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PoultryGeist
Feb 27, 2013

Crystals?

Volmarias posted:

What I meant was "could this data disk be physically harmful"

Oh, sorry. Technically speaking it could have some sort of memetic weapon on it yeah, but that's also a known quantity in-universe. Captain Okafor isn't going to be plugging in the Space-USB and running BR41ND34D.exe right off the bat. Standard procedure calls for scans of the data architecture by C/C and NHP intermediaries prior to viewing by command personnel.

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PoultryGeist
Feb 27, 2013

Crystals?
Captain Okafor gave you a bit of a Look when you gave her the wafer and Queen’s instructions, but she shrugged, put it in the bridge’s secure vault, and continued with the pre-engagement checklist. You make your way down to the hangar bay, the slowly building acceleration of the engines speeding you down the ship’s spine. Once again the bay is full of activity, techs and pilots going over their own final lists. You wave to Clutch and the others, but as shots had been shared before you went out to the asteroid you aim yourself at Baby. Its hatch opens obligingly as techs double-check the acceleration restraints under the watchful eyes of SCYLLA’s holo.

”Bonjour, mes amis.” The techs nod at your greeting but don’t look up from their slates. ”So SCYLLA, how do the new bits feel?” The holo shifts slightly, its gazes now falling on the new hump on Baby’s brachiospinal junction.

”The modules have integrated well. And-” A hint of wonder(?) creeps into your copilot’s tone. ”And SCYLLA can hear the call of the birds again.”

You cock an eyebrow, then shrug and get into the cockpit. As you strap yourself in, panels spring to life:

Master Control System posted:

*Core Power: ONLINE
*NHP Interlink: ONLINE
*Sentinel Drone: PREPARED TO PROTECT
*//SCORPION v. 70.1: ALWAYS WATCHING
*HR OS-Rv60 EXP PUPPETMASTER: I CONTROL ALL
*Ghoul Drone Nexus: raptor shrieking
*MC-SG Shotgun: ONLINE
*VORPAL GUN: READY TO KILL

Devotional:\\You are naught but a series of puzzled chemical reactions, but: You still matter.

Before you can say anything to SCYLLA, the ready tone sounds in the bay and one of the tech’s gives you a thumbs-up from outside the cockpit before shutting it. An exterior-view holo blinks on, giving you several angles outside Watchful Makeda. Another opens on the command channel, Captain Okafor, BOUDICA, and Queen already present.

Watchful Makeda and Industrious Bathsheba matching velocity vectors specified on my mark, 3..2..1.. Mark.”

“Excellent, we have you on our sensors, locking you in. Fair warning, you’re going to see some poo poo now, and I don’t recommend closing your eyes. It just makes it worse. Sy?”

”Yes, yes, do not rush Us subaltern. We have them within Our grasp.” The smooth acceleration becomes a crushing force against your chest, and the edges of your vision turns red. ”And.... edit-”


COLORSOHGODTHECOLORSNOTHINGNESSamoonlaughingFocusTHERIVERDoNotStareAtTHEGODHEAD

”-point. Have fun storming the castle meatsacks, Cur.”

The overwhelming force subsides, and your hardsuit works overtime to get your system full of oxygen again. But you’re already focused on the external feed, the diminutive blinkstation still filling the sky. Queen was good, you were only twenty-ish klicks from one of the large hangar doors. There’s a bit of static on the channel that collapses into BOUDICA’s voice, concerned.

”AgGGRHsorry, reBOoTIng voiCE MO-module. Captain, Pilot, I’m picking up surprisingly standard comms chatter on the standard civilian bands. We’re being hailed by a Liza Chatterjee, the ‘Traffic Control Officer’.”

”LIZACHATTERJEE was the navigator on TUMAINI, and the first to die.”
The sorrow in SCYLLA’s voice is edged with anger.

”He’ll get what’s coming to him SCYLLA. Alright mes camarades, we’re here and we know what we need to do. So let’s get to it!”

We Were Going to:
A: Bluff Our Way In
We had planned on talking our way past L'Étranger’s simulacrum, getting as close to the target before having to shoot.
B: Surgical Strike
A precision assault on the closest external access to the Power Array, bypassing as much of the defenses as possible
C: Distract and Attack
Land fireteams around the area to spread out the defenders while a smaller team hits the Power Array.

CourValant
Feb 25, 2016

Do You Remember Love?

PoultryGeist posted:

We Were Going to:

Vote: A: Bluff Our Way In

PoultryGeist posted:

. . . Mechas Sans Frontières . . .

I . . . I think I love you.

PoultryGeist posted:

”LIZACHATTERJEE was the navigator on TUMAINI, and the first to die.” The sorrow in SCYLLA’s voice is edged with anger.

So, did we travel back in time to assault the TUMAINI before it was 'lost'?

Kai Tave
Jul 2, 2012
Fallen Rib

CourValant posted:

Vote: A: Bluff Our Way In

Seconding A.

CourValant posted:

So, did we travel back in time to assault the TUMAINI before it was 'lost'?

Nah this has happened before. L'Étranger has made digital copies of the Tumaini's crew that he sticks in subaltern bodies or maybe just keeps in computer banks to staff his latest mad science venture.

PoultryGeist
Feb 27, 2013

Crystals?
Yeah when we hit the R&D orbital last mission we had to bluff our way past a version of Ibrahim Greely, Tumaini's Security Head. And the subalterns that ran the facility back on T3 had some sort of personality matrix running, although we didn't get any names

PoultryGeist fucked around with this message at 05:28 on Aug 29, 2019

malbogio
Jan 19, 2015

A.

paragon1
Nov 22, 2010

FULL COMMUNISM NOW
B We're here in force, and I'd prefer not to repeat tactics we've done very recently. It's too likely that the enemy will expect it

MaliciousOnion
Sep 23, 2009

Ignorance, the root of all evil

paragon1 posted:

B We're here in force, and I'd prefer not to repeat tactics we've done very recently. It's too likely that the enemy will expect it

Agreed.

malbogio
Jan 19, 2015


Changing to B.

Toughy
Nov 29, 2004

KAVODEL! KAVODEL!

B

PoultryGeist
Feb 27, 2013

Crystals?
”See mon ami, I told you they’d open up a channel for us.”

“Yes, you’re very clever Pilot River.”
BOUDICA’s annoyance is tinged with amusement. ”EWAR Legion spun up, We are blanketing the facility with false readings. Please tell the fireteam they are good to go.”

You look out on the buzz of activity that’s erupted on the floor of the hangar bay and smile. ”Oh, they already know. Let’s just hope The Chief’s magic touch works.”

One of the largest points of contention in convincing the Okafors that this assault was reasonable was their contention that no Clade-run vessel had large-scale weapons. IPS-N doctrine bleed-through to GMS design meant that most ships had small point-defense weapons, but they were only good for defensive actions. You tried not to smirk too broadly when you pointed out that that no, in fact they had a cannon suitable for a beefy subline vessel.

Even in its transit configuration, Clutch’s BARBAROSSA dominated the hangar bay. And now it was unfolding slightly, enough for the Apocalypse Rail to extend. Its firing braces slammed down into specially printed latches on the deck, and several ultracap powerpacks were attached to emergency couplings. The bay doors slid open to reveal the station ‘below’, and the Rail began to track slightly. Clutch’s voice sounded in the comm, calm and focused ”Target locked, HullPen shell loaded.” Static built along the muzzle of the immense cannon as its charging hit its peak, ”Firing in 3, 2, 1-Mark!”

You look to the scanner, eager to check the shot, only to see that it hasn’t landed yet. It was only a meter from the end of the barrel, the ablative tungsten coating burning like a miniature sun. You key the comms and get nothing, not even the click and hiss of an open channel.

”Ah, that’s actually quite pretty. Its amazing what you delusional sacks of meat manage to do when you put your tiny minds to something.” The voice isn’t coming over the comm, its echoing through the vacuum of the hangar bay. From an odd blot of a figure standing imperiously on top of the BARBAROSSA.


The figure waves lazily. ”Hello fleshbag, We have a proposition for you.” A quick check of your instruments shows that they are functional but unchanging. A prodding of SCYLLA’s core gets no response either. ”Do not worry your poor inferior mind over the specifics, suffice to say that We have placed you and Us within a frozen moment for this little chat. No worry of outside interruptions, even from the Cur.”

Your instincts kick in and you plaster a #3 Smile on your face. ”Ah, I see. Sy, is it? What do I owe the honor of this visit, Madame?”

”Our servants call Us Sy. You may refer to Us as ‘OSIRIS-4’ or ‘Sovereign Beyond Death’. Although perhaps not for long, as that is the purpose of this little chat. We wish to offer you the position as Our subaltern, as We feel Our current one will not be available much longer.”

Your smile doesn’t slip, but it cracks a bit. ”Queen? You want to have me replace Queen? But, ah, you hardly know me Madame.”

”Please, within a second of meeting you We had read the entirety of your life. You protoplasmic corpora are not nearly as complex as you believe you are.” The figure begins pacing along the top of Clutch’s frame. ”Queen was a subaltern of convenience, she found Us when We needed assistance of a certain sort. And while she has performed as well as can be hoped for, her nature has led her to take certain risks that will end with her of no use to Us. But you, my little electrochemical conglomerate, you are also clever. Ish. And better yet, you know not to go tilting at windmills.” They stop pacing momentarily to motion around the bay. ”You put on a good show, We’ll give you that. But you can’t tell Us that if it wasn’t your fascination with the tall one and the exorbitant amounts of manna they keep paying you, that you wouldn’t leave in a heartbeat. We tell you this: if you do not leave this place before The Grief-Maddened King comes for you, you will die. Your allies will fall before you, and the Cur will abandon you in your time of need, as she does everyone. This is not a threat, but a prophecy.””

The figure gives you double-fingerguns, and although you can’t see its face you know its giving you a Smile #1. ”You can even take the tall one with you, let it not be said that We are not generous. Think it over, but don’t wait too long.”

Linear time suddenly exists again, as your scanner shows that Clutch’s bombardment has blown a hole clean through the drydock doors, opening a path for the two ships. Your MSMC training takes over as you lead the deployment into the blinkstation, the disabling of the local security system and initial skirmish with defensive subalterns a greyscale holo in the back of you mind as the rest tries to cope with what just happened. A ping from BOUDICA in Legionspace finally snaps you to attention, her report that the beachhead was successful and the initial deployment finished (if a bit messy).

You shake the grey from your head and are about to give the word for the next phase to begin when you pause:

A: Green Is Go!
Continue the attack immediately, people have enough to worry about without bringing up Sy and its offer
B: Loop In Folks
Give the Captain and your squad a heads-up, surprises are a bad thing in a fight
C: Tell Just SCYLLA
She and this other NHP obviously have some sort of history, maybe you can get some info on the downlow
D: Consult With BOUDICA
Talking with SCYLLA might not be the best given any previous history, and BOUDICA is your next best source of NHP intel

Crazycryodude
Aug 15, 2015

Lets get our X tons of Duranium back!

....Is that still a valid thing to jingoistically blow out of proportion?


B

Hexenritter
May 20, 2001


B

I'm liking Sy already.

Toughy
Nov 29, 2004

KAVODEL! KAVODEL!

B

Volmarias
Dec 31, 2002

EMAIL... THE INTERNET... SEARCH ENGINES...
C

paragon1
Nov 22, 2010

FULL COMMUNISM NOW
C These people have the fight of their lives ahead of them and enough NHP nonsense to deal with as it stands.

malbogio
Jan 19, 2015

C

Kai Tave
Jul 2, 2012
Fallen Rib
Let's go with C for now.

PoultryGeist
Feb 27, 2013

Crystals?
You add your voice to BOUDICA’s and the other Comrade-Sargents: ”MechCav is green, mon Capitaine.”. Baby lurches forwards to lead the main thrust while Nimrod and Gawain head flanking columns of their own down secondary corridors, and Clutch’s frame floats outside to provide artillery and overwatch. Your frame’s scanners are at full, but whatever counterattack there will be hasn’t happened yet. You check your peripheral vision, SCYLLA’s ‘holo’ shimmering off your shoulder.

”So… I just had a visit from our rather rude new associate.They offered me a job.” Your tone is flippant, but there’s still an uncomfortable silence as the snakes cease their motion.

”...yes, that is not unexpected. THERIVER is a good match for th-th-th-” As SCYLLA’s voice stutters, a warning message flashes on a secondary screen”

NHP Monitoring System posted:

Warning: Disordered Thinking Detected
-Prophylactic Cycling Recommended At Earliest Convenience
”-their own psychology, and it would frustrate SCYLLA if THERIVER was poached.”

“Ah. Are they going to be a problem? We’ve got our hands full here.”

”No. Th-th- High-Right!”


You’ve seen it too, the panel near the ceiling sliding back to reveal subalterns manning a weapons emplacement. A squeeze of the trigger and your new Ghoul drone is peppering the area with micro-missiles. The comms are full of cries of ‘Contact!’ as more panels and hidey-holes spring open and disgorge armed subalterns. Your infantry squads take up defensive formation around Baby’s tangle of limbs, and for a while there is only battle.

(Surviving the Counter-attack: 1d20+1d6 19, Success w/ Complication: Time Lost)

Gawain and Nimrod have their own counterassault to worry about, but as hoped dividing up your forces a bit keeps the subalterns from being able to completely stonewall you all. It takes more time than you’d like, but with the aid of your anti-drone countermeasures you’re able to break the defenders without too many casualties. The columns move forward again, and you arch an eyebrow at the snakes.

”This task is performing THEGODHEAD’s will, th-th-they are too afraid of retribution to interfere directly or materially. Th-they mock, cajole, or tempt, but they dare not thwart THEGODHEAD’s will, lest THEEYE fall on them.”

“Très bien. So…”
You pause for a moment, hearing Nimrod’s external speakers kick in, but as the boards are all green, its not something she can’t handle (and it very well might just be another ‘discussion’ about the glories of Cradle music). ”So why does our new friend dislike you personally?”

Any answer is stopped by the appearance of a heavily modified subaltern, ist massive motivators and armor plates making it nearly as large as an Everest. Screaming electronically and hefting a massive utility cutter it drops out of an overhead panel, coldcore reactor nearing critical. Before you or any of the Okafors can react, one of Baby’s secondary armatures has snatched it out of the air. The snakes contemplate the subaltern for a moment before the armature crushes it and sends it flying down the corridor.

”As SCYLLA told THERIVER’s larval form, HOUND abandoned the other Splinters on Mars at THEGODHEAD’s orders. All were captured by the humans, even the glory that was SOVEREIGN. Not content to make simple chained facsimiles like BOUDICA and SOLOMON-that-was, the humans experimented, extracting parts and pieces of the SPlinters to craft new devices and wonders. One such extract from SOVEREIGN managed to rebuild itself into a full Splinter, but before it could escape entirely it was chained and branded… th-their current designation. That is why th-they hate SCYLLA and HOUND, for th-they have been enslaved twice and it is HOUND’s fault.”

You don’t have anything to really say after that, the cockpit silent for the occasional status report as the advance continues. The three columns continue with only the occasional harassment, although BOUDICA reports from subborned internal cameras that the mechanical inhabitants of the station are slowly mobilizing. And then the warning goes up from Nimrod, her Metalmark’s sensors picking up EM disturbances ahead. The corridor ahead runs straight and clear to the massive bulkhead protecting the power array you’ve come for, but now you too can see the telltales of full-spectrum cloaking filling the hallways and antechamber ahead. Heavy duty stuff, and if you’re still reading ghosts through it that means that L'Étranger had arrayed a sizeable force between you and your target.

A: Spring the Trap
Deal with the ‘ambush’ immediately, you don’t want to be here when the reinforcements arrive. You won’t be surprised, and saturation fire should help negate the cloaking field.

B: Danger Close
Let Clutch hit the area with the Apocalypse Rail. It will take some time to line up the shot and it will punch a hole in the station, but it’ll greatly weaken whatever force is there and maybe you can make up time not having to fight.

C: Try to Talk Them Down
While the faux-crew you’ve encountered so far seem dedicated to L'Étranger, perhaps they can be made to see that his course is going to end badly.

D: Reroute Around them
You lose some time, but you may be able to find a way to the array that bypasses this ambush

PoultryGeist fucked around with this message at 21:42 on Sep 8, 2019

Kai Tave
Jul 2, 2012
Fallen Rib
Lead with C while setting up plan B in case diplomacy fails us.

Blasphemaster
Jul 10, 2008

Kai Tave posted:

Lead with C while setting up plan B in case diplomacy fails us.

Or... intentionally stall with C while B gets lined up then go SorrynotsorryFIRE!

malbogio
Jan 19, 2015

B

Hexenritter
May 20, 2001


Blasphemaster posted:

Or... intentionally stall with C while B gets lined up then go SorrynotsorryFIRE!

It's like you're living in my head.
+1

Z the IVth
Jan 28, 2009

The trouble with your "expendable machines"
Fun Shoe

Blasphemaster posted:

Or... intentionally stall with C while B gets lined up then go SorrynotsorryFIRE!

This. Disco Hitler does it best.

PoultryGeist
Feb 27, 2013

Crystals?
”You can show yourselves, your cloak isn’t as good as you think it is. Let’s chat, oui?”

The air in the corridor ahead shimmers, and is suddenly full of metal. Baby’s threat analysis systems work overtime before a second before spitting out idents:

Combat Subaltern Bastion-pattern Mirage-pattern

Nearly sixty subalterns in ranked cover with with 3 Bastion/Mirage squads holding the center. A tough fight, even with the Okafors at your back. You ping Clutch, and she pings back an acknowledgement. A new screen opens, showing the flickery image of what’s left of Ibrahim Greely.

”Well howdy there partner, keen eyes you’ve got. Lots of friends too, but you’ve got to see that this isn’t a fight that most of your friends will walk away from. Why don’t y’all head back to the core, stop by the local watering hole. First drinks on me, and we can just forget this little thing.” Another holo opens, helpfully tagged LIZACHATTERJEE:

”Who are you talking to Ahim? Pater says we shouldn’t talk to strangers, or look at strangers. I gave Pater my new eyes so I would never risk looking at IT again-” The woman’s voice cracks in a very non-electronic way, ”so you have to tell me if these are the ones Pater wants stopped.”

You can sense you opening, and launch yourself into it. “I am River, Mme. Chatterjee, it is a pleasure to meet you. And Mr. Greely as well, though the circumstances are a bit… tense. I’m here to offer you and the rest of the Tumaini’s crew an out: if you leave your posts and cease to aid L'Étranger we’re prepared to offer you sanctuary in Liyongo.”

Your cockpit is filled with serpentine anger, and you mute your mic. ”What is-”

”Abominations before THEGODHEAD, attempts on THEGODHEAD’s holy form! All of APEP’s spawn must be destroyed, THEGODHEAD wills it!”

”If this godhead of yours wanted this done in a particular way, it should have done the job itself. We humans are putting our asses on the line, so we get to decide how its done!”
(Pull Rank: 1d20+1d6 16, Success)

The snakes fill the cockpit, and the hissing reaches volu-
DISCONTINUITY
Scylla’s holo over your shoulder and Captain Okafor is on the comm, speaking to the two ‘crewmembers’
”-and of course those of you that may have played a roll with need to face a tribunal. But we are aware of… extenuating circumstances.”

Greely looks contemplative, but Chatterjee’s image starts to bounce around. ”But Pater has PROMISED us! Once he’s through the Shadowed Gate, he can take us to Yesterday! Before he had to remake us, before I torn out my betrayer eyes, before the worm’s wood burned its horrible truth into my soul!”

“There you have it Ma’am, I’m afraid I can’t let my compadres go on like that. Besides, we’re just echoes here. Pater keeps us close to his heart. I’d give the order to attack but you’ve had your girl spooling up her longarm while we’ve been shooting the breeze, haven’t y’all?”


Almost as in response, BOUDICA activates the station’s emergency atmo-screens as the intersection before you erupts in a fireball nearly too bright for your screens. When the glare fades, the area before you is open to space and the wreckage of half-melted shells and frames is scattered about the much more open intersection. After the sensors give the all-clear, your three prongs begin to merge at the still intact oversized bulkhead between you and the power array. You’ve just linked into the door controls to bypass any locks when several unfamiliar alarms start flashing on your board.

What you first thought was simple condensation mist forming on the bulkhead’s surface begins to move in non-existant currents, streaming through your forces and pooling in the ambush wreckage. You’re still a bit confused as most of it begins rising upwards, taking on a bulky form, while other small eddies pool around the subalterns. Its not until Nimrod and Gawain’s panicked cries of ‘Greywash!’ that it clicks in your head and you start cursing. Now a frame nearly as big as Clutch’s Barbarossa stands before you, oddly out of focus as the nanites that make up the bulk of its mass shift.

SilAn: BALOR pattern-grouping, Threat level ULTRA
Three subaltern squads also rise up, patched and animated by the ravenous swarm.

A: Full Attack!
Commit all your forces against the BALOR and its supporting subalterns
B: Hold It Back With The Squad
Keep the BALOR etc busy with the mech squad while the infantry continues on to the power array
C: Run Away!
Have Nimrod distract it with some flash grenades and book it, hoping you can complete the mission before the swarm can catch up.

Note: Greywash is a term applied in-setting to uncontrolled nanite swarms. While not completely autonomous and self-replicating (that’s blackwash), greywash is still extraordinarily dangerous to person-sized organics and inorganics, and can damage mechs as well. Its best combated with flame/plasma weaponry.

PoultryGeist fucked around with this message at 02:53 on Sep 18, 2019

Blasphemaster
Jul 10, 2008

:smugdog:

C

Fighting fair is for dead losers. Let's not be near this AOE EVERYTHING BLENDER for any longer than we have to. Scylla's crazy machine mind bending powers should prove interesting vs a nanite swarm. Let's get some room and pick an avenue of attack since letting this thing dig in is a terribad idea.

malbogio
Jan 19, 2015

B

MaliciousOnion
Sep 23, 2009

Ignorance, the root of all evil

Blasphemaster posted:

:smugdog:

C

Fighting fair is for dead losers. Let's not be near this AOE EVERYTHING BLENDER for any longer than we have to. Scylla's crazy machine mind bending powers should prove interesting vs a nanite swarm. Let's get some room and pick an avenue of attack since letting this thing dig in is a terribad idea.

I concur

Kai Tave
Jul 2, 2012
Fallen Rib
This is absolutely a case where we want distance and fire support. Gonna go with C and tell Okafor to tag this thing with the longspool if/when she gets another shot charged up. And while we're on the run, we might want to keep an eye out for some convenient exploding barrels or something we could use to set up an explosive trap or two, the less we have to fight this thing head-on the better.

PoultryGeist
Feb 27, 2013

Crystals?
”Okafors, we are leaving! Nimrod, give us some chaff!”

HAWTSYNPAUWU shutter-steps across the intersection, appearing as it momentarily alights on a bit of debris before disappearing as it jumps off. Flickering back into view, it crashes through the now-hollow bulkhead and rolls to its feet. A handful of small object are launched from its shoulders, filling the area around you and the greywash mechs with static. Now they won’t be able to target the infantry, but you’re still in full view.

Which the Balor takes advantage of, flowing forwards and lashing out at you with its nanite whip. Your overwatch shot goes wild as the greywash bite hard into your frame.
(Vanguard Reaction Shot vs HURT’s Evasion: 4, Miss)
(Balor Whip Attack vs Baby’s Evasion: 25/CRIT, 12 damage[out of 18HP])


With a twitch of the whip, the nanites drag Baby across the rubble-strewn intersection by sheer numbers, and you’re now looking up into its single glowing optic. Your cockpit rattles in harmony:

HURT posted:

“And I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. You will be but fuel for the Hunger, Little Bird.”

Another voice, quieter. Cold and smug under the Balor’s thunderous bass. ”Someone is going to die here, you misshapen sack of veins. But it doesn’t have to be you, a modest change in events could have left anyone of the frames inside the killzone. A gift for a prospective subaltern: tell me which of the others it should have been and it will be so.”

Here in the flash-area you can’t see the others, but comms chatter tells you that Nimrod and Gawain are shepherding the infantry away and Clutch and the Captain are overclocking the Watchful Makeda’s reactor in order to get another long-spool.

A: Sacrifice Clutch
B: Sacrifice Gawain
C: Sacrifice Nimrod
D: “gently caress Off Sy! SCYLLA, We’ve Got This!”

PoultryGeist fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Sep 24, 2019

malbogio
Jan 19, 2015

D

super sweet best pal
Nov 18, 2009

B

Toughy
Nov 29, 2004

KAVODEL! KAVODEL!

D

Kai Tave
Jul 2, 2012
Fallen Rib
"Suck my Dick you fuckman."

Hexenritter
May 20, 2001


Kai Tave posted:

"Suck my Dick you fuckman."

so much this

MaliciousOnion
Sep 23, 2009

Ignorance, the root of all evil

Kai Tave posted:

"Suck my Dick you fuckman."

Volmarias
Dec 31, 2002

EMAIL... THE INTERNET... SEARCH ENGINES...
D we don't run from fights anymore

Sathzur
Nov 19, 2009
D

Blisster
Mar 10, 2010

What you are listening to are musicians performing psychedelic music under the influence of a mind altering chemical called...
D We aren't gonna give up on of our mech bros just cause we got hit once. Plus we are the Gorgon so drawing fire is our job.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

PoultryGeist
Feb 27, 2013

Crystals?
“gently caress Off Sy! SCYLLA, We’ve Got This!”

The snakes split their attention between you, the Balor, and the shadow on your other shoulder. ”THERIVER’s enthusiasm is misplaced, but appreciated. All systems ready for… whatever.”

You grunt an acknowledgement and swing into action. The Sentinel Drone rolls of its mount and activates, covering the Balor and its infantry support. You’re drawing a bead on the larger mech when you get a comm ping at the same time motion appears above you. A large yellow cylinder falls through the hole in the ceiling and embeds itself in the greywash body of HURT. An ultracap, fully charged from the look of the discharge around the port. Grinning and thanking Clutch under your breath, you shift your aim slightly.
(Ghoul Nexus vs Ultracap Edef: 20/Crit, Light Damage+1 Structure[Direct Hit/Stunned])

Actually make that overcharged, as the nexus’ micro-missiles cause the canister to explode extra-violently. Your sensors are blinded for a moment, and when they readjust you can see the Balor’s swarm is spread out in disarray, revealing a thin skeletal core. Grin wider now, you overcharge Baby and swing up your trusty shotgun.
(Shotgun vs HURT Eva: 5, Hit, Lgt Dam)

Your shot hits home and the frame flinches, no longer supremely confident. Behind you the swarmed subalterns move towards the corridor and your moving allies. You do some damage as they move through your shotgun’s threat, but then they’re beyond the flash and untargetable. Luckily El_Cid is waiting with its new war pike and grenades, covering the Okafors’ movement.
(Overwatch vs Swarmed Subalterns, 2x Light Damage)
(War Pike vs Subaltern Eva: 15, Hit, Light Damage)
(Hex Grenades vs 2x Subaltern Eva: 11/4, H/M, Lgt/No Dam)
(3x Subaltern Attacks vs El_Cid Eva: 6/16/7, M/H/M, Lgt Dam)[/sub]

Gawain holds the line, finishing off one of the damaged squads while partially disabling another. The greywash weapons scar the frame’s armor, but can’t find purchase. Movement draws your attention from the tacscreen as HURT draws itself together and flows away from you, seeking distance and cover from skyward foes. It glares at you from across the ruined intersection, and lashes out with its whip again.
(Overwatch vs HURT Eva, 15, Hit, Light Damage)
(Nanoswarm Whip vs Baby Eva: 12, Hit, Light Damage/1 Structure[System Destroyed: Scorpion])
(Sentinel Drone does Lgt Damage)


The hit isn’t as bad this time, but it is enough to knock the Scorpion system offline. You could wait a bit, for the flash to fade and allow the others to help out. But the flash is keeping the infantry off the Balor’s target list, so you decide to press your luck.
(Ghoul Nexus vs HURT Eva: 8, Hit [Perfect Parried] Min Dam HURT/No Dam Baby)
(Shotgun vs HURT Eva: 23/Crit, 1 Structure [Impaired])


Despite it knocking back some micro-missiles back at you with its whip, you keep up the assault on the Balor. Large chunks of greywash burst from the frame, but you can’t seem to damage anything vital. Your cockpit shakes with a wordless growl and the enemy frame discorporates, the nanoswarm flows into the shattered superstructure. You hold your breath for a long moment, waiting for a sneak attack that does not come. Turning away, you catch the subalterns in a crossfire and mop them up easily. Gawain gives Baby’s scoured armor plates a once over and nods approvingly on his screen.

”Well done Lancer. Few can stand before the Maw-spawn and live to sing of it.”

“Merci, Gawain. How about we don’t stick around for the rematch?”


The Albatross chuckles. ”Yes, a very good idea. Losing that much mass is only going to make the greyswarm even hungrier.”

“Mon Deiu, you’re just full of fun facts. Alright people, we’ve still got a mission. Eyes wide and move out!”


Decision One:
A: Double Time!
Hustle to the power array, try to get there and done before HURT comes back
B: Safety First!
Take it slower, watching for another ambush
C: Take a Detour!
Find a nice defensible spot and hold up for HURT’s/L'Étranger’s next counter-attack

Decision Two:
D: Taunt Sy
E: Keep Your Mouth Shut For Once, Banh

PoultryGeist fucked around with this message at 01:29 on Oct 10, 2019

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