>>1248163
>apache helicopter
>Hal Ogo
>ORANGE_NET
>Painting

>>1248163
>Hanson
>Male
>Charge
>Demolition

>>1248163
>Male
>Bruce Dayton
>Jackal
>Assault

>>1248163
>male
>Jack Smithy
>Sparrow
>Tank commander

>>1248163
>Male
>Lars Havenscht
>Shrike
>Rifleman

Ugh, it's spitting out so many errors. What were you even thinking, "apache helicopter?" You ask the system to call up a list of specializations...

TACTICAL
HEAVY
CQC
SNIPER
ENGINEER

>>1248175

Seconding this, I like Assault

Well, for Assault at least it autocompleted to CQC.

>>1248211
>CQC

>>1248163
>Male
>Cyrus Yates
>Bull
>CQC

>>1248163
>Male
>Philip Colson
>Sparrow
>Tactical

>CQC: LOCKED
>MALE: LOCKED

Searching...
Option field narrowed.

NAME:

Hal Ogo

Hanson Deren

Lars Havenscht

Cyrus Yates

CALLSIGN:

Shrike

Sparrow

Jackal

Charge

Bull

>>1248235
>Bruce Dayton

>Jackal

>>1248235
>Lars Havenscht
>Jackal

>>1248235
Cyrus Yates
Sparrow

>>1248235
>Cyrus Yates
>Jackal

>>1248235
>Cyrus Yates
>Jackal
Bruce is a terrible name.

>>1248247
And Cyrus is so much better. /doubt

>>1248255
It's what people are going for, so I guess anon thinks so.

>Callsign is Jackal
>in a Halo quest
What could go wrong?

>>1248283
Kek

>Cyrus Yates: CONFIRMED
>RESTORING...

You sigh in relief as the system finally picks up on your data. Fucking hell, AIs are stupid some times. Eh, this is one of those "weak" AIs, so whatever. You surreptitiously clear the Callsign field, where your GIVEN callsign ("Hairgel," of all things) had been entered. Jackal sounds so much better.

"Oi, mate, time to go get assigned," comes the voice of one of the many other recruits just finishing up.

ODST graduation is a subdued affair. You get a badge, you get a helmet, and you get a slip of paper that has a unit name on it. Yours is no different.

"Assigned to the Lizard Stars, 457th regiment, UNSC Frigate Summer of War."

"Hey, same!"

That's your friend...

>Allison Jetson, Engineer
>Aki Tokihawa, Tactical
>Thomas Jones, Sniper

>>1248308
>Aki Tokihawa, Tactical

#unsc_net_access: granted
https://discord.gg/zEv4u

>>1248308
>>Thomas Jones, Sniper

>>1248308
>>Benjamin Franklin, Engineer

>>1248308
>Aki Tokihawa, Tactical

>>1248320
Changing to this.

>>1248308
>Aki Tokihawa, Tactical

>>1248320
With new information that Aki is a female name, I change to this. Bros before hos.

>>1248308
>Aki Tokihawa, Tactical

>>1248308
As an independent passerby with no stake in this who definitely has not already voted, I would like to place a vote for
>Benjamin Franklin, Engineer

>>1248479
Benjamin Franklin a shit, buddy. Nicola Tesla is where its at.

>>1248487
>Tesla
>The meme electrician
Rly?

>>1248489
Benjamin Franklin was a hack and a thief. He stole many his "Ideas" from others, and ran smear campaigns against any competitors.

>>1248308
>Aki Tokihawa
Always pays of to have friends in high places

>>1248492
Nikola Tesla was an 'engineer' with flash and dazzle, with little to no substance beyond his one invention, AV current

>>1248492
That's Thomas Edison not Franklin

>>1248308
>>Aki Tokihawa, Tactical

>>1248308
>Aki Tokihawa, Tactical
Anime waifu time?

The weebs have it!

"Really? Great, we can keep up our game nights."

Aki smiles.

"Yeah, I was worried I wouldn't be able to kick your ass in person no more."

"Ay, that's some big gob there," you reply, falling easily into the Cadet's slang. "Talk big, fight big, er ya innit worth ya fuckin pod."

"I fight bigga then yer dick," she ripostes.

She's saved from a blistering reply by a call:

"Takihawa, Aki, and Yates, Cyrus: Your flight's at pad 43. Get marching."

Last names are last letters, so you're after everyone else. It's how you and Aki became friends - standing next to each other in line every time the drill sergeant wanted to scream at the unit does that.

You jog to 43, of course the furthest away, and climb into the waiting Pelican. It rumbles off the ground, and races into orbit.

The awaiting starship hangs, silent, backdropped by stars. Her hull looks, in the fashion of UNSC starships, much as a massive rifle or some such thing. It isn't coincidence - combat doctrine for these ships focuses mostly on establishing a shot with the MAC.

The hangar is small, with but 10 Pelicans (including yours), three Shortswords, and five longswords. Stepping onto it, you suppress a shiver - it's freezing!

A hologram of a bird-headed man appears before you.

"Welcome to the Summer of War. You must be the new ODST replacements."

>Replacements?
>Yeah. Do we need to be anywhere?
>(Let Aki take it)
>Other

>>1248779
>>Yeah. Do we need to be anywhere?

>>1248779
>Yeah. Do we need to be anywhere?

>>1248779
>>(Let Aki take it)

>>1248779
>(Let Aki take it)

>>1248779
>(Let Aki take it)

>>1248779
>Yeah. Do we need to be anywhere?

>>1248779
>Yeah. Do we need to be anywhere?

>>1248779
>>Yeah. Do we need to be anywhere?

You step to one side, motioning for Aki.

"Yes, we are. Where do we report?"

"That door over there," the AI points, "will take you up to an intersection. Follow the signs marked 'barracks.' You'll know which one belongs to the Lizards."

"Thanks. What's your designation?"

"Toth. Have a nice day."

With that, he vanishes.

You follow Aki to the barracks section. You hear it before you see it - someone is blasting classic music... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ3swBEBqBc)

As you round the corner, it begins to actually kind of hurt. One of the doors is open, light and sound blasting out. Over the door, "ZILLA'S DENTISTS" is painted, with a stencil of some sort of lizard monster receiving dental care from a team of ODSTs who've landed on its head. This is obviously the place.

You poke your head in and are immediately greeted by exactly what you imagined an ODST unit's barracks to look like.

One of them, a guy in boxers and a stylized skull shirt, is spray painting "ingredientur ad te, ut timerent" onto the the wall. Two others, a guy and a girl, are arm wrestling on a footlocker. You can't tell who's winning.

The one closest to the door, a short, slight man, sees you come in, and pauses the music, to much caterwauling from the spray-painter. "Look up, fuckers, hatchlings are here."

The man who's arm wrestling gets distracted, which the lady takes as an opportunity to slam his arm into the footlocker.

"FUCK YEAH," she screams, in a heavy German accent, "YOU OVE ME A FUCKING FIVTY!"

The guy groans, nursing his arm.

"So, what're your names?" asks the painter.

>I'm Cyrus, this is Aki.
>Corporal Cyrus Yates, reporting, sir.
>Let Aki take it.

>>1249071
>>Let Aki take it.

>>1249071
>Let Aki take it.
How about we do it this time, anons?

>>1249071
>>Corporal Cyrus Yates, reporting, sir.
Let's play it straight for now.

>>1249071
>Corporal Cyrus Yates, reporting, sir.

First impressions with units should always be done at full military bearing, shows respect, at the same time when they tell you to relax, actually relax. If they don't tell you to relax they don't like you

>>1249071
>Let Aki take it
Sometimes it pays to be the strong silent type

>>1249114
eyyyyyyyyyyy

>>1248779
>drill sergeant
Drill Instructor.
Marines (which ODSTs are) have DIs.
DSes are an Army thing.
Technically it shouldn't even be a DI but rather some sort of equivalent to a Black Hat, an RI, or whatever the heck Marine Recon call their instructors, but using DIs for ODST training for some unfathomable reason IS an error present in the canon setting.

>>1249121
Autism. Get out.

>>1249121
Y O U Q U E S T I O N T H E W O R D O F T H E M I G H T Y J I M M Y ?

>>1249121
Apologies. I don't have in depth information in reference to training, both real or fictional. I'll endeavor for betterment - please, if you find any errors, correct me. (This goes for all players.)

>>1249071
>Corporal Cyrus Yates, reporting, sir.

>>1249140
Is this quest gonna have 343 shit in it?

>>1249071
>Over the door, "ZILLA'S DENTISTS" is painted, with a stencil of some sort of lizard monster receiving dental care from a team of ODSTs who've landed on its head
Whoever did this clearly has good taste in movies.

>>1249071
>Corporal Cyrus Yates, reporting, sir.

>>1249071
>>I'm Cyrus, this is Aki.

>>1249514
Adding to this, let's not show up and act like a stiff, we're shock troopers, not some bureaucrat in a suit.

>>1249071
>I'm Cyrus, this is Aki.

>>1249309
I will follow the established canon. However, this is pre-contact, so the Spartan-IVs are a ways out.

>>1249769
Thank fuck. To me H3:ODST was the last game

>>1249769
Whatever you do, don't touch anything that takes place after Halo 3. It's badly written cancer.
Whatever the case though, I have high hopes

>>1249071
>I'm Cyrus, this is Aki.

Comeon guys, these guys will just laught at "hatchlings" if we start reporting in.

>>1249071
Is it possible to place a vote against
>Corporal Cyrus Yates, reporting, sir
Because I'd rather avoid the 'ha ha look at the new meat' segment of this. If not, I'll bite the bullet and switch to
>I'm Cyrus, this is Aki

>>1249531
>we're a shocktrooper
No. We're a boot. We give these guys an excuse by not showing respect and discipline, and they will fucking eat us alive.
>>1249935
>>1250303
>reporting to first duty station
>don't even bother with military bearing because "bu-bu-but they might laugh at me if I act professional!"
You're both fools. You relax that much right out of the gate you're giving a first impression as a disrespectful little shit or an arrogant cuss who thinks he's better than them. We are a brand new boot with zero combat experience. That means that by infantry logic everyone in this room outranks us infinitely. >>1249105 has the right of it. We are NOT part of the causal rapport these guys have going.

>I'm Cyrus, this is Aki

This doesn't look like a squad of srs bzns 0pr8rs, and officers don't seem to be present

What about I'm corporal Yates,this is (rank) Tokihawa, reporting. Just enough to sound professional,but not too much.

>>1250351
That would probably be the best option, yeah.
Not too familiar but not stiffly formal either. Just about right for arrival at a new unit.
Now we just hope nobody here's been stuck at Lance since christ was in diapers due to idiotic cutting scores. Because that shit would be awkward.

>>1249099
Seconding.

>>1250333
I'm sorry I didnt realize that giving someone my name was somehow disrespectful, oh wait, it's not, cause I'm not acting like i'm god's gift, I'm just GIVING THEM MY FUCKING NAME YOU AUTISTIC SHIT.
>>1250351
This is good ya, so i'm changing my vote to this.

>>1250927
>I didnt realize that giving someone my name was somehow disrespectful

So you have not been in the military I see. Trust me, stupid shit like this is standard practice.

>>1249071
>Corporal Cyrus Yates, reporting. sir.

>>1249893
I liked Halo Reach.
Fight me faggot.

>>1249071
>Corporal Cyrus Yates, reporting, sir.

>>1251193
Reach was a prequel and though I personally didnt enjoy it that much there was little lore rape

>>1250351
I'll get behind this

>>1250351
I'll support this

"Corporal Cyrus Yates and Lance Corporal Aki Takihawa, reporting sir," you say, saluting. The one closest to you sizes you up for a moment.

"At ease. Welcome to the Lizards, recruits. First off, introductions! I'm Captain Julian Nanco. Our resident Banksy imitator is Staff Sergeant Jonathan Leqsmith. Xena is First Lieutenant Annie Braun, and Mister Noodle is Sergeant Seamus Coombes."

"Fook you, Captain," Coombes says, nursing his arm.

Nanco chuckles. "Fall out. Drop your stuff on the cots over there," he says, gesturing to two bunks at the back of the room. "The [italics]Summer[/italics] is jumping out at 1800 hours. We're being thrown straight into the shitstorm with a Rebel holdout on Plateau, way out of the way. Us Helljumpers are being called in to break their AA."

You and Aki walk over, wrestle for top bunk for a second, before she dodges out and scrambles up the ladder.

"Too slow, Cyrus," she laughs. You grumble for a moment, then stow your gear in the footlocker beneath your bed.

It's 1345. You've got some time before lights out. What do you do?

>Gym
>Talk to Nanco
>Talk to Coombes
>Talk to Braun
>Talk to Leqsmith
>Talk to Aki
>Explore the ship
>Other


Apologies for the delay! I was quite busy last night.

>>1251789
>Gym

>>1251789
>>Explore the ship

>>1251789
>Gym
Need to get gains, son. Or at least be ready.

>>1251789
>Gym

Gloots 4 sloots.

I suppose they're also good for kicking the shit out of filthy xenos.

>>1251789
>Gym
Is there really any other option?

>>1251789
>Gym

The gym is nice, if small. The standard fare is all here: treadmills, weights, etc. Everything is kept to military standard: clean, well maintained, well organized. There are a few Marines here, working out, but you have options.

LVL: 1
CLASS: CQC
STR: +2
CON: +1
AGI: +1

Each hour spent working out in the gym can give you +1 point to a stat. You may improve a stat in the gym up to 2 times per level (this does not carry over between levels). You may spend a maximum of three straight hours in the gym per session (3XCON).

>>1252321
>AGI: +1

>>1252345
Second and STR +1

>>1252321
+1 to each then

>>1252439
second

>>1251789
>Gym

>>1252439
Fuck it, in for a penny in for a pound. Second

>ODST
>In the gym

How long until we get murdered by a Spartan?

>>1252471
when we ask one if it lifts bro?

It's a long three hours. Endurance in steadily increasing gravity, strength for short bursts, and some dodging against the light thrower put you through the standard ODST paces.

ALL PHYS STATS +1

If you want to train more, you'll need to roll 1d20 - 2 (-5 +CON).

>>1252471
Query: what is a "Spartan?" Search results show a type of ancient Greek warrior, therefore, one's presence in the gym would be an anachronism,

You've still got 2 hours and change until lights out.
>Explore
>Look for someone (who?)
>Virtual wargames against Aki
>Timeskip to deployment
>Other

>>1252498
>>Virtual wargames against Aki

>>1252498
>Virtual wargames against Aki

>>1252498
>Virtual wargames against Aki

>>1252498
>Explore

>>1252498
>Virtual wargames against Aki
Lets get the whole room in on some split screen, 4 people per tv. Thats a fire team each side

>>1252498
>>Virtual wargames against Aki

So which version of COD are we playing?

>>1252651
CoD: ONE

>>1252498
>Virtual wargames against Aki

>>1252498
could we also check out some of the other members of the team?

You comm Aki over the wall station:

[C_Yates]: up 4 a game?
[A_Takihawa]: sure. meet u in 5 gameroom

You check the map, log off, and start the brisk walk to the gameroom. The ship maintains about 10 m/s^2 of gravity, to keep the men on board in fighting form, so your recuperation only begins when you clomp down into the chair at a holoboard in the gameroom.

Oddly, the gameroom is louder than the gym, by virtue of subtly humming machinery and circuits all around. It isn't /much/ louder, but still - louder.

Aki struts in. Her hair drips a little on the table. You call up a list of games.

"Ah, man, they don't have any of the latest CoDs," gripes Aki.

"Eh, they're shit now anyway. Whose idea was it to set it in the Crusades?"

There's a tactical wargame called Star Bringer, a grand diplomatic strategy called Empire's End, and a simple trivia card game.

PSY STATS:
WIS: +0
INT: +0
CHA: +0

Choose your stat - same rules as physical training. Unfortunately, you only have an hour until dinner.

>>1253618
>CHA: +0
We are one swarthy mother fucker

>>1253618
Let's aim for WIS. If it is anything like DND, we need perception.

>>1253618
Wis.

File: b95c9ee319768318ae2807c68(...).jpg (50 KB, 500x375)

50 KB JPG

I vote we look like this. Our code name is Jackel, we've gotta be a smooth operator

>>1253618
Ill change to WIS to keep things running

>>1253618
WIS

>>1253627
>>1253629
First WIS so we have a solid perception, THEN we max CHA.

>>1253618
>WIS

File: b9c.jpg (54 KB, 680x598)

54 KB JPG

>tfw too INT to go to the gym

>>1253627
Uhh our code name is Hairgel

>>1253618
Wis.

>>1253743
Our callsign is Jackal, hairgel is what the AI mistakenly thought is our callsign, along with mistakenly putting our gender as an apache helicopter.

>>1253618
>WIS

So are we gonna wifu aki or what

The trivia game has you spotting wordplay, recalling truly ancient trivia, and generally splitting your sides with laughter. It comes to an end with you in the lead, as the dinner bell rings.

WIS: +1

The mess is the standard noisy affair that all communal eating establishments are. The low hum of private conversations, spikes of high-energy laughter, shouted jokes, greetings... you feel right at home here.

The Lizards have their own table. Coombes and Braun are back to arm-wrestling, Leqsmith is doodling something on the table, and Nanco is... filling out paperwork. You have a faint pang of gratitude that you aren't an officer. Leqsmith and Nanco look up at you two as you sit down, but Coombes and Braun are way too focused.

You set your tray down, and Aki sits next to you. General between-bite conversation ensues.

You could talk to someone in specific...
>Braun
>Coombes
>Leqsmith
>Nanco
>Aki

Or...
>Be silent (timeskip)

>>1255245
>>Braun

>>1255245
>Nanco
It pays to know your CO

>>1255245
>Nanco

>>1255245
>Nanco
May as well to get stuff moving then
>Be silent (timeskip)

>>1255245
>Nanco

>>1255245
>Nanco

>>1255245
>Nanco

"Hey, Nanco, what you filling out there?"

"Requisition forms for your newbie asses. Turns out, you get a little wiggle room if you want some specialized gear. Do you want anything specific?"

>A shotgun attachment
>A jetpack
>Some extra armor
>Anything melee focused?
>Something special...(write-in)

"So, how was your downtime? We won't get much of it when we hit Plateau."

"It was nice. I hit the gym, did a nice mix of endurance, strength, and cardio." You lean in, glance conspiratorially at Aki, and play-whisper: "I also annihilated Aki at some silly trivia game."

She hears, much as you intended.

"Take that back, asshole! You barely beat me!"

>Make me!
>Smarmy grin
>Take it back
>Other

>>1259682
>Anything melee focused?
>Smarmy grin

>>1259682
Rocket launcher

>>1259682
>Jetpack

And we'll be better than the ODSTs that helped 6!

>>1259682
>>A jetpack
We bullfrogs now.

>Make me!

>>1259692
>>1259781

I'll switch to Jetpack if you're looking for 3 votes, we can pick up something melee oriented ourselves

>>1259682
>A jet pack
>Smarmy grin

>>1259682
>>A jetpack
>Smarmy grin

>>1259682
>A jetpack
>Smarmy grin

>>1259682
>Anything melee focused?
>Smarmy grin

>>1259682
>A jetpack
Bounce, bounce, bounce
...if we're allowed a second
>Other/A thermal Scope

>Smarmy grin

>>1260305
Changing to this

File: CyrusGrin.jpg (20 KB, 560x326)

20 KB JPG

Nanco makes a few marks on his datapad, eventually swiping right to send the completed form off to another paper-pusher's inbox. You don't notice - you're too busy flashing Aki a smarmy grin.

"Fuckhead kasu, get within arm's reach and I'll wipe that smile off your fucking face!"

"0800 high-grav arena?" you ask, putting on your war face, but smiling internally.

"Oh, you're on, shithead," Aki snaps back, but you see the mirth tugging at the corners of her mouth and eyes.

Leqsmith is chuckling to himself. "Looks like we pulled two firecrackers off of Reach, boss," he laughs.

Nanco smiles warmly. "As if there's any other type in the Helljumpers," he retorts.

"Too fookin' right, boss," Coombes adds.

You and Aki toss insults at each other for the rest of dinner, to the amusement of the rest of the Lizards. You all have a round of "who can make the darkest joke," and Braun wins, narrowly beating Nanco. It doesn't feel like very long before the buzzer sounds and the cafeteria starts to empty. You beat everyone to the showers by the virtue of CQC training, but you graciously let Nanco go first - it pays to be nice to the CO. You fall asleep quickly and easily, thanks to a long day and ODST training. “Sleep when you can.”

>Timeskip past the fight
>Take on Aki

>>1260981
>>Take on Aki
As if there were any choice. Since we have a waifu instead of a bro, better waifu it up.

>>1260981
>Take on Aki

>>1260981
>Take on Aki
COME AT ME JAP.

>>1260981
>Take on Aki

>>1260981
>Take on Aki

>>1260981
>Take on Aki

>Take
>on
>Aki
>(take aki)
>take
>Aki
>on
(Writin')

>>1260981
>Take on Aki
It's go time Bitch (We love her really)

File: Spoiler Image (9 KB, 200x227)

9 KB JPG

>>1261350
And maybe "take her on", if you know what I mean

The training ring is cold, the springy metal beneath your feet chilled. You and Aki circle each other in...

>1g
>2g
>5G WE GO HARD

You're using...

>No weapon
>Training swords
>Training knives
>Training staffs
>Other

And your stance is...

>Aggressive
>Defensive
>Balanced

>>1261877
>>5G WE GO HARD
>Training knives
>Aggressive

>>1261877
>5g
>Training knives
>Aggressive

>>1261877
>>5G WE GO HARD
>Other
Bear hands
>Aggressive

>>1261877
> 5G
>Training Knives
> Aggressive

>>1261877
>5g
>Training knives
>Aggressive

>>1261877
>5G
>Training Knives
>Aggressive

>CQC specialty
>jetpack
>aggressive fighting
>go hard all day every day

We're gonna wind up as the closest thing to a 40K Assault Marine as the Halo universe can get, aren't we?

>>1262648
And die while doing it

>>1262710
Eh.
"Feet First Into Hell" and all that.

>>1262710
>>1262716

Our job isn't to jump into hell, it's to make sure it's crowded when we get there.

How many more votes until the next post?

Comp broke, and I'm not gonna have time to fix it until tomorrow. (This is off mobile.) You'll probably see another post from me at 1600ish

Due to your AGGRESSIVE stance, you dart out quickly and unexpectedly. Your feet thump against the ring's metal floor in the heavy, heavy gravity, and you already feel the exhaustion creeping in your lungs.

>Roll 1d20

ALERT: 3 turns until CON roll necessary

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>1265075

Forgot to mention, first 3 rolls accepted.

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>1265075

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>1265075

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>1265075

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>1265075
Rollin'
>>1265081
NOICE

He said it was Bo3, why are anons still rolling?

>>1265136
Didn't update and only saw two rolls

>>1265136
Some people don't have Auto-Update on, or just idling on the page increases the time until the next Auto-update so wouldn't of seen it yet

>>1265081
If we keep this up, maybe we'll finish her before we need to roll for CON

Rolled 1 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

You bring the training knives whirling in a double angled attack. Aki starts to move...

>>1266258
OJ, why aren't you online?

Aki, it seems, hasn't been keeping up on her hi-grav agility training. She tries to move as she would in standard-g, and in doing so overextends her body, letting the deadly powerful force get its hooks into her. For added insult (and injury), one of your training knives "clack"s against the top of her head.

"Grav standard!" you call to the room, panting from just that exertion. It complies, and you feel the deadening stress on your limbs lessen until the gravity's back to normal.

You give Aki a cursory once-over, and decide she's fine - she isn't saying much, but she's conscious and breathing, so...

You help her up, and get her over to a bench for her to rest on. Then, you stagger to the shower. The warm water is heaven after just that short burst in 5g. You'll need to eat a huge fucking meal and get all of the rest. Same with Aki, though she might need a checkup from someone with an actual degree.

You don't remember much else of the day - it's all a bit hazy in your exhausted fugue. You remember conquering Mt. Protein, mumbling a few noises along the lines of "chicken Aki" to Leqsmith, and dropping into bed.

(cont.)

Flashing light. Noise, rhythmic, screeching, painful. Man - Nanco yelling.

"You know the music, time to dance!"

The familiar call to arms banishes the haze of exhaustion. You spring out of bed, feeling a bit sore, but ignoring it - speed is paramount right now.

Aki's already strapping on her boots. You drop your clothes into the hamper, unlock your footlocker, pull on your undersuit, fatigues, armor, pouches, and sling your helmet under one arm. Your arm snaps up, your legs out, and you're standing at attention, barely a second after Aki.

Nanco paces to the center of the room, where Thoth has brought up a holofield display. The gridded lines on the tacmap emit from a device cleverly embedded in the floor.

"ODSTs, your jobs are refreshingly simple. There are 3 anti -air batteries covering the insurgents main compound. They are unassailable from orbit or air; an ODST drop into the valley where they are positioned is the only way to get forces down there expediently."

A canyon draws itself on the map, contouring to the terrain of Plateau. Images of the presumably stolen Wolverine AA emplacements appear within, along with a "circle of uncertainty" around their bases.

"Your force will drop here, 2 kilometers north of the first battery. Note that a UNSC taskforce was last contacted in this area."

The display zooms through the canyon walls, showing a canyon floor with a small riverbed traversing it. Six red dots appear about fifty meters equidistant from each other. The last known position of the UNSC taskforce - Battlegroup Query - is lit with a yellow dot.

"After disabling or destroying the AAA, you will rendezvous at LZ Bravo," Thoth says, highlighting another green point, "and await further orders. Hazards - the insurgents are using modified Cyclops platforms in a combat role. Watch for aerial predators - the largest can and will prey on humans. Report to the drop room now."

The holo array vanishes, and the Lizards trot out the door, loping along the halls. Other servicemen step out of your way as you jog to HWR.

"Alright, team, roles!" the Captain calls. " Nanco, tactical!"

"Coombes, marksman!"

"Neqsmith, medic!"

"Braun, engineer!"

"Yates, CQC!"

"Takihawa, tactical!"

"All?" he asks.

"CRAZY FUCKIN' BASTARDS," the others - excepting Aki - yell back.

"Check your pods 'n mount up!"

You give your pod's cargo list a check. On it you see your requested jetpack, silenced sidearm, and...

>A shotgun
>An SMG
>An assault rifle
>Other (keep it reasonable for CQC)

>>1266411
>>An SMG
m7 suppressed

>>1266411
>>An SMG
M7S a best

>>1266411
>An assault rifle
Need something with punch if we run into one of the cyslopses. 60 rounds of faull auto 7.62x51 FMJ would do the trick.

>>1266411
>SMG
Again, why aren't you online in the discord?

>>1266411
>A shotgun
>An SMG
And a bunch of explosives and grenades.

I'm on mobile right now, which is why updates are slow and I'm not in the discord. Btw, some things now on the inventory that should be there:

2 anti personnel grenades
5 anti-armor grenades (sticky)

>>1266512
>5 anti-armor grenades (sticky)

^no, I mean you have those already.

>>1266411
>An SMG
M7S

A shit ton of throwing knives, a pump action and silenced smg

>>1266411
>An SMG

>An assault rifle

>>1266644
What the fuck could you do with throwing knives that bullets couldn't do better?

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>>1266644
Are you fucking retarded?

>>1266656
>>1266660
No I just want a few points in style plus they are 100% silent unlike a suppressed gun. Secondly the work effectively even when wet, they don't jam and knives are also more intimidating. They take little space too and can be used for other things.

>>1266725
But they are not a gun, and unless you have pretty fucking good aim might as-well be glorified paper weights for all the damage they can do. Keep in mind that throwing knives will probably do jack shit to armor, and more importantly: Style is worth nothing if its near useless in practical application.

Also, where the fuck would we carry this shit ton of knives? Why not take more bullets or another gun?

>>1266725
It be better to carry a sword or a dam spear/pilum than throwing knives.

>>1266538
The smg is silenced right?

>>1266725
WE ARE HERE TO KILL PEOPLE AND DESTROY AN AA INSTALLATION, WHO GIVES A FLYING FUCK HOW INTIMIDATING OUR GEAR LOOKS. NOT TO MENTION WE'RE ALREADY 6 BIG BAD FACELESS MOTHERFUCKERS IN PLATE ARMOR.

>>1266753
>>1266725
How about we take a bayonet, and if all else fails, we can throw it at them. On top of that, if our gun runs out of ammo, we can spear throw a bayonet gun at them.

It'd be more efficient to carry more ammo than gimmicky knives.

>>1266778
I'm up for a bayonet, assuming we can actually attach it to one of our weapons.

>>1266778
If we're taking a bayonet it makes sense to take the AR as well as it's a longer weapon.

You double check you've got enough rounds for your SMG (M7 Suppressed), nod, and call out to the rest of the team:

"2, gear good!"

A chorus of responses, and you all put on your helmets and slot into your pods.

The helmet boots up, linking to your team, pod, weapons... Everything an operator needs to be aware of, including a rudimentary display of your relative health level.

The pod is tight, claustrophobic in the tube. Through the padding of your crash couch, you can feel the occasional tug of acceleration. The pod gets some diagnostics from you, and links in with the rest of the team.

"6, comms good?" asks Nanco.

"5 copies," says Coombes.

"4 copy," replies Leqsmith.

"3 copy," Braun reports.

"2 copy," you say.

"1, all comms good."

"Alright, war names and blank faces from here on," orders Nanco. "None of those innies gets to know who gave em tickets to the devil's show, understood?"

A chorus of HUAs is the team's response.

Thoth's distinct artificial voice floods the pod. "Drop site approaching. 30 seconds until drop."

"20."

"10."

"5."

"3...2...1...mark."

A gut-wrenching slam of acceleration leaves your stomach somewhere in low orbit as you rocket downwards, near instantly slamming into the upper atmosphere. A glowing plasma haze surrounds you, through which you can see two other pods.

Your downwards view, facilitated by cameras, shows the terrain of Plateau, which almost looks like a piece of cracked desert soil. Clouds hang in the canyons. One canyon has a stormcloud sending bright flashes through it.

Your pod arcs toward a specific canyon, on the night side of the planet. You streak through the atmosphere, and the double whip crack of a sonic boom resonates through the pod.

"Chutes," Nanco orders. The pods around you vanish upwards until you pull yours. Nanco's is the last to pop.

The canyon's clouds envelope you, and your eyes shift to your sensors. The ground's coming up fast, even with the chute - you're gonna hit at about 50 m/s, the pod decides.

"6 is 0," says Nanco.

Your pod crashes to the ground, throwing up a hearty layer of dust, and you call "2 is 0" before popping the pod's lid and leaping out, SMG up. After confirming that the site's clear, you grab the extra gear out - 6 magazines for your primary, 10 for your secondary, the jetpack, and the high explosives.

The other pods smash to land, making an impressively small amount of noise for multiple high-velocity impacts. After the rest of the team's ready, Nanco fiddles with his wrist pad for a second. The route to your objectives overlays itself onto the screen.

"We have ten hours to report in, then they send in the cavalry, AAA or no. Let's get moving, Lizards!"


+++

And that will be all for this thread. Thank you so much everybody who tuned in. I'm trying a new style with more time between posts - any feedback? The next thread will most likely be on Friday - watch the discord!

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>>1266793
Can we take a battle rifle at this point then?

A shotgun works well with a bayonet.....

>>1266820
The very first field tests of the XBR55 are still a few years out (2525), and thanks to the brand new 9.5x40mm cartrage, the BR55 was not widely used before 2543 even among well equipped marine units. As Halo CE and Reach can attest, was not rolled out to the last ship armories or army units until the Battle of Earth in late 2552, and even post war had not totally replaced the DMR.

>>1268612
What if we went really old school, and got a battle rifle from nearly 600 years ago, like G3 or FN-FAL? They can take bayonets, and there is plenty of ammo for them.

>>1269158
You could also just use a DMR and enjoy spare parts and it working with your HUD.

Did i miss the new thread?