Starpath: Scoundrels of the Interstellar Highway - Thread 2 - Games

Starpath: Scoundrels of the Interstellar Highway - Thread 2

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Yuga frowned once again, looking down a bit to contemplate. "Very well. But know this, should your orders come too late and I still receive the aforementioned reports, know that I will honor our agreement and leave this battle but..." she said as her eyes met with Seth's "Your ilk will not be permitted in the empire or to it's protectorates until reparations have been paid to the deceased's families. I have no illusions that you will in any way turn Terika over to anyone. Your recent business might have affected you, judging how the terrans praise you. And they adore a good rebel do they not?" Yuga closed the comms and opened up her channel to the armory. "[Battery, belay the order. divert your power to thrusters.]" She turned to the pilot and switched her channel to the hangar PA, "[Bring us back over the shuttle and keep that shield up. Hangar crew, ready for dropship retrieval.]"

"Believe me. Sol's just as crooked as the rest." Seth said bitterly. "She cut off communications, boss." "I...noticed. Back to buisiness. Patch me through to our ground forces." After a few seconds he could be heard in every ground troop's ear. "All units currently engaged with ayr and vakr forces disengage now! Stop attacking them! They are no longer your targets! Kanads are still fair game. Exept the one in the Aurika. She is to be unharmed. I just pulled your asses out of the fire, dont waste it!" The bridge was silent for a few moments after the commands were given. Tarvis leaned in closer to Seth to reduce the chance of someone else hearing them. "You did not expect that to work did you?" "For the sake of morale on this ship, I'll say that I planned 100% for this to work." Seth's tone was hushed, he was begining to wonder if the daggers were a good idea. "If she thinks I'm paying for some dumb motherfucker's family to feel better, she's got another thing comming. We dont get work from that part of the galaxy anyway." Switching his attention back to the map, he gave an additional order. "Have the ship be on lookout for now. If the kanads try something, be ready to hit them back." Tarvis couldnt help himself "And your shitlist?" "Well, we got one name. Find the rest."

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stnn4xaNWFA[/media] Frosty opened his eyes, but did not find himself on board the Aurikha. Looking around, he realized he's at the river edge again, the very same he had a vision of many days ago. The very same one around him that he had a vision of himself being assaulted by some pale, disturbing abomination. The scenery was the same: dull greens and browns under a grey, overcast sky. As he turned his head, taking in the familiar landscape, he sees the bushes rattle. He braced himself as he expected the beast to come out again, but it didn't. Instead, Chemosh came out of the bushes, making his way towards Frosty. "Now you see, you cannot bind the hands of God." He said, leering over him. Frosty says nothing. He stares back in contempt as his reply. "Rise, Mr. Frosty. Rise and go to the water. I think it's time you've had a moment to reflect." Though Frosty was again laying down on the grass, he discovers he's able to actually move this time! Moving up and kneeling down to look into the water's edge, he saw his reflection which started changing shape. It began to twist and contort, bending into images of events he had been in and things he had seen. Bodies and heads impaled on spikes, something rising out of a muddy pit, limbs being made on a conveyor belt, crowds of people surrounding a strange man, a very large piece of metal leaving Earth, and an image of Earth slowly morphing into Karbala. Every image that appeared brought back a memory. And then he starts remembering what they all meant. The feeling in his head can't be put into words. "I want to confide a secret to you, Mr. Frosty. From the very beginning, when knowledge of your possible past was bestowed on you, I had already won this little conflict between ourselves. From the moment you were freed from your frozen prison out in the vast expanse of space, I had already began my work on you." "...What do you mean?" Frosty struggled to speak. "Tell me, do you remember your first kill on Propsera?" "Yes." "What did it feel like to take another man's life?... What did you feel?" "...Nothing." Though Chemosh was wearing a mask, Frosty could tell he was smiling wickedly underneath it. “[I]See?[/I] It doesn’t matter how hard you struggle, how far you force it away, or how deep you bury it in whatever thoughts you have. [I]I won this minor battle of the minds a long time ago.[/I]” “…” Frosty couldn’t bring himself to say anything. All what Moloch told him, what the ayatollahs on Karbala said to one another when he was presented before them, he understood it all now. He wanted to get up and run, but where would he go? And what would he do? He’s a relic from a time long past. He is a stranger in a strange land. He has nothing but his own self, but what’s his own life worth when he’s practically a fossil from days hardly anyone remembers anymore? But, he had one card left to play. He sprang up to his feet, leaping right at Chemosh! The two were locked in a struggle with Frosty trying to strangle Chemosh to no avail as the latter held his ground. Pulling Frosty closer to his face, he spoke again to try to speak some sense into him. "Explain to me this, Mr. Frosty! You have so much to your name, to your history, and to your people! Why, just WHY do you not want any of this!?” “[I]SHUT UP![/I] [B]LEAVE ME ALONE!![/B]” screamed out Frosty as he struggled to get force Chemosh on the grass. “You cannot conceive the scope of what it is you are abandoning! The legacy of our people! Our country, our Allah, our pride!" “[B][I]GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!![/I][/B]” “Is it because you fear him, don’t you?! You are afraid of him, [I]is that it?![/I]” “[I]Scared of [B]who[/B]!?[/I]” "Scared of [B][I][U]YOU!!![/U][/I][/B]" roared Chemosh as he finally overpowered Frosty, grabbing him by his neck and forcing him into the water. Frosty thrashed about wildly trying to free himself from his grip, but it was no use. The river started flowing faster and the water grew more turbulent as the sky turned black with rain falling from above. The wind was blowing strong enough that several trees were uprooted. After a short while, the weather was calm again, and the sun rose as it showered everything in its light. Everything looked peaceful now, even after what just took place several moments before. It all seemed strangely bright and vivid now. Not even Frosty's slashed and torn apart body gently floating down the water disturbed the serenity of it all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [quote]December 28th,2099. Several thousand miles above Bloomfield Space Center, AZ.[/quote] Broken, and beaten, the Children of God are facing extinction down the barrel of a gun. Casualty after casualty, loss after loss, defeat after defeat, it hammered into their minds that they were not going to win this war. They couldn't do anything else except run and hide, and hope that one day they'll be able to rebuild their strength for a massive counter-attack. Whatever was left of their people had massed into their massive colony ship to evade total extinction, but the UNGSI were sure to make this not so easy for them. They had sent several of their main battleships to destroy CoG in order to make their annihilation complete. The very last line of defense consisted of Chemosh and his squadron. They had to defend the colony ship, buy it enough time for it to warp away safely. But they were still in trouble even as they neared the final preparations for making the warp as there was one particular battleship that would simply not go down. A voice came over the radio. "Lord Chemosh, warp core is at 80% but there is still a ship in pursuit!" He was angry that this one ship was still chasing them, and he was determined and enraged at this point to throw the rest of his wing at it. "Engage! Engage, all of you! Our people [b]must [/b]live!" The battle was brutal as several of several of his wingmen had destroyed themselves trying to disable the enemy ships. One crashed into an enemy ship's hangar bay and blew himself up, another flew right into the engines causing the ship to stop moving, and now came Chemosh's turn. Afterburners were on, missiles were armed, and the trajectory? Straight into the enemy ship's bridge. “[[B][I]HEYDAR ALLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!![/I][/B]]” This was his moment. This would be the day he martyrs himself for his God and his people. He prayed to his god, begging him to watch what he was going to do for him. But this didn’t happen. A stray EMP blast from somewhere had hit his starfighter right at its center, causing several of the systems onboard to short circuit and send him in a spin way off course. One of his monitors read: -[B][I]MALFUNCTION. MALFUNCTION. WARP CORE ENGAGED. STASIS MODE ENGAGED.[/I][/B]- “What the- Malfunction?! No, no, no! This can’t be happening!" The crew of the colony ship noticed what was going on. “Chemosh, what are you doing? Why did you activate your warp core?" "Something is wrong with my craft! My warp core is malfunctioning! I-I don't know where it's taking me!" "Abort jump! [I]Abort the jump![/I]" “[I]I-I-I [B]CAN’T-[/B][/I]” The warp core activated before he could even scream, sending him into parts unknown within the blackness of space, drifting further and further away into the vast nothingness until… [quote]Three centuries later. Albitsky Asteroid Field.[/quote] Upon discovering Chemosh's frozen starfighter, Taylor called for the attention of her fellow crewmates. "Holy shit...Amelia! Come here! There's a guy in there!..." -------------------------------------------------------- [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qmG0r6LtJU[/media] [Quote]Now. Aurikha hangar bay.[/quote] [I]Chemosh[/I] rose from the ground after Moloch had finished healing him. He was a bit dazed for a moment, but looking at his star fighter made him regain focus. Remembering what happened to him earlier, he knew what he wanted to do. "Moloch! Open the hangar doors on the other side!" he said while rushing to his star fighter. He popped open the canopy, sat down in the cockpit, and started maneuvering towards the hangar doors. Moloch limped to the other side of the hangar, away from all the fighting, and opened the doors to let Chemosh through. After he flew through, he closed them again and tried finding a spot to hide behind some crates so he could heal himself. Once outside the Aurikha, Chemosh sees the Ayr dropship and several blips around it appear on his radar, but the dropship didn't appear to be moving. Having a sinister plan already in mind, he stays low in cover while waiting for the dropship to take off. ((Roll for Molo to heal himself. Not rolling for Chemosh here as he's simply waiting. ))

Of the Ayr marines, most were still in fighting shape. Only one had been significantly harmed by enemy fire, and Sergeant Kensei himself was still nursing a minor wound. Another had been struck by friendly fire during the retreat and was being carried by a medic back to the dropship. That left 10 soldiers available for fighting, and as the Boomes charged, they endeavored to do the same, and prove that honor, discipline, and order would triumph over rage and chaos. However, they weren't alone- the entire vakr team diverted course and formed into a deadly wall closing on the Boomes' right side, leaving them hopelessly outnumbered 4 to 1. Sensing the imminent defeat, Seth, high above the battlefield, negotiated with Yuga to break off the hostilities before the disaster could fully take shape. Unfortunately, by the time the two had come to an agreement, the two sides had collided and decimated each other. Combat of this nature cannot be properly documented; it is comparable to watching a bear trap snap closed on a man's leg. In the blink of an eye, swinging plasma blades and blunt weapons, leaping tackles and rolling, frenzied stabbings all occurred in an incomprehensible scramble. The allied ayr and vakr soldiers had a 2/3rd chance of becoming a casualty, and for the Boomes, it was even worse, at 7/8th. Those who fell in the Empire's service had a 3 in 5 chance of being rescued by their medics, whereas the Boomes had no such chance. Sargeant Kensei: [B]1... (CH3/5, 4, Passed)... Incapacitated.[/B] Vakarus: [B]1... (CH 3/5, 3, Passed)... Incapacitated.[/B] Ranak: [B]2... (CH 3/5, 2, Failed)... Eliminated.[/B] Ayr Marines: [B]{3, 1, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 1}... (CH3/5, {5, 2, 1, 1, 2})... 4 Unharmed, 1 Incapacitated, 4 Eliminated.[/B] Vakr Warriors: [B]{1, 1, 3, 2, 1, 1, 3, 2, 2, 1, 3, 3}... (CH 3/5, {4, 5, 2, 2, 4, 3, 3, 5})... 4 Unharmed, 6 Incapacitated, 2 Eliminated.[/B] Boomes: [B]{7, 4, 5, 4, 5}... 5 Eliminated.[/B] Seth had succeeded in rescuing Orso and the four other men riding in the APC toward the Aurikha, but his orders to disengage the ayr and vakr had fallen on deaf ears. To their credit, the five Boomes had managed to give better than they got, killing 7 enemies and wounding 9 others, albeit some may have simply been caught by their allies' attacks by mistake, but this was hardly a moment to be proud of. Orso's unit was nearly down to a third of what it was just minutes earlier. The ayr and the vakr had been horrendously rattled by the fighting. Kensei had taken a deep wound to the neck which might have decapitated him if he had been standing slightly closer to his foe. Vakarus had been dazed by a headbutt and disarmed, his now un-powered staff used against him as a blunt instrument. Ranak made a desperate play to rescue Vakarus and had payed the ultimate price. Those who witnessed the charge and lived would be scarred for life. They made their way to the dropship with the wounded. Meiyoru Gisei indeed. --- The battle continued. Inside the Aurikha, Yanim and Arkadam took up position along with Taylor and Valkyrie just as the captain threw one of Valk's impact grenades like a tomahawk. The marines recognized the throwing motion immediately and dove out of the way. Taylor: CH Estimate: 2/5 [B]Actual: 3[/B] Roll Failed. The grenade hit the deck just before the landing ramp and exploded violently, but by this point there was no one close enough to be significantly harmed. In fact, Taylor nearly hit János by mistake, but luckily the latter had managed to duck in time. The attack may have failed, but it gave the TBC crew the initiative they needed. Valkyrie, Yanim, and Arkadam each picked a target and fired. Valkyrie: [B]1[/B] x 1.25 x (No Feat Applicable) = 1.25... [B]1 DMG[/B] The SMG jammed immediately. Valkyrie's jaw dropped in disbelief as she crouched back into cover, trying to fix the issue before it was too late. Yanim: [B]5[/B] x 1.75 x (No Feat Applicable) = 8.75... [B]9 DMG[/B] Yanim's marksman's rifle blasted a thin hole through one of the kanads' armor, burning the flesh beneath. The marine cried out with a metallic roar before straightening up and pointing in Yanim's direction. "[I see the target!]" He barked. Arkadam: [B]6[/B] x 1.25 x (No Feat Applicable) = 7.5... [B]8 DMG[/B] The Type-1 fired a quick burst, nailing another marine as he tried to pick himself off the floor. Now that he and the others had spotted their target, their morale increased dramatically. The fugitive was cornered in her own ship and lashing out with the courage of despair. The second-in-command reported to Captain Vixe and his direct commander, Sgt. Kyrskada Sidikan, that they would soon be victorious. Kyrskada, was slightly preoccupied with silencing a human pest. He lunged at Alex, plasma saber blazing, with a high-arching swing intended to rend his opponent in two. Alex wasn't about to take the hit, and instead smartly maneuvered himself to counterattack, as he remembered that the type of saber carried by the batakya was not a solid sword. Like the one carried by Virin Rozel on Zeruel two years prior, Kyrskada's saber had been modified from a largely-ceremonial weapon into something far more powerful and dangerous. Alex: CH Estimate: 5/7 [B]Actual: 5[/B] Roll Passed. Alex had noticed that the sergeant was left handed and had sidestepped to the officer's right as a result. Taking the power sword into two hands, like a baseball bat, he swung the blade into the officer's back, sending a splash of sparks from the metal of the marine's body armor. Alex: [B]4[/B] x 1.5(Contender) = [B]6 DMG[/B] Kyrskada let out a disapproving grunt, but not much which would indicate shock or pain. Alex had hit him as hard as he could swing, but the sergeant was unconcerned. He took two steps forward and turned around, pointing his saber at Alex. "You are not as smart as you think," he warned. Meanwhile, the stragglers who had been outside killing Rask a few minutes earlier reached the ramp and began to advance, knowing that the kanads had beat them to it. The final Warhound had been ordered to escort Neasha, and so it took point in order to clear the way. As they entered, the marines were on the ground, getting up, and were more than displeased to see yet another droid enter the hangar. A handful of them opened fire on the robot immediately. Kanads 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6: {7, 10 x Crit(CH1/2, 1, Failed), 8, 2, 10 x Crit(CH1/2, 1, Failed)} + {10, 10, 10, 10, 10}(Numbers) = [B]{17, 20, 18, 12, 20}[/B] = 97 Warhound 2: DEF Rolls = {1, 4, 2, 2, 2} = 11 [B]86 DMG[/B] Warhound 2 HP: -46/50 [B]Warhound 2 has been destroyed.[/B] As if her SMG jamming wasn't annoying enough, Valkyrie watched as her final drone was completely annihilated as soon as it crossed the threshold of the hangar door. There was a silver lining, though: with so many of the enemy focusing their attacks on one replaceable target, it spared the mortal crew some potentially life-threatening injuries. Neasha, for example, cleared the door behind the robot and immediately rolled out of the way, over to where Iron was standing, before jumping into the fray with her stolen plasma rifle in hand, to use as a club since the cartridge had been jarred loose at some point. Iron, meanwhile, picked a target and fired. Neasha: [b]10[/b] x Crit(CH1/2, 1, Failed) x 1.5(Leverage) = [B]15 DMG[/B] Neasha swung the rifle at one of the soldiers' heads, causing a loud clank which echoed through the cavernous hangar. The marine was clearly dazed from the hit, and took a moment to catch his breath before trying to get up again. Iron: [B]3[/B] x 1.75 = 5.25... [B]5 DMG[/B] A few bullets kept another one of the marines pinned down for a moment, but Iron couldn't help but notice how effective Neasha's melee attack had been. A pair of shots rang out from deeper in the hangar: Markus and Amy were making their presence known. Markus: [B]3[/B] x 1.25 x 3(Ambusher) = 11.25... [B]11 DMG[/B] The first bullet wasn't aimed at anyone inside the Aurikha. It was aimed at the sergeant, who had just pointed his saber at Alex. It was a dramatic pose, Markus thought as he pulled the trigger. He wasn't a big fan of dramatics. The sniper's bullet struck the kanad in the upper chest, staggering him. "Akhaaaa..." Kyrskada hissed as he took a step back. Amy: [B]9[/B] x 1.75 x 1.5(Specter) = 23.625... [B]24 DMG[/B] CH Estimate: 1/3 [B]Actual: 3[/B] Roll Passed. Amy: [B]10[/B] x 1.75 x 1.5(Specter) x Crit(CH1/2, 2, Passed, x2) = 52.5... [B]53 DMG(!)[/B] Amy's shot was aimed at one of the OBN users, who had just fired on the Warhound moments earlier. The bullet caught him off guard, completely penetrating through one side and out the other before impacting a second marine in the head. The bullet went into his helmet and stopped, failing to kill him but rather leaving the soldier in horrific pain. While he writhed on the floor, János, Ravis, and Sting closed in behind the pack and the three of them poured on one last barrage of attacks before the kanads could unleash another volley. János: [B]10[/B] x 1.25 x Crit(CH1/2, 2, Passed, x2) = 25 DMG Janos peppered one of the OBV users who had been harmed the most by the Warhounds' earlier attacks, and quietly winced a bit as he witnessed blood spattering through the armor onto the hanger floor beyond. It was always less comfortable to kill an individual than it was to spray indiscriminately, but given how close everyone was together, János didn't want to risk hitting anyone else. Ravis: [B]{5, 5, 5, 5}[/B] (Consistency) Fearful of the coming counterattack and its potential to wipe out one of the more-experienced crewmembers, Ravis chose to attack more than one foe in hopes of drawing fire. He aimed for the most injured looking enemies and squeezed off four rounds, which failed to really add much to the fight. Sting: {3, 6, 7, 6} x 1.75 x (No Feat Applicable) = {5.25... [B]5[/B], 10.5... [B]11[/B], 12.25... [B]12[/B], 10.5... [B]11[/B]} With four rounds from her four revolvers, Sting further punished the marines with glee. More importantly, her contribution was enough to put a few of the kanads over the edge, killing them quite suddenly. [B]2 Enemies Eliminated.[/B] Now, however, the rest of the kanads had risen to their feet, and they were furious. Those who had survived the TBC onslaught sought their revenge immediately on the ones who had drawn the most attention to themselves- Taylor and Ravis! Kanads 3, 7, and 8: {3, 6, 8} + {6, 6, 6}(Numbers) = [B]{9, 12, 14}[/B] = 35 Taylor: DEF Rolls = {7, 4, 1} = 12 [B]23 DMG[/B] Taylor HP: 63/156 Taylor was struck by plasma multiple times, burning her and reminding her once more that she lacked armor. She had to be careful that the streams didn't ignite her clothing. Kanads 9, 10, and 11: {9, 3, 3} + {6, 6, 6}(Numbers) = [B]{15, 9, 9}[/B] = 33 Ravis: DEF Rolls = {5, 2, 5} = 12 [B]21 DMG[/B] Ravis HP: 78/79 Having not been hit to this point in the battle, Ravis was lucky to be quickly healed by the nanites Hestia had provided before the battle began. Still, to have lived in such close proximity to batakya troopers for most of his life and having been so excited to finally get the chance to fight them, Ravis was suddenly taken aback by his own inadequacy and was frightened into running away. He disappeared into the hallways he had earlier confronted Rask in. And while all this was happening, Moloch accessed the door controls in the hangar to let Frosty out. Immediately, Constantine was alerted to the unauthorized activity, which he reported to Yanim. She, having spotted Frosty's movement toward the starfighter in the hanger in the corner of her eye, confirmed that he should be allowed to do that. Once Moloch had finished, he attempted to heal himself. Moloch: CH Estimate: 2/3 [B]Actual: 3[/B] Roll Passed. +20 HP Moloch HP: 23/50 With everyone having been distracted by the marine's forceful entry into the hangar, everyone had sort of forgotten about Moloch and his very urgent medical needs. Had the kanads known, they could have easily killed him before he ever had the chance to open the doors, but they didn't, and he did. Moloch was now returned to roughly half effectiveness. --- Orso and 3 men jumped out of the APC as they approached the downed carrier, leaving one behind to work the gun. They didn't see Alex and Kyrskada due to the heavy weather, but instead proceeded up the ramp, and, having realized that the marines were inside, surrounded, decided to throw a grenade. Orso warned Yanim of the incoming grenade so that she could yell for her comrades to take cover. Orso: CH Estimate: 3/4 [B]Actual: 2[/B] Roll Passed. It wasn't a very good throw, but it was enough to put the grenade into the hangar, which is all he needed. It skipped low to the ground, and since the kanads hadn't seen someone throw it, they didn't immediately realize what it was. It exploded as they were about to dive out of the way, catching many of them by surprise. [B]20 DMG to Kanads 1-3, 6-11[/B] One of the OBN users was slow to rise, but the rest continued to fight at full strength, to the horror of the TBC crew. [B]4 Turns Until the Reactor is Fixed.[/B]

"[B][I]AUGH![/I][/B]" blurted out Taylor, as the plasma scorched and burned her exposed flesh. She groaned in pain, falling back on her ass for a moment, before climbing back up to her knees. A few body shots, two to the left arm. Everything hurt, but nothing had been roasted off. And at least her clothes weren't on fire. Next to her, Valkyrie was muttering a string of obscenities, as she tried quickly to unjam the SMG she had been using. Maddox's revenge from beyond the grave. Whenever she finally got off'd, she'd pay him a visit and kill him again in the afterlife. [QUOTE][video=youtube;VG_CqKneyzs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG_CqKneyzs[/video][/QUOTE] Taylor's voice then sounded off in her direction. "Swap out. I'll shoot at them, you toss grenades. Got it?" she ordered, sliding the satchel of impact grenades back to Valk. Valk glanced at the satchel, then her, before grabbing a pair of impact grenades and jerking the pins out. She eased up, and tossed both at the largest cluster of kanad marines. Meanwhile, Taylor readied her MAWS assault rifle. She took aim, resting the rifle on the crate they had been hiding behind, and fired off a few bursts of automatic fire at the more heavily armed Kanad marines.

Moloch creeped around box after box, getting closer to the fighting but not close enough in order to rejoin it. Though he felt better now, he still didn't think he could withstand another hit, and would rather re-enter the battle at full strength. Climbing several of the cargo boxes and looking down at the hangar door gave him a good view of all the fighting, but the one thing that caught his attention was Taylor taking a multiple plasma shots all over without wearing any sort of armor. Not wanting to see the person responsible for finding his friend get blasted to bits before his eyes, he started using his arcane abilities once again, but this time to keep Taylor's mind off the pain and to ensure she could survive at least one more strike. (( Roll to boost Taylor's DEF. )) Meanwhile, Chemosh remained still and seated on top of the Aurikha and under the snowstorm, watching the carnage around the dropship unfold from a thermal camera and the comfort of his cockpit. He didn't move still, but he did enjoy seeing Vakarus and his alien comrades get beaten down. Witnessing the brutality of the Boomes made him think of his own people, and how ruthless they themselves were in combat. And yet, through all that, he had one eye staring at the dropship still, waiting for the moment it makes a move. "[Take Vakarus and go inside... Go inside and fly away, all of you alien fools... Please, I am [I]begging[/I] you...Take off and move just. [I]One.[/I][I][B] Inch.[/B][/I]]"

After getting their wounded to the medics, Kensei's 2IC Corporal Yooshu instructed the pilot to move the shuttle over to the site of their brutal melee. Most of the Ayr marines were shaking over this engagement, so the recovery of the bodies fell on the Vakr and one senior Ayr marine. Yooshu made his way to the cockpit and accessed the comms console, "[Kapu, we have suffered considerable casualties, but the enemy has been eliminated. Sergeant Kensei is wounded and we are recovering the dead now.]" Yuga remained unfazed, but underneath she was getting quite frustrated, "[Very well, corporal. We will descend to just above you. We leave as soon as you enter the hangar.]" Yooshu did a salute, "[Affirmative]" and closed the transmission to assist in the recovery of their dead comrades. Yuga signaled for the pilot to slowly lower the ships altitude and walked over to the specialist at the intergalactic communications console, "[Relay this message to [I]Shikan[/I]; Inform [I]Azuma[/I]. UGC, surveillance of organization requested. Boome Marines. Person of interest Seth Rollonso. Accomplice to state enemy codename Blood fox.]" --- Markus was going to take another shot at the sergeant, but him and Alex were now in a close-up fight and he couldn't get a clear shot. Instead he opted to marines dazed by the grenade. One was slow to get up. Perfect. "G''night, cunt." Sting on the other hand ducked into cover and inspected her guns. Still a bit of ammo left. Intent on not wasting any time and letting someone else get the glory, she got up and blasted of her remaining rounds into the kanad closest to her. [Quickdraw]

The Vakr warriors rallied around their fallen comrades, including the Ayr marines, and pushed themselves to their own limit ignoring the pain of their own injuries to carry the weight of their brothers (and sisters) in arms. ----- Iron grunted at Neasha's show of force. "Showoff." He holstered his revolver and dashed into melee combat against one of the Kanad marines. He engaged his wrist shields and set to work. ----- [i]Meanwhile on Wokaar Zone 341-F "Hell's Oven"[/i] "Go! Go! Go!" Yelled the marine sergeant before firing a quick burst at the Sol Resistance forces. Two marines rushed past him and dived into cover. Granted, cover was a generous description considering that the dozens of defensive trench networks had been reduced to craters and debris. Gladius targeted a group of enemies with his heavy repeater and unleashed a hail of slugs which impacted loudly into the Fists of Sol shocktroopers. Next to him Ares was leaning in against the cover to make himself as small as possible to avoid getting hit. The muzzleflash from his rifle announced his presence on the battlefield however the enemy infantry were currently far too distracted by Gladius. He glanced at Gladius. "Commander I'm all for kicking SR ass but I don't think we're gonna last much longer if they keep this up!" A squadron of marauder gunships strafed the area, turning a dozen enemy soldiers into pink mists and meaty gibs which were quickly replaced by an even larger squad. Gladius nodded. "Agreed. Command is aware of our situation however, so all we can do is keep figthing. Make every shot count." Ares nodded. --- Lord Admiral Viktor Zhaneys was observing the tactical holoboard. Blue icons representing SDF units were going dark by the minute. At this rate the SDF forces on Wokaar would diminish completely within the next hours. He sighed deeply and shook his head. Ground combat was not his expertise. In fact, he had only taken charge of the current operations because the conflict had escalated beyond the capability of the first two generals ordered to seize the planet. Now Viktor found himself surrounded by dozens of officers all in charge of either large contingents of ground forces or parts of the defensive fleet in orbit. It was a mess. SDF forces on the ground and in space controlled an increasingly smaller portion of the planet while the forces of the Sol Resistance had nearly achieved complete ground control with fresh reinforcements being regularly shipped in under the protection of a joint Fists-Creed fleet. "Sir, we just lost all communication with another unit on the north-western flank." Said one of the officers. An advisor looked up. "Lord Admiral, we're getting reports of heavy casualties on the southern and eastern flanks. Multiple lines failing." "One of our ships just went down. All hands lost." Said one of the navy officers with a stern tone. Zhaneys looked up at the officers, advisors and tacticians. Everyone was looking at him. "It's time to retreat." He said. "Without any reinforcements I cannot support a continued effort to capture Wokaar." Many of the officers nodded. Suddenly one of the comms officers flew up from his chair. "Sir! Detecting incoming jump signatures! Lots of 'em!" "Bring it up on the screen." The holomap changed from showing a tactical overview of the surface into a planetary view. A large exclamation mark indicated the point of interest. "Multiple drive signatures inbound on the system." Said the comms officer. He turned to Zhaneys. "Sir if these vessels are hostile we might not be able to evacuate." Zhanyes stroked his beard. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Out in space several jump windows appeared. The officers on the ground observed their holographic screen in silence. When the first ship appeared, a massive black vessel with heavy prow weaponry, Zhaneys smiled. [i]"SNV Mjolnir hailing Wokaar command, over."[/i] The officers let out a collective sigh of relief and Zhaneys opened up a channel to the ship. "Good to have you with us Mjolnir."

Silenced filled the bridge of the Fang after the orders were given and the fighting stopped. "Tarvis." the commander broke the silence "Tell the recovery team to be on stand-by. They will have some work on their hands after this is done." --- Amy shifted her aim a bit and looked for a new target. The second OBN marine was a perfect target. She pulled trigger as soon as his head was visible. --- [QUOTE]You are not as smart as you think.[/QUOTE] And then he got shot. "This is god's way of telling you to know your role and shut up." Alex prepared for the kanad to attack again. This time he was going to disarm him. --- Orso noticed the TBC crew lobbing grenades and other things at their oponents, so he decided to help them. "Keep those bastards pinned to one place! Make them a good target!"

With a grumble, Mercy booked it over to Taylor's position, sliding into cover with a grunt. She fished around in her bag for assorted chems, ointments and bandages. Hardly a precise or surgical treatment, but when one is under fire, there's not much that can be done about it. Pulling Taylor down once she's fired off at the Kanads, Mercy begins going to work. Again. "Perhaps it is not zhe best idea to engage wizh no armor to speak of?"

Seeing Taylor getting shot multiple times by the Kanads, Jason decided to move near to where Taylor & Mercy were and slid into cover, firing blindly on the position of the enemy. "I'll keep the heat off you. Valk, Is your SMG still jammed?"

[QUOTE]"Perhaps it is not zhe best idea to engage wizh no armor to speak of?"[/QUOTE] Taylor paused her gunfire briefly to reply. "I'm a soldier, I'll fight naked if I have to." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [QUOTE]"I'll keep the heat off you. Valk, Is your SMG still jammed?"[/QUOTE] "I've got a sidearm. Just focus on killing those fuckers!" responded Valk.

[QUOTE]"I've got a sidearm. Just focus on killing those fuckers!"[/QUOTE] "Roger that!" Jason replied before popping up from his cover and focused fire at the Kanads, hoping to cause some damage.

János huffed, as though a small burst of air came out of his nose, as he quietly winced for a bit at the sight of blood spattering through the armor of the OBV user he had just shot. He forced himself to shake it off a moment later, knowing that he could get shot at any second. He quickly continued his current approach in targeting one individual, as uncomfortable as it was for him, and fired away.

The car pulled up to the mansion's driveway. Getting out, the all too familiar odors in the air filled his lungs. Even after all these years on this rock, Nathaniel couldnt get used to it. He'd usually use the air filters in his suit to get some fresher air, but unfortunately, he wouldn't be having that luxury tonight. The Executor himself invited him as a VIP guest for tonight's party, and was told to wear something much less intimidating, like a tuxedo. The idea of actually having to wear a corporate monkey suit really didn't sit well with him. It made him feel naked and vulnerable. He didn't know why the old man was throwing such a lavish party all of a sudden, but if he were to take a guess, it'd probably have something to do with that Archive which was recovered some time ago. Maybe a breakthrough was achieved. Walking up to the entrance, the two guards stationed directly outside recognized Nathaniel and allowed him entry. "We know who you are, sir. Just go to the upper floor where the executor will be waiting for you. Drinks are to the left, by the way." The rather lax tone of the security didnt feel right with him. They should have at least checked him for weapons or something. He would air his issues with Mordecai some other time. Before he could get in however, something caught his eye. One of the patrols had a grunt with a member that was roughly half the size of the rest. It's small body was also round enough to resemble a ball colored in the Vigil's colors more than anything. The way this... circular thing waddled about around the others made him question just how much higher did the standards for recruitment needed to be raised. "What the hell is that?" He pointed with a thumb towards the waddler. "Oh, you mean the Dortforian? Their planet is in our territory and under our protection from pirates and raiders. In return, they sent us their strongest warrior as a show of thanks. The Executor gave him a post here." "You're kidding me." Nathaniel looked at the guard with suspicion. "I am not, sir." [video]https://youtu.be/9MaOIY2DTXo[/video] Not wanting to waste more time thinking about it, Nathaniel went straight inside. The overall theme of the mansion fit with the man it belonged to. Everything seemed older in style and rich in design. And yet, none of it had anything on the size of the owner's ego. The guests were all high class by the looks of it.He could recognize many different high ranking members of Gibel society: Military officers, local celebrities, politicians, and other kinds of folk. The invitation did say that he could bring someone, but being married to your job has its drawbacks. He did recognize someone very familiar though: a member of a rival mercenary faction. This made the hairs at the back of his neck stand up. "Nathaniel! What are you doing down there, my boy? Come on, get your ass over here. We are waiting for you." Well now, this was different. Mordecai's voice beckoned him up the stairs. As he went up to them, he was greeted by Mordecai who put his hands on his shoulders much like a father welcoming his son home after a long absence. "There he is! The very man who took initiative into his own hands and made all of this possible! Come now, boy! Relax a little! You've earned it!" He let go of Nathaniel's shoulders and motioned for the both of them to move towards the rest of the guests. "I didnt get the chance to tell you this yet due to being busy with the Archive, but that was a bold move on your part. I should have you punished for acting without getting my authorization first, but that proved to be in our favor. I could easily denny and condemn your actions and the UGC was appeased. Incompetent idiots. Its a miracle that the galaxy hasnt fallen apart yet." "Is that why I was invited here?" "Partially, the other reasons will be revealed all in due time. Now let me introduce you to the rest. You'll be working with them closely in the following months." They stopped and Nathaniel took a good look at the rest of the group for the first time. He was shocked at who they were. "From left to right, Gunther and Gretta Zwiling, Ivan Vulkov and...the great hunter of the Zebrisil tribe, representing the Kabelas." The Zwilings wore matching outfits, even if they had earned the reputation of being at eachother's throats all of the time. Though, they did look a bit flashy compared to the simple clothing Vulkov wore. Looks like the golden boy of the Gold dusts was treating this more as a business meeting than a party. 'The great hunter' was a different story. Her outfit was that of bits and pieces of ceremonial armor, namely wristguards, shinguards and boots. A mesh top was covering the upper part of her body, with a necklase of bones, talons and jewels hanging from her neck.More than likely trophies from different prey. Her face had traces of paint all over it. She looked at Nathaniel like she was studying the best way to tear out his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Nathaniel Cirpin. One of my horsemen." "Excuse me?" "You heard me right. Welcome to high society Nathniel." This was too much just to take in. First, he was informed he would be cooperating with commanders of other mercenary factions, and now he learned he was promoted to a position many members of the Vigil could only dream of earning. Being one of the horsemen, it means that he would be one of Mordecai's most trusted men. He'd be his right hand and advisor. All this happening in less than a month... No, a week. Calling it a meteoric rise would be an understatement. "I can see you're taking this well. Lets go to a more private area so we can talk buisiness." The group left the main banquet area. While the less important guests were at the party talking and enjoying themselves, the elite moved to Mordecai's private quarters. The expected quiet was interupted however from a violent outburst from Vulkov. "What's this kurva doing here?" In the couch in front of them was a ayr woman with a martini in hand and amused look on her face. She was dressed like a real fem fatale from the old holovids and novels, leaving little to the imagination. She probably thought that the tattoos on her body provied enough cover that she didnt need to add to it. Nathaniel managed to recognize her. Serra Linva. Leader of the Star dusts. "Nice to see you too golden fuckboy." "Ti mai naistina si izkufial, durtak takuv!" Vulkov spat at Mordecai's direction. "Dont think to insult me in your mother tongue, like some scared brat. And I may be old, but my state of mind is not at that stage yet." "(Then you will understand me when I say this. I'm not working with this whore. You want her to bring chaos and anarchy to what you have planned, then I'm out." Serra spoke up."I can understand you too, you piss drinker. I learned your fucking language while working with you." "You keep quiet. You're goddamn lucky I dont blow your goddamn brains out and skull fuck you on this table!" Mordecai squeezed the bridge of his nose and said with annoyance. "Could you be less vulgar and disgusting, Ivan? We are here to do buisiness. Not for you to tear each other apart. Do it at your own time." The hunter obviously had enough. "If you are done arguing with each other like sexually frustrated children, can we get on with it?" "I honestly expected this hostility from the twins, but I never knew you had it in you, Vulkov." "Just get on with it." [video]https://youtu.be/42-5eImsVEs[/video] Mordecai pressed a button on his desk and a holographic map was shown. "Now. As it stands. There is a war between Sol and the Divinity Creed. Its like sayin that fire is hot at this point. The Collective is bearing its teeth and some are worried that they may start biting their neighbors sooner than later. The pirates are up to something in the free space they dominate. And as you know, I've had troubles with my own neighborhood. All in all its a bright future for all of us." There was not hint of irony in his tone. The cincerety in his voice confused Nathaniel. "I'm sorry executor, but what about all this makes it bright?" Mordecai chuckeled and pointed "I'm glad you asked. Sol recently had their contract with commander Rollonso terminated. With a little help from our friend Ghunter here. Forgery of official documents isnt easy, but the work he did was top notch. The idealistic fool took them at face value." The smug expresion on Ghunter's face told everything you needed to know about the man. "Sol did most of the work for us. They treated them as attack dogs and meatshields and underpaid them. Then came the Creed attack." "Exactly. Now Vulkov is free to move in position and take his place. The Star dusts will no doubt benefit from any and all contract that involve the pirates. So many of Serra's men are former pirates and raiders. Fighting fire with fire is the best course of action." "The chaos and money that something like that promises is too good to pass up." "Yes my dear, I know what you want, so I supply it. Now, here comes the rest. The Federation, the Ayr, the Mantle, the Collective and whoever else. They all need one thing. Armies. Someone to lead proxy wars for them so they wouldnt get their hands dirty. The Galaxy calls for wetwork and we answered. Now we get our share of the spoils. And we get to dictate who we work with. The smaller PMCs can settle for the scraps the big players leave behind. The old Union fell apart because we were bussy fighting each other and we lacked focus. It took working together with Ghunter to show you how manipulating key areas and players can trully benefit us." "Wait, this was all for you to resurrect the Union?" Vulkov spat out. "Yes. And how we manipulated the Boomes and others is just a taste of what we can do. We wont be dealing with the UGC anymore. The UGC will be dealing with us." "Interesting." The hunter stroked her chin. "And how will we hold off any advances against us? In case that they decide to get ridd of us?" "Guns, bombs and tanks arent the only tools in our arsenal. Nobody would like their dark dealing to come to light now would they? The public trust is oh so important. Blackmail and extortion are very effective, but the most effective tool is being a more valluable ally than a dangerous enemy. As for an ultimate trump card."He shot a look to Nathaniel and a malicious smile formed on the old man's face "We have something planned, dont we?"

[QUOTE]Elsewhere, on the western border of the Upyri Federation...[/QUOTE] "[How long till we make contact?]" "[Around twenty minutes.]" "[Prepare the fighters and boarding teams, as well as the railgun in case they get any bright ideas of actually attempting ship-on-ship combat.]" "[Understood, ma'am. Will you be joining the boarding teams?]" "[Like always.]" The officer saluted, his hand snapping to the bill of his cap, before walking off to do as he was ordered. Leaving LtCol. Anora Cortus to stand there on the bridge of the UFS [I]Ramlethal[/I], staring at the holographic star map before her. Another small group of pirate vessels, trying to slip into Federation space unnoticed. And they had the misfortune to register on the [I]Ramlethal[/I]'s long range sensors. Three smaller ships, it seemed. Two corvettes and a missile destroyer. They'd be slaughtered with ease by the massive Caliburnus-class Battleship that was the [I]Ramlethal[/I] and the three ships tailing it. A Gladius-class Destroyer, and two Sica-class Corvettes. Anora eyed the three red dots on the map as it automatically zoomed in to their positions. They were slowly moving through space towards a nearby planet named Garten, an old colony world which had been abandoned since it was shelled during the Division War. She tilted her head slightly. Did the pirates have an outpost set up there? Or were they planning to start one? She'd find out one way or the other. "[Lieutenant, you have the bridge.]" she stated, before turning away from the star map and walking towards the elevator at the rear of the bridge. "[Yes, ma'am!]" sounded off a woman garbed in a Naval uniform, whom had been nearby at a small holoscreen. Minutes later, Anora was amongst her men in the hangar, wearing the standard Upyri Marine combat armor. "[We board, we hunt, we kill. Save the captains for me.]" she said loudly, so that the Marines that were part of the boarding teams could hear her, "[Am I understood?]" "[YES, MA'AM.]" shouted the Marines. "[Good. Make our ancestors proud.]" she finished, before slipping on her helmet. She checked her rifle and sidearm, before ordering the crew to start boarding their shuttles. Soon enough, it was time. The [I]Ramlethal[/I] and its supporting ships dropped out of warp, between the pirate vessels and Garten. The Dardus-class fighters in the hangar bay were given the green light to launch, and deployed at a rapid pace as the fight began. The boarding craft waited patiently for their own green light, which came about ten minutes later. [QUOTE][video=youtube;63Gsh2gemDg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Gsh2gemDg[/video][/QUOTE] The boarding craft lifted off, and rocketed out of the hangar bay. Outside the ship, Upyri fighters pelted the outer hulls of the pirate vessels, destroying any defense weaponry that the vessels still had. Apparently the pirate fighters hadn't lasted very long, as chunks of debris floated about in random spots here and there. The boarding craft darted through the bits of debris, before eventually colliding with the side of the three vessels. They punched through the hulls of the ships, and released their contents inside. Anora had chosen the missile destroyer as her craft's target, and remained in the back of the group as her Marines flooded out and into the ship. They knew what to do. Kill anything and everything, and show no mercy. The Ker way. Anora stepped out into the hallway that the craft had punched into, and looked around. On her right, a group of Marines were breaching into what sounded like a room full of pirates. Gunfire and explosions began to fill the halls. On her left, a Marine had taken out a pirate with his bare hands, and was now feasting on the blood gushing from his neck. Anora smiled, walking over and patting the Marine on his shoulder before proceeding past at a leisurely pace. It wouldn't take long before the entire ship had gone silent. Well, silent for the most part. There were sounds of agony and screams of pain as some of the Marines had started to feast on a few of the wounded victims. The ones that weren't brought the captain of the ship before Anora, whom had claimed his chair on the bridge of the ship. She had taken her helmet off, and had set it on the arm next to her. Her rifle sat propped against the chair. As the man was forced to his knees before her, his eyes looked up and met her ice-like gaze. He knew exactly who she was. "T-The Blood R-Reaver!" he muttered, stuttering. "So you've heard of me." she said, the look on her face never changing. She did, however, sit forward. Her face moving a bit closer to him. "Why were you heading to Garten?" she asked simply. The pirate didn't respond. Trying to use the last little bit of courage he had. Anora's eyes remained locked onto him, but motioned to one of the Marines. "[His hand.]" she said. The Marine nodded, lifting his rifle and grabbing the pirate by the arm. A moment later, [B][I]THOW[/I][/B]. The shot echoed through the bridge, as the pirates hand was obliterated by the rifle's shot. He screamed loudly, grasping his nub with the hand he still had left. "Again. Why were you heading to Garten?" she asked, her eyes still resting on him. Her tone just as cold as her gaze. He still didn't respond. She motioned to the Marine again. "[His arm.]" she stated. The Marine nodded again, and pressed the rifle to the pirate's shoulder. Where the arm and body connected. "NoNONONO!" blurted out the pirate. Anora lifted a finger, stopping the Marine. "Tell me everything." she stated. And so the pirate did. Apparently they had already been to Garten before, and were returning with supplies for an outpost they had set up there. There were already two other small groups of pirates at the outpost, around 25 people. "Stand him up." she ordered when the pirate finally finished. The Marines did as they were told, standing the pirate up. Anora stood from the chair, stepping up to the pirate. What came next was common for any engagement involving Anora. She grabbed him by the head, taking in her hand a wad of what little hair he hadn't shaved off. Then, she jerked his head back and sank her fangs into his throat. The Marines that stood nearby stepped back, looking on as Anora ripped the man's throat out with her teeth and feasted on his blood. When she was finished, she let his lifeless corpse hit the floor. She glanced up to the Marines. "[Tell the other crews to kill the remaining captains and get back to the ship. We have a new target on Garten.]" About thirty minutes later, the [I]Ramlethal[/I] sat in low orbit over the planet of Garten. Anora stood on the bridge of her ship, her face still stained with the blood of the pirate captain she had killed. "[Is the railgun ready?]" she asked, looking to the Lieutenant that had assumed control while she was away. "[Y-Yes, ma'am. What would you like us to do?]" she asked, a bit shocked by the sheer amount of blood on her commander. Anora turned her head slightly to face her. "[Scan the surface of the planet for any signs of life or pirate vessels. Once they have been located, fire the railgun at them. I want that outpost erased.]" The Lieutenant hesitated. Their orders were to arrest pirates, not just slaughter them outright. She finally nodded. "[Y-Yes, ma'am.]" she responded, before tapping away on her holoscreen. It took a few moments, but scans did locate a small outpost of pirate origin on the surface. "[Target acquired! Firing!]" sounded off a voice on the bridge. The voice was followed by a loud crack that sounded through the ship along with a heavy rumble. The railgun had fired, launching a massive chunk of tungsten steel at extremely high velocity towards the planet. A few seconds later, the outpost was no more.

Captain Vixe was brimming with visions of glory and prestigious honors lumped upon her imminent victory. She paced the bridge, eagerly awaiting word from Sergeant Kyrskada that the rebel had been caught, while her subordinates dutifully monitored the situation. Her sensory officer suddenly turned around with urgent news. "[Captain, there's a crewed military vehicle down there, ground-based, looks to be roughly 7 meters in length!]" Vixe wheeled around, the color draining from her face instantly. "[What is it doing?]" she demanded with an accusatory tone, "[and how long has it been doing it?]" "[D- Difficult to say,]" the officer stammered, knowing that he hadn't calibrated the equipment properly for the changing weather. He didn't know when the APC had arrived or how many men had rode in on it. He attempted to mask this fact: "[it is [I]currently[/I] stationary, and at a distance... in this storm it likely won't pose a threat to our ground team-]" "[Damn you, I'll have you flayed alive!]" Vixe screamed. "[If you don't [I]know[/I] what you're looking at, then you better tell me what you [I]think[/I] you're looking at, if our men our in danger-]" "[It's a transport!]" the officer blurted, sinking away and into his uniform. "[I- I couldn't see it before, but it wasn't there when the whether was clearer, so it's been there for four, no, three minutes at the most.]" Vixe looked out the window, despite the absolute fog outside the windows preventing her from seeing anything. A 7 meter vehicle could contain a dozen troops all by itself, and if they had all deployed three minutes earlier, they would be arriving at the Aurikha any moment now, if it hadn't already. She was beginning to experience the same sense of vertigo she had felt when the Muramasa mauled her frigate back on Voyak. The same enemy was threatening to humiliate her again, and swallow an entire marine team in the process. She couldn't allow it. "[Ryakir, take the helm. Inform the ground team that reinforcements are on the way- I'll lead them myself. Kovar,]" she said, pointing to the sensory officer, "[[highlight]you're with me.[/highlight]]" The look she gave him could peel paint off the walls. --- In fact, the Boomes had arrived at the hangar already, and after the grenade went off, the kanads were well aware of the ambush. With a bit of coordination, the remaining OBV-carrying marines selected one of the three Boomes to be their next target for extermination. Kanads 6-11: {7, 8, 7, 2, 2, 3} + {10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10}(Numbers) = [B]89 DMG[/B] Orso and another Boome watched as their comrade was blown completely off his feet and sent tumbling down the landing ramp in a fiery mess of blood and plasma. Incredibly, the man survived the attack, as he somehow got his feet beneath himself in mid-roll and launched into the cool and wet snow to put himself out. The sheer pain of so much focused plasma was no doubt agonizing, however, and it sent a clear message to the wounded members of the TBC crew. They were running out of chances to avoid execution. Nobody knew this better than Taylor, who insisted on attacking despite her precarious health situation in the interest of neutralizing the threat as soon as possible. She was joined by Jason and the two Boomes in an effort to keep the kanads immobilized as Valkyrie threw her grenades. A combination of blind fire and intelligent suppression was used to break the kanads' discipline. Orso + Boome 1 + Taylor + Jason: CH Estimate: 1/8 + 1/8+ 1/8 + 1/8 = 1/2 [B]Actual: 2[/B] Roll Passed. As quickly as they had coordinated themselves, the kanads fell right back into disarray as weapons were being unloaded in any direction. The second officer, waving his VRI around in a panic, failed to get a hold of them as they stumbled aimlessly looking for cover, some tripping over each other and others simply hitting the deck. Valkyrie threw her grenades, but before they hit the ground, Markus pulled the trigger on his rifle in an effort to punch one marine's ticket a second or two early. Markus: [B]9[/B] x 1.25 x 3(Ambusher) = 33.75... [B]34 DMG[/B] Valkyrie: CH Estimate: 2/3 [B]Actual: 2[/B] Roll Passed. There was a loud crack in the air and a nearby "ping," a bit like the sound of a coin dropping into a metal bucket. For those paying close enough attention, just before the grenades arrived, one of the marines' helmets came flying off, exposing the remains of a thoroughly-exploded cranium. Fire engulfed the rest as a pair of explosions shook the hangar, and metallic screams filled the air. One soldier's legs were blown off completely, leaving the upper body to clutch to itself in shock until the life drained out. [B]20 DMG to Kanads 2-3, 6-11.[/B] [B]2 Enemies Eliminated.[/B] The rest, the survivors, had been broken by the ambush. Most hadn't been prepared for this, but there was one who had. Unfortunately, he was lifeless on the floor, but he had at least informed his commanding officer and the team's medic, his second-in-command, that he was carrying a nerve agent device in his equipment package. The medic holstered his VRI and dropped to the side of the legless and lifeless OBN marine and turned him over, frantically undoing the rivet buttons on his bags. At a glance it almost looked as if he was trying to administer some type of medical help, even though the TBC crew wasn't aware that the man they saw was actually a medic. A shot rang out. Amy: [B]9[/B] x 1.75 x 1.5(Specter) = 23.625... [B]24 DMG[/B] The officer took a bullet through the chest, one which was originally meant for the dead man before him, but one which he inherited. He cried out in pain as he informed his captain and the sergeant, who was still inexplicably focused on the lone human outside, that the whole team had been caught in an ambush and were being slaughtered. He could feel himself growing heavy and weak, he should have attended to himself, but he was too focused on what had to be done. He reached into his comrade's bag and armed the device for detonation. The other kanads saw what he was doing and didn't need to worry, as they were wearing the proper gas masks to deter the device's properties. Among the TBC crew, only a select few would be safe. Kanad 3: CH Estimate: 1/4 x 2(Malevolence) = 1/2 [B]Actual: 2[/B] Roll Passed. With a twist of his hands, there was a loud whine that the crew was unaccustomed to hearing. There was scarce time to realize that the sound wasn't originating from their own equipment or from anything in the hangar, but something had definitely happened. They just didn't know [I]what[/I] yet. They were each busy with their own tasks- at the same moment, Moloch had provided Taylor with a blessing which enhanced her survival chances, Sting counted her ammunition, and János raised his weapon and ended the officer's life. János: [B]4[/B] x 1.5(Machinist) = [B]6 DMG[/B] A few more bullets pierced the officer's armor and filled his chest cavity with lead. He died in mid sentence, informing his superiors of the need for anti-toxins... for the TBC crew. Neasha used her improvised club, which by this point was beginning to lose parts due to the abuse, to attack another marine. Sting unloaded with her four revolvers into yet another. Neasha: [B]2[/B] x 1.5(Leverage) = [B]3 DMG[/B] Sting: {9, 1, 10, 3}... [B]1[/B] x 1.75 x 4(Quickdraw) = [B]7 DMG[/B] Their attacks were wild and inaccurate, and failed to deal any real damage to their foes. Although they were becoming sluggish and confused, and terrified in fact, it had little to do with the involvement of those two. Iron shook his head at the lack of progress and stepped in to demonstrate how to hurt someone. Iron: CH 1/3(Knockout) [B]Actual: 2[/B] Roll Failed. [B]10[/B] x 1.75 x Crit(CH1/2, 1, Failed) = 17.5... [B]18 DMG[/B] Straddling one of the kanads who had yet to get up and was clearly heavily wounded, Iron gripped him by the cloth bag strapped to the front of his armor and pulled his upper body off the ground. He then laid out a punch which broke the kanad's neck and killed him instantly. Neasha actually let out a single "heh," in acknowledgement; with so many dead kanads in such short order, it seemed as if the crew was on the cusp of victory, yet again. [B]Enemy Eliminated.[/B] --- "This is god's way of telling you to know your role and shut up." Kyrskada strangely hesitated a moment as Alex taunted him again. "No such thing," he answered coolly as his demeanor suddenly changed. [I][Left arm forward, inside right stance... lunging attack?][/I] he thought to himself. [I]No. Right foot on toes- another feint....][/I] Alex had only a moment to react as he realized that the sergeant was observing his stance. Kyrskada had figured out that Alex was manipulating him with insults, and now the real threat was about to appear. Was disarming still the best strategy? Too late to reconsider- the kanad took several steps forward, at first leading with the pseudo-blade of his saber before raising his arm across his body, pointing the tip skyward! Alex: CH Estimate: 3/7 [B]Actual: 4[/B] Roll Failed. Expecting a downward strike, Alex lunged and thrust his power sword forward with with the blade parallel to the ground and about even with his opponent's neck. Had Kyrskada followed through, he would have lost his own arm. Alex expected him to stop dead in his tracks instead, if only for a moment, so that he could grab the kanad's sword arm and disarm him. [I]But that is not what happened.[/I] Just as the two came within reach of each other, Kyrskada kicked his left foot out and across himself, pivoting on his right heel and falling toward the ground in a spin, looking like a blur to his human foe. To Alex, the moment felt as if it lasted an eternity, as the kanad's head fell just past the pommel of his sword, on the opposite side from the blade. In slow motion, his mind screamed at his body to react, but the truth was that there was nothing he could do, the synapses of his nerves just too slow to adjust to the sudden movement. Even as he swung the sword downward at his ducking opponent, Kyrskada continued to elude him. Kyrskada: [B]7[/B] + Bladedance(CH7/10, 4, Passed, [B]8[/B]) + Bladedance(CH4/5, 2, Passed, [B]6[/B]) + Bladedance(CH3/5, 5, Passed, [B]6[/B]) + Bladedance(CH3/5, 4, Passed, [B]5[/B]) + Bladedance(CH1/2, 2, Passed, [B]2[/B]) + Bladedance(CH1/5, 1, Failed) = [B]34 DMG[/B] Alex HP: 111/125 [I]Feat Discovered: Kyrskada's Bladedance (Upon landing a plasma saber attack, use DMG as CH/10 for additional DMG roll, stackable. Bypasses DEF Rolls.)[/I] Kyrskada didn't just outmaneuver Alex, he sought to prove a point by using an excessively flamboyant technique. His left foot, having made a near-complete circle, now dug into the dirty snow. He transferred his weight, still spinning as he extended his blade arm across his body, striking Alex in the side and leaving a burned, bloody gash. He then sprung off his left leg for a second spin, going fully airborne with his arm completely outstretched, leaving another scorching wound in Alex's back as the blade followed through. A full two meters away, he righted himself, striking the same dauntless pose as before, his saber outstretched at Alex. "No myth-spirit to save you," his metallic voice warned. "Run while you can." Having made his point, he turned the pseudo-blade skyward and turned away, walking ominously toward the Aurikha's hangar bay. His real target was waiting for him inside. --- Arkadam was nearly ready to fire on one of the other remaining targets when Ravis gripped his shoulder. "Comrade, that noise-" "What is it?" "It's coming from that dead man," Ravis said with a mysterious worry in his voice. "Then go check on it," Arkadam said, annoyed. "What if it's a bomb?" ... Arkadam knew now why Ravis was speaking so quietly. It probably [I]was[/I] a bomb, knowing how his countrymen tended to operate. Ravis knew it too, having grown up around kanads on his native Vashkom. There was only the question of what to do with it. Arkadam looked at Yanim, who was taking aim at yet another marine, and he admired her for a moment. He had already risked his life once that day to save her and the ship, and he knew that if he spoke up, someone else would be ordered to take the bomb. Yanim would never allow him to do what he knew he was about to do, and that was exactly why he said nothing. Arkadam quickly jogged to the dead bodies and threw the kanad medic out of the way. He reached into the pouch and pulled out the device, which appeared to be a pressurized canister attached to a small black box with a light, a missing safety pin, and an arming switch. He flicked the switch to the "off" position, but the light remained on and the whine continued. He took a deep breath as his hands shook, and he accepted his responsibility. He tucked the device into his arm like a loaf of bread and sprinted out the door onto the cargo ramp, ignoring Sergeant Kyrskada, and kept on going until he was out in the snow, high-stepping as the others had done earlier. Nobody seemed to notice, with everything else going on. Mercy administered medical treatment to Taylor. Mercy: CH Estimate: 1/4 [B]Actual: 3[/B] Roll Failed. +20 HP Taylor HP: 83/156 Yanim fired her rifle at one of the remaining marines. Yanim: [B]5[/B] x 1.75 x (No Feats Applicable) = 8.75... [B]9 DMG[/B] The shot stung the kanad but didn't kill him. Arkadam was just out of sight of the Aurikha, where everything around him had turned the same shade of white. Knee deep in the snow, exhausted from running in the knee deep powder, he threw the device as far as he could. It didn't land far away; he could still see it. The light changed color, and he froze, expecting to die at that exact moment. Nothing happened except the whining stopped. Confused and slightly relieved, he started to walk back to the hangar when he suddenly felt an unpleasant sensation throughout his body, like he was shaking uncontrollably. He became confused, unsure of which direction was back toward the carrier, and his throat felt swollen. He stopped for a moment and doubled over, vomiting painfully in the snow. His mask, unlike the ones built into the military-grade helmets worn by the batakya marines, had no protection to ward off the gas's effects. He took a knee, unable to breathe, and then laid down in the snow. [B]3 Turns Until the Reactor is Fixed.[/B]

[del]Iron scanned the area for a new target when the visor HUD built into his helmet alerted him of atmospheric contamination. "Gas! Gas! Gas! Masks on!" Yelled the bountyhunter while he made sure that his own suit was sealed tight.[/del] After that it was just a matter of finding another target. Iron aimed down his revolver and fired away on the enemy closest to him.

[The toxin got taken out by Arkadam. RIP] [QUOTE]No myth-spirit to save you...Run while you can[/QUOTE] Alex stood up straight after getting over the initial shock from the wounds he recieved. The little runt had turned his back on him. He knew his time was now, he just needed to capitalize on his foe's arogance. Before he could take another step, he noticed something or someone. The Boome who had rolled down the ramp to put out any burns was now standing up on his two feet aswell. His helmet shattered from one of the plasma bolts, revealing a the eye underneath filled with primal rage. The air comming out of his mouth as he was frantically panting formed small clouds in the cold. Similar to that of a predator eyeing up its pray in the snow. Alex was lucky that the savage wasnt his enemy. The brute tightened his fist and gave him a nod before turning his head towards Kyrskada. [B][Faction feat revealed: Father's gift-When health drops bellow 25%, damage recieved is halfed and damage done doubles.] [/B] The marine unholstered his pistol and started shooting at Kyrskada while moving in closer to engage in mellee. Alex took advantage of the distraction that would cause and aimed to cripple the Kanad. --- 'Was that a medic?' Amy paused for a moment after shooting down her target. 'Huh, that makes 6 doesnt it? I should really start noticing the marking before I pull the trigger.' She shrugged to herself before taking aim at one of the remaining intruders. --- "Wipe them out! Make sure none of them are left standing!" Osro barked to his men before moving in on the broken squad. His intentions were clear. He wanted nothing, but the blood of his enemies.

Moloch saw his ability work on Taylor, and now focused on who to strengthen next. His eyes shifted around and met Jason first. Not wasting any time, he worked up his magic once again to strengthen Jason, making him strike [I]much [/I]harder. (( Boosting ATK for Jason. )) Though, there was another thing Moloch wanted to do. A demonstration of one his techniques, one outside of healing and focusing. He tried gathering up all the remaining Kanads in the hangar within his thoughts as he tried to take them back to the days when Artisynth still roamed the earth, tried to make the Kanads believe they were being attacked by a pack of wild CoG savages. (( Roll to distract the Kanads with psychic hallucinations. ))

Yooshu looked out into the storm raging outside. He could faintly hear the sounds of the ongoing battle in the distance. He ran up the ramp and closed it, signaling for the pilot to take off and head for the Ryojin which was hovering a few hundred meters above them. --- Markus grinned as the only thing left of the kanad marines head was a bloody pulp. He reloaded his rifle and took aim at the next marine in the cluster fuck below. Meanwhile, Sting reloaded her revolvers. --- Kruhok sat and cleaned his rifle, occasionally taking a swig from a bottle of some Orlok out of a bottle nearby. The wind howled outside the armored communications vehicle as some rock music played on a beat up stereo. "[You see anything?]" he said as he looked up at Zerbya, who was looking through the periscope. Without taking her eyes from the scope she turned around trying to locate the Aurikha, "[The snow is as dense as your mothers pubes, I can't see shit.]" She folded the periscope away and walked towards Kruhok, gesturing for him to hand her the bottle of Orlok, "[If those Marbog fuckers spotted it, why did we have to come here and babysit this mess?]" Kruhok took a shot from the bottle and handed it to Zerbya, "[Dunno, Orders from Volgrim.]" She raised an eyebrow, "[Ain't she usually someone who does stuff hands on? Can't she look after this herself.]" she said before taking a swig herself. Suddenly the door swung open and Kruhok and Zerbya quickly turned to face it. In stepped a robust khergian woman in a bomber jacket and a flak vest. The two soldier saluted to which the woman gestured to put their hands away, "[Quit that shit, I'm not Serkin Bolgan.]" She threw her flak vest and bomber jacket on one of the chairs next to the door and went over to grab the bottle from Zerbya, "[So, anything change round here? We have problems with connections cause of the weather.]" Zerbya pulled down the periscope and took a new look, "[We can't see anything and the infra's can't pick up anything either. Our audio catcher makes it sound like they're still duking it out over there.]" The woman walked over and looked into the periscope, "[We'll sit on it. I gathered some intel and there is someone on that ship I'd like to meet.]"

"Time to finish 'em off! Keep up the pressure and wipe the fucking floor with 'em! Watch for friendlies!" sounded off Taylor, targeting any of the Kanads that were still alive and opening fire. As she fired off a few bursts, she spoke again. This time to Mercy. "Patch up Yanim and Neasha next, then check the others. They'll probably need a boost while we take out the rest." As she spoke, she felt this odd feeling coursing through her. Almost as if the pain of her wounds had ceased entirely. Was it Mercy's medical treatments? Maybe a salve on the burns? She didn't know, but she had more important things to focus on. Valkyrie grinned pretty wildly, taking in the carnage that had unfolded before them. The hangar had become a Kanad slaughterhouse, and she loved every fucking moment of it. She drew her machine pistol and opened fire on the remaining Kanad marines, following Taylor's directions. She'd save the rest of the impact grenades in case any others showed up.

Chemosh saw the dropship start to power up, ready to take off. Instinctively, he [I]armed all missiles[/I] and started targeting it, trying to get a lock on. [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-CX3vascLo[/media]

((As explained in the Discord, I'm going to experiment with smaller updates during the days that I work. The "Turns Until" at the end of the post will be broken into decimals as a result.)) The only person who knew of Arkadam's whereabouts was Ravis. Clumsy, shaking, overwhelmed by the savage fighting taking place all around, and generally exhausted from the long fight, he took a deep breath and crossed the room as quickly as he could, regretting telling Arkadam about the device the whole way. He should have told Yanim instead, or he should have had the bravery to remove the device himself. He beat himself in the head. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" "What the hell?" Yanim blurted. "Get down and get a hold of yourself," she said, pulling Ravis down behind cover. "What's wrong with you?" Ravis opened his eyes to find her staring him down intensely, which only set him off further. "I- I'm sorry, boss! My ears- I heard that noise and I knew where it was coming from. I- I told Arkadam and he said- no, I said I thought it might be a [I]bomb[/I], he didn't say anything-" "He took it?" Yanim cut in, realizing what Ravis was trying to get at. She straightened up and scanned the room, and, having not spotted he partner anywhere in the hangar, turned back to find Ravis covering his face in shame, cowering in fear. "Is he outside?" Yanim demanded, feeling her own heart skip a beat. Ravis nodded in response and that was enough for her. Having not felt loved in years, she would rather be killed than allow Arkadam to die, a terrible liability, but one she readily accepted. She spoke into the comms so that the crew would know: "everyone, attend to clean up duty. We are nearly ready to take off, but I need to attend to something. There are still kadaren outside." She also turned to Ravis and shook him a bit. "Can you help me?" she asked. Ravis looked up, feeling a desperate need for redemption. He nodded again. "Good, then come on." The two of them jumped over the barrier while the fighting was still going on around them. --- Outside, the injured Boome had risen to his feet, too enraged for common sense, and charged perhaps the most dangerous man out of all the kanads. He fired several rounds from his pistol before slamming into the marine leader. Boome 2: [B]10[/B] x Crit(CH1/2, 1, Failed) x 2(Father's Gift) = [B]20 DMG[/B] Kyrskada: [B]10[/B] + Bladedance([B]2[/B]) + Bladedance(CH1/5, 4, Failed) = [B]12 DMG[/B] The pistol rounds didn't do much to the thick armor worn by the sergeant, and as the Boome approached, Kyrskada struck a stance which allowed him to intercept and impale him completely with his plasma saber, a fiery jet of plasma and entrails exploding out of the Boome's back... And yet the Boome didn't stop! His balled fists struck the kanad's helmet with enough force to break the bones in his hands, over and over, snapping Kyrskada's head back and forth several times with whiplash. Only when he had raised his saber enough to vaporize his opponent's heart did he finally go limp, and the sergeant was able to throw him back to the ground to die. Alex: CH Estimate: 2/5 [B]Actual: 3[/B] Roll Failed. Alex: [B]7[/B] x 1.5(Contender) = 10.5... [B]11 DMG[/B] Alex sprinted up the ramp as the opportunity presented itself, swinging his sword at the kanad's exposed legs in an attempt to literally cut him off at the knees, but as he closed in with his eyes fixed on his target, Kyrskada checked over his shoulder and instantly realized the danger. As he threw the Boome's body off of himself, he knew that he wouldn't be able to escape Alex's attack by jumping up the ramp, so he moved closer instead, limiting Alex's ability to put his whole strength into the swing. Alex's sword made contact with the hip instead, badly damaging the armor there and landing enough force to stagger Kyrskada back. "[Dirty opportunist...]" the metallic voice hissed. [B]2.5 Turns Until the Reactor is Fixed.[/B]

The fighting in the hangar was wrapping up as the crew and their remaining Boome allies closed in on the kanad marines relentlessly. With seven guns trained on five targets, hope was evaporating for the enemy quickly. "[Sergeant, we're all dying-]" a desperate voice lamented through the kanads' comms, but he was cut off by a mysterious psychic energy... Moloch: CH Estimate: 1/3 [B]Actual: 2[/B] Roll Failed. The mystic had attempted to ensnare the enemy within a hellish vision which would prevent them from attacking or fighting as a unit, but with great determination, the marines were able to resist his influence. Unable to bend them to his will, Moloch settled on granting another blessing for now, this time providing Jason with a stronger killing instinct. Iron: [B]6[/B] x 1.75 x (No Feat Applicable) = 10.5... [B]11 DMG[/B] Amy: [B]4[/B] x 1.75 x 1.5(Specter) = 10.5... [B]11 DMG[/B] Two more shots rang out; the mercenary and the sniper happened to choose the same target. His body hit the floor like a statue. "[Fucking shit, we're done, we're fucked, let's go!]" The same voice cried out. The remaining kanads had finally broken and were now attempting a retreat. The four of them faced the few of their opponents that were blocking the exit and charged. Kanads 7-9, 11: CH Estimate: 1/5 + 1/5 + 1/5 + 1/5 = 4/5 Actual: 2 [B]Roll Passed.[/B] They broke into a mad dash toward the hangar door, where Orso and the other Boome had just stepped aside to allow Yanim and Ravis to pass, and weren't able to fire before the kanads arrived and forced themselves through the same gap. Out on the ramp, Kyrskada looked over his shoulder to see the target, Yanim herself, spring past him along with an unknown lyra, and all four of his remaining soldiers apparently in a rout. "[Oh, stars damn this...]" he said, darkly. [I]Taylor, Valkyrie, Markus, Boome 2, and Orso: Actions Invalidated.[/I] [B]2.25 Turns Until the Reactor is Fixed.[/B]

Both Taylor and Valk noticed the Kanad's retreat, but only Taylor payed attention to Yanim jumping from cover and sprinting out into the snow. "Damnit." she said, moving herself out of cover and going after them. "We have to protect Yanim! Defend her till she can get back inside!" she sounded off as she moved quickly towards the door. The cold air hit her again as she moved close, forcing her to shiver a bit. Fucking wonderful time to have to do stuff outside. She had only been wearing a muscle shirt and spats under the power armor, as she didn't have time to get dressed properly before combat started. She went prone at the door, opting to make herself as small of a target as possible in case reinforcements show up as they tried to get Yanim back inside. She looked over to see that three Boome Marines had entered, a sign that they did at least have SOME help here on the ground now. "Nice to see friendlies!" she said, before taking aim at the fleeing kanads outside and firing off a few shots. Meanwhile Valk bolted for the door, intending to chase after Yanim and the fleeing kanads. She drew her cutlass from her hip, now operating with a weapon in each hand, as she burst out down the ramp and into the snow. The first thing she spotted was what appeared to be the Kanad's sergeant, and Alex nearby with his sword drawn. And then Valk spoke. [I]"'EY, YOU SHORT GOBLIN LOOKIN' MOTHERFUCKER! SHITTY BOSS YOU MUST BE IF YOUR MEN TURNED INTO A BUNCH OF [B]PUSSIES[/B] WHEN THE HEAT IS ON! BETTER TURN TAIL AND JOIN THEM BEFORE I [B]RIP YOUR GODDAMN HEAD OFF AND PISS DOWN YOUR FUCKIN' THROAT.[/B]"[/I]

János had noticed another kanad, hunched over one of his buddies, doing something. He quickly aimed and fired at him, killing him on the spot. However, after gunning him down, he heard an odd whine. He didn't know where it was coming from, and whilst he wanted to try and figure it out, he knew he had to concentrate on pushing back the kanads. During the final push back against the kanads, János went under in order to reload his MAWS, but before he knew it, the whine was gone, Yanim and Ravis had left the ship, and the kanads were retreating. By the time he finished reloading, the battlefield had changed completely. János was smiling at first, if only because they finally pushed the kanads back, but his smile disappeared as he noticed folks at the door. He rushed over to the door, pushing a crate nearby to serve as cover and to place his machine gun on. "What's happening now?" he asked those at the door.

The trick didn't work. Disappointed, Moloch cursed under his breath at his failure to force the Kanads to have visions. Despite that, they were on the run now, retreating outside and away from the crew after suffering too many casualties. Something went right, at least. But after catching up with some other members of the crew who were now exiting the hangar, he caught a glimpse of what Alex had been up to this entire battle. It appears he was wrestling, or at least [I]attempting [/I]to wrestle, a Kanad with a damned plasma sword. This clearly didn't look like it was going in Alex's favor, so he thought he might try to even the odds a little the Artisynth way, by making the odds so unbalanced for the Kanad. One hand glowing brightly red pointed at Alex, he raised it and slowly closed and tightened it into a fist. He wanted to make Alex's next strike very, very deadly. With the other hand pointed towards the Kanad, he closed it tightly into a fist again, but lowered his arm so it pointed towards the floor. He's decided to try the afflict the Kanad with a palsy, forcing him to stay still as he takes the full force of Alex's next attack. (( Boosting Alex's ATK here, rolling to briefly paralyze Kyrskada. ))

Valkyrie: CH Estimate: 1/3 [B]Actual: 3[/B] Roll Passed. Kyrskada was already angry from Alex's interference. It took a strong resolve to regain his composure, which was tested again by the retreat of his underlings. Valkyrie's unrestrained vulgarity, however, was one insult too far. Kyrskada was a prideful man, an expert swordsman, and a professional soldier. He was dead tired of these amateurs wielding [I]sticks[/I] challenging him to fights. He was going to make a statement. Kyrskada: CH Estimate: 1/3 x 2(Malevolence) = 2/3 [B]Actual: 2[/B] Roll Passed. "I have no time for you, you pixie-looking harpy!" He screamed, launching himself at her with a flying swing. Valkyrie raised her saber in defense, but that's [I]exactly[/I] what Kyrskada was counting on. When the jet stream of plasma hit the high-frequency blade of Val's saber, the heat cut right through the metal and left it nothing but an electrified stump of its former self, and with the remaining power of his swing, he forced the pseudo blade down on Valkyrie's shoulder. Kyrskada: [B]5[/B] + Bladedance(CH1/2, 2, Passed, [B]8[/B]) + Bladedance(CH4/5, 1, Failed) = 13 Valkyrie: DEF Roll = 3 [B]10 DMG[/B] Valkyrie HP: 135/125(Nanosurgeon) She shouted and jumped back, getting lucky in that the wound wasn't very deep. "You are [I]not[/I] my equal! None of you are," the sergeant yelled, waving his plasma saber wildly in a shower of sparks as he faced Alex and the others who had gathered around him. "I dare you! I fucking dare you, come at me again! I have a job to do, you swine!" Shots rang out over their heads as Taylor fired on the retreating troopers. Taylor: {3, 5, 3, 5} x 1.25(Machinist) = {3.75... [B]4[/B], 6.25... [B]6[/B], 3.75... [B]4[/B], 6.25... [B]6[/B]} Moloch: CH Estimate: 3/5 [B]Actual: 2[/B] Roll Failed. Many of the shots were off target, but the pinging sound of bullets against armor reminded Kyrskada of the danger his unit was still in. He turned to chase, but felt a constriction in his legs, his whole body locking up briefly as a psychological attack gripped him. "Bah!" he yelled, breaking loose. Moloch succeeded in raising Alex's attack power, but before the latter could stop him, Kyrskada ran off into the void. --- Captain Vixe and her escorts trudged through the snow, with Kovar Vor'Pangn, the sensory officer, using a tablet-like device to scan the path ahead. "[Kyrskada, what is your location?]" Vixe asked as she struggled. Unlike the four armored marines that accompanied them, the two bridge officers were only wearing their Batakya uniforms, outfitted here and there with whatever winter warfare equipment they could scrounge together on short notice. She flicked the side of her goggle defrosters, dissatisfied with their functionality. "[My team is on a tear to the south, badly wounded, all of them... I'm right behind them, I had to stay behind and fend off some of the attackers. The target has also moved south... reasons unclear...]" His words were stilted, coming between gasps for air as he was becoming fatigued from fighting and running. "Ryakir just told me reinforcements are coming. How many do you have?]" "[Kovar and my security detail are here, that makes six of us,]" Vixe answered. "[...Kovar, where are we now?]" Vixe asked as they came to a stop, unable to see anything around them. "[The enemy ship is to our north, Captain. If we stop here, then we could rendezvous with Sergeant Kyrskada- wait, Captain, I see something!]" "[What is it? Is it hostile?]" Vixe demanded, readying her VRI pistol. Kovar shook his head as he trotted over to the heat signature on his tablet. There, already half-buried in the snow, was Arkadam. "[What the..?]" Kovar said, rolling Arkadam over. "[Who the hell is this?]" Kovar wiped the melted water droplets off his goggles and examined his discovery. Arkadam's eyes appeared sunken and his tongue was swollen and hanging from his mouth. He was slightly and weakly convulsing. "[He's been gassed, Captain.]" "[Get the antidote ready, then,]" Vixe spat. "[I don't know how he ended up all the way out here. Was the gas used properly?]" While Kovar injected an antitoxin agent into Arkadam's bloodstream, the marine guards took up watch around the body. "[Sergeant, how many of the enemy were poisoned by the gas?]" "[...what gas?]" Kyrskada replied through the comms. Vixe paused for a moment. Just what was happening, anyway? Arkadam suddenly clinched, coughing and gasping for air as the swelling in his mouth and throat subsided. Only half conscious, he couldn't immediately remember how he had ended up outside the ship. Seeing a Black Fleet officer staring him down was an unwelcome sight, regardless. "Kha... ahk... kheeeeh" he wheezed, unable to say anything intelligible. "[Relax, you're out of this fight,]" Kovar said, plainly. He picked up the Type-1 carbine resting at Arkadam's side and investigated it. "Li- Ley-on Wahr Amwary," he enunciated, trying to make sense of the English inscription on the receiver. It wasn't any name he was familiar with. "[What's your name, merc?]" Arkadam: CH Estimate: 4/5 [B]Actual: 2[/B] Roll Passed. Arkadam spat in Kovar's face. "[Fine, have it your way,]" Kovar said, any semblance of hospitality disappearing from his demeanor as he wiped the spit off his face. He stood up, jerking Arkadam off the ground and forcing his arm behind his back, allowing him to march his prisoner forward. "[This one doesn't want to talk, Captain. Won't even give me a name,]" he said as one of the marines picked the Type-1 off the ground. Another wandered a few meters away, kicking something metallic under the snow's surface. Dusting it off, he held it up to the group. "[Found the can. He must've carried it out himself. Bold move," he grumbled. "Akha..." Vixe groaned. "[In that case, the enemy is probably at full strength,]" she lamented. "[Can nothing just go [I]right?[/I]]" "[You... should... go,]" Arkadam finally spoke. "[Yanim... will... [I]kill[/I] you if she finds you.]" Vixe wheeled around. "[You know what I'm gonna do to your boss when we catch her!? I'm gonna put her in a cell in my brig, and then I'm gonna lace her drinking water with solvent and watch her teeth fall out! Kovar, where are the others!?]" Kovar, having his hands full with Arkadam already, tossed the tablet to the feet of one of the marines nearby. The latter scooped it up and fiddled with it briefly until he could see a heat signature in the void to the north. "[Something's coming, not one of ours!]" All of the marines immediately turned to face the threat, nearly forgetting about Arkadam in their highly nervous state. A figure appeared from the void: Ravis, shaking and terrified, stepped forward, clutching his old and battered survival rifle. He struck his [I]battle pose[/I] and practically screamed at them, "[H-Hand him o-over or I'll- I'll shoot!," his voice cracking as he made his demand. A moment passed as they watched him pull the charging handle on his gun, sending a few unspent rounds tumbling out of the receiver. They all burst out laughing, their disturbing cackles echoing far beyond the radius of their sight. "[Is this what we're supposed to be retreating from?]" Vixe taunted. She was suddenly grabbed from behind, an arm wrapped tightly around her neck while a pistol was pressed against the base of her skull. "Spaska," Yanim said. The marines all turned around, having been distracted beforehand. To their horror, their main target was now holding their captain hostage. Moments later, the four retreating kanads arrived from the north to find the disorderly situation. There was chaos. "[Don't shoot!]" "[Drop your weapons,]" "[I have him-]" "[Don't listen-] "[Kill her!]" Kyrskada arrived from the north. His bitter eyes widening as he realized what had happened. He pressed a button on his sabre and deactivated the blade. "[Everyone,]" his metallic voice sounded, "[...stay calm.]" "[I'm very calm,]" Yanim said, now that the chattering had subsided. Ravis, still nervous and shaking, stepped over to Arkadam even as the marines tracked him with their rifles. "Are you okay, sir?" he asked, quietly. "I'm fine," Arkadam droned as he slowly remembered what he had done. He felt less like a hero and more like a fool. "It was poison gas... nerve toxin, I think," he explained. "[We cured you,]" Vixe quickly interjected, having surmised the context of the question without understanding the words. "[And- and we would have done the same for all of you, yes! We brought lots of antidote. We aren't cruel people,]" she insisted, trying to build a case for herself. "Really now? Hyushya..." Yanim remarked. "[I could have sworn you were going to lace my drinking water with solvent. That sounds more like something I would do, doesn't it? After all, I'm the ruthless one, the terrorist, 'Bloody Fox,' correct? Isn't that why you've devoted this small army just to take me and kill my crew!?]" Vixe couldn't see Yanim's face, but her voice alone was enough to do away with any contempt Vixe still held for her opponents. She wasn't afraid of failure, or of losing accolades or promotions. For the first time, she was afraid of dying. "[Please...]" she said so quietly that only Yanim could hear. "[You win, please take your friend and let me go.]" --- The Orikodzek was approaching the battlefield again. The fires which had ravaged the ship before were finally put out, and the battleship's engineering team had fully restored weapons capabilities. "[Captain Vixe, what is the status of your mission? Has your team captured the target?]" Commodore Siyada stood by, waiting for a response. Instead, Ryakir Prazda, her first officer, answered the call. "[Commodore, the Captain has set out with a second ground team to relieve the first. They've apparently met heavy resistance.]" "[Understood,]" Siyada answered, even though the news was disconcerting. "[I have thirty-six marines at the ready. We'll land as soon as we can clear these damned mercenaries out of the air. Make sure the situation doesn't get out of hand in the meantime.]" "[Yes sir, we'll continue to monitor the situation and alert you if anything changes.]" "[Now then,]" Siyada said, leaning back in his chair. Let's see about knocking these Boomes out for good.]" The Orikodzek began its lock-on procedure, with enough fire power primed to destroy the Fang in one hit. [B]2 Turns Until the Reactor is Fixed.[/B]

This was it! Chemosh's chance to strike! The dropship was now in the air and he started creeping upon it like a snake preying on a rat before its eyes. As he locked on to the dropship, he noticed something appear on one of the monitors. It was the text that appeared before whenever he, as Frosty, activated his fighter. He didn't understand what it was before, but now he knows what it means. In the Artisynth dialect of Farsi, it read: [quote][B]HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN, MAY HE CAST THE FIRST STONE.[/B][/quote] He cackled as he fired a directed EMP blast at the dropship in order to disable it.

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