A Solar War

[Kioran]

First Landing, 06:15, Day 211, Year 82 CE

The sun had just risen on the horizon, an orange band of light painting the sky and the spartanic approach to the the orbital elevator. On the tarmac and concrete ground before it, a small number of people had assembled - another two platoons of volunteers, stacked neatly in twelve ranks, which were three deep each. Before the platoon stood Major Graham Hershel of the First Landing City Defense Corps, on a small podium, flanked by a honor guard of 4 smartly dressed soldiers

"I greet you all, and thank you for the service to the colony you have entered into. It is a thing of honor in this time of need, and we all, at home, wish you all good luck and godspeed. We all hope for your safe return, and would have liked to stage a greater display of your departure, but with the enemy looming at the gates....Well, ladies and gentlemen, the Cabin has arrived, and it´s best to get going..."

The Officer was at a loss for words. Some might have expected a better sendoff, fanfare and ceremony. But not only the urgency of your deployment had eroded the pomp and glory off the first ceremonies, it was also the fact that this had been going on for weeks, one contingent every 15 hours.. And now, it was your time to go.
The wind howled over the open field, chilling in the cold morning air, ruffling your hair and coats. With a pneumatic hiss, the large doors of the lift cabin opened, and a signal blared. And then, in lockstep, the columns of recruits marched, into the belly of the beast......

Meanwhile, 40.000 kilometers above
The surroundings were, as usual, dimly lit. In the other bed, across the room, petty officer Warnke slept, like a stone. A strange wariness has comeover the station, like an oppressive fog. Everyone was expecting another attack, and no one knew when it would come. In an effort to remain rested and calm, there was still the normal shift plan in effect, with everybody going on with business as usual.
Only not quite. Paranoia was on the rise. Maybe there was reason to be glad to be in a two-man NCO-room - less chance for someone waking you through obsessive weapon cleaning, excercise, or other activity.

Two minutes later, in the cabin
The interior of the skylift cabin was sparsely furnished, not one of the passenger cabin ordinarily in use. Someone had attached four rows of seats with the normal 5-point seatbelts to the maglocks on the walls, and a small cabinet stuffed with beverages had been affixed in the middle of the room, but apart from that, nothing else in the grey polymer environment seemed made for human passengers. And indeed, shortly after you had boarded, technicians had loaded and strapped in a load of crates on the right wall. And now you were here.

Clarfication: Everyone except for Celine is on the cabin, alongside 61 others. (ASCII sketch below). Celine is in her bunk on the skyhook. Feel free to talk or explore.

......________......
..../''''''''[..]''''''''\.....
.../''....000.....''\...
...\''....000....#/...
.....\____###/....

''' = Passenger seats
0 = "Pantry" Fixture
# = Crates
[..] = Entrance door

The cabin is rougly 50m*37m

[Moechi_Vill]

cwDeici

Wiedhurst cleans her gun, helmet retracted into the space suit. It took a short while to get on again, even with lithe reflexes and training. Finishing up she gets up, walks to the door and enters the hallway.
The people arriving today would be here.
Smile and nod forwards, maintain an open posture, make light eyecontact.

[Sucrose]

Alexander

A young man, dressed in a thick, bright yellow Armored Patrol uniform, looks around somewhat uncertainly. As he stepped into the cabin a moment ago, he had to move a bit to the left, to accommodate the heavy combat helmet that he held under his right arm.

Putting his helmet on, he straps himself in right beside the door.

[Moechi_Vill]

cwDeici

And maybe if they were nice you would lean a bit extra forwards, time it well for your verbal acknowledgements to hit the right beat. Let the light catch the light in your soul at a sixty degree angle.
Maybe AP rounds would reflect off Beckett's eyes the same way. She was still hoping to meet him.

[Fisher]

Jeff
The young man sat patiently upon one of the benches, his personal rifle leaning placidly against his shoulder. With his dark, green eyes he calmly observed the storage cabin he and several dozen others now occupied.

At his side rested his medical bag, a constant companion since his days as a floater. Most of his remaining belongings were packed in his carry-on bag that had been shuffled somewhere when everyone had loaded into the ship. He'd have to remember to look through it later.

Several of the new recruits looked quite nervous, some seemed carefree, while others remained focused and ready. It reminded him of days long past, when he and his allies would prepare for combat against rival ships. He could only wonder how long he would last when the battle broke out. It had been several years since he had experienced any form of combat at this scale.

[Kioran]

Skyhook cabin, 06:21

The people around showed a variety of different reactions. Some came here in groups of friends or comrades, audibly chatting with each other. Others sat their alone. Most were busy strapping themselves in, even though the ascent was scheduled with an acceleration of 3 meters per second. Signs, evenly spaced along the wall of the cabin and located in about 2 meters height, gently glowing in orange, advised people to sit down, and clock was running a short countdown. 208 seconds remaining....
Barely eight days after the beginning of the emergency training, you´re out for your first foray. A variety of people, many young people from First landing or it´s environs, but also dour faced people from the outer reaches and mining town. Standing out from the crowd, however, is an athletic woman, dressed in what looks to be a highly developed combat spacesuit, with long red hair tied in a knot behind her head, lloading and charging a, too most of you, exotic energy rifle of sorts.

Jeffrey
She seems to be a floater, since that rifle is a floater Chem laser, even though she seems to be from another ship. Note the fact she does, in fact, wear a combat suit.

Alexander
Your neighbour, a slight blond guy, who, despite his best efforts to look snappy, looks like an out-of-place accountant, turns around to yu, awkwardly beginning conversation:
"Hi....are you as nervous as I am? I forgot my travel pills, you know. And to think we´ll be in here for 7 hours before we arrive......"

Meanwhile, on the Skyhook
The hallway is almost empty of people, and not too brightly lit. For two thirds of the crew here, it was considered night-cycle. About a hundred meters down the corridor, you can see the Bend, a sort of square at one of the six corners of this corridor, bending around the Hexagonal shape of the station. The food courts and commissaries, as well as batteries of elevators, were located there.
Down the other way were the lavatories and squad bays, rooms with 8 inhabitants each, almost all in use and crowded since the recent influx of recruits from the surface. Everyday, about a hundred new ones arrived, for what were now almost two weeks in a row. Command was fighting confusion and red tape, and new squads were assigned and platoons formed. Commanding officers barely knew their people, and you were supposed to have new ones arrive in a few hours....

A maintenance technician was moving along the corridor, towing a tool trolley behind him. His movements are awkward, with his pistol holster occasionally digging into his right leg. Another reminder that this, in fact, wasn´t business as usual.

[Moechi_Vill]

Celine

"Hi." Deici exits her room with a light gait as she loads her sniper rifle.
"Is your safety on? I'm off duty so I can help with whatever you're doing" she offers with a friendly smile and ready hands.

[Fisher]

Jeff
As he looked about the room Jeff noticed the woman distributing rifles. Stirring from his repose, he began to take stock of the situation.

A female floater, in a combat suit? From what I was told most if not all floater women work with the engines. It's good to see some breaking away from those stale old traditions. I wonder if she used to work on one of the ships...

Now wasn't the time to let his mind be distracted by such thoughts. He had to focus on what was to come. He'd have time to think about what a fellow floater was doing here later. At least, he hoped he'd have time later. Shrugging his rifle over to his other shoulder, he allowed him self to relax a little. Becoming tense or nervous right before a possible battle wouldn't help anyone.

I'm gonna refrain from posting in the OC thread until Sucrose and Carusan get their character information up. That way everything can be on the first page. :smallsmile:

[Sucrose]

Alexander

Alex flashes a reassuring grin; it looks like the fellow needed some support.

"Yeah, I suppose I am. I've been in mech combat before, but if we fight, it'll probably be quite a bit different than subduing lunatics with delusions of grandeur.

Can I get you something to settle your stomach? Maybe some ginger ale?"

As he finishes, Alexander begins unbuckling his seatbelt, and looks toward the beverage area, where he spots the lady in the spacesuit.

That's a heck of a piece she's carrying...what's she need that for inside of a mecha?
Oh, right. Sorry; somehow, I had it stuck in my head that we'd just use the recruiting thread.

[Kioran]

Lift cabin, 06:22

Half of the people are, at this point, firmly strapped in, the belts holding them down. Others are still chatting, prancing around or goofing off. Meanwhile, the women in the spacesuit checks the readouts of her rifle, before, once again, deactivating it and stripping what looks to be the power cell.
Gradually, you hear a faint hiss as the door seals pressurize, and the countdown on the displays went into the final 20 digits.

Alexander
"Maybe you shouldn´t..." Jermaine starts, "the lift is about to start. But thanks for the thought" Jermaine nervously muttered

Skyhook

"Hmmm....you might wanna go easy on that, you being armed and stuff" the technician said, moving along, his trolley behind him.
Then, suddenly, a noise distracts you, a commotion breaking out in one of the near squad bays - shouts and some sort of argument breaking out.

[Carusun]

Carus

Carus had been in a bit of a daze. The past few weeks had gone by so fast, and now, here he was; ready to go up practically into orbit. All of his nerves had congealed into a ball of pure rottenness in the pit of his stomach, that only loomed larger as the countdown continued.
Closing his eyes, and breathing calmly and deeply, he slowly replaced the ball of nerves with a ball of steel, focusing his will on what needed to be done. No longer will he be known as 'the crippled miners son', he will forge his own name, and his own path.

Finally, as he just got his nerves in control, he opened his eyes, unbuckled his seatbelt, and wandered over to the beverage counter. Giving a nod and a half smile (that only partially concealed his recent attack of nerves) to the guy already there, he began browsing the list of available supplies.


Sorry bout the delay in my posting; Final Year project being time-consuming :P I will try to make at least one post a day though, or at least give warnings if I can't be around for a while...

[Moechi_Vill]

cwDeici

Celine smiles back acknowledgement and veers off behind him, entering the squadbay.

"Attention!" she yells into the room, a few decibels over their voices.
"Does a conflict need to be resolved?" like a little officer telling grown men to be quiet. Her helmet quickly seals off her visage, a glimpse of straightish platinum hair with red streaks and winter blue eyes, leaving the infantry with a shaded visor to respond to.

Scanning the squad bay efficiently she takes in most of the picture.

Awareness [roll0]

I might not have access for a week or more, but it is probably ok. I'm in Australia and going north.

[Fisher]

Jeff
20... 19... 18..., Jeff silently counted as the digits counted down. As the numbers descended his excitement rose, this would be his first time at the skyhook. First time in space for that matter.

Affirming that his maglock strap was securely fastened, he resumed his wait. His hands slightly shook nervously in anticipation. Seeing another floater had taken off some of the edge he had felt earlier. Not all members of the CG or UFL looked kindly upon floaters after all, which was understandable if one looked at the history of some of the ships, like Throne of the Void or Glory. Most people who recognized him as a floater would assume he was a theif, inbred, or worse. With so many people from different walks of life he knew that trouble was possible.

Lately things hadn't been bad. Joining the military had abated most of the usual presumptions and insults. Most people were too worried about the roiders to be concerned about a floater nowadays anyway.

Kioran, let me know if the above is off-base. I based it off some floater history from the recruitment thread.
Theif: First floaters stole colony ship.
Murderer: Glory ship that bombarded Gliven.
Inbred: Floater lack of a semblance to marriage.

[Sucrose]

Alexander

As his seatbelt comes off with another fifteen seconds or so left, Alex stands up, and begins walking toward the beverage cube.

Picking out a proper drink just as the countdown comes to an end, Alex assumes Kimarse stance, lowering his center of gravity enough to avoid being knocked down as his weight is functionally increased by a third.

Gripping the edges of the seats to his left, he manages to get back to his seat in with long, low steps, and buckles himself in. Turning to his new friend, Alex smiles and says,

"I appreciate your concern, but it's only another third of a g, Jermaine. Now, will this help you, or shall I drink it myself?"

[Kioran]

Orbital Elevator cabin, 06:23

Suddenly, the cabin lurched into motion, the powerful magnetic rail holding it acclerating it almost as fast as car on the ground. The massive polymer cabin jumps forward. The acceleration suddenly presses you into your seats with some additonal weak, but noticable force. A group of people, who had been animatedly playing a game of sorts in one of the corners suddenly fell into disarray as the unexpected force made some of them stumble and fall.
Not a few grins or smiles could be seen at that, while others looked around with pale faces, while the unfortunate ones on the floor slowly got back to their feet. Still, the cabin sped up, climbing faster and faster. And then, windows appeared in the cabin - large parts of the opaque walls suddenly becoming transparent. Around you, you can see the vista streaking by, and the city below receeding into the distance. The displays on the wall now showed the speed - 453 km/h and climbing...

Fisher
A few seats to your left, you can barely overhear the floater woman whisper: "....beatiful" and briefly see a short look of genuine wonder on her face before she lapses into normality again.

To your right, a young man with short, but unruly curly hair, having a dandy air, climb into the previously unoccupied seat on your other side, casting you an apologetic look as he straps in

Sucrose
"Oh thanks....." Jermaine begins to say, just seconds before the lift starts up, the sudden acceleration affecting your balance - or not?
OOC: Sure - make a TN(=Target Number) 10 Reflex Check to avoid stumbling. Easy :smallcool:

Skyhook
A small circle of people had formed around two soldiers who had been involved in a shouting match, only moments away from a fistfight. But suddenly, everyone turns to the door, the seven men at least assuming a semblance of a parade rest.....before they notice your weapon and opaque faceplate. Several pupils narrow to pinpricks, and you can see one off them starting to tremble slightly.
Recruits. Fresh from the surface by the looks of them, not disgruntled CG Conscripts, but surface dwellers totally unaccustomed to life on the station. A second or two pass before one of them, a somewhat shorter but muscular boy, about 5'9" and a provincial by the looks of him, finally speaks up:

"N..no. I think we have the situation under control....I hope.."

[Moechi_Vill]

cwDeici

Taller than her but nervous.
"Very well, resolve your matter with words and keep your voices down, please.

Remember. Your squad are your only friends up here." she offers them a halfhearted smile then leaves to patrol the hallways for aquaintances or perhaps a common room.

Maybe she would run into one of her heroes.

[Fisher]

Jeff
Taking note of the woman's brief wonderment, Jeff turns to the man sitting beside him. With a nod of greeting and a slight smile he says, "Hi. Looks like we're in for quite the ride."

Sorry for the quick post. Cramming for a test tomorrow.

[Kioran]

Elevator cabin, 06:24

Quite a few eyes turned to the young armored patrolman, while he calmly weathered the acceleration and poured a drink. Curiosity or admiration from some, emnity and envy from others. A moment later, the slight man he is offering the drink to took it, out of his hands. With that finished, the attention of the people began to wander again. They got up again, walking around the cabin in the steady acceleration, while others were looking at the cloudscape outside, the lift steadily approaching the speed of sound.

Fisher
"Yeah....but it´s not like I didn´t do this before, and I don´t have that urge to show off. Well, plebes. What can one do?" your neighbour replied, casting another sidelong glance at the armored patrolman.

OOC: No problem. Finals are important. As long as I occassionaly see something I can work with....and that is the case here

Sucrose
"Thanks......that was impressive. But, you know, I think you made a rival. Remember that Robert Redden fellow, from second platoon? He thinks he´s the most awesome thing since the invention of the wheel, and doesn´t like ohter people stealing the show" Jermaine said, then starting to sip on the Ginger ale, only to continue: "Not that it matters to me. I think it´s great"

Skyhook
After you left the formerly quarreling recruits to their devices, you caught one last glance of them scurrying of to their bunks, suddenly silent. With the door closing behind you, steps took you down the corridor towards the Bend, towards the gathering places of both enlisted personnel and officers. It was still another hour before shift change, so there was no extraordinary activity, just the first of people heading over there for a meal or some last purchases.
The hallway widened, opening onto the balustrade off the bend. A round opening in the middle of the circular plaza formed at the bend looked down onto lower decks below and a few decks above, secured by a guardrail. And around the plaza, a group of shops, the food court, banks and the local mess hall beckoned..

[Sucrose]

Alexander

"Oh... right. I suppose that was sort of showboating, wasn't it?" Alex says, grinning sheepishly. "I hope that it doesn't irritate him too much. Don't want to compromise the teamwork, after all."

With that, the yellow-clad man begins looking a bit blue.

"It's a pity Robert would take a rivalry so seriously; it'd be rather fun to have some friendly competition! We could play chess, maybe spar a bit."

[Fisher]

Jeff
"I suppose. From the looks of things, though, it seems he was just getting a drink for someone," states Jeff. Momentarily he gazes outside at the atmosphere rushing by the cabin.

In an effort to continue the converstation he adds, "So this isn't your first time in the orbital elevator? I take it you've been to the skyhook before. Any tips for when we get up there?"

[Kioran]

Skyhook

The peace and calm was suddenly gone, pierced by a blaring siren, followed by the, to some, familiar voice of Admiral Caldwell, the chairman of the admirals council, calmly announcing:

"This Admiral Caldwell, speaking on the behalf of the Admirals council. Two minutes ago, engine flares have been detected in an approach to this planet, unanounced maneuvers by ships decelerating to meet the orbital Elevator Skyhook. Thee responsible party has failed to identify itself, and it is thus our contention that these are Floater Warhsips and transports. That means another attack is imminent. The estimated time of arrival is in less than five hours. As of now, night cycles across the station have been terminated, and reserve shifts 2 and 4 are called in for active duty.
Please remain calm. Civilians are advised to relocate to the the radiation and catastrophe shelters near the stations core. That is all for now, Caldwell out.

All around, worried or confused expressions cover the faces, while people hurry to finish their meals or purchases. Corridors previously only dimly illuminated balzed into full lighting.......it had begun.

Elevator Cabin
The cabin rattled is at approached supersonic velocity, final shaking with the sonic boom. Visible streams of air and steam bloomed around the edges of the cabin, but before it was even possible to take in the scene, another female voice broke the silence, coming from speakers next to the velocity displays:

"Ladies and gentlemen, lift control here. There has been a change of plan. You have 12 minutes to provision or relieve yourself before we commence unscheduled heavy acceleration. During the following one-and-a-half hours, it is vital that you remain in your seats due to a significant risk of injury for non secured personell. Be aware that this for your own safety and out of genuine concern....

Another countdown appears in the displays, starting at 11:54, while all around, people exchange flustered looks or unstrap from their seats.....

[Sucrose]

Alexander

As the announcement continues, Alexander's eyes grow wide.

"It seems that we're needed there sooner than expected," he murmers.

The cop pulls his portable telephone out from a small pouch in his suit pocket. He flips it open, then hesitates, and slowly puts it back in his suit.

They'll tell us what's going on when we get up there... no sense bothering them while they work.

Settling into his seat, Alex looks out the window.

"We might as well enjoy the view, right?" he says to nobody in particular.

I hope we arrive in time...

[Moechi_Vill]

cwDeici

Celine starts to make her way towards a command station to find more information on her team.

[Fisher]

Jeff
Strange, they wouldn't speed up the ascent for no reason. Something must be up.

Retrieving the canteen from within the folds of his cloak, he cautiously takes a few sips of the cool, fresh water. Returning it to it's former resting place he resumes looking about the cabin.

Now I wish I'd kept my carry-on bag with me.

[Kioran]

Lift cabin, 06:31

Around you, more than a few people followed the invitation voiced by lift control, and started to rush towards the pantry console or the two toilet cabins mounted on the left side of it, near the crates. Others mumbled worriedly towards their neighbours, exchanging theories as to the reason for the suuden change of plan.
One woman had positioned herself near one of the beverage containers, and chucked containers towards whoever was asking for something, to speed up the process. Other were tucking in what little food they could manage, for the hours ahead. It was getting more than a little noisy in the cabin, and in between the shouts for drinks, food, and agitated discussions, civilzed conversation got a little more difficult.
And once again, the strange woman with the large energy rifle caught more than a few eyes, ferociously but methodically digging in, leaning against the crates.

Sucrose
"Excuse me" Jermaine said "but I have business to take care of." hurrying for one of the toilets, leaving you to your thoughts.

Fisher
Everyone else pretty much leaves you to your own devices, but your own gut-feeling tells you that this is serious. Maybe the short clam before the storm....

Skyhook
The alarm was unhurried, much like dozens of drills before. The entire affair had an eerie, unreal quality to it, the people going about their business with unusual calm. Squads of infantrymen were lining up before the armories and marching in orderly ranks down the corridors, towards their possible destination. Emergency hatches opened, and Civil security officials in their shining skyblue uniforms began herding a gaggle of bystanders into the shelters in the station´s substructure, which was little less than spars of solid steel poured at the age of founding, sufficient to withstand even cometary bombardment.
As of yet, no announcement had revealed anything specific about the threat, but many a soldier mulled over the matter, in a detached, almost clinical manner.

In the midst of this discipline, however, where lso the security teams. Unfortunately, they didn´t have half the training the denizens of the station possessed, and worse than that, some teams hadn´t even been properly formed, with their leaders awaiting scheduled recruits which hadn´t even ferried up from the ground....
A few of them also marched driving along by furious shouts, orders and a skein of authority. In other squad bays, there was nothing but chaos.....

[Fisher]

Jeff
Somethings not right. I can feel it, thought Jeff.

Looking about the cabin, he was almost flabbergasted by the scramble about the room. Luckily, knowing it would be a long trip, he had already prepared for the ascent. Now all that was left was to watch and wait.

Taking a few moments, he spent some time observing those around him. Maybe finding out the cause of his unease would help.


Let the large amount of skill rolls begin!

INT: 8
EMP: 7
Awareness: 3
Human Perception: 2
Skill rolls
[roll0]: Observe the actions and reactions of the man sitting beside me. Find out if there's anything peculiar about his actions.
[roll1]: Notice anything strange about the man beside me
[roll2]: Observe the actions and reactions of the floater woman with the rifle. Find out if there's anything peculiar about her actions.
[roll3]: Notice anything peculiar about the floater woman actions or mannerisms.
[roll4]: Look about the room. Attempt to find anything out of place.

Extra rolls in the events of critical success or critical failure.

[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]

[Moechi_Vill]

Celine

Deici tries to find a high-ranking officer to notify them of the chaos and aquire orders or information to carry out.

[Carusun]

((Really sorry about my lack of participation so far; the start of the game just happened to coincide with a sudden increase in my workload at uni... If it helps, we could just think of Carus' lack of interaction as part of his shyness and/or social awkwardness :P))

Well... that can't be a good sign...
Almost immediately, the bundle of nerves that Carus had struggled to get under control re-reared its head. Closing his eyes, he started breathing slowly and deeply, fighting the waves of panic-driven nausea that rose from his stomach.

Slowly, he re-wrested control of himself away from his nerves, and returned to sipping at the beverage he had purchased earlier.

[Kioran]

Lift Cabin, 06:34

A sort of silence descended on the cabin as most people busied themselves with their basic needs, having little time for talk. Anyway, as much as that announcement had caused speculation, it was also a reminder that one was now part of an event larger than oneself, like a leaf caught in a storm.
Lift control remained silent as well, but on the walls, the seconds were ticking away....

Fisher
Results:
- Physically, the guy does nothing extraordinary. He´s busy with some sort of pocket computer - he does also carry a concealed Pistol
- He´s not directly hostile, but there´s something....shall we say depreciatory about his attitude to many people here
- She eats fast and businesslike, and in unusual quantities. She carries a concealed Knife. She definitely looks like soldier
- You have no idea what is up with her, but you do know something is odd
- The dynamics of the room are strange, almost as if some people know more than the rest. But there´s little in the way of extraordinary or threatening moves.

I think that should have addressed the observations.

Skyhook
The bustle hadn´t yet abated, with people running through the corridors. A lietenant commander, dressed in the black-and-white uniform of fleet command personnel, a navigator by his insignia, seemed to be the officer on duty for this section of the station. He was busy giving orders to various people over his headset, constantly watching a data feed on an ocular over his right eye. His brow was beaded with perspiration, and he had removed his cap, revealing the short-cropped black hair beneath.
His orderly, a chief petty officer by the looks of her, was busy writing down demands and orders streaming at the makeshift command post. Her curly blond hair began to fall out of her hairclip, hanging down into her face, obscuring part of her face..
Around you, columns of soldiers marched, to the armories near the center, or the defensive perimeter on the rim....

Moechi
The lieutenant commander in front of you looked at you with some irritation, his face flushed red: "I can see the f***ing chaos, but where´s your team, Hand? I´m too busy for this horseplay. Collect your baggage and get going.... he said, waving his hand dismissively

[Moechi_Vill]

Celine takes her baggage.
"Sir, I meant to notify that the squadbays further down the corridor *points* are full of unformed teams" She hands over her ID card to the aide and adresses her. "Ma'am, would you notify me of the identities of my team, our launch designation and their current location?"

[Sucrose]

Alexander

Watching everyone hurry quietly, Alexander gets his phone out again, then puts it away. About a minute later, he repeats the movement.

It's important to keep one's self occupied...

Visibly taking a deep breath, Alex unbuckles his seatbelt, walks over to the beverage cart, and pulls out a soda can. After returning to his seat, he doesn't open it, instead reading off the ingredients, and doing his best to figure out the structures, from what little he could recall of high school chemistry.

[Fisher]

Jeff
I guess I shouldn't be surprised so many people are carrying weapons. Some of them are military recruits afterall. I'll just have to remember not to get on anyone's bad side, thought Jeff.

Something felt odd about the situation. Some seemed far too accustomed to the crisis than any fresh off the street recruit would. If they were just standard civilians or merchants they would be even less prepared. Either this room was full of ready-made heroes or some of these people new more than they ought.

Still secretly scanning the room, his eye fell on a fellow recruit consistently pulling out some sort of mobile phone. Remembering the individual as the man who retrieved a beverage during the start of the ascent he continued his watch on his surroundings. One could never be too careful.

[Kioran]

Lift Cabin, 06:38
Relentlessly, the clock on the wall ticks on, the seconds flying by, with only 280 of them left. Only another four minutes, and while some are still eating or drinking, most were returning to their seats or had already done so. Others had never left theirs, or were suspiciously or curiously eyeballing their surroundings and the other passengers.
Suddenly, the armrests of your seats extend a small compartment, holding medical patches, pills or autoinjectors, as well as something that looks verymuch like a wristwatch. A voice comes in over the speakers:

"This is Lift control. In approximately 4 minutes, we will begin unscheduled acceleration. To our knowledge, none of you suffer any dangerous defects of heart, circulation or respiration. Nevertheless, we strongly urge you to connect our remote lifesign monitors. We also provide patches and injecotrs with drugs which easen the stress of high-Gs on your bodies, as well as tranquilizers, should you desire them.

Sucrose
Slightly shaking, Jermaine picks up to of the pills, hastily swallowing them with the rest of his ginger ale.....

Moechi
"I am aware of the situation, and your incessant nagging will not improve it in any way. Lichtenfels?" the Lcom calls out, with a slight tilt of his head to his aide on the left. The women momentarily looks up from her datapad, as much in reaction to your question as in response to her superior.
She looks at you, before starting: "Your team is still in transit on the lift. Now I suggest you get on your way" she says, not quite as unfriendly, but still resolutely.

[Sucrose]

Alexander

After strapping on the lifesigns monitor, Alex continues to read the ingredients on the bottle.

Grinning bemusedly, he turns to Jermaine.

"You know, we should really remember to bring music players for next time."

[Moechi_Vill]

cwDeici

"Yes Sir, yes Ma'am." Deici picks up her card and the baggage and makes her way to the lift entry soonish... after fishing up five prepared bags of snacks, water bottles and chocolate oat biscuits in a duffel bag from under her bunk. Never hurt to be friendly to your new companions on whom you would depend, especially when they would sometimes be forced to nestle in a mecha bay for hours before launch or even to reside within the vehicle itself.
A lot of pilots got dehydrated from stressing out in the cockpit.
She takes a seat in the waiting area by the lift entrance, imagining the looks and behavior of her new friends.

The LCom mentioned some baggage. Was he referring to free l00tz and eats or whatever she was carrying? Also, does Deici know which launch bay her team is designated to?

Thanks.

[Fisher]

Jeff
Eying the new medical supplies, Jeff cautiously removes them and adds the various meds and pills to his medical bag, after using one of the injectors to ease the trip. Could never be too careful these days. After pocketing the meds, he strapped the watch like device to his wrist.

Looking about the room one last time, he settled in for ride.

Used an injector for the soon to come gravitational forces. Not a tranquilizer. Pocketed the rest to the med bag.

[Kioran]

Lift Cabin,06:43

And suddenly, the lift acclerated, heavily. The Forces pressed you back into your seats, like a giant standing on your chest. 3G....not too terrible, but more than most of you even experienced before, and some people paled with obvious discomfort. Cans dropped from hands gone slack, and sweat ran freely over some faces.
You did not exactly know how long this was, with the starscape outside barely betraying any motion, allthough a counter on the walls informed you that you were at more than 12 Mach. Halfway through, some of the people passed out, while one guy on the other side twitched restlessly, trying ineefectually to unlock his belt and free himself from the seat. He was muttering incoherent gibberish all the while, and was starting to weird out the people around him. But many couldn´t even muster the energy to sneer....

Skyhook
Even with the chaos slowly abating, the racket on the station was unbelievable. Apart from the other six team leaders waiting for their charges, the waiting area and maintenance bay of the lift were crouded with technicians busily hauling crates into safety nets. The unadorned grey metal floor is covered with scrapemarks and stains, and despite two people´s best efforts, conversation in general broke down, more often swallowed by the noise than enjoyed by the participants. You were waiting, as were the paramedics near you, expecting complications from the rapid transit....

Cabin, 07:40
Even worse than anything before, this time deceleration hit you, and insted of pressing you downwards, creating the illusion of gravity in orbit, it was puling you upwards into the harnesses. Blood shout to your heads, and the fields of vision narrowed. One unlucky bastard hadn´t properly locked the straps, and was now lying on the ceiling in a sprawled, whimpering heap....

Skyhook, 08:35
The long wait had eroded the watchfulness of more than a few people, but that was soon remedied when sirens started to blare all over the station:

"This is Rear Admiral Beckett. We have detected numerous smaller engine flares, well ahead of the main fleet, only minutes away from the station. An attack is imminent, and station batteries will not be able to neutralize the threat in time. All hands to battlestations, prepare to repel boarders!"

"Oh sh*t. A f**king drifter attack! one of the Corporals near you exclaimed, visibly shaken. The last of the mechanics dropped whatever they were doing at themoment, as long as it wasn´t dangerous, and ran for shelter. Two mechanics, handling a crate of explosive ordnance, paled, hurriedly trying to stow it away safely, to get out of there.....

Cabin, 08:35
Suddenly, a klaxon blared, and the screens to the outside went opaque. the deceleration ceased abruptly. All around you, people were thrown into confusion......

[Moechi_Vill]

cwDeici

Celine drops the food, not expecting it to be wanted anymore. Relatively safe and snug in her space armor she taciturnly waits for the door to open when it should.

[Sucrose]

Alexander

If I let everyone keep worrying, this'll just snowball. We need order.

Unbuckling his harness as quickly as possible, Alex shouts above the din,

"EVERYONE, STAY CALM! Remember your training; this is clearly an emergency situation, and we need every man, woman, or whatever else ready to help."

Throwing off his seatbelt, Alex bounds out of his seat, and toward the man that had been crushed to the ceiling, to see if the man needed any aid.

[Fisher]

Jeff
High-G relief... right, Jeff thought unbelievingly. The trip had shaken him slightly, but he fared far better than others.

Following the acrobat's lead, Jeff unbuckles and slings the rifle over his shoulder. Grabbing his med-bag as he went, he approached the group helping the injured recruit.

"I have some medical experience and supplies on hand. Let me try to help him. You focus on restoring order," Jeff calmly says reassuringly.

Removing a vial of painkillers from his kit he prepares to begin treating the injured man.


[roll0]

Also, use one dose of painkiller on the injured recruit.

[Kioran]

Lift Cabin, 08:36

Many stared at you dumbfounded, confused by the sudden charge. Meanwhile, the recruit who had fallen to the ceiling moans weakly as you inspect his broken arm. A semblance of quiet seems to enfold the room, broken only by a single, urgent shout:

"Watch out, we´re still going at quite some speed. And that means...."

A meter on the wall was still showing a speed in excess of 9 Mach.....

Skyhook

"This is station services. Due to an emergency procedure, we will deactivate artificial gravity on the Lift deck and one deck above in 2 Minutes. All personnel are advised to move to secure stations or handholds"

Around you, people scramble for the nearest large objects or run for the walls, cursing loudly. Two technicians break from their shelter at a mad run, frantically operationg some kind of console near the lift berth, sweat running freely down their faces while they agitatedly exchange orders and status.......

[Moechi_Vill]

cwDeici

Deici takes cover and a good hold behind the chairs, waiting for the techs to finish their job and help deliver her charges. Her index finger gingerly runs across the length of the rifle, turning off the safety with an audible 'click'.

Perhaps the simple Zero-G classes she had enrolled in over the 24/7 VR studies would pay off proportionately after all.


Prepare for Zero-G: [roll0]

Take Cover from incoming drifter assault (Dodge?): [roll1]

"Don't stray too far!" she yells to the other team leaders. "There may be incoming attacks here at the outer hull but your teams will need you."

[Fisher]

Jeff
As he tended the man's arm Jeff tried his hardest to remain in a stable position, using his legs to brace himself against the ceiling. As the cabin continued to ascend he could feel the strain on his body steadily increase.

Using the supplies from his kit, he continued to work on the man's arm, attempting to create a makeshift splint with the available materials.

Don't worry sir, your going to be alright. If you could hold your arm like this, it'd help me get you patched up a little faster he said while demonstrating how to hold the arm.

As he worked, he cautiously looked about the room. Things were going from bad to worse, and for some reason it felt like there wasn't much time left. While he was looking about, he paid additional attention to the man who'd been speaking gibberish. Chances were he would need to tend to him next.


Not sure if the kit would come with bandages and the like. Here's a few rolls for while he works.

[roll0]: Wasn't sure if it'd be needed to maintain footing.
[roll1]: Create Makeshift Splint or Create Splint, depending on materials.
[roll2]: General. Look about the room, try to notice anything out of place.
[roll3]: Specific attention towards the man who was having a psychological breakdown. Discover his current state and whether it's real or fake.

[Sucrose]

Alexander

Quite some speed...Mach 9...NO!

Turning to the helpful young medic, Alex barks off,

"If it won't kill him, get that guy strapped in right, and get in yourself."

We were decelerating, so we're too close to the Skyhook. If we can't fix whatever's wrong here, we'll crash!

Flipping out his phone, Alex tries to call the Skyhook. Getting no response for his unencrypted message, he restrains himself from throwing his phone to the ground.

"Does anyone know how this elevator works? If you do, I need your help getting this cage decelerating again."

[Carusun]

At the mans words, Carus looked up.

"I don't know how it works, but I've got some experience with unco-operative machines", he commented, with a wry grin, remembering the time one of the drills failed to start. "Admittedly, it's not much, but as they say, better to trust an amatuer then one with no experience if an expert isn't around."

Bracing himself, he unstraps and 'falls' to the ceiling, before scouring the area for a likely looking panel, before opening it, and looking at the wires within.


Its 1d10+skill+attribute, yes?
if so:
[roll0]
((Hope I did that right :P))

[Fisher]

Jeff
"Alright, I'm almost done placing this splint. Just need a second more..."

While Jeff was tending to the injured man he noticed another recruit begin to unstrap and vault up to the ceiling. As the technician was looking for a panel, he reached into the folds of his cloak and removed the Micro-Tool kit he had stowed in an inner pocket.

"Here, use this," Jeff shouted as he slid the tools across the "floor". "Might come in handy."

[Kioran]

Cabin, 08:37

Suddenly, you all were slammed into the ceiling with tremendous force. Breathing became laborous.....Red encroaches onto your field of vision....

Everyone
They are now, in an effort to bring you in faster, decelerating at 5G. Everyone make a roll to stay conscious, based on BOD, TN 15. The TN is lowered to 10 if you took the acceleration drugs.

Skyhook

The entire station lurched under your feet, rattled from a hit a like a giant´s fist. The light began to flicker. "Mines. Figures." the corporal muttered.....suddenly drifting in the open because gravity had set out. The two technicians near the lift were now positively panicking, looking at some dial, and hastily finicking with some piece of machinery.

Alarms began to blare. "Alert. we have intruders on this deck. Warning, intruders on this deck. I repeat, we have Intruders on this deck". The Floating corporal was cursing and swearing under his breath, floating in midair, and unslung his pistol, aiming at the ceiling, and firing.
The shot rang out through the bay, but the recoil put him back in the direction of the floor. Weapons become unslung around you, but as of yet, you can detect no boarders around.....

[Sucrose]

Alexander

Pinned against the ceiling, Alex managed to torque his head to see the other two, as they endured the same brutal forces.

He barely managed to whisper "sorry" before blacking out.

[roll0]
Really regretting not drugging up, now... though with that sort of roll, it doesn't matter too much.

[Moechi_Vill]

cw

Deici unslings her rifle (scope flipped down) and attempts to become less visible by hiding behind her chair. She readies herself to fire at anyone who might get a line of sight at the technicians, adrenaline pumping through her veins she scans the corridors lining the entrance lobby.

Stealth: 1d10+10 (ops. Roll for me please)
Readying an action to fire if possible.
Awareness: [roll0]

[Carusun]

As his body slammed into the ceiling, Carus felt his breath and pulse quicken, as he struggled to stay conscious.


<-- Wrong roll, but you can use if you want
[roll]1d10+8
(I am rolling right, aren't I? I couldn't see my previous roll...)

[Fisher]

Jeff
The sudden oncoming gravitational force were nearly overwhelming. Bracing himself against the ceiling, Jeff was barely able to avoid slipping into unconsciousness.

Crap, if this thing stops soon we'll suffer quite the fall. Gotta get these guys back to their seats.

The man with the broken arm and the unconscious acrobat would be his first priority. Looking about the cabin, he remembered the straps affixing the cargo to the wall. If any of those straps were locked into the ceiling, there was a chance he could climb down. Inching slowly across the ceiling, he struggles to reach the nearby recruits...



Will edit depending on roll
Rolls forthcoming in the OC thread.
[roll0] vs 10

[Kioran]

Skyhook, 08:38

With an unveiled expression of relief, the two technicians lept free of the lift, while a red light was flashing above it´s control panel. Most of the petty officers had drawn their weapons, waiting for the shoe to drop, and thus paid little attention to the lift cabin rapidly approaching the cradle, braking all the while....

Lift Cabin

Fisher
The Tachometer on the wall still showed a speed in excess of 4 mach. The station was out there somewhere - and it was rapidly coming closer even while your hand reached out for the first of the cargo straps. Your body felt sluggish under all the weight, and you were having trouble doing more than taking a hold of the strap, while all the while, people in the cabin looked on with impotence, frustration or despair....
When motion finally comes, you´re as surpirsed as the rest - it felt like solidly hitting a brick wall, and you were immediately thrown clear of the ceiling, feeling like you were falling - yet hanging in place, only lazily and slowly drifting towards the ground. The other Floater women comes up and peered into your face, asking: "Can you move?"

Skyhook, 08:39
With a sudden, reverberating noise, like a hammer hitting an anvil, the cabin hit the emergency cradle. A crown of shock-resorbent foam had formed around the lift`s head, deformed by the impact, with chunks flying around the bay in the weightlessness, even while the doors opened, and crewmen and NCO´s were surging forward.

"This is lift control. We have several casualties on board. Corporal Steckler is hereby instructed to dissassemble his squad and instead organize the evacuation of wounded or psychologically unfit personel to the nearest infirmary."

One of the Corporals cursed, immediately barking orders to those inside the lift......

Everyone
No, you´re not out - those of you who lost consciousness will regain it - not immediately, but after my next post. Those who are still conscious may decide freely what to do or say - I will clarfiy this in the OOC-Thread

[Fisher]

Jeff
"Yeah, I'm alright. Just got the wind knocked out of me is all," he lazily grinned.

Looking up towards the ceiling and taking note of the situation he commented, "They on the other hand don't seem to be doing too well. I'm gonna try to get them down before they drift out of reach. If you want, I could use some help.

Pausing a moment he added, "Name's Jeff by the way."

Attempting to gain his bearings, he tried to stabilize himself in the awkward gravity. All the while thinking, Blasted gravity. I'll take a patch of land to stand on any day.


If needed, Jeff will offer support or leverage to the floater woman to help her stabilize in the gravity.

[roll0]

[Moechi_Vill]

cwDeici

Would it be useful?
Probably, and undoubtedly necessary for morale and respect.

Wiedhurst gives up her defensive position and bounds from the rack of chairs into the symbiotic mess at the lift, shouting out the names of her charges. "Geotan, Jeffrey, Serakin, Alexander! Hand Wiedhurst present. Incoming momentum out! Take cover by waiting area and cover lift with small arms."

[Kioran]

Jeffrey + Celine
A slight smile played over her face as she, clumsily, reached out for your arm, and yanked you around in the right direction with surprising strength "Call me Raine, of the Serakin family." She said, while hurling you downward, herself drifting to and colliding with the ceiling, fumbling for a handhold, but thrown off course.
Cursing, she freewheels in the room, groping for some kind of handhold. Meanwhile, NCOs come into the room, reading of lists of names, while one of them commandeered three others and brought in two collapsible stretchers. Around you, the lift was a seething mass of bodies milling around, floating in midair. Quite a few of them drifted around helplessly, like you.

Even while a small female NCO shouted your name, another one, a corporal by his insignia, moves past her towards you, reaching for Raine´s ankle and grabbing it "Sorry, she´s with me.", he says, smiling under his mustache, dragging her behind him and assembling a string of Infantrymen. Meanwhile, there was a short violent outbreak as two people press down the guy with the nervous breakdown before a third pressed an injector to the man´s neck. With a hiss it discharged, the panicking recruit going limp in seconds.

Carus + Alexander
Those off you who were disabled until now come to when Corporal Steckler gave you a slap and shone a light into your eyer to test your reactions "No brain injury or concussion. Good.". A brief nod, before he hurls you towards a petite woman in an armored spacesuit in the middle of the room.
The world was still spinning a little, and the dizziness and grogginess had not yet fully abated, and Alexander felt a dull pain in his back were a handhold had dug into his flesh under the fierce acceleration. That one was sure to leave a nasty bruise...

Even while strings of people formed up before the lift, the Corporal who had grabbed Raine already bega to shout orders: "Team 32, you´re with me. Over there, you will receive Rifles. One Rifle and 4 cells per person. You will check these weapons, then load ´em. And don´t waste your time, we have somewhere to be.".
At the age of the plattform, in the direction the corporal had pointed, you can see a brutishly large man in a spacesuit, lugging to large trunks behind him, drifting forward.....

[Moechi_Vill]

"Team 82, ready weapons and assemble! We must be present at the mecha bay!"

Celine attempts to catch Geotan and Alexander.

[roll0]

[Fisher]

Jeff
As he watched Raine and the others depart, Jeff pondered Serakin... where have I heard that name before...

There was no time to dwell on that. No sooner had they arrived when various officers were barking orders. That was one of the few things he missed from his nomadic days, the amount of freedom you could approach a situation. Retrieving the few belongings he possessed, he met up with the group forming around the female officer.

Sometime during the impact of the crash his toolkit was lost in the shuffle of the evacuation, probably slid underneath a cargo crate. If time allowed, he'd have to return later and look for the blasted thing.

"Reporting for duty. So what's the situation?" he says while dispensing a lazy salute.

[Moechi_Vill]

"Jeffrey? This is red alert. We have drifters on this deck." Celine nods.
"Ready your weapon and take cover then follow me."

[Sucrose]

Alexander

So, we're under this lady's command?

Pulling his Automag from its shoulder holster, Alexander checks it to make sure nothing was damaged during his little bout with the ceiling, then flicks off the safety, and loads the gun.

Turning to the girl that caught him, he smiles, flips down his helmet's visor, and says,

"Roger that; ready for duty, ma'am."

[Moechi_Vill]

She smiles back at him, putting two fingers to her visor and drawing them down, indicating for him to lower his visor. "Name?" she shouts with her tiny voice in reply. "Help me catch our last member."

...

"OK, men, follow me at about 6 meters distance with a corridor-wide spread to the flanks and rear. We are heading to Mechabay III."

With that she kicks off with both legs towards the bay.

[Kioran]

Skyhook, 08:40

With some difficulty, you made your down one of the broad corridors, towrds one of the lifts that would bring you up to the higher levels of the station and the Mecha bays. The Corridor, shaped like a stretched Hexagon was grey and featureless, with gray plastic panels on the walls. In regular intervalls, supports protruded from the walls, providing limited cover, and thanks to indentations in their edges, handholds. These were used to boost oneself along.
Suddenly, already almost a hundred meters behind you, the bay erupts with shouting and the sound of a firefight, the noise of discharging energy rifles and the sound of solid projectiles impacting metal. From the distant came the sharp crack of a grenade explosion.

Moechi
Over the Comm, Corporal Fowler starts to tell you:
"Go! We´ll mount a rearguard, but I think we have to retreat. I don´t think we can buy more than 2 minutes. Good luck!

Another two explosions rock the bay behind you, a stray piece of sharp shrapnel passing only a hand´s breadth in front of Carus´face......

[Fisher]

Jeff
Jeff rushed down the hall along with the others trying his best to keep up. The handholds were helping the trek significantly, if not for them he'd still be stumbling down the hall and perhaps even amidst that explosion.

After several paces he rushed into the upcoming elevator. Removing the rifle strapped to his shoulder and dropping his med bag to the floor, he leveled the gun's barrel in the direction of the gunfire.

If this is how the first day is, I wonder what the rest of our employment will be like. It does makes life exciting, though.

"I've got the hallway covered. You guy's ready?"

[Moechi_Vill]

cwDeici

"Roger Fowler." Celine replies reluctantly. She'd rather stay behind and help protect her comrades, but what if the bay needed securing?

Celine makes her way into the lift and nods in reply to Jeffrey. Once everybody is in she directs the lift towards their destination.
"Only fire at visual confirmation."

[Fisher]

Jeff
Roger That, said Jeff.

Drops of perspiration slid down his face as he waited for the elevator. What if the enemy had already made it to the mecha bays? He couldn't worry about that now. Worry would only dull his reactions and cause mistakes. Focus on the present. That was all he could do.

[Kioran]

Skyhook, 08:40

Even while Celine´s fingers danced over the controls of the elevator, a large and spacious platform built to transport cargo or even vehicles, you could see the Infantrymen of the security teams in retreat, crossing the bay in front of the corridor or heading down the corridor in your direction. The small area in front of the elevator had two other corridors leading up to it, but still, they were in trouble, and you knew it. They knew it as well.
Irregular bursts of gunfire punctuated the silence, along with the clanging metal sounds of bullet impacts. Another two explosions cracked in the distance, even while the containment doors of the elevator slowly closed. A volley of projectiles struck the door, one bouncing of it´s rim in a shower of sparks, the other´s leaving shallow indentations in the solid metal. Your hearts beat stronger, faster, and maybe you were a little relieved when the containment doors finally closed a few seconds later.
Another group of explosions bathed the corridors in a harsh light, and this time, some of the Infantrymen continued their as corpses, the bodies reduced to little more than eerie puppets, flopping the weightlessness, trailing small ribbons of red blood, their weapons drifting through the air, abandoned.
Raine, the floater you noticed earlier, pressed her face to the small reinforced polymer window in the lift´s door...and mouthed a few words you could barely make out through the din and the thick door: "Good luck....I think we´ll hang on in the meantime.....

She departed for the right corridor, along with the rest of her squad, and another of the enemie´s projectiles reduced the window to a spidery lattice of cracks. You could vaguely make out the pursuing troops.....Humanoids clad in Blue-black suits dotted irregularly in star-like sprinkles of white. They carried strange, long rifles, while some carried a kind of heavy, automatic grenade launcher which was clearly to heavy for normal gravitation. Others were unarmed, and helped themselves to the energy rifles floating down the tunnel.

Then, the lift lurched off, carrying you upwards, towards the spacious mecha bay were your machines were already being warmed up by the ground crews.....

[Moechi_Vill]

Celine
Deici starts showing her teammates around to their mechas.

[Fisher]

Jeff
Rushing into the mecha bay, Jeff couldn't help but momentarily stare in aw at the various machines aligned about the room. It had been several years since he'd driven a mech, and seeing them arrayed side by side brought about feelings of nostalgia from his floater days.

Fishing a scrap of paper from his pocket, he looked about for the appropriate machine.

My machine should be 82 dash L Six, according to this. I wonder if these things are as stable as my old floater mech?