In reply to Increase Trask (msg # 858):

Knapp narrowed her eyes, then spared a rare smile to Rowan.

"During the war I was ordered to collapse a building where there were only women and children. I did not know at the time, but I suspected it. Murdering the weak and helpless is not the way of the warrior or a good soldier. Mastery over oneself is strength. Mastery over others is force."

She covered Schaeffer with her G22 as he searched for clues or evidence.

Rowan holds up her  hand to stop him a moment "Trask please listen, there are risks in every thing we do, hear or say."
"But sooner or later we have to end this madness that governs our lives". "Each small step into the light turns back the darkness by an equal amount."
 "Each time I heal you I give of my self, yet I do it willingly for the good of the greater whole, that is my gift in  and into lights cause"

In reply to COL Kurt L. Schaeffer (msg # 857):

In the downward ramp Schaeffer found a shell casing. It was a monster all right, .338 Lapua Magnum. A suppressed rifle firing this calibre would have made the reports he heard earlier. But there were two shots, and one empty cartridge casing.

Examining the cartridge case, Schaeffer determined that other than the calibre (".388"), there were no other headstamps or maker's marks. A civilian headstamp would have calibre and maker's initials, a military round would have calibre, maker, year and NATO/SATO STANAG stamp (cross in a circle for NATO, X in a box for SATO). .338 had been marketed to civilians as a hunting round, and several SATO nations (Germany, the UK, the CSA) had issued it to some snipers along with rifles firing a 12.7x99mm match-grade round.

The lack of information on the headstamp indicated postwar manufacture. There was little wear and tear, unlike most brass which would be recovered for handloading and repeated reuse. If he had to guess the case was newly machined with a very high degree of precision and not hand-tooled. The powder was a high quality that had burned cleanly, leaving only the barest trace.

In reply to The Marshall (msg # 862):

Trask stood silently in the suit while the case was examined he focused his attention down the ramp they would soon be descending by. He watched the screens in front of his face as he waited.

In reply to Increase Trask (msg # 863):

Rowan waits by Knapp, her AK ready as she uses her night vision to pear into the darkness. Hearing the women speak she listens then says, "when I look back over my life I see mistakes and missed opportunities".
2Since I met the people of this group and my love there things have been hard but at the same time rewarding". "So I continue"

"In the course of my career as a Ranger I infiltrated three cults Trask. I had to determine which kids were savable and which were gonna be bat shit crazy like their parents. I got a knife for my troubles on the third. Still spared the little shit. Why, because he was savable. He had adjusted well. Damned war took that away. He wanted to be a Longhorn. Point is we have to be better than the evil Trask or we should all drink so Cult Kool-Aid and visit Atheon. Jason's tone is bland until the Longhorn comment. He smiled a little at that. Then it was whatever you say next won't change me because I am who I say I am. He isn't being confrontational just stating facts."I will be the first on his trail if that trog goes bad. I killed THE Anti-Templar, Modeen. I knew Brad before he went bad. I had a friend and mentor die in my arms. Aaron was one of the first to welcome me. I still talk to him and he answers is the funny thing."

Peter paused as some of the group looked around for shell casings. He ground his teeth as people starting sharing past experiences and trying to 'convert' Trask. Hadn't they just been ambushed? Weren't they on a time-critical and dangerous mission? This wasn't a Sunday picnic or therapy session! But he held his tongue for the moment and waited barely-patiently and kept his mouth firmly shut for the moment, knuckles going a bit white with how hard he was gripping his rifle as he watched down the tunnel they would be traveling soon.

With little else to be learned, they continued down the ramp.

It was a 30 foot wide concrete corridor, graffiti scrawled almost along the entire length. Trash littered the floor. Moisture dripped here and there, forming rivulets and slimy algae-choked puddles.

The corridor ended in a landing, an open space. Trask's thermal didn't detect anyone in ambush. Other entrances branched off in different directions. Some were blocked by steel shutters or doors. Most were open or the gates only pulled partway down/doors half-closed.

One large entrance led into the bottom level of the shopping complex. Down the way a steel door marked "MECHANICAL ROOM - AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY" was wrenched from its frame and lay in the middle of the hall.

In reply to The Marshall (msg # 867):

Jane kept her smile off her face as the others filed past her one by one.  She thought they would chose to continue but it was their decision.  She brought up the rear then with her smile not on her face.

In reply to Jane Guin (msg # 868):

Studying the graffiti with a frown, Knapp then gestured to the ripped-open door.

"We just missed them. It looks like this is the way down. And they were in a hurry."

Knapp kept her G22 at low-ready as she scanned their unlit, shadowy surroundings, finger on the trigger.

Trask followed the others, scouting forward and tracking were not in the job description so he let the others closer to the ground set the pace and direction. He covered anything above as they moved trough the complex.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:46, Wed 06 Jan 2016.

Peter stopped moving forward when the rest of the posse finally stopped yapping and headed his way. He waited until Jane caught up to him and then fell in step next to her. He didn't plan on dying today, but if he did, it would be by her side if he could help it at all. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, but then snapped his attention back to focusing on what was around them. The Combine had already laid traps and ambushes for them, so there was no reason to think they wouldn't have more waiting.

Under his breath, he began humming very quietly, unconsciously.

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 871):

"I suggest either the Panzer-soldat go first, as he is armoured. Or I will take the lead and look for booby-traps. Either way, let us continue.

"Trask? You will be on point, ya?"

She gestured at the dark doorway.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:15, Sat 09 Jan 2016.

In reply to Feldwebel Laurin Knapp (msg # 872):

"Sure no problem. Just don't shoot me in the arse. I give a yell if anything bleeps wrong at me." With that he moved forward and shouldering his weapon walked off into the darkness.

Trask started down the maintenance passage, followed by Knapp.

The rest of the posse milled about the entrance. The maintance passage was ten feet wide and 10 feet tall, lined with pipes and electrical conduits with metal ducting above.

Marshall's note: Unless someone wants to come up with a marching order then the order of posting is the order you're travelling in.

In reply to The Marshall (msg # 874):

If this is unsuitable for you guys sound off

"Jane you and Peter in next. Jane keep an eye on the duct work. Peter as if I need to say it watch Jane's back. I got next in. Colonel you and Rowan take rearguard. Colonel watch the six. Rowan eyes on the Colonel. Off set stagger so we don't make this easy and keep fields of fire clear." he pauses "Since no else is gonna say it and we are all thinking it. This is likely where our sniper and some very carefully placed mines are. Knapp watch Trask's back, but stay a little back. Claymores are fun that way."

Smoker quietly takes a place in the middle, doing his best to be inconspicuous.

Vundra walks next to Smoker,letting the other do whatever they do best.

Peter arched an eyebrow at Jason giving out orders. However, he was planning on sticking close to Jane as per usual anyway so he didn't contradict the...Templord? Templard? Dicklar? Tickler?

He amused himself for a moment trying to come up with alternate names for the title of Templar before pushing the thoughts aside to focus once more on the task at hand. Staying alive was pretty important to Peter after all. Besides, Jason wasn't all that bad, despite Peter's slight dislike for Templars in general. A bit bossy, but a decent person.

He looked at Jane and waited for her to move and then he followed her.

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 878):

Jane takes up her "assigned" and smiles when Peter follows.  She takes a moment to look at him and give him her usual hip bump as he by.  Then she got down to business keeping an eye out, mostly on the duct work but not so focused that she can't be aware of her surroundings.

In reply to Jane Guin (msg # 879):

Rowan hates this darkness but moves with the group keeping watch around he as she moves

The posse filed into the service corridor. Trask in the lead with Knapp following, Jane and then Peter next, then Jason, Smoker and Vundra, with Rowan and with Schaeffer as drag.

It was wide and lit only by the flashlights of those who carried them. Shadows danced. Trash littered the floor. Again, graffiti was scrawled across the walls and a few places where signs and other obstructions jutted down from the pipe and ductwork-crossed ceiling.

Following the trail of the Combine was easy at this point due to the boot prints on paper trash and flattened cardboard boxes. Some of the Combine were wounded, as evidenced by the blood trails left in their wake.

They carefully made their way for around five minutes. Other corridors intersected the one they were on, and occasionally there were alcoves that widened out. The corridor they were in widened out to 20 feet wide.

Puddles collected where water pipes had burst or leaked, usually with floating trash. They were forced to wade through an especially deep one that crossed the corridor and stretched for 60 feet. Wooden pallets had been laid down to create a kind of flimsy bridge across the water (which was only ankle deep). More trash floated in the water (a couple of plastic buckets and water bottles, a couple of shoes, a plastic milk crate) and a detailed mural of people gathering water stretched along the wall to the right.

Trask continued to follow the trail with his weapon at his shoulder sweeping left and right as he suit moved forward. He relied on his own eyes and his sensors as he gave the mural a look while he continued on. Trask stopped every now and then and would look to be motionless before starting off again down the tunnel.

As Vundra walk pass, he casually picks up some water bottles. he also keep an eye out for enemy.... and also any "parts" he can pick up.