Chapter 76: No Chance
Back in the vans, Babydoll frowned as she looked through the eyes of her drones. Blimps, the Nimrod, and the Optic-X in the air. Steel Cougars deployed. And the HMG on Berzerker’s van already up and ready for action. As ready as they could be. Then she saw movement.
“We’ve got movement on the road. Four military-style Multi-Purpose Utility Vehicles in a column three-meter intervals. Obviously up-armored, weapons mounted in external mounts. Manned operation, armor shields in front to protect the gunners, though they’re buttoned up at the moment. Seeing a flamethrower, heavy laser, another flamethrower, and an LMG at the back. They look military, but no obvious markings that I can see from here. LMG has a satellite antenna on it, so probably a command vehicle. One, maybe two minutes out.”
Twilight just nodded. “Going virtual. I’ll try and mess with their systems. I’ll signal when I’m in.” She lay back in her chair, and shifted her consciousness to the virtual world. Moving through the links to Babydoll’s blimp drone, she saw the telltale datastream of a satellite uplink coming from a node ‘ahead’ in the virtual landscape. No time for proper probing, here. She needed to get in, fast and hard.
Virtual Initiative:
Twilight’s Virtual Initiative: 7d6 = 4 Hits, 0 Miss (VI 11, 3 Passes)
Babydoll’s Virtual Initiative: 12d6 = 5 Hits, 2 Miss (VI 17, 4 Passes)
Command Vehcile’s Virtual Initiative: 6d6 = 3 Hits, 0 Miss (VI 9, 3 Passes)
Laser Vehicle’s Virtual Initiative: 6d6 = 4 Hits, 0 Miss (VI 10, 3 Passes)
Flamer Vehicle 1’s Virtual Initiative: 6d6 = 3 Hits, 0 Miss (VI 9, 3 Passes)
Flamer Vehicle 2’s Virtual Initiative: 6d6 = 1 Hit, 1 Miss (VI 7, 3 Passes)
Pass 1:
Twilight’s Hacking extended test (Command Vehicle): 9d6 = 4 Hits, 1 Miss (4/5 successes)
Command Vehicle’s Analyze extended test (Default): 4d6 = 1 Hit, 1 Miss (1/4 successes)
Lucky for her, the MPUVs were all being run on local control, and hadn’t been upgraded. They were all ‘dumb’ machines, with the minimum pilot programs needed. No Analyze program meant that they weren’t looking for a hacking attempt. Until she triggered an alert, she’d have free reign.
Pass 2:
Twilight’s Hacking extended test (Command Vehicle): 9d6 = 2 Hits, 1 Miss (6/5 successes) (Success)
Command Vehicle’s Analyze extended test (Default): 4d6 = 1 Hit, 0 Miss (2/4 successes)
Babydoll’s Gunnery Attack, with Edge (Laser Vehicle): 11d6 = 6 Hits, 1 Miss
Rule of 6 Re-Rolls: 5d6 = 4 Hits, 0 Miss
Rule of 6 Re-Rolls: 2d6 = 0 Hits, 1 Miss
Laser Vehicle’s defense: Unaware (10 Net Hits)
Rocket Scatter: 4d6-10 = 0 meters
Rocket Damage: 18P, -3/m, -4 AP (impact)
Laser Vehicle Damage Resistance: 30d6 = 5 Hits, 5 Miss (13P damage) (Weapon destroyed)
Laser Vehicle: 13/15 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 5’s Damage Resistance: 32d6 = 11 Hits, 8 Miss (7P Damage, Convert to Stun)
Cleaner 5: 7/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 6’s Damage Resistance: 32d6 = 14 Hits, 0 Miss (4P Damage, Convert to Stun)
Cleaner 6: 4/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 7’s Damage Resistance: 32d6 = 9 Hits, 3 Miss (9P Damage, Convert to Stun)
Cleaner 7: 9/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 8’s Damage Resistance: 32d6 = 10 Hits, 4 Miss (8P Damage, Convert to Stun)
Cleaner 8: 8/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 5’s Crash Test (Threshold 3): 5d6 = 2 Hits, 0 Miss (Fail) (14P Damage, -half AP, Impact)
Laser Vehicle Damage Resistance: 24d6 = 10 Hits, 3 Miss (4P damage)
Laser Vehicle: 17/15 Physical Monitor (Destroyed)
Cleaner 5’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 7 Hits, 5 Miss (7P Damage, Converted to Stun)Cleaner 5: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 4 Overflow)
Cleaner 5: 4/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 6’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 7 Hits, 3 Miss (7P Damage, Converted to Stun)Cleaner 6: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 1 Overflow)
Cleaner 6: 1/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 7’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 9 Hits, 1 Miss (5P Damage, Converted to Stun)Cleaner 7: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 4 Overflow)
Cleaner 7: 4/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 8’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 5 Hits, 1 Miss (9P Damage, Converted to Stun)Cleaner 8: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 7 Overflow)
Cleaner 8: 7/14 Physical Monitor
Other targets in range: Flamer 1 (3 meters, 9P), Flamer 2 (3 meters, 9P)
Flamer 1’s Damage Resistance: 30d6 = 11 Hits, 4 Miss (No damage)
Cleaner 1’s Damage Resistance: 32d6 = 9 Hits, 8 Miss (No damage)
Cleaner 2’s Damage Resistance: 32d6 = 9 Hits, 6 Miss (No Damage)
Cleaner 3’s Damage Resistance: 32d6 = 13 Hits, 5 Miss (No Damage)
Cleaner 4’s Damage Resistance: 32d6 = 7 Hits, 7 Miss (2P Damage, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 4: 2/10 Stun Monitor
Flamer 2’s Damage Resistance: 30d6 = 7 Hits, 10 Miss (No damage)
Cleaner 9’s Damage Resistance: 32d6 = 11 Hits, 2 Miss (No Damage)
Cleaner 10’s Damage Resistance: 32d6 = 8 Hits, 7 Miss (1P Damage, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 10: 1/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 11’s Damage Resistance: 32d6 = 14 Hits, 6 Miss (No Damage)
Cleaner 12’s Damage Resistance: 32d6 = 11 Hits, 0 Miss (No Damage)
Cleaner 9’s Vehicle Test (Threshold 4): 6d6 = 3 Hits, 0 Miss (Fail, Crash) (14P damage, -half AP)
Flamer 2’s Damage Resistance: 24d6 = 6 Hits, 3 Miss (8P damage)
Flamer 2: 8/15 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 9’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 3 Hits, 4 Miss (11P Damage, Converted to Stun)Cleaner 9: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 1 Overflow)
Cleaner 9: 1/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 10’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 5 Hits, 4 Miss (9P Damage, Converted to Stun)Cleaner 10: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious)
Cleaner 11’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 6 Hits, 2 Miss (8P Damage, Converted to Stun)Cleaner 11: 8/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 12’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 9 Hits, 4 Miss (5P Damage, Converted to Stun)Cleaner 12: 5/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 13’s Vehicle Test (Threshold 2): 6d6 = 4 Hits, 0 Miss (Success)
“I’m into the command vehicle,” she sent to Babydoll. “Vehicles are on local control, not networked. Bare minimum pilot programs. I can try and brick vehicle weapons, or work on their individual comms.”
“Hit their net. Laser vehicle is the only one you’d be able to really hit the weapons on, besides killing smartlinks. I’ll take that one. Firing.” Babydoll was jumped into her Nimrod, so it was only a flex of her virtual finger to fire the rocket. She spent a point of Edge, since she had two, to boost the attack roll, while keeping that one in reserve, just like their leader had suggested. Hit dead on, right on the heavy laser. The result was… explosive, to say the least.
The laser vehicle turned sharply, too sharply. The vehicle went into a roll, ending up on its roof in the middle of the road, flames already starting to spread. The flamethrower vehicle in front managed to ride out the hit, only swerving a little. The second flamethrower vehicle wasn’t so lucky, trying to turn, only to slam into the side, coming to rest with the passenger side doors pinned against the burning wreck. The command vehicle, though, was far enough back that they avoided the wreck.
“Good hit. Laser vehicle destroyed, on fire. Survivors probably are in a world of hurt. Flamer 1 no visible damage. Flamer 2 crashed with Laser, massive damage likely.”
Pass 3:
Babydoll’s Gunnery Attack (Flamer 2): 11d6 = 4 Hits, 1 Miss
Flamer 2’s Defense: 3d6 = 0 Hit, 2 Miss (4 Net Hits) (Critical Glitch)
Full, Narrow Burst: 15P +1 per net hit, -5 AP
Flamer 2’s Damage Resistance: 29d6 = 6 Hits, 5 Miss (13P Damage)
Flamer 2: 21/15 Physical Monitor (Destroyed)
Cleaner 9’s Defense: Unconscious (4 Net Hits)
Cleaner 9’s Damage Resistance: 31d6 = 12 Hits, 4 Miss (7P Damage)
Cleaner 9: 8/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 10’s Defense: 8d6 = 3 Hits, 1 Miss (1 Net Hit)
Cleaner 10’s Damage Resistance: 31d6 = 14 Hits, 8 Miss (2P damage, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 10: 3/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 11’s Defense: 6d6 = 2 Hits, 0 Miss (2 Net Hits)
Cleaner 11’s Damage Resistance: 31d6 = 14 Hits, 4 Miss (3P Damage, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 11: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 1 Overflow)
Cleaner 11: 1/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 12’s Defense: 8d6 = 3 Hits, 2 Miss (1 Net Hit)
Cleaner 12’s Damage Resistance: 31d6 = 10 Hits, 8 Mis (6P Damage, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 12: 6/10 Stun Monitor
Flamer Explosion: 8P Fire, -half Impact armor (Vehicle protection does not apply)
Cleaner 9’s Damage Resistance: 11d6 = 3 hits, 1 Miss (5P Damage, On Fire)
Cleaner 9: 13/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 10’s Damage Resistance: 7 Hits, 1 Miss (1P Damage, On Fire)
Cleaner 10: 1/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 11’s Damage Resistance: 11d6 = 5 Hits, 3 Miss (3P Damage, On Fire)
Cleaner 11: 4/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 12’s Damage Resistance: 11d6 = 4 Hits, 3 Miss (4P Damage, On Fire)
Cleaner 12: 4/14 Physical Monitor
Twilight’s Hacking Extended test (Lieutenant): 9d6 = 4 Hits, 2 Miss (4/5 Successes)
Lieutenant’s Analyze extended test: 10d6 = 3 Hits, 4 Miss (3/4 Successes)
Being the Nimrod was a beautiful thing. Coming in from above and the side, like she was, Flamer 2 was helpless against her. A full burst from the mounted LMG ripped into the MPUV, taking it out of action. One of the rounds must have hit the fuel tank for the flamethrower, because a moment after the rounds hit, there was a fireball inside the vehicle, setting everything on fire. “Flamer 2 is down for the count, burning. Anyone inside who isn’t dead is probably on fire.”
Twilight’s virtual persona grinned as she struck at the node connected to the command vehicle’s satellite uplink, attempting to work her way in. “Got a probable leader, here. They’ve got high-end links. Anti-virus for sure. Not an easy hack.”
“Wouldn’t be fun if it was easy!”
Pass 4:
Babydoll’s Gunnery Attack (Flamer 1): 11d6 = 6 Hits, 1 Miss
Flamer 1’s Defense: 5d6 = 1 Hit, 0 Miss (5 Net Hits)
Full, Narrow Burst: 15P +1 per Net Hit, -5 AP
Flamer 1’s Damage Resistance: 29d6 = 6 Hits, 4 Miss (14P Damage)
Flamer 1: 14/15 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 1’s Defense: 8d6 = 3 hits, 1 Miss (3 Net Hits)
Cleaner 1’s Damage Resistance: 31d6 = 9 Hits, 6 Miss (7P Damage, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 1: 7/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 2’s Defense: 8d6 = 3 Hits, 2 Miss (3 Net Hits)
Cleaner 2’s Damage Resistance: 31d6 = 10 Hits, 8 Miss (8P damage, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 2: 8/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 3’s Defense: 8d6 = 2 Hits, 1 Miss (4 Net Hits)
Cleaner 3’s Damage Resistance: 31d6 = 10 Hits, 3 Miss (9P Damage, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 3: 9/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 4’s Defense: 8d6 = 4 Hits, 0 Miss (2 Net Hits)
Cleaner 4’s Damage Resistance: 31d6 = 10 Hits, 7 Mis (7P Damage, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 4: 9/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 1’s Crash Test (Threshold 3): 5d6 = 1 Hit, 1 Miss (Fail) (14P Damage, -half AP, Impact)
Flamer 1’s Damage Resistance: 24d6 = 9 Hits, 1 Miss (5P damage)
Flamer 1: 19/15 Physical Monitor (Destroyed)
Cleaner 1’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 6 Hits, 5 Miss (8P Damage, Converted to Stun)Cleaner 1: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 5 Overflow)
Cleaner 1: 5/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 2’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 6 Hits, 4 Miss (8P Damage, Converted to Stun)Cleaner 2: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 6 Overflow)
Cleaner 2: 6/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 3’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 5 Hits, 6 Miss (9P Damage, Converted to Stun)Cleaner 3: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 8 Overflow)
Cleaner 3: 8/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 4’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 9 Hits, 1 Miss (5P Damage, Converted to Stun)Cleaner 4: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 4 Overflow)
Cleaner 4: 4/14 Physical Monitor
Babydoll made a minor adjustment, a flex of her wing flaps, just like turning her head, and the lead MPUV, Flamer 1, came into her sights. Full burst with the anti-armor rounds shredded both vehicle and weapon again.
“Flamer 1 out of action. Anyone inside likely hurt badly. Command vehicle still in play.”
Initiative:
Twilight’s Virtual Initiative: 7d6 = 2 Hits, 1 Miss (VI 9, 3 Passes)
Babydoll’s Virtual Initiative: 12d6 = 5 Hits, 1 Miss (VI 17, 4 Passes)
Cleaner 10’s Initiative: 9d6 = 4 Hits, 0 Miss (Initiative 13, 3 Passes)
Cleaner 12’s Initiative: 9d6 = 5 Hits, 1 Miss (Initiative 14, 3 Passes)
Cleaner 13’s Initiative: 9d6 = 3 Hits, 2 Miss (Initiative 12, 3 Passes)
Cleaner 14’s Initiative: 9d6 = 2 Hits, 4 Miss (Initiative 11, 3 Passes)
Cleaner Lieutenant’s Initiative: 10d6 = 4 Hits, 0 Miss (Initiative 14, 3 Passes)
Cleaner Binder’s Initiative: 11d6 = 5 Hits, 0 Miss (Initiative 16, 3 Passes)
Spirit of Man’s Initiative: 14d6 = 3 Hits, 2 Miss (Initiative 17, 2 Passes)
Pass 1:
Babydoll’s Gunner Attack roll (Command): 11d6 = 4 Hits, 2 Miss
Command’s Defense: 5d6 = 2 Hits, 0 Miss (2 Net Hits)
Full, Narrow Burst: 15P +1 per Net Hit, -5 AP
Command’s Damage Resistance: 29d6 = 6 Hits, 2 Miss (11P Damage)
Command: 11/15 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 13’s Defense: 8d6 = 3 Hits, 2 Miss (1 Net Hit)
Cleaner 13’s Damage Resistance: 31d6 = 10 Hits, 4 Miss (6P Damage, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 13: 6/10 Stun Monitor
Cleaner 14’s Defense: 2 Hits, 2 Miss (2 Net Hits)
Cleaner 14’s Damage Resistance: 31d6 = 8 Hits, 7 Miss (9P Damage, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 14: 9/10 Stun Monitor
Lieutenant’s Defense: 9d6 = 3 Hits, 0 Miss (1 Net Hit)
Lieutenant’s Damage Resistance: 31d6 = 9 Hits, 5 Miss (7P Damage, Converted to Stun)
Lieutenant: 7/10 Stun Monitor
Binder’s Defense: 6d6 = 0 Hits, 2 Miss (4 Net Hits)
Binder’s Damage Resistance: 25d6 = 7 Hits, 3 Miss (12P Damage, Converted to Stun)
Binder: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 2 Overflow)
Binder: 2/10 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 13’s Crash Test (Threshold 3): 5d6 = 1 Hit, 3 Miss (Fail) (Glitch) (14P, -half AP, Impact)
Command’s Damage Resistance: 24d6 = 5 Hits, 4 Miss (9P Damage)
Command: 20/15 Physical Monitor (Destroyed)
Cleaner 13’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 9 Hits, 2 Miss (5P, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 13: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 1 Overflow)
Cleaner 13: 1/14 Physical Monitor
Cleaner 14’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 11 Hits, 3 Miss (3P, Converted to Stun)
Cleaner 14: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious, 2 Overflow)
Cleaner 14: 2/14 Physical Monitor
Lieutenant’s Damage Resistance: 20d6 = 11 Hits, 0 Miss (3P, Converted to Stun)
Lieutenant: 10/10 Stun Monitor (Unconscious)
Binder’s Damage Resistance: 16d6 = 3 Hits, 1 Miss (11P)
Binder: 13/10 Physical (Dead)
Another turn, command vehicle in sight. Full burst from the LMG. Right on target. Armor-piercing rounds ripped through the armored MPUV. Babydoll ‘grinned’ as she watched the vehicle veer off to the side. Must have gotten the driver, because… “HA! Stuck in a tree! Anyone still alive is going to have to jump down after that!”
Twilight chuckled. “I think you might have gotten all of them. But maybe have the sniper blimp keep watch, just in case someone slips out of the wreckage. I’ll keep working my way through these commlinks. Master will be happy to know that whoever decided this trap was a good idea is going to be disappointed.”