STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Cold War

"They are regrouping," Reynal says. "We earned our rest by pushing them halfway across the city. If we give them theirs, it is possible that detonating the train at the station won't do anything to deter them. They may advance."

"Sending them a message would mean speaking Arnian," Pade says, "and let me tell you that Wraith and Ker are pretty bad at that. However, if he can trigger the train's beacon, they'll know it's coming without giving away who is in control of it.

"Might be that Wraith won't hold it, either. I doubt he's killed everyone on board..."

-

...and indeed, he has not. Your volunteers served as a delightful distraction while you did your dance with Ditari. Now the distraction is done. Troopers have advanced up the train and are preparing to break into the train's control center. You will need to hold off their offensive until the train reaches Meja'Tsid and the bombs detonate, or they will deactivate the bomb and turn its weapons on Kaliero and his men.

"Then we attack immediately. Fortify ourselves just outside the station. Prepare to take their last line of defense. They should use the station for protection, and then we'll detonate the train there."

He radios Wraith. "Activate the train's beacon, to draw the soldiers into the station to meet it. Then they'll violently meet their end..."

Kaliero-

You are moving into position with your forces to launch your assault on the train station, to ensure that the Royal Army does not advance beyond it. There is no need to run them out of the station if you want Wraith's bombs to reek havoc and vaporize them.

Your army is spread out along the battle lines of Meja'Tsid, a straight line marked clearly by the hovertrain's powered guiding rails. You are bringing quite a force with you to initiate your final push that is actually a feint- a sizeable contingent of militiamen, a handful of speeders, and Reynal and Pade stand with you, bringing with them the trained Erapedi and Arnian commandos.

They have turned the train station itself into a fortress. The station itself, a large rectangular building, is on their side of the tracks. They have declined to take out the bridges- both maintenance and public- bridging the gap over the hovertrain's path. The bridges are necessary to cross at this point- the majority of the track stands above the city, but here they lower down for passengers to board. The track itself is lethal to the touch; you would be electrocuted.

There are gun emplacements everywhere, ranging from repeaters to anti-tank rifles. The number of Royals digging in here are high and they have lots of cover at their disposal on their side of the tracks. It will help them endure your assault, but it won't save them from the blast to come.

Hold them here long enough and victory is yours, so long as Wraith succeeds with his mission.

There are two public bridges and five maintenance bridges spanning over the tracks. Choose where you want to be and how your men will be arranged, and select your schticks.

-

Wraith-

Ker'Raos has blasted out the door controls- Star Wars logic says that this locks the door. However, the Royals are trying to blast through it. It is only a matter of time before they breach. Then, it is five-at-a-time through the sizeable door into the train; it is a very large train.

There are other entrances into the command cabin, including the hole that you carved into the roof. There are two maintenances hatches but you are unsure if the Royals can access them from where they are.

Ker'Raos has cut into a hatch in the floor to access the engine's fuel core. He is setting up the bomb as quickly as he can.

Select your schticks and where you will be when the door is breached.

Wraith is going to take cover just inside the door. He'll have Carnival of Carnage, Orthodox Guard, and Cleave in, and start with his blaster out and ready.

Need to hear from Dak before I can move forward...

How many men do I have at my disposal? And where are the gun emplacements?

I'm thinking it might be best to send Commando-led units to take out the heavier emplacements for safety, with other forces providing ranged support and keeping the Royals pinned down.

Less than you would like; the forces you led in took a beating holding off the pincer. It was only by your presence that it was not a defeat.

All of your forces have taken refuge in the buildings across the street from the train station- a burned out liquor store and a dilapidated apartment complex. The commandos are in the store preparing their assault, securing their weapons and armor. The Erapedi are likewise being readied by their handlers on the bottom level of the apartments.

Your militiamen have done their best to fortify both buildings and taken up spots on multiple floors of the complex and on the roof of the liquor store. Everyone is afforded cover until they enter the street.

The speeders have hidden themselves behind both buildings.

On the other side...

The bridges are empty. The Royal soldiers have taken up positions behind barricades at the other ends of the bridge, atop the train platform on the far side, and inside and on top of the station. Each bridge is covered by a repeating gun, with an additional anti-tank cannon covering the two large bridges.

The apartment complex is directly across from the station; the liquor store is likewise across from the platform.

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SECOND BATTLE OF MEJA'TSID (Fourth Skirmish), Start of Turn 1

Rebellion Lines- Store

Commandos (G7) x40 (1A)

Militiamen (G5) x30

Reynal (HW8): 1(1PR, 2A)/0 [KB ES] (2F)

Rebellion Lines- Apartments

Erapedi (C6) x20

Pade (G9): 1/0 [GS CC EE]

Militiamen (G5) x50

No Man's Land- Streets

Clear

No Man's Land- Bridges

Clear

Royal Lines- Platform

Troopers (G6) x30 (barricades)

Repeaters (G5) x3 [CC] (barricades)

Cannon A (HW5) x1 (barricades)

Royal Lines- Train Station

Troopers (G6) x20 (1A) (first floor)

Troopers (G6) x20 (1A) (second floor)

Troopers (G6) x20 (1A) (rooftop)

Repeaters (G5) x3 [CC] (rooftop)

Cannon B (HW5) x1 (second floor)

----

Pade and Reynal have taken up positions. Where will Dak be and what are his orders?

Wraith's situation is less complicated.

Five Arnians come through the main door into the train just as Wraith and Ker'Raos take up positions, Wraith in the doorway, Ker'Raos behind a computer bank.

"Bomb's ready!" Ker'Raos shouts to you as they move in.

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TRAIN ASSAULT (Fourth Skirmish), Start of Turn 1

Doorway

Troopers (G6) x5 (1A)

Wraith (G7): 1/0 [CC OGu CL] [FoGu RF]

Computer Bank

Ker'Raos (G9): 1/0 [EE CC CG]

----

Wraith raises his blaster and begins blowing away the soldiers as they enter the train car, tapping Carnival to put the troopers away in a series of fiery blasts.

"Keep me clear!" Wraith shouts to Ker.

Oh my!

Wraith's tap blows away three of the troopers without much problem as he whirls from beside the doorway and opens fire. The other two are taken care of by Ker'Raos with well-aimed shots.

Five more come through. They must be surging on the leading car at this point.

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TRAIN ASSAULT (Fourth Skirmish), Start of Turn 2

Doorway

Troopers (G6) x5 (1A)

Wraith (G7): 1/0 [CC OGu CL] [FoGu RF]

Computer Bank

Ker'Raos (G9): 1/0 [EE CC CG]

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Turns to Arrival: 11

Without direction from General Kaliero, the rebels decide to open fire at everything they can see on the other side of the energized railway groove.

From the store, laserfire is poured into the train station. It is riddled with blasts, warping the cold gray exterior of the building into smoldering red metal. The rooftop is particularly vulnerable and most of the casualties are there. The store fares worse as the Royalists start shooting through the large storefront windows at your men. The repeaters prove to be ineffective against the cover, and the cannon on the train station roof takes a chunk out of a wall.

In the apartments, the Erapedi stay put while the militiamen open fire on the station's platform. The platform is less populated by the Royalists so half of them fall to the intense fire. Repeater and cannon fire is largely ineffective on the apartments as well.

Reynal fires off his cannon at the train station's bottom floor. It is not a very good shot and only claims one life.

Pade hazards a few potshots at the repeaters on the platform. He takes out one of the gunning teams.

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SECOND BATTLE OF MEJA'TSID (Fourth Skirmish), Start of Turn 2

Rebellion Lines- Store

Commandos (G7) x28 (1A)

Militiamen (G5) x13

Reynal (HW8): 1(1PR, 2A)/0 [KB ES] (2F)

Rebellion Lines- Apartments

Erapedi (C6) x20

Pade (G9): 1/0 [GS CC EE]

Militiamen (G5) x43

No Man's Land- Streets

Clear

No Man's Land- Bridges

Clear

Royal Lines- Platform

Troopers (G6) x15 (1A) (barricades)

Repeaters (G5) x2 [CC] (barricades)

Cannon A (HW5) x1 (barricades)

Royal Lines- Train Station

Troopers (G6) x11 (1A) (first floor)

Troopers (G6) x12 (1A) (second floor)

Troopers (G6) x8 (1A) (rooftop)

Repeaters (G5) x3 [CC] (rooftop)

Cannon B (HW5) x1 (second floor)

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Wraith casually drops his pistol and draws his lightsaber, going after the Arnians with vicious strikes to tear them apart. He pointedly smacks a laser back at one of the soldiers.

Initiative is yours, and eight successes is certainly more than enough to cut down a pair of Arnians. Two more are knocked down by the invisible force of Ker's kinetic gun.

The last Arnian standing blasts away at you for 4 damage.

"More incoming!" Ker alerts you.

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TRAIN ASSAULT (Fourth Skirmish), Start of Turn 3

Doorway

Troopers (G6) x6 (1A)

Wraith (LS10): 3/4 [OGu CL RF] [FoGu CC] (7F)

Computer Bank

Ker'Raos (G9): 1/0 [EE CC CG]

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Turns to Arrival: 10 [/B][/QUOTE]

Dak will be in the Store. "Concentrate fire on those cannons before they blow away our cover!" he orders, firing off himself at Cannon A.

What kind of gun did you want to be using, Dak?

Make it a Targeting Blaster.

Wraith cuts down another two!

Dak gives his orders... but lacking the real charisma that Leadership brings, they fall on deaf ears. Thankfully, Reynal reissues them for Dak and everyone does exactly as the General desires.

Do you want EVERYONE firing on those cannons?

Hmm... spread the fire to the others on the rooftop.

With all of your men concentrating your fire across the rooftop, it is embarrassing for the Royals as their contingent up there is wiped cleanly from the building in a wall of lasers. The intensity of the firing is so great that many of the bodies are simply vaporized. The cannon and repeater emplacements are left idle as their operators are blown to smithereens.

Reynal lobs another blast into the barricades, this time blowing apart one of them to open up the enemy to more fire.

Pade follows that up by blasting down another one of the repeater teams.

The Royalists receive their orders from somewhere and begin concentrating their firepower exclusively on the Store! The Commandos take the worst of the fire, and a few militiamen fall as well. The Store's cover will not continue to function for much longer, Dak, though nothing has come your way just yet.

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SECOND BATTLE OF MEJA'TSID (Fourth Skirmish), Start of Turn 3

Rebellion Lines- Store

Commandos (G7) x20 (1A)

Militiamen (G5) x8

Reynal (HW8): 1(1PR 2A)/0 [KB ES] (2F)

Dak (G7): 1/20 [BGu CL CH] [FwGu] (5F) (rifle)

Rebellion Lines- Apartments

Erapedi (C6) x20

Pade (G9): 1/0 [GS CC EE] (3F) (heavy pistol)

Militiamen (G5) x43

No Man's Land- Streets

Clear

No Man's Land- Bridges

Clear

Royal Lines- Platform

Troopers (G6) x10 (1A) (barricades)

Troopers (G6) x5 (1A)

Repeaters (G5) x1 [CC] (barricades)

Royal Lines- Train Station

Troopers (G6) x11 (1A) (first floor)

Troopers (G6) x12 (1A) (second floor)

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