RP: NSS Acadia [Mission 1] A Side: "High and Dry over Golding"

"It's about time," Harrison said, grinning, as he moved into position in front of the closest elevator shaft. He'd been shot full of holes and narrowly escaped death- yet again -and now he's ready for revenge.

Anselm could only stare in shock as the scene wrapped up in front of him. "H-" was all he could say before Fian started barking orders. The marine quickly unpacked his probe, claiming the shaft farthest from the gory trap, he levered the doors open before the lift arrived and had his AOP ready in case thge enemy had sent troops down with the cars. When it arrived and was empty his probe would make its way upwards first followed quickly but cautiously by himself.

Watching the others move into position, Anselm gave the Chief a hearty "Ready, Sir!" He just hoped his lift wasn't filled with gore and an ambush too.

Trey got in line behind Anselm, ready to give the man support as soon as he was up the shaft. it had been a while since trey had had to fire strtaight up, but he figured with the SAVTECH and his Monoeyes, it would be a cinch. "Ready sir" he mumbled to Fian, waiting for the order to go, and releasing his drone to follow the Albino's.

Viktor commanded all 12 of his probes to detach from the backpack, and the separated into groups of 4, one group per heavy armor. They floated calmly before the elevator shafts, waiting for the next command. Meanwhile, the Private took up position behind Harrison; after what had just happened in the elevator and their previous work together, Kingston had a strong inclination to work with the ex-merc. "On Fian's mark, my probes'll head up and act as preliminary shielding, just like those on your suit. You'll be able to fire through them, but they'll repel enemy fire. They'll hold up a solid five minutes, but with possible PALs above, I'd guess a minute and a half under constant duress if we're lucky. Once they're down, you'll be flying solo, so I'd prefer if you did damage quickly. I'd like to keep them all intact." Kingston hefted his LBR, prepared to follow Harrison into the elevator shaft. "Ready, sir."

Talbain's Aggressor armor moved up into position at the remaining elevator shaft with the AMP pointed up the shaft. "Ready to assault through ambush position Chief." Talbain said. Then he stood ready for the order to advance into the kill zone.

Using the elevator control panels, Fian locked the doors of the unoccupied shaft (Shaft 4) on all floors and bought all the lifts down to the first floor with the exception of Shaft 1, which appeared to be stuck on the 6th floor, and Shaft 3 which was destroyed. A small vibration and hum can be heard as the two remaining lifts passed the marines to park themselves below.

Anselm's drone showed that his shaft save for the elevator car was completely empty, but there was a single DD waiting directly behind the 4th floor doors. Fian's own drone showed a single high-energy signature near the higher floors, but otherwise empty for now. Harrison's shaft, while droneless, could easily be expected to contain two LBR and one Type 1 wielding opponents.

'Oh nevermind, they'll figure it out.' Fian eyed Anselm and Trey just next to him. He took a deep breath. "All right, LETS GO!"

"Aye aye, breaching!" Harrison shouted as he stepped into the elevator shaft, setting his Monoeyes to active scan and getting ready to dodge to the left or right and avoid any incoming projectiles.

Viktor guided the shielding drones into the elevator shafts, each quartet forming a square shield above the armor they were to protect. After giving the command to stay 1m above them at all times, the drones were essentially independently operating. Then Viktor was dropping into the shaft, LBR pointed upward. As he began to fall, he initiated the boosters and slid to his right. He gave the fourth shaft a quick once-over with his monoeyes then slid back to the third to provide Harrison with cover.

After noting the blockage in his and Anselm's shaft, Trey had a decent idea, due to the stuck elevator car. "Anselm, As you head up, I'll charge a stream shot on my LBR, when you're almost there, get out of the shaft for me to shoot a hole through that car, so we can get through easier"

"Roger, Wilco, there's a target on the fourth floor, engaging" Anselm replied, boosting into and up the rear of the shaft, launching three rockets at the fourth floor doors and charging his PPG.

Talbain engaged the suits flight functions and entered the elevator shaft. Orienting himself so he would face upward he tried to get a visual on the energy source the Chief had detected. He also got a bead on it, just to be sure. Then the Aggressor started it's ascent up the elevator shaft.

As per his own instructions, Fian Vel Steyr jumped off the ledge and settled down on the ground floor, hitting his thrusters just before landing to soften the impact. The skirt armor parted briefly to channel the boost and then combined again.

It was too easy for Anselm, the Dark Demon in its last moments only managed to see the first mini-torpedo streak across its point of view before the high explosives and two more of its friends detonated, creating a vertical crater on the 4th floor elevator wall face. The three consecutive shockwaves could be felt by everyone in or near the elevator shafts, though it was most evidently felt by the elevator car, which dislodged its breaks and started hurtling down towards the Albino and his partner down below.

The energy signature that Talbain was targeting grew even stronger, he managed to (mono)eyeball a pair of bright red eyes and a telltale glow of a charged up PAL before the FIRE1 sent a large and angry ball down the shaft, the violent orange-red glow of the plasmaball obscured the M3 as it popped back into cover.

It could be a mockery or plain coincidence, but the welcome wagon that Harrison received was the same as on his first visit. Two LBR hits from two WATER2s on the 9th and 8th floor and a steady stream of Type1 fire from a DD on the 6th floor, no sign of a Panzerfaust for now. The shots rocked the barrier, but Viktor's shield drones held up, registering 70% energy loss.

A few stray bullets plinked around Viktor, casting sparks on what's left of the elevator and navy files. The greenhorn's brief Monoeye scan detected two faint energy signatures getting into Shaft 4 and descending from the 9th floor. With a signature this faint, it was probably a pair of DDs.

"Shit! Out of the shaft Anselm!" Trey yelled as the car came loose, doing as he said and boosting back over through the door he had just entered into, backing away from the door and checking his shield; if the thing ended up exploding from the impact, he didn't want to get hurt by it, especially with Jury-rigged antimatter canisters on his arm.

"Goddamn!" Harrison shouted as he headed for the opposite side of the shaft. He pulled up the EARTH's AOP-01a and let loose two rockets at the sixth floor. "Die, fuckers!" He shouted, drawing a bead on the eighth floor entrance and firing a missile, then finally firing another missile at the ninth floor entrance.

"Oh, Fuck Me." The Albino complained throwing his thrusters into reverse, putting his Aggressor in for a crash landing at the door. "...incoming" he muttered post fact to anyone he might have trampled in his attempt at recklessly surviving.

"Incom Nnnngggggg" Was all Talbain got out over the comms before slamming into the wall to give the PAL shot as much room to pass as he could. He continued his ascent up the wall throwing a shower of sparks as he went. Even at his slowed pace it was obvious he intended to go up the elevators as quickly as possible. The ID-SOL activated his monoeyes to find any target he could rip into with his AMP and shoulder turrets.

The elevator car gathered up speed to whizz pass both Anselm and Trey and crash and smash noisily on the ground floor. From amidst the wreckage a crushed Cyclone Power Armor can be seen together with some intact warheads and other assorted ammunition. The pirates must have been working on the warehouses on the levels above.

"Got to go!" Fian Vel Steyr shouted in response to Talbain's warning, his P/p system ripped out metal panels along the elevator shaft as it pulled him upwards. Not intending to lag behind the ID-Sol, the black haired Nepleslian raced to the 4th floor doors, planning to pass into the elevator hall before the plasma ball passed him.

In a very very close call, the beach-ball sized plasma globe grazed the sides of Talbain's shields, creating visible ripples across his shield bubble and partially ruining the ball's containment sphere. The explosion occurred one floor below, singeing the lower half of the Aggressor's shields for 20% damage and breaking the Master Chief's shields who only barely made it through the doors. With that kind of daredevilry the ID-Sol reached the warehouse floors, the doors on the 6th level was closed, but the ones one floor up was dangerously open.

Harrison's first AOP mini-torpedo was immediately detected and intercepted by the twin WATER2's PLAs. The two pairs of lasers quickly bored through the missile's negligible shields and prematurely detonated it, creating a large explosion that was agitated by the confined space of the elevator shaft. The resulting shockwave also helped in the detonation of the other munition, which at its current distance dealt 10% friendly fire to the shield drones. The next two accurately aimed LBR bolts sent the drones reeling back to Viktor and bought the EARTH1's shields down to 75%. The DD that was previously around was now conspicuously missing.

The scuffed and dusty Aggressor pulled itself up and inspected the ammunition laden wreckage, being catious-minded enough to look up at the now cleared shaft above him, his AOP ready to fire the remaining three HE rockets at anything that looked like a threat. "Hey, Trey, check this out" the marine clambered into the mess of bent metal, Viktor's remote shield drones flitting above him "those pirates sent us a little present" he picked a shell up and turned it around, looking for its markings.

Viktor told everyone what he thought he'd detected in the fourth shaft, and then gave the docking command to the four drones above him. "Watch your head, Harrison." Viktor said in a rather flat tone as he moved toward the back of the elevator shaft and raised his right arm. With the monoeyes still on, he guided two shots from his FGL: one to the eighth floor and the other to the sixth.

"That should soften 'em up." He gripped his Long-Beam Rifle with both hands and planned to follow up with a pair of shots at the Demon on the sixth floor.

Trey, Whom had backed away a bit of distance, merely laughed at the somewhat clumsy soldier as he plowed into the landing, narrowly missing the elevator car. He laughed again at his antics with the unexploded munitions, While moving back towards the shaft. Entering it, he began moving upwards, keeping an (mono)eye on the upper floors while replying to Anselm "Just don't let those go off. Perhaps you should stick them in the corridor so they can't bite us in the Ass." The sniper continued his ascent, LBR trained upwards.