Day 3 | Evening | Boom & Bust

[Kannon]

He noticed a slight discharge on the nearby stack of lianas... the eels.

[Last Group #1 Turn before Round 2!]

[Lydia Storm]

Lydia frowned as things got more chaotic. Leaving the one that Hadrian had under control (she assumed) she went for the second one. It seemed the movement into the jungle was causing issues though.


(ooc maneuver for perc D3 evening combat Perception (Self reliance statement): 1eA+2eP 1 success, 1 advantage
see 2/3.

aiming twice

D3 evening combat Ranged (Heavy). Long range (3eD). Statement upgrade. Boosts from accuracy, 2x aim: 1eA+3eP+4eB+3eD 2 failures, 2 advantage


Claim the 2 strain back from advs

[Kannon]

The mercs' gambit to advance and disperse seemed to be paying off as the assault was not able to counter them at their point of vulnerability!

[End of Round 1 for Group #1]

[Kannon]

Razar joined the fray with the bomb on board.

Boom & Bust | Cool Initiative: 1eP+2eA 1 success, 3 advantage


But under the sensor net covering the valley, preparations to respond had been underway.

Init. Vigilance.: 4#1eP+1eA 2 successes 0 successes, 1 advantage 1 success, 1 advantage 2 successes, 1 advantage





Initiative Order for Group #2

Team
Cartel Thopter
Cartel Battery
Team
Cartel Thopter
Team
Cartel Battery

[Kannon]

Paul 2.jpg (33.76 KiB) Viewed 1784 times

After forced deceleration, Paul accelerated again to do low-altitude run along the valley. [1 Manoeuvre to Accelerate, the other to Move along the Short Range.] He rained fire on the sensor net with no intention to hit something he couldn't see anyway, but to draw fire to himself and create evasion for Razar to go through.

Cover Fire Distraction. Gunnery.: 1eP+4eA+3eD 2 successes, 3 advantage


[2 Advantage to confer Setback on next shot, 1 to regain Strain]

Provocation worked. The net tore in several places revealing barra plantations beneath, and some small buildings from which people were running out. Some of them apparent workers, perhaps slaves of Muadh origin... He took first deep breath in the last few seconds, but not one of relief. If Razar succeeded, the casualties... It would be on him. He wouldn't immediately realise that it was hardly the first time an Atreides made this kind of a decision, to attack despite the enemy using human shields. [No damage, but confers Evasive Action effects on Razar - shots against him are upgraded]

I must not fear... No. I must rule with eye and claw — as the hawk among lesser birds.

[Cuyler Gray]

Cuyler had heard Efren's signal and the sound of combat in the distance. But, she was focused on stealth ship, deciding how best to use it.

[Kannon]

By preparation of reaction, one thopter rose above the sensor net, accelerating and putting the shields on.

[Speed 1]

One of their batteries revealed itself [upgrade for attack difficulty on it as long as sensor net is up] by shooting at the havoc-raising thopter.

Gunnery: 2eP+1eA+3eD+2eS 3 failures, 3 advantage


The artillery fire didn't catch up to Paul's speed, but it provided cover for their starting craft.

[2 Advantage for a Setback on attacks against their thopter]

[Group #2 Turn!]

[Ambrose Pantazis]

GROUP #2

Ambrose watched while Paul start it off with a red flare to signal the ground forces and a fly-by carpet bombing of the area. The young man's initiation proved effective as an enemy thopter and AA gun revealed themselves, targeting the Atreides heir.

Next came Ambrose's part of the plan, cover for Paul and tying up or eliminating any aerial elements the cartel deployed. He swooped into place as Paul's wingman, zeroing in on the thopter who'd taken Paul's bait. A few short breathes to calm the nerves and let his reticle settle on the rear of the offending thopter and Ambrose squeezed the trigger. A salvo of rounds struck the rear of the enemy thopter before their explosive payloads detonated within.

-----
Statement: "Keep calm and trust your training."
Maneuver #1 Move to Short of enemy Thopter #1
Maneuver #2 Stay On Target to upgrade combat checks by and on Bravo
Action Gunnery attack with Fore explosive ordnance

D3, Evening, B&B, Round #1, Gunnery, Fore gun on Enemy Thopter #1, SoT & Statement Upgrades, Battery Setback: 2eP+2eA+1eD+1eS 2 successes, 3 advantage

8 Wounds (6 Damage + 2 Success)
3 Advantage for Critical
D3, Evening, B&B, Round #1, Critical on Enemy Thopter #1: 1d100 7
01-09 Mechnical Stress: +1 system strain

Defenses: 5/2 (w/ Shield)
Soak: 3
Wounds: 0/14
Strain: 2/13

Thopter Bravo
Armor: 2
Hull Trauma: 0/8
System Strain: 0/10
Silhouette: 3
Speed: 4 (currently 2)

[Kannon]

Some descended like hawks, others like cockatoos on a warpath. Deadlily. The enemy thopter got seriously shaken by explosions, but flew forth.

[6 Trauma, 1 Strain]

The other drew lessons, or had a better pilot. It sped up dramatically in a vertical ascent as it crossed the net line.

[Speed 2, Shield on Aft]

[Team Turn!]

[Razar is at Long, Speed 2. To ensure the bomb explodes at the sensor net, he needs to get to Close, then arm the bomb as a Manoeuvre. Ejecting is another Manoeuvre.]

[Razar Lanville]

Razar assessed the situation tactically; while Paul and Ambrose were doing their job, he couldn't immediately capitalise on it just by dropping down. They would recognise his intent and focus fire on him. His job was to look like the least impactful target for enemy thopters and defences until it would be too late for them to stop him. But he couldn't look like a weak link either...

[Acceleration to 3, Move to Medium, Strain 2]
[Barrel Roll Action]

He approached with a barrel roll, though not heading toward any outright target.

Barrel Roll: 3eP+2eD 3 successes


[Upgrades hit difficulty]

[Kannon]

Paul proved all too good in attracting ire of the artillery. A heavy round hit his shield, testing its integrity after their makeshift repairs.

Shot at Paul: 2eP+1eA+3eD+1eS 1 success


[4 Wounds, converts into System Strain]

[End of Round 1 for everyone!]

[Group #2: Ambrose can go. If not, then Paul.]

[Kannon]

[Group #1]

The two mercs trying to gang up on Lydia pushed forth into the thicket below her ledge, disappearing from her sight, probably trying to find a way up to her.

[At Medium to Lydia, Long from the rest, no line of sight for either side of Lydia vs. 2 Sneaky Mercs unless Lydia changes position into less secure. Then one Perception roll against Hard with a Challenge as a manoeuvre to figure out where either of them currently is. They are Short from one another. Shot suffers from a thicket upgrade for every band beyond Short, which is one upgrade if she stays Medium, two if she falls back to Long. Either way they should be treated as having partial cover - 1 Setback.]

The merc who had fallen into ferns by accident now rolled onto his stomach and found Hadrian with his gunpoint. [2 Manoeuvres]. But it wasn't his score-a-hit day.

Ranged - Heavy: Hadrian at Medium. Upgrade from Thicket.: 2eP+1eA+1eC+1eD+1eS 1 failure, 1 advantage


The other aimed better, packing a round into the loud-mouthed Atreides pep talker from his cover [2 Manoeuvres].

Ranged - Heavy: Shielded Bern at Medium. Upgrade from Thicket.: 2eP+1eA+1eC+1eD+6eS 0 successes, 2 threat

Ranged - Heavy: Shielded Bern at Medium. Upgrade from Thicket. Forgotten Boost.: 1eB 1 success, 1 advantage


[1 Threat to Strain; 9 Wounds before Soak, Damage goes into Strain because Shield.]

[The shooting Mercs remain at Medium from Bernard and Hadrian and at Long from Lydia. They impose a Setback from cover, plus thicket upgrades - 1 per band beyond Short.]

[Group #1 Team Time!]

[Ambrose Pantazis]

GROUP #2

Ambrose flinched when the AA gun struck Paul's thopter ahead of him, but with great relief, saw that the shield held. As they were quickly dialing in their strikes, he followed Paul's example and activated his own shield. However, Ambrose was decidedly going to be on the offensive and angled his shield fore, figuring they would be seeing him more coming than going.

Before changing targets to the ground installations, Ambrose had to deal with the thopter that'd set it's sights on Paul. His own reticle still lined up, Ambrose fired another salvo and watched the tracers zip through the air on a direct path into the enemy thopter's already riddled rear plating. He watched and waiting for confirmation of the tiny, but fierce explosions.

-----
Statements: "Keep calm and trust your training."
Maneuver #1 Activate Shield Fore
Action Gunnery attack with Fore explosive ordnance

D3, Evening, B&B, Round #2, Gunnery, Fore gun on Enemy Thopter #1, SoT & Statement Upgrade: 2eP+2eA+1eD 2 successes, 3 advantage

8 Wounds (6 Damage + 2 Successes)
3 Adv banked (I had one Triumph banked from previous thread as well)

Defenses: 5/2 (w/ Shield)
Soak: 3
Wounds: 0/14
Strain: 2/13

Thopter Bravo
Armor: 2
Hull Trauma: 0/8
System Strain: 0/10
Silhouette: 3
Speed: 4 (currently 2)

[Kannon]

The plating gave in and Ambrose saw as his target was torn apart into pieces of debris, some of which washed over Ambrose's recently activated shield.

[One Out.]

The further battery tried to catch Ambrose's unshielded rear but he flew out of the path of AA rounds.

Hitting on Bravo's Aft: 2eP+1eA+1eB+4eD 1 failure, 3 advantage


[Razar's Time!]

[Lydia Storm]

Two of them being lured away would do, she assumed the others could at least deal with a one on one each. The two missing ones were in the thicket and she couldn't see them but they'd be advancing on her position she knew. So she moved out, quietly, waiting for them to appear.

(ooc - action to stealth, manoeuvre to move out, move to perception and fail

perc: D3 evening combat Perception (Self reliance statement) vs hard with upgrade: 1eA+2eP+2eD+1eC 0 successes


stealth: D3 evening combat stealth (Self reliance statement): 2eA+2eP+2eB 3 successes, 3 advantage, 1 Triumph


(will bank triumph)

[Razar Lanville]

[Group #2]

Getting one hostile in the air out of the picture was all Razar needed to make a decisive move. Thanks to Paul's initial fiery recon he had a rough idea where to hit.

[2 Manouvres to get from Medium to Close, Gain Advantage Action to zero in on the hit zone.]

Gain Advantage: 3eP+2eD 1 success, 2 advantage


[Advantage to Setback on next shot against]
[Speed 3]

[Kannon]

The pilot of the smarter-led cartel thopter caught that something dangerous was going on. The plunging thopter had no shields on! He came on Razar's bulletcraft as fast as he could!

[Accelerate to 3, Move to Short, Fire]

The lasgun turret rotated to a side angle and sent purple lightbeam straight into Razar!

Lasgun Turret. Short. Setback and 2 upgrades from Razar and Paul's earlier actions.: 2eP+1eA+1eC+1eD+1eS 2 successes, 1 threat


In the eerie radio silence and the hum of explosions being the white noise, the world stood still...

[Razar Lanville]

[Group #2, Razar taking Paul's turn.]

[Hit by 8 damage w/ Pierce 1, At 1/8 Hull Trauma]



Razar's cockpit burst in flames but he seemed unphased.

"It's fine. I don't need you anymore." He said to the thopter. Then with one studied movement he armed the bomb, and with another he pressed the eject button.

He didn't look at the explosion.

[Manoeuvre Arm Bomb, Manoeuvre Eject, Action: Be Cool]

Cool. Because I, Razar Lanville, am cool. Thug life. All Statements Fit.: 2eP+1eA+1eD 2 successes, 2 advantage

[Kannon]

[The following situation will be in effect at the end of Round 2, which means Group #1 still has 3 turns before it unfolds.]

Any observer save Ambrose and Paul wouldn't have seen Razar successfully ejecting. After that, for all purposes, the blast and the flames that would ensue would obscure even that small point in the sky for the flyboys. Whether he survived the gehenna he'd unleashed, whether he had even been given a chance to open the parachute, would have to remain an unknown for now.

[Razar is MIA]



What was starkly apparent were the effects of Razar's dire action. A huge explosion claimed the valley, rocking the hidden lava tubes and causing small rockslides. Beneath, it centred around the anti-aircraft batter Razar had actually targeted. Nothing in the valley could escape the impact.

[Debris/Blast: shielded entities in the Group #2 theatre get 3 System Strain, unshielded - 3 Wounds/Damage. Soak doesn't apply.]

The casualties... were claimed indiscriminately by the impact and the conflagration, slave workers and mercs alike. The sensor net didn't survive the blast. The real state of valley was revealed once smoke thinned, with jungle made sparse and barra fern plantations of differently coloured strains and levels of maturity stretching for kilometres. They were mostly burning right now. Three-P-O prefab buildings were scattered among them, but neither seemed like the central compound, more like barracks and slave pens. But there was a defence buildup by what could be an entrance to the cave system in the western range.

This was Efren's spectacular signal. He at least knew how many could rush up the lava tube they were on the other end of. At least a dozen, and who knew how many were already inside.

[Group #3 rolls Initiative. Cool. Though not Razar-level Cool. Round 3 will be your first round. Everything is in structured time now.]

[End of Round 2 for Group #2]

Inside the cave, Laila, Kiran, Xard and Duncan experienced crude awakening from bombardment by Honoured Matres into bombardment of another kind. Pebbles fell from the ceiling on them, awakening them to pain.

[PCs in Group #4 starts with 4 Strain due to drugs and pebbles. Duncan is at 6 Strain, Xard at 8 Strain. The Muadh are too weak to do anything even if any of them still cling to life. You have 1 Round of semi-structured time before you roll initiative for Round #4. Everyone can take one roll-worthy action during that time. Talking only very short and functional.]

The next thing they heard were very rushed footsteps on the rock heading their direction, and Marek's voice.

Marek.jpg (16.46 KiB) Viewed 1638 times

"Just kill them! Idaho first!"


"Hands free, legs not. Me or one of you now?" Duncan gurgle-barked out the question with urgency, his mind fluidly getting from combat mode on Gammu to one on Caladan, but the body was less obeisant.

Duncan.jpg (41.46 KiB) Viewed 1638 times

[Laila is tied hands, legs, torso, Kiran: legs, hands. Xard: hands. Duncan: legs. One of those can be cut by Duncan now, without roll, and it will take a turn. You can also try do it yourself, sharp rocks have fallen and are everywhere, but hurting yourself in the process. Daunting Skulduggery or Resilience with 2 Challenge. 1 wound, +1 more for each Threat or Failure, 3 for Despair, one other binding off for Triumph. Be conscientious with Statements. Drug dream bonuses are gone. You're on your own statistics now.]

[Efren Lanville]

[Group #3]

Efren watched the explosion closely, wincing only at the immediate burst of heat and energy that rushed over him even at great distance.

Being unable to see where Razar landed… he checked off a box in his head. His group could not go randomly looking for his cousin amidst all the hostiles who were sure to be on their way to the surface.

Efren began rushing down the tree and quickly looking for his two companions.

—————


D4 Initiative, Cool, Roots Statement: 3eA+1eP 5 successes, 1 advantage