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RP: Bounty Hunts [Bounty 1]: Sand Rally

BLAM! Cateel's pistol went off right in between eyes of the lizard. This one, unlike its leader was not intelligent and at all did not really know what gun was. It as so happy the big thing it bit, did not beat at its. Perhaps it was okay with being dinner. Then some loud sound came out and it died. It died fast, which was good, because at least it did not got any time to get sad about no dinner tonight.

As the dead lizard released its jaws, Casteel had some time to feel her arm. Luckily for her, it did not bit through, but her bracer was quite ruined and clamped hard as it bent, forcing itself around her forearm. Still it did not stop her to get MG and get set up, as gunfire started ringing from the encampement.

Not too far awat, Nais set up her bipod and fell down to the ground next to Svante. The ex-soldier himself already enjoyed the advantage of his thermal scope, seeing the figures running around in the cloud of sand and shooting each other. There was one problem, there was no way to say who was friendly and who was not. Luckily for him, he was on the higher ground. That gave way for him seeing over the sand cloud and across the camp, where raided in sand-buggies were riding down the dune, shooting from pintle mounter machineguns.

"Come on Svante, give me priority tatgets!" Nais said to him, but she already pulled a trigger. A round lefts its barrel and Svante could see one of the hot spots hanging off a side of one buggy fall off.

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As Desmond, Lapaz, Raven and Amano rushed downhill to join the defenders, their could hear two most traditional nepleslian sounds. Swearing and gunfire.

"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! They have a bloody tank boss!"
"Well where the hell is Reynolds with his bloody bazooka!?!" They could hear angry voice of Jaina in their comms.
"It is called Rocket-Propelled Grenade Launcher ma'am." Man who was most likely Reynolds replied.
"Well sod you too Reynold, stop spoutin' rubbish and shoot the damn tank!"
"I dare to say it is more like a big drill ma'am," came the response.
"JUST BLOODY SHOOT!"
"Well if you insist."

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ. Something flew from the left part of the camp, whooshing towards the center where the large mechanical beast emerged. Its red tail of fire flew safely and then exploded, mortally wounding an innocent looking dune on the other side of the camp.

"YOU FOKKING MISSED!"
"Well excuse me ma'am, I can see diddle!"
"Reload!"
"I got to get my spare, I only took the loaded launcher with me. I did not expect to need two shots for a wildlife."
"Then bloody GET IT!" From the way, Jaina sounded, it was fairly clear that if bullet won't get her tonight, she might die of a massive heat attack.
"I am on ti ma-" the radio went silent.
"Fuck Reynolds got hit!" New voice said.
"WELL THAT IS BLOODY MARVELLOUS! Somebody get that bloody rocket."
"It is a rocket propelled grenade Ma'am," third voice said.
"FUCK YOU TOO MITCHELL!"

But then bounty hunters already reached the first carts and the cloud of sand. The engines of the monsted in the middle roared and it was probable the cause of the sand keeping up in the air. Desmond and co could not see futher then few meters in front of them and it was good they all had goggles (or visored helmets) and were set up for the desert.

As the climbed the first cart they could see shapes running towards them with roar. Some kind of angry looking sand people. "OOOOH OOOOH OOOOH" They shouted holding clubs and firearms, pulling few largely innefective shots at the group. That said, the wheel on the cart Lapas, just jumped over, surely deserve getting its hinge shot off.

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Desmond slid under one of the carts, emerging on the other side at the sight of one the marauders laughing and kicking one of the lizard caravaneers who drove the carts. The man was laughing like a maniac as he enjoyed playing with the helpless lizard man. The bandit was very very big indeed, in some kind of bullet proofe suit, holding a nasty looking crowbar and shortened fat-boy.

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Lapas hopped over his carts and just in from of him three bandits were just finishing killing one of the mercs. The poor sod was laying on the ground and the sand-people were cutting him to pieces with machettes. What Lapaz could notice though was a tube of some kind laying not too far from the body.

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Raven went around other cart, his rifle raised. Noctovision was useless in the send so he slid it up, which was just enough as a bandit jumped towards him, peppering him with dual pistols. Excpet they were Zen Arms Liberators, which sort of killed the effect and awe it caused as Raven was hit several times into chestpiece of his Emrys armour, causing him to stagger back. CLICK CLICK, went both guns soon. "Well fuck," said the man over his mask, as Raven straightened up.

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Amano jumped straight over cart in her way landing on the sand from a very cool salto. Sadly for her, she landed in front of something that could only be descriped as live hand grenade. With no pin in it. Before she could say a swear of her own, attack grenade exploded and tossed her back at the cart, synching her armour. She could hear shrapnel grazing at he harder parts of her NMX armour and it made her hat fly off. The neko flew straight into the cart and fell down.

In front of her laughter could be heard as hardy looking ID-SOL covered in tatters walked in front of her. His chest was ridden with grenades and sticks of dynamites. "Well lookie hear. It is a kitty," He said in gruff voice. "I did not fuck a kitty in years. This is gonna be blast. You get it? A blast." The man took an arm from under his clothing, and it held a large and nasty looking hammer, with some kind of mechanism under its head.

Hammer is usually not such a big problem, expect he was very close and once again, the trusty Impaler left the nekovalkyrja's hands flying right after her even trustier hat.
 
Grenades, why did it have to be grenades? Amanozako cursed and spat out some hemosynth as she struggled to get back to her feet and pull herself out of the cart she had been blown into. She paused after managing to get into a crouch as the newcomers appeared. Her red eyes traveled up the giant ID-SOL plus hammer standing before her.

She took a quick inventory as the big thug spoke. Her fedora and impaler were missing, thrown off. She would have to recover those as soon as she could. "If I wanted someone as stupid and ugly as you I'd go find a Mishhu" she hissed and backfipped over the cart and gained distance between herself and the thugs. As she did she drew one of her HHG's and opened fire on the ID-SOL, sending the last couple red shells she had loaded in the gun at the giant idiot's chest.
 
Desmond got up and pressed his back against the caravan car, leaving a few small drops of blood behind. He started to notice how much of a mistake was to be in that mission, given how big the opposition was, and just hoped that the marine backup they had been promised would arrive; They sure were taking their time. The bounty let his assault rifle hang from its sling besides his torso as he assessed the situation, drawing his sidearm and unsheathing the blade once again as the thug contented himself in beating up one of the people from the caravan.

Visibility was bad because of the dust, so Desmond simply toggled the power field on the blade as he advanced towards the bandit while the marauder was still facing the other way. On his last step, the bounty hunter brought his blade down, aiming behind the bandit's knee.
 
Noting that her armour was ruined, Casteel wasted little time in ignoring it so she could fetch out her MG-32. Ripping it out from under the covers of her trampled sleeping bag, she had it set and loaded for the next lumbering shape that happened to be within immediate visual range. And with her cybernetic vision, she had no problem picking out unfriendly targets.

Until a great cloud of sand heaved up from the center of the carts ringed below their encampment. The heavy woman swore under her breath and switched to thermal vision. Vague shapes were charging down the dunes in sand buggies that bounced and rolled across the sand at high speed. With a practice swing in their direction and half a second to set her stance, Casteel opened fire on the approaching buggies.
 
Lapas was still some what confused as to what the hell was happening around him, but he knew that having bandits behind his cover was not good at all. He took aim and fired off three quick shots at the wounded merc's assailants. Before he even had conformation they had been hit he pulled out his laiz pistol and dove for the tube laying next to the merc's body. All he could hope for was that the poor man lying on the ground was Reynolds with his next rocket close by.
 
Raven smiled at the man who had shot at him "Well fuck indeed" he said as he lifted his rifle and fired a burst of laser fire into the man. If a single burst sufficed Raven would move to a new position and start looking for additional targets to start slimming down the enemy numbers.
 
"Somebody, get that bloody launcher and somebody else get that bloody rocket. We need to take out that stupid tank out asap." Boomed mercenary commander's voice trough the communication line. There was no fire coming away from the tank, but its engines still roared and soon a rumble could be heard. It began to move.

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The laughter was soon cut as the powered blade cut into the armour of the sand-man, who was busy kicking his lizard victim. Desmond's swin cut true, alas the armour that the bandit wore, was thicket, then one could imagine. The man swung around his crowbar, but Desmond hopped back evading it. Then he could hear servos. The ruffian turned around to face Desmond and what looked like a bullet proof suit, under the rags, was something worse. It was a suit of make-shift powere armour. All servos and hydralics. It was clear it offered protection, but it lacked speed. Which was what gave Desmond chance to strike first.

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Casteel's bipod set on one of the rock, she could see the buggies racing the other side of the camp, behind the great sand cloud. Her thermographic vision showed her that at least half of mercenaries defending were shooting out at the buggies, but the little cars were firing back with much bigger guns. Casteel's hand pulled on the slide on her machine gun, cocking the weapon with satisfying KA-CHINK. Then she pressed the trigger. The sound comparable to very loud tearing of a clothg could be heard as MG-32 opened up. Bursts of fire, started hitting the lead buggy, riddling it with holes, flames bursting from the ending. The gunner was hit and fell of the car, only to be crushed, by other one, going behind him.

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As Lapaz opened up fire, one of the men was riddled with laiz fire and fell dead to the ground, next to his victim. The other two, much like Lapaz himself, hit the dirt. They quickly drew their guns, as Lapaz moved for the tube. It was clear that the tube was a launcher for some kind of rockets or RPGs, and judging by how red, the tail of it was, it was fire recently. Unfortunately for Lapaz, his inquiry into the tube gave the other two bandits time to gather their wits and jump behind nears small rock, shooting from behind it at the bounty hunter.

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Raven opened up, riddling the man with laser fire and dropping him dead. That gave him chance to move up, he could see that his target was well and truly dead, one of the beams going straight through his throat, other burning a hole where the mans right eye-ball used to be. As he looked at the body, he could notice that for a simple bandit, the man had an earpiece and bullet-proof vest, the styrling everyday.

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One salto later, enhanced with use of gravity control, Amano stood on top of the wagon, her HHG in hand and opening fire. Red shells flew out, but the ID-SOL was on the move already. Most people think, that ID-SOLs are slow, hulking creature but the ID stands for ideal and SOL stands for soldier. He was fast and Amanozako's shots riddled the desert next to him, one of the shots going really close, but not nearly enough. He charged her with the hammer, so she jumped back, retreating behind the wagon. Last thing she saw was him raising his big hammer.

The neko landed few meters back, rolling over her shoulder. Then explosion could be heard on the other side of the wagon and it started flying her way, sent by some explosive force.
 
During his four year education program, Desmond got into more than his average share of fights against the other students, being the troublemaker that he was; On one such occasion, he fought another student who was much bigger, but slower than him. The bounty hunter couldn't help but to recall how the situation in which he was in was eerily familiar, but the difference was that he wouldn't get a purple eye if he lost, and that only motivated him to fight harder.

In brief moment of respite after he stepped back out of his adversary's reach, Desmond understood that facing the bandit directly meant that he would lose to the enhanced strength of the man's makeshift power armor, so he became more mobile, taking long sidesteps as he circled the bandit. The outcome of his attack had also told him more about the bandits who were raiding the caravans: They weren't the average run of the mill thugs, they were better equipped and prepared. The very fact that the field around his blade hadn't cut through the metal on the armor like a hot knife through butter hinted that the material was a very resilient alloy, not just the cheap durandium bits that were found on every street corner. Nevertheless, If he managed to take out the servo's on the bandit's leg, then it would be just a matter of finishing him off as he would have almost no mobility.

He eventually lashed out, first with a feint, reaching back with his right arm as he started a diagonal slash with the powered blade, but instead of following up with the attack, Desmond took a step closer, moving to the blind side of the enemy's guard and then properly attacking, aiming the blade once more on the same leg that he had struck before.
 
There was something very comfortably safe about behind the MG-32. It wasn't just the sense of control over a situation, nor the satisfying noise quotient as the weapon fired. It was like home for Casteel, a memory that brought her back to old times when things were much... simpler. Easier to take.

And now that feeling aided Cas in picking off the head of a line of buggies buzzing the camp. With her improved vision, she was able to cause some damage from a distance, as per her resume when she first signed up for the job. The second her target dropped she was already moving on to the next one, rotating and tilting her weapon to squeeze off a fine burst of fire onto the second buggy...
 
It could be described as a dance in the desert, except it was no tango. It were two men trying to kill each other. One with big heavy crowbar and other with powered blade. Desmond tip-toed around the big lunky man in armour, dodging few slow crowbar swings. Then he darted, feigning and then moving into the bandit's blind spot. The criminal was slow, the blade hit the leg nearly at the same place as before, cutting throuhg the armour and clearly damaging what was under. Yet the man was not slow enough he quickly turned as he fell to one knee, grabbing Desmond by webbing on his armour.

"Got you now bitch," He said as his other hand holding the big crowbard began to raise itself for a nasty swing.

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Tracers started flying againe, few going into the second buggy. One of the men hanging of the side fell down with scream as he was hit in the hand he used to hang on. The gunner on top turned his machine guns towards the outcrop of stones Casteel used as cover and started firing, sending the bullets roughly from where MG-32 fire was going at his truck. His open mouth showed Casteel that he was shouting, although she could not hear that over the sound of her own gun and incoming bullets shattering rocks around her.
 
Desmond gritted his teeth, almost losing his balance once his movement was suddenly stopped by the bandit. It took a fraction of a second for the bounty hunter to realize that he wasn't going nowhere, it was fight or die against the guy with the powered armor. He saw the crowbair raise, and raised his left arm to meet it, hoping that it would his his powered blade. He then jammed his automatic pistol right in the man's face and started firing.
 
Lapas clutched onto the launcher and dove to get as close to his old cover as he could. He knew he wouldn't be able to make there but it made sense to keep moving. He fired his pistol blind behind his back to at least suppress the two men. Using his Iroma hearing to help him dodge and roll away from the bandits fire as he attempted to crawl behind his cover and get his bearings.
 
Amanozako cursed, kicking off with her feet, launching herself into the air and using her gravity manipulation to propel herself up a hundred feet. There she floated long enough to holster her empty HHG and draw the second still loaded one.

"Some grenades would be nice about now" she growled and orbited, lining up a shot and firing at the ID-SOL below.
 
Lapas' figenger wrapped around the line, that allowed for the launcher tube to be carried on ones back. Crawling back, while shots flew around, retreated. It was unsure if any of the shots he fired back blindly, hit one of the two man. Still he made it behind a rock and that was enough cover, from the incoming fire. In his arms was the launcher tube. They still needed ammo for it though.

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The crowbar was barely stopped by the blade of Desmond's sword. It cut into the crowbar deeply, but the sturdy thing was not cut in half. Still it was enough to stop the attack, even though Desmond's arm was on fire from the intense pressure as he held the man back. Still his other hand was free to aim his gun into man's face, who was close enough, that barrel of the weapon, actually hit his nose. Then the weapon clicked, as Des pulled the trigger. A burst of rounds, went straight into the mans face, the recoil made the weapon go up and tore up his cranium as well. Bits of skull, brain and tissue were blasted around, landing both on the ground and Desmond's helmet and upper body, splattering the blood everywhere. The men fell to the side, quite dead.

"Hell, anyone still in the back?" All of the bounty hunters could hear the merc leader in the radio, even though she was not too audible, over the gunfire. "Someone get that rocket and the launcher! We need to blow that fucking drill! Reynolds had more rounds in the supply wagon."

The local, that was being beaten by the power-armoured bandit, sat up looking at Desmond. "Thank you," he said, coughing a bit of blood. "The supply wagon is over there!" He pointed to large shape, not too far from where Desmond was.

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Casteel kept firing her weapon. She fired, until the gun clicked. It was time to change ammo. As she reached for new box, she noticed Nais who was not too far, looking up to the sky. "What the fuck?" Said the marksman.

As Casteel followed the eyes of the sniper, the large woman could see a figure flying straight out of the sand cloud, stopping good 100 feet up, easily visible by the mercs on the hill and the outriders in the buggies, altought those seemed to have more trouble of their own, with the defenders. The poncho on the flying person quite clearly showed to Casteels bionic eyes, that it was Amanozako. And the zoom offered by her eyes showed the uncovered nekovalkyrja ears, now visible with the neko's fedora gone.

Amano herself, had no trouble getting up and flying away, although she was in the clear, she was also quite open. Her HHGs changed she was ready to fight once more. Still there was an ID-SOL somewhere down in the sand cloud under her feet.
 
As the bandit fell to the side, Desmond fell on his knees, dropping his pistol and clutching the arm that had been holding the hand, doing that until the excruciating pain receded, giving a nonchalant wave towards the local who was being beat up by the bandit. He flexed his hand a couple of times before getting up again, there was still a lot of work to be done from the gunshots that still ringed out around the caravan. He picked up his pistol at the same time he toggled off the machete's energy field and sheathed it, then holstered it before he set off again.

His eyes shifted towards the downed wagon and he started running towards it, crouching down and sliding the rest of the way on the sand until he approached the wagon. He instantly spotted what he was looking for, picking up a small bag from where the front side of the rockets were sticking out from one end and slung it over his shoulder. Desmond stopped, once again, when he felt something wet tickling down his helmet and onto his face, making him wipe it with his free arm; When he looked at his arm did he noticed that it was blood that he was wiping off, and even though it was not his the feeling was still just as eerie.

"I have the rockets, where is the launcher?" He asked on the comms, clutching the bag around one arm and drawing his pistol again with his free hand.
 
Lapas was prepared toss the launcher for all the good it did him, then he heard Desmond's voice come over the comms. Lapas immediately responded practically cutting him off "DESMOND! You beautiful bastard, did I hear you say you have my rockets? The launcher is with me." Lapas was visibly excited its been a while since he had a chance to blow up something big and threatening. His voice came back over the comms ,"Whats your position?"
 
Desmond jammed two fingers on the side of his helmet, pressing the headset closer to his ear so he could hear it over the staccato bursts of gunfire; the battle was still raging on. "I'm at the caravan," he said, panning his pistol left and right as he scanned for any targets, "don't make yourself known, tell me your position and I'll try to find you." He added in a surprisingly level voice given what he had just done and started running again. If Lapas was shot then there was a big chance that the launcher would be lost and since the marine reinforcement they had been promised didn't have any prospect of showing up, so would their chances of getting out of there alive.
 
Lapas kept himself down and slung the launcher over his shoulder, "I'm uhhhh, I'm on the far side of the caravan can't get a good look without getting my ass shot up by these two pricks from the rock behind me." He paused to think, "Just look where the two pricks are shooting over the dead guys I'm probably where they are shooting."

He began his wait for Desmond by hunkering down and letting his Iroma hearing tell him if either one of the pricks started moving closer. Hearing nothing immediately, he quickly reloaded his guns.
 
Lapas was correct, there were two pricks shooting their guns. Except they did not bother with dead, as he shouted in happiness Desmond's name, telling the bounty hunter that he had the launcher, those two bandits heard so. Soon pistol rounds were whizzing by Lapas' position, if he would not be behind his handy rock, he would be in pretty bad position. Still someone one shooting his way, so it was not exactly good position anyway.

"Yo," they could hear Nais' voice in the comms. "Desmond I am on thermo, you head eastwards I can see someone with really hot tube. I bet that is your buddy and the launcher. Also he is under fire, I will try to help him-" And then she was suddenly cut off.

Now Desmond had a heading and surely he could hear gunfire, generally from direction, where Nais sent him. Walking for a bit through the artificial sand-storm she could see a from with a tube hiding behind a big rock. He was under fire from at least two weapons of smaller caliber.

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Svante-s vision in his binoes was suddenly covered, looking up he could see that front of the binoes was covered in blood. Looking to his side, he could see slumped form of Nais, lying down on her belly and her face in her in the sand. There was a pool of blood forming under her head and he could clearly see exit-wound, bullet left on the back of her head.

Casteel meanwhile reloaded her weapon and now she could see the same thing from couple of stones over, where she was set up. To both there was now only one word ringing through head. Sniper.
 
Desmond looked around as he pressed the side of his helmet closer to his hear, allowing him to hear what was being said better over the noise all around him, and pressed his back against the downed wagon, looking around as he listened. He stopped looking around when Nais was cut off, waiting for a few moments to see if the other woman would still be talking, then set off again once he decided that there would be no further talk.

He slung the bag containing the rockets over his back, letting it hang from the strap and make clacking noises as the exposed tips of the rockets beat against the Muur's armored plate on his back, and drew his rifle again. The bounty hunter ran with a slight limp towards the two distinct reports of small caliber fire, pistols if he could hazard a guess, until he reached yet another unoccupied wagon, slamming against it so he could come to a full stop.

Desmond peeked out of his cover, spotting an area being pelted by the pistol fire, and followed the tracers back to their origin. He raised his rifle, putting the location where the muzzle flashes were coming from and started firing.
 
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