USCMRPG

Oscar Level:

Second and Third Squads both entered the port side of the Quantum Herald. They found themselves on the lowest floor of the vessel, which their blueprints labeled “Oscar Level.” Once the Marines and mini-subs were all in the airlock, they sealed it behind them. The pressurized water slowly went down as the artificial atmosphere systems battled the unfamiliar element. Eventually, it was as low as it was going to get and the vents gave up. The whole ship was listing about 30 degrees to starboard so the water pooled on the starboard side of the room. A large shuttle lay in the water, with the cockpit glass shattered by the sudden water pressure.

The Marines’ suits were now cumbersome and slow again. The men and women in the subs exited and joined their comrades. The sub pilots resealed the hatches in case the airlock gave out under the enormous water pressure. The eight Marines opened the door and walked out into a huge room full of crates and forklifts. The ceiling was sixty feet high in this room; the cargo bay rose all the way to the top of the ship.

Three men were standing around something on the ground, a stones throw from the Marines’ position. One of them turned and screamed as he saw the suited unit. “They are here to kill us! We have no choice! Ahhhh!” he shouted in a strangely high and manic voice. He pulled out a revolver and ran behind a tumbled stack of crates. Another man charged at them with a metal section of pipe raised like a club. The third clambered into a forklift and started the engine.
(Actions)

As the water drained from the chamber, Darren popped the seal on his helmet and raised his visor, taking a first whiff of the stale canned air being pumped into the airlock by the atmosphere recyclers. Behind him, the rest of 2nd and 3rd squads were spilling out of the mini-subs and prepping gear. Darren pulled the M14A pule rifle from it's water tight housing on his suits backpack, checked the action was free of water and cycled a round into the chamber.

He moved to the airlock door as it automatically hissed open and stepped through, his boots echoing on the metal deck plates of the large cargo bay beyond. In the centre of the chamber, three men were standing over a bloody corpse of a woman. They are wearing what looks like civilian flight crew uniforms which are stained with blood and somewhat torn and ragged. One of them turned and screamed as he saw the suited marine step out of the airlock.

“They are here to kill us! We have no choice! Ahhhh!”the man shouted in a strangely high and manic voice. He pulled out a revolver and ran behind a tumbled stack of crates. the second man charged at right at Darren with a metal section of pipe raised like a club. The third clambered into a forklift and started the engine.

Darren quickly stepped to his left to give his comrades room to deploy, raised his rifle to his shoulder and took aim at the man with the knife's centre-of-mass. "Drop it and get on your knees" He yelled and tightened his finger on the trigger, ready to fire.

<Give Command 1> <Aim 3> <Gun Combat - Shoot 1, if the target doesn't obey>

Henniger felt the weight of the suit settle heavily onto his shoulders and lower back. Kelly had walked ahead as Henniger examined their immediate surroundings, noticing nothing out of the ordinary besides the three men ahead of Kelly.

As the lead man screamed at them hysterically, he saw Kelly pull and sidestep the fatal funnel that could soon erupt behind him. Good Marine that one.

Kelly had addressed the small crowd and that made him contact, despite the reaction of the men. Henniger dashed as adroitly as possible to a crate opposite Kelly and slightly behind. Scanning over his sights, he tracked the man running for the heavy equipment loader.

"Third, base of fire, fall in with Kelly and I. One confirmed weapon, if you're engaged, zap 'em. Report when set."

<tag 3rd Squad>

He clicked over to the Command net.

"LT, 3rd has base of fire, recommend flanking left. Break. If that idiot makes it to the loader I'm blowing it. We could use a motion tracker online, 3rd is light."

<Tag LT/Sykes>

He racked a round into his grenade launcher then selected back to his caseless ammunition. He tensed and watched the front over his sights.

<Roll perception, roll reactive gun combat, roll grenade combat/underslung if provoked>

Grisham ran forward to his right, lining up a clearer shot on the man with the revolver who was hiding behind the container and firing as soon as he had an unobstructed view while doing his best to stay clear of the man with the pipe.

Samantha saw that the three men appeared to be standing over the body of a woman and their clothes were bloody.....NOT a good sign.....

Seeing the situation develop in front of her, she dropped to one knee and took aim at the one charging forward with a crowbar. She flicked her Pulse Rifle’s selector switch to single shot, took a breath, released it and fired at Mr. Crowbar’s lower leg. She then switched targets to the forklift and attempted to put a round into the closest tire to her.

<Aim for 2 actions, Fire 1 round at Crowbar’s lower leg; Aim for 2 actions, Fire 1 shot at Forklift tire>

Gun Combat Skill = Master

Kelly shouted a command at the crazed man with the pipe. The man ignored him and kept charging so he squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened. As he checked the gun he saw it had jammed on the first round. (Charisma Roll: Fail) (Gun Combat Roll: Critical Fail)

The man with the revolver started shooting at Lance Corporal Henniger. The bullets whizzed past him and ricocheted off the steel floor. (Gun Combat Roll: Fail)

Meanwhile, PFC. Grisham ran forward and took a clean shot at the bad guy with the gun. His burst struck the opponent in the center of mass and he collapsed. (Gun Combat Roll: Success)

Sergeant Hall took aim on the charging man with the pipe. Her careful aim was hindered by the unfamiliar pressure suit she wore. Her burst missed the leg by an inch. She then turned her gun on the forklift and again felt the annoying slowness of the suit. This time she hit the tire, which popped. (Gun combat: Fail/Success)

The guy with the pipe had narrowly escaped death and now he waded into the squads of Marines. He swung at Samantha Hall and the pipe cracked painfully into the right leg of her suit. It stung but it didn’t seem to have done any real damage to her or the suit. He raised the pipe for a second swing. (Melee Roll: Fail)

Williams and Carlson obeyed their squad leader’s order and formed a base of fire around him and Kelly (Leadership Roll: Success) Henniger cocked his grenade launcher but stood down as he heard Sykes’ reply. “No grenades in here! Jesus!”
<Tag Henniger>

The forklift engine started and it sluggishly started to move toward the Marines, shooting sparks from its flat tire.
(Actions)

The charging man filled Darren's sights and showed no signs of stopping. The young marine squeezed the trigger and cursed as he was rewarded with the dry click of the M-41's electrical firing mechanism failing to ignite the propellant charge of the 10mm caseless round. Darren cursed again as the charging man barged past him and ploughed into the rest of the marine squad, swinging his pipe wildly at Sgt Hall.

Darren didn't have time to clear the stoppage. he let the jammed rifle drop and hang on it's slings as he pivoted on spot to keep facing the man with the pipe and drew his M4A3 service automatic from the drop-leg holster strapped to his right thigh. Just a few feet away Sgt Hall was falling sideways from a blow to her knee as the crazed pipe-wielder wound up for a second blow. Darren raised his pistol, lining up the tridium-coated sights between the targets shoulder-blades and paused for a fraction of a second to ensure Hall was properly clear of his shot. He squeezed the trigger twice in quick succession, sending 2 9mm hollow-point rounds speeding towards their intended target.

Gun Combat - Expert
<Aim 3>
<Shoot 2>

Grisham turned his attention to the forklift, considering the situation. He wanted to see if the man inside was armed.

If gun visible:
Grisham raised his rifle and fired at the man’s head. <roll gun combat>

If no gun visible:
Grisham dropped his smart-gun and rushed the forklift from the side, attempting to jump into the cockpit and wrestle the man, raining blows down on his head.

Henniger took in the changing situation and acknowledged Sykes on the com.

"Roger".

<tag Sykes>

He saw Kelly dealing with lead pipe in the library with Sgt. Hall and the crumpled form of the six gun bad guy. He turned his eyes back to the prospective fork lift operator and flipped his selector lever to semi. Before he fired he spoke into his com, already keyed to Command Net.

"Second/Third engaged. One tango down hard, two remaining, one minor casualty. Engaging remaining."

<tag Sykes/LT>

<roll ranged gun combat three aimed single shots>