UEEF Marines - IC Thread

[Purr]

As you get closer to the ship, the three Alphas slow slightly to cover your back as Onni jets forward to take up a guard position in the entrance of the hangar bay. Babs calls out on the radio, "Good luck in there! We would join you, but we kinda have our hands full in a target rich environment out here. Go get 'em! Chaser, you have three targets coming in, five o'clock low!" With that, her signal cuts off as their focus goes from providing cover to just dishing out as much hurt as possible.

"Thanks for the support, Fire Cats! I bet you don't know how cool you look from our side of things!"

What is normally a pristine mecha bay is a shambles of leaking pipes, broken machinery, and rusted metal that has been stuffed with perhaps two hundred people, men, women and children, all huddled in groups at the back of the room, all obviously terrified.

"UEEF Mariiines!" C'osmo roars, his bear-voice somehow managing to sound both fierce and awfully nerdy at the same time. "Huh huh! I've always wanted to yell that at a time like this!"

C'osmo takes a moment to smile and wave at the dozens of hapless refugees. He raises one of his Silverback's clenched fists high. "Hey you! Keep your chins up! Don't be scared! We're gonna WIN THIS! Raaaaaah!!"

Psychie

With a frown, Pyrrah says, "I don't know of a way to get ahead of the Invid, so I'm guessing our best shot is to follow their trail and how we run into them before they can do too much damage to the ship and the passengers. I'm taking point, and C'osmo, you are our Tail End Charlie, since you can shoot over our heads from as tall as you are. Remember to watch your fire. As beat up as this ship is, it won't take much to make it blow."

Guns high, C'osmo watched their backs while readying himself for fire from the front. "You got it, ma'am! Let's stop 'em cold!"

And yet he felt like he was being watched. Watched by something out there from somewhere else. It was a gripping, nagging feeling the Karbarran just could not shake.

But he tried not to let it shake him.

 

[Sherwood]

"Thanks for the support, Fire Cats! I bet you don't know how cool you look from our side of things!"

As they break off in search of other targets, one of the Alphas flash you a thumbs up from the mecha's large hand, then they peel off, missiles flying and gun pod firing.

"UEEF Mariiines!" C'osmo roars, his bear-voice somehow managing to sound both fierce and awfully nerdy at the same time. "Huh huh! I've always wanted to yell that at a time like this!"

C'osmo takes a moment to smile and wave at the dozens of hapless refugees. He raises one of his Silverback's clenched fists high. "Hey you! Keep your chins up! Don't be scared! We're gonna WIN THIS! Raaaaaah!!"

The terrified refugees shrink back in on one another, and many let out hopeless screams of fear, expecting that these strange beings in front of them are more hostile aliens, and their fate has been sealed. When you don't immediately begin to fire on them, some seem to be more surprised than anything else.

With a frown, Pyrrah says, "I don't know of a way to get ahead of the Invid, so I'm guessing our best shot is to follow their trail and how we run into them before they can do too much damage to the ship and the passengers. I'm taking point, and C'osmo, you are our Tail End Charlie, since you can shoot over our heads from as tall as you are. Remember to watch your fire. As beat up as this ship is, it won't take much to make it blow."

Your lack of knowledge of the layout of the ship is working against you, since before now you have never actually been inside one of the Robotech Master ships. You can only guess at what the Invid are trying to do here.


With Pyrrah in the lead, the squad heads off towards the one damaged door. It leads into a corridor that is large enough to fit the Silverback with ease, giving plenty of room for you to maneuver around. This hallway is probably used to transport Bioroids from one launch bay to another, and that explains why the hall is so roomy.

More rust spots can be seen in here, showing the level of neglect that this ship has undergone. Sections of both the ceiling and floors have been worn away, revealing pipes and conduits running the length of the hall. But even with as messed up as this ship is in here, there are still more refugees huddled in here. If this is any indication of how many people are on this ship, it could number well into the thousands; far more than the small Garfish-class ships here can hope to accommodate. This will require the aid of many more UEEF ships to get these people to safety.

The relative quiet of the hall is shattered by the sound of energy weapons being discharged up ahead, making the refugees in the hall scream and huddle in close to one another in fear for their lives. Following the sounds of the gunfire, you look down the passageway to see the back end of ten Invid mecha, three Shock Troopers and seven Armored Scouts, engaged with a pair of Robotech Master Bioroids that are shooting back at the Invid from positions of cover. From this angle, you cannot see the Invid's weak sensor eye, since you are behind them.

Initiative rolls, please, and don't forget the +2 to your rolls from C'osmo's Silverback

 

[Eonivar]

(OOC gah I did not get a chance to respond...but no worries)

Onni transformed into battloid mode upon reaching the edge of the hanger bay, the mecha changing and wrapping itself about him into a suit of armor. For Onni, piloting a cyclone in battleoid was more like piloting a larger mecha with his smaller size. His battleoid was the usual human size but built for his small frame to be in its core. Onni felt the wonderous touch of protoculture expand his senses and feelings, bonding with the metal, machinery and computers of the cyclone, the mecha becoming an extension of himself. It was this same feeling that made him interested in engineering.

He covered the squadron into the hanger bay, waved a brief salute at the escorting alphas, and turned to survey the situation in the hanger bay. Pyrrah mentioned about not really knowing the way through the ship to be able to get ahead of the invid, and ordered them ahead down a large corridor with Onni ahead and to C'osmo's right against the wall and yet still behind Pyrrah on point.

"Sir, we could possibly patch in to a terminal and get a layout of this..." When his sensors lit up..."Contacts ahead..three Invid Shock Troopers and seven armored scouts assaulting a fortified position with two bioroids..."

Onni Initiative Roll (+9 ) = 13+9 = 21

 

[Psychie]

Pyrrah sees the Invid and a smile comes to her face. Combat made her feel more alive, as if it were her true purpose in life to be in the thick of a fight. But this time, her goal was not just to kill the enemy but to save lives of these refugees.

Sheer calls out, "Targets spotted! Hit em hard, people!"

Total initiative of 12

Spoiler

Hit Points: 31 +2d4 per level
SDC: 111
Action Points: 6 / 5

Combat Bonuses
On Foot / In the Cyclone
Number of Attacks: 6 / 7
Strike: +6 / +7
Parry: +8 / +10
Dodge: +8 / +10 auto dodge
Roll With Punch: +8 / +10
Initiative: +3 / +4
Perception: +5
HtH Damage: +2
Critical Strike on a Natural 20
Death Blow on a Natural 20

Missile Payload
Plasmas 6 / 6
HEAP 12 / 12

AP Cannon 60 / 60

 

[Sherwood]

Initiative order
Eonivar is up first

21 - Onni <====
17 - C'osmo
16 - Torni
15 - Shock Troopers 1-3
14 - bioroid 1
12 - Pyrrah
10 - Armored Scouts 1-7
8 - Keith
6 - bioroid 2

 

[Eonivar]

Onni designates the three Shock Troopers on everyone's HUD as Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie, he then targets Shock Trooper 'Charlie' being the one closest to him, kneels and raises his offhand forearm shield to aim, the upper and lower compartments of the shield opening to reveal a total of four armed and ready mini-missles.

"Well this should get their attention."

Four HEAP Mini-missles fly out of the shield, spiraling out with streams of exhaust, at the unsuspecting Invid Shock Trooper designated as 'Charlie'.

Rolling Missle Strike (+6 bonus to strike), 1D4x10 damage each for 4 missles.

Unfortunately, the missles targeting systems do not lock on to their designated target and the missiles miss their target completely.

"Who programmed the guidance systems on those things?"

 

[Sherwood]

The missiles fly out but fail to lock on, and they end up hitting the wall next to the Invid that Onni was aiming at, blowing several craters in the wall.

Purr is up next to declare his action.

21 - Onni [1]
17 - C'osmo <====
16 - Torni
15 - Shock Troopers 1-3
14 - bioroid 1
12 - Pyrrah
10 - Armored Scouts 1-7
8 - Keith
6 - bioroid 2

 

[Sherwood]

A bump for Purr . You are up next with C'osmo.

 

[Purr]

*Interlude*

C'osmo suddenly hears the sound of crunching leaves and looks up. Leaves? He wonders. In space?

C'osmo's mind drifts like the many pieces of debris and former living creatures now floating all around. For one long moment, he is not in space at all, but standing alone unarmed and unarmored in a huge warm savannah filled with gray mist.

His squad is not there. Norwood is not there. But C'osmo is far from alone.

Before he can think too deeply as to what he is doing here, he hears the sound of a heavy something crunching through tall grass. He turns and there in the mist, far above his own head, is a humongous form looming down over him. C'osmo quickly realizes just how small he is compared to this thing, this new thing, that has just discovered him.

It begins to move. Slowly. Dangerously. Unstoppably. It moves straight at C'osmo.

He cannot flee. The creature is far too large to fight. C'osmo freezes, his limbs locking up in paralyzing fear. He finds himself shivering despite the savannah heat. He tries to look up and up into the eyes...

... and just like that he finds himself right back inside his Silverback, Norwood nearby, his squad all around, and his furry hands calmly working the controls of the Scout Suite.

What just happened? He wonders.

But there is no time to think about it. His team needs him now.

For one long moment, C'osmo finds himself no longer by his squad, nor in the ship, nor even in the dark reaches of this violent patch of space where the lives of many hung in the cosmic balance. A wave of sudden heat and humidity flashes over him. He is back in the savannah again. The windblown grass is up past his knees, his limbs tremble as if he were chilled, but it is his eyes and peer up, up, and farther up still. His teeth shake in his mouth and his heart races like a bird in flight. He too would love to flee, to just get away from this whole mess, but it is not to be.

There coming out of some strange fog is The Creature. The thing he has no real memory of meeting until now. He would have known had they met before this day. Something this large, this terrifying, this consuming was not a thing that could be ignored by the likes of C'osmo of Karbarra.

Looking well above his own height and into the fog, C'osmo feels insignificantly small, powerless, and almost without hope. There in the fog something stares back...

...and C'osmo finds himself back where he had come from. Onni's missile salvo had missed their mark. The Invid he had fired upon still stood. C'osmo's breath came in rapid gasps, but he forced himself to take one big lungful of breath and let it all out. Only then could he talk over the squad channel. His voice, like his soul, shook as he tried to hide his fear behind an ill-worn mask of Marine bravery.

"D-- don't worry, Onni! If, if, if one Dragon Slayer fails to make the play, another steps up to see it through. A-- after all... we're Maaariiines!" His hands followed the commands of his fear-ridden mind as he tries to get a missile lock on the evil Invid monster that Onni had targeted. They were a team and C'osmo was part of it - which meant he had to act like it! Remembering his training, C'osmo tries to loose a quartet of Plasma Mini-missiles at Onni's target.

Because not only were the refugees depending on the Dragon Slayers and UEEF to get them out of this dire situation, but C'osmo's team was relying on him!

Somewhere in his mind, he felt hot, small, and watched by something much, much greater than himself. Their meeting will take place sooner than C'osmo would like.

 

[Sherwood]

C'osmo gets the warbling tone of a missile lock-on before he pulls the trigger, sending the four plasma mini-missiles out to strike the Shock Trooper in its back, spraying flames across its armor. It staggers under the force of the impact, but the armor still holds strong even as huge chunks are blasted away, leaving the Invid mecha critically damaged.

Torni sees her opportunity to score a hit on the damaged Shock Trooper, and she fires a burst from her Nova's forearm blaster, catching the wounded mecha in its vulnerable points, causing a contained explosion to take place.

You have now successfu.ly gotten the attention of the Invid.

Spoiler

Purr , a quick look at your character didn't show you have the Critical Strike From Behind bonus from your HtH skill. If I am wrong, I'll edit this post accordingly.

Psychie is up with Pyrrah

21 - Onni [1]
17 - C'osmo [1]
16 - Torni [1]
15 - Shock Troopers 2-3
14 - bioroid 1
12 - Pyrrah <====
10 - Armored Scouts 1-7
8 - Keith
6 - bioroid 2

 

[Psychie]

With the Invid facing away from her, Pyrrah decides to tap into her mini missile payload and goes for a lock-on with four of her HEAP missiles on the next Shock Trooper.

Spoiler

11 to hit with a critical from behind, doing 240 points of damage (HEAP do 3x damage on a successful crit)

Hit Points: 31 +2d4 per level
SDC: 111
Action Points: 6 / 5

Combat Bonuses
On Foot / In the Cyclone
Number of Attacks: 6 / 7
Strike: +6 / +7
Parry: +8 / +10
Dodge: +8 / +10 auto dodge
Roll With Punch: +8 / +10
Initiative: +3 / +4
Perception: +5
HtH Damage: +2
Critical Strike from Behind
Critical Strike on a Natural 20
Death Blow on a Natural 20

Missile Payload
Plasmas 1d6x10 - 6 / 6
HEAP 1d4x10 - 12 / 8

AP Cannon 60 / 60
1d4x10 single shot / 2d4x10 4 round burst

 

[Sherwood]

Pyrrah's four pack of missiles slam home into the targeted Shock Trooper, and the shaped charge warheads rip into the armor, sending razor-sharp shrapnel into the organic tissue of the pilot, killing the Invid inside instantly.

Keith lines up his attack, also using four of his missile payload against the remaining Shock Trooper. Plasma flame billows out as the missiles explode, ripping the thin armor apart and destroying the mecha.

Moving into a standard combat round. Eonivar is up with Onni for his first attack action.

21 - Onni <====
17 - C'osmo
16 - Torni
14 - bioroid 1
12 - Pyrrah
10 - Armored Scouts 1-7
8 - Keith
6 - bioroid 2

 

[Eonivar]

After firing and missing with his shield missles, Onni targets the now turning armored scouts, and designates them targets A through G. Armored Scouts A and B had already turned towards them. He mentally switches his weapons display to use his 80mm Beam Cannon, selects single shot, and raises it to aim carefully for Armored Scout A's center eye.

He continued kneeling, waiting for the right moment as his as target receptacle lined up with the eye as the invid started to fly towards them. "Just a moment...just a moment..." Then in a split second moment, the target lit up matching, "Now!" as his robotic cyclone hand squeezed the trigger on the beam cannon sending a shot of super heated light towards the invid.

Ranged strike +9 Aimed - 4 (Called Shot Bonus) +2 Strike (C'osmo's Silverback Aura Bonus) = +7 to strike

And the shot went wide as Onni thought too quickly to prepare to Dodge and moved his arm at the last minute. = 4 = Automatic Miss.

 

[Sherwood]

The shot rings out, but the maneuverable little Invid mecha manages to twist out of the way.

Purr is up with C'osmo

21 - Onni [2]
17 - C'osmo <====
16 - Torni
14 - bioroid 1
12 - Pyrrah
10 - Armored Scouts 1-7
8 - Keith
6 - bioroid 2

 

[Purr]

cthuluneedsahug Eonivar Psychie Sherwood

Combat! Real live-fire combat! C'osmo finds himself smiling and shuddering at the same time!

"Keep it up, Onni! The more rounds we send at them, the more likely something's going to hit, right?!" C'osmo tries to encourage this friendly and wise Garudan who, despite C'osmo's dismal treatment from his former squads (but more likely out of pure compassion on the smaller vulpine's part), Onni has worked so hard to make him feel comfortable. C'osmo feels it is the least he can do to cheer his would-be buddy on.

Taking hard cover wherever he can find it, Cosmo focuses another quartet of plasma missiles onto the target Onni is intent on ("Armored Scout A" he would call it if he knew). His trepidation making him tremble, C'osmo waits for the lock-on sound to reach his ears and then with a flex of his furry hand, he looses the fiery missiles sending them on their way!

Yet, that nagging feeling dread continues to pull on him. He feels something is coming. Coming for him and him alone. In the back of his mind, he knew just what it was.

Just then, this brief scene from one of his favorite Bruce Lee movies replays through his ursine mind.

Spoiler: Boards

"Bruce lee boards don't hit back"

Sure, the Dragon Slayers had taken out a few enemies. Anyone could shoot an opponent in the back. Anyone could shoot downrange at still targets.

But now C'osmo finds himself on the other side of Bruce Lee's argument! The big science-bear is certain that any moment, live enemy fire is going to be directed his way and in the direction of his newly-found comrades who he was trying not to cherish unless he suddenly lose them too.

Would they be the next to be killed? Would he?

This thought shakes him to his very core as he watches his flight of missiles soar across the fiery battlefield.

 

[Sherwood]

C'osmo's missile strike flies out and hits the Armored Scout, destroying the offending Invid mecha.

Torni takes careful aim with her forearm mounted blaster and fires at one of the Armored Scouts facing her, scoring a solid hit in its eyepiece. It shatters under the force of the blast, taking out another Invid.

The first Bioroid raises up its weapon drum and fires at the next Invid, causing some armor damage but the mecha is still in the fight.

Psychie is up with Pyrrah

21 - Onni [2]
17 - C'osmo [1]
16 - Torni [2]
14 - bioroid 1 [1]
12 - Pyrrah
10 - Armored Scouts 3 damaged
10 - Armored Scout 4-7
8 - Keith
6 - bioroid 2

 

[Psychie]

Pyrrah levels Mikah at the next Armored Scout facing them, taking careful aim to make a Called Shot for the eyepiece.

Spoiler

Hit Points: 31 +2d4 per level
SDC: 111
Action Points: 6 / 5
Combat Bonuses
On Foot / In the Cyclone
Number of Attacks: 6 / 7
Strike: +6 / +7
Parry: +8 / +10
Dodge: +8 / +10 auto dodge
Roll With Punch: +8 / +10
Initiative: +3 / +4
Perception: +5
HtH Damage: +2
Critical Strike from Behind
Critical Strike on a Natural 20
Death Blow on a Natural 20

Missile Payload
Plasmas 1d6x10 - 6 / 6
HEAP 1d4x10 - 12 / 8

AP Cannon 60 / 59
1d4x10 single shot / 2d4x10 4 round burst

 

[Sherwood]

Pyrrah's Called Shot to the eyepiece of the Armored Scout is somewhat off center, doing minimal damage to your target. The eyepiece is cracked, but the mecha is still active.

Armored Scouts 3 and 4 both target Bioroid 1 with their plasma cannons, but the nimble mecha ducks out of the way and the shots hit the barricade instead of the Robotech Master mecha.

Armored Scouts 5-7 turn on Onni, firing on him. The shots will hit unless you dodge. Don't forget that you have Auto Dodge, so you can make the roll to evade the attacks without using an action. Eonivar

Keith lines up a missile strike against the damaged Armored Scout with three of his HEAP mini missiles, shattering the already weakened armor and killing the pilot.

Bioroid 2 takes careful aim on Armored Scout 4, and manages to score a kill by penetrating the vulnerable eye.

Eonivar is up with Onni, and you have both a defense to declare and your attack to dish out.

21 - Onni [2] <====
17 - C'osmo [1]
16 - Torni [2]
14 - bioroid 1 [2]
12 - Pyrrah [2]
10 - Armored Scout 5 eyepiece damaged [1]
10 - Armored Scout 6-7 [1]
8 - Keith [1]
6 - bioroid 2 [2]

 

[Eonivar]

Onni saw the armored scouts turned toward him, and reacted with a flash, activating his boosters to rise up and out away from their shots.

In his usual chipper voice. "Well if anything I am a good decoy."

He flew up and over, across the hallway in an attempt to guide the armored scouts in a way that would give his squadron good clear shots at them.

Automatic Dodge Roll 1D20+12 +3 Dodge (C'osmo Silverback bonus) = +15 bonus = 16+15 = 31 to Dodge

As he moved up and evasively he spun and targeted the closest armored scout shooting at him, aiming for its eye with his 80mm cannon.

Strike Roll 80mm Cannon Single Shot Called Shot

Round Attacks = 2 for called shots
1D20 + (+9 Aimed - 4 (Called Shot Bonus) +2 Strike (C'osmo's Silverback Aura Bonus) = +7 to strike) = 9+7 = 16 to strike with a called shot
Damage = 3D6 MDC = 13 MDC Damage

Attacks remaining at end of turn = 4

OOC: I hit the wrong button to roll his strike so I took the extra 9 that rolled after his dodge roll

Spoiler: Onni stats and bonuses

VF-021 Cyclone
Main Body: 170

80mm Beam Cannon 3D6 MDC Single Shot/1D4x10 +6 three round burst (unlimited ammo)
Body Mini -Missles (HEAP): 1D4x10 MDC each - Current Payload = 16
Shield Mini - Missles (HEAP): 1D4x10 MDC each - Current Payload = 0

CVR-3 (MDC)
Head: 50
Arms R: 50
Arm L: 50
Leg R: 70
Leg L: 70
Main Body: 150

Hit Points: 33
SDC: 92

In Cyclone:
Number of Attacks: 6
Ranged Strike (non-missile) Rifle: = +9 Aimed/+5 Burst
Ranged Strike: Energy Pistol = +7 Aimed/+4 Burst
Ranged Strike (Missile): +6 Aimed
Melee Strike: +10
Parry: +14
Dodge: +13
Automatic Dodge: +12
Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact: +9
Initiative: +7
Perception: +3
Pull Punch: +7
Disarm: +2
Impervious to poisons and gases while wearing rebreather
Save vs Insanity: +3
Save vs Magic: +5
Save vs Horror Factor: +2
Save vs Psionic Attack: +1
Save vs Poison +3
Save vs Coma/Death +10%

 

[Sherwood]

Onni makes the dodge look easy and flawless as he hops to the side, and his counter fire catches the Invid with the damaged eyepiece square in its face, destroying it.

There are now only two Invid visible in the hall.

Purr is up

21 - Onni [4]
17 - C'osmo [1] <====
16 - Torni [2]
14 - bioroid 1 [2]
12 - Pyrrah [2]
10 - Armored Scout 6-7 [1]
8 - Keith [1]
6 - bioroid 2 [2]

 

[Purr]

C'osmo's missile strike flies out and hits the Armored Scout, destroying the offending Invid mecha.

C'osmo lets out a huge whoop when the Armored Scout explodes from his salvo of plasma mini-missiles. His first confirmed kill! Not just an assist from his first salvo, but all on his own! This was every true Marine's dream! The day when one went from never seeing combat to not only contributing to it, but getting one's very own kill! "Guys, guys! Did you see that?! My very first confirmed kill! You know how long I've been wai--"

But then he stopped in mid-parade as the enemy opened fire on... not C'osmo as he would have preferred... but his new-found friend Onni!

In an instant, C'osmo's mind was there in the battle and in the next, he had returned to the other realm. The savannah. In the very moment his elation was squashing his fear. It came through the tall grass... and stood before him.

Spoiler: The Elephant.

(Note: My apologies if it seems repetitive for me to use this reference a second time for a character in another game, but this is C'osmo's very first time in combat. I find it fitting. I hope you do too.)

An excerpt from Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat by U.S. Air Force Col. Dan Hampton.

"SAM off the ground . . . missile in the air from . . . Mosul . . . 1 . . ." Whoever it was had picked up a missile from the SA-2 batteries around Mosul.

"TORCH One . . . Magnum SA-2!"

That was us! Snapping my head left, I saw fire shoot out from beneath my flight lead's wing. The big HARM missile nosed over for a second then leveled off and accelerated. I watched, fascinated, as it abruptly zoomed up, trailing thick white smoke. I'd never witnessed one actually launched. Managing to look out ahead of me, I was amazed to see three or four long, gray trails reaching up from the ground like disembodied fingers.

SAMs!

Four of them that I could count. Even as I watched, they began to arc around in our direction. I glanced at my warning display and saw several big "3" symbols overlapping each other in the middle of the scope. A sharp, cold spear shot up from my belly, through my chest, and I tried to swallow but couldn't. I had just caught my first glimpse of the Elephant.

Seeing the Elephant, a symbol of combat since Hannibal crossed the Alps, is looking Death in the face. Your first real glimpse of your own mortality.

It hadn't really sunk in until that moment that all of this way very real. The distant black smears against the pale sky had been aircraft with men inside, a few moments ago. Those smoke trails coming up at me were live SAMs. High-explosive warheads traveling at three times the speed of sound and coming directly at my butt . . .

My skin felt prickly and, as time slowed down, my awareness increased. I noticed that the cockpit smelled like a wet dog - we had sheepskin covers over the ejection seats, and this one had gotten wet and mildewed. The big engine vibrated through the floor and I felt it throbbing against my heels. There was a fly crawling across the HUD. I had just seen the Elephant. No amount of training can prepare a man for that first realization that other men are actively trying to kill him. Hopefully, you don't freeze; ideally, you just react.

I did.

In the savannah of his mind, C'osmo stood in shock as he looked up at the gigantic monster that made him feel weaker and smaller than any Invid ever had. This thing was beyond Crann, Scrim, Odeons... you name it. It made them look like bony weak little wanna-bes. C'osmo realized he could not move an inch. He was too smart, too imaginative, for his own good and his fear had paralyzed him.

Until the Thing looked away from the petrified Karbarran... and stared just behind him. C'osmo could not help but follow that intense, irresistible stare. There, as far away from C'osmo as he was in the battle, stood Onni! Onni was not moving. He looked as peaceful and as positive as he was when he and Pyrrah were welcoming him into their squad. The Thing took one menacing step toward Onni... and C'osmo nearly lost his mind.

"Oh, no! NO! NOT Onni! Me, you bastard! Come after me! You hear me?!"

But it paid C'osmo no attention whatsoever. From within C'osmo came a bellowing roar as he drew guns, human ancient guns, dream-like weapons in a nightmare/daydream in his mind. C'osmo recognized them faintly when the humans were in their Second World War. In his shaking paws was an M1 Garand rifle and in the other, a Colt 1911 .45 caliber pistol. These, he aimed straight at the face of the Thing and fired with all of his might and fury. His Karbarran might and UEEF Marine fury. All the while roaring and trying to stop this threat against his friend.

* * *​

Back in the battle on the Tirolian refugee vessel, a sudden terror seems to take over the science-bear's mind as he switches from mini-missiles to hefting the Silverback's rail gun. Had he been thinking more straight, he would have realized that the Armored Scouts were far more vulnerable to the mini-missiles he had been launching, but somehow, with a rail gun which was a heavy rifle of sorts, it was more... personal.

C'osmo opens up a big burst on the nearest of Onni's attackers, the fear in him replaced by a rushing raging river of anger, sure and strong.

Spoiler: OOC

I would like to spend an Action Point on C'osmo's rail gun burst, please. While this is mathematically unnecessary, I think it is perfectly in-character for him at the moment.

"Oh, no! NO! NOT Onni! Me, you bastard! Come after me! You hear me?!" he yells at the Armored Scouts firing on Onni.

While perhaps it seems that C'osmo the Karbarran science-bear has suddenly lost his marbles, any true Marine with experience could tell him precisely what was happening to him. C'osmo was facing the Elephant for the first time. That it was Onni who was in trouble seems to be no less threatening. But moreso, and perhaps to become a future source of pride, C'osmo was replying not with the Karbarran in him nor the science geek, but the UEEF Expeditionary Force Marine!

 

[Sherwood]

Despite his anger, C'osmo's training keeps him able to focus well enough to line up an accurate shot on Armored Scout 6. The rail gun rounds rip into the armor of the Invid mecha and do some good amount of damage, but it is still active.

Torni raises up her own beam rifle and fires at the damaged Armored Scout. She connects for a minor amount of damage, leaving the Invid smoking from several impact points.

Bioroid 1 sees that everyone is piling on AS 6 and joins in the fun, shooting it in the back and causing it to shudder and fall onto the deck, inert and on fire.

Psychie is up with Pyrrah

21 - Onni [4]
17 - C'osmo [2]
16 - Torni [3]
14 - bioroid 1 [3]
12 - Pyrrah [2] <====
10 - Armored Scout 7 [1]
8 - Keith [1]
6 - bioroid 2 [2]

 

[Psychie]

Pyrrah turns to the last of the Invid here and decides to fire off four of her plasma mini missiles at it, hoping to destroy it outright and keep it from being able to return fire on them.

Spoiler

Hit Points: 31 +2d4 per level
SDC: 111
Action Points: 6 / 5

Combat Bonuses
On Foot / In the Cyclone
Number of Attacks: 6 / 7
Strike: +6 / +7
Parry: +8 / +10
Dodge: +8 / +10 auto dodge
Roll With Punch: +8 / +10
Initiative: +3 / +4
Perception: +5
HtH Damage: +2
Critical Strike from Behind
Critical Strike on a Natural 20
Death Blow on a Natural 20

Missile Payload
Plasmas 1d6x10 - 6 / 2
HEAP 1d4x10 - 12 / 8

AP Cannon 60 / 59
1d4x10 single shot / 2d4x10 4 round burst

 

[Sherwood]

The four pack of plasmas almost miss their target, but at the last second they were able to track accurately and slam into the Invid, shattering its armor and enveloping it in flames as it falls.

Keith holds his fire as the last if the Invid falls to the deck, keeping a close watch on the two Bioroids. "Uh, boss? Are we still in a firefight, or are we in the green here?"

 

[Purr]

Eonivar

C'osmo isn't worried about the pair of Bioroids. Unless they open fire, he pays them little heed. Instead, with his huge heart beating at what feels like lightspeed, the smiling Karbarran turns towards his Garudan companion. "Onni! Are you okay, buddy?" C'osmo gives him a good once-over. His enthusiasm gets the better of him and he finds he cannot wait for a reply. "Boy, the way you were dodging all about! It was like you were part... ghost or something! I couldn't hit a guy like you on my best day! And neither could those Invid! Wow!"

He turns briefly to the rest of the Dragon Slayers. "Did you guys see Onni in action just now?!"