USCMRPG

Knight had successfully prevented the explosive decompression of the Devil Dawgs or their civilian consort. The enemies behind them may not have been so lucky.

The Marines reentered Engineering. It was eerie to hear their footsteps echoing on the metal floor in a complex that had been bustling with soldiers and police not twenty minutes previous. They searched for the lifeboats that Paulson had mentioned. The first set were all ejected, no doubt to evacuate the engineers and other crew that had been here recently. The second set of lifepods were more promising. Two had been fired, but two remained. Unfortunately, they had a maximum capacity of eight, and unlike the Heimlich there really was no room for any more.

“Civilians first. The rest of us will proceed to the hangar,” said Sergeant Major Sykes. Sixteen civilians filed into the lifepods, leaving behind some very apprehensive faces. The Colonial Governor attempted to climb aboard, but the Police Chief took his sleeve and pulled him back. “This station is our responsibility. We are the last off,” he said reproachfully. Another grateful civilian took the Governor’s spot. The doors sealed and the lifepods were off.

Henniger was hurt but fortunately the bullet had missed his femoral artery. Nevertheless, he could not walk unsupported. “Let’s get back to that elevator,” said the Sergeant Major.

Paulson watched the last escape pod depart with immense envy, he had really hoped there would have been space for all of them, bloody civilians.
we wasted a couple of seconds feeling sorry for himself before gathering his wits, he looked around and recognizing the huge fusion reactors asked "didn't we approach them from the aft last time we came from the hanger?"then pointing to bearing 180 ish said "that way"
Paulson grabbed his motion tracker again as was his habit and started sweeping, there had been xeno's in here last time they visited now would be a really bad time to get reacquainted with them.
<roll awareness>
<roll motion tracker>

Samantha helped the mother and her child she had helped board one of the lifeboats and the silent, tears falling down the grateful face of the mother as she looked at Sam with thanks was one that Hall would cherish forever....

Then she snapped out of it and turned back to the here and now....

Hearing Sykes give the order, she put a fresh clip into her Pulse Rifle, made sure to transfer all of her shotgun shells to Dmitri and looked at him and Tanya and nodded her head at their resilience and slapped them on the shoulder and just said; "You're both excellent Marines....we do our job, we get thru this and we look after each odder.....it's that simple." Then she let a grin break out on her face for a split second as she looked at Dmitri and said, 'Plus....your wife would torment me FOREVER if I let any 'ting happen to you....so, yeah....stay frosty mon". Then she put her 'game face' back on and walked over to Sykes and Morse.

"Second squad ready to go.....and I don't know about you two, but I'm about ready to get de hell outta dis place right about now", she said with a tired attempt at humor.

<Tag 2nd Squad>
<Tag Sykes and Morse>

Henniger's leg had given out on him. He wouldn't pretend he wasn't jealous of the civvies getting the hell off the station, but he would have hated leaving when his platoon made their way off together. The only problem was that now he was a burden.

"Hey Knight," he addressed the Android. "You mind lending me a Shoulder? I don't want to slow a trigger-puller down."

<tag Knight>

At Sam's crack about Oksana's eternal tormenting her should anything happen to him, Dmitri had to laugh--albeit one that was more a breathy snort than a full-on laugh. Oh yes, he knew how harsh Oksana could be and if there were a way for Oksana to haunt someone as ghost while still living ... well, Dmitri reckoned he'd experience with that too.

Enough woolgathering, he thought grimly. We're not out of the woods yet.

"Roger that, Sarge. When we get back, I'm buying you the first round." Recalled to the here and now, Dmitri merely accepted the shells from Sam and reloaded her shotgun to ensure he had the maximum the weapon could hold. Best to start full, rather than come up short.

While not being in the best shape, they had certainly been in much worse. The imminent feeling of impending doom was starting to lighten up without the blaring of alarms and the civilians getting to lifeboats. That made things easier, as watching civilians die was not good for anyone, and that tended to happen when they were escorted by Marines in a place that had xeonomorphs confirmed. Still they were not out, and they needed to get out asap.

"Aint got no desires for stayin' here myself." Morse replied to Sam. "So let's leave this metal and git back to a ship that'll get us to solid ground. Take second squad on point." Morse directed to Sam. "Paulson! Head with second on that tracker. Let us know what's up ahead. And if we get to that elevator n' its broke, you make it unbroke before the rest of us get there."

<Tag Sam and Paulson

Morse looked at Dmitri "You move with the droid n' blood bag. Keep to the center of our spindal. They may need help so attend as needed." Morse directed.

<Tag Dmitri

Looking over at the wounded Henniger. "We get in a firefight, you take your pistol n' you put bullets down some fuckers mouth. I need every barrel I got, legs are optional." Morse noted to the wounded Marine. Morse was missing a leg so he was quite familiar with that severe dizzying pain of being maimed, but he'd also been shot, and he'd be dead had Sam not pushed him out of the way of fire. Since Henniger was coherent, he was taking the calculated risk that he was sound enough in mind to at least put covering fire down range with a pistol.

<Tag Henniger

Henniger nodded to the NCO.

"Roger Sarge. I'm not out yet. Got two mags left for the M41, then I'll start jamming my sidearm down both mouths of those things."

<tag Morse>

"Yessir."

On hearing Morse change Sam's orders, Dmitri simply moved into his new position with the "blood bag" and "droid". He took a moment to sling Sam's shotgun across his back, the extra shells for which already stashed about his person in whatever pockets he could, and brought his beloved M41A rifle up. He was ready to move out.

Tanya was relieved to see that most of the civilians were getting out in the lifepods, but she was hoping to have left the station by now.

"You're both excellent Marines....we do our job, we get thru this and we look after each odder.....it's that simple."

Tanya was vainly wishing to be back on Earth with feet on solid ground. Despite her attempt to focus, images of trees and water flashed before her mind's eye. It was only after Samantha spoke to them that she shook free of the alluring mirages and returned to the present. It had been close to two years since she had been home, although she spent a good chunk of it in cryosleep. That is, up until the USS Shiloh had been struck by another ship, after which her life had spiraled out of control into a struggle for basic survival.

"Thank you, Sergeant. It is pleasure to work with you," Tanya said in her usual thick Ukrainian accent.
<Tag Samantha Hall>

"Roger that, Sarge. When we get back, I'm buying you the first round."

“I will hold you to this,” said the Ukrainian with mock seriousness, “But in honesty, what you two going to do when you get back home?” She was hoping to ease some of the fear and tension of the others, but also in herself. Talking about plans for when you get home was always a way to relieve tension. “Me, I miss Sevastopol. I miss sitting on hill and watching boats in harbor…” she said wistfully.
<Tag Dimitri/Samantha>

BarbarianMathematics wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:20 am
“I will hold you to this,” said the Ukrainian with mock seriousness, “But in honesty, what you two going to do when you get back home?” She was hoping to ease some of the fear and tension of the others, but also in herself. Talking about plans for when you get home was always a way to relieve tension. “Me, I miss Sevastopol. I miss sitting on hill and watching boats in harbor…” she said wistfully.
<Tag Dimitri/Samantha>

"Many things," Dmitri answered his Ukrainian squad mate. "But for now, it depends on Oksana." He checked his ammo counter on his rifle, a quick glance down, and said, "And let's not forget we have a small bit of unpleasantness between then and now."

He winked at Tanya then, figuring she'd appreciate the humor.


[TAG: Tanya, Sam]

With just 8 marines left Squad mechanics had shifted a little and Paulson found himself back on point with a member of what had been second squad, it really didn't matter a good marine was a good marine.
Paulson swept with his motion tracker again ever nervous about the xeno's they had met in engineering before, and began to move off towards the elevator they needed to use.
flamer in one hand motion tracker in the other Paulson made cautious progress toward their destination.
<roll motion tracker>
<roll awareness>