Black Barracudas: Mission Report

I've updated the Black Barracudas campaign page (link under the banner) with the mission and contract details and provided a link back to this mission report.

Mission Report

by Tim Stables
(Kraken in the campaign)

Rahne. A horrible little planet without adequate water or growing seasons. Major dust storms, the works. Severe weather conditions, partly from the massive moon and from the planet's one sea, continuously arise on the planet. It has four seasons: Storm, Calm, Cold, and Melting. "Of the four, Melting is the most dangerous, as temperatures rise above 100 degrees Celsius." Each of these seasons last for 21 days. 

The current season is Melting (Dust Storms will add +2 to all ranged targeting difficulties. Current season is 'Melting' - battlemechs will generate an additional 2 heat per turn.) 

Coventry Metal Works sensor relay required a garrison [The Black Barracudas] to keep the site secure while the Skye Rangers took point and guarded the courier with the Prototype Hunchback Scans on board. It came to light that the Gryphons were planning a raid. 

Kraken Mech, "Charybdis" a CLNT-2-3T "Clint"

The Black Barracudas set up a perimeter around the relay station and straight away picked up the 4 blips of the enemy lance, each mech coming from a different angle. Splinter and Gannicus kicked their mechs into gear and raced towards the first attacker, picking him up on the scanners through the storms as a Wasp WSP-1A. We would later discover there were two Wasp WSP-1A. Goryo and Kraken did the same, discovering a Wolverine and Stinger. The Wasps and Stinger were running havoc in these conditions and kept pounding the Relay Station before darting off for cover and to cool down. The ‘Cudas struggled to hit anything and realised that the only way they’re going to cause damage is by getting close and start throwing punches and kicks. Kraken, in frustration, kicked his Jump Jets into gear and attempted a Death From Above on the closest Wasp. Obviously, due to the conditions, he missed, and he ended up face down in the dirt. 

Each mech began exchanging blows with lasers and fists… Kraken, recovering from his fall, approached the Wolverine with bravado, but after missing with both punches, took a blow to the chest causing his AC ammo to explode and critically damaging his Clint ‘Charybdis’ CLNT-2-3T. He had no option but to bug out. 

Running hot, Splinter and Gannicus made short work of one of the Wasps and made the Stinger run for the hills. The Wolverine was targeted next and the pilot was soon forced to eject. With quick thinking and desperation, as the relay station would fall with another salvo, Goryo hailed the last Wasp pilot, making him withdraw from the field, failing his mission to destroy the building, but he had his life. The ‘Cudas were successful. They captured the Wolverine pilot and recovered the Critically Damaged Wasp, a good addition to their forces. 

Kraken, upon finding his lance mates had caught the Wolverine pilot, who turned out to be Colonel Martha Zuritas, strode into her cell and floored the officer with a blow to the stomach. His lance mates quickly pulled him off so as not to risk their chances of ransoming the Colonel. 

Col. Zuritas' Wolverine

Contract written by (I believe) Dougal Cochrane.

 Contract Details:

Contract Registry: LC-OC-01-02
Unit Assigned: COMPLETED
Working for the: Coventry Metal Works
In the: Lyran Commonwealth
To complete the following: Garrison
System: Rahne
Forces Recommended: 1 Lance
Contract Duration: 1 Month (15 Days in REAL TIME)
Employer Contact: Coventry Metal Works CEO Simon Grantrel
Jump/Drop Fees: 75 WP
Pay Rate: 200 WP
Support: None
Salvage Rights: Low
Command: Independent

Kali Yama ain't letting us get away lightly with the Hunchback scans you secured for us. We're transferring the data back to Coventry via courier rather than trusting Comstar with it. Trouble is, it looks like we were spotted when we passed through the Solaris system and our courier may get hit at the staging point on Rahne.

Rahne's a real eyesore of a planet - dust storms and rock - most folk live underground in mining colonies. Normally we'd never set foot on it but word over the HPG is a Jumpship carrying a couple FWLM Leopard dropships and a swarm of aerotech glued to its belly passed through Solaris a short while ago. Chances are it's the Gryphons planning a quick raid. So now we've got a short window to get deeper into the LC where they can't follow us. We're transferring fusion bottles from Rahne up to the Jump Ship Pequod using the courier drop ship which should speed up the recharge time considerably. Unfortunately, we're almost blind during the dust storms and we're totally reliant on a nearby sensor relay to keep the site secure. The Skye Rangers have loaned us a heavy lance to guard the courier, but we'll need the sensor station guarded as well. Lose that and we'll be utterly blind and vulnerable to aerospace assault.

Can I count on you to keep the sensors uplink alive?