VOTOMS
THE GRATTAN CAMPAIGN
PART 11- RETURN FIRE
This page continues the chronological log of our Second Votoms Campaign.

7212.10.30-  TAGREN FOREST, GRATTAN

After their last encounter with both DEFCOM controlled ATs and evasive military forces, Lieutenant Fugue and his squad of misfit AT pilots head into the mountains to try to find possible allies.  Taking their battered freight train into the mountains, they approach what appears to be a military rendezvous point, according to the map they recovered in their last battle...


At the head of the train, Camo, the squad's pet Kizzard, spots a break in the track.  It is likely they are heading into an ambush, but before any warning can be given...


...Burt Buton spots movement in the water under the rails from his position at the rear of the train.   A Standing Turtle breaks the surface!


Taking no chances, Burt fires a Grenade into the water from his GAT-22C, damaging the heavy Turtle AT, and narrowly dodging the return fire!


Meanwhile,a second Standing Turtle with missile launchers surfaces, and blasts the train with a deadly barrage.  Maxim Hiflen's Rising Tortoise is not seriously damaged...


But the blast derails the train's Tank Car, which goes plunging off the tracks.  Maxim and Mick Wansboro leap clear of the wreck just in time...


While Lieutenant Fugue manages to extract himself from the toppled engine's cab, bruised but not broken, and following Camo's lead, finds some nearby cover.


Meanwhile, Maxim drives his heavier Rising Tortoise AT into the attacking Missile Turtle, smashing it ashore and crushing it in melee.


But the team is still recovering from the crash when four Scopedog units appear, most likely DEFCOM controlled reinforcements!


Burt shoves the remaining freight car out into view, hoping it will distract the attackers for a moment...


...and the Scopedogs take the bait, advancing past the toppled Tank Car as they attack anything that moves.


Mick Wansboro makes use of his Octova AT's nimbleness to draw the Scopedogs further into the slough.


Only the Scopedog with a Solid Shooter fails to take the bait, but Maxim distracts it by tossing the carcass of the defeated Standing Turtle down the hill.


With all the attacking Scopedogs in place, Burt fires into the Tank Car, and a huge fireball blasts the unsuspecting targets, destroying several and throwing back the rest.


Seeing the Solid Shooter Scopedog is down and has a damaged cockpit hatch Lieutenant Fugue advances, and lobs a grenade into the empty Cockpit.  Clearly these units are being remote controlled by DEFCOM, but the grenade destroys the computer system inside, bringing the soulless machine to a halt.


One of the Scopedogs escaped destruction, and flanks Mick's Octova- but before it can fire...


An armored War Train appears, with heavy gun turrets blasting the Defcom units to pieces!  Riding on the engine of this railbound land battleship are none other than Major Perdas Grane and Lieutenant Odiah.  Never did Fugue and his men imagine they would be so glad to see the officers responsible for much of their earlier troubles...


With the forest ablaze, Lieutenant Fugue makes his way to the War Train accompanied by Camo, hoping that his would-be rescuers don't have some terrible ulterior motive.


The rest of Fugue's squad fall back to the War Train as well, eager to escape the ambush-turned-inferno.


But the fighting isn't over yet, as a Flamethrower equipped Marshydog ambushes the Wartrain from below, setting one of its light AT passengers on fire and tumbling to the ground below, the pilot inside likely roasted to death.


Another of the Rusty Goat light ATs takes revenge, however, blasting the Marshydog's fuel tanks open and setting the very water on fire.


One final DEFCOM controlled Standing Turtle staggers through the firestorm, but Maxim distracts it with a well tossed burning tree before retreating to the War Train.


As the heavily loaded War Train backs out of the inferno, the surviving DEFCOM  units succumb to the heat even with no living pilots inside as their wiring melts and ammunition cooks off.  


Whatever Major Grane's original purpose for the War Train was, he seems content to have acquired Fugue's squad to add to his own military might.  But for what purpose?  Only time will tell...

CONTINUE TO PART 12!

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