Mountain Retreat Compound
Knox Mountains approximately fifty kilometers from Zathras
0659hrs (GMT), 3 October 3079
McCoy smiled at the explosive death of the Domini trooper that was coming out of the deck door to the inside. He absolutely hated those fuckers with a passion only rivaled by Dragon Mom’s love of old things. “All hands… look alive- Domini troopers are present.” As he moved, a series of acknowledgements flooded his comms briefly. Sighting down his Mauser, he one-hand gunned down another defender as it sought to shoot him for his actions.
[Spectre Three- watch your left; two defenders just slipped out of the garage and are heading your way.]
[Two, Three- thank you]
**
Down the driveway, Spectre Two advanced up the pavement towards the ramp to the basement. Snapping a pair of gyroslug shots at the defenders who had just come from there, he was very aware of the open door to the garage interior. Sprinting to the ramp, he snap-shot at one of the earlier defenders and dropped the Blakist with a hit to the unarmored chest.
Coming to a stop at the top, he made a quick sweep of the area then lobbed a flash-bang down the ramp and into the space beyond. “Spectre Two… breaching,” Jake called into the comm and a second after the charge went off, he ran down the ramp, auto-shotgun out and ready to blast.
**
Cass advanced on the building; her target having gone down quick in her initial volley. Secondary targets appeared fairly quickly, and she engaged those as rapidly as they appeared. Once at the wall, she looked around. Taking two steps back, she ran at the wall and used the enhanced strength of the power-armor to help her vault up to the roof on this side of the building.
Coming to a landing, she scanned the rooftop quickly and made her way to a skylight further up the roof line. She’d be pulling a Syd here… but with as quick as they were moving, the surprise factor should be helpful. Slinging her gyroslug carbine, she drew her auto pistol and deployed her baton. This was going to be some close quarters work…
**
Sidholm advanced up slowly, his rifle barking rounds at each target as it presented itself. His Federated Gyroslug Rifle had been modified to fire bursts of two as needed and he used the ability liberally- the armor being excellent at ensuring rapid fire stability. And the dead-eye skills of the trooper were absolutely murder on his foes.
Seeing Cass up on the roof, he shifted position to cover her rear a little better, trusting Mercer to maintain his side of things. Normally, he’d have been the one to breech the roof but after three rounds of R-P-S, he took the role loss in stride. He was a better shot anyway…
“Mercer… watch the flanks; I expect a secondary exit.”
[Agreement there…] Was Mercer’s reply. [I’m looking for a viable entrance on this side.]
[Spectre Four and One, Lead. In ten seconds, start hitting the house. Two Wave strike…] McCoy called over the net. [Two is breeching the garage and Three has the roof. Pick your shots.]
Both men acknowledged the orders and made ready to charge the house. Two Wave assaults were effective and dangerous… but they worked.
***
Inside, it was minor chaos.
Trinity kept to the side with her AX as the various Blakists went to windows to shoot out or to cover entryways. The two Domini troopers were now reduced to a half, the second trooper having caught extensive secondary damage from the blasts that killed his partner. He was on the floor near that door, his weapon out and ready to shoot.
Other members of the household that weren’t shooting were breaking the electronics within the room just as the skylight exploded inward.
Contained in the falling plexiglass was a black-armored Nighthawk suit, the symbol of the Lancers plain as day as was the red-and-black-cross on the forearm bracer, when the figure lashed out with an extended baton at the nearest tech. A pair of shots from a pistol it carried also sounded, all three attacks being successful in striking a target.
Trinity cursed as she brought up her AX and cut loose a burst at the invading armored trooper. This isn’t happening!!! She mentally screamed as her shots missed the now-rapidly moving Spectre. I need to get out of here… A second burst of rounds and she ran for the garage stairwell to head down there. If she could get to a vehicle, she might be able to get away… there was another bolt hole in Galen she could go to that was less remote.
The trouble with remote hide-outs… if attacked there really was nowhere to run to when the hounds showed up.
Coming through the door to the deck was another tumbling Nighthawk suit, this one with a throwing hatchet in hand which flew through the air into the last Tornado trooper, catching him right in the faceplate. Coming to a knee, the Nighthawk trooper whipped up his main gun and rapidly cut down several defenders within eyesight.
**
McCoy rapidly shifted position from his knee as he took in what was remaining of the defenders. Cass had done a number on those on the lower floor and judging from Jakes’s commentary, the garage was pretty much going to be secure too.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw flopping blonde curls on a figure going down a set of stairs. “All Spectres, HVT going for basement”
Jake replied. [Two, copy…]
McCoy retrieved his hatchet and continued a quick search of the upstairs. Their precentor had to be here…
Cass continued to clean house on her level, trading shots with other defenders and in one instance, charging one to kick him in the face. “Captain, follow her down?”
“No- let Jake get her.” He replied as he came around a corner to the kitchen- ducking back in time to avoid a large amount of cooking oil. “Shit!” He said and put his pistol around the corner to let off a few rounds. “That wasn’t nice…”
“On second thought- back him up. I got the upstairs…” He changed his mind and Cass headed for the stairs.
**
Jake, having been warned, switched to slugs. It required a bit more finesse to not kill someone with these but there was less chance of hitting more than planned. And it was a good thing too… as he exchanged shots with three defenders down here when he entered, the flashbang having helped some with disorienting them.
More shots were exchanged, with the Lancer Trooper putting down one and wounding a second. He saw Trinity exit the stairwell and use the available cover to stay out of sight. “HVT in sight” He called over the network. “Looks like she’s looking for wheels out.”
[Noted.] Called McCoy. [Assistance coming. Wave Two standby to assist outside.]
Jake continued to exchange shots with defenders as the outside Spectres answered… and then Cass showed up on the stairs even as their quarry fired up an SUV.
“She’s moving… attempting to kill her wheels…” Jake called and directed the rest of his auto shotgun magazine into the engine compartment of the SUV; even as its engine roared in a bid to escape the space.
Cass charged the last defender and clubbed him from behind even as her own pistol attempted to shoot out a tire…
**
Trinity screamed in shock even as she floored her vehicle, trusting in the armored engine compartment to keep her operational. And it was a near thing too- the heavy shotgun slugs had a good change at hurting her machine but as she was moving, none hit the same spot twice.
The pistol at her tires though… at least one managed to damage *something* back there as a warning light came on while she was racing up the ramp…. And straight into Syd’s sights.
**
Sidholm, having been alerted to the escape attempt, quickly shifted weapons to his own auto shotgun. He was ready as she cleared the ramp out. Not taking a chance, he put two slugs into the windshield to the left of the driver and the rest into the now damaged engine compartment.
The windshield hits starred it up, the high-powered titanium slugs powerful enough to do damage to the ballistic glass. This proved to be a distraction to the now-panicking Trinity, who jerked the wheel when the shots hit. This threw her off and carried her right past the Lancer Trooper who was now hammering her engine compartment.
The combination of these and other shots early on were too much for the compartment, the damage carrying through to the engine…. Which was finished off when she crashed into a tree alongside of the driveway when she lost control of the vehicle…
“HVT escape neutralized… moving to capture.” Syd called into the network.
[Spectre One, Moving to support,] Mercer called out, even as he picked off another defender.
**
McCoy didn’t acknowledge the calls as he was too busy hunting a Precentor. It had been him who tossed the oil at him and well, McCoy had been lucky to avoid it. Not that it would have hurt him in this armor… but the mess would be miserable, at a minimum, to clean out of his joints.
Moving down the hall after the enemy leader, he readied his hatchet again. It had killed once so far and if he was lucky, he’d only have to maim this guy. Coming to a door, he snapped a peek around the corner and was rewarded with a blast of energy from what had to be a Blazer. But he’d seen enough…. And as he moved- the axe was cocked then in the air a split second later.
The throw was good, connecting with the gun arm of the Precentor – which caused him to drop the rifle he had. McCoy ducked around the corner again, his pistol up and pointed at the man. “Give it up, dude… and you get to live.” He said as he advanced, eyes watching for a dive for some fail-safe device. The last two Precentors he had tried to capture both had them…
Drakman pulled the axe out of his arm, which set it to bleeding. “Do you really think I’m going to be taken alive?” He snarled. “I’ll bleed out before you get me help…” He threw the hatchet back at McCoy who dodged it easily. “You have no idea what you have welcomed into your nests, Mercenary… And Only His Vision can prevent your destruction…”
McCoy chuckled darkly, which had the desired effect of puzzlement on the Precentor. “What you fail to understand is I Don’t Care as its Outside my Paygrade ….” He commented as he shifted his aim slightly. “I’d rather kill you… orders are Taken Alive if possible. So, I need you passed out from pain first. Or Blood Loss. Both work for that…” He then shot Drackman in the leg.
Drackman screamed in pain when the shot hit and collapsed. As his vision swam, he could only think of his failure to get to his office… and the detonator that lay within. This would have gone a very different way had he made it there… When he his vision cleared, the Lancer Trooper was in front of him and what came next was unexpected…
“Say Good Night, Wobbie…” McCoy snarked as he kicked Drackman in the head. And got the effect he was looking for- the Precentor knocked out.
**
Sidholm strode to the now-wrecked SUV and yanked the door open. Within, Trinity was trying to recover from hitting her head on the steering wheel. The Airbag had helped but not being belted in negated much of the benefit of the other safety device. Syd reached in and grabbed an arm. “Going somewhere?” He said as he yanked her from the vehicle.
Trinity, for her part, was still stunned but that was quickly disappating- especially when she got yanked from the SUV. There was no resisting that- the power armor multiplied the wearer’s strength a lot more than she could fight physically. But then, she didn’t have to…
“Uhhhh…. Yeah….” She replied as she reached into the small of her back. “You aren’t invited.” Using skills her father had taught her years ago, she snap-drew her slug thrower, pressed it into the less-armored section of Sidholm’s suit and pulled the trigger- twice.
The high-powered pistol was actually able to defeat the armor at this range and Sidholm grunted from pain as he released her arm, staggering. “-Arrrgh-“ He exclaimed in pain. “So you have claws too…” He grasped the area of the shot, which was above the hip, with his free hand.
Trinity took off through the woods at this point, knowing the faster she got away the more likely she’d avoid capture. She knew Argyle… and if she didn’t get scarce fast, she was getting caught. What she didn’t count on was Mercer.
The fourth trooper had seen what she did and stowed his weapon. He was going to catch her and there was going to be no guns involved… Not when a fist from this armor could break a bone in an un-augmented human. Sprinting after her, he called over the net. “Lead, One. Four is injured and HVT attempting to escape. Pursuing…”
[One, Lead. Alive please…]
“That’s the plan…”
At a dead run, the trooper gave chase… and within seconds, caught up to Trinity. Without a word, he aligned himself behind her and with a last-second leap, collided with her back in a flying tackle that would make an NFL Defensive Coach proud.
A scream of pain and fear, some struggle, two wet smacks and then silence.
**
Inside, Cass had managed to clean house of the internal defenders. A ton of broken bones from the baton, and no few wounded with shots from her pistol. There would be prisoners to interrogate when this op was done… and maybe even some good intelligence to be had. And in theory, it would save lives, which she was all about.
When possible, of course. Spectres were expected to take lives as necessary…. And it was necessary here. Damn Blakists… Why anyone bought into their shit was beyond her. “Captain!” She called out. “Secure in the main areas…”
McCoy came out of an upper hall with a body being dragged behind him. “Precentor’s Caught.” He said to Cass then triggered the net. “Lead, all elements. Status…”
[Two. Coming up from the garage… Secure down here.”
[Four… supporting One.]
[One…] Mercer paused in his answer. [HVT secure… though I’m pretty sure I broke a few of her ribs. And maybe a cheekbone.]
McCoy sighed- he now knew (again) how Dragon Mom felt when he did that… “Well, I did say alive,” He commented. “Ok Team… search area for any additional resistance; I’m notifying the Militia in Zathras to come up and clean here. A Ghost Detachment should be here soon too…”
Seeing movement from the Tornado suit in the doorway of the deck, he shot him once more. “And if they are the Bad Boys, make sure they are dead… No whammies.”
As the other acknowledged him, McCoy switched channels. He had their VTOL to get here again and the Militia to brief. Both this Precentor and Ms Farquharson needed to be brought back to Landing… and the faster that was done, the faster they’d find out what was coming next.
If whatever it was didn’t get here first, of course.
Musings of a Gamer 