Foot patrols. Making the locals feel safe. Chickensh*t in other words. It was Christensen's turn to take a couple of squads aound the local farmsteads and let these civilians feel like law and order exist here on Verdantia. The procedure was standard at this point. Radio ahead, give an ETA, leave the Specialist Anders and the transport behind (an Aegiron Dynamics Mk. II Ranger), walk upto the property, chat, accept drinks, wander the perimiter, scan some stuff, blah blah blah.
Satlink images have the farm looking just like the one before, and also the one after. And every other farm on this rock. A few vehicles in various states of repair. Crates of parts, milk, produce lying around. There had to be a more efficient way to feed humanity.
Being unable to raise the farmers on the comms was a minor red flag. the SOP was clear - fan out into a rough skirmish line and advance in a non-threatening way. But be ready for trouble. Sometimes farmers got the hump and fired a few shotgun rounds. Sometimes they send the dogs out. Christensen ordered them into squads, skirmish line, weapons ready. His order lacked urgency and enthusiasm. He took his squad through the crops. Ashwood advanced with hers up the track.
SURPRISE! Something jumped out of the crops, landed on Spencer, and pinned him to the ground. in a flash the spear-like tip of its tail spun around and impaled Spencer like a kebab. He was a goner.
Jumping off of Spencer it landed a blow on Perry, then Fisher, both killed with blood gushing from various slash and bite wounds. Seeing this unfold over a matter of seconds, Christensen readied himself and managed to swing his gun around and fire off a couple of shots with this creature almost on top of him. With the thing wounded and flailing, it was still dangerous. Christensen popped off a few more rounds and it stopped moving. Crops disolved wherever its blood landed. These things were dangerous even in death!
Christensen actually won what was a brawl, but narratively speaking I liked the idea of him bringing his rifle to bear just in time. The thought of him having a physical brawl with a xenomorph doesn't make me think it will end well - unless he is wearing a yellow bulk loader exo skeleton.
At risk of breaking, Christensen helped rally himself and Specialist White. They would change direction to rejoin the rest of the team and get out of this field.
I rolled 1 on the force morale test. As it was below or equal to the number of people left they remained on the table.
As Christensen and White approached the edge of the field another creature appeared a few metres away. However, it went unnoticed, waiting, prowling.
The creature moved. It wanted to inch closer to its victims. Christensen, White and Vandro, who led 2nd Squad, moved into closer range and unloaded their weapons at it - causing it to hide behind the truck. It might be some kind of unthinking, unfeeling predator but its instinct for self preservation recognised the danger.
When the fire abated a little it charged forward, attacking Vandro who took the brunt of the spear tail on his frag armour. He was down but not out. The creature then tore Specialist White into pieces while Christensen fired more point blank fire onto the beast. This time it stopped moving faster.
Watching his entire squad be torn apart in front of him was too much for Christensen. He turned an ran, followed closely by another one of those creatures. Vandro tried to raise him on the comms but was only getting garbled static, until all he was getting was silence.
With half the team gone and the more experienced squad leader MIA, Vandro took charge. He ordered his squad to dash into the farm where there might be better protection from whatever these things were, and would give breathing space to raise Anders to bring the Ranger up and bug out... pun intended.
Talor, Kreel and Simmons took up positions around the shabby, windswept farm buildings, ready to cover Vando and Henderson as they approached.
Vando and Henderson took up positions behind crates of things. Vando radioed Anders to get here. Three more of those things began approaching at once!
Henderson and Kreel fired on two of the creatures, attempting to slow them down. Their fire went too far overhead. Vando did his best to calm them and have them aim lower.
The creatures ran closer, running further than they had done before. They could sense the unease of their prey. They were almost on Henderson at this point!
The entire squad opened fire! Round after round, clip after clip, the three beasts went down in a mess of flailing limbs and acidic blood spraying everywhere. There had to be more where these came from! Where the hell was Anders with the Ranger?
Just then Vando's comm buzzed and cracked with the familiar voice of Lt. Newton. It was time to hold steady. Reinforcements were on the way.
