[Battletech] JHS3070: Chaos Unleashed - Living Dead Men
8/12/2010 7:00:00 PM @ Parallax Computers and Games
Agent #319 Allen NillesBismarck, ND 58501
USA
During a passing stint through the Free Worlds, your Galatean liaison notified you of a quick month-long contract to beef up a garrison on Talitha.
[HPG Command]: “Unidentified DropShip, you are infringing on restricted airspace. Change your vector now or we will assume you have hostile intent.”
[Badger One]: “Command, DropShip is not responding. Vector has not changed.”
[HPG Command]: “Unidentified DropShip, this is your final warning. Abort your current trajectory and divert to Kalidasa Port. We do not wish to burn you from the sky.”
[Badger Two]: “One, I’m reading active fire control. We’re being targeted.”
[Badger One]: “Back off to two thousand meters. Any sign of attack, go evasive.”
[HPG Command]: “Course unchanged. Badger flight, the Precentor has authorized weapons free. Repeat, you are weapons free. Divert that DropShip.”
[Badger One]: “Roger, Command. Weapons free. Be advised, the DropShip is opening bay doors. Prepare ground troops for landside attack.
Badger Two, punch it. Let’s go hunting.”
SITUATION
HPG Compound AA-2, Tagus Metropolis
Talitha, Free Worlds League
8 December 3069
During a passing stint through the Free Worlds, your Galatean liaison notified you of a quick month-long contract to beef up a garrison on Talitha. The Precentor there is missing his standing force, and during the ensuing flurry of merc contracts, he neglected to cover a gap in December. A garrison contract usually blows, but it’s only a month, giving you just enough time to stand down for repair and refit without getting too bored. Another merc command is due at the turn of the year, so what’s the harm?
Turns out some other mercs—apparently part of the decimated AMC—heard about the gap in coverage and decided to launch a raid. Too bad their intel wasn’t good. Now you not only get to rest up, but some easy salvage is dropping in, ripe for the picking.
GAME SET -UP
Use any Urban Terrain maps. Gamemasters should place and designate a building as the HPG station (minimum Heavy Level 3 building).
Attacker
The Attacker is elements of the Third Dismal Disinherited and Burton’s Brigade mercenary commands. The AMC units should be 150% of the Defender’s total deployed force and are of Veteran skill level. The Disinherited units roll on Column B of any Mercenary Random Assignment Table (see 122, Field Manual: Mercenaries,
Revised). The Brigade’s units (of which there should be no more than nine ’Mechs) roll on Column C of any Mercenary Random Assignment Table (see 122, Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised).
The Attacker may choose two map edges from which to enter, but must declare one edge as his “home” edge for any forced withdrawals.
Defender
The Defender is the player group; they may use up to 100 percent of their total force. The Defender sets up anywhere within ten hexes of the HPG/uplink satellite. Starting Velocity (if applicable) should be less than 3.
WARCHEST
Track Cost: 750 WP
Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
+300 Combat Drop!: The Attacker may deploy up to all of his available force through a combat drop maneuver (see Dropping Troops, p. 78, BMR).
+300 High Winds: See High Wind rules, p. 153, CBTComp or 12, MT. For a space battle, a combination of massive sunspot activity, strong local magnetic fields and gravity creates the same effect.
–500 Early Reinforcements: The Defender may bring in additional reinforcements. These troops are Regular and may equal 50 percent of the Defender’s total deployed force. To determine units, roll on Column A of the ComStar, Word of Blake and/or Mercenary RATs. The reinforcements enter from the map edge closest to the HPG/satellite station.
Victory Bonuses (not cumulative):
+900 Partial Victory: Completing two objectives.
+1,200 Total Victory: Completing all objectives.
–400 (cumulative): If Objective One is not completed.
OBJECTIVES
1. Defend with your lives! The HPG/orbital satellite uplink must survive the track.
2. We need information: Capture an enemy soldier by crippling or capturing an attacking unit.
3. Remain in control until reinforcements can arrive: At least 50 percent of the Defender’s deployed force should survive for at least ten turns.
SPECIAL RULES
The following rules are in effect for this track.
Third Dismal Disinherited
When rolling to randomly determine lance composition, twice per lance (or wing) the player controlling any of the Disinherited units may roll on Column C of either the Random Assignment Table: Federated Suns (see p. 139, Field Manual: Federated Suns or p. 225, Field Manual: Updates) or Random Assignment Table:
Lyran Alliance (see p. 127, Field Manual: Lyran Alliance or p. 227, Field
Manual: Updates).
Gift
If the player group achieves a Total Victory, their employer gives them an additional 200 Warchest Points with which to purchase new units. These points may not be used for any other purpose.
AFTERMATH
After Action Report 4992-T
Okay, maybe not so easy. Those AMC jocks fought with their lives to get at the HPG station—but ultimately to no avail. Good salvage though. These mercs’ve been living on the hog lately. They must’ve mauled a Blakist force or raided a supply base—some of their machines were Word designs.
We got some argument from the WoB Precentor at the HPG regarding that. He claims it’s all Blakist property and offered us a small sum of money in exchange, but good ol’ Harrison looked it up on the Interweb and noted that the equipment we scored is worth a hell of a lot more than what he offered. We reached an agreement eventually—we handed over the C3i equipment but got to keep the ’Mechs and vehicles. The Blakie gizmos are pretty sweet, but those machines we brought down will last a lot longer. Plus, we finagled some time in the garrison’s empty repair bays, so the Blakies will bring us up to fighting trim a lot quicker.
While we don’t trust the Word all that much, considering that they caused some of the problems out there, I’ve got a better feel for this crew. Being abandoned by the Blakie high command also stands in their favor—seems the First Circuit (or whatever they call them now) doesn’t much like these “Expatriates”. My guess is, the big boys are just looking for a way to whack these folks without doing it themselves. Of course, I wouldn’t put it past the Blakies to have hired out the Dismal D to do just that.
NEXT TRACK
Click, Click, Boom; Binge, Purge, Flush