(Teviko604, you never know... We'll see what happens. 
)
Episode 33 - Captain
She had left Elliot in the engineering section to repair damage. She and the other marines had moved up a level and rounded another corner. They found a fireteam of marines. She and those with her immediately raised their weapons, but the fireteam of marines had their hands raised, holding them well clear of their weapons.
“Ensign Leath?” One of them called to her. “Don’t shoot! Captain Davis sent us! We’re from first platoon, 2nd quad! The marines are with you.”
Captain Davis was the marine captain in charge of all the marines on Oracle. He was a competent non-nonsense officer.
“Once we heard what you said and saw those vids of the aliens, we--well we’re with you. All of us.”
“All of you?” She breathed a sigh of relief she hadn’t known she was holding. “All the marines?”
Do the remaining marines aboard Oracle join her cause? (+1 Oracle is damaged, +1 she brought news of Alestranda's last command, +1 she showed proof of the alien threat).
(Very Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and...
And they quickly rally to her cause
“Yes ma’am. Both platoons, minus the guards Garica ordered to detain you.”
“What are your orders, corporal?”
“Captain Davis said to ask you. We’re to follow your orders ma’am.”
She nodded to the marines of second platoon, third squad that were with her, “Get these men some combat suits, then get me comms to Captain Davis.”
“This way,” the corporal nodded all of them dashed into the nearby armory where suits lined the walls. As the marines dashed off to get suited up, the coporal tapped his comms, and she heard Captain Davis’s voice crackler in her ear.
“Captain Davis here.”
“This is Ensign Leath.”
“Ah. Ensign, what are your orders?”
It felt strange to be giving orders. A part of her felt like an imposter. The other part of her remembered Captain Alestranda’s dying orders.
“Captain, secure all critical facilities. Don’t let any of Garcia’s men get anywhere near them or near any weapons. Then send a backup team to bridge. We’re on our way there now, but the extra firepower wouldn’t hurt.”
“I’m on it. Good luck, Ensign; we don’t fancy dying out here.”
“I’m not too keen on the idea either, Captain.”
It didn’t take long for the remaining marines of third squad to get suited up. They gathered around her some holding weapons at the ready, securing the passageway at both ends. Their powered armor made them loom over her, advanced powered servos whirring as they enhanced speed and strength, turning already capable warriors into lethal killing machines. She hoped it wouldn’t come to a fight. But she didn’t have any illusions about Garcia’s hatred of her.
The marines ran ahead of her, crouching at corners, signaling her and the others onward as they leap-frogged down passageway after passageway. It reminded her of the boarding operation maneuvers she had practiced in officer training. Only she wasn’t wearing powered armor. She did have on the ablative suit from earlier, but she hadn’t trained extensively in combat armor and knew she would only slow them down.
From the armory, they had taken a lift up and now ran down a hallway that would round into a junction with another that would lead them to the bridge. As was common on most ships, the bridge sat in the center of the ship, protected from the harsh environment of outer space by deck plating and meters of structural integrity.
The passageway she and the marines currently traversed neared a service hatch that led to the outside. Doors slid open and Ardelle entered the hallway when a blast struck their ship. A blinding explosion erupted in front of her throwing her backward against the wall. The hull plating buckled and a ragged gash perhaps five feet in diameter and three feet long gaped in the room showing empty space. Rapid decompression roared around her and threatened to suck her out of the ship, she slid across the floor and her fingers gripped a buckled piece of floor plating. The edge was sharp. It cut through her gloves but she held on, even when blood seeped out the edges and she gasped in pain.
Private Dwight Morgan, the comms specialist in squad 3 had also been knocked off his feet by the blast. He shouted and was sucked towards the exit. The blackness of space also gaped open to take Private Claxton who skidded backwards tumbling end over end over the floor.
Frantic voices shouted over the comms, claxons blared, and a red light began flashing. Corporal Whately reached out and grabbed Morgan as he skidded across the floor and Claxton slammed into Chubbs who reached out and grabbed the tumbling man with a meaty arm.
Blast doors started to drop to prevent a full decompression of the entire level. It was already getting hard to breathe, but Ardelle could do little but hold on. The hatch closest to her was already a third of the way down.
“Go! Go!” Krissa shouted, her voice sounded tinny in her ears. Ardelle felt strong hands grab her and tossed her bodily through the closing doorway. She hit hard and rolled on the floor. Corporal Whately was the last to make it, rolling under the closing blast door as it sealed with a hiss.
“Geeze, that was fun,” Kirssa muttered. “Just like the decompression drills in basic, eh Claxton?”
“Except failure there was two more hours of drills and PT. Here? I would’ve been drifting in space until my suit ran out of air. I owe you one Chubbs!” he clapped the larger man on the shoulder.
Chubbs grinned back at him. “You can buy me a drink when we get back earthside.”
“Stars man, you’ll get a case of the finest!”
Private Dwight Morgan appeared shaken and Whately hauled him to his feet. “We got you,” Corporal Whately said, patting his combat suit with his gloved hand. “You’re okay.”
Private Morgan nodded but his face was ashen.
“Well, that way is sealed off. Long way round to the bridge then,” Ardelle said and moved off in the opposite direction.
---------------------
I'll say in all the pounding, oracle takes two internal damage shots. Rolling to see what was hit now...
Passageway
Passageway
Nothing critical just some passage ways on some decks were blow out to vacuum. Was anyone in them when they were hit?
1st shot
(50/50 | 3[d10]) No
2nd shot
(50/50 | 10[d10]) Yes, and...
And... since it's a dramatic episode here, I'll say it affects Ardelle's team as they're moving to the bridge.
It creates a dramatic shift in air pressure in the hallway.
They have to make strength to keep holding onto something or risk being sucked out into vacuum.
Marines are in Powered Combat Armor (PCA) and are granted extra strength. They get a +1 to Str-related rolls.
This is the group with Ardelle at he moment...
1. Pvt Danny K. Winters - Marine on shuttle to Spenalk 2
2. Pfc Krissa Walker - Marine on shuttle to Spenalk 2 (Elliot’s brother)
3. Pvt James J Dummond - Marine on shuttle to Spenalk 2
4. Pvt Harold M. Chubb - Marine on Shuttle to Spenalk 3
5. (Roll again)
6. Pvt Matthew K Claxton - Marine on Shuttle to Spenalk 3
7. Corporal Carol J Chestor - white, female, age 23 short black hair, dark eyes
8. Pvt
9. Pvt Odell J Boon - white, female, 5’ 2”, age 19.
10. Pvt
11. Elliot
12. Ens. Ardelle Leath
We'll randomly roll 3 times. These are the people closest to the sudden decompression when it gets hit. They have to roll a Str check.
6 = 6[d12]
Private Claxton...
12 = 12[d12]
Ouch... Ardelle! And she's not strong. Hopefully someone can grab her.
6 = 6[d12]
(already rolled 6 - Rolling again)
5 = 5[d12]
(5 is empty slot. Roll again)
8 = 8[d12]
A random private in the squad we haven't met yet....
Let's meet him now.
Dwight T. Morgan, 6' 1" 250 lbs, Blond, Ground Comms operator specialist
Is difficulty more than 6?
(50/50 | 3[d10]) No
Less?
(Unlikely | 2[d10]) No
TN is 6 then.
Ardelle has a 2. She needs a 4 or higher to not get sucked out.
4 = 4[d6]
Right on!
What about Dwight? I'll say he has to roll a 2+ since he's a strong lad and has powered combat armor.
1 = 1[d6]
Go figure. See ya Dwight... Can anyone grab him?
(50/50 | 9[d10]) Yes
If someone makes a difficult str check TN 8 they can grab him. +1 str for PCA.
Is it Chubbs?
(50/50 | 5[d10]) No, but...
Chubbs is next closest... who is closest?
I'll say Corporal Whately.
He has Str 3, + 1 PCA = 4
He needs 4+ to grab the man.
4 = 4[d6]
Nice!
What about Private Claxton?
Needs to roll 2+ to not get sucked out.
1 = 1[d6]
Geez... Can Chubbs grab him?
(50/50 | 6[d10]) Yes, but...
Yes, but with only 1 hand so -1 to hold onto Claxton.
Chubbs has Str 5 through... 5 - 1 = 4 + 1 PCA = 5 + DIE ROLL vs TN 8. So he needs to roll a 3+.
6 = 6[d6]
Nice. Everyone is saved!
They'll try to pull themselves back out of the hallway before the closest hatch completely closes.
Ardelle is the one who is truly threatened not having a suit.
They try to fall back through the door they had just entered.
Do they make it as a group (+1 they're close to the door, +1 they have chubbs and he's strong, +1 the marines are in PCA, -1 decompression is still happening, -1 the doors are closing fast).
(Somewhat Likely | 9[d10]) Yes
---------------------------------
They approached the hatch to the bridge and found a couple of marines standing there, but they had their weapons on the ground already, and their hands raised. They weren’t in combat armor. She recognized one as Private Ruiso. He had often stood on duty outside the bridge when Captain Alestranda had been alive.
“I’m sorry about Captain Alestranda Ma’am,” Ruiso said. “She was a good officer.”
“She was,” Ardelle said and felt the tightness in her throat.
“But we follow orders. Captain Davis said to stand down and to await any orders you gave.”
“Any word from Lt. Garcia?”
“There were some local communications. He tried to order us to take you down. Said we should fire and kill you, that you were insubordinate and trying to take over the ship, but well, we jad already heard your ship-wide communication. Then Captain Davis told us to stand down. So... ” He nodded to their weapons on teh ground.
“You were in a difficult situation, but you made the right choice. Pick up those weapons,” she ordered. “And fall in behind us. If things get ugly, third quad will go in first, since they’re armored, you come in after with me. But we’ll try to talk first.”
“Yes ma’am.”
She radioed down to Elliot and Marisella in engineering. “I need comms from the bridge partially restored. No shipwide access. Just to the hallway immediately outside of the bridge. Give me direct access through my comms unit.”
“Doing it now,” Marisella said. A few moments passed. The marines checked their weapons, “Comms are open. Go ahead Ensign.”
“This is Ensign Ardelle Leathe to the bridge crew. Both platoons of marines on board Oracle are under my direct command. I am ordering you to surrender and to come out quietly.”
How does the current bridge crew respond (not Garcia, but the crew)?
Intolerance / Danger
Sounds like they're intolerance (don't care?) about the danger.
Does Lt. Garcia relinquish command before things get violent. (+1 comms are down, +1 he hears that marines outside are joining Ens. Leathe's cause, -1 his bridge is intolerance, -1 he's a tough old commander who isn't about to be countermanded by a junior officer.)
(50/50 | 3[d10]) No
Show down on the bridge... okay.
“Leathe! I’ll see you dead with a bullet between your eyes!” the man shouted, and she could imagine a vein pulsing--maybe multiple veins. He sounded like he was chewing nails. “The void take you! I’m not surrendering my ship, and if you come in her guns blazing, you’ll see how real officers fight when cornered!”
“You well know and have proof that Captain Alestranda gave me the codes to control this vessel, otherwise I would not have control of all ship systems,” Ardelle said. “Until High Command decides otherwise, I am in command of this ship.”
“You can kiss my--”
She cut the comms. There was no point in getting in a shouting match with him.
“Cut open the hatch and take them down. Non-lethal weapons if you have them.”
The squad of marines nodded and stacked up outside the hatch. Corporal Whately was in front with Private Claxton. He rapped Claxton’s helmet. “Go ahead Private.”
Pfc Claxton flicked his wrist and a special cutting torch emerged, and he began cutting open the door. It would take some time.
The backup team send by Davis also arrived. She had them guard the hallway. She didn’t want to have any surprises.
When the door was about cut, two others placed plastic explosives around the hatch. Everyone backed against the wall. “Remember to cover your sectors everyone. Non-lethal grenades first. Then we head in. Just like a training exercise. Take everyone down, non-lethal settings only. Repeat, non-lethal only.”
They all nodded their understanding, and Corporal Whately gave the order. The hatch blew inward in an explosion of fire and light. Ardelle’s ears rang.
Three members tossed flash-bang, tear-gas, chaff grenades. Once those went off, the others moved through the door, in a well-orchestrated maneuver. Every weapon covered a different area of the bridge.
The entire squad moved in and Ardelle, and the two unarmored marines followed after. She heard shouting and then shots rang out, but when Ardelle entered, all the defenders were down, slumped over consoles or lying on the ground. One console, the helm station, appeared to be damaged; smoke rose from its cracked and blackened console.
Lt. Garcia rose up only partially stunned and tried to crawl to his weapon that was a few feet away from him. Private Chubbs, put his foot down on the gun and put another non-lethal blast of pulse into Lt. Garcia, and the older man slumped to the ground with a groan.
“Clear,” Chubbs said to Ardelle, keeping his gun trained on the fallen in case any others had bright ideas.
None of the marines were hurt. Some had taken shots that scored their armor but nothing had penetrated.
It was over.
Then she thought of the enemy ship. She trotted to Captain Alestranda’s chair. She looked down at it for a moment then sat down in it with a frown. She was the captain of The Oracle... for the time being anyway.
She tapped her personal comms down to Marisella. “Restore all ship functions to the bridge. We’re going to need repairs on the bridge console ASAP up here as well.”
“I’ll send up a team right away,” Marisella said.
As the consoles came back to life, she motioned for Whately to join her. “Corporal Whately, have your men clear out these bodies, then put them in the brig. Don’t allow them to talk to anyone but see that any injuries are treated. Leave a fire team with me. They’ll be on the bridge maintaining security for the time being.”
“Yes ma’am.” He saluted and left Krissa, Claxton, Chubbs and Morgan with her. All the others hauled out the bodies.
“You four, congratulations. You’re on bridge duty at the moment. Each of you take a console.”
They settled in, their extra bulk from the armor threatened to snap the arms off the chairs. She tapped open the tactical screen and flicked the display to the center of the room where the hologram hung in front of them. Oracle continued to pick up speed as it arced away from Spenalk 3.
They were out of the ice field now had escaped the gravitational pull of Spenalk 3, moving out of orbit in a transit. The enemy ICC ship, a red dot on the scanners, was falling behind out of weapons range. For the moment, they were out of danger.
She breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair. For the moment.
“Claxton, give me a damage report,”
“Uhh, I’ve not used these systems before,” Claxton said, “But here goes.”
The shields flickered and went down. “Ummm.”
“What does this button do?” Krissa asked.
Ardelle frowned at the marines. “Uh, yeah, why don’t you four just guard the room okay?”
They nodded in obvious relief and grabbed their weapons.
With full functions restored, she exhaled and tapped through the software to the ship-wide comms. This would be faster with the other bridge crew but... she’d manage for now.
“This is Ensign Ardelle Leath. I have secured the bridge and am captain of this vessel until High Command chooses someone else. I have placed Lt. Garcia and his bridge crew in custody.
“Both platoons of marines under Captain Davis are under my direct command. They are ordered to secure the ship.
“And finally, the backup crew will report to the bridge immediately! If you’re not here in five minutes, a team of marines will escort you here. Captain Leath out.” She closed the connection.
She then used the security code from Alestranda and with the command software on the bridge, she managed to remove the override commands Marisella had placed down in Engineering, returning full and sole control of Oracle back to the bridge. She kept the ship on autopilot.
The back-up bridge crew arrived just as she signed out. They filed in, obviously nervous at having armed marines in full battle armor on the bridge. Even Ensign Jaskston Ross, who normally would have winked at her, or asked her out on a date, or complimented her jump-suit uniform, or something else utterly inane, only frowned at her, an expression of awe on his face.
“Take your places,” she said. “You’ve seen the vids I’ve transmitted?”
At their mute nods, she continued. “Then you know what we’re up against. The ICC ship is the least of our problems. Ensign Holden, what’s the state of the Oracle?”
“Bringing it up now, Captain,” Ensign Holden said.
The tactical holo screen moved to one side, and a schematic of the ship floated in front of them, damaged systems blinking in red.
“One pulse cannon completely offline. Another damaged but still functional... just slower to fire. The shuttle bay is a disaster. Also two hallways on decks two and three have suffered full decompression. There was some light damage in engineering with some consoles blown. Life support is struggling to recover from the strain on the decompression earlier and with the additional... umm... crew from Spenalk 3.”
“I call them Chameleons,” she said. “Find some place for them to stay. And what about our engines? Jump drive?”
“All other systems are nominal Ensi-- I mean Captain.”
“Very good. Get teams repairing Oracle. Priority repairs are to the shuttles and shuttle bay. We need those functioning ASAP. And send me a casualty count to my console.”
“Yes Captain.”
“Drav,” she informed the helm. “As soon as that console is repaired, set up an intercept to Spenalk 2. We still have our team to pick up there.”
Would they even be alive, she wondered? She settled back into the captains chair and checked the damage reports and crew roster.
---------------------------------
While they're cutting open the hatch to the bridge, the other ICC ship is trying to give chase.
Does it stay on their tail?
(-1 it has to reverse engines since it flew past them, -1 it's hard to follow in the ice field, +1 Oracle is on auto pilot)
(Somewhat Unlikely | 2[d10]) No
It lags behind.
Marines use cutting torches to cut through the bridge door.
Since this is a multi-person combat, I'm not going to roll it all out. I'll just use the engine her to figure out what happens and will roll anything specific for Ardelle as needed.
They throw in flash bangs and storm the hatch.
They'll use non-lethal rounds as some of the bridge crew might not have had a choice but to follow orders from Lt. Garcia.
Do the marines and Ardelle take the bridge without any casualties? (+1 marines outnumber the defenders on the bridge, +1 they have better weapons, +1 they have PCA, +1 defenders deafened and blinded by the flash bangs, -1 they have to go through a choke point, -1 the crew is armed and ready.)
(Likely | 5[d10]) Yes, but...
But?
I'll use the MAG
(butter fly, head with eyes closed, ricochet shot, boot, crystal scepter, racing music note, explosion in tower/fortress, cup with wings, stylized onyx symbol)
I'll say that the defenders are knocked unconscious---assailants are not using lethal rounds so that makes sense--- but the firing from the defenders causes a ricochet that damages something on the CIC (bridge).
Racing note and wings make me think it damaged the helm controls... So -1 to Pilot checks until it's repaired.
)Episode 33 - Captain
She had left Elliot in the engineering section to repair damage. She and the other marines had moved up a level and rounded another corner. They found a fireteam of marines. She and those with her immediately raised their weapons, but the fireteam of marines had their hands raised, holding them well clear of their weapons.
“Ensign Leath?” One of them called to her. “Don’t shoot! Captain Davis sent us! We’re from first platoon, 2nd quad! The marines are with you.”
Captain Davis was the marine captain in charge of all the marines on Oracle. He was a competent non-nonsense officer.
“Once we heard what you said and saw those vids of the aliens, we--well we’re with you. All of us.”
“All of you?” She breathed a sigh of relief she hadn’t known she was holding. “All the marines?”
Do the remaining marines aboard Oracle join her cause? (+1 Oracle is damaged, +1 she brought news of Alestranda's last command, +1 she showed proof of the alien threat).
(Very Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and...
And they quickly rally to her cause
“Yes ma’am. Both platoons, minus the guards Garica ordered to detain you.”
“What are your orders, corporal?”
“Captain Davis said to ask you. We’re to follow your orders ma’am.”
She nodded to the marines of second platoon, third squad that were with her, “Get these men some combat suits, then get me comms to Captain Davis.”
“This way,” the corporal nodded all of them dashed into the nearby armory where suits lined the walls. As the marines dashed off to get suited up, the coporal tapped his comms, and she heard Captain Davis’s voice crackler in her ear.
“Captain Davis here.”
“This is Ensign Leath.”
“Ah. Ensign, what are your orders?”
It felt strange to be giving orders. A part of her felt like an imposter. The other part of her remembered Captain Alestranda’s dying orders.
“Captain, secure all critical facilities. Don’t let any of Garcia’s men get anywhere near them or near any weapons. Then send a backup team to bridge. We’re on our way there now, but the extra firepower wouldn’t hurt.”
“I’m on it. Good luck, Ensign; we don’t fancy dying out here.”
“I’m not too keen on the idea either, Captain.”
It didn’t take long for the remaining marines of third squad to get suited up. They gathered around her some holding weapons at the ready, securing the passageway at both ends. Their powered armor made them loom over her, advanced powered servos whirring as they enhanced speed and strength, turning already capable warriors into lethal killing machines. She hoped it wouldn’t come to a fight. But she didn’t have any illusions about Garcia’s hatred of her.
The marines ran ahead of her, crouching at corners, signaling her and the others onward as they leap-frogged down passageway after passageway. It reminded her of the boarding operation maneuvers she had practiced in officer training. Only she wasn’t wearing powered armor. She did have on the ablative suit from earlier, but she hadn’t trained extensively in combat armor and knew she would only slow them down.
From the armory, they had taken a lift up and now ran down a hallway that would round into a junction with another that would lead them to the bridge. As was common on most ships, the bridge sat in the center of the ship, protected from the harsh environment of outer space by deck plating and meters of structural integrity.
The passageway she and the marines currently traversed neared a service hatch that led to the outside. Doors slid open and Ardelle entered the hallway when a blast struck their ship. A blinding explosion erupted in front of her throwing her backward against the wall. The hull plating buckled and a ragged gash perhaps five feet in diameter and three feet long gaped in the room showing empty space. Rapid decompression roared around her and threatened to suck her out of the ship, she slid across the floor and her fingers gripped a buckled piece of floor plating. The edge was sharp. It cut through her gloves but she held on, even when blood seeped out the edges and she gasped in pain.
Private Dwight Morgan, the comms specialist in squad 3 had also been knocked off his feet by the blast. He shouted and was sucked towards the exit. The blackness of space also gaped open to take Private Claxton who skidded backwards tumbling end over end over the floor.
Frantic voices shouted over the comms, claxons blared, and a red light began flashing. Corporal Whately reached out and grabbed Morgan as he skidded across the floor and Claxton slammed into Chubbs who reached out and grabbed the tumbling man with a meaty arm.
Blast doors started to drop to prevent a full decompression of the entire level. It was already getting hard to breathe, but Ardelle could do little but hold on. The hatch closest to her was already a third of the way down.
“Go! Go!” Krissa shouted, her voice sounded tinny in her ears. Ardelle felt strong hands grab her and tossed her bodily through the closing doorway. She hit hard and rolled on the floor. Corporal Whately was the last to make it, rolling under the closing blast door as it sealed with a hiss.
“Geeze, that was fun,” Kirssa muttered. “Just like the decompression drills in basic, eh Claxton?”
“Except failure there was two more hours of drills and PT. Here? I would’ve been drifting in space until my suit ran out of air. I owe you one Chubbs!” he clapped the larger man on the shoulder.
Chubbs grinned back at him. “You can buy me a drink when we get back earthside.”
“Stars man, you’ll get a case of the finest!”
Private Dwight Morgan appeared shaken and Whately hauled him to his feet. “We got you,” Corporal Whately said, patting his combat suit with his gloved hand. “You’re okay.”
Private Morgan nodded but his face was ashen.
“Well, that way is sealed off. Long way round to the bridge then,” Ardelle said and moved off in the opposite direction.
---------------------
I'll say in all the pounding, oracle takes two internal damage shots. Rolling to see what was hit now...
Passageway
Passageway
Nothing critical just some passage ways on some decks were blow out to vacuum. Was anyone in them when they were hit?
1st shot
(50/50 | 3[d10]) No
2nd shot
(50/50 | 10[d10]) Yes, and...
And... since it's a dramatic episode here, I'll say it affects Ardelle's team as they're moving to the bridge.
It creates a dramatic shift in air pressure in the hallway.
They have to make strength to keep holding onto something or risk being sucked out into vacuum.
Marines are in Powered Combat Armor (PCA) and are granted extra strength. They get a +1 to Str-related rolls.
This is the group with Ardelle at he moment...
1. Pvt Danny K. Winters - Marine on shuttle to Spenalk 2
2. Pfc Krissa Walker - Marine on shuttle to Spenalk 2 (Elliot’s brother)
3. Pvt James J Dummond - Marine on shuttle to Spenalk 2
4. Pvt Harold M. Chubb - Marine on Shuttle to Spenalk 3
5. (Roll again)
6. Pvt Matthew K Claxton - Marine on Shuttle to Spenalk 3
7. Corporal Carol J Chestor - white, female, age 23 short black hair, dark eyes
8. Pvt
9. Pvt Odell J Boon - white, female, 5’ 2”, age 19.
10. Pvt
11. Elliot
12. Ens. Ardelle Leath
We'll randomly roll 3 times. These are the people closest to the sudden decompression when it gets hit. They have to roll a Str check.
6 = 6[d12]
Private Claxton...
12 = 12[d12]
Ouch... Ardelle! And she's not strong. Hopefully someone can grab her.
6 = 6[d12]
(already rolled 6 - Rolling again)
5 = 5[d12]
(5 is empty slot. Roll again)
8 = 8[d12]
A random private in the squad we haven't met yet....
Let's meet him now.
Dwight T. Morgan, 6' 1" 250 lbs, Blond, Ground Comms operator specialist
Is difficulty more than 6?
(50/50 | 3[d10]) No
Less?
(Unlikely | 2[d10]) No
TN is 6 then.
Ardelle has a 2. She needs a 4 or higher to not get sucked out.
4 = 4[d6]
Right on!
What about Dwight? I'll say he has to roll a 2+ since he's a strong lad and has powered combat armor.
1 = 1[d6]
Go figure. See ya Dwight... Can anyone grab him?
(50/50 | 9[d10]) Yes
If someone makes a difficult str check TN 8 they can grab him. +1 str for PCA.
Is it Chubbs?
(50/50 | 5[d10]) No, but...
Chubbs is next closest... who is closest?
I'll say Corporal Whately.
He has Str 3, + 1 PCA = 4
He needs 4+ to grab the man.
4 = 4[d6]
Nice!
What about Private Claxton?
Needs to roll 2+ to not get sucked out.
1 = 1[d6]
Geez... Can Chubbs grab him?
(50/50 | 6[d10]) Yes, but...
Yes, but with only 1 hand so -1 to hold onto Claxton.
Chubbs has Str 5 through... 5 - 1 = 4 + 1 PCA = 5 + DIE ROLL vs TN 8. So he needs to roll a 3+.
6 = 6[d6]
Nice. Everyone is saved!
They'll try to pull themselves back out of the hallway before the closest hatch completely closes.
Ardelle is the one who is truly threatened not having a suit.
They try to fall back through the door they had just entered.
Do they make it as a group (+1 they're close to the door, +1 they have chubbs and he's strong, +1 the marines are in PCA, -1 decompression is still happening, -1 the doors are closing fast).
(Somewhat Likely | 9[d10]) Yes
---------------------------------
They approached the hatch to the bridge and found a couple of marines standing there, but they had their weapons on the ground already, and their hands raised. They weren’t in combat armor. She recognized one as Private Ruiso. He had often stood on duty outside the bridge when Captain Alestranda had been alive.
“I’m sorry about Captain Alestranda Ma’am,” Ruiso said. “She was a good officer.”
“She was,” Ardelle said and felt the tightness in her throat.
“But we follow orders. Captain Davis said to stand down and to await any orders you gave.”
“Any word from Lt. Garcia?”
“There were some local communications. He tried to order us to take you down. Said we should fire and kill you, that you were insubordinate and trying to take over the ship, but well, we jad already heard your ship-wide communication. Then Captain Davis told us to stand down. So... ” He nodded to their weapons on teh ground.
“You were in a difficult situation, but you made the right choice. Pick up those weapons,” she ordered. “And fall in behind us. If things get ugly, third quad will go in first, since they’re armored, you come in after with me. But we’ll try to talk first.”
“Yes ma’am.”
She radioed down to Elliot and Marisella in engineering. “I need comms from the bridge partially restored. No shipwide access. Just to the hallway immediately outside of the bridge. Give me direct access through my comms unit.”
“Doing it now,” Marisella said. A few moments passed. The marines checked their weapons, “Comms are open. Go ahead Ensign.”
“This is Ensign Ardelle Leathe to the bridge crew. Both platoons of marines on board Oracle are under my direct command. I am ordering you to surrender and to come out quietly.”
How does the current bridge crew respond (not Garcia, but the crew)?
Intolerance / Danger
Sounds like they're intolerance (don't care?) about the danger.
Does Lt. Garcia relinquish command before things get violent. (+1 comms are down, +1 he hears that marines outside are joining Ens. Leathe's cause, -1 his bridge is intolerance, -1 he's a tough old commander who isn't about to be countermanded by a junior officer.)
(50/50 | 3[d10]) No
Show down on the bridge... okay.
“Leathe! I’ll see you dead with a bullet between your eyes!” the man shouted, and she could imagine a vein pulsing--maybe multiple veins. He sounded like he was chewing nails. “The void take you! I’m not surrendering my ship, and if you come in her guns blazing, you’ll see how real officers fight when cornered!”
“You well know and have proof that Captain Alestranda gave me the codes to control this vessel, otherwise I would not have control of all ship systems,” Ardelle said. “Until High Command decides otherwise, I am in command of this ship.”
“You can kiss my--”
She cut the comms. There was no point in getting in a shouting match with him.
“Cut open the hatch and take them down. Non-lethal weapons if you have them.”
The squad of marines nodded and stacked up outside the hatch. Corporal Whately was in front with Private Claxton. He rapped Claxton’s helmet. “Go ahead Private.”
Pfc Claxton flicked his wrist and a special cutting torch emerged, and he began cutting open the door. It would take some time.
The backup team send by Davis also arrived. She had them guard the hallway. She didn’t want to have any surprises.
When the door was about cut, two others placed plastic explosives around the hatch. Everyone backed against the wall. “Remember to cover your sectors everyone. Non-lethal grenades first. Then we head in. Just like a training exercise. Take everyone down, non-lethal settings only. Repeat, non-lethal only.”
They all nodded their understanding, and Corporal Whately gave the order. The hatch blew inward in an explosion of fire and light. Ardelle’s ears rang.
Three members tossed flash-bang, tear-gas, chaff grenades. Once those went off, the others moved through the door, in a well-orchestrated maneuver. Every weapon covered a different area of the bridge.
The entire squad moved in and Ardelle, and the two unarmored marines followed after. She heard shouting and then shots rang out, but when Ardelle entered, all the defenders were down, slumped over consoles or lying on the ground. One console, the helm station, appeared to be damaged; smoke rose from its cracked and blackened console.
Lt. Garcia rose up only partially stunned and tried to crawl to his weapon that was a few feet away from him. Private Chubbs, put his foot down on the gun and put another non-lethal blast of pulse into Lt. Garcia, and the older man slumped to the ground with a groan.
“Clear,” Chubbs said to Ardelle, keeping his gun trained on the fallen in case any others had bright ideas.
None of the marines were hurt. Some had taken shots that scored their armor but nothing had penetrated.
It was over.
Then she thought of the enemy ship. She trotted to Captain Alestranda’s chair. She looked down at it for a moment then sat down in it with a frown. She was the captain of The Oracle... for the time being anyway.
She tapped her personal comms down to Marisella. “Restore all ship functions to the bridge. We’re going to need repairs on the bridge console ASAP up here as well.”
“I’ll send up a team right away,” Marisella said.
As the consoles came back to life, she motioned for Whately to join her. “Corporal Whately, have your men clear out these bodies, then put them in the brig. Don’t allow them to talk to anyone but see that any injuries are treated. Leave a fire team with me. They’ll be on the bridge maintaining security for the time being.”
“Yes ma’am.” He saluted and left Krissa, Claxton, Chubbs and Morgan with her. All the others hauled out the bodies.
“You four, congratulations. You’re on bridge duty at the moment. Each of you take a console.”
They settled in, their extra bulk from the armor threatened to snap the arms off the chairs. She tapped open the tactical screen and flicked the display to the center of the room where the hologram hung in front of them. Oracle continued to pick up speed as it arced away from Spenalk 3.
They were out of the ice field now had escaped the gravitational pull of Spenalk 3, moving out of orbit in a transit. The enemy ICC ship, a red dot on the scanners, was falling behind out of weapons range. For the moment, they were out of danger.
She breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair. For the moment.
“Claxton, give me a damage report,”
“Uhh, I’ve not used these systems before,” Claxton said, “But here goes.”
The shields flickered and went down. “Ummm.”
“What does this button do?” Krissa asked.
Ardelle frowned at the marines. “Uh, yeah, why don’t you four just guard the room okay?”
They nodded in obvious relief and grabbed their weapons.
With full functions restored, she exhaled and tapped through the software to the ship-wide comms. This would be faster with the other bridge crew but... she’d manage for now.
“This is Ensign Ardelle Leath. I have secured the bridge and am captain of this vessel until High Command chooses someone else. I have placed Lt. Garcia and his bridge crew in custody.
“Both platoons of marines under Captain Davis are under my direct command. They are ordered to secure the ship.
“And finally, the backup crew will report to the bridge immediately! If you’re not here in five minutes, a team of marines will escort you here. Captain Leath out.” She closed the connection.
She then used the security code from Alestranda and with the command software on the bridge, she managed to remove the override commands Marisella had placed down in Engineering, returning full and sole control of Oracle back to the bridge. She kept the ship on autopilot.
The back-up bridge crew arrived just as she signed out. They filed in, obviously nervous at having armed marines in full battle armor on the bridge. Even Ensign Jaskston Ross, who normally would have winked at her, or asked her out on a date, or complimented her jump-suit uniform, or something else utterly inane, only frowned at her, an expression of awe on his face.
“Take your places,” she said. “You’ve seen the vids I’ve transmitted?”
At their mute nods, she continued. “Then you know what we’re up against. The ICC ship is the least of our problems. Ensign Holden, what’s the state of the Oracle?”
“Bringing it up now, Captain,” Ensign Holden said.
The tactical holo screen moved to one side, and a schematic of the ship floated in front of them, damaged systems blinking in red.
“One pulse cannon completely offline. Another damaged but still functional... just slower to fire. The shuttle bay is a disaster. Also two hallways on decks two and three have suffered full decompression. There was some light damage in engineering with some consoles blown. Life support is struggling to recover from the strain on the decompression earlier and with the additional... umm... crew from Spenalk 3.”
“I call them Chameleons,” she said. “Find some place for them to stay. And what about our engines? Jump drive?”
“All other systems are nominal Ensi-- I mean Captain.”
“Very good. Get teams repairing Oracle. Priority repairs are to the shuttles and shuttle bay. We need those functioning ASAP. And send me a casualty count to my console.”
“Yes Captain.”
“Drav,” she informed the helm. “As soon as that console is repaired, set up an intercept to Spenalk 2. We still have our team to pick up there.”
Would they even be alive, she wondered? She settled back into the captains chair and checked the damage reports and crew roster.
---------------------------------
While they're cutting open the hatch to the bridge, the other ICC ship is trying to give chase.
Does it stay on their tail?
(-1 it has to reverse engines since it flew past them, -1 it's hard to follow in the ice field, +1 Oracle is on auto pilot)
(Somewhat Unlikely | 2[d10]) No
It lags behind.
Marines use cutting torches to cut through the bridge door.
Since this is a multi-person combat, I'm not going to roll it all out. I'll just use the engine her to figure out what happens and will roll anything specific for Ardelle as needed.
They throw in flash bangs and storm the hatch.
They'll use non-lethal rounds as some of the bridge crew might not have had a choice but to follow orders from Lt. Garcia.
Do the marines and Ardelle take the bridge without any casualties? (+1 marines outnumber the defenders on the bridge, +1 they have better weapons, +1 they have PCA, +1 defenders deafened and blinded by the flash bangs, -1 they have to go through a choke point, -1 the crew is armed and ready.)
(Likely | 5[d10]) Yes, but...
But?
I'll use the MAG
(butter fly, head with eyes closed, ricochet shot, boot, crystal scepter, racing music note, explosion in tower/fortress, cup with wings, stylized onyx symbol)
I'll say that the defenders are knocked unconscious---assailants are not using lethal rounds so that makes sense--- but the firing from the defenders causes a ricochet that damages something on the CIC (bridge).
Racing note and wings make me think it damaged the helm controls... So -1 to Pilot checks until it's repaired.
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