Brotherhood of the Machine (IC Thread) [PG/14] {02}

[Ryudo Lee]

At the staging area, a couple of zealots are wandering around, patrolling the area.
"Man, how'd we get stuck with this post?  I hate the night shift." One says.
"Quit complaining and do your job." The other says.
"Yeah, but I always seem to get these awful posts.  I think the boss has it in for me."
"Maybe he wouldn't have it in for you if you'd quit complaining all the damn time."
They chattered in this fashion nearly the entire time they patrolled the area.

In front of the construction site, a small handful of zealots were standing guard and a few were patrolling the area.  One of the guards men suddenly peers out into the distance.
"Hey, did you see something move?" He asked.
"I didn't see nothin'." One of the others asked.
"I swear I saw something moving out there." The first one said.
"Then send the patrol out there if you're so worried about it." Another said.
The guard flagged down the patrolling guards and motioned them to go towards the area where he thought he saw movement.  The patrolling guards started heading to the clearing.

[Tapewolf]

Dorcan's ears pricked up slightly.  Voices.  He couldn't quite hear what they were saying, but the sentence structure was like that of someone who'd seen something that made them suspicious.
He glanced at Morgan and tapped his ears with a cupped hand as though he was listening.  If they'd agreed on a "Did you hear that" gesture, he'd already forgotten what it was.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

Jathon follows  Pvt. Mitchell as the rest of the fans out.  He pulls out his trans-crossbow and load one dart looking to shot any stray patrol goons of the Brotherhood.  He and Pvt Michell circle in the opposite direction of Morgan's team, hiding in the the bush and construction materials.

Jathon just looses sight of Exo, when he hear someone coming up the main path from the tower.  He looks to see if he can climb any nearby stacks support beams, when Pvt Mitchell motions him to stay still.

PBH   

[Azlan]

Morgan wondered why Dorcan was gesturing for him to turn his headphone audio down when he was not wearing anything like such.

Morgan was in the process of isolating some talking he had heard from just a moment before Dorcan had begun gesturing and played back the cleaned up audio.

He gestured to the others to stay put and then carefully moved over towards the doberman, a smooth and stealthy like a fox.  In a very low voice said, "they saw the distraction team, keep position until the fun starts.  Let's hope that it pulls all the guards."

In the low light, Morgan's eyes glittered like a predatory canid, making him look a little sinister.

[Tapewolf]

Dorcan nodded.  "Aye, sir.  I was afraid they'd found us," he whispered, glancing back at Morgan.  In that light he looked almost hungry with anticipation.  I guess humans are closer to us than I thought, Dorcan pondered.

[techmaster-glitch]

   Jexx noticeably started getting restless as everyone was talking about finally getting underway with the mission. He listened with an intent focus as Exo laid out the plan, especially at all the parts concerning Jexx's own role in it. When Exo finished and sent the 'recon' team of their way, Jexx reached into his pocket and pulled out his microcomms, slotting them back into his ear and tooth.
   As Jathon and the Rebellion guy advanced stealthy-like towards the Tower, Jexx had vanished into the nearby trees. He swung from branch to branch, like a monkey, while remaining relatively silent. He settled on a branch that gave him a good view near the construction site with Jathon and Mitchell. His position was roughly across from the two, and in a relative diagonal direction to to the patrols
   Eventually, the recon pair seemed to be noticed, and a patrol was diverted in their direction. Jexx watched them with a ravenous hunger in his eyes.
   "Exo..." Jexx whispered into his microcomm, " the medic-dude and Rebellion guy've been seen. I'm taking this as my cue." Jexx's signature psychotic grin spread across his face. "Eat burning plasma, you ass-masked bastards!"
   With that, Jexx rained a stream of angry-red plasma balls on the advancing patrol. He kept it up for a moment, then swung away to a different tree, and started firing again. His marking were not yet glowing; he wasn't genuinely fired up yet, and he just had to make sure that Jathon and Mitchell got back to Exo and the other heavy-hitters. Then he would have his fun. Oh yes, then he would have fun.

[Ryudo Lee]

As Jexx's shots rang out, all the guards at the construction site suddenly became alert.  The voices of the patrol team came over the comm.
"OH SHIT! CONTACT CONTACT!  RETURN FIRE!"
Gunfire came over the comm as the patrol team opened fire in the direction the plasma shots were coming from.  One of Jexx's shots clipped one of the patrolling guards and knocked him over.
"MAN DOWN WE NEED BACK UP OVER HERE!"
The guards at the site looked at each other and then ran towards where the patrol was.

At the staging area, the two guards looked at each other as they listened to the battle raging over the comms.
"Think we should go help?" One asked.
"No, let's stay here in case they need more support later." The other said.

[Tapewolf]

"That must be Jexx," Dorcan murmured, "doing what he does best."

He glanced back at Morgan, waiting for the signal to move.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

The medic, Jathon had a shot lined up on one of the Brotherhood patrolling guards, when Jexx fires with his cannons.. Jathin fires off two tranque shots before the guard starts re-acting, but he can't see if the darts hit the guard or if his effected.  While the flash of light from Jexx fire, makes Jathon vsionable to the patrolling guards, who started firing in the direction of the ferret as he runs for cover between stockpiles. 

The medic lose sight of  Pvt. Mitchell  and Jexx and the others as he travells away from the fire figtht but parallel to the tower.

PBH

[Arcalane]

With the sound of gunfire, Exo starts moving fast for a bot, assault weapon in hand as it almost sprinted across the intervening terrain. [Can you truly die if you weren't technically alive to begin with? Either way, we have their attention.] It's movements are none too silent, but it has soon caught up with Mitchell, and starts making use of the heavy gun, and the bot wasn't lying; the rockets are pretty noisy. Fortunately, they also excel at turning goons into kibble fairly quickly.

"Where is Jathon, Private?" The bot spun around and snapped off a shot at a zealot trying to flank them, then paused to reload the pistol, pulling a magazine from one of it's empty internal bays and stowing the empty magazine inside it.

"No idea, sir, I lost 'im after that crazy bugger started firing." The private shouldered his silenced SMG and laid down some suppressing fire, forcing two zealots to duck back behind some metal boxes with distinctive 'Rhino' labels on them. "I dunno where all these fellas came from, it's like they just started comin' out the woodwork when we got spotted."

"Lovely." [Jathon, if you can hear me, find somewhere to hide and stay hidden. The last thing we need is for you to be mistaken for one of the zealots in this light.] Exo snaps off a couple more shots as suppressing fire before moving for cover as small arms fire started pinging off it's armour, the Private following it closely.

[techmaster-glitch]

   Hidden within the shadowed trees, and constantly on the move, the random spray fire from the zealots missed Jexx by a good margin. He then heard several very loud reports, and assumed them to be the weapon Exo was packing.
   "Hey Morgan, I think we've got their attention. You can go in now." Jexx said over the comm, and then he suddenly started speaking the the best military voice he could muster (which was, no surprise, even less serious than his normal speech); "I say again, you have a green light for the code red black ops thing, bossman sir!" He then briefly collapsed into a fit of uncontrollable giggles.
   After that, Jexx then scaled down the trees, and made a mad dash for Exo.

[Azlan]

Morgan cringed as Jexx's voice blasted over the general comms in his head. 

He watched the remaining two guards for a long few minutes, giving them a chance to settle down from the immediate rush of action happening in the field.

Signalling to two of the team he had with him, he instructed them to move around to the otherside where the guards were and hold, any other guards drawn by any noise from what he was going to do next could be surprised by those two.

Signalling to Dorcan and indicating the closer guard on the right and gave the signal for close in neutralize (that is to say, go up to him and take him out as opposed to stay here and shoot him).

With that done, Morgan maneuvered around the opposite side from where he directed the other two to approach.  He attempted to quietly get around behind the other guard and apply his nasty diamond coated short blade to the back of the zealot's neck.

[Tapewolf]

Dorcan nodded at Morgan's instruction, and suddenly realised to his horror that he hadn't thought to request any close-range weapons.  With a silent curse, he decided to improvise.

The doberman crept silently behind his prey, watching tensely for any sign that he'd been seen or heard.  So far, so good.  At the last moment, he grabbed the Zealot's head and gave it a sharp, brutal twist.

[Ryudo Lee]

The guard that Morgan snuck up on let out half a yelp that turned into a gurgle as he was stabbed through the neck.  The other guard had barely a moment to react when his head was suddenly grabbed and his neck broken.  Both slumped to the ground, dead within mere moments.

The firefight in front of the construction site had drawn the attention of the site foreman, an elite.  He stomped out of the partially built tower, with a large repeating plasma rifle in hand.  He took a quick glance around and spotted the battle, and charged in, his gun blazing away.

[Tapewolf]

"Oh gods," Dorcan whispered, "forgive me for the life of my foe that I have taken in time of need.  Accept this man into your flock and forgive him his sins as I pray you forgive mine.  May his soul's journey end in paradise."
It was the prayer his clan uttered when killing their enemies.

[Azlan]

As he cleaned his blade, Morgan opened up his mind, checking the local area for any thought signatures that did not match his team.  He had miscalculated slightly, as his target had not fully expired.

Morgan paused briefly over the prone form of the zealot, he raised his head and appeared to be staring intently at something.  With a noticeable strain he appeared to pull away from something.  He looked visibly shaken, "it is one thing to kill a foe, it is another to witness the psyche slip into the void..."

Shaking off the feeling he gestured to the rest of the team to advance and for those forward to keep watch.  Signaling to Dorcan, Morgan indicated to pull his guy off into the darkness.  Selecting somewhere out of the way, he did his best to hide both bodies with the assistance of the cubi.

As satisfied as he could be with the concealment, he took position and checked his chronometer.  Satisfied they had not been seen, his group moved to their spot near the tower, they were on schedule and now the assault team needed to draw off as much as they could and lead them away.

[Arcalane]

With the fight at the camp going in full swing, things were more than a little hectic. The bursts of plasma fire suggested a change of pace, however. [Private Mitchell, Jexx, I need you to distract that heavy weapons wielder. I'm going to try to get in close where he can't use that gun.] Exo used the group comm, rather than general.

Mitchell nods, breaking cover and dashing for another pile of crates, narrowly evading a stream of plasma bolts before diving behind the boxes, recovering and leaning out to make some ineffectual suppressing fire on the foreman. Exo likewise snapped off a pair of rockets, aiming for the foreman's feet to throw him off balance, before ducking back behind his cover and trying to circle around, not wanting to waste any time.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

The ferret has lost his pursuiters but lost his friends, and his way.  When hiding behind a stack of lumber, he hears the attracking assault of the Brother elite Foreman going pass him.

He fire two three four dart at him, but the elite goon is so enrage he doesn't slow down or turn to look at the little ferret behind him...  The foreman runs on at the attack team with three solid tranque dart inbedding in his skin, and leaving the Medic, who stares after him in disbelief. 

"Okay Jathon What have we learned?"  he asks himself...

"ah, Exo is over there.  Okay hussle on over there and only around the back way." 

PBH

[Ryudo Lee]

Morgan's scan would turn up a couple of zealots still inside the tower, possibly instructed to remain there by the foreman.

The foreman shrugged off most of the suppressing fire, but the rockets at his feet caused him to trip and topple over.  Without missing a beat, he picked himself back up, and brought his gun around to bear.

[Arcalane]

Mitchell pops out again to spatter the foreman with more submachinegun rounds as Exo kept flanking, moving quickly. Once the bot thought it was in an ideal position, it fired another rocket at the foreman's feet and sprinted forwards, holstering the heavy pistol as arcs of electricity began to lick between it's fingers and forearm/wrist.

"PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER!" Exo almost bellowed, arms outstretched, aiming to grab ahold of the foreman and introduce him to several thousand volts of electrical output.

[techmaster-glitch]

   As Jexx saw the Elite foreman stide into battle, his psychotic grin grew to its widest yet. "Bots and boys, let's make some NOISE!" He yelled. His markings began to glow.
   As Exo and Mithell started blasting at him, Jexx ducked low and started dashing around crates and contruction equipment. With his glow, he looked like some sort of blood-ghost as he flitted from cover to cover. Eventually, he circled behind the Elite as Exo prepared an energized bear hug. Jexx popped up like a jack-in-the-box, sending a steam of plasma shots into the Elite's back to add to Exo's assault. Then he ducked down again and darted off somewhere else.

[Azlan]

Morgan did not yet move forward, instead he observed the tower looking for any possible surveillance devices.  Morgan also scanned for live wireless APs and any SSIDs, broadcasting, nonbroadcasting or hidden. 

While doing this he waved for two of the specfor Rebellion types to circle around the tower and check for any rear entrances.  Morgan indicated that Dorcan and the others should hold position for the time being.
   

[Tapewolf]

Dorcan continued to wait patiently.  His time would surely come soon enough.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

The Jathon is busy evading the fire fight while circling back to the assault team.  When he surprises a patrol goon, on the edge of the fighting, the goon starts shooting at him.   Jathon fires back with his tranque darts,from behind a half pallet of steel rods.  After two-three hits, the brotherhood guard falls over.  The ferret runs over and checks his vitals.  The guard was a sleep, but how was he going to move this 350 pound guy of flesh and metal by himself. 

Hoping the guard will stay asleep, Jathon runs faster to the back of the firefight.   

PBH

[Ryudo Lee]

Morgan's scan would only bring up radio transmissions between the foreman and the guards still inside the tower.  The foreman was calling for some cover fire, which the guards in the tower were preparing to provide.  They came to an unfinished section a few floors up and started firing from up there.

The rocket clipped the foreman's feet and made him stumble and fall again.  Only this time when he picked himself up, he found himself being electrocuted.  He fought back as best as he could, but eventually he fried within his armor and slumped down in a heap, dead.

[Arcalane]

After a few more moments, Exo drops the deceased foreman and picks up the large repeating plasma rifle in one hand, ducking as it comes under fire. [Persistant, I'll give them that.] Exo turns and starts hosing down the fire support with short sprays of plasma bolts assuming the rifle was still functional or lacked user identification, or sending rockets off towards them if it wasn't going to cooperate. [The Foreman is out of action. If there was any time to make a move, Morgan, now would be it.] It switches over to the squad network. [Mitchell, Jexx, sweep for survivors down here and find Jathon. Franklin, Mackenzie*, move up and rendezvous with me.]

Mitchell gives a quiet affirmative and stalks off into the shadows, moving quietly and dealing with any remaining zealots he encounters. Franklin and Mackenzie move up over the grassy area, 'leapfrogging' and covering each other as they moved forwards, encountering minimal resistance.

(*The grunt and demo expert assigned to their team, respectively, along with the scout. IIRC, Morgan's team also got a grunt and demo, who would be checking the tower for rear entrances right about now if I read things right.)

[Azlan]

Murphy and Foster return a short time later, it is Foster that reports. 

"The rear area is inaccessible sir."

Morgan nods, "the front it is then.  Exo and the others are providing an excellent distraction.  Let's move."

The red-haired lad takes lead, signalling them to take up the usual formation.  He covers the distance quickly and very stealthfully, as if prowling was a natural ability, which it is for his species, but not the human he appears to be.

He reaches the wall and then the entrance, where he pauses to listen for activity beyond the door.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

Jathon comes running up to Pvt Mitchell from the side,

"I got one, I got One." said Jathon
"yeea, we got many more."
"No no, I have one capture, a live one, but I can't move him.." say Jathon

"Exo, Can you hear me?" ask Jathon "Exo,  Damn comm is dead.  I know I check it. Pvt Mitchel, can we get a stretcher and Jexx, we need someone to cover us."  Jathon quick runs and get a stretcher. 

PBH

[Azlan]

Morgan did not hear anything troublesome from behind the main door, but the area was too exposed and it was the expected point of entry.

He retreated back to the rest of the squad.  He gestured to Dorcan to come over and spoke in low tones when he was near enough, "the front is too exposed, and would be the expected point of entry.  I suggest we scale the ower and descend into it from the top levels.  It would not be expected and it would put us at the backs of any of the defending guards."

Morgan indicated the autocaster that Dorcan was outfitted with, "you have grapple for that.  We will scale this side, the one facing away from the fight.  I am going to move out and try to get a good look at our deployment point and see if there are any guards up there, I'll let you know if you can take a shot or to hold over a point to point transmission.  Be sure to have your communicator on."

Morgan then nodded and moved off far enough for him to get a clear view to their grapple points.

OOC: yes I am being careful about this, but a true professional never leaves to chance.  I'm sorry if it bogs the action down, but it is what it is.

[Tapewolf]

Dorcan nodded, and cranked up the amplification in his eyes a little.  Taking out the grapple, he checked the mechanism and loaded the bolt.  Taking aim, he waited for Morgan to give him the goahead.