|
|
| Author |
Thread Statistics | Show CCP posts - 0 post(s) |
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
282
   |
Posted - 2014.07.31 07:43:00 -
[1] - Quote
Miles above, just left of the third largest cloud in the sky....
Galm rolled his neck several times, rubbing it gently against the tritanium lap bars as he breathed carefully-- In... and out. He'd done strike missions like this before... One small elite force against a much larger ground defense. He was used to the concept of asymmetrical warfare. And yet, he never could get used to the feeling of being dropped into an atmosphere. The whole experience left you with your gut in your shoes as you sat there awkwardly hoping your ***hole was still where you left it. Needless to say, it was rarely pleasant. He looked around the room uncomfortably, wishing there was something to talk about to ease the tension.
But he knew there wasnGÇÖt. More likely than not no one there had any spectacular tale to tell about why there were on this mission. Really, chances were everyone was just here for the paycheck.
Gods know I am, Fae griped silently to himself, And once we get the ***** off this planet I wonGÇÖt need to work for another couple months.
Of course neither Niina nor Morgan knew about this assignment. The former because she often didnGÇÖt want toGǪ
And the later can kiss my ass if he has a problem with it. Far be it from him to tell me that a kidnapping is GÇÿimmoralGÇÖ after everything heGÇÖs gotten away with. But thatGÇÖs life, isnGÇÖt it? Half the time the thing that bites you isnGÇÖt what youGÇÖve expected, but what youGÇÖve forgotten.
Galm looked around the drop pod jarringly, accepting the fact that he was probably safer inside it than in the ship it was being ferried in. Another piece of GÇÿfunctionally uglyGÇÖ Minmatar technology that only furthered their own vicious stereotype hardly seemed worth commenting on anymore, even if it gave him an opening for some spiteful comment directed at no-one-in-particular. HeGÇÖd seen pods like this on deployments before as logistical support, dropping large masses of reinforcements to add to dwindling clone reserves to be thrown in front of plasma rifles by the dozens with reckless abandon. This one, however, was clearly retrofitted from an older model to hold a relatively small amount of clone reserves with very few living operators onboard.
GÇ£Well,GÇ¥ he huffed to the mercenary sitting across from him, GÇ£This s***-box probably wonGÇÖt break up on us in atmosphereGǪ So thereGÇÖs that. With all the military chatter and incursions through this sector theyGÇÖll probably pass this ship off as a courier vessel instead of transport ship, which means we can expect little resistance on the ground until we breach the compound."
Galm checked his equipment one last time, tapping lightly on his visor to make sure his sensors were securely fastened so they didnGÇÖt crash as soon as the team made landfall. Frankly, he felt stupid carrying so much gear on him for a standard snatch-and-grab. Between the heavy flak jacket, securely fastened rail carbine, and the hypersonic sniper rifle that hung ready in the cubby above his head, he felt more like an assassin. Even his dropsuit was rigged more for a military operation than a private abduction. A bulky heartbeat scanner had been bolted to his helmet and every inch he could manage had been wrapped tightly in muddy tan burlap or a hastily painted GÇÿsumpfmusterGÇÖ camouflage. He felt it was all worth it though, if only to make this mission go as smoothly as possible.
IGÇÖll be a ghost in that sandstorm as long as I donGÇÖt have to take any shots.
He was, afterall, hoping this would be an easy assignment.
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
283
|
Posted - 2014.08.01 22:11:00 -
[2] - Quote
The initial drop was, as always, much sooner than expected. Once the red light flashed green Galm took one last breath and rushed to sink as deep into his bucket seat as he could. Halfway through shifting his weight the floor gave out from under him and vertical thrusters shot him out into orbit around the planet below. The small boost was all that was needed to edge him into upper orbit, letting gravity handle the rest as it dragged him towards the ground. From those few peacefully moments of transition, Fae could look up at the small Cheetah-class frigate that had brought his team thus-far. The Thukker craft had done a surprisingly well job of slipping the assault team into orbit, but it's armament was without a doubt far too light to provide much support until they could secure the scientist and a landing zone for a dropship.
With only a small shutter, Galm's long fall into the storm began. All at once the serene floating of space gave way to a crashing downward force that slammed him as far back into his seat as possible. The heat built up at an astounding rate, sending surges through the pod's meek shield systems before a series of several pings and knocks rolled over the craft's armor. Turbulence increased for an instant has he rocketed through the cloud cover, thrashing him from side to side.
Then he saw the storm below; a massive, twisting typhoon of earth crawling over colony below. The absolute savagery had engulfed the entire troposphere, assuredly blinding any sensors or visual contact that could indicate the incoming invasion. When the secondary boosters fired, Fae punched the switch beside him to power up the inertia dampeners. A white cylindrical cone enveloped his pod just before dipping into the utter darkness of the sandstorm.
Without any visibility, there was no way the mercenary could have steered his pod. The storm began to spin him, though he couldn't tell if he was turning clockwise, or otherwise. There was a tremendous bang, then an unexpected jolt to the right.
"Gods and spirits!" Galm swore over comms, "Did I just hit somebody?"
No response came. Instead there was another powerful crash, followed by several more and a terrifying cartwheel before the pod came to rest... Upside down. Galm shoot his head, checking for a concussion before looking outside of his small window. He was... Inside a hanger. Wasting no time, Galm kicked out the door in front of him.
"Banzi!" he hollered courageously before leaping from his seat, only to fall several meters and smash his helmet into the concrete below him.
Looking up, he could see the full extent of his damage. The pod had a massive gash in the side of it, likely from coliding with a surrounding building... Or worse, some other poor bastard's drop pod. Sending him into a tumble, the pod had bounced several times off the roof of hanger before colliding with a weakened part of the ceiling and dropping through. Only a few crumbling slabs of cement and weakened rebar supports remained to leave the pod dangling just above a nearby fuel depot. Had the supports failed any more than they had the pod would have fallen all the way through and collided with the tanker, causing a massive explosion that would have destroyed the CRU.
Galm took a moment to look around the hanger, searching for anything useful. In a flash of disappointment, he relayed his findings over the radio.
"Ground team, this is Pixy. I've made landfall in a hanger somewhere in the surrounding city. This facility appears to be a civilian outpost, nothing here but old crop dusters. Likely not anything we can use for the mission, but this might make a viable fall-back location for the extraction. Be advised, someone might have seen me go down. There could be local citizens in the immediate area who may come to investigate. If approached, do not be afraid to fire warning shots until they clear the burn zone."
Galm awaited a reply for several seconds, but all that followed was an eerie static.
"All ground teams, all ground teams, I will relay again! New rendezvous point should be at a civilian hanger outside of the strike zone. Storm appears to be interfering communications and global positioning systems. If you can locate such a structure please meet there to regroup! I will defend the location until such forces arrive."
Fae had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, like he'd just swallowed a block of ice. This wasn't the ideal way to start an operation.
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
285
|
Posted - 2014.08.03 09:49:00 -
[3] - Quote
Several uncomfortable minutes passed inside the hanger as the sandstorm raged outside. All the while Galm remained perfectly attentive, keeping his rifle shouldered at all times. He had anticipated that it would take time for the ground team to rendezvous, but that still didn't make him any more comfortable waiting when a platoon of Paladins could be converging on his location at any minute.
A small dune had begun to build below where his drop pod had broken through the ceiling. This was somewhat reassuring... At least Galm would have something soft to land on the next time he deployed from his CRU. Cocking his head upwards, he could see the storm raging above, just as fierce as ever and showing no current signs of stopping. He let out a sigh and lowered his weapon before swinging his sniper to his side.
He continued to pace the perimeter, waiting for something-- anything-- to happen. The silence was utterly deafening, and the man had no outlet for the adrenaline rush he was feeling. In his frustration he got sloppy, forgetting to check his corners or checking every little ping and creak in the roof made. Eventually, he even loosened his grip on his rifle.
That was when they struck.
The first breach wasn't especially chaotic, as the soldiers had already rehearsed these movements time and time again. One charge blew the doors to the hanger open, giving way to an utter flood of soldiers. A wave of projectile rounds bounced off Fae's shields, knocking him slightly off balance while the first few troopers closed the distance between them. Before he could flick the safety off his weapon the closest man, protected only by a light exoskeleton and tactical harness, drew his pistol on Galm.
"Drop it ************!" he called, trying to push him to the floor but with no avail.
He let go of his rifle but it continued to dangle there, just in front of his chest.
"Sorry man," Galm breathed, "It's kind of strapped on."
There was no cause for immediate panic. It was obvious that these men weren't Paladins. If their improvised armament consisting of salvaged hardware wasn't a dead giveaway, it was their hands. The man holding the pistol in front of the mercenary had obviously not cleaned under his nails in a very long while. The soldier quickly pulled off his shemagh and goggles, revealing an impossibly young Krusual woman.
"Heh," Fae began cautiously, "You have... A very manly voice ma'am."
"Check him!" the woman barked, keeping her handgun placed in the center of his visor.
Quickly two more soldiers sprinted to either side of Fae and began to pat down his armor. It wasn't apparent what they were looking for though. It seemed rather obvious, Galm was a living weapon who had just fallen from space. Surely it wasn't that hard of a concept for even a Matari to grasp.
"No paladin markings!" the trooper to his left called, "Just some private emblem!"
Every one of the soldiers (Fae could count at least ten) all seemed to relax, but only slightly. The woman kept her weapon steady, backing up two or three steps before she began to speak.
"What brings a Caldari planetside? You with a local corperation based out here?"
"No ma'am. What brings a Krusual planetside? I thought your kind didn't really get out much."
"I'm the one with the questions, meat. Keep up the comments and you'll be breathing out a new hole in your head."
"Yeah, that's not really going to keep me silent for long."
All of Galm's guests quickly fell very, very silent. They backed up, unsure if he was very very brave or very very stupid to speak to their squad leader like that. Some shouldered their weapons, eager to test his theory. Still more seemed to back off and await a response from their appointed leader.
((CJ can decide how they respond.))
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
294
|
Posted - 2014.08.08 22:47:00 -
[4] - Quote
Clockwork Jester wrote:
Lower her weapon she started directing her troops, strategically placing them for an ambush. Another rebel approached Galm. He was young, under normal circumstances he would have been in school.
GÇ£Sorry about this,GÇ¥ As he spoke he bound GalmGÇÖs hands using a pair of standard issue manacles designed to hold standard humans.
GÇ£WeGÇÖre about to get into a fight, and she don't want to get you involved.GÇ¥
Galm rolled his head back slightly, scoffing in discontent.
"No. No. This... No. You've got to be joking me kid! Look, I've been in your shoes before and the whole childhood soldier thing is overrated. Come on man, you don't know what you are doing here."
It was no use, the young trooper was dedicated to his squad leader through and through. Grabbing him by his breastplate, he dragged Fae out of the killzone and tossed him onto the floor. Of course Galm could have resisted, but what was the point? Better to let the rebels eat the bullets... eh, lasers... and deal with the Paladins. Whoever came out on top was irrelevant so long as they managed to take eachother out.
Quote:The boy shook as he took aim.
Watching the boy was almost painful. He was clearly terrified, and Galm was confident he'd end up dislocating his shoulder the way he was holding his rifle. It'd almost be funny to watch if it wasn't so sad. Fae propped himself up against the wall and calmly observed his guest.
"You're going to blow your shoulder out. Calm down and bring the stock in closer for gods sake. And m-- wait. Are you on full auto? Ancestors choke kid, you are a real piece of work."
Quote:At the twenty second mark the hanger suddenly exploded in a bright white light. The sound of scrambler and laser rifles echoed off of the metal hanger walls. The Amarr weapons went unanswered a brief second before a response came. The older projectile weapons wielded by the rebels rang out loudly.
The Paladins had anticipated some sort of ambush and had prepared accordingly. The rebel ambush was quickly becoming an Amarr ambush.
Against all odds for a brief astounding moment it seemed like the rebels were going to come out on top. Waves after waves of Paladins fell, stacking up one after the other in front of the entrance. Laser rounds ripped through the hanger as bullets bounced off the surrounding walls and polish Amarr armor. By the time the first rebel had been shot six Amarr had already been gunned down. Soon after they lost all momentum, and everything began to go downhill very, very fast.
One soldier shouted to his comrade for ammo, only to watch in horror as a powerful burst of radiation tore through his friends skull. In the blink of an eye the man's head burst into flames and imploded, scattering chunks of super-heated blood in every direction. Frozen in horror, he could do nothing but scream until a scrambler round grazed his throat. He dropped to the floor, silent but still very much alive as he thrashed in pain on the hard ground. Within seconds Paladins descended upon him, pulling him up and dragging him away to be taken captive. Shaking vigorously, the boy in front of Galm drew a bead on his comrade and placed three rounds into him and the rifleman hauling him off.
A single beam illuminated the surroundings before dissipating. The boy threw down his weapon and fell backwards, shuffling on his hands until he was against the wall with Galm. All the while Fae sat there, enjoying the light show.
"I... I had to do it!" the boy screamed over the shots, "They'da tortured him if they took him! We've seen what they do to the people they take prisoner!"
"I don't disagree," Galm replied flatly, hardly showing interest.
"I... I think I've been hit! My exoskeleton musta taken fire, I think I lost hydraulic pressure. I can't get up or nothing!"
Galm leaned over to check, only to seethe painfully and roll back against the wall.
"It's not your hydraulics friends. It's your legs."
"What?"
"It's your legs."
There was no way he could have known. Laser rifles burn so hot and shred flesh so fast that it could pass clean through a soldier's core and vaporize their torso without them even knowing until they hit the dirt. The laser had entered the poor bastard's left leg and angled upward into his lower back, severing all nerve connections and cauterizing the wound shut. Everything below his waist had been seared beyond repair and was only being held together by the structural integrity of his exosuit. He looked down, breathing heavy in agony. He shivered violently as he began to hyperventilate and grabbed madly at Galm's rail rifle. Screaming all matters of Matari profanities, he fire round after round downrange at the Amarr until he had emptied the clip. He crumpled in defeat against Fae, trying as hard as he could to hold back tears. Galm sighed, immediately overcome with a slight feeling of responsibility for the paralyzed victim.
"Flounder!" he heard the Krusual woman from before shout, "Flounder, where the **** are you!"
The boy against Galm's chest tried to speak up, but each word only seemed to give way to a series of sobs. Rolling his eyes underneath his helmet Galm ripped the chains on his handcuffs, shredding them like paper. Flounder looked up at him in amazement as Fae loaded another magazine into his weapon.
"I tried to tell you kid, it's pointless. Lucky for you bastards I'd rather have to answer to that androgynous little goblin than an Amarr jailer."
He pushed the Krusual rebel off of him and stood up, pulling the hatch to his nanohive and releasing a single swarm of metallic mist. The mist was quick to bond to Flounder, sealing his wounds and releasing morphine as it stitched his flesh back together as best as it could. Even with the painkillers the process was still unbelievably painful for mortals, rendering him a crumpled wreak while Fae began to engage the soldiers.
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
294
|
Posted - 2014.08.12 06:21:00 -
[5] - Quote
BRIIIIIIIIIIIII WACK WACK WACK WACK WACK WACK WACK WACK
Galm dove straight into the fire, pushing a Minmatar down into cover as he advanced forward recklessly. Each laser round bounced off his shields, weakening them but never breaking through. Even from the hip his aim made contact with the soldiers, striking them with enough force to knock them backwards at least a meter before falling dead. When he ran out of ammo on his rifle he let it dangle from his chest rig as he swung his sniper rifle to his shoulder. With a loud electronic crack the charge made contact with a Paladin , reducing him to a red mist. Diving behind a nearby support structure, Galm had already placed himself closer to the Amarr patrol than any of the rebels had positioned themselves. He had not only joined the fray, but was single-handedly mounting a counterattack. He looked back at the Krusual squad leader.
See did not look happy.
"What did you do with Flounder!" she demanded, shouting at the top of her lungs.
"He's stable! Wounded, but stable! Look lady, y--"
"Mongoose!"
"What!?"
"Mongoose. He was Flounder, you're calling me Mongoose!"
"Right! Damn! Mongoose! Look, you are going to need my help if you want to get out of this!"
"I don't need the help of a mercenary!"
"Are you ****ing me? Lady, did you see what I did to those handcuffs!?"
A second blast shook the building. As if startled, another wave of Paladins pushed through into the hander. Each one tripped slightly over their fallen comrads before quickly taking point and continuing their assault. Audibly growling, Galm took a deep breath and loaded another magazine.
BRIIIIIIII WACK WACK WACK WACK WACK THUMP WACK WACK WACK
Hawk-eye Occultus wrote:
Hawkeye moved towards the breach in the hanger, the dwindling number of laser "pews" versus the number of gunshots, and what sounded like the occasional rail rifle round was a healthy sign, perhaps Galm and some friendly soldiers had assembled there there.
This must be a staging area for the next push. he thought to himself.
Walking between the fallen paladins, he poked his head through the hole after the last weapons discharges ended.
"H-Hey there... Sorry I'm late!"
Galm took aim at the Sentinel, pausing for a second as his IFF recital magically shifted to blue. He blinked two or three times, turning to Mongoose and waving madly before charging forward and forcing her gun to the ceiling as she tried to unload another hail of bullets.
"Blue on blue, blue on blue! Hold your fire!"
The rebels stopped firing, but kept their weapons shouldered on the other mercenary. They seemed horribly unsettled at the thought of facing an Amarr version of... Whatever Galm was. Fae wasted no time to explain to them that his comrad was not with the local Paladins, insisting that he speak in his natural Gallente to assure them that Hawkeye was not the enemy. There was a slight chill in the air as the thought descended on Galm: He was all the help he was going to get. Occultus was the only fellow operative who had received his transmission. Galm politely asked Mongoose on if their team had seen any other pods go down that weren't affiliated with the Republic Fleet. She remained silent, choosing her words carefully before responding.
"Several hours ago an additional set of pods were launched planetside from a recon frigate in orbit. Of the six pods launched, four of them burnt up in atmosphere. Evidently two of those pods collided, slowing their decent just enough for their inertia dampeners to protect the occupants. I guess whoever sent them hadn't accounted for the friction of the sandstorm before sending their troops down here. I assume that is where you two lucky bastards come in."
Apparently, Mongoose and her team were assigned to hunt down a mechanized patrol that had left a nearby research facility to alert the nearest settlement of an assault on the compound. They had chased the Amarr for hours in the storm, each getting lost along the way multiple times before finally arriving at the local airfield. While all fighters had been grounded and civilian craft ordered into their hangers to prepare for the storm, the colony was still heavily defended by planetary and anti-ship artillery.
"We thought the additional set of pods sent planetside were launched to take the town. Without proper comms, we figured we needed eyes on the pods that had survived to confirm they were reinforcements. I have to admit, seeing your sorry mug was a bit disappointing. But any man willing to gun down as many Paladins as you did is alright in my book."
"You said the patrol you were hunting was mechanized? Like a convoy?"
Mongoose chuckled heartily, signalling her team to the hanger doors. Four came to her aid while the others tended to Flounder, sterilizing his wounds and feeding him any rations they had on hand. The five rebels pulled at the large metal doors, not wanting to make any more noise by running the motor. With a tremendous creak it rolled backwards, letting a gust of sand into the building and filling it with a rust-colored haze. Outside stretched a flat runway, covered mostly by quickly-forming sand dunes. If it weren't for the occasional bare patches of tarmac Galm would had easily mistook it for yet more desert.
There, half buried beneath the dunes, sat a line of four gold-plated LAVs with powerful Arc Canons mounted behind the driver's seat.
"So kakku," Galm ventured, turning to Hawkeye, "You ever gone on a joy ride before?"
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
296
|
Posted - 2014.08.20 03:57:00 -
[6] - Quote
Local Airfield Outside of the Burn Zone
It was worth noting that Galm had never been formally taught how to drive. Sure, he could download skillbooks and train in virtual reality, but at the end of the day he was born a station rat with little need for road transportation. Whatever technique he had managed to purchase and have streamed directly through his implant was (for the most part) wasted on his lack of prior experience.
After a typhoon of racial slurs, he had managed to crack his way into the Amarr convoy systems and hijacked the LAVs for himself. Galm hoisted himself into the driver's seat of the first car, tossing his sniper rifle into the passenger side as Hawkeye eagerly jumped into the rear to man the arc canon. His burlap shroud danced freely in the raging storm as a wave of Matari insurgents followed, desending upon the armored jeeps with the same fury and grace as the harsh sand that had already succeeded in burying the vehicles half-way up the tires on the vacant airfield. Some dug furiously while others pushed to drive out of the dunes, eager to take any advantage they could get over the local Paladins.
"Where's Flounder?" Galm heard Mongoose screech at the top of her lungs over the deafening wind.
"Still inside!" a fellow soldier called, "He's stable, we got the doc taking a look at him!"
"He's tough, he'll make it through! Tell Razor and Thrash to stay behind and fortify the airfield as a fallback position while we go hunting!"
"You mean your not coming with us?" Galm projected from the speakers of his dropsuit.
"Not happening Pixy! Half of our forces have already been hammering away at that research station. We keep throwing troopers into the meat grinder without securing the surrounding colony and planetary defenses, and we'll all be killed to the last man. No offense, but there's no way you're leaving that place alive!"
"Yeah," Galm spat, shifting the vehicle into drive, "That's usually about the size of it."
----------
Research Facility, Main Gate
As has been mentioned, Fae had never been properly taught how to drive. The first several minutes were dreadful in itself, consisting of tires spinning madly without results as the team tried to simply drive out of the surrounding bluffs. It only got worse from there as they attempted to leave the tarmac, flipping at least twice over jagged sand drifts before both decided it would be better to simply snake around them. By the time they finally arrive at something that resembled a road Hawk was clutching nervously to the turret, more for support than defense.
The high speeds in the open air LAV sandblasted their shields, causing them all to flicker slightly before snapping back to full power. While visibility was still low, they were fairly certain they were heading in the right direction. Distant gunfire and shelling betrayed the cover and served as a clear beacon for the mercenaries. As the gunfire drew nearer and the explosions rang louder, the noise created a storm within a storm. What wasn't blinded by the red haze was overloaded with powerful shock waves or hammering turret blasts, rendering nearly all the senses deafened.
And yet, Galm somehow managed to be even louder.
Without warning, Galm's sensors detected a large cluster of moving objects ahead of him. While he tried to swerve to avoid them, a gust of wind swept below the chassis and tossed the car into the air. It flew several meters like it were made of Styrofoam, tumbling about ever forward towards the mass of gods-know-what.
When the careening carriage finally did hit the ground, it rolled over six full times as it barreled through what a nauseate Galm could barely identify as soldiers. Oddly, the only thing Galm could think about was he rifle as he clamored to pull it into his lap so it didn't fly out of the seat.
When the tumbling transporter finally did come to rest, it was only after it was slowed by smashing through a massive gate. Galm found himself upside-down facing the concrete as a dark liquid-- Was it blood for fuel?-- began to trickle down over his helmet.
"****..." he groaned, coming to slightly, "Sorry about that kakku."
Fae unlatched himself from his seat, once again hitting the floor with a half-hearted 'banzi' before laying at rest for two or three seconds. When he finally worked up the spirit to pull himself out from under the car, he could clearly see the world around him without it spinning. He was in the courtyard of the facility, directly in the center of a large semicircular parking lot used for the loading and unloading of doctors and equipment. On all sides stood large concrete walls, worn down from a prolonged siege as critical electrical and steam systems vented outward into the surrounding air. Not far away lay the twisted, mangled forms of Minmatar rebels who had been thoroughly crushed seemingly at random by a flying car.
There was something else, it was hard not to notice it... For a few precious moments, everything had grown silent. Then there was movement, and a single order.
"Enemy reinforcements! Twenty five meters ahead in the courtyard! Engage!"
Projectile rounds were the first to break the silence as several bullets bounced off Galm, then lasers flashed from the platforms above. He barely had time to rush to cover before his shields were completely stripped bare.
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
297
|
Posted - 2014.08.22 06:58:00 -
[7] - Quote
Everything had fallen apart pretty well at this point, which was good news. At least now Galm was thoroughly certain that he had hit bottom and there was no way to go but up. Hunched behind the twisted form of the LAV, he could clearly see Hawkeye a short distance away behind his own selection of cover. Bullets snapped off the metal frame of the car and bounced off him one after the other in a hail of gunfire. He pressed downward hard on his leg were a round had found its way in, slightly resenting the fact that he'd have to waste a cluster of nanites on his wounds instead of forming new ammo. He was down to his last mag in his rail rifle and the kick from his sniper was beginning to prove far too powerful for him to continue aiming accurately.
His shoulder hurt. His back hurt. His leg hurt. But damn it, he was a Dragonaur! He'd fought for the Legion and backwards chickenshit uniforms all over the cluster and this was still by far not the worse situation he had ever been in. Besides, there was something pleasantly absent thus far in the mission. The delightful lack of Templars was enough for Galm to know that she was still in the area and being guarded personally.
Which means she is probably still alive. Good.
Gleefully, Galm pulled back the hatch on his nanohive. Another wave of metallic fog bonded with his thigh and sealed the wound as a second cluster took shape and replicated the form of Galm's last magazine. The copy was nearly identical and snapped into place in the chamber with a loud clack, just as it should. He breathed deeply, then he was still...
When the wind felt right he shot from his cover and bolted into the facility, suppressing his unseen enemies from the hip in the hopes that Hawkeye was not far behind him. The inside of the station, while quickly filling with small pockets of sand, was for the most part shielded from the outside storm. Fae couldn't help but giggle with satisfaction as his visor kicked to life and began passively scanning the surrounding corridors. A well-dampened dropsuit could have slipped by unseen, but a baseline paladin would glow like hellfire even behind several layers of steel doors with his equipment.
His visor picked up several contacts deep within the facility, chiming like a terrier sniffing out a rat. He hunted the blips down, taking care to observe dropped shell casings and footprints in the sand to find his way through the maze of dilapidated hallways. The rush of tracking his prey was simply intoxicating, harkening back to when he was in the Taskforce Command. He had tried to bury that part of his life, really he had... But there were times were it was more convenient to simply let the monster out. He let his rifle drop to his side for a moment as he laughed, digging his free hand into his helmet. There was... Something behind it.
Under his skin.
Behind his eyes.
In his skull.
His implant. He could feel it, burn hotter and hotter against his brain in a way he hadn't felt since the last time he had 'gone 514.'
In a dark part of himself, Galm loved that feeling.
He shook his head, knowing that he was letting himself trail off to much. He wanted to go back desperately but there was still work to do there in the real world. His hands shook as he shouldered his weapon and continued to track the contacts, whistling a a hauntingly familiar tune as he sallied fourth.
Quote:GÇ£This is Squad 6, we have secured the package and are proceeding to extraction. Expecting heavy resistance.GÇ¥
The next sound was that of thunder. That, of course, came just slightly after the soldier's head had disintegrated to a thin red steam. The next shot ripped through the chest of another Matari, boring a hole large enough to pass a basketball through. The other operatives failed to react at all, frozen in the shock of having to pick bits of their buddy off their shirt. That gave Galm the chance to close the distance and grab one by the collar, tossing him into the air behind him until he made contact with the floor. His neck broke on impact and left him convulsing violently while Fae grabbed hold of the next and began beating his head ruthlessly against the nearest wall. The blows only stopped when there was no longer a 'head' to be bashed. When it was all over, there stood the mercenary. He was covered in sand, glazed in ash, and his burlap cover had long since been stained in blood.
He stood silent before the scientist, trying his hardest to calm down and catch his breath. When he finally spoke, it was with honesty and remorse.
"I'm... Sorry you needed to see that ma'am... But you're my HVI. And I'm not letting you get away."
There was an awkward silence. Or perhaps he was only mistaking her own terror.
"All I want is to get you off this planet alive. You can run, but I will find you again. Or you can come with me, and trust that I don't want to hurt you."
Galm dug into his harness and drew out a chocolate bar, raising it forward as a peace offering. The wrapping was soaked in blood and the chocolate was almost certainly melted by now, but it was best gesture he had.
"Girls, ugh... T-- They like chocolate, right? And y-- well obviously your a g--... **** it, take it if you want it."
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
300
|
Posted - 2014.09.02 01:16:00 -
[8] - Quote
Quote:
"Girls, ugh... T-- They like chocolate, right? And y-- well obviously your a g--... **** it, take it if you want it."
The doctor said nothing. She just stood there, frozen in fear as Galm continued to hold out the soiled candy. He tried to be patient, advancing a few careful steps and loosening his stance as he lowered his weapon. Even still she did not move, speak, or give the slightest hint of her intent.
She's buying herself time, Galm decided before retracting his arm and shouldering his rifle once again.
"Very well then miss, I suppose you don't mind if I have it then."
In one fluid motion Fae undid the latch to his visor and pulled it off, never breaking eye contact with the woman. She gasped softly when she saw the man underneath the armor. His face was a complete pale wash, like frozen flesh had been carefully molded together around a bundle of deep purple veins that traced their way in every direction like venomous worms. His eyes were ghastly white, with no clear iris to identify against the rest of his sclera. A cold chill ran through her as she pondered the implications. His physical body was nothing more than a loose coalition of nanites and biomass organized to create a mass-produced weapons system to be build upon.
Even in this state of total uniformity, individual traits shown through. The way he grinned smugly as he peeled away the chocolate wrapping with his teeth only seemed to highlight how horrific his current state actually was. Weapon or not, there was still clearly a soul bound to it for better or worse. It was nothing short of an insult to God and all his creation.
The silence was unnerving as he continued to gnaw away while he pondered exactly what to do with the doctor. With Hawkeye nowhere to be found, Galm hadn't exactly developed an extraction plan for him alone. Just when he was in the brink of a harebrained idea, his radio screeched to life in a loud electronic pop.
Quote:"Misfit Elements! Misfit Elements! Radio communication reestablish, the storm is finally passing. Report your status to your individual support operators and regroup for a counterattack. Repeat all elements, we are taking this sector today! Please report status and casualties so we can assess the battle."
The response was deafening. All at once Tribal Liberation squads across the burn zone began reporting their status in a panic over open comms, screaming for assistance over overwhelming gunfire. The wave of responses all blended together into an unintelligible deluge of fear. Certain key phrases stood out, including but not limited to all gone, routed, and gods help us. It was quickly becoming apparent that today the Republic Fleet had failed. Galm breathed deeply, then slipped his helmet back on to connect to the frigate he had launched from.
"Misfit Actual, this is Pixy. Where the hell is that support?"
When the ship replied, the yeoman sounded absolutely flabbergasted.
"This is Actual! Pixy, report your status! Has the away team secured the package?"
Galm scoffed.
"I am the away team now. You done ****** up on this one, let me tell you. I recommend you fire whoever was in charge of setting those drop pods. I get the feeling you know that though, seeing as how you've got the Republic Fleet down here trying to move in on my contract."
"Pixy, listen very carefully. We needed to ensure that the scientist made it off the planet before bombardment began. The Tribal Liberation Force can't hold their position anymore. The Republic Fleet has lost this battle and we need to pull out before the Amarr use the break in the storm to activate their orbital defense. We deeply regret the inconvenience, but we understand that death is merely a part of the job for you. You are expendable, that scientist is not."
Galm eyed her for a while before advancing forward and grabbing her by the collar. Gently but firmly he forced her against the wall face first before diving into his harness once again and pulling out a polymer zip tie to bind her hands with. He spoke clearly and carefully while he tighten them around her wrists.
"See... The thing about that Misfit... You may not have won today, but I have."
He blew a raspberry into his microphone and cut contact, laughing much more than he should for something so immature. He felt his skin shift once again as another rush overtook him. When the doctor was sufficiently secured he stepped back and admired his work while he used the barrel of his gun to keep her pressed against the wall. With a beaming grin, he began to broadcast over all frequencies. He spoke in a singsong voice, obviously very proud of himself.
Quote:"Heeeeeeeeey! To any Paladins or... For that matter any Templars, Chimeras, or other misguided auxiliaries that might be out there fighting for their lives... I think you left something behind here in the research center. I believe I deserve some sort of finders fee, no? I mean, unless she isn't worth anything. Then I can just splatter her against this wall or something, I don't know. I mean, there are some faces that would look a lot better with a hole in them but this isn't one of those. Can't build on perfection, am I right? Anyway, I'm rambling and I would really much rather try to work out some sort of deal."
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
301
|
Posted - 2014.09.03 01:35:00 -
[9] - Quote
Galm Fae wrote:"Oh! Saisa kirjuun! Well first of all, don't call my mother a *****. Okay? It hurts my feelings and she was a nice lady. I say was of course because she's dead now, so I suppose you could say I have a bit of experience with dead nice ladies if you catch my meaning. So for my first demand, I would like an apology. It would make me feel a lot better about myself.
"Secondly, I want you to answer a little something soldier. Haven't you ever asked yourself why all of this is happening? Why would the Republic Fleet start a minor incursion for this Khanid woman? For experimental weapons? That's a joke. A VR and Biotech scientist placed in the rear end of nowhere for 'weapons testing.' Now doesn't that sound a tad bit unusual to you?"
He laughs coldly through his microphone.
"Yeah. Me too. That's why I want everything here. Weapon schematics, research entries, lab reports, I want it all. I want the harddrive from the the master server running this entire facility, and I want the encryption keys to all of it. Then I want guaranteed transport to the nearest Caldari embassy. Those are my demands."
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
303
|
Posted - 2014.09.05 04:28:00 -
[10] - Quote
CAPTAN BAss wrote:
He sees the Mercenary and the Doctor. He walks towards them and glares at the Mercenary.
"Give me the Doctor and you get the information you want."
Alaxander displays the cards to the Mercenar.
Galm laughs...
No. It's not a laugh. Laughs are happy. Laughing is what friends do after sharing an inside joke, or how a child responds to the joy of see their mother's face after a long day away. No one in the room was quite sure what sound Galm was making underneith his helmet, but it wasn't laughing.
It wasn't laughing at all.
No one word could quite describe it in full detail, but it succeeded in conjuring certain visual memories. It was never quite the same for any two people, though it was mutually understood by all save for the terrified doctor before him. For some, it was the manifestation of burning to death inside a vehicle, unable to work the hatch to escape from the relentless agony. For others it was doubling over in a panic as a toxin round made its way through their system, reducing every organ along the way into an acidic soup. All were different, yet all were hauntingly similar.
Then all at once it clicks. For the sound Galm was making was one every soldier in the room had been antiquated with at least once; death. Not a death of body mind you, but one of soul. When it finally subsides his words are cold, invading the mind like dark tendrils of though amid the surrounding madness.
"You know, you can stop with the tough guy bullshit... It never works. Trust me, I tried for years to act like I was at home in this life. To be bold and brave far beyond my station and feign that I have nothing left to lose. Do you know what that achieves soldier?"
He legitimately waits for an answer, but begins to speak again only a moment or so sooner than the time it takes to form a response.
"Death soldier. It causes death. You try to tell yourself that you can afford to be brave because there is no price of failure, and that makes you blind to everything you hold dear. I have, over my career, seen so very many people die because I have been blind to my attachments. But the thing that really does you in, the big comeuppance in life? That's never been done by what you have come to expect, but by what you have forgotten. Don't forget that you are human, and don't forget that you are afraid of losing people that you care about.
"So you can be bold soldier. You can shoot me here right now, and what would that achieve? I pull the trigger on reflex, and this lovely girl is gone forever. Or you do the clever thing, and show me the gods damn respect that I command."
Without warning, his words take on a much more aggressive tone. He lifts his foot to the scientist's chest and pins her against the wall as he adjusts his stance. She thrashes and wails in pain, but is powerless to push back the weight of his powered exoskeleton as it forces her back into the wall behind her. The captain across from Galm hears every single pop as her ribs buckle inward, ripping her apart from the inside. She calls for help, but both know that there is nothing Alexander can do to stop him.
"I don't expect you to understand my methods, but I expect you to understand my orders soldier! I need those files, and to be frank, I do. Not. Trust you. Nor do I expect to leave this planet alive. That's why you will upload those files to a NeoComm ID codename 'Warrior-9.'I will verify that they are properly transfer and only after that is done will I relinquish my one and only bargaining chip. If you do this quickly I will give you the girl, you can kill me, and she just might survive the internal bleeding I am currently inflicting! I leave with my prize, you save the girl, and we all walk away from this intact.
"If you fail to comply, one of two things will happen. You will take too long and you will watch the life fade from her eyes under my boot, or I shoot her in the ******* head right in front of you! I will record it, and I will post it on every image board and web hosting across the net."
At this point his barrel his pressed hard into her cheek, pushing it slightly inward so her cheekbones are clearly visible.
"The Fleet will gawk at their failure to contain this situation. Teenagers across the Federation will share and spread her last moments of life as a joke. You and your team will be demoted for your incompetence, and this woman's family will know exactly how you failed to save her! You will have murdered her! So before you make your choice, let me make myself abundantly clear.
"I have everything to gain, while you have everything to lose. Make the smart choice."
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
|
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
303
|
Posted - 2014.09.05 05:00:00 -
[11] - Quote
Crownrule wrote:Crownrule can just barely hear what the gallentean is saying and he slams his fist against the console in rage.
"Blasted gallenteans, I knew I should havent rested, even for a moment cause now that moment coated us a valuable chance of killing this ******.......I need to think fast before things get hairy....i could try to outflank him in the storm, its not heavy but it may cover me or i could just shoot him through the window now, or..... I could shoot the doctor in the leg sending her into shock hoping it makes her look dead and hope the captain can do something before that man can figure out what's going on....but then she'd need immediate medical attention and if not she could die.....damn me and these descisions." Crownrule hesitates and he quietly steps out through the side and begins to circle around, hopefully far away enough he can't be seen and he eventually sees the man and the doctor, Crownrule taps his common and quietly speaks to the captain.
"I'm right behind him, don't say anything, if you want me to grab his gun pop your neck to the left, if you want me to shoot him pop your neck to the right or.....shoot the doctor in her leg and confuse him for a moment pop your neck in both directions." Crownrule says as draws his gun.
Galm's passive scanners pick up a single ping. It's so loud it resinates through the halls for all to hear. It the Templar kept his distance he would have been completely unknown to him. But he didn't think that far ahead.
The tone hangs in the air before Galm finally speaks.
"Oh... You dumb. Inbred. Piece of filth."
He presses the doctor into the wall. Hard. She screams. The show goes on.
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
303
|
Posted - 2014.09.05 05:20:00 -
[12] - Quote
((Redacted, wrong thread))
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
303
|
Posted - 2014.09.05 05:25:00 -
[13] - Quote
Crownrule wrote:Plus a storm so how is your scanner picking me up so far away?
(("I'm right behind him, don't say anything" and the fact we already established that the storm has already passed. Otherwise that dropship that you just found on a lamppost would have never flown in the first place.))
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
Galm Fae
Eskola Ergonomics
303
|
Posted - 2014.09.05 06:22:00 -
[14] - Quote
Galm shutters when the weapon hits the ground, pausing for a long moment as he loosens the pressure against the scientist.
"You'd... Risk yourself for another? It's one thing to fight for the person you protect, but to willingly accept that she is more important than you. Now there is a rarity I haven't seen in New Eden for a long time."
He not-laughs again, but his icey tone slowly trains off until it becomes a warm chuckle. It hangs on his lips like an old memory, and he finds himself smiling.
"So of all the people here it finally takes him to understand all this? Is that it? Not the star-eyed loverboy here, not some noble knight fighting for his empire... But the Templar sworn to defend. Now that is something."
He was hoping this would be an easy assignment. Above all else, he was hoping this would be an easy assignment. That he could get back into the mercenary world and have one more eventful mission where everything ended out okay. But the world was rarely so kind. His first sob came out unexpectedly, shaking Fae to his core as he madly tried to assess what had happened to him. Was he shot? Did someone stab him? No, his shields were reading fine. The second one was even more powerful than the last, enough cause him to double over and remove his boot from the doctor to support his weight.
When he looked up he didn't say anything. He didn't scream, shutter, or shout. To an outside observer, it would look like nothing happened at all. But behind his eyes and in his head Galm came face to face with his own brutality. He wasn't just holding the doctor hostage, he was holding his mother hostage. She stared back at him with the same fear in her eyes behind the barrel of his rail rifle. He shook his head and the figure shifted once again, becoming his father. He shook again and again, each time the figure shifting to a different familiar face. Gideon, Pavlov, Morgan, Bishop, before at last coming to rest.
Niina was staring right back in his face. The world reflected in her eyes, casting a glimpse of Galm in front of her. He saw himself in those sad, frightened eyes looming over her. The same soldier that had fought for the Templis, and the same soldier that had wrought terror for the Taskforce Command. The same soldier he had hoped to never see again.
He wondered, did she know that man? Would she recognize him?
To everyone else, Galm had gone mad. He was shivering now from head to toe, remaining completely silent as he backed away slowly from the doctor. His next words were horribly disjointed, coming out in chunks at a time rather than sentences as he begged for forgiveness.
"Th-- Rifle isn'-- No bullets in it! See-- Th-- Wasn't loaded! I would never-- Please! Please believe me, I wouldn't wa-- Wa-- This wasn't for me. Believe me, it was for us! This was always for us!"
He pulled the magazine from his weapon and held it out to her, eagerly attempting to force it on her. At first she recoiled, backing as far away from him as he could. Then it became apparent that he wasn't lying. The magazine had been completely empty the entire time he was holding her hostage. He had spent his last bullet on the team of rebels that were about to abduct her before having to resort to melee combat. She looked back at the crumbled mess of the person he had viciously bashed against a wall, asking herself how she could have been so stupid.
Galm looks down at the floor, incessantly shaking his head back and fourth.
"Please. Someone kill me. I don't want to watch this anymore. Please. Make it go away."
Kirjuun! Uakan!
Teknikiara!
Kanpai kameitsamuu!
Ra ra ra!
> --Keepin' the peace!--
|
|
|
| |
|