Boney Buttocks that hurts! MacGuyver cries. He fumbles with his detpacks as he sets detonators.
Seeing the glob of acid sailing towards him the Commissar flattens against the wall to get out of the way.
"I've had it with this hole of filth. Ensign! Get the Toopers out of here. Next target is the Ork camp. EVERYONE OUT! THAT INCLUDES YOU, FATHER!"
He then takes off his commissarial great coat and takes a single step directly into the center of the corridor, spreading the coat as wide as possible and readying himself to drop it
Dodging out of the way of the volatile acidic spit the new, larger, worm was flinging their way, Aurius then attempts to do what their Commissar has ordered when he notices specialist McGuyver, in front of him, get hit by the acid and proceed to attempt to arm some explosives. Not in the mood for the wounded Guardsman possibly blowing them all up, Aurius just attempts to grab and drag him along as they make their exit from the cave shouting "Forget the explosives! We're getting out of here!"
The squad dodges and ducks below and around the acid blobbs that fill the tunnel, turning the way they came.
Beside Headache that is.
A fist-sized blob sploshes against his face, doing horrific things to his already burned skin.
With an inhuman roar, the CC expert (and madman) is charging into the cave and at the worm in blind rage, driven my hate and inhuman pain.
As you retreat back down the tunnel, you see Headache, both knifes out, jumping directly into the wide-open maw of the hideous creature.
This is the last thing you see of the cave, the worm and Headache.
You trace the tunnel back the way you came with relative ease, until you get to a junction, no one seems to remember. The junction is littered with stones (small and large).
The left one, is the one you came from.
2+ DoS:
You actually remember this place. The 'new' tunnel, wasn't there before, you're sure!
One goes abruptly to the left and slightly down, the other equally abrupt to the right and upwards.
Well, hopefully that is the most disturbing thing I see on this deployment. Anatoly shudders slightly at the memory as he activates the auspex once more.
Shaking his head slightly in disgust, he turns to the Commissar, "Sir, are any here skilled in navigating on ground? If so, perhaps data from auspex can help aid choice of tunnel."
Bolus does not protest even though it pains him to see an abomination go unpurged. I am in your debt, medicae, may the Emperor reward you for your bravery.
"Brave man. Not a kind of heroism we should aspire to, the emperor needs his guardsmen in once piece for as long as possible but brave nonetheless"
"I don't remember any of us receiving training in cave exploration. If anyone did that before enlisting now's the time. No? Didn't think it would be that easy. Thinking about it looking from above we went in with the canyon to our right, so since we turned around it should be somewhere to our left. Get out the luminators and check for bootprints there, we should've left plenty."
He sweeps the luminator over the left tunnel looking for bootprints and signs they have come from there
”Whatever we do, sir, we’d better do so fast. One man might not be enough to slow whatever the feth that thing is for long.” he says putting down McGuyver (and/or letting him go).
And he takes quick stock of their situation with the brief respite theyre given ”Aww feth where’d this come from...” before he just turns around and readies himself for whatever might be approaching from behind them as the squad tries to backtrace its steps. Once again, he was glad to find himself bearing the arms and equipment of a Stormtrooper.
Ensign Brazer looks around, after igniting his glow globe on the lowest setting, his eyes are watery, although you can't tell if it the dust, the former exposure to the acid fumes, or something else.
"Aye, you're right Commissar.
Left's 'e way we came ... an' he was brave.
Also 'tis right walk 's new, ya know.
It wasn't 'ere the last time, I'm sure.
How 'ould 'at be?"
While the discussion about which-way-to-go is still going, you hear a distant noise coming from the dupped-'new'-tunnel to your right.
It sounds like distant gunfire from heavy machine guns - and unmistakable Ork noises.
They're far away and the echoes distorting the sound even further, but a few steps into the tunnel and 'hush'ing the others to be able to listen closely, allows you to get certain.
Somewhere at the end of this tunnel, Orks are shooting and from the sound of it - enjoying themselves.
Ummm. Sir? If in hearing things right there are Orks shooting down this way.
Anatoly cocks his head to the side, taking a few steps down the 'new' tunnel to the right. He turns back to the others, "I also hear sounds of Orks shooting .. and enjoying it."
"I don't know what they might enjoy, and I wish for them that it's a fight
with those worm things. We're going to do our duty the effective way - that is we go back the way we came from and bring the big guns to the firefight."
Hooah! MacVyger responds
”Aye sir, but, what do we do if we get caught between ork and worm? If weve got out rides with us, we’ll be big stimkin targets for the acid spewers and race of xenos idiots.”
"We'll use the transports armor to actually survive that mess, get out of it and come back after either acid spewing worms or ork stubborness won out. Either way we'll have less enemys to deal with in that case.
That IS actually the only thing those worms could be used for but I don't see a way to goad those worms up to the orks without more of us dying to acid burn. If you have a suggestion how to do it now is the time while we're still close to them. Otherwise get a move on."
The squad turns left, nervously checking their backs as they go...
As MacVyger suddenly collapses with an agonized moan, everyone raises their rifles, searching for the attacker, but no one is around!
Liam quickly checks the specialist and diagnoses a dangerous toxic shock from the earlier acid attack!
It takes the medic a couple of minutes to stabilize the soldiers collapsing metabolism with the help of several doses stim taken from his medikit. The limb body of MacVyger has to get carried most of the way back before he gets back to his senses.
He is still groggy and wobby on his feet, but otherwise quite alive (several stim-doses usually have the later effect).
As you emerge from the tunnel system, the blinding light of the sun pains your eyes and you need a couple of second before you recognize a crashed ork Bike laying on the ground only a couple of meters before you. It is more or less intact (beside the blood-strained driver seat) and medium crash damage. It's previous driver (or whats left of him) lays several dozen meters deeper down the canyon. Looking at Margret, and her quite new scar on the side you don't really need the hasty report of the two guardsmen you left behind to protect the vehicles to tell the tale.
A bikker has came out of the Canyon, got shot to pieces and his driverless bike crashed against Margret and then the rock near the tunnel entry.
It happened only a couple of minutes before, so the biker is probably not yet missed.
You hurry on board and rush to the bike cave, hoping to still have the element of surprise on your side.
Pvt. Kront (the driver of Longleg, your sentinel) takes up position near the cave's entry, voxing on lowest strength.
"So, what's the plan? Charge in and fire on everything which moves and looks green?"
Emperor preserve me from blood mad fools. When you are up against something bigger and stronger, you don't try to overpower it, you try to OUT THINK it!
"Not quite. We'll get in far enough to get a good angle, preferably with cover. THEN we get the orks attention and hold the line while they charge at us like blood maddened berserkers.
No mad dash charging in either. Half of the troops set up to fire while the other half moves. We switch after a few meters or once they have good cover if it is reachable without going outside the supportive firing arcs.
No firing on them before we have reached our destintion unless they notice us first.
If they threaten to overwhelm us we'll use a wave of grenades.
What I want to see this time is disciplined movement and fire. Pick them apart in honor of the good men we lost before. Honor them by learning from the undisciplined engagements that killed them and apply that knowledge here and now. Let their deathes become the fuel for our victory."
The Commissar raises his pistol, performs a quick check on the ammo and function. He then turns towards the innard of the bike cave with just a hint of an exegarated movement which makes his commisarial greatcoat - which he's wearing again now that the danger of acid spit is over - flutter in a theatralic gesture.
Now lets see if the Ensign can turn this general outline of a plan into a set of specific orders.
"Before we go into combat, if someone wants me to have a look at their wounds and see if I can do anything than speak now.
But keep in mind, without having had a chance to rest properly, it might not work, so no complaining, you hear?"
MacVyger's head is still spinning from the assault on his system and the combination of natural adrenaline and artificial stimms. He has to focus to keep his hands from shaking as he drives.
No thanks, Doc. I won' be of much use outta this driver's seat, I fear. That toxin stuff really did a number on me. Better save those supplies fer someone who will be in the fire.
Let us go forth and bring justice to the orks first
"Well, doc, I'm still up and kicking but I've definitely been better and last nights run in at the compound really did a number on me. That said, don't take too much time, I can still take a beating and we need to be up and ready for anything in this hellhole."
Anatoly looks over at the medic, "My organic components have suffered minor damage during last engagement. If time is sufficient, treatment is welcome."
"Hmmm, fine, we'll see what we can do about this then."
Rolling up his sleeves and getting to work, he begins with the less damaged tech priest first, in an effort to get that out of the way.
Shaking his head at the severity of Aurius wounds, he finds himself unsure if he could truly do something here, but pride dictates he at least tries.
As he begins to clean the blood of his hands, Liam can't help but nod with satisfaction from a job well done.
"Well, that's as good as it's going to get without a trained assistant, a proper field hospital, and time to apply long-term care."
"Thanks doc, s'enough to keep me going, hopefully, 'till we get done with this job and get back to base."
So Anatoly-treatment succeeded with 2DoS more.
The Ensign shakes his head as if trying to get water out from his ears as the Commissar finished.
"Yeah. 'at sounds like a plan.
No more dying, yeah?
Commissar, can one of your men take gunner position on Margret?
Alberto's flamer 'ould prove useful in da cave, no?"
+++
Exiting the boarding ramp carefully, you advance in two groups into the cave, Margret following a couple of meters behind, her engines murmuring at lowest power setting.
The noises from within are of such a volume, that you don't fear discovery too much - actually you fear for your hearing more than discovery.
As the foremost fireteam circles the twist, carefully climbing over and around the debris field, the cave opens up before them.
You immediately disengage your goggles, preventing these precious items to get damaged by the immense heat emission coming from the back of the cave.
You start sweating immediately - despite being nearly 30m apart from the closest furnace.
There are three of them in total, each furnace roughly 5m in diameter, heated by boiling lava - at least from the look and heat of them, surrounded by a metallic workbench of crazy design. Cables crisscross between them, laying above each other, one spraying sparks from a leakage.
On each furnace, one giant abomination is working with mechanical movements. These must be the Orkish counterparts of imperial servitors, but they simply look horrific. 3m tall, nearly as wide and more metal, in the form of weird-horrific implants, scrap-metal plating and cybernetics than flesh, but still undeniably orkish with pale-green skin and brutish faces (or what's left of them). One arm each is replaced by a massive smiths hammer probably as heavy as Aurius - including armor and backpack. The other arm is highly different, one features a rotating array of tools, containing anything between a rotating chainsaw and pincers. The second one seems to retain his organic arm, holding a welding torch burning white-hot, the last one lacking one altogether, featuring a heavy duty drill bolted to his shoulder instead.
Further back towards the rear-left of the cave, a bizarre contest-fight is raging. Two Orks are bashing their heads against each other - reminding you of the mating ritual of a special livestock breeding in the mountainside of Serenus. Three more Orks are lying on the ground near this fight, seemingly out of the fight or maybe even dead. Seven of the smaller race - Gretchins - form some kind of a circle around the headbutting orks, screaming at the contesters with their high pitched voices, throwing small rocks and teeth at them, probably to cheer them on.
The Commissar is with the front group, on one knee behind cover, braced and on overwatch(single shot with hs las pistol) for anything noticing them.
He gestures for the backwards group to follow up as soon as he is sure no one is looking at them just yet.
Once ordered, MacVger will pull the chimera up and use it's heavy flamer to fry anything that comes near, but also to discourage flanking and try to funnel the orcs into a concentrated field of fire.
Oh here we go again...
Yes, in a world where placing as much metal between your soft and supple body and the big scary things with large calibre explosive rounds would be the sensible thing to do, let's NOT do that.
Liam grumbles silently to himself as he braces his rifle against a good rock.
And let's not make sure the medic, the person capable of saving the lives of wounded soldiers, is as safe as he can possibly be.
Despite his internal snarkiness, he does take a position (in the back) as to avoid a quick execution for "cowardice".
Anatoly looks up at the Commissar when Ensign Brazer makes the request to have someone relieve the gunner, "Sir, I am able to interface directly with Margret's targeting and weapon systems. If approval I will take gunner's position.
Provided he gets the nod from the Commissar, he will relieve the gunner, and link his MIU with Margret's systems.
The Commissar voxes on low output
"Go ahead, tech priest. Father, keep Gerrings legacy in mind, it was helpful before."
After taking position:
"Check the surroundings, I don't want any surprises. If no one got anything mark your targets. Pair up with the Trooper next in your target selection. Big Orks and bigger ork abominations. Leave the gretchins to the fathers flamer. Multilaser on the servitor things. I'll count down to engage."
As stated we'll leave the gretchins to the flamers. Everyone with a ranged gun pairs up on one of the big orks or the ork servitor thing. The Commissar will fire on the leg of one of the servitor things, MAYBE it'll go down and dive into the lava pool
Aimed Shot -20
hulking target +10(I guess?)
Full aim +20
Laser targeter +10
Wall brace +10
Unaware +30
= 97
Should work, if everything works out until then.
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Reveling for a moment in the sacred communion with Margret, Anatoly murmurs the sacred prayers and litanies of the Proper Operation of Weapons Spirits as he brings her targeting system fully under his control and warms the focusing crystals. As the multilaser sits poised on the very knife edge of firing, he gives a silent thanks to the Omnissiah that Magos Andrelev saw enough potential in a lowly mechanic to bless him with the sacred MIU. With this close communion, Margret is much more prepared for battle than any mere meatbag can possible make her.
Without realizing it, Anatoly speaks without his usual accent though only MacVyger is there to hear. In this unconscious moment, Anatoly's voice is deep, melodious, and warm, "To you, oh Father, I dedicate the harvest of this unplowed field, whose harvest is the lives of the enemies of Man. The Imperium must stand. Your will must be done. Bless us, oh Father, and make us truly worthy of the bounty which we are about to receive."