The Abyssal Revelation IC

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

"They're moving the senator. He's somewhere above the first floor, but they've blacked out the cameras so I can't tell you exactly where." The voice over the comm could be a little boy or a little girl, but definitely wasn't an adult. The familiar sounding accent places the child somewhere from Earth, but exactly where has been diluted by time spent on Luna. Regardless, the kid--better known as Rayshy to LDISOT--was this operation's handler. The operation in question--dubbed "Racehorse"--was rescuing an L.G.O official kidnapped and held in a secure lower-city warehouse. Intel said that the Word had captured a sector Senator, and boy was the intel right.

The three of you are gathered on top of a relatively small residential spire a hundred years away from the target. Behind you stands the imposing Sergeant Starkweather (http://i.imgur.com/rpEqW.jpg), and beside her stand two other operatives. The black-on-silver body armor of the L.D.I fit them rather well, and each one wore a thin combat helmet. Lt. Derek Wildner stood to Natalie's left, and Pvt. Eva Albach stood to the gigantic woman's right. Neither one of them spoke much, and both were all business. Both of them, along with Natalie herself, were looking over the target with binoculars.

The target, a three-story square building, rested atop one of the Lower City's many squat spires. Makeshfit gun-towers were built onto each of the warehouse's four corners, and each one had a thin concrete wall running around its outer edge. Clearly they were intended to act as cover for guards, and those very same guards patrolled the gun-tower's outer catwalk with obvious trepidation. The senator's catch was a big prize, and the Word were all on edge. The guards--tall lanky Lunar natives in black body armor--were all armed with combat rifles and carried grenades. A pair of guards stood in front of the warehouse's massive double doors. A frontal assault would likely just allow the Word to concentrate their force in one region, and potentially win the resulting battle--or at least escape with the senator.

Derek lowers his binoculars, hefts his thin L.D.I standard issue assault rifle, then speaks to the group as a hole. "Alright", his words come out in a native Lunar accent, "we're going to assault the warehouse in two teams. Natalie, Eva, and I will assault the front as a diversionary force. Juri, you'll take the others and act as the main force. I'll leave how to assault them at your discretion, but call us then give us two minutes before you start." Derek handed out orders easily, and that was probably why he had been made an officer. It was his call to go ahead as he had been placed in charge of the operation, and it seemed like he was itching to start fighting. This had been the first time anyone had met him, and he seemed to be fresh out of officer training.

Natalie frowns as she hears her orders. The green-haired giantess rifled through one of the many pockets adorning her outfit for something. She was likely the candy she always ate before a mission. Her brow furrows as she digs deeper into her pockets, and begins frantically checking each pocket one-by-one to find whatever she had lost. After a moment of watching the Lieutenant barks at her. "Sergeant! Stop that right now." Natalie instantly goes as straight as a board and red as a beet.

"U-um. S-Sir! I... I can't find my..." Sergeant Starkweather, despite her size and imposing stature, had a nature as soft as a newborn kitten. And the new officer combined with his loud tone only served to frighten her.

"You can't find what, Sergeant!" The shouting obviously wasn't helping, and Natalie just starts hiccuping loudly as she tries to explain. The giant girl's inability to spit it out caused no end of frustration for Derek, and his anger showed through his furrowed brow, clenched jaw, and balled fists. Natalie was obviously going to get into some trouble unless someone spoke up for her.

[Bad Situation]

Kasuka watches the impatient new officer with something approaching annoyance. "New officers are always so overeager..." This was why he preferred to work alone if possible, but then again it who in their right mind would want to work with the soulless husk that was 'Kestrel'. Speaking softly inside his helmet, he contacts their handler, "Ray, what can you tell me about the Lieutenant. He's new to this I'm guessing?"

In the meantime, he would step in. Yelling and shouting at subordinates was never conducive to a successful mission and letting Mayumi down was something he would not stand for.

The tall, armored man (http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x44/Napkin183/Nin_zpsbc187a96.jpg) reaches up to trace at something along his temple, snapping back his helmet's visor with a barely audible click revealing the very unavailable expression (http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x44/Napkin183/killycharpor_zps2a451e9b.png) of one of the LDISOTs finest swordsmen.

"That is quite enough Lieutenant. Despite what you may have been taught, the collective competency of your unit is not in fact, proportional to the volume of your voice," he begins in an impressive monotone. "What is proportional however, are the odds that our target overhears your impassioned words. I suggest that you calm down and let her respond or carry through with the mission."

Finished with that, Kasuka snaps his visor back on and asks without looking, "And Natalie, have you checked your left most pocket?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Kasuka

"That guy's fresher than socks straight out of a duplicator. His name's Derek Albert Wildner. First mission, but his track record is impressive. Top of his class in training, highest marks in all courses, not a single demerit throughout training. Coulda been you if he hadn't gotten picked up for officer training before going into the field." The child-like voice on the other end of the comm chimed in almost immediately in response to Kasuka's question. It carries on a bit. "The girl with him is mostly the same. Fresh out of rifleman training. This is her first assignment as well. Looks like she belongs to somebody important though. Washed out of training the first time around, then came back and passed with flying colors. Well, back to the grindstone."

DM

Derek takes a deep breath when Kasuka intervenes. "You're right. Sergeant. What do you need?" He looks over to Natalie with a calmer expression, and in response... the Sergeant wrestles to get her breath back as she finally finishes hyperventilating.

"M-My sour candy sir. I-It helps c-calm me d-down in b-battle." When Kasuka points out the pocket Natalie checks it immediately. She pulls out a thin lidded tube of yellow hard candy. Each piece is about the size of a normal person's thumb. She pops the lid off, digs a piece out, then drops that into her mouth quickly. She calms down almost immediately, and seems much less on edge than before. Natalie looks to Kasuka and nods. "Thanks Corporal." Acknowledging his subordinate's oddities the lieutenant just sighs.

"Whatever. Juri? Are you three good to go?" Derek looks to the sniper for confirmation.

[Cespenar]

The lithe, tall young woman (http://wallpaper4me.com/images/wallpapers/1329239421_1251884240377_558210-814190.jpeg) in baggy clothings gazes at the building that the others were doing so with a binocular, and yawns. This shouldn't be all that difficult, she thinks, as she usually does. Even with her reputation as one of the sharpest shots in the organization, no weapon is visible on her apart from a short stun rod tied close to her rather long leg.

She continues to watch the warehouse from afar until the lieutenant finishes addressing her. She wasn't really listening, but you didn't need to listen to hear stuff, didn't you? She salutes Derek with a casual index-and-middle-finger salute to ward off any suspicion he might harbor about her listening. "Gotcha."

However, as Kasuka wades into young officer, so to speak, Juri can't help but snort a brief laugh. "Oi, you're stealing my reputation as the insubordinate one," she mumbles just above the limit of hearing.

As the LT asks her for final confirmation, she revolves left and right from her waist, checking around for Kasuka and Florenz.

"Yeah, I'd think so," she says finally, shrugging.

[Bad Situation]

The armored swordsman lightly places his hand on Derek's shoulder and offers the young officer some advice before turning away to join Juri. "I understand that you are tense, this being your first mission but you have nothing to worry about. I have been a field operative far longer than you have been training, officer or not. If trouble arises I will take care of it. Keep yourself safe. I will ensure that the main assault is a success." With that he breaks their scant contact and salutes.

"I understand my orders, sir."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

"Alright, you have your orders. Minimal comm-chatter until we start assault. After that, it doesn't matter. Stay low, don't get shot, and rescue the senator alive. Dismissed." The lieutenant, Natalie, and Eva all head straight toward the compound. They'll probably stop a hundred feet or so, then wait for the signal from Juri.

Juri, Kasuka, and Florenz are left to their own devices.

[Princess Tracy]

A rabbitkin known to everyone present as Usagi had been seen at the briefing, but seemed to have disappeared by the time they arrived on the roof. It was her way, really. She didn't really get on with people she didn't know, and certainly didn't like this new fellow. Quite the domineering type, and the former pirate captain could do without trying to compete in ego - it was in her natural urges to take charge rather than taking orders, but she wasn't some mercenary of thief anymore. Still though, she was there on the roof, hidden in the shadows. As Kasuka points the the sergent, she slips form the cover of his outstretched arm, almost imperceptible, to the shadow of the giant flustered woman. She liked this one. 'Usagi' reaches for the sweets, but the good Sergeant beats her to it. She shrugs invisibly.

When attendance is taken, she suddenly seems to cease whatever feat of shinobi stealth she was attaining and makes herself known, seeming to almost teleport into where she was standing the whole time, a smile on her face displaying a barely-contained urge to remark 'ta-dah'. She did have a bit of a flair to her. For once, the dark-skinned rabbit was dressed in an actual standard uniform, though her fluffy, floppy ears, the same white as her sleak hair, flopped down almost to her shoulders as she relaxes, occassionally twitching when she's excited.

She produces a small bag of wine gums, tossing one to the sergeant for good measure. "Not for sour treats myself."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Natalie shakes her head when offered the candy. "No thanks ma'am. I just need these." She jabs a thumb at the thumb-sized bulge in her mouth where the yellow-colored candy rested against her cheek. She waves good-bye as she follows the Lieutenant closely. Natalie moves surprisingly well despite the colossal minigun and its equally large barrel of ammunition slung over her shoulder.

[Princess Tracy]

Pic
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/128/c/0/forest_viera_by_prinii-d4xxr8c.png

Usagi gives a little wave as the sweet-loving Natalie runs off, giving a little commentary when she's out of range. "Nice girl. Odd, but nice. Of course, I'd have a hard time telling that were I on the receiving end of the beast she calls a gun," the rabbit remarks, her fingers gliding over the handle of her rather safely secured weapons.

She looks over the other two. She'd seen and worked with them before, though mostly from afar or from the shadows - she seemed a bit more outgoing and smiles today. It was a rare sight, a rabbitkin on a mission like this. She didn't wear medals or anything and never really specified her rank, but most respectful and knowledgeable folks call her 'Captain' - except commanding officers. What looks like an old fashioned cutlass hangs at her hip along with quite a few guns strapped to her body. Her ears perk a bit as she addresses her companions. "Hey, how's life?" she asks as if her fellow soldiers were killing time waiting for photocopies to print.

She nods to Kasuka in particular. "We don't talk much do we? Ah... Kasuka, right? What rank are we up to now?"

To Juri, she remarks "See anything important? An entry point would be nice. I could sneak in and turn on the lights, freak them out a little."

Her voice has an odd squeak to it and she has the enthusiasm of a schoolgirl in her tone, but she seems a bit more world weary around the eyes. A few scars dot her person, including one at her left ear that she's let her fur grow out over to hide better.

[Bad Situation]

The LDISOT swordsman directs his helmet-laden face at Usagi and for several moments there is silence. Unsure of how to answer the rabbitkin's overly casual question, Kasuka blinks beneath his visor and chooses simply to ignore the question. He was living about as well as a person could while borrowing someone else's skin he supposed but experience with the other enlisted had taught him that these kinds of answers tended to unnerve the lot of them. Nervous soldiers meant poor results.

He shrugs his shoulders, almost imperceptively so to the untrained eye, and responds to the rabbit's second question. "I am and have been a Corporal for the better portion of my enlistment," he says without a hint of pride. "But I do not pay attention to such things. As long as I am able to serve."

[Princess Tracy]

The rabbitkin raises an eyebrow at the apparently dutiful swordsman, his silence catching her attention - but more than merely insightful enough to pick up on his discomfort, she has the knowledge to say it's best not to press the issue. He didn't seem exactly closed off, at least not by his volition alone. She shrugs, relenting her hard gaze before it can mean anything more than casual curiosity. She seemed oddly reserved herself in a weird way.

At his answer, she gives a bit of a giggle. Her age was a bit hard to pin down, but she certainly looked mature enough by human standards, yet her laughs seemed to suit her moods. A giggle like an amused toddler, a chuckle like a refined lady, and a certain laugh unseen by the party that spoke to her lust for life... "You should pay at least a little attention to your emails or something then - you never know, you could have gotten promoted without knowing it." It was a ludicrious proposition, to be promoted without someone saying something, and she new it, but one she had endless fun imagining apparently. "Let's see, what's higher than Corporal..." she ponders in genuine lack of knowledge. With her little knowledge of heirarchy, if one hadn't seen her at base and the superiors didn't seem to be expecting her, one could be forgiven for thinking she was some sort of stowaway. A very good stowaway that can hide in shadows themselves.

Figuring this was a man more for procedure than personality, she ponders a moment how to approach such a man. "Well, any insights?"

It's interesting playing someone with high wisdom.

[Bad Situation]

Very simply he says, "I do not receive mail." The few people who knew him lived on base or had direct access to his comm channels. It was better that way in his opinion.

[Cespenar]

"Which one of us isn't odd? Juri replies to Usagi's comment about Natalie with a chuckle.

When asked about an entry point, she focuses, and suddenly veins bulge around her normally beautiful, white-tinted eyes. She gives the warehouse a once-over.

"After Corporal comes Sergeant," she mumbles while still examining the building. A smirk appears on one side of her mouth. "I was one, y'see. For a week."

The plan probably depends on what she can see with her Byakugan, so I think I'll cut the post here.

[Princess Tracy]

"Ha-hmm, I'm not odd, am I?" Usagi responds to Juri's implied assertion, though she clearly didn't mind the label that much. A rabbitkin ninja was an odd enough thing even without knowing much about her.

She realises she's still holding a small pouch of wine gums, and swiftly pockets them after sealing the little package. Remembering who they were for, it sparks her to ask about relationships. "So, I'm kind of new here I guess. How well do you two know each other."

[Cespenar]

"Obviously, we're lovers."

Juri still doesn't break eye contact with the warehouse, but strains her ears for any reaction from the two of them. After a deliberately long second, she grins to herself.

"Nah, not very well, actually. Did a mission or two together. Dude means business with that sword."

"Could improve his attitude a little bit, though. Could be a little more like me."

Almost anyone in the organization would know about the trouble Juri occasionally gets into with the higher ups, and over trivial reasons as well.

[Princess Tracy]

Usagi titters at the sniper's line about lovers. "Troublemaker, are you? Well, try not to shoot me in the tail and I think we'll get on fine."

[Cespenar]

Juri taps her lips once and twice, thinking.

"Okay. You two are close-to-medium-range types and both good at stealth, so you'll sneak through the rear entrance. Even though our diversion will make a lot of noise, try to be silent as not to warn them of a second force in the building. I'll camp here and try to clear out the roof, in case they get away from you and try to head up for extraction or something."

"Once inside, try to get the power back on so that our wonder boy can access the cameras and make our lives a lot easier. Then, routine work. Scour the floors and find the mayor. If you ever need extra firepower, tell Rayshy your and the target's coordinates, and I'll give you your firepower." She grins briefly at that. "Unless they lined those walls thick with titanium or something, I think my bullets will arrive their location."

She stops, and glances around.

"Anything I forgot?"

[Princess Tracy]

Usagi shrugs at the plan. "Sounds fine to me. But while I'm good at infiltration, that doesn't apply quite so much to maintenance. How do I turn the power on?" Suddenly remembering she has a communicator too, she she pulls the receiver to her mouth (she'd needed to employ tape to keep it to her ear 'comfortably') and repeats her query for their support, "Hey, is there like a switch somewhere I should flick?"

[Cespenar]

Juri laughs at that.

"Leave it to Kasuka then. He ought to know a button from a lever, at least."

[Princess Tracy]

Usagi's ears twitch in offence before her rationale kicks in and she realises it was all in good spirit. "Hmph. Well, live fast and die young - I have better things to do than learn advanced electronics. Speaking of which," she smiles towards the designated 'swordsman' Kasuka, "Are you sure you can even keep up with me?" She was curious if this one rose to challenges. He had an odd lack of pride, so she doubted it, but it couldn't hurt. Much.

protip: Florenz's top running speed is over 300 feet per round.:smalltongue:

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

"I don't know, I can only see the first floor. Let me pull up the schematics on a standard warehouse like this." The voice over the comm goes quite for a bit, then comes back in full force a few seconds later. "The basement. There should be a breaker for the building's wiring there, and you'll be able to re-enable the power from that point. Be careful though: If I were setting up an ambush then that long hallway just before the breaker room would be ideal."

[Bad Situation]

Kasuka barely seems to register the question as he draws the sword and begins his soundless descent. At first he seems to ignore the question but halfway down he calmly gives his reply, "Needlessly, scouting ahead or moving on your own without the consultation of the team's admin is not conducive to a successful mission. I trust that you understand your own capabilities well enough though, so I will not stop you. Your presence will not effect my performance either way."

The swordsman responds to Rayshy's advice with a firm nod of his head. "Understood. Then I will advance down the hall to draw their fire and allow the rabbitkin to move in unhindered."

[Cespenar]

As Juri sees Kasuka and Usagi bolt off, she moves her fingers to the unicom, and speaks.

"Your two minutes starts now, Lieutenant."

"Kasuka, Usagi, take it cool and slow. We have to give the LT his two minutes before we start."

It was two minutes, wasn't it? Well, nevertheless.

With that, she taps the glove on her hand, and a ring of runes appear briefly on its surface. With a puff of smoke, a large anti-materiel rifle appears in Juri's hands. She gives its clip a check, and nods to herself.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

"Roger." The solemn voice that comes over the comm is barely changed by the communicator. Seconds afterward all three of you hear the familiar sound of Natalie's T-95 going off. The high-pitched whine of her automatic fire out-shines almost every other noise coming from that area. Immediately the warehouse guards react by running toward the location of the noise. Both Kasuya and Florenz are able to move around in the two minutes to "flank" the building, and by the time the two minutes are up there's only a single guard at the rear entrance. The man's wearing a massive black suit of layered combat armor, along with a knee-length snow-white stole that dangles down from both shoulders. The stole has a long series of words written across it reminiscent of Word members.

"Hold on, I'm linking what I'm seeing to your HUD. Looks like there're fifteen Wordists--we gotta come up with a better term for that--inside. But that's only the first floor. I can't see up, so watch yourselves. Looks like there's four sets of stairs, but all the doors are closed and there's no cameras in them. So I can't tell you where to go. But, logically, two sets will go up and two sets will go down. Be careful in the stairs, as those are good ambush points too." As Ray talks a basic floor plan appears on the HUDs of those with HUDs. He's taken the time to outline all the Word members with red, and outlined the doors in pink.

http://i.imgur.com/7ZMr6.png
Floor 1 HUD.
Black - Walls or shelves. The shelves(inside the building) can be shot through by basic ballistic ammo. The walls require dark iron or better.

Blue - Upstairs.
Yellow - Downstairs.
Pink - Doors and shutters.
Pink with Vertical Lines - Stairs.
Pink with X's - Welded shut shutters.

Feel free to place yourselves anywhere on the bottom row.

Juri is 300 feet away from the walls of the warehouse unless Cespenar wants to move her closer, in which case he has 20 rounds(2 minutes) to move her wherever he chooses to do so.

Floor 2 will become visible when you enter the warehouse.

[Princess Tracy]

"Roger, roger," the rabbitkin went as they agreed upon their approach. "Relax, I won't leave you in the dust, I can be a team player - they don't call me Cap'n for nuthin', you know?" With that, she seems to evaporate into the swordsman's shadow as he presses his charge downwards, whispering as the HUD comes in. "Huh. One guy out front. GEE, I wonder why, with all the bullets. You want this or shall I? I'll get up around his back if you want."

[Bad Situation]

"If I fail to eliminate him, follow up and ensure that he does not live long enough to sound any sort of guard," comes Kestrel's quiet reply. "I will attack first to disorient him and make as though I am acting in the capacity of a lone agent. Finish him where I do not."

[Princess Tracy]

"Chill, man, I have this, just get into range. Any good at stealth?" With that, Usagi hurriedly sneaks up to the guard, getting herself good and ready.

Stealth to approach guard unseen - I take 10 for 31
If undetected, Usagi is now adjacent and to the left of the guard.

Attack Action - readied for Kasuka's attack: Unarmed strike sneak attack against the guard

[Bad Situation]

When the two allotted minutes are up, Kasuka leaves no time to waste, immediately dashing at the man with his razor sharp dark iron blade held low and poised for the man's throat.

Status
Hit Points: 69/69
Chakra Pool: 36/41
Chakra Reserve: 26/26
Armour Class: 26
Ongoing Effects: Spd Rank 1 (1/5), Helm Splitter Stance, Charge

Actions
Swift Action~!
Unleash Speed Rank 1

Partial Charge~!
Attack: [roll0] + [5] (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14489809&postcount=202) = 26
Damage: [roll1]

[Cespenar]

Juri uses her two minutes in casual preparation, checking out her weapon again, checking out the line of fire, summoning a couple more hands to help, and finally laying on her stomach with the rifle extended to its target. She produces a slick looking transparent glasses -it was old technology, but nevertheless- from her vest pocket, puts it on to see Ray's HUD, and grins. Fifteen on the first story, eight more on the roof, and gods know how many in the rest of the building.

Still it didn't matter. They were the best of the best, after all. Or supposed to be, at least.

Trusting the two to take care of the rear guard (and the most of the first story, probably), Juri takes her sweet time to aim, and with the HMG's distant cue, she and her quasi-real posse open fire on the roof guards.

Tap reserves beforehand for 12 chakra. Summon two Kasumi Bunshin with 6 chakra. Eagle Eye Stance for 2 chakra. Activate Speed rank 2 for 2 chakra. Open Byakugan 3 rounds before the attack. 3 rounds of observation for Death Attack, and Dead Aim on the last round. The clones use Dead Aim on the last round as well. Swift actions to maintain Telescopic Eye through Battle Sight (the custom feat).

Juri attacks one guard, while the two Bunshin attack another guard.

Hit Points: 56/56
Chakra Pool: 50/52
Chakra Reserve: 13/25
Armour Class: 30
Ongoing Effects: Byakugan (4th round), Kasumi Bunshin 5/40), Speed Rank 2 (1/5), Eagle Eye Stance

It's in the second range increment, so a -2 to attack, I think.

Juri
[roll0]
[roll1] + [roll2]
DC 14 save or death.

Clone A
[roll3]
[roll4]

Clone B
[roll5]
[roll6]

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

As soon as Florenz and Kasuka get within range they drop him fairly quickly. Unfortunately, as soon as they get within 10ft of the door it opens automatically. A pair of guards--dressed in the same style as the man whom they had just killed--turn to see what was causing the noise. Almost immediately Ray chimes into the group's comm-line.

"Uh-oh. Their comms kicked into overdrive. Looks like they've noticed the flanking maneuver. I'll try and patch you into their comms so you can listen in. Gimme a second."

Whilst Ray works the two guards that noticed Kasuka and Florenz open fire on the two LDISOT operatives. Both of them are armed with the same kind of high-powered rifle, and they're firing short bursts of rounds from their guns. The one aiming at Florenz misses terribly, but Kasuka is a bit less lucky. Immediately after they fire a voice that doesn't belong to Ray breaks into the group's comm-line.

"More enemies! It's a flanking maneuver." The voice sounds rather masculine, and afraid. He's probably someone inside the warehouse.

"Secure the senator, but don't kill him. Reinforcements are on the way: Just hold for five minutes." The second voice is an unknown female, but her voice is strangely synthetic-sounding. She probably had a cybernetic replacement for her throat. She's rather calm, and likely isn't involved in the conflict.

"Roger, get behind cover and try not to die." The voice that responds is the same masculine one from before.

"Looks like they're bringing in reinforcements. Better hurry up down there. I'll try and find them on the grid and give you a heads up on who and where they are."

http://i.imgur.com/Tr2HJ.png

Legend:
Dark Gray - Florenz
Purple - Kasuka

Red1
Attack Roll: [roll0] - vs Florenz
Damage Roll: [roll1]

Red2
Attack Roll: [roll2] - vs Kasuka
Damage Roll: [roll3]

Guy#1 Fort Save: [roll4].

Initiative: [roll5]

Juri - 20
Florenz - 14
Enemies - 6
Kasuka 3

Kasuka needs an Initiative check.

[Princess Tracy]

"Wah, oh no, I'm doomed, oh you got me," Usagi says in a completely robotic monotone as she's shot at. Her reflexes kick in to handily sidestep the bullet - that shot couldn't have got her if she'd wanted to be hit. "Well, swordsman chap, since our cover is blown anyway, d'ya mind doing me a favour and smashing these guys? I'll make some clones to deal with the rest." Whether it's agreed upon or not, she begins performing hand seals of Kage Bunshin, and soon enough two more Usagi stand by her side.

Defence 27 (I get a +2 deflection form my sword, but it isn't drawn, and my speed ranks aren't active)
I take [roll0] damage to summon 2 kage bunshin

[Cespenar]

"Tch." Juri clicks her tongue in dissatisfaction at her initial targets not going down. "Lucky bastards. You get to live five more seconds."

She fires twice more, with her clones doing the same.

Regular full attack. Attack the wounded first, and move along in a logical manner.

Hit Points: 52/56
Chakra Pool: 47/52
Chakra Reserve: 13/25
Armour Class: 30
Ongoing Effects: Byakugan (5th round), Kage Bunshin (6/80), Speed Rank 2 (2/5), Eagle Eye Stance

The clones don't seem to get mastercraft bonuses. Rectifying that.

Also, I think Juri still might get her Sneak Attack, because of the -30 Spot penalty the range gives to the enemies, and they ultimately failing to see her even with a DC 0.

Juri
[roll0] + 4 from action point
[roll1] + [roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4] + [roll5]

Clone A
[roll6]
[roll7]

[roll8]
[roll9]

Clone B
[roll10]
[roll11]

[roll12]
[roll13]

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Juri's bullets, and those of her clones, strike home and take out two guards on an upper level gun tower. Both soldiers have their armor blown open as the .50 rounds create exit wounds the size of cantaloupes.

Florenz' clones pop out quickly and efficiently as the rabbit-kin divides her essence to create "real" bunshin. The comm-chatter from the enemy picks up immediately. "We've got a ninja at the south door!"

"We lost two biometric signatures. Get inside and don't expose yourself. Focus on that ninja first, then kill the others."

The enemy responds to Florenz' display of mystical abilities by focusing their fire on her. Several enemy soldiers appear from the aisles created by the large shelves. Her clones are able to spot the enemy on the second floor catwalk as they move to providing supporting fire for their friends.

Floor One
http://i.imgur.com/S9N6n.png

Floor Two
http://i.imgur.com/SpJ8g.png

The second floor is 30ft above the first.

Juri - 20
Florenz - 14
Enemies - 6
Kasuka - 3

G1 - Five foot steps, then full-attacks Clone F1.
Attack Roll: [roll0]
Damage Roll: [roll1]

G2 - Moves, then attacks Clone F1
Attack Roll: [roll2]
Damage Roll: [roll3]

G3 - Moves, then attacks Clone F1
Attack Roll: [roll4]
Damage Roll: [roll5]

G4 - Moves, then attacks Clone F2
Attack Roll: [roll6]
Damage Roll: [roll7]

G5 - Moves, then attacks Clone F2
Attack Roll: [roll8]
Damage Roll: [roll9]

G6 - Moves, then readies an action
G7 - Moves, then readies an action

G8 - Five foot steps, then autofires at Clone F1, F2, and Florenz herself.
Attack Roll vs Defense 10: [roll10].
If that hits, then F1, F2, and Florenz need to make a DC 15 Reflex Save or take [roll11] points of damage.

G9 - Five-foot steps then readies an action.
G10 - Five-foot steps then readies an action.

The other soldiers move around as well. Juri is now unable to see anyone on the gun towers, but is still able to fire on guys inside the first floor of the warehouse.

[Princess Tracy]

"Ow!" yelps one of Florenz's clones as she's struck, popping and turning into the smoke that spawned her while the remaining clone and the original duck and weave pact bullets, even if just barely in the clone's case. Damn, I was careless, getting involved in a firefight...

"Gnh, can't believe I actually drew their fire for ya..." Usagi comments, landing on the ball of her foot and swooping around. She switches between speaking through her own body and her clone with every few words, making the original impossible to determine simply. "Backup, eh... any chance of extraction by then?" she whispers into her mic. "Swordsman, back me up!"

[Bad Situation]

Kasuka says nothing when the rabbitkin requests his backup, but dashes into the room in a blur of silver and black, weaving through the gunfire until he is upon one of their would be gunners. Silently, he lashes out with his dark iron blade all the while staring past the man with his shaded visors.

Status
Hit Points: 51/69
Chakra Pool: 36/41
Chakra Reserve: 26/26
Armour Class: 28
Ongoing Effects: Spd Rank 1 (2/5), Helm Splitter Stance, Charge

Actions
Standard Action Attack~!
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: (3d6+8)[20] [Repost from the OoC Thread] (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14508839&postcount=256)

[Cespenar]

"Let me see if I can give you a hand," Juri mumbles, and shoots at a guard through the warehouse wall as best as she can see with Ray's HUD.

All the while her two clones begin to descend the tower as if taking a silent order from somewhere, and move towards the building from the east.

Full attacking G7. Blind firing probably negates Sneak Attack, and induces a 50% miss chance. Or am I mistaken?

Hit Points: 52/56
Chakra Pool: 45/52
Chakra Reserve: 13/25
Armour Class: 30
Ongoing Effects: Kage Bunshin (7/80), Speed Rank 2 (3/5), Eagle Eye Stance

Since Juri shoots by HUD now, she wouldn't need the Byakugan, I think. So she shuts it down after shooting. Also, the clones use Kinobori to climb down, and eventually climb up the warehouse. 1x2 chakra for two Kinobori.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

I don't know how long would it take the clones to reach the warehouse's roof with running, so you can decide that, ZN.

[Princess Tracy]

"Well, might as well draw some fire..." Florenz hangs back, remaining in the shadow of the warehouse, hidden, as she performs the technique again.

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu again - this time for 2 clones ([roll0])

Meanwhile, her remaining, visible clone bursts forward, heading into the warehouse and striking one of the guards.

Unleash speed rank 2.
Clone charges the furthest enemy it can reach (within 160 feet)
[roll1]
[roll2]

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The enemy converges on the rear attackers by unleashing a hail of bullets. All of them are aimed at Florenz's clones.

One of the shots from that colossal sniper rifle Juri uses strikes true, and the target's brains splatter across the wall like spaghetti. Kasuka slices his target clean in half, and one of Florenz' clones hit their mark.

The dull sound of metal hitting metal announces Natalie's arrival onto the field. Juri suppressing her Byakugan makes it impossible to see what happened, but it's obvious from the camera feed being fed into the group's HUD that she's alone. The massive woman totes her giant minigun around as if it were made of styrofoam, but the bullets it fires are quite real. The high-pitched whine of her gun announces a volley of bullets being shot through the forward guard.

Ray chimes in immediately. "Looks like Lt. Wildner and Pvt. Albach are goners. Their telemetry is coming back negative. I can't patch through to the cameras on their helmets, so... Headshots, I think? Or something destroyed their helmets. Juri, can you take a look around? Looks like the enemy reinforcements are gonna show up in two minutes. Bravetail is bringing in another squad, but they're gonna be about half a minute late."

More enemy radio chatter comes through your comm-units. "Brodrick is coming in with the Wordbearers. We'll extract everyone then. Hold out, copy?"

An unfamiliar voice that hadn't spoken over the radio until then responds. "Negative. We have what we need. Tell the Wordbearers to drop the hammer and kill everyone there. Heed the Word even unto death, brothers and sisters."

What comes next is a mixture of fear, surprise, and acceptance. Ray cuts through and speaks to the group directly. "I dunno what the hammer is, but it sounds like they're going to blow the whole place up. I'll start researching these Wordbearers and this Brodrick. But for now we've got two choices: We can pull out and leave the senator to die, or continue with the mission. Since the C.O. is out it's your call. But... Try not to get killed out there."

Level 1
http://i.imgur.com/rsozF.png
Level 2
http://i.imgur.com/hYqo9.png

G1 vs F1
Attack Roll: [roll0]
Damage Roll: [roll1]

G2 vs F1
Attack Roll: [roll2]
Damage Roll: [roll3]

G3 vs F1
Attack Roll: [roll4]
Damage Roll: [roll5]

G9 vs F1
Attack Roll: [roll6]
Damage Roll: [roll7]

G5 vs F2
Attack Roll: [roll8]
Damage Roll: [roll9]

G6 vs F2
Attack Roll: [roll10]
Damage Roll: [roll11]

G8 vs F2
Attack Roll: [roll12]
Damage Roll: [roll13]

G10 vs F2
Attack Roll: [roll14]
Damage Roll: [roll15]

Natalie's Initiative: [roll16]

Natalie's First Attack: [roll17]
Damage: [roll18]

Natalie's Second Attack: [roll19]
Damage: [roll20]

[Cespenar]

Juri curses softly.

They were dead? This soon into the operation?

...

Could the enemy have deployed their own ninja as well?

She gets up, and heads north with a determined look on her face. When Ray mentions the imminent destruction and asks about their decision though, she sounds like her own familiar self.

"I'd normally say we let the scumbag (he is a senator, right?) rot, but I get enough reprimands as it is, and too many of them might hurt my pay."

She lets out a giant sigh.

"Let's at least try to earn our dollars, I guess. Right, boys?"

Since we're still in combat, it will take some time for Juri to re-position and open her Byakugan, if I'm not mistaken. Move action to stand up from prone, and another move action to move 55 feet north.

Hit Points: 52/56
Chakra Pool: 45/52
Chakra Reserve: 13/25
Armour Class: 28
Ongoing Effects: Kage Bunshin (8/80), Speed Rank 2 (4/5)

[Bad Situation]

Kasuka's eyes widen at the implication, snapping his head to the stairs in recognition. Trepidation fills his heart when he realizes his failure. Shaking with a barely contained rage he seethes into his mic. The comm crackles to life when he answers Juri's question. "The senator's life takes precedence over ours. We will not try. The success of the mission will occur even if it must be over my lifeless husk."

Forming half seals, Kasuka runs for the stairs skidding to a half halfway and unleashes a torrent of electric on the hapless guards. "Usagi, locate the senator while I draw fire away from you. We will not let the deaths of our comrades be in vain."


Status
Hit Points: 51/69
Chakra Pool: 32/41
Chakra Reserve: 22/26
Armour Class: 28
Ongoing Effects: Spd Rank 1 (3/5), Helm Splitter Stance

Actions
Swift Action:
Tap Reserves (4) DC 17
Chakra Control: Succeeds even on a 1.

Move Action:
Down 4 and 1 right of G5.

Attack Action:
Elemental Beatdown: Rank Three
Targeting: G5 and G6
Chakra Cost: 4+4 (Empower)
Damage: [roll0]
Reflex Half DC 20

[Princess Tracy]

"Hm. I really don't intend to die for some old fart, but I suppose I have to earn my keep. Let's do this quick now..."

Florenz's clone swings her blade to repel some melee, then dashes for the basement door, intending to hit the lights, or at least draw some fire.

Florenz herself springs from the shadows, running forward then jumping with the incredible force only a rabbitkin speedster was capable of. "Leap for the Moon: DOUBLE JUMP!" she proclaims happily, summmoning her chakra in midair, suddenly pushing herself up at the height of her arc, aiming to hit teh deck of the catwalks.

First vertical jump [roll0] - if that doesn't beat the DC, she'll use her technique to push herself a 'little' further

Use flying monkey, of course

Second vertical jump [roll1]

Doing her best to keep her composure, she tries to immerse herself in the shadow of the catwalk itself

Stealth [roll2] (any penalty from the jump isn't accounted for_

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Florenz leaps over the railing and tries her best to hide, but when the five guards up there turn to face her it's fairly obvious that things aren't quite working out. Down the catwalk Florenz can see a thin man in a pressed and tailored suit being held at gunpoint by a soldier. The soldier shouts at the rabbitkin as soon as she leaps up. "That's far enough! Any closer and I shoot him." The soldier waves his pistol at the senator's head to prove his point.

Down below, the other Wordists open fire on Kasuka while Florenz' clones run for the basement.


First Floor
http://i.imgur.com/EozyP7u.png

Second Floor
http://i.imgur.com/CR1iwZI.png

G1
Attack vs Kasuka: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Attack vs Kasuka: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

G2
Attack vs Kasuka: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

Attack vs Kasuka: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

G3
Attack vs Kasuka: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9]

Attack vs Kasuka: [roll10]
Damage: [roll11]

8, 9, and 10 all ready some actions.

[Princess Tracy]

Florenz looks to be in a bit of a huff. "Didn't exactly stick the landing now, did I..." she comments as the guards brandish their guns. At their demand, she smiles. "What do I look like to you, a model citizen?"

Her clone downstairs stops, spinning around, then follows a similar route to the original. With a mighty leap, she intends to grab the botttom of the railing on the catwalk, to better hide herself in the shadows before vaulting onto catwalk to approach the senator, unseen.

Remaining clone uses a super jump!
[roll0] vs DC 52 - unlike the original, the clone has no intention of overshooting the jump, and instead grabs the ledge

If she still has actions left, she hides in the shadows and climbs onto the catwalk, far more stealthily than the original. (hopefully)
Stealth [roll1]

The clone will use her entire next turn moving into position to grab the senator.

Meanwhile, the original gathers her chakra as she focuses. "I don't suppose any of you gentleman would care to call off 'the hammer'? Why, the imminence of death might just make me desperate enough to try something stupid. Like, wouldn't it be funny if I just kicked you over the rail right now?" she asks of the closest gun-toting guard.

Florenz performs Tree Climbing technique

Wits check to distract [roll2]

[Cespenar]

Following the situation via the HUD, Juri calls out to her unicom.

"Usagi-kun, I can get that guy if you want," she offers in a hushed, sing-along voice.

[Princess Tracy]

"I'd say I have this," Usagi cryptically states in response to Juri. There's a lot of them up here, taking out one isn't going to cut it. But I could use the distraction for when I launch my master plan... "If you don't lighten up I guess I'll have to shoot one of you on my way out."

Secret Message pass: Wits [roll0] (auto-succeeds)

'When i grab the senator, shoot one of the ones adjacent to him so I can escape in the chaos.'

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Florenz thinks she's successfully pulled off her distraction. The senator speaks up in a brusque tone of voice. "Just kill them. My life is meaningless if---" He's whacked on the back of his head by his captor, and the senator goes quiet and limp as he falls unconscious.

The man holding the senator hostage waves his gun at Florenz. "You guys can't just go at me if I have this shield. So just let us leave or I'll shoot him!"

[Princess Tracy]

Florenz eyes the senator oddly as he orders her, and even twitches like she's going to make a move. When the hostage taker reiterates his threat, Florenz shakes her head. "Tut tut. Why of why did the senator have to turn out to be an honourable man. It would be wrong of me to let you kill him now I suppose. Though don't think holding him makes you any less of a target". Florenz taps her mic, confirming a simple instruction.

'I'll keep them distracted. Line up your sights and take out the one holding the senator; I'll be ready by then.'

Meanwhile, true to her plan, Florenz's clone moves into position.

Florenz's clone subtly grabs the senator while remaining in the shadows. She readies an action - as soon as the hostage taker is shot, she'll heave the senator and jump off the catwalk.

Meanwhile, Florenz does her best to keep the distraction going. "Hey, believe me, matey, I don't want to die here either. But my associates her, they wouldn't take too kindly if I just snuck off you see. With my record I'm on probation at best - I'm working off a bounty that's probably worth more than every wordist in this room. So how about you just give me the senator and I'll let you escape. Hell, I'll even keep the electro-swordsman and mini-gun-giant down there distracted while you sneak off - you don't mean anything to me, I only barely care for my mission." Usagi didn't care much about her team mates hearing her over her microphone. After all, she'd pulled this gambit more than a few times in plain sight, and hadn't once yet actually betrayed anyone - it was just her reputation, to act less trustworthy than she is.

Wits [roll0] to bluff
Interaction to convince [roll1] (lol)

[Cespenar]

With Usagi's hint, Juri stops in her tracks to direct her spear-like rifle again to the warehouse, and takes a breath to compose herself.

"I hope that was implied at me, dear, because I'm sending the package regardless."

With her second hint Juri exhales, and simultaneously takes the shot.

First round: Move action to move north, standard action to open Byakugan.

Second round: Kyujutsu: Tsukeme at the guy.

[roll0] + 5

[roll1] + 4
[roll2] + 18

Added in the bonuses as per the post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14572784&postcount=284) from OOC.

Hit Points: 52/56
Chakra Pool: 34/52
Chakra Reserve: 13/25
Armour Class: 30
Action Points: 9/11
Ongoing Effects: Kage Bunshin (10/80), Byakugan (2/2), Speed Rank 2 (1/5)

[Bad Situation]

Kasuka is quiet for the longest time, having forcibly cut himself off from the comm channels. After the brief silence, his familiar voice buzzes in with a dark whisper, "The Senator's life takes precedence. I will remain on the ground floor and clear out the gunmen for a safe extraction. Do not do anything that would put the man into any undue danger."

Status
Hit Points: 51/69
Chakra Pool: 23/41
Chakra Reserve: 22/26
Armour Class: 28
Ongoing Effects: Spd Rank 1 (4/5), Helm Splitter Stance

Actions
Instant Action:
Shundou (Avoid)
Perform: +28 Result. Succeeds even on a 1.
Chakra Cost: 3 ("Empower")
Move 15' forward.

Full-Attack Action:
Five Foot Step Forward
Target: G3
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Swift Action:
Heroic Surge

Attack Action:
Elemental Beatdown: Rank Three
Target(s): G1 and G2
Chakra Cost: 4+2 (Empower)
Damage: [roll4]
Reflex Half DC 20

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Juri's shot takes the hostage holder between the eyes, and drops him immediately. The other guards are a bit too confused to react, and Florenz is capable of saving the senator. Kasuka effortlessly kills three of the men downstairs--though his second slash misses its target. But before the fight can continue a powerful explosion rocks the building. Immediately the enemy starts to evacuate, and the group hears the frantic voice of Ray over their headsets. "They set a bomb! It was in the basement! I don't--Maybe it was set the leader's--But--Just get out of there!" Another explosion punctuates Ray's words as the building shudders and groans. A plume of flame shoots up out of the floor and incinerates a large number of enemy soldiers. Sgt. Starkweather trundles out of the northern exit quickly, but as soon as she heads through the door it collapses into a pile of ruined metal rubble.

The building groans loudly once more, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it's going to collapse soon.

Florenz and Kasuka have 1 round to get out of the building before it collapses. This is pretty easy for Kasuka, but heres hoping the rabbit can get out.

[Cespenar]

Juri, alarmed though from the explosion, focuses his attention and sight to the front of the warehouse, trying to see what or who killed her colleagues.

[Princess Tracy]

Florenz's clone swipes the Senator, running to jump from the ledge as soon as the bullet hits the stupid soldier, but of course she stops dead in her tracks at the explosion. She doesn't even wait to hear the update- she'd seen this sort of trick before. She'd probably PLAYED this sort of trick before. "SWORDSMAN, I have the Senator! Can you do me a favour and blow a hole in the ceiling for me to jump through?" Failing that, she'd just have to run for it and try and squueze off a wind jutsu to cushion her fall so she could keep running

[Bad Situation]

Kasuke buzzes in through the commlink and gives his thoughts. "I can try. I will throw all of my chakra into this attack. Make sure you make the most of it. I do not have enough time to use it a second time." Taking a deep breath, Kasuka looks up at the roof and begins molding chakra around his LDISOT issue Ninja-to. In a sharp release of breath he whips the blade toward the heavens and throws the potent chakra surrounding his blade into the very roof of the building. Before he lets the energy loose however, he says something very casually into his mic. "You might want to cover your ears. That is, if you at all enjoy your hearing ability."

Status
Hit Points: 51/69
Chakra Pool: 6/41
Chakra Reserve: 18/26
Armour Class: 28
Ongoing Effects: Spd Rank 1 (5/5), Helm Splitter Stance

Actions
Swift Action:
Tap Reserves (4) DC 17
Chakra Control: Succeeds even on a 1.

Attack Action: Lightning Stab
Damage: [roll0]
Chakra Cost: 7
Empower: 14

Move Action:
Get the hell out of dodge.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Kasuka's blast of chakra hits the roof, and the thin metal explodes into shrapnel. The glittering metal falls like snow, and add an element of danger to the situation. Now Florenz needs to avoid the falling debris whilst keeping the senator alive as well, all while escaping the blast radius with her life.

Florenz can either make a Reflex Save(DC 20) or take [roll0] points of slashing damage. If she chooses to make a Reflex Save, then the Senator needs one as well. If she chooses to take the damage, then she can shield the senator's body with her own.

Either way: It's a 20ft leap up to the broken roof.

[Princess Tracy]

At Kasuka's last minute advice, Florenz has just enough time to tuck her ears into her suit. Those big floppy things would be ill suited to such a racket, after all. Peering at the result, she frowns briefly. I was hoping he'd carve out something less deadly, but there ya go. Making her way along the catwalk, her clone, senator in hand sprints up behind her as she quickly ponders some no doubt genius escape plan. Okay, my clone will jump up, shield the senator with her body, and by the time she bursts into smoke he'll be clear of the sharpnel - then I'll just slip past it all and catch him in midair like a BAUS. No, wait, that won't work because... Ooh, what if I use a wind technique to blow the debri away? No, then I won't have enough time to save myself.

Before she can put the finishing touches on another bad idea, a shockwave almost shakes the catwalk away form under her feet and she is forced to atc on a spur of the moment. Sure, behaving recklessly and all that was fine, she usually just winged it, but USUALLY, she was fighting for herself or Noma or sensei or her crew, not this law-abiding stranger. It was against her instincts, really, and she had to constantly force herself on with remembering Noma's life hung in the balance of her service.

Before she knows it, her arms are wrapped around the senator and she's flying through the air, shielding him as best she can. Grunting as she's pierced, she gathers her chakra for her second jump - shouting n defiance of the pain, "RABBIT STYLE: TEWI MOON-LEAP!" Her shadow passes through the night sky and she winces as she triesto observe the collapsing building behind and below her

Florenz makes no Reflex Save and takes the full damage.

Florenz double jumps with Flying Monkey! [roll0]

She'll use Bird Wing on her next round to avoid falling damage.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Kasuka is able to easily escape the building due to his speed. Starkweather escaped as well, and the only people who were trapped inside were Wordists--or already dead.

Florenz successfully shields the senator from harm, and escapes the falling roof. Unfortunately she's still on the building as it collapses, because she elected to leap upward instead of doing something sensible like simply running out of the building. Florenz and the senator start falling as the roof gives way underneath them. Luckily the rabbitkin has a technique allowing them to fall slowly, or else the senator likely would have died when they hit the ground.

The building itself collapses into a pile of rubble as tall as two average-sized men. Both Kasuka and Florenz can see Starkweather standing near a pair of dead bodies wearing standard LDISOT armor. The Lt. and the Pvt. were both laying in a pool of their own blood. Their bodies--and armor--have several bulletholes in them where the enemy shot them. However it is unlikely that those wounds were what killed them. Not because those kind of injuries weren't lethal, but because their helmets are sporting very large exit wounds where the metal has been ripped and twisted like paper. The Lt.'s exit wound is where his visor would have been, and the Pvt's exit wound is out of the left side of her helmet.

Neither of their heads are recognizable, so whatever shot them clearly had to be a very high caliber weapon. Regardless, Sgt. Starkweather moves over to both Florenz and Kasuka. She's breathing rather heavily, and seems to be carrying her gun slightly lower than normal. "I have two casualties: Both KIA." She's hard and to the point. Much different than the nervous panicky woman she'd been when the mission had started. "Any word from Ray about extraction? My comm got shot."

As if to demonstrate she holds up a tiny card computer, and sure enough it has a thick indent where it miraculously deflected a bullet.

[Cespenar]

"See a bad guy. Sniper with white hair, disappeared into the apartment north of your position."

She gives the exact location info to Ray to upload and update the HUD.

"Leave the cargo with the sarge, and be quick. He is getting away as we speak."

Juri continues to run north, landhopping atop buildings if need be.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Ray does not relay the information to the others. "You can't go chasing him Juri. That helicopter is only a minute and thirty seconds, and if you leave Natalie on her own then she'll just get killed when they show up. You need to stick together, and dragging an unconscious civilian into a gun fight sounds like a bad idea."

[Bad Situation]

With a long, embittered sigh, the masked swordsman disappears his blade into its 'sheathe. Throughout this, his eyes linger on the now lifeless forms of the Lieutenant and Private longer than is necessary, silent and immobile save for the nigh imperceptible shuddering of his shoulders. Through the commlink, the others can hear Kasuka take in many long deep breaths. Strange, given that the swordsman was usually quite good at keeping his unnecessary noises from patching through the radio. Finally, forcing the shaking and fidgeting forces to a calm, Kasuka snaps his vision to the direction pointed out by Juri. Eventually he speaks but instead of the familiar buzz of their comms, he snaps open his visor to more adequately voice his intensity. "I will pursue him then. Alone. I will not leave loose ends on this mission if I can help it." The words come out as a dark growl, thick and dripping with venom.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Ray's voice comes over the group's comms once more. "I can't stop you from chasing him, even if it is a bad idea. But I can tell you that you'll need to find some way to transport the senator if you do go after him. It's simply too dangerous to leave him where a gunfight is likely to break out, and if you have control of the situation then at least you can minimize his exposure to firefights. So if you're planning to chase, then find a vehicle or transport nearby."

[Princess Tracy]

Florenz plumets through the air with the senator in hand. For just a moment, she releases him to form a hand-seal, forming a concentrated cyclone from her chakra to slow to a near-halt before grasping him again. She hadn't been sure she'd be able to get out of the building before the roof fell on top of her if she'd more safely dismounted from the catwalk.

Her foot finding earth, she loses her focus on her technique, collapsing to her side as she pants, cushioning the senator with herself against the potentially jagged remains of the warehouse. She remains there for a bit, feeling at her wounds uncertainly and panting until the comm chatter picks up. Picking herself up and dragging the senator over her shoulder, she limps out of the wreckage trying not to think about the unnecessary damage she caused herself as she approaches the Giant. "Got 'im. Think that was their only bomb? Hope so." She speaks briefly, pivoting on her feet from the bloodloss the roof had gashed out of her. "An extract and a medic would be nice."

Getting caught up on the other assassins' situation, Florenz's ears perk up and she seeks to regain some of her composure, clearing her throat. "Wait, hold on there, cowboy," she warns, mustering a weak smile. "I'm a sage-damned master of the old ninja ways - including tracking. If you want this guy pursued, you could use my help."

[Cespenar]

"Usagi-kun, try to arrange a getaway for the sergeant and the senator, and then catch up with us. I'd suggest overtaking a nearby vehicle like Ray said. Ray, pull me some plans of the assassin's building and the ones around him, and assist Usagi and the sergeant with their escape route. Kasuka, move. I'll be supporting."

"And what about Bravetail's squad?"

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Natalie looks to Kasuka and Florenz with obvious and justified confusion given that she can't hear half of the conversation going on. "We can't take this guy", she motions to the unconscious senator slung over Florenz' shoulder, "with us if we're gonna go chasing somebody."

When Juri requests information from Ray the young child responds plainly. "No. This is a bad idea, and I won't help you put yourselves in danger. If you wanna put your lives on the line to pursue this guy, that's your choice. But I'd report you to Bravetail before I helped you get yourselves shot for nothing."

[Princess Tracy]

Florenz notes Natalie's confusement, and stands on the tip of her paws feet, craning her neck and indicating in invitation to her ear. If you press your ear against my earpiece, maybe you can listen in, is what's obviously being conveyed as she smiles friendly-like.

When Ray puts his foot down, Usagi shrugs a little, careful not to disturb the senator too much. "Hey, I'm just trying to be helpful - if something's worth doing wrong, it's worth doing right, I say. But hey, maybe you're right. I got a kid back home to take care of." She half expects a 'rabbit with ONLY ONE kid' joke, despite the more pleasant company before proceeding quickly to override such a thing. "I suppose I've earned my keep for the day by rescuing the senator without blundering into some Sniper Den. Well okay then, if we're extracting, what have you got to get us away before the Wordists decide they'd like to go for round two?"

Addressing Juri, she asks "What did this guy look like, anyway? Might know 'im." It wasn't stated tha usagi was a pirate (well, former pirate CAPTAIN) but it wasn't much of a mystery that she had SOME shady connections.

[Bad Situation]

Kasuka trembles in place, unusually silent. Not being able to pursue was paining him, and being reigned in with the threat of authoritative action. Disobedience would invariably reach Mayumi. He couldn't have that. Never. Eventually the rational voice in his head decides to speak up, "Pick your fights. It is already too late for those who have passed." He did not like the voice very much. It was too concerned about his well being that anybody rightly should.

People deserved to be mourned. Living, breathing entities who had identities and lives of their own. Faceless corpses on the other hand were better left forgotten on the battlefield. And what was he, if not a walking corpse.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Kasuka snaps the visor back and turns back to Natalie and the others. "Awaiting further orders," comes his dull monotone.

[Cespenar]

Juri shakes her head in disappointment. The swordsman at least had looked like he might agree with her, but it turned out he was just a puppet after all, tied by strings of authority and threats.

"Tell mother then." she replies to Ray, snorting derisively. "But I'd only die if you don't help me."

"Cheers, friends." She salutes her companions from the top of the building, probably just a silhouette to them, and heads to flank the building she last saw the sniper in. She also redirects her clones, wherever they are, to the building as well.

[Princess Tracy]

Florenz is actually surprised to see Juri head off. "Huh. Someone more rebellious than me. I guess I have to commend that." Moaning from the strain on her gashed muscles, she passes the Senator to Kasuka. "Hang on. Try and get some evac arranged, I'm going to go make sure she doesn't get herself hurt. I know I'll be fine."

Florenz runs to where Juri was, using as much of her speed as possible to pursue. When she catches up with Juri with her likely superior speed, she hops into the sniper's shadow. "Don't take too long, alright?" she intones, hopefully. "I'm leaving the swordsman hanging after convincing him to simmer down. Even the dumbest pirate around knows to engage his targets as briskly as possible, and to bring friends. Friends with big guns and big muscles." Unseen, Florenz retrieves her own guns, an automatic rifle in case it's needed.

[ZeroNumerous]

Juri and Florenz

Juri and Florenz make it to the building in thirty seconds at speed. The building in question is a large-sized residential tower designed to stuff as many undesirables as possible together. Finding any one individual in this building, no matter how distinctive, would be an absolutely epic undertaking.

Trace and Cespenar: You're free to make any checks that you think are appropriate.

Kasuka

Natalie just watches the two of them leave, and makes no effort to follow. She looks to Kasuka, and seems to be back to her demure self. "What're they going after? And what are we gonna do now?"

Ray's voice comes through Kasuka's comm. "Well, I'll send the information to Bravetail. I'm not sure even Juri will get off this time. Securing the senator is still our top priority."

[Princess Tracy]

"See what I mean? Sniper pit. Now come on, they might still be planning on carpet bombing this place, let's take off while we can, eh?" With that, Florenz grabs Juri by her collar, intending to drag her if need be. "If we leave now, you might be able to keep your life AND your rank, soldier girl." I wouldn't have this kind of insubordination on my ship, but I guess I don't have the authority to toss mischief makers out the airlock anymore.

Speaking into her headset, she gives some instruction to Kasuka. "Unless you're a couple of fools, I'll assume you've left the senator to whoever can run fastest with his weight and started the sprint away. I've snagged Juri, I'll meet you at, say. THESE coordinates." Florenz goes ahead of Juri to help spread the weight with Kasuka before they continue sprinting to safe ground. If between the two of them they can't run with the senator, Florenz will make 2 shadow clones and take off at max speed.

[Bad Situation]

Tapping his comm to reply, Kasuka answers directly and in a dry monotone that Ray might recognize as Kasuka's 'all business' mode. "Ray. Coordinates to the nearest extraction zones. Give me a rundown of what I can expect on the way there. When I have selected a path, forward this information to Juri and the Rabbitkin."

Turning to Natalie he gestures for the man in her arms. "We will move together. I will carry the senator. Keep your eyes out for any signs of danger and inform me of them through our commlink. Depending on the situation we will trade positions. Refrain from firing your gun if at all possible. Are we clear?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Kasuka

Natalie nods, then turns over the senator. "I can do that, but my comm-link is broken." She points to the discarded card computer laying on the ground nearby that had served as her communication link with Ray and the group.

Ray merely points Kasuka to the same area they had originally been dropped off at. "We were planning to extract after the enemy was eliminated, so that's the only LZ we had. But there's a flat-topped building nearby that could serve as an LZ if you think there's too many hostiles back at the first LZ. I'll relay the info to Bravetail regardless of which spot you pick, but he's been heading toward the original LZ so you might delay him a bit by changing locales." Ray uploads coordinates to both places to Kasuka's HUD. The original LZ wouldn't be defensible as it was a simple rooftop with little cover. The secondary LZ is a small parking garage, and it would be fairly easy to stay inside until extraction arrives. But that might slowdown the extraction team. Aside from that, Ray also uploads several smaller buildings that could serve as defensible LZes, but they're all civilian residential towers.

[Cespenar]

Juri looks around the residential building, irritated, and doesn't resist when Florenz starts to drag her back to their current mission. She couldn't hope to find the guy without the rabbitkin's tracking skills and Ray's help anyway. And she was probably going to be reprimanded now, for naught.

"Tch." Juri clicks her tongue irritatedly, but doesn't press on.

"Revert to the second LZ," she mumbles some time later, when Ray explains their options. "Also, I'm flattered, Usagi-kun, but you can let me go now."

[Bad Situation]

"The second landing zone then. A few minutes delay will mean nothing if we bring the senator under fire," comes Kasuka's confident reply. "Tell the Colonel not to spare any expense getting here as quick as possible. With over half the team...unavailable, we are rather short handed at the moment."

Jerking his head at Natalie he says, "Let's go."

[Princess Tracy]

Florenz shrugs, deciding on the second landing zone. "I guess he'd probably get madder if we didn't defend this senator properly and his life does seem to have priority over our own." She let's Juri leading the way, wondering if the human girl was any more comfortable than she was with the concept of being insignificant as part of an order. She tries to excise her internal comparisons to slavery. Even in 'old' age, there was only so much wisdom can override early life

Backstory to be finalised in morning

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Kasuka, Natalie, Florenz, and Juri are able to get to the second LZ without any trouble. It seems the surviving Wordists are either too scattered to put up any resistance, or too scared to engage the LDISOT members. However, when they get within sight range of the parking garage--a four story building made of concrete with open air slots in the walls--A loud engine noise interrupts them. Looking up and to the north the LDISOT officers can see a black dot in the distance speeding toward them very quickly. Ray's voice comes over the comm. "Uh, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like the Wordists are gonna be there a lot earlier than I thought. They're only thirty seconds out, and it looks like they're in a gunship."

Ray brings up a video on your HUDs of the the gunship (http://i.imgur.com/nZoM7a3.jpg) passing by a camera. "That looks like a T13 Myrmidon gunship. Four laser cannons, an anti-personnel chaingun, and two missile launchers. You've gotta get the senator to safety, but if that thing is still in the air then there's no way you're gonna be able to extract him."

Natalie, Kasuka, Juri, and Florenz have 5 rounds before the Myrmidon arrives. They can make it to the roof of the parking garage in five rounds, or elect to try something else. Getting to the parking garage itself will take up a round of movement, and each floor you go up takes a round of movement.

The garage (https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRZ_cHd1r4JnDdpoiJv5UJt3bevGQGoz U7NbZN2iePtSjgl8pmBAg) is a pretty standard parking garage.

[Bad Situation]

Taking the senator anywhere near the gunship was tantamount to failure, he knew. Even trained operatives would have trouble dealing with a Myrmidon on such short notice. But then, they weren't just any trained operatives were they? Opening up the commlink, Kasuka quickly asks a series of questions. "Ray, can you determine if there's a pilot in the gunship? If not, can you confirm that it is being operated remotely?" The swordsman, admittedly, knew very little about computers but if there was a chance that the thing could be tampered with then their handler would know best. But then, it always hurt to put your eggs into one basket.

"Juri, do you know offhand the the construction details of the T13? Barring any unforeseen circumstances can your eyes and sniper rounds penetrate the armored plating of the Myrmidon?" Pilot or no, nothing short of Heavy Dark Iron could stop a determined sniper and what was Juri if not determined? "Lazy. Insubordinate. Pernicious. A dangerous element for Mayumi's organization." Whether their adversaries had the resources to construct a vehicle of such immense cost was beyond him however. "Rabbit, you're the quickest of our number. Would you be able to get to the roof of the parking garage ahead of us? Having your disguised clones serve as distractions will buy us some time to prepare a response."

"Natalie, the sound of your gunfire will attract unnecessary attention to the senator. Avoid shooting around him as best you can or extract yourself from his presence to hide his location. I leave the decision up to you in that case."

And as for himself...

He'd sent gunships crashing down to the ground before. He still had the chakra for his elemental jutsu after all. Challenging the very natural order of the world was tantamount to failure, he knew.

[Cespenar]

Juri replies with a confident tone despite her recent blunder. What it takes to faze the Hyuuga, it wasn't still certain.

"I don't know much about the T13, but I don't think many armors can defend against what I'm packing, now." She pauses then for a second, though, and seriousness creeps into her voice.

"But we should make sure to avoid its fire nonetheless. I don't know about you guys, but I won't have my new jacket riddled with chaingun fire."

She produces a large magazine from her belt, one with a slightly darker color than the others, and swaps it with the one already in the rifle. She grins to the others briefly when the box fits in with a satisfying noise.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Natalie nods. "I-Is that what that noise is? I.. I can get away from the senator just fine, but where are we gonna stash him? We goota get rid of that thing somehow!"

When Kasuka questions Ray he gets an odd static-y response. "W--... --ar y-- ... c-- ... rep-- ... nit!" Something is jamming your communications, and it seems Ray is unavailable at the moment.

[Princess Tracy]

Florenz tuts at the radio static. "Oh good, no info to work off of and our best plan is for me to draw fire. If that thing has any sort of machine gun, it'll grind me to mulch - I used a lot of life force to power my clones." Florenz looks around for a decent vantage point, wondering if there was any creative way to take down the aircraft. Her tree walking technique was still active and she could rather dependably sprint and leap.

Florenz sighs, remembering her place. "...Fine, okay. What'll we do with the senator though? We need to get him some cover. Sarge, what's the odds of... no never mind, if you start hailing fire, it'll draw attention to the senator if you're carrying him." She looks over he building at hand. "Well, it's a parking lot, essentially - anyone know how to jack a car? I'll stand and draw some fire if need be, but only within the reasonable limit you can give me before you spring into action," she informs them, and begins melding chakra for more techniques

[Princess Tracy]

Nodding finally, she decides to trust her companions as she vaults up the side of the parking lot and summons more clones. "I hope you know what you're doing"

Spend a few rounds getting to top (kinobori active), then summon 3 clones, with [roll0] damage to self. If there's enough time, Florenz hides in the shadow of one of her clones (stealth [roll1]) and has her clones transform to match teh appearance of sarge, Kasuka and the senator, the first two standing in front of and protecting the latter. The Kasuka clone draws her sword and the sarge clone draws her assault rifle

Initiative [roll2]

[Bad Situation]

Kasuka nods, folding the Senator under his arm and looking toward the parking garage. "Then I will take care of the Senator on my own. Natalie, you are to maintain some distance away from me and provide me with covering fire at your own discretion. Rabbit. Juri. You know your orders. But stick close, Bravetail will be here soon enough."