BattleTech Recap: All Space Lanes Lead to Antallos ================================================== Chapter 1: Enter the Dabe We started Btech from where we left off from last time, i.e. in a cargo bay of a Buccaneer-class Dropship looking at the contents of four recently opened big crates. The crates contain 3 brand spanking new Clan Mechs (a Cougar, a Hougar and a Bling Blang Bougar) plus a new model of Clan Elemental Battlesuit. The boys look at each other, the boys then divvy up the mechs and battlesuit between them...Judas Storm and Ill Barone take a Mech each, while Sukh fancies trying the Battlesuit out...Sheet who's gonna call him a wimp (str 2) when he's in a fecking Battlesuit! DaveG informs Sukh that the Battlesuit effectively adds 5 to a users Strength stat...so..even with the suit on, Creek is only *just* stronger than Staff Sgt Penelope who's wearing nothing more intimidating than a skimpy bikini! Sukh decides to spend the 45 XP skill points anyway and this allow him the ability to walk around *slowly* in the Battlesuit without crashing into things. After checking the gunnery skills of all bods not at the session Ill Barone decides that traitorous Zeus Voyager Bond is to be given the spare Cougar Mech (which is equipped with a brace of deadly Clan ER PPCs). So 3 Mechs and a Gimp in a suit in the cargo bay of a dropship attached to a jumpship travelling in hyperspace. Enquiries are made concerning the false, secret cargo bay in the dropship...the capt knows nothing about it..all those who did are dead (Creek looking at the trigger happy psychos in the party like something he scraped off his shoes (LSHSOHS)?) Anyway the time when the jump ship is due to return to normal space approaches and this curtails all further investigation. Everyone locks themselves down into Mechs and Battlesuits for re-entry..for people without comfy crash seats..handcuffing themselves to a rusty reactor pipe will have to suffice...here huddle Private Scarfe, Lute Ferdinand & Hairless Penelope Jones. "WOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo...........BIG-BADDA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" The jumpship rocks violently as it reenters N space, anything attached to it rocks accordingly...klaxons begin to sound and snippets of communication recieved from the bridge of the jumpship begin with the words 'catastrophic damage' and end, abruptly, with 'Aaaaarrrrghhhhh'. After a sphincter puckering minute of extreme, puke inducing maneuvering, our captain manages to detach our dropship from the stricken jumpship and pushes all engines to maximum velocity to try to outrun the expected explosion... ...with arrives promptly, the blast shearing off one of the Buccaneer's wings and sending the ship into another tailspin...Turkey Creek Jack Johnson watches the detritus (PhilJ, Kell & Rich) floating around in the cargo bay and thanks God he's not out there with it... Eventually the spinning stops as the dropship's flight computers regain some form of control and stability. The Black Crows unstrap themselves and head up to the bridge. The situation is thus a) we're not where we should be..we're about 2000 lightyears off course b) we are an inhabited system, a Federated Suns one if the fighter markings are anything to go by..... c) three dropships made it off the doomed jumpship, us, another Buccaneer which from the sensor reading is *seriously* souped up...and a Leopard class that is turning tale and running away from the FS fighters. Ill Barone is a Baron in the Fed Suns, so he cheers on the FS fighters and orders the Buccaneers to fire on the fleeing Leopard. Our captain looks at our leader like SHSOHS while trying to keep his prefeorated ship together. The souped-up Dropship gives chase however and quickly xxdisablesxx destroys the fleeing Leopard in a few deadly rounds...from the sensor readings the ship has way way way too much weaponry for something that small... So, fight over, we're escorted to the main inhabited planet in this system (I can't remember the name but I proffer 'Planet Flange' as a suitable substitute). We make landfall on Flange, a normal backwater kinda world. Average people, average bars, average problems..average averageness... A week passes and we learn: a) Dabe is the owner of the hard ass Bucanneer Dropship! We quickly make friends and recamp into his armoured tin can. (Dabe you'll need to ask Gray what the actually agreement is concerning money and contracts etc?) b) the security system boys crack into the security systems of the 3 Clan Mechs to allow us to actually use them. c) the Planet Flange Mech Militia are currently at the Clan front line. The remaining planetary garrison consists of the Royal Guards, i.e. about a battalion of BattleMechs. d) the planet is ruled by a Duke, to which the Barone sneers at (like only he can). Something about being a Duke of nowhere whereas he is a Baron of a named Davion planet...you own a swamp Baron...doesn't matter I'm a Baron of something and he's only a Duke of nothing...*sigh*..my brain started hurting so I gave up arguing. e) the Duc de Flange has problems 8-)...namely parasites...parasites that fester all over the surface of his beloved Flange... ...human parasites...Pirates...Space Banditos from out of the Outworlds Alliance. Ill Barone has been itching (8-)) to meet the Duke and point out the failings in his title and how he's so much more nobler and thus better than the Duke is...so he arranges a meeting, stating he's a high born Baron of the Fed Suns from off world and desires an audience with the ruler. The meeting happens, after Ill Barone has squandered the remains of the Company's petty cash reserves on a authentic copy of a Versace Formal dress outfit...I think this is where PhilM had his little outburst and then blamed it on PJ...we go along as guards and are ordered to touch nothing and keep our uncouth mouths shut. The Duke is found to be fallen man, he looks more aged than would be normal and seems to carry a great burden upon his stooping shoulders. 'Pirates is it!', issues the Barone, smacking the weak old man merrily between the shoulder blades. 'yes' he whispers, 'but my sorrow runs deeper than that...my daughter, my beloved daughter...Drew Blige Wu-Tang Xzibit-Davion has left me and joined the blasted pirates!..she was always a unruly child..but this!..this!..going against her own father!...' is too much for the old man to bear. 'Did you say...Xzibit-Davion?' asked a fevered looking Barone. 'Er..yes...we do have some Davion blood even this far out from the core worlds you know' replies the old Duke dryly. The Barone is pespirating heavily...Davion...if he could have his evil way with this shameless slut he could add 'Davion' to his hereditary line...the mumbling old man next to him is slowly eased out of the Barone mental thought processes.... ...unruly daughter...old father...find daughter...marry daughter...old man dies...me become Duke Peperonni-Davion!....8-)... *happy place music is go* The barone falls into a padded chair and croaks... 'duke fl*cough*ANGE...IF I wERE TO return your wayward daughter to you..would that brighten your outlook?' 'Baron Peperonni, if you could do this, I would give you anything you desired.' 'Anything?' 'Anything at all...money, riches, my title...my lands...anything for my daughter....you will find that with time..gold loses it's luste, the jewels lose their sparkle, the throne room becomes a prison and all that remains is an old man's love for his daughter.....' Ill Barone leaps to his feet like a man possessed, the action is so sudden that the old man falls backwards in surprise and the Baron's guards cannot quite hide the food crumbs on their lapels from his unblinking gaze... 'No, no..not at all my good Duke, I seek no reward in this endeavour... what would you think of me?...I will return with your daughter within the month and also bring these low-birth pirate scum to task for their impertinence in daring to set foot on your planet... '...and you wish for nothing in return?' inquires the old man somewhat incredelously '...nothing but your thanks and your friendship' ooozes the Barone. Creek looks over to Sgt Storm and inquires.. 'Did he take his valium tablets this morning?' 'But you will incur expenses in this labour Baron Peperonni...if not a reward then please allow me to at least reimburse your outgoings' 'Whatever pleases you my lord Duke' replies the Barone with great emotion and a deep bow. .... A day of frenzied preparation is concluded by the Black Crow Mercenary company blasting off the haven of Planet Flange and setting their course for the Bad News system. Chapter 2: The Black Crows Ascendant One relatively short jump later the Black Crows mercenary company arrive in the amusingly named system of Bad News in the Draconis Combine. The Duke's intelligence people all point to Bad News as the point of entry of all the pirates attacks on planet Flange. Bad News is indeed 'bad news', a strange system of floating asteriods and barren, uninhabited worlds circling a dim, dying red star. The system only redeeming feature is Bad News space station, a mile long structure where anything and everything goes (apparently). A commercial hub for legal (and illegal) trade between the DC, FS & Outworlds Alliance. 'Never will you encounter such a hive of scum and villainy' informs the Baron during the briefing. 'I don't know..' begins Sgt Penelope, '...have you been in the Men's latrine on Z deck recently?' ???? What the fec...???? Anyway, we dock and get through customs without incident. Station rules are pistol weapons only and visitors are restricted to decks 9 and 12 (Commercial and Recreation respectively)...wander anywhere else and you'll be arrested. The team meander around the recreation deck taking in the sights. The Baron allows the mech company a few hours of R&R before herding them towards the commercial deck and a meeting with our intelligence lead, a Mr Rik, owner of Pier 1 Imports. Picking our way around the bazaars of deck 9 is uneventful and the group enter the establishment of Mr Rik without incident. Pier 1 Imports turns out to be a nik nak shop, a thousand items amassed from across a thousand worlds. The team split up and start poking and prodding the many twinkling trinkets whilst the Baron engages Mr Rik in serious conversation. The fruits of which are:- a) the Pirates attacking Flange are called the Silver Slayers. b) the duke's daughter is not a *captive* of the Pirates but a full fledged member and a pretty good mech pilot to boot. c) the Silver Slayers home planet is the world of Antallos within the Outworlds Alliance The rest of the team activities consists of buying a pipe (Creek) and some illict vegatation. 'So to Antallos we must go hmmm', states the Ill Barone is a strangely squeaking voice. The Black Crows head back down to the Rec Deck and try to book passage to the Antallos system on a fast jump ship. The team's endeavours prove fruitless, as most Jumper captains think that it'll take 3 months to get to Antallos and it's too much out of their way to make it worth their while. Hitting a wall of indifference, the disheartened team sit in the 'Heat Sink' bar and mull over their options with a pitcher of iced Nimmollan Spoo for company. 'I hear your looking for passage to the Antallos system..' states a female voice. The dejected team members look up from their empty highball glasses to analyse the newcomer. A short middle aged woman wearing flight fatigues. 'Yes, interested we are, hmmm' begins the Baron, raising several stares from those around him..'whats up with that voice dude?'... The woman and Baron enter into a conversation, the result of which is:- a) she's a Jumper Captain and looking for some Mech protection for a deal she's gonna do. b) if we provide this protection, she'll pay us 10,000 C-bills now and provide Jump transportation to Antallos for free. c) she doesn't forsee any problems with the deal (to be done in a system called...called?....Ca'lled, situated on the FS/DC border) but the other party will probably have around 6 mechs in the medium to heavy tonnage category for defense purposes. 'Discuss we must, on what to do next..hmmmm' informs the Ill Baron when the woman departs from the vicinity. 'What the fec????' Who are we kidding?, 10 grand and a free jump for possibly no work? We're gone man! Balls gone! One jump later, on a dark moonless night on Ca'lled 4, 3 Clan Mechs, 1 IS Mech (Dabe) and a Armoured Gimp descend onto the planet's surface. The meeting ground is in the ruins of a town destroyed during the 2nd Sucession War. Creek, Storm, Hawkins and Bond limber over to their designated positions. Bond in his deadly Cougar, secrets himself near a dense heavy wood on the Company's right flank, whilst the remainder of the Black Crows occupy a small ridge to form the unit's left flank. 2 of the Clan Mechs are bristling with cutting edge detection gear and pick up three "enemy" mechs in the local vicinity. From the profiles the opposition breaks down into a Dragon, a Panther and a non-combat utility mech. The shady transaction begins, our lady captain (lets call her Capt Go Go Juggs) moves in her own utility mech towing several sledges of gold bars & other precious materials. From zoom central the Ill Barone notes a similar pocession leaving from the other party's area. 'Worry I do, on the enemy's forces, recon around I must hmmm!' relays the Ill Baron to his subordinates, as he leaves the vantage point of the ridge to begin a wide circular reconnoitre of the surrounding area. The barone's Mech is about half way around when the deal is concluded and Jumper Capt GG Juggs begins the return journey with her "goods". Unfortunately, the other party pick up the wide orbit of the fiery comet known as Ill Barone's mech and don't take too kindly to this form of intrusion. The Dragon and Panther immediately open fire on the retreating back of GG Juggs's utility mech. The ponderous Utility mech takes a few juicy hits and nearly goes over... but Capt Juggy Jugg Juggs steadies and continues with her almost snail like crawl towards the dropship landing zone. The Black Crows return fire with all big and not so big guns... Bond's Cougar starts blowing massive chunks of armour off the Dragon forcing it to retreat into the midst of several high rise buildings. Ill Barone lines up the enemy Utility Mech and pops off its head with a sublime Large Pulse Laser shot..the decapitated Mech crashes to the floor and the sleds of gold and precious metals sit patiently for us to pick 'em up! Huzzah! 8-) The battle rages, with the 2 enemy mechs trying to bring down Lady Jumper Capt's Utility mech and failing. Another lance of enemy mechs is picked up on long range scanners and are predicted to arrive in about 9 rounds time. 9 Rounds is a very long time in Battletech and the Dragon and Panther pilot find this out to their cost..the Panther loses a head through combined energy fire whilst the Cougar burns the Dragon down to a pair of smoking legs. The sounds of battle diminish and finally end within the ruins of a town on Ca'lled 4. The Black Crow pilots punch and shake their damage control computers.. 'What does it mean 'no damage' on mech?' We always have damage!..but alas it is true..the Black Crows fight a BattleTech engagement and suffer no damage at all. Shock over, the company get their sheet together and gather the contents of the sleds and the remains of the Panther and jam it into the confined space of our Buccaneer's cargo bay. Green on Go!...Dropships to the fore, afterburners on full and a high G blast off from planet Ca'lled. This is followed by a leisurely cruise back to the awaiting Jumpship as we spend some quality time accounting our winnings (around 2 million creds plus a salvagable Panther!). Chapter 3: The Land of Milk and Honey So another chapter another hyperspace jump for the intrepid (and desperate) Black Crows mercenary BattleMech company...the mechwarriors lock things up and settle down for a 3 month long stint of quality dropship-in-hyperspace-inactivity. 2 weeks of total total boredom pass slowly before that 'mind out of body' sensation hits everyone in the dropship indicating that the Jumpship has returned to Normal space...what the feck is up now? Do these things ever work right! But fear not, we have actually *reached* our destination, the white star of the Antallos system shines it's bright light into our dropship viewports. The 3 month trip duration was clearly a ruse instigated by somebody to stop people heading towards Antallos. We part company with the Jumpship and set course for the world of Antallos 3. Capts GG Juggs informs us that her ship will be in system for two weeks to recharge its jump engines, so be back by then if you want to leave with her. Dropship Dabe Hawkins's Buccaneer hurtles towards Antallos 3 and soon enters it's orbit...from this vantage point the globe is a bright, yellow, desert wasteland with few (if any) discernable features. Checking with the ship's computer databanks spews out these interesting bits about Antallos :- a) a world that had been fought over for centuries by the DC, FS, Outworlds Alliance & pirate renegades because of rumours of hidden Star League caches under it's surface. It had served as a base for Star League forces in it's early days. b) the constant warfare totally destroyed the eco-system and decimated the inhabitants. Chemical and Bio weapons were unleashed on the battered surface at regular intervals and made large swathes of the planet unfit for human habitation. c) during recent times it's become less of a target for the main players (as people seem to have come to the conclusion that there are *no* secret Star League caches) and has become more a haven for outcasts from all over the Inner sphere and beyond. Mechwarriors from all IS regimes, plus Clan-less Clan personnel rubs shoulders in several city states on the surface. Port Krin is the main "city" on the planet but all the other city states are roughly equal in power and have their own armoured forces. d) the info from Mr Rik on Bad News spacestation said that the Sliver Slayers are reputed to frequent bars in Port Krin and they may even have a base near this city. So Port Krin it is, a town with many bars, strip joints, combat arenas, slavery (but is it legal?), few if any laws (huzzah!), unlimited weapon priviledges and a place where resourceful & cunning people could make a cred or two. ** Sukh: 'Bandits on one side...gunrunners on the other and me smack bang in the middle...your right, a resourceful man could make a good living here..' ** Sheet dudes we may never leave 8-) The company land at Port Krin, pay the trivial landing fees and then move out into town. The first pressing need is that of purchasing of large kalibar weapons..lasers, grenades, mini-guns, more grenades, RPGs, knifes, grenade launchers (loaded *totally* randomly by the shop owner), sharp sticks, bottles of wicked strength wasabi sauce.. Fully tooled up & kitted up, the boys (&gals) ooze into the town of Port Krin like a black greasy oil slick across a still pool of crystal clear water...notable locations on DaveG's handy map is checked out, checked in and throughly impregnated (or was that Penelope?). After a week of frequenting bars, brothels, and other even less savoury dives the boys manage the following. a) acquire tickets to a night at the "Death Rain" BattleMech combat arena, Head Crusher McGee is fighting..local boy...be a good one, for a Tuesay night (4 days time) b) Port Krin has a "rich area" hugging the contours of Lake Krin (an adjacent but long gone resevoir of water...probably should rename it 'Lake Dustbowl' now.) where all the top Cnobs and rich feckers live....entry into this walled city-within-a-city is tricky but not impossible..provided you've got the spondoolies to get you in. Sukh: 'Distortion in the Socialist Ideal...must destroy....' c) we've not seen or smelt a whiff of Silver Slayer in any of the bars in town. But their base is indeed nearby, on a plain 50 miles NE of Port Krin. d) we could sell our gold and precious minerals booty for around 2 mill C-Bill, if we need to. e) the BattleMech regiment 'Vinson's Vigilantes' are on planet, these guys have been on the run ever since their mutiny on Crevice 3 after balking on orders to engage the Clans...so their here...useful info for interested parties no doubt..but for now they're a regiment strength mercenary unit and best left alone. f) after following a few hundred 2 bit leads, we decide to arrange a meet with a dude further up the Antallos criminal food chain...handle of ...of ...erm...of ...'Ice Elduris'..a owner and trainer of BattleMech gladiators..whose stable is a few klicks out of town... PJ: 'Klicks?...you in feckin' Vietnam or something?' *shrug* Sukh: 'Work with me baby!' Running out of options, time and motivation, Ill Baron frog marches his underlings to the home of the Ice Elduris and to pastures unknown. Ice is an effable enough dude and after a few hours of drinking & eating his skill as a racontuer is soon evident...but all good things must end and when the Barone and Mr Elduris get to the serious business...things get more interesting... Yes he does have info on the Silver Slayers, no, he's not just gonna tell us... but.. Sukh, shorn and in Bene Gesserit attire: 'Here is comes...' ...but, if we're willing to provide a mechwarrior for an Combat Arena fight for this coming Sunday (to cover one of his who's fallen "ill") he'll tell us everything he knows... What? One of *us* fight to the death in a BattleMech combat arena? *Incredulous looks and laughter from all non-commissioned mechwarriors present* 'We accept your terms without reservation Mr Elduris' replies the Ill Barone crisply. *stunned, muted silence* So the mad Barone agrees and we head back to town to decide who's gonna fight and which Mech we're willing to sacrifice to the metal grinder of arena combat. The debate rages, diminishes and in the end produces these salient points:- a) we don't want to use a CLAN mech, they are our ace-in-the-hole as no one has them on Antallos... 'There's something in our hole Barone...and it ain't no ace!' utters Creek Johnson under his breath.. b) Turkey Creek is the mechwarrior selected to fight in the pit of certain death...8-( c) The only non-clan mech we have is Dropship Dabe Hawkins's 'Anvil' a 60 tonner with an array of large pulse lasers...Hawkins, after agonising over the decision to let someone else use his mech, the possibility of joining the ranks of the dispossessed if his mech is trashed, letting Sukh (of all people) know his secret Mech startup code (make chopping action with right arm whilst thinking of bound, innocent child..got it Hawkins), hand the keys to his baby to another man..oooooh the pain...oooh the agony..... ...Dropship Dabe agrees...all await the duel on Sunday with interest. The day of judegment arrives, Creek gets into the Anvil and marches off to staging area of "Death Rain" arena, he has the mech checked out for illegal weapons and signs all the required disclaimers. While passing the slow hours before his bout, Creek happens to come across the itinary of today's events...he scans down the list of fights until he reaches his name...Creek Johnson, Rookie from the Stable of Elduris versus...Head Crusher McGee, Pillager of a Thousand Worlds!...Feck! I'm up against the reigning xxmadmanxx champion! McGee's has 33 fights, 33 wins and 24 confimed kills....kills?....the cache pockets on Creek's BattleMech Seat begin to fill up.... The techs begin to initiate final preparations for entry into the arena..a message arrives in Sukh's cockpit...'Stay away from him and you'll stand a better chance...'..Creek disgests this info and starts up the Anvil... The fight begins...Creek strides out into a large rectangular arena...20 metres high walls close all around him..the baying crowd are seated in an amphitheatre above the walls, safe from all but the most stray of stray missile strikes....hmmm....8-) A mishmash of obstables litter the floor, spikes, rubble, iron walls, bloody remains, rows and rows and rows of missiles launchers thrust out from several sections of the walls and all point into the arena...Creek looks across the field of battle at his opponent...a 65 ton Crusader Mech which has huge, chaos-spikey-death-bits welded onto each hand. Hmmm.... A klaxon sounds initiating combat...the shooting (&running) starts...pulse lasers stab continously at Crusher McGree's Mech whilst avalanches of LRM fire strike in return all around the furiously moving Anvil. The thrice-damned, wall mounted, missile launchers open up and start raining down salvos of missiles at both opponents... You didn't think that "Death Rain" arena was just a clever name did you? Dabe's beloved Anvil's mech start to feel their sting as the armour on his left side starts shearing off in 5 and 6 point chunks... Huzzah! 8-) Stray missiles begin to find their way into parts of the now, not-so-baying crowd...explosions in the cheap seats, bits of spectator begin to rain down into the devil's pit. After 15 rounds of cat and mouse combat, the plucky but riddled Anvil finally brings down McGee's Crusader mech! ...the crowd goes wild as the Anvil struts around the arena in a victory dance. The pillage rights for the downed Crusader are ours so selling it as scrap nets the company another 800 000 hard C-Bills of flash money. A beaming Ill Barone slaps Creek Johnson heartily on the back and gives him 10 000 C-bills as a reward for his endeavours...Creek looks down at the small wad of dogeared paper notes in his hand and then up at the mound of 790 000 C Bills lying on a wide pallet marked 'Barone's Share' and feels a bit hard done by! So we win again!, that is good. We make some money (we made another C60 000 bills as winnings for some bets that were placed for the fight) and Elduris provided us with the much need info on the Sliver Slayers...a man called Fitzgerald, who appears to be the some kind of bookeeper for the Slayers... current abode, 1 Ring Top Belle, Rich Quarter, Port Krin. The team await nightfall, hire a car and then head towards one of the entry gates of Port Krin's Rich Merchant Quarter... Chapter 4: Knock! Knock! Getting into the merchant quarter isn't too tough as Barone is flush with cash and plenty of guards are willing to look the other way with a wad of C-bills in their hands. So the Black Crow rented automobile cruises around the sector at a leisurely pace...we take in all the sights, check all the points of possible escape if needs arise and keep ourselves to ourselves. Content in having a mental picture of the locale the car is parked in a quiet side street and the cadre of Barone, Storm, Penelope Jones, Creek & Zeus Voyager Bond mosy on down to Mr Fitzgerald's abode. A reconnoitre of the premise is undertaken from the shadows and surrounding streets. One house, 2 doors, windows on ground floor all locked and closed, 1 open window on first floor around the back. Ill Barone and Storm secrete themselves at the rear of the building after informing the trio of Jones, Creek and Bond to go and knock on the front door and see if we can see Mr Fitzgerald or arrange a time when we could meet him. Knock Knock. The door is open by a big musclebound man in a sharp suit. 'Yeah?' We inform the thug of our intention/desire to see Mr Fitzgerald..the thug tells us to 'FECK OFF!..Mr Fitzgerald's not seeing nobody!' before slamming the door in our faces. Hmmm... We relay the result of the conversation to Ill Barone and await further instructions. 'Me and Storm are gonna try and sneak in via the open top floor window, distact them by causing a diversion around the front...tell us when your ready...out' The trio of mechwarriors at the front look at each other and sigh... Creek shrugs...Bond..who's looked surprisingly vacant during most of the adventure and not spoken a single word...shrugs too... 'Follow me' motions Staff Sgt Penelope Jones...the small band make their way back to the parked car...the boot is opened and a chamois leather covering is removed from something bulky. The long, thin, calloused fingers of Penelope Jones grasps the handle of her randomly loaded Grenade Launcher and removes it from the boot area. The trio return to the abode of Mr Fitzgerald and find a nice shady spot close by. 'Commander Barone, the diversion is about to happen' 'Roger that, Miss Jones, confirm if sucessful..out' *heft sound* 'WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP!' Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! A few seconds pass before the door of Mr Fitzgerald home opens to reveal the now pi$$ed off looking thug, a pistol in one hand....he stands and scans the street... The grenades detonate at his feet...so Penelope's totally randomly loaded grenade launcher contains.... SMOKE! HUZZAH! SMOKE! hurrah! SMOKE! haroo.. INFERNO! FECK ME! *ducking motions* HIGH EXPLOSIVE! The thug, the door, the whole front of Mr Fitzgerald's nice home within the Merchant Quarter explodes in a expanding ball of flame, smoke and debris... 'Diversion suceeded Ill Barone...over.' The trio in the shadows leave for the car while the dynamic duo of Ill Barone and Judas Storm walk up to the back of the burning house and start climbing up the outside wall with the aid of Gripper(tm) gloves (and boots). The pair make it inside at about the same time that Team Grenade Launcher get back to the car. Penelope Jones lovingly restores the Grenade Launcher under it's protective covering before taking her place in the backseat (what?..she happens to like the backseat..I've heard 8-)). The trio sit quietly inside the car and unholster weapons. They await the signal for a possible driveby strafing of Mr Fitzgerald's burning abode with some relish. Meanwhile, back at level one of the building thats on fire, Ill Baroneman and Boy Wonder take their bearings and decide a plan of action. Ill Barone motions to Sgt Storm to cover the stairs while he checks all the upstairs rooms. Storm acknowledges with a deft nod and takes up a position on the landing and unslings his not so randomly loaded Grenade Launcher...Jesus PhilM, get with the programme dude...8-) *shade of Kell flickering into existence beside Storm...'Mr M...remember your failure at the cave?'* Undeterred, Judas flicks the selector switch on his GL from single to full auto. *shade of saddened Kell fading...'explosions in a enclosed spac.....'* Ill Barone begins his task of checking each door (of which there are three) for would be occupants...he remove his Gripper(tm) gloves and dons a sensual-looking Shocker Glove on his left hand whilst turning the handle of each door with his right. Two rooms are checked and found empty..whilst moving across to magic room number 3, its door opens and a man steps out, he turns to converse with someone else inside the room and leaves his back inviting open for Ill Barone's Quivering Palm attack... ZZZZZZZTT! The dude drops like a sack of spuds and Ill Barone thunders into the room over the falling body. A middleage man sits at a desk, closing the lid of a laptop and looks up to the apparition of death that has entered his room. He shouts a warning... Meanwhile, back at Stair Central, Sgt Storm peceives shadows approaching the stairs amid the fire and chaos downstairs... ..his finger begins to squeeze the trigger of his GL... cut to: Sukh showing and articulating at the exact distance of a 1st floor landing to the ground at DaveG's new house. PhilM looking on, unconvinced...blast radius 25 metres...distance from up there to down here...3 metres?.. ..the finger on the trigger eases slowly and the stub of the GL is withdrawn to be replaced with the smaller bore of a 20 gauge sawn off shotgun...PhilM starts shooting downwards, randomly, through the smoke and chaos, at any peceived sound coming from the ground floor. In the third room, the third man is fighting for his life against the deadly quivering palm of Barone Peperonni...he flails a large knife at the commander of the Black Crows and draws blood a couple of times...but the quivering palm of Baroneman is irresistable and Mr Fitzgerald slumps to the floor as his central nervous system is overloaded by a jolt of 10 000 volts. Stashing the laptop into his backback, the Barone throws the unconscious man across his shoulder and staggers back to the open window as fast as he can manage. He passes Storm on the landing, who is firing double salvos from his sawn-off shotgun down the smoking stairs, the Barone motions him to follow... 'Storm..we are leaving' Sgt Storm holsters the sawn-off and then plucks a large grenade from his weapon belt. After turning a small dial, the Staff Sgt pulls the pin and drops the explosive down into the smoked filled stairs. The pair are scaling down the outside of the wall when the grenade goes off covering the two climbers with shattered glass. Barone contacts the trio in the car and tells 'em to come around and pick him and Sgt Storm up. Bond, Creek and Penelope arrive promptly with the automobile, Barone and Storm manhandle the limp body of Fitzgerald into the backseat before getting in themselves. A squealing of tires later and the team are out of the Merchant Quarter and heading back to the Dropship and back to the busom of the Black Crow Mercenary Company. FIN