Reconnaissance In Force (Imperium)

The Quarry Edge


Away from the fighting, the sniper who shot Alvira glances up, his communications gear burbling in his ear as he takes in the news of Guard Air support, and soldiers dropping onto the prize, getting caught in the netting? A grim smile breezes past his lips as he sights upwards, waving two others forward. Both newcomers also dressed as Vraxian light infantry, to join him while several more soldiers move up to aim down into the Quarry proper. "Split fire, kill the birds in the nest, opportunity targets below. Command says to let them shoot each other as much as we can."


Up above the quarry, the Lucifer Blacks are struggling, the netting is of surprisingly good quality, and heavily layered. As Luca Astora and his fellows start making the slow, tense motions to cut through, they can start making out bits of metal. The structure below is clearly artificial, scored and blackened in places, perhaps a vessel of some sort? A large one. Caught in the netting is an unfortunate place to be, when someone has taken notice of the dramatic entrance. Snaps and crackles explode around the Lucifer Blacks as several Long-las start taking pot shots.


At the top of the ramp, near the smoking wreck of Domination, El Dorado has taken a stand against the T'au battlesuit. The lascannon strikes a solid hit, the Broadside twisting and taking the blast to its leg, sparks and melting armor cascade down from the hit. Now the machine moves with a noticeable limp. But it is still, unfortunately for the Sentinel, moving. The Broadside twists, and for all the world it seems to be hissing angrily, steam venting off the battlesuit as it cycles up the railcannon again. The sponson gunner now without a tank gives a shriek and dives to the side and behind El Dorado, sensing the impending attack.


((Luca, your team is caught in the net and under dangerous sniper fire. Your roll of choice to not take a stress or consequence, you need to meet a 6 in any approach of your choice to avoid taking stress. El Dorado, the Broadside is focusing its ire on you, now. You need to meet a 4 in any approach of your choice to avoid stress. If you roll less than a 2, it will deal 2 stress/consequences to your Sentinel. However it also has a new consequence of its own in Noticeable Limp, you can utilize this as a bonus when acting against the Broadside ))



The Black Market


For Krast, perhaps the blessing of the Emperor is upon him, as his vox transmission actually reaches the majority of the guard within the Market and they show remarkable restraint in their return fire. Multiple camp guards die, but at least so far, only to return fire. A snap of energy strikes into the ground near the Lieutenant's feet, and the air around him twists and hisses. Long-Las fire incoming.


A little ways away, Caerrick and Hoyt make short work of several camp guards, blood and viscera splashing violently onto the surviving comrades, the men and women composing the remainder dive for cover, screaming obscenities and curses as they witness fully the power of trained killers. For a brief moment they are silent, the area around the Kasrkin is eerily quiet. And then a roar of anger bellows, Pavel and a fresh squad of camp security come charging around a battered stall. "IMPERIUM!" The security head screams, tears of rage falling down his weathered face, veins bulging and cheeks red. "You open fire after we invite you here? NOW YOU DIE!" With righteous fury and decades of training on his side, as well as what seems to be some of his best soldiers backing him, Pavel and the newcomers unleash a withering amount of fire on the Kasrkin, mixed autogun shells and lasbolts hissing through the air and pinging all around.

At the aid Station, Hawke, Clacky and Yul have the child, Beth, and are calling out for her mother, Maddie. Over the din of combat, the shouts of civilians and the screams of the wounded a woman's voice call be heard shrieking out. "BETH!!" And the camp nurse appears from behind a colorful tent roughly fifty feet away, running full-tilt for the group. Panic filling her eyes and mixing with the relief in her voice as understanding dawns that her child is for the moment unharmed. As she runs, a small crate next to Hawke explodes as a long-las targets the guardswoman.


((Krast your words have insured that civilian casualties are kept to a minimum, however, a sniper is targeting you from the top of the quarry. You need to roll at least a 2 in the approach of your choice to avoid stress. Caerrick and Hoyt, you are beset by fresh reinforcements in the form of Pavel and well-trained security team. You each need to roll a 3 or better in the approach of your choice to avoid stress.
Hawke, a sniper is attempting to pin you down at the aid station, you can either take cover and hold position for a turn, in which case you only need to meet a 0 in any approach of your choice to avoid stress. If you choose to try and move positions in the next round, you need to meet a 2 in any approach of your choice to avoid stress.
Clacky and Yul, no one is shooting at you and Maddie seems to believe you mean her child no harm. No rolls required as of right now.))



The Convoy


for Lourn Germain, to reach the cut off forces at the top of the Quarry involves getting up the ramp, which is currently a firefight between Bellicosa and camp security vehicles. That could prove---problematic.



((Lourn something is happening that hasn't been noticed yet and you are perfectly positioned to spot it. A Clever roll of 2 or higher will reveal these details to you))



The Ramp

The three women in front of Bellicosa get out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding being cut down as the tank opens fire. The Flak Truck is gone, the other vehicle is damaged, and the heavy stubbers mounted awkwardly on its back are momentarily out of commission due to well-placed shots from Savin, leaving a sudden absence of fire against the leman Russ and Bruce's commandeered Centaur.


((Bellicosa, you are free from return fire at the moment, congratulations. your current remaining target is the damaged heavy stubber truck and a smattering of camp security. Bruce and Savin, unless Bellicosa objects you are free to move up the ramp. Clever rolls of 4+ will reveal new information about things happening on the Ramp.))

Savin waves cheekily to the disabled truck, then turns her attention to the ramp. “Go on up, cher, don’ fret bout that big tank, he ain’t gonna shoot at us. I still owe the gunner a 5 throne coin, he won’t risk it,” she ad-libbed smoothly.
She scans the mess unfolding behind them in the quarry, realizing that she has no idea what the plan is, what the disposition of troops is like, hell, even who’s in charge. 
As a delightful extra challenge, the only person she can ask without giving herself away is now back in the middle of the firefight. Merde.
Well, no sense in sulking. Savin keeps a sharp eye out, trying to make sense of the scrum and keeping her lascarbine at the ready.

((clever roll of 2 (target 4) to spot something left mysterious by the GM))

Krast had finally pushed through most of the market with the small squad around him, and could finally see the aid station. He had been hopeful about his orders getting out, and thank the emperor it looked like they had. He’d heard to loud reports, likely from the tank, but beyond that-

Snap!

Krast narrowly spotted the red blur and threw himself to the side as the long lad shot glanced and reflected off his carapace.

“Bloody Eye, they’re shooting at me.” He realized, and parts started clicking together. That had come from roughly the same direction he supposed from where Alvira had been shot, which means it’s most certainly not some trigger happy white shield who fired the shot. So that meant one thing. Traitors for the Tau. He snarled behind his helmet, and quickly rose to his feet.

“I’m getting frakking tired of this shite!” He yelled. He was a bloody Kasrkin, and it was time these mongrels realized they were playing with Cadias best. Rising to one knee and shouldering his hellgun with both hands, he did the quick calculations and squeezed the trigger, aiming at the ridgeline above him. Many people thought that a hell gun was just a lasgun hooked up to its own generator, and granted that was true, however that didn't do the weapon justice. Forged by the Mechanicus to be the greatest of the man portable las weaponry, the hell gun could handle far more power per shot than the typical M6 Galaxy lasgun, and that meant while most lasguns could only be fired on max power for a few short bursts, a hell gun had no such limitations. And that extra power also added something important for Krast, range to hit those bastards.

With several short but withering bursts of concentrated fire, Krast aimed at the spot he thought the snipers were at, with years of counter sniper experience finally coming in handy. The likelihood he’d actually hit a sniper was very low, they had better cover and the angle was wrong, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t hit the rocks by them. A few megawatts of direct heat energy did funny things to stone, like cause softer parts to instantly burst into dust and white hot shards, not something many would want near their faces.

[[Rolling Forceful to counter fire and force the snipers back.[4df+3]` Roll: `[+, +, -, -]` Result: `5` Target 3]]

Red bolts of light fired in a staccato of cracks from Krasts gun as he methodically traced a line along the ridge, and white plumes of dust shot out from where his shots hit. With the ridge line now peppered with fading dust, and the snipers hopefully ducking back down to avoid any shrapnel, Krast rised from his kneel and looked around, checking his sight lines. He was out here in the open, and the other guardsmen who were with him had wisely taken cover while he had pulled his little stunt. Well, that’s why he was a Kasrkin. He was about to call the advance, with the convoy and aide station so close, when he heard a familiar woman’s voice yelling, he turned, just in time to see that camp nurse, Maddie, running out, as a guardsman he recognized sprinted out.

“Frakking Eye, Hawke! Get to the convoy!” He yelled out, voice slightly distorted but amplified by his helmets vox emitters, but his jaw clenched in a grimace as he spoke, and looked back to the snipers ridge. His stunt had bought him a little time, but not much unless he got moving. Hawke and Maddie especially were both sitting ducks in the open running in a straight line, and there was the strong chance his fire hadn't rattled the snipers enough to keep them down.

“You lot, get to the convoy, relay orders to form up into defense lines, Castle 3-3-4, and get the convoy ready to pull out when I give the order. Tell SgtMaj Baskmann he has command while I'm out,” He said, pointing at two soldiers in particular to make sure they would give the report, bystander effect was a kraking bastard during a fire fight.

“S-sir what about you?!” One trooper asked, a younger woman holding her lasgun in shaker hands.

“I’m gonna save my men, and hopefully stop this damn shootout. Go!” He ordered as he spun back around, aiming at the ridge again, and moved in short burst of speed and covering fire towards Hawke and Maddie, providing them with cover. He wore the Carapace after all, he could take a shot or two. He hoped.

"Hawke! What under the THRONE are you doing!" he shouted as he got closer.

[[Rolling forceful to keep suppressing fire up and move towards Hawke. [4df+3]` Roll: `[+, +, +, -]` Result: `6`]]

Time seems to slow as the T’au Battlesuit fires its Railgun at El Dorado. Cassim’s grip on the controls tighten. He’s been here before, but usually when he’s when he’s the one lining up the shot, not receiving. He holds his breath waiting for the last moment to react. If he moves too soon that would leave the sponson gunner vulnerable. But too late and he might not have a chance to strike back at all.

LanternO'Red Request: [4df+3] Roll: [+, , -, -] Result: 2 + 2 for High Concept "Hot Sniper" [4]

Suddenly El Dorado’s engine roars, as Cassim crouches the walker under the Broadsides attack. He can hear the mechanical parts whine in protest as the maneuver strains the leg joints, but they can handle it for the brief second needed. As the railgun’s blast soars over him, Cassim pushes the walker into motion. It leaps forwards, like a runner starting their race. El Dorado dashes forwards, the machine's chainsaw humming to life.

If he can get in close, he’ll have the suit pinned.

“Take this!” Sonnam bellows. El Dorado swings its weapon towards the Battlesuit...

LanternO'Red Request: [4df+0] Roll: [ , -, -, -] Result: -3 + 2 for Stunt "Golden Walker" [-1]

As the leman Russ shifted it's weight to block the ramp, Tane immediately hammered the brakes to prevent a collision with the immovable object. Everyone, along with the cargo in the Centaur pitches forward with the sudden stop. Thankfully Bruce hadn't yet let go of Savin and dispite getting his faced smashed against the interior of the tank, prevented Savin getting launched from the vehicle.

At the declaration from the battle tank command, all three crewmen of the Centaur rised up and declared "We surrender!!!" with arms raised high.

The three were just as quick to duck back down as the leman russ continue to fire at the distant trucks, only popping their heads up enough to see what was now going on around them.

[[Roll to see what's going on around the ramp = 0. The boys are to intimidate to see anything of note]]