Back where he began after his one-minute high-speed circuit of the trench network (and there's no other way to go but high speed in this environment), 'Masque spends a few more moments making necessary arrangements... "Feral, Jomo, Ikuk, Lodo - form close-assault squad and prepare to take the gun nest after we surpress it!" the big 'borg calls, ducking low and coming up a moment later with a heavy Wellington grenade launcher in each of two hands, one on each side of his body... Accurate it's not, but with a forty-foot blast 'footprint' for a burst of high-explosive grenades and plenty of ammunition, it's a great way to make people keep their heads down.

 Which 'Masque commences to do, low powered magnetic coils in each weapon accelerating literally dozens of small metal cans of pre-stressed wire and high explosive towards the enemy position, where they detonate and hurl lethal fragments at all and sundry for three or four short seconds and then... "Close assault, go!"

Andy ducked behind cover and slung his emptied missile rifle back over his shoulder. The quad-barreled monstrosity in his other hand was hefted and raised as Andy began to blaze fire back at the new shooters.

Some sort of shockwave weapon is set off at the transport extending through the entire town. Photios, Lotus and Mephisto lose their defensive spells, and the storms surrounding the town disappear. It seems the Coalition have a massive magic-nullifying bomb...

Mephisto quickly recasts his protective spells, without any interference.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:28, Thu 10 Apr 2008.

Coalition machines of war can be spotted in the horizon approaching the town. Tanks, Armoured Personnel Carriers, and various CS Walkers completely surround the town, and are closing in.

(The varied armour types are mixed up, and are spaced 50 feet apart. Infantry can be spotted filling in the gaps however. They are in platoons of humans, power armours and cyborgs, skelebots and dog boys).

Standing up from the downed SAMAS the goo of the pilots squished brains drip from the clenched fist of the crazed looking Doc Feral. Glancing at the force coming over the horizon a grim smile forms on his face. In a booming voice that can be heard over 1600ft away he declares. "I will take care of the vermin behind us. You all concentrate on destroying the invaders before you." Whether it is supreme confidence or misplaced arrogance no one who hears doubts the words he has spoken. With only a slight bend of the knees Doc Feral arcs high up into the air and all the way over to the roof of the gun nest where he lands and then descends through the hole in the roof into the building. Gunfire and explosions soon follow.

Masque and DeeVee blanket the three buildings in grenades, while Black Andy, Nilus, Na-Wa, Mephisto, Hagriss, Photios, Lotus, Snodgrass and Cannon Fodder lay down fire among the explosions.

The buildings are completely destroyed, and what was left of their walls, collapse, releasing huge clouds of dust and smoke. 4th Platoon is literally shooting blind, until ordered to stop firing.

On Silvermasque's order the firing stops and Doc Feral is the first one to attack, leaping directly into 'The Gun Nest'. Ikuk, Jomo, and Ludo ignore his request to perform alone, and charge to his position.

Doc Feral finds three dead SF SAMs laying sprawled out inside the ruins of 'The Gun Nest'.

 'Masque, being the sort of person to make up his own damn' mind about how he feels and sufficiently ornery to say so to man and god alike keeps on shooting when 'The Doc' makes his announcement - the order for 'cease' coming only moments before the impact of the genetic aberration on the roof of the gun nest...

 The big Russian's pleased to see the rest of the close-assault squad hitting the position and swings around, promptly making reassignments on the fly as he shifts position twenty yards or so down the trench-line... "Militia squads look front, concentrate fire as per your officers instructions." is the first command to go out as his hands almost automatically change drums and encrypted short-range radio bursts reach out to Deevee, hastily co-ordinating a fireplan with the robot, "Mercenary fireteams to surpress enemy air as presented, Militia leaders you are having indirect fire support on my channel. Use it or lose it, da?"

Lifting one of the SF SAMS up by the back of the neck Doc Feral holds it in fron of him using it like a shield as he makes his way through the building looking for CS personnel in need of killing.

PM

 PM

PM

 PM - Nothing to see here.

Having been left out of specific orders Cannon Fodder is ducking down as best he can taking aim at the approacing Coalition forces, may as well use the tim aiming.

"Anyone got a time check, I want to know how much longer before I can collect my winnings."

The orcish brothers arive at the gun nest just as Doc Feral is charging 'The Watering Hole' (#30) with a human shield. Ikuk is the first to leap over the rubble, and follow Doc Feral, when a volley of rockets are fired from the north into the remains of the Gun Nest (#34). Ludo and Jomo vanish in the explosion.

Doc Feral finds more dead bodies in the Watering hole.

The Salvation militia prepare for the incoming land invasion, however they are still just under two miles out of town. The last remaining squad of SAMAS are making their way for 4th Platoon. The entire air force led by Cpl. Fanel has either been shot down, or retreated. One of the SAMs is seen hurling towards the ground with flames trailing from its' mauled jets. Another drops after its jets simply turn off. Both crash-land into the streets of Madtown among 1st Platoons' position.

The remaining ten SAMs will arrive momentarily.

Ikuk screams "NOOOOOOOOO!", and charges back to find only pieces of Ludos' cybernetic skeleton. He bends down to pick up Ludos' spine and skull. A second volley of missiles is fired at the building from the north consuming Ikuk in flames just as the SAMs come into sight.

If Nilus weren't in shock when he saw Jomo and Ludo blow up, he may have tried harder to warn Ikuk. When the third brother is killed, Nilus drops his rifle and stares blankly at the Gun Nest.

 "Fourth platoon, stand by to receive air strike!" 'Masque shouts as the Coalition ambush unfolds on the charging mercenaries, wincing internally at the carnage but knowing despite this that there's simply nothing he can do save continue to fight what remains of his forces to the best of his ability...

 Both grenade launchers swing down and are clipped to maglock harnesses on his armour as he moves another dozen yards down the trenchline in a series of long, low bounds, spitting actinic blue streams of particle-beams at the incoming RPA suits  as he goes and hurls himself at Nilus, shouting, "Down!" as long, steely tentacles (lacking their accustomed energy charge) lash out to drive the goblin NCO down into the dirt before the SAM's can lash their position with fire.

The SAMs focus entirely on Cannon Fodder, spraying the giant with dozens of rail gun rounds, a few light missiles, and a carpet of grenades at his feet. The rest of 4th platoon opens fire and make quick work of the SAMs, sending them to their deaths around the platoons, and the militia's postions. The air force has been destroyed.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:47, Wed 23 Apr 2008.

PM

PM

Cannon Fodder falls to the ground, his flesh resembling the ruined buildings around 4th platoon, sparkling with fresh blood.

Some distant CS artillery launches again, this time directed at the surrounding perimeter of town completely decimating the demon horde. The incoming CS forces will ride right over Madtown, and the internal forces are regrouping around the transport.

 Disengaging under fire is just about the hardest thing for a green, scratch-built force to achieve. It's an open invitation to panic, desperation and rout. Fortunately, avoiding such problems was a large part of 'Masque's intent in spending so many man-hours digging trenches and as the 'pull back' command goes out, they start to prove their worth.

 "Militia fireteams break into A and B components, A is fall back to secondary bunker, then cover B's retreat to tertiary. Leapfrog back through trenches to firepoints as you go, commanders - keep tight rein!"

 Is the first and simplest command before 'Masque himself starts scooping up members of the squad by radio, voice or - if absolutely necessary - hand and hurling them back into the ruins, basically using the well-armoured mercenaries (And himself, it must be noted) as 'canaries' to scout out the extent of Coalition infiltration of the city proper in order to move retreating personnel around enemy-held strongpoints and firing positions, back to the evacuation pads.

 With the main Coalition advance into the city along the Fourth Platoon front stalled (if only for a short while) by minefields, tripholes and the occasional disappearance of entire main battle tanks into large covered pits (some of which then prove to have explosives at the bottom, most of which don't) it buys just about enough time for the squad to fall back as 'Masque - never one to pass up a damn' good idea, grabs the most intact looking 'Super' or 'Striker' SAM he can find (in two arms or one arm respectively) and using it as a shield in the close fighting of the retreat, regrouping with the militia squads at the inner defensive line and using the split groups to perform hasty house-to-house in the ten minutes or so before the full weight of enemy infantry and armour come down upon them, making sure that there are no remaining civilians in the platoons area of responsibility.

 And then it's time to get the hell out of dodge.

 All in all, the day could have gone better.

Na-Wa watched as the “Big Mountain thing” was killed, and then wondered why the others called it “Cannon Fodder”

Photios is the first to notice the mangled Cannon Fodder is still alive. Barely conscious, and bleeding heavily Fodder needs help and fast. Unfortunately in such times he has to wait while the civilians are evacuating. After nearly an hour it is time for 4th platoon to carry him.

Doc Feral, Black Andy, Silvermasque, Hagriss and DeeVee are the forced volunteers.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:38, Sat 26 Apr 2008.

Doc Feral moved through the streets of Madtown like some crazed demigod extinguishing the life of the Coalition paratroopers with surprising ease. At no time did even a drop of his own blood stain the gauzy white gowns he wore. In fact he did not even get dirty until it was time to move Cannon Fodder. With supernatural strength that many a dragon would envy Doc Feral pitches in and makes the task easier for everyone. "This creature is a colossal piece of shit!" He comments after dropping the upper body of the Adarok down in the center of town.

Even though a portion of his consciousness belongs to an accomplished Medical Doctor he offers no help to Fodder instead he moves to satisfy an urge that he knows will be coming once his perfect body is forced apart into two lesser beings. Recovering the two large MDC footlockers he tucks one under each arm and prepares to depart the besieged town. Now that his home has been blown apart all of the brothers most precious belongings are in the footlockers. Most importantly to the half known as Doc, enough opiates and benzodiazepine to sedate the entire population of Madtown. Not that he would share of course.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:57, Sat 26 Apr 2008.