ABS FIESTA REDUX

[NoZoner]

I have to end this fast.

Lorens places the reticle on the tail end of the Ardea and pulls the trigger to fire both Gauss cannons. The fireball gives way to two chaff clouds as the fighter deflects to ditch the SAMs.

[Ad Bot]

[Qwepir]

I have to end this fast.

Lorens places the reticle on the tail end of the Ardea and pulls the trigger to fire both Gauss cannons. The fireball gives way to two chaff clouds as the fighter deflects to ditch the SAMs.

KSM accuracy 50
Experience provides bonus of  2
Test taken at 52
Roll: 67 - failure
The shots hit the water off the airship's stern. Crash hears the impact from inside the drone hangar.

Shiva base EV 68
Experience provides bonus of  2
Chaff provides bonus of  80
SAM provides penalty of  40
Test taken at 70
Roll: 74 - failure
The first SAM goes for the bait, but the second detonates below you and tears what's left of the Shiva apart.
Snowman's AGI 35
Roll: 60 - failure
Result: Late ejection
Plane Explosion damage 2d10X: 5, 2
Snowman's Toughness Bonus: 3
Total damage: 4
Remaining wounds: 6/10
Dazed and injured, yet somehow still alive, Snowman begins parachuting into the ocean.

[Mr. Hurricane]

Crash freezes and his heart jumps. For a few seconds, he stops shivering, and is perfectly alert.

[NoZoner]

Lorens slowly regains his senses as he floats gently down to the ocean. The Ardea comes into focus before him, defiantly fixed in its place and wholly unscathed. Though in pain from his injuries, he begins to laugh at the sight. For all his screaming and protesting of Hilbert's sacrifice, he sure was quick to agree to do what essentially amounted to the same thing, and he even arrived at nearly the same outcome for what it was worth. The chuckles eventually give way to sobbing as he wonders why his own life wasn't taken in the explosion.

[Qwepir]

Crash freezes and his heart jumps. For a few seconds, he stops shivering, and is perfectly alert.

There's no follow-up to the impact, so it must have been a one-time thing.

By the time the officer returns with some clothes that aren't soaked, you reckon you have the drone launch system figured out. Below the frontmost storage rack is a track leading out of the hangar and onto the open deck outside, almost all the way to the end of the ship's bow. Situated on the track under the drones is a small bus with clamps on it. Odds are the drone in the bottom position on the forward rack is deposited on the runner, which takes it out of the hangar so the wings may unfold, then functions as a low-speed catapult to give it lift to take off. It then returns inside to receive the next drone, which has rotated downward by this point. When one rack is emptied, the drones on the previous adjacent rack are pushed forward into their predecessors' spots. Doesn't look like there is any way to retrieve launched drones however, not that the Culex-type ever struck you as anything but disposable.

Lorens slowly regains his senses as he floats gently down to the ocean. The Ardea comes into focus before him, defiantly fixed in its place and wholly unscathed. Though in pain from his injuries, he begins to laugh at the sight. For all his screaming and protesting of Hilbert's sacrifice, he sure was quick to agree to do what essentially amounted to the same thing, and he even arrived at nearly the same outcome for what it was worth. The chuckles eventually give way to sobbing as he wonders why his own life wasn't taken in the explosion.

You aren't given much time to wallow in your own defeat uninterrupted, as an Imperial VTOL approaches overhead and lowers a rescue rope.

[NoZoner]

Lorens grabs onto the rope and begins climbing. He wonders what sort of purgatory awaits at the top, wary of the fact that he has many crimes committed against the Imperium to answer for.

[Mr. Hurricane]

"Any place else to change?" Jaakko asks.

[Qwepir]

Lorens grabs onto the rope and begins climbing. He wonders what sort of purgatory awaits at the top, wary of the fact that he has many crimes committed against the Imperium to answer for.

Whatever sort of purgatory awaits, you're going to be sharing it with Bell and Ellie. You see both of them already seated in the VTOL after you get winched up into the cabin, in handcuffs. You are searched, disarmed, cuffed, and placed in the seat next to them.

"Any place else to change?" Jaakko asks.

: I will look the other way, if it bothers you that much.

[Operator¹]

Bell narrows her eyes at Snowman.

: How'd you get shot down?

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko changes.

[NoZoner]

Lorens tries to make eye contact with his superior, but shame averts his gaze.

"I contacted AWACS for an egress route, but they ordered me to shoot down both the airship and Frisk. Wouldn't let me refuel or land until I got the job done. The airship fired two SAMs at me, and uh, well," Lorens looks down at himself, sopping wet with brine, "I forgeted up."

[Operator¹]

Bell shrugs.

: Don't sweat it, it's pretty much impossible to take down an airship solo, especially with a plane as damaged as yours was. What type of airship was it, anyway?

[NoZoner]

"It was an Ardea-class. A sky-sub."

[Operator¹]

: Back when the squadron was stationed in Mercana, we ran into one of those. I think we managed to inflict some heavy damage on the ship but couldn't take it down.

She shakes her head and wipes a drop of seawater off of her face.

: I think it's more forgeted up that they forced you to attempt it in the first place, I would've defected right there, between those orders and the remote nuclear detonation.

[Qwepir]

The VTOL returns to the Ardea to drop off the three recovered pilots, then sets off again to continue searching. The Mjolnir members are escorted inside the drone hangar, where they see Jaakko sitting in his Gothic fatigues.