>>4087229
>>Head straight to Arcadia, you don't want to waste any time.

>>4087229
>Head straight to Arcadia, you don't want to waste any time.

>>4087229
>Head straight to Arcadia, you don't want to waste any time.

Also, I just posted a little something about how RnD will work in the last thread. Do you want me to repost it here?

>>4087246
I've seen it already but IMO might as well in case other people/ new posters haven't

>>4087229
>>Head straight to Arcadia, you don't want to waste any time.

"Alright, take us into orbit over Arcadia." You ordered, and slowly the prowler began to move. The baffled engines pushed the ship onto the right course, before cutting out and letting you drift through space. Because of this cautious and slow means of travel, it took nearly an hour before Arcadia began to rise over Gihon's horizon, and another half an hour before someone broke the silence with a report.

"I'm getting multiple drive signatures in Arcadian orbit. Tally at least three Strident class light frigates, plus a number of civilian craft." One of the ensigns called out, projecting the locations of the engine returns onto one of the screens over the viewports.

Another ensign added to the report, bringing the two flanking screens online to show you a number of rebel ships. "Eyes on, at least four strident-class frigates in oribit, plus a bunch of small transports and yachts. Tally around thirty ships in orbit, plus what looks like a few orbital habitats and space stations."

"The majority of them are in semi-equatorial orbits, if we go into a polar orbit then we should be able to limit our time close to them by a hefty amount." Dyad reported your XO suggestion a course that garnered her an approving nod from the navigation officer.

"Alternatively, we can try and find a weak node in their network. Accessing it will give us the means to get a lot more intel." Lieutenant Karmann suggested, the short spook honing in on an option to obtain more of the office's lifeblood, enemy data.

"We still have our drones and satellites stowed. If we deploy them in low orbit then they stand a higher likelihood of getting detected. I recommend deploying them now." Your AI threw her hat into the mix, reminding you of the cargo that you carried in your hold specifically to allow you to perform your mission without having to worry about someone sneaking up on you.

>Head straight into low arcadian orbit, you shouldn't waste time.
>Find a vulnerable node, you need to get into the local network.
>Deploy your satellites, you need to have your eyes in orbit before you head dirt-side.
>Other (write-in)

>>4085823

i have seen it thank you.

one of my ideas was starting the development of a very very ambitious mix of a ONI prowler and a UNSC frigate.

and simple stuff like automatic built in turrets inside and outside ships, that activate for taking out enemy infantry boarding forces. An help for crew and marines of sort.

>>4087326
>>Deploy your satellites, you need to have your eyes in orbit before you head dirt-side.

>>4087326
>Deploy your satellites, you need to have your eyes in orbit before you head dirt-side.

>>4087326
>>Deploy your satellites, you need to have your eyes in orbit before you head dirt-side.

"Take us into position to deploy our satellites, we need eyes." You decided to take this slowly and methodically. At the very least it would let you loose a fair amount of weight before entering the atmosphere. It took a couple of hours to get into the correct orbit, but you were soon in position to get rid of the small probes."

"We're in position sir." Diana informed you the moment you were in position. "Be advised, even though we have shadowed our bays away from most sensor sources, the clarion drones are not stealthy and have a chance to be detected.

"Send it Diana." You told your AI. Even if the Clarion drones were spotted, the communication drones would remain hidden and you could retain them.

"Understood, probes away." Diana informed you as the ship ever so slightly shook as the first pair of drones and satellites were ejected with a small puff of compressed gasses.

>Roll 1d20+3

Rolled 5 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>4087399

Rolled 16 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>4087399

Rolled 11 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>4087399

Rolled 15 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>4087399

Over the next half an hour, you waited as dozens of probes and satellites were dropped into the dark void of space, and slowly directed themselves onto their own orbital paths. It would take a few hours before the network was fully complete, but it gave you a lot more than going in blind.

"All probes deployed sir." One of the ensigns called out just a second after the final thud reverberated through the ship.

"Have the rebels taken any notice?" You asked, while you hadn't encountered anything yet, that didn't mean that the rebels hadn't seen the probes. And if they had spotted the probes, then they would have a rough sector to look in to try and find you.

"I don't see any changes in the behavior of the rebels ships, I'd say it's safe to assume that they have not detected the deployment." The ensign replied, assuring you that you were fine for now.

>Head straight into low Arcadian orbit, you shouldn't waste time.
>Find a vulnerable node, you need to upload the virus into the rebel's computer networks.
>Other (write-in)

>>4087329
I mean a stealth frigate isn't that ambitious, it's kind of already been done if you check back on the 1st thread. Of course it would be expensive to build one new, but if you want to be reassigned to a stealth frigate then that option may be open to you. Just keep in mind that a stealth frigate tends to have a mission profile closer to prowler than a frigate.

Auto-turrets already exist and are gonna be a procurement thing unless you want something that isn't just a cut-down assault rifle and a basic targeting system. Of course if you have something more specific in mind then you can look into getting it built.

>>4087478
>>Head straight into low Arcadian orbit, you shouldn't waste time.
dicking around will get us dicked down later.

>>4087478
>Head straight into low Arcadian orbit, you shouldn't waste time.

>>4087478
>Find a vulnerable node, you need to upload the virus into the rebel's computer networks.
This will also help later should we be discovered trying to land/reentering space with our cargo.

>>4087478
>>Find a vulnerable node, you need to upload the virus into the rebel's computer networks.

>>4087482

I will think of something else


No more like a turret of several LMGs (x4) and rapid fire shotguns (x2) attached together, with a thick shield on the front and overall heavy armor. These turrets to be more than effective should have a built in transport system for movement in the spaceship and relocate where the crew needs them. Thus avoiding that they remain only in one place, ammo should move with them as well.
the ship's interiors and rooms will likely need to become much more durable, and the ship will need to be redisign.

>>4087478

>Find a vulnerable node, you need to upload the virus into the rebel's computer networks.

"Next on the list is gonna be systems access. Any idea where we can access in order to get into the rebel data network?" You asked the room, though your question was more directed towards your AI. Diana was built for electronic warfare and hacking after all.

"There is a satellite a few thousand meters to port, accessing now." Diana informed you, you waited for a few seconds before she spoke up again. "I'm in sir, but there's a problem. This satellite is too badly degraded to act as an effective node. Additionally, it has very limited access paths to the rebel network and can be cut off easily. I recommend that we look for something else."

"Well, damn. Can you find us one?" You asked the AI, who once again made you wait before she responded.

"I've already found three sir." Diana replied with simulated smugness, before designating the locations of the three options on the central screen above the viewport. "The first is a communications satellite that seems to be far newer than the others. The rebels are using it as a centerpiece in their communications and information sharing network, and it has the bandwidth to allow us to conceal our actions among regular traffic. However, local rebel forces have a fighter squadron patrolling the nearby space. If they are alerted to any incursions via that node then they will investigate."

"The next option is a modular freighter identified as the Patriot's Pride. It seems to have a workable connection to the rebel comms network and would provide us some means to hide our involvement as they would take the fall for us. However, it would require us to first hack their computer systems before leapfrogging into the rebel network." Diana flashed up a picture of the freighter on one of the screens. It was similar to the armed freighter you had encountered in orbit of Greydowns, except this one retained its standard form. As she began to tell you about the final option, she switched over to show you an image of a space station that looked right out of the history books. "The final option would be a small rebel station. The station is made up of a handful of small prefabricated modules and appears to share similar characteristics with stations built before gravity simulation technology was developed. It functions as a data-storage facility and appears to have a small crew and defensive setup. Overcoming this would be difficult given our inability to deploy troops without entering enemy weapons range. However, it would allow a more unexpected way to enter the rebel computer networks."

"Using our current satalite is also an option, though I don't think we have many opportunities for uploading much." Lieutenant Karmann suggested, the spook taking the uncharacteristic path of suggesting the safer option.

>CONT

>>4087671

"Which is why I've brought up alternatives, lieutenant," Diana informed the short spook, addressing him by rank rather than by name. And the implied insult didn't go amiss.

>Hack the newer satellite, you don't want to worry about people seeing you. (roll 1d20)
>Hack the transport ship, if worst comes to worst then they'll take the fall for you. (roll 2d20)
>Board the station, at the very least you'll be able to steal their servers. (roll 2d20)
> Hack the old satellite, hardware limitations be damned. (roll 1d20-2)

>>4087675
>>Hack the transport ship, if worst comes to worst then they'll take the fall for you. (roll 2d20)

Rolled 11, 15 = 26 (2d20)

>>4087675
>Hack the transport ship, if worst comes to worst then they'll take the fall for you. (roll 2d20)

Rolled 5, 10 = 15 (2d20)

>>4087689

Rolled 12, 13 = 25 (2d20)

>>4087675
>>Hack the transport ship, if worst comes to worst then they'll take the fall for you. (roll 2d20)

File: maars-robot-1500x1000.png (953 KB, 1500x1000)

953 KB PNG

>>4087537
So basically you'd want something like pic related but without the grenade launchers, scaled up and with more armor and dakka?

Ok so the biggest issue will be size in general. Having 4 LMGs, 2 shotguns, all of their ammo and some thick armor would make the system fairly heavy and large. Moving it around the ship would be difficult and it would be next to impossible to move into smaller access ways. Shaving off half of those weapons would make a massive difference without loosing much in terms of pure shield and flesh shredding power. You'd also need a couple of marines or technicians moving around with it in order to effect on-the-fly repairs and to reload ammo.

Tech-wise there isn't much stopping you though as a lot of the tech already exists. So you can probably get them hammered out fairly quickly. EMP rating them on the other hand will be hard, and keep in mind that grunt plasma pistols can EMP things with an overcharge.

Rolled 14, 10 = 24 (2d20)

>>4087770

My bad i didn't write it well, not like that pic at all.


Essentially what i want is :

- a system of transportation built in the ship to move the turrets with their ammo around, allowing them to move anywhere the crew needs them.

but the ship would need to be redesigned for this, if it isn't clear the turrets would be moved by this transport system inside the ship. Think of something like a tunnel system inside the ship for electrical small wagons to use for take turrets, move them and place them somewhere else.
>>4087675

>Hack the transport ship, if worst comes to worst then they'll take the fall for you. (roll 2d20)

>>4087815
IMO that...sounds like a lot of work for not that much utility considering ideally for UNSC ships you don't want to be caught in a boarding action. Robots like above or automated sentry guns seem better suited and don't require modifying the entire ship

"Get us close to the transport ship, we'll use them as our way in." You ordered the bridge crew, and soon the prowler began to move after it's prey.

The "Patriot's Pride" was in a relatively high orbit, though a lot of that seemed due to the fact that it wasn't alone. A small group of tugs were pulling modular cargo bays off the ship and were taking them into a lower orbit, probably so that they could be loaded with cargo and returned to the ship. The navigation officer waited until the tugs had left with the cargo modules before taking you in close, the texture buffers on the prowler's outer hull let you blend in with the void around you to the point that any observers on the rebel transport probably didn't know you were there.

"Begining intrusion." Diana stated flatly as she began to enter the rebel ship's computer systems. She only took a minute before moving on to accessing the rest of the rebel network. This time you had to wait for five minutes as she slowly did her work, which in AI terms was quite a long time. But none the less, she reported back with pride. "We're in sir. No alarms are out, we're in the clear."

>Investigate the transport ship, maybe you can find out where they're from.
>Start downloading data, anything you get your hands on is gonna be useful. (roll 1d20-1)
>Try and find something more sensitive, there isn't much point bringing back a load of crap. (roll 1d20-2)
>Upload the virus, you have your orders.
>Other (write-in)

>>4087824
But especially now covenant prefer to find any information about human planets, so if they can try boardings they will.
I think it would depends by the amount of tunnels you would make, and by the amount of turrets you want to have.

Robots like above and sentry guns can be easily dispacth off by covenant forces, and to be honest i wouldn t lose time for have them. One is slow and frankly seems more a problem than a help.

Mine is only an idea since the robots and simple sentry guns are very weak.
-one doesn t move and is visible in is position
-one is too slow and easy to deal with

It can be even just a small system for example only for critical parts of the ship.

>>4087851
>>Investigate the transport ship, maybe you can find out where they're from.
>>Upload the virus, you have your orders.

Rolled 13 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4087851
>Try and find something more sensitive, there isn't much point bringing back a load of crap. (roll 1d20-2)
>Upload the virus, you have your orders.
I'll try that roll.

Rolled 3 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4087851
>>Try and find something more sensitive, there isn't much point bringing back a load of crap. (roll 1d20-2)
>>Upload the virus, you have your orders.

File: room mounted LMG.jpg (459 KB, 1920x2264)

459 KB JPG

>>4087815
>>4087852

Gotcha. The best way to install such a system would be an overhead gantry system attached to the ceilings of almost all corridors throughout the ship. You'd need some elevator systems to move these turrets between floors, but the size of those elevators would depend on the scale of the turret systems. That way the amount of changes to the ship would be minimal, even if it's all rather exposed.

The size and weight of the weapons fitted would still be an issue. We're talking around 40 kilograms in LMGs alone, not counting shotguns, ammo, sensors and armor. That would have a limiting factor on the speed at which you can deploy these things, and their size may make them unstable for smaller corridors, even if they have an ability to lock down a corridor all on their own. A far easier to deploy option would just be to use the cargo-bay LMGs used on pelicans, a single gun with ammo and already built to use a ceiling mount. A sensor suite and armor would add weight to it, but it would be far easier to move around and has the added bonus that it can be dismounted and used as a normal weapon if the mount fails. Though it doesn't allow you to mount shotguns.

In terms of being vulnerable and easy to destroy, that's going to be something you can't really work around unless they are deployed with care. There are a lot of corners you can use as cover, and a gun-shield will be able to soak a couple of plasma bolts. But don't expect a mobile system to be able to soak a lot of damage.

"Find me something interesting Diana. We can't settle for just doing our job now can we?" You asked the AI with a smile. If you weren't an over-achiever then you wouldn't be here right now, and you saw no reason to stop.

Diana complied without a word, and you waited for a couple of minutes as she did her work, but she did not disappoint, as she soon returned with something worth your while. "I think I have something, sir. It's a list of outgoing traffic, specifically containing a list of ships and their assigned destinations. Recovering this should allow ONI to hunt down these rebel transports and maybe even find some more bases to raid."

"Good work Diana. Download as much as you can and upload the virus." You ordered the AI, that information would have to do, in the meantime, you had orders from a vice admiral to follow, and a whole lot of navigational data to delete.

"Captain, are you sure?" Diana asked, before clarifying the reason for her concern. "Uploading this virus will probably cause the rebels to lock down their computer systems, I will not be able to recover any more information if that happens. Do you want to continue?"

>Upload the virus, maybe you can use the distraction to make landfall.
>Hold off you want to gather more intel. (roll 1d20+2)

>>4087962
>Upload the virus, maybe you can use the distraction to make landfall.
Intel is nice but let's complete the primary objective first

Rolled 13 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4087962
>Hold off you want to gather more intel. (roll 1d20+2)

Rolled 5 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4087940
Perhaps it was too advance, didn t even need to think of something ambitious with a turret like that.
So a turret based on a cargo-bay LMG, with a sensor suite and armor would be able to be positioned effectly and rapidly. For weight it would change much if we add to it a small camera and a small torch able to make a strong light for a few seconds ?
Would it be possible to make an elevator system for this kind of turret ?
As anyone try something like this in the UNSC or is not considered relevant do to the boardings of the covenant being so effective.


>>4087962
>Hold off you want to gather more intel. (roll 1d20+2)

>>4087964
+1

>>4087962
>Upload the virus, maybe you can use the distraction to make landfall.

>>4087985
A small camera is included in the sensor suite, and a torch wouldn't weigh too much so you could mount one if you want.

An elevator would be easy thanks to the small size of the system, and could be put where stairs already exist or could be built into new places.

Mobile systems aren't used, but larger UNSC ship (cruisers and up) do have stationary sentry guns in a few hallways and outside key parts of the ship. Most of the time it's just easier to lock the enemy in one part of the ship and get rid of the air, the enemy will choke eventually.

"Do it, once it's uploaded get us into a low polar orbit, I want us ready to go planet-side as soon as possible." You decided. While getting more intel was nice, you had a mission to complete and you were up against the clock. You didn't have the luxury of taking your time.

"Understood, uploading now." Diana informed you, the AI offered no further resistance and gave no further pleas to have more intel. Instead, you merely had to wait for a few minutes, before she gave the all-clear. "Virus uploaded. Navigation, you are clear to move off."

"Moving off, course plotted to low Arcadian orbit. ETA two hours." The navigation officer called out as the prowler moved off, leaving the unassuming freighter -and every other ship in orbit- to suffer the effects of the virus.

"Should we apply the reentry equipment now, or should we wait until we're in orbit before applying it?" Dyad asked, your XO seeing the long wait not as an opportunity to get something to eat, but as a chance to get some work done while you were waiting.

>Apply the equipment now, you shouldn't waste time. (roll 1d20-2)
>Wait until you're in orbit, you don't want to be detected.

>>4088066
>>Wait until you're in orbit, you don't want to be detected.

>>4088066
>>Wait until you're in orbit, you don't want to be detected.

>>4088066
>Wait until you're in orbit, you don't want to be detected.

>>4088066
>>Wait until you're in orbit, you don't want to be detected.

"Let's stay silent, I don't want the innies spotting us with our pants down." You decided against applying your armor. The virus would probably have the rebels looking for a target, and while you weren't sure if the kit ruined your stealth coating, you were damn sure that you didn't want to find out.

Your concerns were soon validated as a pair of frigates and a bunch of smaller fighters and missile-boats converged on the Patriot's Pride. The rebels had probably traced the virus back to them and were looking to get some payback. You let them pass and didn't look back. Instead, you remained on the bridge and waited out the trip. Sure enough, it took a couple of hours to get there, but you made it without being seen.

"Orbit established. It will take a couple of hours to apply the reentry equipment, though that's liable to change if the innies come looking for us." Diana informed you, giving you enough information to know that there was not much for you to do, and you were getting a bit hungry yourself.

>Stay on the bridge, you should be here in case something goes wrong. [TIMESKIP TO LANDING] (roll 1d20)
>Go and get something to eat, you're feeling a bit hungry.
>Other (write-in)

>>4088125
>>Go and get something to eat, you're feeling a bit hungry.

>>4088125
>Stay on the bridge, you should be here in case something goes wrong. [TIMESKIP TO LANDING] (roll 1d20)

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>4088125
>>Stay on the bridge, you should be here in case something goes wrong. [TIMESKIP TO LANDING] (roll 1d20)

>>4088125
>Go and get something to eat, you're feeling a bit hungry.

>>4088125
>Go and get something to eat, you're feeling a bit hungry.

"Alright, in which case I'm gonna get something to eat. If any of you need a break then I suggest you take it now." You made your choice, and set upon getting something to eat. You had weighed it up in your head, and you decided that the chances of being spotted were low enough that you could have some time to yourself.

"I have the deck then." Dyad sighed, though you chalked that up to her being annoyed at having to wait for you to return before she could eat something. You paid no attention to this as you left the room, you were sure that being able to sit in a proper chair rather than on a stool would placate her enough.

The mess hall was empty when you walked in, all but one of the tables had been lowered into the floor to open up the room for more storage space. You quickly grabbed something from the auto-chef and sat down at one of the tables. You pulled your tablet out as you took a sip of your drink, and breifly considered doing some work while on break.

>Read through the intel you gathered, maybe you can find something (roll 1d20-2)
>Read through some AARs, maybe you can learn something.
>Finish up your food and return to the bridge, you shouldn't be away for too long. [TIMESKIP]
>Other (write-in)

Rolled 9 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>4088245
>>Read through the intel you gathered, maybe you can find something (roll 1d20-2)

>>4088245
>>Read through some AARs, maybe you can learn something.

>>4088245
>Read through the intel you gathered, maybe you can find something (roll 1d20-2)
Knowing is half the battle.

Rolled 5 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>4088256
uuuh dice?

Rolled 10 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>4088245
>Read through the intel you gathered, maybe you can find something (roll 1d20-2)

Rolled 15 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4088245
>Read through the intel you gathered, maybe you can find something (roll 1d20-2)

>>4088365
Why the hell does my - always turn into a +?

>>4088366
you have to do dice+1d20+-2

maybe i'm retarded, but is the last thread not archived?

Rolled 15 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>4088245
>>Read through the intel you gathered, maybe you can find something (roll 1d20-2)
Saw the announcement only a day late this time.

>>4088454
It is now. Good catch.

File: Modular freighter.png (156 KB, 512x256)

156 KB PNG

You decided to get a little bit of work done by going through the list of cargo ships that apparently made their homeport at Arcadia. You booted your tablet up and loaded the document as you picked at your meal -some premade sausage and mash meal with assorted vegitables- as you read through the information. You didn't have to wait long before more members of the bridge crew joined you, though none of them bothered you. Instead, they grabbed their food and talked amongst themselves.

The list contained the names, types, cargo manifests, and recent destinations of various transport ships. Roughly half of them were modular hulled freighters, probably assembled from sections bought from a variety of smaller dockyards and manufacturers. However, there were a couple of larger Parabola class heavy freighters and refitted mixed cargo shuttles. All of the ships were manned, there were no automated cargo tugs among the illicit fleet. You guessed that it was because automated tugs were easier to steal and board, having a crew would give them an ability to change course on the fly to avoid law enforcement patrols. Many of the ships carried mundane cargo -food, raw materials, and other things- to smaller mining colonies. However, a couple of vessels ran guns and contraband to other destinations. The Patriot's Pride had been one of them, with it's most recent trip being hauling old military equipment and drug-making chemicals to the small colony of Jacquot.

You didn't bother trying to identify ships by their names to start off with, so instead, you looked up recent destinations. You didn't recognize most of the destinations, probably because they were smaller mining colonies. However, you did find a couple of vessels that had made recent trips to Greydowns, the large gas giant that you had recently been assigned to perform anti-piracy missions. The ships Golden Nori and the Prospector had both made trips there within the last six months, though you couldn't recall if they had been in the system when you were making the rounds. Either way, they had both been carrying inoffensive loads, though they were probably still breaking a few tax laws.

Well, aside from a pair of vessels operating in the Greydowns system, you didn't see anything else that piqued your interest. Though you felt that there was something you were missing, there was enough information that you could probably draw some conclusions, though you didn't know if it was enough to concern yourself with. ONI could probably do a bit more work with the intel, finding gold with the smallest amount of intel was probably the only reason why they weren't getting dragged before the Hague.

>Read deeper, maybe you can find something hidden in the data. (roll 1d20-1)
>Read through an AARs, maybe you can learn something.
>Finish up your food and return to the bridge, you shouldn't be away for too long. [TIMESKIP]
>Other (write-in)

Rolled 17, 13 - 1 = 29 (2d20 - 1)

>>4089335
>Read deeper, maybe you can find something hidden in the data. (roll 1d20-1)

It may be nothing, but our instincts have been good so far. And we still have about an hour to kill.

Rolled 3 - 1 (1d20 - 1)

>>4089340
Aww fucked up my dice.

Rolled 11 - 1 (1d20 - 1)

>>4089335
>>Read deeper, maybe you can find something hidden in the data. (roll 1d20-1)

Rolled 15 - 1 (1d20 - 1)

>>4089335
>Read deeper, maybe you can find something hidden in the data. (roll 1d20-1)

You decided to take another look at the information, hoping to find something that the spooks would like. You slowly read through the list and tried to find something that ONI would find useful.

Your first stop was the type of ships that the rebels were using. Modular freighters seemed to be their go-to choice, which wasn't surprising. A huge number of small yards and production facilities had taken up building parts for them, to the point that you could go to many colonies and someone making key components for them. This huge amount of potential suppliers gave them a large paper trail that they could hide in, while also allowing them to build new ships out of spare parts. The larger Parabola freighters seemed to be their primary means to transfer food stocks to larger human worlds, probably under the deal that they signed with ONI. By your count, that meant that at least four large colonies were receiving food shipments from the rebel world.

Speaking of colonies, the fact that you hadn't heard of many of the colonies indicated that they were either abandoned or were well on their way to being abandoned. The war had caused a lot of people to leave smaller colonies for the safety or larger colonies where UNSC forces were posted on static defense. As such, those smaller worlds were probably at the bottom of the lists to be supplied by UEG, while also having to supply the bulk of the ores and minerals for the human war effort. They were probably turning to the rebels in order to make ends meets, which wasn't something you could hold against them. The lack of oversight from the UEG also probably made them great places for organized crime groups to operate, so they would be great places to receive large shipments of drugs for distribution.

Altogether, it hinted that the majority of the groups on Arcadia were sticking their fingers into a bunch of pies, both illicit and harmless trades. They were buying up modular ship parts in order to create new ships without registering them. Aside from that, the groups had their fingers in a lot of pies, from food supplementing to weapons trafficking. You weren't sure the local success was due to having an unregulated world to work off, or if the groups had already been successful before they came to Arcadia. Either way, the Covenant would cause a massive blow to them once Arcadia was gone.

"Captain, your presence is required on the bridge." Diana announced over the tannoy, causing you to look up over an empty room. Apparently, you had spent so long reading through the data that everyone else had finished their food and left.

>Read through an AARs, maybe you can learn something.
>Finish up your food and return to the bridge.
>Other (write-in)

>>4089553
>>Finish up your food and return to the bridge.

>>4089553
>>Finish up your food and return to the bridge.

>>4089553
>Finish up your food and return to the bridge.

>>4089553
>>Finish up your food and return to the bridge.

>>4089553
>>Finish up your food and return to the bridge.

"Alright, I'll be there soon." You announced to the room. It would have sounded weird if there was anyone else in the room, but you knew that Diana was the only person observing you right now, so you felt comfortable with speaking to her as if she was in the room.

What didn't make you feel comfortable was the reheated food that you had the misfortune of getting. Your first burger after getting up had led you to believe that ONI had better food than the rest of the fleet, but bland mix of what you could only assume was recycled meat, some synthetic potato replacer, and vegetables that tasted like they had been flash-frozen and thawed a few too many times had all came together to convince you that ONI was in the same boat as the rest of the fleet. Still, you didn't make it far in the military if you didn't have an iron stomach, so you took your usual approach of shoveling it down your throat before your body could toss it back up again. And after washing the taste out of your mouth, you made your way back up to the bridge. You entered to find that the armored shields had been raised over the windows, forcing you to rely on cameras to see the space around the ship.

"You know, I was kind of hoping to get something for myself." Dyad gave you a weak smile from her stool, though you could tell that she was a bit disappointed. You didn't blame her, you'd be a bit put out too.

"Sorry, you can grab something when we're dirtside." You assured your XO, before turning your attention to the matter at hand. "Is the reentry kit installed?"

"Engineers just finished final checks, we're as good as we're ever going to be. Your call on when we go in." Dyad replied, giving you an assuring smile.

>Drop in right on top of the base, you still have a time limit. (roll 1d20)
>Drop in nearby and fly over, you don't want to lead anyone to the base. (roll 1d20)
>Orbit over the base, you ought to get an idea of how they're doing before you go in.
>Other (write-in)

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>4089669

>Drop in right on top of the base, you still have a time limit. (roll 1d20)

Between the virus wiping navigation data, and the Covenant inbound, I don't think they'll have much time to do anything with the base, particularly since we're gonna be grabbing everything that isn't nailed down.

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>4089669
>Drop in right on top of the base, you still have a time limit. (roll 1d20)

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>4089669
>>Drop in right on top of the base, you still have a time limit. (roll 1d20)

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>4089669
>>Drop in right on top of the base, you still have a time limit. (roll 1d20)

>>4089685
So, we're literally dropping onto the base, aren't we? No brakes.

"Take us in right on top of them. We don't have much time." You ordered the navigation officer. You briefly considered doing some recon, but there was no point in that, you didn't know when the Covenant would arrive and how long you would have to spend on the planet. The sooner you were done, the better.

"Understood sir, activating retro-thrusters now." Your navigation officer confirmed, a dull rumbling following her message as the prowler's engines burned against your orbital path, forcing the prowler to drop into the atmosphere of Arcadia. "We've breached the thermosphere, all readings nominal."

"Well here goes, I hope you all have good health insurance!" Lieutenant Karmann joked from his seat, getting a couple of people to chuckle at the coffin-humor. However, the laughter soon died as the prowler started to shake, something buffeting the hull of the vessel with very real force.

"Gums." You called, and pretty quickly, everyone pulled out a set of pre-molded plastic gumshields. The gumshields were intended to stop you from damaging your teeth on the way through the atmosphere, though you knew that a few people in the fleet didn't bother with them due to the ease of simply having a damaged tooth replaced. A quick glance to your side confirmed that your XO was part of that group.

"Looks like we've got high-altitude turbulence, we're around halfway through the thermosphere, coming up on the mesosphere." The navigation officer called out with a cool and calm tone, though you weren't sure if that was genuine or not. You were considering asking her, when something started to creak.

"Please tell me that creaking is normal." Dyad asked aloud, her confidence laced with very real worry. You were about to answer her when it got considerably worse, the buffeting threatening to throw you around the room and making you wish that you had insisted on something with an actual bridge chair, and the crash restraints that came with it.

>roll 1d20-3

Rolled 8 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>4089740

Rolled 18 - 3 (1d20 - 3)

>>4089740

Rolled 16 - 3 (1d20 - 3)

>>4089740

Rolled 4 - 1 (1d20 - 1)

>>4089740

The shuddering continued for the rest of descent through the atmosphere, the entire prowler seemed to protest at the forces exerted upon it, which was understandable. Most UNSC ships had the aerodynamics of a brick, and while the prowler was better than most, reentry was not something enjoyable in anything larger than a longsword. Still, the worst of the shaking began to tail off as you entered the stratosphere. Apparently, the weather conditions were far calmer in the thicker parts of the atmosphere. Whoever was controlling the artificial gravity onboard the prowler had apparently been ratcheting the artificial gravity down as Arcadia's natural gravity began to take over. By the time you were comfortably in the stratosphere, you had barely registered that the artificial gravity plating had been taken offline.

And almost a quarter of an hour after you had given the order to land, the prowler leveled off. The prowler lurched as the bulky reentry armor was jettisoned by explosive bolts, your navigation officer calling out the timings before. "Alright, we're in the troposphere. Dropping reentry gear in five... four... three. two... one."

"What's the damage?" You asked as you shakily stood up, your body getting used to the feeling of natural gravity for the first time in months. You unconsciously reminded yourself to do some exercises while you were planet-side, the last thing you wanted was a case of space walk.

"We'll have to check on the ground, but given how bad things got on the way down I wouldn't be surprised if we're missing some of the external refractive coatings. We can repair it but it'll take some time." Karmann answered as the armored shields over the bridge windows dropped away, showing you your first glimpses of the lush Arcadian jungles.

"How far out are we from the facility?" Dyad asked as she slowly stood up, you offered her your arm, but she brushed you off.

"Around fifteen minutes out sir, would you like us to overfly the base before we land?" Your navigation officer answered as she banked the large ONI vessel in the direction of the base.

>Land immediately, you don't want to keep them waiting.
>Fly over the base, you ought to check to see if everything is clear before you land.

>>4089895
>>Fly over the base, you ought to check to see if everything is clear before you land.

>>4089895
>Land immediately, you don't want to keep them waiting.
All in I guess

>>4089895
>Fly over the base, you ought to check to see if everything is clear before you land

>>4089895
>Fly over the base, you ought to check to see if everything is clear before you land.

>>4089895
>Land immediately, you don't want to keep them waiting.

The sooner we land, the sooner we can fix shit.

>>4089895
>>Land immediately, you don't want to keep them waiting.

Need a tiebreaker

>>4089895
>>Fly over the base, you ought to check to see if everything is clear before you land.

"Take us overhead, I want to get a look at the base before we land." You ordered the navigator, who brought the prowler closer to the treetops in an attempt to hide from prying eyes. The thrust from your engines was probably causing a fair amount of damage to the trees in your wake, but given the fact that this world was already condemned, you didn't see any reason to fuss about it.

"Systems, how are we looking? We should be getting a signal from the base, but I'm not seeing anything on comms." One of the bridge crewmen called out to his colleague, you looked over his shoulder and at his console, which displayed a number of communications channels, most of them were quite with nothing being broadcast on them.

"We're green on our end, we packed up the comms equipment for reentry, remember?" Another bridge crewman answered, and you began to worry a bit more. If the base wasn't broadcasting on ONI channels, then something must have forced them to stop. And the number of negative reasons massively outweighed the positive reasons.

"Nav, get us higher, I want us orbiting the base at three-to-five thousand meters off the deck. And someone get me eyes on the base as soon as possible." You ordered, and soon after the prowler had reached its observation altitude, the reason for the silence from the base became apparent.

The base had suffered an attack.

What you could only assume to be the base's primary communications tower had been destroyed, its legs had been blown out from under it and had fallen over some of the buildings and crushed everything underneath it. A handful of buildings had suffered similar fates, having been destroyed by explosives. The base's UNSC-standard hydrogen reactor looked damaged and sat as lifeless as the rest of the base around it. A third of the defensive turrets had been destroyed so completely that only stumps remained where they had once stood. The rest all sported some kinds of damage.

What concerned you the most was how lifeless the base looked. There were craters and obvious damage, but no sign of corpses. Nobody was moving outside, and from what you could tell the buildings weren't receiving power. And while you could chalk that up to the primary reactor being taken offline, it didn't make sense for the base not to have some sort of backup power system.

"This day just keeps getting better." You sighed as you surveyed the destruction of the base, and realized that you'd still have to explore the base if you wanted any chance of finding out just what had happened here.

>Attempt to scan the base, maybe you can pick up some chemicals or residue that can help you (roll 1d20-1)
>Try and remotely connect to the remaining turrets, maybe you can use them to get a look. (roll 1d20-2)
>Land at the base, you need boots on the ground for this one.
>Leave the area, you can't stay when there may be hostiles waiting nearby.
>Other (write-in)

Rolled 3 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>4090018
>Try and remotely connect to the remaining turrets, maybe you can use them to get a look. (roll 1d20-2)

...Shit. I guess we should have brought more people to help carry stuff.

>>4090025
Oh God.

Rolled 16 - 1 (1d20 - 1)

>>4090018
>>Attempt to scan the base, maybe you can pick up some chemicals or residue that can help you (roll 1d20-1)

Rolled 20 - 1 (1d20 - 1)

>>4090018
>Attempt to scan the base, maybe you can pick up some chemicals or residue that can help you (roll 1d20-1)


uh well debris everywhere then. We will retrieve what we can, since we don't have anything like construction vehicles to remove rubble or mining drills.
We could use those explosives the marines did bring and talk about, but they sound powerful enough to be a threat for recovering things and saving people.

Perhaps they where captured by the rebels ? We aren't really prepared for do an assault on a rebel place if that s the case.

Rolled 12 - 1 (1d20 - 1)

>>4090018
>Attempt to scan the base, maybe you can pick up some chemicals or residue that can help you (roll 1d20-1)

Rolled 2 - 1 (1d20 - 1)

>>4090018
>Attempt to scan the base, maybe you can pick up some chemicals or residue that can help you (roll 1d20-1)
Lets try the defenses after that.

>>4088025

good, maybe i will suggest it as an idea for the next time we see a researcher. It sounds less costly than the first one and it could be decent, if tested before.
If the turret would be able to come out from different positions it would be more lethal and unexpected for enemies (floor, walls or ceiling), but that would raise the costs.

That last option is probably the best one, if you are able to put the covenant squads where you want and if you have time to let them die there.

"Can we scan the base? Maybe we can pick up some residue or chemicals that can tell us what happened." You asked the crew, who probably had a better understanding of the limits of what the prowler could do than you.

"Way ahead of you. Palmer, Bienz, unlock your systems for me." Lieutenant Karmann answered yu, before demanding access to other parts of the ship. The two bridge officers gave him what he needed, as he began to tap away at his station with enthusiasm. And soon enough he had some answerers for you. "Ok, aside from the conventional stuff. Explosives residue, burned aviation fuel, radiation leaking from the reactor, I'm also picking up multiple small-scale radiation sources spread across the base. Many are in the single to double rotogen range, but all of them are similar to the effects given off by plasma damage to walls and other pieces of human infrastructure."

"Are you saying..." Dyad began, only for the short spook to turn in his seat and cut her off.

"That Covenant plasma weapons were used to attack this base? Absolutely." Karmann answered, before then holding up his hands to stop anyone from asking the obvious question. "We don't know if those weapons were being used by the Covenant itself, or if the rebels are using plasma weapons that the obtained somehow. It certainly fits their MO."

"Captain, I am detecting multiple heat signatures deep within the base. Comparison between the locations of these heat signatures and the known layout of the base leads me to believe that they are located within the base's panic room." Diana alerted you, displaying the approximate location of those signatures on one of the main

"Survivors? Isn't it the Covenant's MO to not leave anyone alive?" Dyad asked, your XO apparently having decided that the alien menace was to blame for the attack, and while you could understand her reasoning, you weren't going to chalk it up to their involvement just yet.

"If it's the Covenant there are two answers to that, and neither of them are good." You answered your XO. The first option was that the Covenant simply hadn't bothered with them, which was bad because it meant that the Covenant was on a timer too. The second option was that the survivors were bait to attract anyone dumb enough to try and rescue them.

"The key word there being if." Karmann pointed out, before then adding. "My money is going to be on a rebel group. Our deal with the locals doesn't cover all of them. A group may have decided to play fuck-fuck games."

>Try and remotely connect to the remaining turrets, maybe you can use them to get a look. (roll 1d20-2)
>Land at the base, you need boots on the ground for this one.
>Leave the area, you can't stay when there may be hostiles waiting nearby.
>Other (write-in)

Rolled 18 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>4090177
>Try and remotely connect to the remaining turrets, maybe you can use them to get a look. (roll 1d20-2)

Rolled 2 - 2 (1d2 - 2)

>>4090177
>>Try and remotely connect to the remaining turrets, maybe you can use them to get a look. (roll 1d20-2)

Rolled 19 - 1 (1d20 - 1)

>>4090177
>>Try and remotely connect to the remaining turrets, maybe you can use them to get a look. (roll 1d20-2)
Really wishing we brought those ODST now.

>>4090186
I ummmm... wow that's a first for me,

Rolled 3 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>4090177
>Try and remotely connect to the remaining turrets, maybe you can use them to get a look. (roll 1d20-2)

Rolled 5 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>4090187
Fucked up the roll.
>>4090188
You get used to it in this quest.

Rolled 15 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>4090177
>Try and remotely connect to the remaining turrets, maybe you can use them to get a look. (roll 1d20-2)


How deep the survivors are ? In the deepest point of the facility ?

>>4090209
The Panic Room, so maybe not the very deepest part of the facility, but likely one of the most hardened.

"What can you tell us about the panic room?" Dyad asked your AI, your XO having apparently shaken off the worst of her descent-illness.

"The panic room is on the lowest floor of the facility, it spans three floors, and has direct access to the underground lake that provides clean water for the base's various functions. Unfortunately, without power to the rest of the base, I am unable to tell you what the status of the surrounding area is." Diana explained, pulling up a cross-section of the base. Sure-enough, the panic room started two floors below the ground floor and went three floors down from there. The bottom floor connected to a shaft that went straight down into the underground lake, with the shaft itself being secured by multiple blast doors.

"Diana, can you access one of the base's turrets? It should have an internal power system to keep it running." You asked your AI. While you could probably tell how the local area looked from the comfort of the prowler, the sensors on the turret were probably far better suited to picking up targets on a planet.

"I can, standby." Diana made you wait for a few seconds as she hacked into the hardened systems of the UNSC turret, but given her background and the tools at her disposal, it only took your AI a few seconds before she came back with some results. "I have control. We will have to move fast, as the turret's independent power reservoir is running low due to the base's reactor being offline. I estimate that the turret will only be able to provide surveillance for around eight minutes and offensive fire support for one minute."

"I want you to look around and try to find any lingering hostiles." You asked the AI

"The treeline is clear, I don't see any hostiles. But from the looks of it, the base's protective minefield has been deactivated." Diana explained as the feed from one of the turret's FLIR balls was brought up onto one of the screens. It panned across the treeline, showing that no heat signatures remained there. When it passed over the base, the ghostly signatures of lingering heat began to appear, but nothing there suggested that there was anyone still around. "The rest of the base also looks pretty dead, but admittedly my surveillance options for looking into the base are rather limited. The turret's motion trackers and thermals don't show anything, but the former has a very limited range, and the latter is a bit overwhelmed by returns from nearby fires and overheated machinery."

>Land at the base, you need boots on the ground for this one.
>Leave the area, you can't stay when there may be hostiles waiting nearby.
>Other (write-in)

>>4091874
>>Land at the base, you need boots on the ground for this one.

>>4091874
>Land at the base, you need boots on the ground for this one.

Tell the Marines to arm up and get ready. So much for quick in and out, and we're still on a timer!

>>4091874
>Land at the base, you need boots on the ground for this one.

>>4091874

>Land at the base, you need boots on the ground for this one.

>Also get the fucking defenses back online as we go in

>>4091874
>>Land at the base, you need boots on the ground for this one.

>>4091874
>Land at the base, you need boots on the ground for this one.
Well shit

"Dyad, I want the marines ground side now, get them armed for MOUNT." You ordered your XO as you observed the devastation of the ONI facility. There were too many locations where enemies and traps could be hidden, you couldn't justify anything more than a touch-and-go. It would just be enough to drop off your marines, but not enough to land. And given the close-quarters conditions of the base, they couldn't be armed with long rifles and rocket launchers.

"Understood, should be ten minutes." Dyad replied as she passed the information over to the marines. And to their credit, the jarheads were ready to go in just under half that time. They were already mustered in the hanger as the prowler dropped like a rock towards the base. Even though the ship dwarfed most of the buildings and even a quarter of the base, the only thing that an observer would have noticed would have been a whole lot of dust getting kicked up and a slight shimmer as the prowler's adaptive camo kept you hidden.

The marines abseiled out of the open hanger bay, descending the few meters to ground level in a few seconds and taking up defensive positions around their landing zone. In under half a minute, all of them were on the ground and the prowler was taking off again. The prowler quickly rose back into the sky and returned to its perch, you spent the time taking a quick flick through the helmet camera feeds and confirmed that all of the marines were connected and broadcasting. A broadcast from one of the sergeants confirmed that they were connected to the correct frequency. "Rambler one and two are feet-dry."

MULTI CHOICE VOTE:
Please pick one choice per squad for a total of two choices, and then roll 2d20 with no negatives

>Send rambler one to the panic room, you need to get to the survivors.
>Send rambler one to the reactor, you need power.
>Send rambler one to patrol the base, you need to secure the area.
>Send rambler one somewhere else. (write-in)
=================================
>Send rambler two to the panic room, you need to get to the survivors.
>Send rambler two to the reactor, you need power.
>Send rambler two to patrol the base, you need to secure the area.
>Send rambler two somewhere else. (write-in)

Rolled 1, 15 = 16 (2d20)

>>4093511
>Send rambler one to the panic room, you need to get to the survivors.
>Send rambler two to the reactor, you need power.

>>4093511
>>Send rambler one to the reactor, you need power.
>Send rambler two to patrol the base, you need to secure the area.
Make sure there's nothing lying in wait on the outside to fuck us up first.

Rolled 19, 15 = 34 (2d20)

>>4093511
>>4093528
Whoops, missed the roll.

Rolled 3, 19 = 22 (2d20)

>>4093511
>Send rambler one secure a path and perimeter to the security room
>Send rambler two to the reactor, you need power.

Rolled 4, 17 = 21 (2d20)

>>4093511
>Send rambler one to the reactor, you need power.

>Send rambler two to patrol the base, you need to secure the area.

Rolled 1, 5 = 6 (2d20)

>>4093511
>>Send rambler one to the reactor, you need power.
>>Send rambler two to patrol the base, you need to secure the area.

Rolled 17, 2 = 19 (2d20)

>>4093511
>>>Send rambler one to the reactor, you need power.
>>>Send rambler two to patrol the base, you need to secure the area.

Rolled 4, 12 = 16 (2d20)

>>4093511
>>Send rambler one to the reactor, you need power.
>Send rambler two to patrol the base, you need to secure the area.

i just went to the the archive since im just starting i was wondering if anybody had a link to the first thread

>>4093650
Click on the Thunderhead tag instead.

>>4093652
thank you

>>4093516
>>4093556
Guess its safe to say rambler one is boned. RIP in Arcadia
Just caught up from last thread, good to see the dice gods still hate our guts

>>4093716
Our marines always manage to get the worst fucking luck.

>>4093728

If you took a shot every time our marines got boned you’d be drunk by like thread 7

>>4093763
Hey, at least the MAC round missed the bridge.

"Solid copy, hold for orders from the captain." Dyad ordered the marines before nodding at you to continue. A red blinking light next to one of the screens drew your attention to a built-in camera, which would probably project an image of you into the HUDs of the marines.

You straightened up a bit, before giving out your orders. "Rambler one, your objective is to get power back online. Once its online we'll have more options. Rambler two, start sweeping the base for hostiles and survivors. Keep eyes open for traps and mines, I don't want casualties."

"Wilco." Both of the sergeants leading the squads responded, before taking their units off in completely different directions. Rambler one sprinted straight towards the dark and dead form of the reactor building, while their comrades in rambler two took a sweeping path through the buildings, starting at one corner of the base and working their way around the perimeter. Both squads moved slowly, carefully avoiding obvious places where explosives and tripwires could be placed. And more than once, they found improperly placed devices. Mostly plasma grenades with improvised tripwires, but nothing more advanced than such amateurish tactics.

The first squad to report back with something else was rambler two.

"Got bodies here, sir." One of the marines called your attention, you flicked over to his helmet camera in time to see him look over a trio of mangled corpses. The bodies had been mangled by dozens of plasma bolts, leaving charred holes and exposed bones in their wake. Thankfully, their ID tags still worked, as the marine identified the bodies. "Ensigns Spar, Rhames, and King. Whole lotta plasma burns."

"Private, take a look at their hands." Lieutenant Karmann ordered the marine, you had to stop yourself from jumping at the sudden presence of the spook next to you, you hadn't even heard him walk over. Regardless, the marine lifted one of the hands up to his camera, showing extensive second and third degree burns. "Shots to the heads and burns to the hands are indicative of an execution. I'd guess that the extra hits are from the shooters trying to cover it up."

"Why would they need to cover it up? Were they expecting us to show up?" Dyad asked the spook, presenting the very worrying possibility that whoever had knocked over the base was still around.

"Let's just settle on the shooters being overzealous and leave it at that." You settled the argument before it started, as the alternative would be to acknowledge that you were either facing a very well equipped rebel group, or the covenant had decided to vent on the corpses.

>CONT

>>4095323

"Rambler one to control, we're at the reactor, but the controls are FUBAR." The sergeant for rambler one reported in, you flicked over to his camera just in time to see the blasted and melted remains of the control console. The mixture of touch-screen and analog controls had been practically melted together, preventing it from being used the conventional way. The sergeant panned his helmet -and the attached camera- around the room, showing you that the entire room had been shot up. Thankfully, however, the damage to the reactor only seemed superficial, it was made of sturdier stuff. "We'll give the module a once-over while we plug in a connection for Diana, but she'll have to handle getting it online for us."

"Thankfully, your backpack receiver should have enough bandwidth and power for me to assume direct control, you should be able to plug me in via the main service jack, I'll mark it on your HUD." Diana replied to the sergeant, before highlighting the plug where the damaged console was plugged into the floor. The sergeant carelessly upturned the console and ripped its plugs out of the socket, before gesturing for his radioman to come over.

The response from rambler one's sergeant was drowned out by the sound of gunfire, you switched over in time to see rambler two's point man scarper back away from a door. Dust and quick-drying cement falling like sawdust from where a few bullets had struck the door he had almost gone through. The marine behind him took position just above him, his rifle covering the door. "Shooter!"

"GET AWAY! GET AWAY YOU FREAKS!" A very human voice screamed through the door. The quality of the external microphone and the hoarse voice of the scared survivor made it hard to discern if they were male or female, but the abject fear in their voice was obvious for all of you to hear. Their shout was followed by another burst of gunfire that chipped away at the doorframe.

"Got a live one here, how do you want to handle him?" Rambler two's sergeant asked as his squad stacked up on the door. The point man pulled a pistol out of a holster with one hand, and placed his other hand on his grenade pouch, waiting to be told what he had to throw into the room.

>Try and knock him out, you're here to save everyone you can. (roll 1d20-2)
>Try and talk him down, maybe he'll calm down when he hears a human voice. (roll 1d20-2)
>Take him out, you can't have a head-case with a rifle running around. [KILL]
>Leave him, the marines aren't equipped to properly handle him.
>Other (write-in)

Rolled 1 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>4095353
>>Try and talk him down, maybe he'll calm down when he hears a human voice. (roll 1d20-2)

>>4095353
Can we flashbang in and knock him out? If so, would the roll still be -2?

Rolled 14 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>4095353
>Try and talk him down, maybe he'll calm down when he hears a human voice. (roll 1d20-2)

Rolled 5 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>4095353
>Flashbang and knock him out, you're here to save everyone you can. (roll 1d20-2)

Rolled 20 - 1 (1d20 - 1)

>>4095353
>>Try and talk him down, maybe he'll calm down when he hears a human voice. (roll 1d20-2)

>>4095420
Could we pretend I didn't mess up the roll and that 19 is actually an 18?

>>4095422
I'm just hoping the 20 cancels out the 1.

>>4095425
Knowing our luck, if it does, then the rest of the thread is going to be nothing but crit fails.

>>4095427
I honestly think we should move to d100 if our rolls are going to be this consistently cursed.

>>4095430
Or dicepool so it's less swingy.

>>4095437
>>4095430
See, that's whats so great about our bad luck. It's representative of how much regular humans got shit on during the war.

>>4095462
Makes less sense against a bunch of innies though

>>4095499
True. Could be worth talking about this with Thunderhead. A few threads back I think he was open to ideas, not sure if that's still the case though.

"Talk him down, use of force is prohibited." You ordered the marines to try and talk the soldier down. Right now, getting a hold of as many survivors as possible was your mission, and you couldn't afford to leave any potential sources of intel behind.

"Hey, we're friendly! Stop shooting!" The point man yelled around the door, the marine put his pistol back into the holster and edged just a bit closer to the edge of the doorframe. You still couldn't see around the side of the door, and from the looks of it, the pointman was unwilling to poke around the door just to give you a look inside.

The shooter on the other side was silent for a few seconds, before screaming a challenge at the marine. "HANDS! GET OUT HERE AND SHOW ME YOUR DAMN HANDS!"

"Alright, I'm coming out slowly." The pointman slowly put his left arm into the doorframe, before slowly following it through. The ragged survivor was holed up behind an overturned metal table, he kept his MA-37 rifle pointed shakily at the marine as he tried to calm the marine down. "Hey, hey, it's alright bud."

"Who are you? Where's your squad? What ship are you assigned to? Why are you here?" The survivor rapidly fired off his questions but refused to lower his rifle. To his credit, he kept his finger off the trigger, proving that the training hammered into all soldiers in basic had successfully transitioned into instinct.

"Take it easy. I'm private swagger, part of rambler two. We're one of the squads assigned to the prowler Pale Rider, we were sent here to get you out of here." The pointman slowly and simply explained the situation to the survivor. You watched through the helmet camera as the survivor slowly started to calm down, though he kept the rifle leveled on the marine. The marine didn't let the conversation die and asked a question in a calm tone of voice. "Can you tell me who you are?"

"Corporal Nash. Part of three... part of..." The survivor tried to answer, only to trail up as his emotions caught up to him, tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes. As the tension sapped from his body, you began to make out more of his uniform, mostly loose bits of ODST battle armor attached haphazardly to the undersuit. The haunted helljumper let his head drop as he cried, allowing the pointman to walk up to him and put his hand on his shoulder. A few more marines slowly walked into the room, all of them armed, but keeping their weapons held slack. They quickly secured the room, three of them looked around while a fourth joined the pointman with the survivor, the marine carefully took the rifle from the helljumper's hands, the soldier didn't put up any resistance as his weapon was taken away.

>CONT

>>4096723

The marines lead the disarmed ODST out of the building just a few seconds before the power snapped back on, a second later your suspicions were confirmed when the comms crackled into life with a report from rambler one's sergent. "Power's up sir, give a thanks Diana for us."

>Put rambler one on guard, you can't leave the reactor unguarded.
>Send rambler one to the panic room, you need to get to the survivors.
>Send rambler one to patrol the base, you need to secure the area.
>Send rambler one somewhere else. (write-in)
=================================
>Have rambler two escort the survivor somewhere else, you can't hold him there. (Landing pad OR reactor)
>Have rambler two continue their patrol, that perimeter still needs to be searched.
>Send rambler two to the panic room, you need to get to the survivors.
>Send rambler two somewhere else. (write-in)

>>4095430
>>4095437

If everyone likes we can try out a d100 or dicepool system, though it's up to all of you if we try that system out in this thread or if we dedicate an entire thread to testing out if a d100 system might work.

>>4096726
>Put rambler one on guard, you can't leave the reactor unguarded.
>Have rambler two escort the survivor somewhere else, you can't hold him there. (Landing pad)

>>4096726
>>4096726
>>Send rambler one to the panic room, you need to get to the survivors.
>Have rambler two escort the survivor somewhere else, you can't hold him there. (LANDING PAD)
Thank you, Thunderhead, for allowing my scuffed roll. Also, if power is back online that means we can get the base's defense turrets up and running, right?

>>4096738
We're still comparatively early in this thread, so it might not be a bad idea to try out another system now. I'm personally cool with either a dicepool or d100 system. The latter would probably give us a bit more of a safety net.

>>4096726

>Put rambler one on guard, you can't leave the reactor unguarded.

>Have rambler two escort the survivor somewhere else, you can't hold him there. (Landing pad)

>>4096726
>>Put rambler one on guard, you can't leave the reactor unguarded.
>>Have rambler two escort the survivor somewhere else, you can't hold him there. (Landing pad)
Don't mind switching. Also another suggestion:For rolls with positive/negative modifiers should we just factor it into the rolls themselves? So like say 1d20-2 just becomes 1d18.

>>4096855
This is a bad idea, it fucks with the probability making lower rolls more common

>>4096855
If we use d100 I'd be more open to factoring that in. But with a pool or d20 then it just makes are already shitty luck impossible to overcome.

>>4097154
dicepools provide more consistent 'middle of the road' results, instead of the same flat 1/20 or 1/100 chance of rolling a critfail.

>>4097173
Ah, my mistake. I had assumed it was something different. But with that in mind I still don't think factoring in modifiers is a good idea.

"Good work rambler one, secure the building and establish a better connection for Diana." You ordered the leader of rambler one, before switching to the CO of rambler two, who was busy watching as his squad's medic wrapped the surviving ODST in an emergency foil cloak. "Rambler two, get the survivor over to the landing pad, we're going to collect him."

"Touch and go or full landing sir?" Your navigation officer asked a question that you hadn't thought of. Well, technically that was a lie, you had thought a bit about it, but not much in the last few minutes, and that left you wrongfooted to answer her.

"Diana? Can you guarantee our safety if we land?" You asked your AI for her assessment. With the power online, she could afford to run all of the remaining turrets at full-tilt, but there was a whole lot more to defense than just shooting anything you saw.

"With the base's power grid online, I can operate the turrets to their maximum capacity. However, the base lacks any sort of active protection network, so the chances of being able to intercept incoming munitions fired at the prowler would be low." Diana explained, before then adding. "Note, keeping the prowler's sensor and propulsion systems online would provide a far greater chance of simply dodging incoming fire, but that would prevent certain actions from being undertaken."

"So we'll be a sitting duck, great." Dyad sighed again, and you began to get the idea that your XO was starting to regret joining you on the mission.

You were about to offer your XO a chance to take a break when your short spook began to tell you both about some of the benefits to going dirtside. "Maybe, but there are other benefits. For a start, we can plug the prowler directly into the facility, which would give us some measure of control over the base. Not to mention that we can also repair the damage that we sustained entering the atmosphere if we're landed."

"That doesn't do much to change the fact that being sat still in a ship that isn't even rated to take shoulder-launched rockets is a bad idea." Your XO got right to the core of the biggest issue why landing was a bad idea. If the enemy showed up, you would suffer greatly if even the barest amount of attention was sent your way.

>Remain airborne, you don't feel comfortable landing your prowler when enemy forces may still be around.
>Land the prowler, you can repair your stealth coating under the cover of the base's guns.

>>4098721
>>Remain airborne, you don't feel comfortable landing your prowler when enemy forces may still be around.
We can land after the marines can confirm there's no hostiles around

>>4098721
>Remain airborne, you don't feel comfortable landing your prowler when enemy forces may still be around.
We need to figure out what happened from the ODST before we start repairs.

>>4098721
>Remain airborne, you don't feel comfortable landing your prowler when enemy forces may still be around.

>>4098721
>>Land the prowler, you can repair your stealth coating under the cover of the base's guns.

>>4098721
>Land the prowler, you can repair your stealth coating under the cover of the base's guns.

>>4098721
>Land the prowler, you can repair your stealth coating under the cover of the base's guns.

We are on a time table, we gotta get this fixed, and we'll have to land to load people and equipment anyhow. We can't afford to constantly take the 'safe' option.

>>4098721
>>Land the prowler, you can repair your stealth coating under the cover of the base's guns.

"Nav, set us down. Dyad, tell engineering to get ready to effect external repairs and to run a wire between us and the base." You made your decision after a couple of seconds thought. Like it or not, you had to effect repairs in order to guarantee a stealthy exit from the system. And that would require you to land and power down the prowler's stealth systems. You could also use that time to access the base's computers, and maybe you could use that to contact the people in the panic room.

"Hopefully there isn't anyone around." Dyad shook her head as she tapped something into her tablet. You didn't bother to answer her as the prowler dropped like a rock, the gravity-generating deck plating activated purely to keep everyone on deck. You watched through the camera feed from one of rambler two's soldiers as the prowler uncloaked and landed almost vertically, the stealth ship's landing gear dropped out of hidden bays and extended just enough to keep the ship from landing on its delicate hull.

"Touchdown confirmed, main thrusters and reaction control systems offline." Your navigation officer reported back as the ever-constant rumbling of the prowler's engines died out. You looked out of the bridge window and saw the destroyed base for the first time without having to look through a camera. You watched as the marine squad jogged over, leading the surviving ODST towards your ship.

"Engineering is running the wire now, and the survivor is onboard. Would you like to talk with him, or should I?" Dyad asked a few seconds after the prowler had landed. You thought about it for a second, while you certainly had some questions for the ODST, you still had operational command of the mission, and you couldn't just leave to have a chat.

>Interview the survivor personally, you have your own questions for him.
>Have Dyad interview the survivor, you have a mission to direct.

>>4099654
>>Have Dyad interview the survivor, you have a mission to direct.

>>4099654
>>Have Dyad interview the survivor, you have a mission to direct.

>>4099654
>>Have Dyad interview the survivor, you have a mission to direct.

>>4099654
>Have Dyad interview the survivor, you have a mission to direct.

>>4099654
>Have Dyad interview the survivor, you have a mission to direct.
>With a live audio feed sent to you

>>4099654
>Have Dyad interview the survivor, you have a mission to direct.

"If you wouldn't mind." You handed the task off to your XO, who nodded and left the bridge to meed the haunted helljumper. You trusted it to her, and instead turned your attention to your AI. "Diana, how long until you're plugged into the base?"

"They have found an adequate port and are in the process of connecting us. What tasks would you like me to undertake once we're connected." Diana asked, and before you could answer the comms crackled into life again.

"Rambler two to control, requesting orders." The sergeant of rambler-two asked over the radio.

>Have Diana analyze the security camera footage, you need to know what happened to the base.
>Have Diana try to download as much data as possible, anything you can get will be useful. (roll 1d20)
>Have Diana try to connect to the outlying facilities, maybe there are survivors there.
>Try and contact the people in the panic room, if you can coax them out then you can save a whole lot of time.
>Have Diana try to do something else. (write-in)
=====================================================
>Have rambler two guard the prowler and survivor, you need some close-in protection.
>Have rambler two continue their patrol, that perimeter still needs to be searched.
>Send rambler two to the panic room, you need to get to the survivors.
>Send rambler two somewhere else. (write-in)

>>4099796
>Have Diana analyze the security camera footage, you need to know what happened to the base.

>Have rambler two continue their patrol, that perimeter still needs to be searched.

>>4099796
>>Have Diana analyze the security camera footage, you need to know what happened to the base.
>>Have rambler two continue their patrol, that perimeter still needs to be searched.

>>4099796
>>Have Diana analyze the security camera footage, you need to know what happened to the base.
>Have rambler two continue their patrol, that perimeter still needs to be searched.

>>4099796
>>>Have Diana analyze the security camera footage, you need to know what happened to the base.
>>>Have rambler two continue their patrol, that perimeter still needs to be searched.

.

"Diana, once you're connected I want you to look through the security camera footage, find out what you can. Rambler two, continue your patrol." You passed out your orders, before then adding. "And someone tell engineering to double-time those repairs, I don't want to be staying here for too long."

"Understood, sir. Also, lieutenant commander Dyad is about to interview Corporal Nash. Would you like to watch?" Diana asked, and you nodded in response. A few seconds later, the feed from what looked like a lounge area on the ship appeared. You didn't kid yourself, it was just an interrogation room with some nice upholstery. Dyad sat on one couch, while the ODST sat on another. Dyad relaxed in stark contrast to the helljumper, who seemed about ready to leap out of his skin.

"Captain, lieutenant commander Dyad is wearing an earpiece, if you have questions for the survivor then you should direct them via her." Diana informed you, giving you a little bit of time to think about some questions for the helljumper.

>Ask about the attackers, did he get a good look at them? (roll 1d100-20)
>Ask about the alpha site, where is it? (roll 1d100)
>Ask about the facility staff, did anyone seem off? (roll 1d100)
>Ask something else (write-in)

Rolled 79 - 20 (1d100 - 20)

>>4099994
>>Ask about the attackers, did he get a good look at them? (roll 1d100-20)

Rolled 52 - 20 (1d100 - 20)

>>4099994
>Ask about the attackers, did he get a good look at them? (roll 1d100-20)

F

Rolled 12 - 20 (1d100 - 20)

>>4099994
>>Ask about the attackers, did he get a good look at them? (roll 1d100-20)

Rolled 30 - 20 (1d100 - 20)

>>4099994
>Ask him if he'd care for a cup of coffee
>Ask about the attackers, did he get a good look at them? (roll 1d100-20)

"Dyad, ask him about the attackers. We need to know what we're dealing with." You ordered your XO, who gave an almost imperceptible nod, before starting the conversation with your new friend.

"Hello Corporal, I'm lieutenant commander Dyad." You XO introduced herself with a calm tone and a smile. "We're trying to piece together what happened at the base, can you tell me about what you were doing in the run up to the attack?"

"We... we were just coming back from the old alpha-site after a security rotation with the team there. I got lumped with the first guard shift once we got back." The helljumper began slowly and quietly, he occasionally shifted in his seat and continued to look around the room, as if he was waiting for something to appear. "I had just come off shift and was in the middle of changing when the shooting started."

"What can you tell me about the attackers?" Dyad asked the marine another question, and at this the special forces soldier broke down, the fear that had been welling inside him finally broke him.

"They were everywhere! A-and nowhere too!" They came out of the shadows for a second and disappeared just as fast! And they killed them all! They killed everyone like rats! They... THEY...." At that, the helljumper buried his head in his hands and sobbed. Dyad slowly walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder, and the marine screamed at the contact and scrambled away from her and into a corner.

Dyad didn't follow him, instead, she gave him a sad look, and left the room. Once she was out, she contacted you. "No dice sir, whatever he saw has him spooked. I'm heading back to the bridge."

"Captain, I have reassembled the camera footage. Would you like to view it, or should I try to draw conclusions from it myself?" Diana announced a few seconds after the feed from the interrogation room was cut.

>Watch the camera footage, you can come to your own conclusions.
>Let Diana try to deduce something from it, she can do it faster.

>>4100103
>>Watch the camera footage, you can come to your own conclusions.

>>4100103
>Watch the camera footage, you can come to your own conclusions.

>>4100103
>Watch the camera footage, you can come to your own conclusions.
I'm guessing specops elites or some such. Innies wouldn't have fucked with an ODST so much.

>>4100103
>>Watch the camera footage, you can come to your own conclusions.

>>4100103
>Watch the camera footage, you can come to your own conclusions.

>>4100103

>Watch the camera footage, you can come to your own conclusions.
>>4100111
Agreed, sounds like those invisible twats.

>>4100111
If they are still around the mission could be easily compromise. Maybe we should speed up things ?

At least we have extra cargo space for anything and anyone that is in the outlying facilities or in the alpha site.

>>4100154
Definitely. Repair the ship, get what we can and go.
>>4100144
Here's hoping they aren't the ones in the panic room.

File: Spec_Ops_Squid.png (3.49 MB, 1920x3270)

3.49 MB PNG

"Bring it up, but don't play until I tell you, I want Dyad's opinion on it." You ordered your AI, who complied and brought it up on the main screen.

A couple of minutes later, the door opened and your XOwalked in with an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry about that sir, but he looks like a psych-casualty."

"Nothing to apologize for, we had to try either way." You assured your XO, before turning your attention back to the screen, the still image of the feed from one of the more appropriate cameras in the facility. "Diana. Play the footage."

The camera Diana had chosen was apparently one of the cameras mounted to the side of a building and faced in on the base. However, while it didn't have a good view of the surrounding base, it did have a good line of sight to many of the things destroyed by whoever had attacked the base. And one of the first things to go were the cameras that were watching the exterior of the base. One by one they were burned out, probably by directed energy weapons that weren't operating in the visible spectrum. In spite of this, the base's defenses snapped online in response to multiple cameras going down. A couple of turrets fired blindly into the treeline but were soon destroyed by fuel-rod guns. The somewhat crude alien equivalents to a UNSC rocket launcher managed to blow up a few turrets in quick succession before the rest of the turrets opened fire on where the shots had come from. Unlike the first turrets, they weren't destroyed, so you had to assume that the attackers wanted them to keep firing at a set location.

Soon the fighting entered the base, and that was marked with the base's power shutting off as the reactor powered down. Soon after, the camera watched as plasma-bolts started to fly around the base, embedding themselves into walls and people. Tracers from UNSC weapons answered them, but only for a few seconds, and never in a large amount. Meanwhile, the attackers started blowing up buildings with plasma grenades. If the base's turrets had spotted the explosions, they hadn't turned to engage, most likely due to someone adding a rotation lock to them that prevented them from firing into the facility. You made an internal note to have Diana delete that lock for you. However, nothing thus-far had provided any answer to just who had attacked the facility.

Your answer came in the form of a first-hand look at the foe. You watched as a researcher and a laborer ran together towards the center of the base, probably to get to the panic room. The first of them to fall was the researcher, as a shot to the leg blew her to the ground, her residual momentum making her land a foot or two away from her severed leg. The laborer was less lucky as a barrage of fire sliced him into pieces. His charred corpse fell to the ground as the researcher clutched at her leg and screamed. Their attacker stepped out of thin air as his active camo deactivated, revealing the red-clad form of an elite special-forces operative.

>CONT

>>4100342

So it was the covenant, great. It was just your luck that the first time in months you'd encounter them, you wouldn't be in a good position to wipe them out.

"Is that an officer? His armor is a different color to what they usually wear." Dyad asked, and you had to wonder the same. He was certainly cruel enough, as the enemy agent kicked the wounded researcher in her damaged leg. The researcher screamed in pain and posed no resistance as the alien dragged her away by her hair. The researcher tried weakly to bat at the alien's hand but flinched away as it gave her a small look. And with her properly subdued, the alien walked out of the camera's field of vision.

"Diana, can you please roll the footage back?" Lieutenant Karmann asked, and your AI complied, rolling the footage back to just before the alien grabbed the researcher's hair. The alien wore a fully-sealed suit, the helmet ending in a long and forked snout. The armor itself was a reddish-brown, almost the color of dried blood. The alien's standard blue plasma rifle stood in stark contrast to this, though you doubted that it mattered much when his suit came with a cloaking device. "I don't think so, the color is similar to a medium ranking officer, but is too dark. And the armor style doesn't match anything we've seen thus far."

"Keep playing." You ordered your AI, and the recording played again. You watched as the researcher was dragged away, and then nothing else happened for a few minutes. There was still shooting, but it only seemed to be for the sake of inflicting damage on the base. The aliens seemed to wait for the turrets to power down, before calling in a dropship. The large, beetle-like form of a phantom-class dropship appeared over the landing pad and activated its onboard gravity lift to pick up the special forces elites and their prisoners. Diana zoomed in as at least six people were tossed into the inverted gravity field, before being followed up by the aliens that had kidnapped them. The dropship flew away once everyone was on board, and the base was left as a silent and burning monument to their assault.

"Is this all we have?" You asked Diana. You were hoping for something a little more substantial than a feed from a single camera, even if it gave you some idea about what you were facing.

"Unfortunately not sir, this is the only camera that both spots the enemy, and remains intact enough to provide an end-to-end accounting of the entire battle." Your AI replied simply, before then adding. "Unless you would prefer to view some of the underground cameras, but unfortunately they don't have much."

"What now boss?" Dyad asked, though you could tell from her voice that your XO was a bit uncomfortable at the current situation.

>Write in

>>4100347
>Diana can you get into the base's other systems, see what if anything they took?

>>4100347
>>Write in
>Search the base for any more survivors plus anything the covies didn't manage to loot

>>4100347

"Now we continue with the rest of our mission.

I need you to examine the footage and look at vests and faces of the people that where taken by the covenant, we should have a list of the people in this base so we should be able to find matches.
Also do a note and check who has the authorization for locking turrets in a facility of this type.

For me instead pass me the sergeants of our marines they need to know that covenants could still be around... even if what they have done would say otherwise.

For the other orders they need to finish the patrol of the base, then we need to extract the people in the panic room. And see what we can do about this outlying facilities and that alpha site, that odst and the survivors should give us information about them.
When we have those info we should be ready to go to them and see what can be done.
Meanwhile we need to be ready to go away if we are compromize, even if repairs aren t finish."

>>4100347
>Rambler one to the panic room and grab anything valuable on the way down, Rambler two clear our perimeter, possible opfor in the area. Diana, clean out local network and make sure /nothing/ of value can fall into covenant hands.

>>4100384
This, plus arm the prowler crew if they're not already.

If the cloakers are still around they may try to board.

What is the current mission time ?
We need to keep in mind, that an air patrol of the warlords could fly nearby and see the facility damage or the covenant fleet arrives.

"Now we continue with the rest of our mission." You sighed and rubbed your face. Could today get any worse? You didn't focus on answering that question and instead turned your attention to your AI. She'd have a better chance to examine the information you wanted. "Diana, I want you to run through the base's systems and bring up a list of everything that isn't responding. The spec-ops team may have also stolen or destroyed things, and I want to find out what. Take a copy of anything you find and delete the originals, cole protocol still applies."

"Karmann, I need you to examine the footage and look at vests and faces of the people that were taken by the covenant, you should have a list of the people in this base so we should be able to find matches. We can try and find out what they're looking for. And get me as much intel as you can on the outlying facilities and this old alpha-site that the ODST referred to."

"Dyad, I want the crew armed and put on guard rotations, we need to free up rambler two. And put me through to the marine sergeants, they need to know that covenant could still be around... even if what they have done would say otherwise."

"Rambler one and two, this is control. Click to confirm." You announced as soon as the connection was established, and that they weren't about to let anyone in on what you were about to say. "Listen in, we have confirmed sightings of Covenant special operations teams. Hostiles are making use of active camo and advanced tactics. Rambler one, get your people down to the panic room and get those people out of there. Grab everything of importance on the way, burn what you can't. Rambler two, hold until replaced by armed crewmen and then move to clear the base. Grab any survivors and intel you find, and keep in constant contact with me."

"Wilco, rambler two will make ready to move." The sergeant of the second squad replied first.

"Rambler one to control, please advise. Should I take my team to recover the people in the panic room or should I remain on guard at the reactor?" Rambler one's CO asked for some clarification, as you had put him in a bit of a compromising situation.

>Keep rambler one at the reactor, you cannot lose power to the base.
>Send rambler one to the panic room, getting the survivors out is your biggest concern.
>Split rambler one up, you can't afford to leave both the reactor and the survivors unattended.
>Other (write-in)

>>4101436
>>Send rambler one to the panic room, getting the survivors out is your biggest concern.

>>4101436
>>Send rambler one to the panic room, getting the survivors out is your biggest concern.

>>4101436
>Send rambler one to the panic room, getting the survivors out is your biggest concern.

>>4101436
We able to trap the entrance to the reactor room? Slow down anyone trying to get in?

>>4101436
How much extra charge have the defense turrets received since the reactor came up?

And if there is a lock that prevents them firing inside the base perimeter can Diana override it?

Out of story question: I'm sure I remember in the 'Halo' book (the actual one where they are on the first Halo, that the cloaking tech gives off heat signatures and can be seen via thermal sights. Is that true in this universe?

If so, get any thermal sights we have to the marines, maybe it will help them.

>>4101502
Only with grenades and small mines, keep in mind that the reactor itself can survive direct hits from plasma weapons, a frag grenade going off nearby won't cause a meltdown.

>>4101529
>How much extra charge have the turrets received
Their batteries are still charging, but it's between 30% and 50% charge right now. You can keep the turrets running for a little while longer if the power goes down, but you're gonna want to keep the reactor up.
>Can we override the locks on the turret rotation
That's already underway, Diana will get back to you once that's done.
>Can we see active camo enemies on thermals?
I can't really answer that question without giving you more information than you know in character. You could ask some of your marines to try it out, but you won't know for sure until they make contact with the enemy.

>>4101436
>>Send rambler one to the panic room, getting the survivors out is your biggest concern.

>>4101563
>>4101436

>>Rambler one to panic room after the do what they can to trap the entrance with mines. Keep frags for combat.

>>4101436
>>Send rambler one to the panic room, getting the survivors out is your biggest concern.
As long as no one can overlaod the reactor and cause it to go kaboom, this is my vote.

"The panic room is your priority. If you can rig up some mines or defenses to cover the reactor then go right ahead, but make it quick." You clarified to the marine sergeant, you were fairly sure that the reactor would be fine, but you couldn't afford to take any chances.

"Wilco." The sergeant confirmed, before addressing his unit. "Alright people, let's rig up some mines and cams before we ready to roll."

"Rambler two to control, confirm the presence of armed crewmen. We're moving out on patrol." The second sergeant crowed a couple of seconds later, you flicked over to the man's helmet camera in time to see a dozen assorted crewmen armed with rifles and shotguns.

>Roll 3d100

Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>4101611

Rolled 80, 36, 26 = 142 (3d100)

>>4101611

Rolled 78, 25, 77 = 180 (3d100)

>>4101611

Rolled 56, 36, 79 = 171 (3d100)

>>4101613

File: plasma grenade explosion.jpg (43 KB, 592x333)

43 KB JPG

The two squads went on their way as expected, with rambler two making their way over to the ruins of the base in the same time that it took rambler one to rig us some trip-mines and remote cameras. And for the next ten minutes, you watched as they carefully walked around the base until your first squad reported in with an issue. "Rambler one to control, we're halfway to the panic room, but we've got a set of locked blast doors. Can Diana crack 'em for us?"

You looked through one of rambler one's helmet cameras and found what their issue was. A set of large blast doors covered the semi-recessed access dors into the lower floors of the base. Thankfully, with power restored to the base, Diana could easily handle that little issue. You watched as the doors slowly began to creep open as your AI responded to the NCO's request. "Doors are opening, please stand back."

"Thanks for that, we're moving in." The first sergeant thanked your AI, before gesturing for his men to enter the underground section of the base. Flashlights snapped on as the marines carefully made their way inside.

"Rambler two, what's your status?" Dyad asked for an update from your second squad as you flicked over to watch the feed from rambler two's pointman. They were advancing along a debris-strewn street and were coming up to what looked like a T-junction.

"Rambler two to control, nothing thus far. We're continuing along the west side of the base." The second sergeant replied with an almost bored tone of voice. You were about to ask the sergeant about why he hadn't split his unit when the pointman rounded the corner. Almost the second the had passed the corner, a high-pitched wining sound screeched into existence, and there was only one weapon that you knew of that could make that noise. The pointman looked down in time to see a plasma grenade spark into life, the blue-white glow of the steadily building ball of plasma showing that it was mere seconds away from exploding.

"BACKUP! BACK-" The pointman turned and tried to run back behind the corner as he yelled, but he was cut off as the plasma grenade dettonated. The feed from his camera blurred as the soldier was sent flying, before suddenly cutting off as it impacted against something with great force. You switched back to their sergeant, and you watched as he ran over to the charred and brutalized body of the pointman, though with most of his back charred and his neck hanging at an odd angle, there wasn't much that could be done to save him.

>CONT

>>4101768

"Control, this is rambler two. We have a mass-cas here." Rambler two's sergeant coughed as he reported his unit's losses. He looked back at the rest of his squad. The soldier that had been standing immediately behind the pointman was on the ground, screaming as the squad's medic pulled his half-melted body armor off him. Another soldier immediately behind him was having his head looked at, blood poured from the wound. "Tally one KIA, two wounded. Requesting mission update."

>Have rambler two continue with their mission unaided, you can't stop now.
>Reinforce rambler two with soldiers from rambler one, you can afford to shuffle some troops around.
>Order rambler two to wait, you'll reinforce them with armed crewmen.
>Bring rambler two back to the prowler, there have to be other ways to find survivors in the base.
>Other (write-in)

>>4101770
>>Reinforce rambler two with soldiers from rambler one, you can afford to shuffle some troops around.

>>4101770
>Reinforce rambler two with soldiers from rambler one, you can afford to shuffle some troops around.

>>4101770
>Order rambler two to wait, you'll reinforce them with armed crewmen.

Time, time, ask of us anything but time. With Covie spec-ops around and having already done a smash and grab, the fleet can't be far behind.

>>4101770
>Bring rambler two back to the prowler, there have to be other ways to find survivors in the base.

>>4101770
>>Order rambler two to wait, you'll reinforce them with armed crewmen.

"Understood, hold position there while we get you some reinforcements." You ordered rambler two's sergeant, before switching channels over to contact the leader of rambler one. Unlike their comrades, rambler one was advancing slowly in the dark of the subterranean levels of the base. "Rambler one, this is control. Rambler two is down two or three men, I need you to send someone back here to link up with armed crewmen as reinforcements."

"Copy, sending someone over." The leader of your first squad replied, before gesturing to one of the members of his squad, and then gesturing back the way they came. The soldier seemed confused, but followed the unspoken order regardless. Now one man down, the rest of rambler one descended into the guts of the facility, though with the help of your AI and a map of the facility, they soon came across the closed doors to the panic room, where another issue lay in wait. "Contol, this is rambler one. We're at the panic room, but we've got a problem. Looks like the door controls are fried, we can't get in."

"Well, our only option now is to hope that the secondary ID reading system hasn't been damaged. All we need is for someone with an officer-grade neural lace to trip the system and alert the people inside that a friendly officer is outside." Lieutenant Karmann suggested, and you could already see dozens of issues with that idea on its own.

"So, I need to go out there and unlock it?" You asked rather sarcastically. With the threat of an enemy spec-ops team being outside, you really didn't like the idea of leaving the armored and protected hull of your prowler.

"Either you or lieutenant commander Dyad will work." The short spook smiled up at you, and you felt the sudden urge to insult him. Then again, that wouldn't really help the people inside the panic room if you spent your time playing whack-a-spook.

>Head out yourself, Dyad's done her part for today. [HEAD TO ARMORY]
>Send Dyad out, you need to handle the entire operation from the bridge.
>Try something else, you aren't letting an officer leave this ship. (write-in)

>>4101847
>>Head out yourself, Dyad's done her part for today. [HEAD TO ARMORY]

>>4101847
>>Head out yourself, Dyad's done her part for today. [HEAD TO ARMORY]

>>4101847

>Head out yourself, Dyad's done her part for today. [HEAD TO ARMORY]

>>4101847
>>Head out yourself, Dyad's done her part for today. [HEAD TO ARMORY]

>>4101847
>Try something else, you aren't letting an officer leave this ship. (write-in)
We have used all of those spying and communication drones or there are some in reserve in the prowler ? If that so can we use one to go with our Id to the inside of the facility to rambler one ? Or we can t ? I imagine it would be faster than us and it shouldn t be too large.
Going out ourselves is rather risky. If we don t have drones i guess we go but we should go with at least someone to watch us. And maybe some body armor, bad idea overall to go with covies out.

And rambler two, what exactly is doing ? They don t know where their foe is. So reinforcements or not they can t engage it. Is really a good idea to remain here with our ship, when there is a team of Aliens that needed barely a few minutes to bust open this place ?
We have a mission, but with the current status of a covenant spec-ops team here it seems a bad choice to continue.
Two marines squads aren t decent for this.

>>4101901
Those drones are for space. And yes, we deployed them all.

And the grenade appears to have been a boobytrap, given the lack of any plasma bolts or a counterattack.

>>4101901
All of the drones are up in space, they were never built for use in atmosphere anyways. Think of them as satellites with rockets on them rather than modern drones.

Rambler two ran into a boobytrap, not an actual attack. If there was an actual attack then the option for you to leave the ship at all wouldn't have been given.

>>4101912
Yay, I'm good at this!

>>4101847
>>Head out yourself, Dyad's done her part for today. [HEAD TO ARMORY]

Hopefully this doesn't turn into a Captain Keyes type situation. I assume we're gonna be suiting up in some BDU's and body armor for this. Shouldn't need to bring more than a sidearm.

>>4101847

Who ever goes, we need to be ready to dust off as soon as they get back.

Have intel collection and repairs complete as soon as we start running back.

>>4101847
>>Head out yourself, Dyad's done her part for today. [HEAD TO ARMORY]

"I'll do it." You decided to take up the job yourself. You didn't know if that was a rational decision, or if it was because you wanted to play an active part in moving the mission along. Either way, you turned to your XO. "Dyad, you have the bridge. Keep me informed about what's going on, but put the safety of the ship and the mission above all."

"Are you sure sir? I can handle this just as well as you can." Dyad asked, her voice level but not nearly calm enough to make you think that she wasn't concerned. You smiled at your XO and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but you wouldn't be swayed from your path.

"Dyad, you'll be just as good here as you would be out there." You assured your XO, who still didn't seem too happy about your choice.

Dyad sighed, but she didn't argue the point, instead, she sternly poked you in the chest. "Just don't die out there. I don't want to explain to the spooks how our new captain ran into a plasma bolt."

"I'll keep that in mind." You grinned at your XO, before turning and leaving the bridge in her capable hands. The trip down to the small armory was rather quick, and you found it deserted and almost empty. Almost being the keyword. You still managed to scrounge up a full set of marine body armor and a few weapons.

You had access to everything from pistols and SMGs all the way up to assault rifles and shotguns. A smaller weapon like a pistol or an SMG would give you something handy to defend yourself with, assuming you were facing grunts or jackals. But you hadn't actually seen either of them working alongside the spec-ops elites. Against larger targets, the pistol would work well against flesh and armor, but not against shields due to its low rate of fire. Meanwhile, the SMG also worked well but for the opposite reasons, it's high rate of fire and large magazine would let you shred shields, but being only a 7mm it was less effective against flesh.

Slightly higher up than those two choices were assault rifles, battle rifles, and shotguns. Tha MA5B assault rifles would work well enough as an all-round weapon, and you could carry 60 round magazines to really get the lead out, but at longer ranges, it lost effectiveness quickly. The battle rifle would give you a slightly smaller magazine and lacked the ability to go full-auto but was better at range with its built-in scope. Finally, a shotgun would give you the most power per shot, but it's lack of long-range capabilities and small magazine size limited you to only a few shots.

You also had access to a mix of grenades if you wanted them. Fragmentation, high explosive, and incendiary grenades gave you a lethal punch while smoke and flashbangs gave you less-lethal options.

>Choose a small weapon. (Pistol or SMG)
>Choose a large weapon (Assault Rifle, Battle Rifle, or Shotgun)
>Take some grenades too (Frag, HE, Flame, Smoke, Flashbang)
>Search for something else. (write-in)

>>4101982
>>Choose a large weapon (Shotgun)

>>4101982

>Choose a large weapon (Battle Rifle)
>Take some grenades too (Flame, Smoke, Flashbang)

>>4101982
>Pistol
>Shotgun
>Frags

>>4101982
>>4101988
I think I misunderstood. If only one weapon choice then I"ll stick with
>Shotgun
>Frags

>>4101983
>>4101987
>>4101988
>>4101996
Sorry, I should have clarified as I'm a dunce, you can take BOTH a large and a small weapon, though it will have implications for your overall maneuverability.

>>4101982
>Pistol (M6C/SOCOM)
>Shotgun
>Frags

I honestly don't see a reason we can't take both a sidearm and a longarm. We were a SECO at one point after all.

>>4101982
>Shotgun
>Frags

>>4102001
I had assumed right then. I'll stick to my original vote.

>>4102001
>>4102005
Pistol as well then

>>4101982
>Choose a large weapon (Shotgun)
>Take some grenades too (Flashbang)

We're going indoors. Shotguns were made for close-quarters. Range shouldn't be much of an issue. Xenonauts made me fall in love with flashbangs, so I'm a bit biased.

>>4101982
>Shotgun (Can we pack some slugs?)
>2 Frags, 1 Flash, 20ft worth of string, 1 roll ductape

>>4102059
I like the cut of your jib.

File: M90_Shotgun_(Torch_Side).png (366 KB, 1280x584)

366 KB PNG

The first thing you did was to strap on your armor, the reasons why you did that first was two-fold. Firstly, it was a lot easier to adjust the armor when it wasn't weighed down by ammo and equipment, and secondly, it allowed you to understand just how much weight your body was willing to carry. If you over-weighed yourself you'd be too slow to adequately move, and that would make you far easier to kill.

And after putting on the armor, you realized that you needed to get back to weight training. The bulk of the marine body armor was just enough that it was noticeable, but thankfully it wasn't enough to noticeably impede your movement. Still, you needed to get back into top form as soon as possible after the mission. The last thing you needed was to get fat.

With that sorted out, you grabbed a pistol and holster first. As it turned out, luck was on your side as someone had left a perfectly working M6C/SOCOM pistol lying around. The decent 12-round magazine, suppressor and targeting system would serve you well, not to mention that it was one of the easier to control pistols in the UNSC inventory. All the weight up front made it easier to keep the barrel on target for follow-up shots. You keyed the pistol to your helmet-mounted sight before holstering it, at the very least you'd be able to snap-shot better with it.

Next up was your long-arm. And there was nothing better for the job than an M90 shotgun. While the weapon was limited at only eight rounds -seven in the tube and one in the chamber- it's sheer destructive power was more than enough to make up for that. The eight-gauge weapon could knock an elite on its ass with a close-range body shot, and unlike most, you had actually been trained to be able to fire the weapon without getting knocked on your own ass by the recoil. You chose a 2-1 mix of buckshot to slugs but loaded the weapon with straight slugs for now. If the worst came to worst, you could just slam in some buckshot and start blasting if the slugs weren't pulling their weight.

As it turned out, the only thing that stumped you was the question of grenades. You wanted to take a whole mix of them, from basic frags to flame grenades and flashbangs. But you only had a limited number of places to stow them, so you had to make an executive decision and go for the frags alone. The flashbangs might have been useful, but the risk of them causing more harm to your men than to the enemy was too high.

With everything in order, you loaded up and headed for the door, but something stopped you. You thought for a second that you had missed something...

>Yeah, you forgot something (write-in)
>You weren't missing anything, leave the room and get going.

>>4102074
>>Yeah, you forgot something (write-in)
A knife now that i think about it. Can't imagine what the UNSC gives out for standard issue though.

>>4102074
>Yeah, you forgot something (First Aid Kit)
>>4102083
>(And knife.)

>>4102074
>>4102086
Still insist on grabbing a roll of ductape too though

>>4102086
Supporting

>>4102086
This

>>4102086
backing. Always have a knife, and a first aid kit wouldn't do any harm.