Wow, I must have missed this when it first went up.

Anyway, see if there are any cargo haulers to haul away extra stuff.
We also need to see if we can get a leg reattached to that Wolverine.

Also, we need to get a squad to loot the administration building, see if there's any intel or reports we can snag.

And what about any C3 replacement parts for the mobile HQ?

Oh yeah! I didn't miss it afterall! Happy times!

>>13710402
>>13709067
Oh yeah, that admin building... I think we need to get a few volunteers and blitz the building. There's gotta be intel there, at the very least. And at the best, we might even find something juicy enough to leverage the PDF into the bargaining table when the momentum of the revolt picks up properly.

Apart from that, we might also want to rig the remaining supplies with explosives and send the base to the moon when we leave.

>>13709067
>Capellan 5th Reserve Cavalry

... at this point, I start to wonder whether using Sarna for intel is actually metagaming. Ah, well. At least there wasn't a complete mech roster.

Also, er, what year was it, again? 3040?

>>13710481
Right.

We've got a lot to do and not a lot of time or personnel to do it in.

We need to rush the admin building with a squad.

Now, I wonder if we should try to keep the Wolverine, or take it for spare parts then rig the reactor to blow.

>>13710402
>>13710481
Your brief breather over, Kara comes back from organizing the loading.
"Everything must have been in the hangar when it went up," she explains, pointing at the twisted wreckage of the bombed-out building. "We've got some trailers we can haul most of the equipment out on, but we're going to be pushing it with 230 tons: assuming the HQ's engine holds out under the strain."
You nod. "Hold things together here. We're going to see what we can save from the fire."
Sam is sitting on one of the scarred feet of his Urbie. You've seen that kind of expression before, but on men much older than he. You find Clark observing the same thing.
"Tough break for his first combat." Clark looks past you at the building. "I'm assuming we're going to take a look inside before the whole thing goes up?"
"Whatever they wanted destroyed is destroyed," you confirm. "I want to do a quick smash-and-grab. There's bound to be something we can use in there."
Clark is already moving. He raises two fingers to his mouth and blows a piercing whistle, catching the attention of the loading party. "I want you, you, and .. you two. Grab your guns and come with me."

>>13710593
Do we need to roll or anything?

>>13710552
Agonizing over the same thing. It'll likely slow us down a heap. Yet a medium chassis is a medium chassis, and despite the piddly armament it has, we could turn it into a killer with those large lasers...

Hmm. Well, let's proceed one thing at a time, I guess. That admin building has my undivided attention.

>>13710593
Ah, poor Sam. He got a hard first run. Let's hope he's not damaged goods. Two salvoes from 60 LRM tubes in the face... yeah, that'd kill a hundred-tonner on a good day.

Still, seeing as we have 230 tons to spare, I think we can take the Wolverine, the large lasers, and a whole heaping of ammo, parts and supplies to spare. Things are looking up in terms of hardware, but the personnel situation could be better. Maybe we should try infiltrating a larger population center and see if we can find a local mechwarrior or two.

Ah, getting ahead of myself again...

The fire is quickly spreading through the upper floors. You may not be an expert, but... there is one benefit of having former emergency services personnel as your personal militia: some of them did fire response. One of the four Clark picked out introduces himself as Tom; it is not hard to imagine the man with short sandy hair and a muscular build leading a team into the heart of a conflagration. His intuition puts the collapse of the upper floors at "ten, maybe fifteen minutes," as he pries open the front doors with the help of an iron bar. The interior is dark and filled with smoke and scattered papers, but there is some light shining through from the opened front doors. In the cavernous lobby hangs a complete Medium Pulse Laser in pristine condition, pointing at the front entrance. Your boots click against the marble floor as you approach it. And then they don't. You stumble, but well-trained reflexes keep you from falling face-first down some stairs that lead down into darkness.
"An escape tunnel!" You pull a flashlight from the belt of your combat harness and descend.
Wary of traps, you stop short in front of the soft glow emitted from emergency light tubes. They frame a massive blast door, hanging open.

>>13710736
We got any flashbangs?
What about SMG's?

We don't have much time; I'm voting to check out the bunker.

>>13710755
You and Clark have sidearms. Clark's got an SMG and some grenades. Nothing LTL, though. The rest of the squad have some of the looted assault rifles you picked up outside.

Sounds like it's time to shoot some fleeing Capellans

>>13710783
We only have 10 minutes, to be safe.

Let's check the bunker out.
I don't like splitting up the team, and the upper floors are likely already devoid of valuables.

>>13710783
>>13710755
I'm thinking we should radio the rest of the team and let them know about the findings. As well as tell them that if we're not back within an hour, or hostile forces appear, they should finish packing up and leave the area.

But yeah. Curiosity killed the cat, I know, but who wants to live forever? I guess letting the guys with law enforcement training take point might be prudent, unless our Special Forces training extends to CQC in addition of battlemech piloting and insurgency leading.

>>13710829
>back within an hour
>10 minutes before collapse
>derp
Scratch that. If we're not back in 20. I hope they don't have a Battle Armor waiting for us in that tunnel though...

>>13710829
But of course.

"Kara," you murmur into your handset.
"Yes boss?"
"I want you to get Sam and pull something out of the lobby. We've found their escape route, but something seems.. off. If we're not back in 20 minutes, get the hell out of here and see what you can do for the rebels back home."
You let one of the policemen explain what "stacking up" and "slicing the pie" means to the others. Never hurts to let other people feel useful for a change. You press against the concrete wall and take in a lungful of smoky air. Why does it feel more dangerous to be down here than under the guns of enemy Mechs not that long ago?

Roll 'em. I'll need one for Clark, too.

rolled 4, 17 = 21

>>13710905
Alright, first one for us, the second for Clark.

>>13710915
We are going to give these Capellans a very vigorous fucking, it seems.

>>13710915
>d20
>mentally convert to d100, processing...
You count to three and Clark peels off the side of the tunnel to duck quickly through the opening.
He's greeted by a hail of gunfire. That's no way to say hello to a friend of yours. You dive over the threshold with your pistol in both hands, eyes quickly picking out the attacker, bracing his machine gun on the edge of a flipped-over table. The stream of bullets cuts off as you perforate his torso with three shots. Clark rolls on the ground in pain as the rest of your team rushes in to clear the rest of the small complex. Tom blind-fires into the hallway leading out of the entry room.
"Clark!"
"I'm all right," he groans. "Lucky my coolant vest is bulletproof, isn't it?"
You help him up as the rest of the squad reports the bunker clear--there's a loud CLANG as a different door seals itself closed somewhere deeper inside.

>Yesssss I've been looking for this all afternoon.

I'm worried about how deep this thing goes, but I'm guessing we still have some time. See if we can find where that clanging come from, and take a quick poke around.

>>13711042
Wait, we're using d20's now? So low rolls are bad?

Not much survived the passing of the Capellans. A few boxes of circuit boards that may prove to be of use to someone, some wiring...
And a terminal.
Someone left in a hurry, because the confirmation dialog for the purge was still blinking.
>Confirm secure emergency deletion [Y/N]?
You quickly cancel the prompt and begin rapidly scrolling through the last accessed files. Your squad gathers behind you as the logo of the Star League appears on the giant blue holographic display.
"What the hell is that?" squints one of the squaddies.
"Something that shouldn't be here at all. Something that changes everything," you reply.
You rapidly copy everything remotely useful to removable storage and herd everyone out of the bunker, grunting under the weight of the boxes. There's a huge hole in the front of the building when you return. Evidently Sam had already pulled the laser from its mounting. You're halfway to your vehicles when the building collapses behind you.

>>13711114
I wonder if we could go back to 1d100 though?

Um, that aside, damn. This is going to get tight and ugly, I think. We're in a rush, yet in a situation where getting in a rush is lethal.

Let's confiscate that MG and proceed. Without using Mechwarriors as pointmen, I hope. I hate the idea of considering our irregulars expendable, but we're hurting for bodies already.

... I wonder how many bones Clark will have broken by the time our insurrection ends, by the way. He's a bit of a soldier of misfortune, isn't he?

>>13711155
Dat logo.

>>13711241
>>13711155
SON OF A BITCH.

>>13711155
>Star League
Yeah...that fucking changes everything.
We need to read what we were able to grab; if there's a Star League Cache here, then we need to get a message to our CO.

>>13711275
Yeah. And on the note, I think this changes everything also on how mad the Cappies are going to be about this loss. I think we'd better G the FO from here, and cover our tracks well.

>>13711314
While we're on the move, we'll need to find a place where we can lie low to get in repairs and rearm.

>>13711314
It'll be something like
>u mad?
>FUCKING HELL I MAD!!!
>Then a bomber wing bombs the fuck out of the rebels and a battleship orbital bombards the town we came from.

>As someone less familiar with the fluff for this universe, can someone fill me in on exactly why SL involvement is a big deal? I'm skimming the wiki but all I can get is that they were basically a more effective version of the UN In Space. And then they ran away.

>>13711378
I think they might very well be working on that already. Then again, if we get to contact home plate about a Star League cache, then the FedSun/Com regiment that drops in to say hello will likely return the favor.

>>13711414
Yup, they were the Space UN. During the golden age, before becoming the Clans. And they've stashed caches of golden age technology, which are more valuable than anything in today's human space. A stash with blueprints for an old battlemech might very well turn tides for entire wars.

>>13711480

I thought we were a Fedrat? Huh.

From last thread:

>Larsha. Out on the edge of space. And it is the 4th Succession War, which means you're from the Feds.

>>13711414
Star League technology, while hundreds of years old, is still more advanced than much of the technology that anyone in the Inner Sphere has (excluding CommStar). Finding a Star League cache of weapons or battlemechs, would be the equivalent of bringing Abrams, Challenger 2's, and Leopard 2's to a Sherman and Panzer 2's.

If I remember correctly, a Star League-era mechwarrior suit would be worth more than two or three medium mech's, due to its advanced cooling systems and neural interface circuitry.

Something about what you've found must have shown on your face, because Kara gives you a concerned look as you begin barking orders for the withdrawal. "We need to get the hell out of here. Now. Drop what you're carrying. We need to be rolling at top speed back into those woods and far, far away from this place."
"I know we just took their supplies and killed a few of them, but they're not going to be THAT mad.."
"Kara, listen. This place is going to be a giant smoking pile of rubble any second. Our asses had better be kilometers away and powered down when that happens."
"Wh-... But!"
"Something just came up. I'll explain later."
Leaving her gaping at you, you grab the dragline into your battered Commando and power up. The squaddies wedge the boxes you took from the building into the HQ and pile back into the Maxim.
"Let's move!"

Before we leave, let's make clear what we're taking.

What are we taking? What vehicles are they carried on? Can the mechs bring anything (hand held or towed)?

>>13711577
I'm not sure if we have the time to worry about that. I wouldn't put a nuke out of the picture. We're dealing with cappies, afterall. Angry cappies.

>>13711653

The Capellans were the ones that goaded the rest of the Inner Sphere into signing the Ares Convention to prevent nukes from being used, after getting nuked themselves.

I doubt that man.

>>13711577
Give me a final list. We've got available:
2 Large Lasers
1 Medium Pulse Laser
1 Medium Laser
1 JVN-10N Fire Javelin in operational condition
1 Wolverine in bad shape, missing the left leg (subtract 6 tons from total weight)
10 containers of mixed Federation autocannon ammo (100 tons in total)
15 containers of mixed SRM/LRM munitions (300 tons)
70 tons standard armor plating
Parts for the Shadow Hawk, Urbie, Wolverine and Javelin totaling 60 tons.

>>13711689
I vote for taking both chassi and spares, all the lasers, and then filling the rest with ammo and armor. Prioritize SRM ammo, I guess, since we have only one AC and LRM. 230 tons was the weight limit, right?

Javelin & Wolverine = 79 tons.
Lasers: 13 tons.
The rest for ammo, armor and spares... hmm. Seems like we can haul a whole lot, really.

>>13711653
Nukes? Probably not.

Bombing that would make Dresden look like a podunk fireworks show? You betcha'.

>>13711689
We definitely need the spare parts, and all of the lasers. I'm more partial to missiles over autocannon ammo.
Can we load up the Wolverine on the Maxim?
I want someone piloting the Javelin, and make sure that Max can handle the Urbanmech.

I want all of the mechs hauling trailers if we can.

>>13711689
Get Sam out of the Urbie into the Javelin. Its effectively trashed and the Urbie, even with the 20, is pretty piss poor.
All the weapons.
Try to take the Wolverine, however we can. What variant is it? The JJs are a tactical advantage and should be a good mech all around. We can reattach that leg no problem.

We'll need several tons of SRM and autocannon ammunition. Maybe a couple tons of LRM ammo too.

20 tons of armour, maybe?

I don't know what our weight capacity really is.

Definitely taking:
-The Javelin (I assume it can walk out with someone in the cockpit)

All of the AC ammo (we've got a few of those in the lance)
+100 tons
All the armor
+70 tons
All the parts
+60 tons

total so far: 230

I think that leaves room for the Wolverine and the 3 lasers, filling the rest with as much as we can carry of missiles and infantry supplies.

Oh, and have somebody watch the 'dar while we load up. I'd prefer not to roast like a...

roasty thing...

Supernova, that's it.

>>13711759
>mfw someone confuses Sam & Max

>>13711759
>Strap a Wolverine on top of a Maxim
Now we're really looking like a bunch of rednecks. Done.
The problem with piloting the Javelin is that there isn't anyone handy that could do it. Of everyone you have with you, only Sam, yourself, and Clark have any Mech piloting experience of any kind.

>>13711832
It's easy to confuse freelance police named Max.

>>13711836
do
>>13711789

>>13711836
What about Kara? She's a smart girl. If one of the local tractor boys can keep the Bulldog out of a ditch, maybe our skilled mechanic can figure out how to put one foot in front of the other?

>>13711851
But I like that AC/20 =( I'm rather attached to it, and it really is the biggest gun we've got. I'm really not comfortable with just leaving it behind.

>>13711861
Make a roll, and pray it's less than 40.

>>13711806
Rice Cookers from Outer Space, hooray!

rolled 85 = 85

>>13711874
I accept your challenge. Dice gods don't forsake me now...

>>13711861
Ahah. Fuck that, with all due respect.
>>13711871
Yeah, definitely. But also consider the Urbanmech plods a long at 50km/h, has the armour of a light mech, and a 5 shot locker. I believe mobility will be key in this fight. With the Javelin and Wolverine, we'll have 3 medium JJ mechs. Also, their longevity will be better.

>>13711908
Oh I see how it is. Very funny.

Fine. I suppose the Javelin is a better chasis overall. Any way we can pull the AC/20 and bring it with us?

>>13711908
This won't end well.

>>13711926
I'd be up for that, if we had the time.

>All of this is taking place during the excursion into the building.
>>13711908
Kara manages to lose her balance almost instantly in the Javelin. "You guys make this look so easy," she sighs, powering down as Sam has to struggle mightily to keep her fall controlled with nothing more than the undamaged back armor of his Urbie.
So it's on the back of a trailer.
Anything else before the loot train leaves the station?

>>13711959
Nah, we need to skedaddle. I know we've given a few different answers as to what we want to bring along, but I guess we'll say that in the confusion of our fast loading... well, we'll find out exactly what we managed to grab when we get back. It's time to make like a treat and gtfo.

>>13711959
Food.

We need food, even if it's shitty Cappy army rations. Whatever we can find.

Oh, and any commando-style gear. Night vision, sneak suits (hah), grenades, flashbangs, tacticool gear, supressors for pistols and rifles, maybe Zeus anti material rifle.

>>13711850
... say, that's a nice name for our outfit. Larsha Freelance Police.

Also, Sam asked for a callsign in the last thread, so let's name him Max!

>>13712007

>>13711993
The squad grabbed what they could, but what they could wasn't that much. Rations aren't a huge deal when you consider that almost to a man (and woman) they are all accomplished woodsmen and hunters, and can forage for themselves quite effectively. It might be the middle of the planetary equivalent to winter (hence all the damn rain and awful sticky humidity) but things to eat are not hard to come by out here. Commando gear is surprisingly easy to come by in the supplies that weren't destroyed by the Wolverine's SRMs. You would almost expect from the particular configuration of some of the harnesses you see your impromptu militia wearing that the Capellans maintain their own form of drop infantry here on the planet.

The convoy creeps agonizingly slowly down the road picked out for your exfiltration. You're halfway to the edge of the plateau when the mountains to your left light up and the ground shakes. Turning around to look would almost be too demoralizing-- you hustle everyone off the road and into emergency power-down right away. You hear the sound of several supersonic booms echo through the canopy above, and pray they don't know which way you went.

>>13711990
Well, everyone agreed pretty much on the spare parts and the lasers.
We should get some missiles, some autocannon ammo, some armor, and grab rations and regular army stuff.

So 30 tons of AC ammo, 40 tons of missiles, and 30 tons of armor.
Switch Sam out from the Urbanmech to the Javelin, and carry the Urbanmech in the Maxim; that way we can move faster.

>>13712065
... and if they do, hold on to your poopers.

Funny how the discovery of that one little computer in the basement made the whole point of rigging the base to blow completely moot. Note to self: beware of basement dwellers...

>>13712065
Time to consult the map and find a place to set up shop so we can fixer up our mechs. Then we need to find a nice little recruiting station so we can fill out our ranks and decide on another target.

Access to a news station would be great too. Anybody else thinking of grabbing a trilby and a trenchcoat and hitting the nearest smokey dimly lit bar with a suppressed semi-auto in a shoulder holster?

>>13712065
Do we have any protocols or callsigns to use if we need to contact our CO? I'm assuming that they didn't leave the DropShip that we came in on in planetary orbit.
We need to get to an HPG, get a call out to our CO, and hope that it doesn't get intercepted by the Cappies or by ComStar.

>face palm when I just realized we're a Rabid Fox

At least we got a bitching combat knife.

>>13712120
Brilliant deductive reasoning.

>>13712107
You call a brief conference in the HQ by the wan light of a chemical lantern. Kara is quick to point out a rather extravagant resort city some two hundred and sixty kilometers due west after you mention your desire to repair and replenish your forces. Chief among its amenities is a rather extensive series of coves along the coast that develop into some surprisingly large tidal caverns. Most of them have never been mapped, and their exploration is a favorite recreational activity for a subset of the population.

>>13712109
Due to the nature of the mission, you're assumed to be out of contact and unable to make contact. Your Commando is equipped with a special communications array capable of receiving orbital transmissions on a particular encrypted frequency. Any reports would have to go through a HPG, and would have to go through certain... channels.

>Most of them have never been mapped, and their exploration is a favorite recreational activity for a subset of the population.
On one hand, there's the chance of being discovered. On the other hand, with rebels running around and a war coming, I imagine people are starting to be put on curfews. Again, it'd be nice to get some news. Do we get AM radio on our machines?

At the same time, a resort community may be home to more liberal minded citizens of the Confederation, or maybe we have Davion assets in town.

Well the resort town sounds like an pretty good idea for now. We'll probably need to do some scouting before rolling our little train into the caverns, but it's as good a hideout as any.

Should we bring all our assets with us and move towards the resort city, or leave our baggage train here and just go in for recon? The woods have served as good cover so far.

>>13712319
It might be important to note that as you descend in elevation from the mountains to the coastal region, the forest becomes a much more dense jungle.

>>13712319
Recon for sure.

Smokey bar espionage, motherfuckers. Also, bring anybody who's got first hand knowledge of the layout of this place. Don't want to bungle around like a tourist. Which don't exist, since who's going to tour a backwater like Larsha?

Brotip: Don't talk to the Mask.
Brotip 2: You don't really know who works for the Mask.

>>13712319
>>13712272
Good point about the "liberal" part. Plus a resort would propably have a more "international" population, and as such, we might stand to gain a whole lot by a little probing.

>>13712341
Sounds like we should move the convoy down into the jungles, and then scout out the coves on foot.
We'll need to see if we can recruit some local assets.

>>13712120
... psst. I can't find any info on the Rabid Foxes on the interbutts, it seems. Can you fill a broseph in on them?

>>13712419
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Department_of_Military_Intelligence

Well, we might fit more into MI4 than MI6 given the descriptions given on that page. I consider special forces the whole "build an insurgency" thing modern day US SF are trained to do.

>>13712419
That's the exact same I did. From what I gather they're a basic Special Ops force.

I'd be a bit cautious of getting the Maxim and HQ stuck in a denser jungle. I vote we set up a temporary staging point deeper into the forest for now, with camouflage gear like we had before.

I think our next order of business is to decide who comes with us on our trip down the mountain.

>>13712364
You keep a stopwatch handy. An hour after the last sonic boom you finally feel like it's safe to move. It grows warmer and warmer the three miserable days you spend moving downslope--and there is suspiciously no traffic on the routes you take. Just to be safe, you enforce a strict policy of radio silence and ensure everything is powered down fully at night, which precludes any full examination of the data you recovered. Thus you are itching, in more ways than one, to get to your destination. Parking all your gear in the trackless jungle is quite the feat, but with the firepower at your disposal, clearing a path is quick work.

Which is first: scouting the coves or recon in town?

>>13712447
Recon the town. We need info on the area before we move in.

Who's got local knowledge? Who's a cool motherfucker who can act the part, and blast the Mask when he can't? What's our own training like in that case? What clothing do we have? Can't go in with boots and LBVs.

>>13712447
Scout the coves, better to have a good place to go back to if the town turns out to be a flop

Though on the town, Construction sights are a plus, and they might have a few loggermechs handy in case the jungle starts breaching into the city as well. CivieMech experience is better than none.

>>13712447
Check out the town, to see if there's a Capellan presence, and if the Capellans might have already started looking in the coves.

Bring along any of the rebels we have with us who have police experience. Detectives and plainclothes are preferable, but even a regular beat-cop would be useful. Even more so if they still have their uniforms, or we can get one in town.

Voting for checking out the town. That way we can get a better picture of these coves and how well-traveled they are before we park our rebellion in a tourist trap.

Town it is.

A surprising number of your budding revolution still have their own clothes, mostly using them whenever the camouflage on the captured ones they've got is either dirty or too damn hot, which is the more likely case. Their attention to discipline is the one thing you're most concerned about if this becomes a long-term effort. Kara had suggested this resort not only because it fit the bill, but because she had been on vacation in this town herself. Sam repeatedly attempts to volunteer for the excursion--it seems that he'd always wanted to go, but didn't have the cash. The lone detective in your camp seems a bit overawed by your presence, and feels quite a bit out of place surrounded by much more militant rebels. Her name is Mei Lin, and looks the part of a proper Capellan: short black hair and severe black eyes under slim eyebrows. She carries a serious, professional demeanor at all times. Something in her reminds you of yourself, actually. Who all is going?

>do the robot in the Commando
>blame it on myomer controller glitches

>>13712614
All four of us that you've named. Allows us to travel as a group of four, or two and two. Unfortunately we only have one guide, but scaring up a map shouldn't be hard (pamphlets).

Do we have rain gear? Ponchos or trenchcoats do wonders for hiding shoulder holsters or hideaways. Bring silent weapons (melee or otherwise). Try not to look suspicious; the Mask is always watching.

>>13712614
Kara's been here before, so she'll know a little about the tourist traps and whatnot.
Definitely Mei, especially if she still has her detective outfit.

I know Sam wants to come along, and he can help to act the part of a teenage tourist. But he doesn't really bring much to the table besides his age.

Hang on. I say we have Sam and Clark stay with the equipment. Clark can give Sam some much needed training in the Jav while we're gone. For now take the girls.

>>13712614
>Something in her reminds you of yourself, actually.
Why is it that hearing that makes me... worried.

>>13712628
>picture related

I wonder if OP has to make this stuff up dynamically all the time.

>>13712676
>Why is it that hearing that makes me... worried.
Oh come on, it's not like she could be a Capellan Armed Forces Death Commando.

>>13712787
Yeah, I mean, Maskirovska? Pfffffft.

rolled 2 = 2

>>13712782
It's good practice.

So, we have a disagreement on Sam's involvement. Clark wants to give the kid some training and he really wants to go to town. In order to give both sides of the issue a fair shake, you decide to flip a coin. Heads, Sam stays with Clark and gets put through his paces, tails, Sam goes with your crew on a little sightseeing trip (Clark rolls his eyes at the terminology you use).

Come on guys, the kid's never fought in a mech before. The more trained pilots we have the better. If we could spare her I'd want to give Kara some training too =/

>>13712821
>>13712835
I suppose we could let the poor bloke into town. Might do him good to unwind a little, after the whole LRM debacle.

What I'm sort of hoping is that we might find and recruit a new pilot in town.

It begs the question, where are we going to find a mech jock lying around to pick up? I've got an idea already...

>>13712814
>>13712787

If she's Mask, we're already fucked. Might as well play it out.

There's a reason they're the scariest group of their kind in the Sphere.

You reveal the back of your hand. Clark shakes his head and mutters something about kids and Sam looks pleased as punch. To keep him busy, you decide to have Clark put in some work while you're gone. The only real issue here is the fact that you have no ground transportation that isn't a gargantuan walking machine of war or a vehicle obviously intended for combat. So it's up to you to hike the rest of the way into the outskirts of the city on foot. The sun has just begun to make its presence known as the city comes to life--Oh, hey, a taxi! Kara flags it down with relief and suggests a small eatery near the waterfront. Sam's glued to the window, and Mei Lin just holds things down with class as you quietly discuss opportunities and contact information. Out on the beach, you can see why Kara would vacation here. The view of the coast is breathtaking enough to take your mind off the reason you're here. Almost. You allow yourself to be treated to the first real meal you've had in about a week, one of a myriad of tourist maps spread out over the table while you eat. You sip your coffee while Mei Lin debates the finer points of identifying potential rebels with Kara.

>>13712937
Do we have local currency, or do we have C-Bills?

>>13712937
We should bring some takeout on the way back.

But we need to hit a seedy bar first. That's where rebels always gather.

Alternatively, we could hook up with the triads. I don't think that'll end well, however.

>>13713024
You personally have quite a stash of C-Bills in your Mech. HAD. Kara and Mei Lin are bankrolling this little adventure with a little help from your friends in camp.

>Seedy bar
Well there are dives, and then there are seedy bars that go out of their way to be seen that way, and you know just how to tell them apart. Mei Lin seems to have a good feeling about a particular one in the outskirts of the commercial sector, just far enough from the bright lights and hotels to keep the tourists away. Having a drink in the middle of the day? Well, couldn't hurt.

>>13713088
We're going to need to raid some Capellan banks or paymasters to get more money, eventually.

Alright, let's head to the bar that Mei picked out, while Kara and Sam check out the coves for places we can do our repairs.

>>13713115
Perfect. Sam's always wanted to see them, and Kara's been touring already.

We're both the espionage types so we should handle ourselves fine. Keep an eye out for the Mask (can you tell I'm paranoid yet?) in that bar. If you know its seedy, they sure do as well.

>>13713115
>rob a bank
Mei: Let's rob a bank.
Us: What?
Mei: I've wanted to for years, but I've kept myself pure. Now the time's finally come!

>>13713115
Agreeing with this. They can scout the coves, and if there's any time to find out-of-work pilots, it'll be drinking in the middle of the day.

>>13713133
That should be easy, since she's bringing us there!

>>13713133
You send Kara off with Sam, and head off with Mei Lin. You plan to meet up with them at a pre-arranged time at the cafe that you ate your delicious breakfast in. The scenery starts to look more and more Capellan, and more and more recently-built, as you coast down one of the thoroughfares in a taxi. You step down below street level and into the bar, motioning for a drink before grabbing a seat at a booth and scoping out the locals. While you're a bit out of place in the predominantly Capellan crowd, it's not a sore point. When your drink is ready, you pick it up and head back to your seat. You could have sworn Mei Lin was sitting right there waiting for you--Ah, that's where she is. The muzzle of a gun being pressed into your back is actually a more comforting and familiar feeling than the apprehension and paranoia you had entertained on your brief stay in the city. Now this is something you can handle. Still carrying your drink, you allow yourself to be guided down a short hallway and into the kitchen. No one seems to notice you walk by. The freezer is your next stop. "Open it," Mei Lin orders. You see no reason why not.

>>13713216
>"And what do you do for fun?" "Oh I walk into the occasional trap."

Make sure to continue sipping our drink during the conversation we're about to have.

Guess we'll just play along until I see an opening. Hang on to that drink.

>>13713216
I had a sneaking suspicion this would happen.

Open the door.
"Please tell me the drink isn't poisoned, at least."

Everybody, think of something cool to say when the moment arrives.

>>13713255
Bond One Liners: The RPG

>>13713216
Note to self: next time you suspect someone of being a spy, set a trap instead of walking into one.

Hmm. Ride along for now though, I guess. No sudden moves and all that nonsense. An opportunity might come, or might not come, but we still stand a chance of learning something here.

>>13713255
"Do you shoot me now, or should break my cyanide capsule?"
"You know, if you were trying to prevent the 5th from being damaged or the Star League info from getting out, you've done a terrible job at it."

>think of something cool to say
The heavy door of the walk-in freezer opens and a blessed wave of cold air blows over you before you step in side and feel the chill. Mei Lin closes the door behind you.
"Turn around. Slowly."
You do. Drink in hand. You sip, waiting for her to say something first. You certainly know how interrogations work, having been on both sides of that equation more than one time in your career.
"Did you think no one would notice?"
You raise your eyebrows. "Notice what?"
"Some charismatic stranger dropping in /from the sky/ (you can hear the italics in her voice) and offering a means to their end?"
You say nothing.
"They don't even know your name. But they trust you anyway. Doesn't that strike you as the least bit odd?"
"Operational security, Mei Lin. If we were on a first-name basis with everyone, things could get tricky."
She seems to be furious after you make that comment. "Security? How dare you say that! After that stunt you pulled in the mountains, an entire town of 3,500 people is DEAD because of you? How are you going to explain to them back in camp that everyone they've ever known was killed because of what you made them do?"

>>13713364
Made them? Certainly not. I asked for volunteers.

>>13713364
"They came of their own free will, followed me of their own free will, and the fact that they were well-prepared to actually kill means that they will be able to survive knowing that their actions led directly to the deaths of their families.
"What did they, and you, think this was? Spray-painting anti-government graffiti, setting off stink bombs in military barracks? Juvenile accomplishments of immature rebellion?
"This is a war, and entire cities are depopulated every day. Another town is just another statistic. As a Capellan, this shouldn't be that difficult to understand."

>>13713364
"You think I WANTED that to happen? If anything, I wanted to stay and defend that town. But you and I both know that they were doomed long before I got here. Do you know how long it took me to put together the team that first raid? 1 week. These people were itching to lash out from the pressure the Cappellans have put on them, and they would have done something with or without my intervention. And you know that they would still be just as dead as if I hadn't said a word. Instead their deaths MEANT something. Something was started here. And it will continue, no matter how much you want to blame me."

>>13713364
>>13713427
... damn it. That bit about the Bond quotes makes me want to attempt sweeping her off her feet with a cheesy one-liner and a plenty of manly asshole charm, and then cutting to the next morning in the hotel bedroom. Odds are, though, that we'd get... shot down.

Oh, well. "And those volunteers stood up to tyrants. Tyrants who killed 3500 people to make a point. Are you asking me to give in after something like that?"

>>13713456
>>13713464
She lifts her gun a little higher. "Well aren't you the cocky one. 'It was their choice.' 'They should be prepared to accept the price of their actions.' That's easy for you to say. They weren't your friends. Your neighbors. You didn't go to work each day and..." Her professional mask cracks as she bites her lip and squeezes the grip of her weapon. "I worked as a detective in that community for twelve years. I knew almost everyone who lived there. Your little masquerade might have fooled the ones the most prepared to give their all for the cause, but it didn't fool me. Who -are- you? What is it you stand to profit from by causing the innocent to suffer?"
You stand your ground. "You saw how many of them showed up to our little 'event' in the woods. And if that is possible in the middle of nowhere, just THINK of how bad it must be elsewhere! I'm giving them a chance to change their lives for the better!"

No, you kill me, and it is you who will have wasted their lives for nothing. You will have wasted their lives, and doomed the rest of Larsha to oppressive rule under the Chancellor, or under the grinding war machine of the Davions.

I'm here to make it as bloodless as possible, but wasn't it Stalin that said you can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs? I can't save everybody, but I can save more people than if I hadn't come here at all.

>>13713578
"And herein we see the fundamental difference between *civilian* law enforcement and military operations.
"You should have stayed back in town, Mei Lin."
Then throw the drink in her eyes, grab the gun, then break her neck.

OR, if other players don't wish to go the Rabid Fox/Loki route...

"I haven't said anything that I'm not. I can lead those people to get what they want."

Or for the humurous:
"Who *am* I? I'm the goddamned Batman!"

>>13713578
"It might not seem so to you, but I'm not the heartless war machine you make me out to be. Between me, and the man who told to bomb those 3500 people over the actions of a few - of mine and those who agreed with me - who is at fault? Me, I'm just a guy who grew up in a place a little like this, but ruled by people a little like them. I've seen the whole situation before. It's bad, and it gets worse before it gets better. But if you choose to plod along while someone picks up half of your food at gunpoint once a month, it never will get better."

Complete bullshit, of course, but it might work. Depends on whether she's genuine, or whether she's just trying to fish out our ID and outfit.

>>13713693
I rather like that, it sounds more believable.
If i'd heard that i would've lowered the gun back down to crotch level.

>>13713693
Yeah I'll go for this. Or possibly >>13713636
, just minus the Stalin reference. I'd rather keep her talking for now. It's more and more obvious that she's not an actual intelligence officer, just an upset detective.

>>13713636
>>13713693
She allows herself a bitter smile. "Oh, you're good. I almost want to believe what you're saying." She motions at you with her gun. "But I'm the one with the weapon here. You don't get to come here, to Larsha, and push us around and tell us what to do. I won't have some.. OUTSIDER co-opting our movement for himself. What happens when it's over, hm? Are you just going to fade away into some bolt-hole and wait out the storm when the real fighting starts? Abandon these people to their fate? Think about Sam, or Vince. They have their whole lives ahead of them!" She shifts from foot to foot. "And what happens if you win? We already have a tyrant. No. You tell me who you are and what you're doing here and I'll -think- about letting you leave here alive."

>>13713770
I'm still for showing her the difference between a police officer with no military experience versus an active Special Forces operative, but it seems that the other players would prefer to talk this out.

>>13713770
She doesn't seem like Mask... although that's what she probably wants us to think! After all, she worked for the police, a government institution.

;__; I can't stop thinking about the Mask. I'd make for a poor spy.

>>13713770
Hmm. She's very persistent on our identity. This is a bit of a divider. Either we give her our identity, or then we snap her neck. If she's a Mask, she'd likely pop a hole in our head when she gets what she wants. If she's just a good cop, though, we might have a loyal and capable follower in her.

Well, crap. I'm voting for trust.

Sigh, looking a little resigned; "Ever read "Eleven Against the Stars?"

>>13713812
Actually, I'm becoming more open to trying to surprise her. All this gun waving is making me nervous, and I'd really rather not share EXACTLY why we're here. If you guys do want to make a move, I would suggest incapacitating her somehow. Throw the glass at her to distract her, disarm, put her in a hold of some type, and finish explaining that we don't want people to get hurt. We don't even want to hurt her. What we want is to give these people, these Sam's and Clark's, and Kara's and even the Tom's and Vince's, the chance to decide their own fate. We don't want to be a tyrant, we don't want to run from any fights. We want to show these people that they can live without this oppression.

You know, she's had weapon training, right? And her finger's on the trigger? And she's emotionally distressed?

Yeah, I don't feel like having a hole in my chest.

>>13713871
You realize that's all a load bullshit, right?
This is during the 4th Succession War, and we're a part of DMI.
If these people won't accept Federated Suns' rule, then they'll be crushed underneath the AFFS.

>>13713893
>>13713871
>>13713812
So that's 3 to surprise her and disarm? Is that right?

>>13713910
I'm honestly not super familiar with the setting, but I am aware that all we are trying to do is incite a planet to push off the current occupying military force in order to provide some distraction from a planned campaign. I figure our motivation might as well be "overthrow the oppressors" for all the inhabitants care.

>>13713919
>>13713893
I'm not suggesting we move quite yet, just soon. It would be nice if we could get her to point that gun not directly at us before we go making sudden movements.

>>13713919
I'm against surprise and disarm. Still hoping on the talking down

I think that's a 3:2 split on "Give her a version of the truth." vs. "I think you need to chill out. *necksnap*"

Scary thing is, as a Vegan Ranger, we're basically free to BE the good guy we claim to be.

" * A Ranger lives simply and honestly without delusions or manias
* A Ranger values loyalty, but does not follow others blindly
* A Ranger must serve people, and not corporations
* Above all, a Ranger must be free to follow his own destiny "

A whole lot of poppy-cock, I know, but hey. It could be nice to play the idealist for a while, even if the whole world's made of backstabbing bastards.

rolled 52 = 52

>>13713951
My primary vote will stay at "Version of the Truth: Liberator of the people" for the time being. Rolling just cuz, uh... yeah.

>>13713958
Ahah! So I was right. We were a Kuritan.

Too bad I can't undelete my post now.

rolled 48 = 48

NO NECK SNAPPING!
If anything, twisting of arm into a slightly co-erced loving embrace is possible. After disarming her of course. We could do that right as we tell her a wee bit of the version of the truth and taking a sip getting her guard down.

Also, we rolling 1d100's or 1d20's, I noko when I post but I default 1d100's, just ask Servant.

>>13713974
Playing with 1d100's.

Closely divided situations are exciting, aren't they? I wonder which side our dear interrogator turns out to be. And whether we can talk her to our side even despite that.

>>13713924
Our mission is to create unrest and a distraction for a planetary assault on another planet.
If our rebellion actually succeeds, there are only 2 outcomes:
1. The AFFS of the Federated Suns rolls in, and this planet becomes the property of House Davion.
2. The Confederacy strikes back with heavy force, and probably lots of mercs, and takes the planet back.

Being independent or neutral is a foolish pipe dream.

>>13713998
And that's fine and dandy. Just let them believe we're giving them the option to choose their fate.

rolled 45 = 45

Building consensus. So we got an interest in telling her a version of the truth. "I'm XXXX (c'mon guys, still don't have a name yet) and I honestly and truly am here to set you free. It it helps you feel any better, I'm looking to build my name as a Vegan Ranger mercenary."?

>>13713998
Why is it that I suddenly started feeling like being a good guy in a bad situation...

... but yeah, the Rangers are a little... different, than most Davion outfits. The best arrangement imaginable would be that the units stationed to defend the planet would be Rangers as well, which would give the civilians more freedoms than pretty much any other rulers outside Comstar territory.

>>13714023
This sounds about right. Also, I'm down for not having a name since names almost never seem to fit with how cool a character has been built up in everyone's minds. Plus someone suggests a stupid name and then you're stuck with it. I've been thinking of him as the "Commando" (hence the name).

>>13714023
In a more eloquent presentation, of course. And I doubt admitting being a ranger would change things much. But as for our name, er...

Hogan? It came up in the previous thread.

rolled 54 = 54

Hmmmm, how about naming ourselves Trythos "Liber"

Also, I'm for combining the two plans so as to get her guard down while telling her the truth bit. We can let her go, then give her the gun back afterward as a show of trust?

rolled 36 = 36

>>13714054
Hogan "Liber" sounds good too, I was just grabbing at air

>>13714055
Give her the gun back only after we put the safety on and palm the magazine out.
That way we'll be safe regardless of if she tries to shoot us or not.

rolled 51 = 51

>>13714069
that works
sooooo, rolling to do it?

>Politica nsurso
Capthca, not now, we aren't that far yet.

>>13714112
If it's not already clear, this is the closest to consensus we're gonna get. I'd say roll with this.

Though I'm still gonna be a whiny bitch about the name.

Tell her about what we found in the base .... and why the cappies killed all the peope in the town ...

rolled 97 = 97

I'll stick with XXXX (nameless) until we can agree on something. Also
>implying the 12th Vegan Rangers are Kuritan House troops
>oh no you didn't.jpg
"Listen." You take a measured sip from your drink, draining it to steel your nerves for the sudden burst of motion it would take to disarm her and keep her that way. You knew a lot of such moves, and many of them were particularly injurious, but something tells you that hurting her is not in your best interest. She has a healthy concern for her people, and you respect that. You say as much. "Listen. Mei Lin, I apologize." Obviously not expecting that remark, she allows you to continue. "I know that with all that's been going on things have been confusing." You hold up a finger as she begins to speak. "Wait, I'm not finished. I understand your concerns. You are right to fear for your people. I am here to offer you another way." To your surprise, she lowers the weapon slightly. "Let's be realistic, here. If you were to carry out this long-awaited rebellion, right now, what do you think your chances would be? Zero. Zip. Nothing. You'd be dead before you even finished the first meeting. And even if you did manage to orchestrate the kind of rebellion we're talking about--not a simple protest but a complete and legitimate revolution, you know all too well the fate of those who consider themselves independent in this day and age. What if I told you I could negotiate--on your behalf--with the Federation? Things could not possibly be worse with them than what you're suffering under the Capellans."

>field too long

>>13714195

Her jaw drops. And so does the gun. "Wh.. what? I was expecting something a little more.. mercenary out of you." She gives you an appraising look. "Then let me give you a surprise of my own." She stomps her foot on the floor quite insistently, then reaches for a bottle of local beer on the rack beside her.

The door out into the kitchen locks and the floor begins to descend. A hatch appears on the wall to your left. Mei Lin speaks something quite complicated in Chinese, enters a code on a holographic pad, and then waits. With a clank of retracting bolts, the heavy gray door swings inward. "We are Free Capella."

>>13714195
So I thought, for whatever reason, the 12th Vegan Rangers were the 12th Legion of Vega. Big woop, wanna fight about it?

>>13714209
...well slap my ass and call me Sally

>>13714209
wellcome in the rebelion huh ?

>>13714209
She's probably Mask still.

...

Let's see what they're up to, without forgetting that they're just as likely to slot you as they are to trust you.

rolled 43 = 43

>>13714230
Well, punch me in the jaw and call me a space O2 tank inhaling junkie.

>>13714249
Well, drop an Atlas on my head and call me tubeborn.

rolled 6 = 6

>>13714257
Well, make my reactor core hit critical mass, and called me a fried KIA.

rolled 8 = 8

>>13714266
Sadly I don't actually know much about the setting, so I think that one was a bit of a moodkiller, my bad. Anyways, don't get us killed, and see if we can swoon Mei Lin. I like the ladies.

I'm out.

A guard is waiting with his weapon trained on the door. "Dao Ming. It's been a while. And you've brought a guest."
She holsters her weapon inside her jacket. "A particularly important one, as it turns out. I need to speak with Father. I can vouch for him."
"Come with me. We were just beginning to wonder what happened to you. The news has not been good." The man glances at you, then enters the underground base. Men and women in plainclothes sit at terminals and holographic tables, collating and confirming information about troop deployments and readiness. You only get a brief look though, as you are whisked into a conference room with a big holographic representation of Larsha floating in the middle of the circular room over its holographic display table.
It's green as hell. Most of the landmasses are covered in vegetation, and mountain ranges crisscross all three continents haphazardly, separating them into discrete river basins.
At least, that's what you learned in geography class. The globe is replaced by the face of an elderly Capellan man, who regards Mei Lin with a look of cool detachment.
"I imagine we have much to discuss."

And with that I think this brings this portion of our commando's endeavors to a close. I was up entirely too late last time.

>slowpoke.jpg

Alrighttttt party time. So we do have an established rebellion here, not just our thrown-together band of yokels. I'll definitely let... Dao Ming, as her name appears to be? I'll let her do the talking, especially with her father. Given the chance, we need to find just out professional and well-equipped these rebels are. Also, judging from her reaction, our connection to the Federation could be a major point in our favor. I'd play our cards close, but these are likely allies, and it is in our best interests to cooperate.

>>13714336
That's probably wise, though I'm sad no more giant robot fights this time. I think I prefer those to arguing amongst ourselves how to handle diplomacy. But this is definitely a game-changer, and I imagine the scale of things will change.

Any idea when we can expect another go?

>>13714353
Later tonight. Same Mechwarrior time, same Battletech channel. Maybe a bit earlier, since it'll be the end of the weekend.

... aren't we all glad the vote went to the direction it did?

Free Capella? Oh, we can work with this- the AFFS has been friendly (but cautiously so) with this bunch since day 1, since anything we do for them serves our interests in keeping House Liao tangled up.

Suggested plan here: We work with them, figure out what the hell the League info is referring to, and see if we can get them in debt to us enough to be willing to share said potential lostech info in exchange for bringing in big guns as needed.

Another League memory core's worth of data copied over to NAIS could be more precious than the planet itself to our masters. Not that other stuff isn't valuable, but that'd be the gold mine.

And this is the 4th Succession War. These guys are run by a Liao, but he's friendly enough. Not a pet to the Davions, but his own man and they have teeth and a desire to put their man on the top of the Capellan food chain. Don't pull any potential leashes until you absolutely have to, or we'll find ourselves a carbon smear.

>>13717357

Also, remember C-bills are like spending dollar bills in a banana republic. Only people trying to make an impression that they're not natives do it.

Wish we'd been sent down with L-bills instead. Those make less of a splash when you spread em around.