Day 3 | Evening | Boom & Bust

[Hadrian Martikova]

Group 1, Exfiltrate the Hotzone

Hadrian moved as if in a dream. Retracing his steps through the fire and the flames. No man's land was alive with tracer fire and the cloud generated by the Thopter's wings. Somehow the wounded vintner found his way into metal seats where soon thereafter he collapsed from exhaustion.

"Goooo...." He managed dryly. Trying to strap in so that there's pressure on the bullet holes.



___________
Maneuver to clear No Man's Land
Action to board the thopta.


Wound 11/12 | Strain 10/12
0 | 0
4 Soak

[Kannon]

[Group #4]

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Duncan wouldn't be seen from the outside for a moment more, dragging Thra Yoll and covering their escape.

"Nice. Recall those things from Ix. Looks like the Tleilaxu pulled an emperor's bounty of tech from their occupation."

He said conversationally even as his breath was finally running a bit short. It was roughly then when the aerosol residue of tooth poison had wafted into the tunnel. Cuyler, Kiran, and Laila could feel something acrid on their tongues and in their nostrils that they wanted to sneeze or spit out, but what was coming instead were droplets of blood...

[End of Round #8 for Groups #3 and #4]

[Kannon]

[Group #1]

The manpad owners on the other side of the pass were ready to fire though their target had disappeared over the bump. When they started to climb with the others to get a line of sight, another counter-line of cover fire, perpendicular to the one they were seeking, even scarier and landscape-scarrier than the previous one, was drawn before them at the narrow point, halting their advance.

Lydia hadn't come out of some hiding place to board...

[Last turn, likely Ambrose's!]

[Ambrose Pantazis]

GROUP #1

With Martikova's Marauders on board and secured, it was decidedly time to dust off. The Atreides forces had decidedly worn out their welcome in this valley.

Saying a mumbled prayer, Ambrose pushed the thopter to the absolute limits of its engineering as he took it from a stable hover to full thrust. They shot into the air, leaving a cloud of dust and debris in their wake that was funneled by the terrain along the pass.

He spared a moment to look back at the others, concerned whether two of them were going to make it to the rally point. Perhaps they could gain altitude and and establish a hover so he could administer some first aide.

-----
Maneuver #1 Punch It up to Speed 4 (4 Strain)
Maneuver #2 Move to Short up.

Defenses: 5/2 (w/ Shield)
Soak: 3
Wounds: 0/14
Strain: 13/13

Thopter Bravo
Armor: 2
Hull Trauma: 3/8
System Strain: 3/10
Silhouette: 3
Speed: 4 (currently 4)
Shield: Deployed Aft

[Kannon]

Hadrian and Dominic passed out because of the rapid acceleration adding to their exhaustion, and Bernard was barely holding up. [4 Strain on them too.] But they soared above anyone who could reach them from below.

Above, however...

[End of Round #8 for Group #1, and the effective end of the encounter. Though until Groups #3 and #4 evacuate, we remain for a moment on semi-structured time i.e. one post rotation with reasonable action space of each.]

[Bernard, Hadrian, Ambrose, Razar and Lydia all receive 30 XP each and have the option for rethinking of their statements (not re-picking ones they've lost) if they consider their experiences during the encounter formative.]

...Ambrose and Efren could identify what was approaching the valley. The symbol of military dominance of House Atreides over Caladan - the multi-domain carrier.

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Judging by the descent rate, it was probably ready to open the bays to release its wing.

[Kannon]

[In Groups #3 and #4 everyone without shield on are suffering 2 wounds from the aerosol toxin this turn, doubling at each next post they make until they are at least Long from where Marek died. They still need 2 Strain to get from Medium to Long in one post.]

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Paul got to Laila first. Seeing that she was carrying Xard, he turned off the shield and gave it to her. "Turn it on. Toxin in the air." He didn't explain his motivations. Instead, he glanced deeper into the cave and couldn't help but smile with elation seeing Duncan there.

"Duncan!"

[Efren Lanville]

Efren let out a small sigh of relief as he looked up after Paul's finger. He then ran to do as the future Duke had asked him.

He dialed up the Atreides military frequency on the radio and began talking.

"Carrier, this is Corporal Efren Lanville, call sign TK-421. We are currently in the process of evac'ing the primary targets. Enemy commander has been neutralized. Primary enemy forces suspected to be near pass to the southwest of the encampment. We have a squad there too, status unknown. Our C.O. is currently MIA. Will need a team to sweep the area near the largest smoke pillar. That is our current status, Over."

[Cuyler Gray]

"That ship." Cuyler wheezed and gestured to Marek's vessel. "If it doesn't explode, needs to be seized. Dangerous technology."

She rushed away from the gas, delaying only if there was anyone who needed help.
- - -
+4 Wounds
+2 Strain

Wounds: 7/12
Strain: 4/13

[Laila Bridger]

Paul got to Laila first. Seeing that she was carrying Xard, he turned off the shield and gave it to her. "Turn it on. Toxin in the air." He didn't explain his motivations.

She barely processed that the kid was the ducal heir, the whole goddamn reason they had come here, the whole reason they'd been trussed up and drugged by a goddamn Tleilaxu, the whole reason that little bastard's operation of kidnapping and murdering the Muadh had ended. She didn't ask any questions- it would waste time none of them had.

Her momentary relief at making the surface was immediately sublimated.
But that was war, and war was a thing Laila Bridger understood.

So she accepted the gift Paul had given her, the chance to save the man she carried, and activated the shield. She could see the horrid vapor interacting with it as she double-timed toward the thopter.

But she also kept speaking softly to Xard as she ran.

"Nearly clear, Xard, nearly clear, Sinsei's waiting and I've got you, I've got you, hang in there, stay with me, us redheads gotta stick together..."

So close to having made it out, to having cheated death one more time, she didn't want to worry, wanted to be the soldier just this once, but she couldn't.

Deciding to be human had its costs.

Kiran, Duncan, Thra Yoll, Paul, just runrunrunrunrun.

She was doing her best to set a good example.

Please stay alive.

Hadrian, please be alive.

Now that she had people to worry about again, she was remembering how scary it could be.

---
Activating shield, then moving as far as she can- will, despite the shield, take the 2 strain to get there faster if possible.

[Kannon]

[Cliff Theatre]

Xard was unresponsive, but his features might have softened a little at Laila's reassurance. All she could count on was that it didn't indicate he had succumbed. From up close, in evening light, she could see how wrecked he was by incessant ailar exposure, with clotted signs of multiple haemorrhages from cerebral cavities. He must have survived on hope alone, that he would see his daughter again, that she was safe somewhere out there, that by letting himself be captured he had bought her life. He was no hero, no soldier, but a scientist. Even though Laila didn't remember the dreams, she had it in her head that he wasn't a crisis-savvy man. But he was also a proof of the worth of being human.

Little did they both know that Sinsei was actually closer to death than he was now. But Laila would learn that soon enough, once she would get to the damn thopter at the cliff's edge.

---

Efren, when he got to the antenna to send the message, saw with the corner of his eye that Eileen had carried Sinsei into the thopter and then opened both side-hatches for the others to embark easier. Still, this was a smaller one than the ones that had carried them to this jungle, and there was up to 9 people to be evacuated. Either they would make it leaner by getting rid of some hardware, or someone would have to be left behind to face whatever the heating up no-ship portended.

These realisations hit him when he was waiting for the reply. Which eventually came. The voice he might recognise, for any Atreides commando had at least one run-in with the Master of Assassins as their instructor and overseer.

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"Copy, Corporal. This is Thufir Hawat. We're deploying for a sweep. Evacuate fast. Is the neutralised commander Chaen Marek. Over."

---

"People come first." Paul replied outright, as if this lesson had been ingrained in him. As far as people needing help were concerned, the next one out of the tunnel was Kiran. They needed help very much judging by how they tripped and swayed [Close to Strain and Wound lines by my count]. And the rescuers ran out of spare shields. Plus, there was the unconscious Muadh Duncan was carrying.

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"Glad to see you, insolent lad, but could you carry this poor chap? There are hostiles chasing us."

"Move aside then, big man. I'll stop them. You carry on with the evac. And that's a damn Ducal order." Paul sounded a bit cocky, as if he rode the moment to show off his bravado. Cuyler's presence might have played a role in it.



Duncan harrumphed, coughed blood, but couldn't deny the sound assessment of several factors behind this decision, so he switched places with Paul, mumbling something.

"Don't dally, your brat, or we'll fly out without you."

[Ambrose Pantazis]

Group 1

A sense of calm and reassurance came over Ambrose when he spotted the carrier. The cavalry was here and the mission almost over. Another glance back told him he didn't have time to dally.

Gaining more altitude, Ambrose gave the radio a try, hoping they had a strong enough signal to cut through the interference at this altitude. He gave the battle language call and answer he'd been provided before giving a quick sitrep.

Atreides carrier, this is Atreides thopter Bravo. We have causalities on board and two MIA on the ground. Repeat, this is Atreides thopter Bravo with three casualties on board and two MIA on the ground. Request permission to board and medical team on standby.

[Kannon]

After the channel was verified, the static changed into voice.

"Copy that, Bravo. Permission granted. We'll keep a bay open for you. Send us last coordinates of the two MIA."

Inside the cabin, Bernard showed signs of being conscious, but not too active.

[Next round of posts.]

[Efren Lanville]

"Copy, Corporal. This is Thufir Hawat. We're deploying for a sweep. Evacuate fast. Is the neutralised commander Chaen Marek. Over."

Efren recognized the voice on the comm and replied in a professional manner, "Copy, Master Hawat. The commander was Chaen Marek. He is confirmed KIA. We will be in the air as soon as the hostages are aboard. Will contact when we are safely off the ground. Over and out."

Efren released the button on the transponder and called back to Eileen, "Lets get as much of the gear and hardware out of the thopter as we can. We're going to be a heavy bird with all these people."

Efren then began tossing out everything that could be tossed...

[Eileen Marsh]

The connection ended with a -kzzzt- so the carrier must have been close to the interference line.

Eileen nodded and got down to work. Backseats and a few duffel bags were easy. The elephant in the cockpit was the shield generator and the reactive armour plates...

[Kannon]

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Up in the air, the carrier rose with each heartbeat. Finally, two dozen thopters, some fighters and some troop carriers, fanned out from the side bays of the large orbit-worthy vessel and adopted formations for aggressive descent.

[Cuyler Gray]

Although she was very concerned about Sinsei, it was clear that there were others who were in just as much danger. Cuyler remained with the hostages, helping Kiran move away from the gas and towards the thopter.

- - -
Wounds: 11/12 I believe

[Kiran Alsahar]

Kiran leaned heavily on Cuyler, coughing out blood. They weren't quite sure who it was, vision blurry. "Thanks," they croaked.

[Kannon]

Cuyler and Kiran, with Duncan offering them his free arm, the other occupied by Tra Yoll, were running on adrenaline alone when they finally got out of the dispersed killzone. Their respiratory tracts burned, words were difficult. Cuyler started feeling like she would collapse herself. There wasn't even time or brainpace to appraise the condition of the no-ship. They could cling to hope that its self-destruct mechanism was not a quick one and their will to live, save others and to persevere would not be punished.

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For Duncan, there was a novelty factor in the people he had been meeting. Who was this woman who was helping Kiran? He prided himself on knowing most of the special operations people in Duke's service. This rescue effort was most unorthodox... something to explain later.

When they got to the thopter, Laila with Xard a bit ahead of the larger group, Eileen and Efren were in the midst of... making room for them by throwing things out. The machine could normally accommodate 4 people, 5 maybe if they squeezed and the pilot was good. There were 10 of them. Sinsei appeared to be already inside. Of all of them, Laila and Duncan were the ones in any shape to assist, though only by a stretch.

---

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I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

Paul's bravado became quickly moderated when people were gone, and he was alone, sandwiched between the expanding toxin and the incoming enemy. His knife was out. He had trained to kill people, but had never killed anyone until today. But thopter guns were different than knives.

I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

He then noticed the device lodged into the wall. His training, and his time with Bronso, had well-acquainted him with all pru-barriers, and this seemed a rather standard one. It didn't seem broken, only deactivated. That offered an alternative to the heroic death scenario. If he turned it on though, would he be fast enough to withdraw his hand or will it be cut off?

No time to ponder, he heard them coming. One way to know. He took the prana-bindu control over his palm, just like his mother had taught him, and delivered a lightning quick switch-on. And... his hand was whole after he looked at it again, with the mercenaries now facing a barrier.

And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

He didn't stay to see their reaction, but ran back as fast as he could, holding his breath, narrowing eyes, biting into the hem of his suit. His lungs were already on fire, and he had no death wish.

[End of structured time.]

[Laila Bridger]

Laila took stock of the mystery woman already in the thopter, had no fucking idea who she was, but figured her for a stretcher case. Any family resemblance completely escaped her notice.

She grabbed a knife from one of the survival kits dumped on the ground to cut Xard's wrists free of the Shigawire and bundled him in next to whoever the hell the woman was.

One pilot, won't be me. Even if I were any damned good, I'm running on adrenaline at this point.

These two who can't even stand.
Two more?

Kiran should go.

...

And the cook.

Well. Fuck.

[Kannon]

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The carrier lowered itself to a distance from which its threatening size could be appreciated. Also, apparently into the loudhailer distance, because the rumbling voice of Thufir Hawat could be heard by all below.

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"YOU ARE GREATLY OUTMATCHED. CHAEN MAREK IS DEAD. OUR GUNS ARE TRAINED ON YOUR POSTS. THE SWEEP BEGINS NOW. SURRENDER OR BE HUNTED DOWN."

With that, Atreides wing descended into the valley and the pass.