The Chapel (Vityaz)

Trails pulled a plasma rifle off of one of the twisted corpses at his hooves. He might not be able to shoot the thing straight, but it would sell for good caps back at the quarter master. As he shoved it into his crammed saddlebags Bell came up, trying to look him over. He'd been shot the most, so he'd figured sooner or later she'd get to him, but experience told him he was fine.

"I'm good, go check out Kira, she took some plasma too, want to make sure she's golden before we move out."

Winter shook her head as Trails spoke. She was a doctor and she could easily tell who was better then the other. Besides she had seen how much punishment this buck had taken and that more then convinced her that she needed a look. "She's fine, and can wait. I saw you fall and I want to make sure you're ok. Now, if you'll stand still and lift your hooves when I say I can get this other with and get to helping the others" she said as she moved herself into a position where she could search for wounds.

Trails raised an irritated eyebrow at Bell's insistence. The buck was fine, he'd taken worse punishment before this was just foal's play. His team was hurt, he wasn't that was plain to see, even if the doctor disagreed.

"I'll get a second opinion when we get back at base, until then go on with triage." He grumbled.

Winter let out a sigh as the buck still wasn't complying. 'So it's going to be like that' she thought to herself as she took a step back and looked up at the buck. "My opinion is valid enough, considering I've fixed up more ponies then I've had hot meals. I'm going to take a look at you so that we don't find out too late that you're in more trouble then we thought, Now I suggest you let me get on with it so we can get a move on" she said using the tone of voice that she used with most of her patients, formal, refined but with the same sophisticated flare on her voice that she always carried.

Bell's prim and proper authoritative lecture fell on deaf ears. The buck had already reloaded his rifle and started looking for potential routes forward. The foreman's office was the most likely location for the officer, that or conference room. Both were on the west side, which the catwalks led to. After that the blueprints he'd memorized at the Chapel told him their choices were a narrow corridor that led straight to it, or to hook around and go for the executive lift. Not a tough decision in the slightest.

"I've been in more battles than you've had meals," Trails began as he walked off to the staircase, "and been shot more times than you've had patients. I know my limit, and it's a long way off. What I don't know, is the condition of my heavy ordnance expert who was shot at least twice."

Winter huffed and stomped a hoof as he rudely walked away from her while talking. She furrowed her brow and took off her mask before placing it neatly in her satchel to await the time it would be needed again. She trotted after him and once again moved in front of him before stretching on her hooves to seem taller so that she could not quite be at eye level... but closer. To some it might have seemed adorably silly, but she felt it necessary in conveying her words. "Now you listen to me Happy Trails, I don't care how many fights you've seen or how tough you think you are but I am a doctor and a darn good one, and I think I know what I'm talking about. But since you are so insistent on not listening to me I offer you this" she said taking out a health potion, "Drink it and I shan't bother you again" she said, waiting for him to take it from her magical grip.

Trails wordlessly looked at Bell, the wrap around his face hiding the smirk etched across it. If it had been anypony else, literally anypony else, he'd pull rank and remind the little medic of their place. Instead he pulled the mask down and drank the potion in one gulp, tossing the empty bottle aside.

"I need my squad at top condition, both physically and mentally." his voice a low rumble. "How you holding up?"

The blue coated mare sank into her usual small self as he took the potion and drank it, giving her at least a bit of comfort in knowing he was getting better on some level. As he spoke she was silent for a moment as she looked away the thoughts of what she had done slowly creeping back in, reminding her of what she'd done. She looked back to him and her eyes carried that look of regret and sadness, "Those were the first lives I took..." she said, unsure if she was able to say much else without the pit in her heart engulfing her.

Trails let out a sigh and sat down next to the mare, bringing the conversation closer to eye level. "I wish I could say it gets better over time, you start to forget. But that's just a line invented by shrinks to help soldiers cope, give them something to look forward to. Truth is you'll always remember those two ponies, and what happened here today, but that's not what you should remember. What you should remember is the ponies you made safe, those you saved. You did the right thing, Bellsy, even if it feels like the wrongest thing you've ever done right now. Know, you did the right thing."

Winter listened, but no amount of words was able to deter the pain from hammering her chest and making her feel awful. She nodded in understanding and gave her own piece of mind for what it was worth. "I'd dedicated my life to helping ponies, to making sure they make it or to make sure they're still here tomorrow so that they can do what I could never... take another life" she said and paused as she worked up the next part of what she wanted to say, "Today taught me I might not have known myself as well as I thought I did.... I now know I can kill" she said as she looked sideways to Trails and into the red glares of his masks eyes, tears threatening to brim at the edges of her eyes, "How can I be the pony I want to be, how can I help ponies and heal the world if I'm one of those taking lives and making it worse" she asked, her voice wavering only a tiny bit.

Trails didn't say anything, the words lost along the way. Instead he hugged her tight, thinking over all of the lives he ended. Searching for something that gave it all meaning, a value to cling to. For him it had always been the sense that he was measuring out some moticom of justice and a barier between the good ponies like Bell and the evil ponies like the troopers. But that wasn't what Bell needed, not her virtue.

"You heal the world in more ways than you can imagine," he whispered into her ear. "a body can't heal if its riddled with cancer. This doesn't make you one of them, nopony's perfect. Make up for mistakes past, present, and future, and you'll do us all proud."

Winter had burred her muzzle in his chest as a few tears leaked from her amethyst eyes and over the pale blue of her cheeks. She sniffed as he spoke and when he'd finished she wiped her eyes with the back of her hoof. "T-thank you Trails, I needed to hear that" she said in reply. She knew he was right, she knew that some ponies out there were evil right down to their core. But killing was just not in her nature and it was something that weighed heavily on the mare. She pulled back and looked up at him, catching a few tears and swabbing them away as she sniffed, "We should carry on with the mission" she said, her voice hardening back into her soft refined speech. She gave a last thankful smile before she stood up, straightening herself so she would be ready to go.

Trails stood up, righting his mask as he did so. "If you ever need somepony to talk to, I'm here. Not just because you're in my squad, because I care about you." with that the stallion fixed his gear and continued up the staircase, waiting for the last member of his team to be given the green light.

Winter watched him go and nodded to herself. Despite his stubbornness and his annoyingly frequent macho behavior, Trails was and always had been a good friend to her. Ever since what happened in Fillydelphia he had looked after her. She turned and made her way over to Kira, the other gryphon of their team. She gave a friendly smile as she approached and began telling her what she wanted. "Hello Kira, I would like to have a look at you to make sure you're alright before we move on, is that ok" she asked politely before she waited for the gryphoness to respond.

The gryphoness did not looked up to Winter until she had unjammed her weapon, she looked to the friendly smile and could not help but smile slightly as well despite the situation they where in.

"I am fine just took a few its to the armour probably just bruised from it." She said as she put away her launcher. "But if it will make you feel better then okay go ahead I will not argue with the pony that can save my life at some point."

Winter Bell nodded and smiled in appreciation as she allowed her to do her job. She went through he same process that she did with Kes, asking her to extend her wings and rear up so she could check for burns. After a quick inspection it seemed Kira was actually in good condition apart from a few minor burns in places. She gave the gryphoness a healing potion before giving her the 'ok'. "You're good to go" she said with a smile before closing her medical satchel

Kira nodded to as Winter examined her from the burn wounds she had got from the battle, she only showed discomfort when she extend her wings but kept quite about it as she folder her wing back in. "Thanks Winter." The gryphoness said as she took the potion and downed it quickly feeling the healing magic doing its work on her.

Seeing that his team was back up to speed, Trails let out a sharp whistle and raised a forehoof telling them to form up. When the were gathered around him again, he took his usual spot at point and led them out the doorway and into the narrow corridor. The sound of rain lashing against the roof coupled with the occasional clap of thunder served as the backdrop to the team's slow crawl to the rear lift.

"Fucking pegasi are planning something big. Only time they make storms this big is to create chaff." Trails whispered, checking the corner to the stairwell.

Stealth Roll: Req: 350 Result 217

As luck would have it three troopers were in the stairwell the exact moment the team tried to enter it. The wing of pegasi clearly saw the spec ops apostolov in the doorway and opened all manners of hell. Trails stood to his full height spread himself out, creating the best shield he could. Several jets of plasma splashed off the earth pony, forcing him to let out a growl of pain.

"Our turn."

Three cracks roared from his brush gun. One trooper fell dead before he hit the ground, another reeled as a 45-70 round tore through his wing. Trails then ducked, giving his team a clear shot.

----------------
Enclave Status:

Trooper 1: KIA
Trooper 2: 145
Trooper 3: 250

Vityaz Status:

Trails: 174
Kes: 232
Kira: 244
Scrap: 151
Bell: 181

Winter Bell had placed her mask back over her face allowing her mane to flow from the slit at the back once more to fill around it. She breathed a sigh as she followed the others, once again failing to sneak as they were seen by more troopers. She had managed to figure out how to unjam her weapon as she drew out her more favored weapon, the 357 magnum. She fired three times before diving into cover.

(357 Magnum, firing three times at any available target, then diving into cover)

Kestrel narrowed his gaze as another splashing of plasma rolled over his armor. Not even bothering to draw his other weapons Kestrel rose into the air with a flap of his wings and propelled himself forward, his talons flaring, electricity arcing between them loudly; a mimicry of the raging storm outside, though far more dangerous.

If all went according to plan, the trooper closest to kestrel would barely have any time at all to respond before kestrel was atop him/her, his talons gouging long gashes in the poor pegasi's armor. But Kestrel took it a step further this time. From his place atop the trooper, assuming Kes had managed to get atop his/her back, the griffon would latch onto the pegasi's wings, dig his talons into the joints on the armor and body, and start pulling backwards as hard as he could; using his hind legs as a brace against the poor pony's spine/back.

If all went right the pegasi wouldn't have much time to feel the pain of their wings being ripped off. If they were unfortunate enough to feel it...well the team behind Kes could pick up the slack and put him/her out of their misery.

(Three unarmed attacks on the pegasi. Two normal swipes, then the third, more complex action. Talons ignore 15 DT, Strength 8 to tear the pegasi's wing off. Attaking trooper 2. If Trooper Two goes down early, I'll take on Trooper 3)

Scraps nearly facehoofed as more enclave soldiers were waiting, right around the corner, it seemed. Trails made quick work of the first one and between Kes and Winter; Scraps figured the second one was toast, so he quickly fired a shot at the third soldier, hoping that this time he may actually HIT something.

(AP 18 Firing one shot at soldier three DM 60, crit multiplier 1.5)

Kira almost fired her grenade launcher when they ran in to more Enclave soldiers waiting for them, but if she would have done that the group would have to worry about more then just plasma fire as she shrapnel would have hurt them more then the Enclave. Still she aimed her launcher at the soldiers and the weapons launch its deadly ordnance twice at the Enclave.

(28 AP, fire twice at the Enclave Soldiers with Grenade launcher, Reload the to shots once fired.)

Trails watched as his team opened up on the squad of troopers below. Bell was the first to act, a shot from her .357, a clean miss, then the tell tale click of a jam. Then Scrap, a near miss that forced a trooper to abandon shooting in favor of a dodge. Kira decided to make damn sure she didn't missed and threw two grenades. For a second Trails was certain they were all dead, about to be turned into fridge stuffing by friendly fire, but luck for once smiled on the team and a trooper created a sort of blast shield with their body. Once the smoke cleared Kes went in for the kill, but even Kes wasn't immune from the law of averages, and a cramp froze him after his first attack.

Before the trooper could take advantage of Kes' opening, Trails fired three shots squarely into their center, ending the them. As suddenly as it had started, it was over. The large earth pony calmly reloaded and started on the move again. It was a short walk to the executive elevator, behind the reception desk.A terminal was all that stood between them and their goal.

"Scrap, this is your department." Trails whispered, gesturing at the glowing screen.

Enclave Status:

Trooper 1: KIA
Trooper 2: KIA
Trooper 3: KIA

Vityaz Status:

Trails: 168
Kes: 232
Kira: 244
Scrap: 151
Bell: 181

Kestrel managed to hold back the grimace at the cramp that had wracked him after his first hit. Damn, plasma seemed to be having more effect than previously thought.

Shame. He'd been ready to dismember the pegasi.

Always next time though. Rolling his shoulder, working out the cramped up muscle, Kestrel resumed his usual position in the group. Waiting for Scrap to work his technological magic on the terminal.

Hah! This time he had hit something! Nearly... But it was enough tk make the soldier flinch long enough for him to die a quick death at the hooves of three bullets direct to the center of mass.

Moving on with the group; his face lit up when the group came across the desk terminal. Scraps may not have been to good at fighting but hacking was his domain, and now he got a chance to actually be useful!

(Science 100, hacking terminal.)