VOTOMS
CAMPAIGN RECORD
PART 12- DARKSTAR ALPHA
Links to other parts here: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
This page continues the chronological log of our Votoms Campaign. 

7214.02.23 - RAID ON RED SHOULDER BASE (Game 14)
Squad Gilcut has formed an alliance of convenience with the local Guerrilla fighters, who share a mutual enemy in the Red Shoulders and their leader, Major Wyvern.  The rebels suggest two ways to infiltrate the nearby Red Shoulder Base where Chet is most likely being held prisoner.  Although the Guerrillas won't be involved directly in the attack, they provide some upgrades to the squad's ATs.  Quey's Barking Turtle is upgraded to a Snapping Turtle- much faster in water thanks to its external hydrojet backpack, with built in subroc launchers.  And Goug's Berserga is also upgraded with an additional shield and pile bunker to form the Duel Berserga.

Their plan is to capture a supply truck and use it to smuggle Pent and Goug's ATs into the base through the front gate, while Quey infiltrates the waterways at the back of the base.

With Mayfield driving the captured truck, they stand a fair chance of making it past the checkpoint- until a suspicious Red Shoulder holds them at the gate...


Two gunboats patrol the waters around the base.  One picks up something suspicious on the sonar...


But before it can investigate, Quey' Snapping Turtle looms out of the depths, capsizing the boat!


Unfortunately a patrolling Red Shoulder bears witness and fires a flamethrower at Quey.  Although no damage is done to his AT, the boat explodes, alerting the whole base!


Mayfield guns his truck's engines, smashing through the checkpoint while the Red Shoulder fires into the truck with a GAT-22.


Mayfield keeps his head down, but the truck goes out of control,  running off the side of the road and catching fire!  Mayfield pounds on the back wall  to alert the hidden ATs inside, then dives out the window.


Goug's Duel Berserga manages to smash open the doors at the back of the truck, and Pent's Strike Dog hurtles out of the back of the truck at high speed.


Pent charges the Red Shoulder at the gate and puts his Strike Dog's iron claw to good use.


Meanwhile, another patrol boat approaches Quey's Snapping Turtle- and worse, the field guns on shore are also brought to bear!


Although Quey's attacks miss the boat, they find their mark against the field gun crew, blowing them apart.  Quey dives under the surface, evading the boat for now.


At the front gate, the Red Shoulder fends off Pent's attack, and dashing backwards, empties his entire rocket pod at Pent's Strike Dog!


Mayfield finds an untended field gun nearby and turns it on another Red Shoulder, with devastating effect!  Unfortunately the Red Shoulder's return fire rips into his leg as he dives into the water...


Having escaped the attack boat, Quey surfaces and proceeds on foot, searching the nearby buildings for any sign of the imprisoned Chet.


Having survived the rocket barrage, Pent dashes back to assist in the search, narrowly dodging fire from a heavy gun emplacement manned by another Red Shoulder!


Amidst all the commotion, Chet is being transferred from the prison block under armed guard... until those guards are confronted by Quey's Snapping Turtle!  In the confusion, Chet manages to shoulder check one of the guards, knocking him down.


Just outside the prison block, pursued by heavy fire from other Red Shoulder units, Pent confronts the Shadowflare!  Realizing it has no pilot (yet), he considers taking it over, not realizing the Blackwire control system would probably kill him if he tried.  But Chet spots his brother Pent outside and distracts him from such a foolhardy task.


Goug puts his Duel Berserga to work, knocking one Red Shoulder over the railing and into the water.


Unfortunately this attracts the attention of the Flamethower Red Shoulder, who pours fire onto the bridge.


Worse still, reinforcements have recrewed the field artillery and manage to get a shot on target, damaging one of Goug's shields.


Seeing Chet under guard inside, Quey takes matters into his own hands, smashing through the window and grabbing the remaining guard with his AT.  Through some aggressive negotiation, he convinces the guard to uncuff Chet.


Chet grabs a gun, jumps out the window, and lands perfectly onto the Shadowflare.  After so long being controlled by this sinister AT's Blackwire system, Chet has only one thing on his mind-- ripping the Blackwire system out of the Shadowflare's cockpit!


Mayfield, still alive but badly injured, pulls himself out of the water and tries, unsuccessfully, to take over the remaining gunboat.


And Quey's rescue efforts have caught the attention of that deadly flamethrower AT!


Weathering the storm of fire, Quey charges the Flamethrower and knocks him into the water...


Then pours rocket fire into him for good measure!


Goug has had enough of the field guns harassment, and charges them, knocking the guns and their crew into the water.


Before the gunboat crew can finish off the injured Mayfield, something flips the boat over- a Guerrilla Diving Beetle!  But unable to recognize Mayfield in disguise, the Rebel AT pours fire into the boat, and Mayfield's fate is once again uncertain until Goug is able to rescue him with the Berserga.


Having written off the base as a loss, Major Wyvern of the Red Shoulders orders his men to retreat... and to leave a nasty surprise behind for the base's would-be attackers.


The Red Shoulder that was knocked off the bridge has recovered, only to catch the attention of Quey's Snapping Turtle...


But before Quey can finish him off, Chet has powered up the now blackwire-free Shadowflare, and delivers a brutal killing blow to his would-be masters.


Major Wyvern makes good his escape in the fearsomely fast Calamity Dog advanced AT.  Where is Wyvern getting all this sinister technology from?  Despite his best efforts, not even Pent's Strike Dog can stop the Major from escaping...


As Pent pursues, the bombs set by the retreating Red Shoulders go off, destroying a docked Cruiser and catching Pent in the blast!  Badly damaged but alive, Pent swears to get revenge, but can at least rest in the knowledge that his brother Chet is finally free.


Better late than never, the Guerrilla Diving Beetles seem more intent on looting the base than on stopping Wyvern...


With Pent's brother Chet returned, does Squad Gilcut have any chance of stopping Major Wyvern from controlling the galaxy with his Blackwire technology?   Where is major Wyvern going in such a hurry, and what plan of his could be worth sacrificing an entire base?   Are the Guerrillas really out to help Squad Gilcut, or do they have their own agenda?  Find out next time...

On to the Next Episode!
Back to Necromundicon