• Tamar, 2 April 3051 : AFFC forces in Tamar March reportedly shifting strength coreward in response to Kurita aggression along Federated Commonwealth/Rasalhague border • • Andurien, 12 April 3051 : Dame Dalma Humphreys, new Duchess of Andurien, urges Captain-General to take advantage of Saint Ives conflict to "end Capellan threat for good" • • Callison, 26 April 3051 : FWLM regiments drop on Callison, Marcus, Talitha, Van Diemen IV, and Wasat; Captain-General Thomas Marik declares intent to reclaim worlds lost to Lyrans in Fourth Succession War •
We have received communication from Captain Enise Gaál, CO of 1st Battalion's Beta Company. She bailed out of her disabled Awesome and evaded capture, and has gone to ground near the site of their initial engagement.
Captain Gaál reports that Steiner support units have arrived and begun salvage operations on the downed Beta Company 'mechs. The salvage units have infantry and heavy armor guarding them, though she is unable to determine from her vantage point the size or composition of the force. Steiner infantry is searching for her, and she thinks there's at least one other MechWarrior unaccounted for, and she is unable to move without risking capture.
The requested reconnaissance overflight reports that there appears to be a full armored regiment operating in the area, but the force standing guard over the recovery operation seems to be only a company of medium to heavy tanks, plus some infantry and accompanying light transports. It is unlikely that any other heavy armor could respond to a raid in a timely fashion, but a few fast armored cavalry or air cavalry lances might be able to.
Reconnaissance imagery is available.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to disrupt the Steiner salvage operations and prevent them for recovering Gaál's Awesome or any other Marik 'mechs down on the field, and to pick up Captain Gaál and any other MechWarriors who may have gone to ground.
Preventing the recovery of disabled 'mechs is not worth losing functional 'mechs.
Estimated enemy BV: 15638
Battle loss compensation: 80%
Salvage: 20%
It takes 60 minutes for a salvage team to recover a battlemech.
It takes 20 minutes, divided by a unit's Modified Movement Speed, to travel between the battlefield at the river and the site of the initial engagement. (So it would take 5 minutes for a 4/6/0 unit.)
It takes 60 minutes, divided by a unit's Modified Movement Speed, to travel between the battlefield at the river and 3rd Battalion's current base of operations. (So it would take 15 minutes for a 4/6/0 unit.)
Note that cargo transports move 4/6 with a trailer attached, but the tractor alone can move 8/12 carrying a small amount of cargo.
The Steiner force starts deployed on the West map. The Marik rescue team enters from the east edge at the time of their arrival, or any later time as desired. Captain Enise Gaál, Corporal Pushpa Hagopian, and Corporal Noura Crespi begin hidden in any non-clear hex on the West map, or the nearer halves of any of the three adjacent maps.
PFC Sayyid Ivanov and Sergeant Gioacchino Abdullah begin captured by enemy infantry.
Staff Sergeant Baadur Milojević begins unconscious with 4 damage in 1016 on the Southwest map. Neither force knows his location until he regains consciousness.
Gaál's Awesome is technically functional, but cannot be piloted because the autoeject was triggered. Abdullah's Phoenix Hawk is technically functional, but immobilized and effectively disarmed. The other Beta Company 'mechs are fully disabled or were completely destroyed by ammunition explosions.
Dismounted MechWarriors do not count towards stacking limits. A 'mech or combat vehicle can carry one back-seat passenger. Vehicles with infantry bays or unused cargo space can carry any number of passengers. 'Mechs with hands can literally carry another passenger in each hand, but must make a Piloting Skill roll to pick up the passenger without injuring them, cannot fire weapons in the carrying arm, and if the arm takes damage, the passenger may be killed.
If a friendly 'mech or vehicle ends the Movement Phase in the same hex as a dismounted MechWarrior, it can pick up the MechWarrior. If an enemy infantry unit ends the Movement Phase in the same hex as a dismounted MechWarrior, they can take the MechWarrior prisoner, and the MechWarrior thereafter moves with them. If an infantry unit escorting a prisoner ends the Movement Phase in the same hex as a friendly vehicle, they can transfer the prisoner to the vehicle.
'Mech-class weapons are rather indiscriminate when employed against human targets. If a 'mech or vehicle fires on an infantry unit escorting a prisoner, they must roll dn, where n is the number of infantry, including the prisoner, and if the result is less than or equal to the damage the weapon inflicted, the prisoner takes damage. If they have more than one prisoner, another roll must be made for each prisoner. Infantry is capable of finer target discrimination, and does not have to make checks to avoid hitting friendlies.
The Marik force receives: