Asteroid Blues

+++++++ Mission Briefing +++++++
Theatre of Operations: Gallery Maze – The Chimneys
Assigned Combat Group: Shasvastii Infiltration Cadre Mike'S
Expected Opposition: Yu Jing Invincible Army detachment
Objectives: Designate Antenna Grid
Destroy selected antenna
Protect Comms Tech
Eliminate any enemy technicians

Haiduk Shekrin surveyed the battlefield, watching the Invincible Army forces move into position. Their mission had been to escort a designated Comms Tech to this antenna field and then destroy select pieces of equipment. Now that they had been interrupted by human forces he suspected they would end up destroying the whole array to prevent it falling into enemy hands.

He heard the Mentor's orders over the comms net and saw the Caliban designate two antennas to his left followed by two in the centre of the array.
To his right he observed their Gwailo heavy support moving up behind it's swirling nanoscreen. A sudden exchange of fire erupted between it and a distant sniper that has suddenly revealed from camouflage. He watched a few rounds disappear into the nanoscreen before the human sniper crumpled, critically hit.
With the way clear the Jayth moved into the building to his right joining the Shrouded lurking within as it designated the anntena contained within the structure and mined the area.

Intercepted communications suggested the fallen sniper had been the human commander and confusion reigned within their ranks.
As Shekrin was listening to the comm chatter he saw the bulk of a Yan Huo emerge from cover, it's HRMC tracking his way. The last thing Shekrin saw was his snapped return shot miss wide as hail of multi rounds shredded his position.
Seeing Shekrin's vitals flatline of his HUD array the Mentor became concerned as the Gwailo soon followed after an exchange with Yan Huo. Surveillance drones spotted a Lui Xing drop troop appearing on the far right of the battlefield with a direct line on the lurking Speculo.

With over half of the antenna designated but most of his long range fire support gone, the Mentor decided it was time to deny the array to the enemy.
The Caliban turns the nearest left antenna to smoking scrap with D-Charges before he orders the Noctifier to reveal and destroy the left and central antenna along the middle of the battlefield.
With the enemy beginning to respond he orders the Caliban and Shrouded back under camouflage before dispatching the Caliban to close protection duty on the designated Comms Tech.

With much of his long range support eliminated the Mentor was forced to concede much of the battlefield to the enemy. He watched with mounting frustration as the Zencha made its presence known by targeting 3 undesignated antenna and also central antenna nearest to the Shasvastii deployment zone. The human missile remote then proceeded to lay a barrage of missles downrange finally blasting all 4 antenna to scrap.

With the battle turning against them the Mentor was forced to become bold. Lives needed to be risked in defence of the Continuum.
He ordered the Shrouded to the break cover and designate the remaining antenna on the far right of the battlefield despite the return fire. In it's haste the laser targeter went wide although fortune was smiling on them as the return fire went wide or smacked of the armour. A second attempt was successful.
With antenna now designated the Noctifer repositioned to draw line of fire. The Mentor watched in satisfaction as the missile flew true and straight blasting the antenna to pieces.

Now it was time for the real sacrifice. He began inputting target orders for the Cadmus' stasis pod.
Grunting in annoyance he watched the falling seed pod missed it's intended landing zone, overshooting to impact right amongst the enemy forces.
Splitting their fire between the decoys the human forces opened up. Discombobulated by this sudden arrival the Zanshi team put all their shots towards the true Cadmus wide.
With way open the Mentor ordered the Cadmus to hatch and dispatch the human Comms Tech knowing the orders would be obeyed despite the suicidal nature of this action. He watched the human technician crumple as shotgun blasts ripped him apart even as the Cadmus evaporated under the weight of return fire. Such are the sacrifices required by the Continuum.
If they could just hold the antenna within the building then the mission would be theirs.

Over to the right of the battlefield a large form materialises, a Hac Tao heavy trooper. As it advances the idling human is suddenly revealed as a Speculo Killer, its rifle rounds punching through the surprised humans armour. Further advancing the Hac Tao trades further shots with the Speculo, to no effect. The Mentor chuckles as the inferior human armour crumpled from a mere anti-personnel mine laid at the start of the battle by the Speculo.
With the fall of the Hac Tao the Lui Xing makes it's move, quickly succeeding where the TO trooper failed and eliminating the Speculo. Advancing further the covering Shrouded is also dispatched.
The Mentor orders the Jayth to be alert, it is all that stands between the the human and the final antenna.
As the Lui Xing barges through the doorway the mine blasts into it's face, quickly followed by a leaping Jayth seeking to engage him in combat. Despite these distractions the Lui Xing keeps his cool, cutting the Jayth down with a burst of rifle fire.
Wounded but not down the Lui Xing is now free to designate the antenna however the follow up D-Charges turn out to be duds.

With a snarl of frustration at seeing the mission narrowly slip away the Mentor orders what forces are left to fall back. Better to fight another day. At least the array is all but destroyed and their Comm Tech still lives.