A Shattergrounds Battle Report: Operation Slingshot
###Prologue###
Col Kraznitsky, walked into the cantina at FOB North Bay, that's to the north of Okolnir. It was lit by aging bulbs, a fire in the hearth, and the lights from cigarettes. The rain had picked up since his team arrived from Okolnir, and the sound of those cold droplets sounded relaxing on the metal roofing top the old domed structure. Kraznitsky remembered seeing this style building in some history books of 20th century conflicts, but didn't realize he may end up in something similar to it.
He saw the person he was going to meeting off on the side next to an open window the opened to an overhang, a nice cold breeze when the rain can't get in, or at least not as much when the wind picked up. This was Col Gretizky, the officer in charge of the launch site relating to Operation Slingshot.
"Looks like you've seen better days ol friend" Kraznitsky said as he walked up. "Need anything before we get started?"
Col Gretizky took a drag on his cigarette before responding, "yea, a beer and something to get rid of this God awful headache."
Kraznitsky chuckled and walked over to the counter, got him something to clear the headache, and not a beer to drink it down with, he's seen that go sideways before. Col Gretizky was one of the least injured from the launch site, he did still take a chainrifle to the chest though, so it's a miracle he's even walking right now. Kraznitsky knew Gretizky from OCS back on Dawn, they've both been around the block a couple times, going from desk jockeys to impromptu field officers due to this QAZ crisis. They've kept in contact over the years, like most of their OCS class did. There's a few more of them scattered around Concilium Prima, or there were before the QAZs appeared. He's only heard from Gretizky and one other since.
Kraznitsky placed some water bottles, 2 coffee cup, and meds on the table. "Let's start with this and we'll get that beer later." he said as he pulled back his chair and put his usual cream/sugar in his coffee.
"Hehe, good ol Kraznitsky, always lookin' out for others. Just like back in the day. Before all this shit started." Gretizky managed to wrangle the meds out of the pack they came in and knocked them back with the coffee. "I don't know how you keep that going after all these years."
"It ain't easy when dealing the folks as bad as you at times."
They both let out a laugh.
"How's the family, Kraz? Heard ya moved 'em here before everything over the last few years. Congrats on the twins by the way."
"Yea. We're a few hours away from here on the mountain range, got a decent plot of land. The twins are doing well, large kids. Just like the other two."
"Good to hear Kraz. Now what in the world did you want to ask me about that launch site that wasn't in the report."
"I figured you have something to mention that wasn't mentioned inside the report that was typed up by some young Kazak that doesn't want to do their job."
Gretizky chuckled again, "well, ya got that right." Gretizky began to tell his tale of Operation Slingshot, and what was missing from the report…
###Pregame and Deployment###
Lt rolloff saw Ariadna win and choose to go first. Nomads chose to have me deploy first.
I put my Irmandinhos front and center, wardriver between them. Strelok dead ahead (respecting the exclusion zone) with his mine to the left, and decoy to the right. Scout to their right, it's mine dead ahead. The Line Kazaks and Beasthunter were on the roof of the building on my right flankand linked, with Col Voronin behind it. My HVT is on the right flank. My classified was HVT Espionage, and I happened to bring the EVO Hacker dude, cool.
Nomads put his HVT right next to mine. Classified was… something. He had a taskmaster Haris with 2 morlockes around a building on the left, a Zellenkreiger in the building as well, a baggage bot Evo Hacker and morlocke in the center, and then a reverend Haris with a Cenobite, Moira, and Orphan. A Command Token was used to remove 2 of my group 1 orders.
Turn 1: Ariadna
I didn't have the best start. Irmandinhos moved up, one on the left moved and smoked, the one on the right double moved. First orders were the irregulars, left irmandinho moved and flung smoke (I almost cheated at tried to spec fire it over a box, I was told otherwise and moved it to somewhere I could see). Other irmandinho moved up to be able to see into the launch room, but not stand in it.
For regular orders, the wardriver used 6(!) to move up and get the classified and ascend the launch tower. Failed 4 attempts. Last order was used for the strelok to move into the room and just watch for new "friends." Classified achieved below.
Turn 1: Nomads
Morlocke ran run and threw smoke into the room. The baggage bot then moved forward and ascended; that meant Nomads were in the lead since baggage mattered. Zellenkreiger and the irmandinho on my left traded chainrifles, both went unconcious. Reverend team activates and the Moira takes the lead, pops out and back into cover, 2 FO kazaks opt to shoot their rifles, and the beasthunter fires the panzerfaust. Rifles go wide, on kazak falls to incoming fire. Beasthunter hits with his panzerfaust, taking the Moira down to unconcious. Team broken.
Taskmaster & Co then advance forwards. One morlocke runs into the room to try to tag my camo token, irmandinho said "nah fam, not yet" and whipped 'em with a chainrifle. Morlocke failed dodge and arm save, took a nap. Taskmaster ended in the doorway, but got cover, cause reasons.
Cenobite would activate next and get mad at the irmandinho, where we would inevitably shoot chain rifles and other guns at each other. Cenobite would be targeted by the beasthunter at one point, which lead to him getting flash pulsed for his troubles. Cenobite also triggered the Strelok's shock mine and take a wound.
Turn 2 Ariadna
Time to try some foolishness. Impetuous pahse waived. Scout activated, revealed, shot at the cenobite, several times. No wounds done, because we matched crits twice! Me on 9s, cenobite on 10s. Cenobite opted to fail guts check and move into cover, outside of LoS of the scout. Scout scooted to prepare for shenanigans in the last turn. Strelock moved up, revealed from camo, and tried to dump 2 shots into the taskmaster with his boarding shotty on hit mode. Both hit, but because of his base being covered by the wide-gate-ruled narrow gate size gate, he made one of his two saves. A shame. Irmandinho would move using its irregular and drop smoke.
Turn 2: Nomads
Started on LoL, guess I tagged the LT at some point. The remaining Morlocke would impetuous around and try to tag the strelok with a chain rifle, to which I fail my dodge. Morlocke uses his irregular to move around and try to tag my scout, to which I dodge.
Taskmaster moves in to play games with the irmandinho, which drops in CC. Cenobite tries to move back around, but gets dropped by a lucky shot from my Line Kazak FO. Good job buddy. Taskmaster gets a Command Token changed irregular to regular order from the Orphan to go onto suppression while inside the launch room.
Turn 3 Ariadna
The times be tough. Scout moved forward into the room. I spend a few orders to get the core team to stage and repel down from the top of the building, move to the room, and try to get the paramedic to try and revive the strelok. I shot him in the eye and he dies. On the approach the morlocke was able to dodge and get a shot with a chainrifle (fast play saw me not really care). Medic went down, beasthunter and FO dodged.
Voronin moves over with the last order to try and shoot the taskmaster, which had dodged once the fireteam came in. Voronin took him down.
Turn 3: Nomads, we have about 5 minutes to run this.
Morlocke activates and drops Voronin cause he did not dodge fast enough, sadface for me. Beasthunter tries a dodge, and fails. Scout and FO dodge to move from the door. Beasthunter and Morlocke eventually trade lives. Orphan manages to be the hero to drop both the kazak and Scout. Orphan is the last one on the table.
End if Game: Nomads had more extracted points and killed more specialists for 6pts. I got my classified for 1.
Result: Nomads win!
If we had more time to think, I probably could've managed to work that better, but oh wells. I'm struggling getting TAK to work, but I blame small games with a sectorial that likes it 20-30pt camo markers.
###Epilogue###
The rain started to come down harder, we had to close the window at a point because of the wind blowing rain inside. At least that kept the warmth in longer.
"Come to find out, the Nomads were actually expecting us, and us them. However, apparently the QAZ messed with their implants something fierce, and we showed to them as combined or something. Or that's at least what as told to me. After what happened with Durgama and the Raveneye, I don't know what to think. I'm just glad we're mutuals for the QAZ crap though. Rather them deal with that over us. They got the tech to address it, and we would too, we just have to use alternative methods to get it."
"So what was different from the report? That all sounds like what was strictly in the report. I know there's more to it."
"Only thing that's different was that that wardriver didn't actually report it when he got to the station. He just disappeared. Something seemed off about him when things kicked off. He was very keen on extracting after interrogating the opposing operative briefly. Maybe it was an arranged contact, transfer of data, and then a extract to avoid suspicion."
"Was this a wardriver we've worked with before? Or just a random one that rolls around with irmandinhos cause they think it's cool?"
"Random one, seen them around the FOB here before though, so random to me but not some of the others. I think the scout had worked with him before. When he recovers we can ask him. You think there's more going on here cause of that?"
"Ya never know Gretz, with those Shasvastii around, some of those hassassins from haqqislam could be around, heck we saw a Nomad operative during my Training Exercise use something to look exactly like one of the members of the security detail.
"If anything, just make note of it to ask him when he recovers. I know we already have many parties at play here, uncovering another internal group would be more beneficial to us as officers than anything."
"Ya got a point there Kraz." Gretizky swallows the rest of his coffee, now cold. "Ya have a strong point. Considering how long I still got at this damn base, might as well be proactive in figuring out what's going on. If anything I'll get one of them Intel guys to look at it instead. Ya know, delegation of duties. You could learn how to do that, ya know."
Kraznitsky laughs. "Yea, I should do that more often, but ya know how I am."
"Yup, always need that control. Burned too many times by good men in unfortunate situations. Or, ya know, f-ing incompetent idiots who got where they are cause 'they know someone'. Hahaha!" Gretizky laughs so hard he causes a coughing fit. Kraznitsky slides his eater to his good-arms side.
"Thanks Kraz. I gotta get goin', that kazak nurse needs me back at the med bay for the next round of treatment soon. I ain't tryna mess this one up, haha."
"Good luck Gretz. I'll be around for a little bit longer I think. I'll check in on ya and this new lady you're tryna move on, ha!"
Kraznitsky and Gretizky get up from their table, storm still raging outside. Kraznitsky made sure Gretizky made it to the medbay, the low marsh the FOB turned into in the storm made it hard for someone with a cane to walk in, let alone to keep your footing while trying to get up the steps to the raised buildings.
Kraznitsky walked back to the officer housing, just the same raised box as the medbay, just segmented more internally for some "privacy" for the handful of officers. This office was bigger than his last broom closet office. His office in Okolnir was being packed up and sent here, the storm delayed it unfortunately.
He sat at the desk in his room, saw communications for upcoming missions, their theatre's, and the operation times. He had the window cracked to let some fresh air in. As he continued to try and get comfortable, he was flooded with thoughts of his family, life back on Dawn, and even life on Concilium Prima before this whole series for crisis' started.
"We'll get back there eventually" he muttered to himself as we stared into the picture of his wife and twins, and of his sons they're still on Dawn somewhere.
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