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Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Halo:%20Wolfpack
----------------------------------------------------------------

"Boss, are you sure you're alright?" Dyad quietly asked you as you rubbed your sword wound. You weren't fine, the biofoam in your wound was getting loose as it broke down. Once it was gone, you would be looking at internal bleeding at best, and massive hemorrhaging at worst. Still, you had ordered all of the remaining NCOs on the ship into a briefing, it wouldn't be good for you to bounce out now.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about it." You assured your XO as the final few NCOs filtered into the room. All in all, there were nine people crowded around the holographic projector in the room, including you and your XO. You weren't the only injured person there, lieutenant Antonwicz and one of the marine sergeants were also sporting bandages.

"Everyone is present and accounted for, captain." The last man in -a marine corporal- announced, you nodded to him before starting the briefing.

"Then let's get started. Kill the lights." You ordered, and as soon as the lights switched off you switched on the holographic table that everyone was crowded around. The table snapped into life, showing you a three-dimensional view of the occupied ONI base and the landing plateau around it. "Alright, our objective is to assault the forward operating base located at the remains of the ONI alpha site. This base was deployed by the crew of the Spirit of Fire during the first war for the planet and was claimed by ONI as a temporary base while they set up the facility that we just hit. As you can see, the facility is based on a standard UNSC firebase, with additional prefabricated units and watchtowers added on. During the assault, numerous craters were blown out of the nearby tarmac, so we should have some cover to advance into."

"Information from airborne recon shows that the base has suffered significant damage from when the Covenant assaulted it, though that works in our favor as the Covenant hasn't put much effort into repairing the base. As such, static defenses are limited to a trio of shade turrets, some deployable barricades, and improvised defenses built out of the rubble." You finished off explaining the layout of the static defenses before continuing on to the more mobile weapons. The holographic map designated the locations of the weapons as you spoke. "They also have access to portable heavy weapons. Radiation mapping has revealed that they have a pair of fuel rod guns, and we also think that they have some plasma cannons. We should also assume that they have marksmen too."

"How many hostiles are we expecting? We don't have much in the way of numbers, sir." Antonwicz asked, his final statement getting a few agreeing nods from other people around the table.

>CONT
>>
>>4147510

"Thermal imaging suggests forty-two hostiles, that breaks down to four elites, a dozen jackals, and the rest are grunts. We still have a full stock of special weapons, so we can use them to soften them up. Engagement priority will be to hit officers first, hopefully, that should cause the grunts to break and run." You explained the enemy's numbers to the assembled soldiers. And you noticed a number of differing reactions. A couple of the lower-ranked marines seemed worried by the number of enemy soldiers they were facing, some of the sergeants seemed confident, but both your XO and the lieutenant kept neutral expressions.

The room was silent for a couple of seconds, before the senior ODST asked the most pressing question. "So, how are we going to handle this?"

>You would perform a combat drop, using the prowler to knock the base's defenders off balance long enough to deploy your troops nearby.
>You would deploy your troops nearby, and have them assault the base on foot as the prowler provided fire support.
>Ask for alternative approaches. (roll 1d100)
>Other (write in)
>>
>>4147512
>You would perform a combat drop, using the prowler to knock the base's defenders off balance long enough to deploy your troops nearby.

Hard and fast is the only way we win here
>>
>>4147512
>>You would perform a combat drop, using the prowler to knock the base's defenders off balance long enough to deploy your troops nearby.
>>
>>4147512
>>You would perform a combat drop, using the prowler to knock the base's defenders off balance long enough to deploy your troops nearby.
>>
>>4147512
>>You would perform a combat drop, using the prowler to knock the base's defenders off balance long enough to deploy your troops nearby.
>>
"We don't have the strength to perform a regular ground assault without a high risk of getting bogged down. We'll have to hit them fast and hard." You answered, before sending a cue through your neural implant to Diana to switch over to the next projection. The projection on the holographic table dissipated, before reforming into a projection of your prowler. "The prowler is armed with Streak missiles and point defense cannons, we'll use those weapons to bombard the Covenant base and the defenses before we land. The Prowler will touch down just long enough for the ground forces to disembark before taking off. The ground forces will then advance hard and fast.

"That's gonna stop us from using our heavy weapons, and that's an advantage that we really need. A regular ground assault with fire support from the prowler would give us the time we need to leverage our advantage in heavy weapons." One of the sergeants pointed out, but you had an answer to that. You would have given it, but you were beaten to the punch,

"And in that time the scientists that they are holding hostage will be killed and our only reason for going in there will go up in smoke, we have to hit them quickly. Grenade launchers should be the best possible support weapons in this op, rocket launchers and sniper rifles will be too heavy and unwieldy." Your XO answered him, before suggesting that they only take grenade launchers. You nodded at her assessment, the grenade launchers would have a lot of versatility, while also being light enough not to weigh the soldiers using them down.

"How many people do you want us to go in with? We have armed crewmen that we can mobilize for more boots on the ground, but those extra bodies are gonna slow us down. The extra firepower may be worth it, though it also may be useful to keep them as a reserve force." Lieutenant Antonwicz asked another question, you noticed that he wasn't giving his opinion on the operation yet, though you guessed that was because he wanted to wait until the end before giving his opinion.

>Only send soldiers! You need to move quickly, so you can't afford to waste time with substandard soldiers.
>Send in the crewmen! You need as much firepower as possible if you want to wipe the Covenant forces out.
>Other (write-in)
>>
>>4147814
>>Only send soldiers! You need to move quickly, so you can't afford to waste time with substandard soldiers.
>>
>>4147814
Soldier's spear head, crewmen take and hold to deny the enemy flanking them readily. basically a wave 1 then wave 2 assault.
>>
>>4147814
>>Send in the crewmen! You need as much firepower as possible if you want to wipe the Covenant forces out.
>>
Need a tiebreaker
>>
>>4147814
>>Only send soldiers! You need to move quickly, so you can't afford to waste time with substandard soldiers.
>>
>>4147814
>Only send soldiers! You need to move quickly, so you can't afford to waste time with substandard soldiers.
>>
"I only want marines and helljumpers down there. We need people who can fight effectively. If needed we can keep the armed crewmen as a reserve force, but I'm not about to throw them into the meat grinder if I can help it." You decided to only deploy your best. And you meant that in the most blatant way possible. When you and rambler one had been attacked while escorting the main ONI base's survivors, the majority of the casualties were suffered by the armed survivors. You didn't know if that was due to a lack of combat effectiveness, or because the spec-ops elites were specifically targeting them, but you weren't about to

Antonwicz was silent for a couple of seconds before a dark look crossed over his face. He looked up at you, before asking a one-word question. "Everyone?"

"Everyone who can reasonably fight. I'm not throwing headcases and heavily wounded into the firing line." You clarified, casting your mind back to the probable cause of the lieutenant's worries. You still had a traumatized helljumper in your interrogation room, you didn't trust him to not crack in a fight.

"What about you? You're not in good shape, and from how you're shifting around, I'm gonna guess that you haven't gotten any real treatment." Antonwicz gestured to you, and you realized that for all of your attempts to seem fine, the experienced officer had seen right through it. He had hit the nail on the head, but apparently, he thought that you would join him ground side.

"The captain isn't heading out on this mission. He is wounded and his presence isn't required." Dyad answered for you. You gave her a sidelong look, but she seemed set on ensuring that you didn't throw yourself into the fight.

"With respect ma'am, it's his decision. And given his body count, we could use the extra gun." Antonwicz reminded her of the facts that your rank allowed you to make the decision on if you were going to head groundside. And there was also the fact that you had blown through a few of the spec ops elites on your own.

"If an extra gun is needed, then I can take his place. But the fact remains that he is not in a combat effective condition." Dyad insisted, crossing her arms as if to reinforce the fact that she wouldn't stray from her point.

"And a good number of the marines we'll be sending on this mission are wounded, including myself. We can't just leave people out because they're wounded." Antonwicz insisted, taking the opposite side of the argument with just as much conviction as your XO.

>Join the attack! Once your wounds have been seen to you'll be good to go.
>Stay back! You have almost died once on this damn mission, you're not about to risk it again.
>Other (write-in)
>>
>>4148199
>>4148199
>>Stay back! You have almost died once on this damn mission, you're not about to risk it again.

I'd be more of a detriment than a help, that said feel free to use any of the covvie tech I scavenged. if I have too I might join a reserve force, but honestly I don't think it's a good idea in any way shape or form. Besides i'm only moving because of the drugs I'm still running, i could fall out at any time and with a cooked internal via plasma sword I'm not going to move fast.
>>
>>4148199
>Other (write-in)

Can we get a patch-job done that'll see us long enough to get through the mission and off-planet? We have the whole trip back for surgery..or to get loaded into a cryotube and wake up in an ONI-lab.
>>
>>4148199
>Stay back! You have almost died once on this damn mission, you're not about to risk it again.

We might be space Rambo but I think we’ll be needed on the prowler
>>
>>4148208
That would be having your wounds seen to. Penetrating plasma wounds have a tendency to cook organs into not working, so while a patch job will see you through the mission (with the help of certain drugs and some medical equipment) you'll need to have surgery in a suitably well equipped ship and some time in order to almost fully fix the injury.
>>
>>4148199
>>Other (write-in)
We'll stay with the reserves
>>
>>4148199
>>Other (write-in)

Stay with the back up. If the marines absolutely need help, we will go after them
>>
>>4148219
Slap on some bondo and bailing wire then.
>>4148225
>>4148220
And we call shotgun in the remaining Rambler.
>>
>>4148220
>>4148225
>>4148228
Backing.
Can't wait to go out hopped up on chems and carrying extra stims. How many morningcall canisters can we carry at once?
>>
>>4148245
Today is a beautiful day to Rip and Tear.
>>
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>>4148253
>marines need back up
>Here comes the back up
>>
File: MaliciousShotgun.jpg (36 KB, 720x408)
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>>4148260
>>
>>4148219
After we do our strikes, can we return to active camo in case the covenant dropship returns? We might be able to get the drop on them if we can.
>>
"I'm only moving thanks to a cocktail of drugs LT, I'd be detrimental to your combat mobility. I'll get a patch and I'll deploy with the armed crewmen if you really need the support. Feel free to use any of the covvie tech I scavenged, it should give you a bit more firepower to play with." Going in with the first wave would cause more issues than it was worth. Staying back would allow you to keep control of the mission without putting everyone at risk. Besides, if you were really needed then you could lend your skills to bolstering the armed crewmen.

"In which case, I'd like to ask for XO Dyad to be assigned to assist us in the attack." Antonwicz accepted your decision, and instead jumped on the chance to get your XO into the fight. You knew that the lack of bodies was an issue, but this seemed to take it to another level.

"Dyad?" You asked for your XO to make the choice. While the benefits of your decision to go ground side at the main ONI base could be debated, it was still entirely your choice to go. And you decided that it would be your XO's decision on

"Your call boss, but just keep in mind that I've got the same qualifications as you, remember?" Dyad smiled as she killed all chances of you not taking responsibility for if she was deployed or not. You sighed, before making your decision.

>Deploy Dyad! Antonwicz is right, they need every gun possible on this one.
>Keep your XO! Dyad has proven too useful to just throw into a gunfight.
>Other (write-in)
>>
>>4148331
>>Deploy Dyad! Antonwicz is right, they need every gun possible on this one.
>>
>>4148331
>Deploy Dyad! Antonwicz is right, they need every gun possible on this one.
>>
>>4148331
>Deploy Dyad! Antonwicz is right, they need every gun possible on this one.
>>
>>4148331
>>Deploy Dyad! Antonwicz is right, they need every gun possible on this one.

If she gets critically injured, I am gonna be pissed
>>
"Alright, grab some gear and follow the lieutenant's orders once we're done here. You're going down with them." You decided after a couple of seconds of thought. like it or not, the lieutenant needed every healthy soldier he could get his hands on. If that meant strapping your XO in marine armor, giving her a gun and throwing her in, then that was what you had to do.

"Good to have you on the team, XO." The ODST officer welcomed your XO to his motley crew with a smile. He seemed genuinely happy to have some more help, though, given the state of your marine compliment, you were pretty sure that he would take anyone who had passed marine training.

"Thanks, I can't let him have all the fun, now can I?" Dyad thanked the helljumper, before poking some fun at you. You laughed at the joke, which helped to break the tension in the room. Briefings didn't need to be so tense after all.

"Alright, back to the briefing." You insisted after a couple of seconds, the sound in the room died down fairly quickly after that, allowing you to continue. "Once the prowler's dropped you off, we'll cloak and move to a holding position nearby. You'll be able to call us for some fire support, but it's going to be dangerously close, so only call us in if you have no other options."

"How do you want us to take this? Is this a smash 'n grab, or do you want the place sanitized?" Antonwicz asked for clarification on what took priority, the ONI scientists in the facility, or wiping out the Covenant presence.

>Smash and grab! Get to the scientists, get out, kill everything along the way.
>Kill them all! The chances of getting the scientists out are slim, so settle for torching everything.
>Other (write-in)
>>
>>4148551
>>Smash and grab! Get to the scientists, get out, kill everything along the way.
>>
>>4148551
>Smash and grab! Get to the scientists, get out, kill everything along the way.
>>
>>4148551
>>Smash and grab! Get to the scientists, get out, kill everything along the way.
>>
Rolled 27 (1d100)

I can't wait for our first one of the thread.
>>
>>4148551
>Smash and grab! Get to the scientists, get out, kill everything along the way.
But if things go to shit and the scientists are dead;
>Make Stalin look like a fucking joke
>>
>>4148551
>>Smash and grab! Get to the scientists, get out, kill everything along the way.
Win or lose, shit's going to be good.
>>
>>4148559
>Smash and grab! Get to the scientists, get out, kill everything along the way
>>
"Smash and grab only. Get in, grab the scientists, kill everything along the way." You gave him the mission profile. With only your marines planetside, there wasn't much of a chance that they would be able to wipe the base clean. So you had them prioritize extracting the scientists.

"And how are we meant to extract from there? A combat drop might work to get us in, but it might not be the best way to get us out once we've kicked the hornet's nest." Antonwicz asked for the final piece in the puzzle, the way out. And his point was fairly valid, once the Covenant knew that their base was under attack, the chances of you being able to knock them off balance with another missile strike were slim.

"Last known inventory for the site noted a small number of warthog LAVs left in the base's inventory. We could use those to get far enough away from the base for the prowler to pick us up without being shot at." Dyad suggested, bringing up a holographic projection of the base's last remaining vehicle stockpile. Four M12 warthog utility jeeps, all of them lacking turrets and armor plating, but still having a large enough bed to cram a few people into.

"Assuming that the 'hogs are still in working order. They've probably been sitting around there for years without maintinance. Hell, I wouldn't be suprised if some of them have been pulled apart for spare parts to keep one or two of them running. And that's not accounting for any damage that the Covenant may have inflicted on them." Antonwicz laid out his issues with using the apparently available warthogs fairly simply. You just didn't know for sure what condition they were in, so relying on them to get your marines out wasn't a good idea.

"It's a far better option than throwing our only way off this rock into the firing line again. We can't run the risk of badly compromising the ship's stealth coating." Dyad countered by pointing out that any damage sustained by the prowler would reduce your chances of escaping Arcadia. If the rebels didn't spot you, then the lurking Covenant ship would.

>Mount up! The less damage you can take to the prowler's sensitive hull, the better.
>Pick 'em up! Antinwicz is right, you shouldn't rely on an asset that isn't you can't verify.
>Other (write-in)
>>
>>4149727
>>Pick 'em up! Antinwicz is right, you shouldn't rely on an asset that isn't you can't verify.
We take out the shade turrets and be mindful of any fuel rod guns then we should be fine.
>>
>>4149727
>>Pick 'em up! Antinwicz is right, you shouldn't rely on an asset that isn't you can't verify.
>>
>>4149727
>Pick 'em up! Antonwicz is right, you shouldn't rely on an asset that you can't verify.
>>
>>4149727
>Mount up! The less damage you can take to the prowler's sensitive hull, the better.
>>
>>4149727
>>Pick 'em up! Antinwicz is right, you shouldn't rely on an asset that isn't you can't verify.
If the Hogs are around maybe we'll change the plan but for now keep it like this
>>
>>4149727
>Pick 'em up! Antinwicz is right, you shouldn't rely on an asset that isn't you can't verify.
>>
"We'll pick you up. We should be able to nail the shades and the fuel rod guns before you go in, and the rest of their inventory won't be able to shoot us down. If we need to, we'll stop off and try to repair whatever damage we can before heading back into orbit." You decided to keep it simple, and not rely on the hogs. If the vehicles were still there and in working order then, you were sure that the marines would make use of them. But until the condition of the vehicles could be confirmed, you wouldn't plan to use them.

"Alright. How many people do I have to work with?" Antonwicz asked to know about just how many soldiers he had to work with.

"You have fourteen combat-effective soldiers, including you and me. That breaks down to ten uninjured soldiers and four mildly wounded soldiers. If you want, we can bulk that out to twenty-one people if we include some non-essential armed crewmen and more severely wounded marines." Dyad briefed her temporary superior officer. You were sure that it was weird for the lieutenant to have a lieutenant commander under his command, but given the situation, it wasn't something that couldn't be justified. Besides, nobody had voiced any concerns about it, and as long as both of them played nicely then you wouldn't have anything to worry about.

"No, fourteen people will work. We'll need to give people some painkillers in order to get the wounded working as best as they can. We'll arm up with a mix of shotguns and assault rifles, along with a couple of under-barrel grenade launchers. I'm gonna guess that you'll want to keep your gun?" Antonwicz asked for your shotgun. And you felt a bit reluctant to give it up. It had seen you through the last engagement, and it was definitely powerful with the right ammo, but the marines would need it far more than you.

>Keep your shotgun! It's seen you through one fight already, you want it for the next one.
>Let them take it! They're gonna make a lot more use of it than you are.
>>
>>4149938
>Let them take it! They're gonna make a lot more use of it than you are.

May Dyad be blessed by the /k/ube.
>>
>>4149938
>Let them take it! They're gonna make a lot more use of it than you are.
Only if Dyad takes it. Suggesting a 2-1 slug to buck load if possible.
>>
>>4149938
>Let them take it! They're gonna make a lot more use of it than you are.
>>
>>4149938
>>Let them take it! They're gonna make a lot more use of it than you are.
>>
>>4149938
>>Let them take it! They're gonna make a lot more use of it than you are.
>>
You unslung your shotgun, taking your trusty weapon off your shoulder and checking it. You confirmed that the weapon was unloaded, before handing the weapon to your XO. Dyad took the weapon carefully as you spoke. "I recommend a two-to-one mix of slugs to buckshot."

"Thanks boss, I'll try not to break it." Dyad smiled as she thanked you for giving up your weapon, before checking that the weapon was unloaded and slinging it over her shoulder.

"Thanks sir. I've just got one more question, where are the scientists located?" Antonwicz thanked you, before asking about where his objective was located.

"The scientists are being held in a storage room on sub-level two, the service floor underneath the motor pool." Dyad answered him, before pulling back up the holographic image of the captured base. She highlighted the position of the scientists in the depths of the base. The ODST officer stared at the projection for a couple of seconds, before coming up with a plan.

"Alright, or best way in will be to assault the base's front gate. If Diana can open the door for us, we'll push in and straight into the motor pool." Antonwicz explained his plan in brief, using his finger to trace out the approximate route that his men would take on the way. You watched as he continued to explain his plan. "We can verify the status of the hogs on the way, but our priority will be reaching the main service stairs located on the south-east main wall. Once there, we'll descend into the service floor beneath and we'll advance to the room that the is holding the scientists. Once we have them, we'll head out the way we came. Sound good?"

>Agree with the LT's plan.
>Suggest something else (write-in)
>>
>>4150088
>>Agree with the LT's plan.
>>
>>4150088
>>Agree with the LT's plan.
>>
>>4150088
>Agree with the LT's plan.
>>
>>4150088
>Agree with the LT's plan.
>>
>>4150088
>Agree with the LT's plan.
>>
"Sounds good." You agreed with the ODST's plan, as did everyone else in the room. You knew that the idea was fairly bare-bones, but such simple plans left a lot of room to be flexible. They could adapt on the fly without putting the next steps of the mission in any great danger.

"Ok, we're done here. Everyone with me, we'll take some time to prep, though we should only need fifteen minutes at least, and an hour at most." Antonwicz called the brefing to a close, before ordering everyone out of the room. They were all under his command now, and you didn't stop them. Instead, you waited for them all to leave before clutching at your side. You had tried your best to suppress the growing pain from your wound, and you let it all out as you groaned in pain. The painkilling drugs were waring off quickly now.

"Captain, I'm noting an increased pain response to your current wound. Is everything alright?" Diana asked you pressed on your wound, and more specifically, on the mass of solid biofoam that was stuck inside you. It was still rigid. but moving it around even slightly caused you to grit your teeth in pain.

"I'm fine, though we'd better get this sorted quickly." You assured your AI, before making for the door. You needed to get going, dwelling on your wound wouldn't get you anywhere.

>Get patched up! You need to be ready in case you have to deploy.
>Head down to the armory! You need a replacement weapon, just in case.
>Head to the bridge! You need to be ready to command the operation.
>Other (write-in)
>>
>>4150205
>Get patched up! You need to be ready in case you have to deploy.
>>
>>4150205
>Get patched up! You need to be ready in case you have to deploy.
We can get another shotgun or grenade launcher in a hurry if we have to.
>>
>>4150205
>>Get patched up! You need to be ready in case you have to deploy.
>>
>>4150205
>>Get patched up! You need to be ready in case you have to deploy.
>>
>>4150205
>>Get patched up! You need to be ready in case you have to deploy.
>>
>>4150205
>>Get patched up! You need to be ready in case you have to deploy.
>>
>>4150205
>>Get patched up! You need to be ready in case you have to deploy.
>>
>>4150205
https://youtu.be/nOlvCkmDbq8 Deploying Captain Wells.
>>
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As soon as you left the meeting room, you turned right and headed aft a few meters to the prowler's small med-bay. The room itself had been mostly ransacked in order to provide treatment to the wounded in the hanger. In spite of that, the large auto-surgeon in the middle of the room had been left intact. You walked into the room and locked the door after you, before making your way over to one of the automatic scanners. The small holotank in the room flickered into life, revealing your AI's glowing red avatar for the first time on the ship. Diana waited for a few seconds as you carefully removed the bandages over your wound before commenting. "Finally, you're actually seeing some sense. Though I suppose it's better late than never."

"I'd appreciate less sass. How bad is it?" You asked your AI as you tossed the bundle of bandages at one of the bins in the room. The bundle landed nearby, but you didn't bother to pick it up, instead, you simply stood still as the machine in front of you scanned your wounds. Giving your AI a good look at your wounds.

"Your right kidney has been cooked, and badly too. You've also suffered burn damage to your liver, gallbladder and large intestines. You also have injuries to your small intestines, duodenum, and pancreas. But with stem cell therapy that should clean up well. Right now, the biggest issue will be sorting out that liver and removing your destroyed kidney." Diana assessed, before moving on to your burned left arm. You hadn't removed the bandages over it, simply because you could get your shirt off without removing it. "Your arm is a far simpler affair, you have severe burns over most of your left forearm, so a basic patch should suffice until we can arrange a course of dermacortic steroids or for a skin graft."

"So, not bad, but not terrible. How quickly can you fix it?" You asked as you began to unbutton your shirt, the whole thing was probably a write-off anyway, so there wasn't much point in being careful with it. But you had come this far, so you decided to continue.

"Well, we'll need to use a course of drugs and a small blood filtering unit to handle most of the damage, but it should be workable. Ingesting and digesting food may also be an issue, but the onboard medical-grade food synthesizer should be able to provide adequately tailored meals. Even if it looks and tastes like baby food." Diana explained as you made your way over to the automatic surgery table. The AI warmed the machine up, moving the various robotic arms around to confirm their range of movement and to properly calibrate them for the upcoming surgery.

>CONT
>>
>>4150496

"How quickly can you get it done?" You asked as you sat down on the bed, the medical-grade bed gave just enough give to be medically comfortable, without compromising the surgery. You rubbed your wound again as you sat down, soon the pain there would be mostly gone, but you weren't looking to going into cryo with a set of wounds either way.

"That depends on the kind of anesthetic that you want to use. Pseudodesflurane would give you the quickest turn-around time due to its rapid onset-offset rate. However, due to its low potency, it may not fully put you under, and we both know the issues with that. Polysevorane is a safer option, but you'll be under for around an hour, with a decent chance that you'll need another half an hour on top of that before you return to your full faculties." Diana explained your options as you attached the heart rate monitors and other bits of surgical observation equipment. You had a basic choice. You could either choose the pseudodesflurane to go through the surgery quickly, but at the risk of waking up in the middle of it. Alternatively, you could choose the polysevorane to guarantee that you wouldn't wake up in the middle of it, in return for being down for an hour and a half at best.

>Take the pseudodesflurane! You need to be up and running as soon as possible.
>Take the polysevorane! You need to be fixed up, even if it takes a bit longer.
>>
>>4150500
>>Take the polysevorane! You need to be fixed up, even if it takes a bit longer.
Surgical pain is no joke, and I trust our XO to get the job done.
>>
>>4150500
>Take the polysevorane! You need to be fixed up, even if it takes a bit longer.
>>
>>4150500
>Take the polysevorane! You need to be fixed up, even if it takes a bit longer.

LT said it could take up to an hour to get ready, so let's give him all the time he needs.
>>
>>4150500
>>Take the polysevorane! You need to be fixed up, even if it takes a bit longer.
>>
"I'll take the polysevorane, if we're gonna do this then we might as well do this right." You decided, before lying down on the medical bed. The matress underneath you flexed and moved underneath you ad Diana actively calibrated it to provide the maximum amount of support possible for the surgery. As she worked, you took the chance to order something else. "Send a message down to the LT and Dyad that I'm gonna be under for a bit, they can take their time with their preparations."

"Message away. Please put on the mask, located on the pedestal to your immediate right." Diana confirmed that she had sent the message before directing your attention to the mask sat right next to your head. You reached over and put it on, you guessed that polysevorane was a vaporized anethstetic, so the mask was probably needed.

"I am administering the anesthetic now. Can you count back from ten for me?" Diana wasted no time releasing the gas as the surgical machine whirred into life around you. The pair of large robotic arms moved at a dizzying pace as the lenses on the camera mounted above you began to dial in."

"Ten. Nine. Eight... Sev..en.. si.." You barely managed to count past six before the anesthetics knocked you out. The rapid-acting drug quickly metabolized into your blood and rushed to your brain, knocking you out in only seconds.

>roll 1d100
>>
Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>4150771
Let's get up asap.
>>
Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>4150771
I feel like there's a lot more riding on this roll than I'm comfortable with.
>>
Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>4150771
>>
Rolled 57 (1d100)

>>4150771
Could be better, could be worse.
>>
Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>4150771

Well, here we go...
>>
Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>4150771
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>4150771
oh no
>>
>Roll 1d24
>>
Rolled 24 (1d24)

>>4150771
Shit. Is this how many hours we're out for?
>>
>>4151554
I hope this is a very good thing.
>>
Rolled 18 (1d24)

>>4151550
Uhhhh, ight then.
>>
Rolled 16 (1d24)

>>4151550
>>
File: dyad sorta.jpg (162 KB, 1000x1453)
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[b]You are Lieutenant Commander Dyad[/b], and you have just been summoned to the prowler's small medical room. You had been gearing up with the prowler's tiny marine compliment when Diana -the ship's temporary AI- had called for your presence. You had walked in to find the room quiet, well lit, and only inhabited by one other person. Your commanding officer, captain Norman Wells -the brave idiot who never seemed to run from a fight- lay silently on the sole medical bed in the room. His wounds bandaged and wrapped, and a peaceful look on his face. You would have thought he was dead, if not for the steady rise and fall of his chest, and the beeping of the EKG machine that was monitoring his vitals.

Aside from the captain, the only other thing in the room that could be considered a person was his surgeon. Diana -or rather, her avatar- sat cross-legged on the small holo tank next to the medical bed, watching over your CO. You made sure that the door behind you was closed, before addressing the AI. "So, what's wrong?"

"It would appear that the captain has suffered a severe reaction to the general anesthetic used in the surgery. It's nothing that will have long-term health implications. If I had to guess, based on his recent drug intake, I would assume that the polypsudomorphine in his system increased the effectiveness of the polysevorane. I have already attached a blood filtering device to him to ensure that there aren't any reactive substances being sent to his brain. But there isn't much I can do to make him wake up any faster." Diana briefed you without turning her avatar to face you, not that she really needed to, the AI wasn't limited by such physical things. The AI's voice was projected from a number of speakers positioned around the room, which was something you could never get used to.

"So, how long do you expect him to be out?" You asked as you slowly walked over to your commander's sleeping body. Aside from a couple of small specks of blood that had seeped through the bandages over his torso wound, the captain's wounds seemed to have been freshly treated.

"I would estimate around eighteen hours, which is why I've called you here." Diana explained, before her avatar finally stood up, and turned to face you, her holographic eyes locking with yours. "With captain Wells currently asleep, command authority falls to you until he wakes up. How would you like to proceed?"

>Continue as planned! If needed, you can command the mission from the ground.
>Excuse yourself! You need to fill in for the captain, but the mission needs to go ahead.
>Wait for the captain! You can't leave the marines, but at the same time, you can't leave the bridge without an officer.
>Other (write-in)
>>
>>4151632
>Continue as planned! If needed, you can command the mission from the ground.
I'm sure the Lt can remain on the bridge. The mission was his idea so I don't think he'll abandon us.
M16 come home
>>
>>4151641
SF capture soon/eventually
>>
>>4151632
>Continue as planned! If needed, you can command the mission from the ground.
>Put Diana in charge of the ship until the captain awakens or we return, whichever comes first.
>>
>>4151645
Here's hoping it's sooner rather than later. I don't think I can handle another event if it doesn't.
>>
>>4151632
>>Continue as planned! If needed, you can command the mission from the ground.
>>
And this is the story of how we lost our XO to Sangheili special operatives.
>>
>>4151632

>Continue as planned! If needed, you can command the mission from the ground.

dyad is HOT 10/10 thunderhead
>>
>>4151632
>>Continue as planned! If needed, you can command the mission from the ground.
>>
Was rolling a 62 really that bad to knock us out for most of the day?
>>
>>4151881
I bet the DC was 70 or 75
>>
>>4151899
>>4151881
Seems weirdly high for medical procedure based on known science and not experimental, but I'm not the QM.
>>
>>4151901

Keep in mind how fucked we were, organs cooked.
>>
>>4151924
and we need a new kidney when we get back to civilized space
>>
"We'll continue as planned, it's what he would want." You decided to keep going with the mission you had been given. While the captain was asleep, you wouldn't take the chance to go against his orders.

"Understood, I'll send a message to lieut-" Diana began, only for you to cut her off.

"No. I'll be joining the marines groundside. I need you to take care of the prowler." You ordered the AI as you readjusted your armor. You knew that there were regs against what you were planning, but you weren't about to violate the trust that Wells had put in you.

"Lieutenant commander, protocol dictates that one command rank officer should remain on the bridge to oversee the operation." Diana tried to lecture you, but you waived the AI off. You weren't looking to have a lecture on proper regulations from a glorified secretary program.

"Lieutenant Karmann can fill in if you want to insist on it, but we don't have enough marines to start off with. I'm needed down there." You pushed your point through to the stubborn AI. Diana's avatar shrugged at this, though you guessed that was her taking your insistence as a direct order.

"If that's your decision, then there isn't much I can do to stop you. I take it that the marines are ready?" Diana asked, the AI probably already knew the answer to that question but was checking to see if you thought they were ready for the upcoming fight.

"They were almost finished when you called me up, so I'd assume that they're ready to move." You stated, before checking to see if you were ready to go.

>Check your gear! You ought to make sure you're ready for a fight.
>Check the plan! You need to make sure you have a full understanding of everything that's going to happen.
>Get ready to go! You're ready to go, so there's no point in waiting around.
>Other (write-in)
>>
>>4151924
Yeah, but plasma wounds aren't exactly new or uncommon.
>>
>>4151934

>Check your gear! You ought to make sure you're ready for a fight.
>>
>>4151934
>>Check your gear! You ought to make sure you're ready for a fight.
>>4151935
With flash cloning getting new body bits replaced is about as difficult as getting your wisdom teeth removed.
>>
>>4151881
>>4151899
>>4151901

A 62 would have worked as the DC was 40, but all rolls are best of 3, and a 2-5 on a d100 is a crit-fail that invalidates the highest roll. That left the only other roll as a 16, which was a fail.
>>
>>4151934
>Get ready to go! You're ready to go, so there's no point in waiting around.
>>
>>4151934
>Check your gear! You ought to make sure you're ready for a fight.

Bring knife, medkit, and duct-tape.
>>
>>4151940
Oh, 5 is a critfail? I thought the point of moving to a d100 from a d20 was to avoid the constant 5% critfail chance.
>>
>>4151947
It is and we have, at least judging by last thread. Wouldn't be Halo if someone didn't die or get mutilated every paragraph.
>>
>>4151947
We couldn't agree on if a critfail should be an auto fail, or if it should just invalidate the highest roll. So we compromised and had a nat 1 be an autofail, while 2-5 invalidate the highest roll.
>>
>>4151962
Can't wait for the salt when a 5 invalidates a 99.
>>
>>4151962
Yeah I remember this, after one of our failstreaks...
>>
>>4151971
>one of
It didn't stop until last thread when we outperformed ODSTs.
>>
You checked over your equipment, making sure that everything was intact and in order. Your armor was a set of intact marine BDUs and combat armor. Granted, a lot of it had been taken from marines who had been injured, but who still had specific equipment pieces that were intact. But an intact kit was nothing to pass up, even if it had been picked from the wounded. The only part that hadn't come from someone who was dead or wounded was your helmet, the marine standard unit was already upgraded with an officer uplink module, which would allow you to keep tabs on objective markers, teammates, and known enemy locations.

The captain's shotgun was your primary weapon, the seven-shot weapon was already loaded with a mix of slugs and buckshot. While the weapon had served the captain well, you'd be lying if you said that you thought that it would be just as useful for you. While it would certainly be useful for blowing through enemies at short range, the long lines of sight when entering the base and going through the motor pool would leave you at a disadvantage. An assault rifle would kive you more consistent results at a variety of ranges, was easier to make follow-up shots with, and would give you a lot more ammo to play with. But it lacked the raw firepower of the shotgun, so maybe it was worth it to keep the captain's piece.

Your second weapon was a fairly standard M6B officer pistol. Unlike the large SOCOM-C variant that the captain liked, the B model was shorter, lacked a suppressor, and featured a more common-place smart scope. If you kept the shotgun then it would probably have to fill in as your main ranged weapon. But even if you swapped out the shotgun, you were comfortable enough with the pistol. The smart scope let you snap-shoot with a decent degree of accuracy, even if follow-up shots were difficult. You supposed that you could swap it for something else, but you didn't think it was nessicery.

Aside from that, you had a pair of frag grenades, a knife, and a small medkit. The knife was there for close encounters, and while many in the UNSC saw it a little more than dead weight, the captain's most recent kill proved that with enough violence it could be just as effective as some five-hundred plus years ago. The grenades were nothing special, and at the same time, they weren't controversial in any way. Who could argue with half a kilogram of high explosives? The medkit was probably the most controversial thing however, as you had already thrown out a lot of the bandages and doubled-up on painkillers and synthetic adrenaline. It would be enough to quickly patch up some wounds and to keep you moving, but aside from that, there wasn't much in there to patch up major wounds.

>Swap something out! (write-in)
>Check the plan! You need to make sure you have a full understanding of everything that's going to happen.
>Get ready to go! You're ready to go, so there's no point in waiting around.
>Other (write-in)
>>
>>4152096
>>Get ready to go! You're ready to go, so there's no point in waiting around.
>>
>>4152096
>Check the plan! You need to make sure you have a full understanding of everything that's going to happen.
>>
>>4152096
>>Get ready to go! You're ready to go, so there's no point in waiting around.
>>
>>4152096
>>Get ready to go! You're ready to go, so there's no point in waiting around.
>>
>>4152096
>Get ready to go! You're ready to go, so there's no point in waiting around.
>>
>>4152096
>Better grab that lucky roll of duct tape :^)
>>
>>4152155
This
>>
>>4152096
>Get ready to go! You're ready to go, so there's no point in waiting around.
>>
>>4152155
Definitely this

>>4152096
>get ready to go!
>>
Despite the limitations of your kit, you were satisfied enough with it that you decided to run with it. If worst came to worst, you'd just grab a weapon from one of the marines. With your equipment in order, you turned to leave the medbay, only to stop before you left the room. You turned back and walked up to your comatose captain, before gently patting him on the arm.

"Sleep tight, boss. I'll be just fine." You assured your sleeping CO with a gentle smile. Wells didn't respond, his breathing remaining steady and strong. You just sighed, before silently leaving the room.

The walk back down to the now-cleared hanger bay was steadily interrupted as the last of the critically wounded were carried up to the cryo bay. The people with wounds too severe to be treated on the ship would be put in cryo until you reached a UNSC medical facility that could take them. Hell, the captain [i]should[/i] have joined them, but his insistence on getting a patch and staying up killed that option. And with him still under general anesthetics, putting him into cryo would be unsafe. The rest of the walking wounded had already been transferred into a temorary triage room in the mess hall, where they would be out of the way. This left the entire hanger bay and the adjoining modular bays open to what few marines left.

The marines were already spread out between two squads, each one containing an even mix of marines and ODSTs. The soldiers were armed with a mix of shotguns and assault rifles, giving a lot of short to medium range firepower in a fairly mobile platform. The only one who didn't conform to that weapons load was the only other commissioned officer in the hanger. Lieutenant Antonwicz saw you and immediately walked over, his M7 SMG held loosely in one hand. He got straight to the point. "How's the captain?"

"Completely knocked out, he won't be leading. So I'll be taking the reigns." You answered the lieutenant in a low voice, making sure that it would be harder for the rest of the marines to hear. The last thing you wanted was for them to get even more worried about the mission. In an attempt to disguise the news you were giving, you picked up a random roll of duck tape and shoved it into one of your spare pouches. You hoped that it would brush off any interest from the waiting soldiers.

Antonwicz didn't react too much to the revelation that the only person commanding the mission was going to be throwing themselves ground side with him. Instead, the ODST officer just kept his mind focussed on the mission. "Still want me to lead?"

>Take full command! Having two officers on the ground is a recipe for disaster.
>Deligate command! You need to keep your attention focused on the wider battle.
>>
>>4153822
>>Delegate command! You need to keep your attention focused on the wider battle.
>>
>>4153822
>>Deligate command! You need to keep your attention focused on the wider battle.
>>
>>4153822
>>Deligate command! You need to keep your attention focused on the wider battle.
>>
>>4153822
>Delegate command! You need to keep your attention focused on the wider battle.
>>
>>4153822
>>Deligate command! You need to keep your attention focused on the wider battle.
>>
>>4153822
>>Deligate command! You need to keep your attention focused on the wider battle.
>>
"You still have command. I'll have enough to worry about as-is, I don't need to take on more responsibility." You decided to keep it simple and keep it separate. The captain at least had access to a command neural interface to help him keep track of everything in a fight. You didn't have that luxury, so you'd do it the old-fashioned way.

If the ODST was pleased by the turn of events, you couldn't tell thanks to his armor. Instead, all you got was a nod and an agreement. "Sounds good. You're with me, I'm not having another officer run dick-first into a zealot."

"You know that the boss didn't plan to find that zealot?" You tried to defend your commanding officer, only to get a disgruntled snort from the hell jumper.

"Yeah, I'd believe that if he did the rational thing and ran away from the eight-foot-tall alien psychopath." Antonwicz brushed off your defense of the captain, before turning and walking back over to his men, you were about to follow him to continue the conversation when your headset chirped into life.

"Lieutenant Commander, as we are about to begin the assault, would you like me to begin the missile attack before we begin our approach, or as we are approaching the base? A pre-approach volley would give us the ability to re-engage any targets we miss before we lose the ability to engage them, however, the extra warning time would give the Covenant a few second warning of the attack, allowing them to start moving their troops to defensive locations." Diana didn't bother to wait to see if you were listening before laying out your options. You had to quickly change-track and listen closely, though you supposed that the AI was banking on that. "Engaging the base as we approach the base will only give us one shot to destroy our targets before we are too close to the ground to fire the missiles, but it would deny the Covenant the chance to move their troops around before you hit the ground. If needed, we can use the point-defense guns to engage enemy stragglers. But keep in mind that we only have limited ammo for them, so their usage should be limited."

>Hit them BEFORE you approach! You need the insurance.
>Hit them AS you approach! You can't waste any time.
>>
>>4154961
>Hit them AS you approach! You can't waste any time
>>
>>4154961
>Hit them AS you approach! You can't waste any time.
>>
>>4154961
>Hit them AS you approach! You can't waste any time.

Hard. And. Fast
>>
>>4154961
>Hit them AS you approach! You can't waste any time.

Gives the best chance to actually save the scientists, yeah?
>>
>>4154961
>Hit them AS you approach! You can't waste any time.
>>
>>4154961
>Hit them AS you approach! You can't waste any time.
wish we went with the pelicans so we could use them as CAS
>>
>>4154961
>>Hit them AS you approach! You can't waste any time.

WHERE IS MY AIR SUPPORT
>>
>>4154961
>Hit them AS you approach! You can't waste any time.
>>
"Fire as we're approaching, we don't have time to wait." You ordered the AI as you made your way over to the waiting marines. Already they were starting to muster into their squads, and then further into their individual fireteams. Antonwicz waved you over, and you joined him alongside a few marines.

"Understood. Now onto the matter of how much firepower you want on target. Due to only having a small number of streak missiles aboard, I need to know how much of our inventory you want to be expended in the pre-landing bombardment." Diana logged your order, before moving on to her next question as the marines made their final equipment checks. One of the marines -a younger guy who would have looked more at home on a college campus- offered to check your gear, but you waved him off as the AI continued. "I expend the bare minimum number of missiles in limited, pin-point strikes against the Shade turrets covering the base. This would leave a large amount of or inventory available for later use in fire support and assuring air dominance, however, it would inflict the minimum amount of damage on the base, leaving you with more to deal with down there. Alternatively, I can use the entirety of the ship's missile stocks to bombard the base. This would provide more than enough firepower to completely destroy the shade batteries and inflict significant casualties on the occupying Covenant forces. However, it would leave no missiles for fire support, interdicting enemy airborne reinforcements, or covering your retreat."

"Is there a happy middle ground?" You asked as you performed your final checks on your equipment. You patted down each pouch and ensured that everything was secure as you listened to your AI.

"With only forty-eight missiles that aren't even designed for this mission, there isn't much wiggle room. I have categorized a number of potential targets ranging from obviously inhabited infrastructure to strong points and areas where Covenant forces are hiding behind weak walls. But you'll still have to decide if you want me to go for obvious targets or targets of opportunity." Diana's answer left you with even more to consider. You had to balance between inflicting enough damage to ensure a safe landing for your men, while keeping enough munitions in stock to take out incoming reinforcements and to secure your escape. You shook your head as you examined the captain's scraped shotgun, decisions like this almost always caught you out...

>Hit the Shades ONLY! You need to preserve as many missiles as possible. (roll 3d100+10)
>Hit the obvious targets! You need damage, but you shouldn't go overboard. (roll 4d100+10)
>Hit the obvious targets and the targets of opportunity! You need to safely inflict a lot of damage. (roll 4d100+20)
>Hit everything! You need to guarantee that they are knocked off balance. (roll 4d100+30)
>>
>>4157312
>>Hit the obvious targets! You need damage, but you shouldn't go overboard. (roll 4d100+10)
>>
Rolled 88, 52, 84, 10 + 10 = 244 (4d100 + 10)

>>4157312
>Hit the obvious targets! You need damage, but you shouldn't go overboard. (roll 4d100+10)
>>
>>4157312
>Hit the obvious targets! You need damage, but you shouldn't go overboard. (roll 4d100+10)
>>
Rolled 72, 27, 97, 34 = 230 (4d100)

>>4157312
>>4157360
forgot my roll
>>
Rolled 25, 70, 4, 78 + 10 = 187 (4d100 + 10)

>>4157312
>>Hit the obvious targets! You need damage, but you shouldn't go overboard. (roll 4d100+10)
>>
>>4157312
>Hit the obvious targets! You need damage, but you shouldn't go overboard.
Good rolls.
>>
Rolled 45, 47, 66, 83 + 30 = 271 (4d100 + 30)

>>4157312
>>Hit everything! You need to guarantee that they are knocked off balance. (roll 4d100+30)
>>
Rolled 43, 38, 86, 80 = 247 (4d100)

>>4157312
>Hit the obvious targets! You need damage, but you shouldn't go overboard.
>>
Rolled 47, 73, 67, 31 + 20 = 238 (4d100 + 20)

>>4157312
>Hit the obvious targets and the targets of opportunity! You need to safely inflict a lot of damage. (roll 4d100+20)
>>
Did we ever get a pic of Norman?
>>
"Hit the shades and any targets of opportunity. Just make sure to keep some ordinance for fire support and air interdiction." You ordered the AI to take a bit of liberty when picking her targets. You still needed to strip out the enemy defenses -that couldn't be avoided- but aside from that, if she could make the shots count, then you wouldn't mind if she dipped a bit more into your reserve.

"Understood, loading target profiles," Diana assured you, before addressing the rest of the marines on the comms network. "All marine forces, be advised. We are beginning our landing approach, please get ready to deploy."

"Everyone to their positions, behind me ma'am." Lieutenant Antonwicz ordered you and the marines as the prowler started to shift. You felt the ship's movement in your gut and had to account for it as you jogged behind the lieutenant. You knelt behind him as a series of loud thumps emanated from one of the closed mission bays. You guessed that was from the Streak missiles being launched

"Shade turrets destroyed, though attacks against targets of opportunity have not proven sucsessful. It would appear as if the base's external walls have been reinforced." Diana gave her report as the prowler dropped from the sky. You couldn't hear the sounds of enemy fire hitting the hull, so you assumed that they were knocked off balance for a bit.

You didn't have much time to savor that, as the prowler's hangar bay door opened with a hiss that was soon drowned out by the sound of rushing air and burning thrusters. The main cargo ramp extended and slammed against the tarmac of the old logistical hub that had once served as ONI's main haunt on the planet. Just a few dozen meters away, you could see the external walls of the captured UNSC base. If you were lucky, then maybe you'd be able to reach it before taking fire.

"Push up to the base, move, move, move!" Antonwicz ordered, and both of your squads got up and ran out of the Prowler's hanger in under ten seconds flat. A few seconds later, the prowler was already lifting off as the marines started firing on the few Covenant forces in sight. The grunts fell quickly, the assault-rifle fire having punctured their bulky pressure suits. The Jackals, on the other hand, responded quickly, with the spindly soldiers retreating under the cover of their shields and blind fire from their own plasma weapons. Fire stitched the air around you and the marines as you advanced, but only one person was hit as you reached the firebase. The wounded marine slammed against the wall and was quickly seen to by the sole medic as the ODST officer gave his next order. "Stack up! Shotguns first."

>Take point! You need to leverage your shotgun to it's best ability.
>Hang back! You aren't looking to run into a machine gun nest.
>>
>>4163964

>Take point! You need to leverage your shotgun to it's best ability.
>>
>>4163964
>>Take point! You need to leverage your shotgun to it's best ability.
>>
>>4163964
>>Take point! You need to leverage your shotgun to it's best ability.
>>
>>4163964
>Take point! You need to leverage your shotgun to it's best ability.
>>
>>4163964
>>Take point! You need to leverage your shotgun to it's best ability.
>>
You quickly made to shove your way to the front of the stack, only for the lieutenant to try and stop you. You shot him a glare, before gesturing at your shotgun. You both got each other's point; he let you go while you took up position behind the pointman. You got into position just as the massive gate doors into the base hissed open and slowly started to descend.

The internals of the former UNSC firebase was dark and sporadically lit by the few lights that had survived the initial assault on the base. The marines snapped on their weapon-mounted torches, illuminating the darkened corners of the building with bright lances of light. Large chunks of the ceiling had fallen through, leaving chunks of concrete scattered around the cavernous room. In spite of the obvious damage, you could still see what ONI had done to the place. Close to the door was a small motor pool, where the small inventory of warthogs remained parked, even if a couple of them had been damaged by fallen debris. Behind that was what looked like a combined service and supply bay that encompassed the rest of the subterranean floor, complete with what looked like some sort of automated repair and servicing station built out of a dozen or so robotic arms, some gantry cranes, and other assorted robotic units looted from a vehicle assembly building. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it was probably the only thing that was keeping the small motor pool up and functional.

"Keep moving, we'll check the 'hogs on the way out. Alpha, bravo, split along the walls and move to the service stairwells." Antonwicz ordered the marines past the waiting vehicles and deeper into the base as the door closed behind you. You kept your shotgun up as you passed into the maze of crates behind the 'hog bay, scanning for targets. You didn't have to wait long, as the weird barking sound of angry grunts started to fill the room as you approached the stairs, you quickly took cover behind a crate and raised your shotgun in the direction of the

The first pair of grunts died to a hail of slugs and shells, their pressure suits perforated by dozens of rounds. This gave reason for the rest to advance with a bit more caution, but they didn't break as you had hoped. You had to duck behind cover to avoid a pair of needle rounds as the jackals supporting the grunts made their presence known. Unlike their stout comrades, the Jackals actually seemed to know what they were doing, as they used their energy gauntlets to provide mobile cover for the grunts to move between crates, before diving back into cover before darting away. Within seconds, your rapid advance had come to a standstill.

>Shoot the grunts! You have to thin the horde out! (Shotgun, pistol, grenade [x2]) (roll 1d100+20)
>Shoot the jackals! There are fewer of them, but they know what they are doing! (Shotgun, pistol, grenade [x2]) (roll 1d100+5)
>Stay on guard! Those elites are still out there. (roll 1d100-10)
>Do something else! (write-in)
>>
Rolled 80 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>4165605
>Shoot the jackals! There are fewer of them, but they know what they are doing! (Pistol)
>>
Rolled 92 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>4165605
>Shoot the jackals! There are fewer of them, but they know what they are doing! (grenade [x2])
>>
Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>4165605
>>Shoot the jackals! There are fewer of them, but they know what they are doing! (Shotgun)
>>
Rolled 21 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>4165605
>Shoot the jackals! There are fewer of them, but they know what they are doing! (Shotgun, pistol, grenade [x2]) (roll 1d100+5)
>>
>>4165605
>>Shoot the jackals! There are fewer of them, but they know what they are doing! (Shotgun, (roll 1d100+5)
>>
>>4165637
Beautiful. I see our ground combat luck continues on.
>>
Rolled 27 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>4165605
>Shoot the jackals! There are fewer of them, but they know what they are doing! (Grenade [x2])
>>
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477 KB GIF
>>4165663
We must remov ayy.
>>
Thinking quickly, you snatched a frag grenade from your webbing and primed it. You didn't have much of a chance to push up on the enemy due to the sheer volume of fire filling the air around you, but this was the perfect time to start throwing grenades, as the enemy would probably be thinking the exact same as you.

"Cover me, I'm fragging!" You called out to the nearby marines, you poked their weapons out from around cover and started firing blindly, hoping to buy you the seconds you needed to throw the grenade.

You took your chance and lent out of cover to throw the grenade. You had less than a second to pick your target, but lady luck had apparently decided to bless you with a perfect target. Stood maybe ten meters away from you were a pair of jackals using their shields to provide cover to another one of them armed with a rifle. You tapped the grenade again, clearing the grenade's set fuse time so that it would explode on impact. With the grenade set, you sent the little ball of explosives on its way.

The results couldn't have gone any better if you had tried, the rifle-armed jackal poked around one of the shields just in time to take the grenade to the chest, the impact-set grenade went off the moment it slammed into the avian bastard, practically vaporizing all three of the aliens. The blast did something else too, namely badly damaging a support column that they were stood next to. The damage was enough to cause more of the ceiling above to collapse, raining concrete from above on nearby covenant forces. Jackals jumped out of the way of the larger chunks, leaving grunts to either be crushed or dazed by the slabs of concrete.

The marines took the opportunity without hesitation, advancing with rifles raised and slaughtering the aliens as they went. It didn't matter if the enemy could fight back, if they drew breath then they would draw a muzzle. In under a few seconds, the ambush was over, with humanity scoring another win.

"Good frag ma'am. Everyone else good?" Lieutenant Antonwicz congratulated you, before checking to see if there were anyone who was injured. You all knew from your helmet readouts that someone had died, as one of the teammate markers had winked out.

"Martinez is down, needle to the chest got him." One of the marines stated, tossing a set of dog tags to the LT. With the operation going the way it was, that would probably be the only part of the marine to return home.

"Let's not join him, keep pushing!" Antonwicz ordered the marines into motion, and you had a couple of seconds to decide on if you wanted to stick around as ordered, or if you wanted to leverage the fact that you had the highest rank to go join up with the other squad.

>Stay with the LT! You shouldn't go running off, it'll cause problems.
>Join bravo squad! You can't have all of the officers in one squad.
>Snatch something as you go! There's always time to loot (roll 1d100-10)
>Do something else! (write-in)
>>
>>4169292
>>Stay with the LT! You shouldn't go running off, it'll cause problems.
>>
>>4169292
>>Stay with the LT! You shouldn't go running off, it'll cause problems.
>>
>>4169292
>>Stay with the LT! You shouldn't go running off, it'll cause problems.
>>
>>4169292
>Stay with the LT! You shouldn't go running off, it'll cause problems.

Can we tell the Marines to grab the jackal shields? If they're still operational those will be useful.
>>
>>4169292
>>4169384
This.
>>
>>4169292
>Stay with the LT! You shouldn't go running off, it'll cause problems.
>>
>>4169384
>>4169518

Supporting this
>>
>>4169292
>Stay with the LT! You shouldn't go running off, it'll cause problems.
>>
>>4169384
Pretty sure thats wasting time
>>
>>4170620
No, stopping to search and loot the bodies is wasting time. Telling the marines to grab the jackal shields if they're still working is 5-10 seconds to acquire tech that can prevent combat ineffectives that will slow us down and reduce our firepower.
>>
>>4171574
+1
>>
"LT, tell the marines to grab jackal shields if they can. They should give us a bit more of an advantage. Tell anyone using them to wear them over armor just in case they overload." You recommended as you ran back to the corpses of the jackals you had killed. Thankfully, the jackals had inadvertently shielded their gauntlets from your grenade, leaving their valuable shield gauntlets mostly intact aside from some scratches. You pocketed one, before carefully securing the other to one of your armored vambraces. The captain hadn't been able to get a pair for himself and had suffered when his gauntlet overheated and burned him. You weren't about to make that mistake.

"If you see a dead jackal with an intact shield, grab it and hand them out to anyone with a shotgun. But don't grab anything else, we need to move." Antonwicz took your recommendation and ordered it to the rest of the marines as you joined back up with the rest of the squad. It only took a minute for the marines to make it to the stairwells that lead down into the depths of the base. The LT gestured for you and a marine to check the stairs leading up, and you snapped your shield on as you advanced up. Fortunately, you didn't have to go far before finding out that this route was secure. The door into the floor above was blocked off by rubble, and the stairwell up to the second floor had collapsed, guaranteeing that anything trying to make the jump would either make enough noise to be heard or would simply shatter their legs after missing the jump.

"Clear!" You called back, before returning to the LT and the rest of the squad. You arrived in time to hear the LT give his next orders.

"Bravo, split off some of your men to cover your stairwell and hold at the bottom for my signal." The LT ordered the sergeant of the other squad, before addressing you and the rest of alpha squad. "Alright, I need volunteers to hold this point. Any volunteers?"

>Hold the stairs! You need to make sure that the way out is held.
>Stay with the LT! Your shield and shotgun combo doesn't work well for holding a position.
>>
>>4173068
>>Stay with the LT! Your shield and shotgun combo doesn't work well for holding a position.
>>
>>4173068
>>Stay with the LT! Your shield and shotgun combo doesn't work well for holding a position.
>>
>>4173068
>Stay with the LT! Your shield and shotgun combo doesn't work well for holding a position.
>>
>>4173068

>Stay with the LT! Your shield and shotgun combo doesn't work well for holding a position.
>>
>>4173068
>Stay with the LT! Your shield and shotgun combo doesn't work well for holding a position.
>>
"I've got a spare gauntlet here for any volunteers." You told the squad as you pulled out the shield gauntlet that you had pocketed. One of the marines -a corporal Kendo- walked up and took the waiting gauntlet, attaching it to himself as another squadmate took up a position on side of the doorway. Once they were set up, the rest of the squadron descended the stairs.

"Diana, we're heading into the lower levels. What's it like up there?" You radioed the prowler's AI as you descended deeper into the base. Thankfully, the Covenant hadn't seen fit to destroy the comms relays built into the base. Even if they had, you were sure that the prowler's starship-grade transmitting and sensor systems wouldn't have had much trouble going through the damaged concrete of the base.

"All Covenant forces in the base are mobile. Some of them are taking up positions to defend against us sending in further reinforcements, but the majority of the enemy forces defending the base are rapidly converging on the motor pool." Diana briefed you quickly, before giving you her advice. "Be advised, given the current strength of the enemy forces, it may be a smart idea to destroy one of the stairwells, and concentrate a full squad on defending the other."

"We've kicked the hornet's nest and the Covies are converging on us. Diana's recommending that we blow one stairwell and leave a squad on the other." You relayed what the AI had told you to the LT as you reached the bottom floor of the base. The pointman stopped at the door and waited as the LT talked.

"What would you choose? Keeping one stairwell covered lets us concentrate our forces, but the Covenant can do the same thing. Covering both gives us more options, but leaves both stairwells with fewer people guarding it." Antonwicz asked for your opinion, turning to face you. Though you couldn't read his expression very well due to the one-sided visor built into his helmet. The dented, scratched and abused helmet mounted the command uplink unit that allowed him to better keep track of people through walls. Hell, you were sure that he had a program running to keep him alerted of if one of his men encountered a particularly large group of enemies.

"Why are you asking me? This is your op and area of expertise." You asked the ODST why he wanted your decision, though you had a feeling that he would just order the opinion out of you if he wanted to.

"If your calls are good enough for the captain, then it'll be good enough for me. So, tick-tock hinge." The LT gave his reason, before playfully teasing your rank and the fact that a lot of people in your position spent most of their time nodding complacently at their CO's orders.

>CONT
>>
>>4173428

>Secure both stairwells! Having an alternative way out ready will be useful in case one of the stairwells gets overrun.
>Only hold one stairwell! If destroying one will help to secure the other, then losing your ability to keep the Covenant guessing will be worth it.
>Leave both stairwells undefended! You can hit your target with both squads and then fight your way out as one.
>Other (write-in)
>>
>>4173430
>Only hold one stairwell! If destroying one will help to secure the other, then losing your ability to keep the Covenant guessing will be worth it.
A choke point is a double edged sword but I think it's a better idea than reducing our reguard's strength.
>>
>>4173430
>Leave both stairwells undefended! You can hit your target with both squads and then fight your way out as one.
>>
>>4173430
>Secure both stairwells! Having an alternative way out ready will be useful in case one of the stairwells gets overrun.
>>
>>4173430
>>Leave both stairwells undefended! You can hit your target with both squads and then fight your way out as one.
>>
>>4173430

>Only hold one stairwell! If destroying one will help to secure the other, then losing your ability to keep the Covenant guessing will be worth it.
>>
>>4173430
>Leave both stairwells undefended! You can hit your target with both squads and then fight your way out as one.

Honestly, making a chokepoint does us dirty since we have to head back out later. Best to make the Covenant split their forces.
>>
>>4173430
>Leave both stairwells undefended! You can hit your target with both squads and then fight your way out as one.
>>
"To be honest sir, I'd suggest pulling all forces away from the stairwells and concentrate our attention on getting the surviving scientists out. That way, we can pick and choose a way out without having to worry about facing a large number of Covenant troops waiting in prepared defenses for us." You gave the ODST a third, less obvious option. Pulling back provided a few options that neither of his choices provided and at the same time, retained a few advantages.

"That'll leave us with nobody there to warn about incoming forces. We'll be caught off guard when they decide to push. Not to mention that they will be able to hit us from two sides after getting down here." Antonwicz pointed out, but you had a couple of ideas on how to handle that.

"Then leave mines and traps by the entrances into and out of the stairwells. If you really want to, then pull the people at the top down here so that we can respond quickly if the Covenant decides to push them. Right now, all the only purpose they'll serve as will be speedbumps, and we can't afford that." You suggested. Standard UNSC frag grenades could be fitted with an electronic trap kit, turning them into small motion-tracking mines. And you were fairly sure that a couple of the marines were carrying actual mines with fuse kits, so those could be used as standard.

"Kendo, Niho, Eichman, Walliams. Set laser tripping grenades, mines or any other kind of explosive traps at the doorways leading in from the motor pool before falling back to the bottom of your stairwells. Bravo, send someone up to your boys to give them mines. Otherwise, continue as planned on my mark." Antonwicz issued orders for the marines above you and the other squad, before turning his attention to the rest of the squad. "Dakar, head upstairs and give Ken and Niho your mines. Dyad, you have point. Stack up on the door with Velkey, enter on my mark."

"Wilco." You replied, before taking up a position on the right side of the door. While it meant that you'd have to present your whole body in order to get your shotgun up, it allowed you to lead in with your shield as you entered, giving you cover from enemy fire. The rifleman on the opposite side lacked the stollen enemy gear, but you assumed that he would follow you in.

"Dyad, Bravo, enter on my mark. Three, two, one, MARK!" Antonwicz called out the mark, and you threw the door open with your left hand, pulling it back into cover just a second before plasma fire streamed through the doorway.

>Push in! You're just asking for a grenade here. (roll 1d100)
>Frag the corridor! You need to dislodge them before you go in. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>4173633
>>Push in! You're just asking for a grenade here
>>
Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>4173633
>>Push in! You're just asking for a grenade here. (roll 1d100)
please no plasma burns

>>4173641
oh lordy
>>
Rolled 88 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4173633
>Frag the corridor! You need to dislodge them before you go in. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
Rolled 28 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4173633
>Frag the corridor! You need to dislodge them before you go in. (roll 1d100-10)
Fingers crossed.
>>
>>4173645
>>4173647
Negative mods are rolled as 'dice+1d100+-10'
>>4173642
>72
Thank you.
>>
Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>4173633

>Push in! You're just asking for a grenade here. (roll 1d100)
>>
>>4173655
I know, I'm just tired, and usually realize it right after I hit post. Hindsight is nat20 after all.
>>
Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>4173633
>Push in! You're just asking for a grenade here. (roll 1d100)
>>
>>4173678
No worries, just wanted to make sure a newfriend didn't need help.
>>
You snapped on your shield gauntlet on, before shoving it into the doorway, your body following behind it. You didn't raise your weapon, instead, you hid as much of your body behind the shield as you could. You spotted the force of Covenant troops stood around a dozen meters away behind a hastily set up barricade, firing plasma rifles and pistols at you. The force mostly consisted of grunts, but you could see the telltale green beams of carbine fire, indicating that there was a jackal or two there.

You couldn't stay out of cover long, as the Covenant had poured enough fire into it that your shield was starting to collapse after even a few seconds of exposure. You didn't have much choice of where to go other than behind a nearby storage crate, which you knew wouldn't hold up to enemy fire for long. The shield gauntlet snapped off just a scant second before you were fully behind cover, letting a few plasma bolts pass close enough to you that you could feel your skin burning from the proximity. You quickly threw your left arm out away from you as the jackal shield overheated, spewing hot plasma and melting parts of the armor. You gritted your teeth as you felt the skin underneath burn, but you felt fine knowing that the burns wouldn't be too severe. either way however, you didn't think that the sheild would be coming back online for a while, if at all.

You could hear the sound of plasma bolts hitting the other side of the crate, and you knew that you didn't have much time left before they would punch through. You quickly noted your options. Behind you was the entrance to a corridor leading away from the fight, which you could get to without exposing yourself to enemy fire. But you didn't know where it would lead. Alternatively, you could try and frag the Covenant position and see what would happen from there. Though from the sounds of distant rifle fire, Bravo squad was facing resistance of their own.

>Throw a frag! Hopefully, you can get the covies to stop shooting for a bit. (roll 1d100-10)
>Fall back! Even if the corridor leads nowhere, you can rely on concrete to soak plasma bolts for a while.
>Other (rwite-in)
>>
>>4173736
>>Throw a frag! Hopefully, you can get the covies to stop shooting for a bit. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
Rolled 97 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4173743
>>4173736
derp
>>
Rolled 69 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4173736
>>Throw a frag! Hopefully, you can get the covies to stop shooting for a bit
>>4173746
nice
>>
Rolled 96 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4173736

>Throw a frag! Hopefully, you can get the covies to stop shooting for a bit. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
ground luck continues, it seems
you just know everything is going to go to shit back in space though
>>
With your only other method of advancing no longer working, the only way for you to get back into the fight was to somehow stop the Covenant forces from shooting long enough for you to advance. And given that nobody seemed to be up for talking, you only had one choice left. You waited for your shield generator to stop venting deadly plasma, before plucking your last remaining grenade from your belt. You primed the grenade as you announced your intentions over the radio. "Frag going out!"

With that, you threw the grenade out of cover. You tossed the grenade from a low crouch, ensuring that you were as far under the enemy fire as you could. Fortune seemed to favor you as you threw the device, as the Covenant fire let up for just a second as the first shooters ducked back into cover with overheating weapons as their comrades lent out to start firing. You managed to throw yourself back against the wall just in time, as a flurry of rounds was sent your way. But in spite of all of that fire, they failed to stop the grenade.

You heard the roar of the grenade going off, and in such close confines, the pressure wave hit you like a hammer. Thankfully, there was enough room for the pressure wave to disperse enough to stop your own weapon from turning you and the marines into chunky salsa. Almost immediately, the fire abated. Your frag must have landed right on them, though you didn't know how badly they had been hit by it.

>Lean out and check! You should have a bit of time before they get back up again.
>Charge the barricade! You've bought yourself an opportunity, now you need to use it. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>4173797
>>Charge the barricade! You've bought yourself an opportunity, now you need to use it.
Who dares wins. If we die in space I vote we do another quest where we play as an ODST or something.
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>4173797
>Charge the barricade! You've bought yourself an opportunity, now you need to use it. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>4173797
>Charge the barricade! You've bought yourself an opportunity, now you need to use it. (roll 1d100)
>>
>>4173808
Nice. We're going to get one shot by an assault carrier soon as we leave atmo.
>>
You quickly rushed out of cover, your shotgun raised and ready as you sprinted up to the broken barricade and it's less than healthy defenders. Your grenade had killed most of them, but there were still a couple of grunts and a jackal still breathing. You pumped a slug into each grunt, before finishing off the jackal with a buckshot shell. You counted four grunts and a jackal among the dead. All but one of the grunts had been armed with plasma rifles, which was surprising, as it was rare for grunts to be given more than a pistol or a needler.

You looked over the barricade to see your objective in plain view. The doorway leading into the storage room that housed the captured ONI scientists. The door was open, and the way was clear. But it wasn't without danger. As further down the hall, you could see the defenders of the barricade that was holding up Bravo squad turn themselves to face you, and just behind them was Bravo squad itself. They were only just reacting, so your time to make a choice was running out quickly.

>Rush the room! You need to secure those prisoners as fast as possible. (roll 1d100)
>Grab a gun and shoot! You need to kill those aliens before they get to cover. (roll 1d100-10)
>Take cover! You need to leave this one up to your squadmates.
>Other (write-in)
>>
Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>4173859
>>Rush the room! You need to secure those prisoners as fast as possible
>>
Rolled 98 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4173859
>>Grab a gun and shoot! You need to kill those aliens before they get to cover. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
Rolled 78 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4173859
>Grab a gun and shoot! You need to kill those aliens before they get to cover. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
Rolled 99 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4173859
>Grab a gun and shoot! You need to kill those aliens before they get to cover. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
damn, son
>>
Sounds like the usual UNSC experience. Go even or even win on the ground get fucked in space
>>
>>4174042
This quest is so canon it doesnt even know it, but the dice do
>>
You didn't stop to think, you needed to kill those aliens while they were still exposed. Your shotgun wouldn't work, so you let it drop in its sling, freeing your hands to take up one of the Covenant plasma rifles lying around. You snatched the weapon up and fired at the most lethal alien left. Your first shots went wide by a meter, so you corrected your aim and caught the sole remaining jackal in the chest. The blue bolts of plasma blew the avian alien apart, flash-boiling blood and vaporizing internal organs. The grunts were even slower to react than the jackal, so you had enough time to pour fire into the back-mounted tank of one of the grunts. The large, fin-like methane container exploded from the sudden piercing heat, cracking open the environmentally sealed armor of the victim. Shrapnel from the blast slammed into another nearby grunt, staggering it long enough for you to rip it apart with another burst of plasma bolts.

You had to dodge behind cover as the final grunt fired at you with his plasma rifle. You waited for the fire to abate, before leaning out of cover with your stollen weapon raised. The grunt had been waiting for you, but in its eagerness to kill you, it had forgotten about the squad of angry marines behind it. The short alien didn't manage to get off another burst, as a marine lept up onto the barricade that had previously been holding his squad back, and emptied a full magazine of assault rifle rounds into the grunt's back. The 7.62 rifle rounds punched clean through the grunt's armor, exiting through its torso in a shower of blue blood.

"Clear!" You called back to your squad as you tossed the overheating plasma rifle away. The short, blue weapon clattered to the floor, the superheated gasses venting from it burning marks into the floor where it melted the concrete. The marines ran up to join you as someone in the room ahead of you let out a blood-curdling scream. At least one of the scientists was still alive, but from the sounds of it, you didn't have long before that changed.

>Rush the room! You have to save those scientists. (roll 1d100)
>Wait for the squad! Rushing in will just get you killed.
>Other (write-in)
>>
Rolled 23 (1d100)

>>4174771

>Rush the room! You have to save those scientists. (roll 1d100)

Dice don't fail us now
>>
Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>4174771
>>Rush the room! You have to save those scientists. (roll 1d100)
>>
>>4174795
>>4174801

Dice back to normal I see
>>
Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>4174771
>Rush the room! You have to save those scientists. (roll 1d100)
Dice pls
>>
>>4174815
Fuck
>>
Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>4174771
>Rush the room! You have to save those scientists. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>4174771
>Yell "Frag out" as loud as we can and throw the ducktape roll in.
>>
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207 KB
207 KB JPG
>>4174795
>>4174801
>>4174815
Dyad's new look
>>4174836
Not a bad idea, backing.
>>
>>4174836
Please more rolls for this. Itd be hilarious if it succeeds
>>
Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>4174836
rolling for this for shits and giggles
>>
>>4174836
Backing
But when I did this in a tabletop, it was a medpack and I claimed it was a satchel charge.
>>
Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>4174897
Forgot my roll.
>>
You didn't wait for the rest of the marines to catch up. Instead, you charged the room, your shotgun raised and ready. You quickly rounded the room, only to find yourself looking into a charnel house.

The scientists lay bloodied and still in the room, deep slashing wounds poured blood over the floor where they lay. And there, standing in the middle of the room, was their executioner. An elite. If your memory served you well, the alien warrior was a low-ranking minor. Still, the alien was superior to the jackals and grunts you had faced only seconds before. The alien held a scientist up by his neck with one hand, and in the other hand, he held the blade that he had used in his bloody slaughter. The blade was buried into the struggling scientist's gut, delivering a slow but mortal wound.

You tried to raise your shotgun to shoot, but the elite tossed the dying scientist at you. You didn't have tome to dodge out of the way, and the body slammed straight into you. You fell to the ground as the elite raised a plasma rifle at you, leaving you with no time but to act.

>Run away! You can't survive long when staring down a barrel. (roll 1d100-10)
>Shoot him! The body should soak a couple of rounds for you. (roll 1d100-10)
>Other (write-in)
>>
Rolled 92 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4174901
>Shoot him! The body should soak a couple of rounds for you
>>
Rolled 83 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4174901
>Shoot him! The body should soak a couple of rounds for you. (roll 1d100-10)

Shotguns were made for close encounters.
>>
Rolled 71 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4174901
>>Shoot him! The body should soak a couple of rounds for you. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
>>4174916
>>4174917
>>4174922
...This shotgun is an Artifact or some shit.
>>
>>4174930
100% Emperor approved. Kills ayys or your money back.
>>
>>4174916
>>4174917
>>4174922

We taking this shotgun with us no cap
>>
>>4175125
ONI: 'We'll forgive your inability to retrieve our scientists...if you remand The Shotgun to our custody for study.'
>>
File: wort an asshole.png (125 KB, 353x480)
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You knew that you couldn't get the corpse off you in time to get out of the way of the elite's shots. So instead, you imply levered your shotgun up and pulled the trigger. Your first shot shattered the upper prong of the plasma rifle, before carrying through into the elite's arm. The shields over the elite flared as the round bounced off, but most importantly, his main method of killing you was gone. You pumped another shell as the elite threw away the ruins of his weapon, and pulled a wicked, single-edged blade from a sling on his back. You fired again, this round punched clean into his gut, shattering his shield and ripping through flesh. You slammed the forend back as the elite charged, and kept the muzzle pointed at his oversized head and the trigger pulled back as you slammed the forend forwards.

The buckshot shell went off exactly as you had hoped, though the thing that really went well for you was the fact that it slammed straight into the alien's exposed face. Fifteen pellets thundered out of the barrel, ripping flesh, bone, and brains. The top of the elite's head went one way, but his body kept going with its remaining momentum. You knew what was going to happen next, and you scrambled to get the scientist's body off of you. But you were too late, as the corpse of the elite fell on top of you. The impact winded you, and if it wasn't for your armor then you were sure it would have done worse.

"You know, I was kind of hoping that you weren't going to do something like that." Lieutenant Antonwicz announced as he walked over to you. You could hear the sound of heavy footfalls as the marines rushed into the room. But the ODST officer instead loomed over you, his visor depolarized enough to allow you to see his smug expression underneath it.

"Get. This. Thing. Off. Me." You grunted from underneath the pair of corpses as you tried in vain to shove the elite off. The LT chuckled to himself but waved a pair of marines over to pull the elite up long enough for you to wiggle out from underneath the scientist. They dropped the body once you were clear and on your feet.

>Check on the scientists! Surely you can save some of them? (roll 1d100)
>Take up a defensive position! The Covenant is surely going to push you now.
>Contact Diana! How are things looking from her position right now?
>Start looting! Maybe you can find somethign useful. (roll 1d100)
>Other (write-in)
>>
Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>4175240

>Check on the scientists! Surely you can save some of them? (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>4175240
>Check on the scientists! Surely you can save some of them? (roll 1d100)
>Contact Diana! How are things looking from her position right now?
>Grab the blade
>>
Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>4175240
>Check on the scientists! Surely you can save some of them? (roll 1d100)
>>
>>4175240
>Check on the scientists! Surely you can save some of them?
>>
>>4175240
>>Check on the scientists! Surely you can save some of them? (roll 1d100)
>Contact Diana! How are things looking from her position right now?
>>
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"How are the scientists?" You asked as you walked into the improvised prison room turned charnel house. The floor was slick with blood, and the air was heavy with its scent. Many of the scientists were slumped against the far wall, markings around their wrists told you that they had once been shackled, though apparently, the Covenant had decided to keep the bindings rather than leaving it on their victims.

"Lotta blood here ma'am, I don't think anyone survived." One of the marines stated as you walked over to one of the scientists and took off your helmet. You lent in close to the scientist's mouth -listening for any sign of him breathing- as you checked his pulse.

"Think again private, get a medic in here!" You yelled over your shoulder as you felt the weak pulse and labored breaths of a survivor. You quickly moved on to the next scientist as the medic arrived, and other marines started to actually check if any of the scientists were still breathing. After a couple of minutes, the LT walked into the now bustling room.

"So, what are we looking at here corpsman?" Antonwicz asked the only medic available for the mission, who had quickly arrived after you had called him and directed most of the marines present to help him. You hadn't been spared from this assignment, as you were ordered to keep pressure on a female scientists' gut. The scientist weakly groaned as another marine wrapped up the stump of her missing leg.

"Looks like seven survivors out of ten, all with major lacerations to their guts. I've got some of your boys holding pressure on their wounds and helping the worst wounded with BVMs, and another actually helping to patch up some of the less fucked civvies. But it's going to take a while before we're ready to move." The medic called out from the other side of the room, where he was busy treating the first scientist that you had found, his arms deep inside the man's innards. None of the scientists screamed, but from their expressions, you knew that was only because they lacked the energy to do so.

"What's the hold-up? Can't we just stick them full of biofoam and handle them when we get to the prowler?" Antonwicz asked as your marine helper finished wrapping up your patient's leg, before moving up to start bandaging her torso wound. She was fortunate in that regard, as the slash across her gut was one of the least severe, so all it would take would be the combined attention of you and the marine for her to survive.

>CONT
>>
>>4175414

"That's the plan. But it takes time to properly pack wounds like this, even with biofoam. Your men are helping, but if we don't do this properly then they're gonna bleed out on the way. Hell, we'll have to tube 'em once we're aboard anyway. We're stretched thin as it is, so we'll have to come back to them during transit if we have enough supplies left over." The medic replied as he removed his hands from the scientist's gut, and pulled a set of bandages over it, letting another marine wrap more around the wound as he changed his gloves in preparation of attending to his next patient.

"How long do you need?" The LT asked as the marine finished wrapping the scientist's wounds, blood already starting to seep through the bandages. But they weren't there to stop the bleeding, instead, they were there to contain what would go in next.

"If you aren't crowding me, then I'd say..." The medic paused as he harshly shoved the nozzle of a biofoam canister into the scientist's gut, finally coaxing out a scream as the biofoam sealed his wound. The medic ignored this and kept spraying the medical foam in, before sticking him in the arm with a pair of single-use injectors. The scientist slumped, but his eyes remained open and alert as the medic moved on to his next case, already back to speaking with the LT. "Seven to ten minuites, if you can stop crowding me and let me work. I'll send your boys out once they're no longer needed."

>Stay with the wounded! You need them up and moving as soon as possible.
>Join the defense! If the medic needs time, then you have to buy it for him.
>>
>>4175419
>Join the defense! If the medic needs time, then you have to buy it for him.
>Quivkly ask how many elites have been tallied, don’t want any stealth boys ganking the medic.
>>
>>4175419
>Join the defense! If the medic needs time, then you have to buy it for him.
>>
>>4175419
>Join the defense! If the medic needs time, then you have to buy it for him.

Can we get Diana to make some passes with the guns, or drop some missiles on the Covenant as they form up on the stairwells?
>>
>>4175419
>>Join the defense! If the medic needs time, then you have to buy it for him.
>>
>>4175419
>>4175423
Backing.
>>
>>4175419
>Join the defense! If the medic needs time, then you have to buy it for him.
>>
>>4175423
Support
>>
>>4175419
>Join the defense! If the medic needs time, then you have to buy it for him.
>>
"I'll help, I'm not much use here." You announced, giving enough time for the marine wrapping the scientist's wounds to take over applying pressure to the wound before you got up.

"Just don't charge them. Jesus Christ, you're just as dumb as your boss." Antonwicz moaned as you wiped your hands on your trousers and followed him out of the room. As you walked back to the barricade that you had fragged, you decided to get a readout on just what the Covenant were doing.

"Diana, how many elites are left and where are they?" You asked the AI as you pulled out your shotgun, but you held off from reloading it as you waited for the AI's response.

"There are three elites left. One is holding position in the motor pool, while the other two are moving towards the stairwells." Diana informed you just seconds before you heard a pair of muted thuds. Small clouds of dust and debris fell from the ceiling as the explosions reverberated through the compromised structure of the base.

"First mines have gone off. They're pushing both stairwells." One of the marines announced before a single, louder explosion went off from the stairwell you had descended down. The marine amended his statement. "Secondary mines on alpha's stairwell have gone off, they're pushing there, not at bravo."

"Doc, we're out of time. Send up everyone you can spare." Antonwicz ordered the medic, before addressing everyone left at your barricade. "We're the only line of defense here people. Let's not mess this one up."

You nestled yourself behind a set of crates just a scant second before the first grunt ran through the doorway. Only to be blown to pieces by a claymore mine. The next grunt in died to a hail of gunfire, as the marines hosed down the doorway. The marine next to you tried to fire his grenade launcher into the doorway, but the moment he peeked out of cover his head was blown off by a carbine bolt. The sudden appearance of an enemy sniper forced you all to take cover long enough for the Covenant to start streaming through the doorway, firing wildly as they advanced.

>Shoot the grunts! You need to thin them out. (roll 1d100)
>Shoot the jackals! The longer they live, the more marines will die. (roll 1d100-10)
>Get another weapon! Your shotgun is practically useless here. (pistol, assault rifle [+grenade launcher], plasma rifle, covenant carbine)
>Other (write-in)
>>
Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>4175661
>>Shoot the grunts! You need to thin them out
>>
>>4175661
Is grabbing nother weapon a concurrent action or is it completely separate?
>>
Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>4175661
>Shoot the jackals! The longer they live, the more marines will die. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
>>4175661
>>Get another weapon! Your shotgun is practically useless here. (pistol, assault rifle [+grenade launcher], plasma rifle, covenant carbine)
Plasma rifle
>>
>>4175684
It's a separate single action, concurrent actions are separated from mainline actions by a line
>>
Rolled 4 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4175661
>Shoot the jackals! The longer they live, the more marines will die. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
>>4175713
Well, that's great I guess.
>>
Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>4175661
>Shoot the grunts! You need to thin them out. (roll 1d100)
>>
>>4175661
>Get another weapon! Your shotgun is practically useless here. (pistol, assault rifle [+grenade launcher], plasma rifle, covenant carbine)
>>
Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>4175661
>Shoot the grunts! You need to thin them out
>>
You quickly started firing, sending slugs downrange as fast as possible into the horde of grunts that streamed out of the doorway. But the combination of an atrocious set of sights, slugs, and having to constantly worry about incoming fire ensured that you didn't manage to kill even a single one of them. Sure, you scored hits on a couple of grunts, but they were grazing at best. Arm wounds wouldn't cut it in this fight.

"Can someone please get a grenade over there?" You asked the assorted defenders as another man fell, he screamed at the plasma wound that seared his arm, before passing out in shock.

"On it!" One of the marines called out, before tossing a grenade high over the barricade. The device bounced off the ceiling and barely made it halfway down the hall before coming to a stop and exploding. Spreading its shrapnel and shockwave between both sides in the fight.

"Congratulations, you're now banned from using those." Antonwicz commented as he took the marine's remaining grenades away, before turning to look at you. "Think you can make another throw?"

"Even if I had a grenade to throw, I'm not sure that I could make it through all of this fire." You replied frankly as you reloaded the captain's shotgun again. You cursed slightly at the weapon's single-tube setup, rather than the more common double-tube system on most UNSC shotguns. You were stuck spending more time reloading the damn weapon than firing it.

"Here, just in case you change your mind." The LT tossed you the grenades he had confiscated from the other marine. The small bandolier came with a pair of frags and a flashbang, which you affixed to your belt before recocking the shotgun.

>Shoot the grunts! You need to thin them out. (roll 1d100)
>Shoot the jackals! The longer they live, the more marines will die. (roll 1d100-10)
>Throw a grenade! You need to hit the enemy while they're clumped up. (roll 1d100-10)
>Get another weapon! Your shotgun is practically useless here. (pistol, assault rifle [+grenade launcher], plasma rifle, covenant carbine)
>Other (write-in)
>>
Rolled 72 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4175999
>Throw a grenade! You need to hit the enemy while they're clumped up. (roll 1d100-10)
FIRE IN THE HOLE
>>
Rolled 8 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4175999
>Throw a grenade! You need to hit the enemy while they're clumped up. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
Rolled 52 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4175999
>Throw a grenade! You need to hit the enemy while they're clumped up. (roll 1d100-10)
AAAAA
>>
You took the thinly veiled order for what it was and pulled out one of the remaining frag grenades. You pressed down the arming button and called out what you were about to do. "Frag going out!"

With that, you threw the grenade down the hall aiming roughly at the doorway into the stairwell. Your throw went wide but still bounced behind the corner of the hallway that you had once considered hiding in. A pair of grunts had taken refuge there, and you had hoped that the grenade would take care of them. However, nothing happened. The device bounced through the hall, causing the grunts it landed beside to stop shooting and to run away and out of cover. Where the short aliens were promptly gunned down by the marines. But aside from that, nothing happened, and the firefight continued as before.

"Dyad, did you forget to prime the grenade?" Antonwicz asked, sounding just as confused as you felt. You shook your head, before looking him in the eye and answering.

"Nope, it looks like that was a dud." You stated, before blindly firing another shot over the barricade.

>Shoot the grunts! You need to thin them out. (roll 1d100)
>Shoot the jackals! The longer they live, the more marines will die. (roll 1d100-10)
>Throw your last grenade! You need to hit the enemy while they're clumped up. (roll 1d100-10)
>Get another weapon! Your shotgun is practically useless here. (pistol, assault rifle [+grenade launcher], plasma rifle, covenant carbine)
>Other (write-in)
>>
Rolled 17 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4176068
>>Throw your last grenade! You need to hit the enemy while they're clumped up. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
>>4176068

>Shoot the grunts! You need to thin them out. (roll 1d100)
>>
>>4176068
>Get another weapon! Your shotgun is practically useless here. (covenant carbine)
Gotta get those jackals.
>>
>>4176068
>Get another weapon! (Covenant carbine)
With it, we can pick off at least a few priority targets before having to drop it. And it's probably one of the only good options right now with the range we're looking at.
>>
Rolled 5 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4176068
>Throw your last grenade! You need to hit the enemy while they're clumped up. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
We should save that last grenade for later.
>>
Rolled 41 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4176068
>Throw your last grenade! You need to hit the enemy while they're clumped up. (roll 1d100-10)
Now or never!
>>
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>>4176212
What, no "later"? Did you not see how people have been rolling?
>>
>>4176068

>Get another weapon! Your shotgun is practically useless here. (pistol,)
>>
>>4176068
>Get another weapon! Your shotgun is practically useless here. (Grenade launcher)
Long corridors are perfect for hurling high explosive death.
>>
>>4176068
>>Get another weapon! Your shotgun is practically useless here.(assault rifle [+grenade launcher)
Both of the things we're supposed to do combined into one nice package
>>
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"Second frag going out!" You called as you grabbed your second grenade, primed it, and tossed it down the hall. This one bounced into the stairwell, but none of the aliens reacted to it. the previous grenade had failed to go off, and they banked that your next grenade to fail just the same. And unfortunately for you, they were correct.

"For fuck's sake Dyad! Did they even teach you squids how to use grenades in basic?" Antonwicz raged at the second grenade failure. One grenade failing to go off could be attributed to bad luck, but two failures back-to-back screamed that something fishy was going on.

You were about to respond when the Covenant decided to show you how to throw a grenade properly. As one, five bright blue plasma grenades were hurled at your barricade. Two of them landed short, but three landed right in front of the barricade that you were using as cover. You instantly called a warning as soon as you saw the grenades light up. "Grenades! Everybody down!"

You dived away from the barricade just a couple of seconds before the grenades went off. The three explosions blew the middle of the barricade apart, sending boxes and metal plates flying in all directions. You scrambled behind some of the remaining cover by the walls, dragging another marine as you went. You lent out in time to watch as an elite in dark red armor barreled through the doorway, a sword in one hand and a plasma rifle in the other. Flanking him was a jackal with a shield and a pair of plasma-rifle armed grunts.

>Kill that elite! You can't let him get into close quarters. (roll 1d100)
>Shoot the jackals! The longer they live, the more marines will die. (roll 1d100-10)
>Shoot the grunts! You need to thin them out. (roll 1d100)
>Get another weapon! Your shotgun is practically useless here. (pistol, assault rifle [+grenade launcher], plasma rifle, covenant carbine)
>Other (write-in)
>>
Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>4177206
>>Kill that elite! You can't let him get into close quarters.
>>
Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>4177206
>>Kill that elite! You can't let him get into close quarters. (roll 1d100)
Lets go 2/2 on elites to balance out the 0/2 on grenades
>>
Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>4177206
>Kill that elite! You can't let him get into close quarters. (roll 1d100)
>>
>>4177206
>>>Kill that elite! You can't let him get into close quarters.
>>
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>>4177244
>>
You couldn't let the elite get into close combat, so you immediately drew a bead on him and fired. Your rushed shot missed the elite, and you reloaded as the rest of your squad filled the corridor with automatic fire. The elite dived to the side to avoid the worst of the fire, but he jumped right into your sights. You fired straight into the elite's chest, blowing away his weakened shields in one hit. The elite roared and charged down the hallway, soaking more rifle rounds as he went. The alien officer must have been running on whatever equivalent those bastards had to adrenaline, as the moment your final shot bowled him over, the elite officer stopped moving. Dark purple blood pouring from dozens of gunshot wounds across his body.

Almost immediately after seeing their leader fall, the grunts broke from the strain of combat. They squealed and barked in their dog-like language as they ran away, arms flailing above their heads. The jackals -realizing that their living shields were running away- were slowly and carefully pulling back. The rifle-armed jackals providing covering fire for their shield-equipped brothers.

"They're pulling back!" One of the marines called out the obvious as you considered what to do next.

>Push up! You need to get some breathing room. (roll 1d100)
>Hold position! You shouldn't overextend.
>Repair the barricade! You need your cover back in order. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>4177415
>>Repair the barricade! You need your cover back in order. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>4177415
>>Repair the barricade! You need your cover back in order. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>4177415
>Repair the barricade! You need your cover back in order. (roll 1d100)
>>
>>4177415

>Repair the barricade! You need your cover back in order. (roll 1d100)
>>
>>4177415
>>Repair the barricade! You need your cover back in order.
>>
You waited behind cover for the Jackals to leave, and for the marines to push up and slaughter the remaining grunts. While the proper soldiers busied themselves with securing the area, you started gathering up the stronger parts of the barricade and putting them back into position. You first set up layers of metal plating in front of large boxes, before putting smaller boxes and sheets of plywood and plastic sheeting in front of the metal to act as ablative armor. It took a few minutes, but with help from the marines, you finally managed to get everything back in order. Just in time too, as lieutenant Antonwicz made his way over to brief you.

"Alright ma'am, I've just seen the doc. We're about halfway through treating the wounded. But we've got an issue. Two of the scientists and a marine aren't going anywhere fast." Antonwicz informed you as you wiped your hands on your trousers. You could see what he was getting at though, even if he hadn't asked for your advice, you knew that he was looking for it.

"You wouldn't be talking to me if you didn't need advice. So tell me what our options are." You told the ODST that you knew what he wanted, and what you needed in return in order to help him. You had to add a clarification, however. "All of them."

"We need to get moving, and fast 'cause a lot of those scientists don't have long. We can probably make it if we assign a couple of marines to carry the heavily wounded out. But between carrying, caring for, and guarding the wounded, our forces are going to be very stretched. It's going to be dicey, but it gives us our best option to get out of here." Antonwicz gave you his first suggestion, which was what you had assumed was the original plan to start off with. Though with the limited numbers you had versus the number of scientists you had to protect, you could see why he had issues with sticking to it. The LT didn't give you much time to mull on that ootion, as he continued to the second option. "We can also try and hold out for as long as we can here and bleed the Covenant dry on our defenses. But we didn't bring enough ammo for that, and it relies entirely on the Covenant simply throwing themselves at us, rather than waiting for their inevitable reinforcements. Not to mention that we can't stay here for too long, we don't have the medical supplies to keep the scientists alive for that long."

>CONT
>>
>>4177632

The LT seemed to carefully look around, before knocking over one of the carefully perched metal plates. The assorted materials staked against the plate clattered on the floor, and he stooped down to join you in picking it all up. As the two of you worked, he quietly told you his thrid option over a secure single-channel link. "Alternatively, we don't have to get all of the scientists out."

"Are you suggesting that we leave people behind?" You hissed at the ODST, making sure to keep looking away from the rest of the marines so that they wouldn't be able to read your lips or expression.

"It's an option. It's not one that I particularly like, but we don't have many options here. The fact of it all is that if we stay here for too long, those scientists will still bleed out. The doc's bought us time, but we need to get moving." Antonwicz replied as he helped you move the metal plate back into position. He said nothing more, leaving you to ponder his options and to ponder what choice you would make in his decision.

>Break out now! You don't have much time, so you need to get moving fast.
>Hold the line! Maybe you can bait the Covenant into throwing all of their troops into attacking you.
>Survival of the fittest! If getting better odds of survival means leaving people behind, then that's what you have to do.
>Other (write-in)
>>
>>4177634
>Hold the line! Maybe you can bait the Covenant into throwing all of their troops into attacking you.

Get Diana on the horn and inquire about another missile strike on the groups by the stairwell up top or in the motor pool. Sow some more chaos!
>>
>>4177634
>Hold the line! Maybe you can bait the Covenant into throwing all of their troops into attacking you.
>>
>>4177634
>break out
We dont really have time to wait and we should exploit our recently gained initiative
>>4177645
Were currently underground, theres no way you could get ordinance into the base without bunker busters or a mac round. And honestly any strike on the base with us in it is a terrible idea.
>>
>>4177634

>Break out now! You don't have much time, so you need to get moving fast.
>>
>>4177634
>Break out now! You don't have much time, so you need to get moving fast.
>>
>>4177685

You know the stairwell's top and the motorpool are aboveground, right?
>>
>>4177634
>>Break out now! You don't have much time, so you need to get moving fast.
>>
>>4177708
Regardless youre not getting ordinance through that entryway or to a specific spot inside and its still a bad idea because we are inside the base underground.
>>
"We should break out now. We've already killed a score of grunts, most of the jackals in the base, and half of the elite in the area. If necessary, we can send the majority of the squad up to secure a foothold at the doorway into the motor pool, and then bring the scientists up once we've secured the area." You finally recomended, choosing to stick with the original plan. You knew from the word go that going in this understrength would be dicey, but in spite of it all, you still believed that sticking to the plan would get everyone out safely.

"Thanks Dyad, now I know why the captain keeps you around." Antonwicz readily took your suggestion with a smile, before repolarizing his visor and speaking to everyone on the mission radio frequency. "Everyone listen in. We're rolling out, now. Doc, get the wounded up and ready. Everyone else, stack up on the stairwell."

"Can I at least have some guards? I don't think you want the Covenant to run amok if they decide to push the other stairwell while you're gone." The doctor asked in a very nonplussed tone of voice. Then again, you knew that he had other things on his mind right now. But his request wasn't meaningless. One medic and a wounded marine wouldn't be able to hold off a Covenant assault on their won, no matter how small it was.

>Join the assault! You need to make sure that the foothold is secure, no matter the cost.
>Hold the rear! If the Covenant decides to push the other stairwell while the marines are gone, then the mission will have been for nothing.
>Other (write-in)
>>
>>4177771

>Join the assault! You need to make sure that the foothold is secure, no matter the cost.
>>
>>4177771
>Hold the rear! If the Covenant decides to push the other stairwell while the marines are gone, then the mission will have been for nothing.
>>
>>4177771
>Hold the rear! If the Covenant decides to push the other stairwell while the marines are gone, then the mission will have been for nothing.
>>
>>4177771
>Hold the rear! If the Covenant decides to push the other stairwell while the marines are gone, then the mission will have been for nothing.
>>
>>4177771
>Hold the rear! If the Covenant decides to push the other stairwell while the marines are gone, then the mission will have been for nothing.
>>
>>4177771
>Hold the rear! If the Covenant decides to push the other stairwell while the marines are gone, then the mission will have been for nothing.
>>
Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>4177912
>>
Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>4177912
>d20
uh oh
>>
"I'll hold the rear." You announced, earning you a glance from your temporary commander. You made sure to quash any assumptions of his as fast as possible. "Oh come on LT, my shield and shotgun are very well suited for a defensive action."

"Fair enough. Niho, you're staying here with her. Everyone else, with me." Antonwicz took your decision and trusted you to do your job. The marines all followed the ODST officer back to the stairwell you had first descended down. Leaving you and another rifle-armed marine alone to defend those who could not defend themselves.

Only a few seconds after hearing the first shots being fired from upstairs, however, your radio crackled into life. The voice of your AI overwatch giving you a warning of trouble heading your way. "Ma'am, I'm detecting one elite-grade heat signature descending bravo team's stairwell. Prepare for contact."

"Rodger that Diana." You answered the AI, before gesturing for the sole remaining marine to join you as you ran towards the intact barricade covering the only other way down to your floor. You stopped behind cover and raised your shotgun to cover the door.

>roll 1d100
>>
>>4177914
>>4177916
Fuckup on my part, I meant 1d100
>>
Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>4177923
Phew
>>
Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>4177923
>>
Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>4177923
>>
Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>4177923
>>
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>>4177946
...Mother of God.
>>
>>4177946
We might actually make it, bros!
>>
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There! Your eyes caught the shimmer of an active camouflage field, and you snapped your shotgun up to the target. Whatever had come down the stairwell noticed that had seen it, and tried to dive to the side to avoid the shot. However, you snapped your aim to the left and fired at where you assumed the enemy infiltrator would go. Your hunch proved correct when the shot connected, flaring the elite's shields over his active camo. Niho responded a second later, spraying the elite with a burst of assault rifle fire, forcing the active camouflage system to completely fail.

Revealing the red-armored form of an elite zealot. The same kind of deadly operator that had nearly killed the captain, before being turned into a pincushion.

The elite didn't waste any time moving to another option, pulling a small white cylinder from his belt and tossing it at you, the device quickly activated, bathing the corridor in bright white light that you struggled to see through for longer than a second.

>Duck! You can't let the elite blind you.
>Fire again! If you can kill it now then that blinder won't matter. (roll 1d100)
>Other (write-in)
>>
Rolled 20 (1d100)

>>4179093

>Fire again! If you can kill it now then that blinder won't matter. (roll 1d100)

Fortune favours the retarded
>>
Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>4179093
>Fire again! If you can kill it now then that blinder won't matter. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>4179093
>Fire again! If you can kill it now then that blinder won't matter. (roll 1d100)
>>
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You took a gamble and fired another shot. You based your aim on how the elite was moving when he threw the blinding grenade, and let loose another shot before you had to duck away from the blinding light. You had nothing to go on but sound, but that was all you needed to confirm your success, as you heard the audible crack of an energy shield collapsing. You had no idea where you had hit the elite officer, or if the round had carried through into flesh and bone, but it was enough to satisfy you.

Niho must have heard the shield go down too, as he poked his rifle over the barricade and blindly fired into the hallway with his rifle. He must have hoped that he would hit the elite, but all he did was make himself a target. The marine screamed as a flurry of plasma bolts slashed into his rifle and the hands that held it. The marine screamed as the blinding light died out, and was replaced by a deep lingering shadow. You looked up to see the towering form of the elite zealot mounting the barricade, his rifle pointed at the marine in one hand, and his active energy sword in the other. Blood seeped from a single large wound to his gut, though that didn't seem to slow him down to a meaningful degree.

And the elite was already swinging his sword, the blue plasma blade dropping right towards you.

>Dodge! You aren't looking to add to his tally. (roll 1d100)
>Shoot! What's faster, a sword or some buckshot? (roll 1d100)
>Tank it! You still have an energy shield of your own. (roll 1d100)
>Other (write-in)
>>
Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>4179157
>>Shoot! What's faster, a sword or some buckshot?
>>
Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>4179157
>Parry with the energy shield and stab his sword hand with our knife.
>>
Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>4179157

>Shoot! What's faster, a sword or some buckshot? (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>4179157
>Shoot! What's faster, a sword or some buckshot?
>>
>>4179157
>Shoot! What's faster, a sword or some buckshot? (roll 1d100)
>>
There wasn't enough time. Even if you managed to dodge the first swing, the elite would just drop down and use the momentum to get too close for you to escape. Even in a straight-line run, he'd catch you in an instant. You didn't have enough time to effect a meaningful escape, so you had to do the next best thing.

You already had the muzzle of the shotgun facing towards him, so all it took was a nudge and a yank on the trigger, and the weapon roared. The buckshot barreled straight into the elite's upper body and knocked it back mid-swing. In the second you had to marvel at your work, you saw at least a dosen holes blown through the armor, a brutal wound to the elite, if not lethal in itself.

But nothing you did would stop the blade. The blast had done well to arrest it's decent, but it was still dropping right towards your face.

>roll 1d100-10
>>
Rolled 55 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4179288
Blam harder Dyad
>>
Rolled 17 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4179288
Why didn't we use the shield? Why are we fighting dumber?
>>
Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>4179288
>>
Rolled 73, 7 - 10 = 70 (2d100 - 10)

>>4179288
>>
>>4179307
RIP Dyad.
>>
Rolled 73 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4179288
Because there is no third correctly rolled dice.
>>
>>4179323
Thank you.
>>4179299
Shield overloaded.
>>
You screamed as the blade burned you.

In retrospect, this was good, as you were still alive to scream. If the blade had actually touched you then the heat alone would have cooked your brain like an egg yolk. But in the present that did nothing to alleviate the pain as the ambient heat around the blade burned your skin. You fell to the floor, clutching at your face with your hands in a vain attempt to stop the pain. Your head swam, leaving you nauseous as the smell of burning flesh filled your nose. You would have thrown up if you had eaten within the last few hours. The world span as your now severely reduced vision blurred and darkened as the pain threatened to overwhelm you.

"NO!"

Your vision stopped spinning at the angry announcement. The pain was still there, hot and heavy. But something else was burning there too. You absently realized that the scream had come from your own lips as you shakily tried to get up. You fell back to your knees at first, leaning against the barricade as your legs failed to support you. But you saw the wounded form of your attacker. The zealot lay wounded on his back, struggling to get up in spite of the wound you had inflicted on him.

You absently noticed a flurry of voices around you, from the automatic drone of Diana, to the far more human concern of the marines. But they all morphed together into a verbal alphabet soup. You weren't listening to them. You were listening to something more primal.

You listened to something that demanded...

>The shotgun
>The sidearm
>The blade
>>
>>4179350
>>The shotgun
>>
>>4179350
>>The shotgun
>>
>>4179350
>>The shotgun
>>
>>4179350

>The shotgun
>>
>>4179350
>The blade

Did our Captain teach us nothing?
>>
The captain's shotgun hung on its sling, dutifully remaining exactly where you needed it. It took a bit of time patting around to finally get your hands on it, but you got it. The cold plastic and metal seemed oddly comfortable, if you were in any way spiritual, then you would say that the weapon almost seemed hungry. You wouldn't deny the help.

You carefully shoved yourself onto your feet and glared down at the zealot as it tried to crawl away. You glared down at it and pumped a slug into the chamber. The zealot must have heard you charge the weapon, as it tried to aim its plasma rifle at you. You ensured that it wouldn't do anything more than that, as you practically blew the elite's arm off with one shot. You pumped the shotgun again and blasted off one of the elite's legs. You racked another shell -the second buckshot shell in your tube- and blasted it into the elite's back, inflicting further pain. You racked the weapon again as you carefully stepped over the barricade, and fired into the elite's other leg once you were over. The next slug was buried into the elite's last remaining limb as you got closer, earning you your first pained roar from the elite.

You pumped the shotgun one last time as you towered over the brutalized alien, loading your last remaining shell into the breach as you shoved the barrel against the elite's head. The alien snapped its mandibles in some vain attempt at speech, but you wouldn't have it.

With one last squeeze of the trigger, the shotgun kicked into your shoulder again, as purple blood and brain matter splattered against you.

"Dyad!"

You looked around and found yourself looking at...

>Write-in
>>
>>4179392
Antonwitz
>>
>>4179392
>Antonwitz
Gonna have to second the Lt.
>>
>>4179399
>Antonwicz

Dyad is...more sadistic than Captain Wells. We should be wary.

Or maybe it's just the Hangry Shotgun.
>>
>>4179392

>Antonwitz
>>
>>4179392
>Antonwicz
>>
It was the LT... which was weird, as you were sure that you heard someone else.

"Jesus... you..." The officer began as he stared at what was left of the zealot's corpse. But he quickly snapped back into action the moment you shakily started to make your way back over the barrier, the junior commissioned officer carefully grabbed you by the shoulders and guided you over the boxes and metal plates that had served as your cover. "Easy, easy. We'll get you something from the doc and get you back in the fight."

You simply nodded, you didn't trust yourself to say anything without screaming in pain at moving your face. And you doubted your ability to form cohesive words with your head hammering so much. Your current officer lead you back along the corridor, muttering things into his helmet microphone as he went. You simply concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other on the way to the one person left who could help you in the short-term. After a couple of minutes of walking, you sat down against the wall of the improvised cell turned medical room. The marine corpsman gave you a look over, before giving a low whistle.

"Not bad. If you were less lucky, we'd be dealing with a corpse rather than a burn and some flash-heatstroke. Thankfully, this is something I can help with." The corpsman briefed you, before picking out a large syringe in one hand, and a set of medi-gel packets in another. "I'm gonna give you a choice here ma'am. I can give you something quick to get you up and moving, or I can spend a minute actually tending to your wounds. Just point to one of my hands to choose that treatment option."

>Fix it quickly! You're out of it, but you're still on a timer here.
>Fix it properly! You've just taken out the highest ranking officer in the base after all.
>>
>>4179501
>>Fix it quickly! You're out of it, but you're still on a timer here.
>>
>>4179501
Changing my vote here >>4179507 too >Fix it properly! You've just taken out the highest ranking officer in the base after all.
>>
>>4179501
>Fix it quickly! You're out of it, but you're still on a timer here.
Pop some ady if we need to. We got stims for days.
>>
>>4179501

>Fix it properly! You've just taken out the highest ranking officer in the base after all.
>>
>>4179501
>Fix it properly! You've just taken out the highest ranking officer in the base after all.
>>
>>4179501
>Fix it properly! You've just taken out the highest ranking officer in the base after all.

Our Captain is still asleep, we NEED to be functional and can't risk being out of sorts.
>>
>>4179501
>>Fix it quickly! You're out of it, but you're still on a timer here.
>>
You pointed at the medi-gel packets, and the medic seemed to do the opposite, as he put the dressings down and started fiddling with the syringe. He seemed to notice your confusion and explained what he was planning. "I'll start off with the injections first before applying the surface-level treatments and dressings. You'll feel fine fairly quickly, but you need to hold still until I'm done."

"How long?" Antonwicz asked as the corpsman started the first round of chemical injections. The surface-level drugs did wonders to numb your face while he gave you a pair of stimulant shots to keep you awake. The medic paused as he considered the LT's question, before pulling out a syringe with a far longer needle and removing the plastic cover over it.

"Only a couple of minutes at worst. Hold her head." The medic explained, before issuing an order to one of the scientists acting as a temporary orderly for him. The scientist kept your head in position while the corpsman carefully inserted the needle of the syringe into your skull via your eye socket. You felt a cooling sensation spreading through your head as the corpsman quickly dispensed the contents of the syringe, before removing it.

"In the meantime ma'am, I'll brief you on what's happened." Antonwicz decided, before continuing with his briefing while the corpsman did his work. "We've secured the stairwell and have a foothold in the motor pool. We're already moving scientists up, but we've sustained casualties along the way. By my reckoning, we're down to around fifty percent operational strength. Maybe more, maybe less. Worse still, the Covenant is in the process of preparing defenses to pen us in. Breaking out will be a bloodbath."

"Well, it's a good thing we're leaving then." The corpsman stated as he peeled the protective backing cover off a medi-gel dressing, before carefully affixing it to your burned face. He applied three more, before dusting his hands and smiling at his work. "There, finished. normally I'd tell you to avoid moving your face too much. But you're an officer and you're gonna ignore that. So don't be a dipshit like your boss and immediately see me once we're aboard."

You nodded at the corpsman, before shakily getting up. The drugs he had given you were getting you back up and running fairly quickly, but you knew for a fact that it wouldn't keep you up for long. Antonwicz waited for you to get up, before offering you a pouch full of shotgun shells, a mix of slugs and buckshot. "I thought we'd try and shoot our way out. Mix things up a little?"

>Shoot your way out! It's going to be bloody, but you've come too far to stop now.
>Suggest something else! There has to be something better than running head-first into fuel-rod guns and plasma cannons. (write-in)
>>
>>4179687
>>Suggest something else! There has to be something better than running head-first into fuel-rod guns and plasma cannons. (write-in)
can we get tot he vehicles? Use them as missiles to through them out of position to get ganked by marines or the ship
>>
>>4179687
>>Shoot your way out! It's going to be bloody, but you've come too far to stop now.

>>4179699
they have fuel rod cannons against unarmed warthogs, there's no way that works out in our favor
>>
>>4179687
>>Shoot your way out! It's going to be bloody, but you've come too far to stop now.
I'd say use the vehicles as some sort of distraction but if all we have are warthogs and other light vehicles then they'll be taken out too quick to matter.
>>
>>4179687
>Suggest something else! There has to be something better than running head-first into fuel-rod guns and plasma cannons. (write-in)

We got the motor pool right? And of the LAAGs from the Warthogs operational? Or the hogs themselves? Do we know what's actually in the motor pool?
>>
>>4179687
>Suggest something else!
do we still have any air support?
>>
>>4179687
Do we still have time to loot the zealot?
>>
>>4179799
Probably not. We have a lot of wounded to carry, and we're about to make a break-out. Unless we can wipe out the entire enemy force with what we have left, I don't think we have any time for looting.
>>
>>4179687
>Ask Diana what topside looks like
We still have a second wave available to flank them right?
>>
>>4179855
No we don't.
>>
File: no turret hog.png (1.8 MB, 1200x840)
1.8 MB
1.8 MB PNG
"Hogs?" You said, hoping that the inquisitive inflection you had added to the word had managed to get through. The LT seemed to get it and answered your question.

"We've passed them already and confirmed that they're not a viable escape method. There were only four of them to begin with, and half have been destroyed already by falling debris. That leaves us with a pair of unarmed, unarmored utility 'hogs to carry around twenty people." Antonwicz explained that you didn't have much in the way of vehicles to work with. Though that didn't seem to deter the ODST, as he immediately continued with an idea on how you could use what you had. "We could use them to transfer the wounded between here and a far-off landing zone, but that seems pretty pointless when we can just land the prowler right outside the base. Then again, both have their own pros and cons. The closer we land the prowler, the more damage it's exposed to. But if it lands further away, getting to it will take more time."

You nodded at the LT's info, before putting your hand against your ear and activating your radio. You addressed your hidden helper and observer, the prowler's AI. "Diana."

"It's good to hear you lieutenant commander, would you like a situation update?" The AI chirped with synthetic relief. Either way, she gave you an offer for something that you needed.

"Yes." You confirmed that you needed her information.

"Covenant forces are massing within the motor pool, with their attention focussed on the stairwell that your troops hold. By my current count, there is only a single elite left in the base, five jackals, and a dozen grunts. That being said, your combat-capable soldiers are still outnumbered by around three-to-one. Thermal imaging would appear to show that the grunts are gathering items from around the facility."
Diana wasted no time in giving you the facts, before offering you some insight into what she thought that the covenant was planning. "I would guess with a seventy-percent chance of being correct that the grunts are gathering plasma cannons. This would indicate that they are attempting to pen you in, probably in expectation that their reinforcements will show."

>Shoot your way out! You have to get moving before the Covenant get their heavy weapons in place.
>Ask Diana about something. (Write-in)
>>
>>4181062

>>Ask Diana about something. (Write-in)
>Can we get more fire support from whats left in the weaponS?
>>
>>4181062
>>Shoot your way out! You have to get moving before the Covenant get their heavy weapons in place.
Have the prowler come in for a fast landing before anything gets set up and provide fire support
>>
>>4181062
>Ask Diana about something. (Write-in)

Can we blow the hogs and extract using the other stairwell? Or just shake the motorpool to drop more rubble on the Covvies or blow them to hell like >>4181067 ?
>>
>>4181062

>Ask Diana about something. (Write-in)

Can the prowler hit the motorpool with a flyby? Soften the rest of the covvies up?
>>
"Fire support?" You asked the AI for some more direct support. Having an eye in the sky was important, but right now you needed something far more hands-on.

"The prowler's current armament will not be able to blow deep enough into the base to affect targets in the motor pool without expending all missiles currently in inventory. Surprisingly enough, Streak anti-fighter missiles aren't that good and blowing through concrete. Given the fact that the enemy reinforcements haven't materialized, I don't think that would be a viable solution. Additionally, further massed explosive damage may cause the structural integrity of the base to degrade to a point where the main building itself may collapse." Diana explained why there was no practical way for her to help you. While you were a bit unhappy that the base was intact enough to shrug off that much incoming fire, you agreed that causing the whole damn base to collapse wasn't something you were at all interested in while you were still inside.

"What about sending a missile in via the main entrence? We can already open the door, so there wouldn't be anything to go through." Antonwicz suggested an alternative approach, though Diana had an answer already prepared for him.

"Attempting to fire a missile in through the primary entrance would be less risky, but it would be harder to pull off without exposing the prowler to enemy fire. Landing and deploying a team with a man-portable rocket launcher would be easier, but that tips the Covenant off to what we're planning. Additionally, there are no positions available that would provide a launcher team both cover and a shot into the base. Any team deployed would be exposed to enemy fire." Diana explained, giving the option enough credibility that it was viable, but the implications of very obviously deploying people in an open area while snipers were about.

>Shoot your way out! You have to get moving before the Covenant get their heavy weapons in place.
>Ask Diana about something. (Write-in)
>>
>>4181142

Can we land the prowler nearby and have armed crewmen fight their way to us while we do the same? Pincer the covenant?
>>
>>4181142
>>Shoot your way out! You have to get moving before the Covenant get their heavy weapons in place.

>>4181152
That'd expose the ship as well, not to mention the crewmen would probably be next to useless.
>>
>>4181142
>>Shoot your way out! You have to get moving before the Covenant get their heavy weapons in place.
>>
>>4181142
>>4181152
I like this.

>Shoot your way out! You have to get moving before the Covenant get their heavy weapons in place.

We start pushing and get the Covenant's attention, then the prowler lands and armed crew catch them in the rear. Works better this way because there's not much cover for the crew.
>>
>>4181152
+1, make sure we have a grenade launcher
>>
>>4181142

>Shoot your way out! You have to get moving before the Covenant get their heavy weapons in place.

I'm against the write in, as a side note. What with we need its stealth coating intact
>>
>>4181212
Yeah, but as long as we don't take any hits from crew served weapons, which are being set up to face against us and not out against the Prowler, it won't be anything irreparable.

The question is, can we get out without Prowler support? Considering we're about to attack a defensive position with odds of 3 to 1 against. And normally, for a reasonable chance of success, you want a 3 to 1 advantage when assaulting a defensive position. So, it's not a question of 'are we risking the Prowler', so much as 'are we gonna have anyone left to extract if we don't get support?'
>>
"Reinforcements?" You asked for the last thing that Diana could give you. Bodies, preferably with guns. Armed crewmen weren't much of a stand-in for actual marines, but you needed the support if you were to escape.

"A contingent of armed crewmen is standing by to be deployed. Deploying this contingent will improve your odds, but it will still be an uphill battle." Diana confirmed that she had a small group of armed crewmen ready to go, and you cut the link as soon as you got the confirmation you needed. There were certainly risks with what you were about to suggest, but if you were to escape, then you would have to suck it up.

"Bring them in. We need their help." You stated as you stared your current superior officer in the eye. You knew that the armed crewmen would suffer in this fight, but you needed them if this was going to succeed.

"Diana, get ready to hot-drop the reinforcements. The reinforcements are to assault the covenant positions inside the motor pool to try and take some pressure off us." Antonwicz took your suggestion and got back to the AI. You checked your stollen jackal shield gauntlet, and found that it was glowing slightly. Though you had no idea what that meant. You didn't have long to marvel at it, however, as Antonwicz looked back at you. "You heard Diana, this is going to be a brutal fight. Think you're up to help?"

>Join the fight! Like it or not, you're still in fighting condition. (roll 1d100)
>Cover the rear! You're wounded, running into a gunfight isn't smart. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>4181297

>Join the fight! Like it or not, you're still in fighting condition. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 33 (1d100)

>>4181297
>>Join the fight! Like it or not, you're still in fighting condition
>>
Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>4181297
>Join the fight! Like it or not, you're still in fighting condition. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>4181297

>Join the fight! Like it or not, you're still in fighting condition. (roll 1d100)
>>
>>4181383
I thought I was bad. Thank you for rolling 4th.
>>
"I'll help. I can still point and shoot, isn't that all you need to be a marine?" You joked as you patted the captain's shotgun.

"Still cracking jokes? Good. It means that you're still capable of rational thought. Come on, we've got aliens to kill." Antonwicz smiled as he gestured for you to follow after him. The rest of the injured scientists were being moved up ahead of you, and you both kept behind them as you ascended the stairs. You loaded the shotgun along the way, a pure buckshot load this time, most of your targets would be grunts, and any jackal or elite shields could be stripped away with a couple of shots at close range.

"Diana, get the reinforcements down right now. We'll push a few seconds after they've engaged. Kendo, get your frags in there as soon as you hear gunfire. Eichman, once it's gone off, get a forty mike-mike in there to clean up. Once that's gone off, we'll push in. get in deep, and form a barrier between the wounded and the enemy. Use the crates as cover as needed." Antonwicz ordered the AI as the two of you passed the injured and reached to landing at the top of the stairs. You fell into position behind the fourth marine from the doorway, putting you close enough to the door that you could be out of the door in only a couple of seconds.

You didn't have long before you felt the ground shake at the sudden arrival of an interstellar stealth ship just outside of the base. The Covenant forces on guard just outside of the door let out confused yaps and squeals, but that was quickly replaced by the sound of the main gate moving and gunfire.

"Frag!" The leading marine called, before tossing a grenade through the doorway. You took a deep breath and held it as the grenade went off. You kept it in as the second marine lent around his comrade, poked his grenade launcher through the doorway and fired another explosive into the large room. The twin explosions kicked up a huge cloud of dust and dirt, but that wouldn't stop what happened next.

"Push in!" Antonwicz called as the first marine sprinted into the motor pool, his shotgun firing as the second marine followed him in. The gunfire only increased as each marine rushed in. You soon sprinted through the doorway and found yourself almost blind from the dust. Hell, you almost tripped over the shattered remains of a grunt. But you quickly managed to make it into cover, and you bounded between boxes as you made your way towards the main gate, where your reinforcements were keeping the majority of the Covenant forces occupied.

>CONT
>>
>>4181418

The only warning you had for the enemy counter-attack was a trio of needler rounds slamming into a box that you had been hiding next to a couple of seconds prior. You lent out of cover and promptly executed the shooter with a shotgun blast, the grunt was knocked back by the hit, methane pouring from it's punctured suit. However, this was just a small part of the counter-attack. A sudden barrage of fire coincided with another marine life signal winking out on your HUD. You waited for another alien to rush out of cover, before leaning out of cover and clipping the unfortunate jackal in the leg with the same shot that collapsed its shield. You followed it up with another shell that added another kill to your talley. The jackal dropped just in time, as a marine called out that the final alien officer had been sighter. "Elite!"

>Counter their push! You have to keep up the momentum. (roll 1d100-20)
>Hold the line! You just need to stop them from pushing through here. (roll 1d100-10)
>Other (write-in)
>>
Rolled 85 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4181420
>>Hold the line! You just need to stop them from pushing through here. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
Rolled 72 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4181420
>Hold the line! You just need to stop them from pushing through here. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
Rolled 41 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4181420
>Hold the line! You just need to stop them from pushing through here. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
>>4181423
Please be enough.
>>
Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>4181420

>Hold the line! You just need to stop them from pushing through here. (roll 1d100-10)
>>
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13 KB
13 KB JPG
>>4181541

Thank god I was late and had the wrong format
>>
>>4181548
I guess we have to kill again to recharge the juju in the Magic Shotgun.
>>
File: ONI prowler.jpg (37 KB, 620x388)
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You remained exactly where you were, keeping your line of approach covered from any more aliens that failed to spot the corpses. You remained there for a minute until a large explosion signified that some major blockage in your way had been dealt with. You found out exactly what a second later, as the LT spoke over to the main radio network. "Elite down. Continue forwards."

With that, you continued your brisk pace forwards. You had to stop when you reached the next set of crates however, as a group of grunts suddenly rushed ahead of you. You fired a snap-shot and killed one, but the rest got away. It didn't matter to you though, as the cowardly aliens had dropped their weapons while fleeing. They weren't a threat to you anymore.

You continued on without encountering another enemy after that. The leading marines elements slaughtered the few covering grunts in the way, and the remaining jackals in the base had apparently retreated to reorganize themselves. After a couple of minutes, you encountered your less than happy rescuers. The press-ganged crewmen were in cover behind one of the crushed warthogs when you found them, tending to their wounded. You addressed the assembled armsmen as you approached them. "Is this everyone?"

"Yeah, we took a couple of casualties getting here, so I'd appreciate it if you hurried the fuck up." An irritated engineer responded as the rest of your squad followed up behind you, stopping only to ensure that your wounded were protected from being shot in the back as they joined you. You could see the prowler from where you were stood, the jet-black stealth ship never looked so inviting.

However, this welcoming scene was soon interrupted, as the prowler's engines roared into life, and the belly-mounted chainguns popped out of their internal bays, already tracking a target as Diana told you what was happening outside. "Hostile dropship detected!"

>Shoot that dropship down! You can't let it hit the prowler. (roll 1d100)
>Get to the prowler! That dropship is your cue to leave. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>4181598
>>Shoot that dropship down! You can't let it hit the prowler. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>4181598
>Shoot that dropship down! You can't let it hit the prowler. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>4181598
>Shoot that dropship down! You can't let it hit the prowler. (roll 1d100)

We have AA/Antifighter missiles left. USE THEM.
>>
>>4181598
>Shoot that dropship down! You can't let it hit the prowler.
>>
>>4181598

>Shoot that dropship down! You can't let it hit the prowler. (roll 1d100)
>>
Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>4181598

>Shoot that dropship down! You can't let it hit the prowler. (roll 1d100)
>>
"Diana, take that dropship down!" You ordered the AI as the large gate door pushed up from its little alcove in the ground, closing you off from the inevitable heat of the prowler's thrusters.

"Throttling up, please standby," Diana stated as the doors closed, but you could still feel the ground vibrating as the engines forced the massive ONI ship skywards. You didn't have much time to enjoy it however, as the sound of gunfire instantly brought you back to the fight at hand.

"Cover, now!" Antonwicz ordered, but you were already behind one of the large support columns. Plasma bolts blew chunks out of the other side, but you were safe to fight from there. You lent out to see what was going on and found yourself looking at a crude line of Covenant infantry facing off against you. A motley mix of grunts and jackals hell-bent on trying to stop you before their cruel reinforcements arrived. At this range, you could only harass them with buckshot, but you didn't have to. The remaining marines with under-barrel grenade launchers saturated the enemy line with a barrage of high-explosive grenades, followed soon after by seven hand-thrown frag grenades. The combined force of the explosions toppled the damaged support columns nearest to the Covenant line, bringing the entire ceiling down on top of them.

The building shook for a few seconds as a large section of it collapsed, kicking up dirt and dust. But once the debris had settled, the building was silent for a few seconds. That was until there was a mighty crash from outside. You were about to ask what had happened when Diana reported back with a cheerful voice. "Hostile dropship destroyed. Beginning landing procedures."

You simply nodded, and walked over to the gate, the massive metal slab of titanium-A battle armor slowly began to descend as the prowler gently landed. Diana didn't need to land hastily anymore, so she took her time to make sure that she was able to land with minimal disruption to the people on the ground as possible. Personally, you were glad for that, as a lot of the scientists looked like they were ready to keel over. Then again, they were deathly pale from blood loss. Still, they didn't have to worry about it for much longer. Almost as soon as the prowler landed, the hanger bay doors opened and the ramp descended, a team of medics and stretcher-bearers already descending it from the moment the hanger bay doors had opened wide enough to allow them through. One of the medics made his way towards you, but you waved him off. Other people needed help far more than you did. You stopped for a second at the foot of the ramp and took one last look around.

>CONT
>>
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>>4181807

In under 48 hours, everything would be gone. The trees would be burned to ash, the ground would melt as the tiny fragments of stone and metal worked into the dirt itself melted and fused. The animals -thousands of breeds and millions of individual animals- would be wiped out in the fires to come. Even the fresh air you inhaled wouldn't escape, as ash and dirt and detritus clogged the atmosphere.

Arcadia would die. But in spite of that, you found yourself feeling oddly alright. At the very least, you wouldn't burn with it.

You climbed the flat metal plate alone and entered the surprisingly small hanger bay first out of all of the soldiers to even go on this mission. Your body ached as the adrenaline coursing through your system started to burn out. The moment you stepped into the ship proper, Dianna announced your presence. "Welcome aboard Lieutenant Commander Dyad. What are your orders?"

"Wait until everyone is aboard, and then take us into orbit." You stated as you made your way towards the mission bay that had so recently been turned into a medical ward. You paused for a second, before then saying the magic words.

"Mission complete."

===================================

And that's gonna be it! Sorry if the ending seems a bit rushed, we are on page 10 and I don't have much time to continue on weekdays. Speaking of, due to the corona shit happening, our timings are gonna change. This is because my hours are changing and I have to fit the quest to match. On the plus side, I'm getting a four-day weekend, so we should be able to run for four days straight between working weeks. On the downsides, due to a major hours shift, I probably won't be able to post updates on the days that I'm in work on. Another downside is that this is going to be a rolling work week, so the actual days that I can post updates on will change as my working week shifts. This means that inevitably I won't be able to run on some Saturdays and Sundays.

If you have any questions, then feel free to ask. I’m open to answering any questions before the thread falls off the board.
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>>4181811

Thanks for running Thunderhead, a couple questions,

How often are we gonna be doing missions like this? NGL it was a blast but I kinda prefer getting our ass handed to us in space

What do you think of our decision making compared to what would be the 'perfect' choices?

Will we be able to keep the Khorne Shotty?

Ty for running and I look forward to the next one!
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>>4181811

Holy shit. We actually came out with our objectives complete AND surviving Marines.

...and we didn't ding the Prowler yet either.
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>>4181811
Great thread, thanks for the run Thunderhead.
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Kinda somewhat really disappointed our BOI has been out cold for the entire second half of the mission. Put a bit of a damper on things.
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>>4182455
happens. at least we decided to bring Dyad, otherwise we wouldn't have anyone to fall back to.
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>>4181850
>How often are we gonna be doing missions like this? NGL it was a blast but I kinda prefer getting our ass handed to us in space
This was a loyalty mission, so what happened here was always going to be fairly different to what you're used to. Unless you decide to trade in the frigate for a prowler later-down the line, this mission will be fairly unique.
>What do you think of our decision making compared to what would be the 'perfect' choices?
The biggest choice that played against you was not taking ODSTs, because they're better suited for combat than marines, though I intentionally didn't give you much in the way of information as the dice could have gone either way on if you encountered the Covenant or not. So not taking them is understandable.

>Will we be able to keep the Khorne Shotty?
Tune in next time to find out!



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