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>>1029284
Shadows dominate the second floor of the broadcast station as you exit the stairwell into a long corridor that seems to stretch the length of the building, the darkness broken only by the erratic light put off by the sparking corpses of synthetics and wide cracks in the wall and ceiling. Julius lets out a low whistle from behind you at the carnage left in the wake of Doeud's team as the two of you slowly make your way down the hall, "Damn...you sure do know how to pick your friends, Doc. These guys did a number on the synths..."

"Well yeah...I mean, do you really think I stick around you and Angel for your charming personalities?" You ask jokingly, drawing a short laugh from your friend as he shakes his head roughly.

"Holy shit, Jack, Angel was right...you really are an ass!" He retorts with a grin, before seeming to return to the moment as he casts a searching gaze down the hall, "So...how are we supposed to find these guys? All I'm getting anymore from my comms is static."

A small amount of concern wells up inside you as the white noise in your own comm unit crackles in your ear, before nodding to the eviscerated corpse of a Z'ho'don that you recognize from Enque's team, surrounded by several heaps of scrap that you're sure were once spider drones. "Follow the trail of bodies..." You answer grimly, looking over your shoulder to see your friend's mouth set into a thin line as a heavy silence falls over the two of you.

The pit in your stomach continues to grow as you slowly make your way through the maze of corridors, noting two more aliens' bodies among the scattered remains of synthetics, until a high pitched mechanical hum spins to life, shattering the silence, followed by a deep echoing voice, "Stop right there! Identify yourse-"

Your eyes snap to the doorway the voice is coming from, immediately pinpointing the voice's source as an enormous and heavily armored alien with an equally heavy looking gun pointed at you. Before the alien can even finish his sentence, however, a more familiar voice interrupts, "Put your weapon down, Ilos, they're here to help."

The large alien's beaked mouth clicks wordlessly a couple of times as he stares you down before he lowers his weapon and steps aside, "Fine, then hurry up and get in here before more of those Seeker drones show up."

>Continued.

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>>1029289
You briefly wonder what the hell a seeker drone is supposed to be, before shaking the question from your head and making your way past the reptilian hulk with Julius, casting a quick look around the room as you do so. A small handful of aliens' heads turn towards you in interest, before quickly returning their respective tasks as you're approached by an Avnari with cybernetic limbs matching the description of the team leader's medical report. "Doctor Yarick, I assume?" He asks, looking briefly at Reece before turning his gaze towards you when your friend shakes his head and points in your direction. "Thank you for coming...I know it couldn't have been easy to get through the fighting out there."

You shake your head, "Don't worry about it, my friends and I don't leave people hanging if we can help it. Besides, I'm pretty sure that Enque is the only other person with medical experience left out here." You reply simply, drawing a nod from Reece as you're joined by another alien that's initially unrecognizable to you until you recognize the tattered remains of the once ivory robe draped across Enque's armor.

While you weren't sure what you were expecting the other medic to look like under his hood, the feathery hair, flattened nose, and slowly changing colors and texture of his skin to mimic the Avnari's render him almost unrecognizable until you hear his voice, "I've done what I can for now, Vega, but we don't have anything left other than some bandages and two doses of bamordin. Even if we did have more supplies, I wouldn't be comfortable moving Qun across that fighting." He reports quietly, before turning his attention towards you with a slow blink, his skin's texture shifting slightly again to match Reece's "Good to see you again, Jack Yarick."

You nod in response, though before you can say anything else, Vega lets out a sigh, "We can't stay here much longer, Doeud, not if we want to survive anyways. I'm certain we've got enough firepower to take out the command unit, but without air support or more numbers I don't see us getting close enough to pull it off."

You're somewhat surprised to hear just how much firepower Enque's team has, you knew that they had plenty of heavy weapons but, as you cast another glance around the room, you have to agree with the Avnari that they could probably blow the command unit into pieces and still have ammunition left over. "Maybe not, but I've already told you that I could patch into-" The other medic starts, only for his team leader to interrupt.

"Absolutely not, Doeud. I already told you, you're too important to go running off on your own to try and use a broadcast system that's been dead for centuries, I doubt you could even get the generators to this place working again. If we had more people to spare then maybe, but we don't."

>Continued.

>>1029291
You raise an eyebrow at the short argument, wondering if maybe there's something to be explored there, though if Vega's against it then there's probably a reason for it. That said, after even just a brief look at the injured mercenaries sitting across the room, you agree with Enque that trying to drag them across that battlefield would be impossible without some kind of miracle, even if you can manage to help patch them up a bit more. From the way the battle was going before you managed to make it into the station, though, the Avnari's right about not having much longer before being overrun...if you could just manage to destroy the synthetic's command unit, that might change, but getting there would be a challenge, to say the least.

What should you do?
>See what you can do about helping Doeud patch up his teammates. You don't have a lot of time or supplies, but you have to be able to do something to help, right?
>Ask about Enque's plan to get air support. Nothing would change this fight more than that.
>Ask if you might be able to help make the push to destroy the command unit. You might only be one person, but there's no way you'll be able to get all these people back to the community center in one piece...and ending this battle would save a lot of lives.
>Try and help with an escape plan. You came here to help get Enque's team out of here, not get yourself and Julius killed in a suicide mission.
>Write-in.

>>1029295
>See what you can do about helping Doeud patch up his teammates. You don't have a lot of time or supplies, but you have to be able to do something to help, right?
>Ask about Enque's plan to get air support. Nothing would change this fight more than that.

>>1029295
>Try and help with an escape plan. You came here to help get Enque's team out of here, not get yourself and Julius killed in a suicide mission

slow af day

>>1029295
Ill change to
>>1029324
so we can move this along

>>1029324
>>1029347
>Writing to share medical supplies and talk about air support.

I'll probably be in and out a bit for a little while as things get going, but I plan on running throughout the day and into tomorrow if needed. I ended up with two days off in a row so we should have plenty of time to get through the episode.

>>1029371
nice, thread pace don't matter much due to qst rules

You're not surprised to see Enque open his mouth to argue, but before he can say anything a nearby explosion rattles the building, sending you stumbling and drawing a groan from an injured mercenary slumped against the far wall. You frown in concern, "Look, arguing about this isn't going to do anybody any good if we can't figure out a plan. I don't have much left in my kit, but I'll do what I can to help your team." You offer, nodding towards the bloodied alien meaningfully, "In the meantime, why don't you tell me about Enque's plan?"

The other team's medic nods in agreement while Vega lets out a conflicted sigh as he follows the two of you over to the group of casualties while Reece trails further behind him. "It's not a plan so much as it's a waste of time." The Avnari replies bluntly, crossing his upper set of arms as he watches you and Doeud open up what's left of your kit and start doing what you can for the wounded.

Enque's mouth sets into a somewhat impatient frown at his team leader's words, though he remains silent for a moment as he watches you start an IV on an alien with a particularly ugly burn dominating the left half of his body, before nodding as you look to him for approval before administering a dose of pain killers, "This building used to be a broadcast station...I've seen one in the ruins before that still had a little bit of power in the generator. If this one is anything like it, then I might be able to get it running and use the station's systems to break through the command unit's comm jammer." He explains while moving to change another of his team member's bandages.

"That seems like kind of a long shot..." You reply skeptically, "Are you sure that the generator will even work after all this time?"

"I'll admit that the chances of it working aren't great." He admits, "But it shouldn't take too long to find out, and if it does work then we might be able to call in some air support...or at least talk to whatever is left of our part of the expedition."

Vega shakes his head in frustration, "And if it doesn't work then we'll have wasted valuable time that we could have spent either getting back to the community center or trying to make a push for the command unit. And even if it did work, it might just end up making us even more of a target for the synths than we already are!" He counters, "Besides, we might not know if the anti-air systems on the bunker are still active, but we're well in range of them. What's to say that Antusyac will even send anybody?"

Enque pauses in treating the last of the wounded for a moment in contemplation, before nodding, "Maybe so...but even if that's true, we would still have comms back with the rest of the expedition. It would make trying to organize an attack on the synthetics that much easier."

>Continued.

>>1029641
You're forced to hold in a sigh as you realize that he argument has almost come full circle, but if nothing else it's at least you've done what you could to help the injured and the discussion has helped you understand the situation a little better. It seems like the only thing that Vega's team is lacking in order to make a push for the command unit is numbers, though with the amount of weapons they have it's possible they could do it regardless...even if it invites the threat of more casualties. Enque does seem confident in his plan, though, and if he's right then even if you couldn't get air support the better communication would help immensely...assuming you don't all get killed in the process.

You briefly wonder if you should just go ahead and suggest pulling back to the community center, but after getting a closer look at the existing casualties you're even more certain that at least three of them aren't going to be going anywhere without a stretcher. Your mind flashes to the gravity sled that you picked up to transport your crate, but it's sitting with the rest of your supplies in the convoy...trying to make a dash for that may be just as dangerous as attacking the command unit, but you'd at least be able to do it with a smaller group...you might even be able to avoid attracting too much fire if you were careful.

What do you want to do?
>Support Enque's plan to fix the generator. Even if you can't get air support, it's a good idea.
>Mention the possibility of using your gravity sled as a stretcher. You'd have to get back out into the fight to retrieve it, but it might be marginally safer than a full on attack.
>Suggest making a push for the command unit. Vega's right about not having a lot of time, and the multiple trips it would take to transport his people with a sled aren't worth the risk.
>Write-in.

>>1029687
>Support Enque's plan to fix the generator. Even if you can't get air support, it's a good idea.

>>1029687
>Support Enque's plan to fix the generator. Even if you can't get air support, it's a good idea.
air superiority beetch

>>1029716
>>1029840
>Writing to try and fix the generator.

After I smoke a cigarette.

"I think it's worth a shot." You offer after giving it some thought, "If it doesn't work then we can figure something else out, but if we can talk to the rest of the expedition then it'll be easier to get coordinate a medevac."

"He's right, Vega. Like I said earlier, Qun's not going anywhere without a stretcher...not unless you want to risk paralyzing or killing her." Enque reasons, waving a three-fingered hand towards a dark-skinned alien laying on her side.

The Novas' leader grimaces at the other medic's words, "Look, Doued, I understand what you're saying, but you know I can't send you out there alone."

"You don't need to." You reply, drawing a resigned sigh from the Avnari as he turns his gaze back to you, seeming to try and get a measure of you before finally he lets his arms drop to his sides in defeat.

"Spirits, are all medics this much of a pain in the ass? I don't suppose I could talk you out of it, then?" He asks, frowning as you shake your head, "Fine...if you want to try and fix the damned generator then go. But whatever you're going to do, you better do it fast. In the meantime...I guess I'll try and figure out a plan on what to do if you actually pull this off."

Julius chuckles, drawing a confused look from the mercenary leader, "Don't worry so much, man. Doc and I made it this far, right? We're good at pulling off impossible bullshit."

An amused smile crosses your face at your friend's confidence, though from the looks of things he's barely managing to keep himself standing at the moment, "I appreciate the vote of confidence, Reece, but maybe you should sit this one out." You suggest, digging one of the last few bandages from your kit along with a half-dose of painkillers as you nod to his leg.

The swordsman blinks in surprise at you, only for his smile to fade as he crosses his arms, "No way, Doc. I didn't drag my ass all the way out here just to sit and wait for our problems to go away. I'll be fine, besides you need somebody else to back you up, right?"

You shift your weight to one side, resting a hand on your hip as you cast a more thorough inspection over your friend, Enque adopting a similar look of skepticism at your side as he does the same. From the looks of things, he could definitely use a rest...he may be right about taking somebody else along being a good idea, but you'd feel better if it was that big guy at the door instead. Of course, it doesn't look like he'd be overly thrilled to be left behind...you're sure he'd get over it, though.

>Options in next post.

>>1030066
Do you want to take Julius with you?
>No. He needs to take some time to rest and properly treat his leg. Besides, it's not like you're going to be gone for long, you shouldn't need backup.
>No. You're not going to have him getting seriously hurt just for pride when a little rest is all he needs. You should take somebody else, though. See if Ilos wants to join?
>Yes. You might not feel comfortable with him coming, but you're not going to force him to stay behind if he's that insistent on coming along.
>Write-in.

I'm gonna get some food, guys. I'll be out for about an hour or so, but I'll write for whatever ends up winning as soon as I get back. I forgot to mention it in the options, but if you want to try and convince Ilos to join you or take Julius along, go ahead and roll 3d10.

>>1030070
>No. He needs to take some time to rest and properly treat his leg. Besides, it's not like you're going to be gone for long, you shouldn't need backup.

Rolled 2, 6, 8 = 16 (3d10)

>>1030070
>No. You're not going to have him getting seriously hurt just for pride when a little rest is all he needs. You should take somebody else, though. See if Ilos wants to join?
He'll have other chances to be a big damn hero.

So when we get out of this we should see about getting Pat'que to Mould some new pouches and hardpoints on our Armour so we can carry the trauma kit and more helpful drugs with us, And make every member of our team buy carry and maintain a standard medkit. That way we don't exhaust our medical supplies so quickly.

>>1030123
I'm thinking we need to practice with our armor and its jet pack some more.

Rolled 10, 7, 6 = 23 (3d10)

>>1030070
>Yes. You might not feel comfortable with him coming, but you're not going to force him to stay behind if he's that insistent on coming along.

Rolled 4, 4, 9 = 17 (3d10)

>>1030070
>No. He needs to take some time to rest and properly treat his leg. Besides, it's not like you're going to be gone for long, you shouldn't need backup.

>>1030070
>No. You're not going to have him getting seriously hurt just for pride when a little rest is all he needs. You should take somebody else, though. See if Ilos wants to join?
Sup Hawk

>>1030123
Not a bad idea. Might be worth seeing if the group would be interested in setting up a pool for medical supplies. And if we're gonna set up a clinic we'll need to make contacts for a regular supply anyways.

Rolled 7, 10, 1 = 18 (3d10)

>No. You're not going to have him getting seriously hurt just for pride when a little rest is all he needs. You should take somebody else, though. See if Ilos wants to join?

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>>1030102
>>1030211
>Have Julius sit this one out.
>>1030151
>Let him come. You're not his mother.
>>1030107
>>1030315
>>1030373
>Ask the master of disguise if he wants to join instead.

>Writing to bring Illos along.

Sorry for the longer than expected dinner break, everybody. I'm back now though! Also, glad to see the discussion. I love it when you guysargue make plans.

You guys passed the roll, by the way.

>>1030763
No plan survives contact with the other players.

>16, 23, 17. Great Success!

You and Doeud share a short look between yourselves before turning your attention back to your friend, stepping forward to press the bandages and medicine into his hand, "Go sit down, Julius. I'll be fine, besides I'm sure you'll have more plenty of other opportunities to be a big damned hero today. All we're doing is trying to fix an old hunk of garbage."

The swordsman frowns, clearly annoyed at your prodding, "I'm -fine-, Jack. I came with you this far, and I'm not going to make the two of you go downstairs to deal with who knows how man of those things alone!" He argues, drawing a stern look from you that's communicated despite the helmet covering your face.

"Do you want to lose your leg, Reece?" You ask rhetorically, digging into your kit and handing him some disinfectant to go with the rest of the supplies you gave him, "Because if that thing gets infected out here, that's probably what'll happen."

The threat of amputation seems to give your friend a moment of pause, as he likely remembers the fresh memory of Nueve's lost limb. "I...fine. You win, Jack, but I still don't like the idea of you two going out there alone."

You rest a hand on his shoulder to reassure him, only for Enque to beat you to the punch. "Your concern is noted...Julius, was it?" He asks shortly, waiting for the swordsman to nod before turning to look at the alien that towered over the two of you as you entered the room. "Ilos, come with us to fix the generator?"

The heavily armored alien lets out a reverberating hum before clicking his beak, "Okay." He replies lowly, hefting his massive weapon and moving to step outside the door, pointing to you with a massive finger as he moves, "But only because you helped Viv."

You stare after him in confusion, until the other medic recaptures your attention when he moves to follow the larger alien, "He's talking about the Tsindo with the burns."

"I didn't do it to get any favors..." You reply simply as you follow him, frowning as the Lenoshan casts what looks a look that vaguely resembles a grin back at you.

"Maybe not, but you still helped him. Ilos will ever admit it, but he's had a soft spot for him since we picked him up." He tells you quietly, adopting a more serious expression as the two of you catch up to the armored alien. "Alright, if the equipment we're looking for is still intact, it should be on the first floor. Would you mind leading the way, Illos?"

>Continued.

>>1031041
Hawk, you'll also run it tomorrow right? Gotta work so it'd be nice to know the thread will be up.

>>1031041
Ilos nods curtly, stepping forward to take point, "Tell your friend not to shoot me in the back, Blue." He rumbles as he takes off through the winding corridor at a pace that surprises you, given his considerable size and weight.

You raise an eyebrow at the unexpected name, choosing to ignore the thinly veiled insult in favor of watching the other medic curiously as his skin briefly turns a light indigo before slowly fading back to the same color it adopted after you entered the room. "I asked you not to call me that, Ilos." Enque replies in a tone that screams that this is hardly the first time he's had to remind the larger alien.

The distinct sound of Ilos' beak echoes through the hall when he briefly stops in front of the stairwell, "Tough luck, Blue. You don't get to choose your kresh name."

You're fairly sure you hear Doeud let out a groan, though after that he falls silent as the three of you navigate the stairs and exit onto the first floor, the sounds of battle becoming clear once again you get closer to the station's lobby. "We should be starting to get close...make sure to keep an eye out for any seekers. If you see one then there will always be more."

Both you and Ilos in acknowledgement, "I assume that the seeker drones are those spider things?" You ask shortly, drawing a confused look from both aliens before letting out an exasperated sigh and holding up your bandaged hand, "The freaky robots that stab you?"

A deep rumble escapes Ilos at your explanation, "Yes...if you let them get that close." You roll your eyes at the response, though before you're able to formulate a comeback the armored alien glances over his shoulder at you again. "You and your kresh from the meeting, you're some of those...Humans, right? The ones that stopped the pirate attack on that transport a while back?"

You stare back at the alien for a few seconds before nodding, "Yeah...we were there. Why?"

Enque blinks at you, seeming to have a newfound interest in you, while Ilos simply clicks his beak shortly before turning his attention back to the corridor, "Just curious."

"What are they like?" The other medic asks suddenly, drawing a confused stare from you until he elaborates, "Your friends, I mean. I've talked briefly with Miss Owens, but not the rest of your group. It must be hard for all of you, being dropped out here on your own."

You're suddenly grateful for your helmet, as it shields the tired look on your face from the alien as you consider the question. He's not wrong about it being hard, but you're not sure if you're really interested in talking to him about it, after all the two of you barely know each other. Besides, what does he want to know about your friends for? You start to open your mouth to change the subject when it occurs to you that he's probably just trying to be friendly, do you really want to snap his head off for being curious?

>Options in next post.

>>1031278
Do you want to talk about it?
>Sure...it beats walking in silence, at least.
>Maybe later. You don't mind him asking, but maybe now isn't the best time for it.
>No. You're not interested in sharing, at least for the moment. Why's he so interested in your friends anyways?
>Write-in.

>>1031274
Yep! I'll be running through tomorrow for sure. After that it'll be a bit more of a hit and miss thing. Sorry that we haven't made much progress today, things have been a bit more busy on my side than I expected.

I'm not overly happy with that, but I'm not nearly as concerned about it as I would if I was running on /tg/. May not particularly care for the switch, but at least they got one thing partially right.

>>1031282
>>Maybe later. You don't mind him asking, but maybe now isn't the best time for it.

>>1031278
>"It's a living."
>Maybe later. You don't mind him asking, but maybe now isn't the best time for it.

>>1031294
>>1031328
>Save it for when you're not hip deep in killer robots.

>Writing.

"Well, I guess if I had to get tossed out into an intergalactic civilization that I didn't even know existed a year ago then I could do a lot worse than ending up with them. They're good people." You answer simply.

Enque nods at your answer, turning pale orange at your short answer, "I see...I apologize if I offended you, Jack Yarick, I just-"

You shake your head, cutting the other medic's sentence short, "I don't mind you asking, but maybe it'd be better to talk about it when we're not in the middle of a war zone."

A small amount of amusement washes over you as a relieved smile spreads across the Lenoshan's face and he flashes a bright purple before his skin slowly fades to a more familiar tone, "Of course! I'm sure there'll be plenty of time to talk once this is all over."

"People are gonna talk if you keep doing that, Blue." Ilos rumbles over his shoulder, before slowing to a stop as the three of you come to a room filled with broken desks and damaged terminals.

Doeud directs a short nod to the larger alien, clearly choosing to ignore the jab as he surveys the room hopefully, "Yes...this is exactly where we want to be." He replies, his large eyes narrowing as he pushes forward into the room, immediately heading towards a rust-coated sphere in the far corner.

A sinking feeling fills your stomach as you follow the lithe alien, your fears confirmed as he kneels next to it and starts working to pull away the rotting outer shell of the generator. "Please tell me that's -not- what we're here for..."

Enque doesn't bother looking up from his work while you and Ilos stare in dejection at the clearly dead machine, "I could tell you that, but I'd be lying." The other medic states calmly as he digs a hand into one of the many pockets on his armor to pull out what looks suspiciously like a pair of overdesigned pliers to you. "We don't need a lot of power for my plan to work...all it'll take is getting it to run at minimum capacity."

>Continued.

>>1031498
I guess we'll need to set up a defensive position while he works on firing up the generator?

"I hate to say it, Enque, but I don't think that pile of scrap has any juice left in it at all." You reply, watching him work with a skeptical eye.

Ilos nods in agreement, "He's right, Blue, this is a waste of -" The armored alien's words are interrupted by a loud crash from further down the hall, followed by the unmistakable clicking of the spider drones' legs on concrete. "We need to get out of here. Now."

For the first time since he laid eyes on the generator, Enque pauses in his work to look up at the two of you, "If we leave now then we won't have another chance to regain comms with the rest of the expedition and any hopes we might have of getting air support are gone."

"And if we stay here then we're going to end up just as dead as that hunk of junk." You retort, drawing a frustrated look from the alien.

"This won't take very long, but I need you to trust me, Jack." Enque argues, turning away from the two of you to continue his work on the orb. "If you want this to go faster, then I'll need you to find a small box on the wall across from me. I need you to open it up and flip all of the switches in it, but not until I tell you to."

Your mouth sets into a thin line at the other medic's insistence on staying, despite the looming threat of the synthetics. You're tempted to pull him out of the rusted sphere and force him back upstairs, but on the other hand he seems fairly confident that this is going to work, assuming that you can actually buy him the time he needs without dying. Of course, you could see what you could do about trying to lure the synthetics away from the room while he works...it's not exactly your best idea, but you're not entirely convinced that the three of you will be able to hold out in this room.

What do you want to do?
>You don't have the time for this. As much as you want to get comms back up, it's not worth dying over.
>Okay, fine. Help him get the generator running, and make sure he survives long enough to do it.
>Use yourself as bait. You're not thrilled with the idea, but it's probably the best shot at making sure Enque has the time he needs to get things running.
>Write-in.

>>1031624
Regardless of your choice, roll 3d10.

Rolled 9, 8, 3 = 20 (3d10)

>>1031624
>>Use yourself as bait. You're not thrilled with the idea, but it's probably the best shot at making sure Enque has the time he needs to get things running.

I'm probably going to call it for tonight, guys. I'm sorry that today was so slow, I'd been planning on it going much smoother, but tomorrow should work out better since there won't be as many distractions around. If anybody has any questions then I'll probably be around to answer them for a little while, at least until I fall asleep.

I'll start in on writing as soon as I wake up.

Rolled 2, 9, 2 = 13 (3d10)

>>1031624
>>Use yourself as bait. You're not thrilled with the idea, but it's probably the best shot at making sure Enque has the time he needs to get things running.

>>1031654
Thanks for running.

Its good to see this quest running again.

>>1031667
I'm glad that I've got the time for it again. I love running this quest, even if I'm not exactly quick on the draw when it comes to updates. Just hope that people enjoy it as much as I do.

Rolled 6, 6, 9 = 21 (3d10)

>>1031624
>Use yourself as bait. You're not thrilled with the idea, but it's probably the best shot at making sure Enque has the time he needs to get things running.

Rolled 4, 8, 2 = 14 (3d10)

>>1031624
>Okay, fine. Help him get the generator running, and make sure he survives long enough to do it

You stare down at Enque's prone form for several more moments before letting out a sigh and turning on your heel to make your way deliberately back towards the hallway. "Fine. You two stay here and get that thing working, I'll buy you as much time as I can." You tell them, despite the fact that you're less than thrilled at the idea of using yourself as bait.

"Excuse me?" The other medic asks, pausing in his work again to look incredulously over his shoulder at you.

You pause at the door and look back at the aliens as the skittering sounds of the drones get closer, "There's no way that we're holding all of them off in this room. If I can draw most of them away, then you should be able to get the generator running, right?"

"Well, yes, bu-"

"Then do it." You interrupt, grabbing your pistol from your hip as Ilos simply stares you down for a few moments before hefting his weapon to the ready.

"I can turn anything else that comes through here into scrap." The armored alien tells you simply, drawing a nod from you before you turn your back on them and head out into the hall, breaking into a run in the direction of the noise.

You don't get very far before coming face to face with the group of robots, and at the realization that there are at least ten of the synthetic monstrosities scattered across the walls and ceiling of the corridor. You skid to a brief stop, just barely avoiding barreling straight into the drones, and fire off a small handful of inaccurate shots at the group before taking off as fast as you can down a hall to your left that you hadn't bothered to explore up to this point. "It just had to be spiders, didn't it?!"

While you're more concerned with not tripping over any of the rubble in your path, you're almost certain that your distraction worked, given the spine-chilling sound of the drone's screeches mixed with the clicking of their bladed legs as they run after you. Finally, after another left turn you risk a glance over your shoulder to see just how many are following you, and see with a grim satisfaction that at least seven of them took the bait. You briefly consider the idea of stopping to try and pick a couple of them off, though you're not entirely confident with your chances of not being torn to shreds by the rest of them if you do that. Of course, you could try and get a few shots off at them as you go, or try and turn a couple of them to scrap with your psionics while still mostly maintaining your speed, but there's no telling how accurate your attacks might be, though as you glance down at the ground while you run, one of the plasma grenades on your belt catches your attention...that could be a good option too. Assuming it doesn't bring the building down on top of you.

>Options in next post.

>>1032430
Shields: 100%
Psi Energy: 6/10
Plasma Grenades: 2

What do you want to do? Regardless of your choice, roll 3d10.
>Stop and make a stand. You can't run like this all day, and if you're lucky you might be able to take most of them out at once.
>Keep running, but take a few shots at them with your pistol. If nothing else, it might help to give you a lead on the synths.
>Don't stop, but try and blast a few of the drones apart with your psionics. [Psi energy cost: 2]
>Toss a grenade at the damned things. It may be a risk, but it would probably take the majority of them out...assuming it doesn't kill you too.
>Just concentrate on outrunning them. You'll have to fight them sooner or later, but this isn't the place to do it.
>Write-in.

Rolled 8, 7, 5 = 20 (3d10)

>>1032438
>Keep running, but take a few shots at them with your pistol. If nothing else, it might help to give you a lead on the synths.

Rolled 3, 3, 3 = 9 (3d10)

>>1032438
>Toss a grenade at the damned things. It may be a risk, but it would probably take the majority of them out...assuming it doesn't kill you too.

Rolled 3, 5, 1 = 9 (3d10)

>>1032438
>>Keep running, but take a few shots at them with your pistol. If nothing else, it might help to give you a lead on the synths.

>>1032511
>>1032480
>dark green
>9
>9
Truly the colour of bad omens.

>>1032513
ayyye, we're in trouble.

Rolled 2, 8, 2 = 12 (3d10)

>>1032438
>Toss a grenade at the damned things. It may be a risk, but it would probably take the majority of them out...assuming it doesn't kill you too.

File: iRwhYfqIrrJ0c.gif (885 KB, 480x368)

885 KB GIF

Damn...those rolls.

We'll need to go ahead and head into final destination voting here, but I'll take this point in time to remind you that you can use psi energy to bump rolls up to a success. Bumping a normal failure to a success will cost a point of energy, and bumping it up to a great success will cost three points. Bumping a critical failure to a success costs three as well, and bumping it up to a great success will cost five.

Anyways, final destination voting commences now. It'll last for fifteen minutes.

To shoot over your shoulder, vote -
>1
To toss out a grenade, vote -
>2

If you want to spend psi energy to bump up your roll, then decide now.

>>1032535
Bump it up twice.
>2

>>1032535
>2

>>1032559
>>1032535
Bump it up to a success.

File: 934720_536198599764539_19(...).jpg (67 KB, 526x363)

67 KB JPG

>>1032536
>>1032559
Alright, using the power of explosives wins out.

I'm going to start writing in five minutes, so you have that much time to decide among yourselves whether to bump it up just once or go ahead and make it a great success. If a consensus isn't reached in that time, I'll just bump it up once. Keep in mind, that if you expend all of your energy, you -will- pass out.

>>1032578
Well worst case we go to 1 psi energy, but with the 20 we got I figure we're not in the field to need 5 points/that much exertion.

I guess I'll change to bump it once, just in case.

>>1032535
Is this a normal failure?

>>1032586
>>1032595
It was, yes. So it would have cost only three points, either way, but looks like the consensus is to just bump it up once anyways, so you'll still have five points of energy left. If anybody's curious, you will be able to increase your energy cap in the future, you'll just have to dedicate time to training with your psionics. You'll also be able to figure out different ways to manipulate your energy as well, such as the shield shield you tried to make earlier, more powerful attacks, etc.

>20, 13[9], 9. Success.

Your heart pounds desperately in your chest as you sprint down the hall, mind racing as you try to figure out just how long you're going to be able to keep this pace up, until finally you snatch one of the shining orbs from your waist and thumb the primer. Rather than actually throwing the grenade back down the corridor, you simply drop it and keep running, taking the risk of looking over your shoulder at your pursuers as you do so. A disbelieving laugh escapes you as you realize several of the seeker drones broke off from chasing you to figure out what you dropped, only for you to let out a shout as your foot catches on a piece of rubble, sending you on a stumbling journey towards the floor, still well within the range of the explosive.

Violet light swirls around your body as you panic and will yourself to barrel forward towards the end of the hall before throwing yourself to the right, to land roughly on the floor just in time to escape the grenade's blast radius. Your lungs burn as you lay on the ground, the aim of your pistol as you wait to see if any of the synthetics managed to make it out of the blast thrown off slightly by your ragged breathing. In the distance you hear what you can only assume is Ilos' massive gun letting out a long burst of rounds before falling silent, concerning you for several seconds until one of the few remaining emergency lights in the building flickers dimly to life.

You let out a sigh of relief and bring a hand up to wipe away the sweat pouring down your face before grunting in frustration as you realize the futility of doing so with a helmet on, and instead resolve yourself to roll over and push yourself back to your feet. It takes you a couple of moments to regain your bearing as you stand, but you're fairly sure you know how to get back to where you left Enque and Ilos, and you start to move that way until a small glint from the corner of the room catches your eye, along with a softly blinking light.

Curiosity wells up inside you, though the fact that you're definitely going to be missed by the two aliens if you take too long isn't missed by you, and to tell the truth, you'd much rather be there when Enque patches into the comm network...not to mention the safety of numbers. On the other hand, it's not like it would take you too long to check this out, right?

What should you do?
>Ignore it. Whatever it is, it's not going to be worth nearly as much as whatever's in the bunker...assuming it's not just garbage anyways. Besides, you've got more important things to do right now.
>Check it out. It might just be junk, but you came out to these ruins to scavenge old tech, right? Even if it's not worth much, it might be cool.
>Write-in.

Rolled 7, 2, 3 = 12 (3d10)

>>1032671
>Check it out. It might just be junk, but you came out to these ruins to scavenge old tech, right? Even if it's not worth much, it might be cool.

Rolled 10, 6, 10 = 26 (3d10)

>>1032671
>Check it out. It might just be junk, but you came out to these ruins to scavenge old tech, right? Even if it's not worth much, it might be cool.

Rolled 7, 3, 8 = 18 (3d10)

>>1032671
>>Check it out. It might just be junk, but you came out to these ruins to scavenge old tech, right? Even if it's not worth much, it might be cool.

>>1032697
>>1032717
>>1032738
>Check out that shiny thing.

>Writing in just a couple minutes.

>>1032747
Correction. Heating up leftovers, and then writing. Should probably be coming up on the end of the battle soon. I'm decidedly excited to move on past it.

Curiosity wins out in your mind, and you turn to make your way over towards the corner, carefully stepping around the rubble strewn across the room to avoid another unwanted appointment with the floor. A frown crosses your face when you get closer to the corner, realizing that the blinking light is coming form some kind of device lying next to the skeletal remains of what you can only assume is another explorer, though when you kneel down next to the body, your eyes widen in surprise as you recognize the device as a K'tulu translation implant that is, judging by its sleek design, probably much more advanced than the hackjob they stuck on the side of your head.

With the mystery of the what the light was coming from, your eyes slowly rove the area surrounding the body, noticing a faded purple bag that looks like it's seen better days lying off to the side. You reach out to the strap to tug it towards you and open it up to find a small handful of credit chits, a few chips that look like they could be slotted into something, though the labels that were etched into them are illegible to your eyes, a small pistol that seems to be missing is magazine, and what looks like four tiny mechanical insects with canisters where the abdomen would normally be. You start to reach in to pick one of the little robots up, only to catch sight of what seems to be a small amulet glinting in the dim glow of the emergency lights.

Quirking an eyebrow, you reach out and pick it up, turning it over in your hands to see that it's also got some kind of writing etched into it, but it doesn't look like any kind of language you've seen before, not even since being thrust out into the larger galaxy. A button on its side catches your attention, and you press it and a brief flash of holographic light expands from what you at first thought was a jewel on its face, but now are certain is some kind of crystal focus, though before you can make out the shape of the hologram it blinks out of existence and doesn't reappear even after you press the button again. "Hmm...weird." You mutter, turning it over one last time before sighing and shaking your head, casting your gaze one more time over the collection of gear particularly the blinking comm unit, wondering if you should go ahead and take it...after all, it's not like this person is going to ever need it again, and even if you can't use it you're sure that it could be worth a few credits. On the other hand, the idea of stealing implants and money off a corpse, no matter how old it is, leaves a bad taste in your mouth...this isn't like the pirate that you got your shotgun from, it's closer to grave robbing. Of course, when you think about it, isn't what you're doing in these ruins the same thing, just on a larger scale?

>Options in next post.

>>1033118
Should you take anything?
>Take the bag. If nothing else it, the credits would be useful. Besides, you're curious about those little robots.
>Keep the amulet. You're not sure what the thing is, but it the writing looks like it could've been from whoever lived on this planet before, so it's got to be worth something, right?
>Grab the comm unit. You might feel a little squeamish about lifting an implant off a dead body, but it's not like you killed them, and if you leave it then it'll probably just rot away with the explorer.
>Write-in.

>>1033118
>Take the bag. If nothing else it, the credits would be useful. Besides, you're curious about those little robots.
>Keep the amulet. You're not sure what the thing is, but it the writing looks like it could've been from whoever lived on this planet before, so it's got to be worth something, right?
>Grab the comm unit. You might feel a little squeamish about lifting an implant off a dead body, but it's not like you killed them, and if you leave it then it'll probably just rot away with the explorer.
We scavenger now.

>>1033118
>Take the bag. If nothing else it, the credits would be useful. Besides, you're curious about those little robots.
>Keep the amulet. You're not sure what the thing is, but it the writing looks like it could've been from whoever lived on this planet before, so it's got to be worth something, right?

>>1033132
>>1033142
Gonna go ahead and toss it into final destination territory.

To take everything, vote -
>1

To take just the bag and the amulet, vote -
>2

>>1033159
Let's just take the bag and amulet then.

>>1033159
>1

>>1033159
>2

>>1033159
>1

>>1033159
>1

Disregard
>>1033163

>>1033165
>>1033171
>>1033175
>Take everything.

>>1033167
>Just take the bag and the amulet.

>Writing for tomb raider action.

>>1033190
If the Ktulu complain we can just snark back that it is not like their race respected our dead

>>1033211
It wouldn't be the race that complains but the corporation that explorer worked for.

>>1033218
Would they rather it just be left there?

>>1033220
They'll say it's their property and demand it back. We could claim it as abandoned property.
So we'll have to go to small claims court.

>>1033220
Why bother returning it to them in that case?

Also, while it may be a more advanced comm unit then what we have now, anyone else worried about implanting issues from it being second hand?

>>1033235
It may be more advanced, but I'm concerned with its firmware not having the proper interface libraries to connect to a human nervous system.

>>1033241
I was thinking more about it needing a good scrubbing with bleach before mounting it onto our skull more then what you were thinking, but yeah, that's a good thing to think about.

Worst case, we use the credits to buy a newer, fancier one, or upgrade our old one.

>>1033258
Humans are not part of the galactic community and cybernetics are not manufactured with our neural or cellular systems in mind. Each one would have to be a custom order.

>>1033272
Thus the "upgrade the old one" part.

I figure that upgrading our comm would be something that requires a technician rather than a surgeon, seeing as they look like they're permanently mounted onto someone's skull. I could be wrong, of course.

Your grip on the bag tightens as you drop the amulet into and reach out for the comm unit, hand hovering over it for a few seconds as you briefly debate the ethics of taking it until you shake your head and snatch it off the ground and shove it in with the rest of your 'slightly used' loot. With a quiet groan you push yourself back to your feet and start making your way back through the winding hall, eyeing the carbon-scored remains of the seeker drones suspiciously as you pass them.

Just as you round the last corner and are coming up on the room you left the two aliens in, a shrill squeal erupts in your ear, making you wince as your hand flies up to ineffectually try and block out the noise, only for it to fade just as quickly as it came, followed by the echo of a familiar voice coming across your comm unit as well as down the hall. "This is Nova Two-actual to any remaining Antusyac Expeditionary forces, if you can hear this then please respond!"

Your comm unit explodes as a flurry of different voices answer at once, leaving you almost wishing that Enque's plan hadn't worked, until finally another familiar voice rings out above the rest, managing to restore order to the comm traffic. "Nova Two, this is Lieutenant Nueve. How are you talking to us?!" Lieutenant Nueve's voice asks hoarsely.

A short silence dominates the frequency as you finally re-enter the room, drawing a relieved smile from Enque as well as a curt nod from Ilos, who you note is sporting a handful of shallow cuts across his arms and face but otherwise looks no worse for wear from his defense of the room. "We were able to patch into an old broadcasting station with the help of Doctor Yarick." He explains, pausing as your comm units squeal again, "It's not perfect, and I'm not how far out it will reach, but we'd hoped to gain air support."

"Did you say Yarick helped you?!" Nueve asks incredulously, before the latter part of the Lenoshan's report apparently sinks in, "Air support seems unlikely, Nova Two...but I will do what I can to make it happen. Are you still in the broadcast station right now?"

"We are, Lieutenant, but we have wounded and I'm not sure how long we'll be able to stay here." Doeud replies, only to pause again as he taps on his own comm unit. "I-...alright, Vega. Yes, we'll be coming back up soon."

You blink in confusion as Ilos clicks his mouth roughly and Enque's color shifts to become slightly darker while he taps his comm unit again, "Lieutenant, I'm letting Nova One-"

Before the alien can even finish his sentence a new voice interrupts him on the comms, "Lieutenant Nueve, this is Vega. I'd like to switch over to the command frequency before we continue. I believe we might have a shot at ending this now, though."

>Continued.

>>1033371
>Can we radiocheck with our team?

>>1033371
A frown tugs at your lips at the mercenary leader's sudden interruption, though before you can say anything you comm channel crackles to life again, "Nueve to all expeditionary forces. You are to lend all available support to Nova forces for the rest of the battle. Any casualties are to be moved to my position, as follows..."

You blink in surprise at the unexpected order, before reaching up and tapping your comm link to cut off the frequency as Nueve continues re-establishing his command over the situation, making you suddenly thankful that you didn't go ahead and pump him full of painkillers after all. Your attention is brought back to your own surroundings by the quickly approaching Enque, "Glad to see that you managed to get the generator running after all." You say, nodding to the weakly flickering sphere humming in the corner of the room.

The alien's skin flashes through several different shades of green and blue at your words, before finally resettling as he crosses his arms over his chest, "And I appreciate that you helped me do so, but that was easily one of the most reckless things you could have done." He replies shortly, clearly unhappy with your actions, before his face softens somewhat with a sigh, "It doesn't matter now. We accomplished what we came here to do, let's get back upstairs before Vega tries to go and blow up the command unit without us."

A small amount of anger wells up inside you at Doeud's short scolding, though you manage to bite it back at the mention of returning to the rest of the mercenaries, "Wait, you mean that we're not going to stay here and make sure nothing happens to the generator?" You ask, your confusion evident in your tone. "What if more of those drones show up?"

Enque glances back at you over his shoulder as he starts making his way out of the room, "If the seeker drones come into the building, it won't be to shut down our signal." He explains simply as Ilos rumbles deeply at your question, "And the generator should keep running at minimum capacity for some time before shutting down. By the time that happens, we'll have no use for it."

You're somewhat skeptical at his lack of concern, but shrug as the two aliens continue out of the room, deciding to trust in your new friend's judgement as you follow them out. "So...how long do you think it will be before Vega tries and make a push?"

Ilos slows his pace and looks back at you with a click, "It depends on how much support he can get from the rest of the expedition. Probably at least fifteen minutes...maybe more."

You let out a soft hum in response, nodding in understanding as you ascend the stairwell. "Any chance he'll try and get your injured to Nueve's evac point?"

>Continued.

>>1033479
"No..." Enque answers, frustration clear in his voice, "He'll likely leave those with less serious wounds to stand guard while the rest of us make his push. I don't care for the idea, but the reasoning is solid...it would be more dangerous to try and move them through the fight than keep them in shelter.

You nod slowly, understanding the other medic's distaste at having patients so close to the fighting, even if it makes more sense than trying to relocate them. The remainder of the trip through the second floor is silent, though the quiet is shattered the second you step back into the room and are met with a broken cheer from several of the Nova's mercenaries.

The muted celebrations are cut short by Vega as he shouts at his people to quiet down, "Alright, that's enough! I'm as proud of them as the rest of you, but this isn't over yet. Doeud, Ilos, get over here and help me figure out how to make our push!"

"Of course, Vega." Enque replies with a nod, quickly making his way over to the Avnari while the larger alien simply clicks his beak in apparent irritation before lumbering over to the desk that several other mercenaries are crowding around.

You briefly consider joining the two of them, before shaking your head and making your way to slump down next to Julius after finding him propped against the wall next to a Zho'don that seems to be doing her best to sleep through the roar of the battle raging outside the building. "Hey, Jack, how's it..." The swordsman's words trail off slightly as you unlatch your helmet and lift it from your head, reveling in the cool air as it rushes across your face. "Damn, man...you look kinda rough. Are you alright?"

You offer your friend a tired smile before shrugging, "Better than most of the people here." You reply, opening your mouth to continue, only to be interrupted by your comm letting out a shrill beep as a call comes in from Angel. You blink in surprise before realizing that you haven't actually talked to your friend since you left her with Abi. With that in mind you reach up and answer the call with a tap, "Hey, Angel, long time no see."

A relieved sigh comes through over the call, followed by the amused, if clearly worried, voice of the mechanic, "You know, Doc, if you'd told me that you were going to run off again after fixing Abi's lung then I might have kicked your ass then instead of having to wait until later."

You roll your eyes in amusement at the threat, "Well, I'm unpredictable like that. I thought you would've figured that out by now, Angel." You shoot back before directing a grin towards Reece, drawing a concerned look from him, "Besides, Julius is here too, and I don't hear you threatening to kick his ass."

"Oh come on, man..." The swordsman groans, looking at you as if you'd betrayed him, "Why do you need to drag me into this?"

>Continued.

>>1033584
"Oh, I've got a few words for him too, but he's not our medic...and from what I heard you're the one that pulled him along anyways." She reasons, before blowing out another breath, "Seriously, though, I'm glad you're okay, Jack...I understand if you don't have much time to talk, but I just wanted to make sure that the two of you weren't dead."

You nod silently, before quickly shaking your head as you realize your friend can't see you, "Thanks, Angel...I'm sure that Reece appreciates the thought too." You reply, pausing for a moment in thought as you wonder if you should go ahead and kill the call now and check in to see if Vega's figured out a plan yet, or just go ahead and keep talking with your friend for a little bit, it might not be a bad idea to see how the rest of your group is doing, after all. You also haven't bothered to check on Julius' leg since you got back, though just by looking at it you can tell that he's taken your advice, so maybe it isn't necessary anyways.

What do you want to do?
>Keep talking to Angel for a while. You want to check in with your team, and you doubt that you're going to have much to offer Vega in terms of strategy.
>See if you can help with the battle plans. As much as you want to talk to your friend, you'll be able to do that once this is all over.
>Check on Reece's leg. You're not sure that you can do much more to help him right now, but at least you can make sure that infection isn't setting in. [roll 3d10]
>Write-in.

Rolled 9, 1, 3 = 13 (3d10)

>>1033620
>>Check on Reece's leg. You're not sure that you can do much more to help him right now, but at least you can make sure that infection isn't setting in. [roll 3d10]
Time to medic, medic.

Rolled 6, 10, 6 = 22 (3d10)

>>1033620
>Check on Reece's leg. You're not sure that you can do much more to help him right now, but at least you can make sure that infection isn't setting in. [roll 3d10]

Rolled 8, 6, 4 = 18 (3d10)

>>1033620
>Keep talking to Angel for a while. You want to check in with your team, and you doubt that you're going to have much to offer Vega in terms of strategy.
>Check on Reece's leg. You're not sure that you can do much more to help him right now, but at least you can make sure that infection isn't setting in. [roll 3d10]

Rolled 6, 2, 9 = 17 (3d10)

>>1033620
>Keep talking to Angel for a while. You want to check in with your team, and you doubt that you're going to have much to offer Vega in terms of strategy.
>Check on Reece's leg. You're not sure that you can do much more to help him right now, but at least you can make sure that infection isn't setting in. [roll 3d10]

File: hqdefault1-e1370547242257.jpg (31 KB, 387x314)

31 KB JPG

Hey guys, I'm gonna take about an hour break to go on a walk and such. I'll start writing as soon as I get back.

>>1033706
bless you with safe travels wanderer

A short pause hangs between you and your friend in the call until you push yourself up to get a better look at the swordsman's leg, letting out a low groan as you do so. "Jack? Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Angel, just tired." You answer with a soft laugh, "Just going to check on Julius' leg, since he went and got himself stabbed on our way over here."

"Hey! Don't put this all on me, man, you got stabbed too! Those robots are a pain in the ass..."

"Don't believe a word he says, Angel. The man's unstable, he's got to be in order to fight with that sword."

You hear the mechanic let out an undignified snort, and can only imagine the look on her face at your exchange with your mutual friend, "Uh huh...whatever you say, Doc. Just try not to die, Lizzie would never forgive me if I came back without her favorite doctor."

A smile spreads across your face at your friend's concern, as well as the mention of Tobias' sister, "Don't worry, I've got it all under control." You assure her, eyes traveling to the blood-stained bandage wrapped around your hand while your fingers expertly unwrap the one on Reece's leg. "By the way, how's Abi doing? Is she still holding up alright?"

Julius grits his teeth as you check on his wound, though the mention of the redhead draws a concerned look from him, "Yeah...she's doing alright. I've got Tom keeping an eye on her now..." A quiet laugh filters into your ears from the mechanic's end of the call, "You should have seen her when Freida came to tell us that you'd left...she was furious. I'd say that I feel sorry for you, but honestly I think you deserve everything you've got coming from her, Doc."

A short laugh escapes you, drawing a few curious looks from the aliens around you, "I'm not sure what the two of you have against me, Angel. I saved her life and I've brought you nothing but good fortune."

"God, you're such an ass..." Angel laughs, making your smile grow further while you apply another coating of antiseptic to your friend's leg, drawing a hiss from him and making him squirm as you re-wrap the bandage.

"You know you all love me." You fire back as you go ahead and push yourself fully back to your feet. "So how are you doing, then? You sound like you're keeping it together."

"Yeah, I'm alright...I took over Tom's spot keeping watch, but I'll be heading out to the community center to help direct casualties back here in a few minutes." She answers, letting out a sigh, "Can't say I'm not tired, but...well, I just hope that this is over soon. We can get Abi on a shuttle back to the city, and then...I don't know. I guess it depends on whatever ends up happening with the expedition. I was looking forward to getting down into that bunker, but if we need to head back with her, then that's where we'll go. Screw the money, right?"

>Continued.

>>1034250

You nod to yourself in agreement, before shrugging, "Yeah, if she needs me to go with her then I will. Honestly, I'm thinking about sending Reece back too, though. I doubt that whatever doctors Talis has on retainer are going to let me anywhere near an operating table, so...well, we'll see what happens. It's too early to be making plans for that right now."

"That's true, I suppose. I guess that if Antusyac's expedition is still going to head down into the bunker then -"

"Doctor Yarick, can you come over here, please?" Vega calls out, cutting your friend off in mid-sentence.

You let out a tired sigh and wave to him in acknowledgement, "I'll be right there. Sorry, Angel, I've got to go ahead and cut this short. I'll talk to you again soon, alright?"

"I understand, Jack, I'll talk to you later. Just...be safe, okay?"

A warm feeling spreads through your chest at your friend's concern, "I will be, Angel. You be careful too. Lizzie would be disappointed if her only source of pancakes were to disappear." You tell her, before reaching up and ending the call as you turn to make your way over to the mercenary commander. "You called?"

Vega looks up from the holographic display of the battlefield at your approach, "I wanted to know what you want to do in the push, Doctor."

You quirk an eyebrow at the question, "You're asking me?"

He nods simply at your question, "I've got two places that I could really use you, but I also know that you've got your own people to tend to, and you've already done more than enough for us today. If you'd rather sit this one out and take care of your own then I wouldn't blame you."

You're somewhat shocked at the offer, though the idea of sitting back while others make the final push to end this fight isn't particularly appealing to you...even if it would give you the chance to make it back to your friends. "Well...how about you tell me what it is you're wanting me to do, first." You tell him slowly, "I appreciate the offer, but if you're going to need me somewhere else, then I'd at least like to know who would be taking my place."

The mercenary leader nods again and leans forward to adjust the holodisplay, as he does so you notice Ilos staring at you with what seems to be a new respect from across the desk. "Alright, so we've decided that what we're going to do is draw the main bulk of the synthetics away from the command unit by having most of the expeditionary forces attack right here. If that works, then it should open up a good path for us to break through their defenses and let our rocketeers get a shot in at the command unit. It probably won't be enough to destroy it, but it should knock it down, and that's where you'd come in."

You blink at the plan, following it fairly well up until the last part, "What, you mean just me, or..."

>Continued.

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>>1034273
Most of the mercenaries gathered around the desk chuckle at your confusion though, while their mouths curl into smiles, Enque and Vega remain silent for a moment, "No, let me explain. Once the command unit is down, we're going to send in a team with detonation charges to finish it off. The problem is they'll be able to get anywhere close enough, the rest of the synths are going to have caught on to what we're trying to do. So we're going to need people from our side to make sure that the demolitions team can set the charges and get away in time to avoid blowing themselves up."

Your mouth turns downward in a tired frown while you nod in comprehension, "So you want me to help hold off the robots until the big one blows up, then?"

"Either that, or be part of our demolitions team...we don't a lot of people left, and everybody on the team will be carrying multiple charges already. If you help them out then you could save that much more time on setting the charges." He explains, waving a hand over towards a corner with several stacks of triangular explosives, "But, like I said, you've already done plenty of us today...if you'd rather not join in this time, nobody here will hold it against you."

You stare down at the battle projections tiredly, as you consider your options. While Vega seems genuine in his offer to let you off the hook for this one, from the looks of things the Novas actually need you in order for their plan to work the way they want it to. With that in mind, your two options come down to whether or not you should join into the thick of the fighting and hold off the synthetics to buy the demo team enough time, or take the risk of making yourself a high value target by setting charges on the command unit. Neither option is particularly appealing, and they both seem equally dangerous to you, but it's not like you're any stranger to dangerous situations at this point in your life.

What should you do?
>Join in to hold the line while the demo team sets the charges. You want to help the Novas as much as you can, but you're not a combat engineer, unlike Freida.
>Volunteer for the demolitions team. You'll admit that you're not particularly familiar with explosives, but surely detonation charges can't be that difficult to figure out, right?
>Write-in.

>>1034277
>Volunteer for the demolitions team. You'll admit that you're not particularly familiar with explosives, but surely detonation charges can't be that difficult to figure out, right?
If we had our supplies and rifle, then I'd go with the distraction force.

>>1034277
>Join in to hold the line while the demo team sets the charges. You want to help the Novas as much as you can, but you're not a combat engineer, unlike Freida.

>>1034277
>>Join in to hold the line while the demo team sets the charges. You want to help the Novas as much as you can, but you're not a combat engineer, unlike Freida

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Alright, so I hate to do this because I really want to write more tonight especially since we're so close to ending this battle, but I've got to head into work earlier than usual tomorrow. So I'm going to go ahead and call it on the updates for tonight, but as soon as I get done with work and making a blood sacrifice, I'll start in on writing whatever ends up winning.

I'll stick around for discussions and any questions you might have, at least for a little while, though.

>>1034277
>Volunteer for the demolitions team. You'll admit that you're not particularly familiar with explosives, but surely detonation charges can't be that difficult to figure out, right?

>>1034406
man fell asleep before the last one, shame

>>1034982
Yeah, but you can, and should, still vote. Because we're deadlocked right now.

>>1034277
>Volunteer for the demolitions team. You'll admit that you're not particularly familiar with explosives, but surely detonation charges can't be that difficult to figure out, right?
Front line might need medics to make sure the soldiers don't just die in droves, but something so critical as the charges might need as many hands on deck as possible.

I'm making my blood sacrifice now, so, if there are any last minute votes now would be the time to make them. It'all probably be about two hours before I start writing again.

>>1034277
>>Join in to hold the line while the demo team sets the charges. You want to help the Novas as much as you can, but you're not a combat engineer, unlike Freida.

Alright, so unfortunately there's been a change of plans, so I'm going to take this into final destination and then archive the thread. I may run tomorrow night after work, but whether that happens or not, Saturday is set in stone for me to run. Final destination ends in fifteen minutes. If there's no consensus then I'll figure something out when I write the opening of Episode 19.

To volunteer for the demo team, vote -
>1

To hold the line, vote -
>2

>>1036838
>1

>>1036838
2

>>1036838
>>1

>>1036838
>1

>>1036838
>2

>>1036838
>2

>>1036838
>2

>>1036843
>>1036862
>>1036882
Bomberman

>>1036858
>>1036885
>>1036902
>>1036949
>Witty commentary on holding the line here.

That last minute vote saved me the trouble of flipping a coin.

Alright, thanks for playing everybody. Sorry for not being able to run tonight like I'd hoped but we'll have a good way to start the next episode. Have a good evening everybody. Or day, if you're in Australia.

>>1037025
Have a good night Hawktail!