Tarum III - Surface

[Rule 34]

Tarum III is a planet now inhabited by a jungle-like vegetation and various animals, though a large portion of the land is covered in ruins of a long lost civilization. The Alliance has sent a few exploration teams, but they found nothing of interest.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

The Dragon's Fang enters the atmosphere, and just hovers, while Umbral does some quick scans. "I'm picking up a clearing of reasonable size that's only a short ways from some type of ruins. Should we land there?"

((Due to the IC comments in the Command thread, Umbral is deferring mission command to Cyrus.))

 

[Bartnum]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

"Yeah, I see it too. That looks good. We'll meet you down there."

The Scimitar hovers over the clearing and sets down near the edge closest to the ruins.

"Alright, well, head out the way you came in." Cyrus addresses Zachery before jumping into the lift. Instead of heading outside, he enters a small maintenance tunnel into the cargo hold.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

Zachery nods, then moved to the lift he initially used. On the way down, he opened a concealed panel on his armor's right hip, and used a control inside to activate the Recon variant control for his armor.

After exiting the Scimitar, he would slowly do a visual sweep of the landing site.


Umbral, on the other hand, would land a ways off from the Scimitar. He also would seem to be taking a bit longer to come out. "Kars, if you would, keep some distance from the Fang when you land. I'm going to need some room."

With that, the bay doors on the top of the Dragon's Fang would open, and the floor of the aft bay would raise up, bringing Switchblade, a black, old-Terran styled attack helicopter, with it. Umbral could be seen through the red tint of the cockpit canopy.

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

Kars swoops in beside the Scimitar Coming to hover beside it, then carefully rolling over once more and descending to land. Having to land upside down like this might seem rather ridiculous, but overall the design was all for good reason. Systems were ingeniously arranged and space had been saved wherever possible.

Having landed Kars shut down all systems other than local sensors and the computer for remote control and monitoring. The hatch opens and Kars slides out, grabbing a bar to swing to his feet. He glances about the landing site, one hand on his pistol. Provided nothing jumps him, he quickly retrieves his rail long rifle from the Strafer.
​

 

[Bartnum]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

The underbelly of the Scimitar lowers to the ground, revealing the cargo hold. Cyrus is inside, rummaging through crates and storage bays. Retrieving his rifle, he tosses a series of devices into a backpack, before walking out to meet the others.

"Right then. I'm heading out to the ruins. Joining me?"

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

With the Strafer down, Umbral starts up Switchblade. The helicopter's main rotor and blades raise up from the main body, and the five blades rotate out and lock into position, before the engine brings the rotor to full speed. It lifts only an inch off of the Fang, before smoothly slipping to the right, and then lifting above the treeline. Switchblade then moves in to a circling patrol pattern above the clearing. "No unidentified power signatures that I can pickup yet. We could be in the clear for the moment."

On the ground, Zachery uses military hand gestures to signal that he hasn't spotted anything either.

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

Kars Hefts the sniper rifle over his shoulder and moves with the group. He couldn't actually shoulder the long terran design rifle in a firing stance whilst moving, for the fact he would fall over forwards. But fling down the bipod and he could fire it kneeling with ease. It was an excellent gun, and he was an excellent shot. Short stature wasn't going to get in the way.

"I'm all set. Lets go."

 

[Bartnum]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

"Alright then. Umbral, if you can take a look around the ruins from up there, we'll head over on foot. Well, not precisely on foot."

Cyrus quickly runs back into the cargo bay. He takes hold of a large object and shifts it upright. Climbing onto it, an engine starts and it flies out of the ship. It's a hover-bike.

"I'm going ahead. See you guys there."

He bring the craft around to face the ruins and speeds off into the trees.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

"Copy." Switchblade turns, and flies off towards the ruins. It makes a few passes around and past the ruins, before hovering a short distance off, along the path that the ground team would be taking. "If there's anything to be concerned about, it's keeping a fairly low profile. Visual sweep and sensor scans reveal nothing, yet."

Zachery heads in the same direction Cyrus' hover-bike went, moving fast, yet light on his feet. "Any indications that there's been activity in the area?"

"None that I can detect at the moment. I'm only using passive sensors for that. There doesn't appear to be any sign of heavy equipment being moved, though."

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

Kars blinks invisibly in surprise at Cyrus zipping off, but moves on without making anything of it. "I hate jungle..." He mutters within his helmet, doing his best to keep pace here. 'Next time I hope we bring an ATV, rather than one bike.'

Every few seconds he flicked to the electrofield sensors and spun his head around the surounding trees. If there was anything with a current out here he should be able to pick it out for somewhere around 50 meters or so. (depending obviously on the strength of the current)


((May want to give Rule a chance to inform of any occurrences or other things. Before going to much further.))

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

Zachery continues on, pausing every few yards to listen.

Every so often, Switchblade can be heard doing a pass overhead.

((Checked with Rule. He said to go ahead, and if he feels the need to jump in, he will.))

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

((Uh... teh game crashed... Kars can be considered in follow mode. Till he sees something interesting, someone else does (most likely Cyrus I guess?) , or someone says something, he's gonna keep walking.))

 

[Rule 34]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

It seems like your landing did not go unnoticed.
Kars' hair stands on end as out of the blue an EMP wave rushes over his head and heads for the chopper. At the same time Cyrus finds that high speed can be a disadvantage. About a yard before him a rope is pulled tight - about at chest height.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

Fortunately, Switchblade's sensors did pickup the EMP blast as it was fired, giving Umbral enough time to slip out out of the firing path, and turned to face where the shot came from. He also chose to let the twin pulse lasers on the front deliver his not-so-subtle response. "Bloody..."

Zachery was also pretty quick on the draw...He dropped to a crouch as soon as he picked up the EMP blast, and let a quick burst loose from his micro-flechette launchers towards the source of the shot. "Cyrus, we've got company back here."

 

[Rule 34]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

A figure dives out of a thick treetop, shortly before the laser blast sets it aflame. He seems to carry something on his back - maybe a portable scan scrambler.
The bushes around start moving and a few humanoid shapes jump forth, wielding cheap weaponry. The way they are dressed gives them away as Garik.

 

[Bartnum]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

Though the bike's

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protects Cyrus as it snaps through the rope, the impact sends it off course into the undergrowth. Cyrus leaps off as it crashes into a cluster of bushes.

"They're up here too. I'll keep heading for the ruins, they're probably based near there."

Cyrus returns to his bike and hauls it out of the foliage. He continues moving, albeit slower, gun in hand, and laser scanning the surrounding area for heat and movement.

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

Kars in-helmet HUD flushes white as the EMP temporarily blinds his electrical sensors. Slapping the side of his head he switches back to using as natural eyes. Damned jungle took away just about every advantage or trick he would normally use. He leaps backwards whilst swinging down the sniper rifle and kicking the bipod out. He looses several powerful shots into the offending foliage. One of the rail slugs hits the base of a thick tree, shattering it explosively. If he was lucky it would land on someone, and he'd be able to pretend that it was planned. "Do you see em!? I'm just shooting anything that moves."

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

Zachery doesn't respond to Kars. The pirates, on the other hand, get treated to a particularly insulting obscenity from their own language. They also get micro-flechette darts sprayed at them.

In the meantime, Umbral contacts Cyrus. "Cyrus, let me know if they're camp away from the ruins. I'd like to give them a nice little 'Fuck you' if they are."

 

[Rule 34]

Re: Tarum III - Surface

The two pirates that jumped out of the bushes go down in the fire from Kars and Zachery. They scream, which means they still have to be alive.
The one with the bazooka-esque EMP cannon kneels down behind some bushes and fires it at the Switchblade again. At the same time bullets start to fly from the bushes BEHIND Zach and Kars.
Cyrus' laser doesn't pick anything up. He does find a path though - it looks well-used.