

If true, this meant that Cera's accuracy with the VF-1S's GU-11 gun pod and head-mounted quad-barreled laser cannons would be limited, but not so with any of Elinor's missile ordnance, which had its own guidance systems. The gun pod and missile racks also had finite ammunition whereas the laser cannons did not. The difference in damage potential of the cannons was also important with the GU-11 far outweighing the head-lasers.

Optionally, Elinor had been trained to understand that a gunner could solely make use of the head-lasers to destroy incoming missile barrages, however Elinor noted that these Battle Pods seemed to be of the standard variety, packing particle beam cannons and auto-cannons, but not missiles. As for the Beastmaster, it clearly sported a chest-mounted grenade launcher and an oversized pistol that in Elinor's experience today meant it fired superheated plasma. As for the shoulder-mounted cannon, that was another story. None of the Wild Cards had ever seen an alien creature get stuffed inside a cannon before...

Cera, her red-brown eyes steadily watching the Beastmaster and his remaining Battle Pods, quietly and expectantly awaited Elinor's orders.

What does Elinor do?

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor grinned. "Nice shooting, Mario!" she said jubilantly over the Nexus. Shots like that needed a celebration, even if it only lasted a moment!

Unfortunately, with six remaining Battle Pods, not to mention Beastmaster Jerk-face, a moment was all they could spare. "Cera," she thought directly at her gunner (passenger no longer!), "did you Traverse my Valkyrie or just figure out the weapons systems?" Her tone made it clear that she didn't mind either way; she just needed to know how Cera could best help. While she "talked," Elinor studied the enemy. It didn't look like any of them had missiles, which she supposed was a blessing. On the other hand, those wargoth things were a definite unknown, and Elinor didn't like unknowns, particularly when they were stuffed in a cannon to (presumably) fire at her and her teammates.

 

[Purr]

Cera's reply was hesitant even with Elinor's relaxed tone. "I... called upon my training. Forgive me for not asking permission, Dentella. I shamefully lost control when I saw the Zeki..." This last was sent with a note of caged-up rage. In Elinor's HUD camera, she could see Cera clenching her jaw and narrowing her eyes. There was a conflict inside the less-than-day-old female - one side of hot temper, the other of iron discipline.

 

[Kaerri]

Spoiler: Valkyrie currently in Guardian mode

Elinor's character sheet

In the Valkyrie:
Initiative: +4 = +1 JKD, +2 MECT, +1 Valkyrie
Number of Attacks: 6 (+4 JKD, +2 MECT)
Ranged Strike: +9 = +4 PP, +2 JKD, +2 Valkyrie, +1 Weapon Systems
Ranged Strike with GU-11 gun pod: +10 = +4 PP, +2 JKD, +2 Valkyrie, +1 Weapon Systems, +1 GU-11
Missiles will have their own Strike which is generally 4 = +3 missile, +1 Weapon Systems
Melee Strike: +10 = +4 PP, +2 JKD, +2 MECT, +2 Valkyrie
Parry: +12 = +4 PP, +3 JKD, +1 Athletics, +1 MECT, +3 Valkyrie
--Automatic Parry (Jeet Kune Do)
Dodge: +15 while flying = +4 PP, +3 JKD, +1 Athletics, +2 Combat Flying, + 2 MECT, +3 Valkyrie
--Automatic dodge while flying
Auto dodge while flying in fighter mode: +16 = +4 PP, +3 JKD, +1 Athletics, +2 Combat Flying, + 2 MECT, +4 Valkyrie
Roll with impact: +10 while flying = +1 Athletics, +2 Gymnastics, +3 Combat Flying, +1 MECT, +3 Valkyrie
Disarm: +1 = +4 PP, +1 MECT
Pull punch: +6 = +4 PP, +2 MECT

M.D.C. by Location
*Sensor Head – 120
Arms (2) – 150 each
Hands (2) – 60 each
Utility Arms (3 in right forearm) – 10 each
Legs (2) – 180 each
Feet/Vectored Thrust Nozzles (2) – 120 each
**Wings (2) – 180 each
***Vertical Stabilizers (2) – 90 each
Head Weapons (1A has 1, 1J has 2, 1R has 3, 1S has 4) – 60 each
GU-11 Gun Pod – 150
Wing Hardpoints (2 each) – 25 each
Reinforced Pilot’s Compartment – 175
****Main Body – 270/350 M.D.C.

Valkyrie munitions:
- GU-11 Gun Pod (21/25 bursts)
- two sets (10/10 missiles total) of HEAP SRMs
- one set (5/5 missiles) of Fragmentation SRMs
- one set (15/15 mini-missiles) of HEAP minis

"No worries, Cera." Elinor kept her tone light, but not so light as to seem patronizing. "You're young yet, you've got time to work on it. Meanwhile, take over the missiles and head-mount lasers, will you? Let's cut these odds down to size." With that, she turned her GU-11 towards one of the undemolished Battle Pods and let loose a burst of rounds at it. She also made ready to dodge whatever the enemy chose to fire back with, particularly the Beastmaster. Which sparked another thought, which she sent to everyone in the Nexus. "By the way, Cera -- or Iris, if you can see well enough from there -- what is this Beastmaster, and why's he firing critters at us?"

 

[Purr]

Elinor's GU-11 burst only succeeded in ripping up part of a nearby pillar. It smoked wearily but remained standing.

"By the way, Cera -- or Iris, if you can see well enough from there -- what is this Beastmaster, and why's he firing critters at us?"

"Crit-ters?" Mouthing the unfamiliar, Cera let her feelings of wonder show inside the mental and emotional network that was the polyphonic nexus. "'That which causes critical damage?'" She most certainly hoped that was not the case.

Cera explained, her youthful voice coming on with a sense of urgency. "The Beastmaster is a highly-aggressive bio-armor unit. Well-armored and armed, he controls a battlefield through explosive domination and ruthless cunning." As she spoke, Elinor noticed the Ura-Meltrandi taking over the missile and head-mounted laser controls for Elinor's Valkyrie. Elinor saw Cera immediately select a single HEAP SRM. Then Cera took her gunner's camera off of the Battlemaster and aimed it in the general vicinity of Toph's Ajax. Cera's camera then panned back. In Elinor's HUD, the display, Toph's veritech seemed to shrink as the camera got the best view of Toph's situation as possible.

Meanwhile, the Beastmaster roared in outrage as he stared at the smoking ruins of the two Battle Pods Mario had creamed and the ion blast Toph had aimed at him.

Cera set her jaw and 'spoke' loudly over the nexus. "Please listen to me, Wild Cards! On a Beastmaster, the wargoths act as their own gunner. Toph Kirin, when you are targeted, do not rely on dodging the incoming wargoth! Against this, your chaff and flares are useless. You must shoot it out of the sky, otherwise it will attack and attack until it eventually latches on to your mech. Then the wargoth will magnetically crawl its way to your cockpit. Once mere yards from you, it will detonate its entire ordnance at point-blank range."

Sure enough, as Cera spoke, the Beastmaster turned his massive girth toward Toph. Without any apparent move from him, his shoulder-mounted cannon fired. A speeding, snarling projectile soared through the air and at Toph, but the shot was off-target. Then, leaving a small smoke trail, the wargoth corrected its path mid-flight and came straight on at the half-human pilot.

The Ura-meltrandi armed the HEAP SRM. "That is the way of the Zeki-Zentraedi Beastmaster. Toph Kirin, I will try to shoot the wargoth down for you. Elly Nor, this will likely turn the Beastmaster's attention upon you and I. Let me know if you want me to taunt him."

"Intercepting." Cera loosed. A flash of conical shining fire left Elinor's Valkyrie and soared away. The missile streaked toward the flying wargoth threatening Toph. Using small thrusters, the wargoth saw the missile and tried to veer out of its path, but Cera had read the thing's intended flight path as if it had come right out an instruction manual. She had launched at the best possible moment and let the missile's own computer guidance system do the rest.

The wargoth and missile met. Wham! But that was only the first of two explosions...

FWOOOOOOM!!

The missile's detonation caused the munition-loaded wargoth to explode mid-flight. The result was a huge and ugly, fiery explosion easily the size of Toph's Ajax. The thundering blast lit the entire area in a violent red-orange glow that only the dead did not see. Toph was safe from that threat, but a moment later, the Wild Cards saw the Beastmaster's cannon and another wargoth stuffing itself inside it for another try.

The Beastmaster stammered in momentary confusion. He clenched his fist and shouted. "WHAT?! But... but... how did they know?!" His mind was stopped cold. How could these humans have so quickly adapted to his tactics? This made no sense! He was Zeki-Zentraedi! He was superior! He was supposed to have the advantage!!

For a moment, his shock was so great that the Beastmaster was caught off-guard and in that precious moment, the bio-armor forgot to direct his Battle Pods' action. Since no order was given, instead all of them firing on Mario as the Beastmaster had intended, they fired on random targets, splitting their considerable firepower instead of focusing it on one Wild Card.

One pair Battle Pods fired on Mario, another on Toph, and the last pair loosed on Elinor. Particle cannons blazed white beams of destruction inside the Zeki-Zentraedi starship.

"Damn you!" The Battlemaster wheeled about, facing Elinor's Valkyrie. "I shall destroy you, Micronian!" From only 900 feet away, he sent forth a burst at her from his chest-mounted grenade launcher.

In Elinor's backseat, Cera the Ura-Meltrandi permitted herself a wide smile. The Beastmaster was acting as if he had no idea there was an Ura-meltrandi on the battlefield. And why should there be? The knowledge tickled Cera and that feeling of satisfaction made its way across the polyphonic nexus.

Along with a girlish giggle.

* * *​

Meanwhile, sitting directly behind a very busy Mario in his equally-busy Veritech Hover Tank, a little digital clock continued to tick down... second by second...

 

[Psychie]

Toph lets out a startled gasp as the Wargoth explodes. "Holy crap! That was supposed to go off against my cockpit?!? I owe you one, Cera! We have got to take that Bio-Armored asshole down quick! We can't afford to have that fiend up and able to continue to use his weapon."

Spoiler

Currently in Battloid mode

Toph's/Muppet's Ajax munitions:
2/15 Mini Fragmentation 5d6 MDC
8/15 Plasma/Heat 1d6x10 MDC
and 24/30 HEAP 1d4x10 MDC

Muppet's Ajax (240/400 M.D.C.)

Number of Attacks: 7
Strike: +12
Parry: +13
Dodge: +14/+18 to Auto Dodge While Flying
Roll: +7
Initiative: +4
Action Points: 6

 

[Sherwood]

With a calm mental voice, Mario sends out the thought, "That explosion looked to be on par with one of our Medium Range Plasma missiles. Might not penetrate your armor if it explodes on your cockpit, but lets not take the chance to find out. Cera, keep up the good work over there, and thanks for the info! Remind me to buy you a beer when we get back. Final thought for the moment is that we need to finish this fight, one way or another. We have those nukes counting down to detonation still." He pauses, then sends another thought. "Cera, are those seeking Wargoth-weapons explosive in the launcher? Shooting the projectile in the launcher might just buy him a piece of real estate."

Spoiler

APFSDS x 30/26 rounds (Range: 4 miles. 3D6x10 M.D.)
HEAT x 6/6 rounds (Range: 2.2 miles. 2D6x10 M.D.)
MPAT x 6/5 rounds (Range: 2.2 miles. 2D6x10 M.D. to a 50 foot radius)
Plasma x 6/6 rounds (Range: 1.5 miles. 2D8x10 M.D. to a 25 foot radius and an additional 4D8 M.D. per minute for 1D6+1 minutes

Main Body: 475
Left Shield: 500
Right Shield: 500

Currently in Battloid mode

In the Hover Tank
Number of Attacks: 8
Strike: +10 / +12 with the EU-11
Parry: +16
Dodge: +15 / +17 in Transport Mode from Combat Driving
Roll With Punch: +6
Disarm: +3
Pull Punch: +4
Initiative: +3
Action Points: 4 (2)

 

[Purr]

"A... beer?" What could that be and what did it mean that Mario was offering? And what was it to "buy" something? Cera wondered on. There was so very, very much she did not know.

Concerning the wargoth-missiles, Cera considered and then replied. "They should not be. Like the missiles on your dated veritechs, the missile and the warhead are armed in two separate stages.* The wargoths should not arm them until they are in flight. If he has weak points, they lie in his pride, honor, and arrogance."

*

Spoiler: Missiles

It is my understanding that, at least on today's fighting aircraft, a missile's rocket (the launching device) is armed by the pilot and then released from the aircraft. Kind of like a safety on a firearm being released prior to firing. Unlike a bullet, the missile's warhead then becomes "live" when it is a safe distance away from the vehicle that fired it. If, for some reason, a missile fails to launch, the warhead never becomes active, and therefore doesn't threaten anything.

The wisdom behind this method is solid - at no point do you have a wing on your aircraft endangering the pilot(s) or the aircraft. I read this in Col. Dan Hampton's excellent non-fiction book, Viper Pilot.

 

[Purr]

The particle beams roared and filled the aerospace bay with terrifying energy. The blasts that did not strike true shook the floors, walls, and pillars like some massive being grabbing the whole room with both hands and rattling it.

The first shot that missed Toph was one she was certain of, but the second blast literally filled her canopy with light. At first, it seemed like she had dodged into the blasts but when she recovered from the brilliant display, she found she had not been struck at all - one of those battle oddities without an explanation.

Elinor threw her Valkyrie's controls and with the know-how that only test pilots and aces seem to have, she dodged every grenade and particle beam blast aimed her way. The harsh movements threw her and Cera against the sides of her cockpit, or rather, they would have had they not been strapped in. It was the kind of movement that was abusive and bruise-making on the body, the type that usually sent Elinor's typical backseat military into cursing or civilian company into fainting. Cera did neither. She just gritted her teeth and looked ready for more.

Mario blocked the first pair of blasts from the Battle Pods and even those giant beams of light pummeled his tank back a short distance, but it was the second pair, hidden in a way by the first, that got through to his main body. Despite the Wild Cards' training, they were still rookies. No super special forces or aces in training here but folks who followed their own military courses to wind up where they were, and somehow wound up with Technopathy in their resume to boot. So, the hit to the chest was something of a shocker at first.

But now it was Mario's turn again... =)

 

[Sherwood]

Mario opens up the Spartas' external speakers and lets out a bark of laughter. In Zentraedi, he says, "You call us out for having obsolete equipment? Especially when your Regult pods can barely tap my mecha with their best attacks? Pathetic! I've been hit harder by my younger sister as we would play as kids! Let me show you how its done!"

He flips his mecha into its Tank mode with a flip of the switch to unleash his main gun once more. Aiming at the Regult pods, Mario suddenly shifts his target to the Beastmaster and lets fly with a silver bullet, hoping to have his name on the shell. Lets hope I can back up my big talk with a solid hit!

Spoiler

APFSDS x 30/25 rounds (Range: 4 miles. 3D6x10 M.D.)
HEAT x 6/6 rounds (Range: 2.2 miles. 2D6x10 M.D.)
MPAT x 6/5 rounds (Range: 2.2 miles. 2D6x10 M.D. to a 50 foot radius)
Plasma x 6/6 rounds (Range: 1.5 miles. 2D8x10 M.D. to a 25 foot radius and an additional 4D8 M.D. per minute for 1D6+1 minutes

Main Body: 475 / 425
Left Shield: 500 / 460
Right Shield: 500

Currently in Tank mode

In the Hover Tank
Number of Attacks: 8
Strike: +10 / +12 with the EU-11
Parry: +16
Dodge: +15 / +17 in Transport Mode from Combat Driving
Roll With Punch: +6
Disarm: +3
Pull Punch: +4
Initiative: +3
Action Points: 3 (2)

 

[Psychie]

Toph shakes her head as Mario talks big then drops the ball before getting that touchdown. Men! Always having to brag, then the real world hits them in the ass and makes them look foolish. She tries a shot with her own main weapon on the Ajax; the forearm mounted pulse laser. Lets see if I can't do a little better than our tanker did.

Spoiler

Currently in Battloid mode

Toph's/Muppet's Ajax munitions:
2/15 Mini Fragmentation 5d6 MDC
8/15 Plasma/Heat 1d6x10 MDC
and 24/30 HEAP 1d4x10 MDC

Muppet's Ajax (240/400 M.D.C.)

Number of Attacks: 7
Strike: +12
Parry: +13
Dodge: +14/+18 to Auto Dodge While Flying
Roll: +7
Initiative: +4
Action Points: 6

 

[Purr]

While Mario's silver bullet flew away from his tank, past the Zeki-Zentraedi, down a hall to God-knows-where, Toph commanded her Ajax with the cool fighter pilots were known for. The pink-haired Ajax pilot lined up her shot and squeezed her trigger when she was at her most-confident of its accuracy.

And she scored!

Her ion blast left her cannon and struck the Beastmaster in its center torso for, what she believed, was about average damage for her weapon. Except the Beastmaster did not rock and shift the way one of Lord Dolza's Male Power Armor did. It took the hit in an almost tank-like fashion, shrugging it off. It was clear the larger and better-armed Beastmaster also had more armor than the Nousjadeul-Ger...

 

[Kaerri]

Spoiler: Valkyrie currently in Guardian mode

Elinor's character sheet
Action Points: 4/6

In the Valkyrie:
Initiative: +4 = +1 JKD, +2 MECT, +1 Valkyrie
Number of Attacks: 6 (+4 JKD, +2 MECT)
Ranged Strike: +9 = +4 PP, +2 JKD, +2 Valkyrie, +1 Weapon Systems
Ranged Strike with GU-11 gun pod: +10 = +4 PP, +2 JKD, +2 Valkyrie, +1 Weapon Systems, +1 GU-11
Missiles will have their own Strike which is generally 4 = +3 missile, +1 Weapon Systems
Melee Strike: +10 = +4 PP, +2 JKD, +2 MECT, +2 Valkyrie
Parry: +12 = +4 PP, +3 JKD, +1 Athletics, +1 MECT, +3 Valkyrie
--Automatic Parry (Jeet Kune Do)
Dodge: +15 while flying = +4 PP, +3 JKD, +1 Athletics, +2 Combat Flying, + 2 MECT, +3 Valkyrie
--Automatic dodge while flying
Auto dodge while flying in fighter mode: +16 = +4 PP, +3 JKD, +1 Athletics, +2 Combat Flying, + 2 MECT, +4 Valkyrie
Roll with impact: +10 while flying = +1 Athletics, +2 Gymnastics, +3 Combat Flying, +1 MECT, +3 Valkyrie
Disarm: +1 = +4 PP, +1 MECT
Pull punch: +6 = +4 PP, +2 MECT

M.D.C. by Location
*Sensor Head – 100
Arms (2) – 125 each
Hands (2) – 50 each
Utility Arms (3 in right forearm) – 10 each
Legs (2) – 150 each
Feet/Vectored Thrust Nozzles (2) – 100 each
**Wings (2) – 150 each
***Vertical Stabilizers (2) – 75 each
Head Weapons (1A has 1, 1J has 2, 1R has 3, 1S has 4) – 50 each
GU-11 Gun Pod – 150
Wing Hardpoints (2 each) – 20 each
Reinforced Pilot’s Compartment – 175
****Main Body – 270/350 M.D.C.

Valkyrie munitions:
- GU-11 Gun Pod (22/25 bursts)
- two sets (9/10 missiles total) of HEAP SRMs
- one set (5/5 missiles) of Fragmentation SRMs
- one set (15/15 mini-missiles) of HEAP minis

"Crit-ters?" Mouthing the unfamiliar, Cera let her feelings of wonder show inside the mental and emotional network that was the polyphonic nexus. "'That which causes critical damage?'" She most certainly hoped that was not the case.

"Nah, 'critters' means creatures, or animals, where I come from," Elinor explained.

In Elinor's backseat, Cera the Ura-Meltrandi permitted herself a wide smile. The Beastmaster was acting as if he had no idea there was an Ura-meltrandi on the battlefield. And why should there be? The knowledge tickled Cera and that feeling of satisfaction made its way across the polyphonic nexus.

Along with a girlish giggle.

Elinor couldn't help but laugh too. They'd just gotten a major advantage, thanks to Cera. "Nice shooting! Keep those things away from us, will you please? I don't think any of us wants a closer look than we've already had."

"A... beer?" What could that be and what did it mean that Mario was offering?

Privately, Elinor sent to Cera, "A beer is a drink. He's offering to provide a sort of soldier's celebration, when we get back."

Then she turned her "voice" back to the group at large. "Cera, missiles and lasers remain yours at need. Keep those wargoths off us. I'll see what I can do about the jerk-face firing them." Suiting action to word, she sent a GU-11 burst at the Beastmaster. "Fox five!" she called publicly, and then privately to Cera, "That means I'm firing guns. The short-range missiles are 'fox two' and the mini-missiles are 'fox one.' "

 

[Purr]

Elinor made the classic mistake of firing too early when coming out of a dodging maneuver. Her GU-11 only succeeded in shooting up a part of the hangar wall where one of Mario's silver bullets had already impacted.

Seeing you miss your targets over and over again, the Beastmaster chortled in amusement. He pointed one fat fist at you. "Is this the best the frightened Micronians have to offer? You could not hit this very starship if you were not already inside it! AAHAHAHAHAAAA!!"

Cera's eyes flared and her teeth clenched at his insult. Her first reaction was to glance at the Valkyrie's loudspeaker and shout back at him except that something inside of her did not give in to that black feeling. Instead a smooth voice all too familiar to her seemed to privately whisper to the second-generation Ura-Meltrandi. It said, "Do not give him the satisfaction..." The voice, a memory provided by her training, then receded inside of her and made away leaving the newborn auxiliary specialist to do as she chose.

Cera breathed a heavy sigh and readied herself. This time, she focused her missile sights in the airspace around the Beastmaster. Once there, she waited with a grin.

* * *​

"Now then," the Beastmaster chuckled. "Where were we? Oh yes! Battle Pods! Put that poor joke of a Micronian mecha out of its misery!" He pointed at Mario's Veritech Hover Tank. More than a dozen gun barrels swiveled toward Mario. The second pair of Battle Pods that were huddled together separated themselves lest they fall prey to another one of the little mecha's explosive rounds.

"Fire!" yelled the Beastmaster. Great white lances of particle beam energy shot forth at the ASC tanker. Then the Beastmaster drew forth a giant pistol and with excellent shooting form, he launched massive bolts of hellish plasma at Elinor's Valkyrie. The cannon on his shoulder launched as if on its own accord while another green four-legged creature left its cage to squeeze into the cannon's mighty barrel.

 

[Sherwood]

Mario decides not to try and return the taunting of the Beastmaster. After all, so far, he's been right about their marksmanship except for that one lucky shot. Besides, he has his hands full of trying to evade the incoming fire from all those Regults!

Spoiler

APFSDS x 30/25 rounds (Range: 4 miles. 3D6x10 M.D.)
HEAT x 6/6 rounds (Range: 2.2 miles. 2D6x10 M.D.)
MPAT x 6/5 rounds (Range: 2.2 miles. 2D6x10 M.D. to a 50 foot radius)
Plasma x 6/6 rounds (Range: 1.5 miles. 2D8x10 M.D. to a 25 foot radius and an additional 4D8 M.D. per minute for 1D6+1 minutes

Main Body: 475 / 425
Left Shield: 500 / 460
Right Shield: 500

Currently in Tank mode

In the Hover Tank
Number of Attacks: 8
Strike: +10 / +12 with the EU-11
Parry: +16
Dodge: +15 / +17 in Transport Mode from Combat Driving
Roll With Punch: +6
Disarm: +3
Pull Punch: +4
Initiative: +3
Action Points: 3 (2)

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Jamming instrumental combat music

Courtesy of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon video game. "Dogfight Music" (Extended)

With giant particle beams making a wall of white death meant for him, Mario's complete focusing on his dodging skills does what banter could not - he dodges all but one of the bright twin blasts. All around him, the deck and wreckage explodes in deafening screams of twisting metal and pummeled superstructure. His Veritech Hover Tank shudders at the impact of that one dual-hit, but the tank continues to hold strong.

Yet when Mario regains his senses from his maneuver, he notices the wreckage he was using as cover has been blown away. He was now in the open!

A short distance away to his right, he noticed a fallen Gnerl aerospace fighter, mostly intact except that its engines were on fire - enough to make heavy cover for him at the cost of some of his accuracy. To his left not too far away was a trench blasted into the flight deck from Taniya's earlier counter-ambush. This would provide him medium cover with less cost to his accuracy than the aerospace fighter.

Staying in the open against these odds was something he should do only if he felt very lucky!

* * *​

From the rear seat of Elinor's Valkyrie, Cera waited patiently. Her patience was rewarded by the launching of a wargoth-missile from the Beastmaster's cannon. Immediately, the green canine-thing turned evasively while closing the distance to Elinor's Valkyrie as if it were unwilling to make the mistake of its predecessor. Yet, the Ura-Meltrandi was not fooled. She locked onto the threat but withheld her fire with the patience of a huntress in the wild. There would have to be a point where the thing straightened to make a proper attack vector on the micronian aircraft...

There! She saw the evasiveness cease as the wargoth-missile winged hard right and then came on arrow-straight at them. She fired.

"Fox... two!"

The HEAT SRM detached from the Valkyrie's wing and rocketed at the eager wargoth-missile. Too late, the creature realized its mistake. Also too late was its counter to Cera's missile shot. The aerospace hangar erupted again in a tremendous shower of fiery explosive destruction as the wargoth-missile was shot out of the air.

Mario, Elinor, and Toph heard the conviction in her voice over the polyphonic nexus. "Try again, pitiful Zeki! You are no smarter than your wargoths!"

* * *​

The Beastmaster watched in horror and rage as another one of his precious wargoth-missiles exploded to meet an honorless end. He grinned with a vengeance as he loosed his nigh-perfectly-aimed plasma blasts at Elinor's cockpit, but he had an even greater surprise coming to him.

Test Pilot Elinor, flying in a Valkyrie in guardian mode, seemed to do the impossible...

Spoiler: Elinor flying in this...

(Image credit: RPGGamer.org)

Spoiler: Does this...

...it happens at mark 1:05 in the video. =)

Elinor performs the dodge of all dodges!

"THAT'S... THAT'S... IMPOSSIBLE!!" the Beastmaster gaped. Cera cheered.

It became Mario's turn once again. What does he do?