"What the hell is going on here?" the Pilot from before is walking back, another pilot in tow.
The latest pilot nods to Penny. "Long time, no see, MacDaniel."
"You too, Gibson."
The angry pilot turns to the Pilot Captain. "Sir, you got the call from the General, you know we need to tell him if shit like this happens."
"Shit like, what exactly?" the Captain replies.
"I was ferrying some guys from 10th Battalion," continues the pilot. "They say some Spartan came up, threatened Captain Rowland's company, then kidnapped a marine."
"I'm kidnapped now?" asks Lancer.
"What the hell is all this?" asks the Captain, turning towards you.

> Explain everything
> Explain some things, while keeping the mission a secret
> Tell him that it's ONI business, he need not get involved

>>33617828
>> Explain some things, while keeping the mission a secret
"We had our orders to pick that marine up and move on to our next objective."

>>33617828
>> Explain some things, while keeping the mission a secret

>>33617828
Also, for Matilda-G303, what armor does she have? SPI? MJOLNIR?

>>33618172
Reach Armour. Haven't gotten that pic yet.

>>33618026 here

I've got to head off to work now, hope more players filter in.

>>33617931
This, pretty much

"We didn't kidnap anyone," you tell the Captain. "Lancer here was assigned to our mission, we were just picking him up."
"Picking him up for what?" the angry pilot asks.
"Spooky ONI shit. What do you think?" The pilot gives you a skeptical look. "Look, we're not gonna go around leaking info to those who don't need to know it. He's been assigned to us by ONI, we need a pelican for ONI shit, we're spooks, alright? Give us our space and we'll give you yours."
"'Give us space and we'll give you yours'?" the Captain asks. "That's a little presumptuous, when you want to take one of our pelicans."

You're about to give a response when Erika interrupts. "Some angry looking guys, 2 o'clock high."
You look up to the second level and spot a bunch of ODSTs. One of them points down and shouts, "You better not let those guys get away! General McNiel wants them!"
The angry pilot pulls his pistol and points it at you, prompting Matilda to shoulder her assault rifle. "You really think that's a good idea?"

Twelve ODSTs spread themselves around you, their weapons ready but not aimed. A pair of MPs are with them.
"Oh, come on!" says Matilda. "What the hell is all this?"
"You've pissed off a General," says one of the ODSTs. "Now you're all coming with us."
Penny speaks up, "You're getting in the way of an Office of Naval Intelligence operation, and I don't think our commanding officer would be too happy with all of you."
"Can it, squid," says the ODST. "We've got our orders."
"Yeah, and we have ours," Matilda says, from where she still has the barrel of her assault rifle pointing at the clearly sweating pilot. "Are we going to keep this up, or are you wankers gonna get some sense in your heads?"
You see Erika and Jacobson ready their own rifles, and then you shoulder yours ever so slowly. The pilot captain hasn't moved from where he was, and Amando Gibson and Penny haven't drawn any weapons.

> Argue your side. You're in the right here
> Appeal to them. Explain the mission and why you need the pelican.
> Back down. This isn't worth it.

>>33618575
> Argue your side. You're in the right here

>>33618575

"Our mission is time sensitive. We have our orders, so we followed them. If the General doesn't like it, he can take it up with ONI. This isn't some picnic we're on either. They don't hand out SPARTANs like candy, you know."

>>33618672
this

also, I'm not sure about putting this in, so if people want to add it, then give it an upvote.

"We're taking a flight on a pelican whether or not you agree. You can just give us the ride and be down one bird, or you can fight us and have a dozen or so corpses and be down one bird."

>>33618672
I'll take this as an "Argue your side" vote?

>>33618575
>> Argue your side. You're in the right here

>>33618955
kind of that

> Back down. This isn't worth it.
Fucking with ONI is never a good idea. Never.
.

>>33618575
>Argue your side. You're in the right here

"Look," you begin. One of the ODSTs' rifles darts to aim at you, making everyone tense... but no one shoots. "We've got a job given to us by ONI. We have our orders, just like you. Now, I personally feel that my orders are right. The job we've been given is an important one. But what about your orders? Your general wants you to arrest a Spartan. Why? Because we kidnapped one of your guys? Lancer's right here, and he doesn't look very kidnapped, does he?"
Nobody is moving as you talk, everyone still aiming their firearms at someone else. "We're asking nicely for a pelican. We'll take it, then you'll never see us again. We'll be out of your hair for the rest of the war. Hell, we might not even come back."

"So we can leave with a pelican, no harm done, or we can all shoot each other. What do you think is the better option here?"
Nobody moves. You sigh under your breath.
"You can take my pelican," says Amando.
"What?" you ask, surprised.
"What are you thinking?" asks the Captain.
"Hey, I don't know what any of this shit is, but I do know that Penny MacDaniel there," he points to Penny. "She's one of the best damn pilots I've ever known. Everyone made a pact after flight school: If Penny needs a ride, we give it to her. And right now it seems like she needs a ride."
Amando glances at the ODSTs around him, still aiming their rifles. He hesitates, but then gains his resolve. "Come on, my bird's parked this way," he says as he walks towards a ramp, indicating after you.

Slowly, excruciatingly, you begin to walk in that way, the standoff continuing. The ODSTs' guns track you as you inch away, but they don't shoot and don't stop you. Finally, you round a corner, then you turn your back. They don't follow.

1/2

Amando's pelican is on the second floor deck, and Penny flies it out of the landing bay with no problems.
As you leave, Penny manages to overhear something on the BNET.
"They got away, sir."
"How?"
"Pelican, sir. They flew north."
"God damn! You had one job, trooper! Make sure you get them next time."
Matilda shoots you a look as you listen to the broadcast. You don't think this is the last you'll see or hear of Captain Rowland and Major General McNiel.

You put that out of your mind for now, though. Mission comes first.
Penny asks, "You want to take the fast road over the top of the skyscrapers? Or the low road, between the buildings? We'll have more cover down there, but less room to maneuver if we do get in the shit."

>Go high, over the top of the buildings
>Go low, through the urban canyon.

>>33619498
>>Go high, over the top of the buildings

>>33619498
>>Go high, over the top of the buildings

Rolled 17 + 5

>>33619498

>>33619760
this is one hell of a vote

>>33619498
>Go high, over the top of the buildings

writing

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"Go over the top, we don't have time to waste," you tell her.
Penny takes the pelican higher, clearing the tops of the buildings. The Corvette still lurks over the northern quadrant of the city.
"Pelican, Pelican, clear the corridor," an unknown voice says over the NET. "Drop altitude, drop altitude."
Penny slows and dives, as a pair of F99 Wombats cut across your flight path. You watch as they continue flying to your right, engaging a flight of banshees.
"Give us a bit more warning next time, you bastards," yells Matilda over the NET.
"They're AI," Penny says. "Not even smart AI, either. Just dumb programs. Also, I think we have bigger things to worry about."
She's right. A second corvette was flying right towards you.

"Jesus fuck!" exclaims Matilda. "How the hell did that thing sneak up on us!?"
"This is going to get hairy."

> Keep flying, we'll outrun them or stay out of their notice.
> Let's get into the cover of the skyscrapers.

>>33620546
>> Let's get into the cover of the skyscrapers.

>>33620546
>Let's get into the cover of the skyscrapers.

>>33620546
>> Keep flying, we'll outrun them or stay out of their notice.

>>33620546
>> Let's get into the cover of the skyscrapers.
Just because it is big does *not* mean it is slow.

>>33620546
is there a voting time limit?

>>33620713
I just start writing whenever I think everyone's done voting

>>33620723
Take cover, then, dammit.

>>33620546
>Let's get into the cover of the skyscrapers.

>>33620776
Doorknockers interrupted me. Getting stuck into it now.

"Get us into the cover of the skyscrapers," you say to Penny.
Penny pulls the pelican around, hiding it below the roof level of the skyscrapers. A shadow falls over your craft as the corvette flies over head, flights of banshees and phantoms escorting it. A deafening boom fills your ears as it passes, the combined noise of the corvette's engines and the sonic boom of its passage.
"Bloody hell," says Matilda.

The corvette and its escort flies on, doing nothing about your pelican as they fly. A static filled broadcast comes over the net.
"Kilo 26, this is Kilo 40. We've got another corvette coming in from the east. Requesting FPF on that target, over."
"Copy, Kilo 40. FPF-3 at your command."
"Fire FPF-3, over!"
"Firing FPF-3... shot!"
A lance of light draws its way from a roof top to the corvette, creating a bright flash and a massive shockwave. The mass driver shot goes straight through the corvette, leaving a massive gash in its front quarter. The corvette keeps flying, unfazed.

"Kilo 40, request FPF-3 sitrep."
"Same as last time, Kilo 26. The target's still coming. Save your ammo."
"Copy that 40, 26 out."
"What the hell will it take to kill one of these things?"

The rest of the flight to Traxus tower occurs without incident, but incident occurs when you actually arrive. The upper floors of the tower are engulfed in flame, and a corvette is parked right above it, shelling the area with plasma fire.
Penny gets to the NET before anyone else. "This is ACRE Team to anyone in the vicinity of Traxus Tower, anyone read?"
"Acre, this is Kilo 26, what do you need?"

> Need somewhere to land
> Need to find Moana Kipling
> Need to know how we can help, we got a Spartan in the back

>>33621452
>> Need somewhere to land
>> Need to find Moana Kipling
>> Need to know how we can help, we got a Spartan in the back

>>33621452
>> Need to find Moana Kipling

>>33621452
>> Need somewhere to land
>> Need to find Moana Kipling

>>33621452
> Need somewhere to land
> Need to find Moana Kipling
and if an extract is a problem then we can unleash Matilda on that corvette

"Tell them we need somewhere to land, and that we're looking for Moana Kipling."
"Got it," Penny says. "Kilo 26, ACRE, we need somewhere to land and we need to find Moana Kipling, last we heard he was at the triage?"
"I don't know about this Kipling fella. We're moving the wounded to the spaceport, you'll probably find him there. Also nowhere to land now since the landing pad got taken out. You could try for the spaceport, but the air's full of banshees, and you could take fire from the corvette."
"Some ODSTs and a Spartan are working on getting us a new evac though. You could help them out there. I'll leave that up to you, ACRE."

> Try the spaceport
> See what's going on with this new evac point

>>33621843

> Try the spaceport

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>>33621843

> See what's going on with this new evac point

>>33621843
>> See what's going on with this new evac point

>>33621843
> See what's going on with this new evac point

"Take us around to see this new evac point," you tell Penny.
"Kilo 26, where do I find the new evac point?" she asks over the NET.
"South side, ACRE. Keep an eye out for a Spartan and a bunch of ODSTs with jump-packs. They're the bullfrogs, and they're going to secure the executive landing pad. They can use all the air support they can get."
"Wilco, 26, we'll lend a hand. ACRE, out," Penny signs off from the comms. "You hear that Matilda? They've got another Spartan down there."
"Oh boy," Matilda replies.
"What, you aren't excited to meet one of your own?"
"I doubt they're one of my own. You know how badly I work with normal troops, it's even worse with Spartans."
"Shame to hear," Penny says.

You and Matilda head back into the troop bay.
"So how we gonna handle this?" asks Lancer. The other two give you a questioning look as well.
"We'll figure it out as we go, no use trying to make plans on things we haven't even seen yet."
"Covie AA!" says Penny from the front. "Grab onto something!" You grab onto a strut as the pelican wheels about, avoiding enemy fire. "God damn, they've got a lot of troops down there.

"Two options, marines! I can give you a hot drop, or we can stick around up here and provide air support with the chin gun and the rear MG. Your call."

>Let's get in the fight
>We'll stay in the bird, thanks

g/night

>>33622445
Next post last post, unless anyone has any objections to that

>>33622445
oh, yeah, last thing before I'm off, we take the spartan with us and a few guys for a drop, and leave a gunner for the mg to do both options.

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>>33622445

>We'll stay in the bird, thanks

>>33622445

>Let's get in the fight

Bonus points for killing the AA with a knife

>We'll stay in the bird, thanks

"Drop us off, Penny. We'll get in the fight, and someone else can get on the gun."
"I'll stay back," says Jacobson.
"Alright, we're doing this quick and dirty, everyone get your shit ready."
You check your battle rifle. Full mag, everything's in order.
"Ready to go," you say to Penny.
The rest of the squad choruses the same.
"Right, we're doing this." The rear hatch begins to open, letting in the light of Epsilon Eridani. "Prepare for a hot drop!"

The four of you move to the doorway, ready to jump out of the pelican. You can feel the slight weightlessness, as the pelican drops out of the sky, losing altitude. The pelican flares out, and whirls around, bringing the rear ramp over a narrow walkway, just behind some covenant forces. You jump, and everyone joins you. The pelican pulls away, followed by plasma and needles. With a guttural cry, you're thrust back into the battle once more.

>>33622802
And that's all for tonight. I guess it's morning for most of you, huh?

Next thread will probably be same time next week.

All the relevant links are in the OP.

>>33622815
Just got back from work, thanks for the thread OP, any ideas when the next will be?