RP: Operation Chevalier [Mission 0.1] Objects in Space

Trace took note of the enemy's actions and how they were attempting to maneuver. Trace had attempted to conserve ammunition and had not wantonly sprayed the enemy. Their focus on Tank's position gave the impression that they did not know where Trace was located.

An idea came to Trace's minds as the collective had set up a recreation of the scene with various duplicates representing the roles of the players. Data was fed in real time allowing Trace to both see the action from within and without at a tactical vantage point.

"The enemy seems to think we are located somewhere else."

"Yeah maybe we can use that to our advantage. We need to change positions especially now that more are undoubtedly approaching."

"So what's the plan chaps?"

"Let's try a distraction. The enemy thinks we are over there. Why don't we throw something over there to make it sound like we are beginning to move, making them look in that direction and get ready to fire on us. At the moment they look away we shift positions and flank them, this time hitting their vitals a little closer."

The simulated scene showed a calculated trajectory path for an object to be thrown and ricochet in the specified area they wanted. Hopefully it would be convincing enough. It would help if they weren't shooting at the time as well.

"Sounds good. Alright chaps, here we go."

With a quick silent text, Trace messaged Tank the next move.


At the next opening Trace began to fire several rounds at the three pirates to keep their heads down. At the moment they all ducked Trace then threw a good sized chunk of debris in the planned trajectory. Trace stopped shooting after the debris was launched to allow noise to be heard as the chunk began to bounce around in the intended location. If it worked and all three were sufficiently concerned enough to turn and try to block an attempt to flank them from that direction Trace would begin moving in the direction they were not looking to quickly reposition to attack them where they did not expect. The sooner the better because with more enemy coming they would need all the ammunition and guns these three carried.

Trace's distraction worked, at least well enough. The clattering noise down the hall drew several bursts of blind fire, but the fire team had decided to keep their heads down and instead of looking the wrong way, they weren't looking at all. A Gendarme, as stealthy as it might have been pressed between the framework of two spinal pillars, did not have many options to flank that weren't a couple dozen inches above the enemy's nose. Though as Trace scanned his situation, he would notice a slim circulation duct that might be just big enough for a very limber human to crawl through, or perhaps an unarmored Gendarme like Trace and Tank were riding.

Below the machine's imitation of a spider, the team was beginning to lose morale. One tugged his helmet off, something close to panic in his icy blue irises, "What the fuck; what in hell's name are we shooting at, did anybody see anything?"

One of the other two suits of armor, a small red chevron-and-bell marking him out against the paired black bars of the other two, made a hand motion that seemed to translate into, "get your god damned helmet back on!" with a measure of well-earned authority. The third pirate tapped Chevron-and-bell's shoulder guard and belted out a series of hand signals, confident as they seemed to mimic the strobing radio pulses coming from somewhere down the hall like an attenuated echo.

Tank took this opportunity and carefully aimed at the head of the pirate that had removed his helmet. With the last shot that he had saved, he fired at the unarmored head, hoping to quickly fell the opponent, and to keep distracting from Trace's movement. However, he was carefully to only hold down the trigger long enough for that single round to fire, so that way the clicking sound of an empty weapon wouldn't be heard.

Tank's distracting shot would assuredly make the men look towards the direction of the shot. Which was just the opening Trace needed. The 'command' looking pirate with the chevron was close to the underling who had not been shot by Tank. This was perfect.

Positioned above, Trace then dropped down to crash on top of the two men and begin a flailing assault upon them. His arms and legs lashed out to strike the mens' weapons out of their hands and kill them as quickly as possible. With such close proximity they would have trouble raising their weapons at close quarters. Trace had to be quick though because reinforcements were undoubtedly enroute soon.

"Tally ho!"

As Tank's trigger finger flexed and relaxed quickly to make his last shot, his sensors were greeted with the audible snap of a poorly packed cartridge failing to discharge; in short, a dud. With his helmet off, the Nepleslian-born pirate's training jumped at the sound and swung his small arm around to unload another burst of fire into Tank's room on reflex, though it was poorly aimed, the burst was comprised of a nearly full magazine so there were plenty of bullets to go around.

Trace's assault might have been compromised if the automatic fire of his foes hadn't covered up his shout. Instead, all the warning the two pirates playing vanguard had was a pair of robotic legs landing in their peripheral vision before Trace's mechanically superior limbs began striking. Most of the blows landed on the hardened composites plating their upper bodies and only managed a few dents that Trace's own diagnostics whined at, but those attacks that landed on flesh crushed bone and ruptured joints, leaving two-thirds of the fire team disabled if not fatally wounded.

Tank used this opportunity to join into the fun. He quickly got into a squatting position and lunged towards the group. he tucked into a roll several feet before the large group and hopped to his feet, swinging his firearm like a club, and aiming for any unprotected heads and necks that he could find.

While Trace appreciated the damage done to the pirates, it was not about to let itself be damaged easily. Especially not when there were more pirates on the way.

"Go for the guns!"

In a fluid movement Trace would tackle, roll, and strip one of the pirates of the firearm in his hands. At the conclusion of the movement Trace would land in a crouch and attempt to make a shot for the lone undamaged pirate. If Tank was not in the way of the shot that is.

One of the maintenance bot opened fourth shell, letting Gendarmerie inside reachable for inserting the savtech unit containing C-410-13 code name "Knight".

As knight "awakened" first thing he did was scanning his surrounding and checking radio channel used by him and his comrades. Channel was quiet, but he saw three other gendarmerie pods opened. Two were empty and third stood there life-less. Speculation: Savtech failed to connect with Gendarmerie unit. Knight 'thought' and walked out of his shell.

His audio sensors picked up series of groans from nearby. Decision: This requires exploration." He carefully walked towards the source of the sounds. He saw two bodies nearby. Evaluation: Two organics. One appears to have broken neck. Reaction: Cool!

He moved closer to them to look at the bodies and find out if the second one is making all the groans. He was also going to search them for any weapon, be it pistol, knife or sledge-hammer. Question: Why did I though of sledge-hammer? Answer: Cause it would be awesome.