VOTOMS
THE GRATTAN CAMPAIGN
PART 12- BLOOD OF ICE

This page continues the chronological log of our Second Votoms Campaign.

7212.11.02-  MOUNT TAGREN, GRATTAN

The Stray Dogs have been through hell and back... Still leashed to Lieutenant Fugue, they have now reunited with the Grattan Military forces after a bold rescue by Major Perdas Grane and his armored war train.  Now it is time to repay the favor...  Mick Wansboro, Maxim Hiflen, and Burt Buton must go on a dangerous mission ordered by Major Grane, that could get them inside the heavily defended Tagren Mountain Base.  The base is now controlled and inhabited by DEFCOM- a defense computer gone berserk with the power to take control of  unprotected ATs!

Mick and Burt use their lighter, fast ATs to bait DEFCOM controlled Scopedogs into range, where Maxim can activate a stunning device they got from Grane.  The device is short ranged and only has one charge, so they have to make it count.


Mick gets their attention with a blast from his Solid Shooter, and Burt baits the two Scopedogs into range of Maxim's waiting Tortoise.


Once stunned, Mick hacks into the cockpits of the two Scopedogs.  They won't stay stunned for long...  Maxim pulls Mick's Octova AT out of sight.  Burt finds the rotting carcass of a dead pilot still inside one of the Scopedogs!  In his disgust, he neglects to hide his Purple Bear AT before he and Mick have to scramble inside the Scopedogs.


Once hidden inside the enemy Scopedog ATs, they reactivate all too soon, and DEFCOM's programming takes over, spotting and destroying the Purple Bear threat!  The two pilots can do nothing but watch in horror, hoping that they did a good job of disabling the internal sensors of the ATs they are now trapped inside.


Thankfully, the two Scopedogs don't seem to notice their new passengers hidden inside, and return to Tagren Base to refuel and reload.


Inside is a massive hangar filled with dozens of captured ATs that DEFCOM can control for its own purposes.  A Repair AT begins maintenance work on Burt and Mick's ATs.  Will they ever be able to get out without being noticed?


Finally the repair AT completes its work, and Mick sneaks out, along with his pet Kizzard.  But Burt stumbles noisily out of his cockpit,  and the repair AT turns to investigate!  The Kizzard dashes across the hangar and into some barrels, distracting the repair AT long enough for Burt to get to cover unnoticed.


Mick has no trouble hacking open a door that leads deeper into the base, and the two pilots and their pet proceed into the darkness.  Apparently DEFCOM doesn't bother wasting power on lighting, as the base is completely unmanned apart from the ATs and machinery it can directly control.   The three infiltrators follow power cables snaking down the corridors, hoping they will lead them to the Main Transmitter Antenna, the destruction of which is their mission and possibly the best way to cut DEFCOM off from its emotionless AT minions...


Meanwhile, Perdas Grane orchestrates and deploys his attack force from the railway that passes close to Tagren Base.  Two Astrad Heavy Tanks deploy from the flatbed car of the war train...


...and are joined by Maxim Hiflen's Rising Tortoise. These heavy units will form the initial attack force.  By attacking Tagren Base from the outside, they hope to buy the infiltrators more time to shut down DEFCOMs control transmitter from the inside.


As the attack force approaches Tagren Base, the scale of their task is staggering.  Massive defense towers and dozens of Sliding Beetle ATs protect the massive fortification!


Maxim leads the attack, opening fire on the Sliding Beetle ATs under DEFCOM control.  The heavy ATs are tough, but not impervious to Maxim's Triple Solid Shooter fire.


One of the Astrad tanks, under the command or Rotweil, charges boldly towards the tower, taking some damage from the defending ATs.


By backing up into the tower's blind spot, the Astrad tank is protected from the static turrets while it engages the enemy ATs with its massive guns.


The other Astrad, commanded by Lieutenant Fugue, backs into one AT while blasting at another.


But DEFCOM doesn't fear death, and the pinned Beetle AT fires its Rocket Gun at point blank range, destroying itself and the Astrad tank!  Lieutenant Fugue abandons his stricken tank just in time, much to the relief of Maxim.     Lt. Fugue is a Leash Controller, which means the men under his command must keep him alive or they will automatically be punished by the Leash mechanism installed in each one of them.  Since that includes Mick, Burt, Rotweil and Maxim, it is critical that they do what they can to keep the Lieutenant alive!


CLICK HERE-- THE BATTLE CONTINUES ON THE NEXT PAGE!

Back to Necromundicon