Death From Above 6

<Pavor_GM> IT IS THE 41ST MILLNENNIUM...
<Pavor_GM> The skirmish line advances deeper through the heavy foliage for several kilometers, into the oldest part of the forest where the trees stretch into the sky, taller than habs, trunks wider than armored vehicles are long.
<Leon> +Got distant voices somewhere.+
Lt_Faust_Johnstone whispers +I hear them too. But somehow, somewhere down below?+
<Pavor_GM> "Buried themselves?" Braddock whispers, looking down at the dirt on his boots.
<Joshua> "We're coming up onto one of the chasms, stay alert."
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "We heard some voices coming from down below. So probably the chasm?"
<Joshua> "Yeah probably the chasm."
* Aleksander rolls his eyes and looks about wary of targets
<Zaylen> +Perhaps we should investigate?+
<Aleksander> "I don't see them.."
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> +Maybe some other time. We should try to move to around them.+
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "Unless we know the patrols are down there, there's no reason to check. Let's move out."
<Pavor_GM> With a shift in wind, the smell of burning wood reaches you.
<Zaylen> +Affirmative.+ Zaylen makes ready to take point with the locals.
<Aleksander> "Alright then."
* Leon nods.
<Zaylen> +Anyone else smell that? Seems to be coming from our ten-o'clock.+
* Joshua shrugs "Somebodies lit up a campfire eh?"
<Zaylen> "Would any of your fellow locals be dumb enough to be lighting campfires around a warzone?" He asks the two partisans.
<Commissar_Hargrave> +We should investigate the smell Lieutenant. It could be another patrol.+
<Joshua> "Hmm no - our entire force was on the cliff with us."
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> +Agreed. Hopefully, they will be easy targets.+
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "Let's investigate that fire, Team."
<Zaylen> +Alright, I'll move up with the partisans then.+ He turns to the locals. "Shall we?"
* Aleksander nods to him as he makes his move
<Dutch_Miles> "Agreed."
* Joshua nods.
* Leon follows the along.
<Pavor_GM> The splinter team moves along, disappearing into the foilage.
* Zaylen keeps himself between the locals as the focal point as they start path-finding.
* Zaylen indicates for his two partisan comrades to stop, he points at the man that he sees ahead as he takes a knee.
* Joshua whispers "Bastard, hes one of the traitors."
<Zaylen> He nods to Joshua. +Found one traitor tango. Want us to wait for you all to catch up?+
* Aleksander draws out his Knife
<Pavor_GM> The traitor plants his spade into the soil with a single stab and walks out of sight just behind the ancient tree.
* Leon draws his rifle.
<Commissar_Hargrave> +If he's alone we should attempt to question him Lieutenant. It may be possible to glean the locations of the other patrols.+
<Pavor_GM> The loyalists instinctively search for nearby targets with their auspexes. They find some 40 meters away, a single sentry sitting atop a rough L-shape metal platform fixed directly into the trunk of a tree.
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> +Zaylen, you take out the sentry and have locals grab the closest target. He need alive him for questioning.+
<Zaylen> +Alright.+ He whispers to the partisans. "I'll hit the guy up top, you two take the one on the bottom. If posibble take him alive for questioning."
<Aleksander> "Got it."
<Aleksander> "Josh you Grab him, I will knock him out."
<Pavor_GM> The loyalists move in a wide sweep, until they have sight of the target behind the tree. He sits low, leaving only his chest and upper body visible above the vegetation.
* Zaylen makes himself still as a corpse as he take aim at the guy up top, waiting to either shoot him to give the signal or to shoow him in case he spots his comrades moving up.
<Zaylen> After giving the two guys some time he lets out one final breath and squeezes the trigger. A tight three-round burst kills the man up top. "There we go." He mutters.
<Pavor_GM> The corpse falls over, yet doesn't reach the ground. It remains swaying, suspended at the waist by a safety line.
* Joshua reacting first to three rounds going down range, Joshua charges attempting to pull the guard down to the ground while covering his mouth.
<Pavor_GM> A muted grunt is all that their target manages in his panic, failing to reach for his spade on the way down.
* Aleksander follows up behind and kicks him in the dick, then puts his boot on the traitors hand trying to grab the spade
<Pavor_GM> He barks out a muffled scream through Joshua's palm, instinctively closing his legs.
* Aleksander as he is in pain grabs his weapons off him
<Pavor_GM> "Savage boys, these," Braddock comments.
<Zaylen> Hearing a scuffle instead of a scream, the scout moves up. " Gotta be when you're dealing with traitors. Braddock cut the stiff down before he attracts attention, and bring the body over here."
<Pavor_GM> He nods, and makes his way through the vegetation, knife in hand.
<Zaylen> +Sentry down, and the other is...captured. We'll wait on you.+
<Joshua> "Give us that safety line so we can tie him up."
<Zaylen> "Not a bad idea." +If you don't mind Braddock, bring the safety line as well.+
<Pavor_GM> A click on the comm channel affirms the suggestion as you see him climb up the tree.
<Zaylen> "Can't ask for a better comrade, when he's thinking."
<Pavor_GM> With a leafy crunch, you see the corpse drop, line and all.
<Pavor_GM> +Dragging the bastard back now.+
<Zaylen> +You're a treasure, Braddock.+
* Aleksander picks up the Traitor's Micro Bead
* Aleksander puts it to his ear to hear if anything is up. As they return the prisoner.
<Pavor_GM> The prisoner continues to try to scream through his captor's tightening palm.
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "Someone shut him up."
<Commissar_Hargrave> "Silence traitor." Hargrave delivers a swift kick into the prisoner's midribs.
* Aleksander moves away so the Interrogation could not be heard so he can focus
<Pavor_GM> A crackle in the traitor's commbead is followed by a short transmisison. +Change of plans. Stuart, you and Viliam are closest. Rouse the cavemen and tell them to investigate.+
<Pavor_GM> The short cough-like grunt form the kick is the last noise the prisoner makes, short of his heavy breathing.
<Commissar_Hargrave> Commissar Hargrave kneels down next to the captured traitor. "Now then. You will answer the Lieutenants questions in as much detail as required. Is that understood? You may nod to confirm."
<Pavor_GM> The prisoner nods.
* Commissar_Hargrave nods to Lieutenant Faust. "Whenever you're ready Lieutenant."
* Aleksander closes the vox for a moment and walks up to the Lieutenant
* Commissar_Hargrave stands and backs away a step or two to give the Lieutenant space.
<Aleksander> "Sir we have received a message and these men are to move, if we want to maintain cover I would suggest making our friend repeat Copy that."
<Aleksander> "If we leave it too long the Patrol will know something is up."
* Dutch_Miles watches from a bit back as the Lieutenant gets to questioning.
<Pavor_GM> +You fucking the wildlife again, Stuart? Come in.+
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "How many of you are here?"
* Zaylen helps Braddock hide the corpse, make sure to take the commbead with him as well.
<Pavor_GM> "Here's that line you wanted," Braddock approaches.
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "How many patrols are in the area?"
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "And who is sending these vox calls?"
<Pavor_GM> "What fucking vox calls? Give me my pants, you degenerate," the prisoner spits back.
* Commissar_Hargrave steps forward and kicks the prisoner in the ribs once more. "Answer his questions. This is the final time I'll tell you."
<Pavor_GM> +Stuart. Answer me or I'll have you digging shit pits back at camp until you're shot for insubordination.+
<Pavor_GM> "Look, I don't know, alright? We've been moving in ahead of Colonel Timmerius's visit.  A company? Two?"
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "A company or two? How the hell do you not know."
<Commissar_Hargrave> "If anyone makes any stupid decisions right now I will consider it against mission parameters and you will be shot."
<Pavor_GM> "Who the fuck are you? I'm a goddamn conscript," He says nodding to his shoulder patch.
<Pavor_GM> "All I know is our platoon has been roaming this shit along with the mercenaries for about a week."
* Aleksander clearly annoyed walks up to Leon and passes him the Com Bead
<Aleksander> "Hold on to this for a few I need to speak to our friend
<Aleksander> "Don't respond to them."
* Leon looks confused, but nods in agreement.
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "Great... wait, mercenaries? Where are these mercenaries?"
* Aleksander walks up to Prisoner and kneels down and looks at him
<Aleksander> "Hello Stuart."
<Pavor_GM> The prisoner looks at the surrounding vegetation. "Everywhere. They don't coordinate with us. They take orders directly from the Masters."
<Pavor_GM> Stuart's face forms a deep frown as he looks to Aleksander.
<Pavor_GM> "Who... the fuck are you?"
<Aleksander> "Not a Filthy traitor, like yourself. Now you better cooperate if you have any loyalty to your homeland, and value your life."
<Pavor_GM> The prisoner begins to laugh.
<Pavor_GM> "You're amateurs. Fucking rabble, like they keep telling us."
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "Kick him."
* Aleksander kicks him again where it hurts
<Aleksander> "You say that, given you are knee deep in shit and wasting everyones time."
<Pavor_GM> "Fucking... dogs!" he screams, contracting his entire body.
* Joshua slams his hand back over his mouth.
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "Just kill him."
* Joshua slits his throat.
<Pavor_GM> +Stuart, you'd best have gotten a good head start. I'm going to find and hang the pair of you deserters.+
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "Hide the body."
<Aleksander> "A waste of time, they spoke of stiring up the nearby Cavemen, if you know of anything about that."
<Leon> "Chasms?"
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "The fuck is a Caveman?"
<Zaylen> "Cavemen?"
<Dutch_Miles> "Is that what they call he bird like people?"
* Joshua hides the bodies in some of the dense foliage.
<Aleksander> "Well given how angry they are my guesses are they will be coming here noe."
* Aleksander walks up to Leon
<Aleksander> "May I have my Micro Bead back?"
* Leon hands the Micro Bead over.
* Aleksander takes it and puts it over him and helps out hiding the body
* Leon hides the bodies as best he can.
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "Team, set up an ambush. We got traitors to kill."
<Leon> "Aye."
<Dutch_Miles> "Understood sir."
* Leon finds a place to hide and sets up his ambush.
* Dutch_Miles goes to set up for the ambush.
* Aleksander sets up a position for ready for a ambush
* Lt_Faust_Johnstone takes cover, hides, and draws his autogun.
* Joshua hides, lascarbine at the ready.
* Commissar_Hargrave moves into cover with the rest of the squad, readying his autocarbine.
<Zaylen> "Sounds like fun." Zaylen finds a good spot behind one of the massive trees. +Setting up.+
<Pavor_GM> +Everyone, regroup on me.+
<Pavor_GM> This is the last transmission to be heard on the captured commbeads.
<Zaylen> +From what I'm gathering on the traitor comms they're coming our way.+
<Pavor_GM> Some 20 minutes later, a coordinated las-volley strikes your positions in a semi-circle around your ambush location. Effective fire strikes Joshua and Leon.
* Leon fires a semi burst that misses.
* Aleksander drops prone and lines up a shot and removes the Sergeant's head into dust
* Commissar_Hargrave fires a three round burst from his autocarbine towards one of the traitors.
* Joshua returns fire landing one of his two shots.
* Lt_Faust_Johnstone fires suppressive rounds at one of the enemies approaching.
<Zaylen> Has a bad feeling about the guy he's shooting at, as he doesn't hit him. "Dear God-Emperor not again."
* Dutch_Miles takes fire at one of the traitor guard, hitting him with two shots and is able to dodge the shots as well.
<Pavor_GM> Return fire is mostly ineffective, and when a metallic thump lands a grenade between Leon and Aleksander, the two dive out of its blast radius.
* Aleksander rolls to the side under heavy fire
<Pavor_GM> Another round finds its mark, however, burning through Aleksander's fatigues to scortch his thigh.
<Aleksander> "Ah Frak!"
* Leon fires a burst shot at an injured traitor.
* Aleksander leans up a bit as he turns around and lines up a shot at the special weapon and pops his head
* Commissar_Hargrave re-aligns his aim and fires another trio of shots, these find their mark and slay the traitor.
* Joshua realigning his aim the first shot narrowly misses with the second landing squarely in his opponents dome.
* Zaylen clenches his teeth as he toggles the fire selector to full-auto and lets loose. Seven shots slam into the cunt in front of him and kills the traitor. "Not this time, fether."
* Lt_Faust_Johnstone fires another suppressive burst and hits the enemy.
* Dutch_Miles continues to fire at the same guard, still not killing him, and then dodges into another piece of cover as he is shot at again.
<Pavor_GM> As more fire is exchanged, a pop goes off beween the groups, and a smoke cloud begins to rise and expand into the area.
* Leon fires another burst and kills the injured traitor.
* Aleksander focuses his eyes to where they were and fires off a shot into the smoke
* Commissar_Hargrave fires another burst through the obscuring smoke towards the enemy combatants, seemingly wounding one of them.
* Zaylen moves his aim to one of the two retreating figures, and with another three-round burst downs him. "One to go."
* Joshua lands two shots on a retreating target but neither are effective.
* Lt_Faust_Johnstone continues firing suppressive burst.
* Dutch_Miles takes a three shot burst at the last retreating traitor, hitting him with one but no kill.
* Leon kills the last traitor.
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "Search them. We need info... maps or anything."
<Zaylen> +I'll set up a perimeter in the mean time, El Tee.+
<Commissar_Hargrave> "You heard the Lieutenant. Spread out and search every single one, leave no bushes undisturbed."
* Aleksander sits up grabbing at his wound groaning in pain as he limps up and takes a sleeve of a uniform traitor and begins to wrap it around his wound tight
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> +Doc, check up on any of the wounded.+
<Dutch_Miles> +Copy that.+
* Aleksander makes his way to the Lieutenant
<Leon> "El Tee found two maps."
* Joshua checks the bodies and notices the grenade launcher. "If we come across another battle suit or similar we might need this." picking it up and prying the birdman emblem off.
* Dutch_Miles heads over to Aleksander, "You look hurt, let me help patch you up."
<Aleksander> "Sir, if you will permit a idea."
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "What's the plan?"
<Aleksander> "I am fine Imperial, it will take a Las Cannon to down Aleksander."
* Dutch_Miles eyes him, "You know you took a pretty bad hit from a Xeno weapon, you sure that you don't want me to at least take a look at the wound?"
<Aleksander> ""I have a name of that waste of existence I called once a brother, and if we want to draw out the next Patrol, perhaps me and our comrades can fool the Patrol that we are nearby at a glace, only to allow you to ambush them."
* Lt_Faust_Johnstone glances at the Commissar.
<Aleksander> "I said I am fine Imperial, do you need your ears cleaned?"
<Aleksander> "Young ones like you don't belong on the front, I seen it happen before."
* Dutch_Miles decides its useless to argue with this old man and backs of, making a mental note for next time the man gets hit to make sure he patches him up, even if he resist it.
<Aleksander> "Also nice shooting for spraying and praying to the Emperor."
<Commissar_Hargrave> "It is your decision Lieutenant, provided it's executed properly. The element of surprise is always a boon in these situations."
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "Let's do it."
<Aleksander> "If you trust us, then Aleksander trusts you Lieutenant."
<Aleksander> "If you want this to go smooth as Grox Butter, your Vox Channel would be handy."
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "It's better than running around a forest bringing people while they take a piss."
* Joshua heads back over having stowed the grenade launcher.
* Aleksander starts putting on the Armour
<Aleksander> "At least this does not smell like piss."
<Joshua> "Tormund, can you carry this for me while I'm 'Incognito'"
<Lt_Faust_Johnstone> "Sure. You can have the vox cast signal."
<Joshua> "I want my armour back as soon as possible - don't like this bird shit"
<Pavor_GM> "I am sworn to carry your burdens."
<Pavor_GM> "I think it suits you," he teases.
<Aleksander> "You could be Stuart Josh, I heard he was a Animal fraker."
<Joshua> "..."
* Leon hands the maps to the El Tee.
* Lt_Faust_Johnstone looks at the map and shows it to the Commissar.
* Commissar_Hargrave looks over the traitor maps.
<Joshua> "Let us have a peek we can probably tell you what its a map of."
<Pavor_GM> The map contains the locations of two traitor company camps hidden within the forest canopy around the orbital cannon facility.