Memoirs of the Ayyūbidiyun: Reports from the Human Sphere Note: I am not sure if this should eventually be moved to battle reports, but weather has delayed games for me, so I've taken a much more narrative approach. The following will be a series of stories about the Ayyūbidiyun, by force of Haqqislam and NA2. My primary opponent is a PanO player; he will be the primary antagonist throughout. These stories in no way reflect my feelings towards any culture or faction, and I have no intention of offending anyone. I would appreciate any feedback you may feel inclined to offer, and will gladly consider suggestions regarding the direction of these memoirs. Enjoy, oldGregg _________________________________________________________ Prologue: The Ayyūbidiyun are a diverse private defense contractor who offer logistic services to trade corporations, wealthy merchant families, and anyone else who has an interest in transporting Silk across the Human Sphere. Drawing on the best soldiers the Haqqislamite military can offer, including personnel from each of the hyper-power’s military branches, the Ayyūbidiyun facilitate Silk transport in legal grey areas. This contractor also draws on deniable assets, whose services can be brokered through larger mercenary companies, for when their jobs lean towards the darker shade of grey. The Ayyūbidiyun started as a small Kum biker gang, known as the Irfaz. This gang made its living by pillaging throughout the Gabqar region of Bourak. Their members were made up from Hunza hunters, Kum bikers, and the occasional Daylami or Taureg tribesman. Primarily bent on bullying those weaker than themselves, the Irfaz soon met their match at the hands of a much larger Khanate. The bullies became the bullied, and would have been lost to memory, if not for Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb. Yūsuf discovered the gang as it was rasping out its last, bloody, breaths. Torn from warfare with their new rivals, the Irfaz were struggling to stay alive, much less make a living. Yūsuf changed that, organizing the surviving members and leading raids against agricultural and pharmaceutical imports to Silk processing facilities. This was where the Silk Road was least guarded, although the task was anything but easy. Lightning raids were launched all along the Road, distracting from the true target. This is where Yūsuf himself would lead a daring charge, surprising any remaining defenders, grabbing what he could, and disappearing. Hunting Yūsuf and his Irfaz was like trying to find a particular grain of sand in the desert. It could not be done. These raids, in conjunction with the avoidance of Iraz’ rivals, soon saw a new breath of life fill the gang. The began calling themselves the children of Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb; The Ayyūbidiyun. With Silk being the commodity that it is in the Sphere, and the success Yūsuf brought to his new “children,” the Ayyūbidiyun soon overthrew their rivals. Some were slaughtered mercilessly, stuck on the wrong end of chain-rifles. Others, in the bountiful wisdom of Allah, saw that alliance could bring the riches of Paradise to everyone. Soon even the Haqqislamite military machine saw the benefit of a small force operating outside their structure. Wealthy clients who wished to remain more anonymous, but trusted the moral structure of Bourak over Nomad Spacers, were soon buying the protection of the Ayyūbidiyun. One of the first family corporations to do buy in to the contractor, was a company known by the name of ISMAT. (InterStellar Management, Adjudication and Trade). The company recently invested heavily in a major share of Silk, destined for transport to the Wotan Blockade. To ensure the safe transport and delivery of their shares, ISMAT enlisted a small armada lead by their very own flagship; Andalucia. This flagship is a Superheavy transport, retrofitted with a formidable array of defense measures. To accompany the shipment, and provide guidance through the seedier parts of space, ISMAT has enlisted the Sinbad Fleet. The Sinbad are a collection of junkers, stolen, and ramshackle vessels piloted by Yuan Yuan and adventurous Bashi Bazouk. While these pirates are usually considered undisciplined, and definitely unsavory, they provided an intimate insight for safe(ish) and largely unseen travel. To protect the Silk itself, the Ayyūbidiyun have been hired. Chapter One: The Wotan Blockade The Ayyūbidiyun were still untested in large-scale engagements before coming to the Paradiso system, but years of gang and tribal battle had built resilient men and women. The hunters of Gabqar had become experts in guerrilla warfare and lightning raids. This new job was merely a test, gifted to them by Allah the wise. Immediately upon entering the system, an Active distress signal was picked up on scanners, requesting aid. ISMAT had declared themselves a Trade/Relief mission in order to sidestep heavy taxation, and they now found themselves legally obligated to investigate the Beacon. Before drop, Yūsuf had one thing to say; "Pillage, then burn." A group of PanOceanian knights and assorted stragglers had banded together on the ground. They too, had arrived at the blockade too late. Their young commander was still eager to make a name for herself and her men. Seeing the (relatively) small Silk caravan as a prime target and a fast track to promotion, she commanded several raids in the Paradiso sector. The Ayyūbidiyun were first ambushed en route to the beacon by [Vanilla] PanO forces. What followed was a grinding engagement between the two companies. Raids were launched from both sides for over three months, and Yūsuf lost many children as they were hounded through the jungles of Paradiso. In the end, he crushed the enemies of ISMAT. If there is one thing the company will do, iit is to provide fatal retaliation for nothing, so long as retaliation is deserved. When you spill the blood of Yūsuf's family, you can expect only death in return. They had earned their pay from ISMAT and more. While the Ayyūbidiyun hunted the enemies of their employer, Silk was flowing and cash was beginning to pile up. Yūsuf had earned the respect of commanders throughout the Sphere for he’s shrewd stratagems and agile tactics. The Ayyūbidiyun's flexibility to deploy the right force at the right time was noted by many, even in the heights echelons of the Sphere's hyper-powers. Some say the Old Man himself has taken an interest, but only time will tell. To be continued …
The following chapter relates series of Recon 2.0 battle reports between The Ayyubidiyun and PanOceania. These events occurred during the Uprising, at a Pan Oceanian communications outpost, known locally as a “Navajo Outpost.” This post serves as a relay for all Pan Oceanian Teseum mining in the area, and is of critical strategic importance for those operations. Chapter Two: Best Served Cold One does not risk everything to settle a score prematurely. The infidels had struck at us, and failed. This was because they had not taken care to measure their actions after discovering our fleet and its cargo of Silk. Their young leader lashed out, seeking to liberate our wealth and, more importantly, cast down the believers of One he only begins to comprehend. It was not greed that guided their rash attempts, but fear. Many of our patrols in the Paradiso Sector were struck by these knights of Heaven, as they attempted to capture our Spice and kill our people. Needless blood was spilled in those jungels, for they did not seek the Truth before diving blindly. We Ayyubidiyun did not hold the Silk, we only served as the sword and shield of ISMAT. Rather than teaching these infidels the error of their way, we wait. Move slowly, my children, and the day of your revenge will come. ________________________________________________ Eventually, the time did come. The Ayyubidiyun landed a contract to protect a delegation of planetologists. The Sword of Allah had bought there services by way of several intermediaries to put of any trail that could follow. The real goal? Send a message. Diplomats worked too hard in the past to prevent all-out war on Dawn. Pan Oceania was sorely trying the tensions in the region with their mining operations and support of the JSA Uprising. If they wished to promote open conflict, they would taste their own bitter medicine. ________________________________________________ Recovered Enemy Transcript: Intel. Report N forward Outpost 81471 67 NC Yesterday, at 0400 hours, an air transport touched down at our outpost on planet Dawn. The transport was carrying several ranking officials from Bourak, only two of which were scheduled for an appearance. These two are well-known planetologists, and have been invited to our outpost to act as consultants for our own team of scientists. They will work to improve the living conditions in our surrounding facilities. The other visitors are why you have been assembled. Three men who appear to be pure military stock have accompanied the planetologists. Though they have announced themselves as secondary consultants, High Command does not trust them. More importantly, Command fears they are here to survey our defenses in preparation for an assault against our outpost. It is critical that we do not allow this to happen. Compounding the fears of our leaders, Patrol Team Zeta has reported the touch-down of a second unmarked transport, just beyond range of our local scanners. Team Zeta claims they saw two teams of personnel disembark and move to an abandoned transport yard on the outskirts of our base. The personnel appear armed and armored. Technically, they have not entered our defined territory. There are two data consoles in this section of the transport yard, and although they are not directly linked to or defense network, Command is not willing to risk the chance of an enemy team extracting any information related to our outpost. Technicality can be solved during cleanup. To further complicate matters, one of our “Secondary Consultants” has slipped away from our approved escort team and seems to be heading towards the compromised zone. I have already dispatched one of our own officials to redirect our guest, but we need you to secure the area. Sweep the yard and clear out any potential information on the consoles. The visiting officer is considered a High Value Target from this point onwards. If he resists our invitation to join us peacefully, secure him at all costs. It should go without saying that you must protect our own official, should need arise. And remember; this meeting never happened. You are dismissed. Recon 2.0 Mission: Sweep and Clear *Narrow Haqqislam Victory* This was an extremely fun game, and our first time playing any of the Recon missions. This was my list: Recon Alpha ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 7 1 1 BARID Hacker (Hacking Device) Rifle + Pitcher / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 21) RAFIQ REMOTE Rifle + Light Shotgun, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 16) ÁYYĀR (Surprise Shot L2) Shock Marksman Rifle / 2 Viral Pistols, CCW, Knife. (0 | 39) KRAKOT RENEGADE 2 Submachine Guns, Chest Mine / Pistol, Shock CC Weapon. (0 | 17) NAJJARUN Engineer Rifle + Light Shotgun, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 17) GHULAM Lieutenant Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12) KAMEEL (Minesweeper, Repeater) Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) HUNZAKUT (Forward Observer, Deployable Repeater) Rifle + Light Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 18) 0.5 SWC | 148 Points Open in Infinity Army [I'll have to find my opponent's list, as our game was quite a while ago]. I lost the WIP roll and chose deployment, my opponent choosing to go first. Nothing eventful happened top of turn one, as he used coordinated orders to move up and establish fire lanes. My heavy hitters for this match were the Krakot and Rafiq, starting with the space monkey. For metachem, I rolled up Superior Mobility. This allowed me to jump up around cover and blast away a couple critical ARO pieces. This lead to getting my Rafiq. I was able to maneuver to a position where I could paste some fusiliers and trade with a [Father Knight]? Supportwear on the REM was fantastic and earned me just enough points to cap a victory. To be continued ...
Recovered Enemy Transcript: Intel. Report N forward Outpost 81471 67 NC Unfortunately, we were unable to mount an effective defense against these heathen scum, and they seem to have established a foothold in our own base. High Command is furious and demands immediate resolution. Our leaders have decided to through diplomacy to the wind. We need these Heathen terraformers, but we don’t need to ask nicely for their advice. Get in there and extract the two scientists. Bring them to our designated Dead Zone and prepare for exfiltration. If you can bag the Officer while you’re at it, do so. Remember, we have our own scientists on the ground. Keep them alive and eliminate any opposition. Stay sharp, we don’t want to wreck our own base. Move out! Recon 2.0 Mission: Exfiltrate *Draw/Narrow Haqqislam Victory* Recon Bravo ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 7 1 1 FASID HMG + (Smoke and Normal) Light Grenade Launcher, Antipersonnel Mines / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (2 | 53) NAJJARUN Engineer Rifle + Light Shotgun, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 17) BARID Hacker (Hacking Device) Lieutenant Rifle + Pitcher / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 21) RAFIQ REMOTE Rifle + Light Shotgun, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 16) GHULAM Doctor Plus (MediKit) Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 16) GHULAM (Forward Observer) Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13) KAMEEL (Minesweeper, Repeater) Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) MUTTAWI'AH Chain Rifle, E/Marat, Jammer, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) 3 SWC | 149 Points Open in Infinity Army This game was a lot less interesting, as neither of us prepared lists for the mission. The Saturation Zone midfield locked us both on or own halves, seeing only a few potshots and little sprints. My opponent managed to kill all my REMs and knock down the Fasid, but I Doctored him up inched the survivors into safety. Neither of us managed to secure a civilian, but I did managed to kill about eight more army points. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Recovered Enemy Transcript: Intel. Report N forward Outpost 81471 67 NC Well soldier, we’ve done all we can, but this situation has gone from bad to worse. Totally FUBAR. While we were busy securing civilians, those damn heathens discovered our Antenna Network. It looks like they are moving in to seize the antennae and transmit stolen intel. We MUST NOT allow this to happen. Our missing officer has been spotted near the antenna as well. Do not let him escape. We need to seal this disaster up while we still can. You know what you must do, get moving! Recon Mission: Seize the Antennas *Haqqislam Victory* I used my Alpha list again in this mission, with the only change being my Lt. This time it was the Barid Hacker. Mister Ayyar was an absolute bad boy in this round. PanOceania took the second turn this match, which allowed me to set up a decent firing lane with my Krakot. The Ayyar SMR posted up in cover with two holo-echoes covering the center antenna. They were posed as Ghilim. My Najjarun seized my own antenna and the Hunzakut was able to stroll up to the center one unopposed. She seized it and took cover out of sight and reach from any of the PanO scum. Bottom of the turn saw my opponent come out of the gate with a TO combi (or SMR), blasting away my Krakot from a superior vantage point. An ORC trucked around the corner with a fusilier hacker, taking the center objective from me and hunkering down into suppressive fire after blasting away one of my holo-Ghulam. - Major oversight for my opponent here: he ignored my Hunzakut, believing suppression would save him. He forgot that I could just use the buildings to go around. Turn two opened with my Barid spec firing a repeater over a fence, landing right next to the ORC. Two orders later, the poor soul was immobilized, locked in their armor. Luckily for him, he was still being covered by two fusiliers. My Hunzakut made her way up the side of a tower after dropping back into camo. The Ayyar turned the corner he had been hiding behind and started spraying with viral pistols, racking up three kills. He took out a fusilier on overwatch from a nearby roof and both of the fusiliers covering the ORC before diving back into cover. Bottom of turn two, my opponent was severely understaffed, and manged only to shoot out my repeater before consolidating his defenses around the ORC and TO soldier covering the objective. The TO guy re-camouflaged. Turn three, my Hunzakut crawled past his defenses, killing my opponent's medic and knocking out his Lt. The Ayyar showed up again, this turn killing the orc with viral pistols before seizing the antenna back from my opponent. Unable to retaliate, at the end of turn three, due to almost no orders, my opponent was defeated. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ >> Debrief and reassess: >> Planet: Dawn >> Pan Oceania Communications Control: Navajo Outpost >> Mission Statement: “To Secure, Settle, and Employ a workforce loyal to Pan Oceania for the purpose of strategic mineral extraction, proceeds benefiting the Human Sphere through R&D, and direct shipment to the Paradiso Front.” >> Debrief and reassess [Cube-Rip recovered from compromised Navajo Outpost]: [Investigative Officer] “What went wrong, soldier?” [Command] “In a word, Sir? Everything.” [Investigative Officer] “Elaboration will be required if you don’t want this investigation to become an interrogation. Explain.” [Command] “We were on High Alert as soon as a secondary aircraft was spotted by Border Patrol Recon Team Zeta. Armed persons were reported to be seen exiting the craft. Shortly after I received this communication, one of our visiting consultants was reported missing from our escort party. Investigations are still under way, but it is my belief that this consultant is still an active member of Haqqislam Intelligence. I believe he was in direct communication with the aircraft that was spotted near our border. With our Maya Net Defense Grid in place, I am still unsure of how this is possible. I have ordered a full-scale investigation of our methodology. Upon report of the unfolding situation, I dispatched a response team to our shipping and transport yard to sweep the area and clear it of any intruders - civilian or otherwise. Spec Sargent Gomez was the first on scene and established a defensive position, overlooking our data consoles and setting up a killing field. From his position, Gomez spotted incoming enemy combatants bas they entered the killing field, and went to work, reporting each kill and troop movement to my feed in real time. Of note here, is one particular kill. Gomez reported Morats breaching our perimeter, Sir.” [Investigative Officer] “Morats? As in the Alien scum who are currently invading Paradiso? Have the Heathens aligned with them? What madness is this?!” [Command] “Yes sir! Each of the Morats we encountered bore the markings of the Krakot Renegades, who have been known to sell their services as free mercenaries. This appeared to be a shock tactic employed by the enemy commander. He showed no hesitation in ordering them forward unto death. I believe he threw away their lives to protect those of his men. My men made sure to kill as many of the intruders as possible, but the fear of a Combine invasions was evident in their eyes.” [Investigative Officer] “Then what went wrong, commander?” [Commander] “Gomez over exposed his position and came under heavy enemy fire. This lead to the collapse of our suppressive-fire zones, as the enemy began their true assault. They were able to secure our local data consoles as we pulled out to reform. I was getting simultaneous reports of a secondary assault team launching an attack against the escort team protecting our visiting terraformers and settlement specialists. I personally took to the field to stop them from exfiltrating assets on the ground. We were successful in this, but suffered an unacceptable number of casualties. This left us vulnerable to a subsequent assault. The first assault team we encountered was moving in on our hidden antennae network and communications relay. If they secured the area, even for a brief time, their specialists would be able to slice through the network and transmit stolen intel from the shipping docks. We needed to prevent this from happening at all costs, but were severely under-strength from the initial pincer-like assault. Considering the situation, my men did better than expected. We secured primary and secondary antennae and set up a deadly killing floor. Each time the enemy tried to move into range, or circumvent our defenses, they were repelled. Then disaster struck. A full-strength combat team of Haqqislamite military arrived, as if from thin air. Nothing we did seemed possible of touching them. They moved through our fire, as if ghosts. The last thing I saw was …” *FILE CORRUPTED* *FILE CORRUPTED* *UNKNOWN VIRAL CONTAMINATION**FILE CORRUPTED* *FILE CORRUPTED* A steady stream of Haqqislamic rhetoric begins issuing from the Commander. The man himself has begun writhing in pain as blood bursts from his eyes, nose, and his very pores. His skin crawls as though moved by a creature burrowing beneath its surface. [Investigative Officer] “Commander! Commander? Hexa 06544, get a team in here NOW!” >> Video Feed Redacted, Audio Only. Screams begin to fill the room, followed by the hiss of a mag-lock sealing. Intermittent pleas for help follow pounding on the door and threats by the Investigative officer. >> Aftermath: The undisclosed investigative site has been permanently closed with access barred to all but the highest officials, and they fear too much to return to the site. All 40 Acres are now a barren, toxic, desert waste. Officially, the military cited a sewage containment failure resulting in biohazard. To be continued ...
Chapter Three: "Speed is a device of Shaitan" With the Old Man satisfied and no contracts on the horizon, Yūsuf brought the Ayyūbidiyun home to Gabqar for some well deserved R&R. Though each of their contracts had been extremely successful (and highly profitable), many lives had been lost. Yūsuf kept busy on the circular trip home, recruiting a small Lance of TAGs, made up mostly of Iguanas. Back home on Bourak, he set about recruiting and coercing some of the stronger Khanates to join the Company, swelling their ranks to new limits. Satisfied with the growth of his company, Yūsuf set about training his motley crew, focusing on creating highly specialized teams to handle the well-paying "Infinity Ops" that were so commonly open for bid on the Market. Though extremely trying, the Ayyūbidiyun tackled the training with a religious fervor. If a member wasn't pulling their weight, the entire company would rally to make the necessary tactical and training adjustments. In this way, even the weakest members were soon trusted to have specialties they would be best assigned to. If, for some reason, a member of the company found themselves supporting an Op. they weren't skilled for, two options remained: 1. Hunker down and provide intel to your commander and High Priority Operators 2. Throw away your fears and put trust in Allah. He is your strength and He is your support. For His sake you advance, and for His sake you fight Inshalla, Nothing can stop us. __________________________________________________________________________________________ It was a hot day, even for the Flats of Gabqar, when disaster struck the very doorstep of the Ayyūbidiyun. Yūsuf himself was riding with a host of new recruits when a distress signal began issuing from a small town in the desert North of Semetei. "Sayidi aleaziz 'ana khayif!" <Thunder booms in the background> "Yūsuf! Ayyūbidiyun! Please! The Infidels have come with thunder and lightning. Yūsuf, there is one with golden hair. She is marching the street alongside alh alraed and killing our people. You must save us Yūsuf! You are ..." <the same thunderous blast rips through the villager's audio, followed by static> The transmission burst through the transmitter on Yūsuf's bike before coming to its premature halt. He raised his fist and called the host around him to a halt. They gathered around their leader, anxious for orders and vengeance. Yūsuf ordered a Hawwa' in the group to begin a trace, then he played back the audio so all could here. When it finished, the Hawwa' confirmed the Ibn Battuta Shanty was its likely origin. Yūsuf stood in his saddle and spoke with a booming voice. "They have come to our land! The very land shown to us by Him! They are at our very door, knocking with Death's devices. This is our HOME!" He roared over the idling engines and desert wind. "If we let this go unanswered, I ask you; what comes next? Each and every bastard in the Sphere will come to take his share of our spoils! I will not let this happen. You will no let this happen. We are the Ayyūbidiyun, and we ride to Death!" The company roared with their commander, and joined him as he punched the throttle. Bikes and armored transports raced across the desert, drawing a massive plume of dust East, towards the besieged shanty town. "I warn you against shedding blood, indulging in it and making a habit of it, for blood never sleeps" - Saladin __________________________________________________________________________________________ ITS: Season 9 - Decapitation This was my opponent's first time fielding a TAG, my first time running Kum, and it was a bit of a crazy game. The final score was: Haqqislam 6 - 2 PanOceania. Hogs ────────────────────────────────────────────────── GROUP 1 8 2 4 KASYM BEG Lieutenant (Regular, Impetuous) Chain Rifle, Panzerfaust, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, EXP CCW. (+1 | 26) ZAMIRA Light Shotgun, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, E/M CCW. (0 | 15) ZULEYKA 2 Light Flamethrowers, Smoke Grenades / 2 Breaker Pistols, DA CCW. (0 | 14) FARZAN (Chain of Command) Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 26) HAWWA' Hacker (Assault Hacking Device) Boarding Shotgun, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 26) BARID Hacker (Killer Hacking Device UPGRADE: Lightning) Rifle + Pitcher / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 16) GHULAM Doctor Plus (MediKit) Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 16) KRAKOT RENEGADE Red Fury, Chest Mine / Pistol, Shock CC Weapon. (1 | 24) DJANBAZAN HMG / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 35) RAGIK Spitfire / Pistol, CCW. (1.5 | 32) GROUP 2 2 5 3 LASIQ Viral Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 25) GHULAM (Deployable Repeater) Rifle + Light Shotgun, E/Mauler / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14) DAYLAMI (CH: Limited Camouflage, Inferior Infiltration) Light Shotgun, Panzerfaust / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 8) DAYLAMI (CH: Limited Camouflage, Inferior Infiltration) Light Shotgun, Panzerfaust / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 8) MUTTAWI'AH Chain Rifle, E/Marat, Jammer, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) MUTTAWI'AH Chain Rifle, E/Marat, Jammer, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) MUTTAWI'AH Chain Rifle, E/Marat, Jammer, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) 7 SWC | 300 Points Open in Infinity Army VS. TAG-Teamed (No Chain) ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 8 2 JOAN OF ARC Lieutenant Spitfire, Nanopulser / Pistol, AP CCW. (1 | 51) DRÃGAO Hyper-Rapid Magnetic Cannon, Heavy Flamethrower / . (2.5 | 94) CRABBOT Flash Pulse / Knife. () MACHINIST Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15) LOCUST (Marksmanship L1) Marksman Rifle / Pistol, Shock CCW, Knife. (0 | 33) BOLT Hacker (Hacking Device) Boarding Shotgun, E/M Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 27) FUSILIER Combi Rifle + Light Grenade Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 14) SIERRA DRONBOT HMG / Electric Pulse. (1 | 25) MIRANDA ASHCROFT Combi Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, Monofilament CCW. (0 | 19) TRAUMA-DOC Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14) PALBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3) TECH-BEE (Remote Assistant Level 1, Specialist Operative) Flash Pulse / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) 6 SWC | 300 Points Open in Infinity Army --------- Deployment: My opponent won the Initiative roll with and chose deployment, wanting to not over-expose himself to my charging crazies, and make me show him my deployment. I chose to trust in smoke and speed. I tucked my Ghazi as far up my zone as possible, while still being in total cover. Behind them, also in total cover, I stacked up my bikers. Zuleyka took then far left flank, with Kasym across a nearby ally, closer to my center. To his right, but just around the corner of the same angled building, was Zamira. I put my Djanbazan HMG on a bridge, almost directly above Zamira, holding a commanding presence in the center of my deployment zone. The bridge connected right to a low building. I stuck my Barid here, prone in total cover from three angles. I placed the Krakot as far to the right flank as he could go, with no cover, but no easy way to draw line of sight for my opponent. He rolled Super-physique. My Ghulam Doc went ground level behind the Kasym, out of LOS. I hid my Hawwa' and Farzan in the midfield, both on top of tall buildings. The Hawwa covered my right flank with his zone and the Farzan hid in total cover. There was a bridge between their two buildings. For the rest of group two, I positioned my Lasiq in the top corner of a 2 story building, covering a decent killing field. The Daylami rolled successful infiltration and secure first and second story balconies of a midfield building on my left flank. My opponent castled up with Joan, the TAG, and their support behind tall walls across from my right flank. Miranda, trauma doc, and a fusilier held down his center, prone on a one story rooftop. The Dronbot hugged cover opposite to my left flank, hoping to rack up some ARO kills on my turn one. His tech-bee hides in the way back, as it should. Turn One: Haqqislam I impetus move + smoke with all of my Ghazi, laying down an impressive amount of clouds for my bikes. The bikes follow up, laying down their own smoke and charging single-file up a street on my left flank. The Krakot runs, but stays out of LOS of my opponent. The Dronbot wasn't able to see anything, due to smoke. The Dragao, however, saw Zamira as she made her initial move. She shrugged the shot. My Djanbazan started spraying through the smoke, taking out my opponent's REM and hosing the TAG. (I say hosing, because the Dragao shrugged his bullets as though they came from a squirt gun). My Lasiq took a potshot at the TAG, but did nothing. The Ghulam in group two moved up a bit and deployed an E/Mauler, hoping to discourage my right flank. Kasym used the rest of my orders to rush the HVT and chop him down in CC. The guy made THREE ARMOR SAVES! I continued to hack and slash, but could only knock him unconscious. Turn One: Pan Oceania My opponent revealed his Locust on the bridge in between my Farzan and Hawwa'. He took a shot at the Lasiq, but I made a Crit Dodge like a pro. Following that up, he declared Joan's coordinated order with the Dragao and staff. They used the TAG as mobile cover and scurried across the fire lane on my right flank. It was during this order or one of the following that my Lasiq got pasted by the brute. Miranda moved across a bridge into the midfield, careful to avoid AROs and found herself in a strong position for eliminating some of my bikes. Unfortunately, is she poked her head out, she would have eaten 4/5 shots to the face. My opponent continued to move his TAG towards Kasym in the center of his table half. Kasym made some blessed dodges and engaged the TAG, locking him in CC. Joan then came around the corner with her retinue and finished off my LT. At this point, PanO is out of orders and has three models + HVT stacked behind his TAG. Turn Two: Haqqislam: Ghazi do their thing, throwing down some smoke. Krakot hops a fence, but is still hidden. Zumira burns around the corner to face down the whole TAG + Joan and crew with her shotgun. She manages to kill a Palbot and get one wound onto the Dragao before turning into goo. Zuleyka, pissed off at the loss of her lovers, flies off the handle and rips into the TAG with her flamethrowers. She kills the HVT. She wounds Joan. She burns the TAG to a crisp!!!! Killing it with one order! (She also dies, but paradise was waiting anyways). My Ragik drops in, scattering where I don't want him. Its easier to use the Krakot, so I bring him around the corner and finish off Joan and the rest of her troop. My Farzan Blasts the Locust. Turn Three: Everything after my second turn was pretty inconsequential, with all the heavy hitters/point sinks being eliminated. Recap: All-in-all, we both agreed things would have gone very differently if my opponent did not make the critical mistake of staking up his troops. Even if I still got lucky and killed the TAG, he would have had plenty to retaliate with. He had also not anticipated smoke and a Djanbazan, as I haven't run with that trick in a while. It was a blast playing with those bikes! ____________________________________________________________________________________________ The entire Ayyūbidiyun stationed on Bourak made it to the Ibn Battuta Shanty that day. Yūsuf had fallen in battle while facing down a monstrous TAG and defend the town. His men lined the streets, arm in arm with the local villagers, as Yūsuf's lieutenants carried his mutilated corpse down the street. A long funeral procession followed as they transported his remains to their home. Yūsuf' children were prepared to do anything and everything necessary to save his Cube. To be continued ...
Chapter Four: The Ultimate Test The Ibn Battuta Shanty market had been transformed into a makeshift forum after the fall of Yūsuf. The Ayyūbidiyun had arrived shortly after the news reached their units. With the commander’s background a mystery, the mercenaries had been trying desperately to locate a Cube or Cube Bank that could be used to restore his damaged hardware. The ramshackle forum was full of hot-blooded mercenaries and desperate villager. All sought retribution. Tensions within the mercenary company were especially on edge. If Yūsuf could not be restored in short order, a bloody power struggled would ensue. None relished civil war. The Ibn Battuta villagers were in a state of panicked disarray. Though grateful for the quick response of the Ayyūbidiyun, they sought answers for the devastation that had been wrought in their very home. The forum had been gathered to ease this panic and make clear the mercenary’s path. A tall ebon-haired women stood stall in the middle of the forum, hands raised to the sky, and tears streaming from her eyes. She cried out to the men and women around her, though her eyes remained skywards; “They come to our land. They burn our homes and kill our people. With one hand, they hold their Holy Book, and with the other deliver death. Where is the Sword of Allah when it is most needed? What is the justice in this?” With this she turned her gaze to those around her, eyes bloodshot with grief. “I watched as the alh alraed tore apart my baby boy. There isn’t enough left to bury or burn! I fought as my little girl was torn from my hands and ‘crucified’ for their religion! I wear her blood on my robes still!” The woman began to shake with rage and sorrow as she continued; “I could do nothing but weep as we called for the Sword of Allah and heard no answer. They did not hear our cries for refuge. They let these infidels unimpeded into our home and did nothing to check their violence. Where is the O-12? Where is the Sword or the Old Man? What protection has the Gate offered us? You mercenaries have only brought more death to our door.” Now the woman pointed directly at mercenary lieutenants leading the forum and screamed, “Where is Allah’s justice? When will it be delivered on these infidels?” A large turbaned mercenary stepped forward, meeting the woman in the forum’s center. As he approached, his size became more pronounced. This was a Khawarij, subjected to the Runihara and favored of Allah. He reached out to place calming hands on the distraught villager’s shoulders. He looked into her eyes and spoke with a booming voice; “Justice?” He raised his head and gazed across the forum. “Who asks for justice?” The throng of men and women began to rumble their ascent, but quieted as the man’s piercing eyes passed over them. “We Ayyūbidiyun make our own justice! We make it here in Gabqar and amongst the planets of the Sphere - win or die.” Now he returned his attention back to the women in his arms and gently raised her chin so that she could meet his stare. “Bitterness I understand, but let us not rail about justice so long as we have arms and the freedom to use them! Let us take up our arms and face this tahaddi al-burhan, our ultimate test.” The Khawarij, Nimrod, turned now to face his brother mercenaries, but spoke so all could listen and hear. “We will call upon or brother Druze and the wrath they can deliver. This will not be justice. It will not be vengeance. Arslan’s men will hunt those who wronged us. Their lives are forfeit. The Druze will kill any and all who were responsible for the atrocities here.” The forum fell to an almost complete silence as they began to understand what this man was calling for. “Those who trespassed here will die for dealing death to the Ayyūbiddiyun. Their wives and children will die, for they wrought death among our wives and children. No blood shall be left unspilt. The feud will be total. Only then will Yūsuf’s justice be served.” As Nimrod surveyed the rising emotions around him, he began to smile. The man knew, as did the rest of the Ayyūbidiyun, that the Druze would not need to track any enemy. The Pan Oceanian strike team was fleeing Bourak through the Druze Caravanasary. The Children of Yūsuf had learned shortly after his fall that the infidels had entered the planet through the very same shady gate they would attempt their egress. Arslan’s mafioso would lay a trap for the scum. Money may be able to buy temporary safety, but Yūsuf had been like a brother to the Security Chief. The best hunters merely wait and practice the taqiyya, the hiding art. Only when the timing is perfect will they close the jaws of their trap. The forum rabble cheered their assent, a thunderous roar that soon rippled through all of Battuta. So long as the Atek populous supported their local Ayyūbidiyun, Yūsuf’s children had chance to survive the encroaching scavengers. Nimrod knew these desert Ateks were superb hunters and would easily root out any infidels who did not belong in the sands, so long as they were roused to a ravenous fury. Those that fled would be caught in the Druze net. And those very same Druze would complete the job as only they could. Every member of the strike team would die. Their families would also die. Even those friends too close to them would die. The revenge would be total. Not a soul or cube left to perpetuate a feud. The woman in his arms still stood weeping, but her shoulders had squared. Though she lost her family, she was no longer alone. None were alone in this vendetta. Qabqar stood resolute. To be continued ...
