Yay back early! Ok gimmee a second to catch up.

Cool. My current window has the following tabs all open:

>This thread
>http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/13709067/
>http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/13691622/
>http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Shadow_Hawk
>http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Commando
>http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Javelin
>http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Wolverine_(BattleMech)
>http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Urbanmech
>http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Bulldog

I believe we left off about to meet the leadership of Free Capella? If there's going to be a lot of dialog without much input needed from us a summary could be in order. Or if you're into it then by all means dialog away.

>"I imagine we have much to discuss."
The statement hangs in the air like a fact.
Mei Lin bows in greeting. "Father, this is the man you were talking about. The one we were looking for."
"The shooting star." The face regards you critically, with wrinkled brows. You can't quite place the man's age, but his balding head with short white hair and a neatly trimmed goatee suggested someone he was quite along. "So you're the one that has the military network in such an uproar. I find it hard to believe that stealing a few BattleMechs and destroying or damaging two of their facilities would generate the amount of traffic we're seeing." He presses his lips together. "Playing at rebellion, are we? As it stands, you've traded the lives of 3,500 Capellan citizens for some toys that are easily replaced."

Anyone else in here yet? How open are we to sharing the Star League info with them?

Well, until someone else picks this up I suppose I'll move ahead.

"The loss of those lives were a tragedy, but you and I both know that it is the Cappellans who were responsible for their deaths. Besides, their lives brought us something much more valuable than a few mechs and some supplies."

"Larsha is about to become a bloody battlefield. The capital is already under curfew and mobilizing for war. You're going to need more than just your immediate allies to weather the coming storm." A wizened hand strokes his goatee.
Mei Lin intercedes. "I have spoken to him at length with his plans. He proposes negotiating with the Federation--"
"And you let him speak that filth? The Davions will not be gentle, Dao Ming. Everything we stand for will be made a mockery if they take Larsha."

>>13721178
I'd like to assure him that he's wrong, but I'm not really familiar enough with the universe to know how much he's right.

You attempt to make your case as succinctly as possible. "You know better than I do how much the people of Larsha suffer under Capellan rule. If there is even the slightest chance that by aiding me, you would have a say in what comes after, wouldn't that be worth enduring Federation influence here? This planet is far from leadership of any kind. Initiative now will surely be rewarded later."
The old man's eyes drill into yours. "We shall see. Leave us." The guard from earlier puts a hand on your shoulder, but you need no further inducement. You leave by a different exit. Having no money, it takes a while before you can cross the city and return to the eatery you'd previously been to. At least your sense of direction is still good. Kara and Sam are waiting. Kara's traded her no-nonsense camouflage hunting cap for a straw-brimmed hat, and Sam looks a bit sunburned, but none the worse for wear.
"You're late," she observes. "Where's Mei Lin?"

>>13721417

>Thanks for moving things forward for us

"She ran into some old associates. Seems things are a bit more complicated than we thought. We'll know more when she gets back. What did you two find out about the coves?"

>>13721417
>Lack of players right now is most likely due to starting much earlier than expected. People should slowly filter in.
"She ran into some old friends, and is catching up.
"Now, how did your end go?"

Also, we need to read what exactly we found, whether it's a Star League blueprint, a cache, or a full out memory core.
Then we need to figure out a way to get a message back to DMI without it getting intercepted by ComStar.

>>13721506
I feel like that's unlikely to happen. The point of this mission is that we're on our own, and somewhat expendable I'm guessing. They dropped us off and told us to have fun, the only way they're coming back is if we cause enough commotion to kick the 5th off this rock.

>>13721579
It depends on what bit of lostech the Capellans were hoarding here.
If it's a memory core, that would be valuable enough for the Federated Suns to send several Mech regiments, and possibly alter the course of the entire BattleTech timeline.

>>13721462
>>13721506
"Old friends? Mei Lin never mentioned that she'd been here before. Strange..." Kara gestures to Sam. "I'll let him explain. We had a long afternoon climbing rocks and hunting for caves."
Sam is energetic when he leaps up from his seat and begins gesturing off down the coast. "We got a tour map and rented a car. All the caves we found big enough to fit us comfortably showed signs of visitors, so we kept going. Just behind a small mountain we found an inlet beneath some cliffs that looked just perfect! You can even drive down to the beach. We went pretty far into the caves, but after a half-hour decided to turn back. It was amazing!"

>>13721673
*Glance over at Kara* "No signs of visitors? And it's big enough to unload and do some work on our mechs?

>>13721673
Lets head and to see these cliffs for ourselves and if they meet are standards lets move in.

>>13721673
I'm concerned about just being able to drive right up to our new super-secret rebel base. I would think difficulty of access would be a plus, we don't want tourists just wandering in. But I suppose we have to get the HQ and Maxim in here with all those trailers, so it'll probably do for now.

>>13721725
>>13721747
"They'll work just fine. Scaffolding is going to be a challenge, and we won't have a proper crane to work with, but I think we can work something out. If you want to see we can be there by sunset."
The "rental car" is a flashy red convertible. You shake your head and get into the passenger seat while Sam jumps into the back. Kara turns over the engine and speeds off down the road.
"How did the recruitment effort go?!" she shouts over the wind, holding onto her hat. "The repairs are going to be slow if it's just me doing all the work."
You know something about 'Mech maintenance yourself, but she has a point. "Keep your fingers crossed. Mei Lin's friends are... connected."
The ride out to the caves is uneventful, a helicopter buzzing over the jungle to the north the only sight out of the ordinary. Kara turns off the road onto a well-hidden rocky path that the convertible has trouble negotiating.
Sam wasn't kidding when he said these caves were amazing.

>>13721865
Alright, well-hidden rocky path makes me feel better about the accessibility. If Kara says we can make do then I'll take her word for it.

>a helicopter buzzing over the jungle to the north
Where did we leave our mechs again?

>>13721865
Alright, I think we should go back into town, and Kara and Sam should head back to our base camp. We'll want to move everything in under cover of darkness.

>>13722022
Agreed, let's get our stuff in here so we can give the mechs the repair work they need.

I trust the FC will get in touch with us when they want us.

You return to camp to see Clark, stripped down to the waist, installing new armor plating on the front of his 'Hawk, using the arms of the Javelin to hold it steady.. He's certainly in good shape for a man his age. The rest of your little party are busy organizing the supply trailers and taking an accurate inventory of the loot. By this point the Maxim and the operational Mechs are now fully loaded, and everyone notices your approaching group with a sigh of relief. Clark finishes what he was doing and catches his dragline, slipping down to the squashed undergrowth on the jungle floor. "It looks like your trip wasn't very successful," he remarks, wiping some sweat off his face with a rag he plucks from his belt. "Do we have a place to stay, at least? I keep looking over my shoulder and expecting commandos to spring out of the bushes and kill everyone. It's making them jumpy."
You explain the plan with the cave.
Clark rubs his chin. "It could work. We should be packed up inside an hour--it'll be dark then, and we can get this show on the road."
The rest of the rebels are glad to be moving again.

You've only just begun to unpack when you catch a flash of light from the cave entrance. You draw your weapon and decide to investigate.
Mei Lin steps out of the shadows. "You can put that away."
Your apprehension is not mollified by the sudden presence of several black-clad armed men emerging from the darkness behind her, night-vision goggles on. One turns to Mei Lin. "Is the site secure?" She gives him a curt nod and the soldier speaks quietly into a throat mic.
Your eyes are greeted by the sight of several transport vehicles full of uniformly black-clothed people rolling slowly into the cave. The rebels currently in the cave line up, unsure of what to make of this new development.
Mei Lin smiles. "I brought a few friends. I hope you don't mind."

Don't mind me, I'm just your Friendly Neighbourhood Citizen who you've known all these years...

>>13722315
Friends are always welcome. Lets take a good look at these newcomers

Eye the FC commandos with a professional eye.
"Your father doesn't do things by half-measures, does he?
"Under you, who's in charge of these men? Will they be part of our operations from now on?"

>>13722373
>Will they be part of our operations from now on?
>implying they're not a killteam here to murder us all and take our stuff for the rebellion

>>13722422

while there here keep someone with them at all times

>>13722422
If they were, then we'd already be dead.

>implying that we aren't already dead or dying, our vivid imagination dreaming up a nightmare scenario of survival when in reality our oxygen-starved body lies limp in the shattered Commando's cockpit as the moon's lifeless light shines down on this forgotten battlefield

>>13722450
Excellent point.

You holster your weapon. "A little warning would have been nice, Mei Lin. How did you find us?"
"We keep a close eye on these caves. Knowing your capabilities, it was not a stretch of the imagination to figure out which ones you were likely to co-opt for your repairs." She gestures back at the assembled personnel, still rolling towards you. "We thought it best to lend you a hand. The longer you're here near the city the more likely fighting is going to break out and bring attention to our operations. These men will stay with you for as long as you need them." She crosses her arms under her chest. "I'll be your liaison, Commander."
You like the sound of that title. "Then we'd best get started. Have your techs talk to Kara, and we'll see about coordinating a general defense with your men under Tom. He'll know enough to stay out of the way when they need to do their thing."
"There's .. one more thing. Father wants two of his own pilots in your Mechs."

>>13722532
My first reaction is "If he's got two pilots then he can put them in his own mechs, thank you very much."

But under the circumstances...
"I'd like to meet these men, assuming he already has some in mind.

>>13722532
"A commendable requirement, ensuring that a myriad of contingency plans can be enacted as the needs may arise. No, your father is most definitely NOT simply playing at revolution.
"Since we're so short-handed on pilots, they're welcome to join up. Though I'll need to talk with them first to see which mechs they would fit best into."

Oh, maybe they'll have the parts needed to fix the Mobile HQ, and techs to properly staff it!
That'll be a nasty surprise to the Cappies.

>>13722532
Hm. We're short on pilots as-is, and I doubt they'd frag our fellow rebels. So the only one who'd be at risk is us, who's already got a death-wish.

Sounds good for two fighters.

I hope you're not jerking off in between every post...

The newcomers dismount from their vehicles and line up. Mei Lin makes the necessary introductions: The head of the armed contingent bent on trying to impress you with their professionalism and skill is a reddish-skinned man with dreadlocks named Jahl. His grip is firm and his gaze is steady despite the casual appearance. The lead technician is a mousy-looking brunette that looks perpetually lost behind her spectacles. She takes your hand timidly and introduces herself as Lana. The most important meeting, after you've exhorted the rest of your compatriots to "get back to work" -- the-meet-and-greet will probably take place on the job -- takes place in the HQ. Mei Lin enters with her two pilots, each with a full duffel bag slung over a shoulder. You stand to greet them.
Zhao (callsign: Rook) is a short, wiry Capellan. He's got quick reflexes and a professed talent for speed. His compatriot, James (callsign: Wolf), seems particularly out of place. A massive bear of a man, this blond-haired Norseman with traditional runic tattoos on his face and a long, braided beard could probably crush you in a hug if you let him. He enthusiastically pumps your hand in a grip that dwarfs your own.
They appear trustworthy enough when you see them out. Mei Lin stays behind to talk to you.

>>13722794
Rook likes speed, so the Javelin might be best for him.
As for Wolf, the Wolverine seems like a good match.

>>13722838
agreed and seconded

>>13722838
Why not take the Javelin for ourselves and give the Roadrunner the Commando?

>>13722950
Its got our specialised comm gear in it and so on.

Battletech don't got no tracer type gear/bugs, right? Otherwise the planes wouldn't have missed, right?

>>13722997
Huh. I figured that kind of stuff would be some sort of man portable satellite setup, so you could use it even if the mech was trashed.

>>13723032
Originally we kept the Commando for ourselves because it was "our mech", e.g. the one we came with. I don't think switching over would be a terrible idea though.

>>13723054
MechCommander: Were we able to bring the UrbanMech with us, or was it trashed after our raid on the depot?

>>13723032
Ordinarily you'd be packing a field kit for communications purposes, but your Mech is an appropriate power source for an array necessary to pick up signals from further away than just orbit. It's designed to be removable, but you're not sure if you want the locals getting their hands on tech that might give away your identity.

>>13722838
>>13722871
You explain your plans to Mei Lin. "The Javelin needs some legwork, and the Wolverine could use a leg itself, but they can have them. As soon as we can get them calibrated, let's get them set up. Do we have any estimates on the repair time?"
"Very well. I'll let Father know that you've accepted his offer. The Wolverine's leg should take four days to get working, but the rest of the repairs are simple armor refits that'll take a few hours each. Did you want someone to take a look in here?"
"Please. The sooner we have C3, the more deadly we can coordinate our attacks. I don't think your setup in town can match this baby once it's fully operational." You give the hull a fond pat with the palm of your hand. "As it is, I'm going to need an hour or two alone."
Mei Lin looks amused. "Tired?"
"Something like that."

Time to masturbate over the schematics of a Highlander, while fondling the material specs for double heatsinks.

>>13723067
You were able to bring it with you. Someone suggested having Sam pilot the Javelin at the last minute in order to fit more supplies in. The internal component damage is easily replaced with the parts you have in stock.

>>13723143
Finally, a moment to ourselves!

Now let's break out that stolen data, and see just how far into shit we fell.

>>13723175
Time to maste-STARLEAGUESTARLEAGUESTARLEAGUE

Crack that info open!

>>13723268
Of course ensure comms are physically disabled. And hope its not virused or something.

>>13723348
Haha.

>Settling into the cockpit of your Commando, your breath catches as you open the StarLeague files you secured. The SL logo flashes upon the screen, then begins to strobe unexpectedly as a millenia-old refrain begins to play from the speakers...

>"We're no strangers to looooove... You know the rules, and so do I...."

You boot up the lone working console in the HQ after ensuring the hatch is sealed. The pale blue glow of the display washes over you. Accepting your removable storage, you begin to sift through what you found three days ago inside that bunker. It's a good thing you can read Mandarin Chinese, because you have no translation software handy.
>StarCOM OS 13.155
>CHK OK
Archaeology Expedition 10b-32.13 Final Status Report
". . .Our findings indicate that the brief period of commerce with the Terran Hegemony in the Star League period was very profitable for Larsha. In 2573, a large shipment of SLDF materiel was delivered to this world and installed in a classified location located deep beneath a mountain range. There are several seismic scans ([attached]) that suggest numerous attempts to locate this cache over the years all failed. We recommend additional investment and more personnel to widen our search to the other two continents."
You lean back in your chair and run your hands through your hair. Not as bad as you thought. They're still looking for it.

>>13723512
Okay, so we definitely know that there is a cache, we just don't know where, or what's in it.

>>13723512
Hm ok. So there is SLDF material somewhere on the planet, but "beneath a mountain range" is pretty vague when this planet was stated to be criss-crossed by mountains. It may help narrow our search if we can find what areas the Cappellans have already checked.

>>13723512
We've got three choices.
We contact superiors (can we get throigh to an HPG?) And tell them. Might cause them to invade in force.

We tell the resistance. They break open the cache and free the planet. Gets our job done, but no bonus and might even have our bosses irritated for giving up SLDF stuff.

We keep this secret, forment successful rebellion and force cappies of planet. Very difficult, and they may reinforce. But if we do this, and get the cache single handedly.. . We'd be heroes.

I suggest calling it in, myself.

>>13723688
I'd like to call it in, but we need something more substantial first.
Also, ComStar would intercept the message, kill us, kill everyone involved with us, and steal the lostech for themselves.

>>13723688
I'm all for calling it in, I just don't see how we're gonna get the message out. For now, we need to get our mechs up and running, and see how our new pilots operate. I'd also like to give Sam as much practice in that Urbie as possible if he's gonna be our heavy gun.

>>13723723
Oh, yeah, comstar. I thought we had a decent intelligence system with encryption and stuff? Like a one-time pad or something. Several one-time pads, for example.

>>13723805
From what I gather, all the comm gear we brought with us is solely for the purpose of RECEIVING messages from command. They expected us to just go in and mess stuff up, didn't need to bother giving us any fancy way to reach them.

>>13723753
You shut down the console and remove the storage device, tucking it into your pocket. The memory of the recent discovery of the Helm Memory Core is still fresh in your mind. Now you understand why the Capellans are so bent on keeping their operations east of here a secret. You resolve to keep an eye out for opportunities that may lead to a chance at discovery. For now, though, you are more interested in the present. You wait a suitable amount of time and leave the HQ, motioning in the waiting technicians, who eagerly get to work with a zeal that surprises you. A crane is lit up in spotlights, the Wolverine's leg apparently taking priority in the repairs. Showers of sparks fly as welding tools operate.
You find Sam sitting on top of a crate, watching technicians crawling inside the ruined front of his Urbie and kicking his legs. "You kept your head," you say, looking up with him. "That's more than I can say for some men I've met."
"Y-yeah. The whole time I couldn't think of what to do, I imagined I was you." He looks away. "It's silly, I know."
You stick out your hand, and rest it on his shoulder. "I don't know what to say to that. How would you like some one-on-one training with me, then? Then you can really do what I would do."
"Really? ...I'd be honored, boss."

>>13723843
Better hope we've got some standard encryption, then. We're an intel operative as well as a mechwarrior, right? Surely we can transmit shorthand info without tipping off comstar or the capellans.

>>13723891
Sounding good for now. What kind of space are we dealing with? The caves are large, but are they big enough to show Sam how to pilot a mech? I'm a little nervous about running around outside with reactors hot.

If possible, I'd like to spend the next few days training Sam and seeing how the new pilots work. The quicker we can get an actual lance in shape the better.

Also might want to take some time to talk to Kara. She's an amazing mechanic and I don't want to risk losing her. Does she want to keep her spot as the Bulldog captain as well? She seems to know how to handle herself in combat but I don't want to make any assumptions.

>>13723894
>>13723843
We first need to get to an HPG, likely in the planet capital (if this planet even has one).
If we can, we try to get an encrypted message off to one of the DMI's dead drops. As long as we can get into the HPG facility undetected by the Capellans, we'll be safe to send the message. Not even the Confederation would want to risk ComStar's wrath by threatening their neutrality.

The only worry then, is to make the message innocuous enough that it won't arouse ComStar suspicion.

>>13724015
Our friends from Free Capella might be able to help with that. I'd wager they've got at least one business front set up which has needs of HPG comms.

I may be talking out of my ass here. Do businesses get to use HPGs? Is that possible?

We use em to send an encrypted message.

>>13724122
That actually sounds like a legitimate idea. The only issue then is not telling the FC exactly why we need to get this message out to our superiors. Perhaps we can do it under the guise of "putting in a good word for them with the Federation"...

>>13723512
>implying mandarin chinese is a written language and not a dialect.
I don't blame you, whitey. The word you were looking for was either Traditional or Simplified. Which one is used would depend on who settled the world, and what the standard is for the CCAF. Most likely to be simplified, except in Hongertown or Taiwanesetown in the various Capellan communities.

Oh, and for future reference I put this together for ease of reference:

Shadow Hawk-Med. AC/5,MedLas,LRM-5,SRM-2

Wolverine-Med. AC/5,MedLas,SRM-6

Commando-Light. MedLas,SRM-6,StreakSRM-2

Javelin-Light. 7xMedLas

UrbanMech-Light. AC/20,SmallLas

Bulldog-Tank. LargeLas,2xSRM-4


Clark (Archer) - Picked up in bar, disgraced ex-pilot. Watch.

Kara (Helios) - Mechanic.

Sam - Untrained Pilot

Tom - Firefighter, infantry leader


Mei Lin(Dao Ming?) - "Detective", Free Cappella liason

Jahl - FC Commando leader.

Lana - FC Tech, timid.

Zhao (Rook) - FC Pilot. Quick reflexes, Fast.

James (Wolf) - FC Pilot. Huge Norseman

>>13724015
Not to mention Comstar's nasty habit of counterintelligencing the fuck out of everybody.

Don't forget guys, ROM's still the same old son of a bitch we knew from 3025. Which is like, 5 years ago...

>>13724122
ComStar is a serious business. They transmit data at a rate of about 1 C-Bill per page, which is more than enough to transmit what you need. You could probably even afford priority transmission at that small a data size.

Training Sam is mostly limited to lecture on tactics and systems. There's a huge difference between his logging Mech and one with a fusion engine that shoots a cannon capable of taking out a Bulldog with a single shot. Which you demonstrated not too long ago. Despite his background, he is a quick learner. Occasionally you bring in Clark, Zhao, and James, to get a feel for their interpretation of tactics. Clark and Zhao both favor mobility and recon, while James likes to talk a big game about being a fearless assault pilot with several kills to his credit.

We aren't going to contact DMI until we have something more substantial regarding the SL cache, so let's table the discussion for now.

Right now, we need to come up with where we're going to go next, and what our next target should be.

I suggest any archeology sites and research teams that the Capellans may have started to set up.
They'll be soft targets, and may have valuable information regarding the cache. Also, by attacking them, we force the Capellans to detail military units to the defense of these archeology teams, weakening their other defenses.

>>13724227
Getting in contact with one's superiors is standard practice in the MI6, though.
*pokerface lie*

>>13724308
That'll tip our hand with respect to knowledge of the sites and what they're finding.

Lets hit whatever convenient target exists between here and the mountains.

>>13724308
>I suggest any archeology sites and research teams that the Capellans may have started to set up.

Good plan, but how do we sell it without tipping off our erstwhile allies what we know?

"Hey guys, we're going to use the mechs we sacrificed 3,500 of your friends and families for to go chase down undefended archaeologists! But it'll be fun! Trust me!"

>>13724295
Aaaand James rubs on my nerves already. Lovely. We'll need to make sure he understands that not every mission is going to be a full-frontal assault. Also, though I don't want to step on any toes, we may want to politely inquire with Mei Lin that FreeCap be very thorough on their background checks of our little band. We don't know anything about the new people, and I must admit now that we know Mei Lin isn't a Maskirovska agent (probably) my traitor sense is pushing towards Clark. He was an awfully convenient find. But he's worked hard for us so far so I don't want to go alienating him by pressing him.

>>13724308
I'm not so sure hitting random archeological digs will really get us anywhere. We may not even be on the right continent. For now I'd inquire if the FC people have any targets in mind. Can't hurt to engender some good will with all the people and support they're throwing our way.

>>13724428
>>13724437
I don't think it'll tip our hand too much.
If the FC leader is as competent as he appears to be, he would have already noticed the odd increases in funding and personnel being funneled to archeological dig sites.
Since the SL cache information was in a military depot computer, it stands to reason that this is a military operation, and not one being conducted by the Mask.
He might suspect something, because why else would the military be interested in archeology unless there was a Star League cache to be found, but he doesn't have proof.
All he knows, is that the military is pumping resources into these archeology teams, which makes them valuable targets.

Of course, I could be overthinking, and assuming that the old man has information that he may not have, but he seems to be a pretty competent rebel leader. I wouldn't put it past him.

It may actually be better if we ask Mei if the FC knows of valuable soft targets that we could hit, targets which the Capellan military values yet hasn't guarded for fear of drawing attention to them.

>>13724529
>implying the mask isn't involved in the extraction of ultra-rare star league caches
Shit, I bet the Death Commandos are in on this shit too.

What I think we need to do is work our way up to a Level II or 2 lances.

>>13724529
>>13724620
I am totally down for hitting soft targets. For now I am perfectly content to stir up trouble with the Caps. The smash-and-grab has worked well for us so far, why not continue on our looting spree? See if the FC know of any good targets where we might be able to damage/steal valuable Cappellan tech/supplies.

>>13724686
Aaaaaand now I realize that there is one "p" in Capellan.

Alright, so since we seem to be heading towards wanting to attack the archeologists but don't want to bring up first, how about we ask Mei what target the FC knows about, or wants hit, and if the archeologists come up, we push for them.

And we should ask her if we should call her Mei Lin, or Dao Ming.

>>13724686
Actually, my reason for asking Free Capella about soft targets we could hit, is to draw out if they know about the military funding archeological surveys, or the Mask funneling money and resources to archeology teams via front-companies. That way we could target the archeology sites without giving away that we knew about them first.

>>13724710
You catch up with Mei Lin shortly after the last piece of armor plating is dropped into place with a resounding clang. You don't have any paint handy, so the Mechs look particularly patchwork and gunmetal-gray at the moment. Something you'll have to speak to Kara about. "It looks like we're operational again. How does it sound to you, Dao Ming, if we say 'thank you' with a celebratory raid on a soft target your people find particularly troublesome?"
She pinches the bridge of her nose. "Please don't use that name. It's... personal."
"Sorry, my mistake. So, how about it, Mei Lin?"
She crosses her arms behind her back and gives you an enigmatic smile. "Are you sure you want to take orders from Free Capella? As a matter of fact, we do have a target you can take care of. The only military installation on this side of the mountains is the airbase up the coast. It's on an island connected to the mainland via a causeway that's mined and monitored at all times. I'd call it a "soft target" for someone like you."

>>13724866
>island target
>only accessible via mined and monitored land bridge

Bitch, what.

>>13724866
Funny. Fine. As much as I DON'T want to set a precedent of "taking orders" from them, we are allies and I figure we can help each other out.

Added bonus: Fuck air support.

>>13724866
"In this particular situation that we find ourselves in, I don't take orders from Free Capella, but in the interest of cooperation and mutual benefit, I will align my battle plans with yours.
"Now, if you're serious about calling an air base a soft target, then you require much more training before I would let you out of a nursery. But in deference to your father, I'll take it as a joke.
"Taking out the air base, however, would make our movements easier, but are you sure you want it attacked, with your base of operations so close?
"The Capellan military are no fools; they will come down on this town as hard as they hit the other one, since this is the only place we could stage an attack from.
"So I ask you, are you sure?"

>>13724913
It sounds difficult, but maybe we can work up a plan of some sort.

Added bonus #2: This is an airbase. Someone wanna tell me what the chances are that they'll have a dropship lying around that we could steal?

>>13725045
Probably low.
Dropships are kind of a big deal, and unless they were being used in a military operation to insert troops, I would really only expect them to be at spaceports.

But there may be aerospace fighters and bombers. It would be nice to know if FC has any pilots so we could try stealing some planes instead of just scrapping them all.

>>13725008
She presses her lips together. "I guess friendly persuasion can only go so far. Perhaps another time." She looks over at the repaired Mechs, turning to look at you sidelong. "You saw the food shortage up in the mountains, didn't you?"
You nod.
"Deliberately engineered. There's a perfect way to get the people on your side right away: attack the supply and distribution warehouses. It's from points like those they collect each region's output and ship it off to the capital. It's not military, but.. it's a start. And since every village, township and city on this side of the mountains would benefit, they couldn't go after just one place for the crime. Especially if they know it was you, and not us. I've noticed you don't have any insignia on your equipment."

>>13725094
Possible, but where are you going to hide a plane? And support it? Damn things need a butt load of crew to keep working. We sure as hell can't hang on to that base.

I vote for making it blow up with as large an explosion as possible. I bet they've got liquid hydrogen lying around somewhere...

>>13725155
I'm bringing it back!

>>13725155
Public goodwill is always useful. I would be ok with this.

We may be able to get some paint out of her too. Any suggestions on insignia? I'm thinking we should go for something guerrilla, separate ourselves from the other factions in this fight.

>>13725155
"Deliberate. Take up a local emblem or insignia as needed. You have an obvious symbol, I take it? By staying unmarked, it's safer for you.
"Amongst House intelligence agencies, an unmarked mech, vehicle, or tool with no identifying marks at all means a professional agency, most likely one of the other Houses.
"By staying unmarked, I can keep the Capellan military guessing as to which House has sent their special forces, rather than suspecting a home-grown rebel."

>>13725155
Alright, I'm good with hitting supply depots first.

>>13725264
"If you say so. Please keep me informed of your decision so that we can coordinate the details." Which is likely just a formality, because you can be certain the technicians manning your newly-repaired Mobile HQ are all instructed to feed their data back home. All part of the cost of doing business. You call a general meeting, the first one since a week ago when the new team members had arrived. The crowd is getting satisfyingly large: you don't believe you've ever spoken to a group this large before. You climb onto the knee of your Commando with a megaphone.
"We've come a long way in a very short amount of time. I wish to extend my sincere thanks to our new friends in Free Capella, with special mention going out to Kara and Lana, who we have to thank for the quick repairs to the Mechs. We have decided our next target, which should improve the situation considerably for your friends and families, and indeed all the people scattered across the region."
You have a heckler. "What about our town?" comes a shout. There are a few murmurings of assent as your squad wants to know the answer as well.

>>13725589
Do we have confirmation that there were no survivors?
We know that the town was most likely bombed, but we have no confirmation.

We can't keep it from 'em forever, guys. Maybe we can turn it around to pin the blame on the Caps, then fire them up with prospects of vengeance?

Of course, that could backfire and cause them to go apeshit on the caps, which'll probably cause more problems for not only us, but their own people in the long run.

>>13725589
"We don't know what the situation is back in the mountains, but we have to assume it's not good. I wish I could give you better than that but for now all we can do is push to make sure the Capellans don't get another chance to lash out. I promise you, given the first opportunity, we will make them pay for what they did."

Sound ok?

>>13725692
Sounds good to me, mate.

>>13725692
I can't think of anything better at the moment.

>>13725692
There are some ugly murmurings. Sam looks white and Kara excuses herself. "But we must press on! The future depends on the actions you make in the coming days. Don't let them down. The people of Larsha will prevail!" Vince finds the voice for a rough cheer and begins to clap quickly. Before long some of the other veterans join in. Clark is the last to join in the general applause. He's looking right at you while he claps. The crowd begins to disperse. It's time to make some plans for this little charity operation. The change in the HQ is readily apparent when you enter; the screens are all lit up with tactical displays and a massive holographic map of the area is situated on the table in the middle of the trailer. Your cot is still in the back, but it is looking rather obtrusive now that everything's clean and operational. You wonder where they found someone to come in and reupholster those chairs.
The central supply and distribution warehouse complex is quite a bit north of here. It should be filling up to capacity at the moment--they began the monthly collection shortly before you arrived on-planet. The defenses promise to be light: a low concrete wall to keep out foot and vehicle traffic, and a simple chain-link fence secures the outer perimeter. That doesn't rule out a sizable infantry detachment stationed to keep just the sort of rebels counting on your mechanized assistance from waltzing in and stealing their food back, however.

>>13725869
Sounds like we'll need to speak with Clark.
He knows that we were bullshitting through our teeth, which means that the town's been wiped out.
We should get it sorted sooner rather than later.
As they used to say in WW1, the two of us need to go out and have a talk about the weather.

>>13725869
We may need to have a talk with Kara about this. And though I hate to say it, keep an eye on Clark. He's got a shadowy past, and he's the most used to the ways of the world. If anyone would know how to effectively sell us out it's him.

For now, this warehouse complex sounds like a prime target, and easy pickings. Hopefully if we can give something back to the people of Larsha it'll raise some spirits, though I'm still worried that we haven't addressed to morale issue. For now it's time to gather our forces and move out.

>>13725869
I can see where this is going.

We need a few things:
1) A plan of attack, possibly involving awesome. Definitely involving a map.
2) Organized removal of assets by local townsfolk. That means heavy vehicle training to move grain trucks, and operating grain loaders. (I assume we're working with rice here).
3) Operational security, so we don't walk into an assault lance, or get bombed at a most inopportune moment.
4) A defense plan that can hold off enemy attacks or ASF strikes while the locals haul ass out.


What's Mei Lin got to say about this?

I'm not sold on the idea of starting a fight when two of our most vital members are pissed at us. It'd be too easy for them to backstab us right in the middle of things. All they gotta do is give away our location / target for attack, and we'd get totally carped-bombed.

>>13726005
>>13725984
I agree. We need to make sure that we have a plan, that the trucks we need to haul all of the food are readied, that we have intel on the defenses and layout of this place.
Finally, we need to talk with Kara, to make sure that she won't break down in the middle of a fight, and with Clark, since he knows what's really going on.
As one professional soldier to another, he deserves that much.

>>13722177
>"I keep looking over my shoulder and expecting commandos to spring out of the bushes and kill everyone. It's making them jumpy.
>making them jumpy
>them

Oh, you macho bastard.

Okay - things to do:

Talk to Kara.
Talk to Carl.
Talk to Mei-Ling about dem strategies.

Yea. I meant Clark.

>>13725984
>Generating a map.

Mei Lin answers your call. "Certainly a refreshingly direct way of breaking the news," she remarks, with barely any inflection. "What can I help you with?"
"We're going to need some boots on the ground for this one. Do we have any recent imagery on this place? Does Free Capella have any assets in the area?" You gesture to the holographic table, which shows the position of the warehouse facility in relation to your own. "If you know anything, don't hold back."
The Capellan purses her lips. "There's a small town nearby we have a contact in. But if you're counting on material support, you're out of luck. Free Capella has mostly an information-gathering presence on this planet. What you saw in the city was one of our listening posts. I'll go make a few calls. We'll know more in the morning."

>>13726247
"The main thing is we'll need transports. Tractor trailers. Anything that can haul food to where it needs to go.
"We won't have much time after we hit it, before the Capellan military scrambles an aerospace squadron to the area."

>>13726247
On the one hand I'd love to just tell her to have their contact round up some cargo haulers from the area and tell them to be ready for a large, unspecified gig soon, but stuff like that would almost certainly leak out and make the authorities suspicious.

I feel like we're making problems with our supporters with the way we're handling the destruction of their town, but I can't really see any alternatives. Quite frankly, our actions lead to the decimation of their town, and it's not really a secret. Any ideas on how we can handle it? Earlier I had considered sending a small force back to see what state the area was left in and if there were any survivors, but I don't know if knowing for certain would just make our followers angrier. Suggestions?

>>13726336
I don't think there's much we can do about that, mate. A recon is probably a good idea, to find out for sure. If it's a TPK over there, we might as well hit the damn airfield after we do this job and declare that it was to avenge the people of said town. I dunno.

>>13726005
Hmm. That's an important point. Our character is still being evaluated by our crew, especially the ones that are old enough to know shot from shingles. Namely, everyone important.

Genuine or not, we need to do our folks favors. Mei Ling is propably the number one priority, but Clark, then Kara and the other townfolk aren't far behind.

Maybe let Mei Ling boss us around a little, perhaps put down serious effort towards that airfield raid. The SL info would be a last effort card in case things get sour, but we'd need to play it on our own volition rather than when she puts a gun to our head again to improve our image instead of just bargaining for survival. And perhaps we could stress our status as a Vegan Ranger first, and Davion far second, in our motives for fighting.

As for Clark, we need to talk to him, since I'm not sure he's angry over the townsfolk or just us bullshitting. And for the townsfolk, we need to get some concise information over what happened to the town, who did it, and where they came from. Followed by us stomping a mudhole into their backs.

>>13726418
Maybe we can do that once we get back from this raid we're planning. Assuming we were to send a recon party back to check on the town, who do we want leading it? We could go ourselves, but I feel like we'll probably have other responsibilities to handle, especially if FC still expects us to hit that air base at some point. As for our lieutenants... Clark would seem the logical choice, but I just feel like he's pretty discouraged right now and that might be pushing too hard. Kara's the one I trust the most, but that doesn't mean she would take the sight of a leveled hometown well. Sam's just a kid, so he's out. That guy Tom seemed competent but we have very little info on him.

>>13726310
You know, since we already know there will be an aerospace retaliation due to the base in the area, why don't we set up a prepared escape route, and a nice little triple-A ambush point along it?

If they pursue, we diminish the base's potential before our actual assault on it. If they don't, well, nothing lost either.

>>13726500
I like you already.

>>13726500
Do we have AA capability? The AC/5s are fast but short range. Maybe the Large Lasers we picked up and some of the LRMs could do it.

>>13726500
Yeah, it's a good plan, but we don't have any AAA assets. Not even MANPADS.
I suppose it's possible to shoot aerospace fighters down with lasers, but we don't know what kind of air support the enemy has. What if they have CAS assets with AC's?

>>13726587
The short range just means we'll need to reel them in closer. But yeah, AC/5, LL and LRM's are pretty much the longest-ranged equipment we have. A few AC/2's really would throw a wrench in their blender though...

We could consult Jahl about what AAA capacity his footsloggers have.

MANPADs ain't going to do shit to an ASF flying god knows how fast, how high dropping bombs on you.

I imagine they'll be using bombs. It's just easier that way.

Hmm. That means we should propably abandon the trap idea and instead just prepare a visually well-hidden escape route. If we're going to be escorting trailers when leaving, we'd better dive into the jungle as soon as possible.

>Sorry for the delay. Was reading up on the combat rules for Ground-to-Air attacks.

"Before I let you go, Mei Lin, do you know where I can get a hold of Jahl? I have an idea and I'm going to need his help to pull it off."
---
Jahl is deep in conversation with Tom over a training regimen for the volunteers. You can see that Tom is more than grateful to have someone who actually knows real combat strategy around. "You know, it's actually kind of funny we're working -with- the police this time.." Jahl grins and claps Tom on the back. His smile disappears when he sees you and he straightens up to attention. He salutes. "Commander."
Tom is slow to catch on, but gives you a respectful nod. "Jahl, can I have a word?"
"Certainly, sir. We were just finalizing some training details." Tom heads off. "What can I do for you today?"
"You boys seem to have that airbase on your mind. Do you have any gear in the anti-aircraft variety?"
Jahl looks pleased. "We've been stockpiling for years. Never been used."
"Give me the breakdown. I have a little trap in mind for our friends on high."
"We've got a solid dozen reloadable systems we smuggled in that take a squad each to set up and use. Short range. There's a tradeoff, though--useless against Mechs."

>>13726850
Hoo-rah. Hopefully they won't be going up against mechs if they're sitting along our escape route. He did specify short-range, but if we're hauling ass out of there whatever comes after us is going to have to chase us. Hopefully that'll be enough. This sounds like a rather solid plan gentlemen.

>>13726850
... yeah, I think we can work with this. Give the infantry the Maxim for extra cover, and so they can bug out with us when they're done, then let them set up along the projected escape route? How's that sound?

>>13726900
I figured we'd probably want the Maxim to add to our cargo-carrying capabilities. What if we put them with the Mobile HQ along with our command/coordination element. That way they can hopefully defend it if shit really hits the fan.

Also, to help with the trap, we're going to be doing this at night, right?
Any way we can replicate the heat signature of a mech? No reason to use real bait in a trap if we can avoid it, after all.

I'm gonna head out to check out an apartment, hopefully I don't miss any fun times. Seems we have some tactically-minded heads in here, so I leave the planning to you all.

Should probably end it here for the evening. See you Friday night, gentlemen. I'll be sure to have a legitimate battlemap this time.

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