At the beginning of turn 13 I did an invasion check. In the narrative, obviously there are Collective forces on the planet meaning it has been invaded. The check is to see if you have to fight a battle to escape the planet or if you can just escape. If I really wanted I could ignore the rule that you have to try and escape an invaded planet, in order to try and complete more war adjacent missions, or join a side or something, but I felt it makes more sense to escape. Maybe the war will follow. I look forward to tracking if this place becomes unavailable though.
I intend to play a couple of games where Collective is fighting with the planetary militia before any UCS forces arrive. I have one of the forces written up and am deciding if I want to base up and paint new miniatures entirely for it. This battle will use the Horizon Wars rule set.
Chaos! While the sector militia were desperately battling to delay the Collective advance on this sector's key landing ports, chaos ruled on the roads and transit hubs. Collective forces were rumoured to be close to cutting the grav train line and this was likely the last train out of this area. Desperate civilians, nervous scoundrels, plucky scavengers were all attempting to leave on this train. The road was riskier and blocked in many areas due to traffic, abandonned vehicles, and careless driving.
A Collective recon squad advanced up the road in two fire teams. Each team had a plasma rifle as a squad support weapon. The Lieutenant was armed with a fury rifle - nasty business.
The Pelican crew were looking to catch the last train out of town. They planned to fan out and fend off any attack until the last minute, then jump on board and escape.
A few armed civilians had set up a road block but were swept away as the recon squad advanced. The left hand fire team split further and two soldiers attempted to spread out on the left flank.
Holmes ran forward to secure a shot and fired, immediately killing the squad support plasma rifleman. Lars also advanced with the intention of laying down fire down the road and turning it into a killing zone if needed.
Baratski went right to defend against anyone coming for the train. The rest of the team hung around waiting to react to an advance and cover any flanks.
Holmes got caught out in the open and had to scurry for cover! Lars responded by advancing into some cover and shooting down another Collective recon troop. Meanwhile the right hand fire team went off road and tried to flank around the buildings. At the same time the Collective left flank advanced, while Baratski hid behind the train.
Estelle Phillips and Lars opened fire on some exposed Collective soldiers, killing one.
The others returned fire, causing Phillips to duck around the building. They also found a good, covered place to fire from.
She was meant to become a casualty but has a luck point. It turns out I have been playing luck points wrong the entire time. I thought they got used up and were single use. I did not realise they come back each new campaign turn.
More ineffective, tentative fire was aimed at Lars and Holmes. Both well covered had nothing to worry about.
Lars managed to pop out of cover long enough to take out another Collective soldier.
Baratski advanced over the train car to take up a defensive position behind the warehouse. Forgrave ran over to provide support. Lars and Holmes were holding down the centre while Phillips and Brenko held the left flank.
Baratski took fire from the Collective soldiers, ducking behind the warehouse. Forgrave remained ready to pounce.
Disaster! Bolts of plasma emerged around the side of a building hitting Lars Nicolau square in the chest! He crumpled, unmoving.
Collective reinforcements arrived! The train was almost ready to leave. Would there be enough time to get to the train? Would it leave safely? The soldiers facing Brenko and Phillips moved up to the opposite side of the building. All four of them now sharing the same cover basically.
There was no in game mechanic for the reinforcements. I just wanted some more badguys on the table to resemble an actual battle.
Phillips and Brenko exchanged fire with the two soldiers, killing one of them.
Baratski and the two flanking soldiers exchanged more fire, Baratski diving for cover along with one of the soldiers.
More fire was exchanged between Holmes and the squad support plasma rifleman. Neither hit, both frustrated.
Phillips got pinned down again. She had been taking a lot of fire in this engagement.
Baratski finally got the better of the Collective soldiers, taking one out in a shower of shotgun pellets as Forgrave ran around the shipping containers to get a bead on another soldier.
He then took aim at a range close enough to use his laser sight and almost guarantee a hit. This flank was secure for the moment until more reinforcements would arrive. Holmes pinned down the plasma-man at the same time.
As the Collective reinforcements spread out to outflank the crew, the driver called them over to jump on board. They were ready to go! Not a moment too late as out in the distance looming shapes were emerging. The cavalry were here. Holmes covering the rest, they each fell back onto the train which departed.
As it left it took fire from the advancing Collective force. Another transport link to the landing port cut off. It looked like the planet was going to fall soon, before the UCS could respond with their sector assets.
The grav train ride was ropey. Brenko swore she had spotted Collective cavalry units trying to keep pace with them at one point. The sector militia stopped them a couple of time to warn about nearby fighting. It was packed with refugees and other ship crews trying to leave. They had Lars laid out on a bench not conscious, not moving, a large cauterised hole in his chest. It was not looking hopeful and the medbay on The Pelican was pretty basic.
After pulling into the landing port and stretchering Lars onboard Baratski began takeoff proceedures. A hulking, mechanical figure appeared at the ramp as Phillips and Forgrave were hauling supplies onboard. "EARL" was all it said. Another few people followed, asking for passage off world. The journey would be uncomfortable, but it was going to beat living on a warzone. Before launch a voice came over the intercom, it was Holmes. "Lars is gone" he announced.
As The Pelican launched and broke out of the atmosphere, the crew gathered for a drink.
A drink to Lars Nicolau.
He belonged to the stars now.
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