"Great first mission, everyone." Boring, sure, but nobody was seriously hurt. On the way back, I asked the soldiers what the base should be called.
They said it means "Dimensiondangers the Heroic Flights." Why couldn't they just call it that? Irritating democratic system.
John picked a hoverbike to control. Named it "Blunt Scalpel" and asked a mechanic to stick a plasma gun on it.
We need more money, and I decided that the troops need more live training. Fortunately, I have the perfect solution.
Ever since the third alien war, the Cult of Sirius has publicly sided with the aliens. I somehow doubt that will save them, but my intelligence agents have stated that they will side with the aliens in this conflict, and fight anyone who tries to combat them. They are a serious risk. So, a pre-emptive strike is in order.
Roughly a minute after unloading from the APC, we all boarded the Valkyrie. The cult is likely to retaliate against our squad with illegal vehicles after the mission, and the Valkyrie should be more then a match for anything they have.
Dougan stayed behind. Wanted to get his arm looked at. Aside from him, we're using the same squads as before. (In Apocalypse, wounded soldiers can be ordered to get out of the hospital and fight. We will end up with many wounded soldiers, 'cause that's how I roll. Also, I'm rash with my tactical decisions.)
We entered the temple from the west. It seemed normal enough so far.
We spread out a bit to cover all available spots where cult members might be lurking. They would probably all charge at us for tresspassing on their "holy" ground. Good, I say. It's safer then hunting them down in their basement. Without Dougan here, O'Conner volunteered to watch two doors without any immediate backup, since he was the best equipped to do so in squad 2. Brave soldier.
While my squad got into position, squad 2 reported contact. That Russian guy threw an AP grenade.
Spartan 117: "I've spotted one. Aqizzar isn't in position yet, but I think I can get him."
He missed.
The useless redshirts Squad 3 reported no doors, so they moved in above the balconies to assist squad 2. Bug moved in next to John.
If only I'd ordered squad 3 to assist O'Conner, the mission might have gone better. I thought the first hostile he saw was just another random straggler. I was wrong.
Dynamitri set his AP grenade to go off too soon, so it missed. His incendiary grenade did not miss. Bug helped.
John: "I've got another one. Setting my M4000 to full auto."
John: "They just keep coming. And then dying. Haven't they heard of body armor?"
Crazy Mutant Lady: "It gets in the way of their ceremonies ... Or so I heard."
Squad 2 spotted another one. He was ... running through the flames. What is wrong with these cultists?
Bug: "Decent haul over here. Hey, I spotted another one, I'll take him!"
John: "Don't run into the hall, you don't know how many might be over there."
Bug: "I'll be right back after I kill him, don't worry."
Bug: "John, you were right."
John: "I'm always right."
Dynamitri: "Bug, get out of there! He's got a rocket launcher! Dibs on it by the way."
Buh: "What? How can you tell? Besides, they haven't even finished their development cycle yet."
Dynamitri: "A demolitions expert always knows these things."
Bug: "He's firing a rocket at me!"
Dynamitri: "Told 'ya. Now if you'll excuse me, you distracted me and I let one get too close. Now I have to kill him
without explosions."
Bug: "I'm okay, I'm okay. I think he blew up the loot though. Along with much of the room. His friends have started throwing grenades at me." (Exploded ammo sends shots in random directions.)
Nirur Torir: "Get out of there!"
Bug: "I will. Just need to kill him first."
Nirur Torir: "Crazy Mutant Lady, get over there."
Crazy Mutant Lady: "..."
Bug: "He's dead, falling back."
Dynamitri: [size=8]"!!!!<Incomprehensible>!!!!"[/size]
Operator: "Ow, my ears. I silenced him for you."
John: "Yea, it looks like they blew up the rocket launcher. Pity. Also, it looks like that cultist Dynamitri spotted is dead, fortunately for him. Nobody look at the body too closely."
Bug: "I'm behind cover, tending to my injuries."
Operator: "Let's see if he's calmed down yet."
Dynamitri:
"<Incomprehensible>"Operator: "Silenced."
John: "Dynamitri, no! Use an AP grenade, the Incendiary will block the corridor!"
Bug: "I don't think he heard you. It looks like he managed to get some on his arm though."
Nirur: "Crazy Mutant Lady, I doubt we can get through to him. Get him to the Valkyrie before the napalm on his arm incinerates it." (I think running around like an idiot extinguishes flames eventually, but I don't remember. And yes, I am not very good with grenades, so I usually use stun grenades.)
Bug: "What did we do to make them hate us enough to run through fires?"
Nirur Torir: "We killed their alien friends, of course."
John: "Another one. Looks paniced."
Crazy Mutant Lady: "I'll keep him that way." (Psi steadily drains energy. Panic and stun do not drain energy while the target is already paniced or stunned, but it keeps trying, and drains energy if they need another dose. It also gives LoS to the victim.)
John: "Great, I'll go after him."
Operator: "No cultists remain in that area of the building."
Nirur Torir: "Understood. Grab what you can in get back to the Valkyrie before they regroup."
Dynamitri:
"<Incomprehensible>"Operator: "Wrong button."
Well, it could have gone worse, although they blew up most of the loot.
We left without incident. They did not send anything to pursue us. (Hostile corporations can attack X-Com with vehicles. Mostly hoverbikes and hovercars.)
I will have to remember to send a "thank you" note to whoever designed these suits - the helmets block nearly all sound, so we couldn't hear Dynamitri with his radio disabled.
Aside from a few guns we already had and a bit of ammo, the only loot of note was a proximity mine and a psiclone. Highly illegal, but we could sell it to a gang for a decent chunk of cash. Dynamitri had a deathgrip on the proximity mine, and nobody was feeling brave enough to try to take it from him.
The only ones injured by that rocket were Bug and John, thankfully.
Not great though. I needed John.
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