Casting Shadows

BATTLETECH: A TIME OF WAR RPG

Campaign: Hair of the Dog

Story 1: Running with the Big Dogs

Act 4: Bites, Scene 9 – Casing and Entering – PoV – Velika ‘BT’ Kadlec

Thursday, November 27, 3028

Ardmore Tea Room, Beasville, across from the Ward Marik Museum of Military History

7:30 PM

GM

The trip here from the waterfront bar was boring and cold, but not difficult. For the first time today you did not pass any Lyran patrols, and saw only a single cruiser for the local police, however – also for the first time today – you saw an enemy lance of mechs making its way through the downtown core at the onset of dusk. From the sound and the brilliance of their running lights, you know the lance is moving in a tight formation, four together. As your transportation goes one way, and the lance moves off in the other, you catch sight of two of the mechs clearly enough to identify them – a Commando, and a Wasp.

Arriving at the Ardmore Tea Room just before 7:30 pm and the closing of the Museum, you are just in time to smell fresh pies being taken from the oven and set on the counter to cool. The evening shift staff as as friendly and plump as the morning staff were, but the pie, being warm and fresh, is inestimably better.

If all has gone according to plan, Cool Hand will be inside the museum waiting to let the two of you in at 8pm. Once that happens, much will need to be done in order to prepare your targets for your escape.

If all has gone according to plan, Rom will be inside the museum and planning to let the two of you in at 8pm.

You have been told that the building closes at 7:30pm, and have seen the staff leaving in groups since you got here. However, although the guards have locked the main doors, the lights in the lobby and guard booth remained on for an extra 25 minutes!

The time is 7:57, and the lobby lights have just gone dark. The booth guard is still futzing around somewhere on the lower level of the guard booth judging by the glimmer and flicker of lights inside.

BT

Rom is probably either planning to incapacitate the guards, or wait for them to end their shift and go home. There’s not a whole lot I can do from where I am that won’t screw up the plan, so I’ll simply get ready, and grind my teeth at anticipating the delay. I’ll pay my tab, and get into a position that allows me to see the door while remaining unseen in the dark city streets.

BT and MD Storm the Gates!  (read the tale of their adventure in breaking and entering at this shared PoV post)

GM

Looking at the computer systems and security systems built into this console, you really have no idea what might be required to take control of the system in any real way. Looking around the desk and the lobby, however you realize that you do know some basic tricks which can lock up the underlying OS of the terminal, force a reboot of the whole system, disable power and/or comm leads to and from the terminal, or fill the entire building with smoke through the ventilation ducts.

Not being a security expert, you have no idea if any or all of these ideas are bad or not, but these are some things that you can definitely do easily.

There are 5 guards and 3 of you. Three of the guards are coming this way. One in the elevator and 2 climbing the stairs from below.

The Security Guard, in black commando gear (wool turtleneck with purple epaulets and insignia), web belt, fatigues, and boots, is rushing straight at you perhaps to body slam you back into the console.

You are a trained combatant, facing your sudden attacker and have initiative over him.

MD and CH:L are on opposite sides of the elevator, and behind the Guard, diagonally.

The Stairwell access door is still closed, and on CH:L’s left. A full mop bucket and mop is in the corner to his immediate right, mere cms away from his leg.

MD and CH:L have drawn their stun sticks. The men seem to have used you as a distraction/diversion to facilitate an ambush!

BT

(OOC: I visualize the scene occuring a bit like this: BT is bent over the console, musing over what she can do, and when she looks up to ask her team-mates what to do, she see that they’ve already run off to hide, leacing her to face the charging fat man all alone 🙂 )

Well, well, don’t I make a nice distraction? I have commanded the attention of everyone in the room! And look. A fat man is running at me. He seems to be in a hurry. It would be rude of me to stand in his way. In fact, I’ll help him along his trajectory, guiding him and adding to his velocity in order to send him to his intended destination, which must clearly be the desk behind me.

GM

You have imagined it exactly as I have… except the guard is big in the muscle sense, not the chub sense.

[OOC: When you think of BT’s training, do you see her are being primarily interested in hard or soft skills? If I have to fill in a descriptive blank or have an NPC discuss something they have seen, what style does she practice/appreciate?

In this case, there are hard and soft means to introduce this charging meat missile to the console (eg: sidestep and trip into console // redirect, take balance, and sling into console). What do you envision her attempting?]

BT

Her training occurred during her military service, so I expect it’s more like Krav Maga than Aikido (well, the way most schools teach it, anyway). So, her technique would be to side-step, trip, and guide/push into the console.

She’s used to being around big burly men and isn’t intimidated by a size difference per se, but she knows better than to get into a prolonged grapple match with a larger and stronger opponent. She would avoid getting grappled until an opportunity comes up to put her opponent face first on the ground and lock an arm/leg painfully.

She’s not above fighting a little dirty, though, and if repeated applications of face-to-floor are necessary to discourage resistance, that is what she’ll do.

GM

In the elevator beyond the charging guard, you can see an older woman breathing frantically and mashing a button feverishly. She looks terrified.

The burly guard rushes at you but you react fairly calmly, despite suddenly realizing that Cool Hand has let you dangle a bit as bait and that his huge guy taking that bait wants to crush you into paste against the console. Heart pounding, and skin suddenly going cold with the dump of adrenalin, you step forward and a bit to your left, executing a heavily drilled maneuver to trip and strike your assailant, sending him hurtling heavily into the front of the security console.

He strikes the edge of the console with his face. A jet of blood from his forehead sprays the wall behind the console, to the right of Cool Hand. He hangs there for a second, before crumpling awkwardly up against it on hands and knees. The console shudders from the impact and the I and N in INFORMATION explode off the stone facade along its front, rattling down on the floor next to him. He is down, but not out of the fight.

[Rules: BT beat the Guard’s Roll, She passed the Roll, he Failed the Roll, damage is assigned as Fatigue from her maneuver as it is unarmed, but beating his MoF by more than 3 she is able to earn a Knockdown which is situationally appropriate. That causes him to interact with the console, and that causes some Standard damage. Yippee Ki-Yay, range-rider~  However, he is a big tough dude, and he passed his consciousness check].

What would you like to do now?

BT

Does the guard have any restraining devices on him (cuffs, wrist restraints) that BT could easily see and grab?

GM

He does have restraints. These are kept in a case on the back of his web-belt so they are up and obvious as he is down on his hands and knees. The case has a flap with a snap, so they may not be something that you would consider easy to grasp.

Want to go for it?

On the side closest to you are his baton, keys, and restraints. On the other side is his radio, judging by the coiled cable running up the back of his sweater and over his shoulder.

BT

Hmm. What I’m proposing will probably take at least two actions, but:

I press the advantage I made for myself and try to get him completely belly-flat on the ground with my knee pressing against his neck/shoulder and locking one of his arms behind his back. His body should be twisted in way that practically pins his other arm, making it unlikely for him to be able to use it against me.

Once held down (assuming success), I maintain the hold and use my free hand to go for his restraints.

GM

Right, getting him in a submission hold means grappling, followed by obtaining compliance while you go for the restraints.

As he is not stunned this turn, if you are not immediately successful, he will be able to grapple or perform some other action on his own turn.

As you step in to begin your pin attempt, you see Cool Hand step out from his ambush spot with laser drawn and move into position to get a bead on the frantic woman in the elevator.

He steers clear of the edge of the console, seemingly trusting you to protect his back from this guard, and he states with cool authority that the woman in the elevator, whom he identifies as the Curator of the museum, should exit the car, and order the guards to stand down to prevent further injury.

What would you like to do?

BT

He is on his hands and knees and just got smacked hard in the head. Even if he’s not stunned, he seems to be in a poor position to fight back, so I won’t change my intended actions. However, Velika will punctuate her pin with her most authoritative, “On the floor, NOW!” It might intimidate him, and hopefully telegraph that she’s not trying to kill him so surrendering is actually an option.

GM

Following close on the heels of Cool Hand’s declaration to the Curator that you were part of the Free Worlds League Regular Forces and that hostilities should cease without further violence, Velika’s statement to get on the floor, should have had a different effect.

Instead, as she begins to execute the difficult maneuver required to get him into a hold, he rolls suddenly to his right, forcing her to leap over him and surrender her grip. [martial arts]

He finishes in a crouch, within striking distance, snarling, “Never, Lyran Dog!”

He is oriented to face the elevator with the desk on his right. Blowtorch is oriented to face the lobby doors with the desk on her left.

With the thin line of blood running from his hairline, he definitely looks interested in continuing hostilities.

[Have you read the combat rules, yet?  You both failed the TN 9 roll, leading to a ‘not grappled’ result for each of you and no damage done]

BT

In a tone conveying both anger at having to fight and incredulity with the man’s stupidity, “Do I LOOK like a fuckin’ Lyran bitch to you?!”

GM

[OOC: Haha – That’s great!]

You snap, “Do I look like a Lyran, bitch?!” with venom, body still poised to fight.

His eyes widen in surprise, and cutting deep into the shock sparked by your retort, Cool Hand barks from behind you, “Damnit, we are Grey Hawk Irregulars, man! We don’t have much time!”

Behind you, in the elevator, you hear a woman’s voice loudly apologizing and trying to phrase her surrender in what sounds like an attempt at German.

“‘Grey Hawk Irregulars… Really?” your adversary asks, looking at you both.

BT

Not quite ready to relax, just in case the guard suddenly proclaims that he doesn’t believe us and pounces, I reply, “Yeah, really. And it you want to stick it to the Lyrans, help us.”

GM

Keeping your ready posture, you reply, “Yeah, really. And if you want to stick it to the Lyrans, help us.”

Stepping closer to them, and further into the lobby, orienting himself so that you, Mad Dog, and the guard can all see his face, while he can still eye the stairwell door behind the desk, Cool Hand delivers the crisp line, “Captain Lucas ROM.  The rest of the introductions can wait, because first priority is keeping the Lyrans from getting your mechs.”

As he speaks, you see him ease his fighting posture slightly – probably as a signal to you.

A mixed look of relief, excitement and joy suffuses the guard’s face as he holds his hands out peacefully and begins to slowly rise up into a normal standing posture with a thousand questions brimming in his eyes.

“I have already begun…” he begins, when suddenly the stairwell door behind the desk slams open so hard from the kick of a massive, booted foot that it literally tears off the upper hinges and a huge, bear of a man… near 7 feet tall and at least 300 pounds, steps into the small space behind the desk, filling it with muscled menace. He is wearing the same Security Uniform as the burly guard. His eyes are on that guard as he growls, “Tate, is there a problem here?”

BT

Taking cues from both CH and Tate the guard I also begin to relax my stance, only to jump out of my skin and tense up again once this Goliath kicks open the door.

I look over at Tate, expecting him to answer the giant’s question.

GM

Everyone’s eyes are on the huge guard as he swings himself lightly over the desk to come to within 2m of your position, but you turn to face Tate.

Rom prompts Tate from his reverie by asking nicely, “Yes, Tate, is everything ok, now?”

Tate finally speaks up, “Alexandre! Everything is ok!  Reinforcements are here! We will be able to get the rest of the mechs out now! We won’t have to leave any behind!”

He is turning his head back toward Rom when the curator snaps at Tate. “What did you say? You are stealing the mechs?! But I told you No! I have an appointment with Oberleutnant Braun in the morning!”

Tate ignores her to say to Rom, moving forward to shake his hand, “We have to hurry – there is not much time!”

BT

“You can blame us for the theft when Braun shows up. Tate put up a heroic fight to stop us. Sorry about your face, by the way.”

While I am speaking I will also pick up my dufflebag and move to follow wherever Tate and Rom plan to lead us.

GM

CHL will smile and say with exploratory tact and a sense of mutual respect, “Captain ‘CHL’ Rom, Mad Dog and Blow Torch” nodding to each in turn, “If you could give a quick brief on what you have ready to go…?  Your prep is obviously farther along than anything we had planned.”

The bleeding, burly guard, takes a moment to grab a handkerchief from his pocket to press to the cut, and nods. “Call me Tate. I am in charge of security here. Lieutenant in the 18^th Marik Militia logistics and planning division, retired. Pleasure to meet you all…

Blowtorch picks up her duffel bag and adopts a more casual stance, ready to get back to work. “Sorry about your face, by the way,” she offers when he looks her way.

Tate laughs and says, “I get worse just shaking Alexandre’s hand. Don’t sweat it… Blowtorch, is it?  This is my second in command, Alexandre,” he says, indicating the giant by the security desk. “You might recognize him from The Fight! Channel, but he was a mechwarrior once… we all were, or could have been.”

Checking the blood on his handkerchief he smiles and winks at Blowtorch before continuing. “The alarm systems are down, the mechs are primed for a cold start, and we have detonators rigged to take out the cockpits of the mechs we cannot take. The problem is, we do not have the passcodes needed to start the mechs, unlock the weapon systems, and allow the addition of warrior-grade neurohelmets.”

He stops and directs a black look at the curator. “She does.”

The curator is still babbling about her fate and how you simply cannot steal the mechs as they belong in a museum, while Mad Dog tries to get her to listen to reason.

Blowtorch turns on her and states, “You can blame us for the theft when Braun shows up. Tate put up a heroic fight to stop us…”

Alexandre rumbles to Tate, “Want me to get he password from the old hag…? I can have it in less then 2 minutes…” His posture is more relaxed, but as he turns toward the curator, she cowers against the wall in fear. “Or do you prefer the jail of the Lyrans for a long time… Do you really think they will let you go or live…. MA’AM!”

Blowtorch knows that she can use Gibs’ software to bypass all the required passwords, but it will take time for each mech.

CHL cuts in and takes on a more assertive posture, “I suggest your group joins us and we can work out how to merge command structures and how to best take our battle to Lyrans.  Our plan was for museum administration to be respectfully tied up and left behind.  It will be safest for them if we do not question where their loyalty lies.  Anyone who actively assists us would be safer to join us in the exodus.  Agreed?”

The giant named Alexandre turns to look at the rest of you and says, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Tate nods, and says, “Yeah – we are definitely on the same side here…  How many of you are there? We have 4 that can pilot a mech well, and one good tech that can run one in an emergency.”

“There are four of us here tonight… the fourth is outside – Do you think you could let him in? “

Before Tate can answer, Alexandre interjects politely and indicates that he needs to contact the people who are caring for his girl. “It’s time for them to move her out of the city,” he says.

Tate nods and says, “Use the blue line. Sal checked it an hour ago and its still safe,” before turning to Cool Hand, “Yes, let’s get your 4^th in here and get a move on! We have a war to fight!”

BT

I’ll jump in at the appropriate time, especially if it looks like Tate and Alexandre are itching to beat the info out of the curator. “I can help out with the password problem,” I offer, “but it will take longer if we do it my way.”

If the curator is still nattering on about how the mechs belong in a museum, “Look lady. Someone is going to take the mechs. It’s either going to us, or it’s going to be the Lyrans.”

Otherwise my intent is to follow the group to the mechs and start getting the things operational.

GM

“Lieutenant!” Captain Rom says to Mad Dog.  “Have someone see to Fitz, debrief Mr. Tate on the status and complement of the mechs, then organize and resume the operation in light of our new allies’ advance preparations. Report back with a revised timeline. I will be with the Curator.” He walks over to guide the curator toward the stairs and away from further contact with the operation, its planning, and its enactors.

Mad Dog, easily taking on the look of the second in command, calls out loudly, “Atten-shun!” in a tone that demands attention.

Tate replies instantly, “Sir, yes, Sir!” and snaps to attention, blood still seeping across his forehead.

When Rom and the curator have left the lobby, and he has everyone’s attention, Mad Dog states, “You heard him: Mr. Tate with me. Alexandre, bring in Lieutenant Fitz and have the rest of your team meet with Sergeant Kadlec at the mech display.” He nods his head for Alexandre’s benefit that Sergeant Kadlec is you.

“Sergeant, rendezvous with the rest of the team at the mechs and do what you can to ready them for departure while we attempt to retrieve the passwords,” he says to Blowtorch as you make the dufflebag more comfortable on your shoulder.

You state quietly to Mad Dog, “I can deal with the password problem, but it will take longer if we do it my way. You should know though, that starting them up is one thing, but if we use the Curator’s passwords to remove the locks on the weapons, a signal will be sent out notifying the regional military governor. Unless that’s what you want, I will have to hack them anyway.”

Alexandre, at the security desk and already in the process of contacting his girl’s guardians,  looks to the Lieutenant and says, “Lieutenant, I need to contact the people taking care of my girl. I have to tell them to be on alert and get ready to move her.”

In response to you, Mad Dog says, “Good point, Blowtorch. I suggest, then, that you leave that matter to last until we better know our current sit-rep with the curator.”

In answer to Alexandre, Mad Dog nods at the big man and smiles. While the huge man completes the connection on the secure line that Tate had set up for them, MD asks, “What’s your girl’s name? How old is she?”

Seeing that the connection has gone through and that Alexandre needs to speak to the person on the other end, Mad Dog turns to Tate.

“Tate, with me! Slight change of plans… We’ll talk and walk at the same time, and Fitz will probably react better if he sees me with you.”

Turning back to Alexandre, he says in a quiet, but clear voice, ““Let us know if there are problems, and we’ll try to help if we can. We snuck into this city. It should be possible to sneak a girl out. When you are finished, join us here or at the mechs.”

While Mad Dog was speaking to Alexandre, Tate had motioned to the other two guards, and they had walked over to stand with Blowtorch.  As Mad Dog turns back to him, he takes his radio mouth-piece off his shoulder, “Would you like me to have  my other guard go to the mech display to rendezvous with the Sergeant?”  With this he looks over at her and says quickly, “I’m really sorry I mistook you for a Lyran, Sergeant. You had every right to toss me into the desk.”

Outside the snow begins to fall more heavily.

BT

To Tate, “We’re even, then,” I smile at him, “Now let’s get these Mechs operational.”

If Tate is going with Mad Dog to pick up Fitz, I’m going to want at least one of the other guards who turned up to walk with me to the Mech display area, to help make sure I don’t get mistaken for a Lyran again by anyone else who might be there. I’ll also ask either Tate (if he’s with me) or whoever is walking with me, “Is your technician here tonight?”

GM

Tate laughs and then moves off with Mad Dog to the tunnel under the moat.

Things start to move along very quickly once the two different teams begin to figure out how to work together.

After Mad Dog and Tate return with the Booth Guard and Fitz, and the museum is locked down for the night, people begin to relax a bit and focus more clearly on the task at hand: prepping, and then stealing these huge war machines, and escaping through the quiet night-time streets of this residential section of Beasville. While everyone is serious and well-aware that these preparations are the first big step in starting a rebellion, the thought of finding unexpected allies is a reassuring one.

Fitz looks familiar to most of the Security Guards and it is Pietr who recognizes him as a former champion boxer, now retired.

The Night Security Team who came up the stairs with Alexandre introduce themselves as follows:

• ·          Sal Winner, former tech for the 18^th Marik Militia Aerospace Division
• ·          Pietr Llewellyn, formerly of the 10^th Marik Militia, Dispossessed, Disability Discharge
• Tate introduces the Booth Guard as:
• ·          Dominic Vincent, former test pilot for the Brigadier Corporation

While you quickly interview each guard to find out their technical knowledge and piloting skills, Alexandre and Tate go off to the side for a quick discussion.

The mechs appear to be in excellent shape and the technical and status readouts that Sal produced are very reassuring. In order to depart, all that remains is for each pilot to have their neurohelmet formatted and registered to a specific mech, and for the weapon locks to be removed. The guards have already prepped the mechs for active use, and have returned the engines to active status, not storage mode, meaning that initial start-up times are significantly reduced, and access to onboard electronics is possible right away.

The four mechs on this level are a Guillotine, an Orion, a Thunderbolt, and a Thug. Two levels below, in the storage area, the remaining mechs have been freed from their storage cocoons and lined up for easy access and departure through the tunnel to the Museum’s loading dock and warehouse. These are two Hermes, a Hunchback, aGriffin, a Crusader, a Spider, and an Archer. The technical readout indicates that their exact specifications are:

·          Archer               ARC-2K

·          Crusader            CDR-2R

·          Griffin                GRF-1DS

·          Guillotine            GLT-4L

·          Hermes             HER-1S

·          Hermes              HER-1SB

·          Hunchback         HBK-4J

·          Orion                 ON1-M

·          Spider                SDR-5V

·          Thug                 THG-10E

·          Thunderbolt       TDR-5SE

As you and Sal get to work formatting the neurohelmets (expected time: 1hr15m), you hear Tate explain to Mad Dog that they have rigged radio detonators, sufficient to destroy all the electronics, into the cockpits of each of the 8 mechs that their team was planning to leave behind. Now that there are 8 pilots instead of 4, some of those detonators need to be removed, and decisions have to be made about which of the 11 mechs to leave, and whether or not to destroy those left behind. Even Tate, whose idea it was to rig the cockpits with explosives, is unsure if destroying them is something he would be able to do. Their demolitions handler is Alexandre.

You will need 15 minutes with each guard to set the helmets properly. Sal is helping you, Pietr is looking for help lowering to operate the mech platform down to the 2nd Basement level where the other mechs are, and Tate and Mad Dog are going over mech schematics.

Alexandre seems to have nothing to do.

While you were busy fitting Sal’s neurohelmet; taking readings and measurements about balance, recovery rates, normal head position, focus acquisition, rates of vertigo and spatial positioning, etc. Mad Dog swung by to take a look at the notes you had taken notes about the guards proficiencies:

• Sal Winner has no mech piloting skills, but is a first class aerospace tech, with additional training in electronics and weaponry – specifically shipboard weapons.

• The others, Pietr, Tate, Alexandre, and Dominic, all have experience piloting mechs. Of these, only Pietr and Alexandre have seen combat, but the person with the highest technical level of training is Dominic, the former test pilot for Brigadier.

Out of the corner of your eye, you note that Alexandre eventually goes over to speak with MD, and seems to be making a suggestion about explosives and mech legs.

Fitz and Pietr decide to set the elevator in motion and lower the mechs down to the basement, as planned. Finishing with Sal, the two of you can work in concert to set the helmets for Tate, Pietr and Alexandre. After that, it will be necessary to get into the cockpits and register the helmets to the mechs. That will require knowing which pilot will be piloting which mech, the entry passcodes, and the command passcodes… or it will be time to start hacking.

Cool Hand has not returned yet, but you know that MD is going to report to him soon.

BT

[OOC] How long would it take to hack using GIbs bypass codes?

GM

It will vary somewhat with each passcode. If you are lucky, they will all be the same passcode, and then once one code is established, it will just take one hack to deal with all of them. Do you feel lucky?

Velika has two options and 1 requirement for this operation.

Requirement:

She has to install Gibs’ software to prevent the mechs from reporting their receipt of weapon activation codes. Even if they get the actual passcode for this function, the mechs will automatically send a signal to the military governor and that signal will no doubt be detected by the Lyrans. Gibs’ software is the only way to do that without damaging the mechs comm systems, locking up their OS, or producing a huge jamming field which someone might notice regardless.   TIME: 5 minutes per mech

Options:

• She can reinstall the OS for each mech and instate her own passcodes (this does not void the weapons lock problem). TIME: 30 minutes per mech
• She can hack the passcodes directly using other software provided by Gibs. TIME: from as little as 10 minutes to up to 1 hour per mech

From whispers and rumblings around her, Velika is also pretty sure that Alexandre has proposed a plan to put explosive charges deep within the legs of the 3 mechs that must be left behind… once those 3 are identified. As this will involve removing sections of armour, Each mech will require three techs and an hour’s work to do this without leaving significant traces, or wasting time.

MD and CH:L are trying to decide which mechs will be left and who will be piloting what. Sal feels pretty down about not being a mechwarrior right now. He feels responsible for allowing an extra mech to fall into enemy hands.

“If I only I get to fly one of the fighters out of here… that would be something!” he says.

During Alexandre’s time for neurohelmet tuning, you are able to discuss his plan for mining the legs of the abandoned, mechs. Between the two of you, with Sal’s help, and a little luck, and a clearly stated plan, you think you can get each mech done in 40-45 minutes. Alexandre, it turns out, is an old hand with myomer.

BT

Sal’s comment made me think, though… what would it take to liberate one of the flyers? And didn’t you say there was a dropship on display? If we could get a transport operational, we wouldn’t have to leave any Mechs behind.

GM

Good questions~

The dropship rubicon has been crossed, sad to say, as it requires a crew of 16.

Unlike the essentially spheroid dropship, the aerospace fighters are not VTOL, so they would require a runway. Fuel is an issue for both types of craft as well. It would have been interesting, though.

BT

How is Sal himself going to come with us, or will he? Is there room in a cockpit for a passenger?

GM

The Orion has an unusually large and open design which makes it a favorite for techs to build variants from. This extends to the cockpit, which 30 years from now will be modified to have space for a pilot and a gunner.

This mech has a rumble seat with a second console for sensors and comms.

Here is some exciting info for you to use dramatically~

Things you have noticed about the mechs from outside that others probably will not notice:

• The Thug has 2 SRM-6 Launchers. This variant should have 2 SRM-4s.
• The Hermes being left behind has a flamer and 2 Medium Lasers instead of the AC5 you would expect on this model.
• The Hermes being taken has an unusual sensor pod, larger joints, and 4 ML in addition to a flamer so it is probably what it is supposed to be

The mechs are in pristine condition and have been well cared for.

As you work your way through each mech’s start-up sequence, alter the passcodes, and install Gibs’ clever program, Sal uses the secondary control panels to access the diagnostic systems to get readouts of the equipment and loadout the mech command software reads as being installed and active.

The two of you have no trouble with the software, although the Hermes and the Thug have a version of the command software that you have never seen or heard of before. It is not a problem to deal with, it just takes a little longer to get used to the interface and syntax.

As you work, Alexandre goes to the mechs which need to have explosives removed from the cockpits, and does so carefully and quietly. He finishes long before you two do, and as ordered, begins to prepare the charges for the three mechs being booby-trapped.

After 90 minutes, you obtain the following information and have readied all the mechs for pairing with a new neurohelmet, have eliminated the threat of the authorities being notified of the weapons systems being activated, and given each mech a generic entry and activation password.

• ·          Archer               ARC-2K
• ·          Crusader           CDR-2R
• ·         Griffin               GRF-1DS
• ·          Guillotine           GLT-4D  (Not L as listed)
• ·          Hermes             HER-1A   (Not S as listed)
• ·          Hermes             HER-1SB
• ·          Hunchback         HBK-4J
• ·          Orion                ON1-V    (Not M as listed)
• ·          Spider               SDR-5V
• ·          Thug                 THG-11Eb  (Not 10E as listed)
• ·          Thunderbolt       TDR-5SE

ARC-2K
– 70 tons
– Speed: 64.8 km/h
– Jump Jets: none
– Weapons:
2 x LRM – 15s
2 x Lg. Lasers
– 2 extra heat sinks

CRD-2R
– 65 tons
– Speed: 64.8 km/h
– Jump Jets: none
– Weapons:
2 x LRM- 15s
2 x Med. Lasers
2 x MG
4 x Streak SRM – 2s
– *Lostech*: ‘double’ heat sinks, endo steel internal structure, Artemis IV firing systems (one for each LRM), streak SRMs, and CASE ammunition storage

You know: This variant was used by the SLDF’s Royal units.

GRF-1DS
– 55 tons
– Speed: 86.4 km/h
– Jump Jets: yes
– Weapons:
Lg. Pulse Laser
LRM – 20
– Extralight engine + lostech pulse laser technology

GLT-4D
– 70 tons
– Speed: 64.8 km/h
– Jump Jets: yes
– Weapons:
Lg. Laser
SRM – 6
4 x Medium Lasers

CASE, Endo Steel Internal Structure

HER-1A
– 30 tons
– Speed: 151.2 km/h
– Jump Jets: none
– Weapons:
2 x Med. Laser
Flamer

You know: this variant carries half the armor of the 1S, but is otherwise the same
HER-1SB
– 30 tons
– Speed: 151.2 km/h
– Jump Jets: none
– Weapons:
4 x Med. Laser
Sm. Laser
Flamer
– XL Engine, double heat sinks, Beagle Active Probe, MASC system

You know:  this version of the Hermes was for the Royal SLDF

HBK – 4J
– 50 tons
– Speed: 64.8 km/h
– Jump Jets: none
– Weapons:
2 x LRM – 10s
5 x Med. Laser
1 x Sm. Laser

You can see: This mech actually carries more energy weapons than some of the same speed/maneuverability being taken (Archer/Crusader/Orion), but it is being abandoned.

ONI – V
– 75 tons
– Speed: 64.8 km/h
– Jump Jets: none
– Weapons:
LRM – 20
LBX AutoCannon/10
2 x Med. Lasers
2 x SRM 4
SDR – 5V
– 30 tons
– Speed: 129.6 km/h
– Jump Jets: yes
– Weapons:
2 x Med. Lasers
THG – 11Eb
– 80 tons
– Speed: 64.8 km/h
– Jump Jets: none
– Weapons:
2 x ERPPCs
2 x SRM-6

Endo Steel, CASE, Double Heat Sinks

TDR – 5SE
– 65 tons
– Speed: 64.8 km/h
– Jump Jets: yes
– Weapons:
Lg. Laser
LRM – 10
3 x Medium Lasers
– 2 extra heat sinks

You Know:  There might be specialized tools and equipment to use for repairs on some  or all of this lostech equipment at the Underground Facility, but you do not have spare components for the lostech electronics if they are damaged, nor the know-how to make special materials such as Endo Steel, or in the Double Heat Sinks.

BT

It ought to go without saying but I will say it anyway: I share my findings with Captain Rom and Mad Dog. Opening with a hearty, “Captain! Did you know that some of these mechs were fuckin’ SLDF Royal Guard?”

GM

It actually did go without saying, but I wanted you to know what you know, you know?

BF filled in his own curse words though, so if you’d like to send him a bunch of expletives to replenish his supply, I am sure he would appreciate it.

Stay Tuned for the next exciting installment!

Mounting Up!