Mech Masters in Mourning
Topic: ToS Chronicles
Still trying to build the teams' skills, Mech Masters continue to do random patrols. The danger in this game with those is that any outcome is permanent...

After taking some practice runs in his new Mech - the BloodHound - Mauler secured another patrol mission for the team.

They head off, Wolf in his TripWire, Kull in his Prowler and D.A.Y.E.S in his DragonFly.

Seeking the nearest hill, Mauler pushes his mech into a run. Of course he falls behind as his mech fails to keep up with the faster recon mechs of his teammates.

Cresting a low rise, Wolf makes contact. 3 enemy recon mechs (Pack Hunter, Zealot, Duellist) and one Light mech (Zombie). Kull rounds the base of the hill and locks up the Pack Hunter. Wolf locks the Zealot, but loses him as he moves into trees. Wolf switches to the Pack Hunter.
Tensile, hidden in a forest behind a hill, datalinks with Wolf and starts the long scan lock on the Duellist. Mauler finally climbs the hill and locks up the Zombie.

Zombie takes a long range shot at Kull and misses. The Duellist and Pack Hunter charge straight for Wolf, dodging fire from Wolf and Kull. Eight seconds to lock for the hidden Tensile, Wolf is hit by laser fire. Wolf's mech stumbles but he keeps his footing. The Zombie switches target to Wolf and hits him with a Black Ray gun. Again, Wolf has to use all his skill to keep his mech on it's feet. Tensile loses the datalink to Wolf!

Mauler takes a few long-range shots at the Zombie, and hits. The Zombie mech breaks into a run and Mauler loses sight of it. Mauler starts to run off the hill to try and reacquire the Zombie.

The Pack Hunter is now on Wolf - smashing him with laser fire and raking him with Vibra Claws. Not a rookie pilot anymore, Wolf steadies his mech and keeps it standing. Wolf swipes with his claws and misses, then throws his mech into reverse, firing his pulse laser and EM Pulse - both miss.

Kull starts to climb the hill, firing his small laser on the Pack Hunter and hitting. Tensile comes out of the trees to help - locks up the Pack Hunter and fires – but also misses.

Wolf is rocked again by the Pack Hunter assault. He almost goes down. The Zombie opens up on him and Wolf again fights the mech to stay on it's feet. Zombie hits with the Meson gun - critical - Gyro damaged! Wolf finally breaks away from the Pack Hunter, turns his mech and pushes it into a run.
With a damaged Gyro, he can't survive another assault like that...

Kull fails his scan lock attempt on the Pack hunter, but charges him anyway, smashing his mech into the side of the Pack Hunter.
Both mechs stay standing. Kull swings his Power Axes. One swipe - Left Leg - Red. Second Swipe - Head - Red.

Mauler comes off the hill and locks the pack hunter and fires. Both Autocannon 4 slugs tear into the centre torso. The first Autocannon 12 shell smashes the left torso of the Pack hunter dropping him to the ground. The second Autocannon 12 slug rips the Pack Hunters' head clean off!

The Zombie closes in on the hill, in trees, and fires on Kull hitting his cockpit! Kull’s vision begins to blur as he is racked with pain.
The Duellist charges up the hill and with his twin Chain Saws rakes Kull across the torso and leg - Still dazed from the head hit, Kull fails to keep his mech upright and goes down.

Tensile climbs the hill as well, firing on the advancing Zombie. Mauler switches targets to the Duellist and fires his AutoCannons, severly damaging the right leg of the Duellist.
Kull gets up to one knee just as the Duellist digs into him again with a ChainSaw. Kull fights his controls and pushes his mech upright and makes a wild swing with his Power Axes - Head Hit! Bleeding and dazed, the Duellist pilot ejects!

Tensile tries to ignite the trees the Zombie is in, but fails. Seeing the Light mech smashing through the trees to get to him, Tensile runs down the hill. Kull turns and faces the Light titan and follows Tensile. Both of them pass the Light titan, so now he is on the hill and they are in the trees. In passing, the Zombie hits Kull - smashing one Power Axe into uselessness.

Having gotten some breathing room, Wolf slowly turns his damaged mech, hoping to give supporting fire on the Zombie. Just as he finishes his turn, the Zealot comes out of the forested area it had disappeared into earlier.
Standing under 600yds away, Wolf quickly switches his target...
Seeing the damage on Wolf, Mauler makes the decision to target the Zealot, hoping Kull and Tensile can handle the Zombie. Mauler opens up on the Zealot and hits. Then the warning went off in Mauler’s mech - "Heat Level Yellow"

The Zombie turned to face Tensile and Kull who were now in the trees, using the cover to buy them time to refine their lock. Not having any of that, the Zombie fires all it's weapons wildly into the forest - IGNITING it!!
Kull uses his superior scouting ability to quickly leave the burning trees and charges up the hill - smashing his recon mech into the Zombie. Not much damage is done, but Kull retains his footing while sending the Zombie crashing to the ground!
Not as skilled as Kull, Tensile takes longer to clear the forest fire. As he finally steps out alarms are going off in his cockpit - "Heat level Red!"

Mauler is sweating in his cockpit - he has the heat level pegged in the red, which is messing up his target locks, and threatening an ammo explosion that would surely kill him. His scanners shows the enemy Zealot recon mech full Red on it's entire body from his continued autocannon assault, but the damn mech refused to go down. Wolf fails two lock attempts, but scores important hits with the EM pulse, temporarily shutting down the Zealot's battle computer.

With a cold calm only possible by an Android, Tensile waits patiently for his heat to go down, watching as Kull swings his one functioning Power Axe into the fallen Zombie. The Zombie shrugs off the attack and gets to its feet and in a flurry of punches and weapon fire, destroys Kull right leg!
Falling, Kull takes damage to his cockpit again.
The Zombie kicks Kull, destroying his right torso.

Mauler screams for Kull to eject as he sees the Zombie set itself for another onslaught...
Kull starts the ejection sequence...
Tensile starts firing his lasers, driving his heat back up into the red....
Mauler switches his target to the Zombie and fires, squinting against the sweat running into his eyes.
Wolf continues to fire on the Zealot.

The ejection sequence completes and the hatch blows off and Kull is shot from his mech - but crashes into the Zombie towering over him.
Mauler calls out to Kull – there is no response.

With a bloodcurdling scream, Mauler opens up with all four autocannons on the Zombie, cursing the Heat alarms.
"Heat level Red!" .. "Heat level Critical!"

Three slugs smashed into the torso area of the Zombie, but the pilot kept his mech from falling. The fourth Autocannon slug shot into its lower torso destroying it and the fragile Gyro it houses. With it's main form of stability gone, the Zombie teetered and fell.

Still trying to get Kull on the communicator, Mauler allowed his heat to slowly go down, as Tensile turned his DragonFly to face the remaining recon mech - the Zealot. He triggered both lasers at the Zealot.
Small laser - Hits Zealot in the right torso.
Large laser - destroys the right arm. Thrown off balance by the arm's explosion, the Zealot falls to the ground, destroying both legs in the fall.

Victory! Or was it?

Kull died in the ejection.

Salvage - The Zombie Light mech.

Repair costs were too high even for D.A.Y.E.S. repair skill.
Using his business skills, Wolf was able to sell the Zombie for a decent price.
All four mechs have been repaired.
D.A.Y.E.S could possibly level up on the next mission.

Mauler wonders if he should not have told Kull to eject... maybe...
The team now considers selling Kull's old mech and selling Wolf's mech - use the money and buy a Light mech for Wolf.
However, Mauler's leadership bonus and the teams budding fame could help them get a talented rookie to replace Kull though, so maybe they will keep the mechs.
Decisions, decisions.