Genni

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

@SimplyJohn Yeap, that'll do it. :)

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

@SimplyJohn Yes. No problems with that shopping list. :D

Anyone who does decide to take some extra equipment, could I please ask that you add mention of it at the bottom of your IC posts so we can keep track of who's carrying what?

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

Does that mean Bumblebee could equip a set of Body Armour, as the Defence bonus she's getting at the moment is from her padded flight suit?

@SimplyJohn

No. The Padded Flightsuit already gives her the Armoured status effect and so would count as armour, she'd have to choose between wearing the flightsuit or the Body Armour, but couldn't take both.

Just to note, if she did take the Body Armour I'd class her as Encumbered and so she'd lose her Agile Flyer trait bonus. The armour wasn't really designed with maneuverable flight in mind.

Could Bumblebee take a Pistol in addition to her Blasters?

@SimplyJohn

Yes. Pistols can be Dual-Wielded, and from the picture of Bumblebee on her profile the Blasters she uses would be pistol-sized. If you wanted to grab another Pistol she'd gain a +2 physical-based Attack bonus. This couldn't be used to boost her Sting Like A Bee ability though, as that's a special function of her Blasters rather than a general damage ability.

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

Is there any gear in the transport we can swipe while we're in it? More weapons, armour or gear?

@SimplyJohn

The transport has:

• a stock of AEGIS Assault Rifles (Attack of 6, restricts use of targeted abilities, may be used on Full Auto)
• a stock of AEGIS Pistols (Attack of 4, doesn't restrict use of targeted abilities unless Dual-Wielded)
• a stock of AEGIS Stun Batons (Energy-based Attack of 4, Stuns target if Defence exceeded, doesn't restricts use of targeted abilities unless Dual-Wielded)
• spare Ammo Clips for all weapons,
• Flash Bang Grenades (Disorient everyone in the area for three turns)
• Gas Masks (Immunity to Disoriented status effect)
• sets of AEGIS Body Armour (+4 Defence)
• Medkits (One time healing equal to the user's Defence on a single target, may be used on yourself for ¹/₂ effect)
• Combat Stims (One time medication, immediately removes one persistent status effect, but reduces Attack and Defence by 10% for two rounds)
• Energy Cells (One time Energy boost of 5 on a single target when used, may be used on yourself or another character)
• Commlinks (+10% XP if performing combined attacks against the same enemy as an ally with a Commlink on the same turn, doesn't count as a carried item due to its small size)
• Power-Draining Handcuffs (used to restrain a defeated Meta, applies Exhausted status effect) - several of these have 'Property of Nightingale' written on them

Characters can only carry/equip upto three items at a time, not including anything which has been purchased with Skill Points as a skill. Only one piece of armour may be equipped at a time. Most weapons can only be carried one at a time, but some may be Dual-Wielded with 50% effect for the second weapon.

If Ironside can make copies of herself, does her Upgraded trait trigger again for her clones?

@SimplyJohn

No. Upgraded doesn't stack, even if it's coming from different sources.

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

@Shadowman215 Weren't you looking to hurt things a little more with this round of upgrades?

I was thinking the Void Saber would be a magical artifact, which would account for its ability to bypass defences and would fit into Void's backstory easily. And there's no need to be strict about combat roles, if you can see a way to make your character better, within its own established skill set, feel free to go with more aggressive abilities. Preemptive strike being the best form of defence, n'all that.

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

@rush99999

I also threw in some suggestions from @SimplyJohn, such as the 'Death Star laser' for defence. :)

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

Ohh! I have a cool idea. How about, some sort of 'Home Ground' buff for missions happening in the countries that opertives originate from. Rocksmith and Deimos in England, Bumblebee in Scotland, Psy in South Africa, Heretic in Asia and Vex in Japan. It's just an idea, right now, and Geni would have to chain it up and make it squeal work out the system bits, or just reject it. But, I think it's a cool idea.

@KabenSaal

It's a nice idea, but a little unfair how you've worded it at the moment. Asia covers about 30% of the planet, while the separate countries are much smaller. Even comparing Scotland to South Africa would be a bit of a difference.

Perhaps if we made it based on continents instead of countries? That way Rocksmith, Bumblebee, Deimos, Nightbeast and Ironside would get a bonus in Europe; Brick and Nightingale would get a bonus in North America; Heretic, Vex and Fandancer would get a bonus in Asia; Psy-Warp would get a bonus in Africa; Sigma would get a bonus in... umm, Automata? And Void and Flare would get a bonus in wherever the hell they're from.

We just need to recruit some Brazilian fashion models with metahuman powers to cover South America, an Aussie Sheila with an incredible rack ability for Australasia and then a superpowered penguin for the team mascot to cover Antarctica.

I don't suppose Flare's from South America and Void's from Australasia by any chance?

Unless you want to use the 6 continent model, in which case Brick and Nightingale would get bonuses anywhere in the Americas.

In other news, here's some details on the AEGIS home base:

Avalon, The Fortunate Isle

An ancient mystical floating island discovered by AEGIS with the help of a mystic named Morgan in the Bermuda Triangle. After much negotiation with the local Council of Nine, a group of ageless sisters¹ whose connection to the Realm Beyond the Mist allows them to shift the island into the mystical realm, AEGIS managed to gain permission to build a military outpost on the island. At first this was merely a watch station with the duty of monitoring the mystical realms against incursions into the material realm, but slowly over time, with the backing of the Council of Nine, the base became AEGIS's centre of operations.

Protected by the semi-sentient Caliburn, a weapon system capable of bisecting every molecules in any target anywhere in its line of sight, the base houses the Forge of the Ancients, a nanotech facility capable of producing practically any piece of equipment the organisation could require, under the observing eye of Ironside, the Chief Forgemaster, a product of the Forge herself. Military control of the island is technically in the hands of the Council of Nine, however most day-to-day affairs are dealt with by their proxy Nickelback, a self-aware AI Construct created by the Forge to ward it from the growing tide of metahumans appearing in the world.

The island hovers above the ocean at a high of 2000 feet (600 metres) by means of a series of ancient lodestones located around the lower levels of the island, but is also locked in place by the stones, preventing the island from moving geographically. The stones do not seem to interfere with the island's ability to move dimensionally however, which allows the Council of Nine to transport the island to the Realm Beyond the Mist in times of danger. Or transport it back to the material world if under attack from the mystical one.

A sacred vault is located in the centre of the island, beneath the chambers of the Council of Nine, where a great treasure is said to be housed, and while the sisters spend most of their time within the vault when not in council they have swore not to speak of its contents until the time comes that the people of the land require it most.

_{1 - Morgan, Moronoe, Mazoe, Gliten, Glitonea, Gliton, Tyronoe, Thiten and Thiton}

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

Might be best to decide on the mission first, just in case one of the others would be better suited to the assignment. :)

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

Okay, I'm opening the door for new mission proposals. If anyone has an idea for what they'd like to face next, and a boss/nemesis they'd like to go up against, please feel free to PM me with ideas.

I already have options from @SimplyJohn, @KabenSaal and @Eklispe and the Hell's Bitches were Rocksmith's nemeses, but if any of you have other ideas or scenarios you'd like to propose feel free to drop me a line.

Also for the next mission Nightingale's going to be busy escorting the Hell's Bitches back to base and helping them settle into their new home so won't be available for action, but Nightbeast, Ironside and Fandancer are all now available to act in support instead.

---

Will that effect her ability to tend to Flare?

@knighthawk

Only if he gets burnt and she needs to heal him, so probably not.

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

<Interlude - Critical Care>

Pressing a control set into her gauntlet Nightingale opened a commlink to the transport as she looked down off the rooftop at the cars and trucks disappearing off into the city. "Call up the satellites, I want those vehicles tagged and tracked. As soon as they rendezvous I want a strike team on the ground to secure them." It was a long shot, but given the state of her team it was the best she could do for now. "The immediate area's clear for landing, head in for pick up. Be warned we have two Metas joining us as house guests for a while."

Turning her attention to the unconscious Discord the medic knelt beside her, using her diagnostic scanners to check on the health of her prisoner. Apart from a little residual astral energy, a known side effect for anyone messing around mystically-powered artifacts like the guitar the girl had been using, and the expected cuts and bruises from the battle Discord seemed fine. A more detailed scan revealed the girl's real identity, a German national born Olivia Schneider. Her parent had been killed in unusual circumstances fourteen years earlier and the girl had been raised as a ward of the State since then. Four years earlier she'd started a punk rock band with two other orphans, but after a love triangle between the other band members had fallen apart she'd been left on her own, and promptly dropped off the map, probably living on the streets and struggling to survive.

Shaking her head with a heavy sigh Nightingale rose to her feet and made her way over to the hole in the rooftop, quickly fastening a grapple from her suit's wrist in place before lowering herself down. Olivia had held such promise in her early life, but circumstances had led her here instead. Such a waste of potential, but at least she was now in the care of AEGIS, and perhaps her talents could be turned to more useful ends.

Stepping up beside Thrash Nightingale smiled down at the struggling girl. "I'm a medic," she explained to the trapped prisoner, holding her hands up to show she meant no harm, "I just want to check you over to make sure you're alright, okay?"

"Bom preverite vaše neumno kurba pizda s pestjo, in razstrelili svoje notranjost narazen, ti pes prekleta prasica kurba pizda!" Moaned the drummer, squirming around under the wreckage with her hands securely cuffed behind her back as she tried to fight off the effects of the sedative running through her system. Shaking her head with pity at the girl's misplaced anger Nightingale tried to run her language through her suit's database but all she could make out was that it was eastern European in origin, probably a derivative of Slavic or Hungarian. Her suit quickly popped up with a result, along with the true identity of their prisoner.

Agnese Ozols was Latverian originally, but following an under-aged affair with the much older Professor Werner von Doom, an honoured physician who'd risen to a position of authority in the Baron's court after having saved his wife's life, the young girl was banished from the country accused of using witchcraft to beguile the peadophilic rapist. Spending several years wandering Europe, with no country or place to call her home, Agnese eventually crossed paths with the likewise abandoned Olivia. Seeing a soulmate in the younger girl the two quickly formed a close friendship and began playing together as the Hell's Bitches, but were unable to find any true success until their fateful meeting with the Stranger, who granted them their mystically-powered instruments.

Another dispossessed, helpless soul, and one with potential, Nightingale pondered, marking the file for review as she leant forwards and administered another sedative dose to quieten the girl down. As long as we can find a way to curb that temper of hers.

Looking up as she heard the roar of engines overhead Nightingale spotted the transport plane hovering above, its signal light flashing the all clear as the cargo ramp lowered to allow the team to board. It didn't take long to get everyone onboard and secure the two unconscious prisoners in the power-dampening holding cells. And the flight back to base shouldn't take too long anyhow, the transport's advanced engines capable of flying much faster than any other known aircraft on the planet.

As they gained altitude Nightingale quickly transmitted her field report on the mission back to Central Command, hoping she'd managed to phrase the wording correctly to make the events not sound quite as bad as they could be perceived. Mission failed, but captives detained. Innocents killed, but revived with mystical powers. Building heavily damaged, but still intact. MOney lost, but currently being tracked and relocated. Hopefully that would be enough to keep Nickelback happy, or at least not too angry since the mean-hearted bitch only ever seemed happy in two situations, and Nightingale really hoped executions wouldn't be required this time round.

Almost immediately Nightingale's commlink sparked up with new assignments. It almost seemed a if troublespots were brewing all over the world, and with so few teams active in the field it looked like the RATS would be kept busy for some time to come.

"Okay guys, looks like we're gonna have to make a detour..."

New Assignment Options:

• Steam-powered robots rampaging through London, England; source unknown
• Several frozen villages located in Siberia; perpetrators unknown
• Mutated humans stalking the Greek countryside; source unknown