The new kaiju signature is soon nailed down, and triangulated by Seattle's vast network of sensors.
SE-27-003, codename "Olhydra", is approaching from the south, and moving at a decent, but not overly quick, pace. Scanners show a basic humanoid body roughly the size of a jaeger, with an exoskeletal shell, but that's it. There's no signs of any bioelectrical or thermal signatures that would suggest ranged weapons.
Olhydra is approaching from the southern sector. You may deploy up to 60 units from the Defense Perimeter.
Combat Deployment
[x] Plan Jeagers and Deathball
-[x] Jaegers deploy 60 units south
-[x] Tacit deploys with Noah and understudy
-[x] Crunchies deploy 55 units south
--[x] Tanks, Mortars, Hiln, Hemidal (locked down if possible) Dragonflies, Hellhounds, Banshees, and Quezts
--[x] Choppers load Cracker missiles.
-[x] AKBs, Arty, and SE & SW gun batteries deployed on the south wall
It's not long before the forces roll out, getting as far out from the city as they can before the kaiju arrives. Noah insists on piloting, and is deployed with one of the understudies who'd been identified as Drift Compatible. It's not a perfect solution, but the link will be stable enough for Tacit to operate with its usual efficiency. Jagdhund, meanwhile, is perfectly fine-- potentially even a bit more dextrous, now that she's unburdened by the massive plasma gun. The other units are all fine, and ready for combat.
It's not long before the kaiju shows up.
As the scanners suggested, Olhydra is the approximate size and mass of a jaeger, with a body that looks like it's wearing a suit of armour. Its head is horned, and its shoulders broad, though its arms are somewhat odd looking-- they end in hands, but a bulky pair of prongs curls off the elbow like a pincer.
No matter. It's just a kaiju; one poorly outfitted for dealing with the might of the PPDC.
Olhydra is 40 units from the jaegers, 45 from the frontline conventionals, and 100 from DP.
Combat Round 1
[x] Crunchies overwatch
-[x] Hellhounds prep SMMs, Banshees prep lasers, and tanks prep power shells.
[x] Tacit moves 3 units east
[x] Jagdhund moves 3 units west
As the kaiju slowly advances, the Jaegers begin to move. Tacit goes east and Jagdhund goes west, trying to trap the kaiju in a pincer movement, and open it up to the front line's firepower. Meanwhile, the forces get ready, charging up lasers, loading specialty ammo, and strafing back and forth to find the optimal position to shoot from.
Olhydra, however, is quite nonplussed. The creature continues to advance, its armour pieces clicking together with each step. A pair of fleshy red eyes flick back and forth, emotionlessly scanning the battlefield.
Olhydra is 27 from the Jaegers, 35 from frontline forces, 90 from perimeter.
Combat Round 2
[x] JH and Conventionals overwatch
[x] Tacit waits (im)patiently
The forces ready their weapons, aiming them all at Olhydra, waiting for it to close to range...
And the kaiju stops. It just... stops advancing.
Olhydra simply stands there, legs planted firmly on the ground. It's a good stance-- solid enough to resist a charge, but light enough that it can resume moving quite quickly. The kaiju's hands flex at its sides, a set of crowbar hooked claws extending from its fingertips for a moment.
Olhydra is 27 from the Jaegers, 35 from frontline forces, 90 from perimeter. It hasn't moved.
Combat Round 3
[X] Everyone advances two units.
-[x] If Olhydra still doesn't move, the Jagdhund starts shooting, burst fire.
Slowly, the assembled forces creep forwards, waiting for the kaiju to act. Tacit Ronin takes a step...
Clang.
The kaiju's stepped back, its armour plates clanking together. Curiously, the jaegers continue their advance, only for Olhydra to back up again, shifting a little to its right as it does so. Its eyes glimmer, and narrow.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Olhydra is 27/29 from TR/JH, 35 from frontline forces, 37 from Heimdal, 92 from perimeter.
Combat Round 4
[X] The Jaegers scan the Kaiju and the area around him.
-[x] The rest of the forces advance to get into firing position.
(11)
(7)
Not trusting this creature, Tacit and Jagdhund train their active sensors on Olhydra, and attempt as in-depth of a scan as possible in a combat situation.
Unfortunately, there's little to glean from it. No odd energy signatures, no major alterations in gravity or electromagnetism... it's just smart, if the high levels of bioelectrical activity in its spine and head are any indication. The kaiju continues to step back and around, clanking its noisy way to a straight line with Tacit.
Olhydra is 27/30 from TR/JH, 26/32 from frontline forces (air/land), 35 from Heimdal (unlocked), 93 from perimeter.
Combat Round 5
[X] Tacit and Jaeger walk towards it but don't close the distance between each other more than halfway.
-[X] Make sure that Tacit is NOT in between Jagd and Olhydra, since it seems to be trying to arrange that.
[X] Air forces move towards it but angled to a point ten units to its right. (They'll circle around it and see about cutting off it's retreat.)
[X] Ground forces 'walk' forwards every turn unless it suddenly runs to within 15 units of them.
Trying to herd the creature into a pincer formation, the air force breaks off to their left, starting to circle around. Meanwhile, Tacit and Jagdhund advance, the former slowing down a bit so that it doesn't block the latter's line of fire unintentionally.
And it's at this point that Olhydra decides to act.
Without a single roar or hiss, the kaiju springs forwards, its armoured plates clashing and clanging together as it runs straight for the jaegers!
Olhydra is 9/12 from TR/JH, 8/16 from frontline forces (air/land), 19 from Heimdal (unlocked), 81 from perimeter.
I have an idea for downtime; you've got some unfinished stat upgrades on Jagdhund (though maybe not the Ran 5...), and of course there's always the BSH to finalise. And, hmm... less related, but you know Grae's still out there. "Phenom Sable and The Grey Harpy; Wrestling Match of the Century", anyone?
Combat Round 6
[x] Plan Wall of Lead and Wall of Jaeger
-[x] Air force ARGESs and alpha strikes - Crackers from the choppers, Hellfire+s from the Quezts (oh, and nose vulcans)
-[x] Tanks fire standard rounds
-[x] Jagdhund fires in Burst mode (we did load AP rounds, right?)
-[x] Tacit waits until barrage is over and then charges with MKIII Thrusters.
--[x] Flourish this attack!
Immediately, the plan shifts, and the air force circles around. Momentarily, the lights of the Arges system flash across the kaiju's metallic hide, before a barrage of missiles and shells drown it in a hail of smoke and flame!
3 Arges hits! 11 Glancing Hits! 11 Strikes!
The kaiju charges out of the smoke, its armour battered and smoking, but ultimately still intact. It seems as though even the armour piercing missiles failed to penetrate completely! Undaunted, Jagdhund fires off a quick burst, aimed at the chinks in Olhydra's cervical armour.
It's a good shot.
Minor Wound to Neck! Major Wound to Spine! 8 Strikes! Olhydra is Paralyzed!
The kaiju's limbs instantly lock up, as most of its spinal nerves are shot to pieces by the shells. Blood sprays from Olhydra's throat, as it begins to topple forwards--
"Alright, now!"
Tacit Ronin shoves off, igniting the high power thrusters on its back as it rushes forwards! The Jaeger cuts upwards--
Destruction Wounds to Spine and Left Leg! Instant Death! Successful Flourish! +1500 Resources!
Olhydra is thrown back, a deep cleft torn into its body from hip to forehead, nearly dividing it in two. The two halves of the kaiju crash to the ground, toxic blood steaming out of its innards, as Tacit holds its uppercut pose a little longer.
SE-27-003 "Olhydra" Defeated!
Breaking news: local grapple beast left unable to grapple after kaiju masters forgot to install a counter to all the 10s.
Week 40 Combat End
Tacit Ronin and Jagdhund soon return triumphantly to their city, the former with a distinct pep in its stride. It's clear to the autonomous jaeger-- her alabaster teammate just seems a little more alive since last week, like it'd been missing something. Granted, it had; Noah had been out of commission for more than a month!
Neither mecha has suffered any sort of damage from the fight-- if it can even be called a fight. All they need is a top-up of coolant and lubricant, a wash off, and the routine mechanical check.
Of course, Noah finds himself greeted not only by his colleagues in the PPDC, but by the waiting medical team. The man relents without a fuss, and lets himself be escorted off by the professionals.
Tacit Ronin needs no repairs, but Noah is not allowed to undergo hunting missions this downtime. Jagdhund needs no repairs.
The return of Noah, alongside Tacit Ronin's dramatic coup-de-grace, has a notable impact on the city's outlook. Nobody's completely over the awful events of last week, but their spirits have been raised a little more.
Morale rises to Steady. Manufacturing malus lifted. Further morale increases still restricted.
Meanwhile, Kaiju Science offers the council their report on Olhydra's postmortem autopsy. There's actually a whole host of stuff that never saw use in combat, owing to the kaiju's rapid demise. Of the most interest are its arms, and their... unconventional structure. Unlike most humanoid limbs, Olhydra's were 'double jointed'; along with the conventional elbow, there was an additional joint-- more like an axle than a hinge-- in the middle of what would have been a forearm, split by the forked nature of the 'mid-arm'. The actual forearm was held in its centre-point by the mid-arm axle, and featured a hand at either end. based on their internal structure, the physiologists can conclude that Olhydra would have been able to rapidly spin its forearms around in seconds, allowing it to bring either set of hands-- claws or pincers-- to bear on its opponents. Said claws also seem made for working themselves under defensive plates and removing them, though it'd need the sort of leverage that only grappling would provide.
As a second point of interest, the kaiju's body was covered in thick layers of internally-honeycombed armour with incredible toughness. While penetrating the armour is possible, the way it intersects means that most tears will be sealed up by interior layers. The armour itself also seems optimised for spreading force; against a wide-area assault like that provided by conventional anti-kaiju weaponry, it's nearly impenetrable, but the greater and more concentrated force of jaeger and superheavy weaponry shouldn't have any issue. Analysis shows that this dampening effect was responsible for mitigating much of the damage that could have been dealt by the defense force's 'alpha strike' maneuver.
Beyond that, there's really not much. No ranged weapons, as previously hypothesised. No extreme toxicity. Nothing but a slightly more advanced central nervous system. The kaiju itself can't be converted to any sort of 'bio-jaeger', in answer of some ideas that have been thrown around; the metallic elements in its armour and skeleton aren't concentrated enough, and its internals are just the usual squishy kaiju stuff.
Meanwhile, in one of the Shatterdome's previously empty jaeger bays, cranes lift pieces of advanced alloy into place, as hydraulic musculature and liquid synapse tubes are woven into shape. It'll be something...
...Phenomenal.
It is now downtime.
Kaiju Stats:
SE-27-003 Olhydra
Class: Cat III Olhydra is roughly humanoid, with a pair of horns on its head, and a very insectile body covered in steel grey armour. Its arms are built oddly-- as if the lower half was hinged in the middle. Similarly, a pair of delicate manipulators sprout from where they'd normally be, but there's a massive pincer extending from down where the kaiju's elbows are.
Stats:
HtH: 3
Ran: 0
Str: 4
Tou: 5
Agi: 3
Dex: 3
Structure:
Dura: 11
Stru: 20
Master Wrestler: If you win the first round of the Grapple, you gain a non-cumulative +1 bonus to Grappling rolls until you lose a roll. Additionally, you may make an extra action each time you win a Grappling round. Strip Armour: As a 4 Point Grapple Move, Olhydra may reduce an opponent's Armour by 2d5+1 AV, spread out across as many locations as it desires. Olhydra may not reduce any one location's AV by more than 3 points, or below 0. Lost AV must be repaired at 10 R per AV per location. Spin Toss: Olhydra may deign to inflict damage on a successful hit, and instead Throw the opponent in any direction it its choosing, resolved as the Grappling move.
Weapons: Variable Claws x2 Built-in Melee Weapons
Attack Dice: 1d10+1/1d10
Parry Dice: 1d5/1d10
Block Dice: 1d10
Armour Penetration: 1
Grappling Bonus: +3
Damage Type: Blunt
Damage Bonus: Strength-1/Strength+2
Special: Stance Change: Olhydra has two separate hands on each arm, and can switch which ones are active almost instantly. Every round, Olhydra may choose whether it is in Talon Stance or Hammer Stance, even if it's in a Grapple. The first set of values correspond to Talon Stance, the second to Hammer Stance.
Strip Armour: see above - Talon Stance only.
Spin Toss: see above - Hammer Stance only.
Armour: High Density Shell Armour
Coverage: All
AV: 3/-
Resilience: All, +2 Conventional
Durability: Unbreakable
Free Actions:
[ ] Kaiju:
-[ ] Clean up the contamination (-860 Resources)
-[ ] Don't clean up the contamination
[ ] Ashley's recovery:
-[ ] Continue with conventional treatment (no bonus, no malus)
-[ ] Use the experimental A.R.T (+1 bonus, possible side effects)
Time for plans!
(Also, that bit at the end is because building a freaking Jaeger from scratch in under a week is impossibly ridiculous, so whenever you make one it's been retroactively constructed for a while-- or at least, their components are. I figure Jaeger creation is more like putting together a bunch of sub-assemblies that you've been working on for a while.)
[X] Plan J3
-[X] Clean up the contamination (-860 Resources) (Free Action)
-[X] Continue with conventional treatment for Ashley (no bonus, no malus) (Free Action)
-[X] Further Research to Wormhole Penetrator for Improved Success (Safe Research Mode!) (BreachTech)
-[X] Increase Jagdhund's Range to 5*20 (J-Tech 1)
-[X] Increase Jagdhund's Strength to 3*20 (J-Tech 2)
-[X] Research Anti-Kaiju Attack Submarines (C-Tech 1)
-[X] Research increase to the Heimdal's Range Stat (C-Tech 2)
-[X] Research improved Armor Penetration for HE-AP tank shells and related Con Ammo types (C-Tech 3)
-[X] Search for potential assets or points of interest within our territory. (Free Comms)
-[X] Build 4*AG-60 Scout Squadrons, 1*Field Resupply Squads (Free Con Construction)
-[X] Continue research on the BSH Grapple Claws (W/Research Token)
-[X] Continue Research into advanced medical techniques and technology.
-[X] Research potential creation of "bio-jaegers" (mostly just get a solid idea of what, and how much of it, we'll have to commit to manage it.)
-[X] Research potential applications of barrier shield technology (give us the technobabble on how it works!)
-[X] Research J-Scale Double-Jointed Grapple Limbs
-[X] Research means of increasing the range of the Breachgate beyond "More Power!" (Safe Research Mode)
-[X] Continue Researching the risks and rewards from introducing Kaiju genetics into Human biology.
-[X] Construct a Sealed Piloting Chamber (- 7500R)
-[X] Construct MkII Jaeger Frame (-51k Resources)
-[X] Incorporate Sealed Piloting Chamber into construction of new MkII Jaeger Frame
Cleanup goes smoothly, mainly thanks to the narrow area that most of the bloodshed was confined to.
It's decided to wait on the new treatment option, and just keep with conventional medicine for Ashley for the time being. Fortunately, there aren't any complications-- well, there aren't any that are immediately threatening her life. The Ranger's still lost a horrific amount of biomass, and tissue cloning only works so fast. She's better than she was last week, but nowhere near recovery.
Starting off the week's projects is Breach Tech looking into the Wormhole Penetrator project. They fiddle around with it, and manage to readjust the "Deception Field" (as they're calling it) to work a little better. Even so, there's always going to be the possibility of it failing.
Wormhole Penetrators deal full damage on a 4+, and half damage on a 3-2. A roll of a 1 still deflects.
Jagdhund's previously unfinished upgrades are finally-- well, finished. The addition of advanced projectile calculation equipment, improved weapon power conduits, and enhanced muscle strands should result in the jaeger being both stronger and more accurate with her ranged weapons. Of course, further advances can't be added without solving the now re-emerging power issue.
7 Points towards Ranged! 6 Points towards Strength!
Jagdhund to Ranged 5, Strength 3!
Jagdhund has reached her current output limit (20/20 Stat Points)!
The conventional weaponry research labs have also started getting results-- if slightly lackluster ones. First up on the list are submarines. Yes, submarines. Since the idea of making a dedicated nuclear sub to go out and do nuclear sub things is so ridiculous, the new vessel is not designed as one. Instead, it's made to function as a defensive or "short-range" assault weapon-- though the modifier on the latter is more because it actually has an operational limit, since it can easily make the trip to Oblivion and back as long as it's got a favourable current. Since the Neptunes are the only conventional anti-kaiju weapon made to be used underwater, that's all it's armed with, but the Moray would be capable of accepting a variety of different types of torpedo. It's not perfect, no-- but it should be pretty useful.
New Conventional Unit Available: UBAK T-2 "Moray" Anti-Kaiju Combat Submersible! UBAK T-2 "Moray" Anti-Kaiju Combat Submersible 1000 Resources (800 with Dockworks)
Designed from the ground up as an aquatic weapon against the kaiju, the Moray takes inspiration from a variety of pre-TdJ non-nuclear submarines, and modified for use in the altered environments caused by the kaiju. It is not intended as a strategic weapon; only for defense or "short range" assault purposes. Morays are armed only with the familiar Neptune-43 Torpedo Launcher in order to save space, but carry plenty of ammunition for their use. They're also quite fast.
- Moves 8 units per round in/underwater only. May make use of the Depth System.
- Neptune-43 Torpedo Launcher: 1d10 Impact damage. -1 Damage. Range 15/25/--, Hits on 5+. Cauterizes Wounds. Benefits from Arges to +1. May only be fired against targets in the water.
Attempts at improving the accuracy of the Heimdal's massive railgun fall flat, as the previous method of slapping on more computers and range-finders seems to have been a one-time deal.
Upgrades to Superheavy Stats will require stat rolls like with Jaegers. Some stats may not be eligible for upgrading.
Improving the armour penetration ability of the conventional weaponry is tough. The main issues are space and weight. Kaiju armour is thick, and kaiju themselves are incredibly durable, meaning that a weapon needs to have enough kinetic energy or explosive force behind it in order to actually damage one of them. Past a certain point, fitting a heavier penetrator is going to mean reduction of the actual damaging force, be it by loss of explosives or simply the increased weight dragging the shell or missile down. That said, the military's not saying it's impossible to get around, just difficult. The RX-11 Railgun is proof enough that strong, armour-piercing weapons can be made; its only real issues are the recoil its electromagnetic field has on the launch platform's metal body, and how much power it needs to accelerate its ferro-tungsten flechette at optimal speeds. Alternatively, some sort of... high-pressure superheated gas or plasma could do the trick, but that would be hilariously expensive to manufacture as standard-issue weaponry.
Smaller Railguns and Plasma-Shell weapons are your best bet here, but each has their own advantages and disadvantages; railguns don't have an official shot limit, but they need time to charge, while plasma-shells could be used instantly at the cost of... well, you know how plasma shells work in the other games.
With the aid of the long-range communications computers, a wide-ranging search is conducted by Neo-Seattle on their territory, looking for anything interesting or noteworthy.
No more notable sedentary kaiju are spotted, and the Mt. St. Helens Breach is still the only major hole in the universe in this half of North America, so that's that. That said, there's been sightings of more activity up around Goryo's nest in Olympic National Park. Said kaiju, however, hasn't been seen-- instead, Goryo's mostly been sitting around underground.
Speaking of Olympia, while the city's been abandoned a fair bit, most of its infrastructure's still intact. A mission to claim it and rebuild the city would easily be within Seattle's power-- though doing so would undoubtedly provide another target for kaiju. Perhaps if there was some way of getting things back and forth between places at very high speeds...
Olympia is now available for upgrading!
Meanwhile, a few other caches of useful materials are found and gathered up, but it's not like there's a massive amount of stuff lying around-- and some of what the scouts find is being used by minor settlements, and thus left alone.
+450 Resources!
One group checking around the Pacific coast happens across something familiar; a small number of those insectile helicopter drones identified as part of the DGINN forces! That said, it doesn't seem like they're trying anything nefarious; the drones basically ignore the scout helis completely, and none of the four jaegers bother showing up. Additionally, they're pretty far away, having been sighted down in the south-west corner of Neo-Seattle's territory. For now, it's just a curiosity to note.
Yet more aircraft and vehicles are churned out by their production facilities. At this rate, it's more likely that the city will run out of qualified pilots than things for them to drive!
Meanwhile, alternative technologies are under examination, as the use of kaiju-based stuff is a little uncomfortable, and not fully trustworthy yet. Unfortunately, there's little done by the week's end; mostly just planning out what paths to examine specifically.
New applications for the Barrier Shield, as well as the actual science behind it, are thoroughly examined, in hopes of understanding it better. And after a thorough examination, the basics of it seem to be worked out.
It seems that the Barrier system operates in a somewhat different way than initially expected. The generator doesn't "harden fluids" as the defense-- the visible "shield" is nothing but a side effect. What the Barrier system actually does is in some ways stranger than that.
Essentially, what happens is this; if a sufficiently high or concentrated amount of energy (kinetic, thermal, electrical, basically anything) is detected approaching the generator within the radius of the field, then the Barrier system reacts. This results in an opposing force being applied to the incoming attack, dispersing its energy and lowering its destructive power; Newton's Third Law taken to the extreme.
Half of the dispersed energy is simply shoved out to the sides, temporarily compressing the surrounding atmosphere into the distinctive hexagonal pattern that's seen. The other half is absorbed by the generator as heat, which must then be radiated away.
To put it another way, the Barrier system isn't a physical shield that appears; it's reactive armour that can infinitely replenish itself in time. A literal "force field".
Given this, there's both some options and some limitations.
- Improving the generator's ability to radiate the excess energy could increase how much force the shield can take, or allow the heat to be used some other way (steam for an electrical generator, heating up a weapon, keeping things toasty warm)
- A manual trigger or increase in sensitivity could let the shield protect against melee attacks, which normally occupy too large an area to set it off.
- Barriers can't be used as a propulsive engine. The physics don't work like that, and it'd probably tear the generator apart if it did.
- Barriers could potentially be used as a sort of "telekinesis", but it could risk cooking the object or burning out the generator from feedback.
The Breach Gate project is also worked on. Rather than the primitive solution of "more power", the physicists are trying to figure out another way to extend the range. Since readings of the Breach always include great amounts of electromagnetic radiation, that's one option that seems the easiest.
With the help of Breach Tech's new simulations, the new project starts showing some results. A microwave emission device can concentrate the walls of the wormhole, allowing it to sustain itself for a longer distance. Granted, obstructive terrain could cut off the beam (another limitation), and the focused nature means that only one receiver could truly benefit from the extra range, but overall energy usage should remain close to that of the current gate generator.
Mk II Breach-Gate Generator and Mk I Breach Receiver upgraded to Mk III Breach-Gate Generator and Mk II Breach Receiver! Mk III Breach-Gate Generator 5550 Resources
Generates a stable, shielded, artificial Breach. As long as it is powered, and there is at least one Receiver within 60 kilometers of it, anything of Superheavy size or smaller may pass through the Breach-Gate.
Additionally, the Breach-Gate may link with a single Amplified Receiver. The maximum range of an Amplified Breach-Gate is 85 kilometres.
Requires a Mark III+ Jaeger Reactor (or equivalent) to power it. May be activated or deactivated in an instant. Mk II Breach Receiver 1500/1600 Resources
Provides an exit/entry point for any Breach-Gate Generator within 60 kilometers. Anything of Superheavy size or smaller may pass through it.
One Receiver per Generator can be constructed with the Microwave Range Amplifier for an additional 100 Resources. If this is done, its maximum range is 85 kilometres.
A jaeger needs a signature weapon, and Phenom Sable is no exception. The work on its 'Bigger, Scarier Hands' continues vigorously, preparing for the jaeger's finish. And this time, they're more than ready for fabrication. The "Destroyer Talons", as they've been officially designated, consist of a massive mechanical hand mounted around the arm so that the jaeger's actual hand extends from the "palm". Each finger features a titanium-vanadium blade with a synthetic diamond edge and an integrated oscillator, designed after Jagdhund's vibro weaponry in order to inflict more damage. Really, the only disadvantage is that extending them tends to fuck up the jaeger's manual dexterity-- not that Phenom would every be using handheld weapons, or to the degree that it'd harm its grappling, but it might affect parrying adversely.
New Jaeger Weapons Available: VN-09 Destroyer Talons! VN-09 Destroyer Talons 1150 Resources
Built-in Melee Weapon
Attack Dice: 1d10+2
Parry Dice: 1d5
Block Dice: 1d10-1
Armour Penetration: 3
Grappling Bonus: +4
Damage Type: Edged
Damage Bonus: Strength+1
Special: Cauterizes wounds.
Stance Change: A Jaeger with Destroyer Talons has two 'hands' on each arm, and can activate or deactivate this extra pair almost instantly. The Jaeger may extend or retract its Destroyer Talons as a Free Action, but no more than once per round. When extended, the jaeger suffers -1 Dex, and is unable to properly wield handheld weapons, but gains the attack profile and special abilities of the Destroyer Talons in turn. The Jaeger may still carry things in its hands, but all carried weapons count as Improvised instead of their normal profile. When retracted, the Jaeger cannot use the Talons, but otherwise operates as normal.
Progressive Vice: Inflicts 1d10 Edged to the opponent each round the Jaeger wins a Grapple. On a roll of a 10, inflict 1 extra Edged.
The "Bio-jaeger" project is brought up once more, and a collaborative effort promptly carried out by J-Tech and Kaiju Science for the purpose of nailing down just what would be needed. And they do indeed come up with a proper list of stuff.
Construction of a Bio-Jaeger would require:
- Silicon-based biomass (ideally Seijin in nature, due to their low toxicity and biomechanical design-- but if a synthetic version could be grown, that'd work as well)
- "Life support" (a means of keeping the tissue alive and functioning, as well as a plan for healing damage)
- A control system (either laying down artificial nerves, hijacking preexisting ones, or both. Could also include suppression of neural activity, if a secondary brain is present)
- Alterations to the Pons to work with any still-present kaiju/seijin nervous systems (due to the differences in mental and physiological structures)
- Consideration of the organic elements in the rest of its design (armour, weapons, equipment, modifications, etc. would have to fit with it)
Of course, their results aren't just that, and a new set of modifications is also presented-- one which makes heavy use of the physiological data on Kaiju and Seijin in its construction. J-Tech's original assignment here was to create an improved grappling system for the jaegers; they just figured they'd let Kaiju Science pitch in as well. It's obviously not a true flesh limb, but with the kaiju being partially silicon-based... it's close enough. Even bleeds like a kaiju, just without the toxicity.
New Jaeger Modification Available: Hyper-Vascular Muscle Strands! Hyper-Vascular Muscle Strands (Limbs) Costs 4000 Resources
Instead of the usual muscle strands and hydraulics, one or more of the Jaeger's limbs makes use of an advanced, high-pressure fluid motive system. Based off of the designs of Kaiju and Seijin musculature, the hypervascular bundles dramatically improve a jaeger's CQC, wrestling, and weight-carrying abilities. However, the massive amount of pressure concentrated the artificial muscles use for their immense strength can be easily lost if the vascular system is damaged.
- Hyper-Vascular System: The modified Jaeger gains a +3 bonus when Grappling, as long as it is conducting the Grapple using its Hyper-Vascular limbs. Each Ongoing Wound inflicted on a Hyper-Vascular limb will reduce the Grapple bonus by 1, until these Ongoing Wounds are healed. Additionally, the Jaeger is treated as if its Strength was 1 higher for the purposes of Grappling moves, encumbrance, and other prerequisites. Each set of Hyper-Vascular Muscle Strands is only enough to fit one (1) Arm or Leg location, and so more than one is required to gain their full benefits. If only one Grappling limb has the Hyper-Vascular System installed, the jaeger suffers the appropriate penalty for asymmetrical limb use.
Special! The first time Hyper-Vascular Muscle Strands are purchased, you gain an additional set for free. This uses up the proof-of-concept strands, however, so it only works one time.
All the while, the science team works in observing Noah, and carrying out tests on biological samples with the new method. On someone with minor injuries, it seems safe; but the ART was always supposed to fix major wounds, not small stuff. So that's what's checked.
The end result is... Less detailed than they'd hoped, but still informative. When regenerating large sections of tissue, the booster cells emit something similar to a virus; a packet of genetic material that only takes effect inside the cell. However, this genetic material doesn't completely overwrite cell function-- instead, it modifies the internal structure. Altered cells seem to have a higher concentration of silicon that normal, and larger nuclei, but that's unfortunately all they can find so far, and what else might come from this is still unknown. In any case, there's no issues with Noah.
ART can be used with no side effects on "minor" injuries (e.g. fragility periods). However, repairing serious damage will modify the tissue to a hybrid form. Further effects of Hybridisation are unknown.
Meanwhile, the previously empty bay in the Shatterdome is abuzz with activity. Sub-assembly after sub-assembly reach completion, and great sections of metal and electronics start being put together. The fission reactor temporarily used by Jagdhund is brought out, and locked into place in what's soon recognisable as a chest. A jaeger's taking shape.
Mark II Jaeger Frame constructed! Shielded Piloting Chamber constructed and integrated!
Nuclear Fission Reactor taken from inventory! 1000 Resources saved! Phenom Sable is ready for creation!
[---]
The door slid open. Ranger Noah Williams and the team of scientists also in the room paused their relaxations, and looked over at the intruder; one of the council members. Reflexively, everyone sat or stood a little straighter up.
"Williams?" They asked. Noah nodded in reply. The councilperson produced a folder, and handed it over.
"At your nearest convenience, you'll be required in the training grounds."
Noah blinked.
"You mean it's finally finished?"
"Essentially," his superior replied. "Phenom Sable should be online sometime next week. In the meantime, we still have to figure out who's going to pilot the thing. As our most experienced Ranger, you and Webb are the most qualified people to judge."
Noah nodded.
"Yessir."
As the councilperson left, the twenty-something year-old man smiled wearily to himself.
Ah, the life of a Ranger. Day in and day out, it's work, work work. No rest for me unless I've got shrapnel in my side, huh?
[---]
With a new frame ready to be made into a brand new Jaeger, Seattle can sleep safely once more. Even with the kaiju still coming, it's going to be alright.
No matter what.
You'll get your kaiju attack in a bit. For now, an explanation of a few things:
- Submarine research was probably the easiest thing on your conventional list, and you rolled the best for it, which is why you got the Moray. Keep in mind that a lot of this stuff has +9 or +10 bonuses on the research.
- I'm slightly hesitant to give you guys conventional assets with high AP without some sort of downside. The default AV on kaiju tends to be around AV 3, so things like the Heimdal's railgun and the heavier Jaeger weapons are made to pierce it. Plus, conventionals are support. Acid effects would be fine, though.
- With the Microwave Range Amplifier, Olympia (the furthest city from Seattle) is still in reach of the Breach-Gate-- though it would need the Amplified Receiver.
- Yep, DGINN's still around, and dealing with their own stuff. About half of the scouting stuff ended up as plot hooks. Sorry about that.
- I had a lot of fun coming up with how the Barrier system works, and I think I did a good job of making it unique and understandable. Plus, now you won't try to freeze peoples' blood solid with it! Yay!
- The main advantage of the Hyper-Vascular Muscle Strands is that you can fit more stuff on a jaeger (Modifications, yay!), and there's no stat prerequisites for their use, unlike other grapple augs.
- Assuming you're going with both iron armour and the Hyper-Vascular Muscle Strands, Phenom's looking at a minimum grappling bonus of +10 (+3 Strength to mount Iron, +3 Hyper-Vascular, +4 Destroyer Talons).
- I figured you'd appreciate a bit of a discount, so I just grabbed one of your Fission Reactors instead of 1000 R. A fair trade, I think-- though it's not the hypercompact version.
The first sign of attack is the loss of one of the northern scanning towers-- after which, every single remaining array goes off. A scout force is deployed in an effort to get visuals on them, while the complex computation systems in HQ do their thing. Unfortunately, they don't get much out of it.
Part of the problem is the first kaiju. According to the scouts, it's recommended to avoid visual contact with kaiju SE-27-004 "Vertigaunt", after they experienced severe disorientation and nausea upon first spotting it. Whether it's purely visual, or there's some other component, they don't know-- but if their experience is anything to go by, fighting it will be utterly hellish.
Of course, the second one's not much better either. While not responsible for the same destructive interference as Vertigaunt, SE-27-005 "Oswin" has a worryingly fuzzy signature on scanners-- and the scouts report a 'silver cloud' surrounding it. It's unknown what this cloud will do, but if it's anything like Zetsubo's spores, this could be a challenge.
Maximum deployment range is 30 kilometers from the DP-- but keep in mind you have several defensive augments that could provide much-needed support. Especially since I'm not holding back here. Vertigaunt and Oswin are built for this.
Combat Deployment
[X] Brace for Impact
-[X] All Con Units take up positions along the defensive perimeter in Shotgun formation.
-[X] Jagdhund take up position 5 units out from the perimeter along the center of the Con defensive line.
-[X] Tacit Ronin take up position 1 unit directly behind Jagdhund.
-[X] Reposition all available Railguns toward the incoming Kaiju.
-[X] Issue a general warning about the side effects of looking at Vertigaunt.
With such a threat in the way, the self defence force does not go out and chase it down. Instead, they deploy at the city limits, and dig on-- against these foes, they'll need all the advantages they can get. Jagdhund deploys at the front line, with Tacit right behind her. Meanwhile, a general warning against looking at Vertigaunt has been issued-- though many claim it's ridiculous to expect results when one can't even see what they're shooting at.
It's not long before the kaiju show up-- and the reasons behind the warnings become clear.
Despite some worries, Vertigaunt is not an abomination beyond man's comprehension. In fact, it's quite easy to describe; something akin to a massive, bipedal prawn, with an armoured back, pointed head, and segmented plating. Instead of normal arms, a cluster of long, thin limbs sprout from its underbelly, held close to its flesh. That's not the problem. The problem is how it looks. Vertigaunt's entire body is a constantly shifting mottle of blue, grey, and black-- a pattern that changes so fast and so jarringly that just a few seconds of looking at it is enough to make people's stomachs churn and eyes unfocus. Combine the shifting effect with the kaiju's swift but fluid movements, and it's clear why getting a fix on the thing is so difficult. Even Jagdhund is having difficulties precisely targeting it.
All attacks against or clustered with Vertigaunt must roll twice and take the worse result. This effect may be partially or wholly mitigated by two main methods; using attacks that fire multiple dice (only the first dice is affected by Vertigo), or being unable to see Vertigaunt at all.
A little ways behind Vertigaunt and to the west is Oswin. The kaiju is large and mostly reptilian, with a horn on its nose, mantis like forearms, and-- most curiously-- a great, layered cone emerging from the middle of its back. There's no sign of the silver cloud around it, but parts of the cone seem to move and flutter on their own at times.
Vertigaunt and Oswin are 45/47 units away from the perimeter, and about 3 units apart from each other diagonally. You have two Railgun Batteries available.
Combat Round 1
[X] Jagdhund, the Railguns and the Heimdal are on overwatch, ready to shoot the Kaiju the moment the first one reaches the 30 unit line. Jagdhund fires on Burst mode.
-[x] Everyone else gets ready to fire the moment the Kaiju enter their range.
-[X] 4 Scouts move forward full speed
Cautiously, the grey jaeger and the numerous railguns next to her level their weapons, and take aim. Everyone else does the same.
A group of Dragonflies fly out, as fast as they can-- in order to see just what the kaiju have in store.
Vertigaunt squeals, and takes a step forwards-- before a sharp bark comes from Oswin. The visually disruptive kaiju pauses, and looks over its "shoulder" at its fellow. Oswin snarls, and motions towards itself with one arm. Almost begrudgingly, Vertigaunt takes a step back towards it.
With that, Oswin turns its eye on the approaching scouts. The creature stared at them, its eyes flicking between scouts and its surroundings. Oswin's arms open up, its claws unfolding in 180 degree arcs until they're stuck straight out. Slowly, the creature ambles forwards.
Oh, joy. Another clever one.
Vertigaunt and Oswin are 45 units away from the perimeter, 25 from scouts, and about 2 units apart from each other. You have two Railgun Batteries available.
Combat Round 2
[X] The Air Force splits into two groups, with enough space between each member of a group to prevent clustering. One will circle around the Kaiju from their left, the other from their right, aiming to get behind them.
-[x] Once behind them, each group will fire on Oswin and then retreat back into position closer to the Defense Perimeter.
[X] The rest of the forces wait for the Kaiju to approach.
Cautiously but determinedly, the rest of the air force closes in, splitting into two groups in an attempt to surround the kaiju in a pincer move. As they move, Vertigaunt stomps over, placing itself between Oswin and the perimeter. Oswin, meanwhile, hunches over, its claws pointed towards the hundreds of metal craft, and the folds that make up the cone on its back twitching and fluttering more and more.
Undeterred, the helicopters and planes split up, preparing to circle around...
With a wet tearing sound, the cone on Oswin's back opens, unfolding like a fleshy, blue flower. At the centre of it is a smaller cone, covered in what looks like millions of tiny, silver scales.
A moment later, there's a noise like a fragmentation grenade mixed with a thunderclap, and the scales explode out, tearing through everything in their path. Vertigaunt squeals, and barely managed to duck in time, before the diamond shaped bits scythe through where its head was. The conventional forces aren't so lucky.
All around it, aircraft fall-- torn apart by the razor sharp edges of the scales. Instants later, the scales themselves tumble from the sky, shattering as they hit the ground. The only mercy is the sheer volume of vehicles around; even with a million bits, Oswin's... "death blossom" can't hit it all.
All Banshee squadrons destroyed!
1 Scout squadron destroyed!
As silence falls, Oswin's legs shake, and the kaiju stumbles. A line of blue dribbles from its mouth. The petals and stamen of the "flower" look spent, their membranes floppy and a significantly darker blue. Not one silver scale remains on it.
Oswin takes 4 Ongoing! 1 Ongoing healed! Bit arsenal exhausted!
Then, a gurgling noise comes from the kaiju's throat. A gurgling, pulsing noise. It's laughing.
Vertigaunt and Oswin are 43/45 units away from the perimeter, 20/25-ish from your remaining air force, and about 2 units apart from each other, with Vertigaunt in front of Oswin.
Oswin's Death Blossom is very aptly named.
Combat Round 3
[X] All remaining air force close in and attack Oswin.
[X] Jeagers sprint for the battle space.
Mid-gurgle, Oswin notices a laser designator painting its flesh... and pauses. A moment later, the remaining air force opens fire. Missile after missile bursts against the monster's hide, scarring it across its torso and legs-- though the fleshy flower on its back curls up again before anything can damage the delicate tissue. Part of its shoulder catches alight, and a small fire starts to burn there. Meanwhile, the strain of unleashing its Death Blossom continues to take its toll on Oswin.
Oswin takes 6 Strikes! Left Shoulder on Fire! 1 Strike from Ongoing!
Vertigaunt hisses, before the blare of a jaeger's foghorn alerts it. Tacit Ronin and Jagdhund charge forwards, the former skirting around the latter as it does. Oswin promptly hisses an order to Vertigaunt, blood spraying out from between its teeth and sizzling as it hits the ground. The disruptive kaiju squeals maniacally, and rushes towards the mecha. Its arms spread apart, short claws shooting out from their tips as its armour flashes and shifts with painfully nauseating speed.
Oswin, however, is far from dead. The kaiju forces itself upright, and levels its claws at one of the particularly irritating scout squadrons. An electrical charge ripples up its body, and erupts as a pair of looping bolts of electricity!
(4,5)
Fortunately, the kaiju's clearly not on point, and the lightning passes the helicopters by without issue.
Vertigaunt and Oswin are 33/45 units away from the perimeter, 17/29 from Tacit, 23/35 from Jagdhund, 20/10 from your remaining air force (centred on Oswin).
Your Quetzals have one shot left of their missiles.
Combat Round 4
[X] The Hellhounds' job is done, they are to retreat away from Oswin at top speed.
-[x] Quetzalcoatls and Scouts fire another volley at Oswin before retreating as well.
[X] Tacit moves three units closer to Vertigaunt and fires ALL THE LASERS.
-[x] Jagdhund joins in and fires an Emergency Overclocked Burst at the eyesore Kaiju.
[X] The Heimdal moves forward as fast as it can to get a piece of the action.
As the Hellhounds pull back, the scouts and Quetzals swoop in for one last strike. The lasers paint Oswin's flesh again, before the missiles hit.
4 Arges hits! No damage! No strikes from Ongoing! 1 Ongoing healed!
When the smoke clears, however, Oswin is unharmed-- in fact, it seems somewhat revitalised! Oswin snarls at them, but doesn't attack back.
The electricity dissipates from around the Kaiju's claws, as it reaches over, and scrapes the burning phosphorus off its shoulder. The spike on its back partially unfolds, revealing its vibrant blue inner cone, now partially covered in silver scales again.
(9)
Fire extinguished! Bit arsenal regained!
As the aircraft turn away at last, the scales shiver, and detach from the blue flesh. Slowly, with no indication of their propulsion but a slight hum, the Bits whirl into orbit around Oswin, forming a distinctive silver cloud.
Meanwhile, Jagdhund skids to a halt, Tacit following suit a moment later, as both jaegers unleash their ranged weapons at the charging Vertigaunt!
Unfortunately, Vertigaunt is very hard to hit.
The kaiju ducks and weaves as it moves, the pattern on its armour shifting from instant to instant. A spray of laser fire erupts from Tacit's chest, but the constant misdirection and the kaiju's speed means that the only thing they hit is the place where Vertigaunt used to be.
Jagdhund's scanners overclock, compiling a mix of readings across the entire visual spectrum before feeding it into her targeting matrix. The Jaeger snaps off a couple of bursts, managing to clip the monster between the eyes, and on one of its many hands-- though these are superficial injuries at best.
Hit to Eyes! Glancing Wound! Irritated vision!
Hit to Left Hand! Glancing Wound!
Vertigaunt takes 2 Strikes! Out of ammo! One AP magazine left!
Vertigaunt remains mostly unhindered by this, though getting a bit of blood in its eyes is sure to be an annoyance. The kaiju gives a piercing cry, and accelerates forwards, flinging a barrage of battering limbs at the closest target-- Tacit Ronin!
(14)
Reaction! (Block, Parry, Dodge, etc)
Vertigaunt and Oswin are 19/45 units away from the perimeter, 0/26 from Tacit, 9/35 from Jagdhund, 16/42 from Heimdal.
Another thing you might see kaiju do; hide their power level stats from you guys by not using the whole bonus (moving slower, using called shots...), though generally only the clever ones will do that. Like these two, who are definitely clever.
Tacit Ronin is fast, yes. The jaeger dodges away, evading a couple blows, and taking the force from several others. However, Vertigaunt is relentless. The crustaceal kaiju slams its armoured limbs into Tacit's body over and over-- and blows start getting through. Before it can react properly, a sharp uppercut snaps the jaeger's conpod back, tearing several internal supports in the process. An instant later, Vertigaunt rams a fist into Tacit's shoulder, shattering the advanced alloy plate and disfiguring the primary joint underneath.
Hit to Spine! No damage!
Hit to Right Shoulder! Minor Wound! -1 HtH, -1 Dex! Shoulder Armour destroyed!
Hit to Neck! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Left Shoulder! No damage!
Tacit Ronin takes 4 Strikes!
Warnings blaring in its conpod, Noah and his copilot step back, evading the kaiju's reach for the time being.
Your turn. 5/1d10 attacks are evil, especially with a high HtH.
Combat Round 5
[X] Jagdhund switches to the Ascalon Blade and charges Vertigaunt.
[X] Tacit attacks Vertigaunt with the Fangblades
[X] The Air Force keeps retreating.
-[x] The Heimdal keeps making top speed to the fight.
As the fight rages on, the air force continues to fall back, and the nuclear tank known as Heimdal continues to surge forwards.
Jagdhund hands off her rifle to a nearby pair of Carryalls, and yanks the Ascalon Blade from its sheath. The jaeger's dorsal boosters ignite with a whine, before she springs into a charge! Jagdhund slashes out--
(13)
(9)
--but the constant disorientation makes it hard to focus properly, turning what could have been a crippling blow into a clumsy swing, which Vertigaunt side-steps easily. Immediately, Tacit Ronin lunges back into combat, and lashes out with two textbook cuts! Startled, Vertigaunt throws up its multitude of arms-- not trying to parry the attack, just stop it in time. The kaiju's forearms slam into the superheated edges, killing the attack's momentum. Unfortunately for the kaiju, the shell on its arms isn't nearly as strong as that on its main body, and the blades sink a little into its flesh, searing a smoking line into its limbs.
(11,13)
(10,10)
Successful Block! Vertigaunt takes 2 Strikes!
Vertigaunt squeaks in pain, and shoves the blades back, before immediately responding with its own attacks! With dizzying speed, the monster strikes back-- sending an even more fearsome barrage of blows towards Tacit with not just its fists, but its short claws as well!
I need two Reactions from Tacit Ronin against Vertigaunt's Multiattack-- the second resolves with a -1 penalty.
Meanwhile, Oswin closes in with a snarl, flecks of blue flying from its reptilian muzzle as it closes in!
1 Strike from Ongoing! +1 Ongoing! 1 Ongoing healed!
Vertigaunt and Oswin are 19/35 units away from the perimeter, 0/16 from Tacit and Jagdhund, 13/29 from Heimdal.
The jaeger falls back, evading the first wave of blows. Soon after, Vertigaunt abandons mindless flailing and extends its claws. However, even here it doesn't have as much luck. The kaiju's talons are more easily turned away from the jaeger's armour, and only by striking between two of the armour plates does it manage to get through, shearing away the protective layers of the liquid synapse system.
Hit to Spine! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Chest! No damage!
Tacit Ronin takes 1 Strike! Further damage will inflict penalties!
Unfortunately, Tacit Ronin's damage control systems are now stretched to their limit. Any further damage is going to have consequences.
Your turn.
Combat Round 6
[X] Tacit attacks Vertigaunt with the Fangblades.
-[X] Jagdhund fires her Electromagnetic Projector
[X] The Heimdal keeps advancing towards Oswin.
Tacit Ronin lashes back, trying to land some sort of hit on the kaiju. The crustaceal kaiju steps back, a little tired from its flurry of blows, but still wickedly fast. However, it's not quite fast enough this time, and Tacit's swing rips open the underside of one of Vertigaunt's damaged arms!
(11)
(12,8)
Hit to Right Arm! Glancing Wound! Vertigaunt takes 1 Strike!
Jagdhund comes to a halt, and turns, snapping down her electromagnetic projector. The gun whines as the voltage builds--
Weapon jammed! All attack dice discarded!
And promptly powers down a second later. There's been a malfunction with the power conduits!
Meanwhile, the Heimdal continues on its way, engines roaring as it moves with far more haste than a vehicle its size should have.
At this point, Oswin takes action. The cloud of bits thickens around it, before erupting towards the jaegers!
Hundreds of silvery diamonds slam into the mechs like a tidal wave, battering them over and over. Tacit Ronin and Vertigaunt are spared the brunt of it by their armour and the latter's agility, but Jagdhund takes the full blast. The ablative coating on her conpod is sheared off-- its job of defending the vulnerable point completed-- though that's just cosmetic. Moments later, the bits make it through the armour, severing spinal connections and shoulder hydraulics. Suddenly, the bits swarm, and slam themselves into the damaged shoulder! With the force of the jolt, Jagdhund's internal frame snaps apart, and the arm goes lump in a shower of sparks and coolant!
Five Hits! No damage!
Hit to Right Shoulder! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Spine! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Right Shoulder! Major Wound! Armour destroyed! -3 HtH, -3 Dex!
Jagdhund takes 7 Strikes! 3 Ongoing! Durability limit reached! No Cluster damage! No Cluster damage!
Taking advantage of its comrade's attack, Vertigaunt twists around, slashing with its claws!
Reaction! (Jagdhund is at -3 HtH, -3 Dex)
Vertigaunt and Oswin are 19/35 units away from the perimeter, 0/16 from Tacit and Jagdhund, 10/26 from Heimdal.
Frantically, Jagdhund shifts back-- just in time to avoid the scything claws. Vertigaunt hisses in annoyance.
Distances are the same as last time. It is now your turn.
Edit: removed a really stupid decision I made.
Combat Round 7
[X] Tacit stabs Vertigaunt again.
[X] Jagdhund attacks with the IE-10 again.
[X] The Heimdal locks down and prepares a continuous bombardment aimed at Oswin.
-[x] The Air Force runs back in to harass Oswin with whatever guns they have. First wave is the Hellhounds, followed by the Quetzals.
Tacit Ronin blares out a battle cry, and slashes at the kaiju's head! Vertigaunt's arms spring into action in an attempt to intercept the strike-- but Tacit manages to get around it in time.
(6)
(7,8)
The first attack hits the kaiju on its thick neck armour, the heat of the blade doing most of the (minimal) damage-- while the second blade slices across one of the kaiju's eyes, leaving a painful scar up the side of its face!
Hit to Neck! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Eyes! Glancing Wound! Irritated!
Vertigaunt takes 2 Strikes! Vertigaunt is losing stamina!
Vertigaunt squeals, and falls back a step. Suddenly, its dermal dazzle seizes up-- flickering between the same two patterns over and over. It seems whatever mechanism was causing the effect has malfunctioned!
Vertigo ability disabled!
Without the constant, nauseating shifts of the mottle, the jaegers are more than capable of hitting it now-- something that will undoubtedly prove useful to Jagdhund.
No damage from Ongoing!
(4)
(11)
Following up from the strike is a second blast of Jagdhund's electromagnetic projector! The electricity bursts against Vertigaunt's shoulder, staggering it from the intense voltage.
Hit to Left Shoulder! Vertigaunt is Stunned! 1 Temporary Strike!
Oswin bellows again at the sight of its fellow kaiju being beaten like this-- before the buzzing of helicopters engines hits its ears again... alongside a curious, electrical whine.
"Open fire!"
2 Arges hits!
A swarm of missiles strike out, guided by the spotlights of laser light illuminating Oswin's flesh! The kaiju bares its teeth and hisses, before its cloud of bits bulges out in front of it, and lashes towards the incoming missiles!
(13,7,6,8) 4 Bit Swarm dice used for Interception!
1 attack Intercepted!
The first couple warheads slam into the swarm of silvery diamonds, detonating before they reach their target-- but a couple swoop around, and slam directly into the "bit flower" on its back before it can fully close!
Hit to Pelvis! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Spine! Glancing Wound!
Oswin takes 2 Strikes! Oswin is Stunned!
Oswin shrieks, and stumbles to a halt. Around it, the bits collapse, falling to earth like puppets with their strings cut.
"Heimdal locked on! Fire!"
Before the monster can regain any sort of composure, a heavy tungsten dart punches through its pelvic bone, leaving a bloody hole that sends the stunned kaiju to one knee.
Hit to Pelvis! Minor Wound! -2 Agility!
Oswin takes 3 Strikes! +1 Ongoing! Oswin is losing stamina!
Vertigaunt and Oswin are 19/35 units away from the perimeter, 0/16 from Tacit and Jagdhund, 10/26 from Heimdal. Air force are at their maximum range from Oswin.
Since neither of them can do anything, it's now your turn.
Combat Round 8
[X] Tacit strikes Vertigaunt again, while Jagdhund fires another IE-10 shot.
[X] Conventional Forces, plus the Heimdal, press the attack. Use whatever they have to hurt Oswin.
With their enemy thoroughly stunned, Tacit and Jagdhund move in for the kill. The white jaeger slams its blades through the monster's leg, before slicing into its lower spinal column.
Hit to Left Thigh! -1 Agility!
Hit to Spine! Minor Wound! -1 Universal Penalty!
Vertigaunt takes 6 Strikes! +2 Ongoing! Vertigaunt is losing Stamina!
By the point the pain shocks it back to something resembling action, the kaiju is barely able to stand. Not bothering with anything fancy, Jagdhund charges up a third and final shot, and fires the bolt directly into the spinal wound above the base of its tail.
Hit to Pelvis! Vital Damage inflicted! SE-27-004 "Vertigaunt" Defeated!
Heart seizing up from the electricity, Vertigaunt collapses to the ground, dead.
Meanwhile
4 Arges Hits!
The Hellhounds' guided rockets aren't clustered particularly close together in the big picture, but the individual squadrons manage to land some very concentrated strikes on the monster. The incoming fire from the Quetzals' autocannons proves fruitless, but their heavier payloads push it over the edge.
SE-27-005 "Oswin" Defeated!
And in one fell swoop, the kaiju menace is dead.
Woo hoo, it's done.
Week 41 Combat End
It's with something akin to exhaustion that Tacit and Jagdhund lumber back to their bays. Both have been damaged, but ultimately came out victorious. Still, repairing the damage to their intricate shoulder joints is going to be hell.
Both Jaegers will require an Action and new Shoulder armour plate each for full repairs.
Tacit's repairs will cost 400 Resources. Jagdhund's repairs will cost 1420 Resources.
However, the jaegers haven't only gotten a beating out of this fight. In particular, Noah's already gotten back in the groove of piloting Tacit... and he may have picked up a couple tricks
Tacit Ronin gains a Perk!
- Veteran (Pilots): Tacit may reroll any single dice per battle, adding a +1 bonus to the reroll. The result of this roll must be taken, even if it is worse. Additionally, the jaeger rolls +2 for Ongoing damage.
A designation of "Pilots" means that the Perk will be available as long as one of the jaeger's normal pilots is available.
Meanwhile, services are held to honour those who fell in the fighting. Though ultimately tragic, the fact is that their bravery and sacrifice left the enemy spent, and helped bring the battle to a swifter conclusion.
It helps make the sickening bloodshed easier to bear.
Morale does not change.
Kaiju science has a field day taking apart the kaiju, and is swift to report their findings.
Vertigaunt's distinctive "aggressive camoflauge" was apparently the result of highly specialised silicon neural tissue running throughout its body. As long as enough connections remained intact, the neurons could produce their pattern. Additionally, besides just breaking up its outline, the aggressive camoflauge also served to generate an electromagnetic signal that, when picked up by any sort of sensor, disrupted the control network it was attached to-- sort of like a visually transmitted version of the city's Neural Disruptors. It's an astonishingly advanced mechanism.
Aside from that, Vertigaunt's normal nervous and muscular systems were essentially overclocked at all times. While this did make it extremely fast and reactive, it would have had to spend every other day of operation in a comatose state to repair the cellular damage, or risk burning out its body. Both of these unique aspects can likely be replicated, if at a lesser extent-- though skinning a crustaceal organism for a cloak may be somewhat... difficult.
Meanwhile, Oswin is astonishing in its own way. Using an abnormal amount of "blue marrow" (the kaiju version of red marrow) and its own highly metallic blood, Oswin was able to rapidly grow a large number of metalloid drones, which it then directed and controlled using its own bioelectrical field. While their outside is simple, the interior of these "bits" is arranged in a similar manner to kaiju neural nodes, creating the distinctive swarming behaviour. Its "death blossom" attack overtaxed its circulatory system with the massive demand for metalloid blood, resulting in several significant arteries rupturing. While the actual, biological method of generating these things may be out of reach, the control mechanism for a remote weapons system like this could definitely prove useful.
New Research Tokens!
- Vertigaunt Token (aggressive camoflauge or high-speed neural networks)
- Oswin Token (remote weapons systems)
Kaiju science also points out that Oswin's teeth are large enough to be hollowed out into chairs as is-- using the skull itself is unnecessary, and probably more wasteful.
It is now downtime.
Kaiju Stats:
SE-27-004 Vertigaunt
Class: Category III Kaiju
The creature almost appears like a bipedal prawn, with an armoured back, pointed head, and segmented plating. It has two lean legs, and a cluster of long, thin limbs on its underbelly. The kaiju's flesh and chitin are a constantly shifting mottle of blue, grey, and black, which is almost nauseating to look at for anything more than a second or two.
Stats:
HtH: 6
Ran: 0
Str: 2
Tou: 3
Agi: 5
Dex: 4
Structure:
Dura: 6
Stru: 13
Heightened Evasion: For the purposes of Passive Defense and ranged attacks, enemies increase your to-hit number by half your Agility stat (rounding up). Muscular Overclock: +2 Agility on Charges. Vertigo: All attacks against or clustered with Vertigaunt must roll twice and take the worse result, unless the attacker is unable to see Vertigaunt at all (Blind, firing indirectly, etc), or the attack uses multiple dice. In the case of the latter, only one of the multiple attack dice is affected by Vertigo. Vertigo remains active until Vertigaunt passes its Durability limit. Multiattack: As a Long Action, Vertigaunt may make two attacks with any Weapons it possesses, taking a -2 penalty to the second, and a -1 penalty to any and all Reactions until its next turn.
SE-27-005 Oswin
Class: Category III Kaiju
The kaiju is tall and reptilian, with a pair of mantid claws folded against its forearms in place of hands, a long horn on its nose, and a prominent, layered cone extending from the middle of its spine. The cone is capable of unfolding into a large "flower" containing hundreds of tiny, diamond-shaped drones called Bits.
Stats:
HtH: 3
Ran: 4
Str: 4
Tou: 4
Agi: 2
Dex: 3
Structure:
Dura: 12
Stru: 15
Point Defense Bits: Once each round, Oswin may attempt to Intercept up to ten ranged attacks against a target within 10 units of it as a Reaction. Roll up to 10/1d10+Ranged, and apply any number of rolls as an opposed test to an enemy Ranged attack. If Oswin beats the opponent's original roll (a greater result), it successfully destroys or diverts the attack before it can hit. Otherwise, the attack resolves as normal. If Oswin chooses to Intercept, its Bit Swarm's dice are reduced by the number used to Intercept during its next turn. Death Blossom: As a Long Action, Oswin may choose to temporarily exhaust its arsenal of Bits in an incredibly destructive show of firepower. This is resolved as a Radius 20 attack with double the Bit Swarm's attack dice (20/1d10), except that the attack dice are split among as many opponents as Oswin likes (maximum of 20), only use half its Ranged bonus, and only cluster against units between the intended target and Oswin. After using Death Blossom, Oswin cannot use the Bit Swarm, Death Blossom, or its Point Defense Bits until the end of its next turn, and immediately suffers 1d5-1 Ongoing. Death Blossom may only be used twice per battle.
Weapons: Folding Claws x2 Built-in Melee Weapons
Attack Dice: 1d10+2
Parry Dice: 1d10-1
Block Dice: 2d5
Armour Penetration: 3
Grappling Bonus: +2
Damage Type: Edged, Electric
Damage Bonus: Strength
Special: Deals full Electric on a successful hit.
Bit Swarm (Spine) Built-in Ranged Weapon (Carbine)
Attack Dice: 10/1d10
Armour Penetration: 0
Damage Type: Blunt
Damage Bonus: 0
Range: 10/20/-
Special: Focused Barrage: This attack always has a cluster range of 5 units or fewer.
Itano Circus: Oswin may split up the dice of this attack against multiple targets. For every additional target, suffer a cumulative -1 penalty, to a maximum of -9 (10 separate attacks).
Point Defense Bits: see above.
Death Blossom: see above.
Arc Lightning x2 (Hands) Built-in Ranged Weapon (Scatter)
Attack Dice: 2/1d10-1
Armour Penetration: 4/2
Damage Type: Electric
Damage Bonus: 2/1
Range: 18/27
Special: Arc: Jumps to another target within 5 units on a 5+. For each additional target, arcing and attacking rolls take a cumulative -1 penalty. A negative roll on an arcing bolt will not trigger a misfire.
Armour: Scaly Coat
Coverage: All but Eyes
AV: 3/2
Resilience: All
Durability: 13
Armoured Lids
Coverage: Eyes
AV: 1/1
Resilience: All
Durability: 6
For the record, the only real changes I made were:
1) making Vertigo function only to the Durability limit (initially, it was until Incapacitated).
2) downgrading Vertigaunt's parrying ability from 2/2d5 to 2d5-1.
3) minor decreases in Structure/Durability for both.
Free Actions:
[ ] Kaiju:
-[ ] Clean up the contamination (-225 Resources)
-[ ] Don't clean up the contamination
[ ] Ashley's recovery:
-[ ] Continue with conventional treatment (no bonus, no malus)
-[ ] Use the experimental A.R.T (+1 bonus, hybridisation and other possible side effects)
[ ] Other (requires GM permission)
Time for plans. And Phenom Sable. And less bullshit kaiju next time.
[X] Not Quite Phenom Sable but Only 'Cus We're Too Poor Right Now (V2.0)
-[X] Clean up the contamination (-225 Resources)
-[X] Continue with conventional treatment for Ashley (no bonus, no malus)
-[X] Research improved design for Supercell Quantum Reaction Plant for decreased cost and improved power (SAFE RESEARCH MODE!)(Free Breach Research)
-[X] Research Fuel/Thrust management for Solid Fuel Thrusters in order to control power applied to system, at the very least try and get some kind of Emergency Shutoff System (J-Tech 1)
-[X] Research Bio-Jaeger control system (And maybe see if said system could be used to hijack and brainwash captured Kaiju, too?) (J-Tech 2)
-[X] Research upgrade to Dockworks to allow them to provide free construction of Naval units similar to bonus provided by Military Production Facility(C-Tech 1)
-[X] Research Allegorica Flight Unit, see if any of the benefits of the technology can be applied to conventional military units (likely on a far smaller scale) (C-Tech 2)
-[X] Research Acid-Payload for conventional weaponry (C-Tech 3)
-[X] Send another Recon team out to contact the Great Lakes Alliance again; send plans for ANGEL-Net with in order to make future contact with them easier, as well as data packet containing all Kaiju-related data we currently have. (Free Comms)
-[X] Build 5*Banshee Squadron (Free CONstruction)
-[X] Construct a Sealed Piloting Chamber (-7500R)
-[X] Research safe use of ART technology with widespread use on "minor" injuries (e.g. fragility periods) among general population.
-[X] Manufacture 10*M-99 AP Magazine (-750R)
-[X] Research increased power for Neural Distruptor to affect higher levels of Kaiju.
-[X] Build 2*AH-2 Advanced Conpod Plating (-1500R)
-[X] Research Downscaled, Mobile Neural Disruptor that can be mounted either on a Jaeger or a support vehicle, ideally with plans to better protect anyone inside said Jaeger or vehicle carrying said Disruptor.
-[X] Research incorporation Barrier Shield technology into a Jaeger Power generator for increased power generation.
-[X] Repair Jagdhund, Install replacement Jagdarium armor on shoulder (-1420R)
-[X] Repair Tacit Ronin, Install replacement Jagdarium armor on shoulder (-400R)
-[X] Install Sealed Piloting Chamber in Tacit Ronin
A stroke of good luck from the start, as Ashley's finally confirmed as stable. With any luck, she should be fine-- though that only means she's no longer in danger of dying from her injuries. As is, she's still comatose and missing multiple limbs.
But it's a start.
Ashley is in stable condition. Low rolls will not threaten her health, save natural 1s. However, she's still unable to pilot. You'll have to figure out a solution for that.
Work begins on improving the design of the stationary supercell plant-- or at least, making it cheaper. Given that its original design was built with a massive factor of safety in mind, there's a number of redundancies that can just be straight up removed. The initial cooling system is replaced with water cooling as well, giving it a cruder but more easily fixed way of regulating temperature. After all, it's not in a jaeger, so weight isn't as much of an issue!
Supercell Quantum Reaction Plant VI-Ub to 17000 Resources!
Distressingly, little to no work is done on either the "Raubtier" Biomechanical Operating System, or on the rocket booster controls. The reason for this is simple; most of J-tech has actually come down with colds. After all, it's still the middle of winter, and with everyone staying indoors more, accidents are bound to happen. It's nothing serious, but they can't actually work on the assignments for a while.
Still, at least the interns managed to organise some things.
If the Military Production Facilities can make a bunch of units, the council thinks, why can't the Dockworks? Work is put into applying the same sort of automation to the Dockworks
Dockworks may construct a single naval Military unit every other turn for free.
Attempts to replicate the Allegorica system on a smaller scale fall flat. The system uses the output of a nuclear reactor to create an expanding electromagnetic plasma, directed out of the thrusters. It's not exactly something that can be miniaturized easily.
However, it does offer some insight into improving pre-existing designs for nuclear engines. A superheavy vehicle would be able to mount a strong enough reactor for such an engine-- though it's probably better to use it in transportation aircraft or rockets, due to the fact that a combat vehicle would risk spreading fallout if it took a hit to the reactor.
With the observed increases in kaiju armour, and AP ammunition only going so far, the military decides to try their luck at designing a round that eats away at a kaiju's armour, allowing their weaker AP weapons to get through. But while designing the rounds is simple enough-- it's just a modification of pre-existing incendiary warheads to carry a different payload, plus an internal protective coat-- figuring out the actual payload is significantly more difficult. Kaiju armour is primarily a mix of silicon and carbon, neither of which are particularly soluble, which helps to contain their own destructive blood. This makes creating a fast-acting, artificial solvent for it... tough, to say the least. Making things more annoying is the fact that not many kaiju have shown acidic weaponry, which could otherwise help with development.
In an attempt to come up with something effective, a sample of Kaizoku's freezing venom is taken, synthesized, and put through rigorous testing-- its anti-armour abilities are their best lead at developing something. By the end of the week, however, all they've got is the first draft of the solvent they wanted. Unfortunately, it's definitely far from perfect. The heat of firing is found to partially denatures the solvent, weakening its effects, and even without denaturation the draft solvent can't eat away armour very quickly. Still, it's better than nothing, and the new shell, designated the Anti-Armour Reduction Model-01 Prototype, is put into limited production.
New rounds available for use with 120mm Cannons: 120mm AAR-01y Prototype Corrosion Shell! - 120mm AAR-01y Prototype Corrosion Shell: 1d10 Acid damage. -1 Damage. Range 10/20/-, Hits on 5+. Benefits from Arges. When rolling for effect, Acid only ever Sticks on a Natural 1.
Yeah... when I really thought about the science behind it, corrosion rounds are actually kinda tough to make. I had to pull a bit of sciency nonsense out to get you something, and they're still kinda cruddy. Obviously, however, they do Cauterize wounds-- I just didn't feel like writing it in.
An explanation on Sticking, by the way. It's the same mechanism that's used to determine whether something Ignites or not. Basically, when you deal damage with an Acid or Fire weapon, you roll a d10 alongside it. If the result of the d10 is less than the damage you dealt after Armour, then the Acid Sticks/Fire Ignites, and starts its secondary effect (-1 AP/turn for Acid, 1d10 Fire/turn for Fire, both can be removed with checks or by being underwater).
An unforeseen electrical storm interrupts the planned launch of the second GLA-contact mission, knocking out long-range communications for a while. Due to the weather the flight has to be cancelled-- they'll have to try again at a later date.
The MPFs churn out a few replacement Banshees... though this time, there's a bit of understandable reluctance for anyone to volunteer as a pilot. While the dangers are known, they've never really been this obvious before. Still, they should have someone in the squadrons before the next kaiju.
5 Banshee squadrons constructed!
With the benefits of A.R.T clear, but its consequences still a mixed bag, work is done to see if its safer applications can be brought into widespread use. Now, since actually handing out the complete cell packages would be overly difficult and entirely likely to result in misuse of them, an alternate solution is devised in two parts. First, to set up a genetic library of the populace, and a centralized distribution method for A.R.T.-based parts genetically tailored to fit their recipients. In this way, rapidly-grown artificial tissue can be provided to heal moderate injuries, such as burns and muscle or tendon damage. Second, to provide 'limited' regeneration cells, capable of boosting the user's health to their normal level before burning out afterwards. It'll take some time to distribute everything, but it's probably the safest method to fulfill the goal. All that's needed is the council's approval.
Modification to Advanced Regeneration Treatment - Public A.R.T: When Morale provides a bonus to Manufacturing, that bonus is increased by an extra +5%. Additionally, if a City Stat derived from the main populace suffers 1 or more damage, roll 1d10 for it at the start of downtime. On a 10, it regains 1 level after downtime is resolved.
As I mentioned before... I wasn't entirely sure what to give you here. Hope this is somewhat satisfying.
The disruptor research team sets off to improve the initial design of their transmission system, so that it's capable of affecting higher-category kaiju. Unfortunately, such an upgrade isn't going to be cheap. The neural structures of Category IVs and up haven't been mapped as cleanly as the lower categories, so jamming them will require the use of brute force and increased energy projection. It's still something that the conventional forces can handle with proper shielding, though, so that's a relief.
While trying to amplify it, the research team finds another possibility of increasing its output-- essentially re-purposing the system as an EMP pulse tuned to neural frequencies. However, that's far beyond what they're supposed to do, so this idea is firmly shelved. They're not trying to do anything fancy here-- just get the thing to work as ordered. They can add another thing to the WMD list some other time.
New Augment upgrade available: Hyper-Neural Disruptor! Hyper-Neural Disruptor (Upgrades Neural Disruptor) +750 Resources
- Enhanced Jamming: Hyper-Neural Disruptors may affect Kaiju of Cat IV and higher, but additional Disruptors only increase test difficulty for these Kaiju if they too are Hyper-Neural.
With that done, they move onto the next project in disruptor technology.
Unfortunately, attempts at making the disruptor system mobile go... less than well. Initial prototypes seem somewhat promising, until they're actually tested-- and at that point, the arrays malfunctioned, and half the research team ended up getting a full on blast of electromagnetic disruption. Good thing that the ART can fix nerve damage. As for those who aren't affected? It's a wake-up call, to say the least. In light of this disaster, all further work on this technology has to be called off for the moment, while safety is reassessed and improved.
Disruptor research cannot be attempted next turn.
Thankfully, the same misfortune does not befall the-- arguably just as dangerous-- compression engine project. Despite earlier research showing vast inefficiencies in initial designs, the team refuses to give up entirely. There has to be some way of making it useful! Unfortunately, the only way they can figure something out is with a large and frustratingly bulky two-chamber design.
The basic shape of the Gleipnir can be summed up as a horizontally-oriented wagon wheel, on top of an upside down cone and several vertically-oriented rods, both embedded into a vertically-squashed spheroid-- each of which has its own function.
The spheroid at the bottom contains the 'actual' reactor, along with its own coolant systems. Reactor containment is split between conventional shielding on the outer layer, and Barrier-based compression shielding on the inner layer. The reactor would provide power in its normal method, without the requirement of a steam-based turbine system as neither Stellarator nor Supercell use that method to make electricity.
The rods connecting the cone and the spheroid are coolant pipes that run through the barrier shielding, carrying their heat into the cone.
The cone itself is mostly filled with water. At the bottom of it, right above the reactor, is the Barrier Generator. The generator and its Barriers both dump their heat into the water-coolant, heating it up. The hot water travels up from the bottom of the cone to the top, where it boils into steam.
From here, the steam is forced into the 'wagon wheel'-- really a radial set of turbines and condensation systems to maintain the coolant. In this way, the Barrier Generator acts somewhat like a nuclear power reactor, while also adding an extra layer of containment on the main reactor.
Unfortunately, while it does succeed in incorporating the Barrier Generator into the power generation system, the "Gleipnir" setup (as it's being called) has lots of issues. Its upper layers take up more space than the comparatively compact Supercells and Stellarators would-- and when combined with the banks of capacitors and batteries that would surround the entire thing to actually hold this output, the entire system is far too large to fit inside a jaeger's body. Thus, to be used, it would either need to be shrunken, supplied with a larger frame to be mounted in, or perhaps attached to a jaeger by a power cable or something. Additionally, while it's relatively minor in comparison to that problem, Gleipnir needs gravity to function. Without heat rising, the Barrier Generator would just boil itself in the coolant after a while.
As such, the Gleipnir design, while reaching the goals set by the team, is still pretty useless.
Gleipnir Power Plants will require more research to yield any sort of usable model. However, it is still a working Barrier Compression Engine.
Meanwhile, various other things are being built, most for immediate use.
Sealed Piloting Chamber constructed! 10 M-99 AP Magazines constructed (3 loaded on Jagdhund)! 2 AH-2 Advanced Conpod Plating constructed!
The new SPC is swiftly integrated into Tacit's conpod, while new armour is brought in for both units' damaged arms.
All in all, it's an... interesting week. Unfortunately, quite a few projects went rather poorly, or even resulted in accidents, but what has been achieved is at least somewhat useful in furthering the city's goals.
The next attack comes at four o'clock in the afternoon.
Week 42 Combat (Grae, Kay, Vortex and Zenic Spawn)
Spurred on by the sudden appearance of a previously recognised kaiju, Neo-Seattle hurtles into combat mode.
First off is the obvious concern-- Grae. As before, it's appeared far too close to the city, though this time it's known to be a result of its teleportation abilities. That said, it's not just an old monster with no new tricks. Active scanning reveals lightweight masses around the kaiju's spine, extra armour around the torso and shoulders, and no sign of a Barrier shield. Clearly, there's been some changes.
The other kaiju, SE-27-006, is swiftly designated "Kay" and analysed as best as it can. It's hexapedal, with a distinct mouth and spinal crest, along with a noticeable electromagnetic field. Unlike other such fields, however, Kay's doesn't seem to reach lethal voltages-- so it's probably not a weapon.
Then there's the Category Zeroes, of which there are two different teams. The western team appears to be the same "Vortex-class" Spawn as have been seen before-- a mix of overgrown maggots and squid, with ripping tentacles and caustic acid spit-- but the southern team, which is following alongside Kay, is something new. Visual reports suggest something more reptilian, with very long, narrow snouts. The archive computers dub these newcomers the "Zenic-class" Spawn. Exact numbers in either type haven't been nailed down, but unlike before its definitely a fixed number.
Annoyingly, they're all coming from different directions as well.
Maximum deployment range is as follows:
- Shoreline/20 km vs Vortex Spawn (West)
- 30 km vs Kay and Zenic Spawn (South)
- 13 km vs Grae (Northwest)
You know, I should probably do something with those transformation rules sometime... Eh, maybe I'll do that for Arondight.
Combat Deployment
[X] Deployment Plan Ver. 2: "Burninate in Hellfire+."
[X] West - Vortex Spawn:
-[x] Murasame.
-[x] 2 Missile Boats.
-[x] 7 Mortar teams.
-[x] 3 AKBs.
-[x] 3 Quetzalcoatl Gunships.
[X] East - Kay & Zenic Spawn:
-[x] Tacit Ronin.
-[x] 9 Tank Squads, including the Elites.
-[x] 5 Artillery Teams.
-[x] 6 Hellhounds Attack Helicopters
-[x] 3 Scout Autogyros
-[x] 2 Railguns (SE & NE).
-[x] The Hlin.
[x] Range plan Alpha
-[x] Deploy the Murasame and Quetzs 200 units off the west wall
-[x] Deploy the Missiles boats 48 units off the west wall.
-[x] Jagdhund deploys 5 units off the Northwest wall
-[x] Hemidal locks down on the northwest wall, scouts and banshees assigned there loiter above the wall
-[x] Tacit deploys 14 units off the south wall
-[x] All vehicles assigned to the south deploy 12 units off the south wall
-[x] Arty is deployed on the wall.
Also, acclimation for the disruptors?
[x]Activate the disruptors now.
The Navy and heavy Air-Force units deploy to face the swarm. Though in far larger numbers than they'd been the first time, the fact remains that these monsters are far from deadly, compared to the firepower that the self-defense force possesses.
Off in the sound, the ocean churns from the energy of hundreds of thrashing tentacles and snapping beaks. It looks like a patch of white, boiling water approaching-- though it's not the water that's white, but the grub-like bodies of the Category Zeros.
[---]
- South
Tacit Ronin stands with arms crossed a few hundred meters before its mobile support, who in turn wait far before the DP. The Neural Disruptors have been running for a good couple minutes, allowing for the troops' nervous systems to acclimate to the anti-kaiju interference. Fortunately, the kaiju don't have the same advantage-- though Kay doesn't seem remotely concerned about it, far away as it is.
The Cat III is imposingly built, with its six-limbed body looking somewhere between those of a crocodilian and a bear. A mix of glossy black and brown scales overlap its entire body, save one part; the flange on its back, which glows from within with an electrical blue light. Curiously, it lacks any sort of neck, face, or even eyes-- its head is simply a long, bullet-shaped mouth that sprouts straight from the top of its body. Kay stomps forwards on all sixes, though the shape of its torso suggests that it will have little trouble getting up on its hind legs to fight.
Scampering around Kay's feet are dozens of lithe, little creatures about the size of an IFV-- the Zenic Spawn. Like initial reports suggested, their heads are long and narrow, almost horse-like in some ways. Their flesh is a dull blue-grey, and their limbs are clearly built for speed, though they seem to be massing themselves around Kay.
[---]
- Northeast
Now, it comes down to Jagdhund and her support to face the last kaiju. The grey jaeger waits at the ready, a multitude of railguns bristling out from the wall behind her. It's quite the imposing sight-- or would be, for a kaiju.
Four kilometres out, the air splits open. Grae's orange-gold silhouette flares into existence, eerie blue light bleeding from its edges, and solidifies into flesh. The kaiju stands with limbs bent and back hunched, before it rises up to its full height, and inhales.
For the most part, Grae looks the same as it did last time-- humanoid figure, pale grey skin, and an eyeless head reminiscent of a toothed whale's-- but there are some very clear differences. Chitinous armour like Anaklusmos' seems to be fused to its upper body, covering its chest and stomach in a set of segmented plates, while two narrow fins sprout from its shoulders. There's no symbiote hump on its back either; instead, two triangular masses are folded up, their details hard to make out from the Jaeger's viewing angle.
Grae leers back at the forces assembled before it, its bluish tongue tasting the air-- tasting the scent of something it hasn't fought before. There's no snarling, no hissing, no other bestial noises of challenge. Grae just stands there, with its mouthful of peg-like teeth set in a lazy grin.
Western Sector:
Murasame and Quetzals at 200 from DP, gunboats 48 from DP, land units on shoreline (20 from DP).
Leading edge of VS 32 units away (no spacing).
Current number of VS: 72 (Initial 72)
Southern Sector:
Tacit is 14 from DP, all vehicles 12 from DP, all stationary units on DP.
Kay is 45 from DP, ZS closest point 43 from DP.
Current number of ZS: 26 (Initial 26)
(ZS are arranged on either side in equal groups, ~5 units from Kay at furthest, spaced with 1 unit between every other one)
Northwestern Sector:
Jagdhund is 5 from DP, all other friendlies on the DP. Grae is 40 from DP.
All forces are acclimatized to disruptors. It is, as always, your turn.
Combat Round 1
[X] Western Front:
-[x] All units remain on overwatch for the spawn and fire as soon as they're in range of their weapons.
--[x] Once the targets are in range, units are to retreat at the same speed the enemies advances and bombard them until they're all dead.
[X] Northwestern Front:
-[x] Jagdhund advances five units.
-[x] Banshees advance to Jagdhund's position.
[X] Southern Front:
-[x] All units remain on standby to see if the Kaiju advance.
As the swarm approaches, the crew of the vessels make their final checks, loading cannons, activating targeting systems, and watching the tactical readouts intensely. Just a bit longer, and the kaiju will be in range...
[---]
- South
The only thing that happens on the defensive front is the readying of weapons. Beyond that, no one moves-- not until the kaiju show their hand.
Kay, still on all sixes, pauses momentarily. It opens its mouth, taking in a breath that makes its back flare a brighter blue, before pushing off. The kaiju gallops forwards, its six limbs contacting the ground in a wave-like motion.
"Unknown, sir. None of our other equipment has shown issues, but that thing's putting out one darned peculiar field."
Behind it, the Zenics quiver, almost seeming to stagger after the kaiju before they too join it in advancing. The agile creatures spring and sprint across the ground, almost seeming to glide across its surface as they catch up with Kay. The black scaled kaiju roars, exposing the glowing insides of its mouth.
All your ranged attacks against anything within 5 units of Kay will be at +1 difficulty. This condition may change, depending on the battlefield situation.
[---]
- Northwest
Cautiously, Jagdhund steps forwards, the Banshees following alongside her.
Grae scuffs its foot back, shifting its balance lower to the ground in a distinctly evasive stance. Its arms splay out a little, barbed grappling claws extending from the tips of its fingers. The triangular masses shift a little-- from this angle, they seem to be covered in some sort of membrane-- adjusting its balance further. But it does not move. Not yet.
Western Sector:
Murasame and Quetzals at 200 from DP, gunboats 48 from DP, land units on shoreline (20 from DP).
Leading edge of VS 26 units away from nearest forces (no spacing).
Current number of VS: 72 (Initial 72)
Southern Sector:
Tacit is 14 from DP, all vehicles 12 from DP, all stationary units on DP.
Kay is 35 from DP, ZS closest point 34 from DP.
Current number of ZS: 26 (Initial 26)
(ZS are arranged on either side in equal groups, ~5 units from Kay at furthest)
Northwestern Sector:
Jagdhund and Banshees are 10 from DP, all other friendlies on the DP. Grae is 40 from DP.
Combat Round 2
[X] Western Sector
-[x] Maintain overwatch, move back six units upon firing, immediately open fire again next turn.
[X] Southern Sector
-[x] Tacit maintains his position. The Hellhounds and scouts split into two groups, spaced with one unit between each squad, move around him and try to pincer Kay before they Arges and fire missiles on it.
[X] Northwestern Sector
-[x] Jagdhund fires a Machine Cannon burst at Grae with her rifle, to bait it. Everyone else maintains position.
Slowly, constantly, the horde advances forwards... closer and closer, until they're--
"Targets in range! Forward craft, open fire!"
--right inside the SDF's killzone.
Overwatch activated!
3x 1d10 Murasame Hellfires
3x 1d10 Quetzal UMMs
3x 1d10 Quetzal Vulcans
Everything hits on 5s. Hit locs as appropriate.
(Since fixed-wing craft have a minimum move distance, they're able to scoot around a little during Overwatch attacks, which is the only reason the Quetzals' UMMs are able to hit stuff this round)
[---]
- South:
While Tacit remains in its place, some of the air force swoops forwards, encircling the approaching Kay, and firing off both targeting lasers and weapons!
3 Arges hits!
Their shots are dead on, with only a couple of missiles finding trouble with the magnetic field and failing to detonate. The rest catch Kay across its front and left side, launching their heavy armour piercing warheads into its flesh! While the head-on shots fail to pierce its armour, the ones fired into its left leg penetrate properly, leaving bloody holes in the limb!
Minor Wound to Left Foot and Thigh! Glancing Wound to Left Ankle! 7 Strikes, +2 Ongoing! -3 Agility!
Kay stumbles in its run, and its magnetic field flickers.
Ranged attacks against all within 5 units of Kay no longer suffer additional +1 Difficulty.
In response, the Zenics come to a stop, six of them planting their claws in the ground to lock themselves down as their heads swivel up towards the bulkier attack helicopters. At the tip of each elongated snout, a hole opens in the flesh, displaying a glowing, toothless interior. Though masked by Kay's own field, the highly responsive sensor suite onboard Tacit Ronin is able to pick up six minute spikes in electromagnetic radiation.
(3,3,4,9,4,8)
2 Hellhound squadrons destroyed!
With no sound but a hiss of ionized air, the organic cannons of the Zenic Spawn fire, driving several bony flechettes straight through the hulls of six unlucky choppers. As the impaled vessels plummet to earth, Kay pushes itself back up. Its faceless maw opens in a low growl, as the kaiju adopts a more reserved stance. Slowly but surely, the stream of blood from its wounds dries up. In just seconds, the wounds have almost completely clotted shut-- though the actual damage remains.
(12, 10)
No damage from ongoing! All ongoing healed!
With this comes another issue; Kay's magnetic field, despite its previous faltering, seems to be regaining its strength as Kay's wounds clot up! The interference hasn't returned yet, but the area around the wounded kaiju is charged with a distinctly intense shell of polarizing force.
[---]
- Northwest:
Enough is enough. Nobody feels like playing mind games with the kaiju. Despite the long range, Jagdhund takes up her rifle, and opens fire!
Immediately, Grae dodges forwards, forcing the grey jaeger to readjust her aim to keep on target. The action's a little less than her usual efficiency, however, and only really manages to clip the monster's side with a couple rounds.
No damage!
...A few rounds which don't even penetrate the kaiju's armour. Grae's knees bend on landing, building up energy like a spring before pushing off. The kaiju's leap takes it closer still-- close enough for it to bring its weapons to bear! A second after touching down, Grae throws up an arm and fires off its infamous grapnel claws at the jaeger!
(7)
With her GAPAS lacking momentum, Jagdhund is unable to evade the hooked talons-- but instead of herself, the cables wrap themselves around the jaeger's gun, and pull taut!
Grapnel Claws hit! Jagdhund must make an Opposed Strength Test (1d10+Str) to retain possession of her Machine Cannon!
Western Sector:
Murasame and Quetzals at 200 from DP, gunboats 48 from DP, land units on shoreline (20 from DP).
Leading edge of VS 20 units away from nearest forces (no spacing).
Current number of VS: 72 (Initial 72)
Southern Sector:
Tacit is 14 from DP, Hellhounds/Scouts at 22/25 from DP (grouped around Kay and spaced), all other vehicles 12 from DP, all stationary units on DP.
Kay is 35 from DP, ZS closest point 34 from DP.
Current number of ZS: 26 (Initial 26)
(ZS are arranged on either side in equal groups, ~5 units from Kay at furthest)
Northwestern Sector:
Jagdhund and Banshees are 10 from DP, all other friendlies on the DP. Grae is 33 from DP.
Combat Round 2 Overwatch
[---]
- West:
Even just with four craft, the volley of fire is still quite decent. The Murasame's missiles are the main damage dealers here, as one of the Quetzalcoatls finds its micro-missile pod unexpectedly jammed, and the sprays of water and fire make it difficult to hit weak-points with the vulcan guns. Still, by the time the first volley is over, a good number of Vortex Spawn won't be attacking any cities ever again.
10 Vortex Spawn destroyed! Quetzal UMMs jammed!
Vortex Spawn are down to 62.
[---]
- Northwest:
(8)
(9)
Though Jagdhund resists the kaiju's efforts very well, it's not quite enough. Grae jerks the cables back, wrenching the gun from the grey jaeger's hands. Like a tape measure collapsing, the grapnels zip back to Grae's fingertips, depositing the weapon straight into its hand. The kaiju bares its teeth in a vicious grin, brandishing its new acquisition tauntingly.
Successful disarmament! Grae gains access to the M-9914 Machine Cannon (AP Ammo)!
It is now your turn.
Combat Turn 3
[X] West:
-[x] Continue firing at the horde and advancing backwards.
[X] Northwest:
-[x] Jagdhund and the Banshees retreat five units
-[x] All railguns (and the Heimdal) stay on overwatch, to fire the moment Grae enters their range.
[X] South:
-[x] All available units sans Tacit are to shoot at the Zenic Spawn.
-[x] All units out of range are to dash in to try and get in on the action.
-[x] Tacit is to walk closer so he can get the enemy in Laser range.
As the squealing, writhing mass of kaiju flesh continues to approach, the four vehicles open fire again.
15 Vortex Spawn destroyed!
Once more, a wave of fire cuts through the kaiju's masses, reducing them to cinders. In a fit of zealous destruction, however, the Murasame has temporarily drained its missile banks of Hellfires. Assistance from an on-site resupply team comes quickly.
Ammo loss prevented!
7 units may have their ammo restored!
Now, the Quetzals turn, and the mighty ship reverses its engines, retreating from the Vortex Spawn.
By this point, the whole front row of the monsters have been decimated, and the remaining creatures are just too far away to hit. The forty-odd tentacled kaiju spread out a little, due to the sheer amount of space opened in their ranks as they advance, but they're not quick enough.
Meanwhile, the anti-kaiju brigades and mortar crews wait at the shoreline, watching the repeated explosions occurring really far away from them.
[---]
- South:
"All conventional forces, target the Zenics!"Tacit relays to the SDF. "We're taking the big guy!"
As Tacit Ronin charges forwards, their laser weaponry already starting to tap into the power of the mecha's reactor, the scout forces turn their painting systems on the closest Zenic Spawn.
2 Arges hits!
Wheeling closer to get into weapon range, the remaining twelve Hellhounds open up with their K-Buster pods, each team aiming at one of the long-nosed sharpshooters. Before the Zenics can unlock their claws from the ground, they're hit by the equivalent of an entire squad's worth of anti-tank weaponry. However, one team reports guidance errors, and is force to abort their attack, giving the kaiju enough time to begin a proper response-- before a tank barrage hits it hard enough to blow apart the Category Zero behind it. The Type-100s rumble forwards, supplementing their shots with the enhanced guidance Arges provides, and vapourizing several more kaiju with excellent accuracy.
11 Zenic Spawn destroyed!
The remaining Zenics abandon their previous tactic, and rush forwards towards the line of tanks. Now partially outside the limits of Kay's magnetic field, the bursts of electromagnetism that accompany the firing of their flechette guns are obvious.
Without the stability of locking down, they Zenic Spawn clearly at a disadvantage when firing. Most of those who're shooting don't even come close to hitting the tanks, and more than one of the lanky kaiju ends up accidentally shooting their own fellows in their efforts. However, two individuals manage to land potent hits, impaling the drive motors of a couple tanks in such a way that they spin and crash into others. It's not a lethal hit by any means, but the collisions are going to knock two whole teams out of action-- especially when the Zenics' followup attacks tear through the tanks' twin cannons.
2 Type-100 teams destroyed! 2 Zenics destroyed by misfiring!
1 Zenic has drained its ammunition reserves!
Meanwhile, Kay just rises up onto its hind legs, using its tail to support its body. It's clearly favouring its wounded leg, and doesn't look capable of moving very quickly anymore, but the density of its field shows that it's not completely defenseless just yet.
All attacks against Kay that originate from 10 or more units away will resolve at +1 Difficulty. Other effects may apply.
[---]
- Northwest:
"There's no way that kaiju knows how to use a gun, right?"
"Jagdhund literally just used it, and the safety's still off. I don't think it's that hard for it to figure out."
"Yeah, but it doesn't have any eyes! How's it supposed to see without eyes?"
"Don't kaiju have a hivemind? It could just remember how operations looked based on what the ones with eyes had--" "Be quiet, and retreat half a kilometre,"the artificial intelligence interjects into the Banshee pilots' conversation. "I will be doing the same."
True to her own words, Jagdhund starts to back up. At this range, even if the kaiju knows how to operate a weapon it'll be having some difficulties hitting them-- retreating should exacerbate those issues, and force it closer.
Grae seems... conflicted. The kaiju's head glances a little to its right, and tilts, before turning back to the jaeger. A blue-grey tongue slides out of its mouth, runs across its 'lips', and retracts again. Then it grins.
The kaiju's body flashes translucent gold, before it springs into the air, and vanishes with a thunderous crack!
Mass Teleport!
Instants later, another crack draws the defenders' attention. Heads and guns snap up, just in time to see Grae solidify in midair-- and unfurl a pair of wings. Its seemingly feathered pinions spread in a crescent curve, the last flickers of blue-gold Breach-fire burning along its outline, for a moment Grae floats there like some sort of celestial being.
Until Jagdhund's orders break the lull.
"Now! Open fire!"
Overwatch activated!
6x 1d10+1 for Railgun Batteries
1d10+3 for Heimdal
All hits on 9s, include hit locations.
Western Sector:
Murasame and Quetzals at 194 from DP, gunboats 48 from DP, land units on shoreline (20 from DP).
Leading edge of VS 22 units away from nearest forces (no spacing).
Current number of VS: 47 (Initial 72)
Southern Sector:
Tacit is 25 from DP, Hellhounds/Scouts at 29/25 from DP (grouped around Kay and spaced), all tanks 16 from DP, all stationary units on DP.
Kay is 35 from DP, ZS closest point 29 from DP.
Current number of ZS: 13 (Initial 26)
(ZS are arranged on either side in equal groups, ~13 units from Kay at furthest)
Northwestern Sector:
Jagdhund and Banshees are 5 from DP, all other friendlies on the DP. Grae is 17 units from DP, and 10 units up (A02).
Go!
Actually, an addendum to my last story post:
- South:
Two Zenics fire off a pair of accurate shots-- only for the flechettes to splinter off the barrier that suddenly pops into existence before the tanks. Following just behind the armoured vehicles, the mighty Hlin has at last shown its true strength; a shield for its more fragile comrades.
2 Type 100 teams not destroyed!
I can't believe I forgot about Hlin.
Combat Round 3 Overwatch
Might as well do this thing.
[---]
In their haste to follow orders, the railgun batteries all fire before their software can guarantee a lock on, causing the uncalibrated weapons to do... poorly. Tungsten carbide tipped penetrator rounds fly past Grae, leaving plasma trails in their wake. The white kaiju leers down at them as it weaves around the poorly aimed shots.
But the HEEM-2 has been operating for a long time. It may not be the most accurate weapon on the field, but there's no doubt that it's one of the most powerful ones. And when it gets lucky...
Two seconds after the last rail battery fires, there's a seventh thunderous boom. A railgun round, perfectly placed by its shooter, punches straight through the top of the kaiju's under-armoured pelvis in a spray of blood and fire.
Hit to the Pelvis! Destruction Wound!
With a meaty thump, Grae's lower body crashes to the ground. Moments later, the kaiju's wings crumple, and its upper half follows suit.
Instant Death!
SE-26-046 "Grae" defeated!
The subsequent silence is broken by the Heimdal commander letting out a whoop of jubilation.
Now, onto your turn.
Combat Round 4
[x]Plan Time to Clean Up
-[x] Banshees move to Western Sector
-[x] NW railgun battery moves to Western Sector
-[x] Mura and the Quezts keep shooting as they have the past few turns.
-[x] Jagdhund recovers her machine cannon
-[x] South conventionals keep shooting at Zenics
--[x] Scouts provide ARGES on the Zenics
-[x] Tacit Charges Kay, with MkIII rear thrusters and Solid Fuel Thrusters
--[x]Noah calls a flourish
"Orders are to head West," relays the Banshee flight leader to their fellows. "Let's go." Their work in this area done, the helicopters turn, and peel off. Behind them, the northwest railgun battery unlocks, and begins to slide sideways along the transportation tracks-- leaving the southeast battery, Heimdal, and Jagdhund behind.
The jaeger's joints shift, and a sigh-like rumble escapes her Supercell. Jagdhund stomps over to Grae's corpse, and picks up her machine cannon.
"...how's the gun?" The Heimdal asks nonchalantly. Jagdhund hefts the weapon in her hands, and brushes it off, before glancing over her shoulder at the superheavy vehicle.
"Minor damage to external casing, with negligible impairment of weapon functionality."
The jaeger's head tilts a little.
"...There is a non-zero chance of this unit requesting a new M-99 weapon in the future. Current weapon may be approaching the limit of its service life, given its periodic, intensive use."
"Eh, sounds fair enough."
[---]
- West:
Slowing their retreat, the Quetzalcoatls swoop forwards again to launch another rocket barrage, while the Murasame waits for the enemy to simply draw closer. Two of the three aircraft unleash their Ultra-K-Busters, but the third-- having issues with the weapon again-- is forced to abort their attack and wait for the launcher to unjam again. Clearly, there's some sort of QC issue with the ammunition or something. At least the vulcan guns still work, as proven when the gunships strafe the tentacled beasts with 30mm rounds.
11 Vortex Spawn Destroyed!
Of course, it's moments later that the seemingly mindless kaiju get in range of the Murasame's missile launchers.
12 Vortex Spawn Destroyed!
Even if they can't fire every weapon they have, the vessel's crew is still feeling pretty good right now. Honestly, they might run out of kaiju before the reinforcements arrive.
8 Rounds until railgun shift completed.
5 Rounds until Banshee arrival.
[---]
South:
With victory seeming close at hand, the military forces continue their fight! The scout choppers flash their laser lights-- but an unforeseen error in the lock-on process prevents this from assisting properly.
No Arges hits!
Despite this, the air and ground forces don't give up. The Hellhounds fire again, all for squadrons managing to down two more Zenic Spawn despite several firing errors. Now even closer, the tanks launch their attacks again, but the agile kaiju are starting to show their speed, and many tanks are simply unable to land their shots! Even so, four more Zenics go down, leaving them with just over half the number they had before the last barrage.
6 Zenic Spawn destroyed!
In response, the last remaining Category Zeroes unleash one last, desperate attack! Seven high-power flechettes fire into the same spot in rapid succession, hammering against the hexagonal Barrier that appears until it shatters! A steaming hiss comes from the projector on top of the Hlin-- the shield's cooling systems have given out, and vital components have melted under the immense heat. Fortunately, the molten circuitry has been contained by the rest of the generator, and the rest of the vehicle's systems are just fine. Unfortunately, the next volley of flechettes is hammered through the motive systems and guns of a couple tanks, crippling them but thankfully inflicting no casualties.
Surround Barrier Shield Collapses! No Vital Damage to Hlin!
1 Type 100-C Tank Squadron destroyed!
Meanwhile, instead of firing its lasers, Tacit Ronin has sprung into action! Propelling itself with a leap and a burst of rocket boosters, the jaeger lashes out in a flashy, choreographed swing!
(9)
(10,13)
As its claws shoot up to bat the blades away, Kay is forced to step back, and something in its damaged leg gives way with a wet pop. The kaiju stumbles just before its defensive maneuver finishes, letting Tacit carve a shallow but painful cut down its chest!
Hit to Left Ankle and Chest! One Glancing Wound! One Minor Wound! Kay takes 4 Strikes, +1 Ongoing! No Vital damage! Successful Flourish! +175 Resources!
Snarling and flaring its magnetic field, Kay strikes back, using all four of its limbs!
(Also, the artificial difficulty increase is gone. Again.)
Western Sector:
Murasame and Quetzals at 190 from DP, gunboats 48 from DP, land units on shoreline (20 from DP).
Leading edge of VS 20 units away from nearest forces (no spacing).
Current number of VS: 24 (Initial 72)
Southern Sector:
Tacit is 35 from DP, Hellhounds/Scouts at 29/25 from DP (grouped around Kay and spaced), all ground mobiles 20 from DP, all stationary units on DP.
Kay is 35 from DP, ZS closest point 29 from DP.
Current number of ZS: 7 (Initial 26)
Tacit Ronin does its best to pivot away-- using the emergency rectifiers in the process-- but Kay manages to land a glancing blow on the jaeger's torso nonetheless. The punch does little more than shake them up and scratch off paint, so Tacit recovers in no time.
Glancing Hit to Torso! Tacit Ronin takes 1 Strike!
The jaeger's pilots are readying their counter attack, when a flashing display catches their eyes. Apparently, the contact with Kay while inside its field has set up some... magnetic resonance in Tacit's systems, and it's screwing with their manual dexterity a little. The resonance doesn't seem to be lasting long, but...
-1 Dexterity for 1 turn!
Noah blinks.
"...huh. That's new."
Magnets, am I right?
Combat Round 5
[X] South:
-[x] Conventionals keep shooting the Zenics.
-[x] Tacit slashes Kay again.
[X] Everyone else:
-[x] Keep doing what you're doing.
Unfortunately, the Murasame's crew finds that they've used up their missiles again. The sailors scramble to respond, assisted by the on-board resupply crew in their job of refilling the magazines a second time. In the meanwhile, the ship starts to back up, while the Quetzals unleash another strafing spray of K-Busters from their side-mounted launcher turrets.
10 Vortex Spawn destroyed! Murasame out of Hellfire Missiles! Reloading - 4 uses left of resupply squads!
7 Rounds until railgun shift completed.
4 Rounds until Banshee arrival.
[---]
- South:
2 Arges hits!
Unlike before, this time the targeting link-up is complete, and everything shooting receives the extra accuracy. Thus assisted, the Hellhounds are far better shots this time, though they're nearly out of K-Busters. The tanks too are running out of ammo-- though they make the most of what they have left. In a rapid drumbeat of gunfire, the literally laser-guided shots of the Type-100s soar across the battlefield, and blow the last remaining Category Zeroes into pieces!
All Zenic Spawn Destroyed!
Meanwhile, Tacit Ronin continues to fight with Kay.
(8)
(13,7)
The jaeger strikes out with a pair of consecutive slashes, aimed one after the other towards the kaiju's stomach. Kay smashes one aside with its arms-- the edge of the weapon searing a line into the scales-- but the other fangblade hits its vulnerable underbelly dead centre!
Hit to the Torso! Minor Wound! Kay takes 4 Strikes, +5 Ongoing! Kay is losing Stamina!
Toxic blood leaking from the hissing wound in its gut, Kay stumbles back a few steps. The four-armed monster's mouth splits open to draw in a breath-- but the action flexes open its wound, releasing another, far more violent spurt of Blue. Losing so much blood so quickly does not help Kay in the slightest, and the kaiju collapses to the ground, unconscious and bleeding out.
4 Strikes from Ongoing!
Not long after, Tacit Ronin drives its fangblade through the kaiju's brain stem.
SE-27-006 "Kay" Defeated!
Western Sector:
Murasame and Quetzals at 184 from DP, gunboats 48 from DP, land units on shoreline (20 from DP).
Leading edge of VS 20 units away from nearest forces (no spacing).
Current number of VS: 14 (Initial 72)
Southern Sector:
Tacit is 35 from DP, Hellhounds/Scouts at 29/25 from DP (grouped around Kay and spaced), all ground mobiles 20 from DP, all stationary units on DP.
ZS closest point 29 from DP.
Current number of ZS: 0 (Initial 26)
Now, it's just the West to deal with.
Combat Round 6
[X] Plan ugly fish in a big barrel
-[x] West:
--[x] Just keep shootin' and scootin', my friends.
With only a few kaiju left to go, the Murasame and Quetzals fire off their missiles again. More and more of the monsters die, burning and cooking under the barrage, until nothing is left moving.
All Vortex Spawn destroyed!
And just like that, it's over.
And we're done. Good job, everybody, let's pack up and let the clean-up crews do their thing.
Week 42 Combat End
Clearly victorious, the jaegers and SDF head back to Seattle, to the cheers of the masses. Though the battle was not without loss-- those six helicopters and their airmen who were downed by the Zenic Spawn-- far more people have lived today, and their actions helped draw the fight to a swift conclusion. Those that did survive, meanwhile, are rewarded with praise from their peers and the public. The Heimdal's crew in particular are in a very good mood, and opt to paint Grae's winged silhouette onto their main gun alongside the standard kaiju kill-marker, just to show it off that much more.
Morale to Enthusiastic! +55% Manufacturing!
Tacit Ronin barely needs any repairs-- Kay basically just left it a love tap. The magnetic resonance is completely gone anyways, with little extra side effects than the normal wear on the jaeger's systems.
Tacit's repairs will cost 60 Resources, but will be a Free Action.
The Hlin, meanwhile, needs several of its internal components replaced in order to render its Barrier usable once more. It's not that much work, but it will take a bit.
Repairs to the Hlin's Barrier generator will require an action and 100 Resources.
Still, these should be small fry, given the massive influx of resources provided both from harvesting the kaiju and from showing off the fights themselves (among the more popular videos is an overly dramatic clip of Grae appearing in the sky and dancing around the railgun shots before the Heimdal just shoots it out of the sky).
A quick examination of the battlefield reports that cleaning up the land-based fights is going to be the easy part-- but Kay's bloody death and the numerous Vortex Spawn that were taken down are going to need serious work to clean up.
Kaiju science certainly doesn't waste their chance to examine two very interesting kaiju, alongside the more intact Cat Zero remains, and sends in a very extensive report. However, as it's really quite long, things can be summarized as:
Grae shows a lot of changes and upgrades, all of which seem rather... unnatural. The wings, the extra armour, the enhanced reflex arcs, all of it's clearly new tissue with obvious joins to the old flesh and bone. Regarding its original physiology, the grapnel claw system is very well developed, and displays the ability to replace broken cables with extra ones over time, while its jaws contain a debilitating venom. The jaws seem to have been reinforced to better punch through armour. Grae's blindsight appears identical to previously seen blindsight abilities. Its new shoulder fins seem to have contained weapons-- an almost reflexive spike launcher in the right shoulder, and a semi-organic combat knife in the left, the latter of which seems more like the sort of weapon a Seijin would wield-- though these are now ruined by the kaiju's toxic bodily fluids.
Basically, it's a good thing that the Heimdal nailed Grae before it could do anything of consequence.
Grae's teleportation ability is still somewhat unknown, but close records of all its physiological aspects and combat data are being made, in hopes of it proving useful at some point.
New Research Token!
- Grae Token (Teleportation)
Note that this isn't quite as game breaking as it might seem at first. Teleportation is one of those very hard things to successfully research.
Meanwhile, Kay shows a generally standard body for a kaiju, save the blindsight-- until its circulatory system and dorsal flange are addressed. A high concentration of metallic material in the bloodstream allowed for its natural cardiovascular activity to generate a magnetic field, which its flange combined with signals from the secondary brain to express in the kaiju's variable field. Certain aspects of the field seem keyed to certain activities or statuses, letting it switch abilities on the fly by acting differently. In any case, it's a very unique and versatile ability.
As for the Category Zeroes, the Vortex Spawn are identical to previous iterations, while the Zenic Spawn seem... somewhat similar to the Cat II "Zeno" that attacked a while ago. Not identical, of course, but the lithe form and electromagnetically propelled flechette weapon both match up. However, their smaller size made the recoil worse, so they had to stay still to fire optimally.
Kaiju Stats:
SE-26-046 Grae
Class: Category III Kaiju Despite some differences, this is clearly still the same kaiju as before, with its pale grey skin, humanoid build, and a head like an eyeless cetacean. However, unlike its first appearance, Grae no longer possesses its armoured symbiote; instead, a pair of avian wings sprout from the kaiju's spine, with fins in place of feathers. Its entire upper torso has been reinforced with segmented armour plating, and each of its shoulders sports a narrow fin, like those on Anaklusmos.
Stats:
HtH: 4
Ran: 2
Str: 4
Tou: 3
Agi: 4
Dex: 3
Structure:
Dura: 10
Stru: 16
Eyeless: Immune to Eye damage. All attacks that would hit the Eyes instead hit the Head. Enhanced Mass Teleport: As a Half Action, Grae may yank all friendly units in a 6 unit radius (including itself) up to 5d10 units in any direction it pleases. This automatically disengages any grapples, and stuns all participants besides Grae, who is treated as having Moved for all practical purposes. Afterwards, Grae must wait 1d5+2 rounds before it can use this power again. Alternately, Grae may opt to disengage from the fight entirely, teleporting itself and all others occupying its space 5d10 x100 units away as a Reaction. This burns out Grae's Mass Teleport ability for 1d5/2 days, to a minimum of half a day. Master Wrestler: If you win the first round of the Grapple, you gain a non-cumulative +1 bonus to Grappling rolls until you lose a roll. Additionally, you may make an extra action each time you win a Grappling round. Indomitable (Grapple): May never drop below a permanent -1 Penalty for Grappling rolls, even if universal penalties would apply. Heightened Evasion: For the purposes of Passive Defense and ranged attacks, enemies increase your to-hit number by half your Agility stat (rounding up). This is not increased by Flying. Aerial Ace: Grae can fly under its own power, and follows the rules for Flying characters when doing so.
Grapnel Claws x2 Built-In Ranged Weapons (Hands, Carbine)
Attack Dice: 1d10+4
Armour Penetration: 1
Damage Type: Impact
Damage Bonus: -3
Range: 10/25/-
Special: Lash: A successful attack, regardless of damage dealt (if any), grapples the opponent. If the opponent wins the grapple, they may break free and can act as normal if it is their turn (other rules may apply based on successes). If Grae wins on its turn, it drags the opponent closer to it by (1d10+Str-Opponent's Str) Units.
If the opponent is dragged adjacent to the shooter (or vice versa) Grae can resolve a standard melee attack, slam or grapple as a free action after the attack is fully resolved. Any reactions to an attack of this nature are made at a -1 penalty.
On a result of 0 the victim breaks free and can act as normal. On a negative result, roll a 1d10 and consult the Lash Misfire Table below:
Roll: Effect
1: Critical misfire. The weapon catastrophically fails, inflicting 1d10 Burst to the location the weapon is mounted, and destroying the weapon.
2-4: The mechanisms of the weapon break, and the weapon can no longer fire until it is regenerated (see Spare Hooks). Discard the current attack dice.
5-7: Grae is yanked off its feet as the opponent pulls hard! Grae is moved a number of units closer to the opponent equal to the negative result (e.g. a result of -2 moves Grae 2 units closer), and is knocked Prone.
8-10: Grae skids forwards as the opponent overcomes the pull, and yanks back! Grae moves 1d5+1-Str Units directly towards its opponent. If the result is negative, Grae may attempt to regain control of the attack, and another grapple check is made as if the weapon had just been fired.
Spare Hooks: If the Grapnels are broken (2-4), Grae regenerates a new set in 1d5 rounds. If they are destroyed by a roll of a 1, they do not regenerate.
By default, this attack uses both hands. Grae may fire one-handed, but if it does so the roll suffers a -3 penalty. Grae may grapple two opponents at the same time in this method.
May not make called shots, unless attempting to target a carried weapon (-3). If Grae succeeds on the attack, and an opposed Strength check, it immediately gains the weapon for itself, and may use it if it has enough Dexterity to do so. Grae does not suffer a -3 penalty for one-handed firing when attempting to steal a weapon, only the called shot penalty.
Venomous Fangs Built-In Melee Weapon
Attack Dice: 1d10-2
Armour Penetration: 2
Grappling Bonus: +0
Damage Type: Blunt, Ice
Damage Bonus: Strength
Special: Anti-Armour (2): Treats all armoured locations as having -2 AV (to a minimum of 0) for the purposes of overcoming Armour.
Linear Needle Gun Built-in Ranged Weapon (scatter, Right Shoulder)
Attack Dice: 2/1d10
Armour Penetration: 2+1d5
Damage Type: Blunt/Edged
Damage Bonus: 2
Range: 4/7
Special: Hair Trigger: May be fired as a Reaction, even if Grae has already attacked already.
Slow: May only be used once per round (e.g; if fired as an attack, cannot fire as a Reaction. May not be used multiple times in a grapple)
Biometal Combat Knife Carried One-Handed Melee Weapon
Attack Dice: 1d10+1
Parry Dice: 2d5-1
Block Dice: 1d5+2
Armour Penetration: 3+1d5/2
Grappling Bonus: +0
Damage Type: Edged/Acid
Damage Bonus: 2
Special: May be drawn or sheathed as a Free Action, as long as Grae has not taken a Wound to its Left Shoulder, and is not engaged in a Grapple.
The first time the Biometal Combat Knife is drawn in a battle, it gains +2 to any Defensive Reactions it is called to make during that round.
Bio-Linked: Only a kaiju can use this weapon at its fullest potential. When wielded by inorganic characters, the Biometal Knife has only AP 3 , and does not deal Acid damage.
Armour: Sleek Hide
Coverage: All but Shoulders, Chest, Torso, and Spine
Armor Value: 3/2
Resilience: All, +1 Conventional
Durability: 12
Laminated Biometal Plate
Coverage: Shoulders, Chest, Torso, and Spine
Armor Value: 4/1
Resilience: All, +1 Conventional
Durability: 9
SE-27-006 Kay
Class: Category III Kaiju Kay is an imposing semi-humanoid kaiju, with a body between crocodilian and ursine, and three thick pairs of limbs. Its body is covered in a layer of glossy black and brown scales, except for an crackling, electric blue flange that runs along its spine. Its head is long and bullet-shaped, with a mouth of formidable teeth sprouts straight from its body. The kaiju doesn't have any visible eyes.
Stats:
HtH: 4
Ran: 2
Str: 4
Tou: 4
Agi: 2
Dex: 3
Structure:
Dura: 14
Stru: 18
Eyeless: Immune to Eye damage. All attacks that would hit the Eyes instead hit the Head. Power Tackle: Slams inflict a flat 1d5+Str Blunt on a successful hit. If the Slam rolls a natural 5 on damage, the target is automatically Stunned, and Kay falls Prone as well. Hardened Nerves: Immune to Electric-based Stuns. Non-Electrical Stuns still operate as normal. Polarizing: You naturally emit a powerful magnetic field, but its utility fluctuates between several options, depending on your behaviour and physical condition. Each option for Polarizing describes its activation condition and effect, and lasts until you no longer meet the activation condition. You may only benefit from up to two Polarizing options at any one time. If more would be available, select the two you wish to use.
- Shocking: As long as you are engaged in a Grapple with at least one other character, you inflict 1d5 Electric damage to all other members at the start of your turn.
- Induction: As long as you use the Run or Charge Action on your turn, all friendly units within 5 Units of your starting location gain +1 Agility until the start of your next turn. If they normally have 0 Agility, they are still unable to Run.
- Meissner: As long as you do not Move any amount of Units on your turn, you and you alone gain AV 2/- against the first attack (or massed attack if the opponent is Conventional) that targets you on the enemy's turn.
- Interference: As long as you are not suffering from any Ongoing Wounds, all Ranged Attacks originating from 10 or more Units away treat their To-Hit Difficulty against anything within 5 Units of you as 1 higher than normal. This affects allied attacks as well.
- Foucault: As long as you have inflicted damage on an opponent (that has not been negated by a Reaction or Armour, and is not a result of Shocking) on your turn, the damaged opponent suffers a -1 penalty to a random (not Toughness) stat (1d5 chooses) for the duration of their following turn. This cannot stack with itself.
Armour: Thick Scales
Coverage: All
Armor Value: 3/2
Resilience: All, +1 Fire, +1 Electric, -1 Acid
Durability: 10
Vortex Spawn
Class: Category 0 Kaiju Larger than a Type-100, these creatures are pale, grub-like creatures with several tentacles and beaks that cover most of their head.
- Moves 6 Units a turn (amphibious)
- Tentacles: 1d10 Blunt, +0 Damage, Melee Range, hits on 5s
- Acid Spit: 1d10 Acid, -1 Damage, 5/-/10, hits on 5s. Acid never sticks.
- Latch On: Melee Range, only against Cat/Mark Is or higher. Roll a 1d10, to-hit number is the target's HtH or Dex, whichever is higher. If the attack succeeds, this unit attaches to the target, and inflicts one Ongoing Strike as long as it is attached. A Dex/HtH Check by the target kills a number of attached Spawn equal to the flat number rolled.
Zenic Spawn
Class: Category 0 Kaiju Around the size of a typical IFV, these creatures are characterised by their lithe bodies and long, cannon-shaped heads.
- Moves 8 Units a turn
- Flechette Gun: 1d10+1 Impact, +0 Damage, 10/-/20, hits on 5s. -2 Attack Dice if fired after moving.
Free Actions:
[ ] Kaiju:
-[ ] Clean up the contamination (-1520 Resources)
-[ ] Don't clean up the contamination
[ ] Ashley's recovery:
-[ ] Continue with conventional treatment (no bonus, no malus)
-[ ] Use the experimental A.R.T (+1 bonus, hybridisation and other possible side effects)
[ ] Other (requires GM permission)
I skipped a bit on some stuff, but you guys can totally ask questions and stuff anyways. In the meantime, I am open to downtime plans.
[x] Plan Jho
-[x] Normal Actions:
--[x] Build x15 Supercomposite Plate (-1875 R)
--[x] Build x2 Destroyer Talons (-2300 R)
--[X] Build x2 CMP-5 Combat Gauntlet (-320 R)
--[x] Build 1 HVMS limb mod (-4000 R)
--[x] Install HVMS mods (new one + one-time freebie) in left and right arms.
--[x] Equip Phenom Sable. Finalize Jaeger Creation.
--[x] Repair the Hlin (-100 R)
--[x] Research Synthetic generation of Silicon-based biomass as groundwork for the "Bio-Jaeger" project.
--[x] Research an upgrade to the Murasame to allow it to fire multiple weapons-systems simultaneously.
--[x] Research improved corrosion shells for conventionals (perhaps the venom contained in Kraken's tail would be useful?)
-[x] Free Actions
--[x] Kaiju:
---[x] Clean up the contamination (-1520 R)
--[x] Ashley's recovery:
---[x] Continue with conventional treatment (no bonus, no malus)
--[x] Repairs:
---[x] Repair Tacit (-60 R)
--[x] Research Fuel/Thrust management for Solid Fuel Thrusters in order to control power applied to system, at the very least try and get some kind of Emergency Shutoff System (J-Tech 1)
--[x] Reverse engineer Jagdhund's Machine Cannon so we can build her a replacement if needed, have an easier time designing a better rifle if said replacement becomes needed, and making it easier to research augments and ammo for the weapon design. (J-Tech 2)
--[x] Research potential ways to improve the existing breachgate technology beyond "more power" (SAFE RESEARCH MODE) (B-tech)
--[x] Research Replaceable Shield Components for the Hlin (cooling fins or something. Give it an ammo reserve higher than 1, basically) (C-Tech 1)
--[x] Research "sonic torpedoes" for underwater combat (C-Tech 2)
--[x] Research an alternative to the arges system for use in underwater combat (C-Tech 3)
--[x] Send Condors north to attempt to scout out a safe overland route to Alaska.
--[x] Build 2 Hellhound squadrons, 3 T-100 Tank Squads, 1 Murasame Type-RX Anti-Kaiju Destroyer
As usual, cleanup operations have the council's full support. There's little to report here besides the annoyance of dredging up seventy-odd kaiju corpses from Puget Sound.
Tacit's repairs are, as assessed previously, very low maintenance. By comparison, the Hlin's generator is a lot more work. Still, both of them are fairly easy to deal with, and it's not long at all before both are in peak condition once again.
Though the ART has been cleared for (minor) use by the public, NPPDC staff are still wary of the effects its hybridisation could have on Ashley, and continue with standard medical treatment instead. In a stroke of good luck, she's continuing to recover-- but, as the doctors continue to repeat, there's still next to no way she's going to get back in a jaeger anytime soon, even when she inevitably wakes up. And they're certain that she will wake up eventually.
Ashley's doing well, but keep in mind she's still in a coma, and has, like, one and a half limbs rather than the usual four. You'll need some sort of replacement, be they cloned limbs (freaky kaiju hybridisation optional), mechanical prostheses, or a combination of the two.
Meanwhile, the J-tech labs set to work on two different projects. First of these is some sort of control system for Tacit Ronin's Solid Fuel Boosters. Somehow, something goes wrong with this, and the result is an emergency cutoff system that can be described as "shoddy" at best. Sure, it'll blow off the fuel tanks-- but it's just as likely to blow them up instead.
Upgrade available for Augment (Solid-Fuel Thrusters): SFT Prototype Cutoff Switch +200 Resources -- SFT Prototype Cutoff Switch (Shoddy): When Sound Breaker is active, you may shut it down before their normal deactivation point as a Free Action. In addition, roll a 1d10. On a 7 or lower, the Thrusters explode, inflicting 3d5 Fire to a random Body location.
It didn't make sense for you to not get a result here-- not without your research teams looking unusually incompetent-- so I gave you something that explodes! Yay!
Though the results of the first project have... questionable usefulness, J-tech tries to continue onto the second. This one-- the goal of which is reverse-engineering Jagdhund's Machine Cannon, so that a replacement or upgraded version could be later produced-- actually goes surprisingly well! Of course, this is mainly due to the fact that Jagdhund wholeheartedly agrees to participate, and figuratively shoves all her data on the gun into their hands. The M-9914, also known as the M-99 Model 14 Large Scale Machine-Operated Variable/Rapid-Fire Cannon is a basic but reliable gun, with very few moving parts for its size and a tough casing to protect from trauma. The weapon is capable of using multiple firing modes, and uses a simple 100-round drum magazine mounted on the top to provide ammunition. Overall, it's both a versatile and relatively inexpensive firearm, thanks to its basic design. Blueprints are available shortly.
New Jaeger Weapon available: M-9914 Machine Cannon! M-9914 Machine Cannon 875 Resources
Carried Two-handed Ranged Weapon
(Rifle, Magazine)
Attack Dice: 1d10+1/2x 1d10/3x 1d10-1
Armour Penetration: 0
Damage Type: Impact
Damage Bonus: 2
Range: 15/25/30
Reload: 1
Special: Any time the M-9914 is fired, chose the firing mode: Semi-Auto, Burst, or Fully Automatic. The M-9914 may be loaded with specialty ammunition:
- Assault Rounds: As above.
- AP Rounds: Damage Bonus to 1, Armour Penetration to 2. Deals +1 Damage for the purposes of Armour Durability.
Requires 3+ Dex
With the issue of power seemingly ever-present, Breach Research looks for ways to improve the Breachgate without just upping the energy input. Through intense examination of their data, and several experiments, they come up with a report detailing some possibilities for enhancements that shouldn't use that much extra power.
Possible Breachgate Enhancement Options: - Distance efficiency could be increased with the addition of "rest-stops"-- sections where the Breach reconnects to reality along the journey. It seems part of the energy drain comes from the strain of long-distance travel outside of normal space-time, and a point where it's allowed to intersect could reduce some of the strain.
- While we don't know how the kaiju masters have done it, a genetic lock to only allow entry/exit of earth life could be useful, especially if the rest-stop idea is used (kaiju can't break in).
- Breach interior seems very hostile - no atmosphere, high radiation/temperature. Kaiju resist with their natural armour, our tech with protective shielding/life support. For unshielded entry, an artificial tunnel could be inserted into one of the Breachgates. Wormhole environment would be repulsed by the tunnel's systems, allows safe passage without protective gear.
- RE: tunnels. Some sort of airlock system at regular points in case of unexpected system shutoff/tunnel breach? Wormhole lifeboat may be possible - uncertain.
- Electromagnetic field used in Breachgate can make 'floor' already-- explore? EM walls/roof could be less expensive, but higher risk in result of shutoff/failure.
First up on the conventional research teams' plate is the Hlin. As this battle has shown, it's a very useful machine, but its shield needs some better endurance in the field. A set of replacement parts for the high-temperature sections and an increase in coolant seem to be some promising ways to do this.
New Upgrade/Variant available for Hlin! - Enhanced Hlin:
Costs 7000 Resources, or +1000 Resources to upgrade a pre-existing Hlin.
Increase Barrier Shield Dispersal to 4, and Integrity to 12.
The first time the Barrier Shield Collapses, it may be raised again after 2 rounds, activating anew. During these two rounds, the Hlin may not move at all, but is still capable of using its Emergency PD Guns. After this first replacement, any further collapses of the shield cannot be reactivated until it is repaired as normal.
By 'costs 7000 Resources', that's for a Hlin that starts with these things. And having Dispersal=Power isn't quite as over-powered as you might think, since it means that the Hlin can only bleed off one attack a turn, and-- as we saw-- it'll easily be facing multiple attacks during its operation. But it's still good.
Next on the conventional research team's list is a new torpedo variant-- a 'sonic torpedo', as it's called. Now, the fact is that something like this kind of already exists; ultrasonic vibrations can be used to cut through metal via cavitation. All the team needs to do is scale this up, and the end result is rather nasty for anything on the receiving end-- or within about a hundred metres of the impact. About the only disadvantage is that the advanced mechanisms of the new weapons limits them to limited production, and priority's given to naval vessels.
New weapon available to Aquatic Conventional Units: Oceanus-44 Au-Cav Torpedo! - Oceanus-44 Au-Cav Torpedo: 1d10 Fire/Ice damage. +1 Damage. Range 15/-/25, Hits on 5+. Radius 1. Two Shots Only. Cauterizes Wounds. Benefits from Arges to +1, Benefits from Brontes. May only be fired against targets in the water.
These can be used by the Gunboats, Murasames, Morays (if you ever build any Morays), or anything else you build for water use alone. Au-Cav stands for Aural Cavitation.
Acting in conjuncture with this is hopes for an underwater equivalent to the Arges system-- which is not very effective in this area, due to being a laser targeting system designed for above-ground use. Thanks to a collaboration between three of the council members, a solution is devised; a group of large, powerful sonobuoys that can triangulate a kaiju's location and allow more accurate firing. With this basic concept set up, the engineers and researchers set to work making a functional version. The end result is termed the Brontes Acoustic-Targeting Network, and fills the role rather nicely. However, that's not to say it's without flaws. For one, the buoys that Brontes relies on are incapable of moving after deployment, and a limited number can be carried into battle. They're rather large, and so require the scout autogyros to remove most of their other equipment to carry them. Finally, the Brontes buoys are... not the longest-ranged in the area they cover. But with a little improvement, they'll be worth it.
New System for Scout Autogyros: Brontes Acoustic-Targeting Network! Scouts must choose deployment options on launch: K-Busters and Arges, or Brontes -- Brontes Sonobuoy: One Use Only. May be dropped at any one point along the squadron's movement this turn, as long as that movement was over water. Until the end of the battle, that coordinate contains a Sonobuoy, which may be targeted and destroyed as a separate Conventional Unit. As long as one or more Sonobuoys exist on the battlefield, Brontes is active. Sonobuoys cannot move once deployed. --- Brontes Acoustic-Targeting Network: 1d10 attack vs. aquatic targets only. Hits on 4s. Radius 10/-/-. Roll separately against all enemies in radius, ignoring cover. On a successful hit, friendly units receive a cumulative +1 bonus for checks to locate/detect the enemy, to a maximum of +3. Additionally, all guided amphibious or aquatic attacks gain a bonus to their roll equal to the number of Brontes hits beyond the first, to a maximum of +2. Unlike Arges, this does not count as bonus Ranged. All bonuses are removed at the end of the round.
Ta da! Arges means 'Bright', so naturally I went with 'Thunderer' for the sonar-based equivalent. Credit and my thanks to @Highwind for the inspiration regarding this system!
In order to continue Metathaumic Experimental research, Neo-Seattle's going to need to get to Japan. And the best way to do that, sans using a rocket, is to go through Alaska, and come down through Russia. However, with the abundance of kaiju, that won't be easy. Thus, Condor Flight's mission is to find a safe route to take up through Alaska.
Detailed results will arrive during the next "Combat End". However, I will say it involves something close to your current Seattle-to-Anchorage route.
The Military Production Facilities churn out their usual units-- though two of the tank squadrons aren't for new tankers, but the old crews who just lost their tanks. Alongside them is the first vessel built by the Dockworks; a second Murasame, this time equipped with the RX-11 railgun!
2 Hellhound Squadrons constructed! 3 Type 100-C squadrons constructed!
1 Murasame-class Type-RX Anti-Kaiju Destroyer constructed!
With little luck at a bio-jaeger control system, the focus switches to getting the flesh down. Unfortunately, that's also hard, but a couple sketches are drawn up-- showing some sort of large nutrient tank and a taffy-puller-like mechanism (presumably for exercising the silicon flesh). There's also lots of questions on the sheet as well, such as 'what does silicon flesh eat/nutrient composition?', 'what use as gene base?', 'shaping musculature?' It's... not much, but it's not nothing at least.
After its showing in the battle, an idea's being thrown around to allow the Murasame-class to use more of its weapons systems at once. However, a inspection of the vessel's current layout and technical specs suggests that it'd need improvements to both its sensors and weapon targeting in order to pull something like that off. However, not much else is done besides that.
Displeased by the poor design of the corrosion shells, more work is done into them, drawing specifically from the venom shown in Kraken's tail. While it doesn't wholly fix the denaturation issue, it does allow the solvent to properly act, and melt away at the silicon-based flesh of kaiju (or the silicon internals of a jaeger). To prevent the warhead from just dissolving itself, a carbon-based ceramic is used in the container.
AAR-01y Prototype Corrosion Shell upgraded to AAR-02 Corrosion Shell! - 120mm AAR-02 Corrosion Shell: 1d10 Acid damage. -1 Damage. Range 10/20/-, Hits on 5+. Benefits from Arges.
Basically, you've got normal sticky Acid that's actually useful. The damage penalty's still there, though.
All the meanwhile, the city's forges and manufacturing rigs are hard at work, churning out plates of superalloy armour, jointing systems, and intricate electrical components-- enough to arm and armour a jaeger.
With all the new equipment available, it's time for Neo-Seattle's third and newest jaeger to come to life.
Next up, Phenom Sable's construction! I'll give you guys a bit of space to react/comment/inquire things before we start, but then it'll be giant robot time.
I'm giving another shot at writing fluff here. Hope you guys like it.
[---]
They'd been waiting for this. All their training, all their fighting, all their efforts... all of it was leading up to this day. Now, they had their chance-- the chance to be the ultimate star, to fight the ultimate foe.
Dressed in their shiny black drivesuits, the Uemura siblings waited giddily at the gate to the entry catwalk.
"It's almost time," Kanji pointed out, glancing at the clock behind them. Shiori grinned, the expression disturbingly wolfish for anyone but her brother.
"I know," she replied. "I almost can't wait to get our first taste of it."
"You two do know that it's not the time until startup, right?" Another voice asked. The two turned, to see another man, dressed in a red and orange drivesuit, resting against the frame of the door beneath the clock. "It's just the time until they let you into the jaeger. After that, there's going to be... let's say five more minutes of checks and stuff before you can try it out."
"Williams-san," Shiori remarked. "I didn't expect to see you this early."
"We thought you and the others would contact us from LOCCENT once we'd gotten in," Kanji explained. "Give us one last pep talk then."
Noah shrugged.
"Eh, seemed better to send you off proper. Plus, you've already head more than enough from us already-- so if that hasn't stuck, I don't think anything will. Besides, Alec and the others are a bit busy with preparations right now, Jagdhund's off doing AI things, and my current co-pilot doesn't have enough experience to advise you here. Ergo, it's just me."
"Then what did you want to say?"
"Not too much," Noah replied. "Mostly just wishing you guys luck on your first go at a Drift in an actual jaeger, reminding you to know where the ejection switch is... that sort of jazz."
"Well, thanks for the luck, though I'm pretty sure we know where the eject is," Kanji replied. "Still, it's appreciated--"
Before either side can continue, an alarm sounds from the PA system, and the catwalk gate rattles opens.
"That'd be us then," Shiori says, standing up alongside her brother. "See you soon, Williams."
"See you soon, guys."
As the two head off along the catwalk to their jaeger, Noah speaks up again.
"Oh, and one last thing. Don't get too carried away out there, you two. It's just a launch sequence."
The Uemura siblings stop, and turn sideways to look at him. With rough simultaneity, brother and sister smirk through their helmets.
"Of course we won't-- what the hell sort of people do you take us for?"
[---]
- Five minutes later.
The first time a jaeger starts up, something happens. Between the electric crackle of the computers, and the blending minds of the pilots, something unique sparks into being. Is it the first signs of life? Maybe, or maybe it's just a natural reaction to the process. But with something as vast and astonishingly powerful as a Jaeger... anything could happen.
Even at rest, Phenom Sable looks ready to step into action at a moment's notice. The Mark II's stance exudes confidence and energy, matching its bulky but flexible frame. Its armour is a mix of thick, blocky shapes with smoothed-over edges, designed to make cutting strikes hard to land precisely while not colliding with other parts. Even the equipment taken from the usually slender Mark VI designs has been thickened and enlarged somewhat, though it's hardly a hindrance to their use. The jaeger's signature Destroyer Talons lay folded up on its forearms, appearing deceptively small in their compacted state, while the gaps in the limbs' armour offer a peak at the almost organic-looking Hyper-Vascular Muscle Strands.
Though most of its body is the deep, dark brown-black of pitch, Phenom's surface sports more than a few highlights and markings of gleaming chrome silver-- including the claw-shaped insignia on either shoulder pad.
"Launch sequence initiated," a LOCCENT officer announces over the Shatterdome's PA system. Seconds later, the reactor in Phenom's chest growls, and the exhaust vents flutter open. As the doors to the massive complex slide open, bathing the front of the mighty machine in the light of the noon sky, the four 'eyes' around Phenom Sable's visor blaze to life.
It's showtime.
PHENOM SABLE ACTIVATED!
Class: Mark II Jaeger
Pilots: Shiori Uemura (Right) & Kanji Uemura (Left)
Motivation: Chokeslam The Apocalypse! Stats: (12/15)
HtH: 4 (0/25)
Ran: 0 (0/5)
Str: 3 (0/20)
Tou: 4 (0/25)
Agi: 1 (0/10)
Dex: 0 (0/5) Structure:
Dura: 7
Stru: 13 Perks:
- Clamshell Grab (Shiori): On a successful Block with its Destroyer Talons, Phenom Sable may attempt to initiate a Grapple as a counterattack. May be used in conjunction with Deflective Guard.
- Deflective Guard (Kanji): Phenom Sable may choose to take -1 to all Reactions for one round. If a successful Block is made during this time, reduce the base damage of the attack by half of Phenom's Toughness (rounding down) before applying Armour. May be used in conjunction with Clamshell Grab. Modifications:
- Sealed Piloting Chamber (Conpod, Integrated) Phenom Sable's Conpod is a double-layered design; an armoured external section carrying sensors, mechanisms, and secondary processing units, and a smaller internal section containing the piloting interfaces and AI core. This internal layer can be easily ejected from the back of Sable's skull frame, instantly removing the pilots from any immediate danger, and features a layer of armour to defend against more penetrative hits.
Phenom Sable has the following traits:
-- Chamber Ejection: As a Reaction, the Jaeger may attempt to eject its Chamber. Roll a 1d10. On a 6+, the Chamber ejects safely, landing 1d5+5 units away. On an 3-5, the Chamber ejects at suboptimal thrust, and lands 1d5 units away. On a 2 or lower, the ejection command fails, and the Jaeger must wait for 5 rounds before it can attempt to eject again.
-- Safety Plate: The Conpod gains an unbreakable +1/1 AV.
- Hyper-Vascular Muscle Strands (Both Arms, Integrated) Instead of the usual muscle strands and hydraulics, Phenom Sable's arms make use of an advanced, high-pressure fluid motive system. Based off of the designs of Kaiju and Seijin musculature, the hypervascular bundles dramatically improve a jaeger's CQC, wrestling, and weight-carrying abilities. However, the massive amount of pressure concentrated the artificial muscles use for their immense strength can be easily lost if the vascular system is damaged.
- Hyper-Vascular System: Phenom Sable gains a +3 bonus when Grappling, as long as it is conducting the Grapple using its Hyper-Vascular limbs. Each Ongoing Wound inflicted on a Hyper-Vascular limb will reduce the Grapple bonus by 1, until these Ongoing Wounds are healed. Additionally, the Jaeger is treated as if its Strength was 1 higher for the purposes of Grappling moves, encumbrance, and other prerequisites. Nuclear Fission Reactor: Phenom Sable is equipped with a Nuclear Fission Reactor, and gains all related traits. Weapons: VN-09 Destroyer Talons x2 (Arms) Built-In Melee Weapons
Attack Dice: 1d10+2
Parry Dice: 1d5
Block Dice: 1d10-1
Armour Penetration: 3
Grappling Bonus: +4
Damage Type: Edged
Damage Bonus: Strength+1
Special: Cauterizes wounds.
Stance Change: Phenom Sable has two 'hands' on each arm, and can activate or deactivate this extra pair almost instantly. Sable may extend or retract its Destroyer Talons as a Free Action, but no more than once per round. When extended, the Jaeger suffers -1 Dex, and is unable to properly wield handheld weapons, but gains the attack profile and special abilities of the Destroyer Talons in turn. The Jaeger may still carry things in its hands, but all carried weapons count as Improvised instead of their normal profile. When retracted, the Jaeger cannot use the Talons, but otherwise operates as normal.
Progressive Vice: Inflicts 1d10 Edged to the opponent each round the Jaeger wins a Grapple. On a roll of a 10, inflict 1 extra Edged. CMP-5 Combat Gauntlets x2 Built-In Melee Weapons
Attack Dice: 1d10
Parry Dice: 1d5
Block Dice: 1d10-1
Armour Penetration: 0
Grappling Bonus: +3
Damage Type: Blunt
Damage Bonus: Strength Combat Sabaton x2 Built-In Melee Weapons
Attack Dice: 1d10-1
Parry Dice: 1d5
Block Dice: 1d5
Armour Penetration: 1
Grappling Bonus: -3
Damage Type: Blunt
Damage Bonus: Strength x2
Special: Curb-stomp: +3 against any Prone opponents when the user is not Prone. Armour: Jagdarium Superalloy Composite Plating
AV: 5/2
Coverage: All but Conpod
Resilience: +1 Impact, +1 Edged, -1 Ice
Durability: 9
Special: Pressure Intolerant: When submerged in liquid or another high-pressure environment, gain -1 Blunt for the duration of the time spent there.
Strike Repair on armoured locations costs 60 R per Strike. AH-2 Advanced Conpod Plating
AV: 2/1
Coverage: Conpod
Resilience: All
Durability: 4 Special: Treat AV and Durability as double against the first attack that strikes a location protected by this.
The scanners set to work as soon as the signal's picked up, and the approaching kaiju are analysed. Interestingly, they all share very similar physiological plans--large, bulky humanoids of flesh and bone, covered in a thick exoskeleton-- though they're not identical by any means. One interesting thing, however, is that the designation generator seems to have developed a fault, as the trio are given... well, nonsense names.
First off is SE-27-007, "Umpo". Biggest and heaviest of the three, Umpo sports a large cranial horn, and conical forearms.
SE-27-008 "Inko" is the most different in its physiology from the others, as it has four arms and overall thinner armour. There's a high temperature area at its core.
Finally, SE-27-009 "Endo" is curious. It possesses highly developed arms, with some sort of physical shield on each one. Like Inko, Endo has a high temperature area at its core, though it is cooler than the former's.
The kaiju aren't approaching in any particular pattern, though they tend to stay within about a kilometre of each other.
Umpo, Inko, and Endo are all approaching from the South. Your maximum intercept distance is 5 kilometres (50 units).
Combat Deployment
[X] Deploy at roughly 25 units from the DP.
-[x] Tanks deploy at the 25 unit line along with the Hlin.
-[x] Artillery, Mortars and the Heimdal are right behind them, at 23 units.
-[x] The Air Force loiters above them, spread out so as to remain unclustered.
-[x] The Jaegers deploy at 20 units from the DP, with Tacit in the middle, Jagdhund to the left and Phenom to the right.
--[jk] Posing as a team optional, but encouraged.
The troops roll out quickly, forming a defensive wall in front of the city. Behind them are the trio of jaegers, standing imposingly together.
Off in the distance, three creatures move through the fog.
As the scans suggested, the trio of kaiju are very similar. Each one's a thick, hunched crustaceal mass, with a seemingly unpolished design (compared to how some other kaiju have looked). Their body plan is equally simple; a barrel-shaped body with a protruding chest, a small head with a pair of beady black eyes and a snapping maw, and vaguely cylindrical limbs-- all plated in thick chitinous armour. It's from there that they diverge.
Umpo, taking up one of the closer positions, is clearly the largest-- with thicker limbs, a broader chest, and a thicker neck than its two comrades. Umpo's arms terminate in spearhead points instead of hands, and seem designed for precise, powerful hits, though the rounded tips suggest that the anti-edge resilience of Jagdarium isn't going to be as useful here. The reason for the thicker neck is also clear, as a massive, crescent-moon-shaped blade the size of one of its forearms sprouts from its forehead, curving up like a rhino's horn. Umpo's armour is rust red, but darkens to a black-brown on its extremities and horn.
Though Inko is further away than the others, it's still quite clear. Though still matching Jagdhund in terms of bulk, the kaiju's clearly the slimmest and most agile of the three, and its unarmoured joints only add to this impression. A second pair of arms sprout above and behind the first, mounted on flexible, segmented shoulder joints. All four limbs have some sort of armoured bracer on their forearms, though-- like Umpo-- Inko lacks any sort of conventional hand. Instead, a short, wide-bore cannon barrel protrudes from each wrist, glowing with inner light. Inko's chitin is pale white, but stained black in places by the steaming, tarry fluid that regularly drips from its mouth.
Endo, meanwhile, looks... cunning. Its black eyes glitter with animalistic intelligence, and the nimble dexterity of its movements further adds to this impression. Its armour is purple-grey, and segmented far beyond those of its brethren, affording it great flexibility. Unlike the others, Endo actually has hands-- a set of narrow, dexterous pincers. Its arms are long and double-jointed, with either one of the furthest sections sporting a broad shield plate. Like Inko, Endo's mouth is stained black with a steaming substance, though it's not dribbled all over itself quite as much.
The trio of kaiju advance as one, staying a little closer to each-other. Umpo and Endo are in front, using their bulk to shield the lighter Inko, but still affording it an open firing arc.
Kaiju: 55 units from DP, 3-unit spacing Umpo-Inko-Endo, with Umpo and Endo closest to DP (Inko is ~2 units further).
Jaegers: 20 units from DP, 3 units spacing PS***TR***JH (west to east)
SDF: Tanks/Hlin are 25 from DP, Arty/Mortar/Heimdal 23, Air Force 23.
Combat Round 1
[X] All non-Jaeger ground units advance four units, keep under the Hlin's shield.
-[X] The Jaegers move forward as well, closing their distance with the Hlin.
-[X] The Air-Force loiters where they are.
Slowly, the ground force units begin to advance, rumbling forwards alongside the mighty Hlin. Even the Heimdal follows behind them, though its sheer weight and poorly adapted motor systems mean that it's going to fall behind eventually.
The jaegers advance as well, their natural stride allowing them to close the distance easily, even with Phenom's slower pace forcing it to put more effort into keeping up.
Umpo and Endo continue their advance unhindered, while Inko steps a little bit towards the latter alongside its normal steps. The kaijus' eyes flicker in their sockets, scanning the approaching threats.
Kaiju: 50 units from DP, spacing Umpo****Inko**Endo, with Umpo and Endo (3 apart) closest to DP (Inko is ~2 units further).
Jaegers: 25 units from DP, 3 units spacing PS***TR***JH (west to east)
SDF: Tanks/Hlin are 29 from DP, Mortar 27, Heimdal 26, Arty/Air Force 23.
Not too much here-- don't know why this took so long.
Also, the Research Ideas List is not something to just plug parts in from as is-- most of the items there are made of multiple parts, and performing such actions (multiple goals) is very difficult. Plus, they're not really phrased as well as they could in some parts, and a good deal are unfinished.
Combat Round 2
[X] Plan "Hit 'em Fast"
-[x] The Air Force splits into two groups to pincer Inko. The Scouts lock the target with the Arges, the Helicopters fire Cracker missiles and the Quetzals fire their Hellfire+s.
-[x] Tanks and Hlin move to 33 units from the DP and fire at Inko with normal shells.
-[x] Tacit and Phenom move to 33 units as well.
-[x] Jagdhund fires a burst at Inko.
-[x] The Heimdal moves forward as far as possible and locks down to fire.
With Inko as the obvious target, the air force speeds into action! Dragonfly-class autogyros split into prongs, leading the eleven squadrons of attack and assault helis behind them, going over and around the frontal kaiju to get at the ranged monster in the rear!
4 Arges hits! +2 Ranged achieved!
(Evasive Maneuvers: 7)
As soon as the lasers paint its pale armour, Inko starts to move. Though it's far from some of the more ridiculous evasive abilities seen before, it's enough to throw off the missile tracking a little-- turning what would have been a solid hit to the torso from the Hellhounds into a scratch. However, another squadron manages to correct the error, and lands their missiles right on one of Inko's vulnerable shoulder joints!
Hit to Torso! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Right Shoulder! Minor Wound!
Inko takes 4 Strikes, +1 Ongoing!
Moments later, the Banshees' Cracker missiles scream in-- but Inko's already trying to get out of the way of them. Unfortunately for it, while it does manage to evade a hit to the legs, along with several others, a decisive strike to one of its left limbs hits deep, tearing out the delicate innards of the cannon and snuffing out the glow in the barrel. Blue blood leaking from its wounds, armour burnt black in several places, Inko just barely manages to step back-- letting another couple missiles detonate meters from its face instead of punching into its cranium.
(Evasive Maneuvers: 8)
Hit to Left Arms! Minor Wound!
Hit to Head! Glancing Wound!
Inko takes 4 Strikes, +1 Ongoing! Inko is losing stamina!
As the kaiju stumbles, the Quetzalcoatls swoop in, firing off their hellfires in an attack aimed at Inko's chest-- one almost certain to bring down the monster-
Guardian Interrupt!
-But with unbelievable speed, Endo springs into the missiles' path, allowing the warheads to burst against the front of its body!
Glancing Wound! Endo takes 1 Strike!
As the smoke clears, the only sign of damage is a scorch mark on Endo's chest. In response, the kaiju narrows its beady eyes, and lets out a furious scream, spraying its surroundings with flecks of boiling tar!
Undeterred, the ground forces open up-- after all, they've already locked in the targeting data for that location, and Endo's just one kaiju!
Of course, that doesn't mean it won't try its best.
As it interposes itself before Inko, Endo's left arm whips up, shield covering the kaiju's neck and shoulder before the rounds can hit. Some of the tanks manage to punch through the thinner edges of the shell, and even strike the segmented points of its armour-- particularly on the arm, where several rounds penetrate properly-- but most of the ordnance ricochets away harmlessly. Similarly, the right arm flicks in, protecting the kaiju's gut and hips with the other shield. As the tanks fire over and over, Endo simply stands there, weathering the storm of bullets.
Hits to Left Shoulder, Neck, and Pelvis! 4 Glancing Wounds!
Hit to Left Arm! Minor Wound!
Endo takes 7 Strikes, +1 Ongoing! Endo is Stunned and cannot act!
"Jagdhund! Our rounds aren't cutting it! Take the thing out!"
"Affirmative."
Lining up her sights, the autonomous jaeger lets loose with a burst from her machine cannon. Though the first shells bounce off its shielded chest, a quick readjustment away from the vitals sends the remaining rounds punching a quartet of bloody holes through the front of Endo's foot! The kaiju's arms promptly drop, pressing against the blood-stained ground to support its body.
Hit to Left Foot! Minor Wound!
Endo takes 3 Strikes, +1 Ongoing! Endo is losing Stamina!
The two kaiju are badly beaten up, with Endo far more badly damaged, but Inko seeming far more hurt by comparison. Even so, neither one are bleeding from their wounds that much.
Inko takes no damage from Ongoing!
Endo takes no damage from Ongoing!
Inquisitively, the Dragonflies tilt a few metres closer, trying to get a better view of the damage. As they do, Inko huddles down behind its more armoured comrade, lifting its two intact arms up at the ready. There's no firing, but it's clear that Inko's waiting on a hair trigger. Similarly, Endo continues to show signs of mobility-- despite how dazed it is.
An angry shriek draws everyone's attention, reminding them that they've forgotten about one very important thing-- Umpo is still unscathed.
The rust-red kaiju hisses, spittle flying from its mandibles as its eyes dart from target to target. The cunning seen in Endo's eyes is there now, and there's a sense of purpose in Umpo's clumsy, clanking movements. Being the only one lacking any ranged weaponry, it's a little locked down, but that isn't stopping it. Umpo's gaze glances over the black bulk of Phenom Sable, and finally focuses of Tacit Ronin. The monster howls again, armour sections shifting to better stabilise its spears and blade horn as it roars a challenge at the white jaeger. Umpo takes a step back, bracing its thick legs on the ground to meet whatever response it gets-- be it gunfire, or one of humanity's monsters dashing in.
Kaiju: Umpo 51 units from DP, Inko/Endo 52 from DP, spacing Umpo****Inko*Endo (Endo is directly in front of Inko).
Jaegers: PS/TR 33 units from DP, JH 25 units from DP, 3 units horizontal spacing PS***TR***JH (west to east)
SDF: Tanks/Hlin are 33 from DP, Mortar 31, Heimdal 29 (locked), Arty 23, Air Force 33/33/40/43 (Hellhound/Banshee/Quetzal/Dragonfly)
No witty commentary this time, I'm afraid. Just kaiju showing off some of their abilities.
Combat Round 3
[X] REPEAT V. 1.05
-[x] "Dragonflies, give me a target lock, Banshees are to get in close and pepper them with lasers! And Hellhounds, get the hell out of there."
-[x] "Mortars! Advance 300 meters (3 units) and rain fire on them!"
-[x] "Tanks squadrons, advance 400 meters (4 units) and switch to Powershells! Don't stop firing!"
-[x] "Quetzals, fire another salvo of Hellfires and then prepare to bail."
-[x] "Hlin, Tacit, Phenom advance 400 meters as well, keep it slow and steady. Tacit, when you're done moving you can open fire with all your Laser Vulcans. All of them."
-[x] "Jagdhund, fire another burst. Heimdal, fire another shot."
As the Hellhounds begin their retreat, the rest of Neo Seattle springs into action again. Despite the danger, the Dragonflies close in, circling in from the sides to paint the kaiju with their light. Immediately, Inko's arms fly up towards one side, and the barrels roar! Two objects that-- when viewed later on the high-speed camera footage-- somewhat resemble bony pine-cones hurtle towards the squadrons, before exploding into a conical spray of clawed fragments. Before they can hope to evade, two squadrons are caught up in the blasts, and unceremoniously torn to shreds. The rest, however, land their marks.
(8,20)
2 Dragonfly Squadrons Destroyed!
4 Arges Hits!
Passing the retreating Hellhounds, the Banshees circle around, firing their laser weapons at the kaiju with computer-enhanced accuracy! The Quetzals swoop in as well, releasing the last of their missiles as well. Yet, somehow, Inko's stumbling evasive moves manage to fudge the attacks' angles enough that its thin armour can diffuse the heat. Endo, still struggling to stand, isn't nearly as fortunate, and is washed down with fire. Most of it simply sets its outer armour alight, but a hit to its leg wound manages to get through the weakened plate.
(Evasive Maneuvers: 9)
Hit to Left Ankle!
Hit to Torso!
Inko takes no damage!
5 Hits! 1 Glancing Wound!
Endo takes 1 Strike! Endo is losing stamina!
Despite their suboptimal positioning making it rather difficult to hit Inko clean on, the ground forces aren't going to just give up. The tanks, mortars, and Hlin all roar forwards, accompanied by the jaegers, before opening fire! In its attempts to evade, Inko has left itself too exposed to frontal attacks, and finds a mass of mortar rounds and tank shells flung towards it, like a wall of metal and flame...
Guardian Interrupt!
...before Endo shoves the smaller kaiju back, and lumbers in front of it.
Given the sheer volume of fire, it's honestly kind of impressive how long Endo manages to hold out. However, it doesn't last a second longer. The instant the firing lets up, Endo's joints give out, and the kaiju collapses in a heap.
SE-27-009 "Endo" Incapacitated!
The rumble of Tacit and Sable's footsteps gets Inko's attention. Standing tall beside its brother jaeger, Tacit Ronin clenches its fists, and strikes a pose. Panels slide open on its chest, revealing the lenses of its multiple Laser Vulcan emitters. The internals of the weapons light up, slowly growing in brightness as they prepare to fire...
Laser Vulcans jammed! Unable to fire!
...until the lights flicker off unceremoniously, and the whine fades away. Tacit's conpod tilts down towards its chest, the machine giving the impression that it's glaring at the faulty weaponry-- for, as has happened many times before, the surge caused by powering up all the lasers simultaneously has burnt out their power conduits, rendering them completely useless.
It's then than Inko finally shakes off the shock, and returns to an aggressive attitude. The kaiju's mandibles open, letting out a tar-spit-laced roar of hatred towards the forces of Neo-Seattle.
Jagdhund replies with a three-round burst into its mouth, blowing out a good chunk of the kaiju's brain stem. Inko crashes backwards.
Hit to Head! Minor Wound! Unconsciousness!
SE-27-008 "Inko" Incapacitated!
Now facing overwhelming odds with no backup at all, Umpo looks like it's having some second thoughts about staying in the fight. Umpo steps back again, chittering and clacking rather nervously.
Kaiju: Umpo 52 units from DP, 4 units from the two incapacitated kaiju.
Jaegers: PS/TR 37 units from DP, JH 25 units from DP, 3 units horizontal spacing PS***TR***JH (west to east)
SDF: Tanks/Hlin are 37 from DP, Mortar 34, Heimdal 29 (locked), Arty 23, Air Force 23/39/50/46 (Hellhound/Banshee/Quetzal/Dragonfly)
You know, this "lasers constantly burning out" problem could easily be avoided if you didn't 1) roll enough dice that double 1's are practically a certainty (since that means Misfires), and 2) constantly use your lasers in the way that almost guarantees they'll burn out if you don't hit (n/d10 where if you roll an n or lower you run out of ammo? Not exactly the best idea for you to keep making n=8).
Also, as for Umpo's behaviour, it's more because I still don't know what to do with himhaving him go towards the horrifying wall of guns would be really stupid these guys clearly have a better self-preservation instinct than some of the others, and you just massacred his teammates in the span of about half a minute.
Combat Round 4
[X] Plan Triple Tap
-[x] Tacit walks forward to Umpo, Phenom runs. Both advance 8 units.
-[x] Jagdhund walks forward.
-[x] The Air Force retreats
--[x] Autogyros retreat to the edge of Arges range on Endo and Inko, reacquire lock.
-[x] Ground forces advance 4 units and fire on Endo and Inko
--[x]Heimdall unlocks and advances
--[x]Hlin advances with tank line
Most of the remaining air force falls back at this point, save for the Dragonflies.
With a clank, the Heimdal's clamps unlock, allowing the nuclear tank to rumble forwards as its fellow ground units do.
But it's the jaegers that draw the attention here-- Jagdhund setting her gun at ease with her advance, Tacit striding forwards like an old knight, and Sable practically oozing anticipation as they stomp in.
Another (utterly absurd) spray of gunfire from the ground troops makes sure that Inko and Endo aren't going to be getting up any time soon. Like, at all.
I'm giving the Inko kill to Jagdhund because she was the one to incapacitate it, and losing half your brain stem isn't something a normal kaiju can just recover from. However, I will credit the conventionals for unnecessary overkill.
Umpo glares at the jaegers, and at the conventionals. The latter are too far away for it to affect them, but the former... yes, two of them are close enough that it can, at the least, attempt to complete its mission. And while the white one is clearly the greater threat, the black one is new.
Yes.
Umpo takes a single step forwards, and hunches forwards. The muscles in its cylindrical legs tense, gathering potential energy like a set of massive springs. Its arms and head compress down, linking their armour plates to steady the appendages. It's a very obvious move-- but the jaegers are used to that. Tacit Ronin and Phenom Sable drop into defensive stances, one prepared to evade, the other one ready to strike back.
In their conpod, the twins grin, eager to see what'll happen. If the kaiju want a fight, then the black jaeger will gladly oblige it.
(12)
Apparently, it does-- as Umpo rushes forwards, aiming to meet the pitch-coloured mech head on! One of its spear-arms shoots out--
Reaction!
[] Block (1d10+3)
[] Parry (1d5)
[] Dodge (1d10+1)
(Remember that you can also use Deflective Guard and/or Clamshell Grab with Sable.)
Kaiju: Umpo 45 units from DP, 3 units from TR, about to enter melee with PS.
Jaegers: PS/TR 45 units from DP, JH 31 units from DP, 3 units horizontal spacing PS***TR***JH (west to east)
SDF: Tanks/Hlin are 41 from DP, Mortar 38, Heimdal 32 (unlocked), Arty 23, Air Force 13/27/30/37 (Hellhound/Banshee/Quetzal/Dragonfly)
--and Phenom's right arm rises up, just in time to meet it! However, Umpo's put far more strength into the attack than the Uemuras had expected, and the strike is accompanied by a metallic crunch! Thanks to the jaeger's reflexes, the blow hit at a lousy angle, but it was still hard enough to deform the outer armour.
Glancing hit to Right Arm! Phenom Sable takes 1 Strike!
Phenom and Umpo fall back a step, the former pivoting on its left foot to bring their undamaged arm before them, while the latter lifts its spears in preparation of its next strike!
Your turn!
Combat Round 6
[X] Plan Jaegergrapple
-[x] Phenom Sable activates the Destroyer Talons and grapples Umpo.
-[x] Tacit Ronin also grapples Umpo.
-[x] Jagdhund walks over to grapple Umpo.
A thought passes between the two. Shiori and Kanji grin.
"Destroyer Talons! Activate!"
In an instant, the armoured sections on Phenom's forearms shoot up over its wrists, before springing out into a quartet of massive, clawed fingers with explosive force! Phenom springs forwards, its two-handed right arm swinging around towards the kaiju! Umpo gives a shriek, trying to slam the limb away.
Of course, the Talons simply snap shut around the spear-hand, though their smooth surface makes it tough to get a good grip. Umpo jerks its arm back, nearly removing it from Phenom's grip before the jaeger's other Talon grabs onto the creature's knobbly chestplate, and locks its claws over the edge.
Tacit Ronin and Jagdhund rush over in an effort to help, the latter slinging her gun back into its storage rack. However, it's the former who gets there first, and reaches out a hand to seize the monster!
Umpo squeals furiously, and swings its free(!) arm like a bat, contemptuously bashing the Mark III's arm away with nearly enough force to knock them off balance-- before Phenom Sable yanks the kaiju back towards itself, forcing Umpo to redirect its attention back to the jaeger.
Roll 1d10+10 for your first round of grappling!
Umpo is 45 units from the DP, grappling PS, in melee range with TR, and 3 from Jagdhund (diagonally).
Combat Round 6 Grapple
(19)
(5)
Unfortunately for Umpo, it's not easy to gain an advantage against Phenom Sable. The kaiju may be bigger and capable of more raw physical power, but it has several factors working against it-- the high-pressure muscle strands that are nearly doubling the torque and leverage Phenom brings to bear, the way the jaeger's main weapons allow it an excellent grip, and the fact that it's really hard to grapple when your hands are goddamn fingerless spikes. Needless to say, the kaiju finds itself hopelessly outmatched, and shoved in the dirt with the claws of Phenom's Talons sawing into its armour plating.
Phenom Sable wins the Grapple! 14 Advantage Points!
Well. Um.
...I don't know what I expected. I guess roll your 1d10 for Progressive Vice, throw in a hit location, and choose your three horrible Grapple things. And your HVMS means Phenom has essentially Str 4 for all grapple moves that use Strength. Yaaay...
As the jaeger pins Umpo to the ground, its massive claws hold tight, keeping the Kaiju's back against the dirt. Then, its other hand-- the one wrapped around the Kaiju's left arm-- shoves downwards, sliding along the limb until it presses just above the elbow joint. The fingers clamped down.
Phenom Sable shifts, putting all the weight of its upper body through that arm. Umpo's carapace buckles, and cracks.
Successful Break!
Major Wound to Left Arm! -2 HtH, -2 Dex!
Umpo takes 5 Strikes! +3 Ongoing!
One thing's clear; though they're exoskeletal in appearance, these kaiju still have an endoskeleton. The way the limb jerks and folds under Phenom's strength shows that much. Umpo lets out a furious shriek of pain, and tries to surge up, its fractured arm spasming uselessly.
In response, the Jaeger shoves it back, kneeing it in its solar plexus and wrapping the blue-stained fingers of its right Talon around the monster's horn.
Cut out its mobility. Don't let it escape.
Good plan. The leg?
Yes.
Phenom's left arm pulls back, the viciously curved claws readjusting their angle for a proper strike, before shooting down at the more weakly defended joint of Umpo's thigh. Between the force of the blow, and the oscillating blades tipping Phenom's Talons, the armour plating splits apart like tissue paper, edges steaming as the friction scorches them. Nine fingers wrap around a chunk of bone and gristle, shredding musculature and blood vessels as they do. Relentlessly, Phenom Sable begins to pull, its sensor eyes focused on the wound with lightning precision. Beneath the alloy of its left arm, the Hyper-Vascular strands bulge and flex, straining to overcome the natural strength of a kaiju's frame.
Gristle tears. Progressive claws squeal. Bone creaks. The kaiju roars. And then
Got it.
With a wet, visceral ripping noise, Phenom Sable pulls Umpo's leg clean off.
Progressive Vice - Minor Wound to Pelvis! -2 Agi!
Destruction Wound to Right Thigh! -3 Agi! Limb Destroyed!
Umpo takes 8 Strikes! +4 Ongoing! Umpo is losing Stamina!
Or perhaps 'clean' is the wrong word-- it's not remotely clean. 'Right off' would be more accurate.
Toxic blue blood gushed from the wound like a broken water main, burning off the black-brown paint of Phenom's arm in seconds. A good deal of carapace from the back of the thigh remains still attached to the body, and peels back like top of a yogurt cup, trailing strings of meat. Umpo thrashes like a mad thing-- understandably so, since getting body parts removed generally isn't going to be comfortable for any organism.
Phenom Sable stands up, its right hand holding tight to Umpo's horn, its left still holding the top of the severed limb. Held fast, the kaiju's spasming slows... weakens... and ultimately ceases, dead from shock.
6 Strikes from Ongoing!
SE-27-007 "Umpo" Defeated!
With surprising calm, Phenom tosses the bloodied limb aside, and relinquishes its grip on the kaiju, letting it fall to the ground. The black Jaeger turns around, facing its comrades in arms-- both jaeger and human. It stands there, quietly, for a moment, before its PA system crackles to life. Phenom gives a little nod.
"...A good fight," the siblings say.
Then come the cheers.
And thus, we conclude our conflict-- and Phenom's first ever fight. I think it went pretty well-- the Uemuras certainly think so.
Now, you'll definitely have some environmental damage to take care of, but in exchange for taking out three mid-class kaiju, with incredible speed, and effectively no casualties (aside from minor damage to Phenom's arm)? That should be more than a fair trade.
Combat End
'A good fight' is understating it. Aside from minor damage to Phenom's arm and the copious amounts of Blue and melted kaiju, there were no Neo-Seattle casualties in this battle whatsoever. Additionally, the performance of Neo-Seattle's newest jaeger-- while certainly messy-- was undeniably effective in disabling the kaiju, and cemented its addition to the team. The forces return to the city with their heads held high, proud of their efforts. The Uemuras are almost certainly going to get more than a few drinks bought for them in celebration.
Phenom Sable will need 60 Resources to repair. This is a free action.
Meanwhile, the three kaiju are immediately cordoned off, ready for harvesting and decontamination.
Research on the trio offers some very interesting data. Like the Myrmion strain of kaiju, the three had a very intense neural link-- along with the necessary intelligence to use it for more than just instinctive adjustments and reflexes. Not that it did them any good today.
Umpo's internal musculature seemed built to withstand light damage without being compromised (not that any of the damage it took could be considered 'light'), and allow improved acceleration over distances, despite its clumsy shape. Its weaponry was designed for use alongside such advantages, in a style that likely favoured charges and strong followup attacks.
Inko's nervous system allowed for very fast reactions-- both in evasion and in attack. Its cannons contained a variety of unique ammunition varieties, which may prove inspirational to military development. The tar-like fluid it dribbles seems unstable, and tests reveal that high-velocity impacts would cause it to ignite.
Endo has similarly impressive reaction ability-- which is further helped by spring-like musculature to facilitate its rapid movement-- and, as expected, is absurdly flexible. It also shows the same secretion glands as Inko. Its shield plates weren't that much harder than Umpo's armour, but their width let them protect much more-- effectively acting as spaced armour for a kaiju.
Meanwhile, the council meets once more, to discuss their schedule, until the next kaiju attack.
It is now downtime.
Kaiju Stats:
SE-27-007/008/009 Umpo/Inko/Endo
Class: Category III Kaiju The members of this kaiju trio are extremely similar in design; rough, bulky humanoids with exoskeleton armour and a crustaceal appearance. Their bodies are crude masses of flesh and bone, bound together under the external chitin-- a far cry from the usual engineering seen-- while their limbs are thick and stumpy.
Umpo is bigger than the others, its armour coloured a rust red but darkening near the extremities. The kaiju's arms end in sturdy spikes, while a crescent moon horn rises from its skull. There is a thick ridge running down its spine.
Inko is the slimmest of the three, with pale white armour across its body. Inko has no horn, but it constantly drools a black, tar like substance from its jaws, and sports four arms, each with a pair of short barreled cannons at the end.
Endo seems far more nimble than its brethren, sporting a great amount of segmentation across its purple-grey shell. The kaiju's arms are long and strong looking, with broad plates on its forearms, and a set of flexible pincers. Like Inko, it dribbles a tar like substance.
Linked Minds: While within 12 units of each other, each of the kaiju gain a +2 bonus to any one action per turn. Should one be killed/incapacitated, or move out of range, this bonus drops to +1 between the remaining ones. If two are dead/incapacitated or out of range, then no bonus remains. A Stunned kaiju may take a single action on its turn at -2 penalty, as long as it is within range of at least one other kaiju, but cannot make Reactions (unless it uses its single action to prepare a Reaction) or use the Linked Minds bonus. Thundering Charge (Umpo): Add an extra 1d5 to all of Umpo's Charge rolls (total 3d5+Agi instead of 2d5+Agi). Charge bonus remains the same (+2). Tough Stuff (Umpo): Immune to "Scratch" Damage. Overwatch (Inko): As a Reaction, Inko may make an attack with its Firearms against a charging opponent at a -1 penalty. This replaces its normal ability to conduct Held Attacks. Evasive Maneuvers (Inko): As long as it is capable of Reacting, Inko may attempt to Dodge incoming ranged attacks, though it only rolls 1d5+Agi. Rolls under the base to-hit difficulty are ignored. Guardian (Endo): At any point in time,as long as Endo is within 4 units of a single ally, it may immediately shift in front of that ally as a Reaction to an enemy attack, and treat itself as the original target of that attack. This may be used against more than one attack, but only as long as the attacks are all coming from the same direction, and they are directed against the selected Ally. After using Guardian, Endo is treated as having used a Move Action on its following turn. Absurdly Flexible (Endo): When conducting a Grapple, Endo may test to add its Dexterity to its Grapple roll as a Free Action each round, even if it would be unable to find an advantage to apply it.
Firearms x2 (Inko) Built-in Ranged Weapon
Attack Dice: 2/1d10
Armour Penetration: Special
Damage Type: Special
Damage Bonus: Special
Range: 10/15/25
Special: Variable Munitions: Inko starts the battle with one round type of its choice loaded. On its turn, before attacking, it may switch to a different type of its choice, but may only do so once every two rounds (or every other round).
- Solid Core: deals Blunt Damage, AP 2, +2 damage.
- Fragmentation Airburst: deals Edged Damage, AP 0, +1 damage, Radius 2.
- Defoliation Toxin: deals Fire Damage, AP 2, +1 damage, ignores horizontal Clustering.
- Restriction Polymer: deals Ice Damage, AP 0, +0 damage, a successful hit inflicts -1 to a random Physical Stat for 1d5 turns (stacks with itself).
- Superheated Plasma: deals Burst Damage, AP 5, +1 damage, missed attacks (not Evaded) resolve as Misfires instead.
If Inko would run out of ammunition, it only loses the ability to use whichever round it was previously using for the remainder of the fight instead.
Burning Spit (Inko, Endo) Built-in Ranged Weapon (Scatter)
Attack Dice: 1d10+2
Armour Penetration: 0
Damage Type: Fire, Acid
Damage Bonus: 1
Range: 5/10/-
Special: Rolls once for sticking/igniting. If successful, the location catches On Fire and is Stuck with Acid simultaneously. Both conditions may be removed simultaneously as well.
Treated as doing +2 damage for the purposes of Igniting and Sticking.
Armour: Lightweight Plate (Inko)
Coverage: All
AV: 2/1
Resilience: All
Durability: 7
Heavy Plate (Umpo, Endo)
Coverage: All/All but Arms and Hands
AV: 3/1
Resilience: All
Durability: 9
Ultraheavy Shield Plate (Endo)
Coverage: Arms, Hands, and four other locations
AV: 3/2
Resilience: All
Durability: 12
Special: Shield Rules: As long as you can make Reactions, you choose extra locations to protect each round. Otherwise, only the default locations are defended by the armour.
Free Actions:
[ ] Kaiju:
-[ ] Clean up the contamination (-3705 Resources)
-[ ] Don't clean up the contamination
[ ] Ashley's recovery:
-[ ] Continue with conventional treatment (no bonus, no malus)
-[ ] Use the experimental A.R.T (+1 bonus, hybridisation and other possible side effects)
[ ] Other (requires GM permission)
Now you lot can go and plan and stuff. I've got a bunch of neat ideas for rules updates, but... honestly I might just wait until the end of Downtime before shoving them in.
[X] Plan "Great Things are coming."
-[X] Regular Actions
--[X] Build EX-03 Barrier Shield (-2250 Resources)
--[x] Repair Phenom Sable and install EX-03 BARRIER Shield. (60 resources)
--[x] Upgrade Hlin to Enhanced variant. (1000 resources)
--[x] Research Military-grade Mechanical Prothesis
--[x] Research a way to enhance the Scanner's detection range.
--[x] Research a dedicated Kaiju Hunt Scanner. (Scan for Kaiju in our territory automatically every turn.)
--[x] Research the possible side-effects of the A.R.T. and ways to mitigate them.
--[x] Research a dedicated Kaiju-Science division. (Free K-Research action)
--[x] Increase Phenom Sable's TGH ×20 (400 resources)
--[x] Increase Phenom Sable's AGI ×20 (400 resources)
-[X] Free Actions
--[x] [COMMS] Contact KRAUN to ask of the Jagdgewehr is one of their weapons and if it is indeed theirs, ask for blueprints of the weapon and its ammo.
--[x] [BREACH] Research a way to Gene-lock our Breachgates so Kaiju can't get in.
--[x] [J-RSRCH] Continue improving the Solid Fuel Thrusters and their cut-off switch.
--[x] [J-RSRCH] Research Restriction Polymer Ammunition for the Machine Cannon.
--[x] [C-RSRCH] Research a way to quickly lock and unlock the Heimdal.
--[x] [C-RSRCH] Research Dragon's Blood Ammunition. (Patterned off of Inko & Endo's Burning Spit.)
--[x] [C-RSRCH] Research an ultra-high-speed Jaeger Transport to shorten travel time between cities. Speed is the main concern here, not endurance.
--[x] [RECYCLE] Recycle Nothing.
--[x] [FREE Cs] Build 2 Dragonflies, 3 Meganeuras.
--[x] Clean up the contamination (-3705 Resources)
--[x] Ashley's recovery:
---[x] Continue with conventional treatment (no bonus, no malus)
But best of all, Ashley Langley's condition has only continued to improve! While physically, it's unlikely that she'll get much better on her own, examinations show that her brain activity has gotten closer to normal sleeping patterns. It's not there yet, but it seems that she'll finally return to consciousness in just under two weeks.
2 weeks until Ashley wakes up!
And like that, the week is off to a good start.
J-tech has several different tasks to do, and it sets out with great enthusiasm. First on the list is that damnable cut-off switch for the SF boosters. While the solid fuel still makes it impossible to toggle the rockets on and off, there's obviously a better way to shut them down than blowing them to pieces. The end result involves a rework of the boosters entirely-- the tanks are partially separated into layers, with one-way "valves" around the still-unobstructed thrust chamber. When triggered, all layers below a certain point are detonated, extinguishing the reaction and forcing the valves on the intact layers shut-- thus preventing any explosive back-blast. Of course, the remaining fuel is left useless until the deployment ends, since the ignition system for the thrusters is destroyed as well. As before, the expended tanks can still be ejected, so they don't weigh the jaeger down.
Suffice to say that J-tech still has utterly no idea what the hell went wrong last week to cause the previous travesty-- especially since creating a functional and safe upgrade to accomplish the same was so easy.
SFT upgrade - SFT Prototype Cutoff Switch (shoddy) upgraded to SFT upgrade- SFT Cutoff Switch! +225 Resources -- SFT Cutoff Switch: When Sound Breaker is active, you may, on your turn, shut it down before their normal deactivation point as a Free Action. This expends the Solid-Fuel Thrusters as normal.
While this is going on, another engineering lab sets to work on a third ammo variant for Jagdhund's signature ranged weapon, this one based off the restriction polymer rounds carried by Inko. Fortunately, the fact that several of said rounds actually survived the kaiju's death make this easier than anticipated.
The so-called "Special Bakelite rounds" (there are a lot of anime fans in J-tech) contain a quickly setting plastic that hardens on exposure to moisture. When it strikes a target, the tip of the round breaks open, splattering the target in polymer. The subsequent rapid hardening acts to restrict the target's ability to act, though it tends to work for only about a minute or so before the target's movements shatter the hardened plastic. Still, it offers a definite opportunity for another jaeger to take advantage of, and repeated hits will keep up the pressure.
New ammunition type available for M-99 weaponry: M-99 Bakelite Magazine! M-99 Bakelite Magazine 100 Resources
Provides Special Bakelite ammunition for M-99 series weaponry.
- Special Bakelite Rounds: Damage Bonus to 0, Armour Penetration to 0, Damage Type to Ice. On a successful hit, inflict a -1 penalty to a random Physical Stat for 1d5 rounds. Multiple hits to the same stat will increase the duration of this penalty by 1d5-1 rounds, but not affect the level of the penalty.
The only real drawbacks here are that the chemical composition of the plastic makes it expensive to make, so it won't be cheap to manufacture in large amounts-- such as, say, trying to outfit every single 120mm cannon in the city with SB rounds. Just as an example.
With the Breachgate project swiftly advancing, a new concern is brought up; the possibility of the Kaiju Masters using the gate for their own units. Quickly, a solution is thought up-- they'll just set up a genetic lock against kaiju, much like how the Kaiju Masters' Breaches only accept kaiju, but reversed!
A few hours later, Breach Tech comes to a conclusion; they have no idea how to actually do that. Yeah.
Apologies if this seems like an ass-pull, but this is a little too exotic for you. As in, the closest thing you know how to do is subvert the Kaiju Gene-Lock on Precursor Breaches. Reverse engineering that lock, and reversing its effects, is a completely different matter-- one that's over you heads at this point.
That said, the research on conventional forces goes very well this week.
The first of their projects to yield results is the one made to improve the Heimdal's ability to fire its main gun-- specifically, how fast it can do so. The main issue with the weapon currently is that its gun has far too much recoil to fire safely without first locking down the chassis-- and locking down takes a while. However, with a new patch to its OS and a pressure increase in its hydraulic clamps, the Heimdal can lock and unlock itself in half the time. However, while the gun is now capable of firing immediately after locking, it still takes a little bit for the clamps to completely secure the vehicle, meaning that the recoil of an immediate firing can knock the weapon's aim off.
The HEEM-2 'Heimdal' may Lock Down or Unlock as a Partial Action, allowing it to fire immediately but at a penalty.
Next up is the so-called "Dragon's Blood" shell. Designed after the Burning Spit weapon displayed by Inko and Endo, the Dragon's Blood is meant to melt and sear its way through armour and flesh, burning a trail past their defenses. It's a very potent weapon, at least in concept. However, its reactivity means that firing some out of a gas-propelled gun is... a questionable idea. Missiles work pretty well, however.
New ammunition available for Hellhounds, Banshees, Missile Gunboats, and Murasame Destroyers: Dragon's Blood Missile! - Dragon's Blood Missile: 1d10 Fire/Acid damage. +1 Damage. Range 15/20/-. Hits on 5+. One Shot Only. Cauterises Wounds. Benefits from Arges. Treat Sticking/Igniting as a single effect and roll for the purposes of application and removal.
Finally among the conventional research projects for this week is a 'ultra high-speed jaeger deployment craft'. The requirements for this were simple; it has to be fast-- things like endurance being a non-issue. And fast they make it.
Of course, while something like a Behemoth would be the expected place to start, the fact is that until they either a) manage to make a functioning turbojet engine that won't explode in this atmosphere or b) get the Allegorica engine to work with a power source that isn't quite as ridiculously heavy, such a vessel wouldn't exactly be 'fast'. Solid fuel boosters could probably be attached, but... in any case, the team's come up with something far more novel.
The best way to describe their new vehicle would probably be 'ekranoplan jaeger toboggan'. Through a combination of experimental turboprop engines and solid fuel boosters, the so-called "'Skadi' Transonic Deployment Craft" soars a terrifyingly short distance off the ground at incredible speed (for its size). Reinforced skis along its undercarriage keep the vessel from crashing, while a set of hinged flaps double as protection for the jaeger lying on the thing, and as air-brakes for when it needs to stop. Of course, in the interest of pilot safety, the Skadi is meant to be autonomously operated, with a pre-programmed route set up before launch-- though there's also to possibility of modifying it to allow for direct control via the onboard jaeger in the future.
Of course, due to speed being the main concern, the Skadi is rather expensive, and requires regular parts replacement to remain operational. Still, should it be built, it would be the fastest vehicle in Neo-Seattle.
New Superheavy Unit available: HGE-33 'Skadi' Transonic Deployment Craft! HGE-33 'Skadi' Transonic Deployment Craft (Superheavy Unit) 5800 Resources
Seemingly a cross between a toboggan and a ground effect vehicle, the autonomously controlled Skadi skims above the earth at speeds impressive for its size and mass. The vehicle is propelled by a mix of solid rocket boosters and turboprop engines, and supported by multiple skis on its underside. Its flattened top is made to support a single jaeger, whose lower half is enshrouded by the vehicle's air-brakes during flight.
Tou: 0 (AV 1/-)
Agi: Special
Durability: 0
Structure: 2 A Skadi can carry a single Jaeger of Mark IV or less over land or water. It takes a full round for a jaeger to disembark from a Skadi, and 2 full rounds to re-embark (initial embarking takes no meaningful time). While embarked, a jaeger cannot move under its own power without disembarking, and lies Prone.
A Skadi operates in accordance to the following rules:
- When transporting a Jaeger to a battlefield for the first time in any Combat or Downtime, a Skadi has a speed of 240 units/round. After this, it expends its transonic rocket boosters until receiving repair (see below).
-- When arriving on the battlefield, a Skadi may be positioned as normal, but it immediately moves 2d10+2 Units away from the defending edge as it brakes to a halt. If this would cause it to collide with another unit or obstacle, it stops in front of them instead, but causes the onboard Jaeger to miss its first turn.
- A Skadi has a minimum deployment distance of 240 units.
- After its first arrival on a battlefield, a Skadi is reduced to an operational speed of 15 units until it receives repair (see below).
- A Skadi may only move between its first destination in a battle and its launch point, and travels in a (roughly) straight line. The destination point may be changed between deployments. High-Stress Operation:
- After a Skadi is returned to base, it must be repaired and resupplied. This costs a single Downtime Action (even if multiple Skadi are being repaired at once), and costs a base of 100 Resources per Skadi (plus whatever Strikes need repair). After being repaired, the Skadi are returned to prime condition, and may travel at transonic speeds again, as detailed above.
- Each subsequent time a Skadi is deployed without repair, it loses 1 Strike after deployment action occurs. If a Skadi reaches 0 Strikes from this, it is destroyed upon arrival, leaving its embarked Jaeger Prone. These Strikes may be repaired as normal during the above Skadi repair action.
I may have gone a bit overboard on this thing-- but you wanted a fast thing, so I gave you a fast thing. The minimum range is there because a thing like this needs some limits. Also to stop you guys from trying to ram a kaiju with a jaeger at near-mach speeds. Also, said speed is based around the new round length, which will be covered in the rules update.
Unfortunately, attempts to contact KRAUN about the Jagdgewehr in Seattle's storage are fruitless. The organisation's leaders are clearly busy or otherwise unavailable, and the call doesn't get past voicemail.
Also unfortunately, an attempt to miniaturize jaeger mechanisms into military-grade prosthetic limbs doesn't get far past the planning stage. Of course, the people on the project do their best to emphasize the difficulties of doing such, and request extra time to continue their work. The possibility that they were doing something like playing Metal Gear Rising instead is considered and discarded-- after all, these are professionals, and they've got a very important task to do.
Enhancements to the scanner grid are next up on the project list. First off; a way to simply increase the range of the system. The detail level is fine-- but the scanners have been a little short sighted at times, and that needs to be fixed. The developed solution is a little bit dependent on having multiple instances present, but it's still a very useful tool.
New Scanners Augment: Detection Grid Booster! Detection Grid Booster (Scanners) 500 Resources
Each Detection Grid Booster that a city has increases its maximum scanning range by 5 kilometres (50 Units). A city may have a maximum number of Boosters equal to half its current Scanners stat.
After that comes the idea for a specific sensor array dedicated to detecting relatively stationary kaiju. After all, if the military computers allow them to better deal with matters of communication and territory, why shouldn't they be able to regularize scanning?
New Scanners Augment: Kaiju Hunt Scanner! Kaiju Hunt Scanner (Scanners) 975 Resources
A Kaiju Hunt Scanner gives the city a free Kaiju Scanning action each downtime. Multiple Hunt Scanners do not give further free actions.
Another important project goes excellently as well. The side effects of A.R.T's usage have been known for a while, but not fully understood-- thus depriving the treatment of half its usefulness through cautionary disuse. With this in mind, another project sets to work researching the actual impact of these side-effects, and possible ways to subvert them. It goes surprisingly well.
GM's note: this is obviously pseudoscience. Any inaccuracies to actual biology are because I made a mistake, not a statement that organisms in TRvTW are different from real-world organisms or anything. Also, any crunch stuff will be in parenthetic italics.
Effects and Impacts:
- The primary side effect of A.R.T. appears to be Hybridisation. Hybridisation is caused when a K-Booster cell attaches itself to the localised cells and exchanges materials, though the nature and amount of said materials is.
-- Thus far, the only secondary side effect observed in test subjects has been temporarily increased hunger and metabolic rates, as regeneration tends to burn through the body's spare materials-- particularly in major use.
- Minor use also induces Hybridisation, but not to as great a degree. The only results of Hybridisation on minor use are a somewhat increased silicon content in naturally rigid cells/cellular portions. Material exchange between the Booster and replicated cells does not involve genetic material from the Booster.
- After enough cells have attached and exchanged with a K-Booster, the Booster will start to cause increased Hybridisation-- or what is typically known as Hybridisation. These effects continue to escalate after this, but at a slower rate.
- Major use-induced Hybridisation does involve the swapping of genetic material from both sides, and actively modifies the replicated cell's own. When compared to the samples of life found in Vulcan's nest and other places 'infected' by the kaiju, this altered state appears to be similar, but not wholly identical, to the cellular structure of Anteverse organisms (similarities to kaiju cells are actually less prominent, due to the lower silicon content of the hybrid cells).
- Major Hybridisation actually poses some dangers, though none of it's along the lines of "letting the Kaiju Masters mind-control you through your regrown limb" or any nonsense like that. It's actual health problems.
-- First off, regrown cells that have undergone major-level Hybridisation have the risk of suffering immune rejection, depending on how far their antigen coating has been effected (since the level of Hybridisation increases with severity).
-- Second, it's still somewhat unclear how Anteverse life reacts to Earth pathogens, as not everything's been tested. Hybrid parts could react in a completely different way from normal parts to a disease, or to medication. However, this second point should only be an issue during extreme Hybridisation cases.
- That said, it's not all bad. Kept from immune rejection and pathogen infection, hybrid parts appear to be hardier and more reinforced than normal tissue, and overall less likely to fail from use. They also don't have the problem of telomere depletion that a typical regrown part would have. So it's a mix of good and bad.
Solutions:
- If major A.R.T. is to be used normally, then one could simply try to treat the negative side-effects normally: anti-rejection/immune-suppressant drugs, and keeping the Hybridised individual's environment appropriately sanitary to reduce the risk of sickness. It might not be perfect, and issues could still arise from this. After all, keeping the immune system from trying to destroy a regenerated limb also tends to keep it from responding to actual threats properly. (There's a minor chance of a Hybrid pilot being incapacitated due to contracting an illness during a downtime if this direction is taken.)
- Alternatively, to avoid high-level Hybridisation (and hence soften the issues it brings), a 'slow growth' method could be done with the treatment. Essentially, the Boosters would only be allowed to work a certain amount, after which they'd be replaced with fresh ones. This should keep the regenerated tissue closer to the baseline state, though it'd take a while to finish. (Doesn't have the above risk, but recovery and return to piloting would take longer. Essentially, you'd have the +1 to rolls, but it'd take just as long as conventional treatment rather than the faster speed A.R.T. currently has.)
- Of course, the least compromising-- but most difficult-- option would be to rewrite the genetic material of the K-Boosters to minimise the effects of Hybridisation while retaining its regenerative potency. Given that Neo-Seattle currently lacks the knowledge needed for such intricate engineering, this will obviously require a significant investment in time and resources. (This is pretty much multi-city level research. However, it'd basically give you the constant bonus to recovery rolls, allow for widespread safe use of A.R.T, and let you do the limb regeneration thingy. However, it's not really gonna be that helpful in the short-term, as you only have one city at the moment.)
You'll need one more research action to implement a solution, but it'll generally be significantly easier because you've done the research.
With the success of the J-tech labs, K-science wants its own slice of the metaphorical pie. Of course, this isn't that hard, and schematics are soon drawn up for dedicated laboratories.
New Research Augment available: K-Science Laboratory! K-Science Laboratory (Research) 1000 Resources
Each Lab allows 1 free Kaiju Research per downtime. All rolls use half the city's Research Stat, plus the number of labs.
Furthermore, the city's Hlin unit receives the replacement parts needed to convert it into the Enhanced version. With this new upgrade, the vehicle's ability to defend conventional forces will be ever increased, allowing it to remain in the field even longer than normal!
Hlin upgraded to Enhanced Hlin!
Of course, since its debut battle, Phenom Sable itself has been undergoing a number of enhancements and upgrades. A hinged armature is affixed to its shoulder joint, a lozenge-shaped binder on its end-- the EXB-03 Barrier Shield Plate, given to provide the jaeger with a defense against ranged attacks. The hydraulic muscle strands in Phenom's lower body are overhauled and reinforced, allowing for increased pressure output and hence greater land speed, while plans are drawn out to determine the optimal placement for the shock-ablative gel previously used to protect Tacit Ronin's internals. This last one needs a little more time, but by the end of the week Phenom Sable is in prime condition, and faster and more defended than before!
18/25 points to Toughness 5!
Phenom Sable to Agility 2! 13/15 points until reactor output limit!
EXB-03 Barrier Shield Plate attached to Left Shoulder!
All Strikes repaired!
Now, all they have to do is wait for the next kaiju.
Alright! Next up will be the second rules update, and then it's kaiju time! I've already alluded to some of the changes in this post, but there's still more. Also, some of the stuff on this is going to need to be tweaked a little, but for now it should all work well enough.
Alright, got it finished! Get ready, because this one's gonna really rock! <ALERT: INBOUND KAIJU SIGNATURE DETECTED!>
<INBOUND FROM SOUTHEASTERN SECTOR>
<CLASSIFICATION: CATEGORY IV>
Roll scanners! (1d10+7, to remind you guys)
Unfortunately, the kaiju's managed to get a little too close to the city by the time a response can be organised. Of course, this is partly due to the fact that it's destroyed every single observation station that's crossed its path on its way here-- which, naturally, somewhat limits the information that can be gathered about it. Still, the NPPDC isn't going into this fight completely blind.
SE-27-010, codename "Laidon", is large, long, and nasty. Its shape suggests a serpent or amphibian of some sort, but it doesn't seem to be moving like one. There's also unconfirmed suggestions of some protuberances on its head. Radiation levels aren't too high, but toxicity and displacement are both above average for a typical Cat IV.
At Laidon's current speed, you can deploy your forces up to 11 kilometres away.
Combat Deployment
[X] Plan Within Range
-[X] Deploy Jaeger assets twenty five units away from the DP. Avoid clustering.
-[X] Deploy land conventional units fifteen units from the DP.
--[X] Hlin deploys sixteen units away, shields active.
--[X] Heimdall deploys with the rest of the line.
-[X] Air forces hang around the rest of the line.
-[X] Naval forces deploy to the mouth of Cedar River, located in Lake Washington
-[X] Three Wall Railguns move to the Southeastern Sector
As the scouting forces return towards base, the rest of Neo-Seattle scrambles into action. Using the locks through the centre of the city, the Naval forces make their first deployment to the Eastern sectors (apparently, the council was a bit iffy as to whether they could fit through, being bigger and bulkier than their pre-Kaiju counterparts). The army and air force join in as well, making it over to a little over a kilometre and a half beyond the Defense Perimeter before they set up.
Then, finally, the jaegers: Tacit Ronin, with its long Fangblades and angular, white armour; Jagdhund, with her arsenal of equipment and humming Supercell; and Phenom Sable, with his powerful limbs and new shoulder shield. All three, ready and waiting for the kaiju to strike.
A few minutes later, Laidon is spotted, crawling towards the city beside what was the Maple Valley Highway. The kaiju looks like some sort of misshapen caterpillar or grub, a massive, limbless thing covered in plates of tar-coloured armour. Vein-shaped patterns stretch across the skin of its lighter-coloured underbelly and less-armoured parts, glowing orange beneath the flesh like molten lava. Its hooked feet run along either side of its body, from the tip of its spiny tail up the front of its chest. From there, Laidon's body rises upwards, before terminating in a bulbous, tusked head. A pair of large, red-violet eyes glare out from above its tusks and mandibles, while a single curving horn erupts from its forehead.
Of course, being close enough to spot Laidon means that Laidon's close enough to spot the forces assembled in front of it. The kaiju stops in its path, and lifts its upper half into the air, its pectoral claws swinging forwards to better support it. Laidon hisses-- a noise like metal scraping on metal-- and stares back, glaring at the jaegers and their entourage.
NPPDC:
- land conventionals + Heimdal at ~15 from DP. Hlin at 16 from DP.
- air force at ~15 from DP (+/- 5 units)
- naval units at ~40 from DP
- Defensive City Augs at DP.
- Jaegers at 25 from DP, 2 unit spacing.
Anteverse:
- Laidon at 80 from DP.
Combat Round 1
[X] Wait some more. Prepare to fire when Laidon is in range.
The NPPDC simply waits, training their weaponry just ahead of the approaching Laidon. The jaegers widen their stances somewhat, growing ever-readier to make their move. The kaiju continues its advancement for a good minute, leaving a flattened, scarred trail of bare earth as it scrapes its body forwards along the ground. Laidon's eyes continue to glare up as it advances, horn pointed aggressively towards the assembled forces of man.
Of course, it's around this point that the kaiju does something weird.
Suddenly, Laidon's innumerable feet swing back, flattening against its sides. A pair of armoured membranes slide down over its eyes, cutting off the purple-red glow. The kaiju's body rises a short ways off the ground, before Laidon dives-- punching through the topsoil with its horn! The surrounding earth splinters and breaks apart, partially obscuring the caterpillar-shaped kaiju as it moves underground!
Laidon has burrowed underground. Until it surfaces, all attacks against it will be at +2 Difficulty.
But even as the dust clears, the kaiju continues to close in. Slower, yes-- likely hindered by the roiling, tumultuous shell of earth and stone now obscuring it from sight-- but still coming for them.
NPPDC:
- land conventionals + Heimdal at ~15 from DP. Hlin at 16 from DP (range 41 from Laidon).
- air force at ~15 from DP (+/- 5 units - range 36 from Laidon).
- naval units at ~40 from DP (range 28 from Laidon).
- Defensive City Augs at DP (range 56 from Laidon).
- Jaegers at 25 from DP, 2 unit spacing (range 31 from Laidon).
Anteverse:
- Laidon at 56 from DP (burrowing).
And it's back!
Combat Round 2
[X] "All units, set up the killzone!"
-[x] "Scouts, I want that snake lit up like a christmas tree!" (Target with Arges and keep targeting it until it dies.)
-[x] "Murasames, start firing at that bastard!"
-[x] "Land units, load Corrosion shells, start firing as soon as that bastard enters your range and don't stop!"
-[x] "Air Force, hold your Dragon's Blood missiles until its in range of the city Railguns, I want a simultaneous attack!"
-[x] "Jagdhund, prepare to fire a burst as soon as Laidon is in range!" (Overwatch)
-[x] "Tacit, same goes for you, fire half of your lasers as soon as the bastard is in range!" (Also Overwatch)
Fast as they can, the scout gyros close in, aiming to get close enough to paint the kaiju with their Arges. However, as they advance, it becomes more and more clear that it's gonna take a little while longer than they'd expected.
Meanwhile, the RX-armed Murasame destroyer powers up its onboard railgun, and swivels it to face the churning mound of rock and dirt that Laidon's hiding under. There's a rising crackling noise, and hisses of static electricity in the air, as the charge begins to build in the electromagnets.
However, that last part's not supposed to happen-- a mass static buildup means that the current capacitor is leaking.
Fortunately, the crew realise this in time. The RX-12 is shut off before it can fire, and the faulty capacitor disengaged from its power feed. While the leaky container is left to vent its charge into the atmosphere*, the engineers work on cycling the railgun over to the next cell in the line. The flaw's going to have to be fixed when this fight's done-- for now, the ship's going to just have to deal with lower ammunition.
Type-RX Murasame cannot fire next round due to reloading (8/9 Resupply remaining)
As the ships deal with this unfortunate setback, and the Dragonflies continue their approach, Laidon isn't slowing. The kaiju still rumbles forward, unimpeded and unstoppable.
Fortunately, there's always Jagdhund.
Jagdhund Overwatch triggered!
2x 1d10+5 AP Burst Shot (hits on 9s)
Hit locs as needed.
NPPDC:
- land conventionals + Heimdal at ~15 from DP. Hlin at 16 from DP (range 36/35 from Laidon).
- main air force at ~15 from DP (+/- 5 units - effective range 36 from Laidon).
-- scouts at 35 from DP (range 16 from Laidon).
- naval units at ~40 from DP (range 24 from Laidon).
- Defensive City Augs at DP (range 51 from Laidon).
- Jaegers at 25 from DP, 2 unit spacing (range 26 from Laidon).
Anteverse:
- Laidon at 51 from DP (burrowing).
*basically a reverse lightning rod. It's a safety feature on the Pilum series-- lets the electrical charge in a (faulty) capacitor disperse into the air over time so it's safe to handle. The ionization messes with communications for a little bit, but it's better than electrocuting your crew, and it's all you've got if your gun is somewhere it can't be grounded to (such as at sea, where there's no actual ground to use).
This may just be me babbling out an explanation, admittedly.
Combat Round 2 Jagdhund Overwatch
(9,7)
As the kaiju steps into range, the grey jaeger lets loose with a spray of armour-piercing rounds! Unfortunately, at this distance, and with the kaiju's earthy shield, even the shells that get through to the monster underneath fail to penetrate the layers of armour defending it.
No damage!
Additionally, those were the last rounds left in that magazine, so Jagdhund's going to have to reload.
Out of ammo!
But it's not over yet.
Your turn.
Combat Round 3
[X] Jagdhund and the Murasame Reload.
-[x] Everyone else back on overwatch, fire when Laidon is in range.
Immediately, Jagdhund tears off the spent mag, while the SEER's ammo pack swing around, offering a fresh one. The automated jaeger grabs ahold, and locks the new drum into her rifle.
M-914 reloaded! 1 spare AP Magazine and 2 Assault Magazines left in inventory!
As Laidon's armoured bulk surges forwards beneath the ground, the Dragonflies whir into action, circling and swarming around it to get as much coverage as possible-- and hopefully negate the concealment of its earthen shield. Thankfully, the triangulation works-- and the scout craft set to beaming their targeting data out to every compatible weapon in the area.
3 Arges hits! +2 Ranged!
Unfortunately for the kaiju, its progress has just brought it into the effective firing distance of Neo-Seattle's naval force. And despite one of the destroyers still working to get its railgun back online, the ships still have plenty of missiles.
"Target in range! All vessels, open fire!"
Type-RX RX-11 reloaded!
Naval Overwatch triggered!
6x 1d10+2 Murasame Hellfire (hits on 7s)
2x 1d10+2 Missile Boat Hellfire (hits on 7s)
Hit Locations as needed!
NPPDC:
- land conventionals + Heimdal at ~15 from DP. Hlin at 16 from DP (range 31/30 from Laidon).
- main air force at ~15 from DP (+/- 5 units - effective range 31 from Laidon).
-- scouts at range 10 from Laidon (encircling the target).
- naval units at ~40 from DP (range 20 from Laidon).
- Defensive City Augs at DP (range 46 from Laidon).
- Jaegers at 25 from DP, 2 unit spacing (range 21 from Laidon).
Anteverse:
- Laidon at 46 from DP (burrowing).
Combat Round 3 Naval Overwatch
Wave after wave of missile fire slams down into the churning earth, sending up plumes of rock and dirt amongst the fire. Beneath the obstructions, Laidon lets out a hateful, metallic shriek, protesting the barrage.
6 hits!
When the firing stops, there's a pause-- the only sounds are the whir of the Dragonflies' rotors, and the sizzling of burnt earth.
It only lasts a few moments.
With blood-curdling howl, Laidon explodes out of the ground, orange light flaring across its skin like a geyser of molten lava come to life. The stony covers slide open, and its eyes burn red against the armour plating. Now, as it twists around like a massive snake to face them, the fruits of the navy's efforts become clear.
The kaiju's upper body is blackened by scorch marks, running up from its right shoulder to the side of its armoured skull-- and not a single blast has drawn blood. Laidon's tail flicks out of the rubble as well-- and it's here that there's been damage. Several clawed feet lay charred and unmoving, burnt to uselessness by the missiles. There's no blood, but the strike to the less-armoured area has finally left some damage on the monster.
Laidon resurfaces! Attacks against it are no longer penalized!
2 Glancing Wounds!
Laidon has taken 2 Strikes!
And it's not happy.
Laidon's focus on the naval forces seems to sharpen, its eyes glaring like two massive gemstones. If looks could kill, then the destroyers would be dead in the water.
(5,9)
Before anyone can tell what's happening, an explosion tears through the side of the standardized Murasame! Armour plating flash-boils in moments, melting away under some unseen attack. Laidon's eyes twitch, and the searing trail slashes across the front of the vessel, melting through its launchers and cannons, and rendering the ship unable to fight any more.
Murasame-class Destroyer disabled!
And then the unseen attack cuts off, and Laidon swings its grotesque head back towards the land forces.
It hisses, and spreads its mandibles in a lipless sneer.
NPPDC:
- land conventionals + Heimdal at ~15 from DP. Hlin at 16 from DP (range 31/30 from Laidon).
- main air force at ~15 from DP (+/- 5 units - effective range 31 from Laidon).
-- scouts at range 10 from Laidon (encircling the target).
- naval units at ~40 from DP (range 20 from Laidon).
- Defensive City Augs at DP (range 46 from Laidon).
- Jaegers at 25 from DP, 2 unit spacing (range 21 from Laidon).
Anteverse:
- Laidon at 46 from DP (aboveground).
In which Laidon reveals how it destroyed all those outposts before they could relay data.
Combat Round 4
Despite the appearance of a previously unknown ability, the Dragonfly squadrons don't pull back-- if anything, they get less cautious, buzzing around the serpentine kaiju and taking full advantage of its resurfacing to gather targeting data. At the very least, Laidon's only used its attack on large, slow moving targets-- a far cry from the tiny, buzzing autogyros.
3 Arges hits! +2 Ranged!
Unfortunately, the Type-RX's railgun seems cursed at this point, as-- while the next shot actually does fire, the massive cannon discharges unevenly, knocking several key electromagnets out of alignment, and sending the ferromagnetic dart spiralling into the lake. Clearly, there's some sort of major issue with these things-- but it'll have to be addressed another time.
Critical Failure! RX-11 Railgun is inoperable for the remainder of the battle!
As soon as her sensors confirm that the Dragonflies aren't in friendly fire range, Jagdhund lets loose at the kaiju with another spray of AP shells! Laidon's position still tends to present its left flank towards the main forces-- a stroke of luck, as its wounded portions are out of the line of fire. However, Jagdhund's aim is still on point, and the burst spatters across its flank in a clean line. And, while its front half continues to resist anything thrown at it so far, a lucky shot to its hindquarters sheers through the luminous flesh around several of its legs, eliciting a sharp hiss of pain from the worm!
Hit to L. Shoulder! No damage!
Hit to L. Thigh! Glancing Wound!
Laidon takes 1 Strike!
Now thoroughly pissed off, Laidon surges forwards, shrieking furiously as the Self Defense Force unleashes a wave of missiles to meet it!
Overwatch Triggered!
2x 1d10+1 Tacit Beam (hits on 8s)
1d10+5 Heimdal (hits on 7s)
6x 1d10+2 Hellhound Dragon's Blood (hits on 6s)
5x 1d10+2 Banshee Dragon's Blood (hits on 6s)
3x 1d10+2 Quetzal Hellfire (hits on 5s)
2x 1d10+2 Gunboat Dragon's Blood (hits on 6s)
Hit Locations for anything that lands!
NPPDC:
- land conventionals + Heimdal at ~15 from DP. Hlin at 16 from DP (range 24/23 from Laidon).
- main air force at ~22 from DP (+/- 5 units - effective range 17 from Laidon).
-- scouts at range 10 from Laidon (encircling the target).
- naval units at ~36 from DP (range 17 from Laidon).
- Defensive City Augs at DP (range 39 from Laidon).
- Jaegers at 25 from DP, 2 unit spacing (range 14 from Laidon).
Anteverse:
- Laidon at 39 from DP (aboveground).
The "railguns are cursed" thing is never gonna end, is it? Oh well, hope your missiles do better.
Combat Round 4 Overwatch
The full barrage of Neo-Seattle's air force is a sight to behold, especially when accompanied by the rest of the navy. A full 76 warheads, all but six fitted with the volatile "Dragon's Blood" warhead, soar in towards the kaiju, trailing smoke from their blazing engines. Laidon doesn't even slow down, charging headfirst into the swarm.
It's immediately swallowed up by the fireball.
The area around Laidon ignites with the first few missiles, obscuring it from view in a blast of flames before the others strike. Missile after missile swoop in-- even the Heimdal joins in with a nicely-place shot from its railgun-- each one detonating in turn. Some explode before they land, blowing apart into a spray of sizzling, burning fluid, but more than enough land that a few misses don't really matter in the long run. Every so often, a screech makes it out of the blast roar, only to be swallowed up once more.
Then, there's just silence. Nothing but the crackling of the fire.
Between the flames, something stands. A great shape, crowned with tusks and horns, wreathed in the caustic inferno rained down upon it. Another noise is added; a soft, stony grinding, as two armoured eyelids retract, revealing the glowing purple orbs once more.
Laidon's still alive.
The monster's armour has been its saving grace-- without the thick, segmented plating, the kaiju would certainly have suffered more. So blackened and burnt is its outer layers that not a single bit of its original grey remains on the creature, and even the orange phosphorescence struggles to be seen through the soot and ash. Little fires smolder across all of its body, but only some is large enough to pose any actual threat to the creature-- a winding crack of red and orange that slithers from the monster's underbelly up to the side of its bulbous skull, framing its visage like a crown of hellfire. Black liquid drips off the blaze, sending up acrid fumes as the solvent slowly chews away at the thick armour. A crack in the side of one plate reveals where the rail shot ricocheted off, unable to penetrate.
15 hits! 5 Glancing Wounds!
Laidon takes 5 Strikes! Torso on Fire - Acid has Stuck to Armour! Head on Fire - Acid has Stuck to Armour!
Slowly, the worm takes a step towards the city.
And then Tacit Ronin, previously shrouded by the mass attack, makes their move. The Laser Vulcans have been notoriously uncooperative up until this point, burning out their fuses each time they were fired due to the power surge, or simply failing to target accurately-- but now, Noah's got it all figured out. You don't need a hundred shots to kill an enemy, or even eight.
You just need two.
"Tacit beam! Firing!"
A pulsating spike of light, barely six centimetres in diameter, rips through the trailing clouds of rocket smoke, crossing the distance between jaeger and kaiju faster than the eye can blink. The beam sears into the smoking wound on the kaiju's underbelly, igniting a patch of Dragon's Blood in the process. The vulnerable point explodes out like a napalm bomb, rocking the massive kaiju's body as fragments of armour and flame spray across the ground! Laidon's cry cuts through the silence, a horrible shriek of pain that sets hair on end and hearts thumping.
Hit to Pelvis! Hit to Torso! Minor Wound Inflicted!
Laidon takes 3 Strikes! +4 Ongoing! Laidon is On Fire! 3 Extra Strikes from flare-up!
The kaiju, however, doesn't fall. It's built far too stable for that. Laidon shudders a little, the acid painfully eating away at its cranial and ventral armour as the flames burn.
Head takes 1 Strike from Fire! -1 AV to Head! -1 AV to Torso!
But not even being set ablaze is going to stop Laidon. The kaiju's eyes twitch, aiming up towards Tacit Ronin.
(8,14)
Immediately, alarms scream out in Tacit's conpod, as a burning pain stabs into the rangers' chests! Paint blackens and blisters off the jaeger's sternum, the metal underneath heating to a visible glow! As the armour slowly begins to deform, its core intelligence runs urgent scans, trying to find the source of this sudden heat--
And then it stops, with naught but a sizzle and a twisting spiral of smoke from the burn mark.
Hit to Left Shoulder! Hit to Chest! Glancing Wound!
Tacit Ronin takes 1 Strike!
A faint glow, barely noticeable against Laidon's natural optical luminescence, fades away, as the kaiju shifts its position, and settles back a little. Tacit Ronin takes a half step back, its joints still shivering from the pain. Noah and his copilot breath quickly and heavily, as they try to compose themselves. Results come back a few seconds later; the source of the damage, as expected, was Laidon. The kaiju's using some sort of laser weapon-- one that's at least as powerful as Tacit's own Laser Vulcans, and operates entirely outside the visual spectrum.
NPPDC:
- land conventionals + Heimdal at ~15 from DP. Hlin at 16 from DP (range 24/23 from Laidon).
- main air force at ~22 from DP (+/- 5 units - effective range 17 from Laidon).
-- scouts at range 10 from Laidon (encircling the target).
- naval units at ~36 from DP (range 17 from Laidon).
- Defensive City Augs at DP (range 39 from Laidon).
- Jaegers at 25 from DP, 2 unit spacing (range 14 from Laidon).
Anteverse:
- Laidon at 39 from DP (aboveground).
I've decided to update the appearance of this quest's laser weapons, by the way (as seen in the Laser Vulcan scene above). Yay!
Oh, and one last thing; I'm going to be heading off to University really soon, so it'll be more difficult for me to maintain regular updates (not like I do that anyways-- I mostly just have bursts of activity every once in a few weeks, apparently).
Combat Round 5
[X] Plan "Onwards, to Glory! (Except for the choppers.)
-[x] Banshees and Hellhounds advance backwards.
-[x] The Scouts paint the Kaiju with the Arges again, the Quetzalcoatls fire their last salvo of Hellfires.
-[x] The Heimdal fires another shot.
-[x] Ground Forces advance 4 units and fire normal shells.
-[x] The navy fires a salvo of Hellfires at Laidon.
-[x] Jagdhund fires another burst.
-[x] After everyone is done bombarding the Kaiju, Tacit charges, expending both Rear and Solid-Fuel Thrusters, and slashes with the Fangblades in a Capitalising Flourish.
--[x] Phenom runs towards the Kaiju.
"All aircraft with spent payloads, fall back now. Ground units, advance and load standard munitions. Dragonflies, keep designating."
As the Dragonflies get into position again, the massed Hellhounds and Banshees immediately yank back, letting the Quetzals soar over them as they retreat towards the Defense Perimeter. Behind them, the engines of tanks and mortar carriers snarl to life, the multitude of vehicles charging forwards to get into range.
4 Arges hits! +2 Ranged!
And then they fire.
Unlike before, the forces can actually see Laidon take the hits this time. The Quetzals' Hellfires splash off its upper body, one landing between an armour plate and blowing off a pair of smaller claws. The Heimdal's railgun punches against the kaiju's armoured throat, leaving a hairline crack in the plate but otherwise failing to harm Laidon. Mortar shells burst open into sprays of shrapnel, bouncing off its carapace like pebbles. However, the Type 100s-- strong and dependable since the beginning-- are what gives the monster pause. A drumbeat of shells smack into Laidon, aiming towards the gaps in its armour. Many fail, hitting the thick plating instead of the softer tissue, but a few punch through the seams where clawed feet join the trunk, sparking off the occasional spurt of Dragon's Blood in the process. The last of the tanks, coordinating with the naval forces, tries to aim for the monster's wounded underbelly. The shots tear in deep, causing a plume of orange and blue fluids to splash out as they rip through several minor organs.
19 Hits! 4 Glancing Wounds!
Hit to Torso! Minor Wound Inflicted!
Laidon takes 7 Strikes! +2 Ongoing! Laidon is losing Stamina!
As the kaiju spasms in pain, Jagdhund lays on the hurt even more, firing a precise burst of AP shells that rip through Laidon's right half, shattering the much-abused carapace! The wound rips open, exposing a fiery orange slash of raw tissue, shot through with burning blue veins! A few shells even over-penetrate, cracking against the monster's hindquarters with enough force to bruise the flesh beneath.
Hit to R. Thigh! Glancing Wound!
Hit to R. Shoulder! Minor Wound! -1 HtH, -1 Dex! Carapace Plate Broken!
Laidon takes 4 Strikes! +1 Ongoing! Laidon is losing Stamina!
Laidon seems almost spent-- barely able to hang onto consciousness given the damage it's sustained. Time for Tacit to act. Igniting all their rocket boosters, the jaeger charges forwards, Fangblades shooting out to the end of their rails in a single flashy action, before slashing forwards in an instant! Despite its wounds, Laidon is eager to react, swinging its horned head like a knight's sword to catch the incoming blade with its horn!
(7)
(13,9)
Or, at least, try to.
Hit to Eyes! Minor Wound!
Hit to Spine! Glancing Wound!
Laidon takes 4 Strikes! +1 Ongoing! Laidon is losing Stamina! Capitalising Flourish succeeds! +2250 Resources!
The first blade swings just under the horn, slashes through an armoured eyelid and across the cornea, splitting the glassy, purple plate in twain. Laidon's head wrenches to the side, a shower of purple humour spurting from the wound as it shrieks. Its remaining eye snaps back, blazing viciously--
And then Tacit rams its left fangblade into the kaiju's gut wound, severing Laidon's spinal cord and driving the tip of the blade out the other side. The kaiju goes limp, only held up by the jaeger's arm and its own stable structure. But it's clearly fading now.
Tacit grabs the monster by the horn, arm turned to press the tip on their now retracted blade between Laidon's eyes. There's an almost inaudible hum as the magnetic rail charges up, readying the firing mechanism one last time.
"Go back to your garden, dragon."
Shunk.
SE-27-010 "Laidon" Defeated!
Phenom Sable-- who'd been closing in to assist-- stops mid-jog, and tilts their conpod, confused by the reference. Tacit glances back.
"...I like Greek mythology?" the understudy pilot replies, the giant robot's shoulders giving an uncertain shrug.
And like that, the battle is done!
I will say, while I am a little sad that Laidon wasn't able to show off its cool melee abilities, and died the instant you got into melee (seriously, conventional forces are supposed to be auxiliary, stop using them as your main damage dealers!) but it did manage to survive your conventionals for several rounds (barely), do some damage in return, and show off some cool stuff. Plus, it's given me lots of data for the next few kaiju to use... heh heh heh...
Ah, but nevermind my evil plots. Downtime's a coming!
Combat End
Fortunately for the understudy pilot's self esteem, plenty of soldiers do think that his reference was, in fact, pretty well done, if a bit spontaneous.
Damage reports are minimal for the jaegers-- Tacit just needs the deformed spot on its armour repaired, and some minor wiring replacement. It's the Murasame that needs work. The damage from Laidon's light ray attack was catastrophic, and repairs are going to necessitate an almost complete reconstruction of the port hull and upper decks, not to mention the replacement of dead crewmembers.
Tacit's repairs will take 60 R, and are a Free Action.
Repairing the Murasame will take a Repair Action and 1000 R to do, and it will not be available for hunting missions while doing so.
Another report comes in from the PPDC medical centre; Ashley's still on the road to consciousness-- all they can really do now is keep her condition stable while they wait for the research groups to finish up their solutions for the issues they can't cure with normal medicine. Other than that, it should be smooth sailing.
Ashley will wake up at the end of next week's Downtime. No further recovery rolls are needed, but you still need recovery methods available.
As Laidon's corpse is cordoned off, Kaiju Science sets to work on their usual examinations-- and it's pretty interesting. While its specialised armour isn't exactly new, and its burrowing ability has been seen before, both of these appear more advanced and thought out in their integration. There's also something that explains its energy weapons, and why-- despite having them-- its radiation levels were low: it's battery powered.
Well, not exactly. But the truth is that the glowing orange fluid in its body tissues (which resulted in high toxicity readings) is some kind of chemical that acts like a high-power battery fluid. This was notably harnessed in its optical ray attack-- the unique structure, chemical reactant, and internal humours of the eyes allowed them to produce a powerful, long-range, and highly efficient ultraviolet laser, practically at will. Readings from the battle suggest that these far outstrip the performance of Neo-Seattle's current Laser Vulcans. Their only downside seems to be the cycling rate of the mechanism-- analysis of the light ray mechanisms shows that they can only fire a four second pulse once every ten seconds or so.
I'm not giving you a research token for this guy, but it'd be pretty easy to reverse engineer his UV light rays now, if you want.
With decontamination beginning, and most of the forces back at base, it's time for the NPPDC to get back to work.
It is now downtime.
Kaiju Stats:
SE-27-010 Laidon
Class: Category IV Kaiju
A large kaiju with the appearance of a misshapen caterpillar or grub. Laidon's body is equal parts pitch black and cloudy grey, save for the glow of orange-red veins patterned beneath its skin. The sides of its belly are lined with many short, clawed legs, which grow longer and larger as they reach its "chest". From there, the kaiju's body rears upwards, into a bulbous, tusked head. A pair of large, red-violet eyes glare out from above its tusks and mandibles, while a single curving horn erupts from its forehead, the edge crackling with bioelectricity.
Stats:
HtH: 4
Ran: 2
Str: 5
Tou: 8
Agi: 2
Dex: 3
Structure:
Dura: 20
Stru: 27
Category IV: Has all the following rules:
- Flat stun immunity
- Universal, unbreakable AV of 1 on all locations
- +5 to all the instant death thresholds Down Low: Laidon suffers half the normal penalty from being Prone, and does not provoke attacks when rising from Prone. When rising from Prone, Laidon may additionally move its Agility Score in Units if it chooses to. Tunneler: As long as it is on land (or shallow water), Laidon may spend a Full Action to burrow underground (this provokes a melee attack if engaged with an enemy). If Laidon has moved on its previous turn, it may make a Move Action alongside its burrowing. While tunneling, Laidon is at +2 Difficulty to-hit, is treated as Prone for the purposes of making a Full Defense, and adds AV 3/- to all locations on a Full Defense. While tunneling, Laidon may not Run or execute Ranged Attacks, and takes -2 to all melee attacks or grapples. After spending a Move Action to do so, or making a viable attack action, Laidon resurfaces (this does not provoke an attack).
- Eruption: While tunneling, Laidon may use a Full Action to burst out of the ground with explosive force. This moves the kaiju up to 1d5+Agi Units towards a landbound enemy, after which Laidon immediately resurfaces. If Laidon successfully reaches the enemy at this point, it makes a Slam, Grapple, or Melee attack of its choice, resolved with a +1 bonus. The enemy must roll twice for their Reaction against this attack, and take the lower result. Furthermore, all combatants that are clustered with Laidon, including the target, take 1d5-1 Blunt to a random location from the shower of debris. Eruption replaces Laidon's ability to Charge as long as it is underground.
Weapons: Cranial Horn Built-in Melee Weapon
Attack Dice: 1d10-1
Parry Dice: 1d10+1
Armour Penetration: 4
Grappling Bonus: -6
Damage Type: Impact, Electric
Damage Bonus: Strength+3
Durability: 11
Special: AP increases to 6 on a Charge or Eruption attack.
Uses HtH during a Parry
Gore Built-in Melee Weapon
Attack Dice: 1d10+2
Armour Penetration: 1d5+2
Grappling Bonus: +2
Damage Type: Edged, Acid
Damage Bonus: Strength
Special: May only be used in a Grapple or against a Prone opponent. Does not gain bonuses against a Prone Opponent
UV Light Ray x2 Built-in Ranged Weapon (Carbine)
Attack Dice: 2x 1d10
Armour Penetration: 2
Damage Type: Fire
Damage Bonus: 1
Range: 10/15/20
Special: No penalty for moving and shooting, except when resurfacing.
Reactionary: May fire on Overwatch at a -3 penalty as a Free Action, but no more than once per round.
Free Actions:
[ ] Kaiju:
-[ ] Clean up the contamination (-565 Resources)
-[ ] Don't clean up the contamination
[ ] Repair Tacit Ronin (60 Resources)
[ ] Other (requires GM permission)
I figured I shouldn't tempt fate to give you another Nat 1 on Ashley's recovery roll at the last moment, so no more rolling there for you! Also, the art will come in some post after this. In any case, time for downtime plans!
[X] Plan "Big gun for big game."
-[X] Normal Actions:
--[x] Build One Dolch Gewehr. (3000 R)
--[x] Equip the Dolch Gewehr on Jagdhund's shoulder.
--[x] Build a Kaiju Science Laboratory. (1000 R)
--[x] Build Kaiju Hunt Scanner. (975 R)
--[x] Hunt Cat IV Goryo
--[x] Action held for after-hunt repairs.
--[x] Action held for after-hunt repairs.
--[x] Action held for after-hunt repairs.
--[x] Research Advanced Cyborg Prosthetics.
--[x] Repair the Murasame. (1000 R)
-[x] Free Actions
--[x] Enhance Phenom Sable's Toughness. (20 rolls, 400 R) (J-Tech 1)
--[x] Research a Remote Weapon Control System. (Use Oswin Token.) (J-Tech 2)
--[x] Design Supercell-type reactor capable of powering a Mark IV (B-Tech)
--[x] Improve the Heimdal's RAN (C-Tech 1)
--[x] Research how to build an Atomic Bomb capable of causing Breach Collapse. (Spend Fissile Bomb Research Bonus) (C-Tech 2)
--[x] Research a variant of the Heimdal capable of equipping a Plasma Launcher. (C-Tech 3)
--[x] Scan Everett. (Comms)
--[x] Recycle Nothing. (J-Recycling)
--[x] Build (5) Free Conventional Units.
--[x] Build a Murasame (Free Naval unit)
--[x] Repair Tacit. (60 R)
--[x] Clean the Contamination. (565 R)
(Spent Resources: 7000 R)
(Remaining Resources: 19515 R)
The week starts off slowly, but easily enough. Reports are looking good on the decontamination squad's work, even if the electrically-charged "battery fluid" bleeding out of Laidon's corpse has made things a little more irritating. A few samples of the stuff are saved, just in case. Meanwhile, Tacit's repairs go by without a hitch, the jaeger's chest armour reshaped to its intended form by the end of the day. Wiring replacements and paint re-application are similarly uneventful, and the jaeger's back to readiness by the morning.
Cleanup completed!
All Strikes repaired on Tacit Ronin!
Meanwhile, Jagdhund's getting some upgrades of her own. The Schwert Gewehr that she'd tried out before was bulky, clunky, power-hungry, and far too fragile for its own good-- all in all, not really the right weapon for her. However, there's another option for a trump-card weapon, one she won't have to worry about quite as much; the Dolch Gewehr, little sibling to the Schwert, and generally a better gun for her style of fighting. While limited to a single plasma bolt at a time, and a six-second cycling/cooldown time between firings, the gun has nearly the same range as her M-99, and packs far more punch per shot than the battleship shells that the machine cannon uses.
The jaeger's right shoulder pad is temporarily removed for modification, in order to make space for a motorised track that's almost identical in design to the one on her other shoulder, where the IE-10 mounts. In fact, the 49b, when stored away, is almost the same size as the IE-10-- though it looks far more like a cross between the Schwert and the M-99 than the boxy projector-- making the jaeger's silhouette nicely balanced.
Dolch Gewehr equipped to Right Shoulder!
Minor crunch change made to the weapon, by the way. Just making stuff clearer and less silly.
I'm totally not copying the Dolch's design from the shoulder-mounted M-99 in that Franxx!Jagdhund pic. Totally not.
With Laidon's corpse offering some neat finds, and future incursions offering even more possible threats, it's decided to finally give K-Science what they want; dedicated research quarters. Of course, it's not just active kaiju that pose a threat-- there's also the kaiju who've settled down in the area to worry about-- so new scanners and patrols are set up and organised, to better detect these other kaiju, wherever in Seattle's territory they may be.
But while work may continue in the city as normal, for the NPPDC, it's time to move out again. There's a certain kaiju that needs killing, and they're not gonna keep it waiting any longer.
Get ready for deployment, and decide what forces you're bringing to fight Goryo, keeping in mind what you actually know about it currently.
All your Actions aside from the cleanup, Tacit repairs, and normal construction stuff is happening after you fight Goryo, by the way. That's why I'm not asking for rolls right now. This also gives you time to figure out such things as what five Conventionals you'll be making, since the plan doesn't actually say.
[X] Bring all ground forces except the AKBs.
-[x] The Air Force is coming as well, of course.
[X] Scouts are to fly in front of the Carryalls and be on the lookout for potential threats and anything else of note.
-[x] Upon landing, have the Artillery set up a perimeter around the landing zone and be prepares to fire at any threats that appear. They'll be reinforced by five Tank squadrons, two Mortar teams and the Hlin will defend the Carryalls with its Barrier.
This should cover everything and leave us with a fallback point. We'll still have six Tanks, five Mortars and the Heimdal for the Ground forces. I also forgot to add the Field Resupply Squads to my first count, so we do get to use all unit slots here.
ince you guys haven't actually said where you want to deploy, I'm gonna plop you down around the Hohs River. Not like there's a massive difference in available battlefield space.
It's decided that, due to the limited available spaces for landing near the kaiju's main nesting grounds, Neo-Seattle's forces are going to assemble around the Hohs River, north of Mt. Olympus. It's relatively flat terrain, and the valley leading up to the mountain is open enough to not obscure support fire that much, not to mention provide plenty of room for the jaegers to move around in. After all, they're going to be fighting Goryo on its home turf, so they'll need all the advantages they can get.
While the main air and ground forces finish up launch preparations, Neo-Seattle's fastest assets have already gotten on the move. Armed with sensors, Arges arrays, and micro-missile pods, the Dragonfly squadrons' goal is to play lookout for the main body, locating any potential threats or curiosities in the area, so the attack group isn't surprised. The Condor flight teams join in as well-- though their sensors aren't as sensitive, the aircraft are still pretty fast.
It takes a while to get over there.
Along the way, the advance force continues to relay back their findings. Thanks to the forested nature of the park, it's easy to see the bare trails where a kaiju has trampled its way through, or simply laid down for a while. Winding lines of thin, two-toed tracks cross the ground, pressed deep into the soil from their owners' weight. Oddly enough, there are hints of what look like bite marks on several clumps of trees-- and unless Goryo has a really tiny head, the fact that the trees are intact enough to show these marks suggests that whatever made them wasn't nearly as big as a Category IV.
Nobody actually sees any kaiju that they can confirm, but as they get closer, the motion sensors occasionally pick something up in the rocky areas-- just for a moment, before it's gone again. Thermal and x-ray reveal nothing big and moving, so the kaiju isn't invisible at least.
Eventually, the advance force and the attack force reach the landing zone, and set down. Artillery are wheeled out by tractors, before locking down, while several of the mortar and tank groups hang around as well, lining a clear perimeter for the transport aircraft to rest in. The Hlin stays too, ready to provide its barrier shield as needed. Everything else-- the jaegers, the ground troops, the air force?
They're ready to go.
Your landing zone is in the flat bit to the north of Mt. Olympus, a little west of where Glacier Creek joints up with the Hohs River. It's roughly around (47.882975, -123.727896), for reference. There's a fair deal of forest, but it's not like you'll do any more damage to the environment than the ongoing kaiju incursion or anything.
Tactical Data: (North <---)
(L = Landing Zone, C = Creek Mouth, M = Mountainous Terrain, G = Goryo's "lair")
(* = 10 Units/1 Km)
* * M M M M M
C * * * * * G M
* * M M M M M
* * M
L
- The Landing Zone contains all your currently deployed forces (as detailed above). All three jaegers are up and running as well.
- Mountainous Terrain is considered Difficult Terrain. Any land-bound unit in it will, unless specifically adapted to such, suffer -1 Agility and -1 to Melee Attacks as long as it remains in the area. It is also Elevated Terrain, so any land-bound units in this area will gain +1 to all Ranged Attacks conducted against targets that are not on Elevated Terrain. Conventional forces don't suffer these bonuses or penalties-- they're too small to be affected.
- Goryo is expected to be encountered around point G, due to its supposedly subterranean nature.
You do your thing.
Round 1
[X] The Jaegers, the Heimdal, six Tanks and five Mortars units advance towards the creek. The rest of the ground troops guard the LZ. The Air Force accompanies them.
-[x] Except for the Scouts, they do their thing and scout ahead of the Jaegers.
-[x] The Hlin remains with the LZ along with the rest of the troops, to guard the Carry-alls.
With organised precision, the group moves into action. Eighteen tanks, fifteen bombardment vehicles, three jaegers, and one oversized nuclear armour unit set off up the river, rumbling and stomping their way towards the valley. Above them, dozens of attack helicopters hover, ready to open fire as soon as they're needed.
It's slow progress-- though technically classified as all terrain, the tanks and mortar carriers are far heavier than their ancestors, and the Heimdal is even heavier. Not wanting to leave the ground units vulnerable to an ambush, the jaegers decide to limit their speed as well. Phenom Sable, lacking any ranged firepower but sporting the greatest defensive ability overall, takes the north flank of the group. Jagdhund, who's planned to take a sniping post up on the mountains, takes the south flank. And Tacit Ronin, vanguard and frontline fighter of Neo-Seattle, takes the east.
Meanwhile, the Dragonflies are abuzz, swooping around in front of the others to continue their scouting.
Roll 7x 1d10 for searching.
Of Goryo, there's no sign yet.
Tactical Data: (North <---)
(* = 10 Units/1 Km)
* * M M M M M
C * * * * * G M
* * M M M M M
+ * M
L
Ground conventionals are within the Sector marked with a "+". In two more rounds, they'll enter the next, except for the Heimdal, which needs three rounds.
Air force units are within the + Sector, except for the Scouts, which are one sector East (up).
Jaegers are all within the + Sector.
I've decided to abstract the movement a little bit, just to make things simpler because of the fact that there's actually special terrain to deal with here.
Also, I completely forgot something: what payloads are your Hellhounds and Banshees loading?
(searching: 3, 6, 8, 3, 6, 9, 2)
As the scouts look around, several of them spot something up in the valley-- what looks to be a hole in the further side of the valley wall! The area around it is rough with boulders and gravel, some of which seems to have been stuck over the opening with some sort of sticky secretion to slightly camouflage it. At this range, it looks like one of the smaller jaegers could maybe fit inside, if they didn't mind a tight fit or crawling around on hands and knees.
The hole is within the Mountainous Terrain Sector directly southeast of C. Nothing's coming out of it right now, but you don't know where it goes. However, it doesn't seem like there would be a lot in this area, given their size and the issues that boring giant holes everywhere would cause with the geography.
Round 2
[X] Keep advancing towards the mouth of the creek. Scouts are to keep examining the area around the lair.
The scouts hover forwards, following the creek as they round the bend up the creek.
(8,9,4,2,1,1,6)
Three squadrons in particular are experiencing serious sensor trouble-- likely a result of improperly shielded electronics in the atmospheric conditions. However, two more manage to conduct a basic scan of the valley from its mouth, and spot two more of the holes-- both near the furthest end of the valley. One's substantially larger than the others, its rock curtain shoved up into a sort of overhang.
2 more holes have been detected. Sectors with a Hole in them are marked with parentheses, such as (M).
As they follow along with the rest of the conventional forces, the Jaegers keep watch on their surroundings, scanning for any other hints of activity.
(5)
(2)
Nothing.
But then something prickles in the back of Noah's mind. Tacit pauses, and suddenly twists to the right, sensors pinging against the terrain furiously. Across the assembled forces, a very familiar alarm goes off, as the jaeger's scan relays its data to them.
Kaiju.
(21)
Alert! Multiple Kaiju Signatures detected in southern sectors!
Aircraft and ground craft swivel towards the threats, crews igniting their spotlights and playing them across the forested terrain. Before their eyes, sections of dirt and wood explode up, and a dozen grey-brown, writhing things surge into view. They're difficult to make out clearly, but as they rush towards the ground forces-- both the attack group and the ones at the landing zone-- it's possible to get an idea of their shapes. It seems like the creatures are insectile, and coated in a thick layer of earth and stone. Whatever they are, though, they've gotten close, and don't seem liable to slow down voluntarily anytime soon.
But that's not the worst of it.
A piercing shriek cuts through the air, followed shortly after by three more. They're coming from the holes-- or, as is now quite obvious-- the tunnels. As if confirming the implications, something rises from the yawning shadows of the largest one, and steps out into the dim light of the sun.
Though only a Category II at most, the monster is no less imposing. A fusion of ant and mantis, the kaiju stands on four developed legs, its scissor-tipped forearms held up against its chest. A set of short mandibles sprout from its wedge-shaped head, two beady black eyes staring from either side of the jaws. Its body is coated in glossy brown chitin, save for an extra layer of flat grey plating covering its upper torso. It's a biological pattern that's been seen twice already, in Abrams and the Myrmions-- but this one looks far tougher, and far meaner, than any of the ones who came before.
Letting out a lower, pneumatic hiss, the Cat II stomps forwards down the mountainside, slowly making its way towards the scouts, four kilometres away.
Tactical Data: (North <---)
(* = 10 Units/1 Km)
* * (M) M (M) M M
C * * * * * (G) M
J * M M M M M
+ * M
L *
NPPDC:
- Ground conventionals are within the Sector marked with a "+". In one more round, they'll enter the next, except for the Heimdal, which needs two more rounds.
- Air force units are split between + Sector and J Sector, except for the Scouts, which are 1 Sector to the south of C Sector.
- Tacit and Jagdhund are within J Sector. Phenom is still in + Sector, on the north end.
Anteverse:
- 12 Category Zero Kaiju (designation "Scrabblers") are within the immediate Sectors to the south of + and L, 6 in either one.
- A Cat II Kaiju (designation "Aza") has appeared from the southern tunnel at (G), and moved to the edge of its Sector.
- Goryo has yet to surface.
Surprise! It's your old friends, the giant ant-mantis-kaiju! Yay!
Round 3
[X] Plan Sweep and Clear
-[X] Phenom is to catch up with the other Jaegers and together they prepare to intercept the Cat II.
-[X] The Conventionals are to engage the Cat 0s as fast as possible. Run to meet them and open fire as soon as they enter the Conventionals' range.
--[X] Air forces do not use One Shot Only weapons; use only sustainable fire.
--[X] Arges fire attacks of opportunity
--[X] Carryalls/Meganeuras get clear of the ground
As the kaiju approach, the Dragonflies whirl around, powering back towards the main air force as they power up their Arges arrays. They'll only be able to hit the closer kaiju, but that'll have to do. The autogyros lock on, trying to target as many of the individual creatures as they can. However, only four of the seven manage to establish the necessary targeting data before relaying to the other attack units.
4 Arges hits! 4 Scrabblers targeted for +1 Ranged!
Still, it should be enough. Their missiles held back in reserve, the Hellhounds and Banshees unleash their secondary weapons systems at the indistinct forms of the Scrabbler kaiju.
A blistering hail of K-Buster rockets slam into the wave, scything through the forest and detonating furiously. Not all of them are on target, though-- while a few land direct hits on two of the Scrabblers, blowing them and their earthen shell to blue-stained pieces, the most that the rest manage is a series of glancing strikes. Melting earth sloughs off from the kaiju, revealing them for what they really are-- effectively tank sized kaiju ants.
A few moments later, the Banshees join in with gusto, their micro laser cannons firing pencil thin beams of light and heat at the unarmoured monsters. That said, they're not perfect either. Three Scrabblers go down, scorching lines slicing across their bodies, but the last one actually evades, using the last of its earth armour to push through and make it back into its charge. Its actions throw up a cloud of dust and woody debris, introfuciin what is clearly a non insignificant amount of error into the weapons' targeting systems-- as the next few laser bursts fail to hit it at all. One squadron reports overheating issues with their cannons-- they'll need to let them cool before resuming fire.
5 Scrabblers destroyed! Banshee Out of Ammo! 8/9 Resupply uses left!
Meanwhile, the landing zone has their own kaiju to deal with. With half a dozen rampaging hell-bugs charging them, the transport craft are understandably a little worried. Rotor blades power up, ready to lift off in case everything goes horribly wrong.
However, the assembled defenses aren't going to let things get to that stage. With the practiced ease of someone who's done this a thousand times, the elite artillery corps opens fire on the leading Scrabbler-- which promptly ceases to exist in a cohesive state. The rest of the artillery is soon to follow, though in their frantic efforts to blast away the monsters several guns fail to properly load and fire, requiring that they clear the jams before being able to continue. As with the air force's efforts, however, one of the Scrabblers makes it through the barrage, shrugging off the shrapnel from the mortars as it closes in.
5 Scrabblers destroyed! 2 Tanks/Arty Out of Ammo! 6/9 Resupply uses left!
Though their numbers have been severely reduced, the two remaining Scrabblers-- now only protected by their glossy grey carapace-- are still very much alive. The tiny (for a kaiju) kaiju rush forwards, both aiming towards the landing zone now. One braces itself momentarily, before spitting out a jet of steaming black fluid. The liquid splatters across the front of several artillery guns, before suddenly igniting! As the burning substance melts away at the weapons' mechanisms, the crew bale out, surrounding gunners quickly scrambling to get the blaze extinguished.
(5,6)
1 Anti-Kaiju Artillery Team destroyed!
Meanwhile, the land vehicles gun their engines, trying to continue up along the river. Phenom Sable, Tacit Ronin, and Jagdhund thunder into action, all joining up as they move to round the bend, and face off against the Category II Kaiju.
Aza stalks forwards, snapping its claws as it stares down the jaegers. The kaiju's movements are purposeful and direct, clearly focused on the biggest threats it's being presented with.
Alert! Kaiju Signature Detected!
As the alarm goes off, another hexapedal kaiju springs forth, bursting from the tunnel next to Aza's with a hiss and clack of mouthparts. As its sibling passes by, the newcomer starts down the side of the mountain into the valley, intent on joining in the response. It too turns its head towards the jaegers, staring at them with eerie precision.
Of Goryo, there is still no sign. Yet.
Tactical Data: (North <---)
(* = 10 Units/1 Km)
* * (M) M (M) M M
C * * * * * (G) M
+ * M M M M M
* * M
L *
NPPDC:
- Ground conventionals are within + Sector, except for the Heimdal, which will be in + Sector in one more round.
- Air force units are split between + Sector and the one west of it, except for the Scouts, which are 1 Sector to the south of J Sector.
- All jaegers are within C Sector.
Anteverse:
- There is 1 Scrabbler remaining in either sector to the south and southeast of L.
- Aza has moved one sector north of G. The new kaiju, designation "Bern", is immediately to the southeast of Aza.
- Goryo has yet to surface.
Sorry for the wait, guys! But now, you get to do your stuff again!
Round 4
[X] Ground forces finish off the last two Scrabbler Kaiju, then move to reinforce the Landing Zone.
[X] The Air Force goes reinforce the Jaegers, moving to the mountainous sector south of +.
[X] The Jaegers run to the mountainous area southeast of C.
I'm not gonna have you guys roll for conventional attacks. You've got more than enough firepower here.
Spinning back around as orders change ear, the ground attack forces open fire on the Scrabblers, blasting the last two Cat 0s to smithereens. Their goal has changed-- now, they're to reinforce the Landing Zone, and make sure it's not ambushed by any more sneaky bug monsters hiding around.
2 Scrabblers destroyed!
The air force changes course as well, swinging off up towards the mountain ridges beside the valley. There's no tunnels there, so the kaiju won't be able to ambush them from underground or something. A short ways away, the jaegers stride forwards into the valley's mouth, their weapons drawn and held at the ready.
Aza and Bern advance as well, marching in time down the valley to meet the jaegers. Though they're not the biggest, the two still seem to fill the valley-- though that may just be because of how narrow it is up at their end.
Alert! New Kaiju Signature detected!
As if to further the issue, a third of the enhanced Myrmion-types is disgorged from the second tunnel, and begins to clamber along the eastern side of the valley ridge, digging into the rocky ground with its hard claws. The addition of yet another kaiju is a little bit worrying-- how many of these damn things are in Goryo's lair, after all?
Tactical Data: (North <---)
(* = 10 Units/1 Km)
* * (M) M M (M) M
C J * * * K (G)
* *M M M M M
+ * M
L *
NPPDC:
- Ground conventionals are within + Sector, heading back to L.
- Air force units are in the underlined Sector (only Scouts are in M).
- All jaegers are within J Sector.
Anteverse:
- Aza is one Sector north of (G), and near the northern edge. This is K Sector.
- Bern is also in K Sector, but closer to the centre.
- Cosma has emerged from one Sector northeast of (G), and is on the north end of its Sector.
- Goryo has yet to surface.
I have had to modify the map somewhat to make it better... scaled? Spaced? Still pretty much the same though.
Don't worry though, I'm not gonna swarm you with a dozen Cat IIs or something ridiculous like that. Remember Oblivion Bay? It's absolutely horrible running more than... five(?) kaiju at once, unless they're one-shot Cat 0s or something.
Besides-- if I killed you with a swarm of low-class kaiju, I couldn't bring in the amazing weekly encounters I have prepared for you guys!
Round 5
[X] Jagdhund moves to the M sector southeast of J.
-[x] Tacit and Phenom move south.
-[x] The entire Air Force is to regroup at the underlined M sector.
As the air force joins up above the mountains, the jaegers split up. Jagdhund moves left, climbing up the rocky side of the valley to get to higher ground. About halfway up, the jaeger comes to a stop, planting her feet steadily against the slope. An excellent sniping position, even if she has to be more careful with moving.
Jagdhund is now in Difficult/Elevated Terrain.
Meanwhile Tacit Ronin and Phenom Sable just go straight down the middle of the valley, ready for a simple brawl. Phenom flexes its hands, plates of armour on its forearms shifting slightly as the retracted Destroyer Talons mimic the movement. Tacit rolls its shoulders, and calmly extends its fangblades out to their full length.
Meanwhile the Myrmion Guards seem to be following a similar plan. Aza and Bern advance as well, pincers held up at the ready, while the newly-arrived Cosma climbs along the mountain ridge towards Jagdhund.
Goryo, as before, remains unseen...
[---]
"...Hey, Ronin."
Tacit's conpod glances to the side, towards Phenom Sable. Opening their side of the channel, Noah speaks up.
"What is it, Phenom?" The Ranger asks in return. Hopefully, the Uemuras aren't trying small talk this late into a mission-- of course, despite their recent admission into the Jaeger Program, he seriously doubts that they'd be foolish or unprofessional enough to do that, especially with their eagerness to join in the fight. This must be important.
"Shiori and I were just wondering... are your scanners still in active mode? Given how Ronin found those little bugs, you probably should've found the really big bug by now."
"...Right?"
Tactical Data: (North <---)
(* = 10 Units/1 Km)
* * (M) M M (M) M
C * -J -- * -K - *- (G)
* * M -M M M -M
+ * M
L *
NPPDC:
- Ground conventionals are within + Sector, heading back to L. It'll be another round before they're back.
- Air force units are in the underlined Sector.
- TR and PS are within J Sector. JH is in to northernmost (M) Sector.
Anteverse:
- Aza is in K Sector.
- Bern is also in K Sector.
- Cosma is to the east of K Sector.
- Goryo has yet to surface.
Round 6
[X] Tacit and Phenom scan for Kaiju.
-[x] Phenom makes sure the Barrier Plate is active.
-[x] Jagdhund fires a burst at Cosma with a Machine Cannon.
[X] Scouts are to scout the area.
[X] Air Force advances as far as possible towards seen enemies.
-[X] Quetzcoatls unload on Aza with renewable firepower.
The air force moves in, their advance led by Dragonflies and Quetzals. As they swoop in, the heavy aircraft fire off a barrage of rockets, aimed towards the first of the Myrmion Guards. Aza's tiny eyes shoot over immediately, and the kaiju jerks away from the planes, letting their warheads burst open harmlessly against the ground. Aza hisses angrily, retreating slightly towards Bern.
On the other side of the valley, Jagdhund swings her gun up, taking aim at the incoming Cosma.
"Target locked," the jaeger reports, slipping her finger over the trigger. "Firing."
(13,7)
Like its brethren, Cosma tries to get out of the way-- only this time, it doesn't work. The burst of AP rounds messily tears through the kaiju's left foreleg, nearly severing the limb wholesale! Cosma falls as Jagdhund swings the burst upwards, punching through the layered ablative shell around the kaiju's throat. Blood spurts out of the new wound, the armour-piercing shells completely bypassing the protection of the extra layers-- only to stop short as the gun's thunder cuts off.
Despite its severe wounds, the kaiju's still alive. What's more, it actually manages to recover, swinging its other foreleg over to act as a sort of tripod in place of its now-useless limb. The damages appendage twitches-- an action mirrored faintly by Aza and Bern's own legs-- as Cosma decides to cut its losses, and stagger down the valley wall towards its siblings.
Hit to L. Thigh! Major Wound! -3 Agi! Armour Destroyed!
Hit to Neck! Glancing Wound! Ablative Shell Destroyed!
Cosma takes 5 Strikes! +3 Ongoing! 1 Temporary Strike!
Aza, Bern, and Goryo take 1 Temporary Strike each!
Meanwhile, Jagdhund's attention switches to her gun. Evidently, the magazine she was using had some sort of manufacturing defect, as a shell came out at the wrong angle, jamming the feed mechanism. It's not too bad, but it'll force her to switch to a new drum. With the grace and efficiency characteristic of her, the autonomous Jaeger reaches down, and unclips the flattened cylinder, preparing to replace it.
M-99 Out of Ammo!
[---]
"--you probably should've found the really big bug by now... right?"
Noah's eyes widen. That's right-- they should have. His head swings to his copilot.
"Scanners, now!"
The other Ranger nods rapidly, bringing up Tacit Ronin's advanced sensor suite, and comms links with the scout squads.
"This is Ronin. All recon units, requesting immediate use of sensor suites, please," they state. Phenom's pilots pick it up too, and quickly switch on their own sensors-- Shiori shifting the black machine's Barrier Field up to combat strength as well.
(4)
(6)
(2,10,5,4,4,3,9)
The groups link their sensor readouts together, relying on the sheer number of scanners in use to try and pin down the hidden kaiju. A fourth blip appears on the tac-map, to the east.
They've found it. Just not fast enough.
[---]
Aza and Bern perk up, and accelerate, charging across the terrain with previously unseen gusto! Even Cosma seems slightly revitalised, its uneasy strides strengthening as it descends.
Cosma heals 1 Ongoing Wound!
[---]
"Jagdhund! On your left!"
For a fraction of a second, the jaeger pauses, the jammed magazine clattering out of her open hand. Programming kicks in, and the hand darts towards the sword on her hip as Jagdhund twists to look.
Then the side of the mountain explodes around her, and a hundred thousand tons of chitin, bone, and raw fury strikes out.
At long last, Goryo has arrived.
Free Actions (multiple may be used, as long as they're not mutually exclusive)
[] Draw the sword! (Block/Parry using the Ascalon Blade)
[] No time for swords! (Use your arms like normal)
[] Emergency! Emergency! (Emergency Overclock, +2 to the Reaction rolls)
Reaction! (must be rolled twice)
[] Block! (1d10+1)
-[] Catch it with the Blade! (1d10+1, uses AB instead of arms, requires AB to be drawn)
[] Deflect it! (1d5+3)
-[] Deflect it with the Blade! (2d5+3, uses AB instead of hands, requires AB to be drawn)
[] Evade! Evade! (1d10+3, may use Emergency Rectifier)
Tactical Data: (North <---)
(* = 10 Units/1 Km)
* * (G) M M (M) M
C * -J - K -* - *- (M)
* * M -MM M -M
* * M
L *
NPPDC:
- Ground conventionals are within L Sector.
- Air force units are in the underlined Sectors (Quetzals/Scouts in the southern M, all others in the northern M).
- TR and PS are within J Sector. JH is in to northernmost (M) Sector, and is engaged with Goryo.
Anteverse:
- Aza and Bern are in K Sector (~8 from J Sector).
- Cosma is to the southeast of K Sector, heading down towards the valley.
- Goryo has surfaced in the northernmost (M) Sector-- now classified as (G) Sector! Goryo is engaged with Jagdhund.
To be honest, that last bit is such an awesomely cinematic moment that I don't even care if you guys successfully React to it. It's cool enough as is.
Yanking the Anteverse-built sword free of its sheath, Jagdhund jerks back, avoiding the shovel-like claw that passes metres away from her head. She stumbles-- and the second claw smashes into her flank, crushing the armour plates and twisting her spinal column out of alignment!
Hit to Spine! Minor Wound inflicted! -1 Universal Penalty!
Jagdhund takes 3 Strikes! +1 Ongoing!
As Jagdhund staggers, auxiliary control circuits firing, there's a clatter of ruined metal falling off. The jaeger doesn't dare turn her attention from the kaiju, but it's a safe bet what she's just lost-- given the damaged region, that attack would have hit the side of her storage rack as well.
PA-3 Vibro-Axe destroyed! 1 Drum of Assault Rounds destroyed!
Now emerged from underground, Goryo rises to its proper height, finally showing its true form. As one could guess, it bares clear resemblance to the Myrmions it spawned-- but only just. While its soldiers more closely resembled mantids, Goryo appears to take inspiration from an overgrown prawn or termite, mixed in with its ant-like features. A pointed, armoured brow rests above its cluster of mouthparts and antennae, shielding its tiny black eyes beneath the brim. Segmented carapace flows from its neck to its abdomen, shielding almost the whole creature with a double layer of corpse white plating and smoke grey ablative-- almost all, since the colossal spade claws that tip each of its four arms are shielded only by the heavy slabs of slate coloured armour that sits upon them.
Goryo hisses out a cloud of steam, scraping the end of an oil-stained claw in the upturned dirt as it stares down the jaeger.
Round 7
[X] Jagdhund
-[x] Draw the sword! (Block/Parry using the Ascalon Blade)
-[x] Evade! Evade! (1d10+3, may use Emergency Rectifier)
[X] Tacit Ronin
-[x] Retreat 2 units, ready a charge with all boosts for the moment the enemy is within 12 units.
[X] Phenom Sable
-[x] Advance two units and get ready for action.
[X] Air Force
-[x] Move to intercept Cosma and fire using reusable weapons.
Phenom Sable steps up to plate, stalking forwards past their teammate towards Aza and Bern. Light flickers within the seams of their shoulder shield, the space around the Barrier generator shimmering like a mirage as the circular field already starts to effect the world around it.
Meanwhile, Tacit pauses, and takes a few steps back, before bracing their feet against the ground. Heavy ratcheted joints turn, swinging the pair of solid rocket boosters up from their resting places on the jaeger's back, while other armour plates shift out to expose the primary thruster vents. Noah and his copilot power up sub-sequences, setting Tacit Ronin's motive system to a figurative hair trigger-- with the boosters ready, they'll be able to blast off to an opponent at a moment's notice.
While the jaegers face off against their opponents, the air force switches targets to Cosma. The wounded kaiju is more likely to be unable to respond to the attacks that the others-- though it's still far from defenseless, as they'll soon discover.
4 Arges hits! +2 Ran!
With their targeting enhanced by Arges, the Banshees are first to fire. Laser beams slash over its upper carapace, trying to burn their way through, but to little avail. The only point that takes damage is the kaiju's head, where a light ray strikes the ablative shell, heating it to a molten state that drips into the cracks in Cosma's exoskeleton.
As the kaiju screeches, reaching up to tear the sizzling ablative plate off its head, the Quetzals open fire, aiming for its wounded leg. However, even a partially crippled hivemind linked kaiju is still linked to a hivemind, with all the mental processing power that entails. The kaiju thrusts out its right leg, twisting its lower body around to interpose its abdomen and thoracic joint before its useless limb. A spray of warheads detonate against the armour plate, but stop there-- only leaving a faint scorch mark on the carapace.
7 hits! 1 Glancing Wound! Head Ablative destroyed!
Cosma takes 1 Strike!
No damage from Ongoing!
The kaiju is not amused. Cosma's mouth opens, and the Myrmion Guard shudders, thorax flexing like it's about to puke. Of course, given what all the other Myrmions have shown, this isn't necessarily a good thing. Frantically, the air force tries to pull back, to get out of the way--
(9)
-- just as Cosma vomits up a steaming jet of petrochemical bile, spraying down the front of the closest Quetzalcoatl. The black fluid chews through the aircraft's delicate parts in moments, causing the burning gunship to simply come apart at the seams, before its ammunition detonates in a shrapnel filled fireball.
PL-160 'Quetzalcoatl' Gunship destroyed!
As its fiery jet runs out of pressure, falling to a mere dribble of fluid, Cosma lets out a furious shriek to the remaining air force. Just because it's been wounded doesn't make it any less deadly!
Aza and Bern continue to close in, before suddenly jolting to a halt-- almost simultaneously, in fact. Exactly why isn't clear; maybe it's something to do with the hivemind? In any case, the kaiju stop-- and spread their jaws, firing off twinned jets of boiling black liquid at the advancing Phenom Sable!
Phenom doesn't bother even pretending to get out of the way. Before the jets hit, a cluster of rippling hexagonal planes burst into existence in front of the jaeger, the Barrier's defense blasting the petrochemical spray into mist!
Shiori and Kanji grin beneath their drivesuits' helmets, as the gold-eyed jaeger passes through the roiling haze of vapour, completely unharmed.
Jagdhund takes a shaky step back down the mountain's side, raising her sword towards the Category IV. With the current damage to her primary control circuits, the jaeger doesn't want to risk any repercussions from a poorly-executed attack on her part. Play it safe, play it defensive... at least until she can get some distance from her foe.
Full Defense active!
But it looks like the kaiju's not gonna let her do that. Goryo gurgles, black eyes shimmering wetly underneath its armoured brow. Its limbs tense, compressing like giant hinged springs-- before the kaiju leaps forwards, launching its massive, howling bulk at the grey and purple machine!
Reaction!
[] Meet the Slam! (1d10+2)
[] Get out of the way! (1d10+3, Emergency Rectifier)
Tactical Data: (North <---)
(* = 10 Units/1 Km)
* * (G) M M (M) M
C * -J - K -* - *- (M)
* * M -M M M -M
* * M
L *
NPPDC:
- All non-Jaeger ground forces are in L Sector.
- Air force units are in the underlined Sectors, with Hellhounds the furthest west of all active units. Scouts and Quetzals are in the same sector as Cosma.
- TR and PS are within J Sector, and are respectively 12/8 units from Aza and Bern.
- JH is in (G) Sector, and is engaged with Goryo.
Anteverse:
- Aza and Bern are in K Sector (8 from J Sector).
- Cosma is to the south of K Sector, 7 from the western edge.
- Goryo is in G Sector, and is engaged with Jagdhund.
I was most of the way through this when I realised that the current plan was a little screwy-- namely, it had Jagdhund's Reaction, but also the turn actions for everyone but her. With this in mind, I decided to be nice and let her regain some defensive ability. Otherwise, she'd be down to 1d10+1/1d10+2 for her reaction to the Slam. I'll admit, I did also take some liberties with Tacit's actions-- the Myrmion Guards only advanced to 12 units, and you guys did say "within 12", so I might be cheesing that decision a little.
But you guys at least have to admit that this was, as a whole, pretty cool (if not wholly to your advantage). And, I got to show off Goryo finally!
Round 7 Reaction
[X] Get out of the way! (1d10+3, Emergency Rectifier)
Unfortunately, she's underestimated just how wide Goryo's reach is-- and how fast it can move in close quarters. The kaiju's right arms clothesline the Jaeger before she can get free, knocking her to the ground as Goryo slams down. One of its claws lands on her shoulder pad, denting the surface with its sheer weight-- though fortunately, the Plasma Launcher isn't damaged.
Hit to Right Shoulder! Glancing Wound!
Jagdhund takes 1 Strike!
Jagdhund is Prone!
Today is not going well for Jagdhund.
Round 8
[X] Three Scouts stay with the Hellhounds to arges Cosma. The Hellhounds then fire their Dragon's Blood missiles on Cosma.
-[x] the rest of the Scouts accompany the Banshees and the Quetz, who move to fire their missiles at Goryo. The Scouts will Arges it first.
-[x] Banshees are using Dragon's Blood missiles.
[X] The ground forces start advancing towards the melee.
[X] Tacit charges with all boosts towards Aza, slashing it with a flourish.
[X] Phenom turns off the Barrier and charges Bern, then Grapples if succesful.
[X] Jagdhund fires the IE-10 at Goryo.
With Goryo gaining the upper hand, and Cosma putting up a far nastier fight, the air force splits up. As the Hellhounds swoop into range of the smaller kaiju, half the scouts and the remaining aircraft peel off to the north. The other half of the Dragonflies focus on Cosma, illuminating it with their targeting arrays.
1 Arges hit against Cosma! +1 Ran!
To which the Hellhounds fire off their Dragon's Blood missiles.
5 hits! 5 Glancing Wounds!
Cosma takes 5 Strikes! Cosma is losing stamina!
No damage from Ongoing! 1 Ongoing healed!
But Cosma's still alive. It's badly hurt, shallow burn marks lapping against its carapace, but the kaiju is most definitely not dead yet.
As for Goryo...
3 Arges hits against Goryo! +2 Ran!
A few shimmering Arges beams wash over the Cat IV's carapace, before the rest of the air force opens fire, blasting away at the kaiju's left side with their missiles. It's an impressive sight-- one that would be devastating against a lesser kaiju.
Too bad that Goryo is anything but "lesser".
As the smoke clears, the Cat IV shifts slightly, a low gurgle coming from its throat. Warped and torn pieces of carapace stick up along its flank, seemingly wounding the kaiju-- before the greyish armour shucks off, falling away in fragmented sheets to reveal the still unblemished white plate beneath it. Liquid flames dribble off its shovel claws, leaving only shallow marks on the surface. Even a hit aimed directly for the more vulnerable eyes failed to do so much as irritate the creature, so protected were they by the monster's ablative laminate.
Goryo hisses, annoyed.
6 hits! Ablative Laminate on L. Shoulder, L. Arm, and Pelvis destroyed!
Goryo takes no damage!
A sound catches Goryo's ear. A sort of... static humming. It's interesting-- definitely not something the kaiju itself has ever heard before. The Cat IV looks away from the metallic swarm that performed that useless barrage, and turns back to its--
Ah.
Still pinned beneath its claw, Jagdhund props her left side up, aiming the stubby barrel of her electromagnetic projector directly at the kaiju. Bolts of artificial lightning crackle along its surface, building up in the centre of the weapon's muzzle.
If Goryo had eyelids, they'd be wide open right now.
(11)
The electrolaser's discharge strikes Goryo dead between the forelegs, sending arcs of electricity surging through its body! The kaiju shrieks in pain, the electrical damage completely bypassing its hivemind-enhanced resilience as the kaiju's nervous system momentarily short-circuits. That said, the attack still brings its fair share of physical damage, compromising the laminate sheets on the prawn-ant's thorax, and stripping their protection away!
Hit to Chest! Chest Ablative Laminate Destroyed!
Goryo takes 8 Temporary Strikes! Goryo suffers -1 Universal Penalty for 1 round!
Shaking its head side to side in an attempt to clear away the lingering pain, Goryo backs away, flecks of black liquid dripping from its shivering mandibles. In a way, the wariness makes sense-- this is the first time since the start of the fight that anything's made it through the kaiju's defenses, and it's clearly somewhat shocked. But Goryo's still a Category IV, and flight is soon overpowered by fight. Rearing up on its numerous hind legs, Goryo comes hurtling down, intent on tearing its enemy to pieces!
(You still have Emergency Overclock available, by the way)
Down in the valley, Phenom Sable switches off its Barrier, letting the shield projector cool down-- and the jaeger focus its power on other things. Namely, charging down Bern.
"Alright then," the rangers announce enthusiastically, before Phenom pushes off! "Take this!"
The black jaeger charges forwards, footsteps thundering on the ground as it closes in-- and promptly trips on a protruding boulder, bringing its advance to a screeching halt.
"Gah!"
While Phenom tries frantically to regain its balance, it's finally time for Tacit Ronin to join in the fray! With a burst of rockets, the jaeger rushes forwards, blades readied to strike a flourishing blow to its enemy!
1 Hivemind Reroll used!
(6, 13)
(15, 15)
In response, Aza dodges to the east-- somehow moving far more swiftly than it should be able to! Yet Tacit manages to adjust in time, sending both its fangblades ripping through the kaiju's shoulder armour with a spray of blue!
2 hits to L. Shoulder! 2 Glancing Wounds! Ablative Shell destroyed!
Aza takes 2 Strikes! Flourish gains +200 R!
Aza hisses in pain, the ablative shell on its shoulder falling apart from the damage. Unlike Goryo's, the Myrmion Guards' extra armour doesn't seem to have the layering needed to stand up to anti-armour attacks.
As if to show that it doesn't need any extra armour to fight Tacit, Aza lunges, leading with its right arm as it attempts to tackle the jaeger!
Meanwhile, Phenom's crew has finally managed to stop their jaeger from eating dirt. Coughing awkwardly, the Uemuras bring their jaeger back upright-- just in time to see Bern bearing down on them, aiming right at their conpod!
Counter Charge!
Caught completely off guard by the attack, Phenom jerks back, far too late to actually evade the blow. However, the movement's just barely enough to shift the kaiju's aim, and the chitinous scissors instead plunge into the machine's throat, ripping through several exposed cables!
Hit to Neck! Minor Wound!
Phenom Sable takes 3 Strikes! +4 Ongoing!
Irritated at the failure to down its opponent, Bern lifts its other pincer up, clearly intent on trying again!
Meanwhile, Cosma decides to finally call it quits and run away. With a bit of effort (3), the tripodal kaiju starts to hurry along the mountain ridge, lumbering towards the safety of the tunnels.
Tactical Data: (North <---)
(* = 10 Units/1 Km)
* * (G) MM (M) M
C * -* - K -* - *- (M)
* * M -M M M -M
+ * M
L *
NPPDC:
- Landing Zone forces are in L Sector.
- Attack ground forces have moved into + Sector.
- Air force units are in the underlined Sectors.
- TR is engaged with Aza in K Sector.
- PS is engaged with Bern in K Sector.
- JH is in (G) Sector, and is engaged with Goryo. And is Prone.
Anteverse:
- Aza and Bern are in K Sector, with the latter 3 units south of the former. Aza is engaged with TR, and Bern is engaged with PS.
- Cosma is to the southeast of K Sector, 2 units from the southern edge of its Sector.
- Goryo is in G Sector, and is engaged with Jagdhund.
I won't lie, part of me is really happy that I'm actually doing damage to you guys. Recently, your excessively effective armour, love of mass ranged attacks, and Tacit's stupidly excellent dodging abilities mean that I barely get a scratch on you, unless you temporarily burn all your luck or I resort to cheap tricks (see: Vertigaunt and Oswin). So seeing you guys taking and trading damage in a proper, well-balanced brawl of a fight? That's pretty nice.
Though of course, I can understand why you wouldn't be happy about it. I'm just saying that I am.
Drawing on the power of her Supercell, Jagdhund funnels all her efforts into the evasive maneuver, and rolls out of the way.
Goryo's claws slam down into the rocky slope, spraying chips of stone as their hardened tips crack the material. The kaiju stares at the spot where Jagdhund used to be, before glancing over-- clearly surprised that she actually pulled off that sort of move, especially given her previous position.
Jagdhund glares back. She's killed a Category V-- it'll take more than just some overgrown land prawn to defeat her.
[---]
(12)
(10)
Tacit pivots to the side, letting Aza overextend itself as it rushes past-- and presents a clear opening for a return strike!
Bern strikes out, its claw coming down like an executioner's axe--
(8)
(5)
-- but Phenom Sable's no longer trying to catch up. They're ready for this.
The black jaeger's arm shoots up, seizing the scissor-tipped limb by the wrist and holding it in place. The jaeger's eyes flash gold, and the Destroyer Talons snap out, locking tight on their enemy's appendage.
Bern squeals indignantly. But Phenom's not letting go now.
Successful Block! Clamshell Grab activated!
Roll 1d10+5 to start the Grapple!
Round 8 Counterattacks
(12)
(3)
Realising its predicament, Bern rips its right arm free of Phenom Sable's neck in an attempt to get back. As the obstruction is removed, a sudden spray of oil and steam gushes from the ruptured piping, eliciting a pained wince from the Rangers.
Phenom Sable takes 2 Strikes from Ongoing!
But Phenom's Talons are locked tight around Bern's other arm, and they're not letting go. The jaeger raises its left arm, and extends its second set of Talons, as it reaches out to seize its opponent!
You're now locked in a Grapple with Bern! For your next turn, Phenom Sable must take the Grapple action, and will utilize its Progressive Vice ability!
[---]
(6)
(9,10)
Tacit whirls around, cutting a bleeding slash across Aza's leg even as it whirls around to try and block the blow. Mid-turn, the kaiju stumbles and cries out, the wound badly damaging its ability to maneuver. Unfortunately, it's at this time that Tacit's second blade strikes out, tearing a chunk out of Aza's spinal armour and further wounding it.
Hit to Spine! Minor Wound! -1 Universal Penalty! Ablative Shell Destroyed!
Hit to Left Thigh! Minor Wound! -1 Agility! Armour Destroyed!
Aza takes 4 Strikes! +2 Ongoing! Aza takes 2 Temporary Strikes!
Bern, Cosma, and Goryo take 2 Temporary Strikes!
Across the battlefield, the other Guards and Goryo feel the feedback of Aza's wounds imposed on their own nervous systems, taking some of the burden so it's not as badly affected. However, for Cosma the burden is too much to bear. No sooner than Aza cries out does its compatriot do the same. Its body goes slack, collapsing mid-step on the mountain's side in a limp pile.
Cosma has been Incapacitated!
Though their unique defense has allowed them to weather serious harm together, it is that same defense which first takes one of the Myrmions out of the fight.
It is now your turn.
Round 9
[X] The Air Force is to focus on Goryo. The scouts mark it with the Arges, the Quetzal fires its last Hellfire+ and the Head Vulcans, the Banshees hit it with their Laser Vulcans and the Hellhounds move over to open fire with their micro-missiles.
-[x] Ground conventionals keep moving towards Jagdhund's position.
[X] Tacit attacks Aza with the Fangblades again.
[X] Phenom Grapples.
[X] Jagdhund fires her Electromagnetic Projector at Goryo again.
With Cosma out of the game, the Hellhounds and their scout escorts wheel around to join up with the others, and focus on Goryo. More targeting data is relayed to the weapons of the attack craft, as the Dragonflies set into an orbit just within optimal range.
3 Arges hits!
Missiles and laser cannons fire down at Goryo, bursting against its carapace before it even notices the attack. Sadly, the lighter weapons are just as ineffective as they were before, failing to get past the ablative laminate that protects most of its body-- let alone the thick armour plating underneath it. Even the heavier weapons accomplish little beyond tearing open the laminate on several legs and the side of its body, and not a single one actually penetrates all the way.
13 Hits! No damage!
L. Foot and Torso Ablative Laminate destroyed!
Goryo's eyes glance over for a second, and a growl rumbles out of its throat. The swarms of aircraft may be ineffective, but damn if they're not one hell of a nuisance.
The whine of electricity rises once more, and the kaiju reflexively raises its claws to protect itself. Unfortunately, at this new angle, it's left a spot open-- so Jagdhund promptly blasts it in the chest. Again.
This time, the bolt hits a weak point, and the kaiju's carapace shatters, fragmenting as third-degree burns sear through its flesh! Goryo howls in agony, shocked at the loss of its defenses. Rivulets of charred Blue drip from the wounds, hissing where they strike the earth.
Hit to the Chest! Chest Armour destroyed! Goryo takes 3 Strikes!
In its response, Goryo doesn't bother with stomping, or smashing, or slamming. That's too good for the enemy that actually wounded it. As it turns towards the still-prone form of Jagdhund, the kaiju's entire body lurches, convulsing and retching as dribbling spurts of black fluid spill from the Category IV's throat. Then, Goryo draws in one last, strained breath, spreads its mandibles open, and--
(Obviously, "block" and "parry" are more like "shove Goryo's face away before it vomits molten petrochemicals all over you". But you know that already.)
[---]
With their opponent weakened and steadily losing the ability to defend Tacit lunges, aiming to strike a decisive blow-- and finally end this fight! The jaeger strikes out with its twin blades, edges burning red from their internal heating as they hurtle in towards Aza.
Until, with lightning fast speed, the Myrmion spins around, swinging its left arm between them!
Almost simultaneously, the Fangblades collide with the limb-- slicing it off at the elbow! Sizzling Kaiju Blue sprays from the stump, immediately splashing across Tacit and burning lines through its paint job as it comes to a halt. At first it seems like the kaiju simply screwed up, until Noah and his copilot see Aza stepping away. The kaiju did that on purpose-- sacrificing its arm to save itself from a hit that would otherwise have hit its vital organs!
Hit to Left Arm! Major Wound! -2 HtH, -2 Dex! Armour Destroyed!
Attack Blocked! Critical Block!
Aza takes 4 Strikes! +3 Ongoing! 1 Temporary Strike!
Bern, Cosma, and Goryo take 1 Temporary Strike!
Aza takes 1 Strike from Ongoing! 1 Ongoing Wound Healed! Aza is losing Stamina!
Its left side now effectively crippled, Aza finishes its turn, facing its right half towards Tacit in an attempt at a more defensive stance.
Aza enters Full Defense!
[---]
Phenom seizes Bern by the leg, and yanks it in, attempting to pin the gangly Myrmion with its superior force output. However, Bern refuses to give in, and struggles ferociously against the black jaeger's efforts-- so much so that it nearly breaks free, in fact! But though the gushing neck wound seriously exacerbates their initial performance, the Uemuras don't give up, and just barely manage to not only prevent the kaiju's escape, but wrangle it into a position of disadvantage!
(17) (16)
Phenom Sable wins the Grapple! 1 Advantage Point!
As they struggle with Bern, Phenom's left claws sheer into the kaiju's leg, leaving shallow cuts in the limb.
Glancing Wound to R. Thigh! Bern takes 1 Strike!
[ ] do something horrible to the enemy with your... single, solitary Advantage Point.
[ ] just keep Grappling.
[---]
Cosma is still unconscious.
Tactical Data: (North <---)
(* = 10 Units/1 Km)
* * (G) M M (M) M
C * -* - K -* - *- (M)
* * M -M M M -M
+ * M
L *
NPPDC:
- Landing Zone forces are in L Sector.
- Attack ground forces have moved into + Sector. They've got another round until they reach the next one.
- Air force units are in the underlined Sectors.
- TR is engaged with Aza in K Sector.
- PS is Grappling with Bern in K Sector.
- JH is in (G) Sector, and is engaged with Goryo. And is Prone.
Anteverse:
- Aza and Bern are in K Sector, with the latter 3 units south of the former. Aza is engaged with TR. Bern is Grappling with PS.
- Cosma is to the southeast of K Sector, 2 units from the southern edge of its Sector. Cosma is Incapacitated.
- Goryo is in G Sector, and is engaged with Jagdhund. Goryo is really fucking pissed.
Another excellent turn-- and one that marks the first real, actual hard damage to Goryo since the fight began! In other news, I really like how the Ablative Laminate is playing out here.
Jagdhund rolls to the right, just as a surge of black petrochemical bile erupts out of Goryo's mouth. The brunt of the boiling fluid slams into the rocky ground, blasting layers of topsoil away-- but a portion of the stream clips the jaeger's side, leaking through the gaps in her armour and warping the surface. Still, compared to what it could have been, it's fairly light damage.
(10)
(12)
Hit to Torso! Glancing Wound!
Jagdhund takes 1 Strike!
[---]
(34) (14) Phenom Sable wins the grapple! 20 Advantage Points!
This time, there's no contest. Phenom dominates the grapple, stunning the kaiju with a headbutt, before smashing it into the dirt, and pinning the creature beneath a knee. Unfortunately, the force of their maneuvers rips open several more tubes in the jaeger's throat, causing a sharp drop in hydraulic pressure! Any more of this, and they'll be risking serious damage!
3 Strikes from Ongoing! +2 Ongoing Wounds! Further Strikes will inflict Universal Penalties!
As the psychosomatic pain lances into the jaeger's neural circuits, its Talons close reflexively. The right side one accomplishes little new, but the left shuts on the kaiju's knee, the oscillating edge slicing through flesh and bone!
Major Wound to Right Ankle! -3 Agility! Armour destroyed!
Bern takes 4 Strikes! +3 Ongoing!
All Myrmions take 1 Temporary Strike!
Bern screams, but all too late. Phenom's already recovered from its brief lapse, and focuses the glaring lights of its visor back on the kaiju.
Meanwhile, psychic pain rips through the localised hivemind of the Myrmions, cutting off Goryo's bile spray with an involuntary wince, and stabbing into the nerves of the others. For Aza, it's almost too much to bear, and the kaiju nearly loses consciousness from the feedback. Nearly-- but not just yet.
Now it's time to do horrible things to the enemy, yay! Fortunately, Phenom can probably kill Bern immediately, since otherwise that Ongoing Damage is gonna be a serious threat.
Round 9 Grapple
-[X] Plan ZA BEASTO
-[x] Use all points in Free Attacks.
Trying one last time to break Sable's advantage, Bern rushes up, its pincer swinging in a final attack at the bleeding wound in the jaeger's throat. With a mechanized snarl, Phenom seizes the limb with their free hand, and snaps it out across the kaiju's chest. Before Bern can register what happened, the arm rips free, smashing into its face hard enough to crack the carapace.
Callously, Phenom Sable throws the severed appendage away, using the opening from the kaiju's pain response to grab ahold of its wounded leg with their left talons. Several thousand tons of giant, angry robot slams its foot down on Bern's chest, crushing organs and shoving the kaiju into the ground again. Phenom pulls its left arm up without so much as a beat, tearing the strained limb out of its socket in a spray of kaiju blood, before tossing it aside. Oil bubbles out of its throat, crossing paths with the splatter of Blue on its cuirass. Four golden sensor eyes glare down, taking a moment to assess the situation.
Amazingly, the kaiju's still alive. gurgling and snarling as its remaining arm snaps weakly at the air. It's a little bit impressive, if only in that fashion of respecting a dedicated opponent. Even down a third of its limbs and pinned beneath the jaeger's foot, it seems that the kaiju's going to fight to the end.
At least, until Phenom Sable reaches down and pulls its head off.
SE-26-003-HB Myrmion Guard "Bern" Defeated!
Phenom lets out a pneumatic hiss, the momentary viciousness that held it now vanishing. Wearily, it stands. And as the jaeger rises to its feet, Kaiju Blue running off its armour in smoking streams, the Uemuras finally get a look at what the feedback their rampage caused has inflicted upon the other kaiju.
Hivemind collapse! All Myrmions disconnect from Hivemind! 6 Temporary Strikes suffered!
Much as with the first time the Myrmions were encountered, the death of one of their fellows has destabilized the link between them, with major consequences for the creatures. But of course, of the three that suffered the backlash of their hivemind's failure, only two were actually conscious enough for it to register-- and now, only one still stands; Goryo. Aza was already on the verge of unconsciousness, and this last surge of feedback tipped it over the edge. The hexapod lays in a crumpled, helpless heap at Tacit's feet, toxic blood oozing from its stump of an arm.
Aza is Incapacitated!
Now, it is your turn.
Round 10
[X] Tacit moves closer to Goryo, opens fire with his Laser Vulcans after moving.
[X] All Air Force units fire at Goryo again.
[X] Jagdhund fires the IE-10 once more.
[X] A Meganeura flies to Phenom's location
[X] Phenom starts doing Damage Control.
Requesting one of the Meganeura transports to come pick them up, Phenom's rangers quickly turn to the current matter at hand, and start trying to get their jaeger's damage under control, rerouting systems and activating backups in an effort to stop the loss of fluids.
Unfortunately, even as the torrent of oil and coolant begins to finally stem, the loss of fluids continues to compromise their jaeger. Reactor temperature has thankfully remained within the safety limits so far, but Phenom's unique motive systems are working against it here, and the drop in pressure has forced most of its structure to fall back on servo operation alone.
Still determined to fix this, Shiori and Kanji just grit their teeth, and double down. They're not giving up now.
4 Strikes from Ongoing! 2 Ongoing Wounds healed! Phenom is over its Durability, and takes a -4 Universal Penalty!
[---]
Despite the failure to actually damage Goryo, the air force does not give up.
5 Arges hits! +2 Ran!
Guided by the multiple angles of targeting data, the hail of weapons fire from the attack helicopters strikes down at Goryo, only a couple lasers failing to hit due to their batteries running low. Still, they're finally wearing the kaiju down, sheets of ablative coating sloughing off its hide. Then, amazingly, one of the Hellhounds' rockets hits a seam in Goryo's shoulder joint, and gets through. It's barely a scratch, but the impact is confirmed-- they've damaged it.
I am silly and completely missed that the Micro Missiles hit on 4s up until this point. However, by now I think you only have one shot of them left, if any.
With Aza out of the game, Tacit's free to assist. The white jaeger strides forwards, loping across the ground to where Jagdhund battles the Cat IV. As it closes in, panels on its chest slide open, revealing the lens arrays of the jaeger's laser cannons.
"Firing!" Noah announces, before the emitters flash white. A burst of light rays fire off, raking along several of Goryo's legs. Without the ablative laminate in the way, the lasers can actually do some damage-- though the white shell underneath seems well-suited to disperse heat, as said damage is only about the same as the helicopters accomplished.
Hit to R. Thigh! Glancing Wound!
Goryo takes 1 Strike!
A moment later, Jagdhund fires a third time, sending a blazing spray of electricity into the kaiju's underside! More armour shatters and burns away, tissue bursting into flames as it fries, and even the kaiju's colossal bulk is sent stumbling back, finally giving the Jaeger some breathing room.
Hit to Torso! Armour destroyed! Goryo is On Fire! Goryo takes 4 Strikes! Goryo is pushed back 1 unit!
1 Strike from Fire damage!
The kaiju comes to a halt, fire lapping at its belly, armour cast off and scattered about, and pauses. It doesn't scream furiously, doesn't blindly charge back in, doesn't spray boiling bile into the air.
It just stands, breathing heavily. Stunned, some might say. Others, thinking.
It's wounded. Not weak, no, but wounded. Damaged. It's lost all its assistance, swaths of its armour, and now the enemy has ganged up on it, their offensive unstopped by its best efforts. If it keeps this fight up, it's going to lose-- plain and simple.
So Goryo decides to do the sensible thing...
And get the hell away.
With a keening warble, the still-burning Category IV backs away, reversing into its tunnel like an oversized steam train. Even as Tacit strides closer, the kaiju's practically booking it away, forearms raised to shield it as it tries to retreat underground.
Tactical Data: (North <---)
(* = 10 Units/1 Km)
* * (G) M M (M) M
C * -* - J -* - *- (M)
+ * M -M M M -M
* * M
L *
NPPDC:
- Landing Zone forces are in L Sector.
- Attack ground forces have moved east one Sector. They've got two more rounds until they reach the next one.
- Air force units are in the underlined Sectors.
- Phenom's Meganeura is east of L Sector. Three or so rounds until it gets to Phenom.
- TR is in (G) Sector, 4 from JH, 10 from Goryo.
- PS is in J Sector, doing Damage Control.
- JH is in (G) Sector, 6 from Goryo, and 4 from TR. And Prone.
Anteverse:
- Aza is in J Sector. Aza is Incapacitated.
- Bern is fucking dead.
- Cosma is southeast of J Sector. Cosma is Incapacitated.
- Goryo is in G Sector, 6 from Jagdhund, and 10 from TR. It has backed up into its tunnel, and seems rather intent on not being involved in this anymore.
So, what'll it be now?
[ ] Get back here, you coward! (Pursue Goryo into the tunnels, and try to kill it)
[ ] Let it go-- it's beaten and we've done enough. (Allow Goryo to escape underground, and prepare to return to base)
Yes, I'm having the kaiju retreat. It's allowed to do that.
Also-- note that even if you allow Goryo to run, you'll still get the resources from defeating it. After all, the resource gain from kills is technically a mix of actual materials harvested from kaiju bodies and boosted civilian productivity in response to battle footage, and you've clearly bested Goryo at its strongest. However, on the other hand, you won't gain any of its Stats or Research Tokens unless you actually kill the thing. So there's advantages and disadvantages to either option.
And no, don't worry-- if you decide to let it go, I won't dick you over by having Goryo ambush you as you're leaving or something. You've spooked it well, and I'm not nearly petty enough to do that.
Round 11
[X] Get back here, you coward! (Pursue Goryo into the tunnels, and try to kill it)
-[X] Open fire with the Dolch Gewehr and Air Force friends, using all available firepower
-[X] Tacit advances towards Goryo and fires his Lasers.
-[X] Phenom powers down
-[X] The Meganeura continues to make full speed to Phenom's position.
As Phenom's condition gets dangerously worse, command cuts in on their comms. The rangers are to deactivate their jaeger immediately, and wait for pickup. And though they grit their teeth and think angry thoughts back at them, the Uemuras obey. Control rods slam down into Phenom Sable's reactor, its power systems deactivating with a groaning whine. The lights go out across its surface, leaving the black and silver machine standing stiffly in place. At the very least, without any pumps on they wontw have to worry about losing any more fluids.
Phenom Sable deactivated!
[---]
4 Arges hits! +2 Ran!
Refusing to let Goryo abandon the fight, the air force awkwardly realigns themselves to aim into the tunnel, before firing off most-- if not all-- of their remaining ammunition.
It's not exactly that effective.
A bunch of hits! 2 glancing wounds! Spinal Ablative destroyed!
Goryo takes 2 Strikes! All Hellhounds out of Ammo!
Buzzing away, the air force makes room for Tacit, who steps up beside Jagdhund and fires another burst of their lasers into the tunnel. Goryo's obscured figure brings its claws up just in time, the thicker armour weathering the attack with ease. On the ground, Jagdhund props herself up, and lets go of her gun. The newly installed Dolch Gewehr spins around and swings over her shoulder, its handle folding down as the barrel extends to full length. As soon as its three second charge-up time finishes, the Jaeger fires, sending a glowing bolt of plasma arcing into the tunnel...
Only for it to ricochet off a wall and merely clip the kaiju's shoulder, leaving a softened, but still fairly intact, plate of armour there.
Hit to R. Arm! Glancing Wound!
Hit to L. Shoulder! No damage!
Hit to L. Shoulder! Glancing Wound!
Goryo takes 2 Strikes!
Goryo retreats deeper into the tunnel, disappearing almost completely from view. Even the smoke from its smoldering underside trails off, as the kaiju snuffs the flames out against the floor of the tunnels.
(7) Fire extinguished!
Annoyingly, the curvature of the tunnel means that the forces have lost line of sight, and so will find it far more difficult to actually target the kaiju.
Air force is roughly around the tunnel mouth. Tacit and Jagdhund (Prone) are 3 from it, and roughly 10 from the underground Goryo (it's not a straight line). Goryo is now completely obscured, so any ranged attacks will be at +2 difficulty to hit him. That said, there's no penalty to melee, so if you send a Jaeger into the tunnels after him you can get dismembered underground fight him fairly there.
Aza and Cosma are unconscious, Bern is fucking dead, and Phenom is deactivated. It'll be 3 more rounds until the Meganeura reaches Phenom.
Round 12
[X] Jagdhund fires the Dolch Gewehr at Goryo.
[X] The Air Force moves to Phenom's position.
[X] Tacit scans the tunnel (for points of interest)
[X] Phenom keeps napping.
[X] That one Meganeura keeps moving towards Phenom.
With their weapons running low, and little else to contribute to the fight, the air force pulls over to Phenom, to join in waiting. The Meganeura transports are just over halfway there, their colossal rotors chopping at the air as they approach.
Meanwhile, Tacit decides to try and deal with the problems of the tunnel, and scan it. Unfortunately, having been originally designed for detecting positive signatures (e.g. giant monsters) in relatively fluid environments (i.e. not through solid rock), the mecha's sensor suite is extremely suboptimal for the job, and can't locate anything in the tunnel walls. The most they get is a slightly better map of the first couple hundred metres inside the tunnel.
(6)
But now, it's Jagdhund's turn to act.
Replacing her sword in its sheath to free up a hand, the jaeger rolls over, adopting a far better sniping pose. Based on what little data she has, she's going to have to aim this just right...
There.
(14)
The yellow orange blast of high temperature plasma bursts from the end of the weapon, slicing through the rock along the side of the tunnel with unerring precision. Even as the electromagnetic bubble rips open from the contact, causing the beam to fragment into a boiling spray of ions, the core of the shot finds its target, and slams into it.
Hit to head! Major Wound! Serious Cranial Damage sustained!
Goryo takes 5 Strikes! +3 Ongoing!
A second later, the fireball of uncontained plasma blooms out of the mouth of the tunnel, before dying away.
Not a sound or shudder comes from the tunnel.
Tacit glances down at Jagdhund.
"...did you hit it?"
The robot glances back at them.
"Affirmative. Target contact was confirmed," she replies, before turning her sensors back to the smoking tunnel mouth. "I hit it."
Tacit and Jagdhund (Prone) are 3 from the tunnel mouth, and roughly 10 from Goryo's last known position underground. It doesn't seem to have done anything this round.
Aza and Cosma are unconscious, Bern is fucking dead, and Phenom is deactivated. Air force is floating around Phenom, and it'll be 2 more rounds until the Meganeura reaches there.
Note that the reason why you don't see what specific damage and/or stat penalties Goryo is taking right now because you actually can't see him and confirm the effects of the injuries-- not because he hasn't taken any.
Round 13
[X] Tacit moves into the tunnel and keeps scanning, looking for signs of Goryo or other threats.
[X] Jagdhund gets up and joins Tacit.
"Well, in that case..." Tacit muses. A few thoughts flit between Noah and his copilot, before coming to a consensus. They open the comms channel to the acting director.
"Command, we're going to go check this thing out," Noah says, turning the former Mark I's spotlights to the mouth of the cave. "Since Tacit hasn't taken any damage, if Goryo's still alive down there, we stand the best chance of finishing it off."
"Acknowledged, Ronin."
A brief nod. Then, with long, loping strides of its semi digitigrade legs, the white jaeger passes into the tunnel, and vanishes underground.
Half a minute passes.
Silence. Or, at least, what passes for silence in the presence of a jaeger.
Slowly, Jagdhund picks herself up. After several minutes fending off an enraged prawn demon, it is good to stretch her limbs. Thankfully, all her servos operate properly, despite the damage-- it's more of an issue with her control circuitry. While she's been able to shunt functionality from the damaged spinal column to her redundant systems, there's a notable lag time to her actions. Nonetheless, she does not wish for Tacit to do this alone.
As the autonomous machine takes a ponderous step forward, her shoulder weapons held at the ready, something shifts inside the tunnel. A great, bulky, many-limbed shape, creaking and whining as it approaches the light outside...
And then Tacit steps back out, hunched over and staggering under an immense weight. Draped over its back, claws dangling over the machine's chest, is the faintly twitching body of Goryo. The entire left side of its face is practically gone, melted and torn apart by what was obviously the plasma cannon shot.
"Hey," Noah says, as Tacit drops the fallen monster at its side. "...Guess who decided to up and die before we could actually do anything to him?"
SE-26-003-H "Goryo" defeated!
...yeah, turns out that one of those head damage rolls was indeed a 6, and I ended up rolling a magnificent one for how many turns Goryo had left before dying. Guess that's what happens when half your face gets melted off by plasma.
Give me a bit to write up the post-fight post. But feel free to chat about stuff-- what you're gonna do with your new unconscious kaiju, what you'll use that third empty action you won't need to do repairs in for, what the actual conventional units you never specified you wanted to build were... etc, etc.
Combat End
With the battle concluded, the attack team sets about winding down, and getting ready to pack up. Despite the hardships, this battle was a great success, and a clear blow to the kaiju's hold in Washington State. But though the overall mood is cheerful, it's not bright for everyone here.
While the air force goes about their pre-flight maintenance and refueling, the crew of the remaining two Quetzalcoatl gunships hold an impromptu ceremony for their fallen brethren. The scout teams, long experienced with this sort of thing, help them out. It's not much, but it helps put their minds at ease a little, since there's no remains that can be recovered.
Phenom Sable's pilots sit in the rear bay of their Meganeura transport, conflicted emotions from the fight roiling within them. The jaeger itself rests in the same place it did before, no longer in danger of bleeding out, and ready for pickup as soon as the Mega's escort force is fueled up.
Of course, while some focus on maintenance or mourning, others have a different task set out for them. With Jagdhund using her ANGEL-Net link as an intermediary while she and Tacit's pilots rest, Neo-Seattle command and the attack forces' acting director discuss the status of the kaiju, as well as that of the location itself.
With the former, it's at least mostly clear-- Goryo, Bern, and the Scrabblers were all killed in the fight, and it turns out that Aza bled out by the time the ground troops arrived in the valley-- leaving only Cosma to worry about. The kaiju is only unconscious, rather than dead, meaning that it could offer several useful insights into kaiju mentality and the hivemind should it be brought back. While there's always the option of removing its secondary brain and using the rest of its body for research, the sorry state of Neo-Seattle's current kaiju prisoner makes leaving the Category II alive and intact also pretty appealing. There's a third and somewhat radical proposal as well-- due to its condition and physiology, it may be possible to gather an intact kaiju primary brain, without having to maintain the whole creature. It'd be risky, but in its own way advantageous. Of course, if nothing else works, they can always just kill it, but that's a bit of a waste of an opportunity.
What to do with Cosma?
[ ] Time for a brand new research subject! (Removes Palisade from the Kaiju Research and Containment Facility and replaces him with Cosma. No resource gain from Cosma, but unlocks hivemind research opportunities and unique Myrmion physiology research options)
[ ] Remove its secondary brain, and process the rest. (Gain a Myrmion Guard Secondary Brain, resource gain decreased to 400 R from Cosma)
[ ] Attempt primary brain extraction! (Difficult Research check. On a success gain a Myrmion Guard Primary Brain, on a failure do not. Either way, resource gain decreased to 200 R from Cosma)
[ ] Nevermind, just kill the damn thing. (No brain recovery allowed, but full 500 R gain from Cosma)
As for the latter point? Mount Olympus is pretty big, and the extent of the tunnels within it unknown. If left be, there's a chance-- albeit a small one, since Goryo seemed like it would have used all the forces at its disposal-- that a few of the Cat IV's spawn could survive in the bowels of the mountain, and eventually pose a challenge to Neo-Seattle again. Of course, while this could be remedied by searching through the tunnels using jaegers or conventional forces, such a course would take extra time, and run the risk of encountering hostiles within a highly confined space in their own territory-- or worse, getting lost inside the mountain. It's really up to the council which risk is more acceptable.
What to do with Mt. Olympus?
[ ] Leave it be for now, we've got other things to worry about. (Leave Mt. Olympus without checking the tunnels this week. Risks the return of any spawn potentially remaining)
[ ] Double check everything! We're gonna make sure none of those bugs are left! (Search the tunnels out in detail. Risks losing military units/potentially encountering Goryo's spawn(?))
After that's all figured out, it shouldn't be much longer until they're ready to head back home.
Make your choices.
Tunnel Vote
[X] Time for a brand new research subject! (Removes Palisade from the Kaiju Research and Containment Facility and replaces him with Cosma. No resource gain from Cosma, but unlocks hivemind research opportunities and unique Myrmion physiology research options)
[X] Scout and scan the first few kilometers of each tunnel. Units are to look for evidence of more Kaiju as the first priority, useful items are the second.
In the end, it's agreed to bring Cosma back intact. The opportunities provided in researching its operational hivemind link and potential physiological breakthroughs are too advantageous to be wasted on simply killing the thing-- let alone the fact that it's another living kaiju specimen to examine!
Of course, due to the fact that they don't have any specific gear for carrying kaiju, one of the jaegers has to take it. Over two thirds of the assembled attack forces finally leave-- bringing with them Phenom, Jagdhund, and (in the latter's grasp) Cosma.
As for those who stay behind? They've got some searching to do first.
As it turns out, mapping a massive set of tunnels is sort of difficult. The scout helicopters accomplish little in the way of actually mapping, due to the oddly twisty design of the artificial cave system and the fact that several times they simply pop up in one of the other three holes in the valley. Eventually, they just throw up their hands, let Tacit focus on deep searching, and simply work on examining the upper structures as best they can manage.
This actually proves more fruitful than their initial attempts. While there's no particular evidence of more kaiju in the upper structures (though given that Myrmions are almost completely identical to each other, that may not mean much), the scouts do discover some interesting things. The tunnel walls have an interesting texture-- it seems that part of the excavated rock fragments were fused to the surface with some sort of adhesive secretion, and then partially melted together. This is probably what reinforced the tunnels, and seems like it'd give good grip for a jaeger or kaiju's feet. Given the volume of the tunnels they alone have seen, it'd probably either take a long time or a lot of kaiju to reinforce so much space.
While the scout forces examine the upper structures, Tacit Ronin has managed to find a way deeper inside. Hidden behind another "curtain" of rock covered mucous, another tunnel extends diagonally down into the mountain. Cautiously, the jaeger heads in, making sure to record all their sensor feeds as they do.
It's not a particularly long tunnel, and soon the white machine comes to the end of it. There, at the very bottom of Mount Olympus, is a chamber.
Like all the structure seen so far, it's entirely covered in a rough, reinforced skin of rock, with no natural light sources. The machine's relying on floodlights now-- thermal imaging gives nothing but shades of cold, and the rock skin's irregular texture is screwing with ultrasonic imaging. The chamber isn't too big-- at most about four hundred metres in diameter. In shape, it's a rough hemisphere, with the flat "bottom" curving down into a shallow dish. Several other exit tunnels are along the sides-- three to be specific, all facing the other cardinal directions. However, there's also something in the middle of the room.
Slowly, Tacit walks forwards, sensors trained on the thing in the middle. It's a fifth tunnel-- but unlike the others, this one is a vertical shaft, running deep, deep underground. Big enough for a kaiju to fit through.
However, this is as far as Tacit goes. It doesn't take much common sense to know how idiotic it would be to venture into that hole with no backup and no idea of what's down there. And in any case, they've fulfilled all the rest of their mission parameters here. The pit can be something they deal with next time.
And so, with new knowledge in their minds, Tacit Ronin returns back to the surface world, and joins their comrades to head back home.
Next up; spoils of the hunt, and managing stuff with the plan back at Neo-Seattle.
Also, it's a little difficult to make big, eerie, and plausible structures to explore when your explorers are eighty metres tall, and it's inside a real, actual mountain. Hopefully, this still does it.
Hunt Complete
When Tacit returns back to Neo-Seattle, it is to a warm and enthusiastic welcome. Footage of the fight (slightly cut back in some parts) is already being spread through the city, and public reception is strong. It seems that the first batch of returners have already been pretty busy.
Jagdhund and Phenom Sable have been returned to the Shatterdome, with crews already at work repairing their damages-- something Tacit will not require. While Jagdhund's is easy enough to work with, Phenom will require some serious work to fix the damage to its artificial circulatory system.
Tacit Ronin requires no repairs. Jagdhund's repairs will take 425 Resources and an action. Phenom Sable's repairs will take 860 Resources and an action.
Kaiju Science really is getting all the fun stuff this week. Over half the division's researchers take their breaks to watch as Cosma is brought in to replace Palisade. While some will miss the tailless wonder-- really, it was kind of like a mascot at this point-- they still agree that Cosma's presence will offer a staggering improvement in their branch's research. The variable restraints are adjusted to fit the newcomer's body, and soon the Myrmion Guard is solidly locked in place.
Kaiju Research and Containment Facility changes occupants!
- new occupant: SE-26-003-HC "Cosma" (Cat II)!
- SE-26-010 "Palisade" removed!
- +1 to kaiju research! Hivemind research regains bonus!
Meanwhile, the other half Kaiju Science pours over the corpses of Goryo and the other dead kaiju, recording as much information as they can, and searching the bodies for anything useful. Soon, the full report lies on the Council's desks, detailing not only the physiology and abilities of the kaiju, but several applications as well.
As suspected, the Myrmion Guards are basically just slightly bigger and tougher Myrmions, with higher tissue tolerances and improved close-range vision. Everything else is the same, from their weapons, to their armour plating, to their ability to link in a localised hivemind.
The Scrabblers are kind of interesting-- in essence, they appear to have been immature Myrmions, only a few weeks old at most. Genetically they're a good match, lacking the ablative armour (and using an earthen cocoon in its place) or two-way hivemind links. Over time, it's possible these could have grown into fully-fledged kaiju... but that's just a possibility. Really, K-Science can't give any more insight on them, since none of the recovered corpses are very intact.
Obviously, it's Goryo who's most interesting. Most of the kaiju's bodily systems are simply highly improved versions of those present in the Myrmions-- which would make sense, considering that it sired the lot. The petrochemical attack, the primarily non-visual sensors, the arthropod body plan, it all matches up. However, that's simply the surface. Contained in the kaiju's abdominal segments are an array of asexual reproductive structures, with distinct marks that suggest the organs were surgically implanted, rather than originally present. Of relation to this is Goryo's neural structures-- its central nervous system and secondary brain are highly developed, much in the same way as was seen in previous Commander-Type Cat IVs. Combined with the intrinsic localised hivemind structures, and this would have given Goryo some incredible command and direction abilities when working with its offspring, as well as plenty of processing power to assist them with. It's possible that a similar C&C or "Director"-type system for improving strategic performance and offering assistance among multiple units could be created using this as reference.
Of course, the other notable thing about Goryo was its armour-- and while ablative defenses aren't new to kaiju, the structure of them and its primary plating is. Goryo's external layer of ablative armour was composed of a super-hard microscopic fibre laminate, covering a section over and over with thousands of layers of brittle material. Though its performance against non-penetrating weaponry was equivalent to single-layered ablative shell, the laminated nature allowed it to completely negate armour penetrating rounds, meaning that it provides the exact same level of protection in situations where an ablative shell would be bypassed completely. The rest of Goryo's armour is similarly based around laminate structures and weaves-- its claw armour was as hard as Neo-Seattle's Jagdarium alloy, and even tougher to break, while both it and the white carapace on the rest of it used sheets of material to disperse heat across the whole surface, making it harder to burn through the plating. Thus, with this unique armour as reference, Neo-Seattle may be able to further improve their armour designs.
New Research Token!
- Goryo Token (Advanced Laminate Armour or Command/Director Systems)
But even with all that happens, life still goes on in the city of Neo-Seattle.
Kaiju Stats:
SE-26-003-H Goryo
Class: Category IV Kaiju Utterly massive, and built like a hybrid between a prawn and a termite, Goryo promises to be one hell of a challenge to face. Most of the kaiju's body is covered not only in an armoured carapace, but a thick, smoky grey layer of some kind-- save for its four arms, which are instead armoured by their massive, spade-like digging claws. Goryo's head is proportionally small, with even smaller, beadier black eyes sunk deep in their sockets. A pair of segmented antennae protrude from the sides of its spiked face, assisting with the kaiju's undoubtedly awful eyesight.
Stats:
HtH: 4
Ran: 3
Str: 5
Tou: 8
Agi: 2
Dex: 1
Structure:
Dura: 16
Stru: 22
Category IV: Has all the following rules:
- Flat stun immunity. A stun instead inflicts a -1 penalty for one round.
- Universal, unbreakable AV of 1 on all locations
- +5 to all the instant death thresholds Tunneler: As long as it is on land (or shallow water), Goryo may spend a Full Action to burrow underground (this provokes a melee attack if engaged with an enemy). If Goryo has moved on its previous turn, it may make a Move Action alongside its burrowing. While tunneling, Goryo is at +2 Difficulty to-hit, is treated as Prone for the purposes of making a Full Defense, and adds AV 3/- to all locations on a Full Defense. While tunneling, Goryo may not Run or execute Ranged Attacks, and takes -2 to all melee attacks or grapples. After spending a Move Action to do so, or making a viable attack action, Goryo resurfaces (this does not provoke an attack).
- Eruption: While tunneling, Goryo may use a Full Action to burst out of the ground with explosive force. This moves the kaiju up to 1d5+Agi Units towards a landbound enemy, after which Goryo immediately resurfaces. If Goryo successfully reaches the enemy at this point, it makes a Slam, Grapple, or Melee attack of its choice, resolved with a +1 bonus. The enemy must roll twice for their Reaction against this attack, and take the lower result. Furthermore, all combatants that are clustered with Goryo, including the target, take 1d5-1 Blunt to a random location from the shower of debris. Eruption replaces Goryo's ability to Charge as long as it is underground. Hive Sovereign: As long as Goryo and at least one Myrmion or Myrmion Guard are within 30 units of each-other, they may establish a hivemind as a Free Action, and gain the following traits. A participant need not be within 30 units of all other members, only within 30 units of the nearest other participant. Goryo is considered a Myrmion for the purposes of this.
- Team Luck: For every 3 members in the hivemind, one linked Myrmion may reroll a single dice each round, and take the better result. Goryo counts as three Myrmions for the purpose of this trait.
- Mental Support: Linked Myrmions gain +(total linked members+1) Durability as long as they are linked. If they unlink, they lose this extra durability, but regain it if they link again. Goryo counts as two Myrmions for the purpose of this trait.
- All-Around Vision: No Myrmion in a hivemind is surprised unless all are. A linked Myrmion is treated as if it had a Dex score equal to the total linked Myrmions for the purposes of blindsight and detection.
- Share the Pain: If a linked Myrmion suffers a Minor Wound or Major Wound, all other linked Myrmions suffer 1 Temporary Strike, and the wounded Myrmion treats 1 Strike as Temporary. If a linked Myrmion dies, all remaining linked Myrmions unlink from the hivemind (they may rejoin later), and suffer 1d5-1 Temporary Strikes. While linked, all Myrmions roll +1 for Ongoing Wounds. Goryo's Lair: If Goryo is encountered in its lair, the following special conditions are in place:
- Goryo is accompanied by three Myrmion Guards (see below), and twelve Scrabblers (see below). As long as Goryo survives, these kaiju will refresh over time, replacing all destroyed Scrabblers with new ones after one week, and generating one replacement Myrmion Guard per week in addition.
- Mountainous (terrain): this region is considered to be Difficult Terrain to all terrestrial combatants (-1 Agility/Melee while within the area), and Elevated Terrain to all terrestrial combatants (+1 Ranged Attacks if the target is on a lower elevation).
- Tunnels (special): The lair features 1d5+1 (3) tunnel openings in the encounter area, all connected and taking up 1/1 spaces on the battlefield. Any unit may choose to enter a tunnel, and are at +2 Difficulty to-hit by enemies, unless those enemies have also entered the tunnels. Travelling through a tunnel to another one takes 2d5 units longer than normal. Tunnels may also lead deeper into the lair in some cases. Goryo may create extra tunnels through Tunneling, if it spends a Standard Action to do so each turn in moves underground. Super-heavyweight: Goryo may not be knocked Prone by anything with less Strength than it has, cannot be moved by any external effect that would move it (unless it is downhill, or involves its own action in some way), and cannot be thrown by any means. Goryo rolls twice for Slams, choosing the better result. Goryo may still drop Prone of its own free will, but may not use the Fortify action under any conditions. All-Terrain Terror: Goryo suffers no penalties from fighting in Difficult Terrain, and neither do any of its spawn.
Digging Claws
Coverage: Hands, Arms
AV: 5/1
Resilience: All, +1 Edged, +1 Fire
Durability: 10
Ablative Laminate
Coverage: All (outermost layer) but Hands, Arms
AV: 2/2
Resilience: All, -2 Burst, -1 Electric
Durability: 2
SE-26-003-HA/HB/HC Myrmion Guards "Aza", "Bern", & "Cosma"
Class: Category II Kaiju Stats:
HtH 2 | Ran 2 | Str 3 | Tou 4 | Agi 1 | Dex 0
Dura 4 | Stru 13 Localised Hivemind: As long as two or more Myrmion Guards are within 30 units of each-other and/or Goryo, they may establish a hivemind as a Free Action, and gain the following traits. A participant need not be within 30 units of all other members, only within 30 units of the nearest other participant. If Goryo dies or unlinks from the hivemind for any reason, the range of this trait drops to 10 units until Goryo rejoins.
- Team Luck: For every 3 members in the hivemind, one linked Myrmion may reroll a single dice each round, and take the better result.
- Mental Support: Linked Myrmions gain +(total linked members+1) Durability as long as they are linked. If they unlink, they lose this extra durability, but regain it if they link again.
- All-Around Vision: No Myrmion in a hivemind is surprised unless all are. A linked Myrmion is treated as if it had a Dex score equal to the total linked Myrmions for the purposes of blindsight and detection.
- Share the Pain: If a linked Myrmion suffers a Minor Wound or Major Wound, all other linked Myrmions suffer 1 Temporary Strike, and the wounded Myrmion treats 1 Strike as Temporary. If a linked Myrmion dies, all remaining linked Myrmions unlink from the hivemind (they may rejoin later), and suffer 1d5-1 Temporary Strikes. While linked, all Myrmions roll +1 for Ongoing Wounds. All-Terrain Terror: Myrmion Guards suffer no penalties from fighting in Difficult Terrain. Weapons: Petrochemical Bile: 2d5 Fire damage. +Str Damage. Range 2/5/10, hits on 5s. Talons (x2): 1d10 Edged damage. +Str Damage. AP 1. +1 Grapple, 1d5 Parry, -1 Block. Range Melee. Armour: Light Carapace (All but Eyes | AV 2/1 | Dura 6) Ablative Shell (Head, Neck, Shoulders, Spine | AV 2/- | Dura 2)
Scrabblers
Class: Category Zero Kaiju Looking like giant, greyish ant-termites, the Scrabblers are only about the size of a tank, but they're covered in a thick layer of protective dirt and stone, held on with what seems to be a glue-like salivary secretion. Their jaws are useless against tank armour, but they can still spit a volatile petrochemical mix a decent range.
- Move up to 5 units a turn on land.
- Ablative Earth Armour: Scrabblers are treated as having AV 2/1 against the first round they would be struck by attacks. If they survive, their Armour is AV 1/1 for the rest of the battle. - Petrochemical Spit: 1d10 Fire damage. +1 Damage. Range 5/10/-, hits on 6s.
SE-26-010 Palisade
Class: Category I Kaiju A smaller kaiju, Palisade has a set of eight legs, an bullet-shaped skull, and a flexible stinger tail. The kaiju's body is covered in a dull yellow carapace.
Armour: Carapace
Coverage: All but Eyes
Armor Value: 3/2
Resilience: All, +1 Edged
Durability: 6
Current Plan:
[X] Plan "Big gun for big game."
-[X] Normal Actions: --[x] Build One Dolch Gewehr. (3000 R)
--[x] Equip the Dolch Gewehr on Jagdhund's shoulder.
--[x] Build a Kaiju Science Laboratory. (1000 R)
--[x] Build Kaiju Hunt Scanner. (975 R)
--[x] Hunt Cat IV Goryo
--[x] Action held for after-hunt repairs.
--[x] Action held for after-hunt repairs.
--[x] Action held for after-hunt repairs.
--[x] Research Advanced Cyborg Prosthetics.
--[x] Repair the Murasame. (1000 R)
-[x] Free Actions
--[x] Enhance Phenom Sable's Toughness. (20 rolls, 400 R) (J-Tech 1)
--[x] Research a Remote Weapon Control System. (Use Oswin Token.) (J-Tech 2)
--[x] Design Supercell-type reactor capable of powering a Mark IV (B-Tech)
--[x] Improve the Heimdal's RAN (C-Tech 1)
--[x] Research how to build an Atomic Bomb capable of causing Breach Collapse. (Spend Fissile Bomb Research Bonus) (C-Tech 2)
--[x] Research a variant of the Heimdal capable of equipping a Plasma Launcher. (C-Tech 3)
--[x] Scan Everett. (Comms)
--[x] Recycle Nothing. (J-Recycling)
--[x] Build (5) Free Conventional Units.
--[x] Build a Murasame (Free Naval unit) --[x] Repair Tacit. (60 R)
--[x] Clean the Contamination. (565 R)
(Spent Resources: 7000 R)
(Remaining Resources: 19515 R)
Initial Resource Stock: 26515 Resources
Pre-Hunt Costs: -5600 Resources
Capitalizing Flourish: +200 Resources
Category IV Kaiju Killed: +5000 Resources
Category II Kaiju Killed: +1000 Resources
Category I Kaiju Killed: +100 Resources (Palisade)
Category 0 Kaiju Killed: +600 Resources
Salvage Facility Bonus: +2010 Resources
Achievement - King Under The Mountain: +5000 Resources
Total Resources to Spend: 34225
You must decide what to do with the following actions, as they are now available/unspecified in the plan:
[ ] Build (5) Free Conventional Units.
[ ] Unused action (previously held for after-hunt repairs, now free).
This is all gonna be kinda weird, since you got high results but really low rolls for many of them. Thus... this.
Of course, the main focus for the shatterdome is repairing the damaged jaegers. Both machines take the better part of the week to bring back to fully operational status-- Jagdhund's spinal equipment rack has to be fixed alongside her spinal column, while Phenom's armour needs to be temporarily removed to access its cabling and facilitate the final designs of its anti-trauma reinforcements. However, while most of this gets done, the J-tech engineers request a little extra time to review their work before upgrading Phenom-- they want to make absolutely sure there aren't any mistakes that could compromise the additions' function. For now, Phenom will have to go without the new upgrades.
Jagdhund fully repaired! Ammunition replaced! Phenom Sable fully Repaired!
5 Points towards Toughness! 23/25 to Tou 5!
Using some of the extra resources freed up by not having to repair Tacit, further expansions are made to the city's salvage facilities, allowing for future kaiju processing to turn out at an excellent 150% efficiency!
2 Kaiju Salvage Facilities constructed!
Meanwhile, the jaeger-based prosthetics project continues, finally passing the planning phase as blueprints and prototypes are fabricated! The limbs themselves are pretty much equivalent to pre-TdJ prostheses, but their main advantage is compatibility with the Feedback Cradle and Drivesuit. Of course, this does bring up their one issue-- tactile sensitivity is rather limited, and being able to "feel" anything is limited to the extremities unless hooked into a Jaeger. Still, for now, prosthetic limbs should be available for Rangers, without having to worry about how it'll affect the link to their nervous systems.
New city trait ('Other' in city attributes): J-Tech Cyber-Prosthetics! - J-Tech Cyber-Prosthetics:Based on jaeger tech and previous artificial limbs, Cyber-Prosthetics are able to replace the lost limbs of Rangers and still allow them to pilot. All pilots based in Neo-Seattle may elect to use this treatment if they have suffered a 7 or 8 on the Pilot Damage table. When using Cyber-Prosthetics, they roll +1 on any recovery rolls related to loss of body parts, and suffer no additional side effects from physical injuries after recovery.
Note that this is pretty much just the mechanical effects. Your prosthetics are difficult enough that you can't give them to everyone right now, so it's Rangers only.
As for the "still allow them to pilot"-- it's more of an issue with having compatible control systems-- conventional prosthetics don't use the fluid synapse system jaegers do, so they have some problems connecting that a flesh limb doesn't. The Cyber-Prosthetics, however, do use the fluid synapse design, and so have no cross-compatibility issues.
On another project, J-tech works on devising a jaeger-based control system for remote weaponry, using the data previously gathered from examination of Oswin's "bit flower". The kaiju's bio-electric field and neural-scribed weapons operated extremely well, despite atmospheric conditions, so replicating them is probably the best way of going about such a thing. Soon enough, a system is developed-- a modified section of the spinal column, an array of ambient electric field generators, and a set of control nodes to all for whatever remote weaponry is equipped to be controlled as if it were a part of the jaeger's body. The system works simply, with little in the way of maintenance issues, and offers good flexibility in what weapons it can be used with-- both the Bit-type and Fang-type RWs seen before could be designed for compatibility with the system.
Oswin Token consumed!
New Jaeger Augment available for purchase: Sovereign RWC Link! Sovereign RWC Link 4000 Resources
The jaeger may activate its Sovereign Link as a Standard Action, and deactivate it as a Free Action. While active, it projects a Control field with a radius of 20 units, and gains the "Remote Master" ability. The maximum number of Remote Weapons a Sovereign Link can control is equal to the jaeger's Dex+Tou (for Fang-type RWs) or (2*Dex)+Tou (for Bit-type RWs)-- though encumbrance and storage space may limit the number below the maximum. This augment is destroyed if the jaeger takes a Major+ Wound to the Spine. Control Range: 20 units Maximum RWs: Dex+Tou F/ (2*Dex)+Tou dB
- Remote Master: The jaeger may operate a number of Fang-type or Bit-type Remote Weapons within its Control Range as it wishes, as long as they have compatible control nodes and remain within this area. Once it has activated and detached its Remote Weapons (usually a further Standard or Free Action, same for reattaching), the jaeger may issue commands as a Free Action to as many of its active RWs as it chooses, which they will obey on its turn. The jaeger may not operate Remote Weapons with an incompatible control node, or ones that are outside its Control Range. Any compatible RWs that would fall out of Control Range will use their Move Action to try and stay within Control Range, unless ordered otherwise. Unless otherwise stated in their profile, a (Fang-type) Remote Weapon uses the stats of its commander whenever relevant.
Part of this is also me trying to explain how Remote Weapons work. Feel free to ask questions on it. As this is also the first "Remote Weapons Control" aug I've designed, I may also make a few revisions to it over time.
Breach-tech is asked to focus on a previously explored application of Breach technology-- the Supercell reactor. While it's not expected that they'll create anything on the level of the XIG Supercell, the Council hopes to gain access to a similar power plant that's able to meet the energy needs of a Mark IV jaeger. Interestingly, this isn't actually as difficult as it would have been thought, as there's already been research into a Mark IV Supercell-- by J-tech, over three months prior. Using the data as reference, they set to work, trying to make it into something functional and useful. And, by the end of the week, the physicists and engineers on the team present the finished design to the Council.
It's... well, it's a thing. A thing in the same way that the Skadi is a thing. The Type VI-YB Supercell QRC-- nicknamed the "Fury" by its final developers for soon-to-be obvious reasons-- is essentially an enlarged, perpetually overclocked VI-b Supercell, which contains its increased output through a distressingly fragile array of compressors and reinforcements around the core. Like the VI-b reactor KRAUN uses, the VI-Y4 can overload itself to unleash a devastating plasma beam-- which, due to the improved output, sports longer range, better penetration, and higher temperature, which should cause it to handily tear through pretty much anything. Unfortunately, that's as good as it gets. True to its nickname, the "Fury" would be a temperamental thing at best, as the containment systems copied over from J-tech's research really aren't up to scratch dealing with the thing, and any serious damage to the power core could destabilize it. Furthermore, the dangers posed in actually overloading the reactor have forced Breach-tech to add in an emergency vent system just to make sure the thing doesn't just blow up when it's fired. Said emergency vent system has the unfortunate side effect of flooding the surrounding area with high-energy radiation each time it's used (though fortunately still within tolerance levels of standard conpod rad shielding). And finally, the biggest draw of this new reactor is the price-- it's almost as expensive as a Mark III jaeger frame! Even Breach-tech agrees it's pretty bad.
Still, in the end, it... is a functional, Mark IV Supercell reactor (though some may debate the first part).
New Miscellaneous available to purchase: VI-Y4 "Fury" Supercell QRC (Mk 4) VI-Y4 "Fury" Supercell QRC (Mk 4) 70 000 Resources
- May power Mark 4 jaegers (20-25 points)
- Supercell Fury Discharge (see Weapons)
- Rear Thrusters: Roll 3d5 for Charges, taking the highest two results. Once per battle, charge bonus increases to +3.
- Unstable: Whenever a Minor+ Wound is taken to the Chest or Torso, the jaeger suffers -1 to a random stat for 1 round. If the jaeger is Incapacitated by damage, it automatically suffers an additional Vital Damage roll.
New (Reactor-Derived) Jaeger Weapon available: Supercell Fury Discharge! Supercell Fury Discharge (Reactor-Derived) Built-In Ranged Weapon
Attack Dice: 1d10-2
Damage Type: Burst
Damage Bonus: 4d5
Armor Penetration: 6
Range: 3/-/5
Special: After resolving the attack, immediately roll twice on the Vital Damage table, applying both results. The jaeger must wait a turn for this weapon to cool down after firing it. While cooling, the jaeger is at -1 to all stats.
Inflicts localised environmental damage as a nuclear weapon.
(Derived from VI-Y4 "Fury" Supercell QRC)
Somewhat similarly, the focus of the military research centres is a lot further from "conventional" weapons than before-- rather, they're primarily working on the city's Superheavy weaponry... as well as something a bit more Strategic in use.
First off are some improvements to the Heimdal's targeting algorithms. There's not a massive amount of progress on the new software, but the it'll have a noticeable improvement when it's finally done.
8 Points towards Ranged! Heimdal is at 8/20 points to Ran 4!
Despite the added complexity, the next project actually yields far more concrete results. Given the success of the plasma cannon, and the (somewhat more tentative) success of the Heimdal, command has the idea to combine these two into a single unit. It turns out to be a fairly effective idea, if one with room for improvement, as the Mobile Strike Plasma Launcher type-2 'Surtr' Superheavy Armour is able to provide a solid support platform with decent effective range and a strong anti-armour weapon. The only disadvantage is the limitations of the reactor-- as the Surtr requires a separate, replaceable 'magazine' of capacitors to boost its output high enough to fire the weapon, and must undergo a mandatory cooldown period between shots. Still, despite those, the new Superheavy Armour should be a very useful weapon.
New Superheavy Unit available to purchase: MSPL-2 'Surtr' Superheavy Armour! MSPL-2 'Surtr' Superheavy Armour (Superheavy Unit) 7500 Resources
A nuclear-powered self-propelled artillery piece, armoured in solid titanium alloy plate and equipped with a massive plasma beam cannon as its main and only armament. Due to insufficient reactor output, the Surtr relies on a three-shot magazine of rechargeable high-yield capacitors to power its gun, draining one dry with each shot it makes.
Ran: 2
Tou: 1
Agi: 0 (Moves 3 Units per round)
Durability: 1
Structure: 3 May not Charge. Weapons: IDB-50 "Muspel" Plasma Cannon Built-in Ranged Weapon (Rifle)
Attack Die: 1d10
Armour Penetration: 4
Damage Type: Burst
Damage Bonus: 2
Range: 20/-/25
Magazine: 3
Reload: 2/Special
Special: Must wait a turn for this weapon to cool down after firing before it can be fired again.
This weapon may only be reloaded by an active Field Resupply Squad, and expends the entire unit to do so. The "Muspel" Plasma Cannon may thus be reloaded a maximum number of times equal to the number of unused Field Resupply Squads per battle. Armour: Titanium Carapace
Armor Value: 2/-
Finally, using the weapons details provided by KRAUN, attempts are made to design a strategic-use fission weapon, capable of operating in conjunction with the Wormhole Penetrator device to destroy a Breach. The end results are a set of blueprints for exactly that. However... it's not all fine and dandy. Though clearly quite a potent weapon, basing it off of KRAUN's data comes with its own set of complications. The organisation's calculations on warhead yield and detonation assemblies were made for use with plutonium warheads in specific, rather than the uranium stock Neo-Seattle has. Furthermore, the documents contained a conditional statement-- that should the data be made use of, Neo-Seattle must agree to limit its store of nuclear weapons. Hardly a point worth arguing over, especially given the plans to expand to a new city, but it's something to keep in mind to satisfy their allies.
Fissile Bomb bonus consumed!
New Miscellaneous/Strategic Weapon blueprints available: Mark-1 Anti-Breach Shaped Plutonium Warhead! Mark-1 Anti-Breach Shaped Plutonium Warhead (Strategic Weapon) 6000 Resources (special)
Attack Dice: 4x 1d10
Damage Type: Burst
Damage Bonus: 1d5
Armour Penetration: 4
Radius: 5, Rad & EMP over 10
Special: Requires a supply of weapons-grade plutonium to be constructed. A faction may possess a maximum of one Mark-1 AB Warhead per city at any time.
So yeah. While you do have the blueprints available for these, you... can't actually build them yet. These are plutonium based weapons, but your fission reactors all run on uranium. So, you're gonna need access to some method of making plutonium before you can get nukes. That, or design a uranium based warhead instead.
You also need a way of actually launching these things, considering they're far too heavy for any of your current missiles to fire.
(Also, I would like to bring up something from... what, the first ever in-game TRvTW post? I said you had a stock of "Pt-238". Now, anyone who knows anything about elements will realise that this is nonsense. And I agree-- I meant to say U-238. I also can't believe it took me three years to catch that typo.) Nevermind that, I suck at nuclear science. In any case, you don't have any weapons grade plutonium available, and that's what matters.
Both the Military Production Facilities and Dockworks are hard at work this week. Many new air-frames have been constructed by the former, to further reinforce Neo-Seattle's air force. Meanwhile, the latter works tirelessly to fix the damage to the Murasame, which is finally released alongside a brand new third Destroyer.
Unfortunately, while the city of Everett was supposed to be scouted out this week, the maintenance on military assets and the involvement of most in the fight against Goryo meant that there simply haven't been enough available to investigate right now. Guess it'll have to wait until next time.
Thus ends Week 44 of TRvTW! Any further in-game stuff is gonna have to wait for Thread 3-- but for now, feel free to ask questions or talk about stuff.
The year is 2027 AD. It has been fourteen and a half months since a Category V Kaiju unleashed
a persistent electromagnetic weapon in the upper atmosphere, crippling global communications and
rendering high-altitude air travel nigh-impossible. Swarms of Kaiju roam the planet, brought forth
by a number of recently-appearing Breaches in the fabric of space. The Wall of Life has fallen,
governments have collapsed, and the world is in a state of despair. Shit is fucked.
Yet, through the ever-mounting darkness, a beacon of light still shines; the mighty city-state of
Neo-Seattle, home to the last of the Pan-Pacific Defense Corp. Aided by their mysterious ally
KRAUN, they fight against the Kaiju menace, hoping to repair their world, and drive the monsters
from this earth.
Leading humanity's charge are three giant warriors, with steel in their bones and fire in their
hearts. Jaegers. Newest is the ferocious Phenom Sable, whose iron grip and mighty claws tear
all who face it to pieces. Loyal Jagdhund is next, with an arsenal of weapons as strong as her
autonomous mind. And the oldest of all stands as well, clad in gleaming alabaster and wielding
two deadly swords-- the untamed knight of Japan, Tacit Ronin.
Together, they'll show the kaiju The Power Of Three.
Third thread, yeah! As with the last two, I expect players to follow standard Quest etiquette. If you have any problems or questions, please bring them up with me in a civil manner, as I'm more than happy to answer them.
You guys were waiting for your weekly kaiju, weren't you? Well, might as well give it to ya!
[---]
Week 45. Wednesday evening.
Space Needle LOCCENT.
"...It's been storming for two days straight, hasn't it?"
"Yeah," the other technician replied, pulling up the meteorological report on their screen. "If our readings are right, one of the worst ones yet, actually."
"Assuming they are right," a third one interjected. "This damn EM storm's dropped us to less than 75 percent effective capacity with its interference. Iblis must be fuckin' pissed or something."
"It's a kaiju. Why wouldn't it be pissed off?" Retorted the first, staring out the window. While Seattle was naturally on the stormy side, the electromagnetic slurry of rain and sleet blending together over their heads was something else entirely. Unnaturally coloured bolts of lightning crackled across the sky, their thunderous howls nearly drowned out by the shrieking wind. For seemingly the hundredth time today, a patch of the city's lights flickered, power flow momentarily disrupted by the clashing charges above. A second later, the redundancies activated, and the lights steadied.
"It'd be hell to fight in these conditions," they muttered. The other two technicians paused, and whirled around in their seats.
"Hey! Don't jinx us or anything!"
"Yeah, you know how that always turns out!"
The first snorted, and glared back.
"Oh, knock it off! We know there's gonna be a kaiju this week-- there's one practically every week! Talking about having to fight a kaiju won't make anything worse happen that wouldn't already happen, even if this particular weekly kaiju turns out to be a real--"
The kaiju alarm went off. Three technicians turned to their stations. The first one, cut off by its sudden occurrence, was ironically the first to read the reading.
"...Son of a bitch! Get the Council on the line, now! It's a cat five!"
<ALERT: NEW KAIJU SIGNATURE DETECTED>
<INBOUND FROM WESTERN SECTOR>
<CLASSIFICATION: CATEGORY V>
<ALL HANDS TO BATTLE STATIONS>
Due to interference from the electromagnetic storm, all Scanning actions you take roll during this fight at a -2 penalty. Therefore, you're rolling at 1d10+5!
It is unfortunately a few seconds later that the entire sensor grid goes down. Frantically, what little data could be gathered before the grid cut out-- the last known position of kaiju SE-27-011 "Heartbreaker", and a rough estimate of its Serizawa qualifiers (pretty fucking big, radioactive as any kaiju, and a good deal more toxic)-- is compiled, as the PPDC scrambles into action. It's barely anything to work with, and there's minutes at best before this thing hits the Miracle Mile, but there's no other choice.
They can't give up now.
Heartbreaker is an unknown distance away from Neo-Seattle, but it is no further than 50 km away. Irregular power fluctuations and the collapse of the sensor grid will hinder your deployment of all land or air-based units, and cause them to deploy later in the battle. However, the position of the Dockworks and Shatterdome allow all Naval assets and Jaegers to deploy as normal.
Due to the (incredibly strong) electromagnetic storm, the following Battlefield Environmental traits are in effect:
- All combatants are treated as being obscured by default (+1 Difficulty to-hit). If the combatant is within a well lit area, or engaged in melee combat, there is no penalty (but only as long as they remain in that area, or only for those engaging them in melee combat). Underwater, this penalty increases so as to treat all Blind against an obscured combatant, who must be located with a Dexterity Test (DC 7). However, the underwater combatant treats everyone else as automatically obscured.
- All energy weapons on the field can only fire out to Medium Range. If they lack a Medium Range bracket, they can only fire out to Short Range.
- Arges and other visual targeting assists are hindered, and may only net a maximum of +1 bonus.
- All scanners take a -2 penalty due to electromagnetic interference.
- Fliers' movement speed is 5 units less than normal.
I think you'll like Heartbreaker-- or at the very least, appreciate what they stand for.
Combat Deployment
[X] Deploy the three Murasames and the two Gunboats in the Western sector, 10 units away from the DP. Each Mura is four units apart, with the Gunboats between them.
[X] The Jaegers are deployed in the West 15 units away from the DP.
-[x] Phenom has his Barrier Shield active.
[X] Everyone is to scan to narrow down the Kaiju's position.
-[X] Yes, even the Condors.
Jagdhund is the first jaeger to launch, her lack of separate piloting components allowing the autonomous mecha to start up and exit the shatterdome in a little under a minute after the order is given. Two and a half minutes later, Tacit and Phenom's pilots have hooked themselves in, and activated their own jaegers-- by which time their teammate already stands at the Miracle Mile, waiting with weapons drawn as the storm boils in the sky.
While the navy launches-- their vessels the only ones that won't be inhibited somewhat by the storm-- Tacit Ronin exits the Shatterdome, legs pumping as it surges through the freezing water. The white machine comes to a halt at Jagdhund's side, and powers up its fangblades, which are immediately sheathed in a cloud of steam as the rain around them vaporizes. Noah and his copilot clench their fists in readiness, as the machine's golden visor stares into the darkness.
[---]
Meanwhile, down at Boeing Field-- the current air force base-- technicians try their best to get the vehicles up and running. Unfortunately, weather conditions are going to put serious strain on their engines, so even if they do get them running they'll have to work a lot harder to maintain position. The rotary frames are going to need a bit more work, as are the Quetzals, but Condor Flight's planes were made for difficult flights, and they're all ready to help out! The sturdy little planes are brought out on the runways, and launch!
It'll take a bit, but hopefully they'll be able to make it in time.
[---]
Finally, Phenom Sable arrives, lumbering and growling like an angry bear. The shield plate on its shoulder is active, air rippling and shimmering around the machine as the electromagnetic storm sets off some strange but harmless resonance within the device. Clawed fingers curl in the air, testing their fluid pressure as the black mecha's tendons flex beneath layers of superalloy armour.
Now all together, the jaegers focus on the Sound. With the scanner grid still unusable, the only things they have available right now are their own suites-- which are still affected by the storm. Even so, it's the best shot they've got, short of running out into the bay to hunt it down with the naked eye.
Roll 1d10+1 for Tacit and Jagdhund's scans, and 1d10-2 for Phenom's scan.
PPDC:
- Tacit, Jagdhund, and Phenom are stationed at the Miracle Mile, ~15 units from the city.
- Naval forces will be in position in 1 round.
- It will take 4 more rounds for Condor Flight to arrive at your jaegers' position (though they'll enter the battlefield at around 2 rounds).*
-- It's 120 units between your position and your air base, in case you were planning on launching other vehicles.
Anteverse:
- Heartbreaker's position is unknown. However, it is likely underwater, and is definitely within this sector.
*Note that Condor Flight launched earlier than the actual battle started, so they've got two rounds head start of travel. Without it, you'd be waiting 6 rounds (and they're your fastest units right now).
Combat Round 1
[X] Everyone is to scan to narrow down the Kaiju's position.
-[X] Yes, even the Condors.
Jagdhund's and Phenom's scanner return nothing of use-- the atmospheric conditions are simply too much to compensate for, and the results are a chaotic mess. Tacit, however, gets a stroke of luck-- maybe the heat and electric field of its Fangblades are softening the storm's scrambling effects a little? In any case, an anomaly flashes up on the jaeger's scanning grid, about five or six kilometres out. A patch of water where the shifts in conditions seem more.. orderly. Patterned, almost. Like something swimming.
Unfortunately, before anything more can be gathered, the pattern vanishes, leaving the jaeger with only a hint at the kaiju's location.
It is now your turn.
Yes, Heartbreaker did stuff-- you just didn't see it.
PPDC:
- Tacit, Jagdhund, and Phenom are stationed at the Miracle Mile, ~15 units from the city.
- Naval forces will be in position at the end of the round, unless you change orders.
- It will take 4 more rounds for Condor Flight to arrive at your jaegers' position (though they'll enter the battlefield at around 2 rounds). At the end of this turn, it will be 3 rounds.
Anteverse:
- Heartbreaker's position is unknown.
- The anomalous area was detected 50-60 units out from the city (35-45 from Tacit).
Combat Round 2
[X] Plan Knee Deep 1.5
-[X] Phenom Sable Runs 10 units towards the anomaly.
-[X] Tacit Ronin advances 8 units towards the anomaly and scans
-[X] Jagdhund advances 6 units towards the anomaly and scans.
-[X] Ensure that all Railguns move to the Western Sector, or as close to it as possible.
-[X] All forces are to deploy and make haste to the Combat zone. Equip the Brontes on the Scouts and everything that can equip Torpedoes does so.
But though it's just a hint, it's all they've got. As the naval forces slide up behind them, and orders are given for the deployment of all forces, the jaegers advance on the anomalous area. Phenom leads the charge, closing in as fast as it can. Jagdhund and Tacit lag behind a little, trying to use their scanners again to relocate the kaiju.
However, the results are even more useless this time. The jaegers' own movements have interfered with the hydro-acoustics, covering up any patterns from further away that the sensors could isolate. By this point, the water's getting rather high up on them-- especially for Phenom, who's submerged up to the neck, and only visible thanks to the lights around its joints and shoulder plate.
PPDC:
- Tacit Ronin has advanced to 23 units from the city (8 past Miracle Mile)
- Jagdhund has advanced to 21 units from the city (6 past Miracle Mile)
- Phenom Sable has advanced to 25 units from the city (10 past Miracle Mile)
- Naval forces are 10 units from the city, deployed in a 13-long line (Mura - GB - Mura-RX - GB - Mura, 2 unit spacing)
- Condor Flight will enter the battlefield in one round, after which it will take two more rounds to reach the initial deployment locations of the jaegers (Miracle Mile)
- 9 rounds until NW and SW Railgun Batteries finish shifting to Western Sector.
- Ground Force deployment times (to enter the battlefield)*:
-- 4 rounds for most/all self-propelled units (Tanks, AKBs, Mortars, Hlin)
-- 5 rounds for Heimdal (it's slow)
-- 6 rounds for Artillery (the tractors are also slow, and they're stored further from the Shatterdome than the Heimdal)
- Air Force deployment times (to enter the battlefield)**:
-- 16 rounds for Hellhounds (armed with Neptune-43s)
-- 8 rounds for Banshees (armed with Neptune-43s)
-- 6 rounds for Scouts (armed with Brontes)
-- 6 rounds for Quetzalcoatl Gunships
Anteverse:
- Heartbreaker's position is unknown.
- The anomalous area was previously detected 50-60 units out from the city, or 35-45 from the Miracle Mile (for the sake of simplicity, we'll say ~55 from the city, ~40 from the Miracle Mile).
*for ground units, "entering the battlefield" is, in this case, at the Defense Perimeter/edge of the city.
**for air units, "entering the battlefield" is, in this case, considered to be 40 units south of the original deployment locations for the jaegers.
Note: if you move any further than 30 units from shore, you're gonna be submerged, which... well, considering you can't friggin' see anything, really the only change that'll make is that your armour's Pressure Intolerance is activated, and Heartbreaker's gonna have to start making Dex checks to find you as well. So... bit of good, bit of bad?
Combat round 3
[X] All Jaegers start Scanning again.
-[x] The Navy advances 5 units.
-[x] The rest of our forces keep moving towards the battle.
Behind the jaegers, the navy moves forwards, taking new positions at the Miracle Mile. The sound of propeller engines is just barely audible beneath the booming thunder, as Condor Flight enters the battlefield, swooping in from the south. From the city and the air base, more vehicles launch, closing in as fast as they can despite the difficult conditions.
Phenom's sensors pick up another anomalous area-- but it's overlapping the first to such a degree that it's impossible to nail down exact location. Tacit and Jagdhund, meanwhile, continue to find nothing, much to the irritation of the rangers.
"LOCCENT, what are we actually doing here?" Kanji asks, bouncing Phenom's laser comms off the destroyers and back to the shoreline. "Are we just waiting for this thing to ambush us, or what?"
What's gonna be the plan? Obviously, your non-present forces are gonna be heading out towards the battle, but...
[ ] Hold position, rangers! Keep on trying to get a good scan!
[ ] This is no good! Rangers, fall back to the Miracle Mile-- we'll wait for the kaiju where backup's better!
[ ] We'll put an end to this game of hide and seek! Rangers, advance, and pin that kaiju down before it gets any closer!
PPDC:
- Tacit Ronin at 23 units from the city (8 past Miracle Mile)
- Jagdhund at 21 units from the city (6 past Miracle Mile)
- Phenom Sable at 25 units from the city (10 past Miracle Mile)
- Naval forces are 15 units from the city, deployed in a 13-long line (2 unit spacing)
- Condor Flight is 40 units south of the Navy.
- 8 rounds until NW and SW Railgun Batteries finish shifting to Western Sector.
- Ground Force deployment times (to enter the battlefield)*:
-- 3 rounds for most/all self-propelled units (Tanks, AKBs, Mortars, Hlin)
-- 4 rounds for Heimdal
-- 5 rounds for Artillery
- Air Force deployment times (to enter the battlefield)**:
-- 15 rounds for Hellhounds (armed with Neptune-43s)
-- 7 rounds for Banshees (armed with Neptune-43s)
-- 5 rounds for Scouts (armed with Brontes)
-- 5 rounds for Quetzalcoatl Gunships
Anteverse:
- Heartbreaker's position is still unknown.
- The anomalous area was last detected ~55 units out from the city, or ~40 from the Miracle Mile. Your newest roll hasn't been enough to narrow anything more down.
Combat Round 4
[X] Hold position, rangers! Keep on trying to get a good scan!
-[x] Condor Squadrons, move towards the possible contact at full speed.
Unfortunately for Phenom, as they make their next attempt to scan, a crackling bolt of lightning loops down, and strikes the top of the jaeger's head! There's no actual damage to the armour, but almost every sensory system in their suite promptly shuts down, eliciting several curses from the rangers as they suddenly have to try and reboot the thing.
Phenom Sable's sensors have been disrupted! No ranged attacks, and -3 to Dexterity, for 5 rounds!
With Phenom Sable effectively blinded beyond straight visual, the others move to assist. Three squadrons of aircraft bank in, trying to make their way over to the jaegers, while Tacit and Jagdhund focus their efforts, trying to overcome the scrambling through their combined results.
And this time, they succeed. A solid area resolves on their maps, its shape finally revealed through the cloaking waves. Dense exterior, abnormal salinity, and the underlying, repetitious thrum of a massive circulatory system all confirm it.
Heartbreaker located!
It's the kaiju, barely two kilometres away from their position.
As if sensing that it's been found, Heartbreaker's signature surges towards the jaegers, rising towards the surface as it reaches shallower waters. A swell appears among the lashing waves, growing greater and greater, until the monster bursts forth at last! Lightning streaks across the sky, silhouetting its form as bioluminescent tissue flares with unnatural light, affording the city their first proper look at their enemy.
Humanoid in shape, the kaiju's body is well-armoured-- with its arms and legs clad in segmented carapace, and far more flexible hide protecting its centre mass. Its head has no neck, instead sunken between its shoulders, just above the clavicle. Glittering black eyes stare out from sunken sockets, while a crab-like maw shifts and clicks beneath. A glowing, turquoise web of bioluminescence snakes up the front of its torso, branching across its chest and face like a twisted tree. Smoothly, the kaiju raises its lower arms-- each one a forty metre cylinder of black flesh and gunmetal armour, thick with coiling muscles and tipped with hooked talons.
Heartbreaker slows for a moment, fixing the machines with its gaze. Cold, alien intelligence shines behind its eyes, carefully appraising its enemies without heed to wind or rain.
Then, without a single hiss, snarl, or shrieking cry, Heartbreaker wades forwards once more.
PPDC:
- Tacit Ronin at 23 units from the city (8 past Miracle Mile), 10 from Heartbreaker.
- Jagdhund at 21 units from the city (6 past Miracle Mile), 12 from Heartbreaker.
- Phenom Sable at 25 units from the city (10 past Miracle Mile), 8 from Heartbreaker.
- Naval forces are 15 units from the city, deployed in a 13-long line (2 unit spacing)
- Condor Flight is 20 units south.
- 7 rounds until NW and SW Railgun Batteries finish shifting to Western Sector.
- Ground Force deployment times (to enter the battlefield)*:
-- 2 rounds for most/all self-propelled units (Tanks, AKBs, Mortars, Hlin)
-- 3 rounds for Heimdal
-- 4 rounds for Artillery
- Air Force deployment times (to enter the battlefield)**:
-- 14 rounds for Hellhounds (armed with Neptune-43s)
-- 6 rounds for Banshees (armed with Neptune-43s)
-- 4 rounds for Scouts (armed with Brontes)
-- 4 rounds for Quetzalcoatl Gunships
Anteverse:
- Heartbreaker is 18 units from the Miracle Mile, 33 from Neo-Seattle.
-- Heartbreaker's distance from the Jaegers is noted under their positioning.
(For reference, I'm just gonna put the distances in spoilers, since it'll take too much space otherwise.)
Well, it took you guys 4 rounds, but you did it! You found the kaiju!
Now you just need to survive it.
Combat Round 5
[X] Plan ... This is awkward: electric boogaloo
-[X] Murasame Type RX fires railgun at Heartbreaker
-[X] The other two Murasame fire Dragon's Blood missiles at the big nasty
-[X] All present Missile Boats fire Oceanus torpedoes
-[X] Jagdhund fires a Full Auto Burst at the kaiju
-[X] Tacit charges using the Sound Breaker after Jagdhund is done shooting
-[X] Phenom moves five units towards the kaiju
-[X] Everything else, please, hurry the fuck up
A cluster of cavitating torpedoes fire from the navy's ships, arcing around the jaegers to strike at the advancing kaiju! Plumes of water erupt around Heartbreaker's waist, as the warheads detonate-- but none seem to have any effect on the monster. The central Murasame opens fire with its railgun, sending a tungsten-cored slug screaming past Tacit's shoulder. The projectile glances off one of Heartbreaker's armour plates, spiraling away into the roiling waters.
No damage!
Of all three jaegers, Jagdhund is the first to regain her bearings, and unleashes a barrage of gunfire at the kaiju. Faster than expected, Heartbreaker swings its massive arms in front of its face, using their thick armour plating to weather the attack. And here, the kaiju's defensive prowess is shown, withstanding Jagdhund's concentrated firepower even as flecks of armour chip and shells ricochet away. At best, it's scratch damage.
Hit to head! No damage!
Hit to R. Arm! Glancing Wound!
Hit to L. Foot! Glancing Wound!
Heartbreaker takes 2 Strikes!
However, the drumbeat of gunfire soon stops, as the crash of waves on metal grows louder. Sure of its resilience against the jaegers' ranged weaponry, Heartbreaker relaxes its arms, swinging them out of the way to regain its view of the battlefield.
"Sound Breaker-- ignite!"
Sound Breaker activated! +2 Agility for 2 Rounds!
(14)
But as the Category V drops its arms, Tacit Ronin blasts forwards, flames bursting from its back as it strikes with the full force of its charge!
[ ] Rear Thrusters engaged! (May be done in concert with another option, increases the listed bonus by +1, once per battle only)
[ ] Fangblades! (2x 1d10+7, Damage Bonus 3, AP 3)
[ ] Punch! (1d10+7, Damage Bonus 3, AP 0)
[ ] Kick! (1d10+6, Damage Bonus 6, AP 2)
[ ] Slam! (1d10+5, knocks enemy prone on a success, deals 3 Blunt, AP 0)
Edit:
[ ] Flourish! (see Flourish)
Tacit Ronin Charge
[X] Rear Thrusters engaged! (May be done in concert with another option, increases the listed bonus by +1, once per battle only)
[X] Fangblades! (2x 1d10+7, Damage Bonus 3, AP 3)
Immediately, the kaiju throws its arms back up, catching the jaeger's swinging blade before it can hit. Armour plating flexes and dents inwards, microscopic fractures running through the outer layers as the force is dispersed. Heartbreaker glares back, its crustaceal maw sliding open to expose a grotesque set of orifices and tubes around its throat, pulsing and bulging as pressure builds within them.
"Oh, no you don't!" Noah yells, before smashing Tacit's knee into the exposed organs! Flesh yields to metal, and the projectors burst apart in a spray of hypothermic acid, burning away at the outer layers of Heartbreaker's facial armour. The kaiju convulses in pain, giving Tacit enough of an opening to bring his other fangblade into play! Shoving Heartbreaker's arms away, the jaeger throws its left arm forwards, driving its fist through the weakened tissue of the kaiju's throat, and into its chest cavity.
"Left Fangblade, fire!"
Tacit's fangblade explodes out the small of Heartbreaker's back, punching through its spinal column in one decisive blow-- then Noah jackknifes his arm back upward, eviscerating the Cat V from the inside out as the blade bisects its spine lengthwise.
SE-27-011 "Heartbreaker" defeated!
With practiced grace, Tacit pulls its arm free, the limb steaming and painted in alien blood. Heartbreaker's eyes dull, its bioluminescence dimming out as it goes slack.
Despite the thunder and rain, it seems... quieter.
Combat End
It's with renewed vigor that Tacit Ronin returns to the shatterdome, leaving the broken body of Heartbreaker where it stood. The electromagnetic storm continues to rage (though meteorologists predict it will dissipate in at most a day or two), limiting how fast the news can get out, but it's clear enough for the recently arrived SDF-- they've won, with just a single blow.
In the aftermath of the confrontation, only two things can be considered in need of some repair; Phenom's sensor suite, and Tacit's blood painted arm. However, these are something that can be dealt with without much hassle. Phenom Sable has its sensors temporarily removed and checked over for flaws, while Tacit's left arm is stripped of armour and given a thorough alkaline bath to wash the acidic fluids off.
No damage to repair!
Thankfully, neither pose any complications for engineering to worry about.
While the actual SDF weapons aren't needed for the fight anymore, their assistance is still useful in getting the kaiju's body onto land for K-Science to examine (not to mention prevent any further leakage into the bay).
It takes a surprisingly long time for the report to finish, even considering the storm. Part of that's because the kaiju itself seems to resist the xenobiologists' necropsy attempts. The main entry wounds are soaked through with some sort of... ultra low temperature acid, freezing parts of the kaiju's bodily fluids into solid obstructions. Sawing through a different point is just as difficult-- the armour on Heartbreaker's arms and legs is as hard as Jagdarium, and even the softer portions aren't much better. Even when they do manage to neutralize some of its acid and saw through the armour, the thing still doesn't want to give up. While the inner tissues are far easier for the examiners' tools to cut through, it only takes half a minute before they try to knit back together again, constantly fighting against progress. In fact, it's over an hour before the healing factor stops kicking in, having finally drained the last of its residual energy. It's fortunate that the same abilities that obstruct the scientists' progress also obstruct the force of decay, leaving Heartbreaker's body still fairly fresh by the time it runs out of steam.
The rest of it is... well, in general rather par for the course. Its internal organs are pretty much useless for examination, given that they had a jaeger's forearm shoved through them, and its central nervous system is even more so. The cranial area is completely ruined, since the acid sacs have either dissolved or frozen everything around there. Fortunately, Heartbreaker's arms and legs are virtually untouched, leaving one thing K-Science can look at. The arms in particular are interesting-- they're actually structured like a giant solenoid ran, with loops of modified muscle tissue surrounding a central, free-floating shaft of ferromagnetic bone. It seems that the kaiju would have been able to project these spikes out of its palms with some force, though without combat data it's unclear how much force they would have had. Then again, "lack of clear capabilities due to insufficient data" seems to sum up the kaiju as a whole.
But, of course, there's one thing even more worthy of the council's attention; Ashley Langley has woken up.
It appears that the Ranger regained consciousness at some point shortly before the end of the fight-- an act which definitely caught the staff's attention. So far, she hasn't shown any signs of panic at her physical condition, despite being seemingly aware of it. In fact, she seems rather... detached. Essentially, it's likely the result of shock, or something with similar effect (though they're hesitant to give a definite diagnosis before they have the chance to actually run some tests with her, given the unusual circumstances she's been under). One thing they can say right now, though, is that she hasn't talked very much since waking up. She isn't mute-- the staff have gotten a few verbal responses out of her-- but other than that, she hasn't really said anything, or paid much attention to them beyond that. It's really just too soon for them to say.
Ashley has returned to consciousness at last! However, she will still need to recover, both physically and mentally. The former will require the use of one of your special medical options, while the latter is... more complicated.
So once again, peace returns to the city.
It is now downtime.
Kaiju Stats:
SE-27-011 Heartbreaker
Class: Category V Kaiju
Broad of shoulder and long of limb, Heartbreaker's most distinctive features are the massive spike rams on either arm, each one capable of firing a blunt-tipped spear of metal-laced kaiju bone with enough force to shatter a jaeger's internal frame. A few hooked claws sprout from the ends of the limbs, but they're far from its main weapons. Interestingly, the kaiju has no real neck-- what exists of its head is sunken between its shoulders, with a couple black eyes peeping out from sunken sockets. Below them sits a crab-like maw, which hides an array of hypothermic acid sprayers behind its mandibles. Heartbreaker's arms and legs are heavily armoured in chitinous plating, while slightly more flexible hide defends its main body, and displays a spider-webbed, tree-like pattern of luminous veins on its chest and spine.
Stats:
HtH: 5
Ran: 1
Str: 6
Tou: 8
Agi: 3
Dex: 3
Structure:
Dura: 17
Stru: 20
Category V: Has all the following rules:
- Flat stun immunity. A stun instead inflicts a -1 penalty to a random stat for one round.
- Universal, unbreakable AV of 2 on all locations
- +10 to all the instant death thresholds
- Ignores the extra effects of the first two Minor Wounds it receives. Automatically heals 1 Ongoing every round, and rolls +2 for Ongoing.
- Immune to "Scratch" Damage Fast Healing (5): Your Fast Healing rating is equal to half your base Toughness (4) plus one (5). Once every round, roll a 1d10 plus your Fast Healing rating (1d10+5), and if the result is 10+ then you heal 1 Strike. Alternatively, you may choose to heal 1 (additional) Ongoing Wound instead of a Strike. Fast Healing does not alleviate Wound effects, but can remove Universal Penalties by bringing you above your Durability. Fast Healing does not confer additional Strikes if you are at 0 Strikes already, but may stabilize your Ongoing Wounds at such a time. Your Fast Healing may be suppressed if you desire to do so. Cold-Hearted: Every round Heartbreaker is in a Grapple, it inflicts 1d5+1 Ice damage to all other participants. Heartbreaker passively deals 1 Ice damage to anything within 3 units of it each round. Fated to Win: Things just seem to go your way. As a Free Action at any point during the round, you may roll a 1d5, and modify any roll you wish by that amount, in either a positive or negative direction. This roll need not be one made by you, and may be made after you. Once Fated to Win has been used, it cannot be used until the next encounter.
Weapons: Spike Ram x2 Built-in Melee Weapons
Attack Dice: 1d10+1
Parry Dice: 2d5
Block Dice: 1d10+1
Armour Penetration: 0
Grappling Bonus: -1
Damage Type: Blunt
Damage Bonus: Strength
Special: Deals +2 damage for the purpose of overcoming Armour Durability.
Shockwave Punch: -2 Attack, +3 Damage. On a hit, the opponent is thrown back as many units as Heartbreaker has Strength and knocked prone. Must cool down for a round after use.
Jackhammer: -2 Attack, Attack Dice to 3/d10. If all three attacks hit, the target is Stunned for 1 round.
[x] Plan Commitment 1.NE
-[x] Normal Actions:
--[x] Send a full team to Everett; prepare to colonize/bring existing Everett within our sphere of influence (Comms)
--[x] Hold Until Everett Trip Results
--[x] Hold Until Everett Trip Results
--[x] Hold Until Everett Trip Results
--[x] Hold Until Everett Trip Results
--[x] Hold Until Everett Trip Results
--[x] Hold Until Everett Trip Results
--[x] Hold Until Everett Trip Results
--[x] Hold Until Everett Trip Results
--[x] Hold Until Everett Trip Results
-[x] Free Actions
--[x] Research a less "temperamental" but still Mark IV viable Fury Supercell. See if Barriers, Goryo's plating or the Super-Coolants previous Kaiju have used can help. (B-Tech) [Safe Research mode]
--[x] Research Better Fangblades, focusing on increasing damage or Armor-piercing ability. Look into known Kaiju records and their samples for inspiration on how to do that. (J-Tech 1)
--[x] Examine the Ascalon Blade non-destructively. The focus is on structure and composition so we can try to make our own blades in the future. (J-Tech 2)
--[x] Investigate how the Myrmions' mini-hivemind worked. (K-Sci 1) (Use Cosma bonus)
--[x] Research a way to create naval units with MPFs (C-Tech 1)
--[x] Mobile C&C Super-Heavy unit that can increase coordination and provide extra processing power for targeting for our forces, incorporating aspects of Commander Kaiju and the RWCS (and possibly a Barrier for protection) (C-Tech 2)
--[x] Research a very large blast radius One Shot missile for clearing Cat 0 hordes, the "Sunfire". Focus on Blast-radius above all else, within practicality. (C-Tech 3)
--[x] Scan Naval Station Kitsap (Comms)
--[x] Scan for nom nommy Kaiju (Kaiju Hunt Scan)
--[x] Recycle Nothing. (J-Recycling)
--[x] Build (5) Free Conventional Units. (3 Autogyro Scout Squadrons, 2 'Banshee' Assault Helicopter Squadrons) (-440 Resources)
--[x] Clean up the contamination (-1100 Resources)
[X] Other:
-[X] Have Noah handle Ashley's debrief, and have him present the treatment options to her.
-[X] Do a bureaucratic organization: what kind of government/economy are we running here?
As the week continues, the council gets to work, organising what they can before their focus is taken up by the task of tackling their newest project-- the re-establishment of the city of Everett.
Contamination cleaned up!
One thing of more unfortunate note is that Neo-Seattle is finally starting to run low on quality salvage for their combat factories. Recycling only goes so far, and these things have been running pretty much nonstop since their creation, so it does make some sense. In any case, more work will now have to be put into refining available salvage, and supplemented with non-salvage materials. It'll still be pretty low-impact, and the automated nature of the facilities means they won't infringe on the project economy of other things, but it's something to keep in mind.
For a group of people whose original purpose was to determine the science behind the Breach and other such phenomenon, Breach Tech are surprisingly good at improvising from stuff that's not at all related to that. Well, technically one could argue it is related-- since their current task is improving the design of the VI-Y4 into something more stable. While Barriers aren't going to help here with containment, the reactor's cooling system and core composition can always use more work. Using K-Sci's analysis of Goryo's carapace, the scientists propose a different material to be used in the reactor's main containment core. This should help keep the temperature lower, lowering the risk of catastrophic failure in the event of system shutdown. Another thing they've found is a difference in the Breach profiles of the VI-b and the VI-Y4-- specifically in the points where radiation and temperature are highest. This sparks a quick rearrangement of the cooling system, to more efficiently deal with the core temperature. This should also reduce the strain on several other points. However, Breach-Tech can't really make it any cheaper by themselves, or fix the issues caused by the Supercell Discharge-- to the latter, their advice is basically "don't use the discharge mode, ever". Still, it's quite impressive the improvements they've managed to produce.
The VI-Y4 "Fury" Supercell no longer inflicts an extra Vital Damage roll upon Incapacitation. Extra stat penalties no longer occur on a Minor+ Wound to the Torso (only the Chest).
For the first time in a long while, J-Tech's planning to make some Fangblades. Their material engineering ability has improved, their designs have gotten better, their experience is greater-- they know they can do this. And, indeed, they do.
The proposed VX-3 "Super" Fangblade is a clear departure from the previous versions of the weapons system. While the original Fangblades and HF-2 model used of a thicker, solid blade and relatively limited positioning geometry, the VX-3 takes the opposite route, drawing from Striker Eureka's Stingblades and Heartbreaker's armour-piercing claws to produce a narrower, more flexible sort of weapon. Each Super Fangblade is composed of three main parts: the mounting rail, a single-edged oscillating blade, and a jointed and armoured "hilt" section between the two. While expensive, it is this hilt that is the key to the VX-3's abilities-- not only does it house the oscillators for the blade, but it contains a second set of gyroscopes and sensors to ensure every strike is aimed for optimal penetration. Just as impressively, they've added a new feature-- or, more accurately, added back an old feature. Back in its heyday, Tacit Ronin was known for its signature "cobra strike" technique; an attack with a single fangblade, focused enough that it would instantly sheer through armour and bone as a hot knife through butter. Coincidentally, while its second reconstruction and new pilots left it unable to perform this technique, Tacit's black box still has the data from the times when it's used it. Thus, with a little work, J-Tech's new weapons should be able to return this famous technique to Tacit Ronin once again! That said, the Super Fangblades have their own price-- due to their intricate structure and thinner blades, they're not as durable as the originals, and Tacit won't be able to use its full, raw strength in handling them. Even so, these weapons are by far the strongest of their kind available to Neo-Seattle's defender.
New Weapon available to Purchase: VX-3 Super Fangblade! XV-3 Super Fangblade 750 Resources
Built-In Melee Weapon
Attack Dice: 2/1d10 (pairs)
Parry Dice: 1d5+1
Block Dice: 1d5
Armour Penetration: Dexterity+1
Grappling Bonus: -3
Durability: 6
Damage Type: Edged
Damage Bonus: (Strength/2)+1
Special: Cauterizes wounds. Cobra Strike: One use per battle. Attack Dice to 1d10, Add Dexterity to Damage Bonus, +3 Armour Penetration. Cobra Strike does not gain Charge bonuses.
GM's note: these were inspired by a combination of the Magoroku-E Progressive Sword, AdEva's Hyper-Progressive weapons, and the curious Fangblade designs on the front page picture. Mechanically, they're a straight up improvement over your current blades, with AP 4 instead of 3, and the same damage bonus (it's Strength/2, rounding up-- so 2 plus the intrinsic +1 of the blades). Cobra Strike is a fun super move that nearly doubles your DB and AP at the expense of an Attack Dice and Charge Bonuses. All around, I think they're pretty good!
Unfortunately, the other project on J-Tech's plate does not go as well. The Ascalon Blade, while incredibly useful, is essentially one-of-a-kind, and losing it would be a great detriment. Thus, J-Tech is to try to analyze its structure and composition, so that they can at least replicate its abilities. However, the blade itself proves quite resistant to their initial attempts at non-destructively imaging its internal structure. At the most, they can say that it's built a bit like a bone-- with a hard outer layer and a softer, shock-absorbent inner layer-- though it's not all one continuous layering from tip to guard. While some of the engineers are asking to be given more time for a second attempt, others suggest that Kaiju Science might have an easier time here, considering the more biological nature of the weapon.
New Disposable +1 Research Bonus available: Ascalon Structural Reverse Engineering!
However, the decision will have to wait a while, as Kaiju Science taking full advantage of the new lab to get some work done on their own project; examining the mechanics behind the Myrmions' localised hivemind.
Cosma serves as the chitinous guinea pig in this situation, scaled up MRI systems being used to check its brain as the researchers compare their readings to those from the previous battles. The main difference in the actual structure of the link is how much neural tissue is linked-- not only are parts of the primary brain linked up, but so are the equivalent parts in the secondary brain. This offers a more stable link across short distances, which would enable the rapid data comparison/analysis and neural load support exhibited by the Myrmions. The easiest comparison would actually be to a Drift-- several minds linked together, all sharing the same memories and resources, and able to bring them to bear with far greater efficiency than just one individual. This even matches the way that a death forces the collapse of the hivemind, as the involuntary loss of one individual splinters and destroys the connection. Really, the notable things are the distances this operated across, and how specialised the parts of the Myrmion brain structure are to use this at full potential.
On a related note, Kaiju science warns that unless someone figures out some way to get a Drift to work over long distances (i.e. without being physically hooked together), they won't be able to make this sort of thing into something that's... well, effective.
Meanwhile, one of the conventional weaponry research teams tries their hand at a mobile C&C centre, designed to enhance targeting and coordination of assets. The end result is... surprisingly small for a "superheavy" unit, though that's mainly due to its lack of a nuclear reactor. No railguns, no plasma cannons, no fancy kinetic shield barriers to suck power away-- just a giant supercomputer, a bunch of sensors, and more communications link-ups than you can shake a kaiju tail at. The actual vehicle is a sort of oversized ATV truck, designed to operate in a variety of environments. In fact, with some modification, the core systems could probably be shifted over to a naval platform with relative ease.
The "Tyr" itself is pretty useful, able to switch between a variety of coordination schemes to optimize certain abilities of nearby units-- though it can only perform one at a time, the issue can be easily solved with additional Tyr units. And just in case, there's even an Arges array available-- though focusing on that alone is a bit of a waste when compared to what the vehicle's otherwise capable of. The main drawback is its lack of armaments and worse fragility when compared to other superheavies-- though, to be fair, that just means it's about as durable as any other normal unit in the force.
New Superheavy Unit available to Purchase: TCC-4 'Tyr' Mobile Command/Control Station! TCC-4 'Tyr' Mobile Command/Control Station (Superheavy Unit) 4000 Resources
A large all-terrain vehicle equipped with a supercomputer, advanced sensor suite, and variety of comms systems, all made to assist in the coordination of allied assets.
Tou: 0 (AV 1/-)
Agi: 1 (Moves 4 Units per round)
Dex: 2
Durability: 0
Structure: 2 Abilities: Arges Laser-Targeting Array: Hits on 5+. Range 10/15/-. On a successful hit, guided munitions are treated as having gained 1 Ranged against the target. This point of Ranged may be used for accuracy, or Called Shots. Stacks to a bonus of 2 (1 against underwater targets). All bonuses are removed at the end of the round. Tyr-class Command Uplink: With its powerful computation skills, a mobile c&c station can provide a variety of beneficial effects to its allies. As a Standard Action, the Tyr may select one boost effect from the list below to use for the duration of the round. The Command Uplink can affect any and all compatible player owned units within 15 units, as long as there are at least two such units within range. Command Uplinks of the same boost type from multiple Tyrs will not stack with each other.
- Remote Analysis Consolidation: Affects all units that can make scanning actions. As long as at least two compatible units are within range, they may add the Tyr's Dexterity as a bonus to all scanning or searching actions they make this round.
- Multiple Vector Fire Control: Affects all units armed with a common weapons system (choose one when this boost is selected). As long as at least three compatible units are within range, then for every three in range and using that weapon this round, a single such unit may reroll its attack dice, choosing the better result.
- Repeat Targeting Sequence: Affects all units armed with a common weapons system (choose one when this boost is selected). Choose one location struck by that weapon last round. As long as at least two compatible units are within range and using that weapon, they may automatically shift their hit location results one slot towards the chosen location.
I think the wording on this one's more than a little iffy, but... eh, I don't know how better to phrase it.
Also, you can always research more types of Command Uplink boosts to use-- in case none of the ones I came up with are appealing.
Next, another group of military researchers try to figure out how to reconfigure an MPF to build naval craft parts. Calculations show it won't have any beneficial impact on construction time or resource savings. Oh well.
Finally in the military developments department is a brand new warhead. Why a warhead? Simple; the order was to make the biggest practical explosion possible without bringing in nuclear weapons, in order to wipe out large hordes of Cat 0s. Well, they've got most of the warhead-- but it's too damn big to fit on any of the missiles. Maybe if there was some sort of... bomber?
New Disposable +1 Research Bonus available: "Sunfire" Wide-Blast Bomb!
Bombs are a thing that is possible, and will support a large blast radius more easily than your current missiles. You are, however, going to need to make something capable of launching them-- or any really big missile, if you still want to go missiles.
Unfortunately, attempts to investigate Naval Base Kitsap are foiled by a combination of issues. Interference from the EM storm still lingers in the area, making a proper scan hard to conduct, while the remnants and residue of several kaiju from the initial apocalyptic wave post-TDJ promise to hinder physical investigations. Too far decayed to be useful, they were originally just left there because their positions wouldn't allow leakage into the bay-- only to now discover that they're providing an entirely different issue. It's quite annoying.
Fortunately, the widespread search and locate operations assisted by the new Kaiju Hunt Scanner are across a large enough area that they're unaffected. The news they bring back is... well, both good and bad. Good, in that they found more kaiju. Bad, in that... well, they found more kaiju.
The first thing that the report brings up is not actually a new kaiju, but an update on some previously found ones.
SE-27-003-H "Tara" has continued its landscaping efforts, and begun work on what seem to be fortifications-- defensive walls of packed clay and stone surrounding its territory, complete with an external moat (it's more like a ditch, really). Condor Flight's also gotten a look at Tara herself. The kaiju is... well, fairly normal looking. A basic, bipedal build with developed hands, and a head resembling a very carnivorous ceratopsian. It doesn't seem like Tara's got many fancy weapons, but her craftiness may well make up for that in a fight.
Meanwhile, SE-27-004-H "Rime" seems to have had some action recently. The shore around its area shows signs of battle-- and, on closer inspection, the remains of several DGINN "dragonfly" VTOLs. Water samples show heightened toxicity levels and the presence of ammonia, suggesting that Rime was indeed injured, though not very much. The kaiju itself is currently sitting further offshore than normal, on the bottom of the ocean floor. Its readings are effectively unchanged since its initial detection, and it's definitely still alive.
That's it for the old kaiju-- leaving now the new kaiju to be addressed.
The first new one can be found northwest of the city, near Cowichan Lake. A Category II, codename "Armstrong" sports striking resemblance to a giant weta, albeit with far more armour. It's actually rather big for a Cat II, balanced out by minimal toxicity and rather low radiation levels-- though, as always, it's a bad idea to underestimate a kaiju. Armstrong appears to be very aggressive, spending most of its time patrolling its territory and tearing apart things with its mandibles and spiked legs.
The other two are, troubling enough, a pair. Codenames "Smirker" and "Dissenter" reside to the east, and appear to be living around Moses Lake. Both are Category IIIs, though they're incredibly different in readings and body plan. Smirker is the more toxic of the two, and appears to be some sort of snake or worm, though not of the burrowing sort. The bigger and more insectile Dissenter, meanwhile, spends most of its time in the actual lake, though even fly-by readings suggest that it's soaked through in radiation. Safe to say, the pair have rendered everything in the nearby area either dead or sterilized.
New Anteverse Activity within Territory!
- SE-27-005-H, "Armstrong", Category II. Location: Northwest. Well-armoured, big, and notable for its high aggression.
- SE-27-006-H, "Smirker", Category III. Location: East. One of two kaiju living around Moses Lake. Serpentine and highly toxic.
- SE-27-007-H, "Dissenter", Category III. Location: East. One of two kaiju living around Moses Lake. Large, insectile, and soaked in dangerous radiation.
With that finished, the council organises the initial party for reclaiming Everett, and sends them out!
...only for them to call back in a short while after arriving, with some rather unfavourable news concerning the city's status.
Everett is mostly empty-- most of its populace have actually fled to Neo-Seattle-- and kaiju incursions from the north have not been kind to it. Sections of the city have been turned to rubble or doused in toxic materials, badly damaging the pre-existing infrastructure. The few people who remain aren't nearly enough to keep the city running properly, though they're still surviving and living there. Worse still is the loss of one of Everett's main draws; the Boeing facility. Previously one of the largest buildings in the world by volume, the entire factory has... well, to be blunt, it looks like a kaiju tried to somersault across it. Very little remains, but there's at least a little that can be salvaged.
+900 R for Everett
Thankfully (if confusingly), the naval station is in somewhat better shape-- its location in the east waterway has at least spared it from environmental damage, if not kaiju damage, and with some extra work it could start to be brought back to activity.
Everett begins with the Naval Base (Non-Augment) Defense trait. Everett must reach Defense 2 before it can access this trait. Other benefits from this trait may be regained with further repair.
With that cleared up, the council has some time to think about it. The city isn't hopeless by any means, even if most of what first made it attractive to them is mostly gone, and expanding their sphere of influence is still going to be useful.
You've established a point of influence in Everett, and can begin stat upgrades to it (though these will be using Neo-Seattle's own actions to accomplish, and each level costs 120% normal cost-- e.g. Pop 0-1 costs 600, Pop 1-2 costs 1200, etc). You'll receive the sheet for it once work is begun on it.
By default, Everett has Population 1 and 0 in all other stats.
Everett's Morale will default at Steady once you begin work on it.
However, its Environment score is currently Unstable, giving a penalty of -1 action per turn (effectively, it has no actions available).
Of course, there's still plenty of time left in the week.
===
Part 1 has concluded. You have 9 Population-based actions remaining, and Ashley's debrief will occur during part 2. Figure stuff out.
Also, I'm gonna go with "Northwestern Protectorate of Neo-Seattle" for your faction name. The last bit may be removed eventually if you really want to, but for now, I'm gonna leave it on.
Downtime Part 2
[x] Plan Further Commitment
--[x] Increase Everett Manufacturing from 0 to 2 (-1800 R)
--[x] Increase Everett Research from 0 to 1 (-600 R)
--[x] Increase Everett Communications from 0 to 1 (-600 R)
--[x] Increase Everett Scanners from 0 to 4 (-6k R)
--[x] Increase Everett Population from 1 to 3 (-3k R)
--[x] Increase Everett Defenses from 0 to 4 (-6k R)
--[x] Using Cosma as a biological basis, try to figure out how to generate "Raubtier" silicon based flesh (Use Cosma bonus)
--[x] Research supercoolant systems for Phenom Sable to mitigate ongoing wounds. Refer to Kaiju with similar traits, such as James and Kaizoku.
--[x] Research a weapon designed to allow initiating a grapple from range. Something like Grae's grapple claws or Sickletongue's tongue, perhaps.
With a point of influence established in Everett, it's not long before Neo-Seattle gets to work. Defensive reinforcements and kaiju shelters are among the first things planned out, alongside the reactivation of the city's naval base. Fibre-optic cables are laid between Everett and Neo-Seattle, roads are repaired, and a new scanner grid is hooked into a somewhat jury-rigged operations centre. Devastated blocks and buildings are cordoned off for reconstruction, while rapid-deploying modular shelters are set up to temporarily serve in their place. It's not long after that a fair number of people, familiar with the reliability of Neo-Seattle's protection, start moving in from across the city-state's territory. A small scientific group is among them, and are set up in a hastily-established research centre near the autonomous manufacturing modules. Finally, sections of the Boeing building are cleared out, providing a fairly basic location where a jaeger can be stored and tended to. It's no shatterdome, but with the city so close to Neo-Seattle, it shouldn't really be necessary.
Jaegers held in Everett currently have the following limitations:
- Only one Jaeger may be held in Everett.
- Jaegers must be transferred to Neo-Seattle in order to repair any Major+ Wounds.
- Everett may not construct Jaegers.
Manufacturing to 2!
Research to 1!
Communications to 1!
Scanners to 4!
Population to 3!
Defenses to 4!
Naval Base unlocked!
Meanwhile, back in Neo-Seattle itself, there's yet more research and design being undertaken.
Referring back on their previous notes, Kaiju Science and J-Tech try ironing out the basic concepts more. Tests on samples of preserved kaiju flesh offer more insight into nutrition and development of it, and Kaizoku's regenerative ability can almost certainly be used to jump-start growth of key components. The kaiju-taffy-puller idea is looked over, and seems to be a decent way of exercising growing tissue sections. Everything looks pretty promising as to how they'll do the actual creation-- now they'd just need something to start themselves off. While there are several samples of kaiju DNA, the fact is that there's quite a lot of identical pieces (mainly because of samples from similar parts, but the fact that kaiju are genetically-programmed bioweapons can't be discounted), and they're all of somatic cells. The closest to a proper base would be Kaizoku's regenerative cells, which aren't actually something that can be reverse engineered into a kaiju by themselves. No, Kaiju Science needs access to gametes-- or at bare minimum, different stem cells, though gametes are definitely preferable. Once they have those, they could implant one with-- for example-- the primary DNA of Waltz's sample, and use that to start on the foundations for a more seijin-like bio-jaeger.
Methods developed for production and shaping of silicon-based biomass! Genetic base cells still required!
Progress! Science! Cloning!
One of Phenom Sable's weaknesses that's recently come up is their hydraulic muscle strand system, and its naturally high pressure. While normally the tubes and Hyper-Vascular cables can contain this pressure without issue, a hit to somewhere like the throat can, if it opens up several strands too fast to compensate for, cause some serious damage. As such, it needs some way to mitigate this damage. The council's initial suggestions of "super-coolant" as the solution are... interesting, to say the least. While the idea has some merit (better coolant would make loosing coolant less dangerous) none of the kaiju suggested for reference have fluids that are actually suited for use as coolant-- both James' and Kaizoku's blood are pretty toxic, and definitely aren't chemically inert outside their bodies. Furthermore, James' bodily fluids were about as viscous as honey, which is not a good trait for coolant.
However, that doesn't mean that something can't still be done, and the idea of "clotting" the jaeger's wounds is still very much on the table. In fact, there is a kaiju whose data could be helpful here; Terrornook. Though it was initially thought that its curious, oily blood would be useless in jaeger applications, due to their inorganic nature, Phenom's biomechanical, silicon-based motive system is a lot closer to a kaiju or seijin's than normal. After a battery of tests and examinations, it's determined that, by introducing special micro-fibres and treating the kaiju's platelets, a powerful coagulation and clotting factor can be provided! Of course, there are some drawbacks to this; namely, it will only function in things that actually have a somewhat biological circulatory system-- such as the Hyper-Vascular strand system, or the proposed "Raubtier" bio-jaegers. However, this should pose no trouble to Phenom Sable, since it already fulfills this condition.
New Jaeger/Raubtier Modification Available: TN-0 Rapid Clotting Factor! TN-0 Rapid Clotting Factor (Torso) Costs 1500 Resources
Drawn from data on the unusual blood possessed by the kaiju Terrornook, the TN-0 Rapid Clotting Factor is a specially treated mix of silicon platelet-equivalents and shaped micro-fibres meant to be used within a silicon-based circulatory system, and renewed by an artificial regenerative organ in the torso. When present, the micro-fibres in TN-0 enhance its medium's fluid tension, reducing the risk of losing vital fluids, while the special platelets rapidly respond to any cuts or breaks in the vessel, sealing up wounds within minutes. The only disadvantage of this modification is that it will not function for purely mechanical jaegers-- some sort of biomechanical circulatory arrangement is necessary for there to be any effect.
A Jaeger or Raubtier with TN-0 treats its current Ongoing Wounds as one lower for all relevant purposes, to a minimum of zero. In addition, it automatically heals 1 Ongoing Wound each round.
The TN-0 Rapid Clotting Factor can only be used by raubtiers, or jaegers with a pre-existing Hyper-Vascular Modification.
So, this isn't actually super-coolant, but I'm gonna be honest and say that super-coolant is not exactly what you want for Ongoing mitigation. The kaiju have weird biology that allows them to work that way, and toxic kaiju sludge is typically not gonna be good for reactors.
On the plus side, this actually partially fills in your "life support" requirement for raubtiers (specifically, in the healing bit)! Yay!
Attempts at replicating Grae's "Grapnel Claws" fall flat when designers run into a few problems. While a the fluid-pressure launching mechanism is simple enough, and they can easily refer to the Hyper-Vascular Muscle Strands for the high-tensile cables one would need for such a weapon, the problems are 1) actually hitting the target, and 2) preventing the weapon from getting ripped out of its mounting when they inevitably try to pull back. Examination of the samples from Grae's arms suggest a more layered structure to the cables, which may be involved in its control scheme. Furthermore, there's evidence that several hollow or oddly ridged bones in the kaiju's forearms served as "guides" for the grapnel cables, though this too will need further examination. It's definitely not impossible-- they just need some more time to figure out the specific details.
Grapnel Gun research difficulty lowered!
Honestly, if it hadn't been a nat 1, I'd have given you your grapnel gun.
Interestingly enough, the next time an alarm goes off, it's not the kaiju alert-- but something completely different.
As soon as the council accepts the transmission, one thing becomes clear: it's not from KRAUN's leaders. It's a distress call.
Outpost MICHAEL Emergency Transmission said:
KRAUN OUTPOST MICHAEL TO ALL ALLIED FORCES REQUEST IMMEDIATE AID REPEAT REQUEST IMMEDIATE AID MULTIPLE KAIJU INBOUND ONE CAT FOUR THREE CAT TWOS REPEAT ONE CAT FOUR THREE CAT TWOS OUTPOST LOCATION SPOKANE VALLEY WASHINGTON STATE REPEAT OUTPOST LOCATION SPOKANE VALLEY WASHINGTON STATE ALL ALLIED FORCES PLEASE ASSIST
While completely and utterly unexpected, the actual message does seem to check out-- it's using the same transmission frequency as previous KRAUN forces, after all. However, this does leave a slight problem. Spokane is three hundred and sixty five kilometres from Neo-Seattle, and only five less from Everett. At best, it'd still take over an hour to get the jaegers there, by which point aid may very well have come too late. But they won't know unless they try.
What's the plan, guys?
[ ] Contact them back, and ask for specifics. We have to know what we're gonna be up against before we can render a decision. (increases time before arrival, greatly increases situational awareness, redoes vote after gaining results)
[ ] Get the jaegers and our fastest air force units ready, and launch asap! We can ask questions while we're on our way. (minimal time before arrival, minor increase in situational awareness, pretty much just jaegers and air force)
[ ] Gather everything, and send them out! We'll crush the kaiju with overwhelming force! (increases time before arrival, minor increase in situational awareness, same units as above plus however many ground units you want to bring)
[ ] Well, I'm sure one of KRAUN's jaegers is closer than we are. They can handle it, probably. (no arrival, no situational awareness, complete dick move, don't choose this one)
Combat Deployment
[X] Get the jaegers and our fastest air force units ready, and launch asap! We can ask questions while we're on our way. (minimal time before arrival, minor increase in situational awareness, pretty much just jaegers and air force)
-[X] Prep a second wave of reinforcements; no reason we have to hold our fastest units back and not bring our secondary forces.
With no hesitation at all, Neo-Seattle's swiftest forces are scrambled, and rush out to the east-- a cloud of helicopters, planes, and all three jaegers held beneath a trio of Meganeuras.
===
As the three jaegers underwent their startup sequences, the long wait affording plenty of time for the pilots to tune and tighten little bits of their machines, the Neo-Seattle operations centre filled them in on the situation.
"Outpost MICHAEL has confirmed the kaiju as a quadruple event, composed of a Cat IV and three Cat IIs," LOCCENT reports. "Based on what data they've been able to give us, it seems like they're all quadrupeds, and the big one masses about the same as the other three combined. It's also expected to have some sort of ranged attack. We can't confirm it for ourselves-- our sensors don't extend that far-- but your suites should be able to gather a bit of data in the field. That's all we've got, unfortunately."
"No problem," Noah reported, giving a somewhat distracted shrug. The ranger had seemed a little focused on something else recently, and Tacit's neural handshake was a bit more fidgety than usual as a result. Thankfully, it wasn't going low enough to affect combat performance, but it did seem a bit concerning. "It's good to know anyways."
"What of their bearing?" Jagdhund asked.
"Thankfully, they're on the western side of the city, so it'll be faster to get to them. We still don't have precise estimates on when they'll reach the city in relation to you, but "
Then Phenom's team spoke up.
"Hey, one last thing, LOCCENT," Kanji said. "What are we calling these guys? We can't just say 'the Cat IV', or 'the Cat II', or 'SE-something something'."
"Don't worry, Phenom, we've got you covered there," came the answer. "The Category IV is codenamed 'Euphonium'-- and the three Category IIs are 'Flugel', 'Alto', and 'Mello'."
"We're naming them after brass instruments?" Noah's copilot asked, further displaying their knowledge of random trivia. "Is there any reason?"
"Dunno. The codename generator's got its own sort of style, it seems."
"In any case, good hunting, you three!"
===
- Spokane, WA. Ninety minutes since receiving distress call from Outpost MICHAEL.
As the air force of Neo-Seattle approaches the Spokane River, they're met with a sight not seen in a long time. Devastation.
A path of carnage and ruin snakes its jagged way into the city, marking the trail of the kaiju. It's clearly new-- Euphonium and the others must have reached Spokane just a few minutes prior, and are rampaging their way through on the way to Spokane Valley. Fires sweep across the outskirts, burning unnatural colours and smoldering with the toxic fumes of boiling acid. Multiple blocks are already reduced to rubble, torn apart or smashed by brute force.
One thing is clear-- even though they've arrived quickly, they're still going to be cutting it close.
Out amongst the smoke and ruins, something pauses mid-stride, and swings a massive head westward.
Your scouts, Condors, and Quetzals will arrive on the battlefield at roughly 140 units from the Outpost MICHAEL. Banshees, Hellhounds, and the Jaegers will arrive next round at the same point.
Visual contact will be established on your first round, but you estimate the kaiju can't be more than half your distance into the city.
Also, goddammit; I forgot to write up the downtime bit of you having Noah talk to Ashley and present the options. That's gonna be something I'll have to do at some point during or after this fight.
Combat Round 1
[X] Full Speed Ahead!
-[X] Phenom activates his Barrier Plate.
Engines snarl as the air force's advance team swoops in, closing distance to get a better idea of the situation. Behind them, the main group follows, reaching the river as the three Meganeura teams drop altitude. Solenoid bolts at the ends of lift cables unlock with synchronized precision, and the trio drop to the ground, the earth shaking beneath their feet. Mechanisms shift and twist beneath layers of armour plating, transferring force and torque as the jaegers rise to their feet, steam curling from reactor vents as lights flicker on across their frames. Tacit's fangblades slide forwards into a ready position, Jagdhund's backpack and weaponry unlock from their compacted state, and Phenom's shoulder plate shifts open to activate his Barrier Field. Together, the jaegers stand, ready for the fight.
Then, as a gust of wind blows the smoke away, and the scouts' transmissions arrive, they see them; the kaiju.
Euphonium is, unsurprisingly, the biggest. A living fortress of pitch black chitin and slate grey scales, the kaiju's absurd size is only made more apparent by the quartet of spike-tipped legs that are somehow supporting it without being driven through the ground. Rows of parallel armour plates line its dorsal half, going all the way back to the spiny, peacock-like tail that plumes out behind it. Disturbingly, the creature seems to lack a neck, or even much of a head-- instead, everything in front of its forelegs is one giant set of jaws, clamped shut in an ear-splitting, glowing blue grin of teeth the size and shape of freight train cars. As the scouts watch, Euphonium turns further towards them, and widens its stance.
Spread out around the Category IV are its fellows-- and while not quite as massive, they still seem to be just as dangerous in their own ways. All of them share a basic lupine form, as well as the pitch black and glowing blue colours of Euphonium, but each is radically different from the others after there.
Flugel is situated on the northern flank, though she comes stomping around westward as soon as she hears the crafts' engines. Of the three, Flugel seems to be the most physically durable-- stocky proportions, a short but thick tail, and what seems to be a frill of armoured plates around the back of her skull. A thin stream of acid dribbles from the kaiju's mouth, leaking from between her peg-like teeth.
Alto is the furthest, maintaining her position to the southeast of Euphonium. In comparison to the other Cat IIs, Alto seems very square-- possibly more so than Euphonium is. Also like the Cat IV, she has an almost disproportionately large head, and equally well-developed throat. As her fellows turn, the kaiju lets out a high-pitched whine of curiosity, and glances over her armoured shoulder, head tilting at an almost ninety degree angle.
Finally, there's Mello, the closest kaiju to them. Long-legged, narrow-faced, and built like an alien greyhound, it's pretty obvious that this kaiju will favour speed over armour. That said, while she may be more fragile than the others, there's something... disconcerting about how her two whip-like tails flick and twirl about, shimmering a bright, almost metallic blue. Unlike the other kaiju, Mello has simply turned in place, staring coolly at the buzzing aircraft with slit-like eyes.
Your main forces and jaegers are 60 from the kaiju, scouts and airplanes about 40. The kaiju themselves are 80 from the Outpost.
In moments, the air force scatters, spreading thin to approach the targets from a wide front, before beginning their advance. The scouting craft continue to close in, similarly spreading out as they close in.
Evidently, however, the kaiju aren't the only ones who've seen them arrive, as the Condor groups pick up a radio broadcast-- over a frequency they recognise as the same one used by KRAUN forces during their expedition to the GLA. Seems that the distress call was indeed legitimate!
Outpost MICHAEL's units consist of 3 light Auto-Tank squads, and 3 VTOL scout squads. They'll stay back by the Outpost by default, but you can request their assistance if you want. Your choice.
Glad to have that cleared up, the jaegers begin their advance, Tacit leading from the centre with Jagdhund and Phenom on either side. As they make their way into the city, Noah blares Tacit's horn, the pneumatic klaxon howl issuing a challenge to the kaiju.
Surprisingly, it actually seems to work somewhat.
At least two of the four kaiju immediately respond back, their attention clearly drawn by the white jaeger. Flugel snarls, neck frill flaring like a set of hackles, while Alto lets out an excited shriek, already scrambling westwards to stand beside her sibling. Mello's expression doesn't appear to change at all, though she does step aside to let Alto past.
Euphonium shifts, as though considering its options. Then, with a nearly subsonic groan, the Category IV thrusts itself forwards, smashing its pointed feet into the concrete. Without delay, the three other kaiju take off as well, Flugel and Alto taking spots next to Euphonium's head, while Mello darts around the side, maintaining a bit of distance from the others as she strides noiselessly* alongside them, keeping a watchful eye on the metal gnats up above.
Distances:
PPDC:
- Tacit 47 from kaiju.
- Jagdhund 49 from kaiju.
- Phenom 50 from kaiju.
- Attack Helis (Hellhounds and Banshees) 50 from kaiju, 135 from Outpost, very spread out.
- Scouts and Airplanes 20 from kaiju, 105 from Outpost, also spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 18 from Outpost.
- MICHAEL scouts 24 from Outpost.
Anteverse:
- Euphonium, Flugel, Alto, and Mello are ~50 units from your jaegers, 85 from the Outpost. Flugel and Alto are the closest to your forces, with Euphonium right behind them, and Mello taking up the rear. Flugel and Alto are 1-2 units from Euphonium, while Mello's around 4 units south.
*not literally noiseless, but Mello might as well be in comparison to her siblings or Eu.
Combat Round 3
[X] Jaegers and Attack Choppers keep advancing until the distance between them and the kaiju is about 35 units or something of interest happens
-[x] Planes and scouts keep their current distance to the Kaiju until they link up with the Jaegers
With the sudden advance of the kaiju, the airplanes and scouts pull back a little ways, trying to keep a safe distance from the quartet while their backup arrives. Of course, the attack helicopters are moving quick enough, keeping ahead of the jaegers as they advance. Tacit strides across the ruined streets, legs pumping in loping, purposeful steps. Keeping pace is Jagdhund, throwing noticeably more weight behind her movements to stay abreast, while Phenom's accelerated to almost a stampede, just a short ways behind the two. Just a little bit longer, and they'll be able to engage the kaiju as a group alongside the rest of their military forces.
Of course, that's when the kaiju stop acting according to plan.
As violently as it threw itself forwards, Euphonium smashes its forelegs into the earth, killing its velocity fast enough that its hind feet actually lift a few metres off the ground for a couple seconds! The ground shatters around it, any remaining pieces of asphalt exploding under the load of over ninety thousand cubic metres of giant alien monster, before the Category IV finally skids to a halt, legs bent to the point where its underbelly nearly scrapes the ground. With far more grace than anything its size has a right to have, Euphonium straightens up, widening its stance as it levels its head towards the approaching forces.
A shrieking, muffled noise warbles out from behind the kaiju's sealed grin, before its tail unfolds, expanding out behind it like the ribs of a multi-layered umbrella. Rows of grey spines erect along the sides of each arc, their tips nearly touching as they fill with luminous blue fluid. Armoured sections flare along Euphonium's flanks like gills, as flattened blades swing from the gaps between its carapace. The air begins to ripple around the dish-like thing that its tail has become, the glow of its concentrically ringed spines starting to grow brighter.
"...Oh, that's not good," Tacit's pilots note in unison.
Distances:
PPDC:
- Tacit 39 from kaiju.
- Jagdhund 39 from kaiju. (ran this round)
- Phenom 40 from kaiju. (ran this round)
- Attack Helis (Hellhounds and Banshees) 38 from kaiju, 123 from Outpost, very spread out.
- Scouts and Airplanes 25 from kaiju, 110 from Outpost, also spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 18 from Outpost.
- MICHAEL scouts 24 from Outpost.
Anteverse:
- Euphonium, Flugel, Alto, and Mello are ~40 units from your jaegers, 85 from the Outpost.
- Flugel and Alto have come to a halt just over 1 unit diagonal to Euphonium's front. They are the closest kaiju to you.
- Euphonium is pretty much just 1 unit behind Flugel and Alto, and is doing something that is definitely of interest.
- Mello is chilling 4 units south of Euphonium.
Your turn.
Combat Round 4
[X] Phenom runs for cover.
[X] Tacit and Jagdhund advance at a "V" angle, to create some distance between each other.
[X] The Air Force advances and every unit that enters range fires at Euphonium.
"All jaegers, evasive maneuvers!" Noah shouts. Tacit Ronin jukes to the side, accelerating northeast to put some distance between itself and the other. Jagdhund follows suit, heading southwards to further her teammate's efforts at scattering. Phenom Sable, not designed for such high-speed maneuvers, is forced to improvise. The Uemuras throw out their left arm, snapping the Destroyer Talons out in time to grab a shattered building nearby, and use it as a pivot point. The black jaeger swings around, hunkering down as it comes to a halt in a side road. Simple buildings aren't the best cover, but they'll hopefully cushion the blow a little.
Meanwhile, the air force shoots forwards, closing distance as fast as they can in hopes of stopping Euphonium from doing whatever it's doing before it finishes doing it. Unfortunately, the attack helicopters are still a few seconds out from effective range, leaving the scout craft and Quetzals the only armed forces capable of actually hitting the target. In an attempt to make up for missing firepower, only about two thirds of the autogyros activate their Arges systems, the rest preparing their rocket pods for the one of the first times in a long, long time.
Fortunately, Euphonium is very, very hard to miss.
7 Arges Hits! +2 Ran!
A dozen warheads slam into the front of the kaiju's body, bursting apart into plumes of fire upon impact. And yet, when the flames flicker out seconds later, the only signs of damage are the cracked and pitted blades above its right foreleg-- even blows that seem like they should have done something appear to have been warded off entirely by the kaiju's armour.
6 hits! Glancing Wound to R. Shoulder!
Euphonium takes 1 Strike!
But while Euphonium doesn't seem very perturbed, its teammates are practically livid.
Alto draws a deep breath, and lets out a particularly high-pitched wail at the aircraft. The windows of nearby buildings shatter, and even the reinforced windscreen of one of the Quetzals sprouts a tiny fracture. Worriedly, the crew don their face masks, the copilot getting on the radio to warn the rest of the air force.
Unfortunately, that's not the only threat to be worried about.
Before the southernmost AG-60s can react to the sudden proximity alarm, a pair of metallic blue ribbons shoot into their midst, crushing the lead airframes in their coils, and smashing them through the surrounding helicopters! Discarding the splintered wrecks, Mello's tails retract to their normal length as their owner strides silently forwards, eyes shimmering like sunlight on water.
2 AG-60 squadrons destroyed!
Flugel, meanwhile, takes a defensive stance against the forces on the northwestern flank, pawing the ground as her armoured neck frill flares open like a shield. Acidic saliva bubbles from between her teeth, sending up fumes as it splatters along the ground.
Armoured Frill Flared! Flugel provides Light Cover to Euphonium!
Undeterred by the barrage it just absorbed, or the evasive maneuvers of the incoming jaegers, Euphonium continues to stand its ground as the glow builds. A sudden crack comes from the kaiju's tail, as the inner layers of the structure begin to rotate around a common axis, slowly spinning up in opposite directions. With a strained snarl, Euphonium's jaw unlocks, armoured plates sliding away in sections as its luminous grin pulls apart, revealing the glowing, pulsating innards of its maw-- and the cylindrical apparatus protruding a short ways from the back of its throat, a blue-white light flickering at its core. Whole slabs of carapace have shifted from the front of the kaiju's increasingly intimidating maw, leaving swaths of indigo membrane and turquoise muscle tissue exposed as the Cat IV's radiation levels begin to skyrocket.
Distances:
PPDC:
- Tacit 30 from kaiju, 5 units north of Jagdhund.
- Jagdhund 30 from kaiju, 5 units south of Tacit.
- Phenom 37 from kaiju, in Medium cover (+2 Difficulty).
- Attack Helis 23 from kaiju, 108 from Outpost, spread out.
- Scouts and Airplanes 10 from kaiju, 95 from Outpost, spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 18 from Outpost.
- MICHAEL scouts 24 from Outpost.
Anteverse:
- Euphonium, Flugel, Alto, and Mello are 30 units from your closest jaegers, 85 from the Outpost.
- Flugel and Alto are 1 unit diagonal to Euphonium's front.
- Mello 5 units in front of Euphonium, 2 units south. She's now the closest kaiju, but we're still measuring your position from Flugel and Alto because reasons.
- Euphonium is 1 unit behind Flugel and Alto, and continues to get more and more interesting with each passing second.
Combat Round 5
[X] Jagdhund keeps walking in the same direction and fires a Full Auto burst at Euphonium.
[X] Phenom keeps moving closer to the Kaiju, getting to more cover
[X] Airforce fires everything at Euphonium, called shot to the Head, shifting one.
[X] Six Arges scouts target Euphonium, the rest shoot it with rockets.
[X] Tacit runs for Flugel.
-[X] Activate Sound Breaker
Frantically, the order to fire goddamn everything surges through the air force. Arges systems are trained on the exposed flesh, basic targeting data sent (2 Arges Hits), before the onrushing helicopters spew out their entire payload of missiles-- hundreds of writhing, burning trails swooping through the air at the kaiju!
Barely a second later, an ear-piercing scream erupts from Alto's throat, meeting the wall of missiles halfway and slamming into them! Nearly half the warheads are blown apart prematurely, exploding in a spray of burning acid and shrapnel. Alto stumbles, gagging and panting from the strain of the sonic attack-- unable to respond to the remaining warheads in time.
But Flugel's already in action, swinging her upper body and armoured frill straight in front of her teammates-- just in time to block the remaining missiles with herself! Bands of chitinous plating crack and splinter under the barrage, several fins along the left side of her frill straight up breaking off as a pair of warheads detonate against the side of Flugel's head. Still, that doesn't stop the stocky kaiju from shielding the others, until the last missile finally detonates.
Euphonium takes 5 hits! No damage!
Flugel takes 7 hits! Glancing Wounds to the Torso, Chest, Head, Right Shoulder! Frill Overlay Left Arm Group destroyed!
Flugel takes 4 Strikes!
Alto takes 4 hits! Glancing Wound to the Left Arm!
Even where the frill has failed to completely protect Euphonium or Alto, it's taken enough of the initial impact that their own defenses can deal with it. The only place where one of the two has been hurt is a scorched and warped area on Alto's left foreleg where a bit of Dragon's Blood splashed into the seams of the armour. Flugel, by comparison, looks far worse-- aside from the damage to her frill (now drooping limply towards the ground), there's an ugly melted burn across her right flank, indigo blisters oozing acid blood from between the armour plates, and a smaller wound of the same sort on the left side of her head.
The battered kaiju sinks to the ground, the cover she provided for the others falling away.
Taking advantage of the kaiju's temporary loss of their living shield, Jagdhund and Phenom close in-- the latter trying to stay in cover, while the former fires a clumsy spray of bullets towards the Category IV. With no time to line up a shot, the gun's aim is poor, and its shells simply bounce off Euphonium's angular spine, completely failing to pierce the armour.
Hit to R. Thigh! Hit to Spine! No damage! 8/12 Ammunition Units remaining!
Mello's legs tense for a moment, before the lupine kaiju takes off towards Jagdhund, sprinting across the ground. As she passes under the scouts, her tails lash out before her, tearing apart a squadron of second wave helicopters that are in the way.
Meanwhile, as Euphonium's weapon continues to charge unabated, Noah steps his efforts up a notch. The fuel tanks on Tacit's back swing up like wings, before their engines spark and ignite, thrusting the mecha forwards as it dashes in at even greater speeds!
Sound Breaker Activated! Tacit gains +3 Agi for 3 rounds!
Flugel and Alto take immediate notice of this, their hackles raising in alarm as they look over at the jaeger. The two let out twinned cries, seemingly trying to alert the Category IV of the rapidly-approaching enemy.
As it turns out, they needn't worry.
Tails spinning like the blades of an alien jet engine, blue-white light gushing from the cannon that its gaping mouth has become, Euphonium twists-- tearing its spiked legs through the ground as it swings its entire body a few degrees northwards. The humming and whirring has become a climbing, ultrasonic shriek, resonating in time with the stuttering glow of its weapon. Flugel throws herself back to the ground, flattening her frill as much as she can to get out of the line of fire.
A moment later, Euphonium unleashes its fully-charged Siege Cannon.
Roll 1d10+9 to Dodge!
Distances:
PPDC:
- Tacit 9 from kaiju (Euphonium), 5 units north of Jagdhund.
- Jagdhund 12/24 from kaiju (Mello/Alto), 5 units south of Tacit.
- Phenom 32 from kaiju (Flugel/Alto/Euphonium), in Medium cover (+2 Difficulty).
- Attack Helis ~15 from kaiju, 100 from Outpost, spread out.
- Scouts and Airplanes ~10 from kaiju, 95 from Outpost, spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 18 from Outpost.
- MICHAEL scouts 24 from Outpost.
Anteverse:
- Euphonium, Flugel, Alto, and Mello are about 85 units from the Outpost.
- Flugel and Alto are 1 unit diagonal to Euphonium's front.
- Mello is 12 units west of Euphonium, 2 units south (12 from Jagdhund).
- Euphonium is 1 unit behind Flugel and Alto.
With all the ferocity of a master warrior, Tacit Ronin throws itself to the side, desperately trying to avoid the kaiju's incoming attack. However, Euphonium's not that easy to escape.
A solid blue-white line, surrounding by a burning halo of ionized air, lances out of the cannon's bore, exploding forth like water from a pressure cutter. After the fight, rapid analysis will reveal that the beam itself is only just under half a metre wide in this more coherent state-- but with the sheer energy pumped into it, that's more than enough to wreck havoc on anything in the immediate vicinity.
While Tacit Ronin's reflexes and speed are enough to get free of the beam itself, it's insufficient to fully evade the column of plasma trailing half an instant behind it. As the line passes by, blasting out until its charge can sustain coherency no more, a wave of burning blue-white light washes over the jaeger's right arm. Tacit jerks leftwards, the grace of its evasive action interrupted by searing pain. Though there's no time to properly examine it, it's clear that even a brush with the attack did some serious damage. Plates of superalloy have melted and sloughed off, the remnants fusing into the jaeger's forearm enough to inhibit motion. The fangblade, made of materials far less durable than Jagdarium, is straight up gone from the limb, leaving only a ragged stump of metal.
Hit to Right Arm! Minor Wound! Right Fangblade destroyed! Armour destroyed!
Tacit takes 3 Strikes! +1 Ongoing! -1 HtH, -1 Dex!
Noah and his copilot hold their mouths shut, trying to force away the instinct to clutch at an arm that feels like it's been drenched in molten lava. Even with their practice, it's not easy.
It's a few seconds later that Euphonium's Siege Cannon seems to exhaust itself, the beam guttering and dying out. But even used for only that short a time, the weapon has still left its mark. A burning line of destruction has been carved from Spokane, cutting a melted path over five kilometres in length through the city.
The Category IV stands frozen in place, steam boiling from its exposed tissues.
Your turn.
PPDC:
- Tacit 9 from kaiju (Euphonium), 5 units north of Jagdhund.
- Jagdhund 12/24 from kaiju (Mello/Alto), 5 units south of Tacit.
- Phenom 32 from kaiju (Flugel/Alto/Euphonium), in Medium cover (+2 Difficulty).
- Attack Helis ~15 from kaiju, 100 from Outpost, spread out.
- Scouts and Airplanes ~10 from kaiju, 95 from Outpost, spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 18 from Outpost.
- MICHAEL scouts 24 from Outpost.
Anteverse:
- Euphonium, Flugel, Alto, and Mello are about 85 units from the Outpost.
- Flugel and Alto are 1 unit diagonal to Euphonium's front.
- Mello is 12 units west of Euphonium, 2 units south (12 from Jagdhund).
- Euphonium is 1 unit behind Flugel and Alto.
Before you guys call bullshit, Euphonium's Siege Cannon has a number of special rules concerning its operation, in return for the lengthy and vulnerable process of using the weapon in the first place.
Combat Round 6
[X] Less Obvious Consequences with Less Thrusting
-[X] Tacit Normal Charge Stabs Flugel
-[X] Phenom Sable Runs towards Euphonium
-[X] Everything that can shoot at Mello lights up on Mello.
--[X] Jagdhund goes Full Burst on Mello, because it's standing between her and Euphonium.
--[X] scouts go four Arges, all other missiles
Alright, screw hiding any longer-- we've got an opening, and we're going to take it! Phenom Sable, moving in to assist!"
With a squeal of metallic joints, the black jaeger bursts from cover, stampeding forwards towards the trio of kaiju as clouds of steam erupt from Euphonium's flanks and tail array.
Meanwhile, the air force finds itself tied up in dealing with the rampaging form of Mello, who's currently tearing her way through them in the opposite direction. Whole chunks of aircraft pull away from their previous lines, trying to move to surround the lupine monster as several scout groups engage their Arges systems. Even Jagdhund swings her gun up, ready to blast the kaiju into pieces.
3 Arges hits!
Mello's eyes shimmer, as if sensing what's about to happen.
In moments, a dust cloud explodes up around Mello from inaccurate munitions, swallowing the kaiju in smoke and debris as the collective remaining firepower of the Northwestern Protectorate's forces is brought to bear upon her. But it's almost instantly clear that something's wrong-- namely, when a flurry of laser fire ricochets out of the cloud, slashing through an incoming wave of friendly munitions! Flashes of blue light flare to life inside the cloud, dashing from side to side with confounding speed. Then, without waiting for the barrage to finish, Mello explodes from the westernmost side of the cloud, the exposed flesh between her armour plates shining a brilliant azure!
All attacks evaded! 4 Scouts out of Ammo! 4/12 Ammunition Units left!
The kaiju rushes forwards on all fours, shifting out of the way of the last of Jagdhund's gunfire before leaping into melee, tails slashing!
With a shout of pain and retributive fury, Tacit Ronin dashes across the last few hectometres, aiming for the frilled Cat II! Unhappy with its survival of Euphonium's attack, Flugel leaps to her feet, frill flattening and folding against her body as she moves to meet Tacit's strike!
A half-melted fist slams into the blistered flesh of Flugel's head, knocking her response out of true as Tacit's left arm comes hurtling around from the other side! However, Flugel's not quite as stunned as she appears to be, and throws herself forwards, trying to get inside the jaeger's reach before it can land another blow. Noah just barely narrows the arc in time, slashing the edge of his remaining Fangblade against his foe's reinforced spine-- right where an armoured frill plate has failed to completely retract!
Hit to Spine! Minor Wound! Flugel suffers a 1 Universal Penalty!
Flugel takes 3 Strikes! +1 Ongoing!
Flugel squeals, pulling back momentarily as blue blood spurts from the wound. The kaiju's lips pull back into snarl, before her jaw yawns open, tube-shaped glands bulging out in the back of her mouth as she prepares to spit acid!
Letting out a startled spray of machine code, Jagdhund dodges away, sidestepping the first of Mello's strikes. The second tail slashes around, though she manages to duck in time, as Mello skids to a stop-- barely a block away from the machine.
(14) Emergency Rectifier used up! Acid Spray:
(11,4)
With a mere thought, Tacit's pilots engage their gyroscopic rectifiers, twisting the jaeger around in time for another pulse of solid rocket fuel to shove them towards the side. A loose jet of azure solvent sprays out of Flugel's mouth, passing by the white machine before splattering against the scorched ground.
Before Noah can ready a counter-attack, however, a high-pitched squeal cuts through the air-- as Alto pounces, tombstone-shaped teeth bared!
Meanwhile, Euphonium-- though standing still in place-- begins to show that it's not wholly immobile. Its tail array has spun down to a near complete stop, and armour plates along its flanks have started to slide back into place. As steam vents through the peacock-like caudal frill, the barrel of Euphonium's Siege Cannon retracts into the back of its throat, and bladed shoulder fins fold away under carapace panels. Slowly but surely, it's recovering.
Alto slams into Ronin's side, her snout smashing into its armoured ribcage hard enough to knock something loose. The kaiju bites down on the angular surface, trying and failing to tear something free before the jaeger grabs ahold of her snout, and shoves the Cat II away.
Glancing Wound to Chest! Tacit Ronin takes 1 Strike!
The attack's damage is minimal in the long run, but it's another hit they didn't need to take.
Alto and Flugel are both engaged with Tacit now. Other than that, there's been no change in distances.
It's now your turn (and the last turn of your SFTs).
Combat Round 7
[X] Plan Retreat and Link Up
-[X] Tacit disengages the Kaiju and retreats to Phenom's position.
-[X] Jagdhund drops M-99 and draws the Ascalon Blade, then attacks Mello.
-[X] Phenom Sable runs to meet Tacit halfway.
-[X] Any Air Force units capable of engaging, fire at Flugel (cluster with Alto). Four Scouts mark the target with the Arges.
-[X] Contact the city's defenders and ask if they would be willing to hit the Kaiju from the back when the chance presents itself.
On the other end of the city, the defensive line of KRAUN forces receives a message relayed by Condor radio, asking for their assistance in performing a pincer attack on the kaiju, with the KRAUN forces striking while the kaiju are distracted.
They agree-- after all, without their allies, there's no way they're strong enough to beat the kaiju on their own.
Thus, Outpost MICHAEL's defense force starts to close in.
[---]
As their thrusters' burn begins to gutter and run out, Noah and his copilot send Tacit into a run, aiming to retreat from the fight. Flugel and Alto dart towards it, trying to take a bite out of the jaeger -- but misjudge the distance, and the two merely collide with a comedic clonk.
A few seconds later, the last of the booster fuel burns out, and Tacit stomps to a halt, the empty propellant tanks ejecting from its back. Phenom Sable runs up, stopping next to the white machine as they both turn to face the kaiju. (SFTs used up.)
Alto and Flugel stumble away from each other, their head shaking as they recover from their awkward collision. As they steady themselves, the mechanical whirring of numerous helicopters grows louder. The two look up, and see the air force swooping in, with readied weapons.
2 Arges hits!
As the helicopters open fire, Alto sinks her claws into the ground, sucks in a breath, and screams.
Unlike before, it's not nearly as effective. While the blast of sound readily tears through over half the micro-missile swarm, it does nothing to stop the Banshees' laser attacks-- which strike to notable effect. Beams of heat and light slash across Flugel and Alto's armoured bodies, scorching and searing lines into the plating. Several hit them in the joints, almost immediately causing the flesh to blister and inflame, before the remaining missiles slam into the kaiju. When the smoke clears, both are still standing, but the painful barrage has clearly left them dazed and in far worse condition than before.
Flugel takes 14 hits! Glancing Wounds to Thigh, Arm, and Shoulder!
Flugel takes 3 Strikes!
Alto takes 7 hits! Glancing Wounds to Arm and Pelvis!
Alto takes 2 Strikes! Alto is Stunned!
Meanwhile, Jagdhund casts her weapon aside, and pulls the Ascalon Blade, before rushing towards Mello. The jaeger thrusts out, aiming for the kaiju's ribs--
--only for Mello's tail to shoot out, wrapping around arm and sword before smashing Jagdhund sideways into a nearby building.
Stunned by the sudden impact, the Mark VI is unable to respond in time, as the kaiju's other tail wraps around her left arm, its flattened edge digging into the exposed joints. Jagdhund struggles, attempting to rise to her feet.
From the east comes a cluster of explosions-- the air force's attack on Alto and Flugel. For a moment, the kaiju pauses, head snapping over just in time to see the billowing fireball of over a dozen munitions swallow up her siblings. Jagdhund struggles again.
With a furious shriek, Mello spins back to her opponent, and rips the jaeger's arm off.
Critical Wound to Left Arm! Left Arm Destroyed! Armour Destroyed! -3 HtH! -3 Dexterity!
Jagdhund takes 5 Strikes! +3 Ongoing!
Jagdhund's shoulder joint shatters, tubes for oil and hydraulic fluid splitting open as the entire limb is messily torn from its socket.
Muscle tissue flaring Cherenkov blue beneath the skin, lungs screaming bloody murder, Mello's arm-laden tendril thrashes into the air, before hurtling down like a sledgehammer!
Mello why do you do this to me. I mean... a critical parry, followed by a double crit counterattack?!
Was that really necessary?!
PPDC:
- Tacit 12 from kaiju.
- Jagdhund engaged with Mello, 24 from other kaiju, 13 from Tacit.
- Phenom 12 from kaiju.
- Attack Helis ~10 from kaiju, 100 from Outpost, spread out.
- Scouts and Airplanes 5-10 from kaiju, 90/95 from Outpost, spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 24 from Outpost.
- MICHAEL scouts 36 from Outpost.
Anteverse:
- Euphonium, Flugel, and Alto are about 85 units from the Outpost. Mello's like 110 units.
- Flugel and Alto are 1 from Euphonium.
- Mello is 24 units west of Euphonium, 2 units south, and engaged with Jagdhund. She is currently the exact opposite of mellow.
- Euphonium is 1 unit behind Flugel and Alto.
On a different note, I'm gonna wait until you hopefully avoid Death By Mello to resolve Euphonium's stuff.
Rerouting power from the lost arm to her legs, Jagdhund manages to dodge forwards, the mangled hunk of metal whistling past with centimetres to spare!
Slowly but surely, Euphonium moves, turning back towards the west as its body frees up. Strips of carapace slide and lock back into place around its head, covering the exposed flesh once more until it's all hidden beneath layers of black chitin. The last of the steam boils off its caudal array, as the peacock-like arrangement begins to deflate and retract back to a proper tail-shape. Pointed feet are pulled from their anchoring points in the ground, and placed back beneath the kaiju to lift it to a proper height.
Finally, with a metallic clang, Euphonium's mouth slams shut, solidifying into its ghastly blue grin once again.
Euphonium has exited Siege Mode.
Combat Round 8
[X] Jagdhund fires the IE-10.
[X] Phenom runs to reinforce Jagdhund.
[X] Tacit Charges Mello and strikes with the Fangblade.
[X] Conventional forces keep firing at Alto. Any scouts that ran out of missiles are to switch to the Arges. Anyone who can't attack with a chance to deal damage, however slim, is to fall back.
Caught off guard by the jaeger's dodge towards her, Mello slips up, wasting just enough time for Jagdhund to tackle the kaiju with her right shoulder. Her left pauldron-- only surviving thanks to its attachment point connecting between the arm's joint and the body-- swings forwards, bringing the boxy shape of the IE-10 to bear on Mello's face.
Unfortunately for the kaiju, it's not so easy to dodge a blast of artificial lightning at point blank range.
Hit to the Eyes! Mello is Stunned! Mello takes 7 Temporary Strikes! Mello is Incapacitated!
The discharge hits Mello dead between the eyes, sending arcs of electricity shooting through her brain. The kaiju's limbs seize up, some nerves straight up burning out under strain that they were never made to take.
Jagdhund slams her forearm into the kaiju's throat, sending Mello stumbling back on her hind legs-- right into the blades of the charging Tacit Ronin.
Critical Wound! SE-27-015 "Mello" Defeated!
Split open by the jaeger's Fangblade, Mello drops like a sack of potatoes, body jerking and twitching as her bioluminescence dies out. Tacit comes to a halt, staring down at the dead kaiju before they look up to Jagdhund, clearly concerned. Fortunately, the autonomous jaeger is still working-- not particularly well in some ways, but she's not out of the fight just yet, even missing an arm.
No damage from Ongoing!
Off in the distance, MICHAEL's forces are booking it towards the fight, making their way down streets and over buildings at considerable haste. There are only two types observed-- a light VTOL with two large, vented engine pods and a small missile payload, and an armoured land vehicle somewhere between a four-legged spider tank and a proper MBT. The VTOLs seem only about twice as fast as the tanks, though the tanks are clearly faster than the Protectorate's Type 100s.
Of course, these are mostly the observations of the Condor teams. Every other present unit in the NWP's air force is focused on the kaiju.
Ammunition is starting to run low in the scout craft-- they were never intended to actually fight for this long without a larger force. Still, they all still have their Arges systems, and that means they can contribute.
1 Arges Hit!
As soon as a lock is confirmed, the aircraft fire. Without Alto's sonic attack available, every warhead that should hit its target does. And it's Alto who suffers the brunt of this attack.
Dozens of laser pulses and rocket attacks whittle away at the lupine kaiju's armour, precision strikes against her ribs and head aimed to try and disable her sonic abilities, while a lucky barrage from one of the Quetzals blows open Alto's foot. A couple fragmented attacks strike Flugel instead, though only one has any real effect-- a missile from the other Quetzal which explodes right against the kaiju's injured eye socket, spewing fragments of hot metal into the armoured lid.
2 Scouts out of Ammo! 4 Scouts have one shot left! Alto takes 13 hits! Glancing Wounds to Spine, Chest, and Head! Minor Wound to Foot! -2 Agi!
Alto takes 7 Strikes! Alto is losing Stamina!
Flugel takes 7 hits! Glancing Wounds to Foot and Eyes! Eyes Irritated!
Flugel takes 2 Strikes! Flugel is losing Stamina!
The Cat IIs aren't dead yet, but they're barely operational in this state, limping back in an attempt to hide behind the bigger kaiju.
Euphonium, however, is more than happy to provide such respite.
The colossal monstrosity, now shaped more like a dinosaur than an extraterrestrial artillery piece, stomps a few steps towards the air force, grin shimmering with blue, liquid light as it lets out another muffled howl. Standard angry kaiju display.
At least, until a pair of flattened, metallic blades swing out from the gaps in its shoulder plating. The air hums, a hellish blue halo surrounding either fin, before two ravening bolts of electricity leap out from them, tearing into the far too close aircraft before they can evade!
The electricity arcs from one target to the next, burning out electronics and frying internals before leaping into the next closest enemy. By the time the three-second pulse runs out of power, three squadrons of aircraft have been blasted out of the skies. They're not all dead-- a good number of the autogyros in particular have simply fluttered to the ground-- but there's not doubt the machines have been put out of the fight permanently.
The Category IV lets out another warble, light shimmering over its boxcar teeth.
PPDC:
- Tacit and Jagdhund are engaged, 24 from kaiju, 3 from Phenom.
- Phenom 22 from kaiju.
- Attack Helis ~10 from kaiju, 100 from Outpost, spread out.
- Scouts and Airplanes 5-10 from kaiju, 90/95 from Outpost, spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 32 from Outpost.
- MICHAEL scouts 48 from Outpost.
Anteverse:
- Euphonium, Flugel, and Alto are about 85 units from the Outpost.
- Flugel and Alto are behind Euphonium. Euphonium is apparently not a one-trick pony.
- Alas, Mello, we hardly knew ye.
Your turn.
Combat Round 9
[X]Plan Reversal
-[X]Air Force disperses out as far as they can fly in one round.
-[X]Jagdhund goes Prone and Readies the Dolch Gewehr
-[X]Phenom Sable Runs 8 units towards the Kaiju
-[X]Tacit Ronin lopes 8 units and then Overwatches with 2 Laser Vulcans
The air force doesn't need any further persuasion. As the order to retreat spreads through the aircraft in the same way Euphonium's arc lightning did a few seconds ago, the mix of planes and helicopters fall back, putting distance between themselves and the Category IV. It's time for the jaegers to take command.
MICHAEL's forces, meanwhile, continue to close in, getting ready to strike the kaiju from behind.
Tacit Ronin and Phenom Sable stride forwards, the former readying their chest-mounted lasers while the latter simply advances. Behind them, Jagdhund sheaths the Ascalon Blade, before kneeling against the side of a ruined building, and unfolding her shoulder-mounted plasma cannon.
Euphonium warbles, sending another fat arc of bio-electricity crackling between its bladed "horns". It's clearly somewhat anxious-- one of its entourage is dead, and the other two are having trouble even standing by this point.
Which is why it's such a shock when Flugel limps around from the kaiju's left flank, and plants her feet unsteadily before it. Despite her injuries, the Category II seems to have worked up the determination to fight to the bitter end-- an assumption which is soon confirmed, as the kaiju unfolds her armoured frill once more, shielding Euphonium and Alto behind an umbrella of chitin.
Alto seems ready to try and join in as well, despite her hind leg having been pretty much flayed open by missile fire. However, another sound catches her ears before she can try, and the Cat II turns eastward, mouth opening to emit a warning keen as her sonic weapon charges up.
As for Euphonium? It tenses its limbs, radiating blue-white light from its bladed shoulder fins as it braces itself beside Flugel. Another pair of lighting bolts erupt from the blades, aiming to strike the black and silver form of Phenom Sable!
The Uemuras skid to a halt, instinctively raising their arms in defense against the attack-- only for their Barrier Shield to activate, surrounding Phenom in a bubble of iridescent light! The twin strikes splinter as they hit the field, warped and redirected by its repulsive ability!
Barrier Shield absorbs 3 Damage! Attack Nullified!
Barrier Shield absorbs 4 Damage! No damage!
Barrier Shield at 7/11 Integrity!
However, all that does is force Euphonium's attack towards a different target-- forcing Tacit Ronin to evade as a fused bolt of electricity erupts off their teammate's shield, heading straight for them!
Roll 1d10+6 to dodge!
PPDC:
- Tacit is 16 from the kaiju.
- Jagdhund is 24 from the kaiju.
- Phenom is 14 from the kaiju.
- Attack Helis ~22 from kaiju, 112 from Outpost, spread out.
- Scouts and Airplanes 25 from kaiju, 115 from Outpost, spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 38 from Outpost (47 from kaiju).
- MICHAEL scouts 60 from Outpost (25 from kaiju).
Anteverse:
- Euphonium, Flugel, and Alto are about 85 units from the Outpost.
- Flugel is beside Euphonium, and providing cover to the others.
- Alto is behind Euphonium, and thus the hardest to hit of all (medium cover).
This has to have been one of the longest fights in the game-- though a fair chunk of it is due to your guys' talking.
Tacit jerks away, barely managing to get enough distance from the bolt before it falls apart, the charge bleeding off harmlessly into its surroundings.
You got lucky this time, Ronin!
In other news, it's your turn.
Combat Round 10
[X] Plan Well let's kill them v2
-[X] Tacit moves 6 units towards the Kaiju and then holds a charge at Flugel for when it gets within 9 units
-[X] Phenom walks 6 units towards Flugel
-[X] Jagdhund shoots Flugel with the Dolch
-[X] Air force bravely advances away from the Kaiju
As the air force continues to retreat, Tacit, Phenom, and the MICHAEL forces close in from both sides-- the latter's aircraft holding position while the tanks catch up with them. Tacit's muscle strands tense, ready to discharge and send the jaeger into a stampeding rush if the smaller kaiju comes near.
Jagdhund, however, has other plans. Dumping reactor charge into her shoulder cannon, the jaeger takes aim, planning to disable Flugel once and for all. As the hum builds to its full level, she taps the firing stud.
"Disable" is an understatement.
Hit to L. Leg! Minor Wound! SE-27-013 "Flugel" Defeated!
Before Flugel can turn to adjust the facing of her shield, the boiling blast of plasma smashes into her side, liquefying armour and flesh as it tears its way through her hind leg. Pushed beyond her limits, the Cat II is blown sideways, smacking into Euphonium with a breathless squeak before she simply topples over.
For its part, the Category IV-- despite lacking any facial features besides its obscenely wide grin, jutting brow, and massive chin-- is looking utterly out of its depth, and the loss of its second teammate isn't helping.
Flipping its shoulder fins down under its armour, Euphonium backs up, and slides its tail underneath Alto. The Cat II squawks in surprise, as her teammate stands, flaring open their tail array to shove the smaller kaiju onto its back. Euphonium turns around slowly, giving enough time for Alto to get a little purchase on its flattened dorsal surface, before shoving off. As before, it's not a graceful action in the slightest-- Euphonium throws its body into a thunderous gallop, charging a line across the city in almost the opposite direction its Siege Cannon had fired, if a bit more southward. Given the heading of the Outpost forces, it doesn't seem like it's heading in that direction-- just away from the other forces.
Congratulations, you're starting to make kaiju run away rather than face you guys. Though I suppose that's partially my fault, since I keep putting some sort of familial-esque bond between cohesive squads like these guys.
PPDC:
- Tacit is 15 from the kaiju.
- Jagdhund is 29 from the kaiju.
- Phenom is 13 from the kaiju.
- Attack Helis ~39 from kaiju, 124 from Outpost, spread out.
- Scouts and Airplanes 50 from kaiju, 135 from Outpost, spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 44 from Outpost (38 from kaiju).
- MICHAEL scouts 60 from Outpost (22 from kaiju).
Anteverse:
- Euphonium and Alto are 83 units from the Outpost, heading south-southeast.
- Flugel is dead, and the world is all the emptier for it.
- Euphonium's decided to leg it, and is bringing Alto along for the ride.
Combat Round 11
[X] Chase
-[X] Phenom Sable Runs 8 units
-[X] Tacit saunters 8 units and fires all the Laser Vulcans
-[X] Jagdhund gets up (and moves towards them as far as she can)
-[X] Air Force moves back in pursuit.
Seeing the kaiju flee, Phenom Sable and Tacit Ronin pick up their pace, trying to catch them. Jagdhund also rises to her feet, though one of the pipes in her flank, damaged from the brutal loss of her arm, tears open in the process, spraying internal components with fluid before running out of pressure a moment later. The jaeger stumbles, but keeps her balance, standing at her full height a few seconds later.
1 Strike from Ongoing! 1 Ongoing Wound healed!
Meanwhile, Tacit Ronin takes rough aim at the retreating monsters, before widening their stance, and firing off a rapid salute of laser fire! Pulsating beams erupt from lenses on either side of the machine's torso, slashing across their targets' bodies in a flurry of boiling hot light!
Unfortunately for the kaiju, it's Alto who takes most of the fire. It doesn't take long to push her over the edge, the kaiju crumpling against Euphonium's back as flesh blisters and scars between armour plates. By the time the laser pulse finishes discharging, Alto's not going to be able to fight for a while-- though she's by no means dead yet.
Euphonium takes 5 hits! No damage!
Alto takes 7 hits! Alto is Incapacitated! SE-27-014 "Alto" Defeated!
I'm not adding Alto to your Kill Count just yet, due to her current situation of being carried and stuff.
However, Euphonium remains completely unaffected, and it's not giving up. The Category IV continues its rush towards the south, plowing through a building that's in its path. It may not be fast enough to outrun everything, or even most things that the Protectorate's got, but it's putting up some pretty respectable resistance.
PPDC:
- Tacit is 17 from the kaiju.
- Jagdhund is 39 from the kaiju.
- Phenom is 15 from the kaiju.
- Attack Helis ~37 from kaiju, 112 from Outpost, spread out.
- Scouts and Airplanes 40 from kaiju, 115 from Outpost, spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 50 from Outpost (40 from kaiju).
- MICHAEL scouts 60 from Outpost (30 from kaiju).
Anteverse:
- Euphonium and Alto are 80 units from the Outpost, heading south-southeast.
- Alto's Incapacitated, so you needn't worry about any sonic attacks.
Choo choo.
Combat Round 12
[X] Plan Yakety Sax
-[X] Tacit runs after Euphonium.
-[X] Phenom Runs after Tacit.
-[X] Jagdhund runs after Phenom.
-[X] The Air Force flies after Euphonium.
Switching their lasers back to cooling mode, Tacit rushes forwards, chasing down the errant monstrosity. Phenom Sable, Jagdhund, and the remaining military forces on both sides follow soon after, like some... absurd cartoon chase scene or something.
Euphonium, as expected, keeps on running. Everyone's catching up to it, and it won't be long before it loses what little distance it gained, but that doesn't mean it's going to stop.
Alto remains barely conscious and thoroughly incapacitated as she clings to Euphonium's back.
PPDC:
- Tacit is 11 from the kaiju.
- Jagdhund is 37 from the kaiju.
- Phenom is 15 from the kaiju.
- Attack Helis ~35 from kaiju, 100 from Outpost.
- Scouts and Airplanes 30 from kaiju, 90 from Outpost, spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 50 from Outpost (46 from kaiju).
- MICHAEL scouts 60 from Outpost (28 from kaiju).
Anteverse:
- Euphonium and Alto are 80 units from the Outpost, heading south-southeast.
Finally managed to work up the will to finish this or something. Not that exciting a round, tbh. Your turn.
Combat Round 13
[X] Tacit Charges, using the Rear Thrusters' bonus, and Grapples with Euphonium.
[X] Jagdhund and Phenom keep running.
[X] Air Force continue to pursue.
As the others continue their struggle to catch up, Tacit Ronin puts on a burst of speed, covering the last kilometre between themselves and the kaiju, before springing into combat!
Euphonium tries to dodge, but with its momentum there's no way for it to change direction in time! Tacit leaps onto the kaiju's flank, forcing the massive creature to contort awkwardly in order to not only keep its balance, but prevent Alto from falling off as well! With its bulky, handless form, Euphonium already seems at a disadvantage-- one Tacit is more than happy to exploit!
Roll 1d10+5 for your first Grapple Round!
PPDC:
- Tacit is grappled with the kaiju.
- Jagdhund is 25 from the kaiju.
- Phenom is 5 from the kaiju.
- Attack Helis ~23 from kaiju, 90 from Outpost.
- Scouts and Airplanes 10 from kaiju, 80 from Outpost, spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 53 from Outpost (40 from kaiju).
- MICHAEL scouts 66 from Outpost (16 from kaiju).
Anteverse:
- Euphonium and Alto are 80 units from the Outpost, previously travelling south-southeast.
- Euphonium is grappled with Tacit Ronin.
And I've just looked at Euphonium's sheet and realised that, by complete coincidence, I was actually right on the penalties! So yeah, this is not fun for Euphonium. If only Alto wasn't Incapacitated, she'd be able to stand a chance in a grapple.
Unsurprisingly, against a walking artillery piece and an unconscious Cat II, Tacit does pretty well. The melted arm slows them down a little, but it's still not enough to cripple the machine's close combat abilities!
Time for horrible Grapple things! Remember, Alto is a potential target as well!
Clamping one hand down on the closest blade-fin, Tacit Ronin pulls, wrenching the flattened spine slightly out of alignment. There's not much actual damage, but boy is it painful for the Category IV.
Euphonium takes 7 Temporary Strikes!
With a keening scream, Euphonium jerks its body to the side, using its incredible core muscles to try and throw the white jaeger from its side!
It's the Kaiju's turn-- and that means more grappling! 1d10+8 for this round! Combat round 14 Grapple Pt 2 Curse you, 10-1 crit rolls!
Despite the kaiju's thrashing and twisting, Tacit refuses to let go, though they're still being flung about like a rag doll. Using the fin as leverage, the jaeger swings themselves around, twisting low enough to kick Euphonium's feet out from underneath it! The behemoth of muscle and chitin crashes unceremoniously to the ground, leaving a chance for Tacit to strike once more!
Two crits walk in, one crit walks out. Use your violence on this poor gun-beast.
Combat round 14 Grapple Pt 2 Results By the way? I don't know if the city terrain counts as hard enough objects, or if falling damage ignores Armour, or whatever-- but I'm the GM, and I've already thrown my support behind this plan, so I'll say they do. Besides, it's not like this ruling is an unreasonable decision, since you've used buildings as Cover and armour really shouldn't do much against that sort of landing.
Hence, this happens.
[X] Tacit Throws Euph to Phenom's right and Chokes Out Alto
The momentum of their kick still strong behind them, Tacit Ronin twists at the torso, grabbing Euphonium's foreleg in their left hand as their lower body pivots opposite. Attitude systems in the jaeger's torso let out violent squeals of protest, the reinforced spinal column pushing its torsion limits from the nearly disjointed position it's put in. There's so many things that could go wrong from this maneuver-- jaegers simply weren't made for these kinds of inhuman movement.
Then Tacit's foot touches down, and its pilots heave.
Like a spring snapping back into shape, Tacit Ronin's upper body wrenches back into alignment, yanking Euphonium off its feet with enough speed to tear Alto from her purchase! With the reactor's full output and more behind them, the jaeger gives a final heave, and releases-- throwing the Category IV as hard as they can!
Like something out of a super robot show, Euphonium tumbles slowly through the air, travelling in an almost lazy arc. It's almost graceful, in a way-- the sheer size of the monster makes it seem like it's moving in slow motion.
And then, after travelling nearly half a kilometre, the kaiju lands, plow-shaped head smashing into the ground barely a block from where Phenom Sable is. In a split second, Euphonium's head comes to an almost complete halt, while the rest of its body keeps moving. Unfortunately for the kaiju, physics beats biology, and the sudden sheer force twists its vertebrae out of true. Dorsal armour splinters and ruptures as it bends, chunks tearing free of their moorings to expose the indigo flesh beneath. An instant later, the mix of concrete and steel shatters around Euphonium's head, letting it crash down to the ground once again.
Tacit Ronin throws Euphonium 500 metres! Double Damage! Euphonium removed from Grapple! Euphonium knocked Prone! Minor Wound to Spine! Spinal Armour destroyed!
Euphonium takes 3 Strikes! -1 Universal Penalty!
At this point, though, Tacit's attention has gone elsewhere. Blue-stained gauntlets clamp tight around the last kaiju's throat, squeezing and crushing as they hold Alto above the ground.
Alto is being Choked! 1 Strike!
The other soldiers aren't sure what to focus on at this point.
PPDC:
- Tacit is grappled with Alto.
- Jagdhund is 25 from Tacit/Alto.
- Phenom is 1 from Euphonium, 5 from Tacit/Alto.
- Attack Helis ~23 from Tacit/Alto, 90 from Outpost.
- Scouts and Airplanes 10 from Tacit/Alto, 80 from Outpost, spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 53 from Outpost (40 from Tacit/Alto).
- MICHAEL scouts 66 from Outpost (16 from Tacit/Alto).
Anteverse:
- Euphonium and Alto are ~80 units from the Outpost, previously travelling south-southeast.
- Euphonium is next to Phenom Sable, 5 units from Tacit Ronin, and prone.
- Alto is grappled with Tacit.
And now, technically, I suppose it's your turn again!
On a side note, I was actually trying to channel some of thisinto the "Tacit throws Euphonium" bit. Just as a neat little bonus.
Combat Round 15
[X] Phenom deactivates the Barrier Plate, shifts into range and Grapples Euphonium.
[X] Jagdhund switches target and runs for Euphonium, stores the Dolch Gewehr.
[X] Tacit continues to Grapple Alto.
(12) (N/A) Tacit Ronin win the Grapple! 12 Advantage Points!
Ronin barely even moves. It doesn't have to, not when its opponent's a few steps from losing consciousness completely. Steam curls from its exposed cables and hydraulics, bubbling from its arm and flanks as the overburdened reactor tries to cool itself. Fortunately, that's more than doable-- all Tacit really needs to do is keep its arms up, and keep squeezing.
Honestly, given the rework of the Break action, you could probably just snap Alto's neck and be done with it. Unless you want to kill the kaiju slowly, that's also fine I guess.
After several seconds of lying there, Euphonium finally manages to pull its brain back into working order. Just in time for it to see a humanoid mass of black and silver leap down on it, arms unfolded into a quartet of whining, shimmering talons.
Grapple started! Roll 1d10+11 for horrible violence (Phenom has to go prone as well, so there's a bit of a penalty).
Also a 1d10 for Prog Vice, and a Hit Location for same.
PPDC:
- Tacit is grappled with Alto.
- Jagdhund is 13 from Tacit/Alto, 8 from Phenom/Euphonium. Dolch Gewehr retracted.
- Phenom is grappled with Euphonium, 5 from Tacit/Alto, and also prone.
- Attack Helis ~23 from Tacit/Alto, 90 from Outpost.
- Scouts and Airplanes 10 from Tacit/Alto, 80 from Outpost, spread out.
KRAUN:
- MICHAEL ground defense units 53 from Outpost (40 from Tacit/Alto).
- MICHAEL scouts 66 from Outpost (16 from Tacit/Alto).
Anteverse:
- Euphonium and Alto are ~80 units from the Outpost, previously travelling south-southeast.
- Euphonium is grappled with Phenom Sable, 5 units from Tacit Ronin, and prone.
- Alto is grappled with Tacit.
To be completely honest, at this point, part of me just wants to have the next in-game post be " you beat the kaiju to death with your giant robot hands! Gain 1d5 Insanity and 6500 Resources!" After all, there's basically no way these kaiju can put up a remotely worthwhile defense anymore, save some hideous double/triple-crit on Euphonium's part.
But... I guess I can wait to see how Phenom does first, before making any rash decisions.
I really don't have any fluff for this. You've got 9 AP here, the Prog Vice did nothing at all, and... yeah.
9 points for Phenom, 12 points for Tacit. Time for violence, I guess.
Combat Round 15 Grapple Results I think you guys are misunderstanding a little bit. I'm happy to see this fight end. Sure, I'm mildly miffed that not one of these guys would end up surviving, but that's kinda in the job description for kaiju, and... they had a pretty good run, compared to quite a few things I've designed. I mean, when's the last time I've shown off practically every ability and attack that a kaiju has, let alone for an entire team of them? And it wasn't just in a "kaiju brings out their special ability at the last moment, only to die horribly before they can show it off"-- no, these guys brought it in as soon as possible, and rocked their specials! I'm quite happy that I was able to let them do all that, as well as give you guys a more unique mission parameter and combat environment in the process. They've shown off their abilities, they've put up an excellent fight on their part, and now you're back on the winning streak. Ending the fight now is... good. Certainly better than dragging it out another ten pages.
And of course I'm glad you all enjoyed it!
[X] Tacit: Break Alto twice, use all points in HtH to shift Hit Location to Spine.
[X] Phenom: Break Euphonium's Spine, shifting with all of his HtH, then inflict a Submission Hold.
[X] Jagdhund: Run close to Phenom and watch him savage Euphonium with gleeful satisfaction.
It's with wordless agreement that the two halves of Tacit Ronin come to consensus-- it's time to end this. The jaeger forces one hand up, right under the kaiju's mandible, and flexes. With a wet crack, Alto's head jerks back at an obscene angle, the shattered occipital bone having torn straight through her brain stem.
Successful Break to Spine and Head!
Alto takes 6 Strikes! Extra Brain damage inflicted! SE-27-014 "Alto" Defeated!
Tension bleeds out of Tacit's limbs as the kaiju stops completely, the momentary battle-fury that shrouded them finally disappearing with the death of their foe. The jaeger's chest lets out a shuddering sigh, as steam swirls from their cooling vents.
Euphonium doesn't get a chance to fight back. Despite the kaiju's great size and vigorous thrashing, the injury to its spine is already slowing it down-- and any weakness against Phenom Sable is an opportunity that the jaeger will capitalize on. Holding tight with one enormous hand, the black jaeger digs into the exposed flesh of the kaiju's back, slicing through musculature and fat with its progressive talons. Its true hand finds something hard, and grabs hold.
And then Phenom Sable ripped Euphonium's secondary brain out, followed by several large chunks of spinal cord.
"Guess he wasn't as spineless as he seemed," Kanji quips.
Successful Break to Spine!
Euphonium takes 5 Strikes! Euphonium is Paralyzed!
Despite the resilience of the rest of its body, Euphonium doesn't survive much longer.
SE-27-012 "Euphonium" Defeated!
The kaiju are all dead. The city is pretty badly trashed. The Protectorate's forces are battered and reduced.
But as the jaegers turn back to each other, there's still technically one last thing to address-- the ones who called them here in the first place; KRAUN Outpost MICHAEL.
I guess now would be the time to... talk to the MICHAEL forces? I'll be honest, I haven't actually figured this part out much. Really, I'd be fine with you just throwing out a well-wishes and farewell, and then leaving.
Also, technically you just barely failed to inflict Destruction Wounds on both of them. Phenom would have needed to deal 25 points thanks to Cat IV rules, and only managed 21 (Cat IV rules give that minimum 1 AV). Tacit was literally one point short. But even so, Paralysis basically means death if you don't have backup, and the brain damage for Alto would have killed her off in one round anyways.
Combat End
[X] Greet the forces of the Outpost, ask if there's any matter that requires immediate attention and if our forces can assist in any way.
With the kaiju threat defeated, the focus now turns to communication and reparations. The three jaegers, beaten up and tired from the fight, simply sit down on the shattered pavement. Tacit and Jagdhund drop into power-saving mode for the time, trying to slow the lingering effects of their wounds, while Phenom remains active and ready.
Meanwhile, the air force hails the Outpost, offering a quick greetings from the Northwestern Protectorate. MICHAEL responds, more than grateful for their assistance, before Neo-Seattle starts asking some questions.
First off; is there anything that will require immediate attention, and can the Protectorate's forces assist? To this, MICHAEL replies that they're still analyzing, but there's definitely at least one thing that they'd need help with-- the kaiju. The Outpost itself holds mainly combat vehicles, and doesn't have the equipment needed to relocate four corpses out of their city in time before they start breaking down into a toxic mess. Even the civilian vehicles would be of little use in this situation, but a group of Jumphawks-- or whatever those VTOL craft the Protectorate's used to bring their jaegers here-- could easily take the dead bioweapons off their hands.
The actual outpost base is still intact-- Euphonium hadn't gotten close enough to fire its main weapon at them by the time the Protectorate's forces appeared-- and MICHAEL had managed to get people from Spokane evacuated over to Spokane Valley. That means, for the most part, all the damage they'll be trying to fix is rebuilding the devastated city (far from a short-term task).
But really, given that most of what the Northwestern Protectorate's brought was their combat forces, there's probably not that much else they'll be able to help out with.
Bit basic, but to be fair you asked a very straightforward question. True to my promise, you guys get to ask some more questions now. However, I would like to try and limit it to three more of these post-battle negotiation posts at most, if only to make sure that we can get back to the proper Combat End post.
On a side note, do you want a full-blown Bonus Chapter thing for Ashley and Noah's conversation, or just Noah's report from it?
[X] "Are attacks on this scale unusual here? I can't help but notice the lack of Jaegers, and we couldn't identify any Superheavy units among the wrecks."
-[x] "Do you think something might have drawn them here? We've been attacked by Kaiju that seemed specially built to fight against us in the past."
[X] Call in additional Meganeuras to drag the Kaiju corpses.
The rear forces are contacted, and arrangements are made to organise removal of the kaiju bodies. It'll still take a while for them to get here, but they'll be able to clean up before any environmental damage occurs. In the meantime, there's still a few questions that they'd like to ask. Namely, was this sort of attacks... odd?
The answer is yes. MICHAEL's no stranger to seeing combat before, but usually their opponents had been more along the lines of Cat Is or Cat IIs-- things that their defense forces could deal with before they got to the city. They'd kept a fairly low profile most of the time-- regular shelter evac and a smaller number of human operators in the outpost itself usually hid them from the kaiju's attention, up until today at least. So to find a Category IV bearing down on them was quite the shock.
As for the lack of jaegers or large-scale combat vehicles? MICHAEL never had any of their own. They're meant as a resupply point and early warning hub for KRAUN units, not a full-blown repair facility. They can restock a Mark VI's armaments, refuel their systems, and maybe bang out some dents in their armour or fix some loose wiring, but that's about it.
The next question; does MICHAEL think of or have anything that might have drawn this level of kaiju to them? (10)
This time, there's a little more hesitation from the outpost, before they answer. They don't think it was ANGEL-Net-- they've used their transmitter before, and there's been no correlation between usage and kaiju attacks. However, they can think of one event that might have caused something. A couple days ago, a small group of KRAUN transports from one of their northern research facilities stopped by for refueling. They didn't stay long-- only about a day before they flew off towards the south-- but their cargo registered the same sort of Breach radiation that Supercell reactors give off. That radiation signature is the only thing they can think of that would draw the kaiju-- unless the attackers were heading for KRAUN HQ, and just wanted to take out one of their facilities on the way over.
When your backup forces arrive (in about half an in-game hour), they'll pick up the kaiju and be ready to bring them back. However, as this was sort of a joint Seattle/Everett operation (since Phenom's gonna be presumably transferred over), I'm going to offer you choices on what to do with them. Each kaiju body, you can decide whether it goes to Neo-Seattle or to Everett. If one goes to Neo-Seattle, you'll reap the benefits of the Salvage Facilities, but you'd have to manually transport resources to Everett if you wanted to transfer them. If one goes to Everett, it won't benefit from the Salvage Facilities (Everett has none), but it'll go straight in their resource pool. Basically, it's down to "which city do you want to get the resources/research tokens from each kaiju?"
[X] Thank them for answering our questions and make any necessary preparations to return.
-[x] Take all the corpses to Neo-Seattle.
There's not much else to say. The Protectorate's forces offer a simple thanks for the answers, and prepares to return as soon as the second wave arrives to pick up the kaiju.
Arrival back in Neo-Seattle comes with somewhat mixed responses. There's a notably smaller number of aircraft in the force from before, and the damage to two of the three jaegers is plain as day. However, just as plain are the four dead kaiju, hanging heavy in their impromptu harnesses, and the un-scarred form of Phenom Sable. While they've taken some hits, the Protectorate's forces have been victorious as always.
The situation changes a little bit once the jaegers reach the Shatterdome. Jagdhund's right arm is almost completely unsalvageable-- everything from the shoulder joint down to just before the wrist is going to need a brand new frame, and most of the Jagdarium armour's been ripped open like soggy cardboard. That said, the wrist and gauntlet assembly's still usable, though it'll need some work to rewire it into the new forearm. Tacit Ronin's damage is about as tricky, though the fact that the inner frame's still in good shape makes it less of a hassle resource-wise. They're lucky it only took a glancing wound-- most of the damage is just from the thermal wash melting the armour and shorting out the circuits.
Phenom, of course, is in tip top shape. All it needs is a minor checkup and a good wash, and it'll be good to go again.
Tacit Ronin requires an action and 400 R to repair. You'll also need new armour and a new Fangblade for the arm. Jagdhund requires an action and 3530 R to repair, as well as a new piece of armour. See below for further explanation. Phenom Sable requires no repairs!
Salvage/Recycling (Jagdhund):
- The arm frame cannot be recycled, due to structural damage.
- The Jagdarium armour can be recycled at a maximum of 100 R, due to structural damage.
- The CMP-5 gauntlet can be salvaged and reused after 50 R repair. This Resource cost is factored into Jagdhund's repairs, and requires no extra actions.
Fortunately, beyond that, there's more than enough good things to go around. The admirable performance of the Air Force during combat, despite certain unforeseen developments and heavy losses, is a crowning herald of their abilities, and several squadrons receive promotion!
AG-60 'Dragonfly' Autogyro Scout Squadron promoted to Elite!
AG-60 'Dragonfly' Autogyro Scout Squadron promoted to Elite!
A-KA-78-L 'Banshee' Assault Helicopter Squadron promoted to Elite!
A-KA-78-L 'Banshee' Assault Helicopter Squadron promoted to Elite!
A-KA-78-L 'Banshee' Assault Helicopter Squadron promoted to Elite!
Additionally, it seems that this far-away fight was just the relief that the city's local ecosystem required! Already, efficiency is increasing, and dramatic cleanup operations aren't required this week, freeing up more time for projects and planning!
Environment to Growing!
New bonus: 1 Free Downtime Action!
Meanwhile, Kaiju Science goes absolutely nuts as soon as they get their hands on Euphonium and the Cat IIs. The latter are definitely interesting-- their reaction speed, structural alterations, and offensive abilities are all well-integrated, plus they've got very well developed neural centres for monsters of their scale, and yet have no localised hivemind or pheromone-based communications like those of previous teamwork-oriented kaiju. Very interesting to see, and there's potentially a lot of bits that could have their properties or functions applied in other manners (such as Mello's elastic tails, or Flugel's flip-up frill). All in all, they're just really neat finds.
It's Euphonium, however, that draws the most maniacal cackling and excited squeals from those nerds. The kaiju's entire biology was constructed around a beam weapon completely unlike any previously observed in kaiju. Whereas previous energy weapons have been based around bioelectric strikes, lasers, or superheated ions, Euphonium's Siege Cannon appears to have involved the use of an accelerator array in its tail to produce what is confirmed to be a focused beam of positrons suspended in a lingering electromagnetic field. This explains a lot of the kaiju's curious biological traits-- its light weight is because much of the kaiju was actually hollow or devoted to power generation, while the "lightning fins" could adjust the weapon's aim and bolster its containment field during firing. Such complex electrical systems would have strained its homeostatic limits, requiring a cooldown sequence almost as long as the charge-up did in order to keep it from shorting itself out the next time it tried to charge an attack, which would obviously have had disastrous consequences for Euphonium. Yet even so, the kaiju was sturdy enough and strong enough that it would have been able to brawl without too much fear of malfunctioning. The only real chinks in its armour were the literal ones it had to expose when preparing the weapon, and the lack of prehensile digits on its anchoring feet. But then again, that would have been what the Cat IIs were for.
Overall, they're just... amazed by the work put into this. Enemies of humanity the kaiju masters may be, but their expertise at bio-engineering is unquestionable. In fact, despite the normal unfeasibility of positron weapons, Kaiju Science thinks that the data from Euphonium could actually make such a thing viable-- though it almost certainly wouldn't be able to get very small.
New Research Token: Euphonium (Heavy Positron Weaponry)!
Yep, the Siege Cannon's a positron gun. How does it work? Because giant goddamn robots, that's how.
Anyways, as with Laidon, I'm not giving you tokens for the Cat IIs, but if you do perform research related to their abilities, I'll lower the difficulty as appropriate.
Oh, and one last thing comes in-- Noah's report from Ashley. The young woman hadn't given much in reply to the question of which treatment option she'd prefer to take, though her reaction to A.R.T. was less favourable than that to the Cyber-Prosthetics. However, she's made clear mention of... well, wanting limbs again, and mechanized prosthetics are far less permanent than regrowing appendages wholesale, so they're the safer option to go for. Ranger Williams deigned not to reveal anything further about their conversation.
Yeah, you're gonna get your Bonus Chapter later. I don't really have good ideas how to write it right now, but I still plan on doing it.
It is now Downtime.
Kaiju Stats:
SE-27-012 Euphonium
Class: Category IV Kaiju
Resembling a living fortress of pitch black chitin and slate grey scales, and standing on four conical legs, Euphonium is massive to the point of absurdity. The front of the kaiju is mostly mouth, clamped shut in a glowing, blue-toothed grin of teeth as big as freight train cars, while a spiny, almost peacock-like tail plumes out from its other end.
Even as is, the kaiju's combat abilities are prodigious-- its sheer mass makes it deadly in melee, while folding blades in its shoulders can unleash an arcing bolt of electricity to strike at range. But when even that is insufficient, Euphonium can lock itself down, unfolding its tail into a toroidal accelerator and transforming the front of its body into a giant particle beam cannon. Though it's nearly immobile in this state, and exposes its delicate innards, this is the only way it can access its most powerful weapon.
Stats:
HtH: 4
Ran: 5
Str: 6
Tou: 7
Agi: 2
Dex: 1
Structure:
Dura: 16
Stru: 19
Category IV: Has all the following rules:
- Flat stun immunity. A stun instead inflicts a -1 penalty for one round.
- Universal, unbreakable AV of 1 on all locations
- +5 to all the instant death thresholds Tough Stuff: Immune to Scratch Damage. Siege Mode: In order to fire its Siege Cannon, Euphonium must enter a dedicated firing sequence, so as to charge the weapon and brace itself for the stresses of firing. Euphonium activates Siege Mode as a Full Round Action, and follows the rules set out below. During Siege Mode, Euphonium cannot be Stunned, but may not move beyond Shifting, or add its Stats to any Reaction it is called to make, among other things. Thus, it is quite vulnerable in this state, and depends on Flugel, Alto, and Mello to defend it. However, Euphonium is still capable attacking with its other weapons (though at a -3 penalty). As long as it has not reached Round 3 of charging, Euphonium can choose to exit Siege Mode at will.
- Round 1: Euphonium designates a target location to attack, and activates Siege Mode as a Full Round Action. It braces against the ground, and expands its tail into a toroidal accelerator.
- Round 2: Euphonium continues to maintain Siege Mode. Its tail accelerator is spinning up, and it now opens its mouth to expose the cannon. The armour on its Eyes, Head, and Neck changes from Superheavy Carapace to Biocannon Flesh, and remains so until after it has fired (see Cooldown). At this point, it cannot attack with Skull Ram until after firing.
- Round 3: The Siege Cannon is charged. At the end of the round, unless its weapon has been disabled, Euphonium fires its Siege Cannon, resolving the attack as normal.
After the Siege Cannon has been fired, and everything has been resolved, Euphonium switches into Cooldown. For Massive Damage: If Euphonium suffers damage to its Biocannon Flesh during Round 2 or Round 3 of its Siege Mode firing sequence, it must make a Difficulty 13 Toughness test, with a roll penalty equal to the amount of Strikes the Biocannon Flesh took that round. If all prompted tests are beaten, it continues and resolves Siege Mode as normal. If a test is failed, then it must roll on the Misfire Table as well. If Euphonium has failed the test twice, it rolls two times on the Misfire Table, taking the worse result. Cooldown: After resolving the third round of Siege Mode, Euphonium must vent the prodigious heat and excess energy of its main weapon, and so enters Cooldown. Cooldown has all the restrictions of Siege Mode (cannot be stunned, no movement beyond Shifting, cannot add Stats to Reaction rolls, -3 attack), requiring the further aid of Flugel, Alto, and Mello-- however, it lasts a shorter amount of time. Cooldown is structured as below, as though it were a continuation of Siege Mode:
- Round 4: The Siege Cannon has been fired. Euphonium will stand still unless provoked, venting the heat through its tail. Parts of it that are not needed for cooling begin to retract.
- Round 5: Euphonium seals its mouth again. The armour on its Eyes, Head, and Neck changes back to Superheavy Carapace, and Skull Ram may be used again. At the end of the round, its tail collapses in, and Euphonium concludes its Cooldown. It may now engage normally in combat once more.
Cooldown must be resolved after each firing of the Siege Cannon.
Arc Lightning Built-in Ranged Weapon (Scatter)
Attack Dice: 2/1d10-1
Armour Penetration: 4/2
Damage Type: Electric
Damage Bonus: 2/1
Range: 18/27
Special: Arc: Jumps to another target within 5 units on a 5+. For each additional target, arcing and attacking rolls take a cumulative -1 penalty. A negative roll on an arcing bolt will not trigger a misfire.
Siege Cannon (Siege Mode only) Built-in Ranged Weapon (Scatter)
Attack Dice: 1d10-1
Armour Penetration: Ignores Armour (see Overwhelming Force)
Damage Type: Burst
Damage Bonus: Ranged
Radius: 0/1/2
Range: 20/35/50
Special: See Siege Mode for firing sequence details.
Never makes Called Shots.
Beam: Roll once with this weapon, and apply the result with full bonuses against all targets intersected by the Siege Cannon's central line of effect, half bonuses against all targets within the Radius but not the central line, and no bonuses against Clustered targets outside the Radius. If the attack would hit normally against a non-Clustered unit (i.e. one within the beam), but the target has sufficient evasive ability to avoid it, they are still struck as though they lacked that ability, but the attack halves the total damage it would deal (rounding down) for the purposes of Wounding or Strike damage (weapon/armour durability is still resolved).
Overwhelming Force: This weapon treats the AV of any armour it strikes as zero, before resolving damage or Burst Resilience. Against the Defenses stat, it instead halves the provided AV. If this weapon hits any city infrastructure, it automatically destroys 1 point of Defenses after being resolved, alongside any other effects it would deal, even if it would otherwise deal no damage.
Armour: Superheavy Carapace
Coverage: All/Special (see Siege Mode)
AV: 5/1
Resilience: All
Durability: 9
Biocannon Flesh
Coverage: Eyes, Head, Neck (see Siege Mode)
AV: 1/-
Resilience: All, +1 Fire
Durability: 7
Special: Euphonium's "Tough Stuff" trait is not in effect on these locations when Biocannon Flesh is active.
SE-27-013 Flugel
Class: Category II Kaiju
Considerably smaller than Euphonium, and sporting a more lupine appearance, Flugel nonetheless displays some similar physiology; a quadrupedal body, pitch black armour, and glowing blue musculature. The toughest of her sisters, Flugel is characterised by a short tail, thick proportions, and an armoured, expandable frill around her neck. Her toothy jaws drip with acid.
Stats:
HtH: 2
Ran: 1
Str: 3
Tou: 4
Agi: 2
Dex: 3
Structure:
Dura: 11
Stru: 13
Bodyguard: As long as she is not Stunned or Paralyzed, Flugel is considered clustered with all allied combatants within 2 units of her, for all purposes that would benefit said allies. If Flugel is considered clustered or is engaged with a friendly combatant, she may Shift 2 units as a Free Action when they move, but only in order to maintain engagement/clustering with them. When Flugel is Clustered in front of an ally, she provides Light Cover from that facing and both immediately adjacent facings (e.g. if Flugel is Clustered North of Euphonium, she provides Light Cover against attacks from the North, Northwest, and Northeast), as long as her Armoured Frill is intact.
Armour: Armoured Frill
Coverage: Head, Neck, Eyes, Spine
AV: 4/3
Resilience: All, +1 Impact
Durability: 11
Special: Flare: instead of moving, Flugel can flare out her frill, shielding the rest of her body, and anybody nearby. Flugel may still Shift while Flare is active. All locations not protected by Armoured Frill on Flugel, any allied combatant engaged with her, or any allied combatant Flugel is vertically clustered with (i.e. in front of), gain the benefits of Frill Overlay as long as Flare is maintained.
Frill Overlay (special)
Coverage: special (see Armoured Frill)
AV: 2/-
Resilience: All
Durability: 6
Special: Once five sections have been destroyed, Frill Overlay collapses until it can be repaired.
Black Chitin
Coverage: All but Head, Neck, Eyes, Spine
AV: 3/2
Resilience: All
Durability: 10
SE-27-014 Alto
Class: Category II Kaiju
Considerably smaller than Euphonium, and sporting a more lupine appearance, Alto nonetheless displays some similar physiology; a quadrupedal body, pitch black armour, and glowing blue musculature. The most versatile of her sisters, Alto is characterised by her squared-off proportions, defined jaw, and developed throat. She tends to be very vocal, and her roars are notably high-pitched.
Stats:
HtH: 2
Ran: 2
Str: 3
Tou: 3
Agi: 2
Dex: 2
Structure:
Dura: 7
Stru: 11
Sonic Interceptor: When a projectile-based ranged attack is conducted against any allied combatant within 5 units of Alto (including Alto herself), she may emit a sonic shriek to destroy it before it can strike. Roll 1d10 for each ranged attack being made that provokes this ability. On a 7+, the attack is intercepted and destroyed before it can hit. After using this ability, Alto is at -1 to Ran and Sonic Interceptor rolls until the end of next round, due to the strain on her vocal chords. Alto may use Sonic Interceptor against both Conventional and K-Scale ranged attacks in a single round, though she will take the appropriate penalties to the K-Scale rolls.
Armour: Black Chitin
Coverage: All
AV: 3/2
Resilience: All
Durability: 10
SE-27-015 Mello
Class: Category II Kaiju
Considerably smaller than Euphonium, and sporting a more lupine appearance, Mello nonetheless displays some similar physiology; a quadrupedal body, pitch black armour, and glowing blue musculature. The swiftest of her sisters, Mello is characterised by her athletic build, narrow head, and thinner armour. Her pair of whip-tails flick about, bending and stretching like elastic ribbons.
Stats:
HtH: 4
Ran: 0
Str: 2
Tou: 1
Agi: 4
Dex: 3
Structure:
Dura: 4
Stru: 7
Dance Aside: Mello may attempt to Dodge any non-Radius ranged attacks as a Reaction, as long as she has not passed her Durability. A failed dodge causes the attack to resolve at normal to-hit difficulty. On a critical Dodge, Mello may move up to 2 units instead of 1. Blitz: Mello only suffers -1 to attacking and moving.
Weapons: Whip Thrash x2 Built-in Melee/Ranged Weapon (Carbine)
Attack Dice: 1d10
Parry Dice: 1d10
Armour Penetration: 0
Durability: 5
Grappling Bonus: +2
Damage Type: Edged
Damage Bonus: Dexterity
Range: 1/5/10
Special: Uses HtH when making Ranged Attacks.
As long as she is not engaged in melee with an enemy, Mello can resolve her Whip Thrash attack against any number of targets within range equal to her Dexterity (3), rolling each attack separately. Mello may not target a single unit multiple times in the same round this way.
Armour: Black Shell
Coverage: All
AV: 2/1
Resilience: All, +1 Fire
Durability: 8
[] Plan Work no longer in Progress 1.2
-[] Neo-Seattle Actions:
--[] Normal Actions:
---[] Build 2x VX-3 Super Fangblade (-1500 R)
---[] Build 5x Jagdarium Superalloy Composite Plating (-1750 R)
---[] Install a pair of VX-3 Super Fangblades and Super Composite Plating (Right Arm) on Tacit Ronin, Repair Tacit (-400 R)
---[] Repair Jagdhund, install Jagdarium Plating on Left Arm (-3530 R)
---[] Research J-Scale Munitions Factory City Augment
---[] Build 4x M-99 Bakelite Magazines (-400 R)
---[] Build 1x Solid Fuel Thrusters with SFT Cut-off Switch (-1225 R)
---[] Install 1x Solid Fuel Thrusters on Phenom Sable
---[] Build 1 HGE-33 'Skadi' Transonic Deployment Craft. (-5800R)
---[] Contact KRAUN leadership via ANGEL-Net
---[] Reverse-Engineer Euphonium's Siege Cannon as a Defense City Augment (Use Euphonium Token)
--[] Free Actions
---[] Research Grae's method of Teleportation, starting with moving a single target if necessary. (No Token) (B-Tech)
---[] Increase Phenom Sable's Toughness (15 rolls) (-300 R) (J-Tech 1)
---[] Analyze the Jagdgewher and it's ammunition needs. (J-Tech 2)
---[] Research Movement-Enhancing Leg Modifications, based on HVMS. (K-Sci 1)
---[] Research a supercooling system for the Surtr. If necessary, draw inspiration from or study supercold or cold Kaiju we have fought.(C-Tech 1)
---[] Improved the defenses and/or armor on the Tyrs (C-Tech 2)
---[] Upgrade Laser Vulcan technology to UV lasers (C-Tech 3)
---[] Send 16500 Resources and Units to Everett (Comms)
---[] Scan for Kaiju (Kaiju Hunt Scan)
---[] Recycle Ruined Jagdarium Plating (+100 r). (J-Recycling)
---[] Build 2x Autogyros, 1x Type-100 squad, 1x Banshee Squad, 1x Artillery unit (-230 R) (MPFs)
---[] Build 1 Moray-class Submarine (Dockworks)
-[] Everett Actions
--[] Normal Actions
---[] Increase Population from 3 to 6 (-7500 R)
---[] Increase Manufacturing from 2 to 6 (-9000 R)
Total cost: -31535 R
Resources Remaining: 50500-31535=18965 R
Despite now knowing Ashley's... preference for her treatment method, it's decided that they'll wait before trying it, to hopefully give her mind more time to recover.
In the meantime, there's much to do.
First on the list is Breach Tech's new project; figuring out the teleportation ability shown by Grae during his two appearances. Right away, however, they run into difficulties.
The first problem is the lack of data. Grae's only been seen to teleport three times (records show four 'ports, but the first one only picked it up on scanners), and only one of those times showed both the start and finish of the jump. While it's more than can be said for any other kaiju, it's still very little information.
The second problem is the delay. Not in research; in the teleports themselves. Each time Grae had been seen to teleport, there was a delay of several seconds between the "jump" and "landing", which seemed to be roughly the same length over both long and short distances. This means that Grae's method doesn't fit with either of the current teleportation methods known. Were it somehow quantum teleportation, or even disassembly/reassembly, it wouldn't have that long a delay (or give off Breach radiation, for that matter). Were it a Breachgate, however, the longer distance teleports would have had a longer delay than that over short distances (which it didn't, at least not to a long enough duration). It's clearly somewhat related, but in almost all other ways the current data just doesn't match up with that of the Breachgates.
In short, Breach Tech's main stumbling point is figuring out where to begin with this.
Meanwhile, Kaiju Science is given the job to try and reconfigure the Hyper-Vascular Muscle Strands used in Phenom Sable into something that can assist in general mobility. It seems like a fairly simple task-- just replacing the normal muscle strands with the bio-tech ones, right? Unfortunately, their simulations show that half-arsing the job like that would leave some major weak-points, potentially resulting in the legs essentially exploding as the muscle strands rip off on one end and take the armour with them. Given that unpleasant image, it quickly makes sense why Kaiju Science is requesting more time to design leg frames of a more organic configuration, to better accommodate the altered motive systems.
On a more positive note, however, J-Tech's doing excellently. Without damage to worry about, the resilience upgrades for Phenom Sable are finished and installed in no time, improving the jaeger's ability to soak up punishment without impaired functionality. As the Uemuras test out their machine's new improvements, Kanji finds he's able to take advantage of the shock-ablative gel layer, squeezing a little more performance out of his defensive technique, despite it not yet having seen use in the field.
Phenom Sable to Toughness 5! 14/15 Stat Points occupied!
Phenom Sable gains +1 Durability!
Deflective Guard Perk upgraded! When reducing damage before Armour, Tou/2 rounds up, rather than down!
As GM, I am allowed to arbitrarily give your perks improvements. I felt this made sense here. Even though you've not used it yet.
The Jagdgewehr is dragged out of storage, and, with a bit of help from Jagdhund (she needs something to focus on while she's busy being repaired), designs for its ammunition are finally drafted out. While the M-99 series uses battleship shells to fair effect, the Jagdgewehr's rounds are far superior-- the main disadvantage is that they're almost twice the size of said battleship shells, and the anti-kaiju cannon's rectangular magazines don't have nearly as much space as the M-99 drum mags, thus forcing their user to make each shot count. Still, definitely an acceptable trade-off for being able to use the gun now.
New Miscellaneous available for purchase: 420mm Jagdgewehr Magazine! 420mm Jagdgewehr Magazine 100 Resources
Provides ammunition for the 420mm Jagdgewehr. Contains 6 AUs.
Of course, the slightly higher cost of the ammunition is almost immediately nullified by the plans for a brand-new munitions factory, designed to lighten the load on a city's primary resource stores by providing the ammunition for J-Scale weaponry using dedicated, more efficient means of production. While specialty rounds require more investment, they can still benefit from it, as can the weapons that use them.
New Manufacturing Augment: Heavy Munitions Factory! Heavy Munitions Factory (Manufacturing) 1300 Resources As a Free Action each downtime, a Heavy Munitions Factory can do one of the following:
- Construct up to (Manufacturing/2, round up) magazines/units of standard ammunition for a K-Scale weapon, without spending Resources. These units need not all be the same type. (Compatible magazines: M-99 Drum Magazine, M-99 AP Magazine, 420mm Jagdgewehr Magazine)
- Construct up to (Manufacturing/2, round up) magazines/units of complex or specialty ammunition for a K-Scale weapon, at a 50% discount. These units need not all be the same type. (Compatible magazines: M-99 Bakelite Magazine, High Capacity Burst Fuse, High Capacity Fuse Clip)
- Provide a 20% discount off the purchase of any one type of ammunition-based K-Scale ranged weapon (purchasing multiples of the same weapon retain the discount). (Compatible weapons: M-9914 Machine Cannon, JED-2-f Fragmentation "Jaegrenade")
The list of compatible magazines/weapons will increase as you research more stuff, but for now I'll stick with these.
C-Tech starts off their weeks projects with an addressal of the newly-designed Surtr's major flaw; its suboptimal cooling systems. It goes pretty well; less vital sections of armour along the sides of the cannon are swapped out for more heat-sinks, while the magnetic containment field is constricted, reducing the power consumption (and thus electrical resistance) without compromising its ability to fire. Heat will still build up, of course, but the weapon can cool off during the reloading sequence, rather than worrying about it during the firing stage.
IDB-50 "Muspel" Plasma Cannon no longer requires a cooldown round!
Attempts to improve the Tyr's survivability, however, don't go quite as well. Somehow, the focus ends up switched from "functional armour plating" to "conventional warfare electronic defenses", and the whole week ends up being spent on fitting ECM pods and flare launchers onto the Tyr prototype's frame before the researchers realise they've been barking in completely the wrong forest. Hurriedly, they retract their additions-- while such systems may be useful against mechanical foes, they're next to useless in the context of kaiju battles.
Consumable +1 Research Bonus to Anti-Conventional ECM Defenses!
Yes, I did actually give you something despite the nat 1 roll. I just saw "defenses and/or armour" and had this hilarious idea of "accidentally researched the wrong type of defenses". Whether or not it'll actually be useful is for you to decide.
Given the performance of Laidon's UV laser weapons compared to that of the Protectorate's own visible-spectrum beams, C-Tech decides it's time for an upgrade.
Moderate Success! Micro Laser Vulcan blueprints upgraded to Micro UV Lasers!
60mm Laser Vulcan blueprints upgraded to 60mm UV Laser Vulcan!
All UV Laser weapons gain +1 Damage Bonus and 1 AP!
All future Laser weapons will be constructed as UV Lasers. All current Laser weapons in service may be upgraded during next downtime as a Free Action.
The Kaiju Hunt Scanner continues to be a useful investment. As before, there's a mix of new kaiju and updates on old kaiju-- though mainly the latter this time. First, the newcomers:
To the south is a kaiju that's being tentatively designated a Category II, codename "Bristlethorn". Named for the branching, spiny limbs on its spine and head, the kaiju seems... off, somehow. In most respects it's a normal, standard Cat II kaiju, but the patrol dispatched to observe it have consistently reported a distinctly uncomfortable feeling in the back of their head when they got near it. What actual effects this oddity may have are unknown, but the scouts advise to treat this one with caution,
However, much further south is one that's just as, if not even more worrisome. Codename "Leadhead" has only recently arrived from the Anteverse, and yet already calls the city of Portland, Oregon its home (though to be fair, it's likely that Leadhead simply finished the job there, as opposed to taking the city down in the first place). Deceptively simplistic in its appearance, reports of Leadhead say it doesn't have any spikes, any extra limbs, any horns, any weird powers-- and the readings support that. Its toxicity and radiation levels are very, very low for a kaiju of its size. However, its physical results alone are enough for it to straddle the line between Categories IV and V. Packing more muscle, bone, and armour into one creature than anything previously seen, Leadhead seems like it could shrug off a nuclear bombardment, and deal that same amount of punishment back in return. In other words, not someone Neo-Seattle would want to tangle with soon.
After this comes the updates on the older ones. Boreas finally shows up on the sensor sweep, and it seems to have grown a little bigger since last time. Tara's building project is still going strong, though with only a week since their last check-up there's not much change. Rime is still sulking offshore, but they've actually gotten a glimpse of it on the move-- he's a massive, flattened beast, like some sort of flatfish or ray.
Nothing's changed with Armstrong, but a bit more data has arrived on Smirker and Dissenter's morphology. The former seems more built for cobra-style strikes with its front half, rather than constricting or strangling opponents, though that doesn't mean it won't be able to do so. The cobra comparison continues, as it seems that Smirker actually has a hood around its neck. The latter kaiju, meanwhile, has a very... tokusatsu-esque stance. Essentially, Dissenter's upper body is held vertically, while its hind legs and long tail act as a tripod. It's a very stable stance, hard to knock down or overbear, especially with the sort of size and weight Dissenter's readings are showing.
New Anteverse Activity within Territory!
- SE-27-008-H, "Bristlethorn", Category II. Location: South. Sports spiny antennae on its head and back, and a disquieting aura.
- SE-27-009-H, "Leadhead", Category IV-V. Location: far South. Big, heavy, and extremely well-armoured, with a reinforced skull and core. A recent arrival, who resides in Portland, Oregon.
You may notice that Everett has no "Territory Activity" section, while Neo-Seattle does. This is because Neo-Seattle is the capital/hub of your faction, and thus anything that would be in Everett's territory is also in Neo-Seattle's territory. You can obviously still launch missions or hunt kaiju from Everett, but you'd just refer to Neo-Seattle's Territory Activity section when doing so. In case anyone wanted to know that.
What little of Jagdhund's arm plating remains is salvaged and broken down.
Broken Armour recycled for 100 R!
And as some things are broken down, other things are created-- new vehicles, new armour plates, new ammunition, new weapons, and more are churned out of the auto-jigs to outfit the jaegers and the defense force. Among these, one of the most prominent is the (still very experimental) Skadi, whose flattened shape and massive bulk is plainly obvious. However, there's much, much more besides it.
As the new craft are busy being managed and assigned to pilots, the armour and weapons go straight to the jaegers. Phenom's new boosters are set in place, their designs slightly shortened and doubled up to keep them from getting in the way. An entire new arm frame is fabricated for Jagdhund, and the new plating fitted as soon as the limb is attached. Tacit's right arm receives similar treatment, new parts being built as the armour's planned out-- though unlike Jagdhund, the jaeger's left arm is also temporarily stripped of armour-- in order to remove the other fangblade. Now, Tacit Ronin will sport the newest and best pair of fangblades available to it, and regain its old signature technique.
Super Fangblades installed! Armour installed! Tacit Ronin fully repaired! Armour installed! Arm reconstructed! Jagdhund fully repaired! SFTs installed! All Augment slots filled!
Immediately capitalizing on the breakthroughs provided by Euphonium's corpse, a second mass project is brought underway, focused on developing a positron weapon of the city's own. Though initial prototypes show issues, each iteration improves on the design, focusing on getting a functioning, powerful weapon that won't explode upon firing. And, to the engineers' credit, they manage to fill those requirements, despite having essentially no prior experience with antimatter weapons. Fifth in the line of prototypes, the T-5y Toroidal Accelerator Positron Cannon is physically stable, potent in output, and able to threaten a wide range before its payload disintegrates-- some of the best results a spontaneous project like this could have hoped for. That said, it is in no way a subtle weapon; even without the reinforcing armour or mounting structure, the finished T-5 would be about the same size as a jaeger's torso, and weigh almost as much. As a turret, it'd be pretty much stationary during a fight-- unlike the railgun batteries, moving the T-5 between Sectors and preparing it can take up to twenty minutes-- and armoured enough to shrug off a blow from a kaiju. And that's not even getting into the output of the thing. However, as with many impressive weapons in the Protectorate's arsenal, the T-5 comes with a few obvious flaws. While potentially devastating, the cannon's output is not very consistent, not to mention somewhat slow to recharge, and its awkward design makes external targeting assistance next to useless. Ironically, though, its power supply is not the biggest issue here-- in fact, the city's combined power grid provides more than enough power for the weapons system! No, the problem is that the weapon can't actually handle the amounts of power it's using; each time it fires, the T-5 burns through several vital fuses and internal mechanisms, rendering the cannon inoperable after only four shots, and requiring the replacement of these components after each battle it sees use.
Heavy Positron weapons unlocked!
New Defense Augment available: T-5 Heavy Positron Defense Turret! T-5 Heavy Positron Defense Turret (Defense) 4000 Resources
- T-5 Toroidal Accelerator Positron Cannon: 1d10 Burst damage. +2d5 Damage. AP /2 (see below). Range 20/-/35. Hits on 5+. Four Shots Only. Does not benefit from Arges. Requires a turn to charge up between shots.
-- This weapon treats the AV of all armour it strikes as halved before applying Resilience.
-- This weapon cannot be reloaded during battle.
- Structure: AV +1/-, Stru 2. Strike Repair costs 75 R/Strike.
- Perimeter Defense: When purchased, the T-5 is assigned to cover a specific Sector of the Defense Perimeter (or other equivalent city limits). When a fight occurs in that Sector, the T-5 may participate.
- Mobile Rail: Provided it has been given adequate warning, the T-5 Heavy Positron Defense Turret may participate in a battle situated in a Sector adjacent to its default one. The T-5 cannot shift Sectors once Combat has begun.
Positron cannons, yay! This took a while to write up, but I'm actually pretty happy with it. It's not as strong as Euphonium's Siege Cannon (well, consistently strong), and you only get a handful of shots with it each battle, but it doesn't take a minute to charge up, and each shot can really hurt, thanks to that /2 AP ability. I think it's a good trade-off, and I'm happy to give this to you guys, what with the increasing difficulty.
Meanwhile, another major project takes place; vast shipments of supplies and manpower are transferred over to Everett, accompanied by a large number of military units-- not to mention the formidable, and now upgraded, Phenom Sable! With the re-founding of the city, it's only a matter of time before kaiju start paying attention to it again, and the place should at least be able to hold its own in a fight.
16500 Resources transferred to Everett!
Military Units transferred to Everett!
1 Elite Tank
4 Regular Tank Squads
1 Elite Artillery Team
1 Normal Artillery Team
3 Mortar Squads
1 Elite Dragonfly Scout Squad
3 Regular Dragonfly Scout Squads
4 Jumphawks.
5 Meganeuras.
3 Hellhound Squadrons.
1 Elite Banshee Squadron.
3 Regular Banshee Squadron.
1 Condor Squadron.
The Murasame Type-RX.
The Heimdal.
Phenom Sable transferred to Everett!
Said resources are immediately put to use improving the city's infrastructure, offering improved production facilities and repairing damaged buildings and streets even more. The city's beginning to return to its old glory.
Everett Population to 6!
Everett Manufacturing to 6!
There's just one thing left for the Council to take care of; KRAUN.
The communications screen opens. KRAUN sits at their table, performing minor adjustments to their masks and postures, which soon peter off as they find comfortable placements. Well, most of them, at least; two of the five members are nowhere to be seen, the absence made even more conspicuous by the open spaces they would have taken.
"So," KRAUN-03 says, head tilting conversationally. "You've called again."
"Before you begin, there's one thing we'd like to do," 01 speaks up. Their voice modulator is slightly out of true, lending an awkward echo to their words."And that would be to express our gratitude that you were able to intervene against the attack on our outpost. Without your assistance, the effect would have been devastating-- both from the damage to our assets, and the loss of life there."
The final member, 04, just sits there, waiting and listening behind their mask.
[X] "It is our duty to defend not just our territory, not just our citizens, but all of Humanity, wherever we can. Showing up to protect the citizens of Spokane Valley and helping the soldiers on your outpost is part of that duty."
-[x] "Speaking of which, is there any news about the outpost since our return to Neo-Seattle?"
"They're handling the situation well," 01 replies. "Support assets have been dispatched to aid in the reconstruction, as well as provide reinforcements. This attack has... definitely drawn our attention, to say the least."
-[X] "On a more... delicate matter, we are understandably concerned about what could trigger an attack like this. For the sake of both of our groups. When we asked Outpost MICHAEL they said it might have had to do with an experimental Supercell moving through the region.
-[x] "We would also like to inquire why Jaegers were not available. Considering the number of Jaegers we've seen at your disposal and the near-instantaneous nature of ANGEL-Net Comms, it seems strange that no reinforcements arrived in time for the fight. Were you dealing with some kind of attack elsewhere?"
At this, 01 pauses, hesitating a little with their reply. Instead, it's 03 who takes the lead.
"Yes," they respond. "Our jaegers were either occupied or otherwise too far from the site, and thus unable to respond in time. We were able to send our conventional autonomous forces-- but as we've mentioned, they arrived later. None of our forces are suited particularly well to fast responses over long distances, unfortunately."
[X] "Its good to know the people of the Outpost are doing well. Please send them our regards and best wishes."
-[X] "As for your troubles with fast response over long distances, I'll confess it was one we shared until very recently. We decided to research and develop a method to transport a Jaeger between nearby cities within a combat timeframe, and the result was a Superheavy Jaeger transport that can move surprisingly fast for its size. As I understand it, it is capable of breaking the land speed record several times over. It is highly experimental, but it is also remarkably effective. The Northwestern Protectorate would be willing to share its blueprint with KRAUN."
KRAUN-01 and KRAUN-03 look at each other, clearly giving the idea a fair amount of thought. The two turn back to the screen, shifting in their seats as they prepare to--
04 speaks up.
"Is there a price?"
X] "The price, as it were, lies partially in the fact it is bleeding edge tech. We built the first one just this week, actually. We hope that, should you accept the blueprints, you would be willing to share any advancements or modifications made to them as well as any derivatives. We would do the same on our end, of course."
-[X] "Actually, for the sake of honesty, we'll send the specifications as well as some photographs. I'm sure you'll agree it is very impressive and not something most people would consider building. Or possible. And we haven't even had the time to figure out how to add the ramming prow yet."
Unfortunately for the council('s potential amusement), KRAUN's masks stop them from being able to actually see their reactions to that last sentence. However, there is a slight pause before their reply.
"...Fair enough," 04 says, unfolding their arms. "I find that reasonable enough, especially with the addition of the data."
-[X] "That aside, we want to know what could have drawn a Kaiju siege team armed with a Positron cannon to an outpost. I'm sure you know attacks of that scale on a relatively small settlement are highly irregular, and there's talk a Supercell or some other thing outputting Breach Radiation passed through before the attack. This is worrying us and reassurances aren't enough when antimatter is involved."
The three look at each other, then back to the camera.
"One moment, please," 03 says, before a mute icon flashes in the upper corner of the screen, and the sound cuts out from KRAUN.
Without visible faces or any sound, KRAUN's conversation seems to consist completely of hand gestures and posture adjustments, which is definitely an... interesting sight to see. Somewhat hard to track, as well, since the members continue to switch between which of the others they appear to be addressing.
A couple minutes later, though, the wordless pantomime ends, and the sound turns back on.
"...before we explain, we request that all subordinate personnel of your exit the room," says 04. "The information we are sharing is still quite classified, and we would prefer to avoid leaks until we're ready to go public."
With a bit of cajoling, the room empties, until only the highest council members (read: the players) are left in it. KRAUN-04 nods in appreciation, and sighs.
"The rumor of a Supercell engine is correct, but not in the way you'd think," begins 01. "Active supercell reactors themselves do not produce anything that will instinctively draw kaiju to their source, aside from a healthy dose of the electromagnetic radiation some of them recharge themselves with. Otherwise, the final stages of our Mark VI project would likely have wiped us out already."
"The engine itself is not the important factor," 03 continues. "It's a Mark Six Delta-class Quantum Reaction Chamber, which we're planning on using in our final run of Mark VI Jaegers, as well as the Mark VII project. It has a similar output to our Beta-class and Gamma-class reactors, with a smaller and more efficient design than the previous models, but that's all. What was important about this particular reactor unit was what it was powering-- and what's so classified about it."
And now, it's 04's turn.
"The component it was attached to is... an emitter, of sorts, which is able to feed off the radiation of a Supercell," they explain. "In response, the emitter creates a region of altered space around itself, which possesses several unique properties-- properties that we're currently investigating in an attempt to improve the performance of our upcoming Mark VII project. The reason it was on during transit was because one of those properties appears to be... in a sense, reducing the effects of inertia. As such, the plan was to test if the emitter's activity would improve the speed or fuel efficiency of its transportation. Results haven't come back yet."
"Now, it's unclear if the emitter itself caused the kaiju's path to intersect Outpost MICHAEL through some unforeseen side effect of its operation, or if it was always the kaiju's plan to pass through on their way eastward. Previous active trials haven't shown any increase in nearby kaiju beyond normal levels, so we can't say it was definitely the reason," added 03. "But even if it was the cause, the emitter's in Nevada now."
"That's all we can say on the matter of the kaiju," 01 finishes. "We don't know if our transportation and test caused the attack, or if the correlation between the two was just illusory. However, as far as we know, you aren't at risk of provoking an incident through the same method."
"Now, was there anything else?"
-[X] "As for other things we'd like, there's new and interesting tech and support for our next raid on Oblivion Bay. We'd be more than happy to negotiate until we reach an agreement."
"...On one hand, it depends what sort of tech you're interested in," KRAUN-04 replies. "Obviously, we'd prefer to keep our own bleeding-edge experiments to ourselves, at least until we've completed work on them, but there are many things we'd be happy to share."
"As for Oblivion Bay..." The councilor trailed off, and looked at their comrades. The three share momentary glances, before KRAUN-01 picks up the slack.
"We're willing to provide support and participate in a mission to there. However, it will be around two months before we can assist."
And so, the grand (sorta) reveal of what was really going on! Ta da!
[X] "First off, thank you for trusting us and sharing that information about your altered space project. It sounds extremely interesting, and it gives us a few ideas of our own."
-[X] "Secret projects aside, we also appreciate your promise of support. The timeframe is no problem and actually works out on our end as well. We'll send you the data from our last attempt to strike Oblivion Bay, to make sure we're all on the same page regarding the expected resistance. The Cat V residing there is particularly interesting, given it can apparently control gravity."
KRAUN's leaders simply nod, acknowledging the responses. As always, they're a little hard to read, but it's clear enough that the news about Anaklusmos isn't exactly spirit-lifting.
-[X] "As for what technologies we're interested in, we'd love to have your Drone tech. Our Conventional forces tend to take losses when facing Kaiju with Ranged weapons... and that's most Kaiju these days. The Air Force, and the Scouts in particular, have taken heavy losses in the past."
-[X] "Actually, we're very interested in AI technology in general."
-[X] "Jaeger construction techniques could also be very useful for us."
-[X] "If you're not willing to share those techs, then that's fine, but it'd be best if you sent a list of what you are. We don't exactly have the most complete knowledge of your capabilities to know what to ask."
"Providing drone technologies won't be a problem," KRAUN-01 replies. "And, if you wish, we can include blueprints for several different chassis we've used as bodies for the drones, if you wish to save time figuring out how to integrate them into your own vehicles."
"Now, regarding Artificial Intelligence..." says 04. "The main problem we'd have there is that our own AIs tend to fall into one of two groups; the weak/narrow AIs used in drones, and the strong AIs that control our Jaegers. And while there's no issue providing instructions on the drones, the ANGEL-class AI is..."
"They're close enough to being human that we're not quite comfortable having them produced outside of a controlled environment," KRAUN-03 explains, taking over for 04. "For their own sake, as much as ours. Our apologies, but we won't give you access to the ANGEL blueprints-- not just yet."
"That said, we are currently developing a support AI that stands somewhere between the two in intelligence and cognitive ability-- sort of like that used in piloted jaegers, but playing a more active role in both mechanical operations and the Drift itself. Once it's finished, we can see about putting ARCHANGEL on the table."
"Anyways, the last thing-- Jaeger construction," 01 says, bringing it back to them. "While we can construct jaegers faster and more efficiently than the old PPDC, it's not without trade-offs. Our production facilities are optimised to make a limited selection of jaeger designs, and little else. We can modify their equipment and capabilities afterwards, but it's still essentially meant for mass production, and we're not sure how much that lies in line with your own philosophies of jaeger design. At best, we may be able to share our experience with homogenized parts to help reduce the effort of making completely unique components for each jaeger."
"How does that fare with you?"
[X] "Your stance on high-level AIs is more than understandable. And your Jaeger production techniques would still be useful to us as they are, and would probably help our Mark 0 project as well..."
-[X] "Oh, that's our project to create a platform that can combine the power and relative affordability of a Superheavy platform with the speed and adaptability of a Jaeger. Essentially, they'd be miniature Jaegers piloted by a single Ranger. It's still in the drawing board, however."
-[X] "In any case, we are willing to exchange the Skadi's blueprints in exchange as much of the AI and or Jaeger mass production tech as you are comfortable providing. Additionally, we promise to share any modifications we make to these technologies or their derivatives, provided you promise to do the same to any modifications made to the Skadi and or any derivatives you develop. Is this acceptable?"
"This proposition is completely satisfactory for us," KRAUN-01 says. "We'll accept your deal, and honour it."
At this, the other two members nod in agreement.
"Now, if that's all we need to address, we can start the data transfer, and get this done."
[X] "I believe that will be all for this call. It has been a pleasure working with you, gentlemen. Good luck and good hunting."
-[X] Exchange the data and then close the call.
With that, KRAUN's video feed closes off, and the data transfer starts.
===
It takes a little while to get all the data across and backed up, but there's still plenty of daylight by the time it's done. Not long after, an overview is compiled and presented to the council.
First among the files are blueprints for a fairly simplistic AI core-- which further files show is the primary core used in KRAUN's autonomous vehicles. The core is pretty compact, and well-equipped with components and link areas to allow it to hook into a chassis' mainframe and systems. Instructions are also offered in the files on how to activate, program, and command the cores, as well as operational reports and what to expect from them. Other than a weakness to electromagnetic disruption, the only real potential drawback of the cores is that they're not particularly clever-- intelligent, yes, but they're more reliant on orders and pre-programmed reactions to adapt to changing conditions than active calculation of countermeasures. KRAUN recommends keeping orders in the field on the shorter and simpler side, as particularly lengthy or uncertain commands will take longer for the AI to decipher. Admittedly, the nature of combating a kaiju means that most orders will tend to be optimal for drone craft, but a warning never hurts. With these blueprints, the Protectorate should be able to design or convert its own Drone-operated craft.
Autonomous/Drone craft will cost less than piloted variants of vehicles, due to not having to worry about training pilots or the addition of life support systems, and will not impact morale when destroyed. Drones are, however, not the sharpest of AI, and may have some difficulty executing overly long or complex commands (though they're not incapable of doing so). Obviously, all Drone craft are far more vulnerable to electrical or electromagnetic attacks than piloted vehicles.
By the way, Drone Cores aren't something you'll get a physical, out-of-game blueprint for-- it more means you can (for example) say "research Autonomous Type 100 Tanks" and get a working Drone Tank easily, without a bunch of research into actually making the Drone Cores and software and stuff.
Of course, the Protectorate's going to have to make their own, since KRAUN's remaining drone blueprints are mainly just examples of modified cockpits/piloting chambers that have been changed to accept the drone cores, rather than the whole vehicles. A useful jumping point, but that's all. The rest concerns manufacturing and production.
The files on parts homogenizing are a little more esoteric, but still clearly useful. As they'd suggested, it's detailing a limited sort of mass production-- not for jaeger frames as a whole, but specific parts such as those used for joints, muscle strands, or other internal components. By improving compatibility of pieces across the jaegers as a whole, new frames and their replacement pieces wouldn't need to be completely designed anew, lightening the load needed for their creation. For example, instead of using three different types of binding ring for a jaeger's ankle, knee, and elbow joints, one all-rounder piece could fill their place instead. It's not a perfect idea, but it could definitely be useful.
New Research Token: KRAUN (Parts Homogenization)!
Since your jaegers aren't all the same as KRAUN's, you'll need to do some research. However, the basic effects of this token can range from compacting repair actions (due to jaegers being able to use the same parts), to dropping the cost of post-Mark-I frames past your current limitations (for a similar reason of parts compatibility), to both, to anything you all and I can agree it's applicable for. Really, as always, it kinda depends how you roll.
All that's left is the data on jaeger mass production, which details how to set up and specialize production lines towards one final product. Obviously, mass production itself isn't new, but KRAUN's information would make it far easier to implement into something as large and complex as jaegers. While the basic data assumes complete, full mass-production along the lines of KRAUN's own jaegers, there's also elaborations on the optimization of frame designs, reducing the initial flexibility of one's loadout in exchange for more efficient construction.
New Research Token: KRAUN (Mass-Production Jaegers)!
Like the Parts Homogenization Token, this is kinda flexible in how you use it-- but unlike the latter, it's a bit more clear-cut in what you can do with it. There's specific ranges you can aim for, in terms of how much you want to integrate mass-production. To use (so far the only) two examples I've come up with;
- Partial Mass-Production: Somewhere between Full Mass-Production and Parts Homogenization is this option. You can set up a line to make a specific type of frame that specializes in something, but the rest of the jaeger production process goes on as normal. You get a jaeger for cheaper than normal, but it's partially locked into its initial stats. For example, a "Ronin Mark I Frame" (obviously based off Tacit Ronin) might not let its jaeger begin with a Toughness above 2, a HtH below 3, or an Agi below 2. It's always going to start inclined towards one sort of specialization, but it's faster and cheaper to make in exchange for less flexibility.
- Full Mass-Production: This is what KRAUN does, and what seems like your preference for Mark Zeros. Essentially, you set up production lines to build one specific type of jaeger, which always starts with the same mark, stat arrangement, derived augments, and basic equipment, and you can make that same jaeger over and over for a lot cheaper than you could make several unique jaegers. Armour, weapons, other equipment can be swapped out and individualized post-production, but the immediate end product will always be mechanically identical.
These are, of course, just examples.
Again, this isn't the actual data itself-- just a simplified summary of what it contains.
Hopefully, the fact that I've just given you a couple of tokens isn't too big a deal. I just don't have specific ideas for them right now, and flexibility is better than no options.
===
And that should close off downtime for this week! Any further comments or questions before I throw giant monsters at you guys?
Quick question for the kaiju incursions: how do you guys wanna do this?
[ ] Clarity over speed! One city at a time!
[ ] Finish it faster! Both cities simultaneously!
It's been a couple of days since the Uemuras were transferred to Everett. It's not too big a problem, and they've managed to settle in fairly well. Phenom's doing fine as well, despite the lack of proper facilities for him.
And just like in Neo-Seattle, the sudden sound of a kaiju alert immediately gets them up and ready to roll. Time to test out Phenom's upgrades.
<ALERT: NEW KAIJU SIGNATURE DETECTED>
<INBOUND FROM WESTERN SECTOR>
<CLASSIFICATION: CATEGORY III>
At almost the same time, however, Neo-Seattle's own systems read three more kaiju incoming, their headings aimed towards the bigger city. It seems like they're not going to be able to lend any backup to Everett-- not without sacrificing their own defenses.
<ALERT: MULTIPLE NEW KAIJU SIGNATURES DETECTED>
<INBOUND FROM NORTHWESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN SECTORS>
<TRIPLE EVENT - CLASSIFICATION: CATEGORY II, MULTIPLE CATEGORY III>
Throw me some dice! 1d10+4 for Everett's scan, and 1d10+7 for Neo-Seattle's!
Edit: Also, gonna have to figure out if I want to have this Everett kaiju be SE-27-019, or set a new designation for the kaiju of different cities and go with EV-27-001. Choices, choices.
We'll do Everett first, just to get it out of the way. Besides, the kaiju's going to be a lot closer with this roll, so it's better to get it over with first.
Unfortunately, the detection grid in Everett seems to have inherited all the instabilities of Neo-Seattle's network, and promptly flashes several bizarre messages across the main output screen before spontaneously crashing. With no intact data beyond the initial signature identification, Everett's scout groups are sent out to try and get a look at the kaiju-- tentatively designated as EV-27-001, or "EV-1" for short (nobody's thought up a good codename for it yet). Fortunately, the autogyros are one thing that doesn't crash, and manage to report back some information on the incoming threat; EV-1's approaching at high speed, and seems to be moving above the water-- though the amount of spray and smoke it's giving off makes it hard to tell whether the thing's running on water or just flying really low. In either case, they can outpace it, but it's gonna be a close one at the kaiju's current distance. Everett's gonna have to figure out their plan quickly.
EV-1 is about 15 kilometres from Everett, approaching from the west towards Possession Sound. What's the plan?
Combat Deployment
[X] Plan Hat Trick Mega
-[X] One Meganeura carries Phenom Sable, hovers about ten units west of Hat Island
-[X] Everything else that can be carried over to Hat Island gets carried over to Hat Island; they Overwatch.
-[X] Air Force deploys to fifteen units west of Hat Island
-[X] RX-12 deploys just south of Hat Island
Hurriedly, Everett's defense forces hurtle into action, the Meganeuras and Jumphawks deploying their passengers as fast as safely possible in the middle of Hat Island. At the very least, the island's deserted, so nobody's really going to complain about the golf course being used as a staging point for the Protectorate's land-bound forces.
Phenom Sable isn't really given a chance to prepare itself-- the pilots have to run through the startup sequence en route to the battlefield (though the challenge suits them both just fine). By the time they've reached the deployment point, the jaeger's fully roused, systems winding up to normal levels with a slightly sleepy rumble.
EV-1's arrival is far from subtle. The kaiju rounds the corner of Whidbey Island, misty spray and ash-choked smoke surrounding its form as it rushes across the top of Possession Sound. At the sight of the awaiting forces, it surges up into the air, dispelling the shroud of smoke and mist with a thunderous clap of its wings. Nearly a hectare long from head to tail, EV-1 could best be compared to a cross between dragon and leech, though that only partially does it justice. It's slimy, smoky, twisted and looks just plain wrong, with four spindly hind legs, oddly-jointed forelimbs sporting massive hooked talons, and an interlocked zigzagging pattern down the centre of its belly and spine. Translucent webbing runs not only between the fingers of its wings, but between its other limbs as well, creating what seems to be an extra pair of control surfaces between its pinions. Plumes of thick, clingy smoke pour from two backwards-pointing vents on the small of its back, and rise into hazy clouds from the corners of its mouth-- or rather, mouths, as EV-1 clearly doesn't know where its abominable appearance should end. A pair of tubular necks erupt from the front of its body like living smokestacks, ending in a hook-toothed maw and scattering of beady black eyes. As it flaps its wings again, swooping down once more, EV-1 howls, directing a challenge towards those who would stand against it.
Phenom Sable blares its horns back in defiance.
Distances:
Phenom Sable is 94 units from Everett, and just over 30 units from EV-1.
The Air force is 5 in front of Phenom. All ground forces are about 80 from Everett (roughly a third of the way from Hat Island's west edge), 14 from Phenom. The Type-RX is 19 units behind Phenom.
Yep, EV-1's one of the weird kaiju.
Combat Round 1
[X] Phenom deploys from the Meganeura at the northwesternmost tip of the Island and activates the Barrier Plate.
[X] All conventional Units reposition to get closer to EV-1 (maximum distance from Phenom: 5 units, if possible); make sure to stay on overwatch for when it enters shooting range. Maintaining battle spacing to avoid clusters.
-[X] If possible, Arges.
[X] Meganeuras are to leave the operation area.
"All mobile combat units, advance positions! Prepare for firing as soon as it enters range! Transport craft are to unload any remaining cargo, then retreat!"
Around the island, Jumphawks and Meganeuras pull back, fleeing the combat zone, save for one group. Moving closer to shore, the VTOL craft give a quick alert to their payload, before disengaging the tow cables. Reactor rumbling in his chest, Phenom Sable splashes down in the shallows, and rises to his full height. An iridescent bubble of light blooms from the jaeger's shoulder plate, momentarily surrounding the machine before fading from the visible spectrum.
Meanwhile, the rest of the defense force heads the other direction. The ground forces stand their ground-- not all of them can move closer in unison, and doing so would screw with their preparations-- but the air force and navy have no such issues. The Murasame-class pulls around the south of the island, its Pilum railgun turning to track the incoming kaiju, and the attack helis ready their missiles, while the scouts swoop in from the sides to lock on.
1 Arges hit! +1 Ranged Bonus!
Unfortunately, only the elite squadron manages a solid connection, before EV-1 scrapes its wings against the water, throwing up a plume of mist that ruins the rest's attempts.
With another harmonized howl, the two-headed kaiju accelerates, skimming underneath and past the rest of the air force as it closes in!
And then the Heimdal opens fire.
Overwatch activated! Heimdal within firing range!
1d10+4 Longspear Overwatch (hits on 8s), and a hit location!
Distances:
Phenom Sable is 89 units from Everett, and just over 13 units from EV-1.
The attack helis are 20 in front of Phenom, and scouts are in Arges range of EV-1. All ground forces are about 80 from Everett (around Hat Island's west edge), 9 from Phenom. The Type-RX is 6 units from Phenom.
This round was a little weird on your part, since the ground forces can't move fast, and moving would screw with overwatch anyways. I just figured they'd do better staying in place, while the air force can get away with sacrificing overwatch due to mobility. Phenom also was not at the island's tip before, so he had to be moved back a little. Hopefully it's a fair compromise.
Combat Round 1 Overwatch
EV-1's roars cut off into a startled squawk, as the railspike flies past, barely missing one if its hind legs.
"Load the next flechette!" the Heimdal's commander cries."Charge the launch rails! We've got our bead on this bastard-- next time, our spike's gonna nail him!"
2 units closer, and you'd have hit.
Combat Turn 2
[X] Phenom goes into Full Defense with Deflective Guard.
[X] Scouts paint the Kaiju with the Arges.
[X] The rest of the Air Force move in and fire their Missiles at EV-1.
[X] Ground Forces move closer to EV-1 and fire if in range.
[X] The Heimdal Overwatches for when EV-1 is within 20 units from it.
Phenom drops into a readied stance, the armoured sections of his forearms shifting to better deflect any incoming attacks.
Meanwhile, the airforce wheels around, lasing EV-1's back before a flurry of missiles slam into it!
3 Arges Hits!
Several shots narrowly miss the wings, detonating against the thruster vents instead, while others burst across the kaiju's left, but a pair of warheads catch EV-1 at the base of a neck, shocking it and flinging droplets of molten acid into the right head's eyes. The two-headed kaiju shrieks painfully, the rhythm of its sides disrupted, but the minor inconvenience isn't enough to knock it from the skies.
6 hits! 4 deal no damage!
Hit to Chest! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Eyes! Glancing Wound! Right Side Eyes irritated!
EV-1 takes 2 Strikes! EV-1 remains aloft!
Unfortunately for the kaiju, the next barrage comes from the advancing ground forces. Tank shells pummel the monster's underside, accompanied by the shrapnel-filled clouds of mortar fire. Tiny cuts are opened in its slimy skin, shredding pieces of epidermis and layers of mucus. While damage is minimal, it's a very noticeable distraction, and a lucky shot bounces into the left side vent's intake.
7 hits! 5 deal no damage!
Hit to Spine! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Thigh! Glancing Wound!
EV-1 takes 2 Strikes!
1 Mortar team out of ammo! And it is at this point that I realise you have no FRS in Everett. That mortar group is completely out of the game for the rest of this fight.
Sparks fly from the back of the biomechanical engine, the internal mechanisms momentarily cutting out. EV-1's heads cry out in alarm, before its wings lose rhythm, and the kaiju tumbles into the surf, the water bursting up in a steam-filled plume around it.
EV-1 crashes!
For a moment, there's silence. Then EV-1 explodes out of the surf, its forelegs treading water as it hisses in discontent. There's a bit of discolouration on one of the arms, where it hit the water funny, but other than that the only visible injuries are the tiny fragments of Kaiju Blue leaking into the churning bay around it.
Glancing Wound to Right Side Forearm! EV-1 takes 1 Strike!
However, said injury doesn't last long. As EV-1 finds its footing, the discoloured flesh softens back to grey-green, losing the bruised texture in seconds. Hundreds of tiny cuts seal shut as it flexes, stemming the trickling wounds and healing its body. Soon, EV-1 looks much better than it did a few seconds ago.
(10, 10)
Fast Healing heals 2 Strikes!
Spreading web-fingered wings like fins, EV-1 surges forwards, flapping and thrashing its way towards the island--
"Target in range!"
"Rail charge complete!"
"Open fire!"
--unfortunately, right as the Heimdal's targeting system locks back on.
Overwatch activated!
1d10+5 for Railgun, hitting on 5s, and a hit location too!
Distances:
Phenom Sable is 89 units from Everett, and just over 10 units from EV-1.
The air force are in Arges/weapons range of EV-1. Immobile ground forces (arty and Heimdal) are about 80 from Everett (around Hat Island's west edge), 9 from Phenom, while mobile forces (tanks and mortars) are 2 closer to Phenom. The Type-RX is 6 units from Phenom.
Flight isn't Ee-Vee's only special ability...
Edit: melee combat will almost certainly start in a round or so, assuming the kaiju doesn't die, so I promise you'll be able to test out your cool perk.
Combat Round 2 Overwatch
Unlike last time, the railgun's aim is dead on, and a tungsten spike flies into the spray of water, tearing a bloody blue gash across EV-1's right flank. The kaiju howls, its regeneration abilities hurriedly working to replace the toxic blood pouring out.
Hit to R. Thigh! Minor Wound! -1 Agi!
EV-1 takes 3 Strikes! +1 Ongoing!
Ongoing damage healed!
Nonetheless, EV-1 pushes on, throwing itself through the waves persistently. A few jets of sparks and tarry smoke erupt angrily from between its teeth, none making it very far before fizzling out.
(2,3)
And yet, it's still coming. And very, very angry.
EV-1 has moved 3 units closer, to 7 units from Phenom. It's now your turn.
Combat Round 3
[X] Phenom Charges EV-1, using his STFs for the extra boost, and attempts to initiate a grapple.
It's at this point that Phenom Sable abandons any attempts at subtlety. The new boosters on his back roar to life, before the jaeger leaps forwards, Destroyer Talons sliding out of their rest positions to seize the foe!
Hooked claws slam against splayed double-hands as EV-1 meets Phenom head-on. The two-headed kaiju snarls, trying to pivot into a throw-- but unfortunately, Phenom's grip is rock-solid, and the jaeger just twists around in midair, burning through the last of his rocket fuel to slam down on top of EV-1!
Grapple initiated! Roll... um... 1d10+13 for your first grapple round. Note to self; gonna need better grapplers if Phenom's gonna be a regular thing. At bare minimum, something that can hope to counter a grapple attempt would be nice. Eventually.
Distances:
Phenom Sable is 96 units from Everett, and in melee with EV-1.
The air force are in Arges/weapons range of EV-1. Immobile ground forces (arty and Heimdal) are about 80 from Everett (around Hat Island's west edge), 16 from Phenom, while mobile forces (tanks and mortars) are 2 closer to Phenom. The Type-RX is 13 units from Phenom.
Combat Round 3 Grapple
(22)
(22,9) Grappletied!
While Phenom is very good at grappling, EV-1 has twice as many limbs, and a far more flexible body. The two wrestle and twist in the surf, each trying to gain the upper hand but unable to overcome the other's strength.
Kaiju's turn! Grapple keeps going, so throw me 1d10+16, and another Vice roll!
Fighting furiously, Phenom finally managed to eek out a small advantage against his sinuous foe, momentarily holding it in place. The knife-tipped claws of the jaeger's hands fail to pierce skin, their oscillations slowed by EV-1's mucousy coating.
No damage from Progressive Vice!
Yet even as the black Jaeger moves to strike, EV-1 repairs itself, the clotted gash on its flank starting to knit back together!
(13,7) Fast Healing heals 1 Strike!
Now, time for your two-point grapple thing. Or pair of one point grapple things. Whatever you guys go with.
Unfortunately for Phenom, the kaiju's maneuver shifts the machine off balance, forcing the rangers to pull back upright before they fall into the bay. EV-1 takes full advantage of the situation, seizing the jaeger in its coils and grappling onto his shoulders from behind. Two heads bare their fangs and hiss-- the closest they can get to a grin.
What happens next is outside Phenom's field of view, though the defense force gets a very clear view. Some would wish they hadn't.
A quiver runs through the kaiju's body, from the tips of its tails up to its two heads, as its spine seems to ripple. The zigzagging band of armour running down its centreline flexes, bulging out on either side, as EV-1 stretches and strains. Then the plates unlock, flipping out like lines of bony hairclips, and the kaiju rips itself in half.
At the same time, Phenom's scanners go wild.
Surprisingly, the break is clean-- no blood or trailing strings of flesh, just rows of interlocking organs and bared muscle before the armour plates flip shut again, sealing both parts off from the air. Joints twist and snap into new positions, adjusting each half from eight limbs to four. The wings fold up, spiked thumbs pivoting to act as hammers; the clawed arms flex, wrists reversed to opposite directions; the necks turn on their axes, tendons shifting beneath the scaly skin.
Now completely separated, the two new kaiju reassert their grip, and bellow out their screeching howls-- their forms mirror images of each other.
Though divided, the now two kaiju waste no time bringing their strength to bear on Phenom Sable. The right one swoops around, yanking Phenom's arm up before hammering its right claw into the machine's thigh! The armour holds, but not without taking a dent.
Free Attack! Hit to R. Thigh! Glancing Wound!
Phenom Sable takes 1 Strike!
Meanwhile, the leftward kaiju hooks its wing around Phenom's arm, and tears its right down the jaeger's spine. The claws squeal and spark against the armour, before catching in a gap and ripping open the control circuits to Phenom Sable's legs!
Free Attack! Hit to Pelvis! Minor Wound! -2 Agi!
Phenom Sable takes 3 Strikes! +1 Ongoing!
The Uemuras cry out in simultaneous pain, and Phenom redoubles his efforts to win!
1d10+16 to fight back, and another Vice roll!
Highwind was pretty close with his guess; EV-1 was actually two kaiju all along! Of course, this is why I didn't give you guys a proper name for your opponent from the start; revealing that the kaiju is called "Geminus" would give everything away!
Combat Round 4 Grapple Pt 2
(23)
(11) (11) Phenom Sable wins the grapple! 12 Advantage Points! No damage from Ongoing!
With a foghorn roar, Phenom reaches behind, and yanks the two kaiju off his back! With a startled cry, Castor-- the one on the right-- swings into Pollux-- the one on the left-- crashing against the sinister Cat II before it can adjust! Unfortunately for Pollux, the movement knocks it back against Phenom's claws, which rip out a vicious scar across its hindquarters!
Hit to Pelvis! Minor Wound! -2 Agi! Armour destroyed!
Pollux takes 3 Strikes! +1 Ongoing! No damage from Ongoing!
Castor takes no damage!
As Pollux screams and flails in the painful grip Phenom has on it, Castor finds its throat crushed behind Phenom's forearm-- not comfortable in the least, but far enough from the whining blades that its own healing factor can keep repairing its steadily fading wound. Pollux has no such luck with its own wounds.
Castor:
(13) Fast Healing heals 1 Strike! Pollux:
(8)
Phenom sounds his horn again, ready to show the pair why splitting up was a bad decision.
Well. Talk about a comeback. Kinda hilarious that the first time the twins split, they roll snake eyes for their grapple, and then Pollux goes and flunks his Fast Healing roll.
Anyways, go! Inflict violence upon these two! Just be sure to specify to whom you're inflicting it on.
To put it simply, Phenom's pilots sink their fingers into Pollux, and pull it apart like brisket. Kaiju blue floods out of the shredded mass, immediately burning off the outermost layers of Phenom's paint and scoring lines into the armour. It's messy and graceless and violent-- in other words, it's exactly what one should expect from Phenom Sable.
Pollux didn't stand a chance.
Instant Death! EV-27-002, "Pollux" defeated!
However, Phenom's victorious foghorn call is cut short as Castor roars furiously, and wrenches itself from the machine's grip! Before their eyes, the kaiju's metabolism accelerates, stitching the last of its wounds shut and infusing it with alien adrenaline!
Revengeance activated! All damage healed!
Eyes stained red with sudden madness, Castor throws itself at Phenom Sable, sending the pair beneath the churning waves!
Roll for grapples and prog vice!
Yep, I also threw in the ever-terrible "one powers up when the other dies" gimmick! Have fun with Castor!
Even as the whirling, scratching, biting coil of flesh and fury batters at the Uemuras, the siblings return the effort tenfold. Phenom grabs and punches and twists viciously, his claws tearing several rents in the kaiju's throat as they struggle.
Hit to Neck! Minor Wound!
Castor takes 3 Strikes! +4 Ongoing!
Alright, time for grapple things. Seems like we're actually gonna finish this fight pretty soon-- letting us move on to the main event; Tacit and Jagdhund versus the other kaiju!
Combat Round 4 Grapple Pt 4
Unrelentingly, Phenom retracts the Talons on one hand, and slams a fist into Castor's face. The kaiju reels, coming back around before taking another blow to the cranium. With a foghorn bellow, Phenom strikes again and again, until the kaiju's rage hazed mind simply can't handle it any longer, and drops into unconsciousness.
Castor takes 8 Temporary Strikes! Castor is Incapacitated!
A few seconds later, Phenom awkwardly claws his way to the surface, paddling back towards Hat Island with a bleeding, concussed kaiju hanging from one arm, and the remains of another splattered across his armour.
EV-27-001, "Castor" defeated!
And just like that, Everett's first fight is won.
Yay, Phenom!
I'll probably start up the Neo-Seattle fight tomorrow, so in the meantime you all can... celebrate your victory here or whatever.
Unlike Everett, Neo-Seattle's scanners work just fine, pinpointing the three kaiju easily, and relaying in detailed reports. Two of them are coming from the northwest, with the remaining kaiju approaching from the southwest along the shore.
First off is the Cat II-- SE-27-016, designation "Barb"-- who's accompanying the northwestern Cat III. True to its name, Barb's defining characteristic appears to be several rows of quills or spikes that line its body. Combined with its serpentine build and fast movements, it's likely that the kaiju's main weapon will be constriction.
Approaching with Barb is the Category III, SE-27-017 "Traverser". Traverser's body plan is semi-humanoid in an almost tokusatsu-esque way, with a simian build, flattened head, and supple tail. Its readings don't suggest any form of ranged attack, though two projections on its back do contain heavy metallic elements.
Finally, the Cat III kaiju from the southwest-- SE-27-018, codename "Malisaur". Like several kaiju before it, Malisaur possesses a centaurian version of the common hexapedal structure-- that is, four legs and two arms, rather than the other way around. Its dorsal surface is completely covered in segmented plating, from its short tail to the end of its snout. Notable weapons appear to be its hooked claws and enlarged jaw, though reports of constant drooling and slobbering suggest a caustic ranged attack of some sort.
There's not much pattern to the kaiju's approach, though they're nowhere near as fast as EV-1. At most, all three are keeping a similar pace with each other.
Barb, Traverser, and Malisaur are all about 37-40 kilometres out from Neo-Seattle, albeit in different directions. You can intercept them en route, wait for them to come to you, or whatever you want. What's the plan?
Combat Deployment
[X] Move the Northeast Railgun to the Northwest and the Southeast Railgun to the Southwest.
[X] Deploy the Tanks, Artillery, Mortars, two scouts plus the Elite scout and the Hlin 8 units forward of the DP, in the SW Sector. Group under the Hlin's aegis and wait for the Kaiju to enter. Tacit deploys alongside them.
[X] Deploy the rest of the Air Force to the Northwest, five units forward of the DP. Jagdhund deploys at the DP, prone and with the Machine Cannon equipped and loaded with Assault Rounds.
[X] The Navy splits up and deploys a Mura' and a Gunboat to the North- and Southwest, with the single Moray going to the Northwest. Deploy five units away from the beach.
Most of the city's naval and air forces meet just outside the limits, waiting as Jagdhund joins up. The Jaeger takes a sniping stance behind the Defense Perimeter, using the wall itself as a support for her weapon. On either side, the railgun batteries wait, charged and loaded and ready to fire.
Off in the distance, two shapes pass through the waves.
Barb resembles a sea serpent, long and sinuous and scaly-- aside from the several hundred, bright red quills running along its body, or the six luminous eyes embedded in its skull. The kaiju loops out of the water as it approaches, loosing a bell-like cry before diving back beneath the surface.
Traverser swims like a human, performing what seems to be a modified breaststroke through Puget Sound. However, its body is clearly far from human-- even from several kilometres away, the beetle-black gleam of carapace is visible on its back, as are the pair of silvery fins sticking up into the air. Every so often, its head breaches further above the water, exposing tusk-like mandibles and orange, egg-shaped eyes.
The two approach confidently, undeterred by the sight of the firepower waiting for them. One way or another, they'll have their fight.
Barb and Traverser are 55 units out from the DP (50 units from air force/navy).
===
SW:
Unlike the northwest battle, it seems this one's destined to happen on dry land. Malisaur's path has snaked more along the south than the east, following the shoreline up towards the city. Maybe the kaiju can't swim well, or maybe it just doesn't like getting wet-- whatever the reason, Neo-Seattle will have a much easier time deploying their army against it.
Tacit Ronin sees the kaiju coming from a mile away. It's not hard.
A hulking, armoured monstrosity, Malisaur seems to lack any subtlety at all. The kaiju stands almost ninety metres tall, over one and a half times that in length, on four trunk-like legs, while a pair of viciously clawed arms hang beneath its neck. As reports suggest, its ridged back is completely covered by thick plates of armour, running up over the upper half of its skull all the way down to its short tail. However, the armour on its head doesn't trouble its sight in the least-- Malisaur has no eyes to see with. In fact, the part of its head that isn't armoured is little more than a grossly reinforced mouth, filled with rows of serrated teeth and dribbling streams of acrid, steaming fluids.
As the kaiju stomps its way closer, it pauses momentarily, and flares the gill-like organs behind its jaw, sniffing at the air. Then whatever internal radar guides the creature clears up, and Malisaur growls low and long, before setting once again on its path towards the city.
Malisaur is 50 units out from the DP (42 from your forces). Your naval forces are roughly equivalent in distance from it as your own forces, though you cannot use torpedoes against it.
Combat Round 1
[X] Railgun batteries stay on Overwatch for when the Kaiju enter their range.
[X] All other units stay in place.
The forces simply wait, letting the kaiju close in. Barb weaves back and forth a little, while Traverser simple continues its breaststroke.
Barb and Traverser are 43 units out, 38 from the conventionals.
=====
SW:
Pretty much the same as in the northwest. Malisaur makes its big, stupid way towards the city, the only notable thing possibly being the speed at which it does so.
Malisaur is 38 units out, 30 from Tacit and your forces.
Meh. Nothing exciting going on here.
Combat Round 2
[X] Scouts advance 5 units.
[X] Everybody else, stay on overwatch with your reusable weapons. Fire if the enemy enters your range.
Everyone simply readies their weapons, the scout craft hovering slightly closer as they wait.
However, the plan breaks when Traverser suddenly slows down. Rising up from the water, the kaiju finally shows its form-- the grey pinecone scales on its belly and limbs, the insectile face with no neck, the three-fingered hands-- all of it. Orange eyes glow like coals as the silvery blades on its back splay apart... before Traverser bends forwards, and resumes its advance in a much more upright stance.
The sudden surfacing seems to have surprised Barb as well, as the serpentine kaiju breaks off from its coiling approach momentarily as well, swimming a little closer to the other creature out of curiosity.
Unfortunately, the commotion has left both kaiju squarely out of range of the city's weapons.
Barb and Traverser are 35/37 units out, 30/32 from the conventionals (25/27 from scouts).
=====
SW:
As the southwest group does the same, Malisaur continues its approach. It's unclear whether the kaiju can even see the offensive actions being readied against it-- or if it just doesn't care.
Either way, the centaurian monster promptly waltzes right into the defense forces firing line without a single bit of hesitation.
Overwatch activated!
1d10 Elite Arges (hits on 5s)
2/1d10 Arges (hits on 6s)
1d10+A Elite Corrosion Shell (hits on 5s)
9/1d10+A Corrosion shells (hits on 6s)
4/1d10 Mortars (hits on 6s)
4/1d10+A Hellfires (hits on 5s)
6/1d10+1+A Railguns (hits on 6s)
Locations too, obviously.
Malisaur is 26 units out, 18 from Tacit and your forces (13 from scouts).
Combat Round 2 Overwatch
SW:
It's easy.
The scouts manage a full lock on the monster as it lurches forwards, cleanly painting flesh and chitin with their laser light.
3 Arges hits! +2 Ran to compatible units!
Seconds later, and the army fires.
Shells erupt from the tanks and artillery in an enthusiastic hail-- almost too enthusiastic, as several vehicles manage to jam their guns before they can get a good hit in-- swooping in to meet the monster. Most of the shots hit the kaiju's carapace, staining the indigo plates with steaming, acrid solvents. One lucky shot manages to catch it in the underbelly, burning a shallow rash where it hits. Malisaur doesn't even slow down. As expected, the mortar attacks fail to do anything as well, their shrapnel fragments simply lodging themselves in Malisaur's epidermis.
Hit to Pelvis! No damage!
Hit to Head! No damage!
Hit to Spine! No damage!
Hit to Torso! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Chest! No damage!
Hit to Chest! No damage!
Hit to Neck! No damage!
Hit to R. Thigh! No damage!
Hit to Torso! No damage!
Hit to L. Shoulder! No damage!
The second wave is all missiles and railguns-- and it's much nastier. The Murasame and missile gunboat unleash a hail of Hellfire+s, blasting the kaiju's flanks with sheets of fire. Malisaur staggers, finally taking some more serious damage. Moments later, the rail spikes hit, fracturing the kaiju's legs and nearly tearing its left arm free as they dump round after round into it! With the heavy armour confined to its core, Malisaur simply lacks the defenses to protect its limbs from the hail of fire. Its only respite is that one of the gun batteries suffers a partial jam.
Hit to R. Ankle! Minor Wound! Malisaur is On Fire!
Hit to R. Shoulder! Minor Wound! Malisaur is On Fire!
Hit to Spine! No damage!
Hit to L. Shoulder! Major Wound! Armour destroyed!
Hit to R. Thigh! Glancing Wound! Wound ignored!
Hit to L. Ankle! Minor Wound!
Hit to Spine! No damage!
Malisaur takes 15 Strikes! Malisaur is losing stamina!
Elite Type 100 squadron out of Ammo!
2 Type 100 squadrons out of Ammo!
Railgun Battery out of Ammo! Attack Dice temporarily reduced to 2/1d10+1!
Murasame missile launchers out of Ammo!
4/9 FRS uses remaining!
However, Malisaur is still pretty much out of the game. With a pained groan, the kaiju stumbles, and sinks down, legs splaying to try and support its weight. The left arm dangles by a few ropes of muscle, toxic blue blood pouring from the wound. Between the bleeding and the burns, the kaiju seems liable to fall in the next minute if Neo-Seattle somehow fails to finish it off.
Distances same as before. Your depleted units will be resupplied by the end of your next turn, but they can't fire in the meantime (well, the rail bat can, just at a lesser capacity). Obviously, for, say, the Murasame, you've still got the cannons, so some of the depleted units can still attack while they're reloading.
I need to armour my kaiju better.
Combat Round 3
[X] Tacit Runs to 8 units away from Malisaur
[X] NW conventional units advance to get the Kaiju in range, wait for an Arges lock and then fire on Barb. Boats and Moray use Torpedoes, everybody else can use missiles.
[X] Jagdhund overwatches on Barb with burst fire.
Jagdhund lines up a shot, while the assembled navy and air force dart forwards! There's a moments pause as a series of targeting lines flash across Barb's scaled hide-- before a swarm of missiles and torpedoes slam into it.
2 Arges hits!
A barrage of Dragon's Blood warheads detonate against Barb's upper body, leaving deep scorch marks-- though their characteristic acrid flames barely last a few seconds before some fire-retardant secretion snuffs them out. Unfortunately, the rest of them have even worse luck, landing only glancing blows that soon extinguish themselves, and even the torpedo attacks somehow detonate at just too far of a distance to penetrate the scales. Barb's hurt, yes, but not as badly as one would expect.
Hit to Chest! Glancing Wound!
Hit to R. Body! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Torso! Glancing Wound!
Hit to R. Upper Tail! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Neck! No damage!
Hit to Body! No damage!
Hit to Body! No damage!
Hit to Chest! No damage!
Barb takes 4 Strikes!
With a pained squeal, the serpent rears out of the water, spines flaring, and rushes forwards, closing distance as fast as it can! Traverser decides to join as well, shrouding itself in ocean spray as it courses behind its fellow.
Jagdhund shifts her sights a little, and pulls the trigger.
Overwatch activated!*
2x 1d10+5 for Jagdhund Burst, hitting on 7s, and a hit location!
Barb and Traverser will be 21/25 units out. They're -4/0 from scouts, 1/5 from Banshees, 4/8 from Hellhounds, 8/12 from Mura and Moray, 12/16 from missile boat. *you're attacking just as the kaiju gets into range, rather than at the end, and so are receiving full range penalties.
=====
SW:
As Malisaur stumbles and struggles forwards, Tacit Ronin steps up. Striding forwards purposefully, the jaeger unsheathes its Fangblades, and blares a horn. Malisaur's lips pull back in a furious grimace, a deep snarl echoing from its throat.
Malisaur is 18 units out, in melee with Tacit, and 10 from your forces (5 from scouts). Keep in mind you can use Cobra Strike as a counter-attack, if you want.
Combat Round 3 Overwatch/Reaction
NW:
(6,10)
A somewhat sloppy burst of gunfire erupts from the rifle, pelting Barb's right flank with explosive rounds. Scales are knocked loose and scattered to the wind, flecks of viscous secretion splattering like blood as the attack batters the approaching kaiju!
Hit to R. Body! Glancing Wound!
Barb takes 1 Strike! 9/12 Ammunition remaining!
But Barb's advance is not to be slowed, and the kaiju darts past the Dragonflies, plunging into the middle of the air force!
Though its movement is casual, Tacit is by no means caught off guard. The jaeger dances to one side, letting a howling Malisaur stampede past! The kaiju stumbles, having over-committed to the attack-- which gives Tacit Ronin a clear chance to strike!
Passing Attack!
[ ] Super Fangblades! (2x, +5, Damage Bonus 3, AP 4)
-[ ] Cobra Strike! (+5, Damage Bonus 6, AP 7)
[ ] Punch! (+5, Damage Bonus 3, AP 0)
[ ] Kick! (+4, Damage Bonus 6, AP 2)
[ ] Nothing at all.
Keep in mind you can also Flourish with this, in case your really wanted to go overkill.
Combat Round 3 Passing Attack
[X] Super Fangblades! (2x, +5, Damage Bonus 3, AP 4)
-[X] Cobra Strike! (+5, Damage Bonus 6, AP 7)
-[X] Flourish
--in one stroke, slices clean through Malisaur's front half. Everything right under the kaiju's shoulders and up simply falls off, flopping to the ground as the rest of the kaiju's body goes limp.
Hit to R. Shoulder! Destruction Wound!
Malisaur takes 5 Strikes! Instant Death! Successful Flourish! +1200 Resources!
SE-27-018 "Malisaur" defeated!
Tacit straightens back up, and flicks its arm to the side, cleaning its weapon of the kaiju's blood.
And just like that, their battle's over.
You're definitely getting the Quick Kill Bonus for that. Now all that's left to deal with is the Northwest sector!
Combat Round 4
[X] Tacit runs to reinforce Jagdhund, if possible.
[X] Jagdhund fires another Burst at Barb.
[X] Cons move so that distance to the nearest Kaiju is 15 units and fire at Barb.
Spinning and backing up to move into a more comfortable range, the armed forces only pause to reacquire target lock on Barb before unleashing weapons fire into the kaiju! The rockets and lasers find their efforts blunted by the kaiju's scales and secretions, and even the torpedoes barely manage more than light scarring-- but it's the rail batteries that prove themselves once again, gouging great wounds in the serpentine kaiju's upper body with their high-velocity rounds!
3 Arges hits! Full bonus! 15 Hits!
Hit to Lower Body! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Chest! Minor Wound!
Hit to Upper Body! Minor Wound!
Hit to Upper Body! Glancing Wound!
Barb takes 8 Strikes!
As the kaiju trashes, the damage heavily compromising its ability to function, Jagdhund opens fire again. A five-round burst rips open the kaiju's already wounded side, causing Barb to fall forwards-- and the next burst to hit its unarmoured eyes, blowing the serpent's head open like a scaly grapefruit.
Hit to Upper Body! Minor Wound!
Hit to Eyes! Major Wound!
Barb takes 8 Strikes!
SE-27-016 "Barb" defeated!
However, behind the shredded carcass of Barb, the second monster closes in. Without so much as a glance towards its dead companion, Traverser surges towards the defense perimeter, its fins buzzing like leaky power lines.
"Activate neural disruptor!"
Behind the Perimeter, a series of dishes rise up, and power on. For the most part, the military units can shrug off the side-effects of the scrambling broadcast, though the Murasame and gunboat are reporting some adverse effects in their crew.
Neural Disruptors active!
Surface Navy adversely affected! -1 to all stats until negated!
Unfortunately, Traverser is similarly able to shrug off the disruptors' signal, and shows no signs of irritation. The sound's floor rises, and the humanoid insect touches down on the murky earth. With traction now available to it, Traverser abandons its breaststroke, and rises to its full height, staring at the line of guns-- and Jagdhund-- with featureless orange eyes.
Traverser is 13 units out. It's in range of scouts, 1 from Banshees, 3 past the Hellhounds, and 7 from the navy. You'll need to succeed on a Difficulty 5 test to negate the effects on your two boats, or just deactivate the disruptors to automatically clear the effect. Either works, especially since Traverser's successfully saved against them.
Combat Round 5
[X] Deactivate the Neural Disruptors.
[X] Everyone in range, wait for an Arges lock and then fire their weapons.
[X] Jagdhund fires at Traverser, set the gun to fully automatic.
As the disruptor dishes are shut off, another barrage shoots forth, slamming into Traverser from all directions. However, the pinecone-scale plates on the kaiju's limbs and hardened back carapace are more than tough enough to weather the attacks, turning blasts and beams into scars and minor burns that merely mar its surface. The kaiju soldiers on, soaking up the military's efforts.
3 Arges hits! Hit to Spine! No damage!
Hit to Neck! No damage!
Hit to Arm! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Spine! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Pelvis! No damage!
Hit to Thigh! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Shoulder! No damage!
Hit to Spine! No damage!
Hit to Spine! No damage!
Traverser takes 3 Strikes!
However, it's when the hum of the railguns fills the air that Traverser shows some response. Halting in its advance for a few seconds, the Cat III throws its arms around itself and doubles over, fins squealing as their vibrating edges burn white on the air! Three volleys of railgun flechettes lance out, aiming to spear the kaiju's head and legs, only for a glowing shield to burst around the monster, lashing outwards as the darts slam into it!
Reinforced Barrier Field Activated!
Hit to Barrier!
Hit to Barrier!
Hit to Barrier!
Hit to Barrier!
Hit to Barrier!
By the end, the shield's flickering and stuttering with excess heat, barely holding together, but the kaiju doesn't have a scratch on it. Slowly, Traverser begins to uncoil...
And that's when Jagdhund stands up, flicks the switch to full-auto, and hoses the monster down. With a thundering snap, the shield blows out, slagging the metallic fins on the kaiju's back in the process. High-explosive shells tear into layers of hardened armour, fracturing and shattering chitin, and shredding the kaiju's plated spine. A few rounds fall short, blowing apart those glowing orange eyes just to add insult to crippling, battle-ending harm. Without a hint of a squeal or cry, Traverser topples forwards, crashing into the surf.
Hit to Barrier! Barrier Over Capacity! Feedback: No damage from feedback!
Hit to Spine! Major Wound! All Spinal Armour Destroyed! Traverser is Paralyzed!
Hit to Eyes! Minor Wound! Eyes Irritated!
Traverser takes 8 Strikes! Traverser is losing Stamina!
The purple and grey jaeger steps forwards, approaching the twitching, stiffened shape bleeding in the shallows, and puts a four-round burst through its cranium.
The kaiju stops twitching soon after.
SE-27-017 "Traverser" defeated!
*Sad GM noises*
> Adds "make better barrier shields" to patch notes for future.
Combat End
Victorious, the jaegers return to their cities. Jagdhund and Tacit bear no damage, save some marred paint, but Phenom's lower flank has a long gash running down its side, and several damaged control circuits that will have to be addressed.
Tacit Ronin requires no repairs! Jagdhund requires no repairs! Phenom Sable's repairs will require 340 Resources and an Action to complete.
Another problem is the... rather overzealous manner the kaiju were dispatched in. Railguns aren't known for their neatness, and all three jaegers finished off their kaiju with the use of some particularly messy weapons. The shredded lumps of alien that used to be kaiju are therefore drenching their surroundings in toxic fluids, and are going to require some serious cleanup efforts to contain and neutralize. And speaking of kaiju...
While they weren't particularly hard to kill, the kaiju do sport some interesting features. Barb's entire body contains a number of hyper-elastic tendons, which would have allowed it to whip itself around an enemy and impale it on its spikes, and its outer dermis contains modified sudoriferous glands that secrete a fire-retardant substance. Malisaur not only featured fully-realised blindsight, but a number of redundant internal organs and structural supports that would allow it to shrug off damage more easily. Traverser's structural anatomy seems optimized for executing a number of combat maneuvers similar to martial arts-- throws, pins, rapid strikes, and other actions to deal with an enemy around as it wished-- and all its limbs would make effective striking surfaces. Of course, its main draw seems to be the advanced Barrier Field projector built into its spine and shoulders. Despite the near-total loss of the fins, it would be possible to use their readings and the kaiju's autopsy to further advance the power and capacity of the Protectorate's own Barrier Fields-- though this fight does show a major flaw in their ability to handle mass fire.
New Research Token:
- Traverser Token (Reinforced Barrier Fields)!
And then, of course, there's EV-1-- or, as the combination is now being called, "Geminus". The idea of a combining kaiju is one that nobody expected to face, but this has proven that it's both possible and feasible. Not only did the two show that ability-- they also displayed several other powers that proved even more effective when operating as one; their flight, their healing factor, and even their offensive potential. While Pollux's carcass has been rendered next to useless for research purposes, its twin, Castor, is not only mostly intact but still alive! This means that not only does Everett have a chance to retrieve a fully-formed secondary brain, they could even take the kaiju alive much how Neo-Seattle has done before! This would deprive them of the resources its body holds, but would allow a chance to explore all of Geminus' secrets, rather than being limited to only one route of research.
New Research Token:
- Geminus Token (Fast Healing or K-Scale Flight or Drift Shenanigans)! If Castor is kept alive, then whichever Token options are not used will have their research difficulty reduced as long as it survives.
With the kaiju incursion finished, it's time to make decisions, and get back to work.
It is now downtime.
Kaiju Stats:
(Neo-Seattle)
SE-27-016 Barb
Class: Category II Kaiju
A serpentine kaiju, covered in hundreds of retractable spines, and crowned with a trio of spikes on its head. Its flesh is a dull blue-grey, its six eyes blue, and its spines an angry rust red.
Bed of Nails: Deals 1d10 Edged to all other participants each round it spends in a grapple. During Full Defense, deal 2/d10 Edged against any melee attack that strikes Barb. On a natural 10, Bed of Nails deals an extra point of damage, but does not explode. Aquadynamic: Barb gains+2 Agility as long as it is at least partially submerged in water.
Thorny Coils Built-in Melee Weapon
Attack Dice: 2x 1d10-1/1d10
Armour Penetration: 0
Grappling Bonus: +5
Damage Type: Blunt or Edged
Damage Bonus: Strength
Special: On a hit that deals damage, Barb may immediately attempt to Grapple the opponent at a -2 penalty.
Armour: Fireproof Coating
Coverage: All
AV: 3/1
Resilience: All, +3 Fire, -2 Ice
Durability: 10
SE-27-017 Traverser
Class: Category III Kaiju
Semi-humanoid, with a flattened head and a supple tail, Traverser looks like something out of an old monster movie. Its belly and limbs are covered in grey pinecone scales, with a matte black dorsal carapace and streaks of orange along its sides. Each arm and leg ends in three phalanges-- forming simple but flexible hands and feet, tipped in short talons. Two tusks grow beside its insectile mandibles, while a pair of flattened, metallic blades sprout from its scapular armour.
Stats:
HtH: 4
Ran: 0
Str: 3
Tou: 3
Agi: 3
Dex: 4
Structure:
Dura: 6
Stru: 12
Clever Wrestler: Automatically adds half Dexterity to Grapple checks. May take a Difficulty 10 Dex check to equip or sheath a weapon as a 0 AP action. Horn Tackle: On a successful Slam, Traverser may instead act as though it had taken the Throw grapple action instead of resolving the Slam as normal. Multiattack: As a Long Action, Traverser may make two attacks with any Weapons it possesses, taking a -2 penalty to the second, and a -1 penalty to any and all Reactions until its next turn. Barrier Field: Traverser may activate or deactivate its Barrier Field as a Free Action or Reaction.
Scaled Exoskeleton
Coverage: All
AV: 3/2
Resilience: All
Durability: 8
Reinforced Barrier Field
Power: 7
Dispersion: 6/3 (see below)
Capacity: 21 Defends all clustered units against ranged attacks only.
Activates and deactivates as a Free Action. When inactive, halve Dispersion, but continue to apply it.
If the shield goes over capacity, it shuts down for 2d5 rounds, and Traverser rolls on the Vital Damage table.
SE-27-018 Malisaur
Class: Category III Kaiju
A hulking, armoured monster, Malisaur stomps forwards on four trunk-like legs, as two hooked arms wave beneath its neck. The kaiju's ridged back is covered in segmented plating, running up from the front of its snout to the tip of its short tail. Its eyes are nonexistent, but most of the head is taken up by a hinged, slobbering mouth.
Stats:
HtH: 3
Ran: 1
Str: 5
Tou: 6
Agi: 3
Dex: 2
Structure:
Dura: 12
Stru: 17
Sightless: All hits to the Eyes instead hit the Head. Power Through: Ignores Glancing Wounds. Ignores stuns on a 5+. Stampede: Double Agi on charges (before penalties are applied). Maul the Weak: If Malisaur knocks an opponent Prone, it may immediately make a melee attack against it at -1.
EV-27-001/002 Geminus (Castor and Pollux)
Class: Category III (II) Kaiju
Long and serpentine, the first things really notable about Geminus are its two heads, each ending in a circular, hook-toothed maw and several black eyes. The body of the kaiju resembles a cross between dragon and leech, with six webbed legs, two membranous wings, and a coat of slimy, grey-green scales that cover its strange, twisted form. A pair of rudimentary organic jets sit between the wings, helping propel the creature at high speeds through the air.
Of course, the truth of the matter is that it's not one kaiju, but two working together. Castor and Pollux are mirror images of each other, with snake-like bodies, tube-shaped heads, and four webbed limbs-- two legs, one wing-arm tipped in a striking hammer claw, and one forelimb with a set of knife-like talons, with the last two swapping sides between the kaiju. Though individually, they're somewhat limited, together the pair prove that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Two Heads are Better Than One: Geminus is actually composed of two kaiju operating in tandem-- Castor and Pollux-- and enters the battlefield in this form. This combination has its own special rules, detailed below.
- As long as Castor and Pollux are both still alive, they can elect to combine into Geminus, or separate into their component kaiju. Combining is done as a major action, but separating is only a minor action. Castor and Pollux must be within 5 units of each other in order to combine.
- While capable in their combined form, Geminus has a limit to how much punishment they can take before becoming unable to maintain the combination. Once Geminus has passed their durability threshold, they must succeed on a Toughness test (Difficulty 7) each round, or be forced to separate into Castor and Pollux by the end of their turn. If Geminus regains enough Strikes so that they are at or within their durability threshold again, they no longer need to test to maintain cohesion.
- Upon combining, Geminus adds together all the damage that Castor and Pollux have taken. However, any Major Wounds either of the two have taken are treated as Minor Wounds while combined. If Castor and/or Pollux are over their durability limit, they may still combine into Geminus, though they must test each round (as above) in order to maintain cohesion.
- If Geminus is struck by an attack in their combined form, in addition to hit location, the GM must roll an extra d10 to determine which half was struck. On an odd result, Castor's half is struck. On an even result, Pollux's half is struck. This dice may be rerolled against up to four attacks per round. This must be tracked, as Castor and Pollux have different armour and weapon configurations. The effects of Wounds and armour/weapon destruction is tracked and applied normally, but Strike and Ongoing damage is aggregated as detailed below.
- When Geminus separates, count up all the Strikes and non-Wound Ongoing they have currently taken in combined form (noted separately), and distribute half the damage to each component kaiju. If the number of Strikes or Ongoing is an odd number, reduce it by one and distribute as normal. Any Temporary Strikes are healed at this time, were they not already.
- When combined and above their durability, Geminus may elect to take an additional Standard Action, ignoring the one-action restriction (it may take a different action with the extra Standard Action, or perform the same sort of action it did before). However, this causes both Standard Actions to resolve with a -1 penalty. Additionally, as long as the same conditions are still fulfilled, this allows Geminus to perform a Standard Action at a -3 penalty after Running.
- When combined, Geminus only increases the Reaction penalty for every two Reactions made per turn. Geminus cannot suffer penalties for having both hands occupied, and at most can only ever be treated as having one hand occupied, as long as at least one of its forelimbs is not occupied. Jian: As long as they are in their combined form (see above), Geminus can fly under their own power, and follows the rules for Flying characters when doing so. Castor and Pollux cannot fly when separated.
- Can take off as a move action or as a 2 Advantage Point Grappling move provided their durability limit has not been exceeded. When airborne, double base Agility for movement purposes only. Movement may be executed vertically, instead of only horizontally, and may influence your ability to fight or be fought. Grounded characters may not make Charges or Melee Attacks against a Flying character, no matter their Altitude. Ranged Attacks from the ground are at +1 difficulty to hit the target if it moves while flying, though a hit may knock the creature out of control. Each time a Flying character takes a Strike while flying, take a toughness test (6). If the test is passed, they keep control, if failed, they immediately crash 1d5 units away in a random direction and takes 1d10 blunt damage. If they would land on someone, both characters take 2d10 blunt damage, are knocked prone and immediately become locked in a Grapple. See the Altitude System for more information.
- Dive-Bomb: When conducting an Aerial Charge against a landbound target, Geminus may immediately disengage after resolving it, moving the rest of their charge distance away. This still provokes an attack of opportunity, but the target takes a -2 penalty to hit. (Lightweight): Castor and Pollux halve all falling damage they would take before applying Armour, and treat themselves as one Altitude lower for the purposes of such. Lightweight only has any effect when Castor and Pollux are not in their Geminus form. (Revengeance): Should either Castor or Pollux die while separated, the remaining kaiju immediately refills to full Strikes, heals all Ongoing, and downgrades the effects of any Wounds it was suffering (aside from Destruction Wounds) to that of the next lower stage Wound. They gain a permanent +2 to all Attack actions, and can no longer be Stunned for any reason. Once Revengeance is active, Castor/Pollux must attack the nearest K-Scale enemy in melee combat, or if that is not possible, move towards them at maximum speed, Charging if they are in range. It will not take obviously suicidal actions to accomplish this, but cannot elect to behave in a non-aggressive manner by any means. Fast Healing (3): Your Fast Healing rating is equal to half your base Toughness (2) plus one (3). Once every round, roll a 1d10 plus your Fast Healing rating (1d10+3), and if the result is 10+ then you heal 1 Strike. Alternatively, you may choose to heal 1 (additional) Ongoing Wound instead of a Strike. Fast Healing does not alleviate Wound effects, but can remove Universal Penalties by bringing you above your Durability. Fast Healing does not confer additional Strikes if you are at 0 Strikes already, but may stabilize your Ongoing Wounds at such a time. Your Fast Healing may be suppressed if you desire to do so.
- Because of their unique nature, the combined Geminus rolls two times per round, once for each half. As long as they are combined, either Castor or Pollux may "spend" their Fast Healing roll to apply its results to the other as a Free Action, effectively granting themselves an extra attempt to repair damage.
Weapons: Sawblade Maw x2 (Castor/Pollux Head) Built-in Melee Weapon(s)
Attack Dice: 1d10
Armour Penetration: 0
Grappling Bonus: +2
Damage Type: Edged, Ice
Damage Bonus: 1d5+1
Special: Consumption: whenever Geminus, Castor, or Pollux inflicts damage with this weapon to a K-Scale target, they regain 1 Strike, and heal 1 point of Ongoing.
Dagger Claw x2 (Castor L.Hand/Pollux R.Hand) Built-in Melee Weapon(s)
Attack Dice: 1d10+1/2x 1d10+1
Block Dice: 1d5+1
Armour Penetration: 4
Grappling Bonus: +3
Damage Type: Edged
Damage Bonus: Dexterity
Special: When combined, use the second set of Attack Dice.
Wing Hammer x2 (Castor R.Hand/Pollux L.Hand) Built-in Melee Weapon(s)
Attack Dice: 1d10
Armour Penetration: 0
Grappling Bonus: +2
Damage Type: Blunt
Damage Bonus: Strength+1
Special: When used as part of a Dive-Bomb attack, double damage bonus.
Immolation Breath x2 Built-in Ranged Weapon(s) (Scatter)
Attack Dice: 1d10/2x 1d10
Armour Penetration: 0
Damage Type: Fire
Damage Bonus: 2d5
Range: 5/10/-
Radius: 3
Special: When combined, use the second set of Attack Dice.
When combined, Geminus may take a -1 penalty to the attack in order to split their attack dice between any two targets in range.
Armour: Slime-covered Scales
Coverage: All but Eyes, Wings (Castor R.Arm/Hand, Pollux L.Arm/Hand)
AV: 3/1
Resilience: All, +1 Fire, +1 Electric, +1 Acid
Durability: 8
[x] Plan Crusade Build Up: Initial Phase v 1.2
-[x] Begin designing personalized cybernetic prosthetics for Ashley; make sure to consult her during this process
-[x] Neo Seattle
--[x] Normal Actions
---[x] Build 1x Heavy Munitions Factory (-1300 R)
---[x] Search waters around Naval Station Kitsap for wrecks, retrieve/salvage the most intact ones
---[x] Research high-capacity Barriers (Use Traverser Token)
---[x] Research improved J-Scale Flight, available to Jaegers with less powerful reactors
---[x] Research ground-based Fangs armed with weapons that can use the same ammo as Jagdhund's Machine Cannon (Bakelite, etc)
---[x] Scan and analyze Ascalon Blade, focusing on being able to replicate or repair, without damaging it. (Safe Research)
---[x] Research Electrical Grenades that explode in a shower of electrified liquid, using data from Laidon as relevant.
---[x] Build 1x "Tyr" Super-Heavy (-4000 R)
---[x] Hunt Boreas
---[x] Reserved for After Hunt
---[x] Reserved for After Hunt
--[x] Free Actions
---[x] Upgrade All Lasers to UV Lasers (Free action, -100 R)
---[x] Clean Up (-4980 R)
---[x] Transfer 10000 R to Everett (Comms)
---[x] Attempt to further Research Grae's Teleport (Breach)
---[x] Research Movement-increasing Leg Mods based on HVMS (K-Sci)
---[x] Research Power Armor for AKBs, including strength augmentation (Con Tech 1)
---[x] Research Sonic Weaponry (Con Tech 2)
---[x] Research Bomber Aircraft (Con Tech 3)
---[x] Research ranged Grapple weapon, similar in function to Grae's claws, for Phenom Sable (J-Tech 1)
---[x] Reverse Engineer Jagdgewher for Plans (J-Tech 2)
---[x] Scan for Kaiju (Hunt Scanner)
---[x] Build 2x Autogyros, 2x Fafnir Gunships, and 1x Laser Tank Squad (MPFs, -2020 R)
-[x] Everett
--[x] Actions
---[x] Clean-up (-2500 R, Free)
---[x] Upgrade Lasers to UV (Free)
---[x] Upgrade Research from 1 to 5 (-7000 R)
---[x] Build Kaiju Research and Containment Facility, put Castor in it (-2000 R)
---[x] Build 4x Kaiju Salvage Facilities (-4000 R)
---[x] Build 2x BRM Class Environmental Stabilizers (-2400) R
---[x] Repair Phenom Sable (-340 R)
Neo-Seattle Starting total: 31290 R
Total expenses: -22400 R
Final total: 8890 R
Everett Starting Total: 6100+10000 R
Total Expenses: -15740 R
Final Total: 360 R
First things first, while the battlefields undergo cleanup, Neo-Seattle's defense force receives a slight tune-up. The old Laser Vulcan weapons systems are removed from their casings, taken in, and reconfigured for a shorter wavelength ultraviolet beam-- one much better at penetrating armour than the old visible-spectrum output. Even Tacit Ronin's are upgraded, though their size and higher output requires that they require a little more time and effort to modify.
Laser weapons upgraded to UV!
60mm Laser Vulcans upgraded to UV! -100 Resources!
Meanwhile, a group of various J-Tech personnel are conscripted by Medical, and given the task of working with Pilot Langley to develop personal cybernetic prostheses for her. With no major repairs to busy themselves with this week, they're more than able to assist, and certainly happy to do so! That said, their enthusiasm is perhaps a little too strong, as it soon becomes clear that it's going to take a lot more time than expected. In the meantime, medical plans to try and help Ashley regain her physical health through the use of some less advanced, but far less intrusive older prostheses-- which will hopefully help her adjust to mechanical limbs while the personalized ones are under development.
Unique prostheses will be finished for Ashley in 3 weeks! Medical says it'll take at least another two weeks after that for her to adjust completely and regain a level of fitness sufficient to pilot.
Mental health, is, of course, a completely different beast, but there you go; five weeks, and Ashley will be physically ready to pilot again, if nothing else.
Another shipment or resources finds itself send off to help with Everett's efforts.
Breach Tech continues to try and replicate Grae's confounding teleportation ability, despite how little it makes sense. And, to give them credit, after one particularly fruitless day, they do end up coming up with something. Mind you, they have next to no idea how they did, or how it works, but... well, it does. The highly-experimental prototype is able to execute macro-scalar teleportation across non-insignificant distances, somehow. As best as they can figure, one of them must have hit the Ballmer peak and cobbled something together, which at least partially explains how they managed it in such a short timeframe, as well as why they've lost recollection of it. Still, on the plus side, the sheer fact that they have something that works like Grae's ability means that understanding it is no longer completely impossible-- just really difficult.
In any case, they think they can upscale the teleportation prototype for Jaeger use, and provide a crude sort of control system, but asking for anything other than "jump the mech in the vague direction of the target" would be a fool's errand. Especially since Breach Tech's requesting not to try anything else involving nonsensical teleportation for the next few weeks.
Teleportation Research difficulty reduced!
New Jaeger equipment available: Experimental Macro-Scalar Teleport! Experimental Macro-Scalar Teleport 7500 Resources
As a Full Round Action, a Jaeger with an XMST can attempt a teleport. Roll 3d10 to determine the current jump's maximum range in units, and select the exit point up to that distance. Afterwards, roll 1d5-- on a natural 1, the jaeger lands right on target, otherwise roll 1d10-1 to determine how far it is displaced north (2), east (3), south (4), or west (5) respectively. After a teleport, the jaeger must wait 2d5 rounds for it to recharge, and counts as having moved on its next turn for any Standard Actions it would take.
Each time a jaeger teleports with the XMST, roll 1d10. On a 1-2, the XMST shuts down until it is repaired.
The XMST may only be equipped to Mark II+ Jaegers.
I have decided to give you a teleport. And some miscellaneous bullshit to explain why you got it without having to come up with a whole new sub-branch of physics.
That said, while teleportation may be a lovely trick to have up your sleeves, you'll need some good ol' Joint Research if you want to make this thing remotely resemble something useful.
Kaiju Science gets the extra time they requested, and they deliver. By restructuring the internal skeleton of a jaeger's legs, the Hyper-Vascular strands are able to be refitted, so as to provide improved speed and athletic abilities on land. Of course, the pressure issue is still there, and the strands don't do so well if they're only attached to one leg, but when used properly they're able to clearly enhance a jaeger's performance in combat, making it faster, harder to hit, and able to kick like a mule on a bad day.
New Jaeger Modification available: High-Mobility Hyper-Vascular Strands! High-Mobility Hyper-Vascular Strands (Legs Modification) Costs 4000 Resources
Instead of the usual muscle strands and hydraulics, the Jaeger's legs make use of an advanced, high-pressure fluid motive system. Based off of the designs of Kaiju and Seijin musculature, the hypervascular bundles dramatically improve a jaeger's raw speed and athletic abilities on the ground. However, the massive amount of pressure concentrated the artificial muscles use for their immense strength can be easily lost if the vascular system is damaged.
- Hyper-Vascular Mobility: The modified Jaeger increases its Agility by 1 for the purposes of movement while grounded. If 2 or more Ongoing Wounds are inflicted on the Legs, the Agility bonus is lost until these Ongoing Wounds are healed. Additionally, the Jaeger gains a +1 bonus to attacks with its legs, and increases its to-hit difficulty by 1 whenever it runs or Charges. Each set of High-Mobility Hyper-Vascular Strands is only enough to fit one (1) Leg location, and so more than one is required to gain their full benefits. If only one Leg has Hyper-Vascular mobility, the jaeger only gains the bonus to attacking with its legs.
C-Tech is very busy this week, as they've got several projects to fulfill, all of which are very intricate.
First off, an upgrade to the long-outclassed Anti-Kaiju Brigades. While a fully-fledged mechanized battlesuit is still out of reach, by drawing on the other divisions' experience in the design of jaegers and cyber-prosthetics, C-Tech is able to design a powered exoskeleton that's fairly affordable and effective in its role. By equipping the Brigades with this new armour, they're able to lift more move faster, and carry grater loads-- and are thus able to bring both the UV Laser Vulcans and a K-Buster launcher with a slightly beefed-up warhead. That said, it's still faster for them to ride their vehicles than run about in just the armour, and scale requirements will mean they can only use one of the weapons at a time, but for just about the same price as a normal Brigade they receive a very clear upgrade to their abilities.
Anti-Kaiju Brigade blueprints upgraded to Mechanized Anti-Kaiju Brigade! Mechanized Anti-Kaiju Brigade 70 Resources (25 to convert pre-existing AKBs)
Highly trained and outnumbering any of Neo-Seattle's other conventional units in sheer manpower, the Anti-Kaiju Brigades can be seen as an upscaled equivalent to mechanised infantry-- albeit ones sporting powered armour and wielding enough firepower to damage a kaiju. Making their way to the fight by means of ATV, APC, or motorcycle, each of the 30 or so soldiers in each unit is equipped with a strength-enhancing robotic exoskeleton that allows them to run faster and carry greater loads than any normal trooper. AKBs concentrate their firepower in order to wear past a kaiju's thick armour, and operate with two main weapons-- the 'K-Buster' smart missile launcher, and a repeating Ultraviolet laser cannon-- though they're limited to firing only one at a time.
- Takes a turn to mount or dismount.
- Move up to 4 units a turn mounted, 2 units a turn dismounted.
- 'Kaiju-Buster' Super Micro-Missiles: 1d10 Impact/Fire damage. -2 Damage. Range 5/-/-. Hits on 4+. Fire only when dismounted. Cauterises Wounds. Benefits from Arges.
- Micro UV Laser Vulcans: 1d10 Fire damage. -1 Damage. AP 1. Range 10/-/-. Hits on 5+. Fire only when dismounted. Cauterises Wounds. Benefits from Arges.
Existing AKBs can be upgraded to the Mechanized version for 25 R each as a Free Action next downtime. And yes, they're a bit faster, don't have to choose which weapon to bring, and their K-Busters only have the -2 damage of the helicopters, rather than the -3 they used to, so they're a bit more useful.
Next up; sonic weapons, take three. While the Oceanus torpedoes-- also known as take two-- are able to deliver an impressive sonic attack with their cavitation warheads, the council's interested in something a little more useful on land. With other routes unclear, it's decided to try and make something that's not just brute force lethal, and instead just makes kaiju have one hell of a rotten day. The result is the Type 108-AD Acoustic Tank, mounting a scaled up LRAD cannon on its turret, and capable of doing just that.
New Conventional Unit available: Type 108-AD Acoustic Tank Squadron! Type 108-AD Acoustic Tank Squadron 200 Resources
Based off of the Type 100 Tank, the Type 108-AD replaces the dual cannons with an amped-up Long Range Acoustic Device designed to suppress targets or even kaiju size. Aside from this modification, the chassis and operation of the unit is practically identical to the Type 100, right down to the fielding doctrine of three-member teams.
- Move up to 4 units a turn. - LRAD Cannon: 1d10 attack. Range 10/15/-, hits on 5+. Radius 1. On a successful hit, inflict 1 Temporary Strike. Should this attack beat the target's Toughness, inflict a -1 penalty to actions for 1 round, which may stack up to -3. Never benefits from Arges.
I was inspired by the Suppression mechanic in regular Hardboiled when designing this. Obviously, I haven't actually tested it out yet, so it may be subject to changes in the future, but this will do for now.
And finally on C-Tech's roster, more planes. With the "Sunfire" warhead unable to be mounted on any missile in Neo-Seattle's current armoury, it's decided to pursue a new route of delivering powerful explosive weaponry onto kaiju heads; bombs. And with bombs comes a need for a means to drop said bombs, which means planes.
Said brand new planes are actually pretty nice. Thanks to some overcharged engines, they're able to keep up with the zippier Condors, and hit a much higher flight ceiling than the rest of their brethren TdJ planes, giving them a bit of safety from any rampaging monsters underneath. While C-Tech hasn't had time to fit any weapons beyond the bomb bay onto the design, they were able to scrape together a bomb design to fill it with-- a bigger, noiser version of the underused "Cracker" warhead, made for blowing through armour and making some big holes in things. It's admittedly a stopgap weapon, but it should be serviceable if the new planes are ever made to sortie before the Sunfire can be finished.
New Conventional Unit available: PB-20 'Drakon' Bomber Squadron! PB-20 'Drakon' Bomber Squadron 1400 Resources
Taking cues from a variety of bombing craft and mixing it with Post-TdJ aeronautical engineering, the Drakon is a fast-moving beast with a flight ceiling higher than many other Neo-Seattle craft, but the same characteristic ruggedness of its brethren aircraft. Thanks to its reinforced bomb bay, it is able to carry a variety of payloads too heavy for smaller missiles to mount.
- Move up to 25 units a turn. Must move at least 10 units a turn. May use the Altitude System up to Altitude 2.
- Expensive Components: Only discounted to 60% price when constructed by a Military Production Facility.
- Cracker Bombs: 2x 1d10 Impact damage. +0 Damage. AP 2. Range Special. Hits on 6+. Radius 1. One Shot Only. Does not Cauterise Wounds. Benefits from Arges.
Special: A Drakon can only drop a bomb on a target it has passed over in that turn.
Bam, shiny new bombers. You'll need to see about adding other weapons if you want, but the Drakons can handle your Sunfires-- maybe even a nuke, if you ever get one. I just gave them the Cracker Bombs because you didn't have anything else finalized for them.
The grappling gun project goes well enough. To reduce the failure chance, the weapon only fires a single large harpoon, whose head breaks open into a half dozen hook-tipped cables, rather than launching a bunch of super-elastic tendrils or the like. While it works, the weight of the harpoon causes it to drop off a bit, making landing accurate shots a little more difficult. Furthermore, the due to the stress placed on the weapon when winching in opponents, it's been decided that the grapnel launcher should only ever be placed in the jaeger's main body to maintain properly supported mounting-- though this isn't a problem for Phenom Sable, whose arms can't mount any weapons anyways.
New Jaeger Weapon available: Hydra Grapnel Launcher! Hydra Grapnel Launcher Built-In Ranged Weapon (Carbine)
400 Resources
Attack Dice: 1d10+1
Armour Penetration: 1
Damage Type: Impact
Damage Bonus: -3
Range: 10/15/25
Special: Lash: A successful attack, regardless of damage dealt (if any), grapples the opponent. If the opponent wins the grapple, they may break free and can act as normal if it is their turn (other rules may apply based on successes). If the jaeger wins on its turn, it drags the opponent closer to it by (1d10+Str-Opponent's Str) Units. If the opponent is dragged adjacent to the shooter (or vice versa) The jaeger can resolve a standard melee attack, slam or grapple as a free action after the attack is fully resolved.
On a result of 0 the victim breaks free and can act as normal. On a negative result, roll a 1d10 and consult the Lash Misfire Table below:
Roll: Effect
1: Critical misfire. The weapon catastrophically fails, inflicting 1d10 Burst to the location the weapon is mounted, and destroying the weapon.
2-4: The mechanisms of the weapon break, and the weapon can no longer fire until it is repaired. Discard the current attack dice.
5-7: The jaeger is yanked off its feet as the opponent pulls hard! The jaeger is moved a number of units closer to the opponent equal to the negative result (e.g. a result of -2 moves them 2 units closer), and is knocked Prone.
8-10: The jaeger skids forwards as the opponent overcomes the pull, and yanks back! They move 1d5+1-Str Units directly towards the opponent. If the result is negative, the jaeger may attempt to regain control of the attack, and another grapple check is made as if the weapon had just been fired.
While participating in this grapple, the Grapnel Launcher cannot be used against any other target.
The Hydra Grapnel Launcher is only mounted in the Chest or Torso of a jaeger.
Unfortunately, there's a communications issue somewhere in the chain of command, and the equipment maintenance team gets assigned to the Jagdgewehr, rather than the engineers intended to reverse-engineer it. It does shine like new though, so that's at least something nice.
Searching the countryside for kaiju goes rather poorly. Apparently, everyone's just hiding, or otherwise not doing much. Nothing of note really shows up in the results this week.
The MPFs construct a number of airframes-- both scout craft and the heavier gunships-- as well as a batch of armoured vehicles for addition to the army. Alongside this comes the creation of a mighty 'Tyr' Mobile Command/Control Station, though this is performed by more conventional construction facilities, due to its large size and complexity. Nonetheless, all these vehicles will be a welcome addition to Neo-Seattle's defense forces.
AG-60 'Dragonfly' Autogyro Scout Squadron created!
AG-60 'Dragonfly' Autogyro Scout Squadron created!
PL-161 'Fafnir' Heavy Gunship constructed!
PL-161 'Fafnir' Heavy Gunship constructed!
Type 105 Anti-Kaiju Laser Tank Squadron created!
TCC-4 'Tyr' constructed!
With the planned development and use of more and more weapons with limited ammo, it's decided to do something about it. A brand new factory is constructed for the sole purpose of turning out new weapons and ammunition for the jaegers.
Heavy Munitions Factory constructed!
Meanwhile, another investigation is (finally) sent out to search and salvage the waters around Naval Station Kitsap for anything they can find-- especially things that are in potentially reparable condition. As it turns out, there's still quite a few wrecks that are salvageable, and could even be potentially repaired and pressed back into service. Most of the more serviceable ones are unfortunately limited to surface craft-- a scattering of patrol boats and a couple guided missile frigates-- save for a single Seawolf-class whose hull remains almost completely intact, if a little beaten. Sadly, it seems to be the only one outside the base they can retrieve, as every other submarine shows a variety of vicious, kaiju-inflicted scars, and a complete lack of familiarity with the phrase "structural integrity". It's possible they could salvage some useful things from them, but nothing other than what they're already retrieving seems likely to sail again. Still, orders are orders, and all the broken vessels-- plus whatever the base itself may hold-- is left for later, while the salvage party returns home with their finds.
5 Damaged Patrol Boats added to inventory!
2 Damaged Guided Missile Frigates added to inventory!
Damaged Seawolf-class Fast Attack Submarine added to inventory!
All of these are going to require Research rolls for their anti-kaiju refit/blueprints, and various amounts of resources to get them back into functional shape (listed cheapest to most expensive above), much like with the Murasame-class.
Taking advantage of Traverser's combat data, the exotic physics team sets to work on developing an even better Barrier Field Generator, one capable of absorbing far more punishment than any of the previous models. By fitting in an array of external heat sinks similar to the fins on Traverser, along with several modifications and redundancies to the internal mechanisms, the shield has a dramatically increased capacity and dispersion rate, as well as the ability to be reused in combat, though its ability to absorb damage doesn't reach quite as high as Traverser's, and it retains the old danger of catastrophic internal damage if overloaded.
New Jaeger Augment available: EXB-05HC Barrier Shield! EXB-05HC Barrier Shield 2300 Resources
Power: 4
Dispersal: 5/3 (see below)
Integrity: 21 Defends all clustered units against Ranged Attacks only. Activates and deactivates as a Free Action, as long as it has not collapsed. When inactive, halve Dispersal, but continue to apply it.
As long as the shield is active, take a -1 penalty to physical stats. If the shield collapses, roll on the Vital Damage table. A collapsed shield cannot be reactivated for 2d5 rounds.
With the advances in Neo-Seattle's technology, and more examples of Blade-Class kaiju to examine, it's decided to give the flying jaeger project another shot, this time focusing on a smaller, less energy-intensive system that can be used in machines with a lower reactor output. And, while the resulting flight pack isn't exactly small-- each of its primary aerofoils will need to fold double to keep to a manageable size on the ground-- it's certainly a lot more manageable than the Allegorica prototype, and a lot friendlier to lower-Mark machines. Several major modifications have reduced the amount of power it requires from the jaeger, as well as the support it requires, though not without some compromises in return. The addition of a hypercompact nuclear reactor appears to provide a great advantage, allowing the pack an instantaneous supply of electricity and heat to work with, which furthers the new thruster design. Rather than the Allegorica engine, which relied more on a fusion-derived ion accelerator for thrust, the design of this engine draws from nuclear thermal rockets-- using the intense heat of a nuclear reactor to superheat liquid fuel-- and combines it with the Allegorica's ion engines to create equivalent thrust with much less effort. The main downside of this method is that the flight pack can't just suck in the atmosphere and blast the ionized plasma out the other end-- it will requires specially polarized hydrogen fuel, which noticeably limits the jaeger's flight duration and aerial range. Partial mitigation is possible through gliding, but it's not possible on heavier machines, and it's certainly not perfect. Finally, due to the expanded aerofoils, external reactor, and fuel tanks, the flight pack takes up a fair bit more space than the Allegorica does, and will require more sections of the jaeger to be cleared of any weaponry or extraneous equipment in order for it to be mounted.
New Jaeger Equipment available: S-3 Vortex Flight Booster! S-3 Vortex Flight Booster 21 000 Resources
May be used by Mark IV+ Jaegers only.
The S-3 Vortex Flight Booster takes up the equipment slots of the jaeger's Shoulders, Torso, Spine, Pelvis, and Thighs when installed, as well as an Augment slot. The jaeger may not have any weapons or augments installed on these locations aside from the Vortex, though it may still have Modifications.
The jaeger gains the "Aerial Ace" and "Atomic Engine" traits, as well as the following sub-traits and rules.
- Aerial Ace: The jaeger can fly under its own power, and follows the rules for Flying characters when doing so.
-- Can take off as a move action or as a 2 Advantage Point Grappling move provided its durability limit has not been exceeded. When airborne, double base Agility for movement purposes only. Movement may be executed vertically, instead of only horizontally, and may influence your ability to fight or be fought. Grounded characters may not make Charges or Melee Attacks against a Flying character, no matter their Altitude. Ranged Attacks from the ground are at +1 difficulty to hit the target if it moves while flying, though a hit may knock the creature out of control. Each time a Flying character takes a Strike while flying, take a toughness test (6). If the test is passed, they keep control, if failed, they immediately crash 1d5 units away in a random direction and takes 1d10 blunt damage. If they would land on someone, both characters take 2d10 blunt damage, are knocked prone and immediately become locked in a Grapple. See the Altitude System for more information.
-- Limited Fuel (21): The jaeger carries a limited quantity of fuel onboard, and can only Fly for a sum of (21) rounds before it has to refuel. Refueling is automatically performed as part of Downtime maintenance or Repairs. If the jaeger runs out of fuel while still flying, it immediately begins to fall on its next turn, unless capable of Gliding (see below).
--- Glider: The jaeger is able to maintain an aerial presence without too much effort. As long as the flying jaeger is not attempting to run, grapple, or increase its Altitude by any means, it may attempt to Glide. On any round you attempt to Glide, take an Agility (10) test using base Agility; on a success, you may take any legal move action this turn to remain airborne without reducing your Fuel count. Each subsequent round you attempt a Glide test to stay airborne, the Glide test difficulty increases by 1 until you do not Glide. If you would crash due to damage, you may attempt a Glide test to halve your falling damage. A jaeger with a Toughness of 5 or greater is too heavy to Glide, though they may still try to slow their fall.
-- Atomic Engine: The jaeger treats its durability as +6 higher for the purposes of taking off/flying. Once a battle, the jaeger may initiate a Charge immediately after a move action.
So, there you go! You've gotten yourself a pretty nice flight system that works on Mark IV Tacit, in exchange for some limited flight time and having to ditch your Solid Fuel Thrusters and half your Laser Vulcans. I think that's pretty fair over all, especially since you can stay airborne a little longer with that Glider ability. And it's only a bit more expensive than the Allegorica!
Next on the list; Fangs. Or, at the very least, some remote unit that'll respond to the Sovereign system. In this case, however, it's a little more special, as these are essentially meant to be land-bound units that carry copies of Jagdhund's M-9914, and can share the same ammunition with her. With a little work, and more than a few sleepless nights, J-Tech unveils the prototype Fang-- a squat, lumbering tank of a weapon that bears a passing resemblance to a crustacean, given its jointed treads and armour-plated battery "abdomen". Christened the Garnele, the gun-bodied machine is thoroughly examined, and soon given approval. It's not without its limits-- the unit can only take a few hits before shutting down, it's rather awkward to mount, and it's completely reliant on outside assistance to reload-- but it fulfills the role of a remote weapon carrying J-Scale weaponry, and a group of these under control of a jaeger would be a sight to behold.
New Jaeger Weapon available for purchase: JF-99R Garnele Autonomous Rifle! JF-99R Garnele Autonomous Rifle 1875 Resources
Carried Remote Weapon (Fang/Rifle, M 12)
Attack Dice: 1d10+1/2x 1d10/3x 1d10-1
Armour Penetration: 0
Damage Type: Impact
Damage Bonus: 2
Range: 15/25/30
Capacity: 12
Reload: 1 Full
Durability: 4
Structure: 2
Movement: 6 (Land only)
Special: Compatible with the Sovereign RWC. May reattach to (its assigned controller) as a Standard Action when Engaged.
Cannot reload by itself. To reload, another combatant must Engage and perform a Reload action with the correct ammunition.
Any time the JF-99R is fired, chose the firing mode: Semi-Auto, Burst, or Fully Automatic. The JF-99R may be loaded with the same specialty ammunition as any M-99 weapon:
- Assault Rounds: As above. Standard ammunition.
- AP Rounds
- Special Bakelite Rounds
Currently, you can mount 3 Garneles on Jagdhund in a fashion that lets them attach and detach without too much hassle-- two on the rear waist skirt (Pelvis), and one on the Right Thigh (since the Left has a Jaeger Sheath attached). There's just not really any other good mounting points to carry land-based Fangs.
Unfortunately, attempts to copy the Ascalon Blade non-destructively continue to fall flat. The molecular structure of the weapon is very unique, and whether it's bad luck or some other factor, your engineers just aren't able to copy it. Frustrated and wanting to get something out, eventually they just try to duplicate the armour-piercing attribute of the sword, and come up with a short, fragile gladius-esque weapon, before promptly quitting the assignment out of irritation. The weapon itself is... well, it's only serviceable in an offensive role, but it can definitely punch through armour-- assuming the force of impact doesn't just shatter the blade. It could probably make a half-decent bayonet, with a bit of work.
New Jaeger Weapon available: Georgius Blade! Georgius Blade Carried One-Handed Melee Weapon
500 Resources
Attack Dice: 1d10
Parry Dice: 1d5+1
Block Dice: 1d5+1
Armour Penetration: 4+Special
Grappling Bonus: -1
Damage Type: Edged
Damage Bonus: Dexterity+2
Durability: 3
Special: Armour Penetration receives a bonus, equivalent to 1 for every 4 points the wielder beats the opponent's reaction by. When this weapon rolls exploding dice, it immediately breaks after the attack resolves.
You got a good roll, yes, but only because of your bonus. Hence, you get this very fragile dagger that can stab the absolute bajeesus out of armoured kaiju and is useless defensively due to its brittleness.
In an attempt to further enhance another of Neo-Seattle's old projects-- the "Jaegrenade" weapon-- engineers draw up plans for a new variant, designed as an electrical grenade. The so-called "Thunderspray" Jaegrenade operates on a double-action system; the outer casing shatters explosively on impact, showering the immediate area in a conductive fluid based off of Laidon's electricity-storing liquid, before a viciously strong electrical charge is sent between the exposed core and outer fragments, electrocuting anything within the initial blast radius. Due to the fact that a fair amount of the "battery fluid" vaporizes during detonation, the charge can hit things even if they're not touching the ground. Given the advances in technology and much finer design of this weapon, the Thunderspray is only about as expensive as its earlier variant, despite its more complex operation!
New Jaeger Weapon available: JED-3-ec Thunderspray Jaegrenade! JED-3-ec Thunderspray Jaegrenade 650 Resources
One Handed Held/Throwing Weapon (Explosive)
Attack Dice: 1d10
Countdown: Impact
Armour Penetration: 0
Damage Type: Electric
Damage Bonus: 3d5
Radius: 2
Range: 1/2/4x Str (see below) Cauterizes wounds. Throwing Weapons may use the wielder's Dexterity or Ranged stat to resolve the Attack, chosen at the wielder's discretion.
Grenades may be thrown with a Range determined by their wielder's Strength stat. Upon reaching their target, Impact grenades will detonate immediately. Non-Impact grenades will detonate after their Countdown timer has passed, and must be Primed as a Standard Action. Should a Grenade be used as a melee weapon, it immediately detonates, and all within the radius suffer damage (as the damage bonus). Grenades never reroll exploding dice.
A Jaeger can carry up to their Strength in grenades without encumbrance or extra equipment.
The Thunderspray is compatible with the Heavy Munitions Factory.
With almost everything taken care of, it's time to get to hunting. This week, the target is the Category IV kaiju "Boreas"-- a curious beast that seems to be able to control the weather around it. Whatever its abilities are, Neo-Seattle's jaegers are going to get a nice, close-up view of them.
Figure out what you'll be bringing to fight Boreas, and be sure to consider what you know about it thus far.
Everett:
As Everett's management gets to work cleaning up the damage, a refit goes through of their air force's laser weaponry, and Phenom's damaged parts are somewhat awkwardly repaired.
Laser weapons upgraded to UV! Phenom Sable fully repaired!
Still, with the current environmental status, they're a little limited. And it's because of this that the construction of two new BRM-class Environmental Stabilizer projects are authorized-- hopefully, they'll help return the city to its pre-kaiju glory.
To help with this, Neo-Seattle's most recent shipments of materials are promptly put to use-- improving research infrastructure, adding salvage projects to increase the yield from kaiju, and constructing a large containment zone for Castor to be held in.
Research to 5!
4 Kaiju Salvage Facilities constructed!
Kaiju Research and Containment Facility constructed! Castor captured!
Though they've used up most of their materials, with these additions Everett is sure to get back to business soon enough.
[X] Plan: To hunt King Cold 2
-[x] Elite Type 100 Anti-Kaiju Tank Squadrons
-[x] 6 Type 100 Anti-Kaiju Tank Squadrons
-[x] Type 105 Anti-Kaiju Laser Tank Squadron
-[x] 3 T-95 Anti-Kaiju Artillery Teams
-[x] Jagdhund and Tacit Ronin
-[x] The Tyr
-[x] The enhanced Hiln
-[x] Enough Meganeuras to carry everything
-[x] All Queztal and Fafnir aircraft
-[x] Approach from the South
Given the danger that the storm system provides to small aircraft, it's decided to leave the scouts and attack helicopters behind-- only the gunships and Meganeura transports are to fly there, as they're able to withstand the winds.
The other forces are quite simple; all of the city's main armour divisions save the mortar groups, the Hlin, Tyr, and its two jaegers. There's nothing much else to bring.
Up and up the hunting party goes, passing Victoria to the west and Everett to the east as they make their way north, into the storm. And the further they get, the stronger the effects become; whirling clusters of snow, biting winds, and a faint static charge in the air make it hard to discern anything beyond a couple kilometres, and even more difficult as distance increases. The Meganeuras and Gunships are handling the weather well enough, but anything the size of the Dragonflies would be facing a lot of trouble if they tried to fly in these conditions. As is, the ground forces are gonna be the lucky ones.
While within 75 kilometres of Boreas, the following Battlefield Environmental Traits are in effect:
- Combatants at a range of 16+ units are treated as in Light Cover (+1 difficulty). At 26+ units, this increases to Medium Cover (+2), and at 36+ it increases to Heavy Cover (+3)
- This Cover bonus also applies to sensor checks, as well as attacks.
- All flying craft (Class 0 or below) have their speed reduced by 5 units. Particularly small units may need to pass checks to move (non-applicable).
By the time the party hits 10 kilometres, it's time to look for a landing point. A small road winding up the valley to the south of Mt. Meager is the best they can find, but the aircraft pilots are happy to get out of the air for a couple minutes. The ground forces pile out, including both Superheavies and both Jaegers. While their enemy is too far to be seen right now, above the howl of the winds comes a clacking, creaking call-- the roar of Boreas.
This is it.
First off-- unlike the Goryo battle, I'm not gonna make a fancy text-based map, since it was kind of a hassle last time. If I could get a mapping site recommended, I could try throwing something together with that, but otherwise I'm just gonna be writing the distances out and abstracting a little.
For distance, you're currently stationed about 8 kilometres south of Plinth Peak, 6 south of Mt. Meager, on the road along that valley/river bit. Boreas is stationed atop Plinth Peak, and currently surrounded by its storm system (effects noted above).
I was gonna say that by default, your combatants will be packing default ammunition, but I've just remembered that that's only really a concern for your air force, and your ground units can just switch on the fly. Huh.
Combat Round 1
[X] Plan: ADVANCE! With an Umbrella v2
- Power up the Hlin, put it in the center of our formation with the Tyr 2 units behind it
- Have Jagdhund be 3 units in front of the Hlin under its cover, Machine Cannon drawn
- Tacit Ronin 3 units to the right of the Hlin
- Everything scan, with Tyr support using Remote Analysis Consolidation
- The rest of the Conventionals spread out within 3 units of the Hlin, making sure to maintain greater than 1 unit separation
- All units advance towards the valley between Plinth Peak and Mount Meager at best Conventional speed
[X] Have the Fafnir's and Quetzals circle around the Hlin.
As the Hlin powers up its Barrier Field, erecting a bubble of protective armour around everything in a half-kilometre radius, the various ground forces and jaegers squeeze themselves close. It's a little awkward for the tanks to aim around the pair of massive giant robots standing in front of them, but not impossible-- it'll still do. Unfortunately, the gunships' stall speed makes it hard for them to stay within the bubble constantly, thus forcing them to circle around its outside and weave in when they can. Again-- awkward, but manageable.
As they advance, the jaegers set their scanners on a sweep, trying to pinpoint the kaiju, and hopefully discern more of its biology. The Tyr links up with them, offering its vast computational abilities and scanner suite to assist their efforts.
(7)
(6)
However, while the Tyr's rapid analysis and data consolidation does help, the polarized snowstorm is thick enough that any otherwise useful readings are thoroughly scrambled. Even with the mark one eyeball, it's hard to make out distinct shapes past a few hundred metres at best.
That said, there's still the naked ear, and Boreas is far from trying to hide. Another warbling shriek rips through the storm from far before them-- Boreas is still atop its peak.
[ ] Keep moving and scanning. (2x 1d10+2 again)
[ ] Different plan! (Write-in)
Your forces are 7.2 kilometres south of Plinth Peak/Boreas, 5.2 south of Mt. Meager. Your transports are hanging back at 8 kilometres from Plinth Peak.
Still moving along as best as they can, the jaegers give it another shot.
(3)
(5)
Nothing. They might as well not have had their scanners turned on for all it does against the kaiju. Whatever this thundersnow* is, it's seeming more and more likely that it's not normal in more ways than one. Silicon particulate mixed in with the ice crystals, maybe? Metallic chaff? An electromagnetic field? The other option could just be that the jaegers' sensor suites haven't been calibrated right, of course. But in any case, at least whatever's causing this seems to be nontoxic-- no traces of gas or airborne Blue to worry about, just static electricity, frozen water vapour, and freezing cold winds.
Boreas remains hidden from sight.
[ ] More moving, more scanning (2x 1d10+2 scans)
[ ] Pause for a moment, see if that helps (2x 1d10+5 scans)
[ ] Other plan (write-in, as usual)
Your forces are 6.4 kilometres south of Plinth Peak/Boreas, 4.4 south of Mt. Meager. Your transports are hanging back at 8 kilometres from Plinth Peak.
*snowstorm with thunder and lightning. It's an actual word.
Combat Round 3
[X] Pause for a moment, see if that helps (2x 1d10+5 scans)
Putting their advance on hold for the moment, Tacit and Jagdhund shunt computational power to their sensor arrays, and aim everything they've got to the north-- just as a small gap in the storm opens.
This time, they get something.
(13)
(18)
More than six kilometres away, a hazy outline materializes on their extravisual scanners, perched atop the mountain's peak. Taller than a jaeger, standing on six sinewy, jointed limbs, with a triangular mantle splaying from its back. A quick switch to infrared reveals a burning hot core temperature, painting Boreas' silhouette in vibrant reds and oranges against the freezing purple of its surroundings. The Tyr runs through numerous calculations, assigning statistics to the creature as fast as possible before the window closes. Radiation levels, air current effect, volume estimates, dimensions...
Boreas shrieks, opening its maw wide to release its crackling cry, and steps forwards down the mountain's flank. Spidery legs dig their claws into rock with ease, letting it descend slowly towards the waiting forces.
Then the storm's heart shifts, dragged along in its master's path, and the data's cut off, a whirling wall of snow obscuring the kaiju.
Fortunately, dispensing this information doesn't take more than a few seconds with the Tyr around. And thus, the troops of Neo-Seattle are granted their first view of Boreas, wielder of the northern winds.
Kaiju Identified! SE-27-001-H, Category IV -Boreas
As before, Your forces are 6.4 kilometres south of Plinth Peak, 6 south of Boreas, and 4.4 south of Mt. Meager. Your transports are hanging back at 8 kilometres from Plinth Peak. Boreas has obviously moved.
For the record, your crit scan means you can now roughly track Boreas' location (within a few hundred metres' worth of error), as long as, say, the storm doesn't spontaneously spike in intensity or something.
Combat Round 4
[X] Keep moving! If we lose track of Boreas, scan again.
With their target spotted, the assembled forces step it up. Marching up the side of the mountain, the jaegers, tanks, and other vehicles try to make the best time they can before Boreas can slip off the map again. Admittedly, that's not as big a worry, as Boreas makes excellent time climbing down towards them.
However, as they approach fifty five hundred metres, something changes.
Boreas' marker pauses, claws dug in around Mt. Meager's top, before another shriek echoes down-- one even louder and higher than any of the ones before! As if to answer the kaiju, a flash of lightning rips across the sky, the storm bellowing out a furious thunderclap! Alarms go off as the ambient electrical potential spikes, seconds before a branching cluster of lightning bolts stab down at the forces!
The Hlin's shield reacts, blazing to life as it soaks up the electrical charge. Unfortunately, the strikes have too much energy behind them, and several arcs splinter off inside the bubble, jumping at Jagdhund and the leading tank squadrons! While the jaeger's built-in Faraday cage is sufficient to save her systems from any damage, the Elites aren't so lucky, and the sudden shock blows out their circuits, leaving the vehicles dead where they sit.
Warmth boils off the Hlin's heat sinks, melting a circle in the snow around it and the others. The Barrier had come very close to overloading against that electrical strike, but if the sluggish crackle of the storm clouds are anything to go by, it'll hopefully take a while for the thundersnow to build up another charge.
Still, it confirms Neo-Seattle's initial reports-- Boreas really can control the weather.
The thundersnow's electrical activity has increased! Every few rounds, your units have a chance of being struck by lightning!
Your forces are about 4 kilometres south of Boreas, 5.6 south of Plinth Peak, and 3.6 south of Mt. Meager. Your transports are hanging back at 8 kilometres from Plinth Peak.
Each round (starting from now), you'll need to roll a 1d10 to reboot your Elite squadron.
Combat Round 5-6
[X] Plan Snow Run
-[x] Tacit and Jagdhund run forward.
-[x] Conventionals and Hlin keep advancing
-[x] Keep trying to reboot the Elite Tanks.
With no time to waste, the jaegers rush forwards, Tacit slowed to Jagdhund's speed by the incline and ice but still moving very fast. The storm's getting easier to see through as they close, and with the advanced sensors onboard, it's possible to make out the kaiju's tar black flesh latched on the other side of the ridge.
Behind them, the land forces press on, while the Elite team tries to restart their tanks as fast as they can.
(3,9)
Fortunately, luck is on their side, and the rest of the armoured vehicles haven't gotten too far away by the time the white-and-red fighting craft power back on, jerry-rigged into operating again. It's not perfect, but it'll last long enough to finish the fight.
Elite Tanks reboot! No longer Incapacitated!
However, Boreas is far from inactive. Rising into the air with its great, triangular wings, the arthropedal kaiju glares down with burning eyes, and lets out a creaking hiss.
Several things follow.
As the hiss spikes into a shrill cry, Boreas swings its foremost pair of legs above its head. Red light ignites beneath the skeletal armour of its chest, before racing up through the outstretched limbs to shine inside the claws. Alarms go off, detecting a spike in ambient potential as electricity seems to funnel in from kilometres around.
Boreas' arms swing down.
Roll 1d10+6!
Jaegers are 16 units from Boreas (28 as this is being resolved)
Your conventional forces are about 3.2 kilometres south of Boreas, 4.8 south of Plinth Peak, and 2.8 south of Mt. Meager, while your Elite Tanks are 8 units further south. Your transports are hanging back at 8 kilometres from Plinth Peak.
I'm gonna change this back to the standard "one post, roughly one round" format. Two rounds per post is just too odd now that we're in actual combat-- but I'll make use of it this last time.
The storm clouds above flash, before shooting down a white hot stream of electricity at the spot the jaeger stands-- or stood, since it's no longer there anymore. Tacit Ronin throws itself to the side, spraying up a cloud of snow as it swings clear. The lightning bolt explodes against the mountain's side, sending fragments of rock flying from the force of the blast.
Without slowing, Tacit scrambles back into a run, charging in alongside Jagdhund to close the distance even as a thunderclap follows the tremendous strike.
Boreas screams in fury, and, with a few flaps of its wings, shoots forwards, swooping down to strike the agile jaeger!
However, it doesn't make it far enough. Misjudging the jaegers' speed, the kaiju dives a few hundred meters too short, and slams its claws into the rocky peak. While the impact is strong enough to shatter stone, it's also enough to completely throw its momentum off, and Boreas finds itself jolted to stall speeds in a very awkward position. Flipping head over tail, the arthropedal monster crashes into the icy ground, bringing its forwards momentum to almost a complete stop and giving it a nasty smack to the cranium.
Charge fails! Boreas crashes! Boreas is dazed!
As the indignantly screeching kaiju struggles to right itself, its movements are clumsy and imperfect-- clearly, the jarring impact has left it slightly concussed-- and in very short range to the jaegers bearing down on it!
Jaegers are now at 4 units from Boreas, who charged forwards 12 and crashed into the mountain. That said, since he was flying and you were not, you don't get a counter-charge.
(Your conventional forces are about 2 kilometres south of Boreas, 4.8 south of Plinth Peak, and 2.8 south of Mt. Meager, while your Elite Tanks are 8 units further south. Your transports are hanging back at 8 kilometres from Plinth Peak.)
Hm, maybe my luck's just really sucking today? Normally, I roll at least decently well for the kaiju.
Combat Round 8
Boom Boom
-[X] All Cons scoot closer and fire at Boreas.
-[X] Jagdhund fires at Boreas, Full Auto.
-[X] Tacit fires ALL the Lasers.
Fortunately for Boreas, the two jaegers don't immediately dogpile it. However, what happens instead doesn't seem much better, as a barrage of fire rains down upon it from the advancing conventional forces!
Hit to R. Shoulder! No damage!
Hit to Chest! No damage!
Hit to R. Shoulder! No damage!
Hit to Chest! No damage!
Hit to L. Arm! No damage!
Yet, it soon becomes clear that mere conventional weapons are far outclassed here. Boreas' storm wrecks havoc on the ground forces' aim, and while the gunships can get close enough to mitigate the obstruction, their attacks do little more than show off its defenses. The tar-black coating that serves as Boreas' hide is more than equipped to absorb laser fire and shell bombardments, and those rounds that strike its bone-plated chest are even more firmly rebuffed.
Then Tacit and Jagdhund come to a halt, and open up with their own weapons.
Hit to R. Ankle! No damage!
Hit to R. Arm! No damage!
Hit to Eyes! Glancing Wound! Temporarily Blinded!
Hit to Neck! Glancing Wound!
Hit to L. Ankle! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Head! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Spine! No damage!
Hit to Pelvis! Glancing Wound! Boreas is Dazed!
Hit to L. Hand! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Chest! No damage!
Boreas takes 6 Strikes!
2 Ammunition Units left!
As it did seconds prior, Boreas' hide does a fine job of absorbing energy, and most of Tacit's ultraviolet lasers accomplish nothing more than the discolouration of its armour-- and setting off quite a number of subdermal nerve endings, if the kaiju's screeching is any indication. Jagdhund's fire accomplishes little as well, save for draining her magazine of bullets. But then Boreas' shrieks go up a pitch, and it stumbles back, forelegs pulling up to cover its eyes! With so many of Tacit's beams hitting it head on, the kaiju seems to have lost its eyesight temporarily!
And yet...
As the kaiju cries, its clacking vocalization repeats itself-- once, then twice, then more and more, until it's an underlying pattern. It's echolocating.
Slowly, the kaiju's arms sink back down from its face. Its eyes are dim and dull, flecks of red shimmering beneath the surface. Then Boreas points its blind head towards Tacit Ronin, and lunges.
Tacit is in melee with Boreas, with Jagdhund 3 units away. Your ground forces are 1.2 kilometres south of Boreas, 4.4 south of Plinth Peak, and 2.4 south of Mt. Meager, while your Elite Tanks are 8 units further south. Air force is around 5 from Boreas. Your transports are hanging back at 8 kilometres from Plinth Peak.
I apparently forgot that I'd made Boreas surprisingly tanky for a flyer.
Tacit Ronin dances right, dodging the first pair of hooked claws, only for Boreas to bring its other two arms slashing around, gouging channels in Tacit's abdominal plating! Fortunately, the Jagdarium's strong enough that the attack can't penetrate any further, and the jaeger gets away with what amounts to a few scratch.
Hit to Torso! Glancing Wound!
Tacit Ronin takes 1 Strike!
Up above, the clouds begin to spark again, fingers of electricity dancing between them.
It is now your turn.
Combat Round 9
[X] Jagdhund Shifts back, away from Tacit and Boreas, and fires her Electromagnetic projector, sacrificing 2 points of her Ran bonus to not hit her husband partner.
[X] Tacit hits Boreas with the Cobra Strike and Flourish.
Stepping back slowly, Jagdhund engages her shoulder-mounted electrolaser, before hesitating. If she simply opens fire on the kaiju, there's a good chance the electrical attack could jump to Tacit as well. To be safe with this, she's going to have to dial down its output.
Fortunately, even with less power pumped into the system, the IE-10 is plenty strong. A writhing bolt of electricity lashes against the back of Boreas' neck, delivering a nasty shock to the kaiju! Far from battle-ending, but the jolt's strong enough to leave it open for an attack by Tacit!
Hit to Neck! Boreas takes 4 Temporary Strikes! Boreas is Dazed!
Drawing back one arm, Noah and his copilot ready their jaeger's signature move, and strike out!
Unfortunately for them, Boreas isn't as stunned as it may have let on.
In a blur of motion, the kaiju's forelegs shoot up, their hooked ends yanking the blade up and over Boreas' head. Rather than a graceful lunge, Tacit practically trips over its own feet, its entire body left exposed for the kaiju's counterattack!
Flaring its wings for stability, the Category IV strikes with its other pair of arms, the left claw glowing with a crackling red light!
The claw slams into the jaeger's upper leg, punching a hole straight through the armour plating before discharging its built-up energies! Electricity rips into the surrounding servos and control circuits, and though the Faraday Frame mitigates a little harm, it's sorely outclassed. The limb goes almost completely dead in seconds, most of its internals overloaded by the attack. Boreas shrieks, and shoves Tacit Ronin away, ripping off the punctured armour as its claw catches on the inside.
Major Wound to R. Thigh! Armour Destroyed! -3 Agility!
Electrical Damage inflicts an additional Strike! No Vitals Damage!
Tacit takes 6 Strikes! +3 Ongoing! Tacit Ronin is at -2 Universal from being over its Durability!
Boreas steps back, loosing a howl into the wind before dropping back down to all sixes with a thud. A moment later, the storm's electrical energy strikes out, sending tendrils of forked lightning dancing across the clouds-- and a number of metallic objects.
While the jaegers are left alone, plenty of other targets suffer the storm's wrath. Two of the Gunships find their systems shut down, forcing their pilots to devote effort entirely to keeping them from crashing, while the Hlin's Barrier is forced to fend off another flurry of strikes. Worse still, while some of the bolts are intercepted by the shield, a few lack the force to set it off, and risk scrambling the systems of their mobile command centre!
Lightning strikes Quetzalcoatl Gunship! Quetzalcoatl Gunship is Stunned!
Lightning strikes Fafnir Heavy Gunship! Fafnir Heavy Gunship is Stunned!
Lightning strikes Type 100 Squadron! Barrier absorbs 4 points! Type 100 Squadron Incapacitated!
Minor lightning strike to Type 100 Squadron! Must Save or be Stunned!
Lightning strikes Hlin! Barrier absorbs 2 points! Attack nullified!
Minor lightning strike to Tyr! Must Save or be Stunned!
Meanwhile, Boreas launches itself back into the fray, biting blindly at the jaeger with its vicious beak! Despite their injury, Tacit's pilots are able to respond, and defend themselves!
In any case, I need some two d10 rolls (total) for the T-100 squad and Tyr to see if they avoid being stunned (6+ saves). Your gunships are meant to fly in some fucked-up atmospheric conditions anyways (and they've got analogue control surface... controls), so they won't crash-- you'll just lose your attack action with them and only be allowed to move your minimum speed with them for next turn. Oh, and a third d10 for that Incapacitated Type 100 squad to reboot.
Distances are the same as last turn, but Jagdhund's 4 units away from Boreas and Tacit. NOMWMP has activated, so once this is resolved Jagdhund can lay down the pain.
Desperately, Tacit Ronin flings its arms up, slamming its armoured vambraces into Boreas' open maw before the jaws can snap shut!
(14) Bite:
(7)
Critical Block! All damage negated!
Several of the kaiju's teeth shatter from the impact, spraying flecks of Blue across the white paint, before Tacit shoves the kaiju away. Boreas staggers back, gagging slightly and wringing its head, while the pale jaeger shifts its weight onto its intact leg.
It is now your turn.
Combat Round 10
[X] Jagdhund drops her Machine Cannon, draws the Ascalon Blade and Charges into Melee, using the Rear Thrusters, the Emergency Overclock and No One Messes With My Hus- I M-Mean Partner! bonuses.
[X] Tacit slashes with the Fangblades.
Tacit Ronin throws a few awkward fangblade cuts towards Boreas, mainly trying to drive the monster back from it. The blinded Cat IV takes a few steps away, taking a nick to one of its arms in the process, but otherwise managing to evade the jaeger's weakened attacks without too much trouble.
Hit to R. Shoulder! Glancing Wound!
Boreas takes 1 Strike!
However, Tacit knows exactly what they're doing-- and Jagdhund's not going to fuck around with ranged attacks any longer. This is personal.
Tearing her mighty Ascalon Blade from its sheath and tossing her rifle to the side, the jaeger ignites her boosters, and charges in! Boreas, unprepared for an attack from a different direction, reacts to the attack far too late.
AP 14!
Destruction Wound to R. Thigh! Armour Destroyed! Limb Destroyed! -3 Agility!
Boreas takes 5 Strikes! +3 Ongoing!
A piercing scream echos over the storm's thunder. Moments later, the reasons become clear, as Boreas' severed leg crashes down several hundred metres from the aggregated conventional forces, toxic blue blood trailing from the stump.
The Category IV stumbles, immediately starting to bleed out from the uncauterized wound-- though its own natural healing abilities are already hard at work sealing it shut.
1 Strike from Ongoing! 1 Ongoing healed!
Wheeling awkwardly around, Boreas lashes out with all four arms, trying to retaliate against Jagdhund!
Reaction!
[] Block! (1d10+1)
[] Parry! (2d5+3, roll explodes on double 5s)
[] Dodge! (1d10+4)
Jagdhund manages to fend off the first set of blows, and even the second are inhibited to the point where they leave only superficial wounds!
Hit to R. Arm! Glancing Wound!
Jagdhund takes 1 Strike!
Catching the monster on her weapon, Jagdhund finds an opening in its defenses-- big enough to take advantage of with a counter!
Make a Counter-Attack at -1?
[] Yes!
-[] Ascalon Blade! (1d10+3, DB 5)
-[] Punches! (1d10+1, DB 3)
-[] Kicks! (1d10, DB 4)
-[] Lightning! (1d10+7, DB 3)
-[] Other! (grapple, slam, etc)
[] No, continue on to the your (the players') turn.
You still get a counter attack, since you did block one of the attacks. Jagdarium armour OP.
Jagdhund's counter slams into Boreas' chest, cracking the cage of bone protecting its core-- as well as several internal components.
Hit to Chest! Minor Wound! Critical internal damage! Boreas' time is limited!
Boreas takes 3 Strikes! +1 Ongoing! Boreas is losing Stamina!
A mix of steam and Kaiju Blue sprays from the wound, and Boreas lets out a staggered cough. Clearly, the attack's done more than just superficial damage.
It is now your turn, and both jaegers are in melee.
Combat Round 11
[X] Plan Cross Slash
-[X] Tacit slashes with the Fangblades.
-[X] Jagdhund stabs with the Ascalon Blade.
As one, Tacit and Jagdhund strike, bearing down on the kaiju in a simultaneous attack!
(9)
(12,11)
Hit to Right Arm! Minor Wound! -1 HtH! -1 Dex!
Hit to Right Arm! Glancing Wound!
Boreas takes 4 Strikes! Boreas is losing Stamina!
As Boreas cants to the left, Tacit's blades flash, and strike Boreas' arms! One is left with a simple scar, but the other is struck at a weak point, and sliced off at the wrist!
Boreas screams. Above it, the storm begins to destabilize, clouds coming apart as lighting and wind rips through their structure! The kaiju's clearly on its last legs, and so Jagdhund moves in for the kill.
(8)
(8)
Boreas flaps its wings, providing enough momentum for it to spin itself around once more, and knock Jagdhund's blade aside with its forelegs! Balancing precariously on its single back leg, held aloft by the barely sufficient flapping of its pinions, Boreas still doesn't abandon the attack. Three hooked claws rise up, and swing down.
Reaction!
[] Block! (1d10+1)
[] Parry! (2d5+3, roll explodes on double 5s)
[] Dodge! (1d10+4)
When I say Boreas is on his last legs, I do mean it. Well, technically, it should be last leg, but...
Eye glowing gold, Jagdhund thrusts her arm forwards, and drives the Ascalon blade into Boreas' mouth. Carried by its own momentum, the kaiju falls forwards, the armour-piercing weapon punching through its softer inner flesh and out the back of its neck.
Hit to Neck! Major Wound!
SE-27-001-H "Boreas" defeated!
Slowly, the kaiju falls limp, what sparks remained in its eyes dying out in a few seconds. The cloud of steam from its core dries up, and its colours seem to dull.
Up above, the thundersnow's unnatural fury tears itself apart, unlocking from the pattern its master had set it in. Without whatever Boreas did to generate and enhance it, it should only take a few days or so for it to revert to a more 'normal' atmospheric phenomenon, if it doesn't dissipate entirely by then.
But in the meanwhile, there's a city that needs its guardians to return, and wounds that need healing. Discarding Boreas' corpse onto the icy cliffs, Jagdhund sheaths her weapon, and walks over to her partner. Gratefully, Tacit takes the offered support, and the two begin their trek back down the mountain.
It's time to go home.
Next post will give you your repair stuff and the boost to Jagdhund's perk. However, as I mentioned before, you won't receive Boreas' stats or Token until the end of the upcoming weekly fight (you'll also be able to upgrade your AKBs to exoskeletons then).
While the combat data is still under analysis, the jaegers are set up in the Shatterdome for their repairs.
Jagdhund's damage is minimal, and easy to fix. Tacit, however, is going to need most of its upper leg frame replaced, along with a significant number of control systems. Not to mention new armour plates.
Tacit Ronin's repairs will require 1420 Resources, a new piece of armour, and an Action. Jagdhund's repairs will require 60 Resources, but won't take an Action.
Meanwhile, Jagdhund does her best to review the fight in her own time, and seems to be developing a more advantageous close-quarters style. With her knowledge of Tacit's combat techniques, she can adjust her own strikes to mesh better with it, and hence improve her abilities in melee.
New Perk: Double Team!
- Double Team: Whenever Jagdhund and Tacit Ronin attack the same combatant in melee, Jagdhund gains a +1 bonus to her melee attacks that round.
So yeah.
[] Repair.
[X] Repair Jagdhund and Tacit for a total 1480 resources and a Jagdarium plate.
-[X] Research Sunfire Bombs for Drakon use.
Tacit's leg is repaired with thankfully few problems, and the dents on Jagdhund are barely worth mentioning in terms of expenses. By the time the next kaiju attack rolls around, both jaegers should be fully combat ready again.
All damage repaired! All damage repaired! Ammunition refilled!
Meanwhile, C-Tech decides to form a joint effort, and try to scrape together the signature weapon for their newest aircraft-- the Sunfire warhead. And, to be honest? It works. By themselves, the Sunfires aren't likely to deal any serious damage to higher-Cat kaiju, but their signature disc-like blast zones are capable of scything through large numbers of smaller opponents-- anything from man-size to tank-size can be taken down with a nearly kilometre-wide radius of such a bombing run, as long as they're not packing heavy armour or something.
Sunfire bonus used up!
New weapon for PB-20 'Drakon' Bombers! - Sunfire Spread Bombs: 3x 1d10 Fire damage. -2 Damage. Range Special. Hits on 6+. Radius 4. One Shot Only. Cauterises Wounds. Benefits from Arges.
As with anything, of course, you must choose between these and the Cracker Bombs each time you field a Drakon squad.
However, the new weapons and new aircraft are going to have to wait before either can be constructed-- soon enough, there's kaiju to deal with!
As before, there's a threat for each of the cities to handle. Unlike before, however, there aren't five kaiju. Just two; one for Neo-Seattle...
<ALERT: NEW KAIJU SIGNATURE DETECTED>
<INBOUND FROM SOUTHERN SECTOR>
<CLASSIFICATION: CATEGORY IV>
...and one for Everett.
<ALERT: NEW KAIJU SIGNATURE DETECTED>
<INBOUND FROM NORTHWESTERN SECTOR>
<CLASSIFICATION: CATEGORY III>
Roll me some scanning dice (1d10+7 for Neo-Seattle, and 1d10+4 for Everett)! Then, decide how you want to handle this;
[] Resolve Neo-Seattle's incursion first, and Everett's second!
[] Resolve Everett's incursion first, and Neo-Seattle's second!
[] Resolve both Neo-Seattle and Everett's incursions simultaneously!
Thankfully, the scanner network stays up this time, and manages to feed Everett command some useful information about their upcoming foe.
EV-27-003, codename "Bulwark", is definitely not another Geminus. Sporting large size, dense internals, and a humanoid body plan-- save for four extra arms-- the kaiju seems built for close-quarters, and can probably take a beating on its way to it. Radiation levels are low, and toxicity only reaches moderate levels, so it's unlikely to have any particularly dangerous ranged weapon, but that's not to say it'll be easy pickings by any means.
Bulwark is roughly 30-ish kilometres out, approaching from the northwest, and moving at a fairly slow clip. How do you deploy against him?
[X] Set up conventionals near Shaker Church, space them so there's one unit between each Conventional.
-[x] The Heimdal is deployed five units forward of the main group, the Scouts orbit around the Heimdal, and Phenom is deplyed three units in front of the Heimdal (8 units forward of the main group).
-[x] The Murasame deploys in the water near Shaker Church.
Everett's forces rush into action, setting up their stations near Shaker Church. The powerful Heimdal takes point for the conventional assets, with Phenom Sable less than half a kilometre further ahead of it. Down by Priest Point, the Murasame-class waits, its weapons primed and ready for the fight.
Out around Marine Drive, the kaiju is already approaching.
True to its readings, Bulwark is a big, nasty chunk of kaiju. Sitting around 85 metres tall, covered in flexible armour, and sporting eight powerful limbs, it certainly seems to fill one's expectations-- with one exception. Its blunted head has no eyes to speak of, and instead a bristling cluster of fins sprout from its sockets and chin like a catfish's whiskers. All six arms are clearly made for melee combat; four ending in five-fingered, human-like hands, while the last pair is tipped with a trifecta of long, triangular claws. All seem to have a good range of movement, though the slightly smaller claw arms are held closer to the kaiju's chest. Bulwark's legs are simple and strong, while its tail tapers to a short stub that's only five metres long at most.
Stomping forwards along the land, it seems as though the kaiju won't stop until either it or everything in its path is dead-- and it's Phenom's job to make sure it's the former.
Bulwark is at 5 kilometres from your forces, 4.2 from Phenom, 4.5 from the Heimdal, and 9.5 from Everett itself.
Combat Round 1
[X] Heimdal Lock Down and Overwatch. Conventionals also Overwatch to shoot when Bulwark comes into range.
-[X] Phenom walks two units forward.
Across the firing line, soldiers prep their weapons. The Heimdal's stabilizers slam down into the ground as its railgun taps into the reactor, powering up with a staticky whine.
Phenom Sable just steps forwards, cracking its reinforced knuckles in anticipation. Bulwark's sensory fins wriggle in their sockets, edges glowing a faint blue, as the kaiju itself advances, striding swiftly across the ground towards its opponent.
Bulwark is at 4 kilometres from your forces, 3 from Phenom, 3.5 from the Heimdal, and 8.5 from Everett itself. It's your turn again.
Combat Round 2
[X] Phenom stands his ground and waits. Gainax Pose optional, but reccommended.
[X] All other units stay on Overwatch.
Bulwark doesn't slow down-- though that's to be expected, given how Phenom's practically oozing its pilots' desire to fight the thing. Evidently it either hasn't learned of the Heimdal's maximum cannon range, or doesn't care, since the Category III promptly charges straight into its sights.
Overwatch activated! Roll 1d10+3 for Railgun fire (hits on 7s), and a hit location!
Bulwark is at 3 kilometres from your forces, 2 from Phenom, 2.5 from the Heimdal, and 7.5 from Everett itself.
Combat Round 2 Overwatch
The railgun flechette strikes one of Bulwark's five-fingered right arms, and ricochets off, fracturing into ferromagnetic shrapnel. The outermost layer of armour seems to have peeled open a little, but underneath it is a perfectly fresh armour plate, unblemished by the attack.
No damage!
What's the plan?
Combat Round 3
[X] Heimdal fire again, everything Overwatch. Phenom continues to wait patiently.
'Patient' isn't really something that can describe Phenom right now, but at least they're not rushing into combat on their own.
Meanwhile, the Heimdal loads another round, and-- in conjunction with the smaller cannon mounted on the nearby Murasame, opens fire again! This time, the rail-spike is far more on target, and slams into the kaiju's upper leg with tremendous force! While the layers of armour are still able to stop the projectile, they're not perfect at the job, and the tungsten core of the round punches through the plating, partially impaling itself in Bulwark's thigh! The kaiju gives a surprised yelp at the new development-- at the fact that it's been hurt by a weapon that previously did little to naught against it. A few seconds later, the Murasame's own flechette strikes, shattering uselessly into metallic shards against Bulwark's neck. It's not enough to hurt, but it certainly draws the Cat III's attention away from its wound.
Hit to L. Thigh! Minor Wound! -1 Agility!
Hit to Neck! No damage!
Bulwark takes 3 Strikes! +1 Ongoing!
Baring its teeth, Bulwark sets back on the path towards the forces. It's clearly hampered by the leg wound, the new limp slowing it down a little-- though that's not going to stop it from closing in. The only unfortunate thing is that the rest of the forces can't quite reach it with their weaponry yet.
Bulwark is at 2.2 kilometres from your forces, 1.2 from Phenom, 1.7 from the Heimdal, and 6.7 from Everett itself.
You do have those SFTs on Phenom, if you fancied trying to charge this round...
Combat Round 4
[X] All Conventional forces rush in and those in range can fire at will. Scouts first to mark the target with the Arges, then everyone who enters range can open fire.
[X] Phenom strides four units closer.
With that little annoyance, it's decided to charge in and open fire-- simple as that. However, simple doesn't mean sure, and the incoming Dragonflies only barely manage to lock onto the kaiju before the rest of the forces open fire.
1 Arges hit!
A messy wall of explosive shells and missiles slam into Bulwark, most of them that hit at all having little to no effect. However, the Elite forces concentrate their fire, aiming to the slightly less armoured hip joint of the other leg, and fire wave after wave of rounds into the same spot! Noticing their efforts, the Heimdal aims its next shot for the same spot, and fires a dart straight into it! As expected, the armour peels open as the spike shatters-- opening a point for the elites' rounds to strike! Before the inner layers can harden, a flurry of shells punch through and detonate inside the joint, blowing open a ragged wound in Bulwark's right thigh!
Hit to R. Thigh! No damage!
Hit to L. Shoulder! No damage!
Hit to L. Ankle! No damage!
Hit to R. Shoulder! No damage!
Hit to L. Shoulder! No damage!
Hit to Pelvis! No damage!
Hit to Spine! Glancing Wound!
Hit to L. Foot! No damage!
Hit to Neck! No damage!
Hit to R. Thigh! Armour destroyed! Major Wound! -3 Agility!
Bulwark takes 6 Strikes! +3 Ongoing! 1 Ongoing Wound healed!
Forcing itself forwards through the blinding waves of fire, the kaiju attempts to rush down its enemy! And, to be fair, it almost gets there. Almost. However, the fact that its right leg is now only half attached to its body proves a serious hindrance, and Bulwark begins running out of steam before it can reach Phenom Sable.
(5) Charge fails!
Counter-charge?
[ ] Yes (write-in attack)
[ ] No (moves to your turn)
Bulwark is at 0.3 kilometres from Phenom, 1.2 from the Heimdal, 1.3 from the land forces (save the solitary artillery at 1.7), ~0.5 from the air forces, and 6.2 from Everett itself.
Combat Round 4 Counter-charge
[X] Yes (write-in attack)
-[x] Grapple! With Talons
"Well, you didn't need to weaken it that much, but I guess it's fine." Phenom's talons slide out, and snap open into four-fingered claws. "Hopefully, it'll still put up a plenty good fight for us! Hyah!"
Launching forwards, Phenom Sable swings its massive hands down towards Bulwark-- only for the kaiju to react, thrusting out a pair of its own arms to seize hold of the jaeger's inner hands! The Destroyer Talons snap shut awkwardly, failing to cut anything as the two titans find their initial efforts matched by each other!
Grapple started!
(17) Grapple:
(17,10) Grapple tied! No victor!
"Hah! Looks like you guys are gonna get it off easy this time! This is more like it!"
Roll 1d10+15 for your next Grapple round!
Combat Round 5 Grapple
Phenom tears an arm free, and catches Bulwark's thick neck in a headlock, trying to leverage the kaiju into a disadvantage! However, another of the Cat III's arms shoots up, grabbing hold of the jaeger's conpod, and shoving it to the side! The fourth arm grabs hold of its clavicle plate, while the clawed fifth and sixth press tight into its rib armour, as Bulwark itself tries to disadvantage Phenom! While the jaeger's arm strength may be superior, Bulwark's awfully close to matching it, not to mention it has arms to spare! As is, neither can gain the upper hand.
Combat Round 6 Grapple
Slowly, Phenom Sable's grip weakens, the constant pressure on its neck straining the joint-- and the rangers who are feeling the exact same thing themselves. Bulwark hisses, baring blunted teeth as it adjusts its arm posture, denying Phenom adequate purchase on both the kaiju and the ground itself.
"What?! Just what the hell..." One of Phenom's pilots groans. "What the hell is this thing?!"
With a roar, Bulwark pulls Phenom off the ground, its six arms already readjusting to better hold the jaeger. One hand moves to grab the mech's lower leg, before giving it a vicious yank.
Break to Left Ankle! Glancing Wound!
Phenom Sable takes 1 Strike!
Despite its effort, all it manages to achieve is a minor dislocation-- one that the jaeger's automatic compensation could easily fix if given a few seconds to adjust. Unfortunately, Phenom Sable doesn't have a few seconds.
"Gah! Is-- is that all you've got, you big, ugly--!"
With a roar, Bulwark swings Phenom back down into its (functioning) knee, crumpling its lumbar armour like an aluminium can.
Break to Pelvis! Armour destroyed! Major Wound! Phenom Sable's legs are disabled!
Phenom Sable takes 5 Strikes! +3 Ongoing!
The jaeger promptly seizes up, spasming as it's temporarily overwhelmed by feedback. With a gurgling snarl, Bulwark tosses the machine off, letting it crash to the ground without any further punishment. A stream of blue blood runs from its leg wound, the momentary exertion having opened it back up again.
Grapple disengaged! Phenom is Prone! Bulwark takes 1 Strike from Ongoing! +1 Ongoing!
Well, that... um... happened.
Phenom Sable is currently Prone at Bulwark's feet, trying to get its thinking back in order after getting its pelvis shattered by a certain ninety metre asshole. It also just so happens to be your turn. Distances are the same as last time, save for the aforementioned exception.
Yeah, ouch.
Combat Round 7
[X] Plan "Black Hand"
-[x] Scouts mark Bulwark with the Arges.
-[x] The Murasame and the Heimdal fire at Bulwark.
-[x] Phenom strikes with the Destroyer Talons.
With Phenom's sudden injury, there's a brief moment of panic among the forces. However, a number still keep their heads, and take control of the situation. Ordering a target lock on the kaiju, the Heimdal loads another round, preparing for a joint attack with the Murasame's own railgun. Hoping that Phenom's fallen position is enough to save it from taking any harm from the attacks, the two open fire!
3 Arges Hits!
The Heimdal's flechette punches deep into the open wound and out the other side, shattering the limb's endoskeleton like glass and turning tissue into pulp! Unfortunately, the Murasame has no such luck, its rail-spike ricocheting off the collapsing kaiju's stomach and peppering Phenom's neck with shrapnel.
Hit to Right Thigh! Major Wound! Bulwark is immobilized!
Hit to Torso! No damage!
Bulwark takes 5 Strikes! Bulwark is losing Stamina!
Cluster Hit to Right Thigh! No damage!
Cluster Hit to Neck! Glancing Wound!
Phenom takes 1 Strike!
Bulwark lurches sideways, trying to regain some sort of balance. However, with a dead leg now held on only by skin and sinew, there's not much it can do. As if in slow motion, the kaiju topples, the useless limb giving way beneath it.
On the ground below, Phenom's eyes flicker, and blaze back to life. The black jaeger's head twists, staring up at the incoming kaiju. Bulwark is wide open.
With a twinned scream, Phenom throws itself up at Bulwark, slashing out with its mighty Destroyer Talons-- right into the kaiju's torso.
The layered armour that shielded Bulwark from the conventional forces' strikes doesn't stand a chance. Not against the strength of a full-fledged jaeger.
Major Wound to Torso!
EV-27-003, "Bulwark" defeated!
Energy spent, Phenom falls back down onto its side, the body of Bulwark crashing next to it. The disemboweled kaiju squirms weakly for a few second, before shock sets in.
Inside the conpod, the Uemuras breathe heavily, drained, but still very alive.
Slowly, silence returns to the battlefield.
Thus ends the fight. Two rounds in melee, an ungodly amount of major wounds, and two combatants who won't really be getting up-- because one's dead, and the other's spine is broken.
Several things about the scan results are immediately brought to the council's attention. The incoming kaiju is extremely radioactive, partially metallic, and currently airborne. To make things worse, the silhouette scans confirm its body plan; two arms, two legs, a tail, and wings, all covered in that distinctive smooth but sharp armour plating. There's no denying that SE-27-019 is, in all certainty, a Blade-Class-- the fourth ever seen.
For this, it is given a codename to fit those of its brethren; "Skofnung"
Its readings are slightly different from the others, much in the way none of the previous three shared identical signatures, so there's no way of identifying any unique abilities it may possess. All that can be said is that they're probably similar to the others; flight, a reactor vent attack, and a volatile reactor core. Anything else, they'll need to wait until they see it in action.
Skofnung is around 40 kilometres from Neo-Seattle, and approaching fast. You can try intercepting it further out, or waiting at your city for it-- though each obviously has its own risks.
What's your plan?
Deployment
[X] Operation Sword Sunder
-[x] Move the SW and SE Railguns to the South.
-[x] Deploy the Conventional Forces 20 units from the Defense Perimeter. Keep the Ground forces under the Hlin's aegis.
--[x] The Air Force is to fly in a circle around the Hlin while waiting for Skofnung to show up.
--[x] The Tyr sets it's command uplink to Multiple Vector Fire Control, focused on the Dragon's Blood missiles.
-[x] Tacit and Jagdhund deploy 25 units from the Defense Perimeter, under cover if any is available nearby.
--[x] Jagdhund deploys with the Dolch Gewehr equipped.
As they have many times in the past, the full might of Neo-Seattle concentrates itself in one area, so as to best intercept the incoming kaiju. Jagdhund and Tacit Ronin lead the defensive line, the former preparing her shoulder-mounted plasma cannon for use as the latter simply stands at the ready. Behind them, the Hlin's barrier field wraps the surrounding ground forces in a defensive shell, hopefully strong enough to withstand the kaiju's attacks.
A few kilometres out, beneath the greyish overcast sky, a point of unearthly purple light burns bright as a lightning bolt, heralding the Blade-Class's approach. As it gets even closer, the city's defenders are finally rewarded with a proper look at their foe.
Even from a glance, it's clear that Skofnung is its own variant of Blade-Class, not some modified copy of Dainsleif, Ascalon, or Anaklusmos. The plates flare out more around its knees, ankles, and wrists, offering mobility without a compromise in defense, while the dual horns on its forehead mirror both the fins on its ankles and the short double-tail at the base of its spine. Interestingly enough, the plasma vent isn't the only structure on its chest armour-- flanking the beam cannon are a pair of glassy lenses, slightly recessed into its body. Of course, the most obvious divergence Skofnung has from its kin is its wings-- instead of bat-like armoured fins, a quartet of layered, arrowhead-shaped winglets fan out from its back, edges alight with the infernal purple glow of a Blade-Class's atomic engines.
Clad in gleaming white and faded lavender, the Category IV glides forwards, skimming about 10 metres above the ground as it closes in.
This is it.
Distances:
- NPPDC: Your conventional forces are 20 units from the DP. Tacit and Jagdhund are 25 from the DP.
- Anteverse: Skofnung is 50 from the DP, 25 from your jaegers.
Make your move.
Combat Turn 1
[X] All Conventional Units on Overwatch.
[X] Jagdhund fires her Dolch Gewehr at Skofnung.
[X] Tacit moves back four units to activate the GAPAS.
Warily, the conventional forces ready their guns, hoping they'll be able to strike at the kaiju before it gets too close. Tacit Ronin steps back, charging its gyroscopes in case they need to pull an evasive maneuver at the last moment.
As for Jagdhund? She lines up a shot.
No sooner does the Dolch Gewehr fire its plasma charge than Skofnung jets up into the air! Unable to correct the shot's aim, Jagdhund can only watch as what would have hit centre mass instead falls far too low, splattering against the kaiju's armoured foot as it ascends. The outer layer of hardened plating softens and thins under the heat, but the armoured skin and tissue underneath is practically unharmed.
Hit to Left Foot! Glancing Wound!
Skofnung takes 1 Strike!
(14)
Now aloft and hanging high above the earth, Skofnung continues its advance, gliding quietly closer as its attacker is forced to recharge. If the exhaust is any indication, burning low but fierce like the flames of a stove-top, the kaiju's not at full throttle-- while fast, it doesn't seem to be in any rush, especially when it comes to a momentary pause.
Then, the lenses on its chest flesh white, and fire back.
(10,8)
The two glowing beams hit the barrier a couple metres before they do Jagdhund, and it reacts. The air seems to fracture in their path, splintering and folding in on itself in a thousand instantaneous hexagonal patterns-- before both the field and the beams shatter. A shrapnel blast of white darts sandblasts Jagdhund's frontal armour, cutting wire-thin slashes across its surface before blinking out of existence. The jaeger's systems report no internal damage, thankfully, but the attack's left some definite lacerations in the outer layers of her plating.
Hit to Jagdhund! Barrier absorbs 4 points! No damage!
Hit to Jagdhund! Barrier absorbs 4 points! No damage!
Whether surprised by the result, curious, or merely accepting, Skofnung just floats there, staring with implacable features as the glow of its weapons fade and cool.
Distances:
- NPPDC: Your conventional forces are 20 units from the DP. Tacit is 21 from the DP, and Jagdhund is 25 from the DP.
- Anteverse: Skofnung is 44 units from the DP, 23/19 from your jaegers, and 24 from the conventional forces.
Pew pew.
Combat Turn 2
[X] Jagdhund responds with her own Pew Pew! Fire the Dolch again!
[X] Cons move forward and shoot Skofnung with everything that can fire.
[X] Tacit pace behind Jagdhund, keeping Gapas active.
There's a moment's hesitation, before the forces of Neo-Seattle spring into action! They're not just going to let some kaiju with crazy weapons do whatever it wants-- especially if it's a Blade-Class! Swooping into targeting range, the scouts broadcast their lock-on data around them, before everyone else opens fire with everything they've got!
4 Arges hits!
A barrage of tank shells, missiles, and even a few laser beams bombard the kaiju's position, bursting into massive clouds of shrapnel, fire, and smoke that seem to rock the ground with their force. It's a solid five to ten seconds before the firing stops, having put a truly tremendous amount of firepower into their target.
...but when the smoke clears, Skofnung's still there, hovering on wings of light.
20 Hits! 14 deal no damage!
Hit to Neck! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Right Leg! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Chest! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Chest! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Head! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Right Thigh! Glancing Wound!
Skofnung takes 6 Strikes! Skofnung remains aloft!
It's not untouched by any means-- the kaiju's whole front is slightly scuffed and blackened, and there's even a few spider-web cracks in a couple of its armour plates-- but it's by no means in poor shape. Time for that to change.
Leveling her cannon at the monstrosity once more, Jagdhund fires off a blazing shot of plasma, hurtling towards Skofnung's lower body! However, the kaiju's not quite defenseless, even against such a potent weapon.
With an organic click that's nearly drowned out by both the hot rush of thruster exhaust and the roar of incoming plasma, the lavender 'petals' on either side of Skofnung's wings swing open. In each one, three long, grey fins fan out, two behind and one in front, held by hard, jointed cells of flesh. Their edges glow.
An instant later, just before the plasma bolt hits, Skofnung becomes illuminated.
Ionic Particle Screen activated!
The crimson blast of superheated ions slams into the glowing kaiju's lower body, immediately erupting in a vicious, volcanic plume. Exposed flesh blisters and chars in moments, hardened armour softens and melts, and a sourceless shriek rips through the air as Skofnung feels the damage. And yet...
Hit to Pelvis! Minor Wound! -2 Agility!
Skofnung takes 3 Strikes! Skofnung stays aloft!
The kaiju staggers back a few 'steps' in the air, its body still shrouded in crackling, unearthly light. Its limbs shake a little, before its posture strengthens once more, and its claws clench into fists. The illumination flickers out, disappearing back into the twelve fins within its wings, and revealing the real effects of the damage-- which are far less serious than expected. A solidly-placed plasma bolt should have punched a hole straight through the kaiju's pelvis, blown its skeleton and armour to molten slag, and effectively paralyzed it from the waist down. Skofnung's lower body, however, is still very much intact, albeit with a deep, hideous burn wound carved into it and half the armour plates slowly oozing down its leg. Whatever the hell that light was, it's clearly one hell of a defense.
Ionic Particle Screen deactivated!
However, the implications of such an ability aren't really something that Skofnung's going to let Neo-Seattle ponder right now. Not after what they just pulled. Slowly, purposefully, the kaiju raises its right hand to head level, and uncurls the claws. One thump presses against the two fingers closest to it.
Snap.
With a noise like a dozen whips cracking at once, the twelve 'fins' shoot off from their mounts, and transform. The four faces on each one flip out, revealing a second 'fin' hidden underneath, almost identical save for its lighter tone, and lock into a perpendicular x-shape at the base. A cluster of tiny vents and rudders unfold just behind the new wings, sparking with purple thrust. Lines of violet flare along the edges of both blade and fins, twisting them around to face the direction Skofnung does. Two dozen pairs of wings twitch-- once, twice-- before climbing to an insectile buzz as they beat furiously like giant, alien dragonflies.
The Category IV roars.
Berserker Fangs activated!
Snapping its own wings closed again, Skofnung throws its hands forward, issuing a command to its newly-deployed Fangs. The flying blades launch themselves forwards, a dozen streaks of shining grey leaving purple trails through the air-- directly into the forces of Neo-Seattle.
Blades as long as the kaiju's forearms tear through the air squadrons, some thrusting straight through, while others fold their wings and whip into a wild tailspin, spinning through the fragile frames of helicopter and autogyro alike. Despite their evasive maneuvers, the Fangs are just too big and too fast to avoid, and only a few helicopters and half of the scouts manage to survive destruction-- them, and the fixed-wing craft, who were thankfully outside the line of fire.
Their edges now dripping with oil and other dark liquids, the Berserker Fangs travel on, unfolding into their 'dragonfly' modes once more. Skofnung glares out, the thin green line of its visor shimmering hatefully.
Distances:
- NPPDC: Your conventional forces are 24/35 units from the DP. Tacit is 21 from the DP, and Jagdhund is 25 from the DP.
- Anteverse: Skofnung is 44 units from the DP, 23/19 from your jaegers, and 20/9 from the conventional forces. Its Berserker Fangs have moved to 10 units in front of it.
And thus, the true power of this Blade-Class has been revealed. Though, I suppose the existence of the weapons wasn't a surprise-- just how potent they'd be.
Combat Round 3
[X] Revenge Harder 2: With Avengeance
-[x] Tacit walks closer, fires all his UV Lasers at the Berserker Fangs.
-[x] The Tyr sets it's Command Uplink to Multiple Vector Fire Control: 150mm HEAP Power Shell, then falls back.
-[x] Conventional Units load Powershells and switch targets to the Berserker Fangs, firing as they retreat.
-[x] Jagdhund shoots Skofnung again.
Quickly issuing a retreat order, the conventional forces fall back, hoping to escape the Fangs' attacks. As they retreat, the ground forces fire back at the airborne blades, trying to blast them from the skies! The Tyr is swift to assist, rapidly organising and correcting the tanks' firepower as best it can. Guided by their gunners' wits and the supercomputer's efforts, the barrage hammer against the nearest fangs, battering them repeatedly. A particularly well-aimed shot from the elite group punches into the base of one darting Fang, and sets off its reaction mass, blowing the back half of the weapon apart! Emboldened, the other tankers concentrate their fire even more, inflicting serious damage on one of the other Fangs' flight system-- though it still remains aloft and functional.
Meanwhile, Tacit Ronin strides forwards, powering up its lasers to add just that little extra firepower to the fight. True, the automatic aiming system wasn't meant for multi-targeting, but they won't know how well it works until they try!
...Apparently, the answer is 'not very well'. Though the semi-visible laser lines diverge from each other and slash across a number of Fangs, they fail to inflict any permanent damage, and sputter out a couple seconds later! Unfortunately, Tacit's fire control system isn't built to handle this sort of activity, and shorted out, rendering the laser emitters useless for now.
Jagdhund's still not abandoning her fight, and fires off another hasty plasma bolt at Skofnung. In response, the kaiju crosses its arms in front of it, and two Fangs dart in, closing into blades as they intercept the attack!
Malformed and lacking a full bonding charge, the plasma attack bursts open against the swords, stopped halfway from its target.
Skofnung's arms uncross, before the purple glow of its engine intensifies. Blasting out four plumes of ion exhaust from its wings, the kaiju rockets forward, its right arm outstretched! With an unspoken command, the Fangs obey, ten autonomous weapons flying forth before it-- save for the single damaged one. Flipping its wings all the way behind it, the short sword reverses, thrusting its newly formed handle into the Blade-Class's hand!
Damaged Berserker Fang Recalled! Berserker Fang shifts to Berserker Sword!
However, there's yet more threats for the jaegers to deal with, as the ten Fangs dart in against them both; four aimed at Tacit, while the other six target Jagdhund!
Jagdhund: (-1 to hand-based reactions due to holding the cannon)
[] Block! (1d10)
[] Parry! (1d5+2, no counter)
[] Dodge! (1d10+4)
Distances:
- NPPDC: Your conventional forces are 20/23 units from the DP. Tacit is 29 from the DP, and Jagdhund is 25 from the DP.
- Anteverse: Skofnung is 34 units from the DP, 5/9 from your jaegers, and 14/11 from the conventional forces. It has 4 Berserker Fangs 5 units from it, and 6 Fangs 9 units from it.
As fast as they can, the two jaegers try to evade, overloading their emergency rectifiers to try and maximise their defense against the swarm of blades!
Despite the way the airborne swords spins and flash about, Tacit's evasion is astonishing, the jaeger twisting and dancing aside, avoiding cuts and thrusts with incredible grace! Jagdhund, however, is not as lucky.
Though the first couple swings are evaded, Jagdhund is by no means quite as optimised for evasion as her partner. Using their impressive speed and manoeuvrability, the Berserker Fangs box her in, and strike again, overcoming her own attempts to avoid their attacks!
Cut after cut makes it though the jaeger's armour, each one chipping a little of her defenses away, each one wearing her down just a bit more-- until one gets lucky. A pointed blade of alien bio-metal rams into her leg, ripping a messy hole through armour and muscle strands before darting away!
Hit to Right Thigh! Major Wound! Armour Destroyed! -3 Agility!
Hit to Pelvis! Glancing Wound! Potential Stun!
Hit to Left Thigh! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Chest! Glancing Wound!
Jagdhund takes 8 Strikes! +3 Ongoing! Jagdhund is losing stamina! -1 Universal Penalty!
Failsafe Redundancies activate! Roll 1d10 to avoid being Stunned (success on an 8+)!
Systems screaming from the damage, Jagdhund is brought nearly to her knees by the assault, her backup systems trying to compensate for the load.
It is now your turn. Distances are what they were listed as on page 177.
I'd like for Failsafe Redundancies to be resolved first, as it basically decides if Jagdhund's able to participate in the plan for this round or not.
Combat Round 4
[X] Tacit Charges Skofnung, using both the Rear Thrusters and the SFTs' bonuses, and slashes Skofnung with the Fangblades.
[X] All other units open fire on the Berserker Fangs.
Narrow Fangs lunge and swoop through the air, practically blinking from place to place at times. The defense force opens up with everything they've got, swinging turrets and twisting airframes as they fire round after round in a desperate, furious bid to bring these things down! However, the hardened structure and speed of the Fangs is no easy obstacle to overcome, and many otherwise fine shots leave them unimpaired. However, the elite squadrons aren't giving up, and another salvo of high-energy impactors blows a second Fang to pieces!
Berserker Fang hit! Berserker Fang destroyed!
Berserker Fang hit! No damage!
Berserker Fang hit! No damage!
Berserker Fang hit! No damage!
Berserker Fang hit! No damage!
Berserker Fang hit! No damage!
Berserker Fang hit! No damage!
5 Berserker Fang hits! No damage!
As another of its weapons takes crippling damage, Skofnung gives a shrill cry of frustration. Momentarily free of the multi-pronged threat, Tacit's head whips around towards the kaiju. Red, boiling emotion bubbles up inside the Drift, all fury and determination and vengeance. The gleaming silver arcs that are its Fangblades snap out to full extension as Tacit drops into a crouch, amber visor locked on the Category IV. Vast cables and wheels tighten and twist inside the jaeger's legs, building more and more potential by the second despite the strain-- til, like a cobra striking, the limbs spring out, and Tacit lunges!
New Perk: Combat Leap!
- Combat Leap (Pilots): While on land, Tacit Ronin may substitute Strength for Agility on a Charge to execute a Combat Leap. If the Leap succeeds, double Tacit's Strength for all relevant purposes of the attack. Tacit may also use Combat Leap to Charge a Flying target, though they do not double their Strength if doing so.
Blindsided by the attack from below, Skofnung barely manages to respond before Tacit's upon it!
(12)
(17,15)
The kaiju's parry barely manages to redirect the first slash, sending the oscillating blade clanging off its thigh plating with only a small cut, but fails to block the second one before it stabs through the side of its throat!
Hit to Right Thigh! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Neck! Minor Wound! Extra Ongoing inflicted!
Skofnung takes 4 Strikes! +4 Ongoing! Skofnung is losing stamina!
Though its flight units are undamaged, the kaiju nonetheless drops down to the ground, coolant-blood spraying from its neck wound. Tacit Ronin soon follows, landing close enough to practically smell the thing's ionized breath-- far too close for comfort.
Firing its thrusters, Skofnung skips back a few steps, its free hand clamping down on the wound to staunch the bleeding. Despite the visor, its eyes seem to narrow, before the kaiju boosts forwards, thrusting out with the Berserker Sword in retort!
Meanwhile, the Fangs fall back, straight up reversing so as not to present their vulnerable engines as they return to support their master. They've done enough work, and now there's something more important to target.
Distances:
- NPPDC: Your conventional forces are 20/23 units from the DP. Tacit is 34 from the DP, and Jagdhund is 25 from the DP.
- Anteverse: Skofnung (now landbound) is 34 units from the DP, 0/9 from your jaegers, and 14/11 from the conventional forces. All 9 operational Berserker Fangs are 3 units from it.
Oh, and the perk? Well, you said you were gonna charge Skofnung, and it's not like you can charge a Flying target normally, so...
Taking advantage of its experience in dozens of battles, Tacit Ronin twists away with impeccable timing, letting Skofnung's thrust fly past.
It's your turn again.
Combat Round 5
[X] Tacit uses a Flourishing Cobra Strike on Skofnung.
-[x] Jagdhund fires the Dolch Gewehr on the Berserker Fangs.
-[x] Conventionals pursue the Berserker Fangs and fire whatever munitions can reach them.
Lunging out with one Fangblade, Tacit attempts a Cobra Strike-- only for Skofnung to knock the strike aside, just in the nick of time!
(13)
(12)
Successful Parry! Berserker Sword destroyed!
Its hilt already damaged earlier, the blade of the re-purposed Berserker Fang snaps off, leaving the kaiju holding a chitinous handle with a lump of semi-armoured flesh stuck on one end-- a useless tool that's swiftly tossed aside.
With a small window of opportunity available to it, Skofnung bares its talons, and strikes back at the pale jaeger!
Turning her plasma cannon to deal with the fangs, Jagdhund opens fire, blowing one of the airborne swords apart with a single white-hot blast!
Hit to Berserker Fang! Berserker Fang Destroyed!
Despite the heavy armour on the Fangs, the conventionals continue to throw in their support, though their targets' positions make it too hard to land a shot upon a vulnerable engine pod, even for the elite units.
14 Berserker Fang hits! No damage!
Distances:
- NPPDC: Your conventional forces are 20/23 units from the DP. Tacit is 34 from the DP, and Jagdhund is 25 from the DP.
- Anteverse: Skofnung is 34 units from the DP, 0/9 from your jaegers, and 14/11 from the conventional forces. All 8 operational Berserker Fangs are 3 units from it.
After this, it'll be Skofnung's turn, and then you can plan.
Fortunately for Tacit, the kaiju's reflexes are growing sloppy, and the swipe misses by only a couple metres.
However, quantity is still an excellent substitute for quality in some cases-- namely, when one's commanding an arsenal of remote melee weapons. Spreading its hands, Skofnung looses a furious shriek, summoning its Fangs to its position! Two dart back and supernate their wings, converting to handheld blades in the kaiju's grasp, while the other six spin around, lock onto Tacit Ronin, and attack!
Tacit Ronin does its best to evade, but in close quarters and against such large numbers, complete success is almost impossible.
Hit to Right Hand! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Pelvis! No damage!
Hit to Pelvis! Glancing Wound!
Hit to Right Thigh! Glancing Wound!
Tacit Ronin takes 3 Strikes! Tacit Ronin is Stunned!
Despite its hardened armour, the weapons still manage to deal some damage, chipping out pieces and knocking around joints from their sheer force. A nasty hit to the pelvis catches the pilots off-guard, momentarily overwhelming them with feedback.
Skofnung, visor burning in a green line across its face, finally gets a moment of respite, and can at last attempt to compose itself. Despite the shudder of its wounded legs, or the slowly clotting tear along its throat, the kaiju stands tall, wings shifting slightly behind it. This fight hasn't been kind to it by any means, and the repeated instances of damage are starting to take a serious toll. It's already lost a third of its remote weapons, been partially crippled, and barely survived several absurd attempts to kill it by the jaegers. No matter of its Masters' orders; in its current state, if it stays, the best it can realistically hope for is to take down one of the jaegers with its nuclear death throes.
However, that doesn't make such a choice any less of a foolish waste of its usefulness.
With an ascending roar, the violet exhaust of its atomic engine explodes out from Skofnung's wings, before the Blade-Class jumps, taking to the skies once more! The four fins angle forwards as the kaiju lifts its legs, firing every one of its thrusters to propel itself... away. Away from the city, away from the jaegers. Away from the fight.
Distances:
- NPPDC: Your conventional forces are 20/23 units from the DP. Tacit is 34 from the DP, and Jagdhund is 25 from the DP.
- Anteverse: Skofnung is 42 units from the DP, 8/17 from your jaegers, and 22/19 from the conventional forces. 6 of its Fangs are 8 units North of it, and 2 are currently handheld.
Tacit Ronin is Stunned for this turn, and cannot act.
Combat Round 6
[X] Everything that can shoot, fire at Skofnung!
-[X] Use all available bonuses. Husbando (if valid), Overclock, EVERYTHING.
Unwilling to simply cede the fight, the forces of Neo-Seattle fire back. The remnants of the air force close in, opening up with their weapons against the Blade-Class!
3 Hits! No damage!
Unfortunately, only a few shots manage to connect, and those that do barely scratch its armour.
From below, Jagdhund levels her Dolch Gewehr at the kaiju, and blasts out a powerful bolt of plasma!
(10)
(11)
With a frantic gesture from Skofnung, the six active Fangs dart up into the beam's path, trying to block it in time! It's far from a perfect shield-- one Fang explodes outright from the heat, while the others distort and deform-- but the plasma is still fractured and scattered about. The remnants of the attack burn across Skofnung's stomach, dealing minimal structural damage, but disorienting the kaiju's thrusters with the last of its ionic charge. Without warning, the purple flames cut out, and the kaiju drops from the sky.
Hit to Berserker Fang! Berserker Fang Destroyed!
5 Berserker Fangs damaged!
Hit to Torso! Glancing Wound!
Skofnung takes 1 Strike! Skofnung is losing Stamina!
Skofnung crashes!
Hit to Head! No damage! Skofnung is Prone!
The crack of cranial plating against the ground is loud and clear, though unfortunately the Blade-Class seems only barely dazed by its impromptu landing.
Another alert goes off, as another subsystem breaks down somewhere in Jagdhund's body with a spray of sparks and steam. Damage repair is doing its best to minimize the spread, but there's still a risk of taking damage each time the jaeger strains her systems.
1 point of Ongoing healed! Jagdhund takes 1 Strike from Ongoing! Universal Penalty to -2!
At this point, the kaiju's legs are almost completely nonfunctional. Awkwardly flipping itself over so its arms can support it, Skofnung lets go of its re-purposed Fangs, and hisses a command. As its seven remaining blades snake their sluggish way back, the kaiju's wings unfold again, allowing the sextet of remote weapons to dock again.
Leaving the wing 'petals' open, the Blade-Class does not stand up, or take flight again. Those would require its legs to work, or its thrusters to finish restarting. Instead, it focuses on what parts are functional right now-- its arms, and the Fangs.
An ionic charge courses between the remaining blades on its wings, the edges glowing with a familiar light as the Cat IV starts to claw its way along the ground. It's not fast by any means, but it's better than a pair of appendages that are pretty much dead weight at this point.
No attacks come from the creature-- it's facing entirely the wrong direction for such.
Distances:
- NPPDC: Your conventional forces are 20/~35 units from the DP. Tacit is 34 from the DP, and Jagdhund is 25 from the DP.
- Anteverse: Skofnung is 45 units from the DP, 11/20 from your jaegers, and prone. All of its Fangs have reattached.
Tacit can do stuff now. Skofnung just wants out.
Combat Round 7
[X] Tacit Charges with all available bonuses, if any, and strikes with the Fangblades.
-[x] Jagdhund sheathes the Dolch Gewehr and runs Damage Control to deal with the Ongoing.
-[x] All Cons rush to get Skofnung within their weapons' range.
At last, Jagdhund abandons the fight, releasing her grip on the plasma cannon as she directs extra effort into repairing damage. Thankfully, while the malfunctions aren't completely removed yet, they are kept under control.
No damage from Ongoing!
Meanwhile, the air force rushes up, and unloads the very last of their firepower, raining bullets, rockets, and lasers down upon the Blade-Class!
Not a single one manages more than a scratch on its armour plate.
No damage!
Skofnung pauses in its movements, and glances over its shoulder. Its jaw plate unlocks and slides down, exposing a narrow grin of interlocking teeth as it savours the failed attack. Just a few more seconds, and it can take to the skies once more-- they'll never catch it there, not with its atomic engine.
Unfortunately, stopping to gloat proves to be a mistake.
Tacit Ronin's visor lights up, its systems now completely rebooted. It spots Skofnung, and raises its arms in front of it.
Shunk. Shunk.
The Blade-Class stiffens, the line of teeth beneath its face-plate no longer seeming like a grin as the jaeger extends its fangblades. It's even less enthusiastic when the pale mecha ignites its rear thrusters, and rushes it.
Frantically, the Blade-Class twists around, trying to block the incoming attacks with its left arm, even as the hellish illumination of its ion screen erupts around it. And, in a way, it does block it-- just not very well.
Tacit's Fangblade tears its way up the length of Skofnung's arm, shredding apart armour and tissue alike, despite the reinforcement of the electromagnetic field. Without slowing down, the blade continues on, and rips a chunk out of the kaiju's spine. The Blade-Class shrieks.
Hit to Left Arm! Minor Wound!
Hit to Spine! Glancing Wound!
Skofnung takes 4 Strikes! Skofnung is Incapacitated!
Collapsing onto its back, the draconic monstrosity writhes, specks of toxic blood flying from its wounds as it thrashes about. With swiftly faltering strength, the kaiju focuses its attention on the jaeger standing above it. The vent in its chest glows brighter, a worrisome whine resounding from the artificial organism's reactor core, as Skofnung tries to muster one last act of retribution...
But it is not to be. Unceremoniously, the light winks out-- its power source has gone dark. The ionic field fizzles away, no longer possessing the energy to maintain itself any longer. Soon after, the kaiju's movements slow... and stop. The glow of its visor fades away.
