“Alpha Nine en route, sir. Heading to assist Alphas Six and Ten.”
Brenn halts behind a dumpster, pistol still drawn. Nearby, at the other troopers’ location, the pops and rattles of small arms fire break through the still morning. Quickly, he swaps his pistol for his SMG.
Time to make noise, he thinks. Rising from cover, he heads towards the fight, keeping to the shadows.
2 Likes
The crackle of a radio and indistinct voices echoed as the suits motors rumbled. It’s heavy feet stomped towards one of the Blackvine trucks, standing at attention.
The suit’s old systems rattled to life.
Analog, and outdated, but also incredibly handy and practical.
Useful, was the term Lin had coined them, as they served her back when the Ironclad was nothing but a pile of scraps, and could always rise to the occasion.
The power cell injector had been modified, now with an additional cylinder feature, as if it was able to take more cells.
The A.I. of the suit was nothing but welcoming, if a bit invasive in terms of voice. It too was outdated, but was less gimmicky compared to it’s…flashy successors.
Lin herself was dressed in her military garb while still in the suit, her sidearm strapped tightly to her body.
“Diagnostics completed, pilot.”
“Systems are nominal. Core integrity 100%. Radio chatter…standard. Shall I initiate your routine?”
The A.I. chittered, the voice breaking the silence within the suit.
“Withhold the routine. Later.” Lin murmured.
The suit stood tall. Stood silent, waiting.
For soon, The Black Devil would return again to raze the fields of Argon once more.
4 Likes
we back boys
Lin @MakutaOisli
Rad @BynariDistress
September 21st, 06:27 SST
As you both suit up, a majority of the troops run to the trucks, with a few also donning more extensive hardsuits when compared to the minimalist ones the rest of the troops were already wearing. As you all move towards the trucks, the Sergeant points a handful to a pair of trucks, then swings into the back of one himself.
Hanging from the open back of his truck, Okarr points to the fourth truck in the group, partially filled with Blackvine soldiers clad in their simpler hardsuits, saying “lets get you both over in that one, those boys will need some help. Comms check going out as soon as we’re moving, make sure your on the Vanguard’s frequency, not Blackvine’s.”
Once the trucks are loaded, the Sergeant gives the signal to leave.
Comms checks seemed to go well, but the ride is bumpy and the engines are loud. After a short ride, your truck, along with one other peel off to each side of the other two.
September 21st, 06:30, SST
As your truck stops near an alley outside the designated part of the city, troops begin to jump out. Gunfire erupts from somewhere to your south, but the troops leaving your truck seem unbothered, more focused on getting moving to find any other Argon forces in the area.
Nilas @ajtazt
September 21st, 06:30 SST
All you catch of the soldier’s response is some kind of hand wave and their muffled voice, the tone now seeming dissapointed and dismissive, like you ruined a joke. Not entirely a dissapointment, you hear what could be chuckles coming from across the way.
With your radio now set, you may enjoy a short moment of clarity before the chaos that would overwhelm almost anyone engulfs you from two sides, each a different channel. While the right side stayed fairly clear, you do catch timing callouts from the pilots to their commanders.
“Nintey to touchdown. LZ looks clear”
Jumping into your ear from the left side, you catch a bit of the paratrooper’s activities. Judging by the tone and background noise they must be in a fight.
“Alph- -ix ----- Te- --gaging ---- south ----”
Though the messages are unclear still, a reliable source of information comes on the line to clarify just as during the landings. ‘Alpha leader’ routes forces while his counterpart from the other squad confirms the movement of advance supplies.
On your right another pilot calls out timing, temporarily distracting your focus on the paratroopers
“Sixtee to TD, we’re clear as day”
Anders @DuneToa
September 21st, 06:30 SST
As you begin backtracking towards the fight, you hear a rumble sweep by down the alley to your right before it halts. You feel the ground shake a bit, and your helmet’s hearing enhancements pick up on a quiet commotion coming from that direction. Once again, the situation demands a choice to be made: Help your brothers in arms, or investigate a potential second hostile force?
Vitus @Ghid
September 21st, 06:30 SST
Nothing seems to be missing at a glance, but your collection of tools and knicknacks will take a moment to sort through and confirm that everything is in its right place.
As you are guided though the hospital, you see a staff member running to convey a short message to every doctor and nurse they see. What strikes you as odd is the poor attempt at secrecy by this man, with a handful of patients, also on their way out, get worried looks on their faces after he runs to the next person.
Nearing the front entrance, your curiosity remains unsatisfied, as the man had yet to tell your guide the concerning news.
Ace @NOTaHFfan
September 21st, Roughly 06:35 SST
Miraculously, you manage to make it to the hatch under your own power. The problem at hand however, is that you would need another miracle to get it open manually, even if you werent just struck in the head. Your vision is further restricted now, as the change in plane allows the blood and tears that had been clinging to your face to coat parts of your visor.
Now, with your narrow, splatter filled vision, you must find a way to save yourself
2 Likes
Almost a year.
Vitus sighed bitterly as he stepped out into the hall, allowing the nurse to take the lead. Was it ten months since then? Nine? And only two weeks ago, that horrible crash that seemed so awfully similar to the one where I lost-
He scowled. Maybe I need to get hit on the head more often. Why on earth would I keep reminiscing over this? Am I some kind of sadistic nut or something?
Sighing yet again, he tried to focus on something else as he walked. I want a gun. I wish somebody would give me a gun to use. Not like these gutter-drinkers know the first thing about civilian armament.
Uh oh.
it didn’t take a mind reader to see what was going on. Nothing grave enough to alter the course the staff members was taking, as he continued leading the small crowd he had assembled behind him, some striding, others hobbling after.
He subtly increased his speed to put him alongside the nurse leading him away, noting that the main entrance would undoubtedly be the point at which he would need to split from his guide. Limited time. Although I suppose that’s been how everything works thus far.
Hopefully after this I won’t be in such a rush.
3 Likes
THUD.
The Ironclad stomped forwards as it disembarked from the truck, Lin pulling her LMG from her side, the helmet moving as she looked around at her immediate surroundings. An audible click emerged as she turned on her radio to the blackvine channel.
The fingers of the machine wrapped tightly around the gun, the grim anticipation of an early threat easily showcased in the tensed body language of suit.
The silent hum of the battery core emanated from the machine, as Lin slowly began walking and making a perimeter check.
Solid prints were made as the heavy machine moved its way through.
2 Likes
A second landing? So soon?
But then, the Colonials had often surprised the Barony forces with their more unpredictable tactics. A second group of troops sent to attack the paratroopers from behind could end Brenn’s mission at the start, shut down his entire unit…
“Alpha Leader, this is Alpha Nine. I’m making a bit of a detour. I should catch up to you soon. Alpha Nine out.”
As he finishes, Brenn heads to the alleyway, priming his SMG for automatic fire. Better to dispatch these would-be backups for the Colonials than to let them take on the already engaged paratroopers, he thinks.
“And may they put up a half-decent fight,” he mutters. The last few fights had not been what he considered “good”. They were not firefights requiring a tactical advantage, but merely quick gunfights. Some hand-to-hand combat, like on his last mission before joining the paratrooper corps, was more in line for his expectations.
3 Likes
Rad waited to be the last man off the truck, hitting the side panel twice once exiting to notify the crew that the rear was clear. The sound of weapons fire echoed off the buildings, making it difficult for his sensors to pinpoint an exact location.
“Who has the drone?” Rad asked.
“Already on it!” Came back one of the Blackvine members … Hernandez Rad thought
A moment later a small drone about the size of grapefruit lifted from the hand of a kneeling soldier. It hovered just for a moment before accelerating toward the sky. With a thumbs up, Hernandez reported in. “We have eyes in the sky. At least for now, picking up some serious interference in the area.”
Checking his HUD, he could see the feed as the tiny drone darted around, climbing above the buildings.
“Solid copy.” Rad replied, shouldering his rifle and forming up with the rest of his team.
Ping Locs (pronounced Lokes) Rad thought, each member of the force lighting up on his map overview giving an estimated location of each member; the team in front of him being highlighted in his camera and sensors.
They all knew the drill, Rad thought.
DM LC Rad thought. The direct channel request was sent to Lin.
Waiting for the LC to either respond to his DM request or to give the order to move forward, Rad readied himself. Taking a deep breathe, Rad thought Slow is Smooth, and Smooth is Fast
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Overwhelming only for those unprepared or unused to that level of noise or overlapping audio. It may be like being in the middle of a gym hosting a potluck with several echoing conversations, but there is a difference between hearing and listening. Busybodies and the paranoid knew this difference well and many tricks to compensate. And in this moment, the trick Nilas used was keywords.
Like a dozing student until a teacher called their name, the chatter with the pilots was heard but not focused on. Standard procedure, stuff he’s heard a thousand times that’s filtered out by habit. Clear LZs, touching down soon, that sort of info reached his listening ears. But what had a greater grip on his listening was the paratrooper chatter. His right foot started tapping. It may not be the most clear, but there were few sound that ‘gaging’ could mean.
Idiots. They found out again. Closest they’ve gotten and already getting shot. Why must good omens expire so quickly?
He stayed on the paratrooper frequencies for another couple seconds before trying the common Blackvine frequencies. It was probably the colonies again, though if not he would try a few more later to see if he can pick up an enemy comm.
Before he gets too distracted by this, he looks around the ship area and sees if they’re ready to move out.
“Sounds like there’s action already,” he tried to absently comment.
4 Likes
September 21st, 06:31 SST
Nilas @ajtazt
Catching only a mix of callouts between the two members of Alpha Squad who lay besieged crossed with the occasional announcement from their reinforcements, you hear one member, Alpha Nine, announce a detour before you dial to the Blackvine frequencies, only to find them strangely empty. Either the team attacking the paratroopers was on a different frequency, or they werent operating their radios right now. More puzzling still is the total silence across all major Blackvine channels, making the column seem to not exist, despite the confirmation you overheard earlier.
No time to ponder just yet though, while you scroll through the Colonial battle frequencies the red light in your dropship begins pulsing, meaning there is a mere thirty seconds before the doors open, thirty seconds before you might watch those around you die.
Anders @DuneToa
As you move up towards the suspected landing, you continue to feel soft tremors make their way to your feet, and after a short moment you can hear voices and quiet shuffling from ahead and to your right.
As you tell yourself hopes of a good fight, mildly lost in thought, you almost dont notice a gentle tap come from behind your helmet, followed by a quiet yet stern voice:
“Oh they will, but Im afraid you wont be having any part in it.”
Rad @BynariDistress
The truck slowly pulls away at your cue, heading north along the edge of the city before it will turn back towards the column.
As the squad settles in, you spot the exit to a nearby alleyway that seems wide enough to move quickly through, assuming everybody keeps clean rank and file.
Lin @MakutaOisli
As the nearly silent fuzz of a radio not picking anything up provides a break from the quiet, your surroundings seem to somehow match: still dark shells of housing no longer inhabited all blends together into boxes of browns and tans, with the occasional dark green of wall foliage all choking out the grey and off-white base of the walls. A nearby alleyway seems the best location to begin filing into the town, but it can only comfortably fit two soldiers side by side, or in your case, just a single oversize hardsuit.
Vitus @Ghid
With the events of the last crash fresh in your mind, an image suddenly jumps into your mind, seemingly blocking out your conscious vision for a moment: it was that image you cant ever seem to forget, the carnage laid out what felt like an impossible distance away, while the peaceful backdrop seemed like it was within arms reach.
Shooting back to reality, your journey to the front continues. As you make it within sight of the main lobby, the nurse tells you something, probably along the lines of being needed elsewhere now, then leaves you behind, leaving you on your own again.
4 Likes
Looks like home.
Lin hefted her LMG, the weapon gleaming in the dim twilight.
She slowly walked towards the edge of the alley, motioning, more by force of habit, for any soldiers to enter through.
3 Likes
Noticing the LC motion toward the alleyway, Rad starts to form up; signaling to the militia to take the center of the formation.
Don’t need these guys taking up the rear. He thought. Pinging the drone, Rad noticed that the interference had completely blocked out all visuals, the audio frequencies producing nothing but white noise.
Worth a shot he thought, making his way toward a large dumpster that was near the ruins of a doorway.
Something was off, he could feel it in his bones. Nodding to the rest of the Blackvine regulars, he keyed his mic.
“Click, Click.”
The team had used the simple single to confirm squad readiness. What Intel was available had learned that the clicks were mostly ignored by enemy combatants, possibly due to them blending in with the white noise.
A chorus of return clicks responded to Rad, followed by the team’s icons pulsing in his HUD.
Flipping the selector on his rifle from safe to single, he readied himself, leveling the rifle so that the scope peered down the alleyway, just over LC Lin’s right shoulder.
2 Likes
Brenn nearly jumped, but the most he allowed himself was a noticeable tensing of his muscles before he swung his SMG at full force into the face of his attacker. He hoped it hurt. He knew that even if the opponent had a hardsuit, the visor on the helmet was a weak spot, being made of plexiglass or other clear plastics that were significantly weaker than the metal on the armor.
“If you really needed the surprise, you should’ve brought a sniper,” he commented. “Would’ve caught me faster.”
2 Likes
The restless motions of his hands froze.
That peaceful planet, so distant from the wars which would soon ravage it and render a modern planet-wide civilization nearly decimated in just under a year, seemed so close he could reach out and sift his fingers through the swirls of clouds and sandy soil, and forget all about the carnage that lay in front of him.
It was much more valuable to consider the planet, and the beauty of the scene, than to dwell on the obvious implication seeing his mother’s hair had drawn. There was a sight far worse than the torn ruin of the command bridge that lay before him, but it was better that his mind not get far enough to recall it.
And so it was that, despite his better judgement, he continued to embrace the scene in his mind as he walked forwards, until some part of his busied mind told him that the nurse had spoken to him.
“What?” He turned, looking at the spot she had previously occupied. He whirled about, trying to find where she had gone, but she had completely disappeared.
Stupid. He wasn’t quite sure if the angry thought was directed more at the nurse or at himself. I hope that fellow has something useful to say to me, like ‘here’s a really cool gun you can have because we like your dead dad’ or ‘this was all a hallucinogenic trip, your parents are still alive and everything’s fine’.
He pushed himself to walk faster. I don’t think there’s other intelligent life in the universe, but if there is it’s definitely not around here.
4 Likes
Maybe they’re too far out still? Or they’re trying new tricks. Whatever. You’ll need to sing at some point.
As he couldn’t find anything and, with such short time left, he leaves the customize channel on a cycling setting. Letting it scroll through some Blackvine and Colony frequencies, staying at each for a few seconds before swapping. When it finishes cycling through those, it will return to the paratroopers and a few Argon channels belong to higher command. With that set, he let go of the tablet near its holding place on the backpack and allowed it to reel itself into position.
He readied himself, hands prepped to remove the straps and get out. And what may annoy those on board, Nilas began counting down to midnight - growing quitter with each mark.
“One one-thousand.”
“Two one-thousand.”
“Three one-thousand.”
“Four one-thousand.”
“Five one-thousand.”
5 Likes
Finally, after what seemed like a pain-filled eternity, Ace finished her climb and reached the hatch at the bottom. She was clinging desperately to the metal plating next to it, feeling ever so slightly relieved, knowing she almost reached the relative safety of the chambers on the other side of the hatch. She pressed the button to open it, instinctively knowing where it was located after many months of working there.
However, the equally familiar opening sequence didn’t follow. Ace’s heart dropped.
She pressed it again, then again. Nothing. Then she started frantically pressing the button over and over again, getting more and more hysterical, until she was practically punching it. But the door didn’t move. It, just like the rest of the ship, was completely out of power.
Completely desperate, she started knocking on the door as hard as she could and screaming for help at the top of her lungs. Ace herself couldn’t hear anything, not even her own voice, the only sounds being the ringing in her ears and the frantic beating of her heart. She wasn’t in the right headspace to realise how futile these attempts were, considering that almost nobody except for the repair crew ever came to that part of the ship and that all the sound she was making was completely drowned out by the noise of the rapidly disintegrating vessel. Nobody could help her here.
Ace felt that she was losing consciousness again and could barely stop herself from falling. Miraculously, a clear memory suddenly appeared in her panicked mind. It seemed like at death’s door her mind refused to give up the fight. She remembered her training that she had gone through on her first day of service on this ship. All hatches on the vessel were supposed to have a way to be opened manually in case of an emergency.
With her vision blurry and clouded to the point where she could barely see anything, Ace started frantically feeling around for the manual switch.
5 Likes
September 21st, 06:31 SST
Anders @DuneToa
As you swing your weapon at your would-be murderer, he tries to back up. Still landing a solid strike on his shoulder, he drops his gun, then decides to throw himself at you, trying to grapple. The two of you tangle for only a breif moment, though it feels like several minutes have passed by the time you push him away for just a second-
-only to hear a loud crack through your helmet audio before the other man falls to the ground, making no attempts to get up.
Ercis just received its first of many permanant stains.
Lyn @MakutaOisli
As you head toward the alley, one of the soldiers rushes ahead to check it. He yells that theres a fight in there. Reaching ths point where you csn see what the soldier described, you see two men engaged in a full out brawl: one was clearly an Argon paratrooper, but the other was difficult to identify. As the fight continues, the soldier levels his rifle, and takes a shot at an opportune moment
And you watch, as the wrong man falls
Rad @BynariDistress
Getting the group in formation you see Gang and another soldier watching something down the alleyway, then hear a single shot ring out, bouncing off the buildings and out to the open plains. Peering down your weapons optics, you see a man laying dead some fifteen yards away, and next to him, looking like he got thrown onto the ground, was a lone paratrooper
Argon
Vitus @Ghid
As the crowd slowly pulls you through the lobby, towards the door, and eventually outside, any thoughts you have or guard you make is once again easily ripped away by one simple thing.
This time, its a girl walking past, not much older than you are. Its not her appearance that catches you, but her hair brushing against you, before the two of you are separated by the anxious entropy of the crowd.
Unable to forget the breif feeling however, your mind locks you there, trapped with memories of your mother.
The next thing you see is the sky, the sky you wish was empty, not filled with a swarm of flying troop bays and vehicle carriers, as they decend upon the small cities’ Eastern edge.
Nilas @ajtazt
As is common with the Baronies’ near-flawless timing (well, at least when somebody doesent somehow neglect fueling half the transports), you feel a subtle bump as the bottom of the transport barely contacts the ground just as you reach thirty one-thousand.
The doors of the transport drop open, and the soldiers inside begin running out, and so far, you hear no gunfire. Now standing alone in the back of the bay, bright light floods in from the gaping maw where the front door was, with additional light sneaking in through smaller side doors on either side of the compartment, near you in the back.
Welcome to Ercis, where all will most certainly not stay quiet and well
4 Likes
Vitus froze.
His arms began to fight back, weakly pushing away from the sensation; not of his mother’s frigid hair, but the hands which grabbed at his arms and legs to pull him away from her embrace. He had not fought back against them as they tried to rescue him from the burning fate they all succumbed to. He should have fought back.
He should have been there with her. He shouldn’t have left her.
As his mind fell out of the stupor it had entered, he set his jaw in a violent scowl and forced his bony limbs hard against the sides of his body to stop the rolling motions. Shut up shut up shut up shut up SHUT UP.
Would someone give me a gun already, so I can blow my head off and-
It wasn’t the nest of ships in the air which drew his attention. It was the imaginary vessel, wrapped in flames, plummeting out of the sky which he envisioned, ripping in two as it descended. It was the sensation of a faulty escape pod falling back inside the vessel and slipping out from the newly-created hole as the doomed crew looked on, hoping they had somehow managed to save the life of their commander’s son.
Vitus swallowed down the horror in his throat.
Gun. He pushed onwards. I… I have got to find a gun. Got to defend myself.
4 Likes
Brenn paused.
Did I hit him?
There was a noticeable hole in his opponent’s armor. A rifle bullet had smashed through the chest plate, leaving a grey scar that was rapidly oozing blood.
Idiot! Should’ve been paying attention…
He heard what sounded like a literal demon shout for him to drop his weapon from the ground floor of the building across the street. As he slowly dropped his SMG, he turned, seeing a person wearing an expensive suit of powered armor. The face was completely hidden behind armored plating, with no visible visor. This person was heavily armed, and had the drop on him. No chance to run or gun his way out of this situation, not without a major distraction…
“Alpha Nine to Alpha Leader, requesting assistance. Alpha Nine, requesting assistance –“
1 Like
Lin charged, attempting to stop the brawl before-
Bullets bounced off of Lin’s armor as she ducked into cover, the clicking of a gun audible as she turned the safety off.
She then charged down the alley, cutting off the Argon paratrooper from one side, standing in from the unfortunate fool as the machinery hummed and whirred like the laughter of a demon.
She aimed her gun at him, her finger on the trigger of a gun capable of turning the trooper into a puddle of goo.
Lin’s eyes widened as she heard the distress. She swung her metal hand, intending to rip off his helmet and crush it.
4 Likes
If there was one nice thing about standard procedures, it was that he didn’t have to charge out first. Nonetheless, Nilas unbuckled as soon as it touched down and got up to wait his turn. Once that first section of the parade rushed out, Nilas was not far behind. Yet, he decided to risk being tardy for but a few seconds.
Speaking through his helmet’s speakers he said to the pilot, “Raph sometimes flies this one, yeah? Check around, might be a nice surprise.”
With that, he did a light jog off the transport and to get a few of Ercis. Also tried to remember what the official orders were for him this time around. Unless that plan has fallen apart already. Again.
4 Likes