[Nexus Plot] Corona War Climax! HALO vs. Aleph Riders!

[Beans]

((Yes, the title had to be ridiculous, like some sort of Japanese summer movie for a franchise based on toy sales.))
As the team comes through, they'll find themselves on the outskirts of what looks to be some sort of fort town, too much concrete and rust and overgrown patches of weeds. It's the middle of the day, it seems, overcast but not so much that it stops them from seeing the main bulk of the fort a ways off, a hulking tower of ramparts and battlements...

Pesty's voice crackles to life over their communicators. Testing, everyone hearing this?

[FireFox]

Sam raises her rifle and scans the nearby area before replying. This is Alpha Team Lead. You are five by five, Mission Control.

[The Bushranger]

Dani, for her part, produces that ridiculously out-of-proportion particle magnum she carries sometimes, and scans as well. Back to Back with Sam, of course.
"I've gotcha! Hey, are we shooting to stun or to kill, here?"

[Beans]

Sioda keeps toying with her psicrystal as Pesty keeps going.
Good! As for your question, Dani, set weapons to "kill and insult corpse". Readings are fuzzy, but it looks like there may be troops in the area... well, that and when you're facing one or more Aleph Riders, you better not hold back on your gun's power lest you get, y'know, stomped into cube steak.

[Lady Serpentine]

Tiri, who put her armor back up before stepping through the portal, has a heavy pulse rifle out, and scans the area as well.

"I hear you Pesty... Any suggestions on the best aim-points?"

[InyutheBeatIs]

Chris steps out onto the field, and all of a sudden there's a toothpick in his mouth. No one knows why. He straps the scabbard around his waist and holds the railgun in his hands. "Alright you kidnapping scum, your ass is grass and I've got the weedwacker." He says in...is that even his voice anymore? It's hard to tell at the moment. In any case, he flicks a switch on the railgun, causing it to whir and whine.

[Beans]

While Chris is busy being adorable, Pesty pokes in.
Aimpoints? Well, since you have the armor and all, I'd say you should probably be putting the hurt on up close, keep 'em on their toes while the others give them lots of tasty bullets and stuff... also, Chris can sword. Sword helps.

[The Bushranger]

"Setting to keeeeeeeel..." Dani flicks a switch on her gun, and the weapon whines as it powers up to 'Disintegrate'.

[Beans]

After a few minutes, more intel comes in.
Well, guys, I found the stolen units' signatures; they're in that central fort building in the distance there. Seems like there's a relatively high concentration of troops there, so it won't be too easy getting in... unless they happen to move a bunch out to go after you guys. Then your problem will be getting there at all.

[FireFox]

Sam starts running towards the fort. What kind of troops are we talking about?

[Lady Serpentine]

"Son of a hairdresser's whore... Pesty, can you tell her to not run at the fort while we're still trying to plan, please?", Tiri asks, apparently not at all happy about Sam's decision to go charging off.

[Beans]

Probably should have clarified that "in the distance" didn't mean "running over there right now" distance. Like, we're talkin' "a few miles away and only really visible because it's very big".

Sioda runs after her, even more worried now.

Wait, what?! Ack! Sam, don't do that, you're supposed to be Mrs. Tactics and that doesn't look like tactics to me!

[FireFox]

Back when she was in the SAS, Sam's training involved running several miles every day with even more gear than she's carrying now. And even though she's not as young as she used to be, her body has been enhanced. Unless the building is over 10 miles away, she'll run/jog until she gets there. And if its farther than that, then what the hell are they doing here without transportation?

We have no air support, no proper equipment, no standardized training, and no experience dealing with this kind of enemy. None of my tactics are going to work, so I just figured I'd kill all the hostiles I can. But if you want to sit around and come up with a plan while hoping nothing is happening to Carrie, you go ahead. The one thing Sam hates the most about HALO is dealing with all the stupid kids.

[The Bushranger]

Dani runs after Sam, perhaps surprisingly easily able to hold pace, for now at least. "Hey, if we can transmit back to the base, I can call for some of that air support!"

[Beans]

[[Okay, yeah, this is off to a start I didn't quite intend, and it's mostly because I didn't do what I'm supposed to as the person running the plot to begin with. I failed to describe the environment correctly; the team's at the outskirts of the city, but the fort they're heading to is farther in---it's not an environment conducive to just running straight there from the get-go, and (while I don't want to be That Guy Who Railroads) I really didn't intend it to happen that way.
Sorry, guys, this is my fault.
EDIT: So, y'know, hopefully let's amend that and get this rolling on the right foot. :smallsmile:]]

[The Bushranger]

(S'fine with me)

[Beans]

[[Well, if the others want to, we can resume.
If not, guess I killed another plot.]]

[Lady Serpentine]

((I'm fine with going on. (Also, speaking of plot-killing, Bats and I have been discussing ways to maybe keep Tempest from going under next time...)))

[Beans]

((Do tell!
Also... if FF and Inyu don't want to continue, I'm just saying "screw it", retconning Nirva into being here so the team's not too small, and going on with it.))

[Lady Serpentine]

((Well, they're over in the OOC thread, but I'll go copy and PM them to you. :smallsmile:

And that sounds like a plan, then. I take it Nirva would be getting her suit back, yes?))

[Beans]

[[Yeah. I'll wait til tomorrow to see if Inyu's interested, after which I will get us rolling again.]]

[Lady Serpentine]

((Sounds good.))

[Beans]

[[Okay, take 2!]]
Nirva, Tiri, and Dani emerge at the outskirts of an old fort town, the suburbs before them as they look toward the thickening city with a hulking fortress at the center.
Seems like you'll be headed for that fort there, girls... careful, though. It seems to be swarming with foot soldiers, and there's packs of them roaming the city itself---not very orderly, so I'm guessing Shuna's not much of a military woman.
The buildings all look a little stark; too much concrete, not enough soul, so to speak. With the morning mist hanging low to the asphalt road, there's very little sound at all other than what they make.

[Lady Serpentine]

((How close are they to the nearest building? And would Sioda and/or Karyana also be with them, seeing as there are fewer people now?))

[Beans]

[[Sorry; they're pretty close to suburban homes, like in the middle of the street. As for the others, I think Kary but not Sioda, because I still don't want to flood you with my characters.]]

[The Bushranger]

Alright, so, what's the plan?

[Beans]

Well... basically, you need to get to that fort, hopefully avoiding the patrols. It's hard to tell where they're at, sadly, so... I can only really warn you when they're very close.

[Lady Serpentine]

"Anyone in that house on the right?", Tiri inquires, frowning somewhat behind her faceplate. "Might be a good fallback point, if we set it up properly..."

((Thinking of using Polly instead of Karyana, since Kary might be a bit OP...))

[Beans]

[[Kary's fine with me; it just means I may be scaling up certain challenges to make them engaging for y'all two.]]
Nirva frowns, tapping her Vauer belt. I don't see anyone...
Me neither.

Nirva starts forward to check the house out, wary.

[The Bushranger]

Dani follows Nirva, frowning.


http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/images/1b6fd4c6e61f_1257F/its_a_trap.jpg

[Lady Serpentine]

Tiri follows as well, Kary being in a limbo state while I decide if I actually want to use her or not.

[Beans]

She's Schrodinger's bigamous lesbian bloodmage vampire paladin!

Nirva slowly opens the front door and starts in; seemingly there's nothing in the house, barely even furniture left. Just dust and dark.

[The Bushranger]

Dani wouldn't mind Karyana coming along. :smalltongue:

...and she peeps through the door behind Nirva, looking around carefully.

[Beans]

I don't see anything on the sensors... looks like this house is clean, ladies.
She does, however, check each room thoroughly.

[Lady Serpentine]

Once the house is thoroughly cleared, Tiri sets about placing some basic wards on the doors and windows.

[The Bushranger]

Dani follows, watching intently and guarding her as she casts.

[Beans]

Nirva watches over her as well.
I don't like that city much... I really don't.

[The Bushranger]

"It does look...well, creepy!" Dani agrees, nodding emphatically.

[Lady Serpentine]

Tiri wraps up the warding, and nods in agreement, frowning behind her helmet.

"It's a weird place... Feels like you're being watched, even with nothing around. Just one more reason to get out of here as soon as we can, though, I guess."

[The Bushranger]

"So, should we assume there's eyes on our prizes, then?" Dani asks, looking concerned.

[Lady Serpentine]

"I suppose, yeah...", Tiri says, shrugging. "I mean, it's not like this is some sort of scry detection or anything. Just a feeling. But seeing as I am a mage, and part daemon, I'm inclined to give it at least a little weight."