MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries/Turkey Shoot

Turkey Shoot

MechWarrior’s Campaign Journal

I have heard a good deal about the fighting. The Combine is letting us bear the brunt of the battle, and then tier troops are sent in at the very end to make certain that we win. So far, the Roughriders have lost three ‘Mechs and the Draconis forces have hardly had their paint scratched. The Roughriders seem to take this abuse with good humor. Apparently, that’s the way things are for mercenaries, and the way they’ll always be.

I was dragged out of bed a little earlier this morning by Unther, or “Dead-Eye,” as he prefers to be called. He’s not a loser, but he might be a psycho. I think I remember reading about him in a newspaper when I was sixteen. Something about a war atrocity somewhere near Terra.

Briefing

Sergeant Unther, Hansen’s Roughriders: Today you’re going to get a little target practice. We’re going to take out an airfield.

• Codename: Turkey Shoot
• Planet: Venaria
• Terrain: Rolling Hills
• Time: Day
• Mean Temperature: 8 Celsius
• Mission Pay: None
• Expected Resistance: Pirates
• Your Call-Sign: “Kid” or “Hey-You”

Unther: Go to NAV ALPHA, and then go to NAV BETA. At NAV BETA, you will find an airfield. Destroy the airfield, including all enemy aerospace fighters. Then return to DropShip Wild-Ride.

Objectives

• Target: Go to NAV ALPHA
• Target: Go to NAV BETA
• Target: Destroy enemy aircraft
• Target: Destroy enemy airfield
• Return: DropShip Wild-Ride

During Mission

Unther: Morning! How’s it feel to be strapped into a walking nuke reactor at six A.M.? Bet you’re sorry you didn’t study harder.

Unther: Hit that throttle. You’ll be killing people before breakfast today. Soldiers, mostly. Maybe some civilians. This is a real combat mission, so don’t go soft.

Unther: All right, hang on a minute. Our target, the airfield, is just ahead at NAV BETA. Use your targeting system to target the nearest enemy. As you can see, that’s an enemy fighter craft. Don’t worry, he’s still on the ground. Now, let’s go take him out.

Unther: All right, you’re almost on top of ‘em. Fire your weapons and let ‘em have it!

Unther: Nice shooting! Scratch one fighter and scratch one pilot. Poor bastard didn’t even have time to eject (chuckles). Now, take out the other fighters.

Unther: Turn your guns on the hangar and the power supply. Destroy it quickly so we can get the hell out of here.

Unther: I hope they were insured. Let’s head back. Return to the DropShip at the final NAV point.

MISSION SUCCESSFUL

Aftermath

Unther: Nice shooting on that airfield. Without those aerospace fighters, these pirates don’t have a prayer.

ComStar News Service

The battle for Venaria escalated today as Draconis and Roughrider units dealt the pirates a serious blow. Military analysts believed that the pirates’ vast aerofighter superiority could turn the tide of the war, which has so far favored the Draconis Combine. Earlier today, the Draconis forces struck with a multipronged attack against pirate and civilian airfields scattered across the northern continent.

Draconis High Command claims that there were no DC casualties during the raids, which began in early morning and lasted until sundown. The Combine further claims twenty-five aerofighter kills, twenty-three on the ground and two in the air. According to Chu-i Hin Orasan, leader of the Draconis forces on Venaria, “The pirates never saw us coming. We could not have hoped for such an easy victory.”