Adventures of The House Guard 3

	RosenkrantzGM	"If yer unable to walk, I figure sarge should let ye die out here," Cutter nonchalantly probes an already-irritated Thamer. You have passed the night near the jagged stone formation just South of the cavern in which you found the PDF.
	RosenkrantzGM	"As soon as I get the use of my legs back, you low-life..." Thamer's thought is interrupted by the pain he's enduring, suddenly.
	Joe_Biggs	"Shaddup Cutter, last thing I need right now is you agitating the wounded. Just make sure you don't join him in the near future." Sergeant Joe says from a nearby rock. He's going over his Shotgun one last time before putting this assault plan into action.
	KrumVergian	"So I take it the accent wasn't working?" he says to cutter "Reynolds swore that it made me sound dignified." he adds, grumpily
	RosenkrantzGM	Cutter breaks into his characteristic dry laugh.
	RosenkrantzGM	"Dignified."
	Emil	keeps watch near the opening to the cave.
	Karl_Silverfinger	uses his MIU to connect to the servitor to transfer information and order new directives into the machine.
	KrumVergian	"It'll be a hit with the ladies." he says, storming closer to Emil.
	Emil	"How so?" Emil ask Krum
	Joe_Biggs	"Andrews, are you and your men ready?"
	RosenkrantzGM	"What's the plan, Sergeant?" the Colonial asks.
	KrumVergian	"Women love accents, It's like a honeypot magnet." he says laying his hands on the custom grips of his guns
	Joe_Biggs	"You are going ta show me where this comms bunker is. We're gonna ta have a look see. If I see what I like we'll assault it. How we assault will depend on what we find. I'll be counting on you and ya men to lead us straight there, with no problems. Ya get me? Seein' as your locals you should know the lay of the land much moah than us."
	RosenkrantzGM	"Soon ye'll have a sweet'eart in ev'ry port."
	Emil	"True, Though they also love men who tell stories of glorious stories of the battles they have won."
	RosenkrantzGM	"Yes, Sergeant, of course. I do warn you, chances are the morning patrols will be about."
	Joe_Biggs	"Then you'll have to guide us around them." Joe smiles sarcastically, showing all his pretty teeth. "We make it through this I'll be sure ta buy ya a drink, kid."
	Karl_Silverfinger	adjusts the metal nub on his pinkie and mumbles "The salt water didn't do me any favors."
	KrumVergian	chuckles "PDF never make it sarge."
	RosenkrantzGM	The colonial trooper looks at his now-NCO for a moment, confused by the man's demeanor as compared to the dangerous task ahead of them.
	RosenkrantzGM	He then looks straight at Vergian.
	RosenkrantzGM	And back at the Sergeant once more.
	Karl_Silverfinger	disconnects from the servitor and tells it to return to it's nursing duties.
	RosenkrantzGM	The gilded servitor returns to the patients, monitoring vital signs once more.
	Joe_Biggs	"Don't look so confused kid, this ain't tha worst match I've been in." He looks at Krum, "stop scaring our new comrades, Krum. Got enough problems as is. And don't underestimate ground pounders, they'll surprise ya."
	Karl_Silverfinger	"Hell, we need medical supplies, a tent, and bigger guns."
	Karl_Silverfinger	thinks out loud.
	RosenkrantzGM	Trooper Andrews nods, giving his chinstrap a small tug.
	KrumVergian	"I could use some bigger guns."
	Joe_Biggs	"All right you sorry dregs! Fall in, let's get this show on the road. Can't leave the Lord Protector waiting!"
	Emil	readies up to leave and falls in line
	RosenkrantzGM	"We'll cut across the dirt road up, through the trees. As long as we follow the sight of the red mountain, we'll be going in the right direction. It'll be a bit of a climb at the end of the hike, but we will have a view of the comms station from some elevation."
	RosenkrantzGM	Andrews gives his lasgun a slap, and starts walking.
	Joe_Biggs	does a mock stretch while responding, "a little walking nevah hurt anybody. Lead the way."
	KrumVergian	"So did Bridge give us any word of reinforcements? Or we storming solo?" he says Biggs, anxiously handling the shotguns
	Karl_Silverfinger	"Reinforcements?"
	RosenkrantzGM	After crossing the road, you find yourself inside the canopy of coastal flora. Every now and again, the canopy clears and you can see a vast range of red-orange mountains.
	Joe_Biggs	"We're solo for now."
	RosenkrantzGM	As you advance, the terrain becomes more and more steep. You appear to be walking along the side incline of higher ground.
	Emil	1d100 vs 73
	RosenkrantzGM	In a split second, the shrubbery around you seems to spring to life. Emil, the most experienced veteran among you fires dangerously close to those in front of him in the formation, towards trooper Andrews. Seemingly at the very same time, several mutants crash into your formation. One knocks Andrews prone... the trooper disappearing underneath the hideous mutated body. The same is true of
	RosenkrantzGM	Silverfinger, who is charged at full force onto the ground. A mutant with petrified arms sharp as jagged stone pummeling the Medic.
	Karl_Silverfinger	"FECK!'
	RosenkrantzGM	The Sergeantis hit by a creature whose head and torso appear to have no distinctive beginning or end. While Biggs is able to maintain his footing, the creature strikes him with a worn, unpowered, likely looted powermaul, modified with metallic spiked on its end.
	RosenkrantzGM	Krum, too, is able to keep his footing, but not without receiving a hit to the face from what can be described as a stone hammer by his own adversary.
	RosenkrantzGM	Emil is the only one who is spared from this, having spotted the situation the split second before it all sprung.
	Joe_Biggs	"I knew some of ya were ugly, but Emperor damn me, you're the ugliest," he spits at the foul creature.
	KrumVergian	"You're an ugly bugger." he says, before drawing the las pistol he took earlier
	KrumVergian	slams the pistol against the creatures chest and gives the trigger two quick squeezes
	RosenkrantzGM	The hammer-wielding mutant exhales long as its bodyweight leans on Krum before collapsing on the ground.
	KrumVergian	pushes the creature off in disgust
	RosenkrantzGM	The mutant assaulting Trooper Andrews attempts to stomp on the colonial's face, missing him entirely.
	Joe_Biggs	grunts as he slaps the mutant wherever the things face is, on his way to drawing his laspistol. Once it's out of his holster he thumbs, on instinct, the safety off, and the setting to overload, before squeezing the trigger two times rapid into the creature. Somehow he finds a chink in the things armor as he not only kills it but sets it on fire as well. He kicks it off of him as the mutant...
	Joe_Biggs	...is set alight.
	KrumVergian	"Nice shot Biggs!" he says, frantically searching for more mutants
	Joe_Biggs	"Compliment me later! Kill these freaks!" He snarls.
	Emil	turns to see the mutant standing over Karl and opens fire and the mutant killing it had saving the good doctor, "Take that you mutant bastard."
	RosenkrantzGM	The fury of the blast at this range is such that the creature catches fire. The flames engulf the mutant, setting the bandolier of ammunition it carried alight. The crackling of exploding shotgun shells engulfs the area, with shot flying in the Doctor's direction.
	Karl_Silverfinger	screams "Feck. FECK! FEEEECCCCCCCK!" as he rolls away.
	Karl_Silverfinger	while on his back and draws his lasgun and overcharges it.
	Karl_Silverfinger	shoots the mutant in the head.
	RosenkrantzGM	The right side of its face is charred with the blast, but it remains alive... and now seething with rage.
	RosenkrantzGM	It uses its weight to drop ontop of andrews with the spiked maul, hitting the trooper dead in the chest. The trooper has the wind knocked out of him, with a loud heave.
	Joe_Biggs	sweeps his hand while barking, "kill that thing already!"
	Emil	takes aim and opens fire on the mutant attacking Andrews.
	RosenkrantzGM	Emil looses his cool, seeing Andrews now at the mercy of an enraged mutant. He fires. The decision to shoot comes just as the two shift their bodies in the struggle. The las shot instead hits the colonial trooper. In the instant he is hit on his side, Andrews's screams go silent.
	Emil	"FUCK, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Emil screams at the top of his lungs.
	Joe_Biggs	"Watch your fecking fire, Emperor-Dammit!"
	Karl_Silverfinger	aims on the ground and fires at the mutant, killing the bastard.
	Karl_Silverfinger	gets up and tries to save his fallen ally.
	KrumVergian	"I say we just end the poor guys misery." he says morrosely
	RosenkrantzGM	Cutter nods, and makes for the fallen trooper, boarding axe in hand.
	Karl_Silverfinger	is able to save Andrews. However, without proper care, the trooper will die.
	Karl_Silverfinger	"Put that shit away. Sarge!"
	RosenkrantzGM	Andrews yet breathes. But the trauma has left him unconscious.
	KrumVergian	"We don't have time to play nurse, he is in too rough of shape."
	Karl_Silverfinger	"We ain't leaving him for dead."
	Emil	goes up to the dead mutant that he fail to kill and starts kicking the shit out of it.
	RosenkrantzGM	Feces ooze out of the mutant.
	Joe_Biggs	walks up to Emil and grabs the trooper by the scruff of his uniform and pushes him to the nearest rock. "Focus! Bad enough you almost killed a friendly, kid, I don't need you wasting your energy either."
	Joe_Biggs	"Doc, med up Andrews and find a spot to hide him so we can pick him up later." He looks at the other locals. "Any one of you know a good place to stash him, along with continuing to guide us?"
	Emil	takes a moment to calm down and then looks Joe in the eye, "Yes Sir, I just lost my cool, I won't let it happen again."
	KrumVergian	"Not fuckin' worth it if you ask me." he whispers to cutter
	Karl_Silverfinger	"That's all I can do for him, Sarge."
	RosenkrantzGM	They look at one another. "The cave is the only safe place. The beasts, the large ones. They will find them out here."
	KrumVergian	"But hey, that's more time for me out of the saddle, and away from these damned mutants."
	Joe_Biggs	sighs. "Emil, your mistake, your fix. You're gonna carry Andrews 'til we get to our destination." He points at the locals. "Lead on."
	RosenkrantzGM	One of them clears his throat.
	Emil	"Yes Sir," Emil then goes over to help pick up Andrews and carry him.
	RosenkrantzGM	"The way I see it, we were surviving just fine until you showed up. And now /you/ killed Andrews! He was the one that got us to safety."
	KrumVergian	pretends to take no notice, but his hands slip to the holsters on his hips
	RosenkrantzGM	"Big mouth," Cutter comments without emphasis.
	Joe_Biggs	clenches his jaw before taking his helmet off. He walks up to the local who said that until he's face to face, eye to eye, with the man, and gives him the bad stink eye. "Listen here, you little dirt ball shit, the way I see it the only reason you're still alive is because my sorry ass and my men saved /your/ sorry asses back there. Unless you've been mind zapped this whole time you'll know...
	Joe_Biggs	...shit happens on the battlefield. Emil will answer for his mistakes, all who fuck up answer for it in one way or another. Now, you're going to keep going and help us save the rest of your sorry asses or I'm going to whip you all personally until you do. Or so help me God-Emperor I'll shoot you myself. DO. YOU. GET. ME?!"
	RosenkrantzGM	The trooper swallows hard, and breaks eye contact. Almost under his breath, and in monotone, he says, "We should reach the climb soon," as he continues to the fore of the formation.
	KrumVergian	lets out a bark of laughter before patting the trooper on the back
	KrumVergian	"You never had a chance."
	Joe_Biggs	"That's the spirit. I don't need you to love me, I need you to follow orders so we'll all survive this."
	RosenkrantzGM	In a quarter of an hour, you come to a rocky wall. It isn't a complete 90-degree angle, but without the use of all your limbs, reaching the top will be impossible.
	RosenkrantzGM	"This is it."
	Joe_Biggs	directs the doc to ziptie the unconscious Andrews so that he will be secure to Emil's body.
	Joe_Biggs	"Krum, you're up first, then the locals, then everyone else."
	Karl_Silverfinger	acknowledges his new orders and does as he is told.
	KrumVergian	"Can't we use the locals as meatshields?" he say to Biggs, before taking the lead
	RosenkrantzGM	Anrews's arms are tucked in between Emil's back and his ruck-sack. He is 'tied' in this way, as though hugging the Veteran Guard's equipment.
	Joe_Biggs	smacks the man on the helmet as if to respond.
	Joe_Biggs	"Get up there, before I really hit you."
	KrumVergian	begins to attempt the climb
	Karl_Silverfinger	"Well, I have a grapple, Sarge."
	KrumVergian	turns and gives Karl a dirty look
	Emil	stands there with Andrews strapped to his back.
	Joe_Biggs	sighs. "Karl, will you please tell me this before I make myself look like a dumbarse?" He kicks the medic in his booty. "Get to it."
	Karl_Silverfinger	"Feck, I miss it."
	Emil	"Let me give it a shot." Emil says to Karl
	Karl_Silverfinger	hands the grapple gun to the Emil "Here. Be of use."
	Emil	"Let me give it a shot." Emil says to Karl
	Emil	aims and fires the Grapple, up the incline, the grapple reaches it target and is ready for use.
	KrumVergian	"You see, I'm pretty athletic, a natural sprinter." he says, before grabbing the rope, clipping his harness, and beginning to climb.
	RosenkrantzGM	The local troopers wait some distance before following up. They appear to be familiar with the face of the clif-side choosing an efficient path up.
	Karl_Silverfinger	is struggling climbing up the rope.
	Karl_Silverfinger	"Feck mountains!"
	Joe_Biggs	works up a sweat as he ascends behind Karl, slapping him to keep his ass moving.
	Emil	climbs up the mountain behind Joe.
	Karl_Silverfinger	"AH, That hurts. FECK EVERYTHING!"
	KrumVergian	makes his way up fairly easily, before turning to help others
	RosenkrantzGM	As you ascend, the mountainside turns an orange hue. At the very top it looks like clay, with the bright dust kicking up, sticking to your boots. You find yoursevles with a view unlike anything you've seen so far. Off to the East, you actually make out what are the Colonial Center's high protective walls.
	KrumVergian	"Wow...." he says, appreciating the view
	Joe_Biggs	gives a low whistle. "Not a bad sight for being on-planet."
	RosenkrantzGM	The wind, blowing from the East, carries the sound of screeching engines... in ever-increasing intensity.
	RosenkrantzGM	The Consequence's flyboys have been cleared to enter the atmosphere. The ship is set to deliver its devastating power on the hordes below.
	RosenkrantzGM	Cutter looks up, as though he were able to see the ship from where he stands, admiring the 'view', and the emotions it evokes in the experienced voidfarer.
	KrumVergian	"Think the new bloods got what it takes?" he asks Cutter
	RosenkrantzGM	"They wouldn't be on that ship if they weren't," he replies, eyes still locked on the view.
	KrumVergian	nods, before anxiously rubbing Mutt and Beauty
	Karl_Silverfinger	starting breathing heavily and says "Seriously feck mountains."
	RosenkrantzGM	++All units be advised. Air operations are now cleared for action.++
	RosenkrantzGM	"Angels..." one of the colonials says apparently to one of his comrades.
	KrumVergian	"If you think those loudmouthed, cocky flyboys are angels then we are all doomed."
	Joe_Biggs	"About time. That means CAS! Our job just got a lot easier." He laughs.
	Joe_Biggs	"All right, point me in the direction of that bunker," he orders the locals.
	RosenkrantzGM	He does exactly that. He points in a northerly direction, to the cliffside on that face of the mount.
	RosenkrantzGM	Cutter walks toward that direction.
	RosenkrantzGM	+There's the ugly bitch...+
	Joe_Biggs	follows after the seedy voidfarer.
	RosenkrantzGM	Looking at a slight down-angle, the comms station is visible. It sits atop another elevation not unlike his one.
	RosenkrantzGM	The main parabolic antenna is clearly destroyed from your position.
	RosenkrantzGM	It appears as though the metal has been salvaged to create crude defensive spikes near the base of the facility, on the approach upwards.
	RosenkrantzGM	You can see a group of perhaps 10 mutants arriving now, dragging or carrying all sorts of looted weapons and equipment.
	RosenkrantzGM	And... you see a line of prisoners being escorted in.