"Enough, Father. We have neither the resources, time, nor manpower to fight in the 'gentlemanly'...
Feud
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pt246
Sometimes sarcastic, occasionally grumpy
"Enough, Father. We have neither the resources, time, nor manpower to fight in the 'gentlemanly' fashion you and the rest of the Houses are so enamored with. You gave authority for a feud, and me direction of it. Either stand by your decision and allow me to commence operations or revoke your authority and call our endeavor to a halt. Make your decision and let me hear no more of it."
Kallie Kay met her father's eyes through the screen he was projected on, one of many lining the walls of her dropship. The platoon embarked with her, all of them veterans she'd personally recruited to form her guard and the core of here assault force, were in a separate compartment aft of her and could not hear her argument with him anymore than the pilots in the cockpit could. Colonel Olmstead, who had tactical command once she initiated, his XO, Major Alto, and Captain Gibson, whose ship would provide fire support, could.
It was a terrible place to challenge her father. Only if her men—House men; technically his even if she'd recruited and commanded them—had been listening could it have been worse. That also made it the best possible place to challenge him, and to establish who was actually in charge.
Lord Kay, head of House Kay, gave way before his eldest daughter's stare. "Very well, Kallie. You may conduct this operation as you see fit. But we will be discussing your methods upon your return."
Kallie bowed her head to him. "As you command, Father." She turned her attention from Lord Kay's screen to the others that surrounded her. "Colonel, Captain. Status?"
Olmstead replied first. "All units are embarked and awaiting your orders, Ma'am."
"Dropships are prepared to launch, Ma'am, and the gun crews have their targets."
"Very well, Captain. You may send the signal. Olmstead, you have control."
Olmstead nodded. "Aye, Ma'am. I have control. Are you certain you wish to command the first wave yourself?"
"We've been over this before, Olmstead. The risk is acceptable, and I must be seen to lead the attack, or this becomes an exercise in wasted time. House Morgan must fall, and they must fall by my hand."
The colonel shrugged. "Had to ask." He switched to the general channel. "First wave, standby to launch."
Kallie picked up her helmet from the map table it rested on. It locked into place with the neck seals of her armor and hid the grin of anticipation that pulled at the shrapnel scars on her face. "First wave standing by," she acknowledged, emotions smoothed away by the helmet's vocoder and blank faceplate. "Alpha company reports status green."
"Captain?"
"Still awaiting confirmation. Standby."
Kallie looked over the map displayed in front of her one last time. It matched the information on her HUD exactly. Satisfied that she would be going into battle with the latest intelligence, she walked aft to the troop compartment, collecting her weapon from the rack by the hatch as she did.
She had reason to be satisfied. Thus far, everything was going to plan.
She took a seat opposite the platoon's lieutenant and strapped in for the descent to come. He looked up as she did. "We good, Kal?" He was one of the few soldiers on the ship she'd fought beside before, and the only one to have earned the right to use her name.
"We're good, Zhang. Things should be kicking off shortly. Just as soon as we hear back from the captain."
"I can't wait. It's good to be working for professionals again."
Kallie checked that they were talking over a private channel before responding. "You have an interesting definition of professional. My father's anything but."
He shook his head. "All due respect to your father, but he wasn't the one who hired me away from a boring corporate security job, or saved my ass in the Legion. I know who I work for, and so does everyone else in the platoon."
"I'll keep that in mind." Kallie idly check that her rifle was loaded as she sat back again. Across from her Zhang dug a book slate from one of his pockets and started to read.
Gibson's voice cut through the stillness. "Receipt confirmed. Thirty seconds to launch positions."
The dropship shook in its cradle as maneuvering jets flared; the House Kay cruiser Longstreet was rolling to starboard and clearing her heavy batteries for ground attack as she shifted into geosynchronous orbit above her target.
Word had just begun to reach the garrison of the House Morgan complex below of a formal declaration of feud when alarms began to blare in their command center as it fell under Longstreet's guns. In her dropship, all Kallie knew of this was the calm voice of Captain Gibson reporting, "Pre-assault bombardment underway. SEAD successful. Dropships cleared to launch." The recoil-dampened impacts of the railguns firing had just begun to rumble through Longstreet's hull to the dropships when the cradles released with a jerk. Six dropships fell planetwards, burning through the atmosphere, leaving superheated vapor-trails. No fighters rose to meet them from the shattered, burning hangars. SAM launchers and Triple-A railguns missed by the bombardment were struck the moment they began to radiate or laze targets, all without a chance to fire.
Kallie's faceplate was fixed and expressionless, as was Zhang's, but she didn't need to see his face to know what he was thinking, though she wouldn't say it any more than he would. The last time they'd shared a dropship she'd been a captain in the Legion, he her company first sergeant. They were both half-dead from seventy-two hours of continuous combat. The time before that they were riding down to the worst three days of their lives.
"Sixty seconds," the pilot announced. The ship began to twist violently as heavy weapon emplacements and MANPADS opened up, desperately firing from within the burning ruins.
"Thirty seconds." The platoon rose as one, mag boots locking them into place as weapons were readied and safeties flipped off. The dropship shook as cluster munitions rocketed off stubby wing mounts to blanket the LZ. Above them Longstreet's guns fell silent or shifted to distant targets.
"Fifteen seconds." The rear ramp opened as the dropship banked and flared over the LZ.
The light beside the ramp turned green.
Why are you feuding with House Morgan? [WARNING: This decision will have lasting consequences.]
[ ] House Morgan's heir, Frederick Morgan, insulted your brother and called him a coward in public. He has refused to recant or apologize. You decided armies would settle the matter more effectively than duels. More importantly, House Morgan has been muscling in on the raw materials trade in your subsector, and that cannot be allowed.
[ ] House Morgan are your mortal enemies, as they were your parents's and their parents's for generations. This is but the latest in your long series of wars for control of the subsector. A minor dispute over an impounded ship has become the causus beli for the latest round of killing.
[ ] House Morgan are newly ennobled and seeking to make a name for themselves. Pity for them they chose to move in on a subsector you control. Their impingement cannot be tolerated, and if you destroy them you might just be able to claim their holdings for your own…
Beware: The eyes of Earth and her Legions are turned elsewhere, to new conquests, unexplored systems, and rebel states, but that is no grantee of safety. The petty wars of minor houses are of no concern to her, but grow too violent or move too swiftly and you may attract her attention. Such attention is never pleasant, always dangerous, and often fatal.
No Plan Survives Contact With The Enemy: You've planned for everything you could think of, but you of all people should know that the battlefield is unpredictable, and the unknown unknowns are always waiting to catch you off guard. What surprise does House Morgan have in store for you?
[ ] Subterranean Hangars: You will be having words with your intelligence chief when you return. Her people missed an entire hangar complex, buried too deep for even nuclear weapons to reach, and now the alert fighters are scrambling. [Cut Off From Reinforcements. Orbital Fire Support Reduced. House Morgan Troops Can Call In Air Strikes.]
[ ] CBRN Conditions: The complex commander is desperate and angry. He's ordered the release of experimental chemical and biological weapons from the test labs.. [All Casualties Are Fatal. Further Reinforcements Withheld Until Dispensers Are Destroyed. Site Will Require Additional Cleanup And Decontamination.]
[ ] Mercenaries: Two destroyers belonging to a PMC made orbit six hours ago for refit and R&R and haven't released their crews on liberty yet. They've offered their services to House Morgan and your operational funding is insufficient to outbid your enemies. [Space Battle: Orbital Fire Support Reduced. Enemy Reinforcements Incoming: Additional Ground Troops Will Be Landing To Bolster House Morgan; Composition Unknown At This Time. Friendly Reinforcements May Be Intercepted And Destroyed.]
Dossiers Unlocked:
Houses:
-House Kay
--Kallie Kay
--Lord Kay
--Peter Kay
--Retainers:
---CAPT Danielle Gibson
---COL Alexander Olmstead
---MAJ Daniel Alto
---1LT Stephen Zhang
Organizations:
-The Legion [Incomplete]
Events:
-The Black Drop (3rd Battle of Essle) [Incomplete]
Combat Assets:
-Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, House Kay Guard [deployed]
--1st Platoon (Jump Platoon): Heavily armed and armored shock troopers
--2nd Platoon
--3rd Platoon
--Weapons Platoon
-Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, House Kay Guard [partially deployed]
--1st Platoon [deployed]
--2nd Platoon [deployed]
--3rd Platoon [embarked, 2nd wave]
--Weapons Platoon [embarked 2nd wave]
-Detached Armor Section [embarked, 2nd wave]
--2 MBTs
-Cruiser Longstreet
--6 dropships
--4 fighters
---CAP [2 deployed]
--Embarked Troops
Mechanics:
This is a narrative quest with a tactical, and later strategic, focus. That means for the most part you make decisions and I write what happens afterwards. However, assets can be depleted or destroyed, traits (see the dossiers) can affect chances of success, and depending on how things go and what the overall scope of this ends up being, I may implement some resource mechanics.
The big thing is that choices have consequences. I've outlined them explicitly for one of the choices here, but I won't always be doing that. So keep in mind that no decision is made in a vacuum, you may not always have all the information, all your information may not be accurate, and just because it was a good decision at the time doesn't mean it won't hurt you further down the line.
As far as the choices here go, the reason for the feud is basically what type of game you want to play. This will be expanded on later, when I'll hold a vote on exactly what the goal of the quest is, which will change the overall scope of the game. The second choice is what kind of fight you want and an introduction to the sorts of consequence that will affect the game. This is the first set of choices, so none of them are going to kill right off the bat, and you have the people to deal with whatever happens.
Speaking of which, if you take a look at the dossiers currently posted (technically going up just after this) you'll see that pretty much all of your people and assets are very good at what they do. That's because you brought your A team to kick things off. Not everyone you'll have on hand will be this skilled.
As far as voting goes, I'd prefer to see explanations with choices, even if it's something as simple as "This option sounds cooler." (I'd prefer if it was somewhat more nuanced than that) So I won't be using the vote counter script, and I ask that if you change your vote, make it clear, and then go cross out the old one so I can keep track.
Write-ins are acceptable, so long as they're reasonably plausible, and win the vote.
Kallie Kay met her father's eyes through the screen he was projected on, one of many lining the walls of her dropship. The platoon embarked with her, all of them veterans she'd personally recruited to form her guard and the core of here assault force, were in a separate compartment aft of her and could not hear her argument with him anymore than the pilots in the cockpit could. Colonel Olmstead, who had tactical command once she initiated, his XO, Major Alto, and Captain Gibson, whose ship would provide fire support, could.
It was a terrible place to challenge her father. Only if her men—House men; technically his even if she'd recruited and commanded them—had been listening could it have been worse. That also made it the best possible place to challenge him, and to establish who was actually in charge.
Lord Kay, head of House Kay, gave way before his eldest daughter's stare. "Very well, Kallie. You may conduct this operation as you see fit. But we will be discussing your methods upon your return."
Kallie bowed her head to him. "As you command, Father." She turned her attention from Lord Kay's screen to the others that surrounded her. "Colonel, Captain. Status?"
Olmstead replied first. "All units are embarked and awaiting your orders, Ma'am."
"Dropships are prepared to launch, Ma'am, and the gun crews have their targets."
"Very well, Captain. You may send the signal. Olmstead, you have control."
Olmstead nodded. "Aye, Ma'am. I have control. Are you certain you wish to command the first wave yourself?"
"We've been over this before, Olmstead. The risk is acceptable, and I must be seen to lead the attack, or this becomes an exercise in wasted time. House Morgan must fall, and they must fall by my hand."
The colonel shrugged. "Had to ask." He switched to the general channel. "First wave, standby to launch."
Kallie picked up her helmet from the map table it rested on. It locked into place with the neck seals of her armor and hid the grin of anticipation that pulled at the shrapnel scars on her face. "First wave standing by," she acknowledged, emotions smoothed away by the helmet's vocoder and blank faceplate. "Alpha company reports status green."
"Captain?"
"Still awaiting confirmation. Standby."
Kallie looked over the map displayed in front of her one last time. It matched the information on her HUD exactly. Satisfied that she would be going into battle with the latest intelligence, she walked aft to the troop compartment, collecting her weapon from the rack by the hatch as she did.
She had reason to be satisfied. Thus far, everything was going to plan.
She took a seat opposite the platoon's lieutenant and strapped in for the descent to come. He looked up as she did. "We good, Kal?" He was one of the few soldiers on the ship she'd fought beside before, and the only one to have earned the right to use her name.
"We're good, Zhang. Things should be kicking off shortly. Just as soon as we hear back from the captain."
"I can't wait. It's good to be working for professionals again."
Kallie checked that they were talking over a private channel before responding. "You have an interesting definition of professional. My father's anything but."
He shook his head. "All due respect to your father, but he wasn't the one who hired me away from a boring corporate security job, or saved my ass in the Legion. I know who I work for, and so does everyone else in the platoon."
"I'll keep that in mind." Kallie idly check that her rifle was loaded as she sat back again. Across from her Zhang dug a book slate from one of his pockets and started to read.
Gibson's voice cut through the stillness. "Receipt confirmed. Thirty seconds to launch positions."
The dropship shook in its cradle as maneuvering jets flared; the House Kay cruiser Longstreet was rolling to starboard and clearing her heavy batteries for ground attack as she shifted into geosynchronous orbit above her target.
Word had just begun to reach the garrison of the House Morgan complex below of a formal declaration of feud when alarms began to blare in their command center as it fell under Longstreet's guns. In her dropship, all Kallie knew of this was the calm voice of Captain Gibson reporting, "Pre-assault bombardment underway. SEAD successful. Dropships cleared to launch." The recoil-dampened impacts of the railguns firing had just begun to rumble through Longstreet's hull to the dropships when the cradles released with a jerk. Six dropships fell planetwards, burning through the atmosphere, leaving superheated vapor-trails. No fighters rose to meet them from the shattered, burning hangars. SAM launchers and Triple-A railguns missed by the bombardment were struck the moment they began to radiate or laze targets, all without a chance to fire.
Kallie's faceplate was fixed and expressionless, as was Zhang's, but she didn't need to see his face to know what he was thinking, though she wouldn't say it any more than he would. The last time they'd shared a dropship she'd been a captain in the Legion, he her company first sergeant. They were both half-dead from seventy-two hours of continuous combat. The time before that they were riding down to the worst three days of their lives.
"Sixty seconds," the pilot announced. The ship began to twist violently as heavy weapon emplacements and MANPADS opened up, desperately firing from within the burning ruins.
"Thirty seconds." The platoon rose as one, mag boots locking them into place as weapons were readied and safeties flipped off. The dropship shook as cluster munitions rocketed off stubby wing mounts to blanket the LZ. Above them Longstreet's guns fell silent or shifted to distant targets.
"Fifteen seconds." The rear ramp opened as the dropship banked and flared over the LZ.
The light beside the ramp turned green.
Why are you feuding with House Morgan? [WARNING: This decision will have lasting consequences.]
[ ] House Morgan's heir, Frederick Morgan, insulted your brother and called him a coward in public. He has refused to recant or apologize. You decided armies would settle the matter more effectively than duels. More importantly, House Morgan has been muscling in on the raw materials trade in your subsector, and that cannot be allowed.
[ ] House Morgan are your mortal enemies, as they were your parents's and their parents's for generations. This is but the latest in your long series of wars for control of the subsector. A minor dispute over an impounded ship has become the causus beli for the latest round of killing.
[ ] House Morgan are newly ennobled and seeking to make a name for themselves. Pity for them they chose to move in on a subsector you control. Their impingement cannot be tolerated, and if you destroy them you might just be able to claim their holdings for your own…
Beware: The eyes of Earth and her Legions are turned elsewhere, to new conquests, unexplored systems, and rebel states, but that is no grantee of safety. The petty wars of minor houses are of no concern to her, but grow too violent or move too swiftly and you may attract her attention. Such attention is never pleasant, always dangerous, and often fatal.
No Plan Survives Contact With The Enemy: You've planned for everything you could think of, but you of all people should know that the battlefield is unpredictable, and the unknown unknowns are always waiting to catch you off guard. What surprise does House Morgan have in store for you?
[ ] Subterranean Hangars: You will be having words with your intelligence chief when you return. Her people missed an entire hangar complex, buried too deep for even nuclear weapons to reach, and now the alert fighters are scrambling. [Cut Off From Reinforcements. Orbital Fire Support Reduced. House Morgan Troops Can Call In Air Strikes.]
[ ] CBRN Conditions: The complex commander is desperate and angry. He's ordered the release of experimental chemical and biological weapons from the test labs.. [All Casualties Are Fatal. Further Reinforcements Withheld Until Dispensers Are Destroyed. Site Will Require Additional Cleanup And Decontamination.]
[ ] Mercenaries: Two destroyers belonging to a PMC made orbit six hours ago for refit and R&R and haven't released their crews on liberty yet. They've offered their services to House Morgan and your operational funding is insufficient to outbid your enemies. [Space Battle: Orbital Fire Support Reduced. Enemy Reinforcements Incoming: Additional Ground Troops Will Be Landing To Bolster House Morgan; Composition Unknown At This Time. Friendly Reinforcements May Be Intercepted And Destroyed.]
Dossiers Unlocked:
Houses:
-House Kay
--Kallie Kay
--Lord Kay
--Peter Kay
--Retainers:
---CAPT Danielle Gibson
---COL Alexander Olmstead
---MAJ Daniel Alto
---1LT Stephen Zhang
Organizations:
-The Legion [Incomplete]
Events:
-The Black Drop (3rd Battle of Essle) [Incomplete]
Combat Assets:
-Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, House Kay Guard [deployed]
--1st Platoon (Jump Platoon): Heavily armed and armored shock troopers
--2nd Platoon
--3rd Platoon
--Weapons Platoon
-Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, House Kay Guard [partially deployed]
--1st Platoon [deployed]
--2nd Platoon [deployed]
--3rd Platoon [embarked, 2nd wave]
--Weapons Platoon [embarked 2nd wave]
-Detached Armor Section [embarked, 2nd wave]
--2 MBTs
-Cruiser Longstreet
--6 dropships
--4 fighters
---CAP [2 deployed]
--Embarked Troops
Mechanics:
This is a narrative quest with a tactical, and later strategic, focus. That means for the most part you make decisions and I write what happens afterwards. However, assets can be depleted or destroyed, traits (see the dossiers) can affect chances of success, and depending on how things go and what the overall scope of this ends up being, I may implement some resource mechanics.
The big thing is that choices have consequences. I've outlined them explicitly for one of the choices here, but I won't always be doing that. So keep in mind that no decision is made in a vacuum, you may not always have all the information, all your information may not be accurate, and just because it was a good decision at the time doesn't mean it won't hurt you further down the line.
As far as the choices here go, the reason for the feud is basically what type of game you want to play. This will be expanded on later, when I'll hold a vote on exactly what the goal of the quest is, which will change the overall scope of the game. The second choice is what kind of fight you want and an introduction to the sorts of consequence that will affect the game. This is the first set of choices, so none of them are going to kill right off the bat, and you have the people to deal with whatever happens.
Speaking of which, if you take a look at the dossiers currently posted (technically going up just after this) you'll see that pretty much all of your people and assets are very good at what they do. That's because you brought your A team to kick things off. Not everyone you'll have on hand will be this skilled.
As far as voting goes, I'd prefer to see explanations with choices, even if it's something as simple as "This option sounds cooler." (I'd prefer if it was somewhat more nuanced than that) So I won't be using the vote counter script, and I ask that if you change your vote, make it clear, and then go cross out the old one so I can keep track.
Write-ins are acceptable, so long as they're reasonably plausible, and win the vote.
Last edited:
Dossiers
pt246
Sometimes sarcastic, occasionally grumpy
Dossiers:
Personnel:
House Kay:
Traits:
Competent Strategist: Kallie Kay never formally commanded a unit larger than a company during her Legion service. Nonetheless, she learned from the best and has a sharp mind. While age and inexperience are against her, strategies she formulates can be expected to be solid, if uninspired.
Skilled Tactician: During a decade long career in the Legion, Captain Kay held positions as a platoon commander, company executive officer, battalion staff officer, company commander, and (briefly) battalion executive officer, with a brevet rank of major. At all points she showed extraordinary tactical skill, and only improved with time, culminating with her success during The Black Drop.
Master Infantryman: Some Legion officers have been known to leave the fighting entirely to their men, claiming their role is to direct the action, not participate in it. Captain Kay was not one of them. She was always found where the fighting was thickest, giving orders while engaging the enemy. Years of practice and dozens of engagements have left no doubt that she is as skilled a soldier as ever fought on the battlefield.
Reputation: Terrifying Combatant (The Demon Of The Black Drop): Forty-two Legion soldiers survived The Black Drop, and every one of them swore they'd be dead without Captain Kay. Details vary between accounts, but the image of Kay fighting amidst a burning forest, backlit by flames and surrounded by enemy dead, first taken from helmet recordings and later immortalized in films and documentaries, has entered the popular consciousness, earning her the title of 'The Demon Of The Black Drop'.
Estranged Family: Kallie's parents did not approve of her decision to join the Legion rather than help manage the family affairs, to the point where she was not invited to, and did not take leave to attend, her mother's funeral. Her brother, twelve years younger than her, has fond memories of the older sister who left him behind but has recently found that the woman who he met on her return was very different from the one who left. A certain coolness continues to haunt family gatherings.
Poor Personal Relationships: While his effectiveness as the head of House Kay has been questioned, few will deny that Lord Kay has a gift for making friends and allies. Fewer still will deny that his daughter Kallie has not inherited his easy way with people. She is blunt and forthright, rarely charming, and frequently speaks her mind, sometimes to the detriment of her plans or career.
Unskilled Politician: Kallie is a soldier's soldier, and views politics as a game of strategy, focused on attack, defensive actions, and feints. While effective on a macro-level, her inability to relate to or deal with the personal side of politics hamstrings her political abilities.
Intelligence Hungry: After the debacle of The Black Drop, Kallie swore to never again enter a fight without the best intelligence she could gather. As a consequence of this she has a talent for picking her fights, and bringing superior force to bear at the enemy's weak points. Conversely, on several occasions delaying to gather more information has cost her the initiative that or caused her to lose out on opportunities a less cautious commander might have taken and capitalized on.
Survivor Of The Black Drop: Forty-two men and women can claim this title. Not all of them are still alive, wounds and the years and battles since having taken their toll. Those who remain will never forget what happened there.
Trusted Friend: LT Zhang: Kallie may be (in)famous for her actions during The Black Drop, but she knows she never would have made it out without Zhang's support, and considers him one of her few friends.
Traits:
Militarily Incompetent: Lord Kay has never made a study of the arts of war or combat, preferring to leave such things to his house troops and their leaders.
Excellent Personal Relationships: Lord Kay is known throughout the sector for his vast network of personal friends, acquaintances, and allies, and his relative lack of enemies, though he never seems to have put it to much use.
Political Potential: Lord Kay has only ever dabbled in politics insofar as it has been necessary to preserve the position of his house—that is, very little at all. Still, all those people he knows may come in handy someday.
Steward: Lord Kay has little ambition and is well aware of it. Instead he sees his role as preserving his house for the next generation, who may have their own ideas about what they wish to do with it.
Traits:
Scholar: Peter Kay loves learning for its own sake, and rapidly acquires new knowledge give time for research.
Unmilitary: Though not as disinterested in military matters as his father, Peter Kay has never made a particular study of them, and has expressed distaste for the bloodshed of the great wars of history.
Untried Combatant: While never trained as a soldier, Peter Kay has been taught the more traditional skills of a nobleman—that is, the art of dueling. He appears competent but has never been tested by anyone except his instructors. His sister declined an offer to bout him, expressing disdain for the form. He hopes to convince her to face him in the ring someday.
Potential Analyst: Peter's love of learning and history has sharpened his eye for patterns and given him the ability to dig through stacks of information for relevant details. Thus far, he has not put his talents to any use but his own.
House Kay Retainers:
Traits:
Sound Tactician: Captain Gibson knows her business hand has won several engagements with raiders, pirates, and mercenaries over the years.
Close Fighter ('In Harm's Way'): Captain Gibson prefers to take warships in close, accepting a battering in exchange for the chance to hammer her opponents with superior weaponry and force a decisive victory.
Traits:
Legion Veteran: Colonel Olmstead served twenty years in the legion before retiring. Knowing only the military life, and with an exemplary service record, he sought private employment in a House Guard. In a rare moment of military insight, Lord Kay hired the colonel.
Tanker: Though all his later commands were mixed units, Colonel Olmstead initially trained as a tank platoon commander, and still believes in the primacy of armor on the battlefield.
Experienced Tactician: Colonel Olmstead didn't see it all in twenty years with the Legion, but he's seen a hell of a lot and survived it all. With an intuitive grasp of tactics, decades of experience, and the insight to treat every engagement, won or lost, as a learning opportunity, he's hard to surprise, harder still to outmaneuver, and nearly impossible to outfight.
Traits:
Prior Enlisted: Major Alto started out as a grunt infantryman in the House Kay Guard. Sheer talent and determination allowed him to work his way up the ranks to his current position.
Skilled Infantryman: House Kay may not have entered any feuds or wars for the last twenty years, but it still saw fighting. Major Alto was there for most of it, and has the scars and skills to show for it.
Traits:
Legion Veteran: Lieutenant Zhang was Kallie Kay's company first sergeant at the Third Battle of Essle, otherwise known as The Black Drop, and one of the forty-two Legion survivors of the battle. Afterwards he retired, taking up a career in corporate security before being recruited by his old captain to head her personal guard and shock troops.
Survivor Of The Black Drop: Forty-two men and women can claim this title. Not all of them are still alive, wounds and the years and battles since having taken their toll. Those who remain will never forget what happened there.
Trusted Friend: Kallie Kay: Zhang served as Kallie's first sergeant during The Black Drop and saved her life nearly as many times as she saved his. Together they led their band of survivors through three days of nightmarish combat. She got all the fame for it, but he's fine with that, preferring, like any senior noncom, to stay out of the spotlight and just get the job done.
Organizations:
[More information may be available]
Events:
[More information may be available]
Personnel:
House Kay:
Article: Captain Kallie Kay, of House Kay. Eldest child and heir of Lord Kay and Lady Elisha Kay (deceased). 32 years old.
Famous for her service in the Legion, Captain Kallie Kay is better known as 'The Demon Of The Black Drop' for the battle that defined her career. She has since left Legion service and returned to her father's holdings.
Traits:
Competent Strategist: Kallie Kay never formally commanded a unit larger than a company during her Legion service. Nonetheless, she learned from the best and has a sharp mind. While age and inexperience are against her, strategies she formulates can be expected to be solid, if uninspired.
Skilled Tactician: During a decade long career in the Legion, Captain Kay held positions as a platoon commander, company executive officer, battalion staff officer, company commander, and (briefly) battalion executive officer, with a brevet rank of major. At all points she showed extraordinary tactical skill, and only improved with time, culminating with her success during The Black Drop.
Master Infantryman: Some Legion officers have been known to leave the fighting entirely to their men, claiming their role is to direct the action, not participate in it. Captain Kay was not one of them. She was always found where the fighting was thickest, giving orders while engaging the enemy. Years of practice and dozens of engagements have left no doubt that she is as skilled a soldier as ever fought on the battlefield.
Reputation: Terrifying Combatant (The Demon Of The Black Drop): Forty-two Legion soldiers survived The Black Drop, and every one of them swore they'd be dead without Captain Kay. Details vary between accounts, but the image of Kay fighting amidst a burning forest, backlit by flames and surrounded by enemy dead, first taken from helmet recordings and later immortalized in films and documentaries, has entered the popular consciousness, earning her the title of 'The Demon Of The Black Drop'.
Estranged Family: Kallie's parents did not approve of her decision to join the Legion rather than help manage the family affairs, to the point where she was not invited to, and did not take leave to attend, her mother's funeral. Her brother, twelve years younger than her, has fond memories of the older sister who left him behind but has recently found that the woman who he met on her return was very different from the one who left. A certain coolness continues to haunt family gatherings.
Poor Personal Relationships: While his effectiveness as the head of House Kay has been questioned, few will deny that Lord Kay has a gift for making friends and allies. Fewer still will deny that his daughter Kallie has not inherited his easy way with people. She is blunt and forthright, rarely charming, and frequently speaks her mind, sometimes to the detriment of her plans or career.
Unskilled Politician: Kallie is a soldier's soldier, and views politics as a game of strategy, focused on attack, defensive actions, and feints. While effective on a macro-level, her inability to relate to or deal with the personal side of politics hamstrings her political abilities.
Intelligence Hungry: After the debacle of The Black Drop, Kallie swore to never again enter a fight without the best intelligence she could gather. As a consequence of this she has a talent for picking her fights, and bringing superior force to bear at the enemy's weak points. Conversely, on several occasions delaying to gather more information has cost her the initiative that or caused her to lose out on opportunities a less cautious commander might have taken and capitalized on.
Survivor Of The Black Drop: Forty-two men and women can claim this title. Not all of them are still alive, wounds and the years and battles since having taken their toll. Those who remain will never forget what happened there.
Trusted Friend: LT Zhang: Kallie may be (in)famous for her actions during The Black Drop, but she knows she never would have made it out without Zhang's support, and considers him one of her few friends.
Article: Lord Kay, head of House Kay. 67 Years old. Married to Elisha Kay (deceased). Heir: Captain Kallie Kay. Other Children: Peter Kay.
Lord Kay is notable only for his vast circle of friends and acquaintances, comparatively few enemies, and his steadfast, if uninspired, leadership of House Kay. Under him the house has remained relatively prosperous, but has had no major accomplishments since he succeeded his mother as the head of House Kay.
Traits:
Militarily Incompetent: Lord Kay has never made a study of the arts of war or combat, preferring to leave such things to his house troops and their leaders.
Excellent Personal Relationships: Lord Kay is known throughout the sector for his vast network of personal friends, acquaintances, and allies, and his relative lack of enemies, though he never seems to have put it to much use.
Political Potential: Lord Kay has only ever dabbled in politics insofar as it has been necessary to preserve the position of his house—that is, very little at all. Still, all those people he knows may come in handy someday.
Steward: Lord Kay has little ambition and is well aware of it. Instead he sees his role as preserving his house for the next generation, who may have their own ideas about what they wish to do with it.
Article: Peter Kay, of House Kay. Youngest and last child of Lord Kay and Lady Elisha Kay (deceased). 20 years old.
Reputedly of a scholarly bent, with no major accomplishments reported to date.
Traits:
Scholar: Peter Kay loves learning for its own sake, and rapidly acquires new knowledge give time for research.
Unmilitary: Though not as disinterested in military matters as his father, Peter Kay has never made a particular study of them, and has expressed distaste for the bloodshed of the great wars of history.
Untried Combatant: While never trained as a soldier, Peter Kay has been taught the more traditional skills of a nobleman—that is, the art of dueling. He appears competent but has never been tested by anyone except his instructors. His sister declined an offer to bout him, expressing disdain for the form. He hopes to convince her to face him in the ring someday.
Potential Analyst: Peter's love of learning and history has sharpened his eye for patterns and given him the ability to dig through stacks of information for relevant details. Thus far, he has not put his talents to any use but his own.
Article: Second most senior captain of the House Kay Fleet; third ranking officer in the fleet. Considered by her peers to be the most competent of the fleet's captains. Commander of the Crusier Longstreet.
Traits:
Sound Tactician: Captain Gibson knows her business hand has won several engagements with raiders, pirates, and mercenaries over the years.
Close Fighter ('In Harm's Way'): Captain Gibson prefers to take warships in close, accepting a battering in exchange for the chance to hammer her opponents with superior weaponry and force a decisive victory.
Article: Colonel; second ranking officer in the House Kay Guard.
Traits:
Legion Veteran: Colonel Olmstead served twenty years in the legion before retiring. Knowing only the military life, and with an exemplary service record, he sought private employment in a House Guard. In a rare moment of military insight, Lord Kay hired the colonel.
Tanker: Though all his later commands were mixed units, Colonel Olmstead initially trained as a tank platoon commander, and still believes in the primacy of armor on the battlefield.
Experienced Tactician: Colonel Olmstead didn't see it all in twenty years with the Legion, but he's seen a hell of a lot and survived it all. With an intuitive grasp of tactics, decades of experience, and the insight to treat every engagement, won or lost, as a learning opportunity, he's hard to surprise, harder still to outmaneuver, and nearly impossible to outfight.
Article: Major; currently assigned as executive officer to COL Olmstead.
Traits:
Prior Enlisted: Major Alto started out as a grunt infantryman in the House Kay Guard. Sheer talent and determination allowed him to work his way up the ranks to his current position.
Skilled Infantryman: House Kay may not have entered any feuds or wars for the last twenty years, but it still saw fighting. Major Alto was there for most of it, and has the scars and skills to show for it.
Article: 1st Lieutenant; Commander, Alpha Company 1st Platoon, House Key Guard, personal guards to Kallie Kay.
Traits:
Legion Veteran: Lieutenant Zhang was Kallie Kay's company first sergeant at the Third Battle of Essle, otherwise known as The Black Drop, and one of the forty-two Legion survivors of the battle. Afterwards he retired, taking up a career in corporate security before being recruited by his old captain to head her personal guard and shock troops.
Survivor Of The Black Drop: Forty-two men and women can claim this title. Not all of them are still alive, wounds and the years and battles since having taken their toll. Those who remain will never forget what happened there.
Trusted Friend: Kallie Kay: Zhang served as Kallie's first sergeant during The Black Drop and saved her life nearly as many times as she saved his. Together they led their band of survivors through three days of nightmarish combat. She got all the fame for it, but he's fine with that, preferring, like any senior noncom, to stay out of the spotlight and just get the job done.
Organizations:
Article: The Legion is the umbrella term and unified command structure for all of Earth's active armed forces. Deployed throughout known space and always pushing into unexplored territory, wherever Earth wants to make her strength felt, the Legion goes. Duties include anti-piracy patrols, peacekeeping, suppression of rebel states, exploration, and being the big stick behind Earth's not-so-soft speech.
[More information may be available]
Events:
Article: The Black Drop was a brigade strength Legion operation during the Suppression of Essle. Of the two battalions that successfully made landfall, forty-two soldiers survived the combined-arms counter-attack on their landing zone, consisting of infantry and armor supported by continuous artillery fire, by fighting their way through the burning forest and enemy lines for three days. The remaining battalion was destroyed in their transports by concealed air defenses.
The failure of the operation has been attributed to poor planning, inadequate reconnaissance, failure to suppress the landing zone in advance of the assault, and the deliberate spread of misinformation by Essle intelligence operatives in order to convince the Legion of the suitability of their chosen landing zone.
Generally considered the most devastating Legion defeat in a century, the battle is notable for the actions of Captain Kallie Kay, later known as The Demon of The Black Drop, and for leading directly to the nuclear bombardment of Essle, which ended the suppression campaign, in retaliation.
[More information may be available]
Last edited:
pt246
Sometimes sarcastic, occasionally grumpy
Kallie's platoon jumped from the ramp. It took fifteen seconds, total, for the forty-two soldiers to exit the craft. The other units with them deployed nearly as fast from their own dropships; they were well trained, if unused to combat on this scale. It had been twenty years since House Kay had moved in force against an enemy, and every one of those years showed in the subtle differences between the house troops and Kallie's Legion veterans.
Kallie had left the Legion, but she hadn't lost any of their pride when she went, so she smiled beneath her helmet and made a not to train the troops that much harder when they got back.
The LZ was a burning hell. The chemical fire of incendiary submunitions had turned the open field at the edge of the complex into a nightmare. Smoke swirled away from the dropship's engines and left each platoon inside a gap in the choking haze that settled over the smoldering field. Kallie's armor made the familiar warning tone of excessive heat, near the edges of its tolerance. The flames that licked around her boots only charred the armor's paint, but the white-hot incendiary compounds scattered throughout the field would do much more damage.
She set her HUD to display anomalous heat sources a half second before Zhang ordered the same, then reinforced the order, relaying it to the rest of her command. Behind her the dropships closed their ramps and left, heading back into orbit for the second wave. One was forced to dive and launch flares as a missile from deeper in the complex streaked towards it, then it darted upwards into the dawn sky when the missile was successfully decoyed off.
Kallie and her men walked from the burning landing zone with their weapons ready, turning to cover gaping doors and suspicious shadow, searching for resistance that failed to materialize in the flickering light. All they found was the dead and the dying, men and women torn apart by the bombardment.
She stepped over the pale corpse of a man, ignoring the terrified look frozen on his face and his bloodstained hands, fallen from where they'd clutched desperately at the shattered bone and shredded flesh of his thigh. She'd seen worse before; she expected to see worse again. At least he'd been lucky enough to escape the flames.
The missile strike threw her to the ground on top of him, her heavy armor crushing his ribcage in.
"Report!" The remnants of a fireball rose between where second and third platoons were climbed unsteadily to their feet, or lay too dazed to move—if they lived. Those who were able sprinted and staggered their way to the nearest cover, dragging those who couldn't. One medic stayed next to a fallen trooper. Kallie could see the spurt of arterial blood that pushed past his hands from where he was. Four other bodies lay motionless, half-covered in rubble thrown up by the explosion that killed them.
The platoon commanders reported their status and Kallie made note of it, her mind elsewhere. Zhang sent a squad forward from her position to scout the partially collapsed building ahead of them while she radioed the Longstreet.
"Captain, what the hell was that? And where did it come from?" The missile had been a miss, for the most part, killing five when it could've wiped out a quarter of her force.
"A pair of contacts made a fast pass three klicks out. They must've launched then, but we didn't see it. We're tracking them now. It looks like Intel missed a hangar. I have four fighters incoming, another four headed for you, and I'd bet four more about to get in the air to make trouble for one of us."
"Shit." She switched to the general channel. "More air incoming! Ngo, break out your launchers, see what you can do. Everyone else—inside! Hug the flames, they'll block you on thermals." She began to run forward as she changed channels again. "Gibson, Olmstead, hold the next wave. Captain, what can you give me?"
"Roger. Holding the next wave. They'll be down as soon as we can get them to you safely." Olmstead was calmer than Kallie would like, given the circumstances, but it beat the opposite. Gibson's reply was less helpful.
"Not much, Ma'am. If I detach my CAP they'll get caught up or cut up on the way down." Kallie threw herself through a door her troops had kicked open a moment earlier as the captain continued. "And they can dance around the edge of my point defense range all day if I don't have fighters on hand to harry them. As it is I doubt I'll be able to provide fire support while I deal with this."
"Handle it, take care of the hangar if possible, and get back on station ASAP." Kallie ordered. "I want the second wave on the ground as soon as they're able to get here, and we'll still be extracting on schedule."
"Understood, Ma'am."
She moved to where Zhang was standing. They listened to the sound of gunfire ahead of them, and more off to the left side, near Second Platoon. "What's it look like?"
"Our squad hit some pretty stiff resistance around the entrance to the data hub. Automated defenses mostly, plus a handful of guards who're shitting their pants, but if you want to get data off the isolated servers we'll have to deal with them. Second and Third platoons ran into a pocket that was gathering to rush the LZ; sounds like they might need a hand. And Bravo One and Two are moving in on the command center. They haven't reported any problems so far."
You no longer have the men to hit all of your objectives at once. On the other hand, your veterans have the strength and skill to deal with just about anything Morgan troops can throw at you. So choose three:
[ ] Join Bravo Company's First and Second Platoons in the push for the command center. That's still your main objective and Lord Morgan's brother should be there. You have a message for him.
[ ] Reinforce 2nd and 3rd Platoons. Just because they should be able to deal with it doesn't mean they won't appreciate the help, and they've already taken casualties.
[ ] Hit the servers. You don't know exactly what's on them, but it's a safe bet that anything that's been air gapped away from Morgan's main network is information you want.
[X] Have your Weapons Platoon dig in and deal with their air support. [Already chosen for you.] (Yes, this means you only really have 2 choices.)
Casualties: 5 KIA, 3 WIA.
Combat Assets:
-Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, House Kay Guard [deployed]
--1st Platoon (Jump Platoon): Heavily armed and armored shock troopers
--2nd Platoon [2 KIA, 1 WIA]
--3rd Platoon [3 KIA, 2 WIA]
--Weapons Platoon
-Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, House Kay Guard [partially deployed]
--1st Platoon [deployed]
--2nd Platoon [deployed]
--3rd Platoon [embarked, 2nd wave, cut off]
--Weapons Platoon [embarked 2nd wave, cut off]
-Detached Armor Section [embarked, 2nd wave, cut off]
--2 MBTs
-Cruiser Longstreet
--6 dropships
--4 fighters [deployed}
--Embarked Troops
Sorry for the short update. I made the mistake last time of asking you why you were fighting and what you were going to run into, but didn't ask what you were going to do about it, which didn't give me much to work with. So that's my first lesson learned.
… And also, for all that I love big epic fantasy series I was somehow never able to get away from brevity in my own writing. It's probable that most of my updates will be on the short side, though hopefully not quite this short in the future.
Kallie had left the Legion, but she hadn't lost any of their pride when she went, so she smiled beneath her helmet and made a not to train the troops that much harder when they got back.
The LZ was a burning hell. The chemical fire of incendiary submunitions had turned the open field at the edge of the complex into a nightmare. Smoke swirled away from the dropship's engines and left each platoon inside a gap in the choking haze that settled over the smoldering field. Kallie's armor made the familiar warning tone of excessive heat, near the edges of its tolerance. The flames that licked around her boots only charred the armor's paint, but the white-hot incendiary compounds scattered throughout the field would do much more damage.
She set her HUD to display anomalous heat sources a half second before Zhang ordered the same, then reinforced the order, relaying it to the rest of her command. Behind her the dropships closed their ramps and left, heading back into orbit for the second wave. One was forced to dive and launch flares as a missile from deeper in the complex streaked towards it, then it darted upwards into the dawn sky when the missile was successfully decoyed off.
Kallie and her men walked from the burning landing zone with their weapons ready, turning to cover gaping doors and suspicious shadow, searching for resistance that failed to materialize in the flickering light. All they found was the dead and the dying, men and women torn apart by the bombardment.
She stepped over the pale corpse of a man, ignoring the terrified look frozen on his face and his bloodstained hands, fallen from where they'd clutched desperately at the shattered bone and shredded flesh of his thigh. She'd seen worse before; she expected to see worse again. At least he'd been lucky enough to escape the flames.
The missile strike threw her to the ground on top of him, her heavy armor crushing his ribcage in.
"Report!" The remnants of a fireball rose between where second and third platoons were climbed unsteadily to their feet, or lay too dazed to move—if they lived. Those who were able sprinted and staggered their way to the nearest cover, dragging those who couldn't. One medic stayed next to a fallen trooper. Kallie could see the spurt of arterial blood that pushed past his hands from where he was. Four other bodies lay motionless, half-covered in rubble thrown up by the explosion that killed them.
The platoon commanders reported their status and Kallie made note of it, her mind elsewhere. Zhang sent a squad forward from her position to scout the partially collapsed building ahead of them while she radioed the Longstreet.
"Captain, what the hell was that? And where did it come from?" The missile had been a miss, for the most part, killing five when it could've wiped out a quarter of her force.
"A pair of contacts made a fast pass three klicks out. They must've launched then, but we didn't see it. We're tracking them now. It looks like Intel missed a hangar. I have four fighters incoming, another four headed for you, and I'd bet four more about to get in the air to make trouble for one of us."
"Shit." She switched to the general channel. "More air incoming! Ngo, break out your launchers, see what you can do. Everyone else—inside! Hug the flames, they'll block you on thermals." She began to run forward as she changed channels again. "Gibson, Olmstead, hold the next wave. Captain, what can you give me?"
"Roger. Holding the next wave. They'll be down as soon as we can get them to you safely." Olmstead was calmer than Kallie would like, given the circumstances, but it beat the opposite. Gibson's reply was less helpful.
"Not much, Ma'am. If I detach my CAP they'll get caught up or cut up on the way down." Kallie threw herself through a door her troops had kicked open a moment earlier as the captain continued. "And they can dance around the edge of my point defense range all day if I don't have fighters on hand to harry them. As it is I doubt I'll be able to provide fire support while I deal with this."
"Handle it, take care of the hangar if possible, and get back on station ASAP." Kallie ordered. "I want the second wave on the ground as soon as they're able to get here, and we'll still be extracting on schedule."
"Understood, Ma'am."
She moved to where Zhang was standing. They listened to the sound of gunfire ahead of them, and more off to the left side, near Second Platoon. "What's it look like?"
"Our squad hit some pretty stiff resistance around the entrance to the data hub. Automated defenses mostly, plus a handful of guards who're shitting their pants, but if you want to get data off the isolated servers we'll have to deal with them. Second and Third platoons ran into a pocket that was gathering to rush the LZ; sounds like they might need a hand. And Bravo One and Two are moving in on the command center. They haven't reported any problems so far."
You no longer have the men to hit all of your objectives at once. On the other hand, your veterans have the strength and skill to deal with just about anything Morgan troops can throw at you. So choose three:
[ ] Join Bravo Company's First and Second Platoons in the push for the command center. That's still your main objective and Lord Morgan's brother should be there. You have a message for him.
[ ] Reinforce 2nd and 3rd Platoons. Just because they should be able to deal with it doesn't mean they won't appreciate the help, and they've already taken casualties.
[ ] Hit the servers. You don't know exactly what's on them, but it's a safe bet that anything that's been air gapped away from Morgan's main network is information you want.
[X] Have your Weapons Platoon dig in and deal with their air support. [Already chosen for you.] (Yes, this means you only really have 2 choices.)
Casualties: 5 KIA, 3 WIA.
Combat Assets:
-Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, House Kay Guard [deployed]
--1st Platoon (Jump Platoon): Heavily armed and armored shock troopers
--2nd Platoon [2 KIA, 1 WIA]
--3rd Platoon [3 KIA, 2 WIA]
--Weapons Platoon
-Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, House Kay Guard [partially deployed]
--1st Platoon [deployed]
--2nd Platoon [deployed]
--3rd Platoon [embarked, 2nd wave, cut off]
--Weapons Platoon [embarked 2nd wave, cut off]
-Detached Armor Section [embarked, 2nd wave, cut off]
--2 MBTs
-Cruiser Longstreet
--6 dropships
--4 fighters [deployed}
--Embarked Troops
Sorry for the short update. I made the mistake last time of asking you why you were fighting and what you were going to run into, but didn't ask what you were going to do about it, which didn't give me much to work with. So that's my first lesson learned.
… And also, for all that I love big epic fantasy series I was somehow never able to get away from brevity in my own writing. It's probable that most of my updates will be on the short side, though hopefully not quite this short in the future.