"DZ's up ahead boys and girls, try not to get shot down there. Ramp coming down now." The pilot's voice called over the troop bay intercom. "Hey boss, what's our mission brief? The execs just told us to kit up and head out." A contractor asked. He had every right to ask. They literally got told to just get on the moghopper and let the pilot do his job. "We're going in to back up Recovery 3. They went dark midmission but they hadn't reported any complications. If they're down and out, we're going to complete thier mission." Ecem answered. "And that is?" "Capture the city's head of state and force a ceasefire with the defense forces and our guys. If we can figure out how to get at them past thier front, having a city's worth of resources backing us up will make our lives a hell of alot easier when we go after Eris." Ecem finished as the ramp came down, revealing a sprawling urban expanse, much of which was billowing smoke from buring structures. "Wow. This place is about fifty different kinds of fucked up isn't it." Aret said almost like it was a stunning observation. It was truely a mess though to be sure. Just in a short period they saw what appeared to be incinerator tanks frying everything in thier path shrugging off anti-armor rockets, some kind of cyan mist near a known Parasol position, a building collapse, lightning strikes coming down like artillary, and enemy attack aircraft strafe a road. "One hell of a beautiful clusterfuck, if you have that kind of humor." On said, amazed at how much damage the city had taken over the mere two weeks of fighting.
[An M04 Mobile Incidary Projector, dubbed the the 'Pit Viper' by the SRA and SSDA. Yes, these are actually the defenders' own death machines, not any of the attackers'. None of the pictures here are intended to be spectacular, just to help build the image of what's happening.]
"Ok ladies and gents, ropes free! Good hunting." The pilot's voice said from the intercom. The 20 contractors went down two-by-two, surpsingly none being injured or thier transport even shot at. "Team One, on me. Team Two, keep this rooftop secure and discourage the curious." Ecem ordered as the group organized itself. The first half with Ecem bashed the door down rather uncermoniously and began descending a flight of maintainence stairs while the second spread out around the roof, some with ready missle launchers to persuade enemy aircraft from landing soldiers there. "Wasn't aware doors wereconsidered hostile boss." On quipped, only for Bugi to slap him in the back of his helmet and tell him "Being civil isn't needed here idiot." "Yeah, not like they can hear us coming with a full blown battle out front anyways." Another contractor added. "Hold up, this is our door." Fischer said as they came to a rather unassuming metal door. it had a sign above it reading 'GOV' in big blue letters illuminated by a white flouresendt light. "Right then, Fischer, it's all you." Ecem said as he motioned for hsi team to stack up. A kick and a 9-banger later, the group had filed through unopposed or even greeted, save for a slight increase in the volume of the battle raging a few hundred feet below. Before them was a long hall that wrapped around the corner of the building, the waning sun casting an off-gold color to the metal paneled hall through the massive, and largely shattered, windows. The most obovious feature of the hall though, was what Fischer identified as a 'Skid-Runner,' "With a mess of heavy weapon mods." The vehcle was broken into many peices, it's tail broken off, a missle pod laying in the middle of the hall, rotors ruined, and the cockpit canopy was splattered with blood, with several large holes shot through it, likely from the autocannon on a moghopper. "Must have gone down right before we got here." Fishcer said as they moved around the badly damaged hulk. "Most of this thing is still smoking."
[Image not to scale, colors are off and whatnot. if it isn't obvious, The skid-runner is intended to be a somewhat larger version of the Little Bird in appearance.]
The group continued around the long hallway, and were greeted by a truely grizzley scene: Most of Recovery 3, diced to peices amid a few enemy defenders. "Holy shit..." One said at the sight. 15 dead contractors, some of the company's best, killed by a mere third thier number, with halberd of all things. "Shake it off troopers... We'll Pick'em up on the way out." Ecem said, trying to to keep his contractors focused. "Pretty grim sons a bitchs they have protectin' this guy." Aret said as he kicked one of the dead defenders over, revealing a helmet that looked like a somewhat styelized human skull with red lenses over the eye sockets. "Not too shocking, those are Elysian Guards. Only the best from the Regular Army get accepted into that unit." Fischer said as if it was common knowledge among the group. "Why does nobody tell us this kind of shit
before we deploy? I wasn't planning on this snatch-and-run to be my funeral." On said irritably. "We're gonna get burtchered if we run into those guys." "Stow that garbage trooper. They aren't invincible." Bugi growled. "Niether are we..." On responded meekly.
[An Elysian Guard member laying in a pool of his own blood, as seen when Aret kicked him over. This particular one was a Barbarian.]
"Come on, let's get it done. Bodies end there." A contractor said, motioning to a set of very lerge double doors. On and Fischer carefully opened the doors, only to find 5 dead contractors near the middle of the room, four clearly killed with a sword or axe, with the last, based on the pool of blood, having been shot in the side of the head. "Ok, spread out, we don't know what-" Ecem was cut off when a voice crackled to life over a PA system. "So, more of you stupid fucks wanna go a round, hmm? Alright then." As the voice ceased, a man stepped out from behind one of the pillars, clad in an urban combat uniform and a rather nice dress coat, in his hand a silvery saber with dried blood clinging to the cutting edge. "Freeze mother fucker! Drop the sword and put your hands up!" One of the contractors shouted as the group leveled thier railguns on him. And he just smiled at them. "What the fuck are you smiling at?" Another asked, confused by the seeming disregard for his own life at the moment. The target raised his saber pointing at the windows and simply said "Oh nothing, I just didn't think you wanted to meet my daughter so soon." Some of the contractors shifted thier wieght uncomfortably. "What fuck is that-" The contractor who'd demanded his surrendur was cut off as an armor piercing round slammed into his head and he droped like a weight. Before the group even knew what happened, another was struck in the side of the neck, who collapsed gurgling what were meant to be screams. "Behind the pillars! Stay out of the windows!" Fischer screamed in the panic. the remaining Contractors scattered about the room, but one didn't react fast enough and was shot in the body, blowing out the back of her ballistic armor and sending him onto her back screaming. "What the fuck was that!?" On said shakily. "A sniper obviously. Where'd the HVI go?" Sombody said. They were answered by one of the contractors who was alone by a pillar screaming. The group brought thier guns to bear, only to see the target dangling grenade pins from his hand with somewhat winded grin on his face after he manged to hurl the now disembowled soldier at a cluster of three others. The resultant blast blew away the bottom of the pillar and sent Fischer skidding accross the ground with a piece of marble lodged in his arm. The other two Contractors had died in the explosion, one having been rittled with metal, bone and marble shards, the other having been blown in half.
"Come on out little mercs, don't you wanna play?" The target said smugly walking out in the open. "Or am I going to have to drag you out for a fair fight?" Ecem froze in horror as he was struck by an epiphany. "I know who the target is." He blurted out. "What!?" On said as he managed to drag Fischer behind the pillar they were all hiding behind. "Bugi, Aret, you recognized his voice too didn't you." Bugi shook her head. "I didn't think it was him because the man I know isn't a smug bastard who gets his jollies blowing people up." Aret was just staring blankly at the wall. "Let's see if we can't get our ceasefire." Ecem said quietly. "If you call off your sniper, I'll come out." Ecem called. "Ah, we have a good sport there!" The HVI said as he pressed his finger to his ear. "Kreia, don't cap this one when he comes out. He wants to go one on one." A sigh came back from the other end followed by "Alright, fine. But if you start losing he's dead." Ecem heard that target chuckle and say "Of course Krei-Krei, but you know I won't lose." Ecem stepped out, , tosing his railgun to Bugi. "Been a long time Boss man." Ecem said to the HVI. "Do I know you?" He replied. "Indeed you do sir." Ecem took off his mask and helmet, revealing his face to his enemy. "Or did you develop a memory problem over the last century or so?" The HVI shook his head, stunned by the revelation. "Ecem? How the hell are you even alive!? ANd what the hell are you doing attacking my city??" "I could ask you the same thing Splint. But we all have secrets I guess. I'd like to offer you a ceasefire with my allies under the condition we be allowed to use your city and its facilities as a staging ground for a later operation. In return, we'll help you drive the other invaders out." Splint sat and considered this for a moment. "Want me to drop him dad?" His daughter cut into his ear. "No, no don't. Ecem, as long as your people quit shooting at mine we have a deal. I'll inform my troops to cease firing on any of your graybacks." "Graybacks?" Ecem inquired, an eyebrow raised. Splint pointed to his uniform and armor. "Graybacks. The rest are wearing black or whatever the fuck if they aren't mine. So, you scratch our back, we scratch yours then?" Splint walked over to Ecem and extended his hand. "Done."
[Ecem after removing his helmet and mask. This doubles as my drawing of him. He may or may not look older than he is, since he was only in his late 30s when I lost the shockedtowns save. But then how would you look after spending half your adult life fighting in near endless battles? That and I'm bad at depicting one's age adequately.]
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Topic: [34.11] Spearbreakers - It shudders and begins to move (Read 2273248 times)