Campaign Turn 27 – Cleaning Up the Converted Part 2

Acquisition Unit Sigma-Theta-Echo-Vex-Echo-001100110011001100110101 led his cluster of converted in a seeking pattern. Their sensors had picked up a grav bike flying NOE shortly before dusk, and their last seeker missile took it down. Sensors indicate both life forms survived; although one was near expiration.

Sigma-Theta needed to acquire the life forms before the one expired. Several units need to be repaired. With the beacons destroyed, the acquisition fleet will not target the system. The cluster must acquire not just spare parts, but a vessel to rejoin the fleet.

The human that remained in Sigma-Theta's mind whispered "Tough Luck buddy. That Unity patrol craft sure spanked you. And those freelancers.... they did their share of damage, hey?" Sigma-Theta reset his.... its bio-constraint unit, which was slightly damaged in a firefight with some organic beings recently.

Scouting units had not reported that armed resistance was likely on this world. But the Converted would adapt. Their mission remained. They were nearing the predicted impact site of the grav bike. It was past nightfall and ocular visibility was diminished significantly, but life sensors were picking up the two life forms. Life form two still had not expired. If the converted believed in luck, Sigma-Theta would consider that lucky.

At that stray thought, Sigma-Theta reset its bio-constraint unit again. Unit Alpha-3, newly acquired, was acting forward scout. In accordance with best programming, Alpha-3 signaled a halt and alert. A shuttle was landing. Caution advised.

The organic being's shuttle did not land in accordance with Sigma-Theta's references regarding organic being shuttle operations. Sigma-Theta's computronics initially predicted a destructive event, but at the last moment, the shuttle decelerated hard. Infrared sensors were briefly overwhelmed, and the vessel clearly struck the ground hard, based only upon the sound. Sensor Unit Delta-7, also newly acquired, signaled. +++Sigma-Theta-Echo-Vex-Echo-001100110011001100110101: biosigns and vesselsigns match those of hostile organics that engaged this cluster earlier. Per standard protocols, caution advised+++

The organic voice returned to Sigma-Theta's mind. "Ha Ha!"

This time, Sigma-Theta did not reset its bio-constraint. It signaled back to the cluster +++Darkness minimizes organic beings ranged weapon threat. Close and engage in close combat+++

Sensor Unit Delta-7's signals were relayed to the cluster. The organic beings clearly were expecting the hard landing - they exited their vessel almost immediately upon landing, and clearly were heavily armed. And they advanced quickly.

+++All converted units engage organic beings. Eliminate efficiently to preserve organic matter for harvesting+++

Seized the initiative

The organic beings were moving even before the converted could adapt to their presence. If Sigma-Theta were not Converted, it would be worried. And yet, even in the last encounter, the converted drove the organics off.

Turn 1: All but Sorin went in quick phase

The organic units continued to advance, one rapidly reaching the life forms the Converted were hunting.

Were these organic units defective? Did they not realize the threat they were rapidly approaching? Organics typically fled threats - therefore, the behavior of these organics was deviant behavior.

The voice in the back of Sigma-Theta's mind whispered again "Or maybe they just want to kick your body stealing butts."

Sigma-Theta reset its bio-constraint unit again. Emotional drivel.

+++Continue advance and fire when able, then engage in melee combat+++

Turn 2: Jaxx/Ansila quick phase

Sigma-Theta watched as one of the organics moved under a stone arch. His weapon launched a large, round projectile with a dull thud. The projectile exploded near two of its lesser cluster entities. The connection to one was terminated completely; the other started to go through its reset algorithm. It would be hindered, but not for long.

Another of the organics, which Sigma-Theta had determined was the Prime organic, fired a large energy weapon, striking another of its entities. The bolt did not terminate the entity, but it blew it back into another, and it only remained capable of function due to its armor.

The Converted moved forward, firing. The prime organic was struck, but it was wearing an external carapace, which stopped the projectile. The organic that fired the shell gun was hit, but that organic had some form of defensive screen that deflected the round harmlessly away.

One of the other organics, who was cloaked in advanced camouflage, fired a needler rifle, which terminated another Converted. Another Converted was stunned. The shooter fired a Blast Rifle. Sigma-Theta's analysis indicated advanced age in that organic - lessening the value of its organic matter. The organics' matron? Tactical analysis indicated the matron was not a significant threat, but the other organics might defend it aggressively. Analysis indicated that the cluster should focus on organic with Fury Rifle and the camouflaged organic as primary threats.

The organic entity that Sigma-Theta tracked to this location fired at the Converted, its attack was inadequate.

Battle Event: Moment of hesitation

The sounds that were emitted by that organic entity were meaningless to Sigma-Theta, but the other organics were briefly taken aback.

Turn 3

Sigma-Theta communicated to the surviving members of its cluster +++press the attack aggressively+++

The prime organic recovered the quickest, firmly establishing it as the primary threat. Once again, it fired its Fury Rifle, and another of the cluster was terminated.

Sigma-Theta advanced at prime organic, firing. All calculations, all tactical projections - everything indicated it should have been a fatal attack. Sigma-Theta quickly reviewed the ballistic path. Everything was perfect. And yet, at the very last moment, the prime organic moved enough to deflect the projectile. The voice in the back of its mind said "Oh man, he's got luck on his side and a huge gun. Just admit defeat already! You've lost!"

Sigma-Theta once again reset its bio-constraint unit. Time in a repair station could not come soon enough.

Every remaining unit of the cluster advanced, firing, and all missed. Sigma-Theta's processor was calculating the odds of that, and the number was inconceivably low. Sigma-Theta could almost hear the voice laughing, but that would be impossible - the bio-constraint unit was functioning properly.

The camouflaged organic fired again, stunning one of the cluster. Another shell from the shell gun exploded; that cluster unit remained functional due to its armor. Two other organics missed, but the matron advanced, and fired a massive pistol, terminating one of the cluster.

If Sigma-Theta was capable of worrying, it probably would.

Turn 4

The prime organic targeted Sigma-Theta, who had been advancing towards it. Sigma-Theta was confused. Most organics who found themselves within this range of the Converted had similar posture and facial expressions, categorized as 'fear'. But this organic did not show those expressions. The organic was not retreating. Its eyes were not wide open; neither was its mouth. Instead, its eyes were slightly narrow, and both sides of the organic's mouth were turned upwards, and Sigma-Theta could see a thin array of teeth inside the organic's mouth. Dim recollection in Sigma-Theta's organic brain said that this was a smile, something usually done when an organic was happy.

Sigma-Theta's auditory sensors were not even capable of processing the sound of the weapon before Sigma-Theta's systems shut down due to massive damage from the Fury Rifle that just blew through Sigma-Theta's armor. As Sigma-Theta shut down, the voice in its head said its final words. "Thank you."

Cluster Unit Juliett-Oscar-Echo-11010001-00001011-10000001 was automatically elevated to the primary node. However, Juliett-Oscar-Echo did not have much time as primary node, for the remaining organic entities destroyed the remaining members of the cluster in quick succession.