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Thread: Only War: Against the Savages
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2015-01-06, 05:15 PM (ISO 8601)
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Only War: Against the Savages
“Waaaaaagh!” –Opening statement and closing remarks of Ork Warlord Grimtoof Git-Slaver’s negotiations for peace
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Map of the Spinward Front, circa 816.M41
Spoiler: -A History of the Conflicts and Wars of the Calixis Sector of Segmentum Obscurus, 73rd Edition"The opening to the seventeenth year of the conflict on the Spinward Front was an unpleasant one.
"With the secession of the holdings of Duke Severus the 13th and the formation of the breakaway state called the Severan Dominate, combined with the invasion of the forces of the Ork Warlord Grimtoof, the entire Periphery had become a battleground the likes of which the Calixis Sector hadn't seen in centuries. Heretic warbands and Dark Eldar raiding parties ran rampant, and the Ork hordes of Grimtoof rampaged across the subsector in droves, while the forces of Duke Severus refused to yield on dozens of battlefronts across the Periphery."
"In Warzone Epsilon, Imperial Navy ships attempted to seize the Lycurgos starfort and secure orbital supremacy over the vital agri-world it orbited, to no avail. With the secessionist forces still receiving vital shipments of food from the planet, and war materiel manufactured on the starfort, Calixis Sector High Command pulled back their remaining forces from Warzone Epsilon to reinforce other battlefronts in the hopes of a success on some other world. Meanwhile, in the Hervara system, Ork capital ships successfully interdicted the mining world, and landed ground forces in a warzone where Severan Dominate secessionists among the local PDF and several regiments of the Imperial Guard were already heavily engaged in tunnel fighting across most of the planet. With the Orks holding orbital supremacy over Hervara uncontested, the Calixis Sector’s core worlds, including the sector capital world of Scintilla, was directly threatened by the Ork invasion. If Hervara could not be secured, then it was entirely possible that various vital star systems could be assaulted, and soon, a situation deemed utterly unacceptable by Sector Governor Marius Hax.
”However, the Guard and Navy had other concerns than just securing the core worlds against Ork attack. With materiel and supplies of all kinds rapidly running dry, even with frequent shipments from the wider Calixis Sector, High Command needed to take action on several fronts that were now being deemed higher priority due to their value in resources and their proximity to the other warzones of the Spinward Front. One such world was the death world of Skrynne. Originally paying its tithe in Imperial Guard regiments and excess food production, the world had come under assault by Ork forces a decade prior, and the local PDF had been putting up a token resistance in that entire timeframe, with support from a regiment of the Brontian Longknives. However, some in-depth surveys by the Gibraltar dynasty of Rogue Traders uncovered that Skrynne held massive deposits of promethium - if secured, the deposits would be sufficient to fuel the core worlds of the Calixis Sector for a century or more, nevermind the potential value for the beleaguered Guardsmen of the Spinward Front.
”With this new information, and a hefty bribe in bartered promethium fuel from the Gibraltar dynasty, High Command rapidly reassigned a number of regiments to the Skrynne warzone, including the 19th Stygian Nighthunters, the 73rd Deadsky Revenants, and the 316th Anto Mechanized Infantry, with the stated goals of securing Skrynne against the Ork menace once and for all.”
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Spoiler: -Calixian Guide of Interesting Worlds and Tedious People, 835th Edition"The Imperial world of Anter is an infamous one; when one thought of civil strife, Anter was the first to leap to mind in the Calixis Sector until the days of the Tranch War. Colonized centuries ago by a Rogue Trader dynasty during the waning years of the Angevin Crusade in M39, Anter is a world steeped in sociopolitical division and countless divided cultures and states. The majority of the populace either only pays lip service to the Imperium, or outright rejects or ignores its distant control. A single continent, Remus, was secured against the unruly natives immediately following colonization, and over the centuries, developed into what has been called 'a series of micro-hives' spanning the entirety of the continent.
"Within the walls of these micro-hives, unassailable by the countless warbands, states and natives that fight one another across the rest of Anter's surface, the planetary nobility reign supreme, any of them claiming descent from the command staff and highest-ranking retainers of the Rogue Trader fleet that had originally established the colony. The word of the Imperial Creed was sung from the highest spires, and the natives suppressed each time they sought to rebel against Imperial rule.
"Over the centuries, this state of affairs has not much changed, a fact the local governor has often deemed acceptable, as it permits them to keep their Planetary Defense Forces sharp with periodic rebel-suppression campaigns on Anter’s other continents. The planetary population outside of the micro-hives on Remus often claim resentment of the Imperium and the pro-Imperial factions that dominate the world with an iron fist, but resentment is a small price to pay for the continued flow of the Imperial tithe.
"The nobility often maintain close ties with the Cult Mechanicus, and over the centuries, this has grown into an odd sort of relationship - Mechanicus aphorisms and phrases have become common slang among the noble scions of the various families that control Remus, and the majority of the population is exceptionally astute in techno-arcane lore by the standards of most Imperial commoners. Remus also has an exceptional manufacturing base in no small part due to these close ties. This is often put to good use in the outfitting of Imperial Guard regiments sent offworld to fight for the wider Imperium.
”Regiments hailing from Anter are frequently composed of the top few percent of the local PDF, themselves oftentimes composed of noble heirs, or second and third in line for ascension to the leadership of their dynasty, who were assigned to mechanized infantry or heavy-reconnaissance units. As a result of the importance and overwhelming firepower of such forces, themselves often assigned to the thickest of the fighting in the internecine police actions and civil wars that sweep across most of the planet, these units are invariably the finest fighting forces to come from Anter.
“Anter nobility often send their children to fight in the PDF as a means to help them toughen up, or the young scions occasionally enlist voluntarily to go and find their way in the world, and when one or more regiments show exceptional promise, they are selected for the Imperial tithe and sent offworld. Members of such units are often called chrome-domes by other Guardsmen, due to both their close ties to the Mechanicus, and their shaved heads, a sign of superior breeding and cleanliness on Anter. They return the favor by calling low-born soldiers ‘furheads.’”
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2130 Hours Dulce Et Decorum Shipboard Time
121.816.M41
Inbound to Skrynne Orbit
Year 7, Day 124 of the Skrynne Campaign
Planetary Assault Landing Imminent
When they talked about pre-drop nerves, it was usually because the Guardsmen were shaking, not the ship. The Dulce Et Decorum isn't a frontline warship. A Grace-class troop carrier, the vessel wasn't meant to be plunged into a naval engagement like the kind that had met the Naval squadron as it made its way towards Skrynne from the Warp translation point. The two weeks of realspace travel had been hectic for the Guardsmen aboard the ship, combat-preparations and last-minute maintenance rites taking up most of their waking hours amidst the Dulce's captain frequently making updates to the troops about the status of the transport and its escorts, two Sword-class frigates and two Cobra-class destroyers of Battlefleet Calixis, in the face of an apparent Ork presence in system.
At least, he was until the commanding officers of the regiments aboard his craft 'politely' asked him to stop.
But considering that the ship is now rumbling and shaking unnaturally badly, the effects on regimental morale from such a course of action had been negligible. During the last few hours, there were no reports of battle damage over the ship's inter-vox, no alerts, and no sounds of macrocannon shell impacts on the outer hull; only an alert two hours ahead of schedule that all Guardsmen must report to their designated lander bay, which only left a few possible options, foremost of which is that the ship is being unsafely pushed beyond its limits to get into orbit and deploy its Guardsmen before the Orks can attack the troop-carrier and destroy it.
As it turns out, it's precisely that.
The Dulce has achieved orbit approximately two hours ahead of schedule. Hence the final preparations that Squad Red-19 has found themselves doing.
"Power curve optimal." The servitor intones in a dull voice as it runs its final diagnostic checks in the command chamber at the front of the craft. The lander's inter-vox projects the servitor's voice across the cargo bay. Dull whirring noises resound throughout the lander bay as the Chimera locks into place, magnetic clamps rising from the deck and attaching to the sides of the tank's turret and treads to keep it firmly stuck to the floor of the assault lander. More than a dozen other such shuttles do the same, securing their tanks and passengers without fail. "Drop checks complete, all systems nominal."
"This is going to be so much fun! A death world for our first deployment. Maybe we'll get some souvenirs! Like animal pelts! It's all the rage with furhead regiments, I heard!" Lucretia finishes running the last few maintenance rites on the Chimera's autocannon turret before loading it with a full drum of shells; the rounds ratchet into place with a CLANK.
"Pelt's gonna be poisonous or something." Ric murmurs under his breath as he finishes cleaning his lasgun. A man of few words, the rookie-medic is. Meanwhile, Regina finishes tinkering with her lasgun, and starts putting her toolkit away to stow it for the drop. "Probably. Death world."
"You're all whiners. We've got this. We're Tortoises! Besides, we can just burn the jungle down if we need to. Requisition a few flamers and we're good to go! Maybe thin the Orks out a bit while we're at it." Aliya had made it clear the whole time that she was hoping to fight the secessionists on their first outing, but she's changing her tune, it seems. Orks burn all the same. Morganna, meanwhile, just stays silent, staring down at the lasgun in her lap, either deep in thought or just spacing out.
The general chatter and din inside the tank is nothing compared to the rattling and rumbling of the Dulce, and everyone is getting the impression it's about to get a lot louder. A glance out the top or rear hatches of the Chimera and out the viewports in the side of the lander doesn't say anything, as the lander hasn't launched yet, but it more than likely will spell out everything the squad has to know once the deployment is underway.Last edited by blackouttwo; 2015-01-07 at 04:20 PM.
Vespe Ratavo slowly destroys the GRIMDARKNESS of Warhammer 40K
SpoilerOriginally Said by Vespe Ratavo
Stealing romance novels from the tech-priests...we've seriously hit a new low...Destro says:
Ok, it's allowed this once, but only because it gives Vespe the chance to crack awesome jokes
Vespe says:
That could really be used to justify anything...
Destro says:
You may NOT have a Titan
Let's Play Space Empires V
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2015-01-07, 12:02 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
Jeremiah Gramont
Power. Check. Tracks. Check. Fuel. Check. Not that he hadn't looked at every little thing for at least a dozen times now, but there was little else to do to soothe the nerves.
"Welcome to the Jungle, huh. I wonder why we're here, instead of somewhere more... flat." Jeremiah shrugs and then stretches. "Eh. It'll be fine. Takes more than some underbrush to stop this baby."
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2015-01-07, 10:20 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
"Ric's right. Everything out there is poisonous. Don't eat it, touch it, or use it to wipe your ass. I've only got enough anti-venom for the people I like, and I'm not telling you if you're on that list," Medic Ngozi Kainen says, fussing with that spot just behind his ear. He hadn't gotten enough depil cream there last time, and a slight black fuzz had started growing back against his yellow skin. It was driving him crazy.
Last edited by happyturtle; 2015-01-08 at 05:36 AM.
My avatar! Isn't it just utterly diabolical? Ashen Lilies made it!
"Money cannot buy health, but I'd settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair."
― Dorothy Parker
Spoiler: Interested in Nexus FFRP? Newcomers welcome!
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2015-01-07, 03:18 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
Ooooh, bad move, Kainen.
A steely violet gaze fixes itself upon the medic. "Refusal to do your duties based on personal bias..." Commissar Victrix lets that hang in the air, not issuing any further threat or raising any bolt pistols. After all, she wasn't one of those psychotic blamhappy wastrels who make the logistics crews cry from all the bolt shell expenditure. Although it might also be because all the shaking would make a bolt shot go somewhere decidedly unintended. Who knows?
The Commissar, next to the witch, probably constituted the second strangest individual in this thing to the rest of the squad. The mark of her homeworld's proximity to the Eye of Terror in her eyes and a distinct, though still short (they are military), blonde refusal to adopt the regiment's world's customs on her head served to illustrate that almost as much as the commissar's coat over her armor did.
Although, privately, in the safety of her own thoughts, provided the resident witch wasn't getting nosy, a little complaint did occur to her.
A commissar's coat over full flak armor in a Chimera, in a jungle. Whose idea was this? ...feh, worry more about the orks...Avatar by Ashen Lilies.
Spoiler
by Happyturtle and Ashen Lilies
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2015-01-07, 03:36 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2006
Re: Only War: Against the Savages
Specialist Mariya Vasilyevna chuckles nervously, despite having made every effort not to. She'd tried her hardest to remain as stoic and stony-faced as certain other members of the squad, but pre-drop jitters being what they are, it just slipped right out. She holds a hand to her mouth bashfully, before her eyes droop to the Chimera's floor. Throne, so many southern continent guardsmen. The only one here with anything even remotely close to the same geographical point of origin is Aliya, and she'd lost her accent months ago (out of shame, perhaps?).
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2015-01-07, 11:48 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
Wintre Paulus sits off against a nearby wall, her eyes closed as she massages her temples. Sadly, it does little to alleviate her growing headache. She sighs and entwines her fingers in her hair. What little of it there is. She keeps it fairly short, and there are bald patches where it's fallen out or she's pulled it out. Maybe she should just adapt the style of others and shave it all off...
The psyker opens her eyes to survey her squadmates. She squints, as if against a bright light. Hopefully they can be off soon; she doesn't care for the waiting. If only because it gave her nothing to think about besides the pounding in her skull...
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2015-01-08, 05:10 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
((Ngozi's gender and sex have been ret-conjured to male. Name unchanged.))
Ngozi's smile only grows. "Commie, you're definitely on my favourites list." The laughing medic doesn't seem to take anything seriously. But he does recognize the threat enough to say, "Lucky for everyone else, we technically aren't short of anti-venom, but we have the standard amount - not what is recommended for a jungle world. Any one of you who gets poisoned doing something stupid, like coitus with the natives, leaves that much less for legitimate casualties." Okay, very slight tone of seriousness in that last bit, but not much.
To fellow Antos, Ngozi's voice has the clear accent of the highest caste of the highborn, though the outworlders probably think all Antos sound the same. His mother is fairly high up in planetary politics. Not a household name, but known to anyone who took more than a passing interest in the subject. Ngozi had gone to the right schools. Made the right friends. If his squad hadn't been chosen for the tithe, then a suitable marriage probably would have followed in the next few years. Nothing so gauche as an arranged marriage, but he'd have been expected to attend high society gatherings until he and somebody's second or third daughter found one another interesting enough to spend more time with. That all ended with the tithe. He probably could have gotten out of this little jaunt, but not without costing the family a great deal in bribe money and face, which would have meant the end of any marriage chances and the beginning of the lectures from his sister about how much he'd disappointed them all. Ngozi didn't have to be told all of this. He worked it out for himself in the first sleepless night since the tithe was announced, then went first thing - before recaf even - to swear the oath. That simple act put bribes into astronomical regions, and far out of his family's reach, and thus made the decision irreversible. No marriage. No kids. "I can probably make more, but I hate to do that with anyone's life hanging on the line. So don't be stupid, none of you."
Ngozi gives up trying to scratch that little patch of hair away behind his ear - that never works - and starts tossing around a koosh ball instead. The drop is both scary and boring, which is a nifty trick. It helps Ngozi if he keeps his hands busy. Throne, if this keeps up any longer, I'll have Commie and the Sanctionite over to check their head-fur for nits.Last edited by happyturtle; 2015-01-08 at 12:47 PM.
My avatar! Isn't it just utterly diabolical? Ashen Lilies made it!
"Money cannot buy health, but I'd settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair."
― Dorothy Parker
Spoiler: Interested in Nexus FFRP? Newcomers welcome!
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2015-01-08, 12:35 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
Jeremiah catches himself flicking the manual loader cap on and back off again for the fifth time, and mentally berates himself for degrading the equipment. There's nothing more to do here to get ready, so it is best to be occupied by something else.
He turns, seating himself sideways - the originally annoyingly pointed edges of the chair have been surreptitiously filed away from the right side to allow for just such a maneuver. Then he prods the hatch to the crew compartment with his foot, widening the narrow gap in it to allow him to view the others.
"If all goes well, I'll not have to even leave this can for the duration. But, well, what're the odds of it all going well, right?" Gramont grins at the others. He's perfectly up to the Anto grooming standard, as second nature to one of his birth, but there are small black stains on his skin from the engine checks. The Gramont family is relatively well-known back home, not as the richest or most influential group but as one with a long and honourable tradition of military service. Their estates were located rather near to some particularly troublesome natives, who needed some proper straightening-up every few decades. This in turn had led to Jeremiah, a third-son with no great prospects, to be an obvious choice for the military. Being chosen for the Tithe as part of an Armoured Fist unit was the first real distinguishment he'd achieved, however, being somewhat lazy and ill-motivated. Oddly enough, he seems to have taken to life in the Guard surprisingly well, despite the strict discipline and lack of status.
"So, has anyone heard anything about what exactly we'll be doing once we hit the dirt? Sarge?"
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2015-01-09, 08:28 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
"That's Sergeant or Sir for anyone but my mother, Engineer. And you certainly aren't her." The Sergeant in questions says as he strides up the ramp of the Chimera. His white and purple armor is absolutely pristine, Sergeant's cape and cap included, but unlike all the other "Natives" of the regiment, Sergeant Vincent "The Bastard" Parrish, sports not only a short beard, but fuzz on his head as well. The hair isn't long, only about a half inch, and it was entirely due to his breeding. As a bastard child, Vincent held absolutely no rights to inheritance, making The Guard the only possible life for him. His rise through the ranks had been hampered by his inferior breeding, but he'd made quite the name for himself as a duelist, challenging and killing any who had besmirched his honor.
Needless to say, it was a good idea to tread carefully around the man with a heavily worn chainsword at his side. He might know how to use it.
One he's in the vehicle he activates the ramp to seal it shut behind him. "We're going to be going in hot. Ready all weapons and assume we'll be landing in an occupied LZ. Our orders are to meet up with the closest PDF unit to our landing point and attach ourselves under their command. This is where it gets complicated." He states with a sigh as he begins to go around the vehicle to check everyone's gear. "The local Ork populace has been reinforced by the invading Warboss known as Tufgob and in the process they maintain a steady Air Superiority. While we'll have an escort as we land, our air support will be sporadic at best and our Hydra Flak Tanks won't be landing in this wave." The Sergeant says as he reaches down to pat Trooper Parrish on her shoulder. It might seem out of place to outsiders, but everyone here will know she's his niece. "The Brontian Longknives have been here longer, supporting the PDF, but both forces have suffered massive casualties in anything but skirmish engagements. Another issue we'll face is that this is a Death Planet. The local wildlife has it out for us as well. Keep a special eye out for what they call Terror Cats. They're eight legged beasts capable of shrugging off most small arms fire. Apex Predators." He explains before going over his own gear a final time. "Something we'll have to keep in mind all the time is that there are only two Light Cruisers in orbit and they've been fighting for months to keep the Ork ships from getting to bombardment positions. We can't rely on them forever. Questions?"
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2015-01-10, 11:07 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
Jeremiah eagerly raises his hand. "Question, Sarge-ant! When exactly is the anti-air coming down? We don't exactly hide well in this thing, even in a forest.
...also, did you say we're fighting under the PDF?"
His other hand, behind his back safely hidden in the cockpit, flicks a few gestures of their own sign language to the gunner, eliciting a small snicker.
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2015-01-10, 06:53 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
"If we're fighting under the PDF, then there's something wrong. I'm not taking orders from some idiot Death Worlder. We're supposed to be above that." Lucretia's complaint is spot-on with the usual Anter rhetoric, signing back to the Engineer without delay in a derogatory manner.
"No way they'd subject us to that." Ric begins to skim a dataslate he has with him, an annotated copy of the Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer, Calixis Edition, letting out a small chuckle at some amusing images intended to inform the reader about the Ork threat and instead coming across as highly entertaining.
Meanwhile, Regina glances out one of the Chimera's side-ports. "We're getting ready for takeoff. They're pulling the maintenance servitors off the shuttle."
The (truly massive) assault lander that Red-19's Chimera has found itself locked into contains the entirety of 8th Platoon of the Anto 316th Mechanized Infantry Regiment, Red Company. Six Chimera tanks, each with a full squad of mechanized infantry and a full crew, lined up in two neat rows of three.
The lander itself is a pattern from the Calixis Sector's forge world of Haddrack. The uncreatively-named Haddrack-pattern Kodiak Heavy Dropship, as far as dropships go, is fairly impressive. Ungodly massive VTOL engines, enough capacity to carry half a dozen tanks of any class short of a superheavy vehicle (or, if they're not carrying tanks, Sentinel Scout Walkers), and sufficient heavy weaponry to cover the passengers as they disembark. Two sets of twin-linked, long-barreled autocannons in rotating turrets on the bottom of the vehicle, and a pair of missile pods allowing it to function as a light missile battery upon landing. A total crew of six keeps the whole machine operational.
Red 19's Chimera happens to be the closest to the loading ramp, and anyone who peeks out the side or top hatches will see the maintenance crews and servitors piling out as the ramp closes behind them with a 'hiss' of pressurization. "Alright, buckle in-" Aliya's quick to strap herself into her seat, the rest of her sentence drowned out by the sound of the lander's engines flaring to life.
Thirty seconds later, the Kodiaks, one by one, take flight as they plunge to the planet below, leaving the Dulce et Decorum far behind. Side viewports in the shuttle's passenger bay give anyone daring to look out a decent view of the action in the void beyond their metal shell. At least two Fury Interceptors are within the viewport's line of sight, flying in formation - escort craft to ensure the lander makes it where it's going.
"Attention all passengers, this is your pilot speaking. We may experience a bit of enemy fire on the way down. Please sit back and observe with interest." The...let's call him 'self-assured' Navy pilot flying the Kodiak certainly sounds calm as the lander banks slightly. The Chimeras remain firmly in place due to the magnetic clamps keeping them locked to the lander's deck.
Any passengers inside the Chimeras that aren't strapped in most certainly do not. Cries of surprise and fear (and yelps of pain from inside some of the other tanks) can be heard over the Kodiak's engines in a cacophony loud enough to wake the dead. A bright flash of blue light outside speaks of lascannon-fire from the Fury escorts at an unseen target.
It's entirely possible every single one of you is about to die, and the pilot is being unnervingly calm about that fact.
It's a bit disturbing.Last edited by blackouttwo; 2015-01-10 at 08:14 PM.
Vespe Ratavo slowly destroys the GRIMDARKNESS of Warhammer 40K
SpoilerOriginally Said by Vespe Ratavo
Stealing romance novels from the tech-priests...we've seriously hit a new low...Destro says:
Ok, it's allowed this once, but only because it gives Vespe the chance to crack awesome jokes
Vespe says:
That could really be used to justify anything...
Destro says:
You may NOT have a Titan
Let's Play Space Empires V
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2015-01-10, 07:56 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
"If I were joking, I'd be smiling." The Sergeant tells them as he adjusts his seat's straps. "It is not our place to question such orders anyway. I'm certain our Commissar will agree with me in those regards. Keep in mind however that the PDF has been fighting these Orkz the longest. They may be dying in droves and may not have our training or prestige, but to ignore them would be a grievous mistake. They'll have far more intelligence on the Orkz than we'll ever be capable of getting on our own. If they can point us towards our objective, then so be it. You will suffer in silence." He commands them with a scowl.
"As for the Hydras, I don't have that information. We're heading right towards the battlefront to achieve a holding point. Presumably they'll be coming in after that point." He says, closing his eyes and leaning his head back for the rest of the trip to relax.
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2015-01-10, 08:07 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
"Besides, the Commissariat has authority over the PDF. If there's a situation where their leadership proves lacking, I'm sure they'll respect our advice on the matter, given the price of incompetence," Victrix coldly muses. Alluding to the standard Commissar practice of summary execution by bolt pistol has never sounded more reassuring. "There shouldn't be any problems for us from their leadership."
She distinctly doesn't comment on the potential risk of death before even landing, and doesn't even look outside. It helps that she bothered to strap herself in, as is standard protocol.Avatar by Ashen Lilies.
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by Happyturtle and Ashen Lilies
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2015-01-10, 08:12 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
"Well, I take my orders from you either way, so nothing's changed there. It's you who'll need to suffer the PDF nonsense. Sir."
As the launch begins, Jeremiah slips back into his seat in a practiced motion, pulling the hatch closed, and straps himself in.
"Get ready, we're going to need to be out of here in a hurry once we hit the dirt."
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2015-01-10, 10:16 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
Wintre tries not to show it, but she looks incredibly queasy. Thank the Emperor she is buckled in, because she's sure she would have shared what she had for lunch with the rest of the squad otherwise... Naturally she's none too talkative right now. She'll feel better when they land...
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2015-01-12, 03:02 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
Ngozi buckled up when he got in, so nothing to do now but wait. More waiting. Toss the Koosh ball. He's about to tell a really rude joke about fur-head savages when a sudden lurch of the lander distracts him by forcing him to use all his attention to catch his ball. It's probably just as well. With as many fur-heads as they have with them, it was ill-advised at best.
My avatar! Isn't it just utterly diabolical? Ashen Lilies made it!
"Money cannot buy health, but I'd settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair."
― Dorothy Parker
Spoiler: Interested in Nexus FFRP? Newcomers welcome!
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2015-01-13, 09:57 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2009
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- No clue, but it's dark.
Re: Only War: Against the Savages
A series of red lights illuminate the interior of the shuttle during flight, casting everything in an eerie glow. The roar of the engines slowly intensifies, overshadowing all other sound, save the occasional worried laugh or gasp from your comrades in the APC. It quickly becomes apparent from the glow of friction-heat, visibly from the viewport, that the lander is beginning to make it into the planet's atmosphere.
"Lieutenant, fifteen clicks off the deck!"
"Standing by to adjust trajectory. On my mark."
"Brace!"
"MARK!"
A lurch throws the entire squad to one side in the Chimera, before lurching back to a stable sitting position. The autocannons mounted on the lander can be clearly heard shooting at something. The dull 'thud-thud-thud-thud' of the autocannons is quickly drowned out by the lander crew's shouting. Beyond the viewport, as the lander begins to stabilize in-atmosphere, you can see a blue sky, without a cloud in it. The first new sky you'll see in the Imperial Guard and your only view of it is from a lander viewport you can't even get a good look out of.
You can, however, make out distant lights and flashes of lasfire and explosions on the ground below as the lander suddenly banks to the other side. "Ork strikecraft! Break right!"
Another lurch, to the right this time. Being thrown around like this is rapidly becoming disorienting for everyone aboard. At least, except for the crew. "Escort wing, this is Lander One-Niner-Three, need immediate assistance!"
"Copy, deviating! Continue on course!"
A flurry of intense beams of blue lasfire flash across the viewport's field of view, and the burning, flaming wreckage of an Ork aircraft flies by in pieces in the other direction, the lander's shrieking engines and the 'thud-thud-thud' of its autocannons drowning out the explosion.
You get the faintest glimpse of the top of a jungle canopy, which then gives way to what looks like a raging battleground; a large clearing, in which rest the walls of a small fortified outpost, and a very large, very green force of Orks assaulting it. Vehicles such as Warbuggies and Wartrukks can be clearly seen rampaging or blasting away at the Imperial fortifications with rokkits and heavy weapons with reckless abandon while Ork infantry on the ground and the human defenders on the walls exchange intermittent bursts of fire.
Amidst the anarchy of the battlefield below, high on the walls of the outpost, you can see a banner: A human hand clenching a sharp, scimitar-like blade, with the High Gothic numeral 'IV' clearly wrought in gold thread beneath it. The markings of the 4th Brontian Longknives, some of your allies here on Skrynne.
Needless to say, considering the numbers arrayed against them, they look to be in need of assistance. The shuttle circles overhead, trying to find an ideal location to touch down.
That's when a very loud explosion and the noise of shrieking, tearing metal coincides with the lander suddenly beginning to shake much more violently. It begins to circle and spin out of control-
"This is Lieutenant Laraf! All passengers and crew, brace for impact-"
A thunderous roar as the lander hits the ground, a massive furrow dug as the lander's thrusters are quickly cut by the pilot. More shaking, screams from amongst the crew and passengers as they wait for the ride to finally end, whether it be in an explosion or the lander coming to a stop half-buried. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, it ends, the rumble of the engines dying and giving way to silence.
As the ship finally stops moving, the compartment lights switch from red to white and a green light illuminates the hatch, indicating that it is unlocked and may be opened. Groans of pain, dizziness and confusion can be heard all about the craft as the other Chimera crews collect their senses. The smell of a fire, smoke, and burning promethium fuel, can be detected coming from the back of the shuttle where the exit hatch is located; right next to Red 19's Chimera.
"All squads sound off!" A female voice, indignantly angry and young, trying to keep her composure in the face of her platoon's first landing being a crash. Lieutenant Lissa Bennaio (of the Deramand Bennaios, and she'll never let anyone forget it). "Everyone alright?!"
"Sergeant Erickson here, Red 18's OK!"
"Sergeant Henrico reporting. Lost one in the crash. Damn fool strapped himself in wrong, snapped his neck when we got hit. Someone grab his gear. We'll need it."
"Sergeant McNash, Red 15 has two wounded. Give us a second to inspect the injuries. Looks like busted ribs."
"Kelsey here. Red 16 is fine, no casualties. Whole squad's battle-ready. Anyone get a good look at what hit us?"
"Squad Red 20 reporting in. No casualties, but we think our Chimera's out of the fight! Crash broke one of the mag-clamps on our tank, and it ripped off the entire frakking tread on our left side! We're ****ing mission-killed!"
Well. That's a cheerful thought. Casualties and broken tanks before you've even disembarked, to say nothing of the Naval crew operating the lander, most of whom sound like they're dead or incapacitated. That lander engine looks like it might be cause for concern. Fire and promethium rarely mix well. And there's Orks about, who were all but certain to be the ones responsible for shooting your shuttle down, and are most likely closing on the crash site as you all collect your bearings.
And you're the ones closest to the ramp and burning engine.
This deployment's off to a grand start.Last edited by blackouttwo; 2015-01-13 at 09:58 AM.
Vespe Ratavo slowly destroys the GRIMDARKNESS of Warhammer 40K
SpoilerOriginally Said by Vespe Ratavo
Stealing romance novels from the tech-priests...we've seriously hit a new low...Destro says:
Ok, it's allowed this once, but only because it gives Vespe the chance to crack awesome jokes
Vespe says:
That could really be used to justify anything...
Destro says:
You may NOT have a Titan
Let's Play Space Empires V
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2015-01-13, 10:21 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
Ngozi tries to work his harness loose, and stuffs his Koosh ball into a pocket. "Anybody hurt?" Of course that isn't a foolproof check, so he goes seat to seat to check on his squad, reminding Ric with a shake of the shoulder and a gesture to do the same. But his mind is wandering, trying to remember what he's been reading recently on the Internewsnetworks about the war on the Spinward Front.
Last edited by happyturtle; 2015-01-13 at 10:22 AM.
My avatar! Isn't it just utterly diabolical? Ashen Lilies made it!
"Money cannot buy health, but I'd settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair."
― Dorothy Parker
Spoiler: Interested in Nexus FFRP? Newcomers welcome!
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2015-01-13, 10:37 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2009
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- No clue, but it's dark.
Re: Only War: Against the Savages
The general consensus/disoriented chorus from the rest of the squad is that nobody's hurt. Some bruises from straining against the straps while they were dropping, but that's the worst of it. A few more shouts can be heard from the front of the lander. "Someone help the Lieutenant! Laraf!" "Here, I'll grab his legs!"
A few of the APC crews are already piling out to flip the switches controlling the magnetic clamps. Loud, dull 'THUNKS' can be heard as the clamps detach from the tanks to allow them to move. Engines can be heard rumbling to life in the confines of the shuttle.
Spoiler: NgoziThis is just an indicator of what you can expect going forward, especially until the rest of the Dulce et Decorum's ground forces make it planetside to reinforce the Anto 316th, which could take hours.
The Brontian Longknives defending the outpost you crashed down near are an Imperial Guard light infantry regiment specializing in close-assault and protracted engagements, with standard kit geared towards that. Close-combat experts who have been here for seven years and counting, so they know how to fight Orks.
That said, the war on Skrynne hasn't been going well. The Orks very clearly have superior numbers they're willing to commit to large, protracted assaults like this, and are more brutal in close combat than the Brontians. And if there's been promethium discovered here on Skrynne like all the briefings and scuttlebutt have said over and over again, Ork vehicles can be expected in larger than usual numbers for a jungle world. Promethium = a topped-off fuel container in a tank engine, and the planet's chock full of it. The Orks have all but certainly taken a few refineries since making it planetside seven years ago, and that means 'Ork vehicles everywhere.'
Furthermore, it's very likely the Skrynne PDF will have some presence in the area supporting the Brontians. Making contact with the locals will be more than a little beneficial, considering they're supposed to have intelligence to pass onto your platoon.Vespe Ratavo slowly destroys the GRIMDARKNESS of Warhammer 40K
SpoilerOriginally Said by Vespe Ratavo
Stealing romance novels from the tech-priests...we've seriously hit a new low...Destro says:
Ok, it's allowed this once, but only because it gives Vespe the chance to crack awesome jokes
Vespe says:
That could really be used to justify anything...
Destro says:
You may NOT have a Titan
Let's Play Space Empires V
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2015-01-13, 02:22 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2007
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
The Sergeant unbuckles when things stabilize somewhat takes a look around while doing some mental calculations. "This is Sergeant Parrish, Red-19. We're all fine. Lieutenant? I have five spots open for part of Red-20 so I'm requesting permission to take them on. If not them, then at least some of the lander's crew. I'm certain others have some open seating as well. This wreck is going to be a very hot area soon and from the looks of things, I think we can use every person we can take with us, ma'am." He says, keeping his tone neutral, adding a slight submissive spin to it. Best to keep her happy. Besides, if she gives permission and tells them who to take, then it'll be her idea and she can get credit for saving lives.
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2015-01-14, 02:14 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
The Commissar doesn't say a word as she quickly removes the safety harness and...immediately runs off to go see to the engine fire, with little but the standard Guard toolkit (and a lascutter, I suppose) to do anything about it with. It's certainly no combi-tool, but somebody has to do something about that engine, and 'bare hands' seems like a bad idea.
It just wouldn't do if the whole lander exploded and killed everyone inside.Avatar by Ashen Lilies.
Spoiler
by Happyturtle and Ashen Lilies
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2015-01-14, 03:31 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
The shock of the crash momentarily paralyzes Gramont with indecision. The fire's definitely not good, but there's wounded, and the clamps need to disengage...
After a moment, he at least figures to start up the Chimera, but then looks at the fire for a moment. He doesn't have any equipment for that. And the tank's only got the back access point, too, so he can't even get out very fast. Everything seems so confused - not at all like drills and exercises.
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2015-01-14, 05:21 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2009
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- No clue, but it's dark.
Re: Only War: Against the Savages
Lieutenant Bennaio sounds like she's about to tear into Parrish over the microbead channel, before metaphorically biting her tongue. Parrish can hear some chatter on her end of the vox channel, someone else in her command squad informing her of something. "Copy, Red 19, you take the lander's crew. Just enough room for the survivors. One of the autocannon gunners is dead, and the rest are in various states of injury. Flight Lieutenant Lafar seems to be in the worst shape, but they all look like they'll live; have your medic give them a better look. Red 20, distribute your crew and infantry among the rest of the platoon. All units prepare to mobilize. Someone get that fire out, and deploy the exit ramp. The Brontians are getting slaughtered so we'd better get out there. Red 19, you're on point."
A sensible move, considering Red 19's Chimera is closest to the exit hatch and in good shape. Possibly less sensible with the Navy passengers in such bad condition, but the Orks are probably closing in on the crash site anyways. Leaving them here is the worst possible option, and Ngozi is probably the single most competent medic in the platoon. There's only so many options when you've just been shot down and have wounded personnel on hand.
Morganna briefly gets out to flip the switch for the magnetic clamps keeping Red 19's Chimera locked in place. A resounding 'THUNK' can be heard as she does so before getting back into the tank. The Chimera's engine roars to life as a few wounded men and women in Naval uniforms hobble over. Most of the injuries seem to be minor, although at least one of them is sporting a head wound, and a second man, unconscious and wearing an officer's uniform is being carried by two of his compatriots. You all recognize the unconscious man as the lander's pilot. The man in the lead raises a hand to greet the squad as he climbs into the Chimera's rear hatch before approaching Sergeant Parrish to shake his hand. "Petty Officer Michael Lors. Acting commander of Lander One-Nine-Three's surviving crew. I understand we're riding with you."
The tank's autocannon turret briefly rotates, the gunner Lucretia probably trying to make sure the systems responsible for it are still working.
Spoiler: VictrixVictrix's brief inspection of the damage allows her to find a control panel near the exit hatch. The controls clearly read 'Fire Suppression System.' It's a simple switch, next to the controls for the exit ramp. She can flip both switches and to open the way out and get the fire under control before heading back to the tank.
Meanwhile, a brief glance out the exit hatch viewport is obscured by smoke. From outside. Probably wreckage from the burning engine that got hit in the first place. You're not sure, but you think you can hear gunfire. You probably didn't touch down too far from the Imperial outpost that was under attack. If that's the case, the Orks might not be expecting a mechanized charge, especially not from behind their strike force, let alone from the shuttle they just shot down.
That said, they almost certainly know where the shuttle landed. And it's going to take forever to get the entire platoon disembarked. Your best guess is ten minutes. Fifteen at the outside. More than enough time for the Orks to drop a mob on your heads.
Spoiler: JeremiahThe tank's engine roars to life with no problems, and the magnetic clamps disengage as one of your squadmates gets out to flip the switch. You're ready to roll. You can hear Lucretia rotating the autocannon turret. Seems whatever bad luck has struck the lander and the rest of its passengers, it passed by Red 19. You're good to go, you just need the exit hatch opened and everyone onboard.Vespe Ratavo slowly destroys the GRIMDARKNESS of Warhammer 40K
SpoilerOriginally Said by Vespe Ratavo
Stealing romance novels from the tech-priests...we've seriously hit a new low...Destro says:
Ok, it's allowed this once, but only because it gives Vespe the chance to crack awesome jokes
Vespe says:
That could really be used to justify anything...
Destro says:
You may NOT have a Titan
Let's Play Space Empires V
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2015-01-14, 05:55 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2007
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
The sergeant smirks to himself when he realizes that the Lt had to eat her words for a moment. She was going to be a fun one to deal with. "Make room for wounded. Ngozi, do what you can for the worst and make them comfortable. We leave as soon as we're able to." The sergeant warns everyone as he waits by the back hatch. When the Petty Officer offers his hand, Vincent shakes it. "Sergeant Vincent Parrish of Red 19. Glad to have you aboard. Our medic will see to the worst of your wounded, but if any of you can bear weapons, get them ready. We're the first out so we'll be in the middle of it all."
"How are the repairs coming, Commissar?" He asks over the microbead as he heads up to the top hatch and opens it, taking his spot at the pintle-mounted Stormbolter. "As soon as you're done, we're heading out, guns at the ready."
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2015-01-14, 05:58 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
Gramont snaps out of her reverie at the orders and glances over at Lucretia.
"Turret front. Load piercing, just in case. After that, I'll appoint you the temporary crew chief: make sure I know the moment everyone's in and make them shut the hatch. I don't like being a can in a can, and if I'm guessing right, we'll be going out guns blazing."
Then he opens the microbead channel to the squad. "Sergeant. Reporting vehicle fully operational and combat-ready. We're on point, and in a few moments whatever guns the greenskins have out there will be aimed on the ramp. We need it open and everyone in the vehicle ready to go as soon as feasible, sir."
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2015-01-14, 06:58 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
It seems like everyone who wasn't injured recovered from that crash faster than Wintre. It feels like she's in the middle of a whirlwind as people rush to deal with the damages, the injured, and prepare to move. It looks like the most pressing problems are being swiftly dealt with, so she finds herself waiting for orders. They'll need to be inside the chimera and leaving before long anyway.
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2015-01-15, 12:44 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
"Engaging fire suppression systems and opening the hatch now." Yep. That's what she's doing. Hopefully there aren't actually any orks out there yet so she can, y'know, actually get back to the Chimera and not get stuck without it in an ensuing firefight. Because if possible that's what she's going to be doing afterward.
Whee.Avatar by Ashen Lilies.
Spoiler
by Happyturtle and Ashen Lilies
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2015-01-15, 01:03 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2006
Re: Only War: Against the Savages
Mariya is at something of a loss for words, wandering numbly towards the firing ports with her meltagun drawn, for lack of anything more important to do. Ugh, what a terrible display that was, sitting there indecisively like that. Everyone seems so sure of themselves and knows exactly what they're supposed to be doing, and she was just sitting there, like an idiot. Those orks outside better just line up to die and not pull any funny business, she is in no mood for their antics right now.
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2015-01-18, 08:48 PM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2009
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- No clue, but it's dark.
Re: Only War: Against the Savages
The vehicle's two gunners, Morganna and Lucretia, both take up their positions. Morganna mainly does it to keep close to her uncle, but as it turns out, she's competent handling the heavy flamer. The lack of precision required no doubt helps, as does the fact she's firing it from inside the tank to shield her own psyche from the enormity of the harm the weapon can truly inflict. Lucretia, on the other hand, checks the fire-control system's machine spirits one more time before nodding.
"All systems are green! We're clear to move!" A claxon erupts towards the rear of the shuttle as Commissar Victrix engages the fire-suppression system and several fire-extinguishers built into the walls of the shuttle engage all at once. The rear ramp begins to lower as the hatch opens. With the fire dead and the hatch opened, there's a clear way out and a clear view.
Namely, that of a large, open jungle clearing. Gunfire and the roar of distant vehicle engines can be heard. And it sounds as if they're getting closer. The Naval personnel all draw sidearms - cheap Navy-issue autopistols, nothing officer-grade, none of it even the least bit useful against an angry greenskin. It's what they have, though. The four wounded voidsmen haul their unconscious pilot in and sit down as close as they can get to the front of the Chimera, loading and double-checking their weapons.
The other members of the squad take up positions at the Chimera's side-ports, opening the small port-hatches to allow them to fire out of the APC's sides with their handheld weaponry. Ideal for the melta-gunner and those of the squad with lasguns.
Spoiler: VictrixYup.
They're getting closer.
You can see anywhere between five and eight oncoming Ork vehicles charging the lander from your position at the hatch; you've landed just across the clearing from the Imperial fort that seems to be under attack. It's a good-sized clearing, probably cut explicitly for the purpose of housing the outpost. At least two Warbikes and a Wartrukk are charging you; you can't make out any infantry or any of the other vehicles. They're maybe 700 meters away and closing.
They haven't gotten within weapons range, but they're hauling ass. Best to get back in the tank.
Spoiler: NgoziThe Naval personnel are in varying states of harm, obviously. The best you can tell, every single one of them is in need of immediate treatment in an intensive care unit, especially the man with the head wound. These men are not fit for combat against the Orks. You might be able to patch them up, but not with the squad about to enter a combat situation. Most of them look like they'll manage without immediate attention. As you take a closer look at the pilot, you can see he's likely to make it long enough without medical attention; nothing that doesn't warrant a serious look, but he was obviously just knocked unconscious by the impact. He's breathing steadily, and a check with the diagnosticator spells the rest out.
The flyboy's going to make it, but only if your squad makes it through the next five minutes in battle against the Orks. The man with the head wound on the other hand needs some bandages and a chance to stay still, and he isn't going to get the second one where you're going. Your best bet for patching these people up, plain and simple, is to kill or drive off the greenskins and get to the Imperial outpost they're cutting you off from while hoping the worst case doesn't die in the process. Some bandages and first aid might help him get through the next few minutes.Vespe Ratavo slowly destroys the GRIMDARKNESS of Warhammer 40K
SpoilerOriginally Said by Vespe Ratavo
Stealing romance novels from the tech-priests...we've seriously hit a new low...Destro says:
Ok, it's allowed this once, but only because it gives Vespe the chance to crack awesome jokes
Vespe says:
That could really be used to justify anything...
Destro says:
You may NOT have a Titan
Let's Play Space Empires V
-
2015-01-19, 07:04 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
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- avatar by Ashen Lilies
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Re: Only War: Against the Savages
"Commie! Get us to the hospy, pers* not be lasting long!" Ngozi bellows. "They give you those guns? We give those guns to our kidlings for toys!" He unlimbers his lasgun and gives it to the healthiest of the navy guys. "Use this one. Give it back if we live." He claps his hands together. "Now, let us see about living."
Somewhere in all of this bombast, Ngozi completely ****ed up the first aid.
*Pers is a Anto pronoun, gender neutral plural for 'persons'**
**Shamelessly stolen from Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge PiercyMy avatar! Isn't it just utterly diabolical? Ashen Lilies made it!
"Money cannot buy health, but I'd settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair."
― Dorothy Parker
Spoiler: Interested in Nexus FFRP? Newcomers welcome!