Controversy over rescue mission

Following the DropShip debacle on Gordon's Gamble last month, Neo-Colonial Commonwealth command is under further scrutiny following the deployment of assault cyborgs during a rescue mission on Libellula this afternoon.

Armoured fighting suits ready for action!

Assault Cyborgs will act in support.

5 armour suits and a squad of 5 assault cyborgs faced a race against time to rescue the trapped pilot of a crashed aerospace fighter before Guavan forces could reach him.  2 Guavan Defence Force IFVs and a fire support vehicle were seen closing on the downed fighter, with a large walker looming in the background.  Guavan forces claim that the fighter was illegally overflying their airspace, but the NCC maintain that it was on their side of the demarcation line when it was struck by Guavan anti-aircraft fire.

The crashed fighter.

The GDF heavy walker strode forward, opening fire on the armour suits as it advanced.  The armour suit was immediately taken out of action by the big walker's main guns.

Walker and FSV move into firing positions.

Two of the surviving suits returned fire, covering the rapid advance of the other two as they sprinted to the crashed fighter.  Unfortunately their fire was ineffective, and return fire from the walker obliterated a second suit completely.  The Guavan FSV fired its cannon into the armour suits creating even more havoc, and a third armour suit soon vanished in a blinding flash.

One suit down, another nothing but fragments...

GDF infantry advanced through the nearby village, establishing a firing position on top of a building overlooking the crash site.

GDF infantry overlook the crash site.

Having reached the crashed fighter, one armour suit provided covering fire with its railgun while the other used its powerful arms to free the pilot.

Providing covering fire for the rescue.

Though the pilot was out of the fighter, the rescue team still had to get him safely away from the closing Guavan troops.  More fire from the Guavan heavy walker caused the covering armour suit to brew up, but the pilot was able to escape uninjured.

I'm hit - bail out!

The assault cyborgs were having a more successful time.  They advanced to cover the flank, trading fire with a squad of GDF troopers who had debussed from their IFV and occupied a building nearby.

Cyborgs advance.

Guavan rifle and missile fire sparked and ricocheted from the cyborgs' armour, but their return fire had a devastating effect, cutting down half the enemy squad.

Aaagh!  Guavan casualties at 50%!

The surviving armour suit dashed to safety with the fighter pilot safely in tow.  The surviving armour suit pilots made their way off the battlefield on foot, the cyborgs bringing up the rear, surviving missile and cannon fire from the heavy walker.

Mission accomplished - let's get out of here!

Though the fighter pilot was safely rescued, questions are being asked about whether this rescue mission was the correct course of action.  A substantial Guavan military force was known to be in the area, and the armour suits stealth systems were known to be inoperable because of interference from the fine dust in this arid region.  The use of assault cyborgs against normal troops has been described as "irresponsible", and many fear that this will cause the fighting on Libellula to escalate to a new level.  Footage has been shown of the cyborgs mowing down Guavan troops including some already wounded and undergoing medical treatment.  This is the second public relations disaster for the Neo-Colonial Commonwealth in only a few weeks, and many wonder what effect this will have on their future actions, not only on Gordon's Gamble and Libellula, but across their entire sphere of operations.

Game notes:

Unfortunately I only remembered that I'd given the armour suits stealth capabilities halfway through the game, which explains why they succumbed so quickly!  The main guns on the walker and the FSV were also rather more powerful than I'd expected.

The cyborgs performed extremely well, apart from when they rolled a 1 on their reaction die, and the fog of war card was "That won't play well on securityleaks.com" - hence the public outcry!

I wonder whether the NCC will feel the need to mount a follow-up mission to prevent the Guavan forces retro-engineering the stealth systems on the 2 burnt out armour suits...?