[X]Plan: Clean Up
"Skull 1 to all units: focus on wiping out the Arm Slaves and then we can retreat before this Gundam decides to mess with us," Roy calls out. You acknowledge, and start lining up a shot while Graham keeps the flying swordsman distracted.
Lee, for his part, already started maneuvering underwater to try another cloak-and-dagger attack on the enemies running the same Arm Slave as he is.
Zy-98 SHADOW moves zones and attacks SHADOW SQUAD with MONOMOLECULAR CUTTER
Roll 1+CQB 5+HIT 3=9 vs. Roll 9+EVA 2+MOB 2=13 Result: MISS
Unfortunately, that squad had been tracking his movements underwater. While hitting someone who moved as fluidly as Lee was out of the question for them, they could retreat beyond the reach of his knife
SKULL SQUADRON attacks SHADOW SQUAD with 35mm GUNPODS
Roll 6+AIM 3+HIT 2=11 vs. Roll 4+EVA 2+MOB 2=8 Result: HIT
(DMG 3+AIM 3)-(DEF 1+ARM 0)=5. Result: NORMAL DAMAGE. Shadow Squad HP: 4000/6000
SKULL SQUADRON is [Out of Supply]
Fortunately, that does put them out of cover from sustained fire from Skull Squadron, who continue to lay into the Arm Slaves with their cannons, taking one of the errant terrorists down.
"Skull 4 here," a woman's voice - Tachibana, you recall - says over the comms. "Lt. Commander, I'm running low on ammo and power."
"Acknowledged, newbie. We'll be returning to base shortly," Roy says. "Lilia, finish them off, please."
"I'll do what I can," you say, carefully maneuvering to flank the old-model arm slave squads. "And...aligned."
THELETOS attacks SAVAGE SQUAD and SAVAGE SQUAD with FUSION CANNON
Roll 4+AIM 4+HIT 2=10 vs. Roll 6+EVA 1+MOB 1=8. Result: HIT
(DMG 4+AIM 4)-(DEF 1+ARM 0)=7. Result: MAJOR DAMAGE. Savage Squad HP: 0/3000
Roll 10+AIM 4+HIT 2=16 vs. Roll 10+EVA 1+MOB 1=12
(DMG 4+AIM 4)-(DEF 1+ARM 0)=7. Result: MAJOR DAMAGE. Savage Squad HP: 0/3000
The half dozen or so Rk-92 Savages that the terrorists were operating were performing standard urban warfare tactics for their relatively small machines: find cover and try to catch the enemy in a crossfire. It had worked well for generations of low-intensity conflicts.
Unfortunately for them, Theletos doesn't really
do low-intensity. You've managed to line up all of them in a row, with equipment and tents on the shoreline functioning to give them cover relative to you, but as you turn on the Fusion Cannon and simply let it fire a continuous beam, you and they quickly realize that cover doesn't mean much against this kind of power output. A great glowing orange-white beam crackles across the beach for several seconds, leaving behind a scar of glass and the detritus of six exploded bio-diesel engines...and not much else.
"Hot
damn, Lilia," Roy comments, "they really know how to make 'em on Mars."
You wonder about the six people you just vaporized, but only intellectually. On some level, you wonder if you've gotten used to this too quickly, or if there was even anything to get used to.
Second Lieutenant Kudo, for his part, seems to rapidly be getting a hang of the VF-0's transformation system. Or at least, he's managed to reconfigure it into something more familiar to him as a mobile suit pilot, and doesn't use his unit's missing wing. He's moving rapidly through the jungle to join the fray properly,
VF-0 (SHIN) transforms to BATTROID
VF-0 (SHIN) moves zones and attacks SHADOW SQUAD with 35mm GUNPOD
Roll 1+AIM 4+HIT 2=7 vs. Roll 8+EVA 2+MOB 2=12. Result: Miss
but unfortunately, he can't draw a bead on the pair of remaining Arm Slaves, either through unfamiliarity with the weapons systems, or some lingering damage to the VF-0's targeting.
"Come on, Gundam!" Graham shouts as he attempts to engage the sword-using mobile suit's attention with his own melee weapons. "I came here to test my blade against yours! Don't disappoint me now!"
UNION FLAG attacks GUNDAM EXIA with SONIC BLADE
Roll 1+CQB 4+HIT 2=7 vs. Roll 6+EVA 3+MOB 3=12. Result: Miss
Graham's Flag can't keep up with the Gundam's maneuverability, only succeeding in scratching its paint. The Gundam, for its part, draws a beam saber in its offhand and cuts Graham's sonic blade in two.
"Uh-oh."
The Gundam itself isn't focusing on Graham, though. Its optics trace the path of the massive beam that cut a swathe across the beach, and the mystery unit at the end of it. It extends its physical blade again, and prepares to cut the tall poppy named Theletos.
??????? casts FOCUS
GUNDAM EXIA moves zones and attacks THELETOS with GN SWORD
Roll 3+CQB 3+HIT 4+2 Focus=12 vs. Roll 1+EVA 2+MOB 3=6. Result: HIT
(DMG 4+CQB 3)-(DEF 1+ARM 2)=5. Result: NORMAL DAMAGE. Theletos HP: 4000/7000
???????'s Chain Attack Lv. 1
GUNDAM EXIA attacks SKULL SQUADRON with GN SWORD
Roll 7+CQB 3+HIT 4+2 Focus=16 vs. Roll 4+EVA 3+MOB 4=11. Result: HIT
(DMG 4+CQB 3)-(DEF 1+ARM 0)=7. Result: MAJOR DAMAGE. Skull Squadron HP: 0/8000
For a brief second, you freeze at the sight of an onrushing, overpowered unit charging at you with a physical blade. That hesitation is all it takes for history to repeat, and the Gundam to do to Theletos exactly what the XAW-1 did to it over Mars, smashing it with a physical blade that leaves a deep rent in the armor. Fortunately, this time you're wearing a helmet, and even when Theletos collides with one of Mayan Island's mountains, you're fairly certain you're going to maintain consciousness.
The Gundam, apparently used to being able to cut things in half in a single stroke, continues its aerial dance away from Theletos and charges directly at the remaining formal members of Skull Squadron.
"Split up!" you hear Tachibana shout as the two VFs transform and dive out of the way of the onrushing blade. Her instincts there save both her and Roy's lives as the onrushing blade smashes into rock instead of center-mass on their VFs. Both fighters are wobbly and trailing smoke as they rocket away from the island, though.
"Dammit! Skull 1 here, Skull Squadron is retreating. We're no good to anyone in this state," Roy says, anger seeping into his voice. "I leave the remaining hostiles to the discretion of the PMC Trust, but don't feel obligated to fight that monster. Weird guy in Stuart's VF, get into cover."
"I can still fight...," you hear Kudo observe over the radio, obviously weighing his options between following orders and trying to be a hero.
SHADOW SQUAD attacks Zy-98 SHADOW with MONOMOLECULAR CUTTERS
Roll 1+CQB 2+HIT 5. vs. Roll 6+I'm tired it misses
Lee pipes up from where he's playing a game of cat-and-mouse with the other Shadows on the beach. "What do you think, Miss Lilia? Mission is more or less accomplished, but leaving stragglers to Celestial Being smacks of unprofessionalism."
You've righted Theletos and gotten it back in the air now. Three enemies, and a dwindling number of allies...
Tactical Information
Skull Squadron has
retreated. Their VFs are heavily damaged and will be unavailable in Mission 2.
Only 2/3 of one Arm Slave squad and Gundam Exia remain hostile.
Allies
Theletos (Lilia, HP: 4000/7000)
Shadow (Lee, HP: 4000/4000)
Union Flag (Graham Aker, HP: 6000/6000)
VF-0 (Shin, HP:
500/2000)
Opposing Forces (Anti-Union Terrorists)
1x
Zy-98 Shadow Squad (HP: 4000/6000)
Opposing Forces (Celestial Being)
1x
GN-001 Gundam Exia (???????, HP: 7000/8000)
Current Positions
Zone 1: Theletos, VF-0,
Gundam Exia
Zone 2: Union Flag, Shadow,
Shadow Squad
Planning
[ ]PLAN: Tactical Withdrawal
-[ ]Your job is done, as far as you're concerned. Withdraw and let Celestial Being have the credit for "ending the fight" on their terms.
-[ ]No further risk to Lilia or allied pilots
[ ]PLAN: Parting Shot
-[ ]Lilia casts Focus and eliminates the last terrorists. This will open her to retaliation from the Gundam.
-[ ]Everyone else withdraws, no risk of retaliation
[ ]PLAN: I'll Get A Promotion If I Shoot Down the Gundam
-[ ]Have everyone still in the combat zone swarm Exia. It's proven its dangerousness at this point and everyone will be very impressed if you can force it to retreat.
-[ ]All units will be vulnerable to counterattack
[ ]PLAN: Write-in
And that's the other side of dice luck. Jeez but that was a lot of 1s on both sides.
How are the mechanics looking so far, by the way? Any problems or things you'd change to make it more exciting? Mission 0 ended early, but as this is a more typical "rout" objective, I figure we have more data to look at now.
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