Tarsus para bellum

[gurusql]

Kit

Kit’s eyes are locked onto the hulking cargo ‘bot trundling forward, its reinforced frame illuminated by the dull industrial lighting. The distant whir of a crane’s on the track shifting along echoed above the space.

He turned to his unit, his voice sharp but controlled. "Weapons up! Light up those cargo ‘bots before they get too close—focus on the joints! But listen up—" he jabbed a finger toward the looming crane track, "we’re not standing in its damn path. Fall back in intervals, keep your spacing tight, and stay out of that crane’s way. If it moves, it’ll crush anything dumb enough to be under it."

"Freya if you have an wizardy to stop these golems it now would be a good time."

A volley of fire erupted as the squad followed his orders, the sharp cracks of gunfire blending with the heavy clanking of metal as rounds struck the approaching machines. Sparks flared where bullets bit into steel, but Kit was already stepping back, scanning the battlefield for the next move. "Keep moving! We give up ground, but we don’t give them an easy fight."

The cargo ‘bots, though durable, were slow—whether they were merely automated laborers or something repurposed for combat, Kit wasn’t about to take chances. The real danger was the crane. Its overhead track loomed like a guillotine waiting to drop.

[joertexas]

Prerna

He moves forward and roughly pushes the two fleeing noncombatants forward down the hallway to the east. "Run like the wolves are going to devour you!" he yells at them while prodding with his bayonet. Dzofin follows them in an attempt to continue flanking the enemy and pressing forward.

Prerna sends T'Lia a mental kiss, and then she turns her attention back to the battle. "Move east and secure the remaining escape pods." She places her team marker at the northeast side of the map and turns her team left and then right to keep moving eastward.

[helvorn]

Dzofin leaned his head back and let out a long and undulating howl that echoed through the plastic and steel of the passageways. "The scent of blood is in the air!" the panting Vargr replied in Gvegh. He began reloading as he scanned the area. "My hunt and that of the Fuernuzorg pack have diverged but I am no less of that blood than any." Dzofin's nostrils are flared as he takes in the smells of battle and blood. He turns as Prema appears but his ears flip forward as he recognizes an ally. "We must keep moving while the prey is scattered!"

He moves forward and roughly pushes the two fleeing noncombatants forward down the hallway to the east. "Run like the wolves are going to devour you!" he yells at them while prodding with his bayonet. Dzofin follows them in an attempt to continue flanking the enemy and pressing forward.

As he moves forward Dzofin gives his companion a measuring glance. As well he reloads with a standard HEAP magazine.

[shaidar]

Frank

Frank opens fire at the lone man this side of the bulkhead:

Gauss Rifle: [_2d6+4]=(6+5)=11+4=15, locn [1d8]=4, dmg [_2d6+6]=(1+6)=7+6=13

Gauss Rifle: [_2d6+4]=(4+1)=5+4=9, locn [1d8]=7, dmg [_2d6+6]=(3+1)=4+6=10

[joertexas]

As he moves forward Dzofin gives his companion a measuring glance. As well he reloads with a standard HEAP magazine.

Prerna gives him a nod and a tight-lipped smile.

[dongriffiths]

Klaus

Klaus will put fire into the the remaining security agent

"Guys get more grenades on the hostiles through in the next section"


Klaus shooting

[Tiglath]

Frank n' Klaus

(...make a "Frank n' Klausnfurter").

Klaus will put fire into the the remaining security agent

"Guys get more grenades on the hostiles through in the next section"

Klaus shooting

Frank opens fire at the lone man this side of the bulkhead:

Gauss Rifle: [_2d6+4]=(6+5)=11+4=15, locn [1d8]=4, dmg [_2d6+6]=(1+6)=7+6=13

Gauss Rifle: [_2d6+4]=(4+1)=5+4=9, locn [1d8]=7, dmg [_2d6+6]=(3+1)=4+6=10

Klaus raises his weapon as the SuSAG security trooper realizes he's too slow. The trooper screams "N-" then both Klaus and Frank mag dump him. Despite the catastrophic damage received and shattered limbs the SuSAG man's body seems temporarily suspended by the internal detonations of a most of a mag of HEAP rounds and the high velocity strikes of nearly all of a mag of gauss needles. As both shooters cease fire an unrecognizable thing no longer contained by its shredded vacc suit wetly impacts the deck.

From cover Naffo and Venner both prime grenades and, coordinating both their pitches and the detonation of their grenades to be near instantaneous, chorus "Frag out!"

From the airlock cries of "Wait! W-" and "Nooo!" are obliterated by the near immediate double detonation.

Weapons at the aim Ambrose and Bothai then drive forward into the wake of the grenades as Ambrose calls "Squirter!" followed immediately by "Headshot! K Kill! Clear!"

T'lia's voice replies "Team Klaus advance. Have you visual - corridor secure".

Ambrose answers "Much obliged, Ma'am".

She replies "Never a problem killing SUSAG scum, Corporal".

The North / South corridor containing escape pods) is secure so I'll need a new axis of advance for Team Klaus.

Frank is likewise free to re-orient

(OOC:

Frank hits him FIVE times, Klaus hits him FOUR times but with HEAP ammo (promoting LW to SW) = Soup!

Benchmark overkill! ).

[Tiglath]

All for Reference

Big map link: download/file.php?id=33555

Current area of operations for Frank, Klaus, Prerna, Dzofin & T'lia.

You are all collectively (but deployed at your discretion) in the left hand north/South corridor.

Dzofin, prodding two panicked crew, is in the upper East / West corridor marked "ENGINEERING". (At about the "E" of "ENGINEERING".

Screenshot 2025-02-16 232649.png (148.17 KiB) Viewed 795 times

[Tiglath]

Prerna, Dzofin & T'lia (and see above post)

Prerna greets her lover and sees Dzofin prod two SuSAG Rond Facility crew people down a lateral East/West corridor which opens into a deserted crew station area. She further notes T'lia to her south taking aim down the corridor but waving the Scout Sniper troopers on to pass behind her hand signalling "Secure / Contained Threat". As her squad transits to new positions a SuSAG trooper dashes out into the corridor from the southern airlock. T'lia drops him with a three round burst through the visor of his vacc suit and then breaks her aim. Two of Klaus' team have a "tactical look" then emerge to give a friendly wave northwards as they re-deploy.

Dzofin finds himself in the expected East / West corridor which expands into what might be an auxiliary Bridge or Engineering control room. The point is moot for in tactical terms its interest end at "unoccupied".

Assuming per your last that Prerna is going to funnel her team along "ENGINEERING"?

[helvorn]

Dzofin will continue to snap at the heels of the two fleeing crew using his bayonet as motivation. Seeing that the area is unoccupied he growls at the crew. "Continue through the door ahead and go to the left if you want to live. My teammates want to just frag you but I will allow you to serve me." He will continue east.

[joertexas]

Prerna, Dzofin & T'lia (and see above post)

Assuming per your last that Prerna is going to funnel her team along "ENGINEERING"?

Correct.

[Tiglath]

Kit

Kit’s eyes are locked onto the hulking cargo ‘bot trundling forward, its reinforced frame illuminated by the dull industrial lighting. The distant whir of a crane’s on the track shifting along echoed above the space.

He turned to his unit, his voice sharp but controlled. "Weapons up! Light up those cargo ‘bots before they get too close—focus on the joints! But listen up—" he jabbed a finger toward the looming crane track, "we’re not standing in its damn path. Fall back in intervals, keep your spacing tight, and stay out of that crane’s way. If it moves, it’ll crush anything dumb enough to be under it."

"Freya if you have an wizardy to stop these golems it now would be a good time."

A volley of fire erupted as the squad followed his orders, the sharp cracks of gunfire blending with the heavy clanking of metal as rounds struck the approaching machines. Sparks flared where bullets bit into steel, but Kit was already stepping back, scanning the battlefield for the next move. "Keep moving! We give up ground, but we don’t give them an easy fight."

The cargo ‘bots, though durable, were slow—whether they were merely automated laborers or something repurposed for combat, Kit wasn’t about to take chances. The real danger was the crane. Its overhead track loomed like a guillotine waiting to drop.

Kit notes that his squad, encumbered as they are by the mission's breaching charges and tactical ammo resupply, are less agile than they might be. Nevertheless, and per his observation, they can out manoeuvre the sluggish cargo bots if they maintain the current separation and retain a fluid disposition. Across the squad's front discarding sabot ACR rounds chew into the civilian robots. He now counts five as threats. Then one, riddled with rounds from the squad SAW fired by the female underhive ganger Trooper Ink slews into a stack of pallets and continually butts against the stack of crates.

It seems his squad, as per Collace tradition, are ever "entrepreneurial" as regards mission brief. Corporal Able reaches over his shoulder for a tube secured over the top of his bergen. Extending it to twice its length he checks his rear as per SOP shouting " 'Aris* clear!" and then " 'Ave it!" A cargo bot becomes burning scrap as he shouts "Armour threat! Nuts get the fekkin' "torch" up 'ere!"

Ditching his encumbering load of demo charges Nuts moves up with his PGMP as another squad member drags the explosives back into the secured quadrant before rejoining the firing line.

Kit now confirms his suspicion that the cargo crane is trying to drop standard Imperial cargo crates on his squad but is limited in application versus an uncooperative target.

However, the remaining three cargo bots close in and the threat of the crane is still live.

Kit muses that his Corporal is running his squad as per the non existent post of Sergeant and that possibly the SEMC deputy squad leaders might need either promotion... or at least a raise.

(OOC: Collace Trans Service:
Aristole = Bottle = Bottle and Glass = Arse (UK) Ass (US)

Able to Hit with LAW: 2d6 + 1: (4 + 3) + 1 = 8. Pen Overkill vs AC = K Kill).

[Tiglath]

Freya

Freya quickly works her way through the menus of the computer system until she find a tracking method for those in the base...



...and tags the people as targets for the intruders - quickly checking that Freddie's careful preparations for their defence aren't going to be needed.

Freya is reasonably sure she can track folk about the base when Freddy distractingly offers "Well, he looks quite put out all of a sudden!" He adds "Ma'am there's a cargo handlin' 'bot comin' our way an' he suddenly went from laid back to butch in about two seconds! Shall I shoot 'im... or was that you?"

Wasn't me - Shoot them!

Freya hears Freddy over their own link and can see him through her hangar control office window. So she sees him move out of the air lock into the hangar and shoulder a LAW clearly aiming at something beyond. Freddy mutters "Hello sailor! My look at the size of you!" He then exclaims "Bollocks - I missed!" Pulling back into the air lock he reports "You can now officially upgrade big boy's "put out" to "miffed". Comin' this way in such a determined manner that I'd be delighted if only 'e 'ad a rose between 'is teeth but I reckon this cargo 'bot has far too much Roman and not enough Greek in his programming...".

From her office Freya can hear Freddy steadily putting aimed bursts into the approaching cargo bot.

Meanwhile through her computer control of "Flight/Hangar Ops" Freya is aware that escape pods in the Executive section are being prepped for launch. From her recollection of ship procedure protocols she knows that "Hangar Ops" has an override on any such launch (the ultimate argument being control of the outer hull doors).

She also notices that personnel identifiers of key individuals are being serially deleted at a speed suggesting manual interface from her system's recognition. However she notes that significant among the deletions are: Local Deputy Director Drace Keening Schunamann und Sohn AG, Corporate Assistants Wint and Kidd and even Sergeant Major Turner 1188th who isn't yet placed onboard. There are three other onboard deletions flagged 1188th. As the data piles of the Rond facility seem to visibly immolate before her eyes she wonders if she's watching a brutally efficient but messy "bonfire of dirty laundry".

From her knowledge of "far too much" she believes that such an actively destructive and prosecutorial program is the surely the near legendary application known as Thermite and, if "snapshotted" in action, might be a lead to study for scientific acknowledgement... and experimental replication per proof of concept... and therefore weaponisation.

Freya could delve further but there seems to be an incoming... murder 'bot.

(OOC: EDU check: bad girl to roll against!

Freya knows these things:

The very concept of Thermite is but a "thought experiment" shared only amongst super high level intellectuals.

Possession of the Thermite program is an Imperial High crime.

Knowledge of the Thermite program is an Imperial High crime.

But you'd have to be...

OK, it's weirdly yet cynically self limiting... or it's just not!

However, inbound death machine heading your way... )

[shaidar]

Frank

"Lieutenant Arnholdt, would you like to clear Sensor Ops while I clear the lounge? I would appreciate assistance from one of your unit, your choice."

[gurusql]

Kit

Kit seeing that his men are defending themselves well against the 'bots will urge them to continue.

If Kit can see a terminal, knowing that wizard is trying to stop the golem he will try and get the crane to disarm itself by dropping its payload on the 'bots. If not he will join in opening fire.

Electronics Skill [_2d6+1]=(5+5)=10+1=11
Computer (Computer-2 +2, Int B +1) [_2d6+3]=(3+3)=6+3=9
Tactics (Tactics-2 +2, Int B +1) [_2d6+3]=(6+4)=10+3=13
Leadership -2, B INT [_2d6+3]=(3+2)=5+3=8

[dongriffiths]

Frank

"Lieutenant Arnholdt, would you like to clear Sensor Ops while I clear the lounge? I would appreciate assistance from one of your unit, your choice."

Klaus

"Venner, Nilsson, Ignis assist taking the lounge. The rest of you with me into Sensor Ops, try not to trash the equipment."

[Tiglath]

Frank

Klaus' "door kickers" stack on Frank at the door to the Lounge Area. Stacked as they are the senior NCOs and Colonel are under tactical control of Marine Sgt Jubal Ignis who apparently used to play some football. As Assault Commander and Breacher he delivers a terse Tac Brief and orders "Fuk 'em in the ass. Set, hut" and demolishes the doorlock with HEAP rounds from his SnubMG. Frank then kicks the shattered door partially open allowing Nilsson to hurl in his grenade. The short fused grenade detonates and Luc Venner gives Frank two affirmitive slaps on the shoulder and roars "Alors!" Frank kicks the door open. There is now no option but to move in with "violence of action". His immediate tactical appreciation is of a staggering SuSAG security man and another collapsed in a kneeling firing position ahead of him. Both are immediately hit by gauss rifle fire from Venner and Nilsson and cease any further action. Venner calls "Clear left" as crewman opens the second door on the right and just sighs and sags as Nilsson puts a silent burst of gauss needles center mass. From behind him Frank hears the buckling of another door and a bewildered "S'not my shift!" followed by the dull bumping sound of a frag on carpet and "F-" and an explosion. Ignis yells "Clear right! Move, move!"

Ahead of him and as his immediate sight picture Frank sees a possibly dazed but armed female crew member (snub pistol, off target) who unfocussedly screams then raises her eyes to meet his gaze. He sees three more crew with their hands raised beyond her and no one else in the compartment/quadrant from his now mid lounge (but necessarily restricted) view point.

Per map directly under the U and N of LOUNGE.

[Tiglath]

Klaus

From beyond the doors the assault team hears "We hold here while you're sliding out? You Company sucking b'stard!"

HEAP rounds chew through the top and bottom maglocks on the double doors to "Sensor Ops" as Reda Sigesson kicks the pair open and immediately puts two bursts into a SuSAG security guy standing in the what would have been cover if he wasn't standing upright half turned in the Holo Pit. Reda's target drops like a sack of cheap dog food.

The assault team's hurled grenades follow up the door breach as they take ineffective low caliber return fire. With a now unobscured line of sight the prone Asels and Naffo drop pistol armed crewmen as targets of opportunity.

Someone shouts "Wait! We - "

The frags detonate and Bothai drops another armed crewman turning back towards the entry point while Ambrose shouts "At the door - mine!" while tracking the Corporate crewman with "better" rank tabs until he slams his palm against a reader plate and opens the next quadrant door... as three aimed HEAP rounds cause him to literally lose his head. Bothai chuckles "Key to the kingdom there!" and tugs his Ka-Bar from its sheath on his tac vest.

Reda Sigesson reports "Room clear. The Holo Porn viewer - a sad loss. Sensor suite - still online".

[Tiglath]

Kinda breaking my own rules here but available time and moving you all on as I may per geographical separation.

[shaidar]

Frank

Frank brings his rifle to bear on the woman and attempts to enounciate clearly in case the woman's hearing is impaired by the grenades.

"Drop the pistol and you won't be harmed."

He will repeat the command clearly and slowly, but if she brings the pistol to bear on him or the others he will fire.