Ace and Mara Break-In: Attempt II

Log Title: Ace and Mara Break-In Attempt II

Characters: Ace, Mara, Baroness, Vypra

Location: Australia

Date: June 12, 2009

TP: Cobra Drone TP

As Logged by Ace - Friday, June 12, 2009, 11:58 PM

Desert – Australia

 * This is the Red Centre, the desert interior of the continent of Australia. Red earth and sand abound here, as do dry salt-lakebeds. Getting lost in these parts is generally a death sentence, as there is no fresh water for kilometers.


 * Famous locations within the Red Centre include Uluru and Kata Tjuta, better known as Ayers Rock and the Olgas, Alice Springs, Coober Pedy and Lake Eyre.

Contents:
 * Woomera, South Australia 
 * Woomera Holding Company 
 * Woomera Test Facility - Australia

Ace unpacks the gear that has finally arrived from the US. It wasn't easy smuggling it into Australia, but this time Mara and he will have an easier time getting into the strangely-secure Woomera Holding Company site.

Mara does whatever she can to help unpack for the moment, looking around just a little bit, a little nervously.

Ace shows Mara how the higher-tech stealth suits work, and then begins to gear up for their outing, determined not to be turned back so easily this time.

Ace


 * Brad Armbruster is a muscular man in his mid-forties, with sandy brown hair and bright clear eyes. Right now he is encased in a tight black stealth suit, with weapons strapped silently to his body.

Mara nods a little bit and slips hers on, checking to make sure it fits right, and will work properly on her. She starts getting her other gear together as well.

Ace checks Mara's equipment and double-checks his own, and then unfurls the line from their hotel window again, sliding soundlessly down to the ground and waiting at the bottom to assist Mara's descent.

Mara drops quickly, holding onto the line to brake her fall once she's close to the bottom. She gets off quickly and nods.

Ace secures the line invisibly to the side of the building, and moves quickly to their car.

Mara hurries silently to the car, getting in as quickly as the silence will allow for, and strapping herself in.

The dome light is still removed from the car, and Ace drives he and Mara far out into the desert before he turns the headlights back on. His usually winning demeanor is much more subdued tonight -- he HATES to lose.

Mara's demeanor certainly isn't light either. She frowns as she looks around quickly.

As Ace approaches the Holding Company's grounds, he switches the headlights back off, and finally the engine, coasting the last few kilometers before he slowly allows the car to nestle itself far enough off the side of the road to avoid easy detection, but not so far as to impede a quick getaway should another be needed.

Ace slips out of the car, lowering his night vision goggles over his eyes.

Mara slips out as well, looking around and lowering her goggles, getting adjusted to them before she goes any further. She nods a little bit, looking for a good spot to slip in.

Ace leads Mara into the desert, approaching the compound from a different route this time.

Mara follows right along behind, watching closely for any possible disruption in cover.

Ace has used the time to analyze every possible route, and approaches the security fence with confidence.

Mara slips up behind, continuing to watch quietly, peering through her night vision scope quickly.

Ace has his full anti-detection system in effect, nearly approximating Cobra's Pythonization tech.

Mara keeps her anti-detection system working as well, looking around quickly to follow Ace.

Ace approaches the security fence, glancing toward the distant security posts. Timing his approach to avoid patrols, he takes out a device to disable the fence without sounding an alarm.

Mara slips up to the fence, glancing as well, biting her lip as t he device is taken out.

Ace disables the fence, this time without setting off any alarms. He glances back at he sees the lights of an approaching patrol. He frowns. "They've altered their sweep. I have a bad feeling about this. Let's move." He hurries towards the main building.

Mara sighs and nods, hurrying behind as much as she can. The lights certainly spook her enough to hurry her along.

Ace alters course as well, moving quickly and quietly.

Mara hurries behind, looking around again, keeping aware (or trying to) of everything around, and potential hazards.

Ace frowns, moving quickly into the shadows of the main building. "Strange... usually there are patrols through here, but they seem to be pulled back." His intuition buzzes, and he struggles with the strong feeling to fold. He shakes his head. "It's a trap. They're on to us," he declares flatly.

Mara sighs a little at that and frowns. "Great..." She frowns. "Any ideas how to spring it without getting trapped in it?"

Ace frowns as he spots two patrols moving in. "Let's split up."

Mara nods just a little bit at that. "Right..."

Ace points. "Head that way and try to make it through the fence and around. I'll try to get inside and disable the security... try to buy you some time."

Mara nods quickly and starts moving in the direction indicated.

Ace breaches a window and slips into the main building of the holding company.

Mara watches for patrols, trying to keep out of the way of anything that looks like trouble, biting her lip softly.

Woomera Holding Company 

 * The Woomera Holding Company emerged in the wake of the surprise destruction of QinetiQ Systems in Fishermans Bend, Australia. They own the few remaining resources of QinetiQ Systems, mostly their financial assets, patents, and contracts with the few remaining employees. Their offices are in the middle of nowhere, located in the desert outside the Woomera, South Australia. Security for the small holding company is almost ludicrously tight, but considering what happened to QinetiQ Systems, that might not be quite out of line.

Ace slips into an empty office, looking around in the darkness.

Outside, Vypra hops into a Jeep and moves to cut off Mara's escape. Baroness moves quietly towards the hallway Ace will have to come out in, and stands quietly at one end of it.

Ace slips into the hallway, looking down one side and then the other.

Outside, Mara keeps trying to stay in shadow, and not get noticed. Not like she knows she has been already.

Outside, A Jeep roars over the sand towards Mara's location. Vypra is behind the wheel, in a Woomera Holding Company security uniform. The Jeep cuts around to block Mara's path, slowing to a stop.

Ace spots an image at the end of the hall, but can't make out features through the distorted enhancements of the goggles. He ducks back into the doorway, tearing off the night-vision goggles in frustration.

Outside, Mara keeps trying to hide in the corners and shadows of the building, clutching whatever weapon she brought with her.

Outside, Vypra says, "Well, well, well. What have we here? A trespasser!" She hops out of the Jeep, flicking on a flashlight and shining it in Mara's direction. Her accent is American; her attitude cocky and superior.

Ace gazes back down the hallway as his eyes adjust. Has he been spotted? How hangs out in a darkened hallway?

Baroness says softly, but audibly, in her Australian accent, "I saw you duck back into the office, Mate. Come on out, and lets talk about your trespassing on Private Property. Or I could just start shooting, and sort it out after you are dead."

Ace chuckles. "I tried making an appointment, but you guys are really hard to get on the phone!" At the mention of shooting, Ace quietly readies his rifle. He still hopes to do this without blood loss, but if push comes to shove...

Baroness smirks, "Riiiiight." She takes two steps down the hall, and says, "Come out now, Or I will have to shoot you. Maybe I'll aim for the leg, maybe the head, but really, do you want to take the chance?"

Outside, Mara narrows her eyes and edges back, checking her weapon and shoving it at Vypra, in response to the jeep, narrowing her eyes at the light. "A problem, for certain." She pulls back on the trigger for a short burst, hoping to distract to get herself some cover.

Ace says, "Now, now, miss. No need to get violent. Would you believe I'm here to drop off a job application? In this economy, desperate times lead to desperate measures..." He fades back into the doorway as much as possible, taking as much cover as possible in case the mysterious Aussie is good to her word.

Baroness rolls her eyes, "Why would you need a job, are you not a pilot?" She drops the accent, pulls off her fake mask, revealing... The BARONESS! Fear her. Her clothes are pulled off to reveal her leather catsuit. Blatant attempt to use her body to her advantage, no doubt, "Now, Ace. Come out now, or it vill get ugly... Uglier than you already are, that is."

Ace knew she seemed familiar, but frankly, he thought it would be Zarana.


 *  Baroness KILLS Ace....

Ace risks a quick glance back into the hall, to confirm his suspicions.


 *  Ace says, "LOL"

Baroness snaps off a shot at Ace, as he risks the glance, "No more Miss Nice. Come out now!"

The Baroness! Ace knew something was rotten about this place.

>> Baroness strikes Ace with Assault-Rifle . <<

Ace says, "So this IS a Cobra front! Thanks for confi -- erk!"

Outside, >> Mara strikes Vypra with Rifle . <<

Ace's snappy comeback is cut short as bullets rip through his thin cover, striking his experimental magnetorheological fluid-based body armor and driving him painfully into the other side of the doorframe.

He manages not to fall, and instead makes a more controlled drop to the ground, wincing in pain as he attempts to return fire.

>> Ace misses Baroness with Rifle . <<

Baroness just looks at Ace, "Ready to surrender yet?" she asks, just as a bullet passes over her shoulder. "I guess that means no, eh?" She moves two steps forward, and aims low with her rifle, "Than pain it is."

>> Baroness strikes Ace with Assault-Rifle . <<

Outside, Vypra says, "You lady, you're not supposed to be here. Wow, it's weird to be the one saying that for a -- fuck!" Her comment is cut off as she is slammed back against the Jeep by the near-silent, unexpected burst of gunfire. "Oh, the fish has teeth!" she grins, as blood begins to color her tan uniform. "This is going to be more fun than I thought!"

Back inside, Ace shields his face with his rifle and his forearms and bullets slam into his armor, nearly shattering bone.

Thinking to himself. o 0 ( THIS is what happens when I ignore my instincts! ), Ace retreats back into the room, offering no attempts at verbal response this time.

The hallway falls silent.

Baroness moves down the hallway, slowly. She keeps her rifle pointed at the doorway, so she can fire as soon as Ace is back in sight. "Come out, come out wherever you are." She singsongs, almost like Glenda, the Good Witch, in Wizard of Oz.

Outside, Vypra draws her pistol, and runs towards Mara's position, shining her light ahead of her and opening fire, spraying Mara's location with three-round bursts.

Outside, >> Vypra critically strikes Mara with Pistol ! << Ace listens for the Baroness's position based on her voice, and when she's close enough he fires at her through the wall with his submachine gun.

>> Ace strikes Baroness with Submachine Gun . <<

Outside, Mara tries to jump out of the way, only to get grazed with a bullet. She swears very softly and digs out her own pistol, trying to fire into where Vypra is, in order to get more up-close and personal if she needs to.

Outside, >> Mara strikes Vypra with Pistol . <<

Baroness is stitched with bullets, that travel through the wall, "Buffoon! Do you know what it costs to CLEAN and repair Leather?!?" She slings her Rifle, brings a pistol up from the holster on her hip, and dives through the door. She fires as she enters, based on where the bullets came from.

>> Baroness strikes Ace with M9 . <<

Outside, Vypra winces as she's struck again by another bullet, but she, too, is anxious to make things close and personal. Moving in, she tries to slap Mara's pistol out of her hand while readying for a second strike.

Outside, >> Vypra strikes Mara with Punch. <<

Ace is braced against a wall, and winces again as more bullets slam into his armor, breaking ribs and driving a lot of the breath from him. With nowhere to go but the window behind him, he unloads the full clip of his Uzi at the fast-moving Baroness, trying to drive her back long enough for him to try to escape, hoping he's bought Mara some time or at least a diversion.

>> Ace strikes Baroness with SMG . <<

Baroness is stitched by bullets, and again, she curses. This time more at the pain of several bullets entering her non-shooting arm, than at the cleaning and repair expense. She is pushed back into the wall, her pistol forced from her hand, and it clatters on the floor. In one motion she bends down, pulls a knife from her boot, and throws it at Ace.

>> Baroness misses Ace with Knife. <<

Outside, Mara moves in once the bullet hits, trying for it as well. She doesn't move qui9te well enough to avoid the punch though. She responds to it quickly enough though, trying to swing upward quickly with one foot, and get it up somewhere with enough force to do... well, something.

Outside, >> Mara misses Vypra with Roundhouse. <<

Ace half-blocks, half-flinches the knife away, grateful for the defensive strike-points on his forearms. Struggling to his feet, he tries to close the distance between the Baroness and him, hoping to at least knock her out or something before she freakin' kills him.

>> Ace strikes Baroness with Bash. <<

Outside, For someone dressed as a rent-a-cop with the accent of a Florida redneck, Vypra moves very fast. Easily avoiding Mara's kick, Vypra slashes at Mara's neck with a knifehand strike.

Baroness is Bashed in the face, her lip split, and blood flows, "And they say you American's are noble... you just hit a woman... with glasses!" She Swings her rifle butt around, at Ace's face, to buttstroke him into submission.

Outside, >> Vypra misses Mara with Blow. <<

>> Baroness misses Ace with Smash. <<

Ace ducks the blow, raggedly, using more luck than skill at this point. "Lady, you're no lady," he manages, trying desperately to hammer a punch into her abdomen and maybe knock some of the wind out of her.

>> Ace misses Baroness with Hammer-Punch. <<

Baroness sidesteps the punch, and continues to bring her rifle around, this time, the muzzle is aimed at Ace, and she fires off a single shot, at close range! "I am a BARONESS! Better than a Lady any day!"

>> Baroness misses Ace with Assault-Rifle . <<

Outside, Mara can move very fast as well, though, so it isn't as easy as it could be. Especially not when she's evading and trying to grab for the wrist of the knife hand, to toss her opponent over.

Outside, >> Mara misses Vypra with Throw. <<

Ace yells as he's deafened by the close-range shot, even if he isn't hit directly. He lashes back with his elbow, awkwardly just trying not to get killed at this point as he pulls his pistol from his webbing.

>> Ace misses Baroness with Smash. <<

Baroness reaches into her other boot, and brings up a Fighting Knife. She attempts to stab Ace in the guts, "Bleed, Ace... BLEED!"

>> Baroness misses Ace with Knife. <<

Outside, Vypra pulls back her wrist before it can be grabbed, and then strikes it at the bridge of Mara's nose, trying to mangle her pretty blue face.

Outside, >> Vypra misses Mara with Blow. <<

Ace leaps back away from the Baroness, barely avoiding her wicked knife. "No, thanks, Baroness. I'd rather not." Retreating towards the window, he fires his pistol at her while backing quickly away.

>> Ace misses Baroness with Beretta . <<

Outside, Mara yanks her head back and downward, trying to evade the strike, trying to shove her own up a little lower, to see if she can go for the throat and hit the windpipe with enough force on an elbow to cause enough damage for the move to buy time.

Outside, >> Mara misses Vypra with Blow. <<

Baroness sidesteps the Pistol shot, and smirks, "I don't care. I really insist!" She runs forward, and jumps at Ace, Left Leg Slightly bend, so that she leads with her right foot. She is attempting her 'I-watched-Snake-Eyes!' move!

>> Baroness strikes Ace with Leap-Kick. <<

Ace urlks! as the Baroness's booted foot slams into him, smashing him through the window he was about to open and depositing his seriously injured body outside on the ground.

He falls painfully onto his back, glass raining down around him.

Baroness comes out the window, after Ace, after landing from her Ninja-Move. She looks down at Ace, and says, "Surrender yet?"

Vypra fades back, avoiding the strike, and smiles. "Oh, I wish I had my swords with me. I'd love to make sushi." She lashes up with a steel-toed boot, high-kicking at Mara's face.

>> Vypra strikes Mara with Roundhouse. <<

Mara takes the boot to the face, grunting as she's knocked back from it. "Not quite so easy. And approaching me with a sword? Never bring that to a gunfight unless you're unhittable." She hops backwards and pulls her rifle up again, firing a full burst this time.

>> Mara strikes Vypra with Rifle <High>. <<

Ace coughs, trying to regain his breath. "Never!" he sputters, raising his pistol in his bloodied hand and firing up at the Baroness from the ground.

>> Ace strikes Baroness with M9 <High>. << Readings for Ace: Status: Serious Endurance: 292 [740]  [ 39%] ****

Readings for Baroness: Status: Wounded Endurance: [ 59%] ******

Readings for Mara: Status: Hurt Endurance: [ 73%] *******

Readings for Vypra: Status: Wounded Endurance: [ 55%] ******

Booted security teams move in, approaching the two interlopers but keeping a respectful distance until ordered otherwise.

Baroness' upper thigh is perforated with a bullet, and blood sprays, "Dammit Ace! Don't you know when to fold!?!" She tries not to put too much weight on her leg, and she brings her rifle up. "Say good night, Ace..." She fires it, point blank at his chest.

>> Baroness strikes Ace with Assault-Rifle <High>. <<

Readings for Ace: Status: Critical *C*


 * <OOC> Mara says, "right about now, from the looks :p"

The point-blank shot is more than Ace's experimental magnetorheological fluid-based body armor can absorb, and he spasms as ribs are cracked and internal organs badly bruised and damaged. He struggles to hold his pistol and crawl away, but by now his injuries are such that he can barely move.

Vypra is blasted backwards by Mara's rifle, landing in a tangled bloody heap, cursing like a sailor. Incredibly, she's still moving and struggling, but Mara has a moment before Vypra's going to be able to rouse any kind of return fire.

Baroness frowns, "Ace, I'd say you do not like my company, I am insulted." However, she has proven her point to Ace, and hopefully to the Joes, that they can not infiltrate Woomera. "Vypra! Let the Fish Woman go. The Joes should know they can not get into the facility alive."

Vypra climbs painfully to her feet, torn uniform revealing bloodied turtle armor beneath her shirt. "Uh, yes, ma'am," she says, pretending it's the Baroness's orders and not the savage beating that's the reason she's willing to let Mara go.

Ace lays on the ground, coughing blood. His luck run out, he has no quips in response to the Baroness's taunts, and at this point struggles just to keep breathing.

Mara hurries for the jeep with the spare moment, swearing softly. She scowls when she hears Baroness, whipping the jeep around and taking off suddenly at high speed in that direction, trying to make a show of intent to do something unpleasant, though she slows quickly from it to try and drag Ace aboard, holding up her rifle to make sure she's not disturbed in it.


 * <OOC> Baroness says, "OMG... 2:30! Need to wrap this up soon. It's late"
 * <OOC> Ace says, "Tell Major Bludd you got revenge for the lucky time Ace beat him since he wasn't set Organic. LOL"
 * <OOC> Vypra says, "Yes! Hence my bowing out. B) Have to drive to Evansville in the morning for Snoop's derby bout."

Baroness keeps her rifle aimed at Mara as she drives up, "Take him. He's worthless." Got to keep barbing when she can.... As soon as the Joe's leave, she'll collapse all prettily
 * <OOC> Ace says, "Don't move me! I'm injured! Hee!"

Ace is dragged onto the Jeep, unable to even help as he's pretty much lugged onboard, deadweight. He coughs blood onto the seat over which he's slumped. Vypra is bleeding pretty heavily herself, but her sneer of superiority has returned. "You Joes drop by any time now. We never get tired of beatin' and killin' y'all." She holds one of her bullet wounds to staunch the bleeding until the Joes are out of sight.

Mara sighs as she gets him onto the jeep, growling just a little bit at the comments as she hurries off from it, mumbling to herself.


 * <OOC> Vypra says, "Moral of the story? Drivers/Pilots like Ace and I should leave the hand-to-hand stuff to the professionals! LOL"

Baroness watches as Mara takes Ace, and finally, lowers her rifle, and sits down before her leg collapses. Yes, she'll definitely have to remember to put a round through the leg of the next Joe she comes across... Or maybe, someplace else, close to the legs. But she is vindictive...

Vypra limps over to stand proudly by her boss, keeping up a tough front until the Joes are gone, and then calling the medics in to deal with her boss (and then eventually her as well).

Ace looks up enough to establish that Mara is alright (and, indeed, the one who saved him), and then passes out completely.

Mara sighs at that, looking around, and looking for a scrambled radio to call for possible medical pickup somewhere. Since Ace is in... well, not too good condition.

Ace's people move in to pick them both up, and transport them back to the States and the safety of the Pit.