Shattergrounds

Personal Log: Caporal-chef Marcel Gauthier, Loup-Garous
Abandoned Loading Dock Offices, Olkonir, Concilium Prima
20 October, 80 NC

We were sent to investigate movement that was detected by an overflight by Poor Devil 5. As this area was long abandoned, it was odd to see movement, something clearly was amiss. I suspected the intruders were O-12, as PanOceanian forces were busy trying to secure the beltway against the advances of the Combined Army. As our squad crept through the derelict buildings, paint chips fluttering down from walls as we passed, we noticed some lights glowing from a supposedly abandoned office. Caporel Paquet was dispatched to investigate. While he was by no means a hacker, he did have decent computer skills, enough to at least identify what he found. When he radioed back, his message sent a chill down my spine. What he found was a rogue AI, the had appeared to be installed by O-12 forces, likely in conjunction with the CA. I was sure they were setting up more nodes in the area to expand both its reach and power. We had to put a stop to this.

We spread out throughout the abandoned buildings, taking up positions to defend the consoles we had already taken control of, while allowing us the freedom to act to eliminate the consoles O-12 was still setting up. Sergent Foucault led the infiltrators, deploying them along the midfield. Metro Lamar was on the far left, with Caporel Paquet covering the left console. Foucault and another Chasseur covered the console on the right, while a final Chasseur was on the far right, waiting to advance and destroy the rogue AI. Our 112 was covering the rear, while the Lt. had taken position covering the console Paquet had investigated. My team was deployed in the center, ready to advance and thwart the enemy’s plans.

While we were able to counter deploy, O-12 was the first to move. A Varangian charged up the field, covering himself and the gangbuster with smoke. This allowed the gangbuster to activate the console, maneuver and deploy its damned madtraps to stifle our advance. He then moved to engage Lamar, who dodged the gangbuster’s initial shots and madtraps before finally being felled. At the same time, the Varangian advanced through the smoke and engaged Paquet, rendering him unconscious yet again. The poor man used all his luck in our first engagement with O-12.

We then saw our chance to counter O-12’s attack. Our backup specialist chausseur, Caporel Reynald, moved to activate a console to determine the location of the second AI, dodging the remaining madtrap. With the madtrap cleared, Sergent Foucault was free to advance and undermine the enemy’s comms network, before withdrawing to a more defensible position. My team then advanced along the left flank, with Apache Jean, Jacque’s replacement, taking point. He burst from cover on the ganbuster’s flank, promptly filling him with shots from his heavy pistol. The massive rounds tore through the light armor, blood plastering the walls behind him as the bullets exited, leaving him slumped and bleeding out. Jean continued his advance, engaging both the Varangian and Shona. He was able to put down the Varangian and injure Shona, but we were left exposed to O-12’s next advance.

O-12’s assault would turn out to be devastating. Their remaining hacker advanced, firing a repeater in order to spotlight our positions for the missile bot. The missile screamed in, impacting just beside Reynald, the explosion lifting him into the air and hammering him into the side of the building, heavily injured, but by some miracle, alive. It was then the reaper arrived. Knauf came in from the left flank, while our chasseur missed a golden opportunity to remove the threat. This failure would almost undo us. Shona and Knauf advanced, with Knauf taking position at the top of a building and Shona moving up to a corner. The Chasseur did manage to hit Shona with her adhesive launcher, but Shona’s quick reflexes prevented her being stuck. Knauf then revealed himself and rained death upon us. The Chasseur was quicker off the mark, ultimately forcing Knauf to return to cover but not before wounding both Foucault and my squad-mate. At this point we were in rough shape. While we had thus far prevented O-12 from destroying the consoles we had captured, we were barely combat effective.

Our remaining Chasseur recamoed and advanced down the right flank, hoping to destroy the enemy console. She was unfortunately cut down by a Blue Coat well short of her objective. Our 112 advanced to attempt to revive my injured squad-mate but was killed by Shona before he could manage it. My only remaining option was to reposition my team to cover the consoles and hope to take out Shona before she could reach it.

O-12 advanced their hacker, who deployed yet another repeater for the missile bot. Fortunately, his attempt to spotlight me failed and we bought some time. Shona then cautiously advanced, trying to engage only me. With my nerves shot, my initial shots did not hit their mark. However, the roar of the engines from Poor Devil 5’s return sweep forced Shona to throw caution to the wind and make a mad dash to the console. She had little time before the assault ship would rain death down upon them. With the chance to claw victory from the jaws of defeat, I managed to settle my nerves and line up my sights, putting a round center mass and finally dropping her, ending the threat. In a fit of pique, the remaining hacker spotlighted my injured comrade and had the damned bot launch a missile at us. It is by some miracle we both survived, but it was not without serious injury. When the missile struck, all I could see around me was fire, the roar of the explosion and flames drowning out all other sounds as I was thrown bodily into the building, lying there, fading in and out of consciousness. I faintly heard the sounds of Poor Devil 5’s gatling cannon firing and the explosion of missiles as they chased off the largely intact traitors. The last thing I saw before finally passing out were the boots of a medic who was calling out while trying stabilize me.

We were victorious again, but much like our first engagement here, it was at great cost. We are fortunate that our alliance with Haqqislam has provided us with new medical techniques and technology, otherwise our list of dead would be far greater. As it was, we were fortunate in only having three members of our squad KIA. I pray that we can cease these Pyrrhic victories, for they more harmful to us then they are the enemy as our numbers are so few.

Vive la Merovingia!