Post by Lance Commander Marcus Taylor on Jul 18, 2005 22:26:29 GMT -5
The scenario loaded quickly and I looked at a familiar sight, the controls to a FS9-S Firestarter.
Memories of battles against Clan Smoke Jaguar forces rushed back to the time when I was a "green" pilot being thrown into the fray in a counterattacked dubbed Operation Bulldog.
I still remember my first encounter with the Clanners and after some consultation from historial holovids and a little help from Captain Maxwell, this simulation was as close to a recreation of this battle as was humanly possible.
The radio crackled to life and I dropped into a combat mindset. This battle however, I was a seasoned veteran and I wanted to see how much of a difference it really made.
All right greens, this is your first outing against the Clanners. As you know from your briefing and reports from other combat units, these are tough nuts to crack. Keep your wits about you, and you all might get a second round with them.
Okay, you know the mission. There's a lightly guarded supply convoy that is supposed to roll through our patrol zone. Estimates put the enemy force as 2-3 stars of combat vehicles ranging from Savannah Masters to SRM Carriers. There is also a report of a Star of light mechs, probably Cougars and Ullers.
Alpha Lance, stick to me tight when they arrive. We're going to try and draw as many mechs away as we can.
Bravo Lance, hit the supply units hard and fast. Minimize, combat with their support elements where possible.
Let's go get 'em mechwarriors.
Yes sir, Bravo-2 is ready to go.
There was less of a nervouness present than anticipation than when I was first here for real.
We moved to a saddle inbetween hills along the road while Alpha Lance waited near a grove of trees for the supposed convoy. Time passed as slow as I remembered and then all at once radio chatter exploded into a frenzy as Alpha Lance opened up on the lead Cougar and "legged" it which slowed up the oncoming convoy.
This is Alpha-4! Get him off me! Get him offa me! Ahhh.....
Pvt. Randolf Jones, a pilot even more green than I was ejected from his battered Commando scout mech as a pair of Uller's ravaged the Lance with their autocannons.
Track that pod! Alpha-3 get over here! Alpha-2 flank that Uller on my left!
Bravo Lance, you are weapons free!
My Lance Commander Sergeant Hans Eberstark continued to bark orders across the radio trying to maintain a sense of order among the green pilots.
At the signal of weapons free my lance charged in and started unleashing a hail of punishing fire into various ammunition and fuel vehicles. Several exploded, taking out other vehicles, one even taking out a SRM Carrier in a spectacular fashion.
An Uller, a 30-Ton Clan Omnimech, stepped in and began to unleash punishing and accurate clan tech weapons towards my Lance. Seeing that my Lance was engaging targets at will I steeled myself and engaged what at the time was my first Clanner mechwarrior.
Bravo-2, engaging an Uller Omnimech.
Taylor! You watch yourself, these aren't anything like our mechs. On top of that, these are fanatical pilots.
Bravo-2 copies.
Time to find out for myself if this is truly a Myth or a Man...or Woman as the case may have it.
I thundered towards the Uller and hit it with all 4 of my flamers as I charged in. The Uller's first move was unleashing Streak SRM-4s into my center torso. At that range, my AMS couldn't react fast enough and I was hit hard.
I struggled to maintain my mech's balance and I returned fire with twin emerald beams from my Medium Lasers and traced them across what I considered the biggest threat, the LB-X A/C-5 Autocannon. I fired another burst from my flamers in attempt to disable the weapon and raise the Uller's heat to dangerous levels.
This is Bravo-3. I'm hurt pretty bad, weapons are down to a single Small Laser! I'm ejecting!
I looked out of the corner of my eye and hear the roar of an ejection pod from a Firestarter as Bravo-3 ejected to safety. My Lance Commanders voice roared over the comms.
Bah, at least he'll fight another day.
Requesting fire support from any available aerotech. Coordinates X-ray 034, Yankee 213.
After a slight pause.
Alpha and Bravo Lances, keep an eye out for a pair of fast movers inbound on vector 37 Zulu.
Bravo-2 copies. Still engaged with an Uller Omnimech, holding my own here sir.
The whole time that this was occurring, the Uller and I were trading blow after punishing blow. Finally, after my fourth attempt, a burst from my flamers ignited and inernal ammo explosion in the Uller's SRM storage bins and as the mech slammed towards the ground off balance and smoke billowed from the mech.
A few moments later I could tell the mech was no longer a threat and the pilot most likely killed.
This is Bravo-2, scratch one Clanner.
This is Alpha-1, scratch one Clan Cougar.
Nice piloting Bravo-2, but don't get cocky. We're still in the thick of things.
Yes sir. Bravo-2 engaging the crippled Cougar.
I sent an Alpha Strike at the legged Clan mech that was still firing at Alpha Lance and I sent it toppling over as my rounds struck the remaining leg.
The pilot ejected to safety and the mech never rose again.
Bravo-2 reporting one less Cougar.
Thanks a ton Bravo-2, engage remaining combat support vehicles. Fast movers can hit the convoy now. That Uller you destroyed blocked them in along with the Cougar.
Affirmative, Alpha-1. Bravo-2 out.
The fast movers came in hard and fast, dropping everything they had on the hapless convoy. As the battle came to a close, we lost another 2 mechs to the pair of Ullers before Alpha Lance finished them off.
The battle lasted over 30 minutes and it still remained one of the most tense battles I ever participated in. Veteran or Green, this was a tough fight and pure luck had as much to do with it as piloting skill.
At least this go round I didn't limp my mech back home...
Memories of battles against Clan Smoke Jaguar forces rushed back to the time when I was a "green" pilot being thrown into the fray in a counterattacked dubbed Operation Bulldog.
I still remember my first encounter with the Clanners and after some consultation from historial holovids and a little help from Captain Maxwell, this simulation was as close to a recreation of this battle as was humanly possible.
The radio crackled to life and I dropped into a combat mindset. This battle however, I was a seasoned veteran and I wanted to see how much of a difference it really made.
All right greens, this is your first outing against the Clanners. As you know from your briefing and reports from other combat units, these are tough nuts to crack. Keep your wits about you, and you all might get a second round with them.
Okay, you know the mission. There's a lightly guarded supply convoy that is supposed to roll through our patrol zone. Estimates put the enemy force as 2-3 stars of combat vehicles ranging from Savannah Masters to SRM Carriers. There is also a report of a Star of light mechs, probably Cougars and Ullers.
Alpha Lance, stick to me tight when they arrive. We're going to try and draw as many mechs away as we can.
Bravo Lance, hit the supply units hard and fast. Minimize, combat with their support elements where possible.
Let's go get 'em mechwarriors.
Yes sir, Bravo-2 is ready to go.
There was less of a nervouness present than anticipation than when I was first here for real.
We moved to a saddle inbetween hills along the road while Alpha Lance waited near a grove of trees for the supposed convoy. Time passed as slow as I remembered and then all at once radio chatter exploded into a frenzy as Alpha Lance opened up on the lead Cougar and "legged" it which slowed up the oncoming convoy.
This is Alpha-4! Get him off me! Get him offa me! Ahhh.....
Pvt. Randolf Jones, a pilot even more green than I was ejected from his battered Commando scout mech as a pair of Uller's ravaged the Lance with their autocannons.
Track that pod! Alpha-3 get over here! Alpha-2 flank that Uller on my left!
Bravo Lance, you are weapons free!
My Lance Commander Sergeant Hans Eberstark continued to bark orders across the radio trying to maintain a sense of order among the green pilots.
At the signal of weapons free my lance charged in and started unleashing a hail of punishing fire into various ammunition and fuel vehicles. Several exploded, taking out other vehicles, one even taking out a SRM Carrier in a spectacular fashion.
An Uller, a 30-Ton Clan Omnimech, stepped in and began to unleash punishing and accurate clan tech weapons towards my Lance. Seeing that my Lance was engaging targets at will I steeled myself and engaged what at the time was my first Clanner mechwarrior.
Bravo-2, engaging an Uller Omnimech.
Taylor! You watch yourself, these aren't anything like our mechs. On top of that, these are fanatical pilots.
Bravo-2 copies.
Time to find out for myself if this is truly a Myth or a Man...or Woman as the case may have it.
I thundered towards the Uller and hit it with all 4 of my flamers as I charged in. The Uller's first move was unleashing Streak SRM-4s into my center torso. At that range, my AMS couldn't react fast enough and I was hit hard.
I struggled to maintain my mech's balance and I returned fire with twin emerald beams from my Medium Lasers and traced them across what I considered the biggest threat, the LB-X A/C-5 Autocannon. I fired another burst from my flamers in attempt to disable the weapon and raise the Uller's heat to dangerous levels.
This is Bravo-3. I'm hurt pretty bad, weapons are down to a single Small Laser! I'm ejecting!
I looked out of the corner of my eye and hear the roar of an ejection pod from a Firestarter as Bravo-3 ejected to safety. My Lance Commanders voice roared over the comms.
Bah, at least he'll fight another day.
Requesting fire support from any available aerotech. Coordinates X-ray 034, Yankee 213.
After a slight pause.
Alpha and Bravo Lances, keep an eye out for a pair of fast movers inbound on vector 37 Zulu.
Bravo-2 copies. Still engaged with an Uller Omnimech, holding my own here sir.
The whole time that this was occurring, the Uller and I were trading blow after punishing blow. Finally, after my fourth attempt, a burst from my flamers ignited and inernal ammo explosion in the Uller's SRM storage bins and as the mech slammed towards the ground off balance and smoke billowed from the mech.
A few moments later I could tell the mech was no longer a threat and the pilot most likely killed.
This is Bravo-2, scratch one Clanner.
This is Alpha-1, scratch one Clan Cougar.
Nice piloting Bravo-2, but don't get cocky. We're still in the thick of things.
Yes sir. Bravo-2 engaging the crippled Cougar.
I sent an Alpha Strike at the legged Clan mech that was still firing at Alpha Lance and I sent it toppling over as my rounds struck the remaining leg.
The pilot ejected to safety and the mech never rose again.
Bravo-2 reporting one less Cougar.
Thanks a ton Bravo-2, engage remaining combat support vehicles. Fast movers can hit the convoy now. That Uller you destroyed blocked them in along with the Cougar.
Affirmative, Alpha-1. Bravo-2 out.
The fast movers came in hard and fast, dropping everything they had on the hapless convoy. As the battle came to a close, we lost another 2 mechs to the pair of Ullers before Alpha Lance finished them off.
The battle lasted over 30 minutes and it still remained one of the most tense battles I ever participated in. Veteran or Green, this was a tough fight and pure luck had as much to do with it as piloting skill.
At least this go round I didn't limp my mech back home...