Journal of the Silver Daggers by Jill "Falcon" Kerrmor

[stnylan]

Week 22/3 - Operation Benefactor

Detroit. The industrial heartland of this segment of the Periphery, or something like that. Technically independent, riddled by factionalism and torn between the local powers, and we arrived here courtesy of a black outfit masquerading as pirates. Well, they were actually being pirates, but I am as sure as I can be they are a front for someone else. Either way, one of their agents was being held by the locals, and they wanted us to retrieve them. Didn't want to tip their hand that they weren't really pirates I guess.

The journey here was fine - we finally got organised some regular holovid nights, though the most recent had caused a bit of a brouhaha between Graceland and Courser. Nothing serious that a bit of time won't cure - Graceland keeps muttering about Courser's sense of humour. Courser - well it can be a bit rough. When he heard we were having to refit the Trebuchet up with LRM10s he quipped that it would be the Gnatapult, and the name has kinda stuck, though the mech itself isn't out of Yang's care yet.

We dropped with Courser in Iron Jay, Graceland and Warlord in their usual, and I took our brand-new Crab out for a spin. We'd fitted the Crab with couple of Large Lasers in the torso, and squeezed a medium laser aside the cockpit. Only kept three heatsinks, and uparmoured all over the place. In truth this was a rest run of her.

We needed to both secure the ersatz-pirates' agent, and if possible retrieve some of their effects that would "embarassing" if the locals ever realised what they had. The locals were clearly expecting something as they had two lances of light mechs scattered around the AO. Fortunately their co-ordination was not great, but in total it amounted to a Panther, a Jenner, a Javelin -10F, two Commando -2Ds, a Spider -5K, and two inevitable Locust -1Ms. After being cooped up on the Argo for over a fortnight, and having been wrestling with the company accounts, it was a really invigorating to get lost in some actual combat - and eight light mechs proved to be a pretty good testing ground.

I'm not going to recount a blow-by-blow - that'd be boring. My highlight was when I put the Crab's claw through the back of the Spider, triggering an ammo explosion that sent the pilot to his funerary plot. That was fun. Also Iron Jay at one point got head-butted, or attempted head-butts, by the Javelin (after it was disarmed), the Locust, and a Commando. Apparently it was quids in on the Jenner.

The long and the short of it was that we handled them. We never seriously felt threatened. If they had all swarmed us at once and prioritised properly ... but even then, too much of their firepower was on easily damaged or killed mechs. The Crab did well, though with only three lasers its damage ain't great. Uparmoured though .. the poor lights must have felt very hard done by. I have the feeling it might be better against light targets due to that lack of punch, or maybe in base assaults. I think I've gotten the name worked out as well - Clawsome in honour of the Spider's back.

Now I've gotten to finish those darned accounts.

 

[BARBOSA (Aries)]

Trebuchet is a fine mech. Good job scoring one almost intact.

 

[stnylan]

Week 22/4 - Status Report

I'm including the full report this time, including everything in our hold. Perhaps we can play dominoes with the small jump jets?

FINANCE

Total Operating Costs: 281.150
Total Salary Costs: 207.500
Total Funds: 4.562.038

ROSTER

Falcon
Jill Kerrmor
5-6-6-6 : Multi-Shot + Bulwark
Commander

Courser
Rufus Sahni
4-4-5-4 : Bulwark
Brave - Canopian (Commoner) - Military (Mercenary Recruit) - Periphery - Spacer

Cruise
Hayato Stanton
5-4-4-4: Multi-Shot
Aurigan Commoner - Brave - Command Experience (Corporal) - Military (Infantry) - Periphery

Frost
Sherri Pop
3-5-4-4: Sure Footed
Honest - Periphery - Taurian Commoner - Technician (Technical School - Mech Tech)

Graceland
Maria Robertson
6-6-5-6 : Multi-Shot + Bulwark
Criminal (Smuggler) - Inner Sphere - Kuritan (Henin) - Merchant (Independent Trader) - Spacer

Khepri
Christine Bolton
4-4-5-5 : Sensor Lock + Bulwark
Capellan (Liao Commoner) - Inner Sphere

Rifle
Willem Long
4-6-4-5 : Sure Footing + Sensor Lock
Dependable - Taurian - Nobility - Periphery

Warlord
Concepcion Persson
5-6-5-6 : Sure Footing + Bulwark
Bookish - Dependable - Honest - Periphery Commoner - Technician (Tinker)



STABLE

Lord E - Enforcer ENF-4R
Armour: 800
Wpns: LB10-X, L Laser+, S Laser
Eq: 2x Heat Sink 4x Jump Jet S

Lady V - Vindicator VND-1R
Armour: 720
Wpns: PPC+, M Laser, LRM5+, S Laser
Eq: 6x Heat Sink, 4x Jump Jet S, LRM Ammo

Kestrel - Panther PNT-9R
Armour: 520
Wpns: PPC, SRM4
Eq: 3x Heat Sink, 4x Jump Jet S, SRM Ammo

Triple F - Firestarter FS9-H
Armour: 440
Wpns: 4x Flamer, 2x MG, 2x M Laser
Eq: 6x Jump Jet S, MG Ammo

Spider SDR-5V
Armour: 280
Wpns: 2x M Laser
Eq: 8x Jump Jet S

Sunrise - Assassin ASN-21
Armour: 560
Wpns: M Laser+, SRM6, SRM4++
Eq: Intercept System, SRM Ammo

Iron Jay - Jenner JR7-D
Armour: 600
Wpns: 4x M Laser
Eq: 4x Jump Jet S

Jukebox - Javelin JVN-10F
Armour: 560
Wpns: 4x M Laser, 2x MG
Eq: 4x Jump Jet S, MG Ammo

Spots - Wolverine WVR-6R
Armour: 1040
Wpns: MG, 3x SRM6
Eq: 5x Jump Jet S, 2x SRM Ammo, MG Ammo

Clawsome - Crab CRB-20
Armour: 1000
Wpns: 2x L Laser, M Laser
Eq: 3x Heat Sinks

Gnatapult - Trebuchet TBT-5N (in refit)
Armour: 800
Wpns: 2x LRM10, 2x M Laser
Eq: 5x Jump Jet S, 2x LRM Ammo


STORAGE

Orion ON1-K: ¼
Warhammer WHM-6D: ¼
Quickdraw QKD-5A: ¼

Griffin GFN-1N: ¾
Shadowhawk SHD-2D: ¼
Wolverine WVR-6K: ¾
Hunchback HBK-4P: ¼
Hunchback HBK-4G: ¼
Phoenix Hawk PXH-1K: ½
Phoenix Hawk PXH-1: ¼
Vindicator VND-1AA: ½
Assassin ASN-21: ¼

Firestarter FS9-H: 1 + ¼
Jenner JR7-D: 2
Panther PNT-9R: 2
Javelin JVN-10F: 1
Javelin JVN-10N: ¾
Spider SDR-5V: 1
Spider SDR-5K: 1
Urbanmech UM-R90: ¼
Commando COM-2D: 1 + ¼
Commando COM-1B: 1 + ½
Flea FLE-4: 1
Flea FLE-15: ¼
Locust LCT-1M: 1 + ¾
Locust LCT-1V: ¾
Locust LCT-1E: ¾
Locust LCT-1S: ¼

4x AC/5
1x AC/10
2x UAC/2
1x AC/2 Ammo
3x AC/5 Ammo
2x AC/10 Ammo

1x L Laser
21x M Laser
1x PPC

12x LRM5
4x SRM2
2x SRM4
2x SRM6
2x LRM Ammo
10x SRM Ammo

4x Flamer
14x MG
11x S Laser

20x Heat Sink
1x Jump Jet H
42x Jump Jet S

 

[BARBOSA (Aries)]

Loved the full report.

Hope you find some snubPPCs for Lady V and Kestrel. The increase in firepower would be brutal.

Quite a balanced roster. You seems to favor bulwark. Can´t blame you. I think still is the best skill even after the nerf.

 

[Specialist290]

I've always found the stock Vindie build to be a pretty good one.

Seconded. I've fallen in love with the PPC in particular; it's an ideal sniper's weapon when in the right hands. In my current (read: first) campaign I've been leveling Gunnery and Tactics on Glitch so that she can make the best of it.

Perhaps we can play dominoes with the small jump jets?

I can just see a bored pilot and an overzealous mechanic "helping" Darius write a list of One Thousand Things Not To Do With Excess Jump Jets on the Argo

 

[stnylan]

Loved the full report.

Hope you find some snubPPCs for Lady V and Kestrel. The increase in firepower would be brutal.

Quite a balanced roster. You seems to favor bulwark. Can´t blame you. I think still is the best skill even after the nerf.

In terms of Bulwark I also tend to uparmour my mechs, and Bulwark synergises with that. To be sure, not as useful post-nerf, but still very handy. Also, of course, unlike Sure Footed and the extra evasion which only reduces the chance of being hit Bulwark's modifier is reliable and comprehensible.

I'm purposefully - the Crate aside - avoiding things like the Snub so far. I do intend to "allow" myself to use them at some point, but I thought I would make that part of the story.

Seconded. I've fallen in love with the PPC in particular; it's an ideal sniper's weapon when in the right hands. In my current (read: first) campaign I've been leveling Gunnery and Tactics on Glitch so that she can make the best of it.

I can just see a bored pilot and an overzealous mechanic "helping" Darius write a list of One Thousand Things Not To Do With Excess Jump Jets on the Argo

The PPC is very nice - but the other (sometimes forgotten) benefit of the PPC is that is reduces a foe's chance to hit. Once can argue they become a little less useful in the later game, but in the early game where a PPC can by itself blow components off the lightest mechs, or strip the armour off a component if not, their impact is outsized. Or so I've found.

 

[stnylan]

Week 22/4 - Operation Baxter & Operation Abyssinian

Got an urgent message from the pirate outfit that hired us to come to Detroit in the first place. Apparently our op yesterday had broken something loose, and the local government had moved on a number of other suspected agents. They had sent in an emergency team which had managed to secur their assets and held up in a security compound, but the locals were out in force and they needed someone to blast the way clear. We just seemed a good fit.

But also I received a message from one Nathaniel Vernon-Singh, who introduced himself as an associate of Lord Carson. Seems he is something of an agent provacateur for the Mariks here. Anyway, he asked to come aboard to discuss a particular off. Seems the Mariks have an operational campaign here they were looking for "an approved outfit" to carry out. Apparently we make the grade. The first job was simple enough - shooting up a local light vehicle factory. I get the impression that the factory is mostly unimportant in and of itself, though it was used in the locals' military supply chain. Mostly though it is just an object lesson.

I decided we could run both jobs on the same day. The pirates' break-out would be Operation Baxter, with a lance consisting of Khepri in Triple F, Cruise in Clawsome, and then Warlord and Graceland in the Lord and Lady. Sure enough almost as soon as they dropped a local Commander told them to clear the area - and a fight was due. The initial OpFor was two Javelin -10Fs, a Commando -1B, and a Locust -1S. It was apparently a bit of a free-wheeling fight at first, with Triple F taking a little internal damage to a shoulder thanks to the Large Laser on the -1B. More seriously one of the Javelins scored a direct hit on Lord E's cockpit. The armour-glass held but Warlord got pretty burned up. Not enough to make him combat ineffective, but he'll be out for the rest of our time here in Detroit.

Having dealt wtih the blocking force the took the pirate agents and their data to the shuttlepoint, where they got ambushed by an entire lance of Locust -1Ms. Pretty nice ambush actually, and if the -1Ms had kept their distance might have been more troublesome. As it was ... well Locusts don't have much staying power.

Meanwhile I took out another lance for this first Marik job, which I christened Operation Abyssinian. Something about a cat I think. Anyways I decided to take Sunrise out again, with Rifle in Kestrel, Forst in Iron Jay, and Courser in Spots. They must of spotted us coming in because they had a mixed mech-vehicle lance blocking our access to the complex. A Firestarter, a Locust -1V, with a Striker and a Scorpion. There was some initial positioning, and then we primaried the Firestarter. Yeah - Sunrise and Spots between them are just bad news for any mech they face. Truth was it didn't take long to clear up the foe, and then take out the complex's static defenses. The locals then dropped a second mixed lance of reinforcements - a Galleon, Striker, Panther, and Locust -1E. They didn't last.

With Warlord injured though we'll be restricted to operating a single lance. I've looked over the potential recruits, and none of them are up to our current standards. In other news Farah and Yang have finished their latest improvements to the mech bay, so I've told her to bring the Gym back into operation. It might even help with Warlord's rehab. Meanwhile I need to have a talk to Mr Vernon-Singh and see what else he wants us to do. It's funny, on the way here I had assumed it would be mostly the Magistracy and Concordat shadow-boxing, but it appears the Mariks are now the only show in town.

 

[stnylan]

Week 22/5 - Operation Emerald Dream

I'm dictating with from Medbay. That should say everything really, except not only is Warlord still here, but we are joined by Frost as well. Today ... well the mechs emerged unscathed. Us humans made of flesh ... less so.

Vernon-Singh advised that yesterday's efforts was really a warning shot across the bows of the local planetary government not to get involved in the next stage of his operation, which was actually against a local corporation. Another case of industrial espionage - a competing Marik corp accused them of stealing their products, and we were to be the lesson that this is a very bad idea.

I decided to drop with our newer recruits. I took out Spots, Courser was in Kestrel, Frost in Sunrise and Cruise was in Clawsome. The OpFor turned out to be a Javelin -10N, a Vindicator -1AA, an SRM Carrier and a Striker. We primared the Vindicator and brought it down in short order, but the SRM carrier proved an almighty pain. First off it unleashed a full salvo against me. Spots didn't take too much damage, but two missiles hit square on the cockpit, flinging me about and breaking (it turned out) my arm. Well, a small fracture anyway. Hurts like hell. Later it half-salvoed Sunrise and gave Frost a bloody awful case of concusion. It took forever to kill it - but we eventually managed it. I mean, those lucky shots aside the op went fairly well. As I say, none of the mechs took serious damage, but I am sure glad we got the second medbay online.

Vernon-Singh has said that his next offer is actually against the local government again directly. Some sort of dispute about some military hardware the locals are refusing to pay for. I look into the details after a rest, as the pain meds are making my head a bit fuzzy.

 

[stnylan]

Week 22/6 - Operation Mekhet

A reminder never to read briefing documents when your are pharmaceutically impaired: yesterday I said that Vernon-Singh wanted us to resolve a military procurement dispute with the locals. Not quite right - well, they are locals, indeed the very same group of pirates that brought us here. Which I suppose means they aren't backed by the Mariks at least. Intel was that we should expect a lance of mechs to back-up the vehicles as well.

The drop consisted of Graceland in Lady V, Rifle in Spots, Courser in Iron Jay, and Cruise in Clawsome. The Mariks had left tracing devices in the vehicles - remote activated - and we did so as soon as we dropped finding all of them parked together. A Gallant Assault vehicle, a Demolisher, a Manticore, and an SRM Carrier. Some pretty heavy firepower. Mind you, in fairness so did our guys. They took down the vehicles without too much trouble, though Spots took an AC/20 to one leg and Courser pushed Iron Jay into the redline to take out the SRM Carrier afore it could put out another salvo. Meanwhile we were getting some LRM volleys from our flank - no doubt where the OpFor Mechs were. So, when they were done with the vehicles they turned after mechs.

These turned out to be a Locust LCT-1M - because of course it did - a Crab, and an Archer ARC-2R. I've heard they are lovely mechs - wish I had gotten a chance to see it.

The Locust was taken out pretty swiftly, and then the Crab, but the Archer kept putting LRM salvos down on Spots and eventually all those missles managed to chew their way through what armour was left in the leg by that AC/20. The outcome was never really in doubt, but Rifle said it was a bit touch and go with the leg at one point when the Archer got a missile hit in as well. They were trying to knock it over or decapitate, but despite getting two head hits in early afterwards the dice rolled the other way, and eventually the thing was cored when Graceland's PPC went through what was left of its torso.

I told them secure rights to whatever salvage of the Archer was left, an AC/20 from the Demolisher, and also the fancy AC/10 that was on the Gallant Assault vehicle. After that we were given another LRM10 and a PPC, plus some random rubbish.

Yang says it will take a couple of days to repair Spots, but I've told him to finish refitting the Gnatapult, which should be operational tomorrow. I don't know if Vernon-Singh will have any more work for us - if he doesn't then I think it'll be time to leave. This place has cost us enough blood.

 

[stnylan]

Week 22/7 - Operation Goliath

Quite a lot can happen in just a few hours. About twelve hours ago I was having a meeting with Sumire and Darius about our next destination, having just authorised the purchase of a rather special LRM20, when I got an urgent message from Vernon-Singh. The poor man was in something of a panic. It seems that the locals had just worked out the FWL had a secret base in the Antarctic regions of this world, and were making moves to remove it claiming it was a piratical listening post. Of course, the FWL couldn't say it wasn't because that would mean they had broken some treaty they signed a few years ago, hence Vernon-Singh's rater impassioned message that we take his proffered contact.

There was a hitch however - suggestions that, in addition to their own lance in the area, the locals had hired a single mercenary who piloted an Assault-class mech.

Darius didn't want to touch this with a barge-pole, but I told him we were going to. It was time for the Gnatapult to be combast tested anyway. We organised a lance of the Gnatapult - piloted by Rifle, Graceland in Lady, Cruise in Clawsome, and then I told Courser to take out Lord E. Warlord took that pretty well - very well in fact. He spent as much time as he could about all of Lord E's little quirks - things like the best.

We dropped shortly before the local Vanguard reached the base. They were a light lance of a COM-1B, COM-2D, JVN-10F, and LCT-1S. The fight went pretty well, though the COM-1B did manage to get behind Lord E and melt its way through his back torso armour. It didn't long survive the experience, and to be fair neither did its lance-mates - but by then we had the signature for the assault.

A fully-fit, well maintained King Crab.

For once I wondered if Darius was right.

Have to hand it to our team. The didn't panic or do anything stupid. Courser kept Lord E jetting around, and though he did take an AC/20 to the front the armour held. Meanwhile it was a case of piling in the damage. It wasn't pretty. From the combat reports it sounded like we got a couple of cockpit hits in early in I wondered for a moment it we might be able to snag the mech nearly complete, but it wasn't to be. Slowly the KC was worked over, until it was thoroughly wrecked and then the fusion reactor exploded. I put priority on what of her could be salvaged, but it wasn't much.

Still, we downed an Assault mech, and did it without taking any addtional internals and no injuries. That has to be a good result.

This has left us with four mechs in the Bay needing repair - and I've told Yang to start working through them. Also going to refit the Gnatapult - replace both LRM10s with this single LRM20, which has tweaks to its targetting gear that results in better damage output. It's an old piece of kit - Star League probably - but hell it gives a 25% damage boost on average, so it should improve our Trebuchet's output. When he heard this our resident joker immediately said we would have a "Gnatural Gnatapult" - which, I have to admit, made me laugh. I guess the mech is mostly going to be called "The Gnat" as that's easier, but we'll all know what it really means.

Anyways, when he was arranging delivery of payment Vernon-Singh scanned us to say he had received a HPG message from Lord Carson back in Marik space. Apparently he has a task and he has specifically asked for us. It's in Fagerholm - six jumps and just over a month away - and he's hinted at some special sort of reward. Not sure what to make of that, but we'll see. We've got plenty of C-Bills in the bank, and I've told Farah to purchase the stuff she'll need to improve the power system on the Argo afore we break orbit, which she's done, and we'll be out of here as soon as the Leopard makes its last supply run. Hopefully the journey will be quiet.

 

[stnylan]

Week 27/4 - Insystem to Fagerholm

Tomorrow we make orbit. Lord Carson has sent us a message, and he will be coming aboard soon after our orbit is safely established. He refuses to say any more until then.

Some items of note from the journey. I asked Yang to spin up a second Firestarter. I don't know how much we'll use it, and I've chosen a non-Flamer loadout. Told him to fit small lasers where a Firestarter would usually have flamers of MGs, a single medium laser so it's not totally without longer range firepower, six jets, and a lot of armour. Oh, and a heat sink to try and balance things up a little. We've taken to calling it the Slaserstarter.

Graceland came to speak to me about a week after we left Detroit. Seems a low-priority HPG caught up with her. She had received an invitation to new this new mercenary company called the Gray Death Legion, headed up by none other than Grayson Carlyle. She was pretty excited, but seemed torn. If I was in any doubt that there is "something" between her and Warlord, this was it. Let me say, I really don't feel comfortable with this aspect of the job. Oh, I know I've got to do it, but I'm still no one. The only reason I'm the Commander of this crew was that I had an idea of what to do after Mitch and everyone else died. Anyways, I pointed out to hear she hardly had to make an immediate decision given tiemscales and stuff. She asked if I would be mad at her leaving, and I told her the truth. I'd miss her, but it's her own life. Well, she eventually decided to stay.

The other, rather more exciting, event happened only a couple of days ago. A sudden power overload shorted something in the kitchenette next to the main barracks in Alpha pod. Well, they got everyone out properly, and then Cruise dusted off the firefighting gear and went in to tackle the fire pretty much single-handed. Well, not entirely single-handed I guess - Sumire was assisting remotely. Ten minutes later it was all over. Some damage, but nothing exceptional, and everyone's personal effects were saved. Good thing really Farah has nearly completed improving the power conduits. She finished the last conduits today and will be working on the drive system next.

Tomorrow we'll see what we have in store.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Good @stnylan, I only just now followed your trail of Red Special Cookie crumbs back to their Baker, @Specialist290. Might I thank and encourage you both in all these efforts and pursuits. :bow:

I knew you were crafting something special for us here with Jill “Falcon” Kerrmor and her Journal of the Silver Daggers, but I did not appreciate the greater context of Paradox’ AAR Community. I am still not sure that I appreciate it fully, but I very much enjoy this approach and wish you both both well in your continued efforts.

Thank you for this and thank you for finding ways to recognize and mark the storytellers / commentators among us. : )

 

[stnylan]

Good @stnylan, I only just now followed your trail of Red Special Cookie crumbs back to their Baker, @Specialist290. Might I thank and encourage you both in all these efforts and pursuits. :bow:

I knew you were crafting something special for us here with Jill “Falcon” Kerrmor and her Journal of the Silver Daggers, but I did not appreciate the greater context of Paradox’ AAR Community. I am still not sure that I appreciate it fully, but I very much enjoy this approach and wish you both both well in your continued efforts.

Thank you for this and thank you for finding ways to recognize and mark the storytellers / commentators among us. : )

Hi PH. Thank you for your kind post.

Oh the Paradox AAR community is, imo, one of the great internet communities. Admittedly I have very particular reasons for thinking such, as friends I have made there have helped me survive a suicidal depression back in 2007-8, and are helping immensely deal with my current depression following the breakup of my marriage last year (I am, I hope, now firmly walking out of the woods, though one still trips over the odd tree-root as it were). Truly, without friends I have made here I would not be writing this AAR today. The community today is - with the advent of other media such as Twitch and Youtube - rather smaller than it was ten years ago, but it is still there. I think the sandbox-y nature of PDS games helped here immensely, as there was always so much variety. You could go from simple game accounts, to highly detailed narratives, to the weird and wonderful (like Battleships for Bhutan in HoI1) and all things inbetween. I get the impression that there is something pretty special about this community in that there is this idea of commentary. I take that to extremes I know (glances in an embarrassed manner at inflated post-count), but I learned from others no longer with us that went before.

As for this little effort, I'm trying to not too terribly screw up the lore here, or deviate too much from what the game throws at me. I'm certainly having fun, which is always important for these sort of endeavours

 

[Specialist290]

Good @stnylan, I only just now followed your trail of Red Special Cookie crumbs back to their Baker, @Specialist290. Might I thank and encourage you both in all these efforts and pursuits. :bow:

Excellent, my cunning plan is working!

But seriously, I'm glad to see that my own humble little effort has encouraged you to dip your toes in the waters of AARland, as it were. I also think there's something special about the Paradox AAR / fan fiction community that is rarely replicated elsewhere on the Internet, which means I'm glad to encourage cross-pollination with other fan communities that I also enjoy

 

[stnylan]

Week 27/5 - Operation Quoth Alpha

I got to be quick, as we'll be back on the Leopard for a new drop in just a few minutes.

First things first, Marik has very effectively kept quarantined the news that there is a full-scale Liao operation on this system. Not just Liao, for that matter. Turns out the Anduriens had nicked a prototype of a new Mech that the Capellans have been working on, called a Falcon, and the Liaos were making their upset known. I know for sure now that we weren't the only company that Lord Carson has contacted, but by the time we arrived matters had gotten even worse ... well, he hired us when the Mariks became aware of this issue, but in the intrevening time the Liaos had cottoned onto what had happened to and thus we arrived into chaos.

He wanted us to meet up with a lance of the local defenders, who are sorting of working with Marik against their technical local allegiances? I don't understand Andurien politics. Anyways we were dropping to to help them clear some Capellans out in the city of New Jakobstad. I dropped in Spots, and Frost in Jukebox, Khepri in Slaserstarter, and finally Cruise in Clawsome. Beta Lance - our new friends - were in a Spider -5V, another Javelin -10F, a Trebuchet, and a -1N Griffin.

The Liaos had a Locust -1E, Flea -4, and another mech hiding behind a building. Which turned out - when it jumped over said building - to be an Urbanmech UM-R60L, and with its bloody AC/20 completely blew through Jukebox’s leg. And then, to make everything so much better, a trio of Lyran mechs turned up - a Flea -15, Commando -1B, and a Spider -5V.

We well had a pleasant 3-way brawl for a little while - we made our displeasure of the Urbie extremely clear - and another trio of Liaos dropped: two Locusts and another Urbie (just the -R60 though). In truth this last wasn’t really a fight. Well, neither was the entire engagement, apart from Jukebox’s leg. Frost jumped Jukebox clear and was pretty cautious thereafter - my orders. The rest of us and our allies cleaned up.

But we are about to drop again. There is a convoy on the move we need to secure if we are to snag this prototype mech. No rest for the wicked and all that.

 

[stnylan]

Week 27/5 - Operation Quoth Beta

This convoy was meant to have information the location of the bloody facilities holding the Raven. Well it did.

We dropped with me in Sunrise, Rifle in Gnatapult, and Warlord and Graceland in the Lord and Lady. I realised almost immediately I should have let Rifle take out Sunrise, but I wanted to ride her. She's my little baby dammit. But, as a scout, Rifle is better.

I scouted ahead, did a fair job too if I say so myself, but I also took some opening fire. First a laser to the cockpit from a Spider, and then a healthy helping of MG fire from a Locust. Broke my leg and gave me nasty burns over my arm and part of my back. I'm dosed up on enough painkillers to lay out an elephant, but theh medtechs have given me something else to stop me zoning out, and that's fine except its buggered up my digestion. But, at least for the next day I need to be in control.

But anyways, that was the most exciting bit. I high-tailed it out of the heat, and managed to stop one of the convoy from escaping when Graceland missed it with her PPC - twice no less! Otherwise it was simple enough matter. The convoy was weirdly split into two - a Mobile HQ (which ran for it as soon as we turned up) and a Striker up ahead, and two SRM carriers far behind. Meant we had time take the head out, deal with the escorts (said Locust and Spider, and another two Strikers) and then finish the SRMs off. Lord E took a bit of a pounding when one of the SMRCs came within range of his position, but his armour held thank Mitch.

It sounds like Beta Lance - our local allies - took a pounding themselves and their lance leader's dead, pulped inside her mech by a half-dozen AC/10s. Tomorrow we've got a double-job between us. Firstly we need to drop a lance on the armoury holding this Falcon prototype, and then we need to link up with Beta lance and get them clear. I'll need to be co-ordinating from orbit, cause there's no bloody way I can go into the field like this. A solid month of non-combat duty for me.

To console myself I've been looking over the local market. Some real possibilties. Two high-powered Large Lasers, and a similary finessed Medium Laser, and an equally doughty small laser. All models rated ++. Plus a cockpit safety cage I'm now super interested in. Almost best of all they have some parts of CN9-AL. God I want to re-create dad's mech. I've decided I don't care, I'm buying the lot. I even got tempted by some of the fancy heat gear on offer, but that would be an extra half-mill, and I think spending more than 1.3 million C-Bills is enough for one night.

I haven't told Darius - a little surprise for when he wakes up.

 

[Specialist290]

Three major powers fighting against each other in one mission -- clearly this newfangled Raven must be on the bleeding edge of high-tech if everyone is willing to go to such lengths to protect or acquire it.

 

[BARBOSA (Aries)]

It is. The raven is a relevant step on the recovery of tech from star league time (lostech).

 

[stnylan]

Three major powers fighting against each other in one mission -- clearly this newfangled Raven must be on the bleeding edge of high-tech if everyone is willing to go to such lengths to protect or acquire it.

Yes indeed. This is also a series of Flashpoint missions - my first.

It is. The raven is a relevant step on the recovery of tech from star league time (lostech).

Yes, the setting is interestingly on the cusp of great changes.

 

[stnylan]

Week 27/6 - Operation Quoth Edgar & Operation Quoth Raven

So I make up silly operation names.

This was a two-part deal. In Edgar our lance was to secure the Raven. We dropped with Course in Iron Jay, Khepri in the Gnatapult, and Warlord and Graceland in the Lord and Lady. Rifle was riding alongside Warlord - to pilot the Raven should we secure it.

In truth Edgar was a lot easier than I was expecting - the Op For turned out to be two three-mech lances, faced separately, and a few turrets. In total three Locusts, a Flea, a Firestarter, and a Commando. Their greatest threat was spotting for the turrets. No surprises this time like that UM-60L. All in all cleaned up very nicely, and we secured the Raven with minimal hassle.

Then we scooted to the Raven over to Bravo Lance (our allies) and it was time to destroy the research facility. Rifle was in the Raven of course, the rest of the lance consisting a Javelin -10F, a Griffin -1N, and a Trebuchet. This was a far tenser affair, and without the Raven things would have been hard. Two LRM carriers, two Trebuchets, and the base turrets provided just at ton of missile fire. Blocking that was bloody imperative. Rifle did his best to keep in cover, and occasionally was able to use standard Sensor locking to uncover targets for the Treb and Griffin. The two carriers were easier in this regard, but the two Trebs needed some closer-in work to finish off. Then our Treb ran dry. The locals provided a back-up force of two Locusts and two Strikers, which caused some irritation but we managed to swat them away.

The Griffin is a nice mech.

Anyways, the team swatted the Locusts, stomped on the strikers, and wasted the facility, and then Sumire picked them all up and returned to the Argo. Bravo Lance are heading elsewhere to try the merc life themselves. I did offer htem berths, but they wanted to go to somewhere else entirely in the Sphere, so we parted ways merrily and wished them luck.

Lord Carson made us an offer for the Raven, as did several others, but I decided we're keeping it for oureslves. I've already christened it Quoth.

From the armory was took in Edgar we got some rather nice items as well - very superior versions of an AC/5, LRM5, M Laser, some fancy Communications gear, and we snagged the shell of a Griffin -1N, with which Yang reckons he can give us a working Griffin when combined with what's in storage. Oh and Lord Carson through in an overall ½ million C-Bill bonus. The FWL seem very happy with us.

But we're not staying here in Fagerholm. I'm not sure where we're going to go yet, but it ain't here.