Inchin: Endgame

[The Bindoner]

Jess...where are you? Did you bring grenades?

Freddie, yer faster'n me, get on down there an' help Miss Ingridsdottir. Quick as yer like. Askin' fer grenades, must be trouble.

To Freya: Comin' Hun. Sendin' Freddie on, he's got a frag.

[shaidar]

Frank keys up Prerna's channel

"Major, I'm going to approach my stateroom and find out who is inside. I suggest we move in tandem"

"My team is clearing a room in the northwest corner. We will be with you shortly," Prerna replies.

Frank

"Thank you major, in which case I shall move forward, with caution."

Frank gets the squad to cover him as he carefully moves forward to (on the map at least looks like) a potted plant to the left of the door. He's careful to not make the same mistake as the insurgents and doesn't stand in front of the door. (although he's not sure if the walls would withstand an AP round either)

"Attention in the stateroom. This is Colonel Cross, please identify yourself"

[Tiglath]

Frank

The bullet riddled door swings open to reveal a pitch black interior. Frank sees a the fleeting shape of a small drone within as a female voice states “Confirmed”.

The stateroom lights come on revealing Duran and his “nieces”. All are armed and carry “go bags” with the girls wearing high tech skinsuits. They all have mil spec vision aids and respirators. Either Styx or Lethe (Frank can't tell them apart at the best of times) is armed with a suppressed SMG while her sister totes a suppressed handgun and a handcomputer. A small drone hovers at her shoulder - it sports what might be small calibre weapon and what could be a dinky little bomb rack. Cute – probably not.

Duran speaks smoothly “We're most pleased to see you Colonel. Things appear to have become - rather lively. Fortunately we suffered the attention of only a pair of unwelcome visitors and Styx was able to … deter them”.

[Tiglath]

Jess and Freya

Freddie nods and checks the load of the blunt pistol in the crossdraw holster on his belt. Jess notes he's confident enough not to keep one under the hammer. He grabs his smoke grenade from his webbing and hefting his ACR sets off at a run down the stairs. He calls ahead “Come back up now Miss Ingridsdottir - I know how to handle rough boys”.

Freya hears sounds of consternation from below as she deploys her "chemical weapon" and an increase in speed of ascent. She reckons that unless she moves now she will get contact with the falxmen.

[NB The stairwell and staircase are “reinforced concrete” equivalent and are therefore effectively “bullet proof”].

[shaidar]

Frank

"Yes, not quite what I was planning for the evening. It's good that you're all unharmed. We've set up a secure zone near the med-bay in the officers quarters, if you follow the corridor behind me to get there, you should be safe. Now we have to secure the deputy minister" he glances in Prerna's direction.

[Tiglath]

Prerna

Easy and Baker check east and west. Prerna notes Baker professionally swing his suppressor “off target” nodding to a cavalry trooper at the other junction. The pair head across the junction but as they close on the stateroom door is bursts open to reveal a falxman holding a small man in pyjamas in front of him as a shield. The falxman declares “I've got the Imperial Minister here! One wrong move and he gets it!”

Easy holds her aim and says calmly “Wrong squad kackhead! I'm on” Baker also at the aim states “On! Oh, you're fekkin' brown bread old son”.

The falxman's gaze casts about wildly as he begins to edge westwards. Although focussed on the muzzles of two ACRs he's also quite distracted by Prerna's déshabillé. Penfold, who is the hostage, calmly states “There are two more”.

[joertexas]

Prerna

Easy and Baker check east and west. Prerna notes Baker professionally swing his suppressor “off target” nodding to a cavalry trooper at the other junction. The pair head across the junction but as they close on the stateroom door is bursts open to reveal a falxman holding a small man in pyjamas in front of him as a shield. The falxman declares “I've got the Imperial Minister here! One wrong move and he gets it!”

Easy holds her aim and says calmly “Wrong squad kackhead! I'm on” Baker also at the aim states “On! Oh, you're fekkin' brown bread old son”.

The falxman's gaze casts about wildly as he begins to edge westwards. Although focussed on the muzzles of two ACRs he's also quite distracted by Prerna's déshabillé. Penfold, who is the hostage, calmly states “There are two more”.

Prerna sets her rifle down and draws her pistol. She steps up as close to the men as she can without blocking her team's line of fire. Taking a firing stance, she raises the weapon to eye level and aims at the hostage taker's face."You have one chance to live. Lay down your weapons - right now!"

[shaidar]

Frank takes aim at the hostage taker, but waits for his response.

Edit: for clarity, if there is any indication that the man is not going to surrender then Frank will fire.

[BackworldTraveller]

Freya
Freya hears sounds of consternation from below as she deploys her "chemical weapon" and an increase in speed of ascent. She reckons that unless she moves now she will get contact with the falxmen.

Freya will wait for the falxmen to appear on the stairs below her - using the drone watch from near the ceiling of the next lower landing - and then waits with her gauss gun. Unless they are rash, they are going to come round the corner and check if she's there...from the opposite back she'll have a clear view from a dark shadow and a moment's warning from the drone...

Gauss Rifle, Full Auto, Short Range, Snapfire: (Skill + DEX + Auto): [2d6+7]=7+7=14

[Tiglath]

Freya and Jess

Forewarned by the drone Freya's ambush goes off without a hitch allowing her two snapshots at the climbing falxmen. Her gauss rifle hisses needles in two tight bursts taking both men through the head with instant fatal effect. Freddie arrives moment later and gives Freya a cheerful smile adding "Well, I needn't have rushed!" He checks the dead removing a grenade and collecting up one falx which he offers to Freya.

He reports to Jess "Miss Freya's very well. Two down, stairwell secure".

(OOC:
Roll(2d6)+0: 2,5,+0 Total:7
Mods; +3 autofire, +3 skill, -2 snapshooting
Location: Roll(1d8)+0: 1,+0 Total:1 Headshot
Effect: Roll(2d6)+7: 5,1,+7 Total:13 Dead

Gauss Rifle, Full Auto, Short Range, Snapfire: (Skill + DEX + Auto): [2d6+7]=7+7=14

Mods as above.
Location: Roll(1d8)+0: 1,+0 Total:1 Headshot again!
Effect: Roll(2d6)+7: 1,4,+7 Total:12 Dead again!

EDIT: Jess may be owed an action here and I'm happy to retcon it but I'm not sure it can affect Freya below. Jess currently has no LOS and not enough movement to reach Freya).

[Tiglath]

Prerna and Frank

While Frank takes aim the falxman stares wildly at Prerna. Baker calmly says "We'll lower our weapons a bit..." and then adds quietly "so Mister Penfold doesn't end up "Mutt 'n' Jeff".

A lot of things then happen in a short space of time.

The hostage taker shouts "We demand a..." but is distracted by his two mates legging it from the stateroom behind him. One shouts "Death to the Imperi... urk!" as he attempts to toss a grenade but fumbles the throw which arcs backwards out of his hand. The live grenade collides with the wall adjacent to the stateroom door, bounces off and drops to the corridor's plush carpet rolling nearly to the exit to the pool. The hostage taker turns his head to look...

Baker's ACR coughs a round through its suppressor as he shouts triumphantly "Left yer leg aht, dintcha? Learn yer hokey cokey, son!" The hostage taker's eyes roll back in his head as the shock of the amputation takes him while the now freed Penfold staggers forwards towards Prerna and her squad.

The remaining falxman starts running west and then stops realising he's getting closer to the live grenade. The grenadier stands momentarily bewildered then turns back towards the stateroom before a gauss needle from Frank sighs through his centre mass and he pitches forwards to slump against the doorframe.

(OOC:

The live grenade is now about four squares minimum west from Prerna's squad which is likely beyond lethal range (certainly for a fully armoured person).

Baker
Roll(2d6)+0:4,4,+0 Total:8
Mods: Point Blank, Aimed +1, Skill 2
Effect: Roll(2d6)+3: 4,6,+3 Total:13 Dead

Frank
Roll(2d6)+0: 5,3,+0 Total:8
Mods: Skill, Aim +1
Effect: Roll(2d6)+7: 6,2,+7 Total:15 Dead

Insurgent Morale (local check):
Roll(2d6)+0: 3,5,+0 Total:8 Minus loads. So nowhere near enough - pull back.

Grenadier
Roll(2d6)+0: 1,3,+0 Total:4 Miss
Scatter per AHL
Roll(2d6)+0: 5,2,+0 Total:7 So 3.5 squares
Direction: Roll(2d6)+0: 4,6,+0 Total:10 Backwards!!!
Hits wall and takes a new direction then stops.

Edited to include the pre-declared a shot from Frank).

[joertexas]

Prerna and Frank

The remaining falxman starts running west and then stops realising he's getting closer to the live grenade. The grenadier stands momentarily bewildered then turns back towards the stateroom before a gauss needle from Frank sighs through his centre mass and he pitches forwards to slump against the doorframe.

Prerna charges Penfold and shoves him backward through the door, taking herself with him into the stateroom in a moving bear hug. Ending up in a heap on the floor beasts getting peppered with a grenade...

[BackworldTraveller]

Freya
Sorry to have bothered you Freddie...I didn't fancy following those two rats while they were backed into a corner and your help would have been much appreciated...but they decided that charging back up the stairs was a better idea...I told them to surrender but they just didn't...

Sniffs a bit, pulls herself together and

...Right - lets see whether there's anyone else down there


Freya heads down the stairs to the door. What sort of lock? Computer driven I can have a go at; Deadlocks on the other side are trickier

[Tiglath]

Prerna Round Eight +

Prerna bundles Penfold across the threshold in what could be called a “cover tackle” and lands atop him on the luxurious stateroom carpet shielding him from harm. Upon landing safely she hears the detonation of the grenade outside. Reassuringly she hears Baker make the call, likely just for her benefit, “Recon sound off. One” Easy replies “Two” indicating both are safe.

Meanwhile Prerna is aware of movement in the room. The Deputy Minister appears to be climbing out of a wardrobe while the entire Imperial diplomatic mission on Collace stares at her. The spell is broken by Penfold himself who gives a muffled groan. Prerna lifts herself enough to give him a little movement - and some air. Glasses askew he looks dazed and winded as he blinks myopically and instinctively uses his restricted movement to clean his glasses with his handkerchief. The return of his optical faculties gives him a point blank view of Prerna's chest. He freezes, paralysed by a apparent inability to make matters better before making them very much worse, blushing beetroot red he makes a helpless whimper before breathlessly managing “I'm … um ... very much obliged, Major”. He hastily adds “For being rescued!!!”

The spectating VIPs emotions seem to race through shock to relief before reverting to type.

A shrewish woman screeches “Mister Penfold – you beast! Put that young woman down!”

The Deputy Minister adds “Phwoar...err...Hurrrumph, Penfold unhand the Major at once!”

“Oh, someone stop him!” A female member of the diplomatic entourage faints dramatically interrupting her graceful collapse to check her colleagues have noticed.

Prerna notes with a quick headcount that all the diplomats and staff are accounted for.

NB Both Prerna and Frank are now (temporarily) dropping out of “bullet time” for the purposes of timeframing of actions.

[Tiglath]

Frank Round Eight +

Frank sees Prerna bundle Penfold into the stateroom as the Recon team take cover as does the falxman while the grenade detonates. The blast wave moves up the corridor but its destructive capacity is spent before it reaches the mercs. Even the falxman, although knocked about, survives relatively unscathed.

He recovers to stare down the barrel of Easy's foreshortened sniper variant ACR as she urges “Go on fekker – just look at me funny”. The falxman drops his weapon and raises his hands.

NB Both Prerna and Frank are now (temporarily) dropping out of “bullet time” for the purposes of timeframing of actions.

[Tiglath]

Freya and Jess Round Eight +

Freddie pauses, looks about and then incongruously produces a tissue from a belt pouch. He offers it to Freya and says softly “Not your fault – all on them. I don't think there's anyone left down there - I'll go and check. You take a moment here Miss Freya. Believe me, having a little cry just helps sometimes”.

Freddie and the drone are able to determine that the stairwell now contains only "friendlies" and the dead. Freya deduces that since the bottom door has a camera it is part of the security system. She finds it listed as opening into the basement/garage area. The door's status is currently shown as “Secured”. She could likely hack it open if she wished but it hacking a camera in the basement would show her what's there just as well and save both on legwork and any possible exposure to harm.

Freddie reports to Jess "Ma'am, confirm two enemy KIA. Stairwell cleared and secure".

NB Both Freya and Jess are now (temporarily) dropping out of “bullet time” for the purposes of timeframing of actions.

[joertexas]

Prerna Round Eight +

Prerna notes with a quick headcount that all the diplomats and staff are accounted for.

NB Both Prerna and Frank are now (temporarily) dropping out of “bullet time” for the purposes of timeframing of actions.

For when the camera returns...

Prerna turns to her team as she climbs to her feet. "Baker, check the suite and make sure everyone is okay. Easy, guard the door." She then helps Penfold to his feet. "My apologies, Sir. This was better than collecting a grenade fragment. Now, if you will excuse me."

Prerna steps into the hall, retrieves her rifle, and looks at Frank. "If I can have a moment, I'd like to wipe this mess off me and get dressed."

[shaidar]

Frank

"Of course Major"

Frank ensures that Duran and the twins are headed to safety and directs the cavalry squad to guard the junction while he heads over to Prerna's squad and the diplomats

Over comms "VIP area is secured. All units, sitrep"

[joertexas]

Frank

"Of course Major"

Frank ensures that Duran and the twins are headed to safety and directs the cavalry squad to guard the junction while he heads over to Prerna's squad and the diplomats

Over comms "VIP area is secured. All units, sitrep"

Prerna steps back into the VIP suite, and goes to the fresher. There, she cleans the blood off her torso, and finishes sealing her skin suit. When she's dressed, she picks up her rifle and returns to the suite.

[Tiglath]

Frank

Voss comms Frank to confirm the established perimeter is secure but necessarily thin to the south.

He then asks if Frank is free to speak and when confirmed simply says “Dubs go ahead”. Dubs says “Sir, I have a message from Captain Cabral on the Spinward Star. He reports a jump signature close insystem squawking as another McClellan boat. The out system contact is now burning hard for Inchin prime. Sir, he sends his compliments but states he's now obliged to move from high orbit to one hundred diameters. He's hailing the McClellan ships to ask their intentions and will immediately let you know anything he discovers. He wished us luck, sir".

Dubs adds “Sir, it's probably not important but if you recall that discordant “tune” from the gas giant - I've finally remembered where I heard it before. It was jamming voice comms on the hangar deck in the Bartizan, sir”.