Mercenary Dawn: Steel Phoenixes

[DaxxyErin]

Morrigan points at Lana with a sharp mechanical finger. "Exactly how long do you want this group to function for?"

 

[QuickSmasherEXE]

Abdul sat patiently and allowed the other three to speak before him. He noticed that something was bothering Dr. Moss and that the metal-armed one was getting testy, so he decided to help move things along.

"If I might interject," he began, hoping to mitigate whatever issue was forming, "I think there may be a misunderstanding between us. I am not saying we should have someone to continually issue orders. Yet there are many broad courses of action available in any given mission, and we should have some way to decide which one to take."

He indicated to Morrigan. "Miss, your assessment of roles shows valuable strategic awareness, but it is still a plan. Indeed, if rigid plans fall apart in battle, it is all the more important we be able to adjust that framework to our immediate needs. How shall we know what we want 'dead fast'? Whether I shall strike the largest or smaller targets? Where it is that the pink haired one will be most needed?"

Abdul placed his hands neatly on the table. "If you all think we will be able to settle such matters with prior discussion and that we will able to reach a useful consensus, I will yield to that. We will not always have that luxury, especially in the face of sudden complications."

 

[DaxxyErin]

She turned to Abdul, lowering her finger. "Don't call me 'miss'. My 'strategic assessment' didn't account for the fact that Collins is a former officer. Again, as much as I hate him on principle, if that is what you want, then ask him. No one else here is qualified."

 

[AldurSFC]

Akir smirks at Lana. "Then they should have given us much more time together to get to know each other than going with the plan they went for if they want a successful Merc group then shouldn't they?

I don't know that guy. He doesn't know me. We can throw dossiers and files and all sorts around but we aren't military. We aren't just going to snap to order because someone is chosen to do so. What if someone disagrees in the moment and they have their own thoughts? Are they gonna get punished somehow? And how? It's not like a normal group when someone could be asked to leave. I doubt our benefactors would be happy having that happen to any of us.

Why would we decide this now before we've even had a chance to see what we can do outside a hacked simulation alongside knowing that there's no real way to make people go along with a battlefield commander if they disagree? I agree with what you're trying to accomplish overall Abdul I just don't think any of us know enough about each other to make anything formal stick yet.

I think we should put a pin in this and decide later, once we have some missions under our belts and see What and who works as well as who can make the menagerie work together. I'm sure we can find some fairly straight forward low risk missions and we can see how we go and what needs changed or setup without all of us getting blown up."

 

[QuickSmasherEXE]

She turned to Abdul, lowering her finger. "Don't call me 'miss'."

He responded with a calm nod. "My apologies."

Why would we decide this now before we've even had a chance to see what we can do outside a hacked simulation alongside knowing that there's no real way to make people go along with a battlefield commander if they disagree? I agree with what you're trying to accomplish overall Abdul I just don't think any of us know enough about each other to make anything formal stick yet.

I think we should put a pin in this and decide later, once we have some missions under our belts and see What and who works as well as who can make the menagerie work together. I'm sure we can find some fairly straight forward low risk missions and we can see how we go and what needs changed or setup without all of us getting blown up."

"Yet it is while we are most unfamiliar with each other than leadership would prove most beneficial. Once we are most acquainted, communication between us will be natural. We will better understand each other's nature and abilities, and if any sort of spontaneous order is to arise, it will be then. If we are likely to survive until such familiarity is reached, then I would say the issue will resolve itself over time. A low risk mission to begin, then, as you have wisely said."

Abdul turned to Lana. "Presuming such missions are available. Something with low cost for failure."

 

[YsFanatic]

“As long as possible,” Lana initially says in response to Morrigan before explaining more. “The longer you last and the better you do, the more pay we all get.”

As Akir speaks, looks of confusion finally start to appear on the faces of the Quartermasters and Analyst even as Roger desperately mouths the words ’They don’t know’, at the pilot, but the damage had been done. Lana voiced the question that her and the married couple were all thinking, “What are you even talking about?”

For the moment at least, Abdul's question was put aside as Lana's attentions was completely occupied with waiting for a response to what she had asked.

 

[AldurSFC]

Akir blinks, looking around at the various people in the room and just starts chuckling, the smooth noise eventually turns into a full blown laughing fit as he pounds the table in sheer amusement

 

[QuickSmasherEXE]

Abdul threw up his hand and rolled his eyes. "Do not try to understand all that Akir says." He sounded faintly exasperated. "He and his wife have their own way of speaking."

Spoiler: Deceive

Roll: ++-+ = 2
Deceive Skill: 4
Total: 6

 

[YsFanatic]

Lana watches Abdul's face for a moment after he speaks before shrugging. "Wouldn't be the first time I've worked with people who had a... unique way of interacting with others. As for your question, there are a variety of jobs available, but I need to know your preferences so I can narrow it down."

"So long as the supply and Walker modification requests are understandable, we'll be good," Stella comments cheerily as her husband nods in agreement.

Meanwhile Roger silently sighs in relief, slumping down in his chair slightly.

 

[AldurSFC]

Akir stops laughing but settles back in his chair with a wide smirk. "Sorry in advance. I tend to put mine through the wringer. Good to work with you.

We don't have or don't know each others preferences. We've brand new as a group. I still don't understand what kind of answer you're all expecting on all this stuff so damn early."

Akir sighs.

"How about for now our preference is low risk and easy. Doubt the pay is good but the practice is the important part. Give us a selection of a few simple enough jobs and we can pick between them. As we go I bet we'll soon know everyone's preference."

 

[TheUnknownMarine]

"I think he's making fun of our accents, dear," Irene says, pointing to Abdul in mock shock. "Such uncouth behavior!"

 

[QuickSmasherEXE]

Abdul sighed. Deeply. "Do forgive me if I have caused any offense."

He cleared his throat and continued. "Now then, concerning missions. As Akir has said, low risk missions are preferable for now. I am sure our more specific preferences will show themselves as we assess the missions you have available for us. As for myself, I would prefer to avoid places which are flat and open. The presence of cover is a double-edged sword, but a small group like ours stands to gain quite a bit from its part of the edge."

 

[TheUnknownMarine]

"Well on the subject of edging, I'd like flat and open places to be where our enemies are. It'll let me pick them off at leisure from the edge of cover where we'll be at," Irene. "But that's probably true of any of us here who prefer ranged combat. I only get up close and personal with one person, and it sure as hell won't be one of them."

 

[YsFanatic]

Lana kept her expression carefully neutral as she listened to the pilots while browsing through the current job postings. Before long she picks out a couple that she believes should fit their criteria and be suitable for a new unit. "I've selected a pair of missions to choose from. One is at the behest of the Pacifica Alliance, and the other is for the Shattered Nation city-state, Technocracy of Sol. Both are combat oriented missions. The first would have you moving out almost immediately as it deals with a Kingdom of Avalon raiding part that their forces are pursuing. Their intel people believe the raiding force is heading towards Ruin Maze near the edge of their territory, perhaps hoping to use it to lose their pursuers before making a break for the border or hold up until reinforcements arrive."

With a few commands a series of images of the Maze appears on the display at the front of the room, a mass of giant rock slabs seemingly mashed together to create a twisting, treacherous array of paths that sprawled over several kilometers. "Just in case you were not aware, the Maze is the site of a large number of intersecting fault lines, a formation unlike anything ever found on Old Earth. Periodically one or more of these fault lines becomes active, shifting the slabs of rock that comprise the ground there, creating and altering passages, not to mention fissures and other hazards. Despite these dangers bandits and other raiders sometimes take the risk to have somewhere to hide or a means to elude patrols."

"You however do not need to go into the Maze itself. Pacifica is hiring a specialist to hunt down the Avalon troops within the Maze while you are to secure the only currently intact entrance on the far side of the area. Your job would be to eliminate any that manage to elude destruction and attempt to make a run for Avalon territory. It is not expected that you would have to deal with heavy resistance, only some battered and damaged stragglers."

There is a brief pause at the Analyst swaps over to the information for the second mission. "This one is a little more straightforward. The Technocracy of Sol apparently has reached the limits of their patience with the New America patrols that have been enroaching ever closer to their territory and wish to send a message. Simply put, they want you to ambush a patrol as it passes through a forest located between the two city-states, the point of its path where it is furthest from help. They have observed that the patrols are mostly comprised of vehicles with little or no Walker support. Once the patrol has been dealt with you would leave the area as quickly as possible before more enemies can show up."

Having delivered the summaries of the two missions, Lana's eyes flicked back up to look at the group. "Do you have any questions or concerns before choosing one? Both missions pay the same, so that is not a factor."

Spoiler: Rewards

1 Skill Point, 1 Gear Point

 

[TheUnknownMarine]

"A shooting gallery against Avalon targets? It's like the gods read my heart and prepared a gift just for me!" Irene squeals. "The Maze one! Definitely the Maze one!"

 

[DaxxyErin]

"I am in favor of tearing some New American forces to pieces. Little, tiny pieces."

 

[QuickSmasherEXE]

"It's like the gods read my heart and prepared a gift just for me!"

Abdul held back a growl and tightened his fist.

"The mission for the Pacifica Alliance may be preferable," began Abdul. "If there is only one entrance to maze, we could set up explosives there and either seal it off before our targets arrive or trigger them as they attempt to pass."

 

[AldurSFC]

"Well I'd prefer to make the Avalon forces day a little less good and if Lady Luck decides to bless us, it'll go nice and smooth and Abdul can explode em all."

 

[BigBadBlowfish]

Collins winced at Morrigan's comment. "I say we take the Pacifica mission. The surviving Avalon forces will probably be less prepared to face us than a New American patrol. Plus, we wouldn't have to worry about reinforcements showing up."

 

[Omega Entity]

"Pacifica is fine with me," Sara comments.

 

[YsFanatic]

"With that many votes, the mission for Pacifica it is," Lana says even as the tapping noise of fingers hitting keys came from her keyboard. "I'm notifying the client and getting transport arranged. Your window to leave will be soon, so please make any preparations now." There is a brief pause before she responds to a previous suggestion. "That is not a terrible idea, Abdul, but you would have to be extremely careful in doing so. We don't know how stable those rock formations really are. Additionally, while we are confidant that the exit in question is the one they will be using, it is entirely possible there is a smaller, more dangerous one elsewhere that hasn't been found yet. So if you go with that tactic, be absolutely sure of the placement and amounts of explosives used."

 

[QuickSmasherEXE]

"We shall exercise the utmost discretion," assured Abdul.

 

[YsFanatic]

Once the group finishes their preparations they are quickly ushered to the hanger to get into their Walkers and get ready to move out. As they left the building they would find a pair of large transport planes designed for Walker transport waiting for them. The warmachines were quickly loaded up and stowed for the flight, giving the pilots a chance to get out and stretch their legs a bit in the passenger compartment on the aircraft. It is there that they would receive a mission update detailing the enemy forces entering Ruin Maze as well as the deployment method for the WIld Hunt.

They would be airdropped near the entrance they are supposed to guard via large parachutes and thruster packs attached to their Walkers for a safe descent. This would minimize travel time on the ground, letting them get into position more quickly as it was expected that the enemy force would already be a significant part of the way through the Maze by then, if not nearing the exit itself.

The known enemy forces included a number of Infantry Fighting Vehicles, though it was expected that their complement of infantry wouldn’t be a factor as they had been seen being equipped for fighting other infantry during the attempted raid against a Pacifica firebase. Walker support was limited, a single Merlin-class Scout, a few surviving Vanguard frames known as Viviennes, and a Mordred-class Destroyer that was believed to be the commander. As per normal Avalon military protocol, all were armed with precision weaponry, namely lasers and railguns.

As for the mission objective, at the very least the Wild Hunt needed to hold the enemy forces in place and keep them from escaping until the specialist arrived, but if they were able to crush the enemy on their own, so much the better.

 

[AldurSFC]

"Aight. I'm not a bombs or explosives expert. I'll leave that to those who know about it. I'm going to back up a bit from the location so if they past the entrance they'll fly into my stake."


Akir says with a evil grin. "Seems like we're gonna lay an ambush and hit em hard when they come through then? Guess we should try to get out of sight."

 

[DaxxyErin]

Morrigan sighed. "I don't know if you have noticed, but Bloodspiller is not exactly stealthy, nor ranged. I operate best ripping people apart limb from limb. I can position next to the exit, or in front of the exit. Take your pick, or I will choose for myself and you all will have to deal with it."