Lynn - for once - doesn't say much. And just executes the order. And hopefully that... Tech priest abomination thingy?
Archibald drops his empty clip out of his pistol and slams a new one home. He takes a moment to observe the effect the incoming rounds will have on the monster. It was time to either commit or retreat. The next few seconds would decide.
Lugga keeps stepping to the left, trying to keep his shield presented to the monster of metal while he attacks, but it's proving frustratingly ineffective.
As the machine fires into his Ally's cover, Lugga thrusts his shield left and intercepts as much as he can. It isn't much, but hopefully it's enough.
Felix wheezes as she scrabbles for the pumpgun. The burns on her body are really really bad but she can still move. Sir.. it doesn't... want.. to hit.. generator. and hobble-runs to break line of sight with the crazed machine thing with the generator.
As the searing storm of energy bolts starts to punch through the barricades and slam into Felix, a pair of strong hands reach out and grab her, and before too many of them manage to hit, she finds herself pulled to one side and on top of a commissar suddenly holding her.
That position only last for a brief second before she find a gloved hand on her head and another roll, finding herslef somewhat shielded from the worst of the storm by a most unexpected (if somewhat heavy) bodyshield.
As soon as the storm abates, the Commissar scrambles of her, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"Come on Trooper, napping on the job is unacceptable behavior. There is still a lot of work to be done!"
Blushing somewhat Felix fires at the monster before running to cover
The sounds of a single, well-placed large caliber round punching through the monstrosities armor is quickly followed by a triple-tap of solid shotgun slugs destroying much of the hideously bloated abdomen of the thing is quite sickening.
Dark, thick fluid is dripping out of the big craters in the carcass and the entire thing is going into spasms and a long hiss of something that might once have been the trademark language of the Adeptus Mechanicus but even your introduced ears can detect to be malformed and bastardized is bursting out of somewhere deep within the ruined area that might have passed for its head.
The lumen glows wink out and back in quick, irregular succession and the indicator runes on the generator's control panel flicker like mad.
All its appendages whip around at random.
Legs are thrashing and pounding the ground.
The pincer stabs into the side of the generator and is melted from the venting plasma.
The multilaser-like fused mandibles is melting down as uncontrolled energy is overloading.
Target lasers wander around at random.
Then, with a last shudder, it all crashes in on itself and lies still.
Your ears struggle with the sudden silence, where a second before there was the deafening roar of battle within an enclosed room.
...
It is actually over!
You conquered the emplacement and defeated the ... whateverthef@*%thatwas.
Looking around, you see that Martha and Plip who came with Lynn have wrestled trooper Syna (the squads medic-in-training) to the ground and try to keep her alive through the horrible burns she suffered from the flamer just outside the emplacement.
Further off, close to the barricade, Fred (or Jones?) lies - most likely dead.
Jones (or Fred?) meanwhile is certainly dead within the emplacement.
The heap of tech-heresy of the monster is taking up a considerable space of the inside.
Three more traitors lie dead outside the bunker and another four within.
The generator is spitting slowly fading spikes of plasma, no one has any business getting close to.
In the light of the lumen globes, the altar in front of the generator seems rather pathetic now.
Only a work bench with some tools and a single vial containing some murky fluid ...
... and things inside that wiggle around eerily.
Just looking at the vial makes your skin crawl.
Archibald rises slowly and checks for any unexpected movement. Seeing none, he calls out, Sound off!
After taking stock of his remaining men, he starts giving orders, Lugga, get that monstrosity out of my hardpoint. I want this area secured and anything heretical tossed out the door. And someone check and see if this thing is still operational.
Lugga does as he's told and drags the monster out the door. He drops it just outside, accidentally making a kind of sandbag wall cover for the hole the blew in the wall.
"Still here, Sir!" Comes the hard-trained voice of Plip.
"Yes, by the Emperor. But Syna does not seem like she will make it, dammitall!" comes the troubled sound-off of Martha, Felix' Gunner-Sister.
... and that's it from the Tankers.
Ok. Patch her up as best you can. Felix! You still alive? I need you to see if you can get this gun to work for us.
The control panel of the generator is easy-enough to read for anyone with even a bit of technical understanding.
Several warning runes flicker in angry-red indicating (very) upset and hurting machine spirits wailing about the two breaches in the generator hull.
A steadily shrinking meter shows that the generator is reducing power output to counter the damage and prevent a catastrophic meltdown.
It seems to aim for a 30% limit.
Assuming the capacitors of the gun are still intact, that "just" means that the recharge time of the gun is about tripled - but otherwise functional.
Sir, Commissar saved my ass sir. Felix reports, unaware of LUgga's role in keeping her looking like her dead or dying comrades.
Sir, this place... feels... I think we should just blow it to hell sir.
[ooc]2 DOS{/ooc]
The Commissar stands straight and begins to dust of his sleeves.
"It is every troopers duty to keep themselves alive to serve the emperor.
...
However, there is no regulation against helping a fellow solider if you have an opportunity."
The Commissar looks around for a moment before coming to a decision.
"This place looks like a complete loss, we would require an enginseer and a priest to consecrate the area before it was safe to use.
I am inclined to agree with trooper Tark.
If we prevent it from falling back into the hands of the enemy, we will have performed our duty fully.
Besides, our losses are too great to be able to hold here.
If we merely spike the guns, we can retreat, report our success, and allow the distraction element to fall back as well.
We can all regroup and wait for further orders and reinforcements."
Got some sniper shots sir, if we want to help our distraction from a distance.
Archibald takes in their distinct lack of both priest and cogboy. He sighs. Point taken. I guess I shouldn't get greedy. Very well. Disable the weapon. We're falling back.
"We'll keep that option open trooper Tark, should we at some point pas close enough to the distraction team for it to be feasible.
For now, we should focus on spiking the gun and getting to safety.
The more steps a plan has, the more things can fail after all."
Does anyone have remote charges? If not I'll have Lugga blow it from outside.
Archibald takes the moment of silence to mean that noone has any remote charges. He nods. Ok. We got this. Everyone out and away! I'm going to blow this thing to bits!
He takes one of Lugga's krak mortars and hangs it in front of the center of the reactor. He makes the Ogryn look at it and says. Target. Back, back, Boom. ok?
Lugga nods. He backs out, never letting his eye leave the target.He steps back, and back, and back to a safe distance. He takes out a Krak of his own. Winds up, and
The squad evacuates the emplacement with haste and then watches in anticipation as the Ogryn lobs his first mortar round - which crashes against the already damaged wall close to the first hole and blasts another big chunk off.
Not satisfied, Lobba lobs another one right after the first, this time managing to get the explosive through the gaping hole and into the emplacement.
The hollow but sharp detonation of the krak is nearly immediately replaced by a sharp and high pitched warning klaxon that echoes through the trench network like the howling of the lost and damned.
Then, a bright, blinding light accompanied by a hissing sound of immense heat and the prefab's outer walls start to run liquid and it collapses in on itself to more hissing.
The heat emitted by the reactor loosing its containment field is immense, worsened by the fact that three out of four sides are made of hard volcanic stone.
You feel like sitting in an oven with the lid open - hot air washing over you and dissipating into the height.
The three remaining tankers (Syna still seems - barely - alive and is carried by Martha and Plip) take shelter behind the Ogryn and are already sweating profoundly - just like everyone else is.
You have retreated into the trench the one traitor fled into and took cover behind the makeshift barricade the enemy set up.
THe trench is leading north-east, the most direct route back to imperial lines.
As of right now, no enemy is in sight and you feel the need to get some solid breaths in and sit down for a moment to recover from the stress of the assault...
<< Lt. Thunderblossom, how is your status?
We have AdMech support coming in fast and hot from the west, ETA less than a minute.
We were advised to mark our position by sending prayers to the Omnissiah on local broadcast channel.
No idea what we got coming there, but it sounds like they are about to clear the first trench system with something heavy and fast. >>
Lynns usual buzzy murder happy personality finally seems to resurface as the strongpoint turns liquid and the melting stones shine eery sparkles into her eyes as she watches, cradling Honey and whispering how nice it looks but how much more fun it is to see them explode one by one...
As they move away she chimes in: "Honey still got about 30 murders left in him before I need to look for new Honey-food."
As they come to rest and catch their breath she starts to pout as she reloads the one spent round: "I never got that chance to murder the canon crew..."
Archibald first addresses the command channel, <<Good copy, command. We are next to the enemy lascannon. Cannon is no longer operational. Repeat, Lascannon is kracked. Broadcasting location.>>
He hurredly flips to the general channel. As he does he orders, We have AdMech incoming. Everyone get into cover!
He then broadcasts, Praise be the Omnissiah! May his... Uhh... Mechadendrites hug us all and replace all our fleshy bits with metal!
"Perhaps a somewhat excessive prayer Lieutenant.
I would surmise that the rite of reloading and aiming might service us well enough should we repeat them.
It is unfortunate that we neglected to retrieve the heavy stubber if we are to dig in here for any length of time."
Kersin looks over the remnants of the squad, assessing their injuries and the level of morale. As he visits each member he checks that each person is in a good covered position and speaks a few words of encouragement to each.
I think we walked through a hail of stubber fire before we got into the building, sir. Felix says.
There goes the chance for a proper breather.
The squad hurries over the barricade left behind by the traitors.
Felix hurriedly picks up one of the autoguns from the still rather warm but very dead hands of the traitor and lightens the gun of the other by another bulky drum clip before joining up with the others.
It takes the strength of the Ogryn to lift the badly scorched Syna over the barricade and as he does so, the wounded trooper twists in her comatose state.
Soon enough the screaming starts accompanied by rapid and mechanical sounding footfalls coming in quick succession as well as the unmistakable sound of heavy flamers and melters firing.
Then the sound of running people and autogun fire.
Looking over the barricade and down the long trench, you spot the first handful of traitor running for their lives coming from the north-west trench.
Directly towards you.
Further back and coming in from the south-west you can see a much larger group also running hard and even further back you think you saw a war machine of unfamiliar shape rushing alongside the trench for a short moment, blasting away at the occupants with heavy flame weaponry mounted center mass, causing it to appear as if it was spitting flames from some kind of mouth.
It is quickly swollowed by the mounting smoke clouds rising up over the western part of the first trench line before you can even be sure to have seen it, let alone get a good view on it.
<< Good work Lieutenant.
We secured most of the eastern trench system but lost some of the middle portion to the counter from the second line.
I repeat, the counter attack broke through the middle.
The good news: Your mortar team has set up again and is ready for fire missions.
Disposition to their old position is about 420 / 30.
Watch you back Archi and may the Emperor protect. >>
From that vague position, the first indirect fire check suffers a -30.
But afterwards you can use your skills to try and figure out their actual position relative to yours and adjust for it (that's the usual logic test).
Archibald radios in to Jeeves, Jeeves! I need a ranging shot! Try 552x44 single round. Yes, just west of the lascannon! Now!
He watches where the round falls and recalculates. It's rough, but it should do. He calls in several fire missions, all focused on keeping the enemy as bunched up as possible for the benefit of both Lugga and the fully automatic fire that's about to come their way.
Lugga! See big bunches? Frag 'em!
Lugga hears and obeys. He watches for large clumps of heretics either covering from the mortars or tripping over those falling to his squad's fire and puts a frag round in the middle of them.
When he's not throwing he tries to intercept the worst of any return fire with his shield.
Quickly realizing that shooting isn't the best option for him to do, the Commissar falls back on doing what he tends to do best.
Inspire people to do better.
"Troopers! This is the final stretch!
We have completed our mission, and now we merely need to hold on long enough for our reinforcements to arrive.
It has been a hard mission, and you have all done your duty well.
Now we need to live to reap the rewards, and we have a duty to make sure our comrades who have died will be remembered.
Brace yourself, aim true, strike with precision.
I am proud of you!
For the emperor and for the grandchildren!"
Feeling like a walking armament Felix puts down the pumpgun right next to her as she trains the autogun at the onrushing traitor hoarde. Don't worry... they get on us you'll get to go again. she mutters feeling half crazy for talking to it. Lynn must be rubbing off on her. Emperor dammit but she wanted to be back in some sort of machine rather than all this.
Nevertheless the hoard is within range and she really feels like killing all of them as fast as possible. Comforted by the bulky drum of ammo she aims with a steady breath in and exhales as she fills the trench with full auto fire.
She frowns as the sound of the drum makes it clear there aren't as many bullets as she would like. After the initial burst she switches to semi auto fire.
Lynn squeels happily "Honey! More targets! Show them how much you love me! Give me red presents!"
She picks a position towards the center of the barricade so she can comfortably shoot both visible trenches. Then gets comfortable herself, bracing Honey and draping her camo cloak around herself so neither she nor Honey will be easy to distinguish from the barricade around them.
After making herself comfortable she takes a quick look at the onrushing heretics. Trying to pick out anyone with a bigger gun, fancier uniform or just someone shouting the others into doing stuff for them.
Whether or not she finds someone fitting that description she then starts murdering
Taking a position toward the front of the squad, Kersin loads a new magazine into his bolt pistol and revs his chain sword. Looking back at the others he draws a breath to speak. Just before he does his eyes flick across the Commissar, then his voice comes quietly over the vox, just loud enough to be heard over the sounds of impending battle, "It is our Honor to serve the Emperor. It is our Duty to keep ourselves alive so that we may kill many of the enemies of Man. You have all done well in your Duty. Now, we have the opportunity to fulfill our other Duty; to kill more of the enemies of the Imperium. It has been my Honor and Pleasure to stand and fight with you all. For the Emperor."
Kersin turns back to the onrushing horde and waits, moving to intercept those that come within the reach of the whirring teeth of his chainsword and making occasional, carefully aimed shots with his bolt pistol.
A determined and capable trooper at your side.
A good commander calling in heavy fire support.
A sergeant and a Commissar whipping everyone up to a controlled battle frenzy.
Enemies rushing headlong towards you through a narrow approach.
This is what you were trained for.
This is what made you prevail against the Orks back on Jonathan III.
Solid cover in front of you.
Everyone is doing what they are best at.
The few leading figures of the rushing mobs go down to precision fire from Lynn.
Mobs are suppressed by concentrated las and solid projectile fire and then blown to pieces by mortar rounds.
Enemy return fire is sporadic and inaccurate and only a single round clips the massive figure of Lobba, who does not care anyway.
The smaller mob coming from north-west is completely eradicated and the rush of the south-western one is nearly stopped by the ferocious resistance and the mortar rounds dropping onto their heads.
Just as you feel like you could do this all day...
"!!!Blood for the Blood god!!!"
... incoherent screaming makes you flinch around and see a mob of lunatics rush you from behind!
If they would have just ducked down, took good aim and fired - you would probably find yourself dead at this point.
But these lunes are not soldiers anymore.
Red foam is coming from their mouths and all 8 eight of them brandish axes and swords which are chained to their wrists as they rush towards you!
Felix turns around, liberated autogun still hot and screams back Emperor burn you, you traitor bastards
And lets loose with what little is left in her auto gun. As it clicks empty she drops it and swings up the pumpgun. Steadying her nerves... she was NOT anything like the crazed cultists rushing towards them... she waits until they're at 10 m range before starting to unload on them with scatter slugs. Aim and Fire, Aim and Fire, Aim and Fire, in a steady rythym of a heartbeat pause followed by three cracks over and over.
"Keep firing to the front troopers, me and the sergeant will cover the rear.
Sergeant, with me! We shall teach them a final lesson.
That lesson is, SILENCE FOR THE EMPEROR!"
Stepping up, chainsword in one hand, bolt pistol in the other, the Commissar narrows his eyes, allowing them to work their magic before firing the bolt pistol, aiming to thin the herd coming towards them.
Lugga spins on a heel, drawing a frag round as he does so, and chucks the thing at the lead berserker!
But agile is one thing Lugga isn't and the round goes wide! Lugga then hears the Commissar's order, turns back around, and looks for his next batch of victims.
Kersin responsd as is the Commissar's voice played directly on his nervous system, spinning up and out of his cover as though he were not badly injured, "You heard the Commissar! Maintain fire to the front!" Kerin's chainsword growls hungrily as he joins the Commissar to face the onrushing berzerkers.
With a grim smile, he holsters his bolt pistol and pulls a grenade off his belt as he adressess the Commissar, "I'll just welcome them to the party, then, shall I Sir? I have just the thing for them." Timing carefully, he presses the activation stud and lobs this much smaller explosive in the wake of Lugga's much larger shell.
After throwing the grenade, Kersin re-draws he bolt pistol and takes his position beside the Commissar.
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Lynn barely hears the Officers' orders - being waaaay too busy with already doing just what they are trying to tell her to do to listen to anyone except Honey.
She's in her own happy little world, humming "if you happy and you know it kill a man" BANG clack-clack
"if you happy and you know it kill a man" BANG clack
"if you're happy and you know it" shunk-click-click
"And you really want to show it" SNAP
"Kill a man" BANG. clack-clack
Archibald focuses on bringing in enough fire support to ensure the attack that has faltered doesn't rematerialize.
R, Pen: 1
R, Pen: 2
The Ogryn and Sergeant turn around to the incoming crazed traitors to welcome them with explosives - but both of them underestimate the speed of the onrushing mob and lob their explosives too far.
The mortar round hits the edge of the trench some ten meters behind the mob, causing most of its deadly shrapnel to whizz harmlessly overhead and only one, the very last in line, is felled.
Kersin's grenade is bouncing off the ground and then keeps on rolling and rolling before finally exploding - at which point all enemies are outside the lethal zone.
The foremost frenzied traitor goes down hard and with finality as a tightly grouped burst of solid projectiles from Felix' gun removes the better part of his thorax. Another two are felled by shotgun fire but then they close in and a swirling melee erupts, barely a couple steps behind the barricade between Sergeant Kersin, Commissar Marleno and the four remaining freaks.
The Commissar proves to be good match for the berzerkers and manages to land a few blows, felling his first opponent after a couple of seconds. Kersin has a much harder time, probably due to his already injured state and takes a shallow cut from an axe and soon after the stab of a combat blade. Neither attack is decisive but in his weakened state, Kersin may be in trouble soon!
The south-western mob tries and fails to get back into swing.
Every single heretic trying to rally them is soon shot dead by precision fire and soon enough, a perfectly aimed mortar round lands right in the middle of the mob and causing hideous mutilations on everyone within twenty meters, the hard and narrow trench working like a shrapnel trap and funnels the force of the detonation.
What little remains is immolated by a wave of white-hot burning promethium send into the trench by a rushing warmachine appearing without warning alongside the trench. The lower part of the bipedal walker reminds you of a sentinel, albeit much more delicate. But where a sentinel would have a proper driver compartment with underslung heavy weapon, these walkers seem to seamlessly transform into a heavy weapon mount. A hooded figure with a long, heavy mantle of the rust-red of the Adeptus mechanicus is hunched over the weapon. A complex and slightly disturbing looking array of sensors and oculars sprouts from below the weapon. The machine is gone moments after firing, leaving behind scores of burned corpses.
Spontaneous cheering erupts at that sight from Marthe and Plip.
"Hu-Rah! Burn the filthy heretics!!!"
7R, Pen:1, Bleed(1) and 4R, Pen:2, Bleed(1)
-> so I think you don't take any wounds after Armor and Toughness.
Lucky you.
Despite the sound of the swirling melee behind you, you make out the sound of running feet coming from close-by...
From the sound of it ...
Someone is rushing towards you over open ground and not through the trenches!
Lynn makes sure Honey is all prim and proper - that is reloaded and roaring to
go - before she gets up an squeels
"Wheeey! I hear more targets! And I think they are coming in all easy-peasy. Lemme check!"
She once more readjusts her camo cloak and then peaks over the side of the trench where the steps seem to be coming from. With Honey ready of course. And unless they are already so close they're going to stomp on her face any second now she of course also aims at and murders any heretics in sight. Preferably those with fancy cloths or big guns. As always
*BANG*
"Told you! More targets! Almost here get ready!"
"Well done trooper Edward, your skill honors our regiment.
Well? Form up and cover that side, any unfriendly dare approach us from there I want them taken out before they become a danger."
Tapping his microbead, the Commissar sends over the guard net.
"This is commissar Ludicus Marleno, calling the Ad mech contingency, please identify yourself."
Always best to have a name attached to your rescuers, it helps with the paperwork as well as...other things...
While talking, he also engages his telescopic sight, scanning the area Lynn covers so he can see the enemy as well.
Squad! Sometimes orders are so abundantly clear that need not be articulated. He draws his pistol as Lugga turns to face the threat.
Felix peeks over the trench just in time to see someone's head pop. If there is no other threat from that side Felix turns her attention back to the wild melee happening right in front. She focuses on the one closest to her.