Robotech - Southern Cross Adventure

[Purr]

Gabi continued to keep herself close to the core of the team allowing the Veritech Hover Tanks to do what they did best - defend and blow away enemies with big cannons!

Gracefully arcing her Ajax through space, she loosed a dual-ion cannon blast at Blue #11!

 

[Psychie]

Critical strike! Not only that, I rolled almost max damage on both guns, doing enough damage to take out the Bioroid in a single hit!

Rykon is up

Current Initiative Order
22 - Gabi [5]
22 - Alan [7] <====
16 - Neo 0/-20/0 [5]
14 - Blue 10 [4]
12 - Marlon [5]
11 - Deunan -70/-80/-90 [7]
8 - Blues 12-15 [4]
4 - Ryuko -30 [4]

 

[Rykon]

Alan takes aim one more time at Blue 10 with the PPC before shifting to Battloid mode to hold his ground while the cannons cool.

140MD

 

[Psychie]

Another decisive hit from the Earth forces! The charged particle cannon roars (or it would if you could hear it) and punches a hole through the armor of the Bioroid in a single hit.

Neo raises up the Eu-11 and fires a burst at Blue 12 and manages to score a hit, but its armor is holding. She calls out, "Guys! The baddies must be getting an idea of what we have planned, because we have a whole metric shit-ton of Bioroids coming this way, far more than our screening force can block! We gotta move! Fast!"

D. Rex is up

Current Initiative Order
22 - Gabi [5]
22 - Alan [8]
16 - Neo 0/-20/0 [6]
12 - Marlon [5] <====
11 - Deunan -70/-80/-90 [7]
8 - Blues 12 [5] damaged
8 - Blues 13-15 [4]
4 - Ryuko -30 [4]

 

[D. Rex]

"Going as fast as we can, Neo!" Marlon exclaimed raising his EU-11 and firing off a burst at the damaged Blue.

"Duenan! With that many coming we won't make it if they reach us. If our ETA isn't RIGHT NOW, we need to change strategies. I still have explosives of my own. I can hang back and try to slow them down. The explosions could buy Gabi a bit more time."

Strike: 21
Damage: 40

 

[Purr]

"Hey LT?" Gabi offered via the squad radio. Her voice was tinged with excitement from the destruction of the Bioroid she just performed, not to mention the upping of stakes on the Robotech Master's side of things. "Maybe it's time to use those new boosters on the tanks, no? Never seen a tank break Mach before, but now is a good time, you know? No way those sleds can catch us if we all rocket away."

 

[Psychie]

Out of actions to be able to defend itself, the Blue gets hit by Marlon's energy blast. It is looking quite ragged, but it is still in the fight.

Sherwood is up

Current Initiative Order
22 - Gabi [5]
22 - Alan [8]
16 - Neo 0/-20/0 [6]
12 - Marlon [6]
11 - Deunan -70/-80/-90 [7] <====
8 - Blues 12 [5] seriously damaged
8 - Blues 13-15 [4]
4 - Ryuko -30 [4]

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan says, "These assholes seem to be pretty focused on me right now. Alan, you hang back with me and the rest of you, pour on the speed and get to the target sight and drop that bomb! Just remember the mission and cover Gabi as she makes the drop!" With that, she raises up her Eu-11 and fires a burst at the damaged Blue, hoping to keep the attention on her.

Critical strike doing 60 MD to it

Spoiler

in the Hover Tank:
Number of Attacks: 9 - +1 attack per melee round at levels 1, 3, 6, 10, and 14
Strike: +12 with Cannons, +13 to HtH, +14 with EU-11 (+2)
Parry: +17 (+1)
Dodge: +17 (+1)
Roll: +9
Perception: +12
Initiative: +3 (+2)
Critical Strike on a natural 18-20

 

[Psychie]

Shooting straight from the hip, Deunan is able to hit the damaged Bioroid and do just enough to wipe it out.

Sticking with their efforts to wipe out Deunan, the last three Bioroids fire on her. They will hit unless you dodge or declare a parry.

Gundam Watcher 27 is up, and Sherwood has a defense to declare.

Current Initiative Order
22 - Gabi [5]
22 - Alan [8]
16 - Neo 0/-20/0 [6]
12 - Marlon [6]
11 - Deunan -70/-80/-90 [8]
8 - Blues 13-15 [5]
4 - Ryuko -30 [4] <====

 

[Sherwood]

This time, I'll go ahead and give a dodge a try.

 

[Psychie]

Deunan manages to evade the incoming fire, and is now out of actions for the round.

Gundam Watcher 27 is up

Current Initiative Order
22 - Gabi [5]
22 - Alan [8]
16 - Neo 0/-20/0 [6]
12 - Marlon [6]
11 - Deunan -70/-80/-90 [9]
8 - Blues 13-15 [5]
4 - Ryuko -30 [4] <====

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

Attacking blue 14

 

[Psychie]

Ryuko fires and tags her target with a solid blow. Its armor is weakened, but it is still up.

Purr is up

Current Initiative Order
22 - Gabi [5] <====
22 - Alan [8]
16 - Neo 0/-20/0 [6]
12 - Marlon [6]
11 - Deunan -70/-80/-90 [9]
8 - Blue 13 [5]
8 - Blue 14 [5] damaged
8 - Blue 15 [5]
4 - Ryuko -30 [5]

 

[Psychie]

You are up, Purr ! What do you do?

 

[Purr]

Deunan says, "These assholes seem to be pretty focused on me right now. Alan, you hang back with me and the rest of you, pour on the speed and get to the target sight and drop that bomb! Just remember the mission and cover Gabi as she makes the drop!"

Gabi took a deep breath and put her feelings away. Things had gone from dogfight to showtime in a matter of moments. Trying to relax in her cockpit while the space around her exploded and threatened, Gabi pumped up the throttle and listened to the Ajax's engines roar.

Her Mexican accent came through. "Copy all, LT. Chrome Shaman, disengaging from bandits and heading to drop site."

Gabi kept in mind what Third Heavy Recon had been taught concerning the ATAC VHT boosters. Maximum speed was just over Mach 2. Plus, these were boosters which, in Gabriela's mind, turned the tanks into rockets - all power, little maneuverability. Ryuko and Gabi could blow by Marlon and Neo if they were not careful about it. Gabi kept pace with Marlon and Neo in front of her and (hopefully) Ryuko serving as her wingman. She kept her altitude low and an eye out for anti-spacecraft defenses. She watched and listened looking for the opening in the Robotech Master mothership they so desperately needed.

 

[Psychie]

Keeping your speed down to not overshoot the hover tanks and their booster packs, Gabi flies forward towards the target port. From your briefings, you know that this port is roughly five meters across, or just over sixteen feet. In order for you to get the bomb down the port, you'll either need to fly much slower and keep on a steady course during your approach for the best shot, keep your speed up and trust that you can drop the weapon in the pickle barrel even at speed, or you can shift into Battloid mode, land next to the opening and literally hurl the explosive down the hole.

You also know that the bomb has a delay timer that can be set on it for up to five minutes, giving you all time to get away before the blast goes off. No one is able to give you any real idea on just how big of a blast might be triggered by the Reflex warhead; it could be a firecracker that just shuts down the ship's power supply, or it could be a catastrophic explosion that rips the ship apart.

With your speed, you are going to right at the port at the end of this action. If you wish to go ahead and drop the bomb now, you are going to be at a -15 to your strike roll. Dropping your speed to subsonic levels puts the minus of the bomb drop to just -5, and of course there is no negative penalties if you land and throw the bomb in.

Purr What do you do?

Current Initiative Order
22 - Gabi [5] <====
22 - Alan [8]
16 - Neo 0/-20/0 [6]
12 - Marlon [6]
11 - Deunan -70/-80/-90 [9]
8 - Blue 13 [5]
8 - Blue 14 [5] damaged
8 - Blue 15 [5]
4 - Ryuko -30 [5]

 

[Purr]

Psychie

Spoiler: Here's what I'm thinking

In a game where we are at the complete mercy of the dice (no Action Points or the like), darned if I'm not going to do everything in my power to get this right! =)

In the Ajax, Gabi has 9 Attacks per Round. I would like to spend those actions doing the following:

1. During the flight in, arm the bomb. Concerning detonation time, there's too much data I'm missing to provide a correct time. So either I ask you a great deal of mathematical data (boring!) or if you'll allow it, I'd like to instead rely on Gabi's I.Q. of 30, 7th level engineering education here, and the Ajax's own targeting computers and sensors including its ground radar. I want the bomb to go off when it is about 30 feet from the target (I remember the bomb has an explosive radius of 300 feet?).

2. Warn everyone, fleet included, that the bomb is about to be delivered.

3. Fly up with the group at their maximum speed (Mach 2?) for best protection, preferably under the altitude of those damned guns you mentioned a while ago.

4. Pop to Battloid, let the momentum of the bomb propel it in while Gabriela flies with the bomb, guiding it as long as possible, drop it, call out another warning to the fleet letting them know the bomb is on its way ("fire in the hole"), and fly the hell out of there with the group.

How does that look to you?

 

[Psychie]

All of that is doable. The time to make the precise calculations, set the fuse on the bomb, and boost into position will eat up the last actions of this round for you, but pulling this maneuver will drop your penalties down to just a -5, but you get your full attack bonuses to counter this, so the odds are still in your favor.

Rykon is up

Current Initiative Order
22 - Gabi [5] Preparing for bomb delivery
22 - Alan [8] <====
16 - Neo 0/-20/0 [6]
12 - Marlon [6]
11 - Deunan -70/-80/-90 [9]
8 - Blue 13 [5]
8 - Blue 14 [5] damaged
8 - Blue 15 [5]
4 - Ryuko -30 [5]

 

[Rykon]

Alan's weapons need a moment to recharge or cool, he's in full defense for this action.

Atleast, I believe it's only 3 shots per melee round in each cannon.

 

[Psychie]

Alan's weapons need a moment to recharge or cool, he's in full defense for this action.

Atleast, I believe it's only 3 shots per melee round in each cannon.

Do you stick with Deunan, or hit the boosters to escort Gabi?

 

[Psychie]

And don't forget that you still have your Eu-11 rifle. It doesn't do as much damage, but it is still effective.

 

[Rykon]

Ah right, then using boosters to escort and firing the EU-11 at Blue 14.

60MD if it hits.

 

[Psychie]

Out of actions with which to dodge, the Blue gets hit hard, taking a near perfect hit to its torso. It is just not quite enough to wipe it out, though.

But, as a parting shot, Neo fires at the wounded enemy and manages to finish it off. As she does so, she is relaying Gabi's warning to the Fleet that the bomb is about to be delivered to the target site.

D. Rex is up

Current Initiative Order
22 - Gabi [5] Preparing for bomb delivery
22 - Alan [9]
16 - Neo 0/-20/0 [7]
12 - Marlon [6] <====
11 - Deunan -70/-80/-90 [9]
8 - Blue 13 [5]
8 - Blue 15 [5]
4 - Ryuko -30 [5]

 

[D. Rex]

Rykon
Do you remember that Duenan asked Alan to stick back with her?

 

[Purr]

Gabi "Chrome Shaman" De la Rosa
Tac Corp Special Forces Recon Patrol​

Spoiler: Payload and Combat Details

VHT-10A Ajax mode: Jet.

Missile Payload:
26/30 HEAP Mini-missiles: 1D4x10 M.D., 1 mile range, 3 foot radius, 2 M.D.C.
1/5 Plasma/Napalm (medium) Short-range missiles: 2D6x10 M.D., 3 mile range, 15 foot radius, 5 M.D.C.
0/1 Present from Earth =)

Spoiler: Instrumental Mood Music

"Yeager and the F104" by Bill Conti for "The Right Stuff" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

All of Gabriela's life, she had wanted to amount to something on her own.

Her father had all the money a man could spend. Her Zentraedi mother had a future millions of her fellow clones could only dream of. Her brothers and sisters never had to lift a finger to live comfortably if they did not wish to. But that was not the path Gabriela had chosen to follow.

Up here, streaking along through the violent blackness of outer space with a bomb attached to her AJAX A-model, it came down to just her and a bomb that might change history. The gigantic hull of the Robotech Master mothership raced by as her colleagues defended her. Members of her fleet were living and dying this very moment to give humanity this chance - this single chance - to destroy a mothership belonging to the creators of the Zentraedi - those who had nearly destroyed mother Earth. With this in mind, she made certain every camera she had on the AJax was rolling including her own personal camera - the one inside her "Dragonfly" drone - the best camera she owned. Win or lose, it was all coming home with her - a memory in time never to be repeated.

"Third Heavy Recon," Gabriela reported in her Mexican accent, "I'm breaking off. Wish me luck."

With a pull of the stick and an adjustment of the throttle, she focused everything she had into reaching the targeting site. Memories flooded through her of her father's stories, telling her all about what Earth had been like prior to the Rain of Death. She pushed back her feelings of her mother's side of the First Robotech War where she had initially fought against humanity. The Robotech Masters had started it all. This was humanity's chance to help end it.

It was up to Gabi and the bomb. No one else could help her. This was not her moment, not Recon Patrol's, not Third Heavy Recon's, nor did it belong to the Army of Southern Cross - as far as Sgt. Gabriela De la Rosa was concerned - this was a moment for all enemies of the Robotech Masters.

Her Ajax cut through space at great speed until it was time for her to throttle back. With no atmosphere to help slow her down, she transformed into Battloid early with the bomb. Coming to a halt beside the hole, she flipped on her ground radar to get a peek no other Veritech but the Ajax VHT-10A could get. The hole was a minimum of 800 feet down. Gabriela detached the bomb, handled it like eggs, and used the targeting computers inside her Ajax along with her radar to give her the best trajectory. She aimed the bomb down the hole as if she wanted it to exit out of the other side of the mothership.

Before she loosed, she sent up a prayer to God. The Pilot's Prayer. It was a prayer that had gone back before the Rain of Death, before the SDF-1, back to when pilots were first flying. She prayed fervently. "Please God. Don't let me mess this up."

Her trajectory, speed, and course plotted, she armed the bomb, set the time just enough to hopefully get her squad clear with some breathing room...

... and she hurled it down the hole.

"Bombs away," she reported. "Bombs away."

She transformed her Ajax back into Jet mode and blasted off to rejoin her squad. She flew in a way that showed no intense hurry lest she get the attention of the Bioroids. She stayed with her squadron at their best speed which she knew was just over Mach 2. She could have outpaced them, but the soldier in her could not allow it. The Mexican-Meltrandi had not gotten to where she was alone. Nor would she leave alone. She would return with the whole fleet or not at all.

Cameras aimed behind her and bomb on the way, Gabriela prayed for one hell of a show!

Image credit: www.limetown.com.br

STATUS

Location: In space above Earth orbit.
Statblock: VHT-10A Ajax (400/400 M.D.). CBR Mk 2E Armor (105/105 M.D.). Heavy Shield (55/55 M.D.).
Effects Active: Command Spartas Combat Bonuses.