>>29977648
"All beacons confirmed activated," Hall says. "It's time to proceed with the mission. Arthur 3, you're the one with the most experience in engineering. Have a look at the reactor and see what you can find. Everyone else, map out the main hall. Find the entrances and look for cover. Be sure to keep an eye on the BETA that are latched onto the reactor."

The reactor looks like it's about half-finished. Most of the outer shell is missing, so you might be able to scan it from a distance. However, there's only so much you can do if you don't have a visual on the internal components. You can probably go into the reactor itself, but that'll put you dangerously close to the BETA. They're ignored you so far and you don't want to provoke them and get their attention; that's why nobody has attacked them yet.

>Scan the reactor from a distance and hope for the best.
>Get into the reactor and hope the BETA don't notice you.
>Ask to clear out the BETA first. You'll have to deal with them eventually, so you might as well do it now.

>>29977663
>>Get into the reactor and hope the BETA don't notice you.

>>29977663
First,
> Scan the reactor from a distance and hope for the best.
then
>Get into the reactor and hope the BETA don't notice you.

Ask if we have clearance to attack.

>>29977663
"Arthur 1, this is Arthur 2," you say. "Understood. I'm moving in to investigate the reactor."

You manipulate the controls very slowly and very carefully. It won't make your Gripen any more quiet or stealthy, but acting cautious makes you feel better, at least. The BETA are latched onto the reactor and don't seem to be paying any attention to you, so moving around them to find an open section of reactor. You don't even need to use your engines to get inside.

The inside of the reactor is... blue. Optical cameras won't tell you anything specific about the alien machinery, but you can get a general idea of what goes where. The glowing parts are obviously active, but several of the reactor's components appear to be dark. That makes things a lot easier to do; you don't want to rip out an active component and risk electrocuting yourself.

You activate your Gripen's sensors to see what they can tell you.

>(roll 1d20)

Rolled 6

>>29978085
BY THE DICE

Rolled 15

>>29978085
Let's see how I fuck this up.

Rolled 3

>>29978085

>>29978157
oh thank god some one rolled better than mine.

>>29978157
The Gripen's sensor package turns out to be worth every penny the Swedes spent on it. You're able to quickly identify what appears to be the reactor's three main components.

The first appears to be some sort of double helix. Large wires and tubes connect it to the top of the reactor as well as some of the reactor's other internal components, but there doesn't appear to be any connection to the reactor's outer shell. The double helix emits a massive, but irregular, heat signature.

The second component is a large box. It's connected not just to the other internal components, but also to the reactor's outer shell. The box emits a heat signature, but it's not very high and it appears to be very stable.

The third component is a pillar covered in concave sections. It's connected to the large box, but not to anything else. You recognize it as the source of the biolectromagnetic signal you spotted the first time you entered the Hive.

There are other, small components, but they appear to be nothing more than junctures.

The reactor is filled with dozens, if not hundreds, of each of the three major pieces you identified and you quickly tag some you could remove with your TSF's melee weapons without damaging them or the reactor. However, it looks like you'll need at least 30 minutes to do it.

Then, Hall interrupts your work.

"Arthur squadron, this is Arthur 1," he says. "The BETA are disengaging from the reactor. Kill them before they can regroup!"

>Salvage one of the components now.
>Regroup with Arthur squadron and fight the BETA. You can take the reactor apart later.
>Use your position to flank the BETA as they advance on Arthur squadron. You can take the reactor apart later.

>>29978442
>Use your position to flank the BETA as they advance on Arthur squadron. You can take the reactor apart later.

>>29978442
> Use your position to flank the BETA as they advance on Arthur squadron. You can take the reactor apart later.
Don't get cut off.

>>29978442
>>Use your position to flank the BETA as they advance on Arthur squadron. You can take the reactor apart later.

>>29978442
>>Use your position to flank the BETA as they advance on Arthur squadron. You can take the reactor apart later.

>not nuking the reactor when you have a chance

Shamefur dispray.

>>29978633
SCIENCE always get priority friend.

Rolled 4, 17, 9 = 30

>>29978442
"Arthur 1, this is Arthur 3," you say. "I've got the reactor's main components tagged for salvage. In the meantime, I'll come in from behind to flank the incoming BETA."

"Got it, Arthur 3," Hall says. "Don't do anything stupid.

You double-check to make sure you've tagged the components correctly and exit the reactor. You entered through an incomplete section, so there aren't any BETA around to get in your way. Probably.

Most of the BETA are just Tanks and Grapplers. There are a few Destroyers, but they don't have the momentum go get a charge going. There are also some Lasers and infantry strains, but inside the Hive, not even the Lasers are a threat to you. They can't shoot anything without overpenetrating and causing massive damage to the Hive itself.

You've got fuel, you've got ammo and you've got targets. This is going to be easy.

>(roll 6d20)

Rolled 6, 19, 14, 16, 4, 20 = 79

>>29978821
here we go!

Rolled 14, 9, 13, 20, 11, 9 = 76

>>29978821
Rolling.

Rolled 13, 14, 18, 18, 12, 9 = 84

>>29978821

>>29978821
You charge out from behind the reactor and open fire on a swarm of Tanks. The blood splatter is enough to paint a nearby group of Grapplers.

"Julian," Elaine calls out over the comm channel, "the Grapplers are heading for the rest of the squadron. We need to take them out."

"Understood."

The moment your charge ends, you turn your Gripen at a right angle towards the Grapplers. Elaine jumps in next to you and immediately jumps straight towards the Grapplers, opening fire to attract their attention. You charge in at an arc to flank them from behind and between the two of you, it takes less than a minute for all the Grapplers to go down to short bursts of cannon fire.

Meanwhile, the rest of Arthur squadron easily kites the Destroyers and tears through the the Lasers and the infantry strains. The main hall is massive and there aren't that many BETA, but they were all clustered near the reactor and their tight formations made excellent targets.

As you finish mopping up the BETA stragglers, your sensors start to pick up friendly IFF signals. The Cerberus battalion is first, coming in from three directions. Camelot group's Lancelot and Gawain squadrons are next. They've all taken some losses, but they're still in the fight.

It takes a few minutes more for Bedivere to show up and when they do, you only pick up two signals. The fight through the Hive's drift was not kind to them.

"Arthur squadron, this is Arthur 1," Hall says. "I need to confer with the other squadron leaders and reorganize our force. In the meantime, everyone else is to lock this place down."

>(cont.)

>>29979173
You take a look around the main hall. You can see the massive whole in the ceiling that leads to the monument. The walls are jamming your communications, but you could very easily fly up until you get a signal and get a situation report from the command centre.

There's also the matter of the reactor. You don't think anyone here is going to want to risk holding the whole thing intact, so the faster you get to work on the salvage operation, the better.

>Obey Hall's orders and guard one of the entrances until further notice.
>Ask Hall to let you fly up and try to connect with the CIC.
>Ask Hall to let you get to work on salvaging the reactor's components.

>>29979197
> Ask Hall to let you get to work on salvaging the reactor's components.

>>29979197
>>Ask Hall to let you get to work on salvaging the reactor's components.


Faster we can get this done, faster we can leave

>>29979197
>Ask Hall to let you fly up and try to connect with the CIC.

Rolled 1, 2, 9, 6, 18, 2 = 38

>>29979197
>>>Ask Hall to let you get to work on salvaging the reactor's components.

>>29979291

somewhat regretting not voting for the science perk now.

>>29979197
>>Ask Hall to let you get to work on salvaging the reactor's components.

>>29979355
We have Wright back at the base, she can check it out if we manage to salvage them in time.

>>29979437
really hope so.

also can't help but feel the MC is racking in too much fame in such a short amount of time. He should invest some time learning personal CQC in case of Spetsnaz coming for his head.

>>29979197
"Arthur 1, this is Arthur 2," you say. "Sir, with your permission, I'd like to try salvaging the reactor's components immediately. I'll need some time, so the earlier I start, the better."

Hall thinks for a moment, then nods.

"Very well," he says. "Use your best judgment to decide how to proceed."

"Understood," you say. You then open a channel to Elaine's TSF. "Elaine, I'm going to get started on the salvage operation. Watch your back until I'm done."

"Don't worry," she says. "I'll make sure the BETA don't sneak up on you and bite off your head."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

You make your way back to the reactor and leave the rest of the squadron to decide. You don't know how much time you have and you have up to three components to salvage. The components are quite large and your TSF only has two hands, so if you do manage to get all three, someone is going to have to help you carry them.

First, however, you have to decide where to start.

>Salvage the double helix with the massive heat signature.
>Salvage the large box with the steady heat signature.
>Salvage the pillar with the concave parts.

>(And roll 1d20)

Rolled 18

>>29979606
>Salvage the large box with the steady heat signature.

Rolled 4

>>29979606
>>Salvage the double helix with the massive heat signature.

really hope someone is smart enough for this, fuck.

Rolled 2

>>29979606
> Salvage the double helix with the massive heat signature.

>>29979606
>Fuuuuuuck I'm late again!
>Salvage the double helix with the massive heat signature.

>>29979606
>Salvage the double helix with the massive heat signature.
Don't want to accidentally remove a stabiliser or something right?

Rolled 7

>>29979690
Roll didn't fucking work.

>>29979633
you are a hero to us all.

also the dice gods has forsaken me with shitty rolls today.

>>29979633
You decide to start with the double helix. Judging by its heat signature, it must be an extremely important piece of the reactor.

You take a closer look at one of the double helix's you'd tagged earlier. Confident that it was really inactive and that fiddling with it wasn't going to kill you all, you start looking at the wires it's connected to. You sever the wires with your close-combat blades and then start prying the component off the reactor. You have to cut off the metal plating around the helix's base and it's slow work, but you get it done just in time to for Hall's update.

"Arthur squadron, this is Arthur 1," he says. "The remaining members of Bedivere will be joining our squadron to replace Arthur 12 and Arthur 14. We've also sent some scouts into the drift and they've reported that the BETA remaining in the Hive are converging on the reactor. As such, we are abandoning the plan to hold the reactor intact. Gawain squadron will plant their SD-11 charges inside the reactor to destroy it while the rest of us hold the main hall."

Capturing the whole reactor was just a pipe dream in the first place, so you're not that surprised. The problem is that your salvage operation isn't over yet. You can hold the double helix with one hand and your assault cannon in the other, so you can contribute to the upcoming fight as long as you're careful. You can also continue salvaging the reactor's components. After all, Hall left the salvage operation to your direction and he hasn't rescinded the order.

>(cont.)

>>29980024
>Join the fight.
>Continue the salvage operation and take one of the large boxes.
>Continue the salvage operation and take one of the pillars with conclave sections.

>For this vote, I'll compare the number of "Join the fight" and the combined "Continue the salvage operation" votes first, then compare the "large boxes" and "pillars" votes. If you want to prioritize joining the fight but you still want to vote for which components to salvage in case that vote wins, you can vote twice.

>>29980051
>>Continue the salvage operation and take one of the pillars with conclave sections.

>>29980051
>Join the fight.
We've grabbed what we can, but we can't leave our buddies hanging in the battle.
>Continue the salvage operation and take one of the conclave sections.
In case the joining fight loses.

>>29980051
>Continue the salvage operation and take one of the pillars with conclave sections.
GRAB ALL THE TECH

>>29980024
> Continue the salvage operation and take one of the pillars with conclave sections.
If things go sour, we'll join with our buddies.

>>29980051
>Join the fight.
As for what to salvage, don't know. The box I guess.

>>29980051
>Continue the salvage operation and take one of the pillars with conclave sections.
we can always get into the fight if things go south

>Continue the salvage operation and take one of the pillars with conclave sections.

keep taking apart the reactor, its the most valuable thing in hear.

>>29980051
>>Continue the salvage operation and take one of the pillars with conclave sections.

if they look overwhelmed then fuck it
>Join the fight.

>>29980051
>Continue the salvage operation and take one of the large boxes.

Rolled 18, 15, 5, 16 = 54

>>29980051
This is humanity's first chance to look at a Hive's reactor. This is probably humanity's last chance to look at a Hive's reactor. No matter the cost, you can't stop now. You set the double helix aside and get to work on one of the conclave pillars.

Again, you make sure to pick a pillar that's not active. Unlike the double helixes, the pillars aren't secured all that tightly, so getting it should be easy. Gawain squadron soon joins you and begins planting SD-11 charges all over the reactor's insides. The reactor's big, but it's mostly unprotected, they're inside it and they have nearly a dozen charges. When they detonate the bombs, the reactor will take a lot more than just a little damage.

Normally, you'd be worried about working around some of the most powerful explosives known to man, but right now, you've got a bigger problem to worry about. You know the BETA are approaching and going by the chatter you hear over the communications channel, they'll be here real soon.

>(roll 9d20)

Rolled 20, 2, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, 14, 7 = 105

>>29980429
COME ON!!

Rolled 4, 15, 6, 16, 18, 9, 8, 11, 7 = 94

>>29980429
Rolling.

Rolled 6, 2, 12, 4, 5, 5, 13, 14, 15 = 76

>>29980429

>>29980429
Just as you're about to start cutting, you notice another pillar that's very close to one of the large boxes. If you work quickly, you should be able to dislodge both. You move your Gripen over and get to work.

You're too focused on your task to tell exactly how the battle is going, but from what you can tell, all the squadrons are holding. Elaine even has time to banter with you while she's fighting.

"How much longer are you going to take," she asks.

"Just a few minutes," you say. "I'm about to finish two at the same time."

"I bet that's not the first time you used that line."

"Of course it is," you say. "I usually go for three at a time. I wouldn't be able to clear my schedule otherwise."

"In case you hadn't noticed," Elaine says, "we're roommates. I'm very familiar with your schedule."
Your work on the reactor proceeds without issue and you soon have samples of all three of the reactor's main components. The only question is what to do with them.

>Have Gawain squadron carry them all.
>Carry what you can and give the third piece to Gawain.

>>29980447
*claps*

>>29980691
>Carry what you can and give the third piece to Gawain.
Gripen: Redefining the meaning of multi-role

>>29980691
>"Of course it is," you say. "I usually go for three at a time. I wouldn't be able to clear my schedule otherwise."

Hmmm, well let's test this theory shall we?

>Carry what you can and give the third piece to Gawain.

>>29980691
>Carry what you can and give the third piece to Gawain.
As much as it pains me to give even one away, never give your loot to NPC's... They're bound to lose it otherwise.

>>29980691
>Carry what you can and give the third piece to Gawain.

>>29980691
> Carry what you can and give the third piece to Gawain.

>>29980691
You pick up the box and the pillar and hail Gawain squadron.

"Gawain 1, this is Arthur 3. I've salvaged the reactor's three major components. I can carry two of them, but I need someone to grab the third."

You point your Gripen's arm towards the double helix you grabbed earlier.

"Arthur 3, this is Gawain 1," Gawain's squadron leader says. "I'll have someone grab it."

One of the Gawain Tornadoes kneels and very, very carefully salvages the part.

You switch your channel over to Hall.

"Sir, we've got everything we can from the reactor and the SD-11 charges are set," you say. "The only thing left to do is to bail and detonate the charges."

"All right," Hall says. "Everyone this is Arthur 1. We've completed the primary objective. Everyone, head for the main hall's top exit now before the Lasers start showing up and block our exit."

You step out of the reactor and move clear of it. All the remaining TSFs push their engines as far as they can go and fly up towards the hole at the top of the main hall. Once you're more than halfway up, Gawain squadron activates the timers on its bomb and the countdown shows up on your retinal display.

You've got one minute to get clear of the blast. It's not a lot, but it should be more than enough and you can't risk the BETA damaging the charges by accident.

The first thing you see when you get clear of the main hall is Vivian's Knight face. It seems your link to CIC is no longer being jammed.

Knight looks dead tired and dishevelled, but she smiles when she sees your connection's back.

"Reber, thank God you're out," she says. "There are over a hundred thousand BETAs headed your way from Lyon. You're clear of them for now, but if you'd been just half an hour later..." She shakes her head. "Nevermind, that's not important. Just focus on getting cleared of the blast."

"That's the plan," you say.

Your entire force immediately turns towards Calais and boosts ahead at full speed. The timer finally hits zero.

>(cont.)

>>29981204
You're not focusing on the aft optics, so you don't see what happens behind you, but the massive burst of heat shows up on your infrared sensors and the overpressure manages to throw your avionics off-balance. The bombs were hundreds of meters below the ground, but they packed a hell of a punch. You'll need to monitor the situation in case the BETA decide to rebuild, but for now, you're in the clear.

The trip back to Calais feels a hell of a lot longer than it really is. You don't know if your suit ran out of stimulants or if it's just a psychological thing, but now that the battles over, you're starting to think your TSF's seat would make a mighty decent bed. The good news is that, since you're carrying pieced of the BETA reactor, you've got top priority to get back to base along with the Gawain pilot carrying the last piece. The ground crews guide you two to the carriers first and once you're back Dover side, you're led to the hangar Wright uses for R&D. It seems they quickly put together some containment facilities in the back. The reactor components will probably have to be moved, but they'll be safe here for a while.

You can tell the debriefing on this mission is going to be a bitch, but you should be able to slip away for a bit.

>Wait for Elaine. The element comes first.
>Go find Wright. Might as well check up on the reactor components.
>Drop by CIC and see Knight. You want to know more about the herd that was coming at you earlier.

>>29981230
>>Wait for Elaine. The element comes first.

>>29981230
>Go find Wright. Might as well check up on the reactor components.

I'm curious!

>>29981230
>>Go find Wright. Might as well check up on the reactor components.

>>29981230

>Wait for Elaine. The element comes first.

>>29981230
>Go find Wright. Might as well check up on the reactor components.

>>29981230
>Wait for Elaine. The element comes first.

>>29981230
>Wait for Elaine. The element comes first.
Lets make sure they all got back alright first

>>29981230
>Go find Wright. Might as well check up on the reactor components.

>>29981230
>Go find Wright. Might as well check up on the reactor components.

>>29981230
>>Go find Wright. Might as well check up on the reactor components.

>>29981314
>>29981318
>>29981283
>>29981270
>>29981255
You people are terrible Wingmen, for shame.

>>29981230
> Wait for Elaine. The element comes first.

>>29981338
aren't they just, you always wait and make sure everyones fine, you get your element back safe and sorted, THEN you can worry about everything else

>>29981230
>>Wait for Elaine. The element comes first.
I'd rather wait for Wright to get a good look at the reactor components first before we bug her about them.

Unless, of course, she's not going to have the context for how the reactor components were found assembled on-site. We were the ones who took the reactor apart, so it could be that they'll just be contextless pieces of BETA tech if we don't let her know what purpose and/or function they seemed to serve within the reactor.

>>29981348
Too bad these people want to ruin our Wingman cred.

>>29981230
>Wait for Elaine. The element comes first.
who gives a shit about the reactor bits, its not our job, our job is to be an awesome wingman and get our people back home safely, thinking otherwise gets people killed

>>29981230
>Wait for Elaine. The element comes first.

>>29981230
>>Wait for Elaine. The element comes first
haha, my second vote I've been here for.

>>29981230
>>Wait for Elaine. The element comes first.

>>29981230
You need to bring the Gripen back to the main hangar and there's no point in discussing the reactor components while they're being kept in storage. You can always check up on them later when Wright gets to work on them. Your top priority for now is to make sure your squadron's fine.

Everyone came back, aside from Arthur 12 and 14, but Elaine's apparently the only one who bothered waiting for you to get back. You wave to greet her as you step out of your Gripen.

"How long were you going to wait for me," you ask. "I seriously considered checking up on the loot first."

"I thought you would," Elaine says. "I just figured you'd want a shower first."

"Good point."

By the time the two of you reach the locker room, the stimulants have completely worn off and the only thing that keeps you awake is the pain that runs through your muscles. You're going to be sore for a while, but at least you're still alive. There are 29 other pilots who couldn't make it through what you did.

Next to you, Elaine is trying to peel off her fortified suit. Even when it's loosened, getting the damn thing off can still be a hassle. You just press a button to dissolve the protective film of your suit and throw the hard components in your locker.

Elaine throws you a sideways glance.

"That's cheating," she says. "And you really don't want to piss off logistics by wasting suits."

"Don't care," you say. "And really don't fucking care."

You grab a towel and head for the shower stalls. You turn the water as hot as you can tolerate and sit leaning against the wall.

Elaine soon settles in the stall next to you. You can sort of tell that she's also sitting.

"Want to talk about it," she asks.

>"I'm just glad to be alive."
>"We just lost a third of our forces on a sub-Phase 1 Hive..."
>"I... don't know. I just don't feel anything right now."

>>29981844
>>"We just lost a third of our forces on a sub-Phase 1 Hive..."

>>29981844
>"We just lost a third of our forces on a sub-Phase 1 Hive... But I'm just glad to be alive."

>>29981844
>>"I... don't know. I just don't feel anything right now."

>>29981926
Backing this, it's a nice combo.

>>29981844
>>"We just lost a third of our forces on a sub-Phase 1 Hive..."

>>29981844
> "We just lost a third of our forces on a sub-Phase 1 Hive..."
> "I'm just glad to be alive."
Throw in how we're glad she's alive as well.

>>29981926
seconded.

>>29981844
>>"I'm just glad to be alive."

File: 1391398345861.jpg-(105 KB, 590x775, 1380960308399.jpg)

105 KB JPG

>>29981925

>>29981925
So fucking cute...

File: 1391398848147.jpg-(88 KB, 850x941, Elaine Shower.jpg)

88 KB JPG

>>29981844
You shake your head.

"We just lost a third of our forces on a sub-Phase 1 Hive... The original point of this operation was to start an invasion of a Phase 5 Hive and now, after a Phase 1, we're not even at the starting line anymore."

"Are you still glad to be alive," Elaine asks.

You think about the homeland you never saw, about your parents waiting in London, about your instructors and your classmates and the people you met since you got to Dover...

"Yeah," you say, "I'm really glad to be alive."

"Then that's the only thing that matters," Elaine says. "As long as you're alive, you can still win."

You know how dangerously close you were to walking on a path you wouldn't be able to walk away from. Massive losses are expected in this war and there's nothing you can do about it. Dwelling on it is just going to drag you down into failure. No matter what, you've got to think about your goals, about winning. The war doesn't end when you die or when the BETA are purged from the Earth. The war ends when you give up.

You know that, but Elaine... You think about what she told you about her father and about what she's running from. This isn't the time to pry, but...

>"And are you glad to be alive?"
>"Are you thinking about winning, or about running?"
>"Forget the war. You said you had a bad history with men. Anything I need to watch out for?"

>>29982316

>"And are you glad to be alive?"

>>29982316
>>"And are you glad to be alive?"
then
>"Forget the war. You said you had a bad history with men. Anything I need to watch out for?"

>>29982316
>"And are you glad to be alive?"
>"Forget the war. You said you had a bad history with men. Anything I need to watch out for?"

>>29982316
>"And are you glad to be alive?"
Then:
"Forget the war. You said you had a bad history with men. Want to talk about it?"
Saying if there's anything we need to watch out for seems like a stupid thing to say, my change sounds nicer.

>>29982316
>>"And are you glad to be alive?"
Let's not pry.

>>29982316
>>"And are you glad to be alive?"

File: 1391399180049.gif-(355 KB, 512x297, 1388418743939.gif)

355 KB GIF

Also let me guess Zessica isn't going to win again.

>>29982316
>>"And are you glad to be alive?"
>>"Forget the war. You said you had a bad history with men. Anything I need to watch out for?

>>29982316
> "And are you glad to be alive?"
> "Forget the war. You said you had a bad history with men. Anything I need to watch out for?"

>>29982316
"And are you glad to be alive, Elaine?"

"Are you worried I'll end up like my father," she asks.

"It crossed my mind," you say.

"Thank you," Elaine says, "for thinking about me."

You hear her shower cut off and take that as your cue to leave as well. The shower did you some good, and it wasn't just the hot water.

"I'm fine," Elaine says. "I've got problems to deal with, but these days... it's something I look forward to taking care of, after the war."

You do a half-assed job of drying yourself and get changed. You resist the temptation to deliberately sneak a peek at Elaine, but it's harder than it usually is.

"I've been wondering," you say. "When you said you had a bad history with men..."

Elaine laughs softly.

"My mother set me a up with a line of losers who managed to keep out of the military," she says. "Are you jealous? Let's see..."

You know without even looking that Elaine is staring you up and down.

"Foreign, younger than 40, TSF pilot, no political connections, no money... Oh yes, mother would hate you. I should bring you along the next time I go back home," she says.

You snort in response.

"I'll have you know that my parents are a significant portion of what's left of the Swiss government and that their bank vaults made it out of the country before they did," you say. "I just choose to cultivate an uncouth mercenary image."

"Good thing, too," Elaine says. "It's part of the excitement."

>(cont.)

File: 1391400562435.jpg-(7 KB, 225x225, images.jpg)

7 KB JPG

>>29982881
You finish getting dressed and head to debriefing to find the main command building surrounded by SAS and army troops. The minute you get in sight, a squad of troops converges on the two of you and escorts you to your debriefing. They don't ask for permission and you're most certain that they wouldn't take no for an answer. It seems all the pilots are being isolated for their debriefings.

Your particular debriefing is conducted in a storage closet that was emptied out into the hallway.

By your recent acquaintance from MI5.

"Hello, Flying officer Reber," she says. "You and I have much to discuss."

>>29982904
MISSION REPORT:
- Julian Reber survived (1XP)
- Elaine Robinson survived (1XP)
- Richard Hall survived (1XP)
- Investigated the BETA Reactor (1XP)
- Identified main component #1 (1XP)
- Identified main component #2 (1XP)
- Identified main component #3 (1XP)
- Salvaged main component #1 (1XP)
- Salvaged main component #2 (1XP)
- Salvaged main component #3 (1XP)
- Destroyed the BETA reactor (1XP)
- Avoided the incoming BETA reinforcement (1XP)

NOTES:
- The destruction of the reactor will make the new Hive non-viable in the short-term. Analysts believe the BETA are more likely to abandon it than to rebuild.
- Analysis of the BETA reactor components will probably provide valuable intelligence on the enemy.
- Analysis of the BETA reactor components will probably accelerate TSF research projects.
- The total loss of Bedivere squadron, as well as other losses, will significantly hamper military operations in continental Europe for the foreseeable future.

CHARACTER STATUS:
Julian Reber (Main Character)
Level 4 (24/40XP)
Skills: TSF Piloting, Gunnery, Melee, Engineering, Computers
Resources: Budget 1, Connections 4 (Swiss Government, RAF, Crusaders, MI5), Gear 3, Personnel 1, Rank 1

>>29982904
Oh balls not them again... Well y'know what they say, once you get involved with secret agencies they never let you go.

>>29982946
And that's it for tonight. You guys got really lucky on the dice - one of the salvage rolls was a critical success, so you managed to grab all the pieces of the reactor without getting swarmed by the incoming BETA.

Next thread will be Wednesday at 7PM EST. We will be going X-COM on the reactor components we salvaged.

>>29982946
Oh fuck we lost a whole squadron?! Shit man, that sucks... We'll have to hold a toast in their honour.

>>29982985
Thanks good Chomp!

Also don't think we did not catch that lose your head joke.

>>29982954
At least she isn't tell us secrets on purpose anymore so that we can't refuse.

>>29982987
Bedivere were down to 2 TSFs when they made it to the reactor, Arthur squadron absorbed them to replace AR12 & AR14 IIRC

Did we ever find out if Elaine was royalty?

>>29982987
A whole squadron for a hive invasion?

Likely the second hive ever to be destroyed, with the first being G-bombed?

That is light losses. We are making history.

>>29982987
I rather them die then have the reinforcements on our asses.
We had a chance to help them, but if we did then we might have gotten swamped in beta.

>>29983016
What are we going to do to honor Arthur 12 and 14?

The Muvluv way of a large meal of our favourite food and hipno therapy?

>>29983042
I say we all go to the nearest bar and raise a toast to them, put their names on a plaque somewhere hidden and strong

>>29983042
Since XCOM was mentioned, we should make a wall for the deceased. Put down their names, ranks, etc. Put some of their items there and make it look fancy too.

>>29983060
>>29983069
I am ok with that. If it is a main character then we will do more.

The plaque will be huge won't it by the time we are done.

>>29983042
That'd work. We could spend some time with our team, get to know the rest of them better.
Might as well ask the engineers if they'll let us pimp out the squadrons now that we lost one - some improved mobility, sensors, all that.

But first, MI5.

>>29982985
i slept through before i saw the results...so glad the dice gods granted me that 105!

thanks for running RC!