CHAPTER 5 - Heads Or Tails

[JuanPerez]

June 7, 2189
Location: Outer Veil, Neroid Sector, Near Former Penal Labor Colony
Mission Time: 08:04:23
End-Of-Turn: 29.03.2019


Lt. Harper's voice came in ...

"Good job, Dawgs. Scout Squad, meet up with the rest of team, lest Cano and Greer. Private First Class Sarafian's vital signs show a minor injury. Morse, patch him up in a hurry. The captive mercs are to be disarmed and restrained. Sergeant Major Sykes, the next target is the mercenarie's ship. They must have heard the sounds of the gunfight and we have to hurry up, before they do something stupid with their ship's weapon's systems. Charge now and clear the ship out. Bishop will bring the APC into position to fire the electro magnetic pulse weapon, this will disrupt their electronic equipment long enough for you. Cano and Greer, cover the section's advance."

... as soon as she had finished, the APC's silhouette showed itself, and fired rapidly blue-colord laser beams from the top mounted canon, hitting the mercenary's ship and resulting in visible electronic discharges at the mercenary's ship.

<Tag Dawgs>

[Oliver Grisham]

Oliver advanced cautiously, smartgun trained on the merc's position, ready to fire if he exposed himself.

[Corporal Hicks]

Danny Sykes grinned with satisfaction as the tank exploded. "Yeah! Fuck you!" he shouted at the falling pieces of metal. He rolled the SADAR off his shoulder and left it behind. He ran back to PFC. Sarafian.

"Looks like you just won a medal, marine! I envy you!" he said with a grin as he investigated the wound. "Sergeant Morse, Sarafian is hit in the shoulder. He seems to be stable, over."
<Tag Sarafian/Morse>

"Corporal Pitt, secure the unconscious hostile, take him to Screaming Eagle."
<Tag Dirk Pitt>

"Honeysett, Grisham, prepare to enter the ship. On my signal, clear the entrance and move in."
<Tag Honeysett/Grisham>

As soon as Eagle and Pushkin caught up, he was going to order the attack. If everything went how he wanted, Morse and Sarafian would be able to take the tail as they cleared the enemy ship with the whole platoon.

[Morse]

As the area was secured Morse wasted no time in hurrying over to the Marine that was wounded. Of course his reaction would be that he was fine and that he could keep fighting without any real assistance, but Morse knew all too well about how that got people hurt. His own lack of caution had cost him quite a lot throughout the years, and every step he took was a constant reminder of that fact.

The lack of feeling in his leg that had been removed by a rebel mine made a clunking sound every time he hit the ground with it. Though the robotic replacement was covered up by his trousers, everyone knew that he had not entirely been the same, and he could only hide it so much. The burn scars, remnant cuts, and that leg were the every day ringing in his ear that you needed to take every situation and every wound seriously. Though he could not save everyone, or even most at times, doing his job would be enough. And today, just like when he'd first joined the Corps, his job was to patch up the hurt.

From his immediate assessment the wounded Sarafian was not in any mortal danger. His armor had absorbed the raw brunt of the force, and it did not appear the mercenaries were using the same explosive rounds that the Corps utilized as standard issue. If he had not been wearing his armor, and the mercs were using those, most if not all of his arm would have been blown apart.

"Shits lookin a bit wet." Morse commented on the blood stained arm of his uniform. He reached into his medkit. He'd only need the foam bandage. "This'll hurt." Morse announced.

SPPPLLLLLLLLRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

He dug the canister right up to the cut and a dark grey foam filled his wound like a rope of whipped cream. The pain would be quick, but the bandage would quickly anesthetize the area.

Morse then grabbed Sarafian's left hand. "Hold this, three minutes, then release. Morse ordered. "Then make sure your fingers are still workin' n' you'll be a solid seventy percent."

As he'd completed the treatment Morse placed the foam away. He was not the best medic in the world, but he knew how to get a stabilizing fix together that would be operable when they returned to ship... or maybe after a cryosleep.

Morse looked to assist Dirk with the captives once the mission was objective was completed.

<Tag Anyone
< Roll Medic

[Dirk Pitt]

"Corporal Pitt, secure the unconscious hostile, take him to Screaming Eagle."
<Tag Dirk Pitt>

“Roger that.” Dirk said as he moved in quickly.

Grabbing the unconscious man he bound his hands behind his back. Then a quick search he quickly took the mans weapons and any intel he could find.

“Ok shitbag, lets see what Screamingeagle has to say to you.” Dirk said as he dragged the man quickly away.

<roll for searching man>

[StConstantine]

"Shits lookin a bit wet." Morse commented on the blood stained arm of his uniform. He reached into his medkit. He'd only need the foam bandage. "This'll hurt." Morse announced.

Karl winced and gritted his teeth in pain, "damn doc, that sucked". Glancing over at the near crater left by his grenade "I'll make do with seventy percent, thanks for the assist"

[Corporal Hicks]

Sergeant Major Sykes watched as his men moved rapidly, following his orders. He was used to it by now, saying what he wanted and seeing it happen immediately and without question. He moved up beside Honeysett and Grisham, just outside the ship's entrance.

"Screaming Eagle, secure both captives and leave them there. Once they are stowed, move up in reserve."
<Tag Screaming Eagle>

"Corporal Pitt, Corporal Pushkin, move to my position immediately. Once the breach is established, follow them in!"
<Tag Pitt/Pushkin>

"Sergeant Morse, Private Sarafian, catch up as soon as possible. You will be in reserve with Eagle."
<Tag Morse/Sarafian>

"Sergeant Cano, Corporal Greer, keep your eyes open and make sure we don't get any surprises!"
<Tag Cano/Greer>

Danny looked Honeysett and Grisham in the eyes. "Ready?" As soon as he received confirmation, he cocked his grenade launcher and sent the explosive arcing toward the open door of the ship. "BREACH!!!"
<Tag Honeysett/Grisham>
(Roll: Grenade launcher)

[Apachetear]

Danny looked Honeysett and Grisham in the eyes. "Ready?" As soon as he received confirmation, he cocked his grenade launcher and sent the explosive arcing toward the open door of the ship. "BREACH!!!"
<Tag Honeysett/Grisham>
(Roll: Grenade launcher)

He didn't even think, he heard the words ready, and knew that he was.

As the grenade looped forward, he gave it three seconds, and then his boots were pounding over the ground. Heartbeat thundering in his ears. Three breaths in, two breaths out. He sprinted towards where the explosion would be.

The noise, the energy, it rolled over him. Vibrations shivering through him. He looked for the nearest cover as the smoke cleared.

It was a baseball slide towards it, his pulse rifle heald close to his chest.

It was a jarring impact as he made contact. He didn't have time to acknowledge it. He rose up, firing into the interior without aiming, his eyes looking for a target. As soon as he saw one he'd refocus and actually aim to kill. Right now the game was suppression.

<small arms fire/perception>

[JuanPerez]

June 7, 2189
Location: Outer Veil, Neroid Sector, Near Former Penal Labor Colony
Mission Time: 08:23:14
End-Of-Turn: 12.04.2019

<GM Section
<Allen Morse's Action: Roll Medic on Karl Sarafian -> Dice Roll: Morse Professional Level Skill -> Result: 3 success>
the dark grey foam filled the wound, it stung like wasp at first and hurt like hell afterwards, but did the job. The bleeding stopped. The wounded arm is "online" again.
>

Dirk Pitt dragged the unconscious merc to James Screaming Eagle and returned to the squad. After Sykes's signal, the troopers advanced towards the mercenary ship, Honeysett and Grisham taking point. Pushkin, Sykes, Pitt got the middle, while Morse and Sarafin watched the sixes. Taking advantage of the terrain's natural cover, they moved silently and steadily towards the ship. The nearer they came, the clearer they heard the sound of and saw the effects of electric discharges, running through the ship.

The Dawgs came close without encountering any resistance, as Sykes formed up the team. Cano and Greer copied their order.

The Breach
Honeysett and Grisham entered the ship's open hatch, after Sykes fired a grenade inside. The visibility was severly reduced, due to smoke and a small fire, that spread out over the floor.

Honeysett's Point Of View
While Honeysett took cover behind some overthrown lockers, he laid down supression fire without aiming. Visibility was poor. The ground was shaking steadily, but the vibrations diminished. As he paused for a second to take a look, he noticed movement at the far left corner of the room, behind a table.

Grisham's Point Of View
Following Honeysett's lead, he was a bit slower, thanks to the cumbersome weapon he brought to the show. He saw Honeysett charging inside the open hatch, taking a baseball player's approach, and soon afterwards the well-known sounds of a pulse rifle coming to life rang in his ears. The gyro mount system held the barrel steady, as he ran through the open hatch. There was vibration, rocking through the ship, but diminished, as he was inside. Visibility was poor, but the smartgun's automatic tracking system locked on a valid target, the barrel in Grisham's grip auto-aimed itself on a human-sized infrared-signature at the far right corner of the room.

<Tag Dawgs>

[Apachetear]

Eyes stung from the smoke but he didn't blink as he surveyed the room. The lockers he hid behind didn't feel like the sturdiest cover, it was all he had though.

He saw an upturned table, it made sense that this was being used by someone. He thought he saw movement, maybe hoped he saw movement, but it was enough!

He slung his pulse rifle, and grabbed his pistol. AP rounds loaded. The other hand pulled his 12" blade from its sheath. His fingers fit through the knuckle duster grip.

He waited for the smart gun to pause, and then he vaulted the locker. Firing AP rounds into the table, he intended to jump it and stab, beat or stomp whatever was behind it. There wasn't a buzz quite comparable to melee. The risk, and the reward, was the ultimate high stakes adrenaline rush.

<Roll pistol fire, Roll melee if applicable>

[BarbarianMathematics]

Corporal Nikolai Pushkin ran towards the position, keeping his head down and using natural cover wherever possible. The thick snow crunched under his feet and hindered his progress. He did his best to run lightly and not leave a clear track behind him, a habit from living in an arctic environment.

He witnessed the breach from a short distance and he stopped a short distance from Sergeant Major Sykes. He spoke softly to him in his thick Russian accent, "Sergeant Major, if you want use nerve gas, you throw into ventilation or life support system. It spread all over ship, works very well." He stood ready to enter on a signal from his superiors.
<Tag Sykes>

[JuanPerez]

<Honeysett's Point of View>

Honeysett vaulted over the lockers, running towards the table and firing ap rounds at it. Visibility being poor to say the least, so he did not realy have a target to aim at while running,
so he shot at different spots of the table, hoping to land a lucky punch. The armor piercing bullets sliced through like a hot knife through butter. He could not say, if he had hit someone or ... something.

Timing the jump perfectly, he jumped over the table and landed on the other side. The few frags of a second, that Honeysett needed for refocusing and situational assesment were enough time for a black boot, coming virtually out of nowhere, kicking his pistol out of hand. With a *clank* it landed on the floor a few meters away. The boot belonged to a black suited merc, who had crouched on the floor. The merc seems to be hurt, at least this comes to Honeysett's mind the way he holds his shoulder, while standing up.

Nevertheless he draws a combat knife out of its sheat and shouts something in chinese at him ... which gets translated into ... "Now you die, soldier scum"
<Tag Honeysett>

<Meanwhile outside of the ship>

Corporal Greer's voice came in over the helmet mikes ...

"Movement. Bottom side of the merc ships near the rear ending. Looks like an emergency hatch, getting opened. Oh look, who crawls there. Seems to be three guys wanting to leave the party. Ah .. and our friend with the cryo flame throwing style thing is one of them."
<Tag Dawgs>

[Apachetear]

<Honeysett's Point of View>The merc seems to be hurt, at least this comes to Honeysett's mind the way he holds his shoulder, while standing up.

Nevertheless he draws a combat knife out of its sheat and shouts something in chinese at him ... which gets translated into ... "Now you die, soldier scum"
<Tag Honeysett>

Hand burning with pain, the pistol scattered away.

He'd get it later, if he won this coin flip.

The merc was standing, and he was not. He was still in a crouch from landing over the table.

There was a milliseconds worth of thought process. He launched himself forward straight towards the merc. His sword was angled to slash across the thighs, just above the knees. His shoulder was hopefully going to hit the man's gut, driving the wind out of him, and tackling him to the floor, ready for him to punch and stab and head but and beat and bite and tear...

Everything in front of him seemed to be moving in half speed, while thousands of potential outcomes flashed through his mind at lightspeed...

[Oliver Grisham]

Oliver saw Honeysett disarmed by the mercenary and as Honeysett made his last ditch lunge at the enemy he knew that it would be too risky to use his smartgun on the grappling pair for fear of hitting Honeysett. "Slice him up good I will" he muttered drawing his combat knife and diving wildly towards the rucus seeking to plunge it into the mercenary before he could finish Honeysett.

[Morse]

Morse watched the rear. Though there was fighting to be done, the rear was still important. A single second could be the difference between the death of half the squad or the enemy attacking them. He would adjust fire if he had to but for the moment he knew that the others would be able to hand it. They were the best in the universe, and there was no way that they would be overtaken, not even by the mercenaries with a potential technological edge. Morse continued preparing to lay down fire on anything that may move up behind him, but if he needed to he could turn around and lay down fire in the direction of the ship. Though he was not excited at the prospect of entering it, they of course would and slaughter anything that got in their way once inside.

< Roll Awareness
< Tag Anyone