Taylor did just as she was told, searching for the subroutine Rask had pointed out. After a moment or two of searching, she found and activated it. Whatever they were planning, she hoped it worked. She looked over at Vakarus, and waited for him to finish his end of the task.
"Aww fuck.. where the hell am i?" A Sparrowhawk Soldier scans the room that he was in and sees the cell door in front of him
"Great. i'm in a cell in Voyak. If the Muramasa Crew is here... I wonder where the hell they are."
Vakarus followed the commands issued to him down to the detail. He nodded towards Taylor.
-----
Maddox cheered as the gunship went down. "Yeah! That's right kanad scum!"
He turned towards Jag. "Nice work Jag, didn't know that sanghvi had such good throwing arms."
Jag turned it's head swiftly to face Maddox's direction, giving him a simple nod of the head in response.
"Thank you, Team Leader Maddox but let's keep our eyes onto the skies. Kanads fighter pilots are, while arrogant, will make sure to correct any failures in the flock. Expect further retaliation from them soon."
Jag said while slowly diffing it's sight onto the polluted horizon above them.
"Ten-four on that." Said Maddox as he loaded another rocket and kneeled down.
He glanced at Hariim. "Any chance you could get me a secure line to Toothache?"
Once Taylor had punched in the command, the HUD projector warned that the shields had been boosted and long-range communications arrays had been configured for "mass broadcast." Vakarus deployed the missile pod on the upper-rear of the craft, armed, and fired the 9th missile, which raced out of the block and into the sky, short-range, before exploding over top of all the crafts in the local area, creating a massive EMP.
Vakarus:
CH Estimate: 7/10
[B]Actual: 4[/B]
Roll Passed.
The remaining fighters in the wing experienced a temporary blackout, forcing them to reboot their guidance systems at the same time the Cataract had managed to endure the pulse with its raised shields. Captain Sharpe couldn't have known what was coming, but Rask's warning was ominous enough that he was willing to take what little power was left and put it where it was needed. Then, the computer unleashed its broadcast, a variant of the Trojan virus Yanim had used against the Crimus years earlier.
CH Estimate: 3/5
[B]Actual: 5[/B]
Roll Passed.
[video=youtube;kbHHDnZLjKg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbHHDnZLjKg[/video]
A special display was projected onto the screen, indicating the telemetry data of each of the four enemy fighters along with a status indicator that each was receiving input from the Muramasa's computer. One by one, the fighters were reclassified from "enemy" to "friendly" on the screen as they began to fly in formation with the Muramasa. The voices of the four pilots once again intruded on the comm system, all trying to report a loss of control over their crafts while the bridge crew looked at each other in confusion.
Their voices were silenced as Rask took hold of the comm.
[quote]So, uh, did it work?[/quote]
"I think it might have," Owen replied.
[quote]Good to hear. Vakarus, use the combat flight log of the Cascade to mark the second fighter wing as the Muramasa's primary target. I know you're quite a ways away from them right now, but it'll help, keh. Trust me.[/quote]
As Vakarus did as he was asked, the fighters took off, one by one, screeching across the sky towards the area where Wilson and his Cascade dropship had shaken the other half of the force the Black Fleet had sent. With the viral program firmly in control, the now-rogue fighters began to assault their still-crippled opponents.
Fighter 1:
CH Estimate: 3/5
[B]Actual: 1[/B]
Roll Failed.
The pilot of the first fighter could only stare as his HUD displayed a targeting graphic marking his own comrade as an enemy. He couldn't communicate with anyone, and he couldn't eject. A rocket took flight in front of him and streaked toward the wobbling duck of a jet in front of him, and mercifully missed at the last moment thanks to the erratic flight pattern of its target.
Fighter 3:
CH Estimate: 3/5
[B]Actual: 3[/B]
Roll Passed.
The same drama was unfolding in the next fighter over. A target was acquired and subsequently fired upon. This time, the missile exploded directly on target and killed the pilot within. The burning wreck plunged into the city and impacted the roof of an old, tall building clad in brick; the implosion of its roof was followed by a pancaking collapse of the floors beneath, causing untold suffering for its occupants.
[B]Enemy Eliminated.[/B]
[quote][Friendly fire! Friendly fire! Stop shooting for the sake of the Collective-][/quote]
The pilots in the rogue crafts could hear the pleas from their compatriots but could do nothing about it. Another fighter locked on.
Fighter 4:
CH Estimate: 3/5
[B]Actual: 4[/B]
Roll Passed.
The rocket made short work of another fighter, its pilot ejecting in desperation and parachuting into Vohmdash.
[B]Enemy Neutralized.[/B]
The remaining three fighters in the unit could now see that there was nothing to do but fight back, when otherwise friendly fire would be enough of an offense to warrant court martial and execution. Despite his craft bucking wildly, one of the pilots desperately took aim at one of the already-smoking allied fighters and cursed under his breath.
Fighter 8:
CH Estimate: 1/3
[B]Actual: 1[/B]
Roll Failed.
The rocket fired off into the sky, having failed to even gain a lock. After a high arc, it exploded of its own accord to prevent killing civilians on the ground. Meanwhile, the last of the hijacked fighters gained a lock and yet another rocket was deployed.
Fighter 5:
CH Estimate: 3/5
[B]Actual: 2[/B]
Roll Failed.
The pilot within shielded her eyes as her craft attempted to kill a colleague, and only removed them when the HUD within buzzed a warning that the shot had missed the supposed "enemy." The other two fighters suffering from Hariim and Istasha's tampering now followed the lead of their comrade and took unlikely shots at their pursuers.
Fighter 9:
CH Estimate: 1/3
[B]Actual: 3[/B]
Roll Passed.
Having steadied herself for just enough, the Black Fleet pilot unleashed what proved to be a lethal attack. The rocket exploded just under the other jet's engines, causing the craft to go down in a ball of fire. The pilot within rode the craft all the way to the ground, unable to eject as it slammed into the city street.
[B]Enemy Eliminated.[/B]
[quote]Bastard humans, rah! He was patriot and friend![/quote]
Fighter 10:
CH Estimate: 1/3
[B]Actual: 1[/B]
Roll Failed.
The final pilot who had yet to fire did so, and once again the missile streaked off course, self-destructing just a few dozen meters from the ground and raining debris onto the rooftops. When all was said and done, six fighters remained in the sky, three from each fighter wing. Yovek HQ had finally registered what had happened and worked feverishly to develop a remedy for both groups before the hostile programming could cause both groups to destroy each other.
---
Rey was nearly boiling alive as he forced his body to continue working on the engines, trying to save what was left of the ship after the fighters had finally departed. With one last, herculean effort, he moved to jam the hoses back together for a temporary fix...
CH Estimate: 3/4
[B]Actual: 2[/B]
Roll Passed.
Staggering out of the hatch moments later, he collapsed into the hallway gasping for air. The lights in the tunnel grew brighter as everyone in the ship felt the thrust increase. The Cataract would not be wrecked today, after all the missions it's survived over the years. With the engineers aboard the Muramasa working to repair some of the damages left from the fighter attack, the two ships lumbered over the city en-route to the desert.
---
Quite suddenly, the rain which had made the highway so dangerous before began to dissipate. The final checkpoint was just ahead, and the rocky ground around was beginning to turn to sand. The crew could feel the wind change from the cool, damp air from the rains to a hot, arid wind. The goal was now within reach as they readied themselves for the final challenge.
((More details will come tomorrow, it's getting late and I need to sleep for class.))
---
The SS officer waited for a response from the prisoner, and, having received nothing, finally grew impatient. "Not a talker, huh?" he asked. "Maybe I should go first then. You can call me Major Yadahr; I'm second in command of operations in this sector and currently, your only chance for release. You're a mercenary, correct? And you've been rolling with the wrong sorts, the kind that attack our missile bases and sabotage our infrastructure? I think you're aware that coming to this planet was illegal, and further, you know that I'm within my right to kill you where you stand," Yadahr said, brandishing his pistol.
"So I ask again, prisoner: who are you and why have you come here?"
"The Name is Jason, Jason Bradley. I came here to find the Muramasa Crew" Jason Stands up and looks directly to the Officer and then looks at the VRI.
(((is it Major or Officer?)))
"Nice Gun.. May i Have it!" Jason launches a side sweep to knock of the guard.
((The VDI? I think you've mixed Espionage Wars with Starpath.))
(( the crossover only Vince McMahon can make happen ))
[QUOTE=Viper123_SWE;50934070]((The VDI? I think you've mixed Espionage Wars with Starpath.))[/QUOTE]
((The Thought never dies)
Hariim works to set up the secure line for Maddox, making triply sure that all communication is encrypted and as difficult to trace as possible. This is something he's done a million times before during his time in the SDF and beyond, but doesn't allow familiarity to give rise to slack.
[Long-ass post ahoy.]
The SISP Mars Division had called the SSOID HQ an hour ago. After a security camera in the city of Dust had triggered an alert for wanted terrorists Colonel Halon Burke the SISP had scrambled to respond. Realizing that SISP patrol cars and a squad of SERPU officers would not suffice, they had made the decision to bring the SSOID into the loop.
SSOID officials had deployed Specialist Dara Vega alongside a handpicked team of skilled agents and sent them off on a state-of-the-art shuttle capable of travelling to Mars within fortyfive minutes. While an impressive speed the ride had been all but pleasant and left the hardened team asking for it to end.
Once on the ground the Mars branch of SSOID had met up with the team and provided a pair of [url=https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71236376/Starpath%20RP/SSOID%20Support%20Jeep.jpg]SSOID support jeeps[/url] alongside a pair of modified SDF TIGER drones.
Now the team had left the safety of Krása, the capital of Mars, and were en route to the town of Dust roughly fifty kilometers away. Driving at a fast pace, the agents began their final checks.
Dara was, like the rest of her team, clad in standard-issue black SSOID fatigues with protective vests over. The vests was a special model made specifically for SSOID operatives and had a groin pad, deltoid pads, neck collar and dozens of utility and ammo pouches.
A integrated computer was positioned on the back behind a layer of a alloy-kevlar hybrid. This computer was linked to the tactical shades worn by all operatives which had a advanced HUD and comms system.
Unlike the rest of her team, Dara did not wear anything on her heard aside from the tactical shades and a earpiece with a microphone. Her dark hair was tied into a ponytail and she had a very focused look on her face.
The rest of her team wore balaclavas to conceal their identities and to protect from light shrapnel. Some even wore black baseball caps ontop.
As Dara loaded and holstered her micro-SMG, Agent Callahan pulled down his balaclava. "Hey Vega, you're not wearing a mask?"
Dara smirked and shook her head. "That's right agent. We want to capture the target alive and when we do I will be doing the talking. When that time comes a friendly face will do much better than a masked one."
Callahan grinned. "Noted." He pulled up his mask and glanced out the window. "So, are you going to run us through the op Vega?"
Vega nodded. "In a moment." She activated her tactical shades, watching as the HUD came to life. It updated the ammo counter and downloaded local data regarding weather and traffic. "Team, report."
One by one the agents reported in, stating that they were ready."
Satisfied, Vega opened up the command channel. "This is Wolf Actual to Command, we're ready for operation. How copy, over?"
[i]"Command to Wolf Actual, we read you loud and clear. SISP units are on hold and will await further orders. Officers still inside Dust has been ordered to stay low as to not spook Burke. Eagle Two-Six is on station and ready to assist when needed. You may commence your briefing. Good luck."[/i]
Vega nodded. "Acknowledged. Commencing briefing. Actual, out."
Dara, who was sitting in the backsite of the first car, glanced at Callahan before readying the briefing. "Alright team, prepare for briefing." The team stopped whatever they were doing and awaited their new orders.
Auto-driver systems kicked in, allowing the drivers to place their entire focus on the orders they were about to get.
New info began to appear on the shade HUD's as Vega walked through the operation.
"As you know we've been deployed to detain wanted terrorist Hakon Burke, self-proclaimed colonel and leader of the Lunar Children. Sol Navy are working hard to find out how he even got to Mars in the first place without being detected while some senior agents at the SSOID suspect that the unknown third-party responsible for the Terranos HQ attack may have smuggled him in.
Either way we're weapons free and if we cannot capture Burke we have clear orders to eliminate him."
The screens changed from a portait of Burke to a satellite overview of Dust. "This is a town called Dust. One of hundreds of mining communities here on Mars. Burke was spotted alongside some suspicious-looking men moving through the town central square.
Using both SSOID watchlists and old UGC intel we have managed to ID at least four of the men to be known Lunar Children sympathizers. These men are not priority targets and should be eliminated as soon as possible. We know for a fact based on previous interrogations that Lunar Children cell members know very little."
"As for the town itself it has a relatively small population of roughly three thousand people. The brass identified three high-value targets but judging by the amount of men Burke has at his disposal he will only be able to go for one target."
"What are the targets?" Asked Agent Vargas.
"Firs target is a small Sol Armybase. It's more or less a fort. Second target is a broadcasting station for the Sol News Network. Third target is a chemical plant which handles depleted fusion cores and nuclear reactors used on Sol Navy ships."
Vega paused. "The SSOID thinks that the third option is his primary target. Burke doesn't have the manpower to storm a base, ontop of that there's other military targets outside of Sol space which would be a hundred times easier to destroy. Based on his previous attacks it's unlikely he will go for the broadcasting station as well as Burke prefers to let his bobs speak for him. This leaves the third target with its supply of expended fusion cores and nuclear reactors, supplies he could easily turn into a dirty bomb."
Knowing that bomb of this size could easily bring down a SDF battlecruiser or erase an entire base from the map the team went silent. The pressure had just gone up.
"Questions?"
[video=youtube;A78UI4TWbSA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A78UI4TWbSA&list=PLstXdGXEYegfXGOvf4J1HfFEOmovWuIz-&index=25[/video]
The jeeps pulled up outside of the chemical plant. The gate had been opened using a plasma saw and a lone guard laid dead on the parking lot.
Knowing that time was of the essence the SSOID team dismounted quickly. The two TIGER units hopped off of the rear flatbed and onto the worn asphalt.
"TIGERs! Take point, search and destroy all secondary targets." Said Vega as she unholstered her micro-SMG.
Without further delay the TIGERs split up and used two other nearby doors to circle around. Vega and her team formed up and went through the main door and into the lobby.
Inside the lobby was a few benches, a vending machine and a lone desk. Two additional guards were slumped up againts the desk with dozens of holes going through their bodies.
"Be advised, hostiles may be armed with rapid-firing ballistic weapons or shotguns. Keep your distance."
Vega held up a hand, ordering the squad to fan out. Agents Daniels, Callahan and Valkov followed Vega while agents Vargas, Kadena, Larsen and Akuro went for another part of the room.
Vega slowly opened up a door marked as "CORRIDOR 1-B". Judging by one of the maps hanging on the lobby walls this specific corridor would take the team to the storage room.
As soon as she and the rest of her squad stepped in a masked figure clad in surplus military fatigues from the 20th century turned around. "They're here!" He yelled before opening up.
"We've made contact!" Yelled Vega as she ducked behind a nearby crate.
Callahan stood up and fired two salvos from his kinetic pump-action shotgun. "Vega! We need to take care of this guy before the rest of them can bail!"
Before Vega could say anything two additonal terrorists entered the corridor and took cover next to their friend before unleashing a hailstorm if bullets.
Vega cursed under her breath. "Daniels and Valkov! Flash on my mark." Vega looked at Callahan and nodded. Callahan grinned underneath his mask.
"Mark!"
Daniels and Valkov stood up and tossed one flashgrenade each before ducking once more. The grenades flew across the room and detonated with a loud bang, causing the terrorists to scream as they went temporarily blind and deaf.
Vega and Callahan got up and slowly walked forward while opening fire.
Confused and out of cover, the terrorists were mowed down by the approaching SSOID team. Vega began to sprint, securing the bodies. She glanced at Callahan.
"They're all KIA. Team, scratch three tangos."
Vega kicked away their weapons. "That leaves Burke and four more."
Pushing on, the team led by Vega entered the storage only for it to be empty. Loud footsteps echoed from another corridor.
Realizing that Burke and his men had grabbed what they came for Vega followed the sound. "Team! Burke and his men are heading towards the garage! Be advised, suspect may be in possession of volatile material!"
[i]"Team two, heading back to the cars."[/i] Said Vargas over the radio.
Callahan, Daniels and Valkov had a tough time keeping up with Vega who seemed to have gone into a adrenaline-fueled overdrive.
Vega continued to rush for the garage but stopped as soon as she stepped into the room.
A lone gunman stood in the open with a machinegun and laid down surpressing fire. Vega swore loudly. "TIGERs! Engage priority target!"
The gunman laughed as the recoil sent vibrations through his entire body. He then noticed a red dot at the very edge of his view and when he turned a salvo of kinetic fire tore through his body.
Vega and her team stepped out and were about to secure the area when a olive-colored rover rammed straight into the two TIGER units. The driver of the car was none other than Burke himself who smiled when he the car passed by Vega.
"Burke is in a car! Team two, knock him out!" Yelled Vega who opened fire while sprinting towards the garage doors.
With a loud bang Burke's car smashed through the doors and flew out onto the parking lot. Vargas and his team was about to open fire when a passenger in the front seat tossed out a pipebomb.
"Grenade!"
The pipebomb went off, sending one of the SSOID agents flying while the shockwave flipped one of the jeeps. The rest of the agents collapsed and were unable to fire.
"Daniels! Valkov! Stay with team two. Callahan, get on the LMG." Yelled Vega as she got in behind the drivers wheel on the second jeep. Callahan climbed up onto the flatbed and removed the safety from the kinetic LMG.
He banged his hand two times on the roof, prompting Vega to hit it.
The jeep left the parking lot at a high speed, kicking up dust as the tires started to spin.
Inhabitants of the town had to dodge out the way as a rover sped past them, followed by the SSOID jeep.
"Wolf Actual to Command! We're in pursuit of Burke, he's heading west out of Dust. How copy, over?"
[i]"We hear you Wolf Actual. Pursue and neutralize the target. Eagle Two-Six is inbound, over."[/i]
Vega grimaced. "Whatever Burke has planned it won't be good, see if you can knock out the rover Callahan."
Callahan nodded. "Copy, engaging." However before he could engage a second rover appeared from out of nowhere, colliding with the jeep with its side. Callahan's first salvo was sent flying up into the sky as the collision knocked him out of focus.
The driver of the second rover pulled up a SMG and fired on Callahan whom ducked right away. While unscathed, the high-caliber SMG fire had torn several holes through the LMG.
"Vega, the LMG is knocked out and I'm being surpressed!"
Dara wasted no time and returned the favor by ramming the secondary rover, forcing the driver to focus entirely on driving. He managed to regain focus just in time to avoid a large rock next to the road.
At this point Callahan had gotten up with his shotgun in hand. "Lights out!"
He fired once, sending dozens of tiny particles into the second rover. The driver was struck on multiple points with one projectile lodging itself into his brain. The man screamed and lost control of the rover which went off-road and crashed.
With the second rover down Vega returned her focus to Burke's rover infront of the jeep. Due to the distraction provided by Burke's backup, the Colonel had managed to gain quite the momentum.
At the same time the sound of advanced jet engines could be heard in the distance. Callahan glanced to the left and sighed with relief.
Approaching fast was a SDF Hawk VTOL in SSOID colors. [i]"This is Eagle Tow-Six to Wolf Actual. We're in position and ready to engage, just give us the word."[/i]
"Eagle Two-Six, do not engage the suspect with your nosegun. I need your door gunner to lay down surpressive fire infront of Burke's vehicle." Said Vega while observing the VTOL.
Inside the cockpit the co-pilot did a thumbs up.
[i]"Copy that, surpressive fire coming right up."[/i]
Suddenly the right-side troop door opened up, revealing two SSOID airmen. One of them was standing up while the second one was sitting down with a kinetic LMG in his lap.
[i]"Fire mission! Surpressive fire on marked target. Gunner, weapons free."[/i]
The gunner, who wore a helmet with a white skull painted on, nodded and pulled back the LMG's bolt. He aimed down and pulled the trigger.
As the projectiles went into the road infront of Burke's rover smaller dust clouds appeared. The olive green vehicle began to drive more eratically trying to avoid the LMG fire.
On the passenger side the window was once again lowered as one of Burke's men targeted the VTOL with a SMG.
[i]"This is Eagle Two-Six, we're taking small arms fire. Requesting permission to apply lethal force, over?"[/i] Said the co-pilot calmly as he observed the ballistic shots bouncing off of the armored cockpit.
Vega was about to decline the request when a supersonic shuttle of unknown model flew across the sky.
[i]"Command to Wolf Actual, SDF units are reporting that a unidentified shuttle have just made landfall. Based on it's timing and trajectory we believe the shuttle is here to evac Burke. It's your call but I suggest you wrap this one up fast before it's too late."[/i]
Vega's eyes went back and forth between the rover and the Hawk VTOL. She sighed.
"Copy that Command. Eagle Two-Six, lethal force authorized."
The airman standing up nodded and did a thumbs up. He tapped the gunner on the shoulder. [i]"Copy that Wolf Actual, lethal force authorized. Eagle Two-Six, going hot."[/i]
Once more the gunner aimed down his LMG only this time he wasn't aiming for the road. The passenger on the rover widened his eyes as the LMG fire started to tear holes throughout the car.
Out of sheer luck one of the projectiles hit the engine block while another caused one of the tires to explode in a loud bang. Burke struggled to keep the car on the road and finally lost control in a curve.
The rover flipped and tumbled off the road spinning through the air.
[i]"This is Eagle Two-Six, good effect on target. Touchdown confirmed."[/i] The Hawk began to circle the crashed vehicle while Callahan and Vega dismounted. They approached the vehicle slowly.
Vega swallowed as she slowly kneeled down with weapon in hand to check the passenger. A bloody face with a large chunk of the forehead and frontal skull missing met her with a blank expression. He was dead.
Meanwhile Callahan holstered his weapon. "Vega, this one's alive." Dara holstered her weapon as well and went around the vehicle where Callahan had dragged out the driver onto the sand.
Colonel Hakon Burke laid still on the warm sand. A shot had gone right through his chest and one of his arms was broken.
A pool of blood slowly expanded underneath as Vega kneeled down. She pulled out a device and stuck it into Burke's arm. Callahan raised an eyebrow. "Vega, what are you doing? We got him."
The device peeped and a red window was on the screen. Vega shook her head and handed it over to Callahand. "DNA - NO MATCH" was visible in bold letters on the screen.
Vega ran her fingers across the neck of Burke and found a small edge in the skin. She grabbed it and pulled, tearing off a highly advanced mask from the Burke impersonator. She looked at it and dropped it on the ground.
Callahan kneeled and picked up the mask. "This is not cheap equipment. This is SSOID-level infilitration gear."
In the horizon the supersonic shuttle took off and flew into the sky, evading a pair of SDF fighters simply by outrunning them.
Vega sighed. "Command, this is Wolf Actual. Primary suspect down. No-go on the ID. We were set up."
The Hawk VTOL landed nearby as a few dozen SISP squad cars arrived to cordon off the scene.
[i]"Roger that Wolf Actual. We figured as much. If you have a tablet, I suggest you take a look at it now. Command out."[/i]
Before Vega could even register what had been said Callahan and a SISP officer asked for her attention. In the hand of the SISP officer was a tablet showing the Sol News Network channel.
Only that there were no news on the screen.
-----
Burke grinned as the transmission went live. He looked up from the screen and to Lord Vexar Sword who sat in a golden throne with two Fists troopers on each side. Behind him was a wall with three banners.
Infront was a holo-recorder, which transmitted directly to the SNN feed.
"Greetings citizens of Sol." Said Vexar. "My name is Lord Vexar Sword. I don't expect you to recognize my name or my face, however, you should recognize these..." He said gesturing towards the banners.
One of the banners was that of the Fists of Sol while the other two were the banners of the Divinity Creed and the Lunar Children. Symbols which sent fear into every citizen of Sol.
"I am the leader of the Fists of Sol, a group you know nothing about. You see, there's some details of the Sol Unification which your leaders have worked hard to erase." Vexar stood up. "But you see, they failed. Unknown to them we have grown in the shadows. For decades we've thrived, making a profit of everything and anything."
He smiled. "And now we're finally ready. It is time for the Sol Government to pay for their crimes. Those who does not obey us, the United Sol Resistance, will perish. We will march into your precious capital and use force to reclaim what was once stolen from us. There is nothing you can do to stop us. For too long we've been forced to live as outcasts. No more."
Vexar put on his helmet. "Hear my words Sol, your time is over."
And just like that Lord Vexar Sword had sent a message for all of Sol to see. A message which started a new war.
"Hey, Hestia," Amelia spoke, "We should move Amy and Valk to the Muramasa, I've got my equipment there that should make their recovery go by even smoother. W-with your permission, of course."
((Mid-air?))
((I assume the movement happened before the mission started.))
[QUOTE=Viper123_SWE;50942627]((Mid-air?))[/QUOTE]
(( Oops ))
(( Idk throw them ))
"Oh wait... how about [i]after[/i] we land. Yep, sounds good."
A blanket of shame covers Amelia's face.
-snip-
((But Sega has already taken into account that there were members of the Muramasa crew onboard the Cataract. That's why some of the rolls have mentioned the danger for the "Muramasa crewmembers currently onboard the Cataract". It will be really confusing if people just retcon stuff a few pages later.))
[At this moment both ships are in the air, each thinking that the other ship has the 4 of them on board :v: ]
Meanwhile, elsewhere on a far away world on a far away part of the galaxy in an isolated system...
Frosty watches CoG's favorite animated TV show: [url=https://cdn.drawception.com/images/panels/2016/3-22/8btRRh4XNO-2.png]SpongeBomb ShiaPants.[/url]
((I'm really hating my commute and schedule right now. I go to class 5 days a week, sometimes for just an hour and sometimes for multiple classes spaced hours apart (with the longest being Wednesday, with a class beginning at 11:30AM and the other running from 6:00-8:40PM.) Can't make multiple trips because it's a 45 minute drive each way. On a separate note, to jugerbro, an officer is any rank at or above lieutenant, so Major Yadahr can still be called an officer.))
The guard grew excited at the mention of the Muramasa crew. While this mercenary might not be a member yet, the fact that he had been actively seeking the crew meant that he might have some useful information about its mission on Voyak. However, Jason immediately followed up his terse explanation by standing up in front of the guard, a move which accentuated the height difference between the human and his diminutive adversary, and telegraphed his next move with both a glance and a slightly cheesy one-liner. When Jason attempted to attack him, the guard was ready to parry him.
Jason:
CH Estimate: 1/4
[B]Actual: 1[/B]
Roll Failed.
Yadahr quickly and easily sidestepped the onslaught, and had a perfect opportunity to execute Jason by shooting him in the back of the head. Still, had to reign himself in- because Jason had mentioned the Muramasa, killing him would be a massive waste of potential intelligence gains. Instead, he opted for a complex counter-maneuver, whipping a set of handcuffs out of his belt and attempting to cuff Jason to the frame of his bunk.
Yadahr:
CH Estimate: 1/4 x 2(Malevolence) = 1/2
[B]Actual: 2[/B]
Roll Passed.
The kanad delivered a painful kick to the back of Jason's leg, forcing him to buckle, and throw his arms out for balance. The officer seized onto one of them and placed the cuff onto his wrist. Jason could hardly believe the speed at which the officer had managed to subdue him as he tugged on the chain now connecting him to the bed. The kanad took several steps away, breathing heavily not from exertion, but rather from adrenaline. "I need a nurse, Norwood," Yadahr said. The scientist who accompanied him to Jason's cell door nodded before trudging off to locate one.
"Now," Yadahr said. "Obviously, you've quite eager to meet your friends, but I am not done with you. And you're certainly not going to put your xeno hands on my VRI." He took it out of its holster once more, now that he was at a safe distance, and twirled it about on his finger. "It's a special edition '74, I wouldn't trade it for anything..." he rambled as they waited for the nurse to come. A moment later, another kanad entered the room with Norwood. For a moment, she and the Major discussed something in their native language before she opened a small box and pulled out a syringe and a vial of some slightly-opaque fluid.
"Are you afraid of needles?" Yadahr said with a sudden hint of glee. "This isn't meant for me," he added.
---
One of the hacked fighters was busy lining itself up to fire again at the sitting ducks of the second formation when the pilot inside decided to take decisive action, pulling a plasma pistol out of his shoulder holster and firing numerous shots into his own control console in hopes of killing his own machine before it could down another of his allies.
CH Estimate: 2/5
[B]Actual: 3[/B]
Roll Failed.
The blaster put a number of holes into the console and smoke quickly began to fill the cockpit. The ship then fired on its target anyway.
Fighter 3:
CH Estimate: 3/5
[B]Actual: 2[/B]
Roll Failed.
With a lucky bounce from his malfunctioning craft, the targeted pilot watched as another errant missile exploded in the sky behind him. It was at this moment that the control center at Yovek HQ was able to send a full-override command for a systems diagnostic based on data which was stored at the airbase and not on the individual fighters' computers. At last, Hariim's hack was rendered inactive. The pilots then bombarded their comrades, the ones beyond reach, in a synchronized attack.
Fighter 8 + Fighter 9 + Fighter 10:
CH Estimate: 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 = 3/4
[B]Actual: 4[/B]
Roll Passed.
The three pilots trapped in the zombie crafts were each liquidated by their comrades. One, whose craft was in the process of locking on to another when the fatal missile was launched, could be seen tearfully saluting her comrade through the canopy up to the last moment. For a time afterward, the final trio of three were silent as their jets cruised in circles above the city. They finally understood why the GKVR had made such a huge deal about this obscure mercenary team, and they wanted revenge.
---
The final checkpoint was within sight and, to the crew's amazement, it was abandoned. A few sandbags and concrete barriers marked where the enemy would have stood and awaited the charge, but there was nothing. Even the cars lining the edge of the highway were abandoned, as if efforts were made to collect the civilians and move them away. This made sense, given that the Black Fleet was planning on turning the road into the Iraqi Highway of Death, but it certainly didn't help crew morale.
Only when the crew took its eyes [I]off[/I] the sky did they realize what was coming. From the distance to their right, a machine was powering its way across the coarse desert sands- a long, slithering, machine on caterpillar tracks. It was a trackless train, filled with a mixture of soldiers from the UGC and troopers from the Batakya. It had machine guns and anti-aircraft missiles. It was clad in old, time-tested armor from the time when the rotting ahra-phi dominance over the planet was replaced violently by dead-end gohva populism. It spewed the darkest, most pungent and vile smoke the crew had ever known.
As the train powered across the roadway ahead, Toothache and Johannes were both forced to slam on their brakes as the machine crossed, blocking the path forward. As it did so, the hulk then turned into a long, sweeping left turn which tracked around the two trucks to the left, just as Johannes had instinctively shifted into reverse, the train crossed the road again, heading the opposite direction before the back half had even fully crossed the road the first time. It kept turning, until the crew was practically enclosed in the center of the giant armored train. It finally slowed to a halt, and a booming gohva voice echoed into the smog-saturated air from loudspeakers on the engine.
"Do not test us. We grow impatient with intruders."
The sight was so overwhelming that Hariim had forgotten that he was in the middle of setting up the secure comm.
CH Estimate: 4/5
[B]Actual: 3[/B]
Roll Passed.
There was now a private line of communication between the away team and Toothache which neither the Muramasa nor the enemy could listen in on. Toothache said slowly, and quite uncertainly:
[quote]If they shoot at my rig, everyone's gonna get blown to hell, thems included... Maybe, uh... Maybe you could tell 'em that...[/quote]
[B]Four Turns Until Air Strike.[/B]
[B]Four Turns Until Extraction.[/B]
[B]??? Turns Until All Hell Breaks Loose.[/B]
"The nerve! Major, looks like this ain't the last time we are going to meet, know would we?" Jason said trying to break the handcuff with no avail, then looks at the syringe.
"Is that Tranquilizer? not to be brash Major, But i would like to experience your death as painful as it gets." Jason said with a cocky smile
Maddox glanced at the others, uncertain what to do.
He stood up and spoke on a open channel. "Peacekeeper, the Kanads have you fooled. We're trying to save your planet. If you don't let us leave war will deal the final killing blow to this planet."
((I'm still trying to work out the kinks in my class schedule, and my brother is moving home so I've been busy helping him get his stuff moved over.))
The Major shrugged as Jason continued to taunt him. He turned to the nurse. "Schyechta," he said with a flippant tone, and the meaning was obvious - [I]stick him.[/I] With Yadahr keeping his pistol trained on Jason's head, the nurse cautiously approached the human and pulled his collar aside, preparing to plunge the needle into his neck.
---
Maddox wasn't sure how to proceed, but the situation was clearly calling for words, and not action. He tried for persuasion, but even he had his doubts. The forces allied against the away team were professional, volunteer armies, and would be unlikely to turn on one another at the behest of a criminal mercenary.
CH Estimate: 1/8
[B]Actual: 2[/B]
Roll Failed.
After a moment of silence, another voice on the open comm translated Maddox's words. A mixture of murmers, hearty chuckles, and derisive sneers rose from every direction. The sliding doors on each section of the train rolled open, revealing dozens and then hundreds of soldiers who, while keeping their guns pointed directly at the crew, began to disembark and approach from every angle. The voice on the loudspeaker boomed again.
"Lay down your weapons and surrender. We know your employer. Cooperation is the only answer."
[B]Three Turns Until Air Strike.[/B]
[B]Three Turns Until Extraction.[/B]
[B]??? Turns Until All Hell Breaks Loose.[/B]
Maddox looked at the team. His team. It wasn't going to end like this. He looked at each and every one of their faces. "Be ready."
He pulled up a detonator, it was a left-over manual detonator which had been connected to the N-X spidermines on the mission before.
He clicked and held down the trigger. A single red light marked the arming of the dead man's trigger.
Maddox pointed at the bombtruck while speaking on a open channel. "You will let us go now or I will detonate this bomb, and believe me, you don't want that!"
He looked at the UGC soldiers. "Back off now or get pulverized on this godforsaken rock! You have one minute!"
Hariim lets Maddox do his little suicidal thing, and instead goes searching for his own way to solve the problem facing them. He begins collating all the data he has on the events that've been transpiring to bring everyone here. While doing that, he starts putting out feelers into the networks and systems of the armed forces arrayed before him, reading unit IDs, tactical network software versions, chain of command, and parsing data and orders he can gather from all the hardware arrayed before him. He begins to form an image, to frame a narrative wherein the UGC army has indeed been made marionettes in a greater scheme.
Hariim also begins doing something else. Using the visual center of his brain, and the handy cybernetics attached to it, he begins making an explanatory video. A little ways into his efforts he makes use of Itasha's tech -which has been so wonderfully helpful- to improve his work.
The Kanads, the plot and wicked webs they've weaved. As much of the information as Hariim has or can pull from allied hardware, he puts together into one neat and tidy audio-visual package with a little text-only message attached: "Your enemy isn't your enemy, and neither are the mercs you're aiming at. War is a shitty thing, so let your boys [I]not[/I] fight one for just a little longer."
Hariim's video message doesn't betray any sensitive information of his crew or their employers. It is simply raw information, presented for the commander of the UGC forces to consider and be made aware of. Hariim knows that any kind of bias in the information would not bode well. Top brass don't like sob stories or appeals to their emotions. Once his little -hopefully informative and persuasive- masterpiece is done, Hariim sends it. The whole process only took a few moments for his enhanced greymatter to perform.
And, just in case, Hariim also starts making inroads to the train's computer systems. Just in case he has to pull a hat trick to save himself and his squad.
"Maddox?" Hariim says over comms. "That isn't the best idea. You look crazy, unreasonable, to them now. Desperate even. Let me do something."
Yuga was listening into to events unfolding on the trucks. If Maddox used this desperate tactic then the UGC could easily commit a few soldiers to a suicide bomber. But if they were led to believe that there was something of value on the trucks then they'd have to actually prevent him blowing up the trucks.
She used the teams open signal, one which she new was compromised by the enemy, "I'd advise you not to make this decision, Mr.Clarke. I must remind you that this data is of utmost importance and neither my contractor or your family will be terribly happy if something was to... happen to it."
Using Hariim's secure line she transmitted a short text message: [I]Showtime[/I].
On Markus' communicator there was a name included, Spalding.
She once again used the open comms, "Mr Spalding, secure the situation."
---
Markus looked at his communicator while he processed the information he had just got.
When his new name was called on the radio he met Maddox's gaze and gave him a wink.
He stood up on the flatbed and leaned with one foot up on the railing.
Markus squinted towards the spotlights being shone at them before shouting out.
"This old boy 'ere sure don' look like much to ya but if he says he's gonna blow ye all to kingdom come then ya can hop up and sit on that promise, mates. Things 'ave the potential of turnin' into a huge clusterfuck with spaghetti on top so before anyone does somethin' he might regret... lemme speak to who ever's in charge."
The enemy forces had the trucks completely surrounded, but hesitated as the away team began to deploy their last-resort options. Maddox, having seen his persuasion attempt fail completely, now relied on intimidation. Holding a detonator for all to see, he pledged to kill everyone unless he and his team were released, revealing at last the contents of the bomb truck. To the commanders within the train, this was unsurprising, and furthermore left little room for negotiation, if true. They couldn't afford to allow the Muramasa team to escape, especially not with a truck full of bombs. Who knows what they would do next? The commanders could not comply, no matter what. But even the best units cannot be controlled entirely by their commanders; it remained to be seen whether the threat of mutual destruction would halt the UGC and kanad forces.
CH Estimate: 1/4
[B]Actual: 4[/B]
Roll Passed.
Something overcame the enemy soldiers as they witnessed Maddox's intensity. Any notion of this being a bluff went right out the window, and, as the two groups stood staring each other down, the Peacekeepers found themselves unwilling to listen to their joint commanders' repetitive orders to advance. The Black Fleet troopers, on the other hand, could actually be heard arguing with their commanders about the risks involved, but with so many speaking at once, it was difficult to tell who was actually going to win in the tug-of-war. Difficult for everyone accept Hariim and Istasha, that is.
The two most tech-savvy members of the team once again joined forces, this time to assemble the 24th century equivalent of a Wikileaks dump for their adversaries to mull over. After tuning into the force's comms, they quickly identified the conflict between the enlisted squad leaders and the few officers aboard the train, and aimed their product at the former. The hope was to reinforce the troops' hesitations with actual mutinous attitudes. The narrative of the Muramasa's adventure so far was presented to them- the Collective's encroachment on neutral planets, the failed conspiracy to create a widespread famine, and the exploitation of the UGC and the neutral border zone planets as a front line of defense against the sanghvi, a rival state which only (currently) sought war with the kanads. They sent out the message and hoped for the best.
CH Estimate: 1/5 + 3/5(ingenuity) = 4/5
[B]Actual: 1[/B]
Roll Failed.
It was a good attempt, but as soon as the message began to play itself to its audience, those on the receiving end snapped out of their paralysis and realized that they were being manipulated. One by one, they disabled playback of the message while enemy techs suppressed its spread to anyone else. In other words, the enemy wasn't listening. They turned their attention to Markus, who was now standing with his foot on the railing, telling them that he wanted to speak to their chief commander.
This prompted an angry response from the soldiers, but they continued to keep their distance for fear that Maddox, who was still brandishing the detonator like a maniac, would release his thumb and kill everyone. The officers aboard the train heard his request and considered answering personally.
CH Estimate: 3/5
[B]Actual: 1[/B]
Roll Failed.
They sent their well-reasoned reply to a sergeant near the flatbed, whose white and red armor concealed his appearance. He nodded and answered them in a hushed and respectful manner before turning to the crew on the flatbed. He replied in a squawky, metallic voice, "go fuck yourselves, bandit scum. Our leaders have decided that you're chicken shit, and whatever you're on this planet to do, you're not willing to die for it." There was a murmur among the crowd of soldiers of general agreement. What little ground they had gained with Maddox's ploy was being eroded.
Up on the train, on top of one of the cars, a marksman positioned himself in radio silence, having received direct orders from the chief officers before climbing up and out of the hatch. Unlike his comrades from the batakya, he wasn't carrying a plasma rifle; instead, he had an air-powered rifle with a special use- after pulling back the bolt, he loaded in a dart primed with nerve toxin and took aim at Maddox.
CH Estimate: 3/7 x 2(Malevolence) = 6/7
[B]Actual: 7[/B]
Roll Passed.
Kanad Sniper: [B]6[/B] x 3(Malevolence) + 10(Numbers) = 28
Maddox: DEF Roll = 3
[B]25 DMG[/B]
Maddox HP: 151/156
The dart was silent and slammed into a weak point of Maddox's armor, pushing the needle through and deep into the muscle. Immediately, Maddox winced in pain, but this was followed by an agonizing wave of anxiety, sickness, and eventually, terror, as the bioweapon raced through his body. He genuinely feared dropping the detonator, but at the moment he lost all feeling in his hand, he realized that he was facing a very different problem: he couldn't move at all! The toxin had induced tetanus, and within seconds, and without any cause immediately clear to the crew, his body had seized completely and he fell to the floor of the flatbed, stiff as a board, his hand grasping the detonator so tightly that it would be impossible to remove it, even while approaching [I]cardiac arrest[/I]. He needed medical attention immediately.
With the one obstacle keeping them from charging the flatbed finally removed, the entire hoard of enemy fighters charged the trucks at once, providing the crewmembers aboard only a split second to decide whether they would fight back or surrender. As they threw open the rear door of the bomb truck, they once again confirmed their suspicions, and so the officers aboard called off the air strike. Confusingly, they didn't receive a reply...
[B]Two Turns Until Air Strike.[/B]
[B]Two Turns Until Extraction.[/B]
[B]??? Turns Until All Hell Breaks Loose.[/B]
((Oh fuck.))
Markus slid down behind the railing and looked at the crew, "as usual, talkin' 'as got us fuck all so now we dance."
He looked up towards Jag, "If ya got any more o' them smokes, now'll be a good time to dump 'em all."
His focus changed to Hariim, Istasha and Porter, "Techies, can ya open up a gap in this here circle? because if ye can we'll be able to get right out o' dodge. Bigman I want ya to keep anyone stupid enough to come after us at bay."
He looked over to Maddox who lay stiff on the floor and then over to Mercy, "Would ya be a peach an' check on the statue o' liberty over there, luv?"
He returned to his crew, "If we can't make a run for it we don' drop the smokes, don' start shootin' an' drop our guns nice an' easy. I'm not planing to die on this rock, but if we see daylight an' can make a run for it, we'll go like all the fires o' hell was burnin our arses, ya got it?"
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