"Dead-Line!" by Johnrico

Note: Please mail your thoughts of this scenario to johnrico@Fundy.Net. He made it so he can answer your questions concerning this scenario. This scenario is best played with a small force consisting of a combination of Mechs, vehicles, and infantry.

The story

Years ago the planet of Koss was quiet and peaceful, until the Mercenaries arrived and attempted to control the planet and their people.
The Mercenaries planned to use the planet as a strong hold for their next big invasion. The people of Koss rallied together and fought the Mercenaries.
In the end they were crushed and forced to live in a few towns scatter amongst the planets vast wasteland.
After your ship stops off on the planet to refuel for it's next jump a group of older men carrying bags of money approaches the group which has clambered off board.
The men offer you 1,500,000 C-Bills to rid the planet of the Mercenaries, plus they give you the exclusive salvaging rights.
The party who is lead by Star Commander Johnrico who leads the "13th Citizens arrest" Mech force agrees to the task and vows to complete the job or he would die trying. The party gets hired as part of an long-term contract to rid the planet Koss of the last remaining Mercenaries unit. This Mercenaries unit controls the only Dropzone on the planet.
The force stationed on Koss has suffered major losses and your unit is the last one operating at full strength.
The Mercenaries themselves have suffered losses as well, but your intelligence office has interrupted a message that places the Mercenaries Dropship four days out of orbit. In turn this puts a heavy burden on the unit to get in the Dropzone clear out the Mercenarie's and brace for the reinforcements. If the area is secured the Dropship will likely turn back.
Then the battle will be won and the Mercenaries uprising will be crushed.

What the party doesn't know

The party doesn't know that the Dropzone lies far down in a canyon that is protected by multiple platoons of Long Range Missile infantry hidden among the rocks over looking the canyon.
The Dropship actually is only one and half days out of orbit.
A scout party returns just as the party strikes the Dropzone. The scout party appears from the rear by surprise.
The Dropship is loaded with a lance of Heavy Assault Mechs.

What else can happen?

There are very many possibilities to make this mission have numerous twists:

The unit doesn't rid the Dropzone in time and are forced off the planet by the hordes of Mercenaries reinforcements.
Your unit is ambushed from the rear and is forced to struggle into the number of caves hidden amongst the rocks to find shelter.
The party rids the Dropzone of Mercenaries but the Dropships still manage to land. The party is forced to fight the reinforcements in the hopes to capture them and their ships to gain a larger amount of pay.

Maps needed

Really the best maps to play this mission are ones that have a lot of open ground and many hill or mountains. If there are trees that is fine as too.
This scenario is best played on map sheets that have little to no water, this is to add to the wasteland type atmosphere. It should also be noted that the days are long and hot on the planet Koss, where as the nights are short and very cold.

Units

" Johnrico's Force "

One lance of Medium Mechs
Two Short or Long Range Carrier
Four of any Medium Hover Tank
Two Hover Transport Vehicles
Six Platoons of Infantry (no more than two of any one unit)

" Mercenaries Force "

One lance of Medium Mechs
Two Heavy Tanks
Four Scout Vehicles
Ten Platoons of Infantry (no more than four Field Gun units)
One Inner Sphere Union Class Dropship