Mech Warrior Log - Brody.J - School's out forever

Rebollar's riot

Lady Trussel could barely contain her excitement as we made our way back to the LZ at Ellinikon and I had to try hard to block out the chatter as it came over the comms. This world might well be one step away from freezing to death but I couldn't help but wonder if she realised what she had truly let herself in for.

We avoided any more run-ins with Clayborne's Commandos before passing through the perimeter that the Blackshields had set around Ellinikon. We were directed by Shirinov to help load the loot onto the dropship. it didn't take too long and the locals kept their distance knowing that they were outgunned.

With all the gear loaded Shirinov ordered us all back on board and we took off again, I was surprised to See Shirinov and Rebollar still in their 'Mechs as i'd assumed we were headed back to the jump point. I patched into their comms and soon discovered that we had another mission planned. Most of what I am going to set down here now Thornton and I were able to recover from the data recorders on board Shirinov's Warhammer and Rebollar's Enforcer.

We landed just outside of New Iona and Shirinov and Rebollar powered up and headed off towards the city. Jakari, Thornton and I kept a perimeter watch and I monitored the comms of both Shirinov and Rebollar though they both maintained a strict silence and the local stuff, or at least as much of it as I could get. The two of them soon split up once they had entered the city and Rebollar had stopped his 'Mech at a local school. Shirinov headed deeper into the city broadcasting via his PA system that the authoities needed to release a prisoner named Conrad.

Rebollar meanwhile was holding the kids in the school and the instructors hostage to Shirinov's demands. It wasnt long before the local militia turned up and surrounded the school and his 'Mech. From the looks of things the locals were not keen to capitulate to Shirinov's demands and didn't take kindly to having their kids threatened so started shooting at Rebollar's enforcer in an attempt to drive him off. For whatever reason that fuck Rebollar reacted in an extreme manner and kicked and blasted his way through half the school.

From the LZ we could see a large cloud of black smoke and heard a dull whump as something went up in the city. At that time we didn't know the arsehole was killing kids to aid his partner in crime. Needless to say the Thraxan forces backed the fuck down in an attempt to try and preserve the lives of those who remained in the school.

Mech Warrior Log - Brody.J - Me thinks the Lady doth protest too little

Lady Trussel's Estate

OK, So the idea was that this was supposed to be a trouble free pick up of a willing passenger...  LIKE FUCK it was! I knew, just bloody well knew, that it was going to be a fucking disaster as soon as the words came out of that greasy little shit's mouth! She's expecting you he said... How the fuck did she know we were coming was my first thought... Still, I don't know if Shirinov has been sneaking off to Shervanis City to use the HPG station there or if he has had Hull or Melville get in touch with her to let her know we were inbound once we were on our way... Either way things did not go exactly according to plan.

I am in danger here of getting ahead of myself... let me get back to the start. We made our LZ roughly ten clicks from our target on a flat portion of Thraxa's conserved tundra, powered up and headed out in the direction of her apartments. Fortunately my 'Mech was able to integrate with the orbital satelite stations so we weren't headed off in a random tangent, so much easier than navigating on Astrokaszy. Within a few minutes a building came into view, nestled in a picturesque valley, it was a large mansion of steel and glass and it was as we approached that things started to turn to shit.

From behind the building a blast of man made lightning hit Thornton's Battlemaster, boiling off the armour on its left torso as a Warhammer hove into view, fortunately it's second shot went wide. I moved to engage letting loose with a PPC and a couple of large lasers all three of which hit, the PPC and one of the lasers in the left leg and the other in it's left torso. I got lucky! the second hit to the left leg boiled off more armour but must have hit a weak spot as a great plume of green smoked billowed from its upper leg as the laser damaged the 'Mech's hip.

While I was engaging the Warhammer a Crusader rounded the other side of the mansion and opened up on Jakari and Thornton with it's LRM's. The fighting was quick and brutal as was the language over the comms, my Knight's Beagle probe detected that the Warhammer was pretty seriously damaged so I moved in close and let rip with one Large, four Medium and my Small laserscoring two more hits on the Warhammer's left leg and knocking it over, it's hip actuator exploding as the medium laser punched through into it's internal structure. Thoroughly beaten the pilot powered down the 'Mech in surrender.

The Crusader meanwhile was running hot from trying to deal with Jakari and Thornton's combined attacks and once I'd turned my attention to it as well the pilot wisely decided that bugging out was the right course of action even though both Jakari and Thornton's 'Mechs had taken some damage. I checked in with them both to make sure they were ok and as a unit we moved in closer to the mansion.

A single figure emerged from the building as we arrived, carrying a large case of clothing. Thornton extended a hand and the young lady climbed up onto it and was raised to the cockpit level of his 'Mech, the Battlemaster having the most room available. I contacted Hull to let him know we had our passenger aboard and that we were returning at speed after engaging hostiles. I guess Shirinov was honest about one thing Lady Rosalina Trussel had been expecting us.