Rise of LOKI Session 6: Security's Day Off

Characters:
Arthur - Alphonso
Kirato - Fuegan: The Burning Lance
Hiro - Rex

Paintball

Back at Valhalla Base, a couple members of the security team, Chad and Smith, found the pilots and cheerfully them that they'd found a crate of paintball guns, and the pilots were supposed to play paintball with them for "combat training".  More than anything, they just seemed happy to be able to do something, as they hadn't been doing anything since the AESIR went online.  Arthur pointed out that he would be at quite the disadvantage as he is in a wheelchair, but Chad replied that it was actually an advantage as he doesn't make as much noise, and the smooth motion makes aiming easier.

The pilots tried to convince the security team that they shouldn't be involved for a variety of reasons.  "What if the paintballs have expired?" "Nah, they haven't".  "Wait, we can't play in the cold, frozen paintballs could really hurt you." "Actually, that's a good idea, maybe we should play outside".  "Are the janitors bored too?  Maybe they could play!" "No, that wouldn't be fair, you're the only other guys with combat experience".

Kirato agreed, then Hiro joined in so it wouldn't be 3v1, and finally Arthur agreed as well (Arthur: "Sadistic and Self-Loathing means I guess I have to accept").  As Chad finished helping them put on ballistic vests ("No goggles?" "No, we don't have any" "Can we have our AESIR helmets?" "Oh, we can't risk getting paint on those"), Carmen walked into the room, paintball gun at her side, and told them that this should be fun; the pilots immediately regretted their decision.  Hiro psyched up the other two, then did his "secret hi-five" of deliberately missing the other person's hand.

They were led out into the AESIR hangar, and found that a small area had been cordoned off, and filled with spare office furniture and cardboard boxes to be used as cover.  The teams went to opposite ends, and Carmen shouted "GO!".  Both sides rushed forward, and Carmen won a Quick Contest of Tactics, which meant that the Security Team was flanking them.  Despite this, Kirato fired first, and took out Chad.  In response, Carmen eliminated Hiro with ease; he then hammed up his "death" big time, quoting Hamlet.

Arthur Waited to shoot Smith in the groin once he exposed himself, but Smith managed to get a shot off first.  Arthur dodged, then missed with a stream of paintballs, obviously aimed at crotch-height.  Carmen's won the next Tactics roll, and the security team started a pincer.  Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Chad tried to chat up Hiro about how it was too bad that they'd been eliminated, but he'd had a good time, and that was what it was all about.  Hiro decidedly ignored him to cheer on the others.

Kirato took out Smith with a precision shot, and Carmen missed him with return fire.  Arthur tried to hit Carmen in the face, but also missed (Hiro: "Aim lower!  It's easier to hit the torso!  But not too low!  Don't hit the groin!").  Kirato debated shooting Chad on the sidelines, but shot at and eliminated Carmen instead (Arthur: "Wait, did Kirato just take out all three by himself?").  Carmen congratulated them, but lectured Arthur that he wasn't even close to hitting anyone.  He insisted that he didn't fire guns.

Briefing

The pilots were called to Halvorsen's office over the PA, and, deciding they couldn't take the time to clean up, went straight there, leaving a trail of paint footprints behind Hiro.  As they arrived, he was objecting to a woman on one of the monitors behind his desk, but cut off when he noticed them.  Halvorsen introduced the pilots to Marion Fairchild, a representative from the fragments of the UN that had survived LOKI's uprising.  She had a mission for them, and asked for her to take the floor.

Apparently, there was a VIP at the Mont Cervin Palace in Zermatt, Switzerland, one Ruprecht Muller III, and the Valhalla Project were going to extract him.  A picture of a portly man, mid-30s, in extravagant clothes rotated on the screen, but nobody recognized him (Kirato: "Is he an epic gamer?" "No").  The pilots would clear the area of anti-air guns, and then a security team would HALO drop in to secure the VIP.  With that, Fairchild cut the signal.

After she was gone, Halvorsen informed them that there would be a second objective: they were to take a rock drill and drill down into a bunker south of Zermatt containing stuff they wanted.  The security team would be Carmen, Chad, and "that other guy" ("Redshirt?").  Satellite photos showed that there wasn't any LOKI activity in the area, other than the cluster of AA guns, so this should be straight forward enough.

Hiro questioned if there couldn't be more of those camouflaged AESIR, but Halvorsen dismissed that as unlikely.  Kirato asked about civilians, and Halvorsen told him not to worry about it.  Hiro figured that Halvorsen was up to something (on an IQ-6 default Psychology roll), but decided they might as well go along with it.  The pilots chose to be dropped in by a cliffside road to the southwest of Zermatt.

On their way to the hangar, they ran into Chad, who joked around with them and said it'd be fun to have a real mission for once.  They suited up and got in their AESIR, the drill was given to Hiro, and they got airlifted out to Switzerland, at night (Kirato switched his flamethrower out for the sniper rifle).  As they flew south, rain started to pound down on their hulls.

Zermatt

Hiro and Arthur advanced up the cliffside road, while Kirato aimed his sniper rifle at the closest AA turret; Arthur moved awkwardly, reflecting a poor drift with Alphonso.  Hiro did a Radar scan for Hunters, but found nothing.  Kirato fired and obliterated the turret, while the other two continued to advance cautiously.  Halvorsen told them to "hurry up" over the radio, but they ignored him.

Arthur used his Tactics to get Kirato to move up, and Hiro used Sensor Operation to get him a Target Lock.  Predictably, Kirato managed to take out another turret.  Still, no enemy AESIR revealed themselves.  Arthur continued on to the urban area of the town.  Hiro went offroad and started towards the drill site.  Kirato alternated between reloading and downing more turrets.

As Hiro set up the drill, Kirato picked up faint audio of approaching helicopters.  Arthur tried to give Kirato Tactical encouragement to get into cover, but continually failed, and he was left on the road.  Enemy AESIR arrived, surrounding the town on three sides: one Cowboy to the northeast, another two Cowboys to the southwest, and a Knight and a new pattern with a massive laser gatling cannon.

The Battle Begins

The first Cowboy to the south tripped when climbing up onto the road and fell over, while the other ran around and shot Kirato with its pistols, causing him to freeze in panic, though he quickly recovered.  Arthur Went Even Further Beyond, followed by Hiro, who nimbly dodged a hail of lasers from the Gunner as the Knight sped towards the town.  The third Cowboy critically hit Arthur's Booster Jets, but did no damage, then jumped away.

Kirato got shot some more, then fired his Smoke Launchers, and Hiro deployed his as well, then hit the Gunner with a laser burst.  The Knight Boosted towards Arthur, while the Gunner took aim at him.  The north Cowboy missed Arthur with his pistol, then slipped and fell over while trying to Super Jump.  The south Cowboy that had slipped finally got back up, while the other one crit failed a Slam at Hiro and slammed the cliff wall instead.

Arthur All-Out Dodged towards another AA turret, and avoided 5 shots from the Gunner's full-auto laserfire, but still got hit 4 times.  Kirato Aimed at everything on the map thanks to Enhanced Tracking 7.  Hiro shot at the Knight, but it managed to dodge thanks to Flares.  The Cowboys missed their shots due to smoke, and Arthur smote the AA turret he was targeting.

Kirato missed a shot at an AA turret, while the Gunner missed Arthur with another burst of lasers.  Hiro shot at a Cowboy, but it jumped and dodged.  One of the south Cowboys switched to his knife (insert crocodile dundee reference here), the other missed an aimed shot at Hiro, and the third Target Locked Hiro for itself and the Gunner, which missed anyway, then fell over trying to jump up into Zermatt.  Arthur swung at the prone cowboy, and wounded it grievously but not fatally.

Hiro and Kirato All-Out Reloaded, while the north Cowboy uselessly shot at Arthur, the bullets bouncing off his cover and armour, then Super Jumped away.  The Knife Cowboy stabbed Kirato twice with an All-Out Attack, first in the torso, and then in the Flare Launchers, destroying them.  Arthur charged the north Cowboy but missed his Move and Attack.

Kirato pulled out his knife and stabbed the Knife Cowboy, wounding it, while the Knight failed a Piloting roll and fell over.  Hiro finished reloading his Smoke Launchers and redeployed them to stay obscured.

Notes:

Kirato's player immediately referred to Chad as "Chad Thundercock".

For playing paintball, the players all gained 1 point in Ballistic Weapons; Arthur chose not to take it.

This mission was intended to be completeable without killing all opponents, but they went way too slow so that's not happening now.

At one point, Arthur brought up the option of Unshackling his AESIR (a custom rule I've added).  It would give Extra Attack +1 and Altered Time Rate 1.  Just one problem: the rule also says the following "WARNING: AESIR AIs WILL INSTANTLY KILL THEIR OPERATORS IF UNSHACKLED".  The consensus is that somebody has to try it before the campaign ends, but not today.

I forgot that the Cowboys have X-Ray Vision for a long time, which is hilarious, because I gave it to them specifically to avoid penalties for urban combat.

Kirato's player was late because he had a "hot shower".  He claims he may be late to the next session, as he is planning on having another "hot shower" that day.  Nobody knows what he means by this.