Chapter Six: All Hands on Deck

[Psychie]

Toph watches in amusement as the Sam units leap into action, and as they do so, she idly checks the twin pistols to make sure that they are still locked and ready to go. Its not like they are in need of a fresh E-clip, especially with the Cyclone providing power for them wirelessly. Once her checks are done, she nods over at Elinor. "I'm ready to go. Just say the word."

 

[Purr]

( Captain Hesperus Tag!)

In 15 minutes time, the Sams had 5 200 M.D. shields complete with wheel assemblies (but only one flower crown for Hercules - go get your own! =) ). In Battloid, you could carry the shields with one arm while firing with another or you could hide behind one of your teammates using them their shield as cover.

All of the shields had the artistic and soon-to-be-blown away lion design on the front of them.

How did Elinor wish to lead the team into battle?

Spoiler: All

It looks like it's Hercules's show, and I'm all for that. It's the Dungeon Master in me that wants to ask the Party Leader. Thing. Iz what it iz. All that. =)

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor nodded approvingly. "Nice job, Sams and Samanthas! Sergeants, it's on you now. Take the lead, and Cera and I will be at your backs, with Toph behind us. Everyone keep your heads down and don't take any risky shots!" The image of the Sam getting his arm blown off was fresh in her mind as she added that last.

 

[Sherwood]

Mario takes the offered shield in his left hand and the Thundercracker in his right, moving back and forth to get a feel for just how maneuverable (or lack thereof) he is with the shield. With a nod over at Hercules, he steels himself to be a human barricade for the others behind him. "Ready to go, ma'am."

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Hercules hefts his shield into place alongside Mario’s.
“Phalanx formed, ma’am, say the word.”, he spoke up, even as he turned to look at Mario, “Today we march to glory, to honor, and the righteous smiting of our enemies!”
He set his shoulder against the shield even as he prepared his Thundercracker for action.

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor also set her shield, not quite as steadily as the big Greek did (nor even Mario), and took her place behind them with a firm nod. "The word is given," she replied to her squad over the Nexus. She had a flicker of thought hoping that no one would consider this "leading from behind," but really, it made sense to send the tankers first, that being their job and all. And them wanting it, too. Then the thought was gone -- she didn't have time for that kind of nonsense with combat about to be joined.

 

[Purr]

( Psychie Sherwood Captain Hesperus )

The mechanized crew of the Esper moved out of your way and from behind you, every one of them, loaders included, saluted you and made ready to be of assistance while putting themselves well out of the firing lane and path of destruction. One of the Sams spared a look at the security device, but that Sam gathered up a discarded fire extinguisher and took cover. A large number of the crew of the Esper watched the Wild Cards with what could be called mechanical trepidation. Tension filled the air with its intangible grip. The Wild Cards were about to engage an enemy that never slept, never judged, and never hesitated.

The Wild Cards looked to Elinor. Elinor gave the command. At point, Hercules and Mario stormed in with great energy, followed by Cera and Elinor, with Toph at the Tail End Charlie position. Charging in, the Wild Cards met the guns full-force as the hallway immediately lit into a terribly blinding, completely deafening tunnel of laser fire and cannon blasts. The Chessel Corporation had long had a reputation in cybersecurity and robotic technology and it showed here.

The blasts were so loud inside the corridor, your characters would have to shout to be heard. You also found it difficult to look at the sentry guns for the rapid-fire lasers were near-blinding. It was like having strobe lights flashed in your faces. Your Cyclone helmets took away much of the glare, but they could not take away all of it.

Spoiler: Wild Cards

Speaking normally is just about impossible. You will have to shout if you want any chance at being heard audibly. Your characters are at a -2 to Strike due to the strobe effects of the Chessel Corporation laser guns.

Instantly and relentlessly, Outpost #5's guns opened up as one on Hercules and Mario! Yellow streaks of laser fire poured as the cannons fired what appeared to be plasma-based blasts of pure hell. One of the rapid-fire lasers fired high and sent a slicing stream of golden death out of the corridor. Though the Sam units were not in its path, several of them crouched closer to their cover anyway. The cannons fixed on Mario while the laser cannon sent its deadly array at Hercules.

Hercules and Mario have defenses to declare.

It became Toph's turn. What does Toph do?

(Image credit: Saeed Jalabi on Pinterest)

STATUS

Location: Veracruz, Mexico. Chessel Corporation Outpost #5
Instrumental Mood Music (click to play): Terminator 2: Judgment Day theme by Brad Fiedel

 

[Psychie]

Toph carefully lines up her attack over the shoulders of the walking wall in front of her, sending her thought out through the Nexus, "Targeting the ones on the left! Firing!" With that, she opens up with a double blast of bursts from the Twins at her selected target.

 

[Sherwood]

Considering the fact that this rolling shield is a disposable jury-rigged item, Mario feels no sorrow at seeing it get chewed up by the guns. Better it than me, right?

 

[Purr]

( Captain Hesperus Tag! =) )

Both cannon shots laid solidly into Mario. It felt like being kicked by a Tomahawk Destroid! The blasts stopped him in his tracks, but did not knock him down nor did his shield falter in his arm, though he could feel the impact through both aegis and Cyclone armor. Mario was able to continue moving forward.

Hercules kept his shield steady as he saw Mario get slammed like nobody's business.

Toph laid down two bright streams of laser fire into the left turret, but it had a surprise for her - with alacrity that only computers and machines know, the weapon ceased firing just long enough for a small but thick shield of its own appeared. This popped up and absorbed Toph's blasts leaving the gun undamaged.

Spoiler: Shop Talk

Mario's aegis takes 100 M.D.! He succeeded with both Saving Throws (especially the second)!
Hercules's aegis takes 18 M.D. No Saving Throw required there.
Toph's twin attacks on Gun #2 were Parried!

It became Hercules's turn to act. What does he do?

-

(Image credit: Safebooru.org)

STATUS

Location: Veracruz, Mexico. Chessel Corporation Outpost #5
Exciting Mood Music (click to play): Bump Over Hills by Boom Boom Satellites (for Appleseed Soundtrack)

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Hercules felt the heat of the cannonfire wash over his and Mario's shields even as his fellow tanker staggered back under the onslaught. Behind him, Lieutenant Toph fired her weapon but was foiled by a shield that appeared as stout as the one he bore.
"Dammit, they're well defended!" he spoke into the polyphonic nexus, "I'll take the lead, Mario, so we can share armor. Pros ta emprós gia dóxa!*"

*Forwards for glory!

 

[Purr]

Hercules moved himself up to the very front of the group and let go with a hail of fury from his Thundercracker. The huge weapon let go with a hyper-
fast series of laser bolts that nailed all four Sentry Guns. Three of them parried but Gun #2 was nailed before it could raise its shield in time.

Kaerri It is Elinor's move!

 

[Kaerri]

Spoiler: Elinor Hall

Elinor's character sheet
Action Points: 4/6
Bonus action point: 1

Spoiler: Current mission details

1. Travel to the port city of Veracruz to Chessel Corporation's machining base. About two miles from the base, there is a heavily-armed outpost ("Outpost 5") with a single large reinforced door.
2. Blow your way into the outpost. Expect opposition from the base's automated defenses in the form of drone aircraft and anti-aircraft guns. The outpost's reinforced door should take around 40 total short-range missiles to destroy. This will gain you access to the underground highway the outpost protects. Once in, opposition from the outpost should cease.
3. Park your aircraft just beyond the destroyed door to the outpost. Professor Stein will stay with the mecha and act as your intelligence officer while you are in the base via the polyphonic nexus. Albert has tangled with Chessel Corporation before and can help you. Hitomi will be feeding him information from the Broadsword's bridge via Captain Piper.
4. Detach your Rifleman Cyclones from the aeronautical veritechs and Traverse with them. The Sams loaded your Cyclone-based armament with the Cyclones. Hitomi says, your traversing with the Cyclones means losing your link with the veritechs, so expect that.
5. Use the Cyclones to drive your way through the outpost's underground highway until you reach the Broadsword's Recovery Team in the main base. And, troops, it's a big, big base. The team is trapped inside of the main section. Your Cyclones are fitted with the means to track down the team via their distress beacons.
6. Once you reach them, find a way to open the main door from the inside to free the team.
7. Escort the team to your veritechs, then once in your veritechs, provide escort the Recovery Team to the Broadsword waiting in the Gulf of Mexico.

Link to UEEF small-arms post, for personal reference: Weapons - Small Arms and Heavy Weapons (UEEF including SCL-107 Broadsword)

Elinor decided her team was doing just fine on their own initiative and didn't bother with further guidance. They knew their jobs as well as she did, after all. Like Toph, she chose to focus her fire on Sentry Gun #2, hoping its shield was still slow.

 

[Purr]

( Captain Hesperus Tag!)

Natural 20! Elinor's aim was worthy of her wilderness-loving ancestors! Sentry Gun #2 could not take a hit like that and went up in a fiery series of secondary explosions that left only a burning stump!

"The first kill is ours!" Cera cheered with pride. Placing her Centurion firmly against her shoulder, Cera fired on Sentry Gun #3 - a cannon. A plate-like shield raised but not in time and her long burst raked the cannon hard.

Sherwood It was time for Mario's Action!

 

[Sherwood]

"Excellent shot!" Mario adjusts his aim to try and catch all three of the remaining guns with his upcoming bust from the Thundercracker. He then unleashes a deadly spray with a grin on his face. "Suck on this, you bastards!"

 

[Purr]

( Captain Hesperus Now with new avatar! Psychie Tag!)

Another Natural 20! With Hercules taking the front and center, Sgt. Zuko laid down the law with the Thundercracker! The hallway filled with laser blasts as Mario's stream of payback stitched and scorched all three Sentry guns. Only one (Gun #3) was lucky enough to take the damage to its retractable shielding; the other two ate Mario's ferocious laser-fire!

When Sgt. Papadopolis took point, the two remaining enemy cannons and rapid-fire laser had only one target - him. All of the automated weapons loosed on him (one with a Critical Strike)! How does Hercules choose to defend himself?

It became Toph's turn. How does she choose to use it?

 

[Psychie]

With a smile for how well the boys were doing, Toph pokes out just enough to be able to get a line of fire on Gun #3 and fires a double burst from her pistols at it.

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus

The hailstorm coming from Chessel Corporation's sentry guns was enough to send a typical platoon running for cover, but not the Wild Cards! Hercules saw the barrage coming and braced for it. Sure enough, the blasts laid into him like the blows of titans. They rattled his very bones, but such was Hercules's strength that the shield never once wobbled much less fell out of his capable grasp.

Spoiler: Shop Talk

Hercules's shield eats 97 Mega-damage!

Cap'n, good call on the full defense and Action Point! The cannon that had scored the Critical Hit had not rolled a Natural 20, but instead rolled a 19 (not an automatic hit unless defended against by another Natural 20). Hercules's bonuses and use of an Action Point (rolled a 5 and 6, keeping the 6!), beat the cannon's Strike. All shots thus land on Hercules's shield, his Parries successful.

Now the Saving Throws come into play. Like Mario, can Herc handle "cannonballs of plasma at super-close range" and still keep his shield? Given the full defense, I'm going to add a +2 to Herc's Saving Throws (he gave up his Action to attack, after all). And... Herc repels them all! His shield is smashed up, but the workmanship of the Sams and Samanthas continued to hold.

One other lucky thing. The cannon that Critically hit Herc's shield? It rolled only 20 points of M.D. on the die (doubled to 40. Mario, by comparison, got off much worse when I rolled high on the first of his cannons and maximum damage from the second).

* * *​

Toph, in a combination of her ASC training and her Meltrandi-blooded deadliness, trained both of her pistols on the third sentry gun and loosed. Silent laser beams sizzled down the corridor. The gun raised its shield, but too late! Toph's lightspeed blasts had both scored! In that split second, the focused Twins sent a pair of additional beams into the gun, destroying it! Bits of black metal erupted all over the floor followed by a burst of fire from the side of the gun. It was an eye-catching explosion that brought the end of the danger from that threat!

This left one rapid-fire laser gun and one cannon left to impede the Wild Cards' advance!

Spoiler: Shop Talk

So, Toph's white d20 treats her good with a 13 while the gun's Parry rolled a 3! Talk about a spanking as the Twins add in another 3D6+6 M.D. when they both hit. Glad Toph chose W.P. Paired - Ranged! =)

* * *​

Kaerri Hercules had used all of his focus in the defense of himself and his comrades. It was Elinor's turn to act!

 

[Kaerri]

"Good shooting, team!" Elinor "calls" over the roar of guns both friendly and hostile. She then turns her attention at the remaining cannon and fires a long burst with her Centurion's laser, remembering that since it was connected to the Cyclone it wasn't using up e-clips.

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus Sherwood

Elinor blasted away at the cannon, but the havoc of combat threw off her shot and she loosed early. Her laser burst damaged only the ceiling.

Cera took aim and with what sounded like a Meltrandi war cry, she let go with the Centurion on full auto! Great beams of light lashed down at Sentry Gun #4. It raised its shield, but not in time as Cera's lasers melted away a bit more of the cannon's smoking main body.

Mario's turn had come again. How does he choose to use it?

 

[Sherwood]

Mario is enjoying himself as he does the rock-and-roll routine with the heavy Thundercracker. The last two guns are pretty toasted up. It won't take much to finish them off. Lets see if I can do this! He adjusts his aim to be able to hit both the remaining turrets with a rapid-fire spray, chewing up the whole area.

 

[Purr]

( Captain Hesperus Tag! Psychie =) )

With Hercules literally taking the all of heat for himself and the team, his fellow Wild Cards could focus on laying down the laser-fire. Mario set the eagerly-responding Thundercracker just right and strafed the sentry guns sending dozens of blazing bolts of light down the blast-strewn corridor. The laser cannon put its shield up just in time, but not so for the cannon - Mario nailed it dead-on damaging it further. Now the cannon was burning.

Both sentry guns continued to pour on the firepower at their biggest target - Hercules. They kept their aim on him and loosed all the power they had on him. Great blasts of focused plasma and rapid-fire lasers lanced straight at the big Greek!

Spoiler: Shop Talk

Mario does 23 points of M.D. to Sentry Gun #4!
Both the sentry guns will nail Hercules unless he successfully defends himself.
It is Toph's turn. =)

Hercules had to defend himself again! How did he go about it?

It was Toph's turn to act.

(Image credit: The Getty Iris)

STATUS

Location: Veracruz, Mexico. Chessel Corporation Outpost #5
Exciting Mood Music (click to play): Bump Over Hills by Boom Boom Satellites (for Appleseed Soundtrack)

 

[Psychie]

Seeing an opportunity to finish off the cannon, Toph fires a double burst from her pistols at the weapon, hoping to destroy it.

 

[Purr]

Toph returns the cannon's fire with a twin blast of her own - one of the blasts is Parried by the cannon's shield, but the second gets through and she does just enough damage to shut the unit down! The cannon, burning as it is, simply ceases moving and firing. This left only the seriously-damaged rapid-fire laser to deal with.

Captain Hesperus Hercules has a defense to declare (against the cannon and rapid-fire laser from their earlier Attacks) and it is his Action. The Wild Cards are about 75 feet away from the remaining gun. How does Hercules choose to act?

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Enthused by his comrades' success, Hercules pushes harder on his rolling shield, looking to close the distance with the remaining gun turrets. He paused only to fire another raking hail of laser blasts from his Thundercracker.