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RP: 4th Fleet (NSN) [Mission 5.2] Playing Second Fiddle

Aleksei saw chaos as he cleared the barricade. Sailors were mixed among the NMX forces and he had lost visual contact with his fellow marine. Hoping he would make it through, Aleksei saw the Neko drop a sailor with her Impaler. The same sense of tranquility he had before hitting the barricade remained as he made a beeline for the Neko with every intent to let his axe do the talking for him.
 
Stan's reaction was fast enough. The Sweep of his massive hand was enough to redirect the blade of the kinfe, which just simply scratched his shoulder pad, instead of opening his throat. The neko was not though. She moved her knife-hand back readying it for another attack, while her knee kicked up, aiming right at the Stan's Crown Jewels. That was not all thought, since with his peripheral vision, he could see more movement in the room. The neko was not alone.

Poor Aleksei was not so lucky. Charging armed enemy with his axe was not the brightest idea as the Neko simply turned her rifle at the charging Id-Sol and pushed the trigger. Those few feet between them was enough and Aleksei could feel sharp pain in his left shoulder as the round aimed at his head missed and grazed it. Thanks to the Impaler being energy weapon, Aleksei did not loose his momentum and reached his tarted. His axe was brought down, but the neko was fast. She raised her rifle in both hands and used it to block the attack. Aleksei could hear a crunch as something in the rifle broke, but it was enough for the neko to survive. He could she her hate and anger in her eyes as she watched him closely.
 
Aleksei realized his mistake right as the Impaler was leveled on him. His forward momentum ceased any notions of avoiding the weapon as he gritted his teeth in anticipation for the kill shot. The pain shot through his shoulder.

Before he could even begin to exhale a sigh of relief, the axe struck against the rifle instead the skull like he was planning. Thankful that he still gripped his HHG in the other hand, Aleksei held the weapon towards where the Neko's heart was and gave the trigger a squeeze. 'Here goes.' he thought to himself.
 
Although Stan was quick, he was so focused on the blade in the Neko's hand that he didn't manage to react in time to the knee. Gasping with agony he tried to get some breathing room, hobbling backwards as his hands flew toward the affected area (or at least as well as he could while holding a firearm). Concentrating was difficult, to say the least, and so Stan was only vaguely aware of the other threats.

Damn that stings! was the first thought that came to the poor Marine's mind, and it was one hell of an understatement. The second was whether or not his opponent had ended up doing him serious damage. The ID-SOL was aware of two things as he tried to fight through the pain: 1) he was in an extremely vulnerable position, and 2) his Showstopper's bulk was only going to prove a liability in close quarters.

Unfortunately he couldn't do much about the first issue except try to adopt a defensive stance that might help him to ward off the next blow or blows, although that was rather challenging. As for his Showstopper, he tried to put it away in favour of his HHG. Stan was painfully aware that he was painting a big fat 'Hit me!' sign on himself, but even if you didn't have the perfect plan in place it was better than doing nothing.
 
Then neko before Aleksei herself let go of the impaler and went for her sidearm. She was not fast enough though as the Id-Sol before her raised his hand with HHG. Loud bang went out as Aleksei fired single red round. It did not hit girls heart, but it did hit. Her infantry armour made sure the bullet did not penetrate, but it could not do much against the explosion. Still was enough to bring the neko down as she screamed in pain and went to the ground, lot of hemosynthetic blood spraying Aleksei.

Sailors beside him were meanwhile fighting for their lives with neko who shook down the surprise from the beginning. As Aleksei looked around he could see neko, about six feet away reaching for plasma grenade on her belt, looking at Meyer who just slashed again and again at one of her sisters, with his axe.

-----

In his position Stan just could not be fast enough, especially with the pain he felt. He realised how bad was the fact that his Muur armour had no cup. It was strong enough in other areas though. Stan found out the hard way as neko attacked him with her knife again, stabbing against his chest, right where heart is. The blade did not get through thought as the armour held, giving Stan enough time to draw his sidearm.
 
Stan flinched slightly as the Neko drove the weapon home, fully expecting to feel it cutting into his flesh. When that did not happen, momentary surprise flashed across his face. It seemed the armour was good for something after all, but the pain reminded him that they really needed to introduce a cup. Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Stan aimed at the Neko with his HHG and fired twice, hoping that he would score hits (preferably ones that would put the Neko out of action for good). The last thing he needed was to miss with a hostile practically right on top of him.
 
"El-Tee! Grenade!" was all Aleksei could think to yell over the melee hoping the officer would hear the warning as he sprinted toward the Neko ready to swing the axe at her attempting to use her focus on Lt. Meyers against her by catching her off guard.
 
BANG! BANG! Stan's HHG fired twice and both rounds hit their targets. The neko who was completely unarmoured was hit by one blue and one red round and her rib-cage pretty much exploded. Pieces of flesh, ribs and intestines sprayed Stan he could even feel the blas-wave of exploding red-round from this close. There was a reason why NAM warned against using red rounds on unarmoured targets.

Stan's trouble did not end though, over the neko he could see another one in the room. She held an Impaler rifle and was reloading it in a hurry. She seemed extremely scared, her eyes and mouth wide open. Stan could even see tears going down on her face. Yet she did not want to die and slammed energy pack into her rifle.

----

Aleksei rushed forward. THe neko looked at him, her hand was already on the grenade, about to push the button to arm it, when her head exploded. Pieces of skill and brain rained into Alekseis face. Few blinks got most of the blood out of his eyes so he could see a barrel of smoking shotgun next to his head. Turning his head, he could see a sailor with long black beard.

"You marines are all idots!" He shouted at Aleksei! "You got gun, use it when there is a distance between you and the target you bloody retard. Now go kill more squids greenhorn or do you need my boot to kiss your arse so you get moving?"
 
Deciding that he would not anger the sailor's further than he already had, he gave the man a nod before disappearing back into the melee. Watching as sailors and Nekos tore each other to shreds. Gripping his ax and HHG tight in his hands, he looked for the next Neko he would finish off.
 
Stan flinched as the shockwave and pieces of viscera pelted him. If things had not been so serious - or quite that gory, for that matter - the ID-SOL would have whistled in awe. The HHG was one powerful gun, no two ways about it. He'd have to be more respectful of it in future.

Such thoughts were swept away as though on a breeze, however, when he spotted the other Neko. Of all the emotions he had expected his opponents to display - hatred, malevolence, vengefulness - fear was not one of them. The effect was so jarring and alien that Stan almost hesitated. Almost.

She was holding a weapon and was clearly intending to use it. It was a simple decision. As uncomfortable as the situation was, he found himself pointing the HHG like he was on autopilot. While part of him squirmed and writhed, the rest of him regarded the Neko coolly, as though he were observing events a million miles away. It would probably bother him for quite some time, but the friendly fire incident would persist far longer. The latter he could hate himself for. This?

This was war.

Stan shot his weapon twice.
 
The fight was calming down, the sailors were winning, but there were still nekoes trying to defend their ship. Aleksei was presented with two nekoes one holding a wazashi, while the other one had just a knife. Without giving him chance to use his revolver the first one charged him with her short-sword. The second seemed to linger behind.

---

Neko in front of Stan shrieked and jumped to the side. One bullest missed her and seconds would hit. Weren't it for the Impaler rifle, she was holding. The .45 caliber HHG round hit the rifle and shattered it, but did not continue through. The neko cried in fear and fell back into the corner of the room and on the ground.

She covered on the ground in fear while the third and hopefully last neko in the room charged Stan. This was one was short and seemed very agile, which proved true as she kicked his revolver out of his hand.
 
A string of curses flowed through Aleksei's head as the gap was closed before he could even squeeze off a shot. 'All well.' he thought to himself as he decided to be more cautious than the last few engagements.

Opting to wait and use her own rush against her by ducking away from the sword while swinging with his axe.
 
Well, that was at least one Neko (temporarily) out of action. Unfortunately for the ID-SOL marine, however, that wasn't the end of it. Yelping in surprise as his weapon was kicked clean out of his grasp, Stan sized up his opponent. If he just tried to wallop her he was begging to get himself killed, considering how agile Nekos had proven themselves thus far. The pain in various parts of his body were testimony to that. Rather, it suited him to play a waiting game, looking for an opportunity to strike. At least, if the bloody cat didn't decide to use his own weapon against him. That would be embarrassing in the extreme.

And so Stan switched seamlessly on to the defensive while also preparing to make a bid for the revolver if it looked like the Neko was going to go for it. He knew that if either side screwed up it would be the end of them, and that only served to sharpen his reflexes. The fear of death was one hell of a motivator, after all.
 
Aleksei found one problem. When you are seven feet and five inches tall Id-Sol ducking under blade, weld by Neko who was tall about five and half feet was troublesome. Back in boot, most other people were at least six feet tall. In the end it was how drill sergeant said. Every day you learn something new.

This was why his ducking did not go well. Weapon slashed across his face, but it was only a nick. Righer over his nose. As of any other face wound the bloody came gushing immediately and he could soon taste. It was not deep, but it still cut into bridge of his nose, which made breathing little harder.

His axe on the other hand landed. He hit the neko in the side and whole blade went right, cleaving her belly open thanks to strength possessed by ID-Sol. The second neko did not wait though as she charged around her wounded comrade, her knife ready to stab him in the chest.

__
__

Stan fared little better, thanks to going into defensive stance. He managed to parry her first strike, the seconds landed though, almost punching the air out of Stan. She punched again, but this time she was not fast enough. Stana managed to catch her fist, into his massive palm. The neko looked at her fist in surprise and then into Stan's face.
 
Wiping the blood away from his face just in time to see the second Neko charging at him with her knife, he wasn't about to have a repeat incident of the last knife wielding cat he fought. After all, he still had the blade protruding from his body armor's chest plate.

He knew he wouldn't have enough time to grab for his knife at his belt to give him two weapons to her one, so he held back and waited for her to get to him watched her charge attempting to find something he could use against her.

'Gun, stupid!' his mind screamed at him. 'When there is distance, use your gun.' his mind ran back to what the sailor had told him a few moments before. Raising his HHG, he waited until the Neko was a bit closer before firing twice at her.

He kept his axe ready to use in the event she somehow got around the weapon, deciding he would go for a defensive posture.
 
Stan recoiled slightly as the second blow struck home, though he recovered more quickly than he had from the previous attacks. Seizing the Neko's third strike with a hand, he fixed his enemy with a grim stare. Game over. This was as good an opportunity as any to bring the fight to a quick and decisive conclusion.

With that thought in his mind, Stan balled his free hand into a fist and swung it at the Neko's head.
 
Though wounded the neko with wakizashi was not out of the fight just yet. Not enough strenght to attack, she just kicked. Her foot hit Aleksei into his wrist, it was not hurtful, but it was enough to push his gun away making him miss widely. The smaller neko with knife attacked, slashing Aleksei across his chest, his armour stopping the blade.

___
___

Stan strike missed its target though. The agile neko ducked under his fist just barely. Still it was enough for her to avoid the attack. She moved forward going for hand that held her own fist. Her pointy teeth sunk into his wrist, tasting his blood.
 
Stan gritted his teeth as new shockwaves of pain reverberated up his arm, forcing him to pull away his hand by reflex. He'd be damn lucky if she hadn't messed up his wrist. Seeking to salvage whatever scraps of initiative he could, Stan sent a vicious kick toward the Neko and followed it up with a jab of his uninjured hand if she was still standing.
 
Aleksei swore as the HHG was kicked aside allowing the charging Neko another moment to live. His attempt to bring his axe up to defend himself wasn't quick enough as he felt the blade slide against his armor. Letting a roar escape his throat, he swung at the Neko with his axe with every intention to follow the swing with a strike from the barrel of his HHG in the event the axe missed it's target.
 
With her teeth sunk in Stan's flesh the neko did not have much chance to defend herself as Stan buried his knee into her belly. She let go and guffawed, but it was not enough. Nekovalkyrja's were tough customers when it came to getting a beating. Not easy to bring down. Stan swung his fist in the fast jab, hitting the neko at the side of her skull and sending her crashing into the wall. The neko shrieked in pain as she fell to ground. Slowly getting up on all four legs she started throwing up. Stan still stood above her. It was time for coup de grace.

___
___

Aleksei's axe flew through the air, it's longer shaft giving it edge over Neko's knife. The ID-SOLs massive arms helped too. His blade flew through air in arc from above sinking straight into Neko's skull. She was too ferocious and aggressive, not really taking care of her defenses. However the axe got stuck in the skull and it would take a little time to get it out. The neko with wakizashi was standing straight again, her small sword raised, ready to cut into Aleksei's flesh. She shouted out in pain and grief after seeing her being comrade killed.
 
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