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Chapter Six: All Hands on Deck

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Elinor's reply got the hint of a smile from her Californian leader. "Not the SAM, she's using long-range missiles. But the less AA we have to deal with, the better. I've got your wing. Wild Cards! We're taking the fight to the drones! Follow in on Leeanne's lead!"

(Elinor still has a combat action to use and the drones are within her missile range.)
 
Firing missiles on targets that were at least as likely to shoot them down as not (like those darned AA batteries) was one thing. Firing on drones that may or may not have the same capability was another, and Elinor didn't mind throwing a few at them, since they were in range and all.

"Fox Two," she called over the nexus, sending four of her HEAP SRMs at the lead drone.
 
"Loaded" by Boom Boom Satellites


The lead drone replied with a stream of scorching green laser fire that completely engulfed the first missile in Elinor's volley, but its explosion failed to detonate the other three missiles. On they sped. You could hear Mack over the polyphonic nexus. "C'mon... c'mon... when is that thing going to pop chaff and flares?" The drone tried to turn. Elinor's missiles turned accordingly and slammed into the drone resulting in a nimbus of golden fire and showering debris.

"Are you kidding?!" Mack exclaimed. "These things don't have anti-missile measures?"

Cera scoffed. "These dumb human creations are likely only meant to take on ground targets! Their maneuverability is their strong point."

"They still can't dodge four or more in the air! Wild Cards, tear these jokers apart!" With Mack's order, the Californian patiently continued to guard Elinor's tail as a good wingman should.

As wingman, Mack is defending Elinor (her top priority). She delaying her action this round to open up on the first drone that tries to target Elinor. This comes with a little risk - if no drone fires on Elinor, Mack's action is wasted. However, if one does, then Elinor gets the benefit of having her wingman immediately on the bandit that's trying to blow her out of the sky.
 
"Ha! Take that!" Elinor cheered as three of her missiles smacked her target. In response to Shirley's question, she replied gaily, "I ain't complaining! Let's get 'em!"
 
Toph banks hard to the right as she flips the control to go back into jet mode, accelerating up to 500 miles per hour as she does so. Lifting up from the deck, the half Meltrandi pilot goes for a lock-on with her own missiles, and launches a four pack of her HEAP at drone number 2. "Lock on achieved, preparing to launch. Missiles away!"

This had best work, because I'm going to be going to guns real soon.
In the Ajax
Number of Attacks: 9
Strike: +14
Parry: +14
Dodge: +15/+19 to Auto Dodge While Flying
Roll: +7
Initiative: +5
Critical Strike on a Natural 18-20
Perception: +6
Action Points: 8
Bonus Action Points: 4/4

Cookie Monster MDC: 400
Chaff/Flares: 4
Missiles: 10 Short Range HEAP / 3
 
Preparing for the dogfight, the helicopter blades disappeared inside of the veritech and the thrusters poured on the fire. In moments, Toph was flying at over double the speed possible for the Ajax's helicopter mode and streaking across the sky about as fast as a bullet out of a Winchester rifle. Achieving a missile lock on the dodging drones was easier said than done but not to try seemed to burn the warrior-spirit inside the Japanese-Meltrandi.

The Ajax shook as the missiles loosed. The quartet veered toward the second drone. Sure enough, the laser fire came down at the volley, computerized-accurate and pinpoint-precise. The first missile was struck and vanished under the green laser-fire. The explosion rose through the air but out of it came Toph's remaining trio of missiles. Sure enough, no bright flares or glittering chaff embraced the skies to protect the drone. The Chessel drone was struck head-on and combusted mid-air into dozens of flaming pieces that drifted toward the Mexican sands and empty buildings below.

"Good kill, Muppet!" Mack smiled.

Toph's missiles struck for 250 M.D.! Good shot!

Sherwood Sherwood Mario's turn to take action had come.
 
Mario banks around, keeping at his current speed as he turns to face the drones. Well, so far, these drones have not been doing well against our missiles. Lets see if I can keep up the trend. Calling out on the Nexus, he says, "Mario here. Going with four plasmas. Locking on!" He then pulls the trigger, sending the deadly salvo off on its way towards drone 3.
Number of Attacks: 6
Strike: +8
Parry: +13
Dodge: +13
Roll With Punch: +5
Pull Punch: 0
Initiative: +1
Horror Factor: +3 to Save
Perception: +2
+4 to Maintain Balance
Critical Strike From Behind
Critical Strike on a natural 18-20
+3 to Hand to Hand Damage

Action Points: 8 / 7
Bonus Action Points: 2

Logan Main Body: 250
Missile Payload
16 Short Range HEAP
16 Short Range Plasma / 12
 
(Part 1 of 2)

Mario, having never flown before, personally didn't know a great deal about air-to-air combat. Sure, he was an ASC-qualified armorer. Sure, he had seen enough action in the last few days to give him a strong hint, but he had never before attempted, in his own aircraft, to get that wonderful "MSL LOCK" to display on any HUD he had ever seen. It looked so easy in the movies to get that little cursor to light up, but in the cockpit, it was a different story. Talk about difficult!

But Mario was not alone. Something within him (or perhaps something he was with) was trying to guide him. Trying to move with him. The quieter Mario's mind became, the more sure he was of that assistance. The reverse was also true. As Mario relaxed a little, he felt the Super Stealth Logan move a little easier, adjust a little less wildly (even though he was moving at 250 miles per hour, much faster than he had ever gone in any tank, and he knew quite well that if he was taken out up here, he couldn't just bail out and run like he could when he had tracks or VHT hover jets under him). Mario focused on the drone he was going after, flipped the selector switch off SAFE to MSL, selected his four plasma missiles, and then he achieved a lock as if he were hardly trying. The Super Stealth Logan shook suddenly as four missiles flew out from underneath the prototype veritech's hypercarbon skin and flew toward the drone.

The drone fired back, of course. Emerald-green lasers lit up the air blowing one missile to smithereens, but the other three dutifully made their way into oblivion as they struck the dodging drone in its midsection. The drone blew up like a metal supernova in the sky. Three down. Three to go.

"Not bad for a tanker, Mario!" Mack teased him and smiled. The young Italian-American could feel a sensation of pride from her through the nexus. He didn't know why exactly she felt this way, but he knew it as certainly as if she had told him in words.

210 M.D. from the remaining missiles in Mario's volley there!
 
Mario sends back, "Geez, don't sound so surprised, boss lady! I may not be a jet pilot, but I'm still pretty damn good!" He grins, feeling good about his performance so far, knowing that the fight is far from over.
 
(Part 2 of 2)

Sherwood said:
Mario sends back, "Geez, don't sound so surprised, boss lady! I may not be a jet pilot, but I'm still pretty damn good!" He grins, feeling good about his performance so far, knowing that the fight is far from over.
Click to expand...

Mack replied with a light laugh. "I can be warmly surprised if I want to! You know how long it took T.A.S.C. pilots like us to learn to do what you just did?"

Star Citizen Lightning - or Chessel Corporation Griffon.jpg
(Image credit: Star Citizen)

The Chessel Corporation Griffon Drones responded in kind to the Wild Cards. Six missiles from each of the remaining three sprouted from their predatory shapes and sailed toward at you and your friends. Elinor, having intensely-trained in her Valkyrie knew she was the target of the first volley.

Mack, being a trained and practiced wingman, had prepared for this situation. She fired a missile of her own at the volley intended for Elinor. It streaked past Elinor's Super Valkyrie and Elinor was treated to a dazzling display of seven missiles blowing up nearly simultaneously in mid-air! It was not a moment she would have ever experienced if she had stayed on the farm for certain.

However...

"Mario-male! Missiles!" Cera's surprise and dread was all too real for Mario was the target of the second and third volleys!

Cera acted as her Leader Mack had with a missile shooting away from her Stealth Logan's leg-launcher. The missile connected and exploded but to Cera's horror (and quite possibly Mario's) the detonation failed to destroy the rest of the volley! Thus Mario had a volley of six missiles and another of five headed straight at him.

Kaerri Kaerri Psychie Psychie Sherwood Sherwood
Whoa... The dice just screwed Mario. Both drones chose to launch full volleys and twice Mario was rolled as target, plus I rolled an 84% for Cera's missile detonation (out of a 75% chance of success). What does this mean? It means Mario has about 12d6 M.D. worth of hurt coming at him followed by another 10d6 M.D.

Now, per Shop Talk...

House Rule: Combat (mecha) - Missiles fired at a target other than yourself can be shot down using a Called Shot.

"A missile (single or salvo) launched at one target can be struck by another combatant if they perform a Called Shot (special rule: a total Strike roll of 12 or higher is required). On a special note: the combatant can attempt to launch a missile at the incoming missile(s), thus increasing the chances of destroying an entire incoming salvo. This is the only time a missile can be used in a Called Shot.

Reasoning: It is likely to come up sooner or later, so we may as well have a ruling on it here and now. =)"

Thus, Elinor and Toph may fire their own missiles to attempt to assist Mario as a Called Shot. This will cost each pilot two actions and you'll need that Strike roll to total 12 or higher to make it happen at all. With your short-range missiles having a +3 to hit and your Weapon Systems skill adding another +1, that means you'll need a Natural 8 or higher to hit them.

Mario may attack once (no Called Shot needed, of course) and then use his chaff bundles and flares as a free action.

Keep in mind, neither Mack nor Cera may act again in a defensive fashion so its the PCs or nobody. If these missiles don't go down, I don't know what will happen to Mario. Fair warning from your Friendly Neighborhood Game Master! =)

What do the Wild Cards do?
 
Mario can feel his mouth go dry at the sight of all those missiles heading towards him. Well, it looks like I just pissed someone off. Lets see if I can live through the next few seconds. "Firing a counter missile, then Chaff! On the way!" He then triggers off a plasma missile at the volley of six, and follows up with a burst of Chaff and Flares to try and spoof his way out of a nasty death.
Number of Attacks: 6
Strike: +8
Parry: +13
Dodge: +13
Roll With Punch: +5
Pull Punch: 0
Initiative: +1
Horror Factor: +3 to Save
Perception: +2
+4 to Maintain Balance
Critical Strike From Behind
Critical Strike on a natural 18-20
+3 to Hand to Hand Damage

Action Points: 8 / 7
Bonus Action Points: 2

Logan Main Body: 250
Missile Payload
16 Short Range HEAP
16 Short Range Plasma / 11
Chaff: 3
 
"Increase speed. Create distance."

It was not a voice Mario recalled being on the polyphonic nexus. It was something else. Then he remembered. It was the Core. The Core of the Super Stealth Logan. By veering away, he would give his fellow Wild Cards the time they needed to launch missiles of their own at his incoming volleys.

Mario targeted the volley of six and loosed. It flew unerringly and completely devastated the missile he aimed at.

Natural 20!

Another fireball unfurled in the air. Then another and another until all seven missiles created a blistering show in the sky over Veracruz. The second volley chased after him as Mario released chaff and flares as quickly as he could. Explosions rocked the Super Stealth Logan from all around him, shaking the veritech as if Mario were in some great and fiery earthquake. Mario literally saw fire in front of his cockpit as warning sounds and lights filled his senses. As he created distance and increased speed, the explosions grew lesser and lesser until suddenly all Mario heard was the heavy thrumming of the prototype's engines.

Somehow, someway, he had made it through everything unscathed...

I'll tell you how - the dice were kind this time... =)
 
Mario calls out, "I'm a little scorched, but otherwise undamaged! Good to go, guys! Lets finish this before it gets ugly!"
 
Toph lets out a ragged breath. If he hadn't gotten lucky.... "Good shooting, Mario! Keep it up and you'll earn your own callsign in no time!"
 
"Heads up, Mario! Missile!" Mack exclaimed.

Just when it seemed all over, the Stealth Logan beeped yet another missile warning. At first, Mario had no idea where it was coming from, but his technopathic bond told him right where to find out. A long-range missile had locked onto him from Outpost #5 - and it was coming in fast and hot!

Yes, the SAM site chose Mario to shoot at too. So what'd you do to the Dice Gods today? =) *tease tease*

What did Mario do?
 
Mario spins his Super Logan around to point its forward laser at the incoming missile, and tries for a lock with his guns. Just one missile; hopefully it gets knocked out by my nose cannon. "Firing my tri-laser. Standby."
This time, I will use an Action Point to increase my odds of hitting.

Number of Attacks: 6
Strike: +8
Parry: +13
Dodge: +13
Roll With Punch: +5
Pull Punch: 0
Initiative: +1
Horror Factor: +3 to Save
Perception: +2
+4 to Maintain Balance
Critical Strike From Behind
Critical Strike on a natural 18-20
+3 to Hand to Hand Damage

Action Points: 8 / 6
Bonus Action Points: 2

Logan Main Body: 250
Missile Payload
16 Short Range HEAP
16 Short Range Plasma / 11
Chaff: 3
 
Mario turned about toward the base and the Stealth Logan responded so nimbly that he was facing the missile before he knew it. The tri-laser lashed out. Mario, being a Weapons Specialist knew there was a chance that the long-range missile might survive the blast, but the resulting red blast of fire in the distance proved that he had aimed well right when he needed it. The Super Stealth Logan was performing admirably, but then again, so was its new pilot.

Mario felt the presence of Professor Stein speaking gently through the nexus, his British-American voice sounded relieved. "Well done. You, my lad, were born under a lucky star."

Cera cheered too. Mario could almost see her red-brown eyes alight in his mind. "Good fighting, mighty Mario! No robot jerk-face will take you down!" Cera focused herself on continuing to provide cover for Mario. As she did, Mario felt a sensation delivered with his Ura-Meltrandi's squadmates words. Pride. Mario had handled himself like a skilled warrior just now and that was just the kind of thing an Ura-Meltrandi could respect!

Kaerri Kaerri It was Elinor's turn to act again.
 
"Whew," Elinor said, then thought her way back into the nexus. "Nice shooting, Mario! Very nice!" She hoped her own approval was coming through as clearly as everyone else's, 'cause she sure felt it. He'd kept his cool just fine even with all that pouring in on him, and that couldn't've been easy. Now, though, it was her turn again.

"Fox two." She sent another four missiles flying at the next closest drone.
 
Flying a giant computer-guided rocket that fired smaller computer-guided rockets (missiles) must have been a fun experience for the engineer and test pilot for she got to watch her four missiles fly out and away from the Super Valkyrie (which also had four engines with the FASTPACK ). But the best part was watching her missiles fly precisely at the drone which turned to fire on the missiles and then watching its laser fire miss her incoming critical hit... =)

The resulting detonation filled the sky with a spectacular display of destruction!

Critical hit with the missile volley of 4 equals to 560 M.D. This Kaerri knows because I asked her to roll her yellow dice in front of me (not the first time) and that's what she rolled. BOOM!

Mack let out a happy little mental yelp at that hit. "Yow, Leeanne! Now that's showing our A.T.A.C. tanker how T.A.S.C. gets things done! I've got eyes on the remaining drones." This last statement from Mack was her pilot-talk for "Do whatever you want, I've got your back."

Psychie Psychie It became Toph's turn as the drones soared in, their green lasers blazing at you from over a mile away.
 
Toph smiles as she sees the drones get blasted out of the sky one by one. "Good shooting! I'm down to only three of my missile payload left. Going to close into gun range and see how tough these drones are." With the combined closing speed of Ajax and the drones, she won't be out of range for long. With that in mind, she waits until they are within her Ion Pulse weapons' range and fires a double blast at the leading drone, confident in her ability to evade any return fire she may garner from them.
In the Ajax
Number of Attacks: 9
Strike: +14
Parry: +14
Dodge: +15/+19 to Auto Dodge While Flying
Roll: +7
Initiative: +5
Critical Strike on a Natural 18-20
Perception: +6
Action Points: 8 / 7
Bonus Action Points: 4/4

Cookie Monster MDC: 400
Chaff/Flares: 4
Missiles: 10 Short Range HEAP / 3
 
With Toph defending from the SAM site (note to self: see OOC), it became Mario's turn to take action.

Sherwood Sherwood
 
Seeing the drones being quickly taken care of, Mario decides to turn his attention back to the AA guns. Calling out through the Nexus, he says, "I'm turning back to start taking care of those AA Guns." Pivoting his Super Logan around, he targets AA Gun #1 with four of his Plasma missiles.
Number of Attacks: 6
Strike: +8
Parry: +13
Dodge: +13
Roll With Punch: +5
Pull Punch: 0
Initiative: +1
Horror Factor: +3 to Save
Perception: +2
+4 to Maintain Balance
Critical Strike From Behind
Critical Strike on a natural 18-20
+3 to Hand to Hand Damage

Action Points: 8 / 6
Bonus Action Points: 2

Logan Main Body: 250
Missile Payload
16 Short Range HEAP
16 Short Range Plasma / 7
Chaff: 3
 
(Part 1 of 2)

As bolts of emerald laser fire from the drones ripped through the air behind him, Mario targeted the anti-aircraft gun with tanker-precision, released his safety, and then squeezed the trigger at the exact same moment a laser blast seared right past his canopy nearly scoring on him. In that moment, Mario's survival instincts kicked in at the wrong moment and his hand twitched just enough. Mario knew what had happened (and it would have never happened inside the armored hull of a good tank) but in a small veritch just big enough hold two, the sudden bright laser blast had thrown off his aim.

Mario watched his missiles fly over the AA guns (which didn't even move; they didn't have to), the SAM site, the giant blast door, and indeed the entirety of Outpost #5. The quartet of plasma missiles sailed off out of his sight and vanished out of his sight.

* * *​

(And now for something completely different! 8D )

"Tamacun" by Rodrigo y Gabriela


One day, Pedro and his poor family walked underneath the blazing Mexican sun, feeling the breeze of that once-productive and lively city of Veracruz. He and his gentle and kind family had been walking for days and days with little respite, but they just had to get to his uncle's house, still another 25 miles away. As Pedro's wife, children, dog, and donkey sweltered under the sun, Pedro insisted they pass the time praying together. Sometimes they sang church songs. Sometimes they recounted biblical stories. Miracles, he felt, were sometimes more than just fables. Besides, it was a good way to keep their minds off of what little food they had left. But their lack of food suddenly became the least of their problems.

Without warning from down the road came a super hot rod with a super paint-job. It screeched to a halt, its super tires wailing and out came four big bandits with super guns and super armor but their attitude was anything but super.

(Translated from Spanish) "We are the Crazy Wolves!" blared the bandits as they jumped off the road and stood in Pedro's way. "We take what we want and kill anyone who tries to stop us!"

"Please!" Pedro begged. "Take our money!" though he had no idea how his family would eat without it. Still his faith in the Lord was strong; they would survive without money somehow.

"We want more!" the bandits aimed their Mega-damage guns at him. "Give us your food!"

"Take our food!" he cried. But God had never forsaken him. He felt they would survive without food somehow.

"We want more!" the bandits yelled. "Give us your daughter there!"

"Nooo!" Pedro dropped to his knees and clutched his little girl. What could he do now? What would happen to his daughter if they took her and put her in their super hot rod and drove away? Finally, he pleaded aloud. "Oh Lord! Please help us!"

But the bandits laughed and cursed at him. "Ha ha! Nothing can save you from the Crazy Wolves! Plead all you want!"

But then Pedro saw an unbelievable sight! Great plumes of cloud rose from above and behind the bandits! "Repent!" Pedro pointed and waved a hand to warn them, but the bandits did not heed him.

"No, no! I really think you guys oughta repent! Like now!" But the bandits laughed as the plumes came closer and closer like four of God's fingers coming down out of the heavens.

"Ha ha!" they roared. "And just what do think is going to happen, you fool?"

Pedro slowly took off his hat, held it to his chest in sorrow, and replied. "I think you are all going to Hell!"

They followed his gaze and saw the volley of four superheated plasma short-range missiles coming from out of nowhere... but it was too late. "AAAAAAGH!" BOOOM! The missiles struck the bandits and blew them all into such small fiery bits that they may as well have disintegrated.

Pedro rose from shielding his wife and family. Then with a big smile, they jumped into the super hot rod and tore down the road toward his uncle's house with the dog and donkey's heads sticking out of the moonroof.

"Thank you, God!" Pedro cheered and his family cheered with him.

As he gave thanks, he thought to himself, "Who said miracles were just fables?"

=)
 
(Part 2 of 2)
Silently, the lasers of the remaining drones filled the sky ahead of the Wild Cards. The drones, unlike living pilots, exhibited no fear - only a relentless pursuit that ended in the destruction of their targets - namely, the Wild Cards.

Those lasers viciously lashed out at Kaerri Kaerri Elinor and Psychie Psychie Toph.

A moment later, Sherwood Sherwood Mario heard beeping and flashing on his HUD. The SAM site had locked onto him again. There was another missile in the air headed at him!

"Intercepting SAM missile," Cera called out. A roar of fire erupted from her Stealth Logan as one of her own missiles left her veritech and rushed out to meet the SAM's long-range aircraft-killer. For tense moments, the missiles flew straight at each other. Then came a tremendous (one might say "beautiful") explosion between the SAM site and Mario's aircraft as Cera's missile struck dead-on, destroying the incoming threat. "You are clear, Mario!"

Mack released a roaring burst from her GU-11 on the drone (#5) that had engaged Elinor, but the burst sailed past the evading fighter.

Once Kaerri and Toph declare their defensive actions, it will be Kaerri's 4th action with Elinor. =)
 
Toph sends out the thought over the Nexus, "Hang on, Professor! This might be a bit bumpy!" She flips the Ajax on its wing to try and dodge the incoming fire, trusting in her training and skill to be able to evade the lasers.
 
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