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1000001 No. 1000001 ID: a068bf

The last thing I remember before the shuttle broke up was wondering how the hell we got into this situation. It should've been a simple matter of rendezvousing with our frigate and delivering the data we grabbed on Tetrapis's Project Hydra, but we were intercepted by a Tetrapisan destroyer. Now I'm stuck on this strange, uncontacted planet - Tukar - with who knows how many angry Tetrapisans and a local population that might or might not help me. Or worse, decide to use me for experiments.

I mentally command the nanites in my system to activate - maybe that brand new system I was given before the mission, QUEST, can help? It stands for "Quantum Universal Expert Synthtelligence - Tactical", and supposedly it should be able to guide me through this situation.

I briefly explain my situation to QUEST - I am the fourth and most junior member of Raven Squad. I'm the team's electronic warfare expert and drone controller. The other three members are Falken ("Falk"), the squad leader; Silur, our heavy weapons expert; and Arvin, the medic. I need to reunite with the rest of the team and alert Special Forces Command that we need rescue.

Before the crash I managed to keep hold of one of my drones, but the others are probably scattered over the countryside. Besides that, all I have to my name besides my powered armour is my basic stutter pistol and the air blade tech integrated into my armour - the former is a pulse laser and the latter is an energy projection from my armour's gloves that allows it to cut through most materials with ease. I've also got a signal-blanking poncho that should help me evade detection.

>Which drone did I manage to grab before the shuttle broke up?
>A) ELINT Drone - Extends range of ELINT/SIGINT sensors, letting me detect signals from further away. Capable of hacking and can also jam or imitate enemy transmissions. Limited direct utility in a fight, though.
>B) Combat Drone - Possesses a wide variety of weapons, including micro-missiles and heavy energy weapons. Very "noisy" in the electromagnetic spectrum whenever it activates, even if it's only scanning for targets.
>C) Utility Drone - Can store bulky objects and provide extra mobility, as well as act as a shield in combat. Visually obvious.

>What do I do?
>A) Make sure to zero out or disable any systems that survived the crash. Every bit of info I can deny the enemy is a win and might let us evade capture for longer.
>B) Get as far away from the crash site as possible. The Tetrapisans are probably going to try to scour the wreckage for any sign of survivors, and the locals might also stumble upon the impact site.
>C) Contact the rest of Raven Squad with a databurst transmission and ask for orders. However, the more I transmit and use my sensors, the more visible I'll be on the EM spectrum - and the easier it'll be to track me.
>D) Write-in

>Please give a name to the Drone Operator. You may refer to them as whatever gender you wish. Update schedule presently undetermined but at minimum once per week.
85 posts omitted. Last 50 shown. Expand all images
>>
No. 1011067 ID: 365ef6

I would say to ask
>"...Did you see anything unusual? Landmarks, strange activity, unique Tetras, anything?"
>"...What do you think the Tetras are doing? I detected a Titanios on the way here - they mean business."

These are the most urgent questions in my opinion. The drones are also important, but the big boy moving around is not expected and is important to know what it is doing.

About camping I would trust your radar and risk to get out of there. Is better to risk when you are not asleep. Have in mind that this can be also dangerous if you can't find a place to rest. Tiredness is a dangerous companion.
>>
No. 1011139 ID: c92a02

>Did you see anything unusual?
>How are you and your medical supplies holding up?
Keep moving, see if the Titan's search pattern changes. If it's pinging intermittently, perhaps it's operating in stealth mode. Or it's just lazy, and operating on out of date info on stationary targets for artillery strikes .
>>
No. 1011258 ID: 815672

>>1011041
Anything unusual and what the tetras are doing

Make camp. You've been running all day
>>
No. 1011405 ID: e7c7d3

>>1011139
I'll back this
>>
No. 1011408 ID: 8483cf

>Anything unusual?
>How're you holding up?

Keep moving. (If Arvin's not holding up well, then we can camp. If everything is fine, then keep moving.)
>>
No. 1015447 ID: 05b869
File 163718938145.png - (23.40KB , 800x600 , S24.png )
1015447

>>1011061
My gene artifice didn't prioritise endurance for operational reasons, so I can go roughly 48 hours without ill effects. Technically, thanks to the artifice we don't sleep in the normal fashion. Instead, we enter a hibernation-like state where we can communicate and maintain some alertness, but that doesn't mean we can just spring into action from a cold start. Hopefully it won't come to that.

>>1011139
Will do. I'm glad that QUEST's shards are now starting to take this seriously. If I'm called 'Egg' one more time, I'll...

"Hey, Egg, you zoned out for a moment there," says Arvin, cutting into my train of thought. I can imagine his brown eyes studying my reaction. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I say, extinguishing the embers of my annoyance. We're in this together - and anyway, it's generally not a good idea to piss off the guy who might be patching you up. "In fact, that's what I was going to ask you. I want to know - are you holding up alright? What about your medical supplies?"

"I've had better days, but this is far from the worst. Remember Scarax?"

I'm thankful he can't see the reflexive frown under my helmet.

"I have enough to keep you functional if anything... debilitating happens, if that's what you're asking. But unless we can beg, borrow, or steal more then you might want to avoid getting into that situation more than once or twice."

"Good to know," I say. "Times like this I wish we could just re-sleeve like the Tetras."

"Frankly, that makes them careless," replies Arvin. "And we both know they still have medics anyway."

I make a noise of agreement and motion for Arvin to follow me.

As we navigate down the north-eastern slope in Falken and Silur's general direction, I keep talking to break the silence. Above us, the stars twinkle like tiny gemstones set in a gigantic bowl. "Did you see anything unusual on the way to the radio mast? Landmarks, odd activity, unique Tetras, anything?"

"Yes. I think they've got a reconnaissance-strike team on our asses. I saw this tall Tetra woman step out of an Entomon dropship and start barking orders at other Tetras. She had a flash cannon slung over her shoulder, I think."

That grabs my attention. "A RST and a flash cannon? You're serious?"

"Of course I'm serious!" Arvin hisses. "I don't know who it is and what the fuck she thinks she's doing, but she must love her firepower."

"Just what we need," I mutter. "Well, let's keep moving..."
>>
No. 1015448 ID: 05b869
File 163718939126.png - (20.86KB , 800x600 , S25.png )
1015448

At this point I'm getting sick of seeing trees. Damn planet feels like it's nothing but forest and hills. Half-seriously, I break the silence to add, "Did you at least spot something other than angry Tetras and trees?"

"Yes. A town in a valley, not too far from here. A road cut straight through it. We could scavenge resources from there, if we're very careful."

I'm about to ask him for more info when I spot movement among the trees. We duck behind the nearest trunk. My Sensor Warning Display chirps with an updated Titanios position but my focus is elsewhere.

Peering past our cover, I see a couple of locals. They look tense; one's clenching a primitive k-rifle. He whispers something to his friend and starts creeping towards our tree...

>What should I do?
>A) Wait for the locals to approach and swiftly knock them out. Avoids killing or maiming them, but it also means we have potential witnesses.
>B) Come out and try to indicate we come in peace. But how?
>C) Use the ELINT drone as a distraction. It'll buy us time to slip past, but they might shoot at it.
>D) Eliminate him and his friend then hide the bodies. It would be a trivial shot to make, but we all know the potential consequences.
>E) Write in.
>>
No. 1015459 ID: 1ed92d

>>1015448
C
I recommend deploying the E-Lint. It would be ill-advised to first-contact natives by beating their heads with a rock or slitting their throats. It gets off on the wrong foot.
>>
No. 1015460 ID: 91bd96

E
Use a slight detour to avoid them

Seriously, it seems as though they have little to follow you with besides their eyes, so just use the trees as cover to get past these... whoever they are.
>>
No. 1015504 ID: c92a02

C. Avoid the engagement in the first place.
>>
No. 1015531 ID: a7d6c9

Either A)"non-lethal Ambush" or E) "Retreat with a detour". We can't allow to kill potential civils and the Titan is near. The big guy might be coming to us right now. In both cases I would try the old and tested technique of throwing a pebble to one bush to distract them.

As they seem common civils, I prefer Retreat. We can allow to receibe some shots and I think we should be able to outrun them. Also civils tend to not be very fast to contact the authorities if they are not completly sure.

My main concern with trying to knock down them is that even non-lethal techniques can be lethal if something goes wrong and that they are two but only one is comming.
>>
No. 1015706 ID: e7c7d3

>>1015460
Supporting this
>>
No. 1015963 ID: e03439

The Tac-Net has come online! Find the discussion thread here: >>/questdis/136503

Check back for supplementary info, art, etc.; particularly important things will be linked in this thread as well. Next update will be next week at the latest!
>>
No. 1016005 ID: 96c896

You've been tracking the Titanios for a while, does its route make any sense?
>>
No. 1016016 ID: 815672

>>1015448
C
But make sure it has some sort of cover and escape route before making itself known.
>>
No. 1016041 ID: 96c896

Just go around.
>>
No. 1022406 ID: f3495e
File 164402486617.png - (28.97KB , 800x600 , S26.png )
1022406

The Tac-Net has been updated with a simple primer on the ELINT drone's Sensor Warning Display! Check it out here to get familiar with what the symbols mean: >>>/questdis/136945

Using the ELINT drone as a distraction occurs to me, but I decide it's better to try simply slipping around these guys. I think they might be hunters or simply curious civvies with a terrible sense of timing. They don't deserve to get hurt because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully the Tetras will see things the same way.

I send Arvin an updated set of waypoints that should take us safely around them. I also signal with a hand that we're moving in 3... 2... 1... now!

We are blurs in the night as we lunge from tree to tree. I hear one of them say something like
>Maja va sulon?!

But by then we've disappeared into the darkness.
>>
No. 1022407 ID: f3495e
File 164402487205.png - (30.98KB , 800x600 , S27.png )
1022407

>>1016005
By analysing the Titanios's emissions and movement over time, I think I understand what's going on now. I think it's been ordered to set up an ambush position based upon the debris field our shuttle left during the crash. It's not a bad guess, honestly; if they saw us as we descended, they can estimate where we all landed. It's just my luck that I rode the ship all the way down... well, there's nothing I can do about it now.

Circumventing it entirely is probably impractical, at least if we want to meet up with Falken and Silur in any reasonable timeframe. Judging from how far away I ID'd it, it's got powerful, long range sensors. I'd need to go out of my way to avoid it completely. Stealth or confronting it directly are options, but each with their own risks. I've never tried to suborn or jam one before, but the ELINT drone should give me enough muscle to do so. I hope.
The trees are thinner here, and Arvin spots it before I do. "Is that a car park?"

He's right. A small dirt car park, with a couple of primitive vehicles. A wide dirt trail leads out of the car park and presumably out onto the road.

"Do you think we should hotwire one? It might let us get through any Tetra or local cordons faster than they expected, or even escape them entirely." I creep closer and get my ELINT drone to peer at the two cars. One of them appears to be a small off-roader or sports car; the other looks more like a family car, but it's got some discarded jackets in the back.

"Are you nuts? There's no way we won't look suspicious as hell!"

"You're mostly right... but what if we took off our helmets? If we took the bigger car, we could throw on those jackets too," I explain. "It won't fool anyone up close, but it should be enough from a distance or if we drive by quickly."

>What should we do?
>A) Steal a vehicle. The off-roader will give us more options, but it might be easier to blow our cover. The other car's fully enclosed and gives us the chance to better disguise ourselves, but I doubt it'd handle rough terrain well. Specify the vehicle to be stolen.
>B) Just keep going on foot. It's too much of a risk, even if it lets us get through danger areas faster.
>C) Write-in.
>>
No. 1022408 ID: c92a02

Steal the car with disguises and hope you don't have to go offroad.
>>
No. 1022409 ID: 96c896

A: off-roader.
Not just because it's more rugged, but because you can more quickly exit the vehicle or easily fire from it.
>>
No. 1022411 ID: 575fcc

Take the family car (to someone's utter dismay in the near-future), if you need to go offroad, you can ditch the vehicle and vanish back into the woods.
>>
No. 1022412 ID: 96c896

Erm, I believe we can wear the disguises no matter which vehicle we use?
>>
No. 1022566 ID: f3495e

>>1022412
You are correct in that Marisere and Arvin could pinch the jackets from the family car and drive the off-roader, but the disguise might be somewhat less effective. It's easier to get a good look at someone if there isn't a solid roof getting in the way, after all. Consider it a trade-off.
>>
No. 1022675 ID: 815672

>>1022407
Either way, taking a vehicle will attract the attention of the local population. Which you do eventually want to establish at least neutral relations with the local population in your inevitable meeting with them. Tetras are a bigger threat though. Take the off-roader.
>>
No. 1022681 ID: 12b116

off roader
>>
No. 1024039 ID: f3495e
File 164531569238.png - (19.19KB , 800x600 , S28.png )
1024039

I'm strongly tempted to take the bigger car, but there's no guarantee that we won't need to go off-road at some point. Plus if things go spectacularly wrong, it's easier to shoot out of an open-topped vehicle. I also consider at least pilfering the jackets, but it'd take precious time - and that's assuming I didn't trip the car alarm.

Speaking of which... the ELINT drone has finished its hyperspectral analysis of the off-roader, and the data is... interesting. The drone bobs down to door level and emits a small zap. There's a soft clunk as the doors unlock.

I spare Arvin a quick glance as I jog over to the front of the vehicle. It doesn't take much to pop open the bonnet and get at the internals. Immediately the ELINT drone sends me follow-up data as I return to the driver's seat - bypass the ignition, short this relay here, break the "probable" steering lock with a swift, strong tug on the steering wheel...
>>
No. 1024040 ID: f3495e
File 164531569621.png - (36.15KB , 800x600 , S29.png )
1024040

...And it shudders into life as the ELINT drone uses its weight to close the bonnet. It's a damn sight noisier and rougher than the ones back home. It feels impossible that no-one could hear this thing. I suddenly feel terribly vulnerable again as I allow myself a glance up at the imposing steel skeleton of the radio tower and think of how the day began.

With a deep breath, I remove my helmet, Arvin following suit. The pneumatic hiss of seals breaking is quiet compared to the engine's grumble. Unfiltered air rushes into my lungs, the wind playfully ruffling my fur, my gene-artificed eyes adapting to the darkness with remarkable speed.

The anticipation of attack recedes as quickly as it came. Tactical considerations are distant, like predators stalking the campfire. I shift gears and nose out the car park and onto the highway.
>>
No. 1024041 ID: f3495e
File 164531570168.png - (82.83KB , 800x600 , S30.png )
1024041

The plain image for the chapter title card can be found here: >>/questdis/137028

>Let's ride.
>A) Make small-talk with Arvin. Suggest two topics. Hopefully I can get him to warm up to me.
>B) Start surfing the radio. Maybe there's something good on? What sort of music should I look for? It might also give you an opportunity to assimilate more of the local language.
>C) Write-in. What does QUEST have in mind?
>>
No. 1024076 ID: 815672

Agree on a plan and direction of travel. Just take a moment to yourself and enjoy the open air.
>>
No. 1024100 ID: e7c7d3

B) Try to find something with heavy guitar, high energy
>>
No. 1024596 ID: c92a02

B. Danger zooone!
>>
No. 1024869 ID: e51896

B
>>
No. 1032149 ID: 85308c
File 165248826677.png - (11.57KB , 800x600 , S31.png )
1032149

Music sounds good about now - especially something to get the blood pumping. I fiddle with what I assume is the radio. It takes a little bit of searching, but soon I come across some rock music. Even Arvin seems to like it! As the singer begins, I'm treated to the surreal experience of QUEST beginning to decode more of the Tukari language in real time.

>Guta mula a til mak,
>A til kirr blue bosang,
>Se cut vas shusa like a roja blade
>'Bir Se feel vas wek I sakar feel!

>Congratulations! QUEST has successfully processed part of the local Tukari language! [2/3 parts remaining]

We continue to drive, threading our way towards the northwest - Silur's bearing relative to the radio mast we left behind. Not sure if it's down to Tetra intel or what, but that damn Titanios is more or less directly in the way. Arvin's been quiet, staring at the scenery passing by and tapping his fingers to the music. It's weird seeing him just relax for once.
>>
No. 1032150 ID: 85308c
File 165248827124.png - (17.57KB , 800x600 , S32.png )
1032150

"Look sharp! It's not long before we need to check in with Falken," says Arvin, nudging me after a long time cruising. "And I don't like how close we're getting to the Titanios's last known position. Let's find somewhere to stop and figure out how we're going to deal with that stupid thing... like that shack." He points at a wooden hut at the edge of the highway.

We pull in and hide the car behind the hut. It's run-down looking, but it should give us some privacy. The wind sighs in my ears as I turn off the engine and hop out the car, Arvin and the ELINT drone also exiting the vehicle.

"...So. I'm not sure if it's QUEST or what, but you've been pretty assertive lately. Maybe you could make leadership material after all. Maybe. Do you think we should try to blast that damn drone to smithereens?" Arvin leans back against the wall, folding his arms.

I bite back the urge to point out that he hasn't exactly been covering himself in glory so far and spend several minutes pondering the question while he investigates the shack. Thankfully it seems like the Titanios isn't currently on the lookout for targets.
My thoughts are shattered by an alert from the ELINT drone. I call up a display to investigate...
>>
No. 1032151 ID: 85308c
File 165248827663.png - (33.53KB , 800x600 , S33.png )
1032151

Oh. Oh shit.

>What should I do?
>A) Sneak closer and try to hack into her comms. Due to her seniority, she could have some very valuable intel indeed. There's a risk of detection, though.
>B) Get in the car and run. I don't care if this tips them off, the idea of getting cozy with a member of a Recon-Strike Team gives me the shivers.
>C) Challenge her directly. Pseudo-immortality can make Tetras arrogant, so she's unlikely to say no - and if we take her down, then that's one less person hunting us. That'd be a huge advantage. And there's two of us against one of her, crazy synthetic body or no.
>D) Write-in.
>>
No. 1032156 ID: c92a02

A, ghost this rat. Don't go looking for a fight you can't win.
>>
No. 1032242 ID: e7848c

>>1032151
D.
You have the intel, share it. Let's get Arvin's opinion on this but do it quickly. Might be better off to scatter on foot. Maybe he'll be so bold as to suggest a pincer attack.
>>
No. 1032705 ID: 8483cf

A: Hack the planet!
>>
No. 1032708 ID: 96c896

A. Worst case scenario, it leads into C.
>>
No. 1039834 ID: ceb538
File 165947972241.png - (19.58KB , 800x600 , S34.png )
1039834

It doesn't take long for me to make up my mind. This is too valuable an opportunity to pass up. But I should probably keep Arvin in the loop, too.

I beckon him over and whisper, "My drone found a member of the RST hunting us. I think I can hack into their comms and get some intel. Worst comes to worst, I'll issue a challenge and hope she takes the bait." I pass along the data with a gentle head bump to avoid wireless transmission.

Even through the armour I can tell Arvin can't decide whether to congratulate or throttle me. "You know what? Fuck it, let's do this. I'll try to flank her. Just don't take any stupid risks."

"I knew you'd see it my way."
>>
No. 1039835 ID: ceb538
File 165947972765.png - (48.71KB , 800x600 , S35.png )
1039835

I'm in the now-familiar situation of hiding behind a tree trunk, but the stakes are different. I direct the ELINT drone to commence hacking. The progress indicator updates in fits and starts, each moment feeling like a small eternity. I'm dimly aware of Arvin creeping along the edge of the clearing, but my eyes are pulled towards the progress indicator with the inexorable gravity of a black hole.

Finally, I get the message I was hoping for. A burst of static fills my ears. It's uncanny hearing voices without actually seeing her mouth move.

"The Tukari? All dead. They thought it was a smart idea to point their peashooters at me." Her voice is deep, and she sounds almost bored. "I'm more interested in what you're doing, Thallas. Tracked down those Aurorans yet, or are you still treating this like a nature tour?"

"Patience, Otrera. Have you no sense of wonder?" The other voice - Thallas - is male, velvety smooth and unhurried. I can't make out what he looks like through the strange, unnatural darkness saturating the feed. "I'm handling one of our targets personally. And do remember my callsign next time. We know that Point Team has at least one drone operator. And we've seen no sign of the ELINT drone."

"Whatever. Are we going to activate BORON?" My heart skips a beat. Wasn't 'BORON' in one of the parameters in the Hoplite telemetry I intercepted? "It'll flush them out nice and easy."

"Not yet. Our Arsenal Drone should be sufficient. Besides, you have no shortage of martial prowess."

An Arsenal Drone? Figures. They're a staple of Recon-Strike Teams; the Tetras pin down their opponents, then they hammer them with a missile volley from the drone.

"Fine. But BORON would help cut out the busy work..." mutters the woman.

Suddenly, Thallas's feed fills with a dazzling flash of light The next thing I know, my suit's flashing a detection warning! Dammit!
>>
No. 1039836 ID: ceb538
File 165947973084.png - (30.79KB , 800x600 , S36.png )
1039836

"...Oh? It looks like my prey's come to me instead," says the Tetra, practically purring as she turns her luminous orange gaze directly upon me. She looks a lot taller and stronger when I'm not seeing her through the ELINT drone's camera feed. A subtle whine fills the silence as her armoured collar adjusts itself to give her greater freedom of movement.
"I wouldn't wish to interrupt you. Report back when you've dealt with them." Thallas's voice falls silent.

There's nothing to lose... I step out from behind the tree, and say in my most authoritative voice, "Otrera, I challenge you to a fight! My terms -"

"It's 'Polemophilos'," rumbles the Tetra. "If I'm going to gut you, I at least want you to know who was responsible."

"...Right..." Where the hell are you, Arvin?! I could really use your help about now!

>"My terms are..."
>Help me decide upon three terms. Be aware that despite her pride certain terms are more likely to be accepted than others.
>>
No. 1039843 ID: 5b763e

Feel like we need more info. Particularly what the hostile's flash cannon does as well as its effective range, though extra detail about your/her capabilities would be good.

Got a few preliminary ideas, though they can be adjusted or eliminated based off of data provided.
First, "no direct or indirect drone fire". Should she call up one or several of the "Harpy" drones mentioned earlier, or worse, the hoplite or arsenal, you're in deep, so this would mitigate that issue. She could still use them as spotters, though that would also go for yourself. Plus, it does not prohibit you hacking hers, just using them offensively after hacking.
Second, "no melee, and all ranged fire must be X distance," just replace X with whatever you feel would be good enough for her to accept but still put yourself at an advantage. Seems that would be best because you appear to be good at sniping, and she's probably got the advantage in melee because compared to you she's large.
Should you wish to rules lawyer your way to victory, go for "no damage to native buildings" then head to the cabin and snipe.

Either way, a few plans based off the above.
Have the ELINT send to Arvin and give coordinates of the hostile to snipe. Semi-worried he's dealing with the hostile that left, though.
Go to the cabin, read books. Sound bad? Well, if it completes your drone's knowledge of the native language, it could perhaps access local military comms and social engineer its way to getting yourself indirect fire. First rule only prohibits indirect drone fire, so native indirect fire would be allowed. Probably bends rules about first contact, but the hostiles have admitted to civvie deaths so avoiding war is sort of a forlorn hope here. Quiet aid to the locals would do the Tetras no favors.
Just straight up outsnipe the hostile. Her firearm is probably more about collateral damage or damaging armored forces than accuracy, so win using precision fire.
>>
No. 1039888 ID: 815672

>>1039836
A modification of the snake plissken tactic. Fire one round straight into the air. Whoever can retrieve their fired round first wins.

This of course is simply to keep her looking up and away from you and your ally.
>>
No. 1039895 ID: 30b9f6

>Polemophilos, introductions
"The prey of today is Marisere, if you care."

>1st condition
Take out your stutter pistol and drop it. Say you challenge her to a contest of pure prowess - your peashooter and her cannon would hardly make a fair match and you're itching to see what one of the infamous Recons are made of. Light up your blade to make your intentions clear.

Hopefully forcing her to close to melee range will let you draw things out and let Arvin get into position to do whatever. And hey, that blade can cut through most anything, right? Maybe, just maybe, it can do some damage on Polemophilos.

She might be real damn good so don't get cocky. You also might wanna use your hack-fu for what it's worth to try to slow her down... so you can start actually hacking her. With your blade.

>2nd condition
The fight goes not to death but to first blood - REAL blood.

Scratches and dings don't count. Means she can beat you up and around without the goal of taking you apart immediately, which again should play to her arrogance and let you draw things out if you can't win - by pretending to surrender if you get too badly mauled. Arvin can patch you up, but you need to be alive for him to do so.

'course, you'll have to decide whether you're the keeping deals type if you do win. Though man, you'd embarrass her badly if you beat and her and let her live. She might start making mistakes in your pursuit, following that. It'd certainly be a curveball play, but they come back anyway, so why not leave her to do so in a damaged body and not a fresh one?

>3rd condition
Speaking of which, if you put a sufficiently-sized dent in her your prize is: she scrubs her data on you and gives you an appropriate head start - you mean, you'd take it if she just quit her hunt, but that's not in the cards, yeah? If you lose, her prize is: you surrender yourself and your data to her.

(For a last-ditch hacking attempt through 'transferring intel', but hey.)

>How to beat?
Well, you probably won't without Arvin intervening with a killshot from blue, unless you get real lucky. You could also try to lock her in place, whether through arrogance or deft maneuvering, for a kamikaze attack by your drone into the back of her head and antennae. Just fuck all that shit up.

Yeah, it'd be a sacrifice, but hoo boy you might need that win more than the drone if it comes down to it.
>>
No. 1047399 ID: 631640
File 166665367260.png - (32.49KB , 800x600 , S37.png )
1047399

I know it's been forever but real life and artist's block swallowed me up big time. I know the update image won't wow, but it should suffice. I'm really sorry for the delay!

>>1039843
>>1039895
>More info
Hm... good point, shard. Flash cannons are highly energetic anti-armour beam cannons. From great distances, they can crack open even the most heavily armoured vehicle like an overripe fruit. The Scintillator we pilfered from that Hoplite can't hold a candle in terms of raw firepower. But they're so rare for a reason. Besides the sheer weight, they take time to recharge and there's a delay between the targeting array getting a firing solution and the weapon actually firing. Plus I doubt Polemophilos is the sniping type.

Thermal claws are just a claw-based version of the thermal knives Hoplites and many other Tetras are armed with. They're likely in line with my air blades in terms of cutting power; our shields should be able to take a few hits. The claw form factor is probably a concession to her vanity, whether she admits it or not.

Looks like according to your predictive analysis, we hold the advantage in our sensors and Electronic Warfare capabilities, but our true trump cards lie in my sheer speed and agility. We can run rings around her. She holds the advantage in raw strength and durability though. I'm under no illusions about what may happen if she somehow manages to pin me down.
I don't know if the scientists taught you what the "Special" parameter reflects. Well, when Tetras hit the big leagues, they often customise their bodies with modules and hidden features that let them tap into new abilities or extra power reserves. I hate it every time, since I rarely have any idea what to expect.

>No drones
I think she should accept it. She seems like the type to prefer a hands-on approach... no reason I couldn't pass along data to Arvin, either. Speaking of whom - I get an encrypted ping from him. Apparently he hasn't ditched me after all. Looks like he's in position - I dare not look in case I somehow tip off Polemophilos.

>Spoils of victory
Sounds good. I bet she'd go for it.

>Melee vs. non-melee
Hm... now that you have more data, perhaps you can reevaluate your options? It's hard to simultaneously disavow and accept melee combat, after all.

>Tactics
Interesting suggestions, all of you. I won't act on any of them just yet until I get the green light from you, though.

>>1039888
Unfortunately, our weapons are non-kinetic. Perhaps we could substitute our weapons' powerpacks instead?

>Do you confirm or reevaluate any of your suggested terms or tactics in light of the new data?
>Please confirm your choices in the thread to allow for effective logging - ideally with at least a quick explanation of your reasoning (this is to help ensure I don't misinterpret your intent).
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No. 1047401 ID: a7a180

I think it's pretty clear you want to avoid melee here.
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No. 1047467 ID: e7c7d3

If we go with melee, we could definitely go with hit and run tactics. Just some real frustrating stuff like lunging in to knick a tendon and then ducking back out before they can retaliate, retreat behind trees and reposition before striking again. It'd be slow and mostly ineffectual until we get that one good crippling strike in.
So confirm on the "melee fight" terms of combat
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No. 1047528 ID: e55a4b

So a slow brute force close quarters specialist vs a versatile evasive maneuver operative. Dodge close quarters, will not go well.

>delay between the targeting array getting a firing solution and the weapon actually firing
Heh. Would matter less for a larger scale. For a 1v1? Where we can use drones to inform if it's primed? Huge disadvantage. Especially if it has to fire at where it's targeted. Very dangerous if she can manually retarget while it spins up, though.
Still, DO NOT GET HIT BY THE THING. Designed for armor so it'd likely vaporize your fleshy self.
High ground will help, especially if you minimize your profile.

Still, with Arvin here, plus the new info, got a plan of sorts. We get distance, while the drone keeps a bead on the hostile. Get that bead to Arvin's feed. She stays in the open we use crossfire to fill her with holes. She stays to the trees, we flank her to use crossfire to fill her with holes. Goal is to overwhelm her with fire before she's aware she's ripped to shreds. Should we be spotted by a hostile drone, we hack it ASAP. Lose the bead if we have to.

Primary goal is to kill the hostile.
Subverting drones is useful past this fight though.

Details are vague due to that 7/10 special. Quite tough to deal with a surprise, so will have to maximize odds to our side so she has to use her special while we have maneuvers to expend.

So revised terms.

1) Drones are disallowed to fire or be targeted by either side.
2) Should she have a pistol, we have a preliminary duel. Pistols holstered. Duel starts with her hand on her pistol. First shot to hit a shield wins. Winner decides term three. Otherwise... uh... we get to select a weapon or special she's disallowed to use so that she gets to decide term three (We disallow her special).
3) 100 paces or 30 seconds, selected by term two.

Would like to say no close quarters, however she'll probably say no given how eager she is to gut her foe. Quite tempted to have the pistol duel be for the whole pot by having it be shieldless. Still, she has to see we have speed so why would she go so lopsided? Sheesh, has to be tough.
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No. 1047926 ID: 9a9054

We should get a decoy for the cannon. Maybe the drone or a rock?
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