[Stay Frosty!] OPERATION: Serpent's Den

[WlfSamurai]

Date: 2180-03-15


Local Time: 23:13


OPERATION: Serpent's Den


Mission: Rescue


"Special Forces guys are young, capable, smart, dedicated. I'll use the term "remarkable" -- absolutely remarkable, very, very, brave men. [They were] introduced in the country of Afghanistan in a great many locations in very small numbers. It sounds a bit dramatic, but they were inserted in the dead of night, sort of alone, but unafraid. They took a great deal of capacity with them -- a capacity to communicate, capacity to be able to identify and engage targets at a considerable distance from themselves, using air-to-ground forces, close air support. [it was] remarkable; a remarkable effort. I predict that people will still be writing about the exploits of some of these young people well off into the future."


--General Hawthorne


View attachment 2343


The UD-4L Cheyenne Dropship touches down on Tygus II, a recently explored and settled colony planet. The ramp hits the concrete deep in Varis City. You all hear Corporal Stines, the Pilot, over your commlink.


"She's down. You're a go. Good luck, grunts."





From here, it's three miles to the target building. The briefing is clear in your mind. Tygus II is in rebellion against the Weyland-Yutani corporation. The CMC has been deployed to calm the unrest and take control of the planet. Several high-level key officials were trapped in a laboratory facility they were touring when the violence broke out. Chief among them is Colonel Brison, disengaged Papa Bear for this mission.


Your squad has been deployed in a forward position from the rest of the Company to secure Papa Bear and extract to safety. You are free to engage at will. Most likely, the mission will go far smoother if you're able to keep a low-profile, at least until you arrive at the target building. Support for this mission is minimal as you are technically behind enemy lines. Should the situation become dire, we can deploy emergency UD-4C gunships.


So, the ramp is down and you have a go.


What do you do?<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2013_08/Cheyennepylons.jpg.e930233fd2314d563106882e869e50a2.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="24154" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2013_08/Cheyennepylons.jpg.e930233fd2314d563106882e869e50a2.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

 

[Grey]

Sgt. Thorne





Rebellion. It's a shitty situation. But the sooner its over, the less people need to get hurt.


"Low profile, marines. Tread softly but leave the safeties off." He says, moving quickly down the ramp. "Sanford, on point. Let's go."

 

[Cyrocast]

Pfc. Espinoza





The Dropship haul over had been a little unnerving for Hector. He'd been through training and his simulation scores were top notch, but besides another drop that had proven to be completely uneventful this was his first combat drop. He made rigorous use of a red stress ball he had with him during the flight.


"Keep cool, vato." he mutters to himself as his squad piles out. His head darts to attention as Sgt. Thorne pipes up. He checks his magazine and flips his safety off and then prowls behind his squad's lead.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Meijer





Des clomps down the ramp, quick-timing behind the sarge. Depressing the smartgun's safety, the self-guiding rig inflates against his stomach like a blood pressure cuff and the articulation arm stabilizes parallel to the ground. The eyepiece washes out the world in black, gray, and white--heat sources. Tags outline the sarge and the rookie. He shuffles up past Espinoza and to the right of Sanford to keep the fire arc clear. The distant white pips of the facility burn like votive candles. Place is a wreck, the block strewn with signs of protest, looting, broken glass and a gutted car.


"Ain't shit ahead, sarge. Anyone on tracker?" He looks over at Sanford. "Sounds like they're having a party a few blocks down." Distant gunfire.

 

[Skrakes]

XTS11


>Initializing...


>Initializing...


>Initializing...


>Combat protocols loaded! Have a lovely day.


Sophia sits in the rear, the protocol reset occurring a fractions of a second faster than a human can perceive. But, for a few dark moments, she had died. Her higher system state shut down momentarily, loaded the new protocols, and booted up; thus, Sophia, the one who could draw the pistol at her hip, aim, and fire, without hesitation.


She stood, following Meijer. As of yet, no comment needed from her, only calm eyes scanning the humid streets of Tygus II.

 

[Hurm]

Cpl. Sanford





The medic lagged behind just a bit, finishing up his quick check of the medical kit... for about the twentieth time. He knew everything was there, of course - it was more force of habit, and a method of wasting time during the flight.


Being on point isn't usually his job, of course, but when it came to it... well, let's be honest, it's not particularly difficult when compared to mid-combat surgery. Hands on the weapon and eyes on the, well, everything. Including the tracker. "Nothing so far... I wonder if they saw us coming in. We'll probably have a welcoming committee if so." He muses, making sure to keep his volume at 'only loud enough'. An acquired skill.

 

[Grey]

Sgt. Thorne


"Eyes peeled - likely it is only a matter of time. Let's hope those poor sons of bitches know better than to tackle Marines." Burnt out cars, defaced property, cans and glass in the street, makeshift cover peppered with bulletholes. Quiet. Either the fighting has moved elsewhere or people are largely barricaded into their homes - there have to be children kept safe somewhere.

 

[Cyrocast]

Pfc. Espinoza





Hector's eyes shift from debris to rubble, left and right. He puts in the extra effort to watch his footing and avoid kicking over any metal scraps. What if he accidentally knocks something over that makes a sound that might bring attention to his entire squad? What if he knocks something over that in turn knocks something else over? First impressions are important after all, he didn't want to screw up on his first drop. He really didn't want to screw up. He didn't want to be that dependent green who quickly became a liability, he didn't want...


No, relax. He had to stop over analyzing it. All he had to do was keep sharp and follow orders. There's nothing to be worried about here.


"Real quiet Sarge, how many blocks from Papa Bear? We can't be close if it's still this tame." He almost speaks in a normal voice, but quickly catches himself after the first syllable and hushes it down.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Meijer





"Still a few miles to go. Besides, if they saw us, they'll pick the time and place." His torso followed the gun in a sweeping motion. He kept relax, like water, while it did its thing. Errant heat from the car fires was fucking with tracking. "Alley up ahead, if we want to reconnoiter."


Something large resolved out of the black haze of buildings as they moved cover-to-cover. "Ho! Flamed out APC." It stood in front of a block of shuttered stores, their steel marred and warped by the intensity of the fire. "Probably one of the stripped down constable units." Charred figures sprawled out of its side hatch. Smoke poured from the driver's compartment.

 

[Grey]

Sgt. Thorne





"They can't afford to face us in the open. It'll be ambush, looted explosives and rifles, some improv explosives, too." Thorne scans the bodies for tags, insignia... Meijer's right, stripped down for civilian use.


"Watch the upper windows; they might throw things down if we're spotted."


As if to punctuate the thought, something tumbles from a third floor window and crashes behind the APC.


"Anyone get a look at that?!" Thorne cries, looking up at the source, rifle raised.

 

[Skrakes]

XTS11


Sophia's mechanical eyes click up to the object, her rapid-frame eyes attempting to get a lock.

Spoiler

Can I roll something for this, might MC?

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Meijer





Sweeping left, Des keeps Schwerpunkt pointed toward the rear of the APC, waiting for the first twitch and lock-on. Thumbing the spray pattern, he goes for in-line firing, no straying bullets, they'll follow each in a line like good soldiers.


"Oy!" Carefully, he creeps wide, eyes trained ahead. "Watch that corner." Ever wider to the shutters, then along the building, looking for whatever fell.

 

[Cyrocast]

Pfc. Espinoza





He springs to life with the falling object and scans the surrounding windows with his pulse rifle pointed forward. Following Meijer's call, he shuffles to hug the APC's side and edges himself towards the corner. He stalks towards the end and, with his back still to the APC's side, pokes his head out to look at what it was that fell.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Movement. You guys being pros catch it right away. But is it just a lost civilian or a madman with a rifle?


Sophia, to answer your question, you can assess. Roll+tactics, please.

 

[Skrakes]

Rolling tactics!


10!

 

[WlfSamurai]

Sophia, I should have asked before-hand, but what your you like to know? On a 10+ you can ask me a question I have to answer truthfully as well as a few follow-up questions. Example questions are on the game sheet.

 

[Skrakes]

XTS11


What fell out of the window?

 

[WlfSamurai]

You go back through the sight logs in your head. Fur. A tail. It was a cat. Nothing else seems to be moving.


With you all deployed, the dropship closes it's hatch and lifts into the air and back into orbit. It's all quiet again. You start rolling to the target.


For now, you're still getting up to the minute telemetry. The drop-zone is marked as "deployment". The target building is marked as well. The red circles are the currently the heaviest resistance areas that currently contain rioting.


View attachment 2352


So, Sgt. Thorne, where do you lead you men?<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2013_09/57a8bfc86f99b_StayFrostyVarisCityMapDeploymentandresistance.jpg.a203e601d357cd8c11aef4a037861b5d.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="24163" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2013_09/57a8bfc86f99b_StayFrostyVarisCityMapDeploymentandresistance.jpg.a203e601d357cd8c11aef4a037861b5d.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

 

[Grey]

Sgt. Thorne





"Alright, we've got a choice of trying to slip between the heavy engagement zones, or we can loop south and east. I want to hear your thoughts on that."

 

[Skrakes]

XTS11


"I believe it is necessary to thread the needle between the zones. The laboratory is not well-fortified, and enemy elements are already approaching it. We must take the fastest route."

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Meijer





"I'd half agree with Sophia. Snooping would be the better option, Sarge, but Papa Bear and those officials can't be too happy waiting."

 

[Hurm]

Cpl. Sanford





"Another vote for straight between. We don't exactly have unlimited time."

 

[Cyrocast]

Pfc. Espinoza





Hector idly nudges the dead cat over and frowns. Did it get thrown out? Was it already dead when some debris shifted and it fell over? Poor cat. Espinoza hated them anyway.


"Hey, I ain't here to vote. What's your call Sarge?" he turns on his heel and looks to his superior.

 

[Grey]

Sgt. Thorne


"Thread the needle it is. Meijer, keep the right flank covered, we'll edge a little closer on that side. Sophia, you keep to the right, too."


Maybe you can soak up a bullet for one of the living


"Double time, Marines, lets move!"

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Meijer





Doing as ordered, Meijer hoofs it on the right flank, letting IR and his own eyes keep the world small, and in view. Crossing a large intersection, the gunfire grows louder, creates patterns of sounds underscored by shouting men. Once, twice he sees tracers in the distance. "They're still having it out."