Star Brigade: A 53rd Century Adventure RP

[TheBlueShotgun0]

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James listened, or rather watched, Lime's rant with skepticism. "Lime" he said when the Crelm had finished talking. "you know the Norg have a vendetta against the gryale. I doubt they'll settle for anything short of total destruction of the colony. Besides, from the sounds of it they brought a warship, and most warships don't carry the equipment to deal with an epidemic. The Star Brigade sure doesn't. I say we contact New Terra and have them send out a ship that's equipped for this type of thing." James knew this would mean leaving the colonists to fend for themselves against the cultists and disease, at least for a short time, but it was the best they could do short of simply nuking the colony themselves.

 

[Bravo 21]

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Muo stood and looked back at the sick and injured colonists, the back to he others. "I say we take them, if we leave them, they die at the hands of the cultist cowards and we don't have the supplies to protect them here until help arrives. Besides, I'm not afraid of this sickness."
Muo was disgusted that the Durras cultists, or anyone else for that matter, would resort to biological warfare, a cowardly, though admittedly effective form of warfare, and he was determined to beat the cowards, regardless of whatever they might try.

 

[Bravo 21]

Double post, sorry

 

[Soviet Heavy]

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Demexin
Demexin watched with amusement what could only be the Norg equivalent of irritation. The bug shook it's carapace wildly.

"This is blackmail, Captain. Tallek will hear of your transgression for disabling our systems. Such an act could be considered an.... act of war, as you so eloquently put it. Consider this: you have interfered with our affairs to prevent a course of action against the Durras. Would not your intervention fall under the same scrutiny? Despite what you think, Captain, there is no saving this colony, regardless of what Tallek's do. We offer you this chance: leave with your Corps members and allow us to purge this site. If it remains, then there is no guarantee the next ship that passes through the system will not be inflicted."

Demexin flared red with annoyance. The drone made sense. Another ship would just come through, and it would spread. He tapped Vance's shoulder. The Captain turned to face him.

He sighed. "I think we should let them do it Captain. They're offering us a chance to get our people out, and they can stop it from spreading further." Vance pushed forward, but Dex raised a hand. "I know what you're thinking, this is an act of war. But listen for a moment. They don't know how many members we have down there. If you wanted to take on refugees, we could do it quietly without them knowing. Only the cultists would die, and we could get away. I honestly think it's for the best, Captain."

Tallek's drone clicked impatiently. "We are waiting Captain. If you do not decide, we will launch a ground assault. You haven't disabled out launch craft."

 

[Evrant-Knight]

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Whilst Gabriel had been enjoying the argument between the others, he had found that it was descending into a petty squabble. The cold hard logic of his A.I roots began seeping in, he decided to inject some realism into this so-called discussion.

"Enough!" Gabriel shouted, slamming his fits onto the table, startling the group. He then rose from his seat, a look of pity and disgust on his face as he began talking to the two who proposed bringing the infected civilians along.

"Look at you two, trying to play the heroes in this drama. This is not some fantasy story of old, not everyone can be saved." He said with a cold hearted look in his eyes. Gabriel then continued to talk, walking around the conference table as he did.

"Think of it from a realistic, and logical standpoint. By bringing the infected civilians on board, you would be running the high risk of it spreading to other crew members. And judging from the technical readouts of the Star Brigade, it simply doesn't have the medical facilities to treat such a disease. From some quick calculations, the overall mortality rate, would be around 50%. By sacrificing fifteen civilians, you would be saving hundreds." Gabriel then returned to his seat, and looked back up at the pair.

"After all, doesn't the saying go: The needs of the many, out weigh the needs of the few. Paint me as the bad guy if you must, but think about it. Would you want the deaths of hundreds on your conscience? You both should of realised when you were recruited for this job, that you would have to make some difficult decisions."

 

[TheBlueShotgun0]

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"Negative, Knight." James said, standing up. He then turned back to Lime. "The military has protocol for this. The West Directive. Any individuals exposed to a contagious disease of alien origin are to be isolated from the rest of the population. If we take the ill onto the ship the disease will surly spread and billions could die. I don't want to abandon these people, but there's nothing we can do that won't do more harm than good." James sat back down and crossed his arms. "Like I said, we should call up New Terra and have them send another ship." James felt a bit odd agreeing with Gabriel, but he would take any support he could get.

 

[JoJo]

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Ruth listened to Gabriel's speech with an expressionless face, she was torn inside on the decision between the people she know and pragmatism. Part of her hated what he was suggesting, the other half though knew what he said made sense.

She nodded silently in acknowledgement, then turned to Lime and James when they spoke up.

"Do rush to make orders Lime, this is a group decision," she told Lime coldly before addressing the rest of the group "Well there's the problem that if we leave them alone without any care, among the Durras cultists and in these crumbling buildings without their healthy family members, do you really think they'll survive until a rescue ship can arrive. Now anyway what is this about the Norg? I had no idea they were anywhere near this planet, if you have information like that then please inform us all about it."

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Captain Vance turned from Demexin to face Tallek's, he was determined not to give up without a fight. While he knew it was the sensible decision to let the Norg go ahead in their plan, his heart and the cross about his neck said otherwise.

"Come now, disabling your systems is nowhere near the level of destroying a colony and even a Norg isn't foolish enough to declare war over such a minor issue. I implore you to reconsider, we could blockade this planet from any Durras ships and deal with the infected colony over a longer time."

The Captain knew this was desperate, the Star Brigade didn't have the fire power to stop the Norg ship, his words were their own hope.

"Why not choose the safe option and wait, rather than risking war with the Durras and losing many more lives?"

 

[Evrant-Knight]

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A devilish smile appeared on Gabriel's face, pleased by James, who somewhat accepted his support. He then got up from his seat.

"Now there is a man who knows what he is talking about. If you wish to preserve your dignity, honour and military career; then you'll halt those transports from landing for the time being, till the group has reached a decision, Commander." Gabriel remarked, almost enjoying the pseudo order he game to Lime. He then briefly shook James's hand, before returning to the security console he was using earlier. After activating a few programs, a projection of the Norg warship appeared in the centre of the table.

"You want to know what the Norg are doing here Ruth? Well then, I'll tell you." Gabriel then tapped a few other commands, bringing up the Star Brigade alongside the other vessel.

"It seems as though a Norg warship entered the space above the planet a couple of hours ago. Technical readouts show that it has enhanced armour and fire power, making it a superior vessel in combat. From hacking the communication link between the two vessels, I have discovered, that the Norg were planning to destroy this colony, via an Orbital Purge." A brief gasp of terror came from one of the nearby civilians. Gabriel soon continued.

"Fortunately, we will not have to worry for the time being, since the orbital weaponry has been disabled. Mostly due to the work of Star Brigade's A.I, but I had a hand in it as well, not that it noticed; then again, stealth hacking is a speciality of mine."

 

[Soviet Heavy]

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Tom
Tom looked crestfallen. This was just what he needed, the vote to come down to him. Til, Mae and Thor were staying quiet, and everyone else' eyes turned to him expectantly.

"I hate it when you put me on the spot." he muttered. Ruth looked at him with pleading eyes. He sighed. "I think it's suicide, but, I'm with Lime on this one. We have to get at least some of them out of here. Otherwise, what was the point? We could quarantine them in the medical bay until we get to Jome. I say we take as many as we can."

Ruth beamed at Tom, even as he was kicking himself on the inside. He felt like he'd signed the death warrant for the entire crew. It seemed diplomacy would take a backseat to morals for the time being. He'd probably get fired for this, but he knew that if his bad luck held out, he'd just get pushed to the next lethal assignment as part of the galaxy's plan to kick the shit out of him.

"James, take Thor, Mae and Til back to the Corona 1 and prep her for launch. It's too dangerous to move in such a large group, so bringing the transport back here will save us a lot of trouble. Ruth and I will get them ready for pickup. Lime, that leaves you and Muo to make a distraction. Take a couple of the commandos and make as much noise as you can. Try to draw the cultists away so James can get through."

Til flushed purple with confusion. "Are you sure you have never done this before, Anderson?" she asked.

He looked up, face drawn with exhaustion. "I haven't the first clue what I'm doing, but I'm hoping that everyone else knows how to do their jobs. They know better than I do. And Gabe, before you say anything, I thought you could offer some cover fire for us here. If any cultists get past Lime's distraction, you and your boys are the best shots."

Tom stood up, looking from face to face. "Is everyone clear?"

 

[Bravo 21]

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"With pleasure." Muo's face lit up, and he could already feel the adrenaline beginning to flow. Today was going to be a good day. He gestured for a few of the comandoes to follow him, while he in turn followed Lime. "Sirandma'an, any particular way you want to handle this?"

 

[TheBlueShotgun0]

"Ya, whatever." James answered, disheartened that he had lost the argument. He knew this would come back to bite them in the ass, but at least the consequences wouldn't be on his head. "You heard 'em. Move out." he said to Til, Thor, and Mae as he walked past them. They all quickly fell into step behind him. As the others filed out of the dome, Thor stepped up to take point. James drew his gun and started looking around for any other cultists. "Stay on your toes." he told the others. "There's probably more patrols." And so they began the trek through the jungle back to the Corona 1.

 

[JoJo]

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"Thank you," Ruth murmured Tom, Lime and Muo with a smile, she was glad the responsibility was off her shoulders and that they had chosen to stick with her comrades. She only hoped that the infection would be easily treatable once they arrived on the Star Brigade. "I'll get the civilians ready to leave," she told them and went back over to the others.

Meanwhile above the planet, whilst Captain Vance was waiting for Tallek's response when he received a message from the corps down below about their decision. He quickly typed out a message to Nate with one hand below the view of the video-link camera with the Norg.

15 sick civvies, human & crelm, heading ur way soon, prepare med bay k?

Capt.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

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"Captain, we have waited long enough playing your distraction games. Tallek's will not start a war here, but we will prevent a plague. We have launched. If your personnel are not away from the colony by the time the purge is completed, Tallek will not be held responsible for their loss. Sacrificing a handful for the safety of all species is the preferable solution. We apologize."

Demexin was alerted by a nearby alarm. "Captain, they've launched assault pods! They'll hit the colony in five minutes, and then all hell will break loose!"

Before Vance could respond, Demexin was rushing down the hall as fast as he could. Hooking in his comm bead, he called up Thor, still on the ground.

"Thor, how long before you can prep the Corona 1 for liftoff? You've got a Norg assault force heading planetside."

Thor's response was muffled by static. "James is leading us back quick as he can. Damn, zombie Durras and now giant bugs. Any ideas?"

"Just get in the air as fast as you can, I've got an idea."

"Roger that, keep me posted."

Demexin switched his comm bead to Vance. "Captain, permission to take the Falcon out for a spin. I'm gonna try and pull some of the dropships away. Have Lisa jam their scanners to mask me and keep an incident from happening. Just need your go ahead."

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Double Post

 

[JoJo]

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Tallek's screen flickered off and Captain Vance banged his fists against his control panel in frustration.

"I just knew those fucking bugs would complicate our job!" he yelled, then breathing heavily he turned to his voice transmitter.

"Go ahead Demexin... get our corps and the civilians out of there, you know what to do!" he commanded with a manic look in his eyes, a bead of sweating running down his black forehead. He noted with satisfaction that Nate had sent an acknowledgement of his message to him, the medical bay was being prepared without delay.

"This is going to have to be a quick job..." the Captain muttered to himself.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

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Demexin
"I'm on it, Captain!"

Sliding into the hangar bay, Demexin dashed for the Falcon, strapping himself in. The launch sequence ticked by painfully slow, every second here was a second wasted. The hangar doors opened into Vacuum, the lights were green, and the interceptor rocketed out of the launch catapult.


On the surface, the colony's outer dome shook. The planet's rotation had almost submerged the colony under the Sea in the Sky. Within a few hours, the dome would be completely underwater.

Secondary shocks, smaller, rumbling noises, started happening. Infected Durras, their eyes glazed over, blue fur molting, were drawn to the sounds. Black shapes filled the sky outside the dome, seconds before the dome itself erupted into molten slag. The Norg dropships swarmed through the breach like a horde of locusts, quickly spreading across the buildings. Sniper perches were established on rooftops, covering the approach of demolition teams.

The first Durra cultist trained his weapon on the closest Drone. And all hell broke loose.

Tom
Sudden rattles of distant gunfire caught Tom's ear. Gabriel and his men were moving out, waiting to catch any Durras that made a move on the complex. He was still unsure about the gunfire however. There was far too much to simply be Lime and Muo's distraction. Someone else had to be here.

"Oh shit." he said. Ruth looked at him quizzically.

"I think it's the Norg," he explained. "They must've decided to attack since their guns are down on the ship. Shit shit shit."

 

[Evrant-Knight]

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Gabriel got up from his seat as soon as Tom had made his decision. He started loaded his pistol with fresh magazines, before spinning them around a few times, and placing them back in the holsters. He then looked at Tom with bold determination.

"Fair enough." He said, speaking rather calmly.

"However, you'd better be ready to face the consequences. I have a feeling that your decision Tom, will have veritable impact in the future. Better get my security teams equipped and in order." Gabriel then calmly walked away from the table, a brief bit of laughter could be heard. He then activated his earpiece.

"All security team leaders, meet me by the armoury." Gabriel was about to deactivate his security headset, when an emergency warning began flashing. "What is it Beck?" He asked, sounding concerned.

"Sir, we just picked up something on the early warning system. From the looks of it, appears to be attack pods, Norg design."
"[sub]Shit. They've already started.[/sub]" Gabriel remarked quietly and out of earshot. "Thanks for the uh, early warning." He then quickly ran to the armoury. When he arrived, the security leaders had assembled.

"Good your all here. Just got out of a meeting with the Diplomatic Corps. They have asked us to provide some covering fire, whilst the infected Human and Crelm civilians get moved to their transport. And I have just been informed via the early warning system, that the Norg have launched assault pods, and are heading straight for the colony." The assembled leaders then stood to attention, readying for orders.

"I want you to armour up, and equip you and your squads with heavy assault rifles. Get in defensive lines, and aim for precision shooting. Gregson, want your squad armed with grenade launchers, fire some of those prototype sonic rounds that McKennah has been working on. You have your orders, now move it!"