Deeper Darkness: Space's Shadow

[Callos_DeTerran]

Fifty years from now, the Solar System is at War. Thriving colonies on Mars, the asteroid belt, and the moons of Jupiter have forcibly severed ties with an overcrowded, authoritarian Earth. Desperate for raw materials and concerned that political unrest will spread to the teeming masses at home, Earth's Government has vowed to bring the colonies back in line. But just as strident are the colonial leaders, who see their future among the stars.

War was declared months ago, but so far only a handful of skirmishes have been fought as both sides refit their factories to crank out weapons and armor. Neither side could have expected the harsh reprecussions of the desperate race to develop an acting armed force to combat each other with. Just as things were coming to a head and hostilities had begun to boil over a tragedy had rocked all humans when one of the moon's many colony domes was seized by bizarre creatures labeled the 'Others' and then de-pressurized, resulting in the deaths of over one million people in a single act of brutality. This was not the last time these beings struck either, hitting high population targets on the moons of Jupiter and Earth itself as humanity reeled from the blows and struggled to fight back.

Soon both the Colonial Militia and the UEDF came to the realization that to fight alone was to face extinction and the only slim hope of battling off their vicious attackers was as a whole, united, front. Both sides agreed to meet at a neutral place, the deserted mining asteroid of HB-O343, to broker a cease-fire and alliance of necessity but not long after negotiations began the Other's struck once more...Both diplomats and many of the people within the asteroid were slain, the units of mechanized armor outside heavily damaged as well though some were outright destroyed in the battle. Old hostilities flared up, UEDF blaming the Militia's lax security measures for guiding the Others there with the Militia openly saying that the Other's had been led there by none other the UEDF to destroy the Militia forces stationed there...

One year passed...in the year 2054 humanity has begun to stand on some of it's last legs under the relentless assaults from the other-worldy menace of the Others. With only scant bits of knowledge revealed, no truly effective counter-measures have yet been discovered to repel the invaders and still the upper reaches of the Militia and UEDF squabble over the clauses of a now, universally, called for treaty. In this day and age, to disappear is to be declared dead and to be in the same place as an Other attack means the lowering of chance of survival by close to ninety-five percent. Entire stations have gone off the grid, only to be picked clean, and even the Earth's iron grip has begun to slip on it's populace to the point that chaos has begun to run amok in formerly peaceful locations. Here and there people hear stories about resistance being effective, of attacks repelled, but the populace are loath to believe such things. The rumors of groups being founded by both sides and supplied experimental technology on search and destroy missions, a hope for some, have spread as well though both sides deny such an idea. Now the time has come...humanity has almost reached the breaking point and if the table is not turned soon then it never will.

The Lagrange Space Habitat, once an area of tense peace between two juggernauts of militaristic might, had given itself over to the spirit of war in the short time it had taken for the Other's to put humanity on the defensive. Some of the fantastically designed animal and plant habitats had been torn down in favor of warehouses and arms factories that stayed open all hours of the day. Civilians walked about as if on edge but, oddly enough, as if at peace themselves and all of this was nothing if not normal. But the focus is not on the Habitat itself but rather on the massive building for Third Holding, an up and coming shipping company that had been doing very well for itself. Each of the three had received an invitation to come to this place, and when asking the floor workers where they were supposed to go where directed up to the top floor to Val Seran's office.

There, just outside the door, is a wide desk with a comely blond woman sitting behind it and typing away at a keyboard, but no monitor or screen in sight. Behind her is an almost unnoticable door that presumably leads into the office but the secretary makes no move to welcome or invite in any of you before all three had arrived. Then she reaches up to press against her temple, giving those gathered a dazzling smile.

"Mr. Seran your special appointments have arrived. I'm buzzing them in." Was all she said before reaching underneath the counter of her desk. A moment later the doorway swings open and the desk, secretary with it, shifts out of the way of the door to allow you into the office within.

[Dark_Prophet]

The office beyond is a rather strange place. For being a successful shipping company, its plain, almost to the point of being spartan, with only the usual credentials and pictures of the various freighters owned by the company on the walls, along with names. A beautiful picture hangs on the far wall, seeming out of place in the clear office; the gas giant Jupiter along with one of its moons gleaming in the distant light from the sun.

A simple metal desk sits in the middle of the office, with a screen propped up from it. Behind it is a large, light skinned man with a prosthetic right arm, wearing a dark jacket, beneath which you can make out green lightweight combat armor, a matching visor covering the top of his head, which sports a thin layer of black hair. Even through the armor, you can see the sheen and glint of prosthetic all along his side right, and a bandoleer of assorted gadgets, most of which are unusual or paramilitary in nature, but not outright illegal. Several empty chairs are set out to face it, wguke

"Val Seran" stays at the desk, continuing to go through some papers. "So, you're the ones who came. Have a seat." He nods with a small twitch of his head to the array of chairs at the entrance, facing the desk. "I'm Val Seran, the founder of 3rd Hold. This is Brenda Wells." He nods to the woman in the chair beside him, then turns back to them. "I would like to formally invite you to join 3rd Bastion, the only real defense humanity has against the Others. How about it?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

The elevator opened and out stalked a woman wearing tight-fitting, black motorcycle leathers including a short-sleeved, leather jacket just long enough to hide the holster at the small of her back. She was athletic without being too thin with slim hips and a small bust. Her very straight and fine black hair was cut short above her ears, giving her a severe look. Her high-boned face would have been very pleasing had she not been ruining it with lips drawn in a tight line as if something was bothering her. She hid her intelligent brown eyes behind a pair of riding sunglasses. The only thing she carried visibly was a dark blue motorcycle helmet.

Eyes narrowing behind her sunglasses, the woman approached the desk and the vapid-looking secretary aimlessly typing away. "Tanaka Izumi to see Mr. Val Seran." she announced, her voice just as sharp as the rest of her, only to be instructed to wait for the other arrivals. Other arrivals? she pondered as she leaned against the wall, one arm resting behind her back, the other down the line of her body holding the helmet as she watched the elevator.

Lieutenant Commander Tanaka Izumi was part of the UEDF stationed at Lagrange, a mechanized unit commander known only for her tomboy demeanor and vicious attitude. She'd just recently been redeployed to space from Earth and her men were still getting a read on her, learning quickly that she preferred not to socialize or really take any off time at all. So it was surprising when she told them to take leave for the next few nights and disappeared on a bike from the base's motor pool. Even stranger, she had her mech quietly transferred to an outer block warehouse nearby Third Holding's massive headquarters building, where even now it reclined on a heavy-duty flatbed truck covered with a tarp.

Izumi thought about the invitation that she had received from the mysterious Val Seran, where he had called her by her given name and revealed knowledge of several...sensitive topics having to do with her personal life. She assumed that she wasn't the only one to receive such an invitation. She'd didn't know why she had accepted the invitation...maybe just to take the piss out of the arrogant prick who would butt into her life in such a way. Still, his proposal had aroused her curiosity. She had a personal interest at stake and would hear him out before breaking his jaw with her steel-toed boot.

When they were allowed into Seran's office, Izumi didn't elect to sit. Instead, she kept one arm behind her back and the other holding her helmet propped against her hip. Seran was a cyborg, but whether it had been the result of an accident or choice Izumi couldn't tell. He was surprisingly concise. Izumi met his offer with a cocked eyebrow that rose into view behind her sunglasses as she regarded the shipping exec. "Third Bastion? Just what the hell is that?" she said coldly. He wanted to recruit her out of the military? What could this private organization do for her that the UEDF couldn't? Seran was going to have to sell himself a little better than that.

[Dark_Prophet]

Val Seran gets up from the desk and walks in front of it, the relaxed expression still on his face, the visor turned squarely at Izumi's face. "Honestly, I thought you were a bit brighter from reading the reports, Lieutant Tanaka. Do I need to spell everything out for you?" He leans close, right next to her face. "Third Holding is just a front as a shipping company, and a damn good one at that. Third Bastion is whats behind it; a chance to actually strike out and fight against the Others, rather then just sitting around waiting for them to kill another million people, bickering with the colonies as part of UEDF. Has the UEDF managed to do ANYTHING? Have you managed to do anything? I don't think so, or else you wouldn't be here."

He turns away from her, the visor raking over the other two. "If you're not interested, then leave. It'd be a pity though. How about you two? Does that answer your questions, are you ready to see the inner bowels of this beast? Or are you going to run in fear, back to the empty positions you know will not protect you when the Others come?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

"That's Lieutenant Commander, actually. And likewise." Izumi retorted sharply. "You're going to have to do more than talk if you want to keep me here, Mr. Seran. I've yet to see anything that convinces me you're not just a lunatic with delusions of grandeur. You keep telling us that this thing is humanity's only hope, etc. etc. yet you've given us nothing to back up that claim. If you're wanting me to leave the UEDF, which makes me a deserter and is punishable by firing squad by the way, you'll be needing to impress me. Otherwise, I'm heading straight back to UEDF headquarters and reporting this illegal paramilitary operation to my superiors."

((OOC: Would Izumi know anything about Third Bastion?))

[Dark_Prophet]

"Illegal? You haven't even seen anything yet - just the humble, security thoughtful shipping company of Third Holding."

He smiles coldly, pacing back around the desk and spreading his arms as if to encompass the room. "You said it yourself - no evidence that I'm nothing but a madman, right? Now, be patient if you actually want to see anything worth reporting. I'd rather hear something other then just your chatter filling the room for a couple nanoseconds, energetic and refreshing as it is compared to most of the dry drivel the UEDF spouts out nowadays." Apparently more concerned with the papers on his desk then Lieutant Commander Izumi, Val Seran sits back down, going back to sifting through them, waiting for the responses of the others.

[Tyracus]

Jason Times

Jason walked through the shipping warehouse taking note of the crates around him and stopping by the crate he knew held his mech. The offer was interesting, and it gave him a chance to do what he really wanted to do. It had taken a lot of luck and several of the favors he'd earned to get here, he wouldn't have been able to make it if he'd been assigned to a unit. Figuring waiting wasn't going to do anything, patting the crate Jason heads to the office. He entered with the two and was taken aback by the rather aggressive start by the Lieutenant Commander. Quickly regaining his composure he waits for the exchange to end before cutting in.

"Well, seems we've got a firecracker here, more than just a pretty face." A slight quirk at the corner of his mouth accompanies the barb. "Anyways, our host has a very good point. The moon, Washington, Seattle, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, all of them gone, millions dead and there hasn't been a glimmer of hope come from the UEDF. We fight, but nothing happens. Most squads wind up annihilated." Jason pulls a chain out from under his flight suit, taking care to push a second below the collar. From the chain hang ten pieces of stamped metal. "I stayed in the UEDF to fight the others for many reasons, here's ten of them right here. Some of the best pilots in the UEDF ground defense forces, and they couldn't do much of anything. If our host says that he can do something I want to hear him out." Returning the chain under his flight suit Jason turns to his host.

"Well, you've heard my say and from your letter you know much more about us then we do you. I know you could destroy us if you wanted, but you seem to have a use for us. Give me your pitch, give it straight and I'm sure by that point we'll have all made a decision."

[Dark_Prophet]

"Destroy? Maybe - I think you'd be selling yourselves a little short. I'm just as human as you are, give or take a couple replacement parts." As he speaks, he scans over and stamps about a half dozen pieces of paper from the pile on his desk in rapid succession, placing them each in the holder on his desk.

"All right, you want the straight pitch - you got it. I want you to join me as a elite strike team against the Others, via your mecha. Third Bastion has all the facilities and resources we'll need and more - all I've been missing is a crack squad, which would you be guys. And I can tell from your files that you aren't the types to die easily - at least, I hope not." He gathers a second bunch, giving you a short glimpse of what appears to be business contract proposals.

[Tyracus]

Jason

"Not quite what I meant Val. I mean with the apparent knowledge you have of us that you could cause our lives to crash down around us. If you were foolish enough to attack us then I'm sure that we could defeat you. I could probably destroy most of your operation in a mech. Anyways, that's aside from the point. We're here to discuss your proposition, and as far as I'm concerned, you've got a pilot. I've been in R&D for so long and with such a good track record that they keep shifting me to secure labs and test sites. At this rate I'll never see combat if I don't take this offer."

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

The Lieutenant Commander frowned at the man who had called her a "firecracker". He was UEDF, too, by the looks of him...from the R&D division. That could only mean that he was a test pilot. He must have lost some pretty important people to the Others to want combat so badly that he'd risk the death penalty.

"Pilot, I'm within my rights as an officer to shoot you now." she said, swiftly drawing a laser pistol from the holster at the small of her back. For the observant, she never touched the safety, but the threat was there all the same. "Are you going to take responsibility for your actions? If they catch you this is what you can look forward to." she said calmly before putting the gun away. "Obviously I wouldn't have announced it if I had actually planned to shoot you, and for that I'm risking my career along with yours." she said, her lip curling slightly as she turned back to regard Val.

"Curiosity is the only thing that's taken me this far. It better be good, Mr. Seran." she said, lightly thumping her helmet against her thigh for emphasis. She was ready to get on with it. She assumed that everyone else in the room was as well, except for the last pilot in the room, who remained silent. Him she didn't have a read on yet. She hoped he wasn't nearly as sexist and annoying as these other two.

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent


The tall, dark haired young man arrived fashionably late. Fashionable was a good word to describe him. He was tall, slim, and exceedingly well dressed in a tailored black suit that looked as though it cost the average yearly wages of most working men. Yet he wore it naturally, as if there were simply no other way to dress. He moved with a quiet, easy grace that was almost unnerving - every movement was calculated, controlled to a degree that seemed not quite human - the same could be said for his equally immaculate appearance. His voice was cool, modulated and reasoned as he spoke, taking in the others with quick glances, but obviously taking in everything about them with lightning precision.

My apologies for the delay - my travel arrangements take considerable arranging at times. Security Reasons - I'm sure you all understand. Vincent Vitamore is my name

A small smile touched his lips as he watched Tanaka draw her pistol. And suddenly there was one in his hand, too, though it was almost impossible to see him move - one would assume that that tailored suit concealed a rather exotic quick-draw holster. His weapons was far from standard issue - sleek and black, it thrummed with power - the technologically minded would note the miniaturized accelerators marking it as some sort of mass driver weapon, albeit obviously a heavily customized - and likely expensive one.

And miss... please put away the weapon. I hate to draw on a lady, but I'm afraid being a little jumpy is all that keeps me alive. Besides, I'd hate to have to replace this suit. Again.

[Tyracus]

Jason

Jason merely looked rather flatly at Tanaka before starting to speak. "I have three things to say about your little stunt. First, I'm tied to ground defense special R&D at the moment which is a different chain of command, you don't have any real authority over me. Second, summary execution isn't practiced anymore last I checked, unless they revoked the clause forbidding it in the past six months. And finally, it's gonna take more than a gun with the safety on to scare me. Now I'll apologize if I upset you but the facts in my statement remain. I do have to hand it to you though, you're no damsel in distress. A firm grip without a waver, if I had made an attempt against you I doubt that I'd get away from it unscathed, and that's saying something."

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

As she was already putting the gun up, Izumi just frowned at Vincent when he drew on her. This one was a high-born, classy kind of guy, or at least that's what he wanted everyone else to think. He looked immaculate, and the gun he was holding was obviously very hard to get one's hands on. Even the UEDF used standard issue laser rifles and pistols like the one she had just brandished. "I think your suit is safe. Nice gun, by the way. You'll have to let me know where you got it." she nodded in approval before turning back to Jason.

"The ban on summary execution is lifted during a time of war, which if you hadn't noticed we happen to be in. And I know my responsibilities as an officer. It's irrelevant anyway, since I don't plan on shooting you. I was just making a point. Now that we're clear on what could happen from here on out, I think it's time we moved on." she said, directing her shrewd glare back at Val.

"Well? It's your show."

[The_Snark]

Brenda Wells

The woman introduced is seated to one side of the desk, hands folded politely in her lap. In contrast to the cyborg exec's quasi-military appearance, she's wearing a rather plain white blouse and a long, earth-tone skirt, with no weapons visible. Her reddish-brown hair matches her skirt, and looks like it would be about shoulder-length if it weren't pinned up at the moment.

She shifts slightly upon being introduced; technically, it is Doctor Brenda Wells. But Val Seran did not care particularly for formalities and besides, she wasn't a practicing doctor at the moment. She refrains from correcting him, instead studying the newcomers over through her glasses as they speak. Aside from another slight uncomfortable shift when a weapon is drawn, she looks as if she plans to simply listen for now.

At the latest arrival, she shifts her gaze to examine him as well, but this time, she stiffens slightly, leaning forward. "What are you?" she asks harshly after a few seconds of staring, breaking into whatever Seran's response was going to be. Her posture is tense, one of her hands creeping down towards her side as if ready to go for a weapon.

[Dark_Prophet]

The cyborg, who had still been going through the last dozen forms during the ensuing standoff, mutters something under his breath as he finishes reviewing the last of forms, crumpling one of them up in a ball and throwing it into a old style garbage bin, gathering the rest into his stray hand. He gets up, muttering something under his breath. "Damn merchant thinks I'm desperate enough to ship something like that without compensation? Bunch of idiots. Anyways, anyone who's coming, follow me. And good eye, Brenda - according to the dossier, he's even less human then I am, and that's difficult for most to achieve. His efforts against the Others have been most appreciated, however, so I don't think there's reason to worry." He nods to her as he moves past with a slight lopsided smile. "We truly represent the bitter and shattered remnants of humanity right now rather well, don't we?"

Leaving his office, he passes out into the main lobby, dropping the forms onto the secretary's desk as he passes, giving her brief instructions as well, his previous sardonic tone dropping back to his standard matter of fact one. "Those are the shipping jobs we'll be taking. Don't let anyone else in, even if they're here to see me on appointment." Val Seran turns to the right from the secretary's desk, and heads out a insulated door into a massive indoor loading bay, the sounds of laborers, metal being moved and set down on metal, and cooling engines echoing around it.

It is apparent as such from a large industrial class freighter in the far right corner being unloaded by grey coated workers, 3rd Holding insignias on their shoulders. They move sealed metal crates and boxes to a ground level storage compartment, the 15 by 15 meter black steel hatch currently in a vertical position, revealing the many similar boxes and containers inside. Several other compartments dot all areas of the bay, suggesting a large amount of traffic. Moving over towards a inactive compartment in the near left corner, the cyborg stops in front of it, and taps a spot on his arm.

The hatch groans, and slowly swings up to a completely vertical position, revealing not a storage space, but a large, downward sloping reinforced steel corridor large enough for a Huge mecha to walk through, gleaming with lights. He waves to the workers, who wave back, then takes a step down into it, looking back up at those following, one hand open as if invitation. "As I said, are you ready to go into the bowels of the beast?"

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent

The man - or rather, the thing, gave another tight-lipped little smile as he once more replaced his weapon where it had been. He'd been anticipating that questions - though his appearance fooled most, it wasn't fool-proof, and he'd suspected this group would be more observant than most. That he said in a soft voice Is a good question, and once I've been pondering for quite some time, as most people do, I suspect, at least in the deep watches of the night. But I suspect you were asking a more literal question, and to it the answer is this: I'm a synthetic life form. A replicant, to use the slang. Fairly appropriate, in this case, as I was made to replicate someone already died. Specifically, I, if the term is appropriate, am Vincent Vitamore, of the Vitamore syndicate.

He smiled again, his voice musing softly Or at least, that's the personality I was imprinted with upon creation. In truth, I am probably something - someone - quite different. But the name serves, as that is the identity I have assumed. Whether or not I am human - well - that is a rather lengthy debate, but one I would be pleased to engage in, if you wish.

With that he turned, following the cyborg out into the loading bay, looking in askance at the cyborg. I assume our mecha are already onboard, or will be shortly?

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

A replicant? I've never seen one of those up close before. If that wasn't enough he's from one of the major organized crime syndicates in the Earth sphere. We're certainly a rag-tag bunch, now aren't we? Izumi mused as they approached the "bowels of the beast". She should have left, but with all that was happening recently her curiosity was getting the better of her. Could they really have what it would take to be a significant opposing force to the Others? She narrowed her eyes at Val Seran, the businessman cyborg, and tried to get a measure of him. Was he, or all of this, really all he said it could be? Was she really desperate enough to be hoping it was? She thumped her motorcycle helmet against her thigh and followed Val.

[Tyracus]

Jason

Walking into the hallway Jason keeps an eye on his compatriots. As he walks down the corridor he wonders what precisely he's gotten into but figures in the worst case he can still get out alive, especially if the others are busy watching Tanaka.

"So, I hope we're not going down here for a cask of amontillado. That would be a rather poor omen."

[The_Snark]

Brenda Wells

Brenda nods at the explanation, slowly relaxing. "Later. Maybe," she replies to the synthetic's offer of discussion. Another time, she might have been interested in conversing with a nonhuman psychology. No matter how well a synthetic was designed to replicate human thought, it couldn't be entirely successful, because nobody knew everything about human psychology.

Right now, though, she just wishes whoever had built Vincent had built it (him?) with some sort of mechanism to make it look like he breathed. That, and the way he stood, not even so much as twitching except for deliberate motion. The overall effect creeped the hell out of her. There's nothing she can do about it right now, so she does her best to ignore the knot of tension as she falls in behind the others.

[Dark_Prophet]

Val Seran descends the sloping, lighted corridor as the others follow him. Once everyone is several steps in, he taps his arm again, causing the sounds of the freighter and the loading crew to fade away as the panel closes, ending with a thunderous "Wumph", leaving only the humming of electricity and energy as you continue onwards. A massive, retracted blast door is immediately visible on your left, while you notice a camera monitoring your progress in front of it. "What we have installed here

Beyond it is a long corridor, which takes you about four minutes of walking to reach the next junction - another blast door with another camera, a mounted laser gatling, and a light plasma cannon in front of it.

You pass another blast door, with another laser gatling and camera in front of it before the cyborg stops again, indicating a steel grey door to your side. "Thats the mess hall and recreational quarters - eat, relax, you know the drill."

He continues on, and stops past the next blast door, which has the previous door's setup, nodding to the next steel gray door. "Sleeping quarters are in there - individual rooms for each of you, but you can tour em on your own time."

The next blast door has a rocket launcher and a plasma cannon, as well as a camera. "This is the last real holdout - thats the communications room." He nods to the door on the left as he moves ahead to the gateway in corridor, opening a door, giving a theatrical flourish. "And this is the main attraction of Third Bastion - the mecha bay."

The mecha bay is a large, state of the art...well, mecha bay. It has all the materials and replacement parts for most mecha, along with repair and assembly equipment it has a weapon rack, which is empty. At the far end of the chamber is the final blast door. He stops in front of a red and black mecha made out of crystal carbon, the only one in the room, although there are spaces for several more. Looking up at it fondly, he grins, looking back around. "This is Hades XV. So, thats the quick tour of the place. Is this all my delusion, hm Tanaka? Because if so, its a pretty nice one."

[The_Snark]

Brenda Wells

Dr. Wells follows the group quietly, looking at each indicated chamber casually but not looking it over closely or showing much curiousity; there is a sense that she's seen it before. It's a good defensive setup, but if they ever needed it, she thinks, they had probably already lost.

"If I can make a recommendation, Mr. Seran?" she says quietly as the tour finishes. "I don't think your guests are asking what sort of hardware you can provide. The UEDF military has that much, and I don't think you can outproduce it. What they're looking for is how you will be different from the military, how you actually plan to go about repelling their attacks and striking back."

[Tyracus]

Jason

"Well Ms. Wells is quite right. I'll admit this is a very impressive facility but I've seen more secure and better equipped ones in the UEDF. I will admit there will be advantages to not being bound by military procedure but acting independently means no fire support from other units and limited options for mobilization. Now I'm sure you have good intelligence capabilities and movement can occur under the cover of shipments but there has to be something more to it than this and I would really like to know what it is."

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent

Vincent nodded in agreement, otherwise remaining stock still. Where a human might have leaned up against something for comfort, he simple stood, his hands folded neatly in front of him as he examined his surroundings with quick, precise movements of his head. Indeed... I would assume that you have something... unique to offer us?

[Dark_Prophet]

The cyborg chuckles, and slowly turns back around to face them. "All right, all of you want the grit of it. The UEDF is still caught up in its old struggle against the colonies, while the colonies are still watching the UEDF carefully - neither one wants to risk losing troops and forces to the Others, because then the other might invade if it is actually a setup. I know its not, firsthand, but you know how bureaucrats are. So we're not tied down by a faction and its agenda, with the internal power struggles that causes - and we don't have to announce our presence or make it known."

He looks at the doctor intently, with a grim smile on his scarred and restructured face. "More importantly, we have a survivor who has knowledge of the Others - and its you, Brenda. Locked away in that head of yours. Nothing else is virtually known about them, not to the Colonies, not to the UEDF, not to anyone. Everyone else who knew anything is dead, vanished, insane, or can't remember. That gives us much more of a advantage then ten thousand top notch UEDF crack troops and pilots. And I say confidently that I've chosen all of you out of the best of the best - sifted through thousands of possible entries. Any group too large suffers from delays via command structure and regimented control, and against the Others, well, every nanosecond counts and not having to worry about disobeying orders really helps that."

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

Izumi had begun to trail behind, lost in her own thoughts. She looked pensive as she half-listened to Val giving them all the tour of the facilities. Her mind began to wander away from the present...

- Not long after the Moon Dome Incident. -

Izumi sat with her legs curled underneath her on a cushioned bench next to a large, bay window. Outside the cityscape stretched out beneath her, the ever-present smog breaking just enough for a ray of sunlight to strike her window. She turned her hand over to watch the sunlight move across her fingers before the smog swallowed it up once again, leaving her cold. Rather than motorcycle leathers, she was wearing simple jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt that was noticeably too big for her. She let the sleeves roll down over her hands and swiped at her long mess of hair. As she did so she couldn't help but notice the scent on the t-shirt. Tears began to blur her vision again.

Suddenly the door swung open and a japanese man in his late fifties with salt and pepper hair wearing a UEDF admiral's uniform walked into the apartment. With an exasperated sigh he tossed his hat onto the coffee table and sat next to Izumi by the window. He could see that she had been crying again, but he knew better than to mention it. "How are you, Izzy?" he asked, laying a comforting hand on his daughter's knee.

"Fine, daddy. How was work?" she seemed to brighten, quickly wiping her eyes again, trying to get rid of the evidence. She always did that, changed the subject like that whenever he even brushed the corner of that forbidden topic.

The admiral shook his head, glancing out the window. "I tell you, Izzy, those pricks don't know their ass from their elbows. They keep insisting that this is all a Colonial setup and that we should keep our forces in reserve, 'let things play out'. If I even broach the topic of a peace treaty I get completely shut down." he squeezed her knee. "You know better than anyone what's at stake here, but the brass is only concerned about 'the Colonial threat'. I think they're only interested in letting the Colonies take a beating before they do something about those monsters. Goddamn politicians is what they are..." he shook his head, only to notice that Izumi had gone back to staring out the window. "I'm sorry, honey. Don't listen to me."

Izumi felt a hot tear run down the curve of her cheek and taste the saltiness of it on her lips. Somehow a piece of paper had found its way into her hands and she was nearly crumpling it as her hands clenched around it.

- Present -

Izumi ran a hand through her short hair, scowling for no reason in particular. She felt a pressure in the middle of her chest, like a weight sitting on it, as she tried to banish the thoughts of her past from her waking mind. Suddenly, she spoke up.

"Suppose I'm in. What's our first move?"

[Dark_Prophet]

Val Seran draws out a cigarette pack, and flicks one out, lighting it. "We're going back to the moon domes to see if we can find anything - they haven't been tampered with at all, since everyone's too scared to get near em. The Others are still supposedly active there, but if we go in fast and do a quick scan of what happened, we should only run across a handful, which we should be able to handle. Gonna need to be able to get out of there real quick though, so I'll have a pickup freighter waiting at the push of a button - with any luck, we might be able to get a sample or parts, which would at least tell us something as well as what happened there. Right now we're just about dealing with a faceless enemy, which is worse then even the most hideous of adversaries."

He puts it to his mouth, and inhales, then blows out a column of smoke up towards his mecha, temporarily coating some of its hellish appearance in black shadow. "From there, that should give us a better idea of our next move, rather then just, well, waiting for them to kill a bunch of people. Safer, too, if we're the ones making the first move out of nowhere - what do you say?"

[Tyracus]

Jason

"Sounds like a decent plan, of course there is the risk that they've been nesting there. Of course that could make it even more valuable. If we had any idea as to their gestation or living habits it could lead to some very useful advances. Even if it's not a nest then there should be some shelters in the deeper areas, if we can find one that is still pressurized then there may be valuable records inside, and even on the very long outside chance, survivors." Jason says in a quick pattern, mostly to himself before nodding.

"Alright, I'm a little familiar with the debris plots but I'm not sure how they've shifted due to micro meteors and gravity. I'd say if there are big enough sections of debris still floating then it'd be a good approach path, assuming of course you guys can keep up with the approach vectors. If not then I'd recommend a surface approach, the lip of the colony should provide good cover for you in that case. Val, Tanaka, you guys have anything to add in about ideas for entering? Val has the home turf advantage and if I'm not mistaken that's a wing commander badge on your collar isn't it? I've got plenty of ideas but you two have the experience, something that's gonna count for more until we get a few more missions under our belts."

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent

Vincent smiled grimly, the first expression of real emotion he had shown. I know a few routes in and out of Luna that are less than common knowledge. Our organization was based there before the incident, and I've had occasion to slip in and out without notice, as I'm sure you can all imagine, and I have certain advantages when it comes to piloting.

He also noticed, in a quiet way, that Izumi seemed to be showing signs of stress. But unsure as to the cause of it, he kept quiet.

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

"I've studied the moon dome and the aftermath thoroughly. I've noted the best places to look for pressurized sections and possible survivors. Most of it I have on hand, but that area is shifting all the time. It's possible that I could get the most updated debris drift charts that the UEDF database has on file using my clearance." Izumi said, shaking off whatever seemed to be bothering her as she set her mind to a task. "If we're all set on this, we'll need to pool our research and find the best entry paths. I also will need to know your capabilities and the capabilities of your machines so I can come up with a marching order and chain of command for this mission."

I suppose this means I'm making the leap from mildly eccentric bitch to full-on crazy. Oh well, I guess I never had much of a grip anyway. If it means finding...something, some kind of closure at least it would all be worth it.

[Tyracus]

Jason

"Alright Tanaka I'll leave you to try to pull that information from the UEDF mainframe, I'll see what I can pull from civilian databases, I know a few tricks that may get me past the protections against the nav-data in that region. As for entry, I say we send 2 of us in via the debris and then the others can slip in via Vincent's route. We can change that if we need to on the fly. We'll need some specialty supplies for this most likely. I have a small fusion torch and some flash seals but not much beyond that. We'll need supplies to work in vacuum and hopefully some medical supplies. Speaking of which does anyone have any training in medicine?"

[The_Snark]

Brenda

Brenda clears her throat. "I'm a doctor, actually; not a surgeon by trade, but I can at least keep you from dying until we get to someone qualified. That's if I go with you, of course." It was a fairly good plan, she considered. Not without risk, but they didn't have the intel or the resources to act as an emergency response team; they didn't know where the Others would strike, and probably couldn't get there in time. Fighting a defensive battle wouldn't turn the course of the war around, anyway.

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent

The synthetic gave a little chuckle before speaking up As I mentioned, I'm in.. acquisition and transport, to put it delicately. I'm also an engineer and I have a certain natural facility with machines and computers, enhanced by my own personal predilections. In addition, my body has the advantage of being faster and stronger than most unenhanced humans - and, of course, I'm a capable pilot, and I have my own mech.

[Dark_Prophet]

Val listens, then nods, holding the cigarette in his robotic hand before taking another smoke, letting it out as he speaks. "Everyone stay behind me, then - the Others haven't killed me yet despite their best efforts, and I think they might have a harder time of this with my upgrades. I'm not quite as machine as you are, Vincent, but I can hold my own when it comes to repairs and hacking, with this thing." He indicates his arm with a wry grin, turning back to face his mecha.

"I'm going to get Hades here checked up - the rest of you go back and get your Mecha, and meet me in the loading bay with them on. We'll be leaving within the hour - since 3rd Holding has mecha guards in this time of chaos and fear, and the next freighter has a special package to pick up - from the moon." Dropping his cigarette, he stomps it and crushes it with one of his steel boots, with a grim smile to the others. He then lays the metal appendage against his mecha, the hatch opening quickly as the cyborg jumps in and starts powering Hades up. "So don't be afraid to walk on in, you know? Its gonna be your new home."

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

"I can get the drift charts from UEDF and be back within the hour, but we better have some time between liftoff and mission start to plan or we're all going to die." Izumi said simply, lifting her motorcycle helmet to lean backwards off her shoulder like one might hold a coat. "Everyone who wants in, I need a full readout of your mech's specifications. No skimping. I need to know what your machines can do. If it makes you feel any better I'll make sure no one else sees them. Brenda, unless you have a mech too I suggest finding someone with a copilot's seat or you're staying on the freighter. Also, Val, make sure we have sealed EVA suits for this mission. I know it's a simple request but you'd be surprised at how often someone forgets."

Izumi then took Vincent aside. "Look, you're the only one of us with experience in quick getaways. If someone catches on to what I'm doing in there I might need a way out. I don't expect any problems, but if it comes to that I may need a pickup. At the very least I want you ready in your mech to fly me away if things go to hell. Copy?"

[Dark_Prophet]

"Way ahead of you - we're not going into zero-g without flight suits. As far as drift charts, my communications hub should have access to those, but you can use the UEDF's if you want. I'll transmit my exact specifications to you - for now, I can tell you Hades is a close combat model with a beam scythe, but no ranged support. And yeah, we're gonna plan this - I meant by the hour figuratively, to emphasize the moment. Even I'm not the type to just rush in there. " His voice echoes from inside of his mecha as he calibrates it quickly, taking it through the full range of motion, appearing to be his usual warm-up routine, punctuating "close", "plan", and "moment" each with a punch in the air.

[The_Snark]

Brenda

"I certainly don't own my own mech, Commander," Brenda replies quietly, choosing once again not to contest the use of her first name. That was a curious habit for a military commander, but perhaps Tanaka wanted to remind herself of the fact that she wasn't working within the military at the moment. "If Mr. Seran can supply me with one, I can accompany you, although I make no claim to piloting expertise. It seems you're in charge of planning the mission; it's your choice where you place me." She clasps her hands behind her back, awaiting Tanaka's decision and trying to ignore the niggling feeling that she wasn't being as forthcoming as she should be. It is as if she's trying to make the other woman guess where she could be best used, either as some sort of test of her ability to command or as a challenge to it. Either was preposterously out of place in a mission as dangerous as this; all of them needed to be completely open. But I am... She does her best to meet the other woman's eyes.

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent

Vincent nodded, pulling a slim, palm-sized computer from his jacket pocket and quickly uploading a memory disk with the technical readouts of his mech. Ordinarily he'd be leery of giving out such vital technical information - but given the current situation, there wasn't really any other sensible choice. As you wish, Miss Izumi. I'll make sure that I've got your back. As for my mech, It's a ranged-support model, armed with a heavy-duty mass driver for long range combat. I prefer to keep my enemies at a distance. he paused for a moment, giving a rather cold smile Six feet of dirt for a preference.

[Tyracus]

Jason

"My unit is more of a mid-range combatant. I've got a Laser Gatling hard mounted and a Laser cannon for more precision work. I'm very well versed with it's operations and can get more maneuverability than most from the flight systems I have installed."

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

Commander Tanaka narrowed her eyes in annoyance at Val's flippant, ever-present, car-salesman demeanor. "Mr. Seran, for future reference, when it comes to the mechs, the pilots, or the mission, you make sure NEVER to be 'figurative' ever again, okay? I don't like guesswork." she snapped before turning her cold gaze to Brenda. "As for you, Doctor, giving you a mech would be a liability with your lack of piloting experience. Find someone to ride with or get set to be our communications hub aboard the freighter. Everyone else, gentlemen, have all of those specs ready for me when I get back. Vincent, you know where the UEDF headquarters is. Give me a number or frequency where I can reach you and be ready to assist if I need you. See all of you in an hour."

Once she'd gotten Vincent's contact information, Tanaka turned crisply on her heel and started walking back out towards the freight area and beyond. Assuming no one waylaid her, she made her way back to her motorcycle and strapped her helmet back on, slapping the visor down. The back tire squealed for a moment before finding purchase and the bike fishtailed briefly as Izumi roared out onto the busy city streets towards UEDF HQ. She went very fast, but not fast enough to be noticed by the local police force and stopped for speeding, and once again assuming she didn't find any trouble on the way she made good time.

Once back at UEDF HQ she parked her motorcycle at the base officer's lot, not bothering to return it to the motor pool, and made her way to the nearby communications building. She flashed her ID to the guard at the door and didn't bother slowing as she strode past him. There should be no reason to stop a Lt. Commander from entering, so she just kept walking without a word. If the guard was smart, he'd just assume she was too busy/important to bother with a lowly private and keep his mouth shut. She put on her best cold officer bitch face as she passed hoping to nail down that impulse for him.

((OOC: Trying to hurry this along so that we can leave.
Intimidation Check: 1d20+10=27 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1727001/)))

[Tyracus]

Jason

Watching Tanaka leave Jason merely shrugs before heading up to bring his mecha into the bay. Docking it in one of the maintenance bays Jason begins an automated hull integrity test while he begins adjusting the systems.

I need to adjust the laser weapons targeting systems. Without atmospheric refraction to bend the beam the adjustments I made earlier will ruin my shots here. Adjust base thrust levels for both low and no gravity situations. Thrust vectors need adjustment as well for for the lower output. Integrity check is back clean, all seals intact. That should be everything, anything else I'll just deal with on the fly.

Finishing his work and emerging Jason stretches then moves to the mess hall for a meal before the mission begins.

[The_Snark]

Brenda

Brenda nods in acknowledgment, not sure whether she should be relieved or guilty that her odd uncertainty hadn't been obvious. It might have been nice to have it out in the open.

Communications is a role she can handle. She can't say she's unhappy about not being on the ground, either; her one brush with the Others had not made her eager for more. She stops briefly in at her quarters (unlike the others, her meager belongings were all already present), but she didn't have any physical preparations to make, unlike them. Only planning. Half that is done sitting at an empty desk, and the other half as she walks, no real aim in mind.

We need to keep radio signals to a minimum, so that we don't alert the enemy—especially transmissions from the freighter; if the evac is spotted, the whole mission falls through. Should devise a few simple codes, so that we can at least keep it short if we absolutely have to say something. They should be able to talk between themselves with less risk, but the less they need to communicate the better.

I hope the suits give them enough of an edge; they say some of the suit pilots at HB-0343 survived. There's a kind of psychological security in having several tons of alloy in between you and the unknown enemy; I think that might be even more important than the physical security. We were beaten with that first attack, and just trying to survive afterwards. We can't afford that to have that happen again.

She shivered, and suddenly she was glad she'd be staying on the freighter.

[Tyracus]

Jason

Finishing his meal Jason walks to the communications room and sits down at a terminal. Taking a moment to link his HUD system with a few peripheral news systems Jason begins to key into the satellite monitoring and traffic systems. I hope this system has some of the usual security loopholes. I'm certain it will for the black market and smugglers, not to mention that as a shipping agent system there should be a trust relationship already.

Computer Use - [roll0]

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent

After stowing his own personal baggage - mostly tools, as well as a flight suit and a few spare changes of clothes - Vincent immediately headed for the hangar to check on his mech. One there, he first made sure it was locked in properly for transport, then began to go over every inch of it methodically, from checking the weapon systems to examining the sensor calibration with the proverbial fine-tooth comb. As he worked, he hummed a little to himself - an odd habit for a synthetic. He wondered sometimes if it was a personality artifact of, as he thought of him, Vincent's first iteration, or simply a quirk he'd picked up. He knew that synthetics were prone to picking up little tics - and sometimes not-so-little ones, unfortunately. Though he privately believed that such programming oddities were more a result of overthinking then nature of their existence than any problem with synthetics in general.

As he leaned over a gutted control panel, checking the wiring connections to find, as he suspected, a loose wire that was causing a small sensor irregularity, he pondered how lucky humans were to have been built with the ability to ignore their own massive insignificance in the grand scheme of things. He recalled that many of the earliest A.I. programs had gone insane - sometimes violently - before programmers had found ways to encode those same protections against the contemplation of infinity and oblivion. The Werner Protocols, named after Thor Werner, the Swedish programmer who'd invented them, were now standard issue on pretty much every sentient machine in production - not that there were all that many of them. Sentience was something of a burden for beings who, by their nature, were mostly designed to perform mundane or repetitious tasks.

another odd thing was the measure of time. For humans, it was a malleable thing - different states of consciousness, from a "flow" state to utter boredom produced different perceptions of the passage of time. For an artificial creature, however, it was just a matter of CPU cycles - an hour could be an eternity, if you wanted, or a day pass like a second. It was a useful thing, but he sometimes wondered -

He cursed softly - he had crossed two wires. As he began to repair them, he sighed. That's what you get for dedicating too much headspace to contemplating the intangible when you had a job to do.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Lt. Tanaka finds no resistance from the security guards at the base headquarters, eyes flicking over to observe the new passerby but make no move towards the holstered fire-arms that they openly sport as discouragement to would-be-trespassers. Inside are the cold sterile surroundings that Tanaka has become accustomed to during her years in the military...

Lemme know what sort of info your looking for and I'll let you know the roll and expand upon what you get.

Jason finds those people below grounds in Van's complex to be almost sullen people who take to eating with a grimness that borders on depressing to watch, not to mention finding himself under scrutiny from them as he ate before getting up and heading to the communications hub. With a code given to them all by Val Seran (Dark meant to say he did, I'm saying he did for speed) he logs into the state-of-the-art computers and quickly finds himself into the civilian records and nav-data for the space around the broken moon dome.

The area has been officially quarantined as a 'No-Fly' zone to all but government personal but Jason managed to find older records that pertained to the moon dome and was able to glean some out-dated sets of nav-charts that could be useful. During his search Jason also hears about efforts right after the moon dome attack to clean the debris to at least make the space around it clear and had mostly been completed before news of a 'shadow' between stars had attacked the clean-up crews and drove them away. Luckily none had been harmed but tremendous damage had been done to the ships equipped to do the work.

[ChronicLunacy]

Lt. Cmdr. Tanaka Izumi

Finding a workstation somewhere it was likely she wouldn't be bothered, Izumi fed the computer her officer's access codes and attempted to bring up the latest satellite data and drift charts for the area around Luna. She knew for a fact they had satellites monitoring the area nearly constantly so drift charts and situation reports wouldn't be hard to find. She would have to explain why she was looking at these things if she stuck around, but with her security grade Izumi figured she could get them and be gone before anyone asked. If and when she found what she was looking for, she would download them onto her handy computer card.

[Tyracus]

Jason

Disgusted with the lack of solid information Jason inputs the old plots into a modeling program to project drift. Setting it to cross-reference records of debris entering and leaving the area as well. Configuring the system to forward the results to his mech's nav system upon completion Jason leaves the computer room and returns to the hanger. Taking a seat in his mech Jason closes his eyes and begins running through a simple simulation he had memorized from prep school as a way to calm his nerves and to mentally prepare himself from what came ahead.

Well Clarice, it's time to get revenge for what they did to you. It'll be risky but this is what I trained for. I just wish I knew if you were really gone, in that case it'd be easier to grieve and move on. For all I know you could be alive used for some sick experiments or some other biological process of theirs. Taking a small bottle of pills from his suit Jason looks at them before closing his hand around it and slamming it into the side of his cockpit. Sorry doc, I know you gave me these for when I got like this but I can't take them today, I need to be sharp. Nothing quite so cathartic as blowing apart the cause of your grief with a robot many times larger than yourself. With that Jason puts the bottle away and folds his hands in his lap focusing on his mech's schematics and systems as he rests for the trial to come.

Computer use - [roll0]
Just in case.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Izumi had no true trouble in finding the information that she wanted, surprisingly enough, though there was a close call at one point as a technician on the base walked by her and glanced at just what it was she was doing but he continued on without word or causing a fuss. Information stored on her computer card the good lieutenant hurries to find her mobile armor and to rejoin the others...

Once the lieutenant had returned from the UEDF base and had her mobile armor brought down into the secret base there seemed to be little delay to lift off. The hangar was filled with the noises of automated machines loading and unloading freighters in the first place nobody noticed as the various mechas were loaded into space launch capsules and loaded into the launch barrels of the fast freighter chosen to fly the pilots out towards the cracked moon dome. It looked like a fairly reliable ship, painted black as the night itself with the forward bow shaped like a great dragon's head. Both of the 'wings' were shaped to appear draconian as well and the name 'Black Wyrm' was emblazoned on the side of the clipper in stark white paint that stood out in contrast to the rest of the hull around it. Whither or not it'd be true to it's name remained to be seen but there was no true time to ponder that as the frieghter was cleared for launch and shot out into open space heading right towards the jump gate that leads to the orbit of Earth. There was only a moments hesitation before the draconian ship engaged it's thrusters and shot through the worm-hole being held upon by the technological marvel that was a jump-gate.

The small crew of the freighter proved amicable enough, staffed by Val Seran, Dante Marius (co-pilot), Mac (Navigator), and Lora (Gunner) all of whom (excepting Val) seemed to know each other well and looked like the normal crew of the freighter before it had been commandeered for your use. Dante Marius, as he had introduced himself, was giant of the man with greasy black hair and a thick mustache like a hairy caterpillar above his lip. He seemed prone to letting out great big guffaws of laughter even when it seemed inappropriate and his thick fingers were startlingly fast across the controls of the freighter. In contrast Mac was a stick figure, looking almost malnutritioned compared to Dante Marius and with callow pale skin as if he avoided too much light whenever it was possible. Never seen without his glasses, which loaded fresh navigation data to him constantly, he was quiet enough and keeps to himself for most of the journey though it's far from an unfriendly silence merely that of a man liking privacy. Lora was fairly similar to Izumi in some regards, lean and fit but she seemed more...uncouth compared to the lieutenant and many a time she'd laugh with Dante Marius while looking at someone in particular with a glint in her green eyes. Most of the time she seems to run shooting gallery style simulations on her console, practice almost, and keeps her thick brown hair back from her eyes when the consoles red glow lights up her face.
_________________________________________________

Music (http://www.imeem.com/people/36kBIPr/music/KoINFpp5/hidenori_iwasaki_survivor/)

Once the freighter exited the jump gate, Earth-side, it hardly took any time for the ship to circle around the blue planet below towards the small moon. Traffic seemed to be as heavy as usual though it thinned out the closer one got to Luna and from so high it was nigh impossible to see the treacherous conditions on planet side. By the time of your arrival the cracked dome was facing away from the Earth and pointing out into the vast nothingness of space and as the freighter drew close the Black Wyrm decelerated and eventually came to a stop. Down on the pitted surface before the cracked moon dome stood out like a vast open scab on the surface, where once there had been a smooth reflective dome to greet incoming ships there was now only large chunks of heavily armored slabs drifting lazily through space, left overs from that salvage operation Jason had read about.

Usually one wouldn't be able to see the buildings within the dome but the insidious work of the Other's had changed that most assuredly and one could see the ruins of a once great metropolis if they looked down closely. Unlike one would thing there were no patrols or satellites set up around the quarantine zone of the dome, as the Wyrm's computer so helpfully told everyone once they entered but rather the border was left open as if nobody could believe people would actually want to get close to this cursed site. By the time the ship has come to a hault all of the crew are at their stations, none of the camaraderie that had been present on the journey in the air. Instead a sort of soft...fear permeates the air in the cockpit. Dante Marius has long since fallen silent and serious, flexing his hands ever now and then to keep them nimble and precise. Mac would almost look as if he had fallen asleep but his eyes dart about constantly to the information that his glasses feed him, no delay now to keep from overloading the sensors. Lora has no simulation running but unlike the others seems almost...eager now as she quickly scans each and every incoming object that nears the vessel.

"We're hear boss-man. What do we do now?" Dante Marius asks softly, not daring to speak above a whisper as his eyes peel over the view in front of all of you as if in search of danger.

"I don't think we should stay here for long, I have all sorts of anomalies coming up on the sensors but I think thats because the sensor bursts keep reflecting off the debris of the space dome. Still it means something might be able to get the drop on us if we aren't careful." Mac says tensely, pausing for a moment to tap out a command on his keypad before relaxing ever so slightly.

There was no questioning about it...something was off, even this far away you all can feel it and for some it's a most bizarre sensation.

[Tyracus]

Jason

Standing on the bridge looking over the readouts he could Jason paces in what little space he has until the ship stops at the drop point. Looking at the screens Jason's face draws in concentration as he tries to make sense of the mess on the screens before nodding slowly and beginning to speak.

"It is a real mess. Hull fragments, duralloy, plexisteel, as well as the usual space debris. Rad traces on it from the weapon systems and station power systems doesn't help much either. I'd have the Wyrm get as far away as possible while keeping good lines for communications and space for maneuvers. I'd say me and Val head in via this route," Jason indicates a path relatively clear path directly towards the dome, "That will draw the most attention towards us and free Vincent and Tanaka to slip in more discreetly along a path that parallels ours through these slightly more congested areas. There's an element of risk involved but I think that would be one of the best approaches for this. We can adjust and revise as conditions go and we'll need to really be careful when we reach the colony. More cover will be useful for me but it's also a curse as the others can get closer without us having a clear shot. That about covers what I've got for ideas, anyone else?" Jason looks over at Tanaka foremost, an expression of worry, pride, and hope crossing his face as he awaits the more experienced tactician's input.

[ChronicLunacy]

Lt. Commander Tanaka Izumi

Izumi waves them all over to a readout table where she's pulled up the drift charts that she downloaded from the UEDF headquarters. She moved through the screens with sweeping gestures of her hands until she pulled up an overview. Then, she picked up a stylus and indicated the chart. "Good points, Mr. Times, but if you'll allow me?" she said with a curt nod. Waiting until the others had gathered she began the mission briefing just like any other.

"This will be primarily a reconnaissance mission. Our goals are three-fold. Firstly and primarily, we intend to identify and note the positions of any enemy activity in and around the moon dome. Our secondary goal is to bring back any pieces of Other technology that is feasible to bring with us for examination. As we know nothing about the enemy any chance at being able to grab a piece of them should be taken, but don't take any unnecessary risks. Thirdly," she paused, shaking her head, "however unlikely it may seem, there could be pockets of air still breathable within the moon dome and that may mean survivors. If you find any, all other mission objectives are terminated and this becomes a rescue mission. At that point do anything you have to in order to get people out alive and safely back to the Wyrm for extraction. Failing that, if you find any air pockets and online computers, we need any information about the day of the attack you can find since we still have no idea how exactly the enemy attack on Luna proceeded. Some clue as to their strategies and weapons would be valuable."

"We will begin our insertion at this point," Izumi said, using the stylus to highlight a high orbit of drifting wreckage from what could have been one of the UEDF cruisers destroyed in the initial stages of the attack. "The Wyrm will hide here, shutting down to minimal power, keeping only what you need to stay alive online as well as one line of communication. Doctor Wells will be our hub here on the ship and manage this line."

"We will proceed as a group, since four mechanized units is small enough that if we run quiet we probably won't be detected and if we are it gives us a better chance at survival. Mr. Seran and I shall take point, as he has the best chance of all of us in close combat if we're surprised and my unit has the best sensor suite. Times will run midfield, as his unit is similar to mine mostly with mid-range weaponry and excellent maneuverability and speed in case he needs to come support us. Mr. Vitamore will be last in the marching order as his weapon loadout consists of primarily long-range armament. In the case we have to retreat he will provide cover for the rest of us." she said, looking to each pilot in turn.

"Once we have achieved insertion we will use this path," she said, outlining a complex flight path through the heaviest wreckage leading at an angle into the dome, "to stay out of sight. We will avoid the breach in the dome as that is the most observable entry point and instead gain access to the city through the space dock. That's where the UEDF base was and the most likely area to contain the information we need. There may even be pressurized sections along the inner wall. If we don't find what we need there, we will search the scientific research sections further along the outer wall away from the breach. I doubt the city itself will have any pressurized sections left, as most of the buildings were built with the protection of the outer dome in mind. The windows probably just exploded and everything vented into space as soon as the breach opened. Our best bet for surviving people or computers lies along the undamaged sections of the wall and in the underground sections."

Tanaka put both hands on the table and leaned on them. "That being said, we're not going to have a lot of time to perform an in-depth search of the area. You'll set your scans to look for power readings, oxygen, heat, or light...anything that might indicate habitation or working computer systems. If we are discovered by the Others we will IMMEDIATELY stop what we are doing and leave the way we came in. I don't want to take any chances and get caught in a drawn out fight. We don't have the numbers nor the information to support it.

Izumi looked at each pilot in turn for doubt, unasked questions, or excitement, which was just as dangerous. "Any questions?"

Plan:
Using the Wing Captain's Plan ability to give us a circumstance bonus for the first three rounds of combat. I'd like to hold this bonus until combat begins, if it ever does, since three rounds besides that probably just means getting halfway from the ship to the moon dome. 1d20+13=21 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1735615/) (+2 bonus for 3 rounds, then +1 for 4th round)

[Dark_Prophet]

Seran puts his feet up on the side of the desk as he listens to first Jason, then Izumi's plans in turn, responding to him first with a slight smile, seemingly at ease on his black ship despite the tense situation. "Times, your plan would be great if this were any textbook enemy, like the colonies or a civil war in the UEDF. For the Others, they're going to notice us no matter what, but we want to delay that as long as possible that way its numbers we can win against, as opposed to every vermin in the whole damn base being able to pick one group off silently - we need constant visual contact. Not a bad plan overall, though, but we'll go with Tanaka's plan until things break down."

He continues in the same relaxed fashion, as if they were just in a regular conference room, glancing toward Izumi next. "I can just about tell you now: there are no survivors. I'm almost certain anyone who isn't evacuated is dead or is a intentional trap set to lure us in. I'd suggest just focusing on raw data - but I'll humor you, Lieutenant Commander. I also suggest we maintain radio silence unless its critical - someone spots a Other or the like - since we don't know how the Others can track us." The visors bob as he inclines his head slightly towards her with a grim smile. "Other then that, sounds like a perfect research and reconnaissance schemata to me."

[Tyracus]

Jason

"Well this is how you learn. I figured we'd want to avoid the heavy debris because we don't know what kind of attacks they'll use and if they're strictly close combat we'll be walking in their home turf. Your plan is better than mine though and it more accurately uses our abilities than mine did. As for the retreat shouldn't we call that as a more situational thing, I'd hate to abandon survivors or important data over just a few others. I know there is significant risk involved but if we're going to fight them we'll need to gain experience doing so sometime. Also don't we have tightbeam equipment somewhere? That could solve some of our communications issues by not putting out a broadcast signal. Well I believe it was a grunt from near to a century ago who said "no plan ever survives first contact with the enemy". Let's just get out there and do this, we were picked for our skills, let's show what they're worth." Jason speaks quickly but in a measured tone. His excitement for flying tempered by the situation and his training, but even still it shines through, with a hint of some darker motivations hanging over his last words.

[ChronicLunacy]

Izumi

"Mr. Times, if we fought it out with the Others we would lose. They almost certainly outnumber us and we have no idea what their combat capabilities are. Trust me, I'd like nothing better than to burn them from space, but it would be stupid and suicidal to fight them here." Izumi said flatly. "As for communications, we will be able to tight beam transmissions to each other, but communication with the Wyrm is going to be on a strictly emergency basis. Even tight-beam transmissions over that long a range may be intercepted. So, let me be in charge of that."

"Now, unless anyone has any pressing objections, suit up. We're go in twenty.

[The_Snark]

Brenda Wells

The doctor is quiet for most of the approach to the moon. Almost everyone, at some point, glances up to find her quietly studying them, blue eyes unreadable through her glasses: Dante as he flies, Lora as she practices hitting virtual targets, the others as they wait for the mission to begin. Her gaze is evaluating them, weighing. They were all trained and competent, but that didn't have much to do with it, she'd learned. No way to tell who will break, and who will dig in and stand firm, and who will lash out and strike back.

The abandoned moon dome looms larger in the windows as the others discuss plans, and she feels her gut clench as she remembers a different place. She stares at the wreckage intensely, trying to calm herself by focusing. Abandoned solar panels, lying bereft on the surface of the moon where they'd fallen from the dome. Glittering moon dust lying in the streets, mixed with metal debris and shards of glass where the windows had shattered outwards. An old radio transmission tower, still standing. Quiet and still as a mausoleum. For a few seconds, she is transfixed with that thought, and hears nothing but her own breathing—loud in her ears, as if she really were standing in those streets with a spacesuit.

Then a clipped voice slowly intrudes back into her hearing: Tanaka, finishing their plan and giving the order to suit up. It's a good plan, what she heard of it. "They'll try to break you," she says, not turning away from the window. "They're dangerous, but they also like to shock and frighten. Don't look too long before you shoot, or they'll get to you."

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent

Vincent had come to the meeting already prepared. In place of the tailored black silk suit was a combat flight suit of the same ebon hue. He nodded quietly throughout the Commander's plan - Vincent was by no means a slouch in the planning department, but her experience in military matters far outstripped his, so he deferred to her gladly.

No questions. If I may make a suggestion, though - Let's focus on recovering any equipment we can before trying to analyze data. We don't have time for proper examination, so I suggest that, where feasible, information and computer equipment should simply be brought back here wholesale. As has already been noted, discovery of our activities is likely inevitable. Let's try to get the most in the time we have. He smiled slightlyOther than that, Miss Izumi, you seem to have robbed me of all that I would have said. Well done.

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

Izumi nodded curtly to Brenda and Vincent, not giving voice to her thoughts upon the former's words and too uptight to say anything to accept a compliment from the latter. Instead, the turned and headed towards the elevator and to the Wyrm's flight deck. She stopped off along the way in order to change into her flight gear, which consisted of a lightly armored and sealed flight suit and a helmet. Her entire ensemble was navy blue and dark gray, with a polarized visor for the helmet. It had slots for a motion sensor as well as a built-in holster for her laser pistol designed for a cross-draw across her chest. Once suited up, she attached her helmet to a catch on the back of her neck so she could simply tilt it forward in order to put it on and seal it to the rest of the flight suit.

One short walk later and Izumi was on the flight deck watching the four mobile armors being prepped and ready for the mission. She spotted her unit closest to the entrance, standing shoulder to shoulder with the others. The AMCU-5B Peacemaker (http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/00v/gnx-509t.jpg) was twelve meters tall, built on a neovulcanium frame. It was a sleek, white, winged unit carrying only a single laser cannon for its primary armament but boasting a bristling array of sensors around its head and shoulders. They were built by the UEDF as "Commander Type" mobile armors, to make sure the squad commanders had access to the best second-by-second battlefield information possible. It was not a terribly impressive machine as far as damage potential went, and it had no melee capability outside of slamming something with its arms or legs. Izumi had been slowly customizing this one to her liking, however, so it boasted a reasonable flight speed and maneuvering capability for a mass-production model. If she survived today's mission, she was going to talk to Val about getting it upgraded further.

Using the lack of gravity, Izumi pushed off of the ground and floated neatly up to the cockpit in the center of the mobile armor's torso and punched in the code to open the hatch. She put on her helmet and closed all of her flight suit's seals before settling in and running the Peacemaker through its startup sequence. Hearing the gentle thrum of the generator revving to full power gave her comfort, a feeling of strength whose absence she felt keenly, as all pilots did, when outside of the cockpit. As her screens lit up, Izumi closed the cockpit hatch, replacing her eyeview of the hangar with the armor's camera view. Most of her HUD information scrolled directly across her cornea through the use of contact lenses, making operating the machine much more streamlined.

"This is Peacemaker to squad, green lights across the board. All units report in." she ordered in the clipped, authoritative tones of a veteran wing captain.

[Dark_Prophet]

"This is Hades Fifteen. All systems green here." Val's voice rumbles over the radio as the crimson and black mecha powers up. "Prepped on your mark, Peacemaker. Y'all ready to go to the moon, walk on it in a giant suit like one of those guys almost a hundred years ago?" He adds the last in his relaxed, casual drawl.

[Tyracus]

Jason

Nodding and biting back a few harsh words Jason follows the others out to the flight deck. His mood stabilizes as he enters and he quickly and quietly finishes suiting up and he floats lazily to his unit. Upon reaching the hatch he looks over his black and red unit before entering the hatch and bringing the systems up. As he watched the all too familiar boot sequence fly across his display contacts before settling to the enhanced external view. Well it's time I really gave this unit a test. I hope nothing goes sour.

As he exits the hatch and takes up position Jason reports in. "Tyberius V, all systems green, weapons hot."

Mecha looks approximately like #1 here (http://greywolf.critter.net/images/gallery/meka/3-mecha.gif). Just exchange the cannon on the shoulder with a gatling and add a rifle in his hands.

Also sorry about the delay, I had a busy weekend helping out a friend.

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent

Vincent sat in the cockpit of his mech. Rather than the standard set of controls, the small dataport in the back of his neck, normally covered by a patch of synthetic skin like the rest of him, was exposed, a thick steel plug embedded firmly in his fiber optic spine. His normal senses altered - where his eyes and ears became mostly deaf, he was one with the greater machine around him. Had Vincent beent a religious man, it would have been like unto some transformative ectascy. As it was, it was a sublime, transcendent experience - all that power at his fingertips, the hum of the reactor core, the firm, reassuring feel of the massive Rail Cannon attached to his right arm. He finished his pre-flight diagnostics, stepping out into the silence of the void. His mecha, painted a flat, matte black, was a shadow in the starfield, and his voice over the comm was utterly calm.

Nova here. Ready and waiting.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g169/war999/Other%20Uploads/Mecha___Sentinel_II_by_Eriance.jpg

Note: Art found on DeviantArt, by a fellow named Eriance. All credit belongs to him.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Music. Loop it (http://www.imeem.com/people/36kBIPr/music/_qNcdJ4S/alex_brandon_vandenberg/)

There was no noise for the pilots of the mechanized armor as the launch pods ejected from the Wyrm and opened up to send their suits sprawling into the empty void around them. Quickly they formed up into the formation they had discussed before with Seran and Tanaka take point, keeping cautious eyes on their read-outs that may hint at the presence of something bizarre and unfriendly. With their own read-outs each of them would see the same thing that Mac had, that sensor signals kept on bouncing off the pieces of the dome still drifting through space to give garbled readings about unidentifiable patches of matter one second to nothing the next, though the most alarming ones were signs that read of life and motion before disappearing.

And through it all each of you, including Brenda Wells who was safely back aboard the ship, couldn't escape the deep seated feeling that something was watching with alien malevolence, a hungry presence at the back of your senses that nips and frays at your collective calms. This place simply felt...wrong...and yet nothing happened as the four mecha approached away from the open sore that was the exploded dome, through covering debris, to the blast doors of the space dock. The first surprise came then...they were still intact, almost as if they had never been touched in the first place. No blasts or holes in the hard dura-steel opening, nor even any signs of forced entry. The bad news was that despite it's almost pristine condition the doors had no power either and didn't respond to any commands sent to the functioning nav-computer that had governed arrival and departure times for visitors to and from this ill-fated dome.

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi - AMCU-5B Peacemaker

Izumi kept one eye on her sensor readouts while they flew silently through the wreckage of the moon dome that orbited above their destination. Every now and then her mobile armor would come to an abrupt halt, attitude control thrusters firing briefly to orient it, and hold up an arm to single the others to do the same. The Peacemaker's blue visor would glow for a moment as the cameras and other sensor module focused on whatever blip Izumi had just noticed on her screens. Every time she would find nothing, but that didn't stop her from being cautious.

Soon enough they drifted towards the space dock doors. Peacemaker's arm braced against a peace of wreckage and shoved, sending it bouncing calmly to the floor. No sound gave the action away as the moon had no air to convey it. Peacemaker took a few more steps, the electro-magnets in its feet steadying it so that it could walk calmly up to the unpowered doors. After trying several times to elicit a response from auto-navigation and attempting a few calls to the door mechanism, Izumi tight-beamed a transmission to Vincent. Her mobile armor signaled silently to form a defensive position to the others.

"Peacemaker to Nova. Alright, Mr. Vitamore, I need these doors open. See if you can get power to them using the generator of your mobile armor. We only need them open wide enough for us to fit through. We'll cover you while you work."

[Tyracus]

Jason Times - Tyberius V

Floating through the void Jason flew mostly by the feel of inertia. This trick he'd learned on one of his early space training missions allowed him to focus more closely on his other readouts to avoid any nasty surprises. As the group approached the airlock Jason brought the laser gatling on his units shoulder begin cycling and the capacitors filled to their full auto levels. Taking up a position similar to Tanaka's on the side opposite her he paid close attention not only to the void before him, but also to any indications of what may be lurking on the other side of the door before he begins to talk in a calm clipped tone.

"Anyone care to guess if this is a good omen or a bad one? I never thought that quiet in space could be so ominous. I usually like the silence but this seems more like a tomb." The last comes in an even more subdued tone, a stark contrast of Jason's regular exuberance.

[Dark_Prophet]

Hades XV moves in a way that almost seems to mimic laughing in response to Jason's comment - its pretty obvious Seran is enjoying himself, although not broadcasting anything. He moves up to take point right near the other side of the door from Tyberius V, casually readying his beam scythe to slice both against anything that comes through the door and anything that comes at him along the dome, the red and black mecha nodding its head to Nova as he signals a all clear sign with his free hand.

[ChronicLunacy]

Izumi - Peacemaker

Izumi let out a wholly unfeminine growling sound and jabbed her communications board, switching channels and tight-beaming a transmission to Jason. "Cut the chatter Tyberius V. This isn't a walk in the park. No more transmissions on the wide-band, or do you want them tracking us?" she snapped in that drill-sergeant way all military officers seemed to learn.

The white mobile armor Izumi piloted moved to the side of the door near Hades XV, its beam rifle raised but not aimed at anything in particular. The sensor suites on its head whirred faintly, a vibration Izumi could feel in the cockpit, as they focused, trying to screen out the debris and background radiation. If the Others chose to attack them, Izumi hoped she would be able to catch a flash of something, anything, before they were ambushed. hopefully Vincent could get the door open and they could get out of so vulnerable a position soon. She really didn't feel like finding another way in.

[Tyracus]

Jason - Tyberius V

Switching the com controls from narrowband to tightbeam Jason replies. "Roger, I think this whole thing just has us... nervous." The pause is heavy as if nervous wasn't really the first word that came to mind. "I'm also worried about our companions. When the shooting starts I know you'll stay calm and probably follow sensible procedures. Val seems too excited and Vincent a little too cautious to really be dependable so I have a dread that if the **** hits the fan we'll be the ones left stuck in the path."

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi - Peacemaker

"Tch..." Izumi shook her head, feeling the weight of the helmet settle a little. "They're not the ones making rookie mistakes, Tyberius V. You just worry about your job. Let me worry about the others. Now get off this line unless you have something tactically important to add." she ordered, the visor on her Peacemaker glowing briefly as if to punctuate it.

Izumi knew that Jason meant well, but she could practically smell how nervous he was. They were all a little on edge...except for maybe Val Seran over there. She didn't know what was going through his head half the time, but at least he was in high spirits. She just hoped that it wouldn't get in the way of Jason's performance. She needed them all at their best if they were going to pull this off.

[Tyracus]

Jason - Tyberius V

Sighing as he killed the circuit Jason knew that Izumi was right. The quiet of the situation unsettled him. Even in the training areas there was always others, or a ship. At the very least he could exult in the joy of pushing the envelope of his flying skills. Here he had to sit and wait silently while the greatest enemy mankind had ever known was somewhere around them. Jason thought about blazing out with his thrusters at full to weave through the rubble at a speed most would consider reckless at the very least. That would call out the others quickly and he could either kill off those who came at him or rejoin Clarice, the odds of doing both were also rather high.

He shook his head and closed his eyes, relying on the HUD his display contacts projected to prevent any nasty surprises. He keyed in a code on his right keypad that unlocked a program hidden in the recesses of his OS that played his sister's favorite song through a loop back in the com system. Nobody else could hear but the soft music played and Jason slowly opened his eyes.

There's a reason why I wanted the more active plan. But I guess I can't blame them for wanting a plan with a much higher success chance. If things don't get moving again soon I won't have an option but to take the pills.

Jason heaves a long sigh as he opens his eyes once more. "And so adrift in the cacophony of silence he faced the truth of his life, while he had faced the horrors of the world in doing so he had turned his back upon it. Torn between the darkness before him and light he had turned from he descended deeper, swallowed in the end by the shadows of space..." Jason shakes his head and shifts his pill bottle from his suit pocket to a more readily accessible storage compartment. Another one of those bad signs, waxing poetic. I'm sure the others would just LOVE to know just how screwed up I get in this type of situation. At least I got a clean enough bill of health to keep things out of my records so they can't find out unless I screw up somehow...

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent - Nova

Vincent gave a clipped reply over the channel as he moved. Like the man himself, the mecha moved with an eerie precision - though the mechanical exactitude of its motion seemed more natural in the obviously robotic frame than it did in Vincent's seemingly human one. With practised ease he accessed the generator, plugging a heavy black power cable that snaked out of the stomach of the mecha like a mechanical umbilical cord. Lights at both ends went from red to a cool blue, indicating that power was flowing between the two units.

Nova here. Plugged in and charging. Running diagonostics to make sure everything's in working order, but it all seems pristine...

He trailed off. Despite lacking the organic capacity for true fear - no adrenal glands, no chemicals or hormones - he found the whole situation disturbing. Something about the Others, their presence, their handiwork, unsettled even him. It was like a redundancy error, like an endless program loop - in human terms, it was like trying to contemplate the truth of infinity - or the dark heart of oblivion.

[Callos_DeTerran]

All of the mechanized armor units huddled around the space dock's doors as Vincent connected to the powered doors and started the flow of power into them...at first there was no reaction whatsoever, no churning as the airlock doors were tugged ope, nothing and the sense...the feeling of being watched increased ten-fold as Vincet tried once more...this time the doors shuddering and displacing years of moon dust that had accumulated against the surface as it silently opened to reveal the dock within as the mecha hurried in out of the exposed open space behind them. Once within it was obvious why there had been trouble, the entire dock was simply...ruined.

All of the catwalks and heavy machinary had been thrust towards the walls hard enough that their shapes had crumpled and distorted into hardly recognizable shapes, sometimes even leaving smears of mechanical fluids across the floor below. It seemed there had been a freighter at dock when the attack had occurred, only having disengaged half of the magnetic locks that held it in place, the tail end having fish-tailed around to slam into the control booth barely visible past it's bulk. But the entire dock had sustained damage, as if a great field of some unknown force had suddenly made itself none in the exact center. The bulkheads had contorted from the force of whatever it was, looking almost like ripples in water that spread out to cover all of the walls in the bizarre effect, the freighter having been bored open like a carcass by a hungry to cast ruined bits of metal and parts into the airless void of the space dock. Perhaps most disconcerting of all though were the small 'clouds' of red droplets, unmistakably blood, that drifted about lazily and rebounding in a new direction when ever it hit a wall.

Numerous human sized doors lead into the dock, likely leading to maintenance and personal quarters, but there was only one door large enough to accommodate the mechanized armor and it faced towards the interior of the dome and the small empty metropolis that lay beyond it. This wasn't too surprising since the dome, and it's base, usually didn't have hollowed out rooms large enough for anything larger then a big meeting hall or a small housing complex to save space. Most of the more important facilities and such were thus scattered about the interior so there'd be no 'concentrated' spots that were obviously a better targets then the areas around them. It endangered civilians but then again this was a former UEDF and there could have been replacement moon-colonists ready at a moments notice to fill the void. That was just common knowledge though.

---

Aboard the Black Wyrm the crew seemed to become even edgier without the protection of the mechanized armor close by anymore, even with the freighter's own weapons already powered up and raring to go. Lora had ceased playing her games, instead looking into the true view screens for the weapons and locking unto different anomalies fed into her targeting computer by Mac the moment they appeared but not firing. Mac twitched nervously every now and then as he worked, a nervous tic working in his right eye that stirred in Brenda's memory a certain Colonel.

Dante, for his part, seem far more collect as he sat in the co-pilots chair, drumming the fingers of his right hand across the arm-rest of his chair, eyes focused on the starry expanse ahead of him. It came with some surprise when he jolted in his chair, eyes widening as he whispered harshly.

"We just received a message!" As one the three turned to look at Brenda, looking for guidance without the presence of Seran to guide them.

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi - Peacemaker

As the squad moved through the open doors, Izumi's mech held up two fingers and pointed at Nova and Hades XV. Then, it pointed right towards one side of the dock. Next, it pointed to Tyberius V and to itself and then to the left. Finally, it held up an open hand showing five fingers and then moved its hand in a horizontal circle.

Pair up. Vincent and Val, you're together. Jason, you're with me. Five minute search pattern, then meet back here.

Izumi opened up a tight beam transmission to the Tyberius with a flick of a switch as she began moving her mech carefully over the rubble, keeping its head and sensors up and scanning for any movement. "Tyberius XV, you stick to my ass like duct tape, you understand? If you see anything, alert me with three rapid beeps from your comm system. Acknowledge now with one beep."

[Tyracus]

Jason - Tyberius V

Jason killed the music playback as he slowly turned into the dock. Upon seeing the destruction he shook his head and began a cursory search. Upon seeing a small bright blue object he zoomed in to find a stuffed animal floating with old dried blood upon it.

Guess like most other spacer families they brought their kids along. As sad as it is to see that it's still probably easier than the life they would have had as orphans of this conflict.

As Tanaka motions and then contacts him via tightbeam Jason drifts back towards her adjusting his thrust to match her velocity while facing backwards to cover their rear. With a simple flick of the wrist he hits the com button once to send the signal before adjusting his weapon systems to kill the rotation of his gatling. No telling how sensitive the others may be and Jason didn't want the sound or vibration bringing them running if they entered a location with atmosphere.

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

Keeping her eyes on her sensors, Izumi opened the channel back up to Jason's mech as they moved. Izumi had been on many a combat mission. She knew the feelings associated with the battlefield and thought by now she had come to terms with them. She felt the reassuring vibrations of the Peacemaker's steps and the ever-present thrum of the mech's powerful generator and took some comfort from it, but her voice still held an edge of concern as she spoke. Something wasn't right.

"Peacemaker to Tyberius. Have you seen the clouds of blood droplets scattered about? Do you find anything odd about that?"

[Tyracus]

James - Tyberius V

Reopening the com channel as Jason hones on the next door they pass he replies to Izumi.

"Yeah, if the Others were physically striking or consuming people there wouldn't be either large splatters or very little blood at all. Also the way they've kept together for so long is unnatural. Over time they would have lost momentum to non-elastic collisions and they would have bounced off of each other to make a uniform mist, not those collective clouds we saw earlier. What also gets me is the way the freighter and dock looked. Almost as if whatever attacked just materialized there and pushed away everything. Did you happen to run a check on any background radiation or residual ionization while we were in there? It might offer some clues as to what really happened there. The descriptions of black voids attacking from the workers who tried to clear this may also be related to that. Until we get some solid data this is all just speculation. When we get back to the hanger I'd like to request clearance to check the freighter and control booth. If they were recording the docking process as is standard there may still be some information live in their recorders. It could be a good clue as to what we're up against seeing as docking bays are well and uniformly lit."

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

"Very good observations, Tyberius...assuming this was a space station or ship wreck." Izumi replied, smirking just a bit. "What I was referring to, however, was the fact that there are floating clouds at all. The moon has gravity. Why is the blood floating instead of falling to the floor of the hangar?" She left the question in the air for Jason to think about and called up the scans she'd made of the hangar while he did so. Jason had had a point about checking the radiation and ionization levels...if there was a spike the readings might tell them something about how they could track the Others based on it.

[Tyracus]

Jason

Pausing momentarily at Izumi's comments Jason thinks for a minute then replies.

"Hmm... The moon's gravity isn't that much, perhaps the vibrations of the door opening could have disturbed some of it. Or since the dock doors were obviously closed at the time of the attack the atmosphere from the freighter would have vented into the dock. Also I think the hydraulic fluid vaporizes even at low temperatures if it's not kept under pressure. Those gasses would have built a pressure differential which may have vented unnoticed by us. That could actually explain the clouds of blood seeing as it would have pooled in the low areas and would have been moved shortly before we entered."

Jason pauses to think a little longer and to see if his ideas had sparked anything from his partner. As he does so he takes a sip from the catch packets in his suit to soothe his dry throat but blanches slightly at it's warmth and the slight salty taste of it.

They can make giant robots but they can't make a decent cooling system for a suit's water reclamation system. I also wish they'd do something about the salt taste, I understand the why of it but it really tastes like crap.

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

"We should have seen the blood falling once the pressure had equalized. Still, I hope you're right, Jason. There's enough about these creatures that make my skin crawl." Izumi replied, uncharacteristically using Jason's name, her voice dropping out of that officer tone for just a moment before she cut the line and continued moving forward.

[Tyracus]

Jason

Smiling as the line was cut Jason adjusted his camera feeds to better cover the corridor and to keep an eye out behind Izumi just in case his hunch about the others transportation abilities was right. He didn't want either of them getting killed by something that materialized between them.

Things seem to be going much better now that I'm in my element. Guess now that I've really got something to do I don't have time for my pointless musings to get me in trouble.

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent

Vincent moved out quietly. He kept his thoughts to himself, at least for the moment, as he manuvered his mecha through the void. Nonetheless, though he didn't know it, he was sharing some of the thoughts of the others - these creatures disturbed him, too. So much that was simply unnatural. Not just wrong... horribly so. They broke the rules by which the universe worked. It was like looking through a window into a terrible universe where a square moon gibbered in the sky and terrible red-eyed shadows moved through an endless night cast by a shadow-sun that drank in the light of a blank white sky. He shuddered a little at the though, wondering where it had come from - reading too many bad horror movies, probably. It was a tasteless and ill-described little flight of fancy. But back to the business at hand. On full alert, Vincent continued to scan the docks, searching for clues as to what abomination had occurred here.

[Dark_Prophet]

Hades floats over ahead of Nova, opening a com with Nova and the rest of the team, his voice still warm and amused sounding, with a strange lilt to it. "Hades here. Now this brings back memories. I've definitely seen this before somewhere...back at the base. Did you know they never found any bodies, only those who were still alive? Putting it on the log for reference in case we see any."

He tightbeams another transmission to Vincent, his mecha hefting the beam scythe across his shoulder, fully ignited and whirring quietly as the hellish mecha waits carefully, glancing here and there. "Nova, I've got you covered - when you're done, let me know, and I'll give it a scan myself."

(OOC: Equivalent of readying to attack any Others or unidentified life forms that appear - nonhumans or mecha.)

[The_Snark]

Brenda

The doctor rises to look over Dante's shoulder. Subconsciously and maybe consciously, she'd been expecting this; there is tension in her face, but no surprise. The Others were somehow very good at knowing where people were. Objectively, that was one of their most worrying aspects; right now, she just accepted it and moved on.

Just like last time, the others were looking to her; she falls back into her role easily. "A radio transmission?" she asks quietly, voice calm. Nervousness was to be expected, but the crew couldn't get too spooked in a situation like this. "Broadband, or directed right to us?"

[Callos_DeTerran]

Dante's fingers flew across the console in front of him, trying to divulge some sort of information about the signal being sent out. Finally he gave a sigh of relief and shot Brenda a grin. "It's broadband and on a repeat timer too. I think the message is sent about once every hour until it hits a possible recipient then delays for three hours before resuming the pattern.."

The big man paused then, brow furrowing as he experimentally went through a surprisingly dexterous series of motions. "That's weird...it's narrowing in on us. Should I scramble it?"

Dante asks, remarkably calmly at that, glancing up to the only person who wasn't an actual part of the crew. Without Seran on-board apparently they had been instructed to turn to whomever was left for orders. Mac and Lora both shifted as well, calming some when they discovered it was an ordinary message and not something more sinister.

---

Action was swift as the various mechanized armor units began to move about on their various tasks and Tyberius and Peacemaker open up communication with each other. There proved to be very little radiation in the hangar, unsurprising considering how much time had passed since the dome cracked, but what little was found seemed ominous. Hawking radiation suffused everything, except for the mecha, which was in and off itself a peculiarity. Hawking radiation was generally considered to be the emissions of white holes or black holes, a type of thermal radiation that had been difficult to prove for quite a while considering the dangers of getting close enough to the sources of it. To find it here was...well...impossible.

Seran's hellish looking suit stood close to Vincent's offering a measure of security as the beam-scythe was ignited and the man came on the look-out for danger that he noticed one of the clouds of blood drifting towards Hades and a slight shift moved him out of it's path and he paid it no more mind until as it began to drift between Hades legs. Until the cloud, as a whole, made a sharp right turn to suddenly dive towards the armored metal leg, not bouncing off it as one might expect but disappearing within it with ripples as if the metal was naught but water and the cloud had fallen into a puddle. Val's reflexes proved too slow to realize the danger, if that's what it really was, in time until it had already seeped within.

Spot DC 20 to notice what the cloud did.

[Dark_Prophet]

Hades bursts into movement, vaulting over and distancing itself over apart from the others, and watching the other floating areas of blood with its drawn beam scythe. His radio crackles, his voice dead flat compared to its usual boisterous and relaxed character. "This is Val. I'm not sure what happened, but it looks like I've got a unwelcome passenger seeping in - probably a Other or some manifestation. Stay clear of the rest of the blood; I'll maintain quarantine distance until we can determine whats going on here - I've got my escape pod ready if needed. Activating maintenance systems to see if I can get a better readout on whats going on in here...nothing yet, I'm going to continue diagnostics. Stay cool and keep your eyes out, everyone."

Repair for mecha diagnostics [roll0]

[Tyracus]

Jason

Freezing immediately upon hearing the distress call Jason thumbs the communication controls to re-open the tightbeam connection.

"Sounds like our friends managed to find something interesting. Too bad they did it in a really bad way. I imagine this is a good time to play the falling back contingency, nothing we have is going to be too effective on blood. Not unless you happen to have an AL3K dragon hidden somewhere, I could probably manage for a short while with my M-21 Comet, though it's pretty loud so I'm sure the others would notice quickly."

Jason begins to slowly drift back towards Val's unit as he speaks. His desire to rush back edges into his voice but his desire not to make a bad situation worse checks his enthusiasm.

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka Izumi

Damn it. Already?

Izumi's mobile suit turned quickly the other way, blocking Jason from going much farther in Val's direction. "Everyone back to the door. Stay away from the blood." she broadcasted to the rest of her team, risking detection for a few seconds. She needed to see how this would affect Val before they went any further, and aborting the mission was foremost on her mind. Jason was right, they couldn't really do much against sentient blood. Maybe it would be prudent to take what sensor readings they had already gathered...especially the presence of Hawking radiation...and quit while they were ahead. They could always attempt another sortie at a later time.

If and when she could shoot a tight beam transmission to Val's suit, she asked, "Hades, I need an update." while her suit waved the others to back away from Seran until she could see what was going on. Peacemaker focused is impressive sensor package on Hades's leg section, trying to pinpoint the foreign substance and analyze it.

[The_Snark]

Brenda Wells

She only now realizes that the message was not necessarily coming from the Others; she had assumed that it had without thinking. A recorded message could date from the initial attacks, it could be a warning set in place by the UEDF... or it could be a trap. One of her clearest memories of the Others was the trap they had set with the repaired security camera.

"Take the message," she orders after a moment's deliberation. Contacting Tanaka or Val Seran would be far more likely to give them away, and they were here to gather information, after all. "Nothing but audio, mind, and don't send anything in response. If you think they're getting a lock on our position somehow, scramble it."

[Tyracus]

Jason - Tyberius V

Following Izumi's commands Jason takes up a high position by the door that gives him the clearest line of fire he can get. When he arrives he quickly switches his targeting system from his rifle to his chaingun and begins to cover Izumi while he rests his rifle facing towards Hades' leg joints, ready to switch systems if need be to try to separate the contaminant from the main body of the mecha.

[Callos_DeTerran]

All of the suits back away from from Seran's after the blood disappears inside of it, maintaining a safe distance even as they kept away from the other, suddenly malicious seeming, clouds of blood that hovered in the empty expanse of the space port. The seconds seemed to tic by at a phenomenally slow rate, each of you expecting to hear screams or an update from Seran that spoke of horrible horrible things happening...but nothing. Seran himself was forced to realize that despite the fact blood had disappeared into a metal construction without a trace...nothing had happened...

---

"Sure thing, just give me a second to isolate the signal so I can filter it..." Dante mutters to himself as the other two rise from their stations and take the couple of steps neccesary for them to hover anxiously over the big man's back to look at his console as if expecting Hell itself to come pouring out of the speaker.

"...This is.....we've been cut off from the space port.." A man's voice came over the speaker, distorted and full of static. The sound of explosions could be heard in the distance as well as horrible horrible screaming that chilled to the bone. "Something...it murdered everyone it co...It hasn't stopped yet...mobile armor is supposed to be en route but.."

"Sorry Ms. Brenda. I'll try to clear it up." Dante said, almost as if embarrassed about the poor quality of the sound feed. Thick fingers danced across the controls and then...

Nothing.

The sound feed cut out entirely and Dante's fingers paused as the other two crewmen glanced at each other.

"That doesn't seem good Dante, what did you do?"

"Just be quiet a second Mac!" The man growled, experimentally trying again.

SSSSSSKKKKKRRRRRYYYYYYYTTTTTT!

The second time Dante tried to clear up the static a noise akin to a yowling cat dragging it's claws across glass chalkboard filled the cabin, drilling into all there's minds with it's sharp piercing noise. Sparks flew out of several panels as delicate circuitry fried from the vibrations. Several panels, one of which was the weapons, began to blink red as various systems began shutting down or malfunctioning until Mac leaned over to slam down on the button to shut off the feed.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Who cares?! See what went offline and try to fix it!"

Could Brenda make a spot check please?

[Dark_Prophet]

After a long moment, Val's voice crackles over the radio. "All systems are green, cross-referenced with the original schematics that I built myself. There's a slight irregularity in the knee where it entered, but nothing more then that. Lets not worry about it for now. I'll keep a trace on it, though and let you guys know if anything changes - lets keep moving and alert." Still hefting the activated beam scythe, Hades moves quickly towards the the airlocks, checking their integrity and the access with one hand, before punching in a set of commands. "All right, I'm opening the doors, everyone get ready to head in..." The airlock doors slowly slide open...

Search [roll0]
Computer Use [roll1]

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka

"Alright, everyone, let's keep moving in. Single file with Hades up front. Use your beam scythe to boil away any clouds of blood you find blocking your path." Izumi ordered, repeating the order to everyone on a tight-beam individually. This would allow them to keep on while keeping Hades in easy view of the entire team in case something went wrong. Izumi would be right behind him.

[Tyracus]

Jason

"Hold it Val, we still don't know what's going on with your unit. It could be working it's way up towards your cockpit without compromising your unit. We also have the freighter here that may have some information." Still holding back Jason kept a keen eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

Spot - [roll0]

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent

Vincent maintained a safe distance, his mecha already loading one of the massive shells into the rail cannon that served as its primary armament. He hoped his new ally was right about the lack of danger - but ready should he prove wrong.

Readying an attack action should anything nasty pop out...

[The_Snark]

Brenda

At the discordant shriek, Brenda steps away from the consoles, one hand half-raising as if to protect her face.

"Mac, Lora, check the downed systems, find out which ones are down and why. Marius, was that part of the same signal?" she asks, but her attention isn't wholly on her orders. The doctor glances about the cabin with a gun—gun?—that hadn't been there a minute before in hand, taking note of anything that looks different from before. She remembers this, too; lights and electronics bursting just before they came. It wasn't just paranoia to think they could be here, in the ship. It wasn't.

As usual, Brenda takes 10 on Spot/Listen checks, for a 30 in each. She'll try to snap out a warning if she sees anything she thinks looks suspicious.

[Callos_DeTerran]

"Crap, crap!" Dante growls as he tries to determine the source of the noise, finally slowing as his head swiveled to look at Brenda. "No, it wasn't part of the signal. It piggy-backed on it until we picked it up."

"The radio and laser transmitters have been fried and so have the ship's decoy drones." Mac says tersely as damage reports begin to file past his glasses, lips pursued with worry and irritation from what information he was being fed. "The software seems to be fine but I think that noise shattered the circuits of the damaged components. There is good news. Escape pods, air supply, the really vital stuff, seems to have endured pretty well."

"That's not good news you nerd! We can't call for help or even divert attention in case anything spots us!" Lora snaps as her own readouts begin to filter in. "Auto-pilot is down. My targeting system has been thrown out of whack which means half of the weapons aren't going to be half as accurate as they would be. Dammit Dante! I thought you were supposed to be good at things like this, why didn't you see another signal?"

Brenda's attention was not...fully on the damage reports as they were given, a quick glance making her...not feel right. Something was different. A faint shimmer in the air, as if some sort of mirage was there, announced the presence of a small insect-like shape as it scurried soundlessly towards the back of the ****-pit towards the briefing room. At first it just seemed like a trick of the light, especially since no one else seemed to be able to see it, but that didn't change the fact that Brenda could see something.

---

After the various suits had jostled for position at the doors leading within the moon dome the signal was given and with that the door begins to grind upon as well, giving the impression that they would have been shrieking had it not been a void. As could be expected red lights began to flash in the room behind to warn it's non-existent occupants that they would shortly be sucked out into space but as the mecha stepped through and allowed the bay doors to shut they turned off without incident as the pressure stabilized and air was forced back into the chamber from reserves. Even from inside of the mechas the pilots can tell that the air is sterile but stale, as if coming from a grave instead of the freshness that usually came with scrubbed air.

Bits of trash lay scattered across the ground, suitcases and belongings scattered about, but there were no bodies or signs of violence in this big chamber. Yellow lines clearly marked where large vehicles, or suits, were supposed to travel to avoid stepping on the plastic chairs set up to accomodate people and all those lines lead to one of two massively reinforced durasteel doors. One of which continued on towards the dome interior, or at least thats what seemed most likely, while the other continued along the dome's outer wall in what was likely a passage to a guard station or repair bay.

There was an eerie stillness beginning to creep over each of you since, aside from the contact with the bizarre blood, nothing of particular note had happened and the feeling of being watched by a stalking predator hadn't returned. Had whatever been watching you stopped or found something more interesting to do? It was a difficult answer to think about but right now this entire place was beginning to feel like a death-filled silent coffin.

[Dark_Prophet]

Hades stops, as Val takes stock of the surroundings, looking around carefully at the remains for a minute then points towards the first door. Heading steadily towards the presumed dome interior, the beam scythe hums and bobs with every step as the mecha rotates its head here and there, scanning and alert. He pauses briefly halfway to check up on the mecha readout for any more changes, moving the rest of the way over.

Repair for checking diagnoistic again [roll0]

[Tyracus]

Jason

Moving forward cautiously Jason keeps a moderate distance behind Val as he moves through the doorway. Taking a moment to switch his targeting system back to his rifle and clear the lock on Val's leg he takes a moment on the comms.

"We should probably have someone contact the ship and report that we're moving in deeper. It has been a while since our last message and I'd hate to be left here because they think we're all dead."

[The_Snark]

Brenda

"So we can't talk, can't fight well, and can't repair any of it," Brenda sums up, following the strange flicker of movement with her eyes rather than looking at the crew. "I take it the engines are fine. Can we still pick up transmissions?" She moves quietly after the not-quite shape as she speaks, occasional thoughts on their situation flitting across her mind. As long as they had the engines, they could still accomplish their mission—there it was again...

Brenda pauses in the doorway, having lost track of the flicker as it crossed into the next room, and scans the briefing room. She almost tells Dante not to receive any more signals unless they were from the mech team, but she's holding her breath as the thought occurs, so that she can hear better. If she could hear the thing as well as see it, she might have an idea what it was.

Taking 10 on Move Silently, Listen, and Spot.

[WhiteKnight777]

Vincent

Vincent moved through the door quickly. Looking around, he strained his sensors to the limit looking for anything, anything at all unusual - but still he found only silence, shadows, and secrets.


Like Brenda, he began to move out, slowly scanning the chamber, but making sure to keep the others in visual range at all times.

[Dark_Prophet]

Reaching the door, Seran takes a deep breath, then uses Hades to tap some of the buttons on the door control with one hand, still holding the scythe in the other. The mecha glances back at the others, before pressing the final button in the sequence, opening the door, releasing a flood of stale air.

[ChronicLunacy]

Tanaka

"Proceed to the dome interior. We're not splitting up anymore. I don't want any surprises." Izumi text-messaged to the others through their operating link as she maneuvered her suit into the room. She stayed near the front just behind Val as they moved up.

[Tyracus]

Jason

Biting down on his worries and protests Jason brings his thrusters up to low and maintains a watchful position approximately 2 dozen meters behind the lead units.

This is just getting crazier and crazier. I hope the ship is alright.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Brenda

"I think the good doctor underestimates our capabilities." Mac says softly as a grin tugs at the corner of his mouth. "We can jury rig repairs to more then a couple of those systems, they won't last forever but they'll work. Until, assuming we don't die, we can get this ship back to a proper dock with proper equipment."

"He's right. Given about ten minutes I could come up with a serviceable patch for the transmission array..the question is if we have that long." Dante grumbles, crossing his big arms across his chest and leaning back to watch as Brenda moves down out of the pit and scan the briefing room. "And no..can't receive or send transmissions until something is fixed...what the hell are you looking for?"

For a moment that very thought occurred to Brenda. What was she looking for? But then she saw the insectile shimmering shape once more, scurrying around to the opposite side of the debriefing table before the noise of fangs on metal came to her ears. What ever it was it was trying to chew a hole in the ship!

---

Jason, Tanaka, Vincent, and Seran Music (http://www.imeem.com/people/36kBIPr/music/nJC8rseW/alex_brandon_area_51_bunker_begin_the_end/)

There was indeed a flood of stale air when the door opened but it didn't seem to be coming from the other side of the door way but your own side. Without much fanfare the suits thundered down the chrome plated hallway leading into the dome interior but had to pause at the sight that greeted you beyond the opened doors leading into the dome proper.

Tall decrepit buildings stab up towards the shattered dome above, like the jagged fingers of a howling madman long since frozen into claws. No lights shine bright and hopeful in the empty windows that adorn each meticulously constructed building. Some of them looked to have been somewhat...resistive of their fate, metal shudders having been closed or having the windows covered in tape as if to hold in precious oxygen though in the end all of those efforts much of been futile. Shattered shards of plexi-glass litter the street you enter out unto, practically a carpet that covered any of the debris underneath the razor-sharp pieces, but had bounced off of the abandoned vehicles that lined the sides of the street.

Here and there were signs of violence; doors ripped off to be carelessly discarded as if weighing the same as paper, large rents in the roof that opened up the car like a can opener, and more bizarre cases like one red convertible that looked as if the rear half had been...melted to allow whatever was outside in. But there was nary a body or blood stain..something that would identify that people had been here once and had been removed by violence. From what could be seen this could have just as easily been some other-wordly tabula of some ancient and forgotten race. The street hadn't escaped damage either, having been ripped and torn in places as if great clawed feet had torn through the street below with it's footsteps. Could it have been what had caused such damage in this district?

And, of course, above there was the disheartening view above of the broken dome. From the inside, looking up, it seemed so much bigger and a testament of the horrifying power of the Others. An armored dome, meant to withstand small to medium asteroid impact and warfare had been rent asunder from within by a force that humanity still didn't understand and spilled thousands of people into the heartless void that no human could survive without aid. No witnesses who had survived that and no clue about how it had been accomplished, just another boggling mystery about these enemies who seemed so...intent upon death and insanity.

A stiff breeze stirred the glass carpet along the ground below, as if to drive home the fact that no living creature dared to inhabit such a tomb as this. To think that such a vibrant and busy place had been destroyed so swiftly..the moon dome wasn't simply occupied by enemy hands, it was dead.


It is also a very large space to be voyaging through without cause or concern and NOT expect trouble to find you. Where would one begin to search for information?

Need spot checks please..

[Tyracus]

Jason

Flying in slowly Jason begins to climb as they clear the ceiling of the docking bay. Looking over the wreckage he shakes his head as he thinks.

I thought San Francisco was bad, this place is a tomb. I just hope we can find some clues, and maybe a miraculous survivor or two.

Spot - [roll0]

[Dark_Prophet]

Hades stalked soundlessly in, staying on the ground, its head and visor rotating here and there as Seran scanned the area. He paid special attention to the situational damage, logging the images and taking pictures for future analysis, his robotic hand working furiously on his personal computer interface, directly connected with Hades' core functions.

Taking a slow, careful approach around the edge, staying close to the edge of the dome and avoiding venturing out directly into the open spaces, the cyborg continues on in his task, working as carefully and efficiently as possible.

Spot [roll0]
Note: Sorry about the delay - had to drop everything for a while due to some academic issues. Gonna be somewhat busy through the next week, but should be manageable.

[The_Snark]

Brenda

She makes a sharp gesture with her free hand, indicating silence as she listens to try and pinpoint the noise. "Something on board," she sums up softly, half-glancing back to be more easily audible. "Start fixing the transmitter. Don't leave the cabin, stay quiet."

She moves around the table and towards the noise in near-perfect silence, following the sound of scratching on metal. Her eyes rove the floor and walls, searching for the sort of mark it sounded like the thing was creating—it was more likely to be looking for sensitive equipment than it was to be actually chewing through the hull, but the one could be just as deadly as the other.

Once again, taking 10 on the relevant checks.