Mission 1: Breaker Battery Delta-2

Mission Briefing


Primary objective: Secure and defend Breaker Battery Delta-2 from Harmony drop troops.

Three days ago, Breaker Battery Delta-2 reported an anomaly on scans within their perimeter. Before the anomaly could be investigated, an ice storm cut off communications with the battery. When the storm lifted, Breaker Battery Delta-2 had gone dark. A ranger unit (callsign: "Krampus") was dispatched and encountered a Harmony drop ship, with armored vehicles moving towards Breaker Battery Delta-2. A brief engagement occurred, routing the enemy armor, but damaging Krampus. His scans indicated he had only encountered one arm of the strike force, and additional harmony forces are converging on the breaker gun array. Another blizzard has prevented any further reconnaissance or reinforcements, until now.

Breaker Battery Delta-2: The breaker gun arrays are vital to the defense of Nihil Ultra. Originally built to defend population centers against the frequent meteor shower, they are now the only thing preventing the Harmony fleet in orbit from bombarding fortifications to dust. Breaker Battery Delta-2 spans a glacial crevice, drawing power from a geothermal vent at the bottom of the gorge. As the breaker gun itself is too slow moving to defend against small, fast targets like strike bombers, the battery is also defended by several anti-air emplacements.

Key:
1- Breaker Gun
2- Targeting Control
3- Bulk Hauler Garage
4- North Power Station
5- AA gun substation
6- Bridge
7- Command Center, primary AA defenses
8- AA gun substation
9- Barracks, infirmary
10- Machine Pool
11- South Power Station




Primary objective: Secure the breaker gun. If the battery is disabled, the Harmony can exploit that gap in our defenses to gain a foothold on the surface. Preserve the gun at all costs.
Secondary objective: Preserve the anti-air batteries. Without these guns, the main array will be vulnerable to strike bombers. Secure as many AA batteries as possible (3 total).
Secondary objective: Obtain intel. It is not inconceivable for a few small dropships to slip past sensors unnoticed, but to survive the intermittent blizzards is a feat, let alone to disable a heavily fortified defense cannon in the height of the storm. Identify by what means the Harmony was able to carry out this assault, so that we may defend against it in the future.
Secondary Objective: Rescue the garrison. In this time of war, all defenders are needed. The garrison of Breaker Battery Delta-2 includes experienced gunners and rangers. Ensuring the extraction of survivors would aid the ongoing defense.

Anticipated resistance: The ranger mech has confirmed the presence of Harmony commandos and light armored vehicles. Expect heavy weapon support. Additionally, atmospheric conditions are volatile. Be prepared for blizzards.

Support:
-Tactical Airlift, "Persephone". An airborne troop carrier capable of carrying your entire mech squad, or about a dozen passengers. Due to the intermittent ice stomrs, Persphone will be unable to provide continuous support, but can be called in durign clear conditions for urgent extraction of the team or assets.

-Ranger Unit, "Krampus". A light-mech ranger. Currently conducting in-field repairs after previous engagement. Will proceed to Delta-2 to provide fire support as soon as combat systems are functional.

-The ranger's sensors detected significant weapon fire from Delta-2, indicating the base had not yet fallen. This was over 12 hours ago, current status of defenders is unknown.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



It's been a few hours trek from the forward operating base to the edge of Breaker Battery Delta-2's perimeter. The blizzards have let up for now. You are currently scaling a glacial slope, about 7 clicks out from the south side of the base. While each of you is an experiences mech pilot, this is your first assignment together. The brass gave your some story about "multidisciplinary task forces" and "unconventional problem solving" but that's probably bullshit. Command is getting desperate. They've been throwing anyone who's ever set foot in a mech onto the front lines. The Harmony hasn't broken through yet, but you've heard casualties from the raids are mounting.

Your comms crackle to life. A gruff voice comes through the static emphatically. "Mech team! This is Ranger Unit "Krampus", reporting in. I just picked you up on the scanner. Been stuck out here two days because of these ice storms. A commando cooked my railgun with an EMP. Once the damn thing's back online I'll be proceeding to your location."

You arrive at the top of the slope, granting you a view of the glacier beyond. You can make out the breaker battery, partially obscured by icy spires. Black smoke rises from it. The sky is clear and blue, but to the north-west you can see a bank of storm clouds looming tall, and moving in your direction. You'll not want to be caught in it when it hits.

OOC:

Freddy brings "Juicebox"'s loping gait to a stop as he reaches the top of the slope. A few years ago, the mocking moniker his mech had been given by the tech team who modified it for him might have gotten to him. Nowadays, such things were like individual snowflakes in a blizzard. His time with the Nihil Ultra Bureau of Investigations (NUBI, newbie, yes, I get it. Very funny. *eyeroll*) had given him a sense of purpose and confidence in his abilities. Freddy was small. Freddy looked like a child. He had learned to live with his condition and even, sometimes, to use it to his advantage.

"Juicebox" surface ripples as the active camo adjusts to its new surroundings. Its left leg shifts a bit, stabilizing its posture and minimalizing its profile. The psimech had a headless humanoid shape, with a blocky cabin and sleek arms and legs. Psicircuity ran along the inside of the cabin and out through its appendages, allowing Freddy to accelerate its movements with his telekinesis. Jump coils on its back granted Freddy the ability to displace his whole team with his teleportation abilities. He hadn't had to use it yet, but he was eager to. First, to prove his worth to his new teammates. Respect was earned, and it had always required extra work for him. Second, because he liked how disorienting it was for others when they weren't used to it. He knew it was petty, but he relished it nonetheless.

"Juicebox":

"'Juicebox', here. Roger that, 'Krampus'. Stay out of trouble. Over," says Freddy over the comms, making no effort to deepen his voice. Most of the time, his high pitch was mistaken for a woman's, which was better than the alternative. He'd heard "get off this frequency, kid" all too often when he'd bothered to correct the assumption.

He retrieves his binoculars from his bag and with a flick of his hand opens a slot in his frontal armor. He brings them to his eyes and looks out at breaker battery, trying to assess the situation and settle on an approach. His instincts told him they should start by rescuing the garrison. Having extra troops would help secure the installation, but only if it wasn't on the verge of being destroyed.

From his vantage point, Freddy can visualize most of the south side of the base. The smoke seems to be coming from southeast facilities, likely the barracks or machine pool. He catches a glimpse of an armored ATV speeding along the southern perimeter, strafing the command center with weapons fire. The north side of the base is across the mile long bridge that spans the crevice, and you’re unable to determine the situation there from your current vantage point.

Freddy puts his binoculars down. Presuming the attacking ATV was Harmony, that meant the command center hadn't fallen. He closes the slot with another flick of his hands then activates his short-range comm.

"Looks like the base hasn't fallen, but they're under fire. If we can link up with the defenders, we can coordinate our efforts. I suggest we proceed to the command center and make sure it's secure, but I defer to your expertise if you think I'm missing something." Freddy was no soldier, but his squad mates were. He was used to working alone. He'd been in fights, but this would be his first battle. He wanted to make sure it wouldn't be his last.

Claus "Vonnix" Von Humperdink surveyed the scene. A combat engineer of considerable experience, he had spent most of his life among the Osprey company, keeping their fighting strength running in the midst of combat. His mech, Malegrosso, was the least of his mechs, but the locals unfortunately werent paying enough for Osprey company to deploy its best equipment.

Malegrosso:

Still, he was never one to shy away from an engagement. The local's professionalism, though, was lacking. Encryption would only last so long-and this team had been provided with a coded phrasebook to limit data dispersion.

Juicebox, mind ze parrot, ze orange is tromboning and ve inkblot assurance. I multiply helm 8, sand gearshift to 7, helm ze Ranger's fireplace, zen divide once ve paint ze baboon at ze tramway.

Translation:

Vonnix deployed the skywatch drones on his back, directing them to go as high as possible to get a better view of the situation.

The skywatch drones take flight, providing you with an aerial view of the facility. The ATV spotted by Freddy is indeed a Harmony vehicle, large enough to carry a commando team. Heavy damage has been done to the base. The barracks are ablaze, while the south AA substation and the machine pool have both been breached. The command station has sustained damage, but must still contain defenders as the Harmony is focusing fire on it. The main Harmony assault is coming from the west, around the machine pool. ATVs and infantry move in to cut the command center off from the power station and bridge.

Freddy rolls his eyes. He was used to pedantry, it was inevitable due to his condition, but he hadn't expected a mercenary to be such a stickler for procedure. "Relax, Malegrosso. I'm using short-range comms. The enemy would have to be standing between us to listen in. Unless they've got a master telepath, but then the phrasebook's not going to do us much good anyway."

The causeway was a good idea, as was making sure they could still count on AA. He'd have a clear line of sight down the causeway's length and could jump the whole squad ahead if necessary. Well, unless that storm came in by then. "Inkblot painted. Dice in hand," he adds. Best get used to it, short-range comms might not be an option once they engaged the enemy.

Translation:

Mule runs a mental check of Mo Dhachaidh's systems while tensing and releasing her muscles in sequence.  She and the mech had been through a lot together, and at this point in their relationship, this check-in was equal parts habit and ritual.

Mo Dhachaidh aka MoDakka:

She had listened Juicebox and Malegrosso in silence. Insofar as the fan had yet to be struck by any shit, the lads had things well enough in hand.  
A Tech, a Spook and a Grunt walk into a bar,  she chuckles to herself.  Briefly tracking the drones' ascent, she rolls her shoulders a final time before flipping on comms long enough to repeat Juicebox's last four words.

With MoDakka also in agreement with Malegrosso's plan, Freddy sets off. He takes Juicebox down a shallow crevice, using ice spurs as cover as he approaches the southern AA battery. The Mech's surface ripples as its active camo adjusts to its surroundings. He looks around as he moves, memorizing his surroundings as best he could. The more he'd committed to memory, the more options he'd have should he need to teleport out of the fray.

When gusts of wind from the coming storm picked up, Juicebox would slow, fighting against the howling gale. If they didn't reach the battery before the storm hit, things would get... complicated. Freddy steadies his breathing, clamping down on the nervous energy building in him, and pushes forward.

The marauding vehicle comes close to Freddy's position more than once, but with practiced dexterity Freddy is able to navigate to the outlying AA gun. The bunker at its base has been opened by a breaching charge, and through the gaping hole you can see the bodies of defenders and Harmony commandos alike. The blast mark is still fresh, it seems you've arrived just in time. A preliminary survey scan detects no lifeforms in the bunker.

Malegrosso kept his distance, his machine-gun ready to cover the others should they come under attack. He kept the skywatch drones in flight to keep an eye on the situation.

In code:

In code, Freddy replies: "Outer wall breached. Signs of battle. No life signs on sensors." From his hiding spot, Freddy tries to make out what he can from the AA bunker's interior, seeking an answer to Malegrosso's question, but his field of view was severely limited by the breach.

"Sight limited, moving in for a better look," he adds, still relying on the phrasebook. He makes sure the marauding Harmony ATV isn't nearby, then moves Juicebox closer so he can peek through the blasted opening.

Madeline navigates MoDakka through the icy crags proficiently, relying on speed to cross the open ground and arriving just outside the breached bunker without attracting the attention of the ATV

Freddy has already moved to the breach, standing just outside. Active scanners pick up no signs of life on this level, nor any notable hazards. The bodies are mostly well equipped. The Nihilan corpses outnumber the Harmony's. Sensors indicate the presence of a cargo lift that leads to the gunnery level of the bunker. To the northwest, Freddy hears the sound of gunfire coming from the access tunnel that leads to the command center.

ooc wrote:

Going to use // instead of quotation marks when speaking in code from now on.

Juicebox slips inside the bunker, moving to stand out of sight of the breach so the marauding ATV can't spot it. Freddy couldn't tell if the AA battery was still functional. //Objective status unclear. Need to go to Gunnery above to see,// he says. //Sounds of battle from tunnel. Regroup and investigate? Can provide transport, Malegrosso.// The rest of the of the team had been briefed about Freddy's psychic abilities, so the offer wouldn't come as a surprise. However, in his experience, most people didn't relish the thought of teleportation.

As he waits for Malegrosso's answer, Freddy takes Juicebox further into the bunker towards the tunnel's entrance.

From Malegrosso's position, Freddy receives a reply. //Roger, ok for transport.//

Malegrosso was curious about how teleportation would feel. He left his sensors on and recording as he waited for the teleport.

//Roger. Hold your position.// Freddy takes a deep breath and focuses. In his mind's eye, he pictures the last place he saw Malegrosso. The way the snow had accumulated on the bank of the crevice. The ice block shaped somewhat like curled up cat. The way the wind howled as it rushed through the cracks. Freddy lets out his breath. For a fraction of a second, Juicebox seems to shimmer, and then vanishes from the bunker.

The mech reappears nest to the curled-up cat block, the sound of the air being displaced lost in the wind's furious roar. The storm was getting closer. Freddy looks around, then spots Maelgrosso. He walks over to the other Mech, coming to a stop a few meters from it. "Breathe out," Freddy says over the short-range comms. The phrasebook didn't really have a equivalent for it and he wanted to be sure he'd be understood. "If your lungs are empty, it'll make it easier for you." He gives to engineer a couple of seconds, then recalls the inside of the bunker. The breach. The flakes of snow drifting in. The dead bodies. The patterns their blood had made on the floor. The sound of distant gunfire.

The two mechs shimmer, and are gone.

Reunited with MoDakka at the bunker, Freddy signals "this way" to the other two with a motion from Juicebox's arm. He turns and heads towards the sound of battle.

Margaret liked to run.  Not only was it what the body was made to do, it kept you alive.  Whenever grunts used to bitch about it, she said the same thing that had been pummeled into her by her own miserable sergeant:

Margaret as a drill Sergeant wrote:

"Stow your fucking whining - I am doing you a favor. In the end, all you have is yourself and your squad.  So your dumbass better be ready to run hard and fast.  Better be up to doing it while carrying one of your squad's dumbasses too. Now move!"

Madeline liked to run, but admittedly teleportation looked to be mighty practical. As Juicebox moved closer to the fray, she stayed on his heels, ready to put the hurt on Harmony forces.

Juicebox enters the bunker and heads towards the connecting tunnel. The wiring must have been fried during the attack, as the substation and tunnel are lit only by hazard lights. Everything is cast in a red glow except for when a light occasionally strobes back to life for a brief moment. All is quiet on the ground floor except for the heavy crunch of your mechs' steps.

Half buried beneath ice and snow, the tunnel is wide and nearly a kilometer long itself. Two mechs could easily pass abreast. Its a straight shot all the way to the command center, and you can see all the way down the dimly lit passage. A platoon of armored Harmony commandos is pushing its way up the long tunnel. Heading up the group is an absolute brute of a gene-enhanced soldier who carries a tall pavis and repeating blaster. The brute is providing cover as the rest of the team of seven riflemen slowly advance from cover to cover. They have not yet noticed you.

At the far end of the corridor, the defenders laying down suppressing fire from behind gun ports that flank a sealed door.

Freddy brings Juicebox to a stop, not wanting to signal his presence yet. //Hostiles ahead. 7 riflemen. 1 enhanced heavy gunner.// Juicebox was only armed with a MES Knife, but Freddy could use his telekinesis to create "bullets" of kinetic force. Being undetected, they might be able to drop a few enemy soldiers before engaging the rest. //Undetected. Surprise attack?//

OOC:

Madeline trained MoDakka's rocket launcher at the hulking gene-enhanced soldier that was heading up the group. //Ready on signal//

The kid's gotta learn, Madeline mused to herself. When undetected, 'Surprise attack' is not a question, it's the point.

THey would repair the AA cannon once soldiers could control it. Claus unlimbered his machine gun. He hadnt had the chance to do the upgrades he would have wanted, but time had been lacking. He targeted a priority target and fired a single shot.

The tunnel erupts in fire as Madeline's rocket collides with the heavy gunner's back, tearing him apart. Claus's heavy machine gun fire rips through the squad leader moments after.

The remnants of the Harmony squad attempts to regroup, but lacking their commander and fire support, and caught between mechs and a hard place, they break and cower against what ittle cover there is in the tunnel.

Freddy had summoned his telekinetic armory and sent a bolt of force down the hallway, but he had judged the angle wrong and missed. Thankfully, his squad mates shots had been true and removed the bigger threats.

As the Harmony troopers cower behind their cover, Juicebox steps forward and stands to its full height. "Throw down your weapons and put your hands up if you want to be POWs instead of corpses!" Freddy says out of his mech's speakers, his voice stern and commanding despite its high pitch.

The remaining commandos quickly comply as the bunker doors open. A pair of weary soldiers emerge, rifles trained on the new prisoners. One is a young, slightly shell shocked man. The other is a barrel-chested man with a bushy beard. Neither are equipped with full combat armor, instead wearing security vests over technician's uniforms. "Praise the Protectorate, you lads got here just in time!" bellows the bearded man. "Skov, restrain those prisoners before they make us paint the walls with the rest of them, he orders his companion before turning back to you with a salute. "Deputy Operations Chief Monday, at your service.

Freddy hesitates for a moment, unsure on how to address the Deputy Chief or where they stand in the hierarchy. In all the chaos, Command had never actually bothered to make his rank clear, so he decides to keep it vague and go with the bog standard Mechanized Cavalry Pilot. "MCP Fisher. What's the sitrep, Chief?" Freddy asks. He keeps his voice low, but the sound coming from his mech's speakers still reverberates down the corridor now free from the thundering noises of battle.

Claus moved forwards towards the soldiers:

Any of you capable of running ze AA gun? It must be put back into action to keep zem from landing more troops.

"The sitrep is that shit's gone sideways, sir," Monday informs Freddy. "We lost contact with the north side of the base during the storm, and they're trying to breach from the east as we speak. Captain Marten's still leading us from the command bunker, but we're stretched thin.

To Claus, Monday replies "Sure, if you cleared it out, either me or Skov could man it. The big question is what we're going to do with all these POWs?" He gestures to the half dozen kneeling commandos in the tunnel.

"I think our next step should be to secure the Power Station. If Harmony destroys it, all these fancy toys aren't going to be worth much," Freddy radios his squadmates.

"Can you put us in contact with Captain Marten?" he asks Monday. "As for the POWs, you know this base better than us, Chief. Is there somewhere you can use as a brig?"

Monday shakes his head. "That'll be a negative sir. They managed to bring down our internal and external comms during the storm. Hell of a thing. We've been coordinating things the old fashioned way like a bunch of feral world cavemen. We've got short range radio, the clones are probably listening in though."

He keeps his gun trained on the commandos as Skov restrains them. "Yeah we've got a brig over behind the machine pool but that's crawling with hostiles. I suppose we could shove them in a storage locker for now. I vote we just shoot them."

Maggie has always been a grunt, and no matter the side,  grunts are always disposable, innit?
Under other circumstances, she would have insisted that Monday do his own dirty work - that usually coolled the ardor to see lives lost - but he seemed all too ready to oblige.

"Storage locker sounds good...Chief".

Freddy nods, even though no one can see him inside Juicebox. Madeline was right. Prisoners were more useful than corpses. It was hard to interrogate a dead body. Even a low-rank grunt could provide valuable intel, or be used in a prisoner exchange. "Agreed. If we live through this, Command will want them debriefed."

Monday shrugs "You heard them Skov, lets find a locker for this bunch." He gestures is rifle vaguely in their direction as his counterpart directs the restrained commandos to their feet.

"Guess I'll help secure the POWs for now and stay posted here, unless you've got a better idea. I'm sure the commander will be glad for the reinforcements. Like I said, she's in the central command bunker, you can't miss it." he continues.

Looking further into the building you see hallways just barely wide enough for your mechs. Presumably the central command bunker is located at the heart. The sounds of battle laser fire and explosions can be heard echoing from the east. The long empty passageway leading back to the AA gun looms behind you.

"If command is that close, we might as well check in with the brass now 'n get it over with," Maggie says sounding a bit annoyed. The vast majority of senior officers she had known got huffy if they did not feel sufficiently deferred to - even when it might cost everyone their lives.

"Let's go, then." The sound of the fighting outside was a cruel reminder that time was of the essence. Freddy was in no hurry to head back out there. The shame of it was like a burning ember in his stomach. Unlike Madeline and Claus, he was no soldier. Seeing the Harmony soldiers gunned down by his squadmates and driven the reality of his situation home. A bit more time in relative safety would help him steel his nerves for the horror ahead.

Freddy puts Juicebox back in motion, heading down the tight hallway towards the command bunker.

Claus turned towards the AA gun.

(in code)
I vill help them repair ze AA gun, my mech is equipped to do so qvickly. I vill follow you afterwards and provide backup.

Maggie nods at Claus; MoDakka's frame shifting with a silght whisper. "Radio if there is trouble and we'll come fuck 'em up."
To Freddy "I'm on your 6 JB."

You pilot your mechs down the command bunker's increasingly narrow passageways. You somewhat intuitively understand the layout of the command bunker, as it follows standard Nihilan building conventions. The walls are cold and bleak, without adornment. Thick windows covered in permafrost and drifted snow cast a pale light through the outermost passageways, giving way again to the dim red glow of hazard lights as you proceed towards the center. The heavy steps of your suits echo through the empty halls. You pass by a few auxiliary offices and labs that look marginally more inviting, all have been deserted in a hurry.

The passageways are now barely wide enough to navigate in a single file line. Freddy turns Juicebox around a corner to a narrow hallway to find himself suddenly staring down a rocket launcher, carried on the shoulder of a terrified looking radar operator. There is a sudden flash of recognition in the soldier's eyes, and he lowers the rocket. "They're ours! Reinforcements!" He stands aside and waves you into the control center. Your mechs won't fit down the final hallway, but if you temporarily dismount and proceed through, you find a hectic scene. Weapons and ammunition are stacked atop control panels in this circular room, and hasty efforts to erect some manner of cover has been made. A spiraling staircase in the center of the room leads up to a higher level. About a half dozen rangers stand posted at points of entry (all looking relieved to see you), and a dozen more lie wounded off to the side (all looking even more relieved). Standing in the middle of it all, surrounded by runners who dart in and out relaying her orders, is who you assume must be Captain Marten. She is dressed in grey-white fatigues that have been splattered with blood, but otherwise unharmed. Turning to face you, she stands tall with her hands clasped behind her back. She addresses you formally, "Pilots, Breaker Battery Delta-2 has fallen. As battery commander, I am requesting immediate extraction of our forces."

"Commander, we are here to take out Harmony forces. Your forces can help support that effort or can stay out of the way until we are available to do otherwise. Would you like a moment to confer with your people?" Maggie looks to Freddy, realizing that he probably outranks her and hoping that he will not get his back up over her taking initiative.

Freddy winces as he hears Marten's request. He is glad to hear Madeline take the lead and drive the point home so efficiently. Besides, her soldier's demeanor would probably go over better as an opener.

Falling back on his interrogation skills, he takes on the softer posture. Good cop, bad cop had uses beyond extracting information. "I'm sorry, Captain, but we do not have the means to evacuate your soldiers. Please let us know where we are most needed and we will lessen the pressure on your troops."

Captain Marten sighs. "The north side fell in the initial assault. They're attacking from the west now, trying to cut us off from the south power station. We've been forced to withdraw from the machine pool and the barracks. Our current position is untenable. If you insist on holding the line, try to take the pressure off the troops holding the power station. If we loose power, it won't matter if the Harmony takes the base or not. The storm will claim us all."

The captain's sigh rubs Madeline the wrong way, and she clenches her teeth to keep her expression from changing too much. If we "insist" on holding the line, as if they came all this way to abandon the base without a fight.  Madeline had no issue with leaving if the situation was a total loss but that was not yet the case, regardless of the captain's assessment.

"Understood," Madeline turns to leave and then stops, realizing that Freddy might have other questions for the captain.  She waits at-ease until Freddy speaks or she can be certain that they are done there.

Freddy nods, then remembers he's obscured by Juicebox's chassis. "Hold fast, Captain, and tell your troops to look for the explosions and listen for the terrified screams of the enemy."

He turns and follows Madeline out of the command center. It was a cheesy line, of course, but sometimes that kind of thing was just what people needed to hear. Confidence was infectious, and as low as it was in the command center, even a bit of it could help.

Freddy picks up the pace. He feels nervous. Soon, he'd be in battle. How the fuck had it come to this?

//Malegrosso, we're going on the offensive. What's your status?//