Fire From Heaven

Site C - Attack/Defend Scenario

Mission Briefing

Daryādār Esfir Kadivar,
Coalition 3rd Fleet

Damn it, I thought we got the last of these kos maghz kundes two years ago!

Commander, sensors just picked up a huge problem decloaking over Norstralia-- a fully-functional Plasma Driver platform! I don't know if you were around to see one of these nightmares during the first conflict, but the devastation even one of these things can deposit onto the surface honestly has to be seen to be believed. The enemy brought nine of them in on a massive transport at the start of the last conflict, and they were all supposed to have been disabled or destroyed. There were two that were reported re-entering cloak to escape destruction, but both were supposed to be so heavily damaged beforehand that no repairs were thought possible.

Kos naneh... we're really paying for that idiocy now!

ALEPH's calculations have it slowing down to a positionover the site of some major ground operation in the Western hemisphere. Jayanti didn't elaborate, but she was adamant that we not allow this thing to come online so close to a population center. Which is... well, a bit of a tall order, Commander.

See, the worst part about these things is that we can't just send the fleet to blow them out of the sky. The plasma cores that power them are unbelievably hazardous; the first two we blew up back in the day caused radioactive and extremely caustic plasma to rain down on Septentria for three days afterward. After that, ALEPH strictly forbade attacking them with heavy munitions-- the only option that leaves is sending in commando teams to storm the platform and shut it down carefully from the inside.

We're already picking up signs of the core heating up, so we don't have time for me to give you a full rundown on this thing's strengths and weakness. All I'll say is that you basically have two choices: you can try to hack or burn your way through the airlocks, or you can try something a bit more dangerous-- time the shots and sprint up the output barrel while it's cooling and resetting. The maintenance airlocks inside the gun were never found to be locked, so if you think you can manage it, that might end up being a quicker way inside.

I don't think I need to explain why you don't want to be in there when the thing goes off.

We don't have time for anything fancy here, Commander-- run in and shut that monster down.

Mission Briefing

Luminous Purveyor of Dependable Appurtenances

Shocked incredulity at unforeseen arrangements, Commander!

The glorious Ur, wise beyond comprehension, have bestowed upon this one a boon for which it can scarcely be imagined competent... the dirigation of an orbital instrument of terrestrial annihilation!

The titanic implement, craft of the commodious Obsidon and remaindered estate of the disgraced Concordat, survives of nine brought to this world in support of the explorations of the restive Ur. This one's slithering compatriots did labor in the recombination of uninjured components of two left impaired by human assault; long has it sat masked from sight and sensor in anticipation of renewed need.

A need, it seems, that has arisen. This one comes directly from a most unexpected conference with the remnants of 385/Azure/Embodied, lately suffixed Emphemeral following violent forfeiture of its corporeality in service to our shared purpose, and was declared most apt among Commissarian servants to impel the instrument to its position of deployment. This one stands astounded-- nay, humbled-- at the aplomb shown by the incomparable Ur at its appointment, and assures any possessed of doubt that it will set about this unexpected task with all diligence and zeal!

And yet...

Commander, this one finds itself strangely... disquiet.

This one has served-- in full breadth, depth, and intensity-- the whims of the Ur since its lowly emanation from the nest. It has worked to assure the steady flow of provender to those more laudable, and has extracted profuse fulfillment from the discharge of its vocation.

And while this one knows that the judgment and wisdom of the Ur sits utterly remote from the understanding of a servant diminutive and meager as this, it cannot nonetheless cease to conjecture that some error has been effected!

This one was not spawned to conduct violence, Commander! Its existence has but a single cynosure, toward which it has applied all that it is and will ever be! This one exists... to PURVEY! To purvey most luminously, and only with the most dependable of appurtenances! To apply itself to ought but this wails against all that this one's actuality exemplifies!

This great honour commends this one, and yet it can find no joy in its undertaking. It bends crippled by unshakeable doubt of its capacities, confident only of the assured miscarriage of the exacting will of the Ur. This one could never sustain such a tarnishing dereliction-- not upon itself, nor upon all who call themselves Exrah.

Commander, this one sees but one path: it must beseech of you a surreptitious accommodation for the assurance of the advantageous resolution of the will of the implacable Ur. This one begs that the Commander, flanked by those who share the calling of savagery, take this one's place in the conveyance and operation of the Driver of Charged Gaseous Matter.

This one experiences unexpectedly tangible agony at the contravention of the will of the unknowable Ur, and accepts freely all residuum of its dereliction. The consequences owed to this one for this transgression, tangibly excruciating may they be, pale beside that which this one would suffer were it to allow its own ego to compromise the irreproachable vision of the Ur.

This one... thanks you. It holds abiding confidence that yours is the only hand by which this task can be assuredly negotiated, and wishes all fortune to its betters in the undoubtedly harrowing hours ahead.

Prosperity betide you, Commander.

Mission Objectives

Special: Achievement of mission objectives during the mega-battle directly awards League Points.

Attacker (Human Coalition)

1 At the end of the game, if the Plasma Driver is online, control the Firing Console

2 Disable the Plasma Driver

Defender (Combined Army)

1 At the end of the game, if the Plasma Driver is online, control the Firing Console

1 Fire the gun twice at targets of the Combined Army's choosing before it goes offline

Terrain

An orbital research station. Operatives should prepare for zero-G operations.
Station Walls: The outer walls have ARM 8 and STR 2. The station's walls are heavily insulated, blocking hacking attempts and cutting off G: Synchronized signals unless the models in question have direct LoF.

Scenario Note

Hackers at Site B have access to the Unseal program, which can unlock locked doors.

Airlocks: There are two Airlocks on the Station Walls which begin the game locked, and three within the Barrel which cannot be locked. Locked airlocks can be unlocked in three ways:
- Open From Inside: Any model spends a short skill while in base contact with the Airlock from the Station Interior.
- Hack: A specialist spends a short skill and succeeds on a normal WIP-3 roll while in base contact with the Airlock from Outer Space. Hackers gain a +3 bonus on this roll.
- Demolish: Detonate a D-Charge on either side of the airlock. Demolishing an Airlock prevents it from ever being locked again.

Once unlocked, an Airlock functions like a standard "Star Trek Door™".

Outer Space: The areas within the Plasma Driver Barrel and outside the station's walls are considered a Zero-G zone. All models are assumed to be equipped with sealed suits and basic propulsion units, and thus any model may move through the Zero-G zone.

All models gain Super Jump while within the Zero-G zone. Models without Zero-G terrain training are reduced to 4-2 movement speed (unless already slower than this); models with Zero-G terrain training increase their speed to 6-4 (unless already faster than this).

Deployment & Setup

Before the Initiative Roll is made, after both players have chosen their Army Lists, place the following as indicated on the map above:
- One Firing Console (FC) within the Control Room.
- Five Conduits (CON) within the Generator Room.
Both players will deploy on opposite sides of the game table, in a standard Deployment Zone 12 inches deep.

Special Rules & Objectives

Scenario Note

Hackers at Site B have access to the Sabotage program, which can temporarily disable Conduits. An Engineer in base contact with a Sabotaged Conduit can clear its effect with a normal WIP roll.

Generator Room: There are five Conduits within the Generator Room. Each Conduit has ARM 2, BTS 6, STR 2, and is armed with an Electro-Pulse. Each Conduit powers a specific system within the station, determined in secret by the Defender at the start of the game.

3x Plasma Driver Systems: Each Plasma Driver Systems Conduit that is destroyed imposes a cumulative -2 penalty to the Damage of the main gun. If all three are destroyed, the Plasma Driver is Disabled and may no longer be fired.
1x Environmental Systems: If destroyed, the station switches to emergency lighting. The entire Station Interior becomes a Poor Visibility zone, imposing a -6 penalty to all BS Attack and Discover rolls made within its confines.
1x Security Systems: If destroyed, all station doors become unlocked.

Optionally, an Attacking model with the Engineer special skill may attempt to determine the function of the various Conduits by succeeding on a normal WIP roll as a short skill while within the Generator Room. On a success, the Defender identifies the function of each Conduit. On a failure, the roll may be reattempted as many times as necessary, spending the corresponding short skill each time.

Firing Console: This console is used to aim the Plasma Driver. While the Firing Console is not controlled by any model, any Specialist model in base contact with it may take control of the Firing Console by attempting a normal WIP roll as a short skill (models with the Engineer special skill gain a +3 bonus on this roll). On a failure, this roll may be reattempted as many times as necessary. On a success, the model is considered to control the Firing Console until it moves out of base contact with it or is rendered to a Null state.
Gunnery Technician: The Firing Console begins the game controlled by a Gunnery Technician who is friendly to the Combined Army and has the following stats:

LI	Gunnery Technician
	MOV	CC	BS	PH	WIP	ARM	BTS	W	S
	4-4	9	12	10	12	0	0	1	2
Equipment:	Cube
Weapons:	Pistol

The Gunnery Technician does not receive an Active Turn, but may perform AROs against any Attacking model.

Scenario Note

Determine who controls the Plasma Driver before the End of Round Effects phase, but save final target selection and the attack roll for that phase.

Plasma Driver: At the end of each Game Round, if the Plasma Driver is not Disabled, the model who controls the Firing Console may perform a free BS Attack to fire the Plasma Driver at one of the boards at Site A. The Plasma Driver weapon has the following properties:

Plasma Driver

DMG	Burst	Ammo	Properties
16	1	Plasma	Anti-Materiel, Speculative Fire, Impact Template (large cirular)
0-150 km	150-300 km	300-450 km	450-600 km	600+ km
-3	0	+3		-6

Scenario Note

Forward Observers at Site A can apply the Painted Target state, which works like "Targeted" but only helps the Plasma Driver.

The Plasma Driver is situated 371km above Site A, but the weapon can only be centered on models and points in space that are outdoors and visible from overhead; as such, models inside closed buildings or underneath catwalks cannot be directly targeted, though they may be affected if caught in the splash of the template area.

Scenario Note

The Plasma Driver can target empty ground with Speculative Fire, and is an Anti-Materiel weapon.

Walls at Site A have ARM 8 and STR 2.

The Plasma Driver is not considered to have LoF directly to any model, and must therefore perform Speculative Fire attacks. The operator of the Plasma Driver benefits from the normal bonuses of the Targeted state if firing at a model in the Painted Target state (ignoring the -6 penalty for Speculative Fire and gaining a +3 bonus to its BS Attack roll).

The impact template of the Plasma Driver is enormous, and dodging out of its way is quite difficult. As a result, AROs to dodge the Plasma Driver are made at PH - 6. Additionally, due to the size of the template, damage to any wall by the Plasma Driver will create an opening 3" across.

If any attack roll to fire the Plasma Driver misses, the impact template will deviate 16" in a randomly-determined direction.

The Barrel: When the Plasma Driver fires, each model within the Barrel suffers a hit as if it had been struck by the weapon. Models cannot Dodge this hit. Any model with Total Cover against the back of the barrel may ignore this effect.