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Delta-Ranger's Phoenix Hawk spends a significant amount of time chasing down that APC, keeping up with the vehicle over the course of several hours. Eventually, we are able to vector Akalon's Gamma-Probe lance to take over before our mechwarrior passes out from exhaustion.
At which point, Gamma-Probe lance is intercepted by an ad-hoc force; two tank lances and a "mixed" mech lance - two heavies, a medium and a bug mech. No way we're getting past this pile-up to keep chasing the APC without a fight, and the incoming aerospace fighters make it impractical for AWS to go airborne to keep chasing. Luckily, this engagement is happening close to an allied mech patrol - thanks to us having secured that mech repair depot earlier, our allied merc buddies are able to back us up.
Which is going to be difficult with a pair of aerospace heavies bearing down on us.
"Think I should transform into aero mode and intercept them before they get here?" AWS asks "It'll be a difficult fight, but I think I can outmaneuver them. Although maybe I shouldn't, because it's two heavies and they'll shoot the crap out of me. But it's better... "
"Nara." Akalon stops AWS. "Relax. Stay low."
Round 1:
Round 2:
Our other Phoenix Hawk takes a slight beating from LRMs, the LRM Carrier having found its aim a little better this time.
Round 3:
Round 4:
The hostile Vulcan engages one of our Phoenix Hawks, but neither the weapons fire nor the attempted kick to connect from either party, except a couple stray machine gun rounds from our mech.
Round 5:
AWS is pressed back against the LAM's seat as the acceleration from air-mech mode kicks in, allowing it to nimbly avoid all incoming fire while connecting a blast from the snub-nose PPC with a Scorpion tank.
Round 6:
Our mechwarriors hop into appropriate-depth water rather quickly - getting strafed by heavy aerospace fighters doesn't smile on anyone. Except for AWS, who just avoids the fighters' flight paths entirely, zipping around underneath.
Round 7:
Akalon checks his sensors. "Another thirty seconds, then the heavy lance will get here."
Round 8:
Round 9:
"Sorry." AWS pipes up. "I got bored."
Round 10:
The good part about having an Atlas show up on the field is that it really attracts a lot more attention than a couple of Phoenix Hawks and a Vulcan. In fact, the hostile Eagle circles around and gives it a good zapping with PPCs and lasers, knocking the 100-ton mech over. It pays for that, though, losing a PPC to anti-aircraft fire from the allied Rifleman and Orion, both mechs equipped with specialized anti-air targeting systems.
Round 11:
Weapons fire connects from both sides, damaging armor, but no critical damage is inflicted this time around.
Round 12:
While the hostile Hunter support tank is busy firing LRMs at the allied Atlas, Akalon drills it with the Vulcan's lasers, melting through to the core of the vehicle. Our mechwarrior looks in puzzlement as the Atlas' icon on the radar display disappears, and takes a second to rotate the Vulcan north to see what's going on.
For some reason, the 100-ton mech is lying face down on the ground, with a skid mark leading away from the head. Somebody must have gotten in a lucky head shot.
Round 13:
The hostile Stinger moves to give SgtSoldier a hard time, our mechwarrior replying with a couple of pulse laser blasts to the head to remind the other guy that he's dealing with a "bug hunter" mech.
Round 14:
The Eagle comes back, making a strafing run on the allied mechs - the allied Orion opens up with its autocannon, but takes a hit, presumably to an ammo bin, and its right arm and most of the right torso disappears while the ejection seat fires.
SgtSoldier and our other Phoenix Hawk team up on the Stinger. Lasers and machine gun rounds fly between the three mechs. Long story short, the smaller mech's head is crushed.
The hostiles, having "taken out" an Atlas and an Orion, appear to be satisfied with their performance and depart - we're not really in much shape to chase them down. The APC has also taken the opportunity to give us the slip.
Akalon sighs and shakes his head. "We're just not that good at subterfuge."
Salvage is "standard quality", just spare parts and ammo; Akalon got a "mission ace", racking up five total kills. Granted, they were all dinky little tanks, but still. We took some minor armor damage and a little structure damage, but we're ok. Our merc buddies are gonna have a rough time though, with their Atlas missing a head and a pilot while the Orion's right arm is blown off. Good thing they've got repair facilities nearby.
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That being said, there's really only one installation nearby that the APC could have disappeared to. It's not on our target list, and it's defended by a heavy mech lance, an assault tank lance, some lighter units and fixed defenses. Beta-Hunter lance is in position to "recon" the area, Steiner-style, supported by a pair of hovertanks; a medium-weight allied mech lance is also available.
[] Move in and finish up this APC business
[] We're investing too much resources in this nonsense