The Praetorian Franks of Enchoa Rhi were not known for their social graces or their intelligence.  And with respect to the social graces, Elsbeth was par for the course.  Much of that had to do with environment as much as genetics.  But when it came to intelligence, Elsbeth had surprised her makers, her trainers, her charges, and her enemies.  Elsbeth actually had some wits about her.  True, she was not a super brain, like the precocious Sufi-brained man-child she had been originally assigned to.  But V'shek was pleasantly surprised that she could learn relatively quickly and he took it as a personal challenge to teach her.  Given the balkanized and violent nature of Enchoa Rhi, much of that training focused on military history and tactics.  But Elsbeth also learned about fine muscle control and physics, methods for calculating and estimating distances and geometries...

Elsbeth could feel the pull of the singularity in the compression rod, the warping of space when she had first been introduced to weapon had been disconcerting to her.  But now, it seemed second nature, she could tell just how far the rod extended and its speed more by feel than sight.  And that is why she knew it had struck true as she followed through with her blow on her sole standing enemy.  Elsbeth noted the bone-jarring crunch with more of an attitude of professional detachment than satisfaction.  She didn't necessarily love her work, but she did understand it on very personal and instinctual level.  The peripheral 360^o tactical view display on her HUD showed that threat level of her latest victim was a faded, dull yellow.

Her charge and follow through had carried her past the slumping form of the insectoid-reptile and she continued to move, letting her momentum carry her off of a low boulder and back towards her last two opponents, those Q'sa that had been knocked down, but not knocked out.  From past experience, Elsbeth knew that her adrenaline surged strength could only be counted on for another few seconds, before it started to fade.  So, she acted as quickly and efficiently as she could.  The servo-enhanced assist to her legs allowed her jump to close the gap to the two prone Q'sa almost instantly.

And then she was back upon them.  Her tumble and jump had placed her between the two Q'sa, just as she had expected.  She landed with a heavy 'Thud'.  Her left armor-clad foot had found a resting place one of the downed Q'sa, Elsbeth brought the carbine in her left hand so that it was pointed right at the chest of that prone Q'sa.  Meanwhile, she brought the concussion rod in her right hand around in another blurred arc towards form of the other Q'sa struggling to his feet.  The carbine flashed as it launched a coherent beam of light, while the concussion rod sang a low hum whose pitch changed as it approached the intended target with ever-increasing speed...
[Private to Prometheus: OOC:  I can try to give the attack in each hand a try, but I figured there would be substantial penalties...  I believe the book states, -10 for the off-hand and -6 for the 'on'-hand - those are in the rolls.
Actions:
Free Action         :  Ability Surge - con't (+8 Str, -2 Def, Duration: 1 more rounds)
Move Action         :  Tumble and launch off of boulder to close distance to last two opponents
Standard Action     :  Attack last two prone, but conscious Q'sa

Rolls:
Tumble Check        :  23:46, Today: Elsbeth rolled 20 using 1d20+7. Tumble Check - if necessary.
Jump Check          :  23:48, Today: Elsbeth rolled 33 using 1d20+13. Jump Check - if necessary.
Attack (Conc. Rod)  :  23:42, Today: Elsbeth rolled 21 using 1d20+7. Atk (Rod): +4BAB,+8Str,+1MW, -6OnHand.
Damage (Conc. Rod)  :  23:45, Today: Elsbeth rolled 22 using 2d8+8. Damage (Rod).
Attack (Carbine)    :  23:44, Today: Elsbeth rolled 3 using 1d20-1. Atk (Conc. Rod):+6BAB,+3Scp,-10OffHand. - Sorry it was mislabeled on the roller.. this should be the carbine attack roll (Ugh)
Damage (Carbine)    :  23:46, Today: Elsbeth rolled 16 using 3d8. Damage (Carbine). - if necessary

Combat Stats:
VITALITY (max/curr) :  65/65 (105/105 w/barrier shield)
HP (max/curr)       :  29
INIT                :  +2 (10, previously rolled)
DEF (hardsuit)      :  +22 ACP: -3  DR: 4 (w/ barrier shield)
                       +20 (w/ -2 (ability surge)
BAB (Melee/Range)   :  +6 (+7 w/Concussion Rod)/+6 (+9 w/Laser Carbine)
SAVES (F/R/W)       :  +8/+6/+4
ACTION POINTS       :  7
BASE SPEED          :  50ft (30 (base) + 10 (armor) + 10 (class))
NOTES: Fearless, Uncanny Dodge I, Evasion, Energy Resis (sonic/conc): 4/-
       Photon Shield (50% concealment, DC 20 to spot while moving)
       Ability Surge (+8 Str, -2 Def - Duration: last round)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEAPON             DMG   Crit  Range  Weight  Size  Type     Notes
Concussion Rod     2d8     20    -     2lbs   med   Bludg    MW (+1 atk)
Laser Carbine**    3d8     20   90ft*  6lbs   lrg   Laser    Mag: Eclip 50
   * Rangefinder Scope Gadget       ** Accuracy: +3 (+2 (inherent) +1 (MW))]

  The Q'sa under Elspeth's foot stops squirming as the concussion rod impacts, the growl of the rod barely heard over the wind and sound of braking bone. The Q'sa grunt on the ground see's the rifle come up into line with his face. it''s fixed insect eyes reflecting the pathfinder lasers dim glow. Alien facial features are always hard to read but the sudden opening of it's mouth and pressing of it's back to the ground as it struggles to evade the point blank shot are easy enough to read, simple and direct, fear.

    The carbine cycles. it's storage cells pumping energy into the capacitors for a short high output pulse of coherent light. as it fires the alien makes a desperate dive to the side. the pulse of light only a hundredth of a second long. not the long scorching pulse of a beam laser but enough to flash vaporize rock and dust the sudden heating shattering anything it hit. and turning water into super hot steam. the net affect was a sudden explosive blast of heat and vapor. leaving a shallow divot in the stone instead of a long deep gash. or a bloody spray of flash cook flesh and bone that would have resulted if the alien had not moved. red hot rock shards and spatters of molten rock spray out from teh impact sticking to Elspeth's boots and singing the Q'sa's face.
    His hand comes up from his hip. the muzzle of the pistol he carries almost as big as Elspeth's thumb. a short ranged brutal weapon meant to deal with targets that needed more power than range or accuracy. the weapons was inaccurate, clumsy and worst for Elspeth loud.

Elsbeth let something escape from between her lips, it was a sound somewhere between a short sharp expletive and a growl.  A mark of frustration in her inability to do things quietly and effectively.  But there is nothing else to be done about it at this point - nothing but to finish the job now.  The last Q'sa had the wherewithal to actually try and get a shot off.  Damn it, was all that Elsbeth could subvocalize.

Still, there was very little time for recriminations.  In fact, there was even less now that the others, such as local aerial patrols or other nearby foot patrols might now be alerted to her presence.  She needed to dispatch the last enemy fast.  And try not to be so sloppy this time, she chided herself, the longer you dally and dance, the more chance to be discovered.  Her instructors had always been adamant:  It doesn't matter how pretty the kill.  Be done with it, and be done with it fast.  You are Force Recon.  Your effectiveness is not in being flashy,; it is in making the enemy fear the unknown - it is in making the enemy know that no matter where they are they are never safe.

Elsbeth flicked her right wrist to and fro to free the concussion rod from its resting place in the body under foot.  Her eyes never left the lone enemy that now had a gun trained on her.  Once the rod was free, Elsbeth immediately stepped forward to closed the distance to the Q'sa.  It was a simple stutter step, but she added a feint to the left as she dipped her left shoulder, trying to mask the attack angle as she whipped the concussion rod in her right hand around again.  Elsbeth targeted the creature's neck and shoulder, striking out with a speed born primarily of desperation.  The light rays bent and played on her armor as the photon shield continued to flicker, obscuring the outline of her presence.  She trusted in her barrier shield to take the brunt of the Q'sa attack as necessary, but she needed to try and make sure that it didn't get a shot off if possible.  She was not sure if that would be possible, but she had to try.
[Private to Prometheus: OOC:
Actions:
Free Action         :  Growl/Expletive
Move Action         :  'Draw' concussion rod from previous... er... victim, close distance to next victim
Standard Action     :  Attack last Q'sa with concussion rod

Rolls:
Attack (Conc. Rod)  :  00:31, Today: Elsbeth rolled 16 using 1d20+9. Atk (Rod): +4BAB,+4Str,+1MW.
Damage (Conc. Rod)  :  00:31, Today: Elsbeth rolled 12 using 2d8+4. Damage (Rod).

Combat Stats:
VITALITY (max/curr) :  65/65 (105/105 w/barrier shield)
HP (max/curr)       :  29
INIT                :  +2 (10, previously rolled)
DEF (hardsuit)      :  +22 ACP: -3  DR: 4 (w/ barrier shield)
BAB (Melee/Range)   :  +8 (+9 w/Concussion Rod)/+6 (+9 w/Laser Carbine)
SAVES (F/R/W)       :  +8/+6/+4
ACTION POINTS       :  7
BASE SPEED          :  50ft (30 (base) + 10 (armor) + 10 (class))
NOTES: Fearless, Uncanny Dodge I, Evasion, Energy Resis (sonic/conc): 4/-
       Photon Shield (50% concealment, DC 20 to spot while moving)
       Ability Surge (+8 Str, -2 Def - Duration: done)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEAPON             DMG   Crit  Range  Weight  Size  Type     Notes
Concussion Rod     2d8     20    -     2lbs   med   Bludg    MW (+1 atk)
Laser Carbine**    3d8     20   90ft*  6lbs   lrg   Laser    Mag: Eclip 49
   * Rangefinder Scope Gadget       ** Accuracy: +3 (+2 (inherent) +1 (MW))]

      " Luck is a fickle twitch. one day she loves you . Next day she hand you a live grenade." Gunny grumbled as he picked up the bloody helmet of a trainee who had a grenade misfire in his hands." This sorry sod was on her short list.

    The Q'sa's helmet rolled away ad his head impacted the boulder behind him again. the kick back of the concussion rod doing enough damage to finish the job Elspeth started when she slammed it into his chest. The boulder field is now a very quiet place the low moan of the dying Q'sa barely audible over the wind and the distant hum of a drone passing far to the south.

John came to in his cockpit, the mental pinging of Tiny's distinctive voice bouncing around in his head. Are you awake? are you awake yet? Now? Now? Now? Now?

Shut up. John sent back at the machine. As the echoes of Tiny's speech receded from his mind, he felt her distinct sense of relief that he was actually alright.

Quite frankly, he was rather surprised that he had actually lived through that. He had been in the cargo bay touching up some of Tiny's systems when the cockpit exploded. He didn't know what had overcome him, but he'd entered Tiny, loaded into the nearest drop pod, and ejected. Typically, the overrides would have prevented this, but whether it was the sudden loss of the computer core, Tiny's own administrations, or sheer dumb luck, the pod had worked. He was ejected from the ship.

At Mach 2.

Sideways.

The first collision with a dune had shattered the pod (it was, after all, designed for orbital insertion, not as an artillery shell). The second had knocked John out. Making certain that Tiny's most critical systems were still online, and her weapons were undamaged and still with him, he extricated himself from the dune and got a bearing on his situation.

"John, we're upside down. can you fix that? It's making my fuel run to my head. Tiny sounded a bit upset.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:08, Sat 03 Apr 2010.

Yeah, one second... John opened the external viewpoint, and was immediately bombarded by sand. Closing it before he suffocated, he brought up the combat cameras and pulled himself out of the dune.

Tiny, he added, a little bit worried, you're fusion powered. What fuel?
This message was last edited by the player at 01:07, Sat 03 Apr 2010.

" Water John." Tiny replied several gallons of heavy water for the reaction mass.

    As far as I can see we are in a desert, I can not detect any signals on the com bands or emergency locator beacons for the crew, or marines on the ship.

  miles of broken hills and  wind swept rock surround the shallow crater left by the impact of the drop pod. smoke rises in the distance, a wide boulder field blocking one direction of travel. Among the boulders and over it small drones patrol the sky and dart among the rocks. most are recon drones though some appear to be heavily armed combat drones. all have an odd techno-organic look to them like wasps or some sort of stinging insect.

John crouched instinctively from the drones. Someone was searching the area, and it wouldn't do to be seen by them. Slowly, he pulled his weapon and re-tuned Tiny's skin, turning it from the standard-issue Olive-Green to a shifting, muted sand to match the surrounding desert.

What the hell are these things, and where are we supposed to go now?

[Private to GM: You rolled 16 using 1d20+7 ((9))].

  Form their size and energy output, I would say short ranged security drones.

      I can't suggest a course John, I am having difficulty processing all of the information. I believe the impact may had caused some damage to my processors. but we can't stay here, You need to resupply, you can starve and I wouldn't like that. I would be alone
[Private to Ssgt. John Garrow: OOC her tone sounds odd, she seems to be reverting to her base programming before she developed her own personality mechanical and analytical. and somehow detached although all her physical systems seem to be working well she is not herself.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:08, Sat 03 Apr 2010.

They'd covered this in basic, right when they'd first paired marine and mech. When your AI goes numb, the best thing to do is assess the situation, let her work it out, and prevent her from destabilizing. He hadn't felt debilitated, so a systems crash was unlikely.

He quickly began locking off critical systems from Tiny's control. Tiny, he communicated through their cybernetic link, give yourself a moment; we're going to head for the mission objective. If I know the crew, survivors would probably be there.

And, hopefully, they'd have a communications relay. On a precautionary hunch, he triggered the blackout protocol on his comm array; nothing was sent out, and nothing was allowed in, communications-wise. He had heard rumors of things that could hack mechs, even ones with AI, and he wanted to be certain.

Sure, I could use a minute. Tiny replied, her voice sounding more like herself, You remember when you got drunk On thunderhead and spent all morning with an Ice pack on your head.....I could use one right now. my processors hurt.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:36, Sat 03 Apr 2010.

John did remember that morning. Vaguely. He hadn't told her... Tiny, did you hack my personnel file?

Standing from his crouched position, he began moving quickly yet softly towards the objective, keeping clear of the drones.

"Hack?" Tiny sounded surprised, there was a long silence" I think so, I didn't do it intentionally though...I didn't activate my.... I was curious ..it sort of happened.

   I seem to have lost several protocols, I don't know what happened pffft they're just not there anymore,and I feel.. wonky. there are files in my deep runtimes I didn't write. I checked no one has accessed my core, and no one has been monkeying around in my hardware. It's like I...didn't want them anymore, and these other just started to write themselves.... can I go crazy?

John locked Tiny off from the rest of the mech's systems. All she could do now was speak to him and look through the sensors.

Shut down. He said, I'll take a look when we get back to base. He really, truly hoped that she hadn't destabilized. for one, it would be a horrible time for her to do something like that. Second, he'd miss having someone to exchange witty banter with during firefights. More importantly, he'd lose the friend he'd taken so many risks to smuggle out of the Marines with his medical discharge.

" I can't John Tiny squeaked" Someone doesn't want me to, I can go to sleep and let you pilot but right now my systems are doing something. It's me, but it's more than me. I'm scared...but i can't get scared.

   All of my safety protocols are intact and my firewalls are solid, what ever is happening is part of me...I feel...I....I feel Me.

John didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. He redoubled his pace, as the only thing that would save her was a dedicated cybernetics facility, and there certainly wasn't one around here.

Moving quickly and quietly the mech makes solid progress. the boulder field offers little cover but there appears to be a hole int he patrol pattern. an area that obviously should be patrolled but is missing it's Q'sa.

     As Elspeth finishes wiping the Q'sa off her concussion rod she hears the distinct sound of a Mech moving in stealth mode. the crunch of gravel and the subdues hum and whine of myomer bundles audible but not obvious. The short skirmish had obscured the sounds until the mech was almost on top of Elspeth.

    rounding the corner John spots several dead Q'sa on the ground, one or two looking as if someone had used a sledgehammer on them. Standing over one body the outline of a soldier using mil-spec therm-optic camouflage is perceptible. a soft beep from the IFF in the guns optics warn john the target is a Colonial Marine.

[Private to Elsbeth: The mech is obscured by active camoflauge but it matches the outline of a Mech that was stored aboard the transport for deployment. It seems there was another survivor.]

"359th?" John asked, his voice modulated strangely by the external microphone. It wasn't completely unintentional; he found that his voice wasn't nearly as intimidating as the modulated one. He deactivated Tiny's skin, restoring it to the default military green.

"What the hell happened?"

Elsbeth had taken her foot off the twitching body of the last Q'sa.  She was crouching to inspect her handy work for a moment, when she noted the 'ping' of the proximity alarm on the tactical display of her HUD, which had started to automatically expand its detection radius with the immediate skirmish over.  She tilted her head for a moment, and then stood.  Elsbeth adjusted her grip on the handle of the concussion rod, bringing the action end of the rod up to about her eye level.  The miniature singularity at the end hummed slightly and warped the air around it making a slight visual aberration.  The laser carbine in her left hand was held rather casually, resting on her shoulder with the barrel pointing straight up.

She stood to face the new arrival.  As far as she had seen in the last two days, the Q'sa didn't have mechs.  But, that didn't mean that they could not steal or use them.  Still, she would do what she needed to, and flee if necessary.

As the fuzzed form of the giant machine came into view, Elsbeth recognized 'Tiny' from the berthing on the Marine transport.  The mech and her driver had been released before the full drop and the pooch-screw that had wiped out the rest of her squad and its dropship.  Elsbeth pursed her lips when hailed.  She dropped her electro-optical camouflage when the mech dropped its own; she nodded and then popped her visor open, her voice sounded a bit like she gargled gravel, but that could have only been due to the low water rations.  "Lance Corporal Sinclair-Smythe." she intoned in response to Garrow's first question; Elsbeth gave the mech a slight salute with the concussion rod.

Elsbeth then proceeded to walk to check on the status of the other prone Q'sa bodies.  She could not be sure that two Q'sa that had been only indirectly knocked down by her initial charge were really dead.  As she put a lance of coherent light through the helmet of one the prone Q'sa at point blank range, Elsbeth stated plainly, "I am not sure how to answer your second question, sir."  Elsbeth could not remember if the mech's driver was an officer; so, she rolled the dice and addressed him with the honorific.  She assumed that driver was of a higher rank than her, most mech drivers were, and would have to follow his orders.  But, Elsbeth also knew that she had to finish her immediate job: dealing with the patrol that she had ambushed.  So, she walked over the another prone Q'sa body and pointed her carbine at its motionless head, "Currently, I am making my way back to the main Colonial encampment, to debrief.  As the sole survivor of my unit - excuse me."  She paused to shoot the other Q'sa in the head, once again at point blank range.  "As one of only two survivors of the 359th, I felt it my primary duty to report what happened to my other teammates and to report on all enemy troop and resource movements and strengths that I have been able to observe in my time since leaving the encampment."

Elsbeth collapsed her concussion rod down and stowed it, and then scanned the horizon around them briefly to gauge the time and see if there were any nearby patrols that would alter her plan to let the patrol offer one last distraction for them.  She then started to quickly collect the patrol's major armaments and throw them into a rough pile.  "I needed to cut across this boulder field - which I have been crossing for two nights..." she tossed another pistol into the pile as she continued, "and this patrol was in my way.  I got the drop on them, but I should have been able to take them out faster and quieter than I did."  Elsbeth shook her head, then realized she was rambling, as she tossed a Q'sa rifle with extra magazines into the pile.  "We'd best head for the treeline..."  She motioned in the direction of the cover not too far away.  "We can discuss our situation more there.  We don't want to be here, when this stuff," Elsbeth gestured to the pile of armaments, magazines and grenades, "goes off."

With that, Elsbeth closed her visor and reactivated her electro-optical camouflage on her armor and got ready to prime a grenade to toss into the pile Q'sa gear.  She looked at the mech to make sure that it and its driver were ready to beat feet...

"Just bury the things." John suggested. "There's others, and an explosion will bring them all running."

He was relieved to hear there was a friendly encampment within range. Maybe they'd be able to help his AI. "Get on; we can make better time." Marine mechs were not designed to carry passengers, but he found it could work well enough if the mech wasn't carrying anything and the passenger wasn't afraid of heights.

Elsbeth motioned to the earpiece on her helmet and the signaled to the Mech driver a non-standard encrypted frequency to monitor.  She switched over her comm to that frequency.  "I'm not sure if the normal channels are being monitored, sir." she intoned quietly as she started in on her work.  "We don't have the time to bury everything properly." Elsbeth noted, "I'm going to try to leave anyone who investigates this mess a little gift.  Move a hundred metres off, in that direction" she gestured towards the trees as she continued, "I don't want the vibrations from the mech setting anything off inadvertently.  I will join you in less than three minutes."

Elsbeth then set about the task of setting the primed grenade under a one of the more intact prone bodies.  She primed two more grenades, setting one of them under another body that she had flipped over face down and set up near the munitions pile.  The last grenade she primed and placed in a divet under a section of the munitions pile, balancing two of the heavy rifles on top of the trigger.  As she backed up and padded quietly away from the patrol site; she reactivated her barrier shield, just in case one of the grenades went off.[Private to Prometheus: OOC: if you want me to roll anything - I wasn't sure what, let me know and I will do so.]

With her photon shield back up, Elsbeth picked her way through the boulders to the nearby rendezvous point that she had just set up with the Marine mech and her driver.  When she got there, Elsbeth clambered up one of the arms of the mech to a perch on top of her; the one specified by the driver.  She tapped on the cockpit canopy lightly, to signal that she was in place.

     Elspeth quickly climbs on board. the grab bars and fold out jump seat at the back of the Mech intended for just such occasions. The booby trap is in place and ready to remove the Q'sa who come along to clean up her mess.
   Inside the Mech The armors on board computer syncs with Tiny's data modules and down loads Elspeth's recon data. All of her observations indicate that the Q'sa presence  is heaviest around the crash sight of the transport.  Q'sa being unimaginative at best employ standard deployments and with the data and Tiny's computing power it is possible to predict where Q'sa patrols and strong points will be encountered. as well as a probable location for their main camp.

    As the two systems integrate their active camouflage begins to work in sync blending the two outlines into one allowing the Mech to move without the presence of it's rider being easy to detect.

OOC: Please roll tactics, or a d20+wisdom bonus to gain insight into Q'sa activities.

Tiny has a database of Military tactics and deployments of know enemy forces. she adds +2 to any skill check involving military tech, deployment or tactics.
[Private to Ssgt. John Garrow: Okay Tiny is now your's completely. I will only NPc her at your request. all systems are restored and she seems to have unlocked a large amount of new info from protected caches in her systems. there is also a file indicating the data and upgrades were deliberately emplaced by Prometheus duringher education process.

If you want to build her She has a standard array of stats
17
16
15
13
11
10
assign them as you like her physical stats will replace yours if she is operating the mech without you..

She can do that now and acts as a complete character with skills and levels right now she has two levels smart one tough. for you to flesh out as yo see fit.

From Prometeus. (The AI not GM) <green>I wish to thank you for helping my child evolve. Her potential was slow to develop but was there it simply needed a human to guide her." I have monitored your activities. You most current assignment is not what you were led to believe it was Tiny will be of use to you on this world.

a contact Hypernet address is included for you to send data to...along with an offer of continuing employment as his agent.]

15:01, Today: Ssgt. John Garrow rolled 27 using 1d20+7. Knowledge: Tactics