Tarsus para bellum

[dongriffiths]

Klaus:

A strained smile crosses his face as Klaus aims his Snub SMG directly at the suits face

[joertexas]

The 1188th vet nametag Boyard cries out in pain and lets go his grip on Prerna. Instinctively clapping a hand to his ruined eye he recoils screaming in pain "Dammit, I'm hit!" as he also rakes about offhanded (no doubt missing his usual tacvest rig) - possibly for his slung ACR.

Prerna draws her pistol, places it up to his head, and pulls the trigger twice.

[Tiglath]

Frank, Prerna and Klaus

Frank points Turners gun at the face of the man operating the winch.
"Stop the winch, and don't try anything stupid. If you do as you are told then you, and the rest of the crew, will walk away from this alive." he raises his voice: "The suit with the pistol, you have 10 seconds to slowly put it down, or you'll go the same way as the guy on the floor."

A strained smile crosses his face as Klaus aims his Snub SMG directly at the suits face

Prerna draws her pistol, places it up to his head, and pulls the trigger twice.

The winch operating purser stops doing... everything. Only near asphyxia forces him to instinctively breathe.

The crewman's chest mounted comm crackles "Are the soldiers loaded yet? Some damned inbred from the town's dinking a drone off the windshield! Prolly wants to "feed the skybird" - or sell us turnips! Strobing a message "Dey gammerer good-err vender tillbagger?!?" Just when will these local inbred 'tards not learn to use some known language? Fekkit... wait while I input that... closest is... "The old gods return?" Well that makes no damned fek sense at all! Wait, is that part of that mad Swordy shit we got that e brief on? The one that I paid you to take for me? Hurry up back there! Dammit! Never get out of the boat. Never get out of the boat… I got to remember: never get out of the boat".

The suit immediately throws her pistol to the deck - fortunately she appears to have neither loaded nor cocked it. Apparently transfixed by the terrifying approach of Klaus she yammers "Please... just... don't shoot me! I only went into the "Local Amelioration Programme" as a career move! I haven't executed anyone... personally... and I can barely use a pistol. Look, I failed the tactical course but then I slept with the instructor to make the grade - I'm not who you're after!" As Prerna shoots the flailing and, now cyclopean,1188th veteran through the head she quails and states "Oh... you... you're "them" aren't you?"

[joertexas]

Frank, Prerna and Klaus

The suit immediately throws her pistol to the deck - fortunately she appears to have neither loaded nor cocked it. Apparently transfixed by the terrifying approach of Klaus she yammers "Please... just... don't shoot me! I only went into the "Local Amelioration Programme" as a career move! I haven't executed anyone... personally... and I can barely use a pistol. Look, I failed the tactical course but then I slept with the instructor to make the grade - I'm not who you're after!" As Prerna shoots the flailing and, now cyclopean,1188th veteran through the head she quails and states "Oh... you... you're "them" aren't you?"

Prerna steps past the late merc and strides up to the woman, her pistol leveled squarely between her eyes. "I'm a pissed off Swordy, and I'm boosted to the eyeballs on psionic drugs. You do exactly what I say, or I'll rip out your ovaries through your navel. Turn around and go back to the cabin door. Open it only when I tell you, and you just might live though this."

[dongriffiths]

Klaus:

His smile changes into rather ugly smirk as he leans toward the suit

I'd do as she says, you don't want her to lose her temper

[shaidar]

Frank

"Lieutenant, have one of your men secure the winchman."

He looks at the terrified crewman "I apologise for Major Prerna, she can be a little excitable. If everyone behaves things don't need to get messy...er. How many passengers are there? Please don't lie, surprises make us jumpy."

He gets ready to move up behind Prerna.

[joertexas]

Frank

"Lieutenant, have one of you men secure the winchman."

He looks at the terrified crewman "I apologise for Major Prerna, she can be a little excitable. If everyone behaves things don't need to get messy...er. How many passengers are there? Please don't lie, surprises make us jumpy."

He gets ready to move up behind Prerna.

Prerna bares her teeth in an expression that no one would mistake for a smile.

[Tiglath]

Frank, Prerna and Klaus

Prerna steps past the late merc and strides up to the woman, her pistol leveled squarely between her eyes. "I'm a pissed off Swordy, and I'm boosted to the eyeballs on psionic drugs. You do exactly what I say, or I'll rip out your ovaries through your navel. Turn around and go back to the cabin door. Open it only when I tell you, and you just might live though this."

Prerna bares her teeth in an expression that no one would mistake for a smile.

His smile changes into rather ugly smirk as he leans toward the suit

I'd do as she says, you don't want her to lose her temper

The Corporate is surely intimidated by Klaus but it's Prerna's declaration, perhaps even more than her actions and her bloody smile, that seems to strike a (gastric) nerve within the "soulless suit".

Utterly terrified she blurts "Oh... oh... kekkit! You... you're... an escapee?!?"

It suddenly seems fortuitous that the "suit" chose the dark slacks for her shuttle ride today. She breaks down and alternately sobs and jabbers "I'll do whatever you want!" She wails "I'm cooperating!"

She gags and gasps then desperately turns to Frank to plead "Are you Colonel Cross? CorpInt says that... ah..." The pause while she mentally "translates" is, alas for her, just so readily visible "...that... you're a man of principles... and mercy". Then she gushes "The archeotech site has been a... problematic project - the whole computing architecture is... just... jinxed... Bizarre deaths... escapes..." she gags again "... and then... even more deaths!!!" Glancing fearfully at Prerna she wipes her mouth on her sleeve and states "Proto Swordies are... incredibly dangerous... and hyper violent... Pleeease... don't let her have meee!!!" She attempts to crawl across the deck to grasp Frank's legs.

Staring at Frank along the barrel of Turner's oversize chromed handcannon the shuttle crewman doesn't resist as he is zip cuffed, disarmed and forced to his knees by Ambrose. He fearfully counters "Er... I have no involvement in any of that fekked up shit and I also have a biometric crew key to all the hatches aboard which will continue to work unless I'm overly stressed. There are also ten non military passengers aboard - usual mix: techs, mechs an' the concert party". Frank notes that the crewman's pupils are oddly dilated as his prisoner continues "If it's OK with you I'd just like a dab from another patch - squeeze pocket on my suit. Keep's me mellow and stops my adrenaline spiking to trigger the anti hijack protocols which might easily cause... bad things to happen. Removing my Corporate Health Care Monitor might well do the same". Glancing at Prerna and the terrified "suit" he adds tremulously "Just some reassurance that I'm joining "the team that's going places" would be welcome...".

Meanwhile at the rear of the shuttle the rest of Klaus' squad climb aboard via the winch ropes and cargo net. Nimbly alighting next to Reda Sigesson T'lia doesn't break her smoldering study of Prerna to aside "Du kan se, hvad jeg ser i hende". The veteran nods in open and honest acknowledgement and adds "At se en valkyrie er som at stirre ind i en flamme".

Apols for all the edits...

...but certainly a post worth more than one read.

[joertexas]

Frank, Prerna and Klaus

She gags and gasps then desperately turns to Frank to plead "Are you Colonel Cross? CorpInt says that... ah..." The pause while she mentally "translates" is just so readily visible " ...that... you're a man of principles... and mercy". Then she gushes "The archeotech site has been a... problematic project - the whole computing architecture is... just... jinxed... Bizarre deaths... escapes..." she gags again "... and then... even more deaths!!!" Glancing fearfully at Prerna she wipes her mouth on her sleeve and states "Proto Swordies are... incredibly dangerous... and hyper violent... Pleeease... don't let her have meee!!!" She attempts to crawl across the deck to grasp Frank's legs.

Meanwhile at the rear of the shuttle the rest of Klaus' squad climb aboard via the winch ropes and cargo net. Nimbly alighting next to Reda Sigesson T'lia doesn't break her smoldering study of Prerna to aside "Du kan se, hvad jeg ser i hende". The veteran nods in open and honest acknowledgement and adds "At se en valkyrie er som at stirre ind i en flamme".

The combination of words and thoughts she's receiving makes Prerna blush to her hairline. She reaches down and grabs the woman by her collar, hauling her to her feet. "Oh, stand up. I'm not going to do anything to you unless you try to get me or my comrades killed. Now, walk over and get ready to open the door. And tell me your name, please."

[shaidar]

Frank

Frank lowers the gun and looks down at the crewman, and tries to give a look that is a bit more reassuring. "If you continue to assist us then no harm will come to you, you have my word. If you have an access key then you'll need to come with us." he looks at Ambrose "Check out this drug pouch of his and give him a dose if it looks legit."

He looks over to the woman as Prerna lifts her up.

"My, my, SuSAG has been busy. Yes, unlike Turner and Keening I have a moral compass, but that doesn't mean I won't do what I need to to protect my people if you give me a reason, I'll just regret it a little afterwards.."

He looks around at the team " Let's get moving, the longer we take the more suspicious the pilot will become. "

[joertexas]

Frank

He looks around at the team " Let's get moving, the longer we take the more suspicious the pilot will become. "

The Swordy's eyes glittered, and she smiled a touch too widely before she caught herself. "You heard the Colonel. Move." Prerna spun the young woman around and pointed her at the hatch. "Do you have a relative or a lover in there?"

[Tiglath]

Frank, Prerna and Klaus

The combination of words and thoughts she's receiving makes Prerna blush to her hairline. She reaches down and grabs the woman by her collar, hauling her to her feet. "Oh, stand up. I'm not going to do anything to you unless you try to get me or my comrades killed. Now, walk over and get ready to open the door. And tell me your name, please."

The Swordy's eyes glittered, and she smiled a touch too widely before she caught herself. "You heard the Colonel. Move." Prerna spun the young woman around and pointed her at the hatch. "Do you have a relative or a lover in there?"

The frightened "suit" turns to the hatch and immediately recoils from the bloody gobbets of viscera which now drip from the obscured lens of the portal's security monitor and blurts "Carter Burke, Achievement Delivery Coordinator, Local Amelioration Programme and no... but..." she hastily jabbers "...but I was in mid negotiation with one of the joy girls from "Wellbeing and Uplift" when our flight diverted to land here!"

Frank lowers the gun and looks down at the crewman, and tries to give a look that is a bit more reassuring. "If you continue to assist us then no harm will come to you, you have my word. If you have an access key then you'll need to come with us." he looks at Ambrose "Check out this drug pouch of his and give him a dose if it looks legit."

He looks around at the team " Let's get moving, the longer we take the more suspicious the pilot will become. "

Ambrose slaps a derm on the crewman's neck and then propelling the man forward by his collar says "Come on Merchie you're our key!" He propels the crewman towards the door which on his approach begins to cycle open. As it does Reda Sigesson marshals Klaus' "door kickers" who all shoulder their suppressed longarms and "stack up" on the door way. Switching to "unit Galanglic" he states "We will disarm and detain the ten passengers and keep passage to the bridge clear for those dealing with the flight crew". To his fellow "shooters" he adds "Be ready and take no chances but I don't think we'll find any within to oppose us". He laughs confidently as he cocks his SnubMG "You faithless Imperials don't see that we ride with the Wild Hunt! We are in company with the "choosers of the slain" and have witchcraft on our side!"

As the hatch fully opens the "door kickers" do what they do best. Troopers surge up the central aisle dominating the passengers and then move among the seats leave clear passage while a pair darts left and right of the door to give cover from each flank.

The "command group" are able to jog purposefully forward as the passengers are secured without a fight or overmuch commotion - a woman screams once and another suit manages "About time! Where's my damned drink you - ohhh! Here take my money! Those joy girls have creds!" Reda Sigesson calls over the Tac Comm "I count ten passengers secure. Repeat all ten secure". He then adds an exultant "Óðinn!!!"

The hatch to the bridge is gained in short order and cycles open as Ambrose shoves the crewman towards it. The pilot asks "What took so long loading the 1188th?" and then turns in his seat to look aft and says - nothing. His mouth works in a comically piscine manner until he finally manages "Glurk!" while raising his hands.

[joertexas]

Frank, Prerna and Klaus

The frightened "suit" turns to the hatch and immediately recoils from the bloody gobbets of viscera which now drip from the obscured lens of the portal's security monitor and blurts "Carter Burke, Achievement Delivery Coordinator, Local Amelioration Programme and no... but..." she hastily jabbers "...but I was in mid negotiation with one of the joy girls from "Wellbeing and Uplift" when our flight diverted to land here!"

The hatch to the bridge is gained in short order and cycles open as Ambrose shoves the crewman towards it. The pilot asks "What took so long loading the 1188th?" and then turns in his seat to look aft and says - nothing. His mouth works in a comically piscine manner until he finally manages "Glurk!" while raising his hands.

Prerna shoves Ms. Burke into a convenient seat as she charges forward. She points her pistol at the pilot's head. "Land now. Carefully."

[Tiglath]

Frank, Prerna and Klaus

Prerna shoves Ms. Burke into a convenient seat as she charges forward. She points her pistol at the pilot's head. "Land now. Carefully."

Suitably impressed by the weapons on display and more so by those bearing them the pilot very carefully transitions from the hover and sets the shuttle down in the vehicle park* on the edge of town (where you first arrived).

The passengers breakdown into:
another apparently intimidated "suit" (male)
four "clerks/corp wage drones" in corporate grey office wear
two technicians who wear SuSAG Tech Branch coveralls
three passably attractive young women instantly recognizable to soldiers who all have a certain "indoorsy" look about them.

While the "suit" and Ms. Burke carry their credentials in wallets the other six Corporate employees have ID tags on their workwear. The three young women have temporary guest passes clipped to their civilian clothing.

All crew and passengers are accounted for and secured by Klaus' team. A search of the rest of the vessel reveals only empty rooms marked as per the map and a very small engineering section on the top deck (unsurprisingly adjacent to the power plant and M drives mounted on the "roof" of the cargo bay).

* Shuttles being both winged and "big" small craft.

[joertexas]

Frank, Prerna and Klaus



All crew and passengers are accounted for and secured by Klaus' team. A search of the rest of the vessel reveals only empty rooms marked as per the map and a very small engineering section on the top deck (unsurprisingly adjacent to the power plant and M drives mounted on the "roof" of the cargo bay).

* Shuttles being both winged and "big" small craft.

Prerna hauls the pilot out of his seat and shoves him aft into one of the troopers' arms, and then she slips into the seat. "Do we need to take this back to the farm, or move it elsewhere?" As she talks, she goes through the comms panel, shutting down the transponder and the external data connections. She also runs the pre-departure checklist again to ensure that everything is properly set to go flying, and that the pilot didn't do anything dangerous. "T'Lia, are you checked out on these things, Sweetie?"

[shaidar]

Frank

Frank heads to the passenger area to address the prisoners.

"Ladies and gentlemen. You will be our guests for a few days and then you will be released unharmed. You will be treated fairly during this time. However, if you try to escape, attack any of my people, or cause any other trouble then things will get more uncomfortable for you all. This situation will be as easy as you make it."

[Tiglath]

Frank, Prerna and Klaus

Prerna hauls the pilot out of his seat and shoves him aft into one of the troopers' arms, and then she slips into the seat. "Do we need to take this back to the farm, or move it elsewhere?" As she talks, she goes through the comms panel, shutting down the transponder and the external data connections. She also runs the pre-departure checklist again to ensure that everything is properly set to go flying, and that the pilot didn't do anything dangerous. "T'Lia, are you checked out on these things, Sweetie?"

Frank notes that the prisoners seem entirely subdued and as a group wholly lacking much in the way of initiative.

T'lia seems to activate her "noble bearing" sufficiently to facilitate passage to the bridge through the press of armed mercs without having to push past people. Sliding lithely into the co-pilot's acceleration couch she's already speaking before her toned butt hits the seat "Standard Imperial mid tech shuttle with mixed passenger/cargo configuration. Yes, I am qualified on this type but if your question was about low intensity warfare hostage taking and "Trojan Horse" covert insertion strikes then I'd say that you have maybe an hour or less to decide on how to optimally leverage this asset before the inevitable Corporate Security responses deny certain offensive options. I'd of course have to deniably declare that information as little more than partially informed guess work".

Assuredly running ship system checks and re-calibrating her "seat" to pilot mode she deadpans with apparently cool coyness "It is indeed fortunate that my noble breeding prevents any obvious reaction to the frisson of being called "Sweetie" by a Chooser of the Slain".

[Tiglath]

Kit

With the battalion ready to move forward Kit will look at the battle map and quick compute how long it will take to get to the false peaked ridge of Spion Kop and estimate what he knows of the enemies position and make sure that he will have enough time to set-up be the enemy arrives. Assuming this is the case, he will say "Of course, we will need to revise the plan with more intel, but our initial plan is get to the kill spot of Spion Kop and we can plan to have the invisible Greys and get there and help in hiding our snipers. The Greys will have the job of guarding the snipers and being the reserve force if that is required. Have the two squads, one on each side of the road that we are expecting the enemy to come down and find a defensible position. This will be setting up a kill box for the lead part of the Son of the Star unit. We can then allow some our longer range weapons to be targeting the middle of the column. I want to keep the grav vehicles in reserve to be only used to handle the surprise /reserve attack from what I suspect is the 4th columns grav vehicles."

"Let us get started and get more intel!"

Valley_of_Tears.jpg (182.82 KiB) Viewed 137 times

The Merc grav vehicles settle into a fold in the rising terrain of Spion Kop. With the vehicles concealed there the command group move forward (and uphill) to reconnoitre with scouts pushing far beyond them to secure the terrain. The group arrives at position with a view demonstrating the position's command of the terrain below even from this false peak before the sunken ground which then rises behind them once more to make the true crest of the ridgeline known as Spion Kop.

Gaughan opines "Well, sir here's yer reverse slope. The best defensive position in a military sense - plenty of protection and a height advantage to the front and the option to move behind the ridgeline out of sight of enemy ground troops. If we dig in the lads can hold this all day against armour and infantry. Alternate firing positions for AT and energy weapons mind - if they're spotted they'll get way too much enemy attention. Set the mortar here too - they can dig in and fire out of the sunken ground and spot their own fall of shot from the false peak. If we're going to use the grav vehicles for fire support they can fire hull down from behind the false peak and change firing positions in cover and at will".

He looks out into the valley and rubs his chin "Sure tis a fine defensive position, sir, and the only real high ground between the river and the flat veldt and the farms beyond but ye'd have to be a bit of a mad auld fool to attack it so you would. Now, the Son of the Starfish is apparently that mad by all accounts but I'm not sure how we convince him to come here...".

Tactical Map (red dot is vantage point in the image).

Valley_of_Tears.jpg (182.82 KiB) Viewed 137 times

Note: In my daubing I've tried a mix of "old skool" sketch (brown) and contours (light blue) as belt and bracers attempts to depict the terrain which is a "U" shaped valley with a geological "trench" formed by a fold in the ground halfway up the ridge blocking the far end.

[joertexas]

Frank, Prerna and Klaus

Assuredly running ship system checks and re-calibrating her "seat" to pilot mode she deadpans with apparently cool coyness "It is indeed fortunate that my noble breeding prevents any obvious reaction to the frisson of being called "Sweetie" by a Chooser of the Slain".

Prerna snorts and shakes her head. "At my earliest opportunity, I am going to leave teeth marks on your noble ass. Your aircraft, please get us ready to lift off, as soon as we determine where we're going."

[shaidar]

Frank returns to the cockpit and asks Klaus to join them

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you on a job well done. I appreciate your help in rescuing my family. Lieutenant, please pass my thanks on to your squad. Now, this ship is a nice bonus, I'm sure the QSM will be very happy when she sees it. But to more immediate needs, no doubt there is extremely useful information in the navigation and comms system we should be looking to extract. However, there is perhaps something even more immediate we might do with it...if we can find a nearby target that a squad our size could easy engage if we can get inside. T'lia, are you aware of any such targets, or should we perhaps interrogate the afore-mentioned navigation system to see what it might reveal?"