1560 replies and 7 files omitted.
>>139522Captain Forrester turns around to Silver, without word, but still making eye contact to him
>>139523The unicorn quickly brings out his flashlight, and flashes it in the Captain's eyes.
>>139524Forrester is at a distance, and reflexively closes his eyes. His eyes look sort of like a dog's eyes in the night, or that of a cat, glowing back.
>>139525Silver's eyes widen as he quickly calls out to the gathered ponies.
"Forrester's a changeling!"
>>139527Ponies hold up their weapons from every corner.
Forrester yells back, and looks again at Silver Sword
"I am nothing of the sort, you imposter!"
>>139528"You can not fool us! You and your ilk sabotaged line to Wald to cut off Frontline forces from Command! You had our radio operator Technical Sargent Hazelred replaced!"
>>139529"You are yourself replaced!" He yells out
Silver is present himself with Salt lick and Amber Grain, as well as the 12 members of B Squad. Across the Street, at the Misfortune County Court House and the roof of the Sheriff's Office, Silver knows there are two machine guns and rifleponies. Inside the Town Hall and exiting are eight ponies of the 332nd. With Forrester are still his four guards, two armed with submachine guns.
Forrester draws his pistol.
>>139530Silver draws his rifle and levels it at Forrester.
"Surrender Changeling! Our entire platoon has been tested, there are no more of your Infiltrators among us, you can not fool us!"
>>139532Forrester's small group backs away, a little down the road,
Forrester yells back,
"You are the infiltrator here!"
Now, guns are leveled
>>139533"You are surrounded! Put down your weapons and surrender, and you will be given fair treatment!"
>>139534A grin comes across his face
"That, I know is not true"
From down the valley, a distant rumble, like thunder, comes from the dark clouds on the horizon that begin to obscure the setting sun
>>139536"You think yourselves masters? Gardeners of nature?
No. That would be to leave the weeds in control. And you have less control than you think."
Roll Initiative Initiative set for all involved
Forrester:
[1d20+2 = 21]
Guards
[1d20+2 = 9]
[1d20+2 = 10]
[1d20+2 = 13]
[1d20+2 = 10]
Forrester's Troops
[1d20 = 16] [1d3 = 1]
[1d20 = 11] [1d3 = 2]
[1d20 = 6] [1d3 = 2]
[1d20 = 14] [1d3 = 2]
[1d20 = 12] [1d3 = 2]
[1d20 = 15] [1d3 = 2]
[1d20 = 3] [1d3 = 1]
[1d20 = 14] [1d3 = 2]
Saltlick
[1d20+2 = 12]
Amber Grain
[1d20+2 = 8]
Squad Sargent
[1d20+1 = 19]
Black Colt
[1d20 = 9]
B Squad Rifle ponies:
[1d20 = 2] [1d20 = 17]
[1d20 = 1] [1d20 = 8]
[1d20 = 16] [1d20 = 2]
[1d20 = 11] [1d20 = 8]
[1d20 = 13] [1d20 = 4]
C Squad
[1d20-2 = 7]
[1d20-2 = 5]
[1d20-2 = 15]
[1d20-2 = 0]
>>139539>>139538A cacophony of noise erupts, with Forrester the first to discharge his gun, followed by the squad sergeant, who fires his submachine gun at the guards, then ponies from Forrester's troop, who aim them at the squad members
Silver is shot at by Forrester's pistol
[1d20+4 = 19]And a guard's carbine
[1d20+3 = 13]Then a rifle
[1d20 = 17] >>139539B Squad exchanges with the guards
[1d20 = 20] [1d20 = 9][1d20 = 18] [1d20 = 20][1d20 = 3] [1d20 = 15][1d20 = 20] [1d20 = 6]While the reserve troops of Forrester shoot back
[1d20 = 12][1d20 = 4][1d20 = 9]And three at the squad leaders
[1d20 = 19][1d20 = 15][1d20 = 17]>>139538Silver is hit by Forrester's pistol
[2d6 = 10]And a soldier's rifle
[2d8 = 4] [1d20+10 = 26]>>139541They hit Silver good, but he's still standing. He aims his rifle at Forrester, and fires.
>>139541A submachine gunner is struck repeatedly by the squad leader's bullets and is downed. The other submachine gunner, and both carbine carriers are shot in the head by great shots from the riflestallion privates of B Squad. Only a few bullets are shot at all, including one carbine shot that misses Silver
The troops inside the building shoot through the glass and out the door, missing any rifle squad members.
Unfortunately, every single leader of Silver's section is hit by these troops, including Silver himself (already calculated)
Amber Grain
[2d8 = 10]Saltlick
[2d8 = 7]And the submachinegun wielding squad sergeant
[2d8 = 14]>>139543>>139542Silver hits Forrester forcibly in the chest, but has not downed him
>>139544>>139542At this point, the black colt, firing the machine gun from his shoulder in an unaimed attack, fires it inside the building at the reserve troops
A marksstallion's bullet hits one of the guards, but it's overkill
From across the street, the machine guns open up, albeit perhaps too close for comfort
>>139544The squad sergeant is downed
>>139543>>139542The guards fall to the ground, but as they do, green magic envelopes them, as if it burns away their coats, and leaves charred blackness behind. All four are Changelings, lying bleeding a bluish blood on the ground, and with strangely red colored blood spatters on the wall from where they've been hit in the head.
Forrester turns, and runs
[1d20+10 = 17]>>139546Silver aims at the retreating Forrester, and fires.
>>139548>>139547Hit, and, Hit.
Forrester falls down. B Squad focuses on pulling away and out of the line of fire from across the street.
Far off in the distance, another "thunk," "thunk," and "thunk."
But it's what's above that gives the most cause for concern. A terrifyingly loud, almost ripping-sound comes from a room on the left side of the second floor of the town hall. Silver can see the barrel sticking out. It's a machinegun. Belt-fed. Changeling model. The angle isn't shallow enough to aim at Silver and B Squad; instead, it takes aim at C Squad and the machine gun detachment across the street.
>>139549Silver shouts out to B Squad.
"TOWN HALL, SECOND FLOOR, LEFT SIDE! SOMEPONY GRENADE THAT GUN!"
He quickly rushes out to the downed squad sergeant.
>>139550Brisbuck yells
"C squad! Suppressive fire!"
And then less loudly, looking back,
"B Squad - back up, out of the line of fire! Grenadiers, upfront!"
Silver leans down to find the sergeant is down, and Amber Grain and Saltlick are badly wounded.
From inside, a trooper pops off a shot at Silver
[1d20 = 19] >>139551>>139552"Ngh!"
Silver is wounded again, but is determined to get these ponies to safety. He tries to drag the sergeant away and out of the line of fire.
>>139553Silver is the most wounded pony on the field, bleeding out from three wounds.
The loud, ripping sound flings out mass numbers of bullets at the forces across the street, while a lower "tat-tat-tat" and an even lower "dakka dakka dakka" come from the belt fed machine gun and light machine gun of C Squad respectively. Silver can see green tracers fly, and red tracers fly back. This exchange leaves the lower level entrance of the town hall less covered, and bullets fly out of here. The unicorn uses his magic to replace the magazine of the machine gun the black colt carries, and he aims in around the inside of the hall. The cream colored pegasus hugs the wall next to the entrance, and with his wing, tosses in a grenade, while a purple unicorn follows quickly behind doing the same
[1d20 = 3][1d20 = 19]Silver is able to drag the Sargent aside
>>139554Once the Sargent is out of the line of fire, he looks to see how Amber Grain and Saltlick are doing.
>>139555These ponies are wounded, but upright.
One of the grenades tossed in through the broken window bounces against some object inside, and explodes almost in the door frame, spreading shrapnel outwards in a pattern that makes B squad fall prone.
From the upstairs window, a submachine gun is stuck out and aimed downwards. The creature, leaning its head out, fires
[1d20 = 6] >>139555>>139556Forrester still moves, crawling away
>>139556>>139557"Cover me, I am going for Forrester!"
Silver runs out of cover, and makes a B-line for the disguised captain.
>>139558But first...
Grenadiers fire rifle grenades at the room upstairs
[1d20 = 8][1d20 = 20] >>139559One goes wide, right past the room, while another goes through the window and seems to detonate on the ceiling
The black colt nevertheless fires his automatic rifle in bursts in the direction of the room
Silver runs towards the captain, who manages to turn towards him, and level his gun
>>139559>>139560Silver maintains his current course, unfazed by the levelled pistol.
>>139561And what does Silver do when he gets there?
>>139562That would be hitting Forrester over the head with the butt of his rifle.
>>139563He fires one shot up at Silver
[1d20+3 = 12] >>139563>>139564Missing. Silver’s chance to attack
[1d20+5 = 6]>>139564>>139565Silver turns his rifle around, and aims a bash right at the disguised changeling's head.
>>139566Silver’s rifle misses, gets caught in the band that keeps Forrester’s pack on his shoulder, and falls the ground when Silver tries to pull it back
Forrester shoots again
[1d20+3 = 23] >>139566>>139567Unfortunately, this one is quite the hit
[1d20+3 = 5][2d6 = 7] >>139568"Блин, больно!"
Silver picks the rifle back up.
>>139569This, he does. Another attack, or attempt to kick Forrester?
>>139571A hit, if barely, against the prone Forrester
>>139573Forrester is knocked down, to the ground.
Silver can see his cost burn away in bright green light, revealing one of the parasitic, black pony imitators in his place.
>>139574Satisfied, Silver hurriedly returns to B Squad.
>>139575At B squad, Brisbuck gives a command, filling in fir the Sargent
“Machine gun! Covering fire! Rifle section, forward!”
B squad advances inside the town hall, the black colt firing from the hip
>>139576Silver salutes his Lieutenant.
"Forrester has been knocked unconscious, Sir. Your orders?"
>>139578"Sir, yes sir!"
Silver moves to join B Squad in storming the town hall.
>>139579The entryway has been shot to pieces by multiple machine guns and two grenades. On the floor lay the bodies of three changeling drones, fallen in strange ways or curled up, and wearing Equestrian uniforms.
What is more disturbing is the presence of two pony bodies in Equestrian uniform, never turning into drones. One lies on his back, the other on his side, with a hoof pressing holding his chest.
There are no more gunshots from within town hall
>>139580Silver stops to check on these ponies, to see their names/ranks and if they're still alive.
>>139581Private Low Glow, 332nd supply company
He seems to have suffered shock and died from multiple rifle rounds - probably originating from a machine gun
Private Reed Wringer, 332nnd supply company
He seems to be gone or nearly so. He has several bullet wounds, and shrapnel as well.
>>139582"I am sorry, soldiers."
Silver stands up from the bodies, and calls out into town hall.
"B Squad, report!"
>>139583B squad assembles before Silver, taking position and examining the surroundings
>>139584"Any sign of additional changeling occupancy in town hall?"
>>139586Silver nods.
"Do we have any more grenades?"
>>139587"Yes, plenty more."
As B Squad stands there, they can hear the words
"Don't shoot" calling from the left
>>139588Silver wheels around to face the direction of the voice.
"Who is there?"
>>139589Silver sees, coming through the doorway, three ponies wearing Equestrian non-combatant uniforms, trying to hold hooves up. One has a carbine on his back, two are completely unarmed. Two are bleeding, one from a scratch on the face, and another more heavily from under the uniform on the chest.
"Us" A white earthpony answers
>>139590Silver pulls out his flashlight, and trots slowly towards the three ponies.
"Stay right where you are, and do not move until I tell you to. I am going to check if you are changelings."
>>139592They pull their hooves in the air, though the last one cowers
Yellow eyes, partly reflective
Dark red eyes, blinks
Steel Grey, seems to reflect back blue under the eye whites
>>139593Silver turns off his flashlight, and nods. He tells the first one, with yellow eyes, to go join B Squad, but keeps the other two for a moment longer. He starts by talking to the red eyed one.
"I need you to keep your eyes open. It will only take second."
>>139594The first one stands there, looking at Silver for a moment, and then runs off into the squad of soldiers he was shooting at not two minutes ago
The second one tries to speak back to SIlver
"Wah"
He lowers a hoof, evidently to hold onto his chest (which is bleeding), and staggers. But his eyes are open
>>139595Silver quickly checks his eyes while they're open and he's still conscious.
>>139596Reflection from the pupil, which narrows, but the whites and iris are unaffected
>>139597"Clear."
He looks back at B Squad.
"He needs first aid, stat!"
He now looks back at the third pony, the grey eyed one, and looks seriously at him.
"I want you to be completely honest with me: are you changeling?"
[1d20-1 = 9]>>139599Sense Motive: Silver looks carefully at him for any sign of him lying.
"Are you sure? If you are, and you come out voluntarily, I promise you will be treated fairly."
I like this combat sequence, it reminds me of Post Scriptum. Check out Vade's videos with German comms/English subtitles if you can, they are really immersive.
>>139604Silver considers it for a second, but ultimately decides to concede and accept it as an aberration in testing.
"Alright. My apologies, we are just under lot of stress right now. Go ahead and join others."
>>139605He stands there for a moment, but then rushes past
>>139606Silver returns to B Squad.
"Alright, are we ready to continue?"
>>139608Silver looks to see that the red eyed pony is getting medical aid before he does anything.
>>139609The red eyed pony has to get in line, with the squad sergeant, Saltlick, and Amber Grain being injured
>>139610"Alright then. We will make our way towards upstairs room, checking rooms along way. When we get outside room, we will give them chance to surrender, and if they do not, we will toss grenade inside. Understood?"
>>139611"Sir, yes sir!"
B Squad advances into the dinning room - finding nothing, though some cots are on the floor. Nothing, down stairs office. Nothing in the bathrooms, or the other downstairs office.
On to upstairs. It's a narrow hallway not everypony can fit through
>>139612About how many can fit through?
>>139614Silver instructs a grenadier to go first, with Silver behind him. Once they get to the doors of the room, Silver calls out.
"Anyone alive in there?"
>>139615Silver pokes his head out to see a door on the right side, a door on the left, and a couple doors in the center
Silver's question is answered with a "ching-ching-ching-ching-ching" from the right
Role for reflex
>>139616>>139618>>139617When Silver and the grenadier get up to the second floor, they are shot at from a blind-fired submachine gun out the door from the office on the far right, and a grenade is tossed at them.
Silver evades all bullets, while the grenadier is hit with one. Silver dives into the stairwell, and is not hit from any shrapnel, while the grenadier tries to jump back into the stairway
[2d6 = 6][1d6 = 1] >>139618>>139620The grenadier, partly caught in the blast, almost lands on Silver.
>>139620>>139621Silver helps get the grenadier get to his hooves, and gets him down the stairwell. He points to the other grenadiers.
"They are not surrendering, flush them out!"
>>139622One rushes past, jumping over Silver, with a rifle grenade on his gun. As he rushes into the hall, there is more blind fire. There is a "thunk" and then a loud
BANG as a rifle grenade is shot and detonates at ranges too close for comfort.
>>139623Silver flinches somewhat, and starts talking once the ringing starts to subside.
"Sweet Celestia, soldier, I meant throw pineapple, not rifle grenade. You okay?"
>>139624"What!?" He seems a little dazed, but the attack still needs pressing forward
>>139625"Just nevermind. Come on!"
Silver pushes past the soldier to get to the room with the blind firing submachine gunner.
>>139626Silver presumably kicks open the door, which itself is shot through with several bullet and shrapnel holes. Silver can see this room was a large sized office, with several; photographs on the walls, a couple book shelves, and a hardwood desk.
Books from the shelves have fallen to the ground. Some a shredded. The desk is moved at an odd angle, and is torn in many areas. There is a distinct hole in the wall above the desk, with broken bits of glass, parts of a wooden picture frame and the like strewn across the floor, along with so many papers. on the left side is a window, with a torn up chair propped up next to the window, and a turned over table to its left. The window is completely shattered, there is a large hole in the cieling with insulation hanging down, as well as part of a vent, and a large, belt-fed machine gun lies across the chair, with a number of empty cases to its right. Portions of the wall are penetrated with bullets, with paint coming off, while other portions are chipped.
Hanging over the Machine gun is a dead changeling drone with a Changeling style helmet, and no uniform. He bleeds blue on the foor. Next to him is another in an Equestrian uniform who also fell on his belly, and is holding what looks like a replacement barrel. This second one is covered in white drywall, which can also be found to a degree on the first one, but this one is covered almost like he fell asleep in snow. To the left of both is a dead changeling in Equestrian uniform who lies on his back, and has more than one noticeable bullet wound. He has a Changeling style bolt-action rifle next to him. between these three and the desk is a changeling lying on his belly and bleeding on the floor. He wears no uniform, and has an ammunition belt across his back, with an Equestrian carbine rifle beside him.
But most concerning is an alleged pony - a tan unicorn - in a bloody, Equestrian uniform, wearing a helmet and lying on his back. He looks to have fallen against the desk, then fallen off of it. In front of him is a Changeling style submachine gun, which he is reaching towards.