Cyclone Bunker Busters vs the world.

A small crew of us; Echo, Hobo, Pluto, and myself. With an Asgard and a Spartan at first, we decided to hit up some ground-based missions as some practice preparing for a future raid, maybe figure out a way to storm a train station...

First mission; Ground cargo facility on Hurtson

Asgard lands, the rear door drops – we roll out with the spartan. Not sure where to go as the marker was a vague area, we rolled through the facility. It felt like driving through Fallujah, not sure where combatants are. We head down a short road, passing what looked like a oil refinery. Cat-walks around a central fuel tank of some sort. Myself as the driver, I drop off Pluto and Hobo and a gun fire lights up the streets. Echo on foot, I switch over the remote turret. As i do, Hobo clobbered an NPC into the concrete is one of my first views. After we clear the platforms to the top – we get a next wave warning. Echo perched up across the street – sniper in hand. 2 shots ring out asthe boss shows up. Missions accomplished. we rolled out of the tight roadways and underpass but we loose the Spartan to a Tree (in the business, we call this foreshadowing).

Head over to a local Garage surface side, As we land, night as fallen. An Avenger titan and its pilot, loading full sized boxes from the freight building, a reminder of where most of us started with so many years ago. Simpler times. Hobo stops to the lone pilot to chat, reassure him we’re not here to bother him. As i turn the corner of the freight building. The vehicle services building. Pop in and we decide on Cyclones, a TR and MT. Both 3 seaters, figured using the MT as a mobile SAM. (in the business, we call this foreshadowing).

As we clear another bunker with the 2 cyclones, we’re met with a 5th. Superion who joins us. He figured it’d be best to bring along a Pieces rescue. Superion is a bit far out so figured to meet him there. AAs were hot and took Echo out in his F7C-M Mk2 hornet. See his marker and watched it land over a click and a half from the Asgard. Pluto and Hobo off to the bunker, i head to pickup Ech. Finding an abandoned Asgard, still good, so Echo takes control. Onto the next hostile bunker. As we land Hobo and I head to the bunker with the MT. Pluto driving the TR. We reach the bunker but somehow, someone got stuck. Pluto went to pick up Superion and Echo in the TR, climbing the mountain side like a Toyota but somehow managed to get the TR stuck in a tree at the top of a mountain. Pluto heads back after the Cyclone was a loss and Hobo and i cleared the bunker quickly and headed out. The loot RNG has not been good to us. we load up the MT and i was determined (stubborn) to get the TR back.

We drive up the mountain side and reach the first hump, with 700m out to the TR. how hard could it be?

As we crest the top of this hill, it opens up to an entire canyon to get to it. Unwavered, i press forward (WASD keys) weaving through the massive rocks and get pinched in a few spots, hard to see paths as you climb as night starts to fall. AAs still in range on this side of the mountain, we can’t get stuck…  Climb the last hill of the canyon, we find the Cyclone TR, in the same low-lying branch the Spartan was shamed under, Hanging. A few bumps and rams with the MT, and the TR is free. I jump out, Hobo takes the MT back down. Caution to the find, bounce down the mountain side. It was something out of ski-free to get to the Asgard, except the Yeti was a rock that you’d get stuck on.

loaded up again, 2 Asgards and the pieces Head to the next hostile bunker on the dark side of the planet. Land and touch down, mountain infront of us. We head right, Hobo trying to climb the mountain side in failed effort. Echo landing much further ahead in a valley, he wandered drunk into the night.Having room, I pick up heading in the wrong direction. It’s all good. the cyclone eats the bumps and rocks all day. But it was in fact night time, and we hit every stationary object physically possible, spinning us repeatedly, flipping us occasionally.

we roll up to the front gate. 6 enemies guarding the elevator. The GT-210 on the TR lights up. the canon on the Cyclone MT canon sending bodies flying 50ft into the air. Cartwheeling out of our way.

all 5 of us, Echo Pluto, hobo, Superion, and myself all jump in, down the elevator and see our first red box as the elevator clicks into place on sub-floor 1. Nice! Quickly three FS-9s echo through, ringing in our ears. Watching Superion hold the left side corridor, Echo send rounds between Superion’s legs, Hobo above Echo’s and myself above Hobo’s shoulders, text-book phalanx manoeuvre. We search for boxes, Not 1, 2, 3, or 4 But 5th red boxes. we hit it big tonight, had been chasing a 4-red box bunker high for 3 weeks now.

30 minute leave warning pops up or else we get trespassed. a notification we’ve ignored until now.

We came up the elevator, and see that its still dark. We hear AA light up the sky as we head out into the open, A Connie in the air – coming in. a second shows up behind it, shields shimmering in bright blue against the black sky. we scram to the cyclones, a single Connie can mean anything, but two means something more organized. but our eyes catch a 3rd ship trailing. Bad news, we have to go.

The AAs continue, red laser beams looking like tracers from flak canons in WW2 Berlin bombing runs. but we did catch a glimpse, the 3rd was a Reclaimer coming in hot. A big crew munching abandoned ships at bunkers. Good money idea, one we didn’t want to be part of. Turns out the power to scanner was off, we headed the wrong way.

Pluto’s Asgard popped up 4.6km. targeted it and flip around and haul ass back. we keep apart, trying to not attract attention with lights off. The Reclaimer hovered right over Superion and Hobo in the Cyclone MT – they tried to fight them, but the missiles weren’t working. From our view, it looked like a UFO abduction of a cow.

A gladius had shown up, running distortions, started to fight the connies and reclaimer. We figured we still had time, that we can make it before the Reclaimer munches our rides out. A bounce off a few rocks and a tumble down a hill.

We reach Echo’s Asgard in the valley. Engulfed in flames, we keep going. 700m to Plutos Asgard.

Fire. Also gone. Superion flew in with a pieces, also burnt to a crisp. from the corner of my eye I see the reclaimer coming down to land. Echo corrects me and it’s going full swan dive into the planet’s surface. flames and all. Our rides are trashed but we have the cyclones. Hop a few hills and get to the flaming wreckage of the reclaimer, but it’s upside down and not much we can do with that. Flip around and head towards the First of the two Carracks, surprisingly it was on its feet, front landing ramp down. We’re taking it. Boosted Pluto and Echo into the ramp with the Cyclone to check if the ship is still operational – they cleared it, checked the bodies, a dead player.

The Cyclone MT is gone. Hobo and Superion got out in time and we see the Gladius starts to head out into space.

I figured to regroup, start heading over.

15 minutes remain.

I see the other’s markers in the distance and start to head out that way.The second carrack, it’s belly up. As i near closer to Hobo and Superion, i see the wrecks of a dragonly and a hurricane off to my left. I pick up the stranded, turn and haul ass to the hurricane, seemed intact and on its feet, dead on arrival.

No options left, our flights are gone. We found ourselves in a wasteland. We need out – We need a hero.

A few of our boys in Redscar are online. Called out Wikkett, JarJar, and Duke sitting in voice chat. I pop in and ask for help. We are 5 souls and we need extraction. A little bit of back and forth banter, Duke was already in the sky. Wikkett and Jarjar following. The call for help was put in.

10 minutes remaining.

Flip around and head to the horizon, daybreak was here. With Hobo and Superion we had to get out. The timer we never really noticed was ticking faster. Cyclone still moving,what looked like a white valkyrie from a distance, sitting up on its landing gear but can’t make out the rest. Another Asgard, toasted. Engines ripped off. But maybe it could still help us. Pull up the rear ramp that was down, no ground vehicles in the back. nothing left.

We pull away and head for the Horizon.

7 minutes remain

We crossed the boundary, we’re free. Dropped off Cosmic and Superion safe, they hunker down while i head back back to Pluto and Echo – they’re still in the zone.

6 minutes remain

5km out. hop over the same dragonfly on its side.

5 minutes remain

they’re still 3km out. I pass the Connie.

4 Minutes remain

roll up beside Echo, have him join me. Pluto another km ahead.

3 minutes remain

Hope over a hill, Cyclone giving it all – Land beside Pluto. He loads up

GO.

1 minute remain

how much further man – we’re not gonna make it.

15 seconds remain

We’re not going to mak-

Leaving area

we’re out – free, out of the zone. stranded, but safe. The TR stops at the top of a hill, overlooking the combat zone, wreckage of the reclaimer and connie visible. I continue to roll around the mountain range, heading back to Hobo and superion for evac. We pull to a stop as Duke arrives in the airspace, Wikkets marker following behind from a quantum jump. We park up beside the Quasy grazers Pluto and Echo feeling for the hunt – the Cyclone and its last 200 rounds open up. lighting the wild herd. those that were hit, died. The rest were uneffected. built different i guess.

Duke in a cutlass black, lands, opening the small doors of the cutlass black. Pull the cyclone TR into the back and shut it off for the last time.

We all meet back up on seraphim station. Its usual crowded-ness only improved with a stray red couch, a wing of an arrow and a golfcar added to the floor decore. Pose up for a group photo. Rescued.