• Starpath: Scoundrels of the Interstellar Highway - Thread 2
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((The mission will begin once everyone assembles. I need to know how many are going...)) Yanim and Arkadam were guiding their dangerously-overpowered jet bike through the front gate of the scrapyard when Jason arrived. "Glad you could make it, Teres!" Yanim shouted over the hum of the engine. "I've asked everyone to assemble near the Cataract before I give the mission brief, but if you want to ride with us you're going to need transportation! There're more than enough bikes inside," she instructed. The others followed the kanads out of the yard, their rat bikes filling the air with a Mad Max sort of vibe. "If bikes aren't your thing," Arkadam added, "there's an old technical in the back of the yard!"
"Oh ho ho! YES! Thanks for letting me know, Arka! Alright i'll get right through it." Jason then jogged his way into the back of the junkyard and there. laid upon his eyes, A [URL="http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/callofduty/images/a/a3/Technical_model_AW.png/revision/latest?cb=20150225192717"]4-wheeled junk-armored truck [/URL] lays on the curb. Jason ran towards its door and opened it with ease. he sits on the driver seat and pressed the monitor pad near the driving wheel and 3 seconds later. the engines roared to life, Jason stepped on the gas. letting the parking brake hold before putting it down, doing a burnout, Jason then drove it to where Yanim and Arkadam was waiting for him. he pulled up on them and rolled the window. "This is gonna be a GOOD DAY!"
"Did... did you pay for that?" Arkadam asked. "Jason-" Yanim said, critically. ((:v:))
Valk listened to Jason peel out of the gate, glancing up and pulling up her welding goggles as she watched him head out. "Fucking idiot. Didn't even pay for it." she muttered, before pulling the goggles back down. She was putting the finishing touches on her jetbike, having rebuilt it almost from the ground up in a short span of time. After purchasing the old museum piece rather cheap along with the scrap to fix it. Looks like the time her dad put into training her had payed off, along with the years of experience afterwards with the Hellions. She finished what she was doing, before slipping the goggles up and shutting off the welding torch in her hand. Looked like everything was set. She set the torch and such aside, then stepped over and mounted the bike. A few switches here, a button press there...then she turned the ignition key. A little sputter. She stopped, then turned the key again. Another sputter. Old bike, so understandable. One more turn, and the engine finally roared to life. "Hell yeah." she said with a grin. A few twists of accelerator, and the bike revved up. [QUOTE][video=youtube;4HX74UhgMFA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HX74UhgMFA[/video][/QUOTE] She lit a cigarette and slipped it into her mouth, before gathering her tools and slipping them into the saddlebag on the side that she had grabbed from some other hoverbike nearby. Soon enough, she rocketed out to meet Yanim and Arkadam. She revved the bike two more times, before looking over to them and smirking. The bike itself was an [URL="http://puu.sh/vHFPI/aa7f4e4d70.jpg"]old Upyri model[/URL], made back during the early 2300s. Easily a good 60 to 80 years old, but could probably keep up with most modern bikes as it basically was a bike made out of a fucking fighter engine with a metal case slapped over it to make it look classy. - - - - - - - - - - - - Taylor, meanwhile, had gone for [URL="http://puu.sh/vVNzp/9a342a6eb4.jpg"]a more military oriented bike[/URL] that she had spotted in the corner of the junkyard. Apparently it even still had guns on it. A pair of top mounted machine guns, and an underslung missile launcher. but all were empty. Just needed a bit of cleaning up and reloading before it'd be ready to go. She paid for the bike, then cleaned it up as best she could before starting it and riding it out to where the others were.
Jason stared at Yanim and Arkadam for a bit before saying anything. "Ummm.. no. uhh.. I'll be back for a bit. hold on" Jason turned off the truck and then ran back towards the junkyard and pay for the Truck "WAIT! HOLD UP, DON'T CALL THE COPS!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After taking a heavy rant by the owner, Jason was able to pay the Truck and soon returned back to the truck, Jason checks the engine of the Truck, most of the parts are a little rusted but mostly, everything seems to run normally, He then checked the underside of the Truck, seeing that there are some loose bolts that needed to be refastened again, he gets the toolbox from the truck's interior and starts going to work,
Iron (and everyone else who did not want to ride bikes) climbed onboard the military rover once more. "Listen to that engine pur!" Said Iron with a child-like enthusiasm as the engine roared to life, temporarily putting the engine nosie from the bikes to shame. The rover rolled up next to Yanim and Arkadam. Iron rolled down the window and awaited further instructions while hoping that someone in the back took the initiative and manned the turret. After all, Rigel isn't known for its good safety.
Amy was busy finishing up the payment when Jason speeded through in the truck. The scrapyard worker looked at her with a confused look on his face and pointed towards the direction of the truck. "Friend?" Amy looked at him. "Oh god, NO!" She took a second to regain he composure. "We're just co-workers." After that order of buisines was done, she returned her attention to the bike. The engine was fine, so was mostly everything else by the look and sound of it. When questoning why it was here, the answer she got was that it had belonged to a rich kid of one of the CEOs on the planet. Looks like just a few scrathes on the paint was all that was needed for the little ingrate to toss it out. She shrugged off the thoughts and hopped on. After a few minutes she was with the others. --- Alex climbed back in the rover before it took off for the meeting.
The soft sound of chirping and claws snipping made Chemosh break his gaze from his datapad to the container on his desk. His pet scorpion was hungry, very hungry, and it had spent the last half hour trying to let him know that it had not been fed. Looking to see if he had any food, he unscrewed the top of the jar and dropped a few pieces of leftover meat he had in his office fridge, as well as a small cup full of water. He stands still to examine his pet consume its meal as it did rather voraciously. As he stared at it, a distant memory surfaced in his mind. It was something about feeding something very hungry in a container. Something Beherit asked him once. [quote]July 10th, 2025.[/quote] Chemosh sat all alone at a table in his house. None of his friends seemed to have gotten his invitation, and this made him a little unhappy. He was looking forward to discussing what to do with all the incidents of beatings, torching, and protesting his people were facing, but it'll have to wait another time as no one's coming it seems. He's beginning to pack up the meals he had prepared for his guests, but stops when he hears someone open his door. "Greetings." said Beherit, waltzing inside Chemosh's house as if he owned the place. "Oh, hello Beherit." responded Chemosh, frowning a little. "I take it Moloch and the others are not able to attend?" "They are... occupied at the moment and will not be available for the time being. Until then, Allah has provided you with me to speak with!" Beherit said with a smile. "Well, what is it that you want? I don't recall inviting you." "Oh, nothing fancy... I just want someone to talk to is all." As Beherit paced around the room, he spotted a photograph of Chemosh and Moloch at the Bloomfield Space Center. They were standing next to each other with smiles on their faces and weapons raised. "You've made quite a name for yourself among our people, I see. And rightly so if I must say it myself." "Beherit, please. If you're here to shower me in praises then please don't. I get enough of that whenever I leave my home." "Just pointing out the obvious, Chemosh!" shrugged Beherit. "It's not my fault you've become a folk hero! But, as you wish, I will no longer speak of your high status and how our people idolize you." Chemosh stood up, about having enough of Beherit's joking. "Oh, [I]enough already![/I]" "Relax, relax! I'm merely pretending. But you seem to be quite upset. You certainly did not look happy when I entered. What's bothering you, hmm?" "I'm concerned about the future of our people. The Holy Father Most High wanted us to be a force of change, but right now we're idling about not doing much of anything. It doesn't help that our people are hated and reviled wherever we go." Beherit folded his arms and stared down Chemosh. "And, as you may already know, my mosque and congregation were burned to the ground." "...I've heard. And I've heard of all the other mosques that were destroyed too." spoke Chemosh softly. "I just wish I knew the answer to what could we do to no longer be hated so much. Like perhaps we could emphasize more on our charities and food and clothing drives. Anything to bring honor to our people, and get everyone else off our back." Hearing this made Beherit a little disgusted, and a frown formed on his face. Taking a seat in front of Chemosh, he stares in his face. "You know, Chemosh, perhaps that is not the answer to that question." "What do you mean?" "What I mean is, we begin to take some active measures against those who are against us." "Active measures?" "Simple, we get down and dirty and fight back using any means!" "Is that seriously your idea?" "Of course! We're hated and reviled, but what these people do not understand is that they should be afraid of us instead. No more would they dare torch our mosques and beat our people when they see them on the street! No more would they think to agitate a serpent they know that would poison them if it bit back. No more would we be forced to live a life of humiliation amongst the dirt of the earth!" Beherit stands up from his chair and grabs an empty jar on the table. "The way I see this problem, it's like this. Think of it like this if you will, that you had the entire world itself within a jar like this. But the world is dying, and decaying, and the fetid stench of rot fills your lungs every time you hold this jar close to your face. The world is starving, and it requires sustenance if it's to ever get any better. Unfortunately, the world is very particular with what it is able to consume in order to grow and blossom. Fortunately, you have exactly what it requires to feed on so that it's quality may improve! Within a closet, you have every single person on earth in jars. Each individual has their own jar, and all of them stacked upon each other neatly. The children, the old, the men, the women, and so forth are among your collection of lives. And every time you empty one of these jars into the bigger jar containing the world, it devours them. It envelops them and digests them alive, horribly and disgustingly, like an amoeba would with a smaller microbe. Tell me, Chemosh, in order to keep the world alive, who do you think should be the first class of people to be fed?" A very odd question that made Chemosh a little uncomfortable. "Ah... the malicious, I suppose." Beherit smiled again and nodded. "And the useless, and the baleful, and the ignorant. I myself would grab all those people from all the jars and throw them into earth's gaping maw. I would watch them get devoured alive as a mouse would to a python. The world would be immediately satisfied. [I][B]The world would grow fat.[/B][/I]" Just as Chemosh was about to reply, the noise of an azan filled the air, notifying the two artisynth it was time to head to the mosque. Chemosh hurriedly puts back the food containers in his fridge while Beherit saw himself out. "Think about what I've told you, Chemosh. Moloch may disagree, but time will show that I am right, and that we need to take action against these infidels regardless of whatever the Holy Father says." he said while exiting.
Markus strolled past the commotion going on while zoning in on Amy. Walking up to her he slung his rifle over his back, "Nice bike, luv. Any chance ya'll take this 'andsome fella for a ride?" he said with a sly tone. Sting on the other hand, had showed up and jumped into the drivers side of Iron's rover and scrambled over her lap, "Heh, Shouda got somethin with more head room, hoss." she said with a chuckle. She made her way into the back and stopped. She had seen a big turret on top of the vehicle, but there was only a computer with a joystick in the back. Sting turned around and narrowed her eyes, "This s'pose to be some kinda joke, ironman?" --- Bubal exited the bunker like office of the scrapyard and walked over to Yanim, who was still tinkering with her bike. Nyck looked up at Bubal, "[For bein a goblin she knows her stuff.]" he said with a jovial tone. Bubal laughed briefly, "[Well, Issi told you a lot of times but always have to be so stubborn.]" He then turned to Yanim, "Yanim. Iska will not come on mission, but tell Bubal to give this." He handed her a crude ball with a antenna and a button under a transparent cover. "Is transponder. Iska has set up artillery camp near Vostokrebh. She will help, once is activated and fire directly. But then Iska will have to move. Domov troops will go looking for militia." Bubal looked around as the crew made their final preparations. He looked back to Yanim, "Any thing more Bubal can help with?"
Iron chuckled and glanced over his shoulder. "It's oldschool; just sweep and shoot, sweep and shoot." "Think of it as a bigger revolver."
[QUOTE]Nice bike, luv. Any chance ya'll take this 'andsome fella for a ride?[/QUOTE] "Sure, get on big guy."
Sting breathed in through her teeth, "What in tarnation are you talkin about? The right here is a big revolver!" she said as she pulled out her revolver and waved it around. "This thang right'shere 's just a god damn sumbitchin computer game." She sat down in a seat and pouted, "it's bullmess." she concluded with a scoff. --- Markus righted his rifle took a seat on the backseat off the bike. "Ya sure yer brother won't mind?" he said in a joking tone. After making himself comfortable he leaned in a bit closer to Amy, "I'm stickin with ya cause we're usually doin the same job. Speakin o' which, Ya know what kinda o' a bloody mess the ol' boss lady's put us up to this time?" he asked in a low tone.
Amy chuckeled at Markus' joke. [QUOTE]I'm stickin with ya cause we're usually doin the same job. Speakin o' which, Ya know what kinda o' a bloody mess the ol' boss lady's put us up to this time?[/QUOTE] "Your guess is as good as mine."She shrugged" Either we're going to be gunning it to get the hell off this rock or we're going to be assaulting something."
János was still in his room, now lying on his bed, feeling hollow after rewatching Chemosh's farewell for the umpteenth time. He had noticed earlier that the ship had moved, though it was stationary once more. He got himself off the bed by thinking of the one silver lining to this whole situation, which was Yuga still being gone, and decided to see what the others were doing, though not before doing something on the computer real quick. Getting out of the ship after finishing what he had to do, he followed the well-trodden path near him, leading him to the scrapyard where the rest are. He stood just barely outside of the scrapyard, waving to the others that he was here. At least he got Chemosh off his mind.
Karl, while sitting on his skiff, waved back at János. He turned his head towards the others. "Is that one of ours?"
"Yeah, he's one of ours." said Taylor nearby. Valk revved her bike again, then looked to János. "Climb on, tin man. Got room on this baby for one more." she said, patting the bike.
Meanwhile back on the carrier... "OH FUCK SHIT THAT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!". Matt quickly ran to Faud with the emergency health kit and started to treat the wound. He was badly burned all over his chest and was weezing to breath. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck, you're gonna be just fine man." Matt pulled out his PDA and dailed the ship's emergency services. "I NEED HELP IN STORAGE ROOM 94 IN THE LOWER HANGARS, SHIELD SECTOR!!! I GOT A MAN DOWN, BADLY BURNED FROM A PLASMA ROUND. SEND HELP IMMEDIATELY!". He continued to try to treat the wound the best he could until more help arrived. "I'm so fucked." he thought to himself.
János looked over at Valk, seeming very anxious at her offer. He walked over to her. "Tell me what's gonna be done, and I'll hop on," he responded. Since he was going to leave, he now considered the idea of taking part in this mission as his last act within the company, as long as it was a job he could handle, of course.
One by one, the remaining crew members arrived in the general area of the scrapyard. Yanim turned to Bubal and sneered. "Iska's smart to stay behind," she said. "Hopefully this doesn't blow up in our faces... I'll send her the signal if and when we're ready for backup." Looking back, it appeared that the whole gang was ready to ride at last. A chorus of rumbles announced their departure from the scrapyard, back toward the Cataract in the black of night. The icy air was invigorating. The hanger doors were open, and Ravis and Owen were seated at the edge of the ship's ramp, bundled up in their winter clothes and drinking some black coffee to keep themselves aware for the mission ahead as the bikes and trucks poured in. Yanim did a head count- along with Arkadam, Taylor, Valkyrie, Alex, Amy, Iron, and Jason, Dio, Karl, Jag, Sting, and Markus had all managed to fall together. A few of them were just arriving from elsewhere in town with their own transportation, as they had been ordered to, and so there were fifteen people were present to attempt this mission; a tiny force compared to what they would be attacking, but with ample skills and firepower. "Alright, listen up!" she announced. "Here's the plan." [video=youtube;ts9bFvyFaoI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts9bFvyFaoI[/video] "As you all should know by now, we're going to be attacking the UGC service station at Vostokrebh. Things have been heating up between the khergians and their 'friends' in the galactic peace brigade," Yanim spat, her words dripping with sarcasm. "The Black Fleet has been calling the shots from within the base, and it's probably going to serve as a beachhead for batakya troopers arriving for the next occupation attempt if things keep going the way they're going. "The militia here in Stalnazyp is prepared to do whatever it takes to resist any more violations of this planet's sovereignty, but they need all the help they can get. [I]Unfortunately,[/I] the kanads have been ambushing the shit out of their patrols... militia fighters keep getting hauled off to Vostokrebh, no doubt to be interrogated and tortured by the SS. The locals aren't going to risk everything they've got to rescue the prisoners, especially since it might be a trap, but we've got a whole lot less to lose and a lot more to gain. "That ship we looked at on the ride into town will be our prize. All we have to do is go into the base, get the khergians out alive, and return here at sunrise and we'll be able to shove off again, [I]hopefully[/I] before the enemy realizes where we parked the Aurikha and makes a crater out of it. Now, the specifics: "Vostokrebh is the size of a small town. We can't fly into it because its radar installations will pick us up immediately. We can't go in from underground because its sewage systems aren't connected to anything aside from the base. Not that you'd all want to go in another one of those, anyway... And, worst of all, we can't just shoot our way in on foot, because we'll either get overwhelmed, the SS will execute the prisoners, or both. The plan, then, is to walk through the front doors without firing a shot. Owen?" Owen reached into a nearby box and pulled out one of the helmets which had been salvaged from the dead batakya troopers, and tossed it down to Yanim. "Reckon they won't suspect a pair of loners marching back to base on foot?" he asked as he tossed another to Arkadam. "Exactly the opposite," Arkadam answered. "Yanim's rifle may be heavily modified, but it's still an OBV. Lots of snipers in the Black Fleet carry decked-out versions of the old standard, so the two of us together would look like a scout and her spotter returning to base. I even went through the trouble of tracking down the proper fleet-issue rangefinder and a few other accessories while everyone was resting up yesterday." "How hard was that to find?" Dio piped up. Arkadam smiled and extended his arms, slowly gesturing at the city around them. "I'd say it's easier to find surplus batakya shit here than it is anywhere else. [I]Can't imagine why.[/I]" Yanim smiled. "There are actually several entrances to the base at multiple angles. Every building within the inner perimeter, that is, the permanent sector of the base, has a purpose that's obvious from its construction. The ones with the thickest walls are storing ordinance, the one with military ambulances parked all around is the hospital, and so on. There's only one fortified building with emergency exits at all levels, and so it must be for holding people as opposed to equipment. We're fairly sure that this is Vostokrebh's command center. "You all will ride your personal vehicles to within 500 meters of the base before cutting the engines. If you can, push them the rest of the way until we reach the embankment just before the road leading into the western entrance, otherwise, coast or limp it along... Once Arkadam and I have neutralized the gate guard, you will ride in at slow speed to keep your engine noise down. By this time of night, most of the base will be indoors, trying to avoid the elements. They will have cameras and automated turrets along the entire roadway, but at least it's a straight shot. We may have several minutes of surprise, or it may be only seconds before our intrusion is noticed. But most importantly, they will not realize they have been attacked until we're already in the base." "From there on, speed will be our [I]only[/I] weapon," Arkadam emphasized. "If we stand and fight, we'll lose our advantage. The goal is to reach the command center and break in, any way we can. Going by my own experiences in the second bureau, I would assume that the SS would hold its own headquarters either in a basement below the building, or at the very top, with helipad access. Agents need to move quickly and without interference from outsiders, and they also need their own holding cells which are quarantined from the rest of the base's activity centers." "We will enter at the ground level," Yanim added, "and if there's no basement access, we'll take an elevator up as far as we can. Getting from UGC levels into SS levels might require external maneuvers. We'll take the fire escape upwards if that's the case and blow ourselves a hole through the rooftop." Ravis, having remained quiet up until this point, jumped a bit as Yanim gave him a nod. He eagerly grabbed a hold of a pallet jack with several large trunks loaded onto it. "These are TAC-85 rifles!" he announced, slightly too loudly. "You uh, you each take one, along with your normal guns, and give them to any khergians you find." "It's possible we'll lose fighters along the way," Yanim added. "In fact, it's almost unavoidable. I am ordering you, you are responsible for recovering your fallen comrades from battle unless you are certain they are dead beyond a shadow of a doubt. Because if they -if you- are left behind in Vostokrebh with any chance of survival, the SS will capture you, resurrect you through whatever means necessary, and keep you alive for the soul purpose of destroying the rest of us through the information they can extract." "We'll stay as a large unit, us and the khergians," Arkadam clarified, "because getting out will be harder than getting in. We can't make use of any sort of parachute device because we're already going to be carrying in guns for the prisoners... taking much more equipment would slow us down too much. If you're at the top of the tower, you might just have to shoot your way out. They might shut down the elevator system. They might barricade the stairways. If there's any sort of vehicle on the roof, [B]leave it.[/B] They'll shoot it down in a heartbeat. Get back to ground level and get back to your vehicles." "While Owen is waiting with the Cataract, Ravis will be piloting the Cascade," Yanim explained. He'll fly in at nearly ground level to avoid radar detection, and will recover the militia members as they flee the base. The rest of us will proceed on the ground until we can all rendezvous at the Cataract at two kilometers' distance. Iska Volgrim will be standing by with artillery, and I believe they can best be used to destroy the enemy's motor pool before they can begin the chase. We'll then fly back to the protection of Stalnazyp and determine which of us will pick up the new ship, the Durandal, and which of us will be returning to the Aurikha." [B][Mission Start] Current Objectives: * Arrive at the drop zone Future Objectives: * Enter Vostokrebh without alerting the enemy * Force entry into the command center * Locate and arm the prisoners * Break out of Vostokrebh * Rendezvous at Stalnazyp[/B] Arkadam sealed the Black Fleet helmet around his head, dropping the double-slit visor into place which glowed faintly red in the dark. "Any questions?" his now metallic-sounding voice demanded. --- An entire team of SULP workers spearheaded by Constantine himself, armed with TACs, burst into the workshop where Mattheus had shot Faud. "Contact!" A voice called out as several flashbangs went off in the room at once. Matt was instantly blinded by the assault, and as he covered his eyes and ears he was roughly tackled by someone and dragged into cover. The ringing in his ears slowly dissipated as Constantine gripped his shirt, shaking him. The inexperienced SULP workers were discharging their rifles at random, trying to suppress whatever enemy they assumed was hiding within the room, as Constantine was shouting something into Matt's face. "...up Get up!" Constantine was yelling. "...Clear!" one of the SULP workers yelled. "There's nobody in here, sir!" Constantine checked over his shoulder. "Shit! Where did they go, Badaloni?"
Taking a couple seconds to gather his surrounding, Matt sees Constantine starring him in the face asking where people went and he sees workers with guns drawn. "Where the fuck did who go...WHAT?! What the fuck just happened I was healing up Faud!" Then he and Constantine realized the exact same thing at the exact same moment: Matt never told them how Faud got injured, and they assumed it was enemy combatants. "Jesus christ no there's no one here but us! I can explain shit wait. We we're working an experiment for the shield and it somehow failed and the plasma charge hit Faud square in the chest! Before you get mad, I didn't have a choice but to use another person! The shield encompasses you completely so I couldn't just...push my arm outside it and shoot myself and I didn't have the time nor resources to build a damn robot to use a shield generator!" He stopped for a second to catch his breath and looked over at Faud, who was now in even worse shape due to the flashbangs. "He agreed to help he knew the risks. Goddamnit it should have worked let me try it again, shit use it on me as punishment I dont care! Get that guy medical attention right away". He finished speaking, panting and trying to get his breath under control as he waited for Constantine's response.
János was now a bit unsure over taking part in the mission as his last act within the company. The scale and intensity of it seemed far beyond his capabilities. He spoke up with a perhaps naive question. "Will some hands at the ready be needed on the Cataract proper during this mission?" he asked, not really hiding the fact that he's probably asking because of himself.
Iron looked at Arkadam. "When do we hit the road?" ----- It was a calm evening at the Terranos Council Chambers. Despite the recent attack on Novithus the night before the Sol Government appeared unfazed, or even ignorant as some would argue. A wide security perimeter had been erected around the building which housed the very heart of Sol. SISP officers were seen patrolling the area alongside SDF Army troopers. At the main entrance several sleek cars had been parked and remained under the watch dozens of SIG agents in suits. Specialist Dara Vega of the SSOID stepped out of the armored car parked next to other security vehicles. She glanced at Callahan, Daniels and Valkov briefly before turning her attention to the other car which had transported the second half of her team. Vargas, Kadena, Larsen and Akuro all nodded. Vega made sure that her vest was properly in place before grabbing her dark coat which she put ontop. After closing the cardoor Vega glanced back towards the perimeter opening where a large group of SERPU officers in full gear were busy keeping an even larger group of protesters away from the building. Signs with sentences such as [i]"Stop the war!"[/i] and [i]"Faith is a Human right!"[/i] had become increasingly more common. Vega sighed. She wasn't one to argue wether or not the ban on religion should be lifted or not, what she does know however is that her job sure isn't getting any easier. Vega and her team left the parking lot and entered the council chambers through a separate entrance guarded by a pair of bored SDF Army grunts. Vega flashed her SSOID-issued ID and in response the door was opened. Tonight was a special evening. It would mark the first time in months where a vast majority of the Sol Governments leaders and other key individuals would be at the same spot for a longer duration. Despite the attack on Novithus the High Councilor had insisted that the allied planets would send as many representatives as possible. Officials from Novithus, Valhalla, Qalea, Paraíso and other Sol-friendly worlds had arrived to both listen to and speak with Wayford. The High Councilor had not shared many details of the meeting and because of that there were many hopeful whispers and rumors that the High Councilor would finally put an end to the war which was taking its toll on both the people and economy, not to mention the military. Zig-zagging through the rear rooms Vega and her team finally found themselves inside the briefing room occuppied by advisors, SIG security personnel and tactical analysts. At the center of the room was a holotable currently showing a detailed projection of the council chambers and the perimeter outside. SIG Director Fahad Khan and SISP Chief Carlos Reyes looked up at Vega and her team. "Specialist Vega, glad to have you with us." said Reyes. Vega nodded. "Pleasure is mine, sir." She looked at Khan. "What are our orders?" Khan smiled, nodded and gestured towards the holotable. "We have prepared alot of security forces for tonight yet Wayford insisted on keeping the event room clear of armed agents and guards. This means that the room with all the VIPs will also be the only room without any form of security forces present." He said with a frown. "As you and your team probably understand this is not an ideal solution. To make things worse the SSOID picked up a encrypted transmission from the Fists of Sol mentioning an attack. While most of the message remains a mystery the SSOID did managed to decrypt enough to learn that the attack will take place tonight somewhere in Terranos. Because of all the major players in this building we're assuming that they're going to hit us here." Vega's eyebrows formed a 'v' which grew sharper for each new info she was given. "Does Wayford know?" She asked. Khan shook his head. "No, we're trying to minimize the risk of panic and right now the only people who know about the attack are the folks at the SSOID, us and Admiral Eric Quinlan who is currently moving the SNV Terra into a defensive position in orbit." He pointed at Vega. "As far as we know the Fists of Sol are going to hit us and try to quite literally shoot us in the heart, we can't let that happen." Vega glanced at Callahan who had remained silent throughout the conversation. He nodded towards her and did a thumbs up. She looked back at Khan. "What do you need?" --- Ten minutes later and Vega was inside the event room, standing next to the podium where Wayford would deliver his supposed speech to his guests. On the other side of the podium was Callahan while the rest of her team were spread out throughout the room. Inside the room were politicians, state officials and even corporate CEOs as well as other people deemed important enough to have been invited. Few members of the SDF were present and Vega didn't see single SSOID official inside the room. All things considered she was glad that the heads of the SDF and Director Williams were temporarily unavailable. She observed the room in silence. [i]"Anyone see anything?"[/i] Asked Valkov over the comms. [i]"Negative Wolf Four, status clear."[/i] Replied Callahan. "This is going to be a long night team." Said Vega. Shortly after Wayford entered the room, immediately catching the attention of everyone inside. Several people applauded while others remained silent and simply nodded. The High Councilor stepped up onto the Podium with a smile and waved at the crowd. He glanced briefly at Vega and Callahan before continuing. "My friends and esteemed colleagues, thank you for joining me tonight." The crowd applauded. At the front were councilors Jabari Okonjo and Maya Eri who, despite their rivalry, appeared to be relatively calm and at peace. "I have invited you all here tonight to make an important announcement which will hopefully end this era of conflict." Vega raised an eyebrow, meanwhile the entire room fell quiet. "It is Sol policy to never negotiate with terrorists, extremists or pirates. Those individuals serve no purpose in our society. However, after several long discussions with my fellow councilors we have agreed on a solution which will help us in the long run." Wayford glanced at Okonjo and Eri while nodding, a nod which both returned. "I am proud to announce the Okonjo-Eri Agreement. This agreement consists of two key motions, the first is a bill which will effectively remove the ban on religious activities. Should a citizen wish to practice religious beliefs they will be free to do so however it should be noted that the ban on religious representatives and agendas within our government will remain. At the same time we will initiate diplomatic efforts with the Fists of Sol and while the Divinity Creed, Lunar Children and other similar groups will continue to act as barbarians my colleagues and I genuienly believe that we can reach out Lord Vexar Sword and put an end to this pointless conflict." Vega couldn't believe her ears. Callahan and the rest of the crowd appeared just as stunned. "Should diplomacy fail yet again we will know for sure that the true goal of this war is not to lash out against injustice, but simply to pillage and burn on behalf of other selfish needs. Should the war resume we will continue to fight, just as before. Of course I hope that we can end this war before it is too late, before more of our brave men and women have to fall in the line of duty." Wayford sighed. "It is a risky move, but I hope nonetheless that I have your support. United we are strong and we're going to need every ounce of strength if this is to work." "I do not believe our ancestors to have been evil nor short-sighted. I believe that they acted with noble and true intentions however as our past clearly shows we, Humanity, will never be able to work as one if we continue to exile groups of our own for petty and illogical reasons. I can understand why they did everything they did but I also think that they would understand us for wanting to end this war." The High Councilor then nodded and awaited the crowd's response. Jabari and Maya glanced at their colleagues with curiosity. At the center of the crowd Administrator Hjalmarsson shook his head and spoke up. "Wayford, Valhalla is with you!" He said while rising his fist. "Novithus stands with you." Said President Jargeth while his retinue of diplomats nodded. One by one the friends of Sol made their loyalty heard. Meanwhile Vega was stunned by a combination of confusion and joy. Maybe, just maybe, she'd see peace in her life. The very thought amazed her. While the crowd burst into life several waiters and waitresses began to deliver glasses filled with exotic drinks. Wayford raised his glass. "Words cannot describe my gratitude. I am both honored and grateful that this proposition has been so well-received. Tomorrow the rest of our people will know and the day will be remembered as a day of joy and peace." "For peace! Cheers!" Said Wayford, raising his glass further. "Cheers!" Echoed the crowd as they too raised their glasses and tasted the contents. Many of them seemed impressed with the drinks and nodded approvingly. Vega glanced back at Wayford only to seem him collapse on the podium. Before he had even hit the ground Vega and Callahan were on-stage guns drawn. Callahan checked the pulse of Wayford and nodded. "Pulse is positive!" Vega nodded and turned to the crowd. "SSOID! Clear the room!" The crowd obeyed and began to move towards the door while the rest of Vega's team secured a perimeter around the podium. "Khan this is Vega, we need a medic and a ambulance. Wayford has collapsed but his pulse is stable. Prepare the Terranos General Hospital ASAP!"
"Iron, I hope you have an idea of what to do once we reach that point, because I dont think we can push this truck."
[I] 30 hours ago in an uncharted region of space[/I] He was trying to concentrate on navigating the ship to its destination. A task that becoming more and more dificult as his co-pilot was looking at him with a smug expresion. Sweat began to roll down his brow as he could feel her stare holes into his skull. It took time, but she got a responce from him. "What?" He looked at her, his tipical annoyed tone ever present. "You've been looking at me like that for the past 2 hours, Countess. What do you want?" She leaned on her armrest, chin resting in her palm. "I saw the title of your latest book while you were up to take a piss. 'Nigh of the Upiry witches! Bloodsuckers and..." "You're enjoying this?" She giggled at his observation. "You [I]are[/I] enjoying this." She couldnt see him beneath his helmet, but she could tell he was blushing and getting flustered. "Relax Specter, I dont judge. Everyone needs an outlet and the lovebirds next to your cabin dont make it any easier." "You're enjoying yourself way too much over this! Can we change the subject? Like, how close are we...Oh, we're almost there." Tryin to recompose himself, he activated the intercom "Away team, we're aproaching our destination. You guys should see this." It took several minutes but the away team had assembled on the bridge once more. Everyone, who was recruited by Archangel as well as a few of the surviving Vultures had assembled to see what needed their attention. Nobody was prepared for what they saw. The Thermopylae was still there, part of it at least. Its engines hammered beyond recovery, sealing its fate to be decomissioned. That would be the case if it wasnt in the process of being reposessed by its new owners. The ones occupying the large metalic sphere next to it. It became clear to everyone on board that they were in over their head. Specter turned to Archangel. "So, we still on that rescue mission?" "It was never a rescue mission. Our main objective was recovery. No longer the case." "So, we're leaving before they notice us. Good plan. Let's go." "Not so fast. Our objective is now reconisance. Team, get ready. Specter engage the stealth drive and fly us to The Thermopylae, it's our only known entry point inside." Reluctant to follow orders, Specter sucked it up and did what he was told. The more the distance between the Buzzard and that thing shortened, the harder he could hear his heart-beat. Slowly the Vigil ship crept towards the Thermopylae, opening the doors to the hangar and landing inside. The ramp desended and the away team left to venture into the unknown. They could see a large hole leading to a tunnel leading to the larger ship. Before venturing inside, Archangle give an order. "Remain cloacked and keep an eye on my vitals. If they go out, get out." Flashlights on, they went inside the dark tunnel. Illuminating the floor revealed a trail of blood. Whatever they were doing, they needed meat. The team followed the trail, it becoming thinner over time. Bits and pieces of armor or other equipment littering the way. Probably getting torn off while being dragged on the floor. Going deeper into the ship, they could feel it growing bigger. They were in the belly of the beast now.
"Will some hands at the ready be needed on the Cataract proper during this mission?" János asked. Yanim checked over her shoulder to find Ravis nodding, sheepishly. "I- I could use some help with the Cascade; uh, I can fly it, but a copilot is always helpful..." "Right. Then the answer is [I]yes[/I], János," Yanim concluded. Iron looked at Arkadam. "When do we hit the road?" Arkadam beckoned. "Get on the ship." The crewmembers loaded their various forms of transport onto the Cataract as Ravis lead János over to the Cascade, so that he could explain the nature of the help he would need in flight. Once all of the cargo and passengers were aboard, the Cataract began to lift off. Yanim, now fully-suited in Black Fleet armor, looked out over Stalnazyp and the scrapyard she had come from, and a sense of unease washed over her. This would be the final time she would accompany the crew she had assembled, and possibly the final time she would ever participate in such endeavors, not just because of her failing health, but because the ugly void inside of her soul had finally healed. Now there was only the question of whether her friends and family would escape the echoes of her past mistakes. Arkadam laid a hand on her shoulder. "You know," he said quietly, "two years ago, I wouldn't have thought that this sort of thing was possible." "Leading a small team to take on a fortress?" Yanim replied, automatically. Arkadam sneered. "I meant this sense of purpose... and belonging, too. I never felt it when I was working for the SS. Still, you've got a point. Do you think we can pull it off?" She tried to look into his eyes, but they were obscured by his mask. She quietly wondered whether he felt the same way she had, when she flew with the Archius. "Whatever happens, shdatra, don't ever turn your back on them. Even if the stars are falling, even if I'm killed, no matter what, have faith. Please promise me that." "...I promise." --- A militia patrol vehicle crunched along a narrow roadway in the foothills just outside of Stalnazyp, its optics package swiveling back and forth as it swept the scenery for changes. "[There!]" the operator shouted, pointing eagerly at the grainy images on the screen. "[That's UGC cargo, isn't it?]" From the front seat, the driver glanced over at the boxy vehicle, immobilized by deep snow two hundred meters away from the road. A trench cut behind it seemed to imply it had been recently moved to its current position, but for reasons unknown. "[Looks like a trap to me,]" the driver warned. "[That truck isn't even loaded with anything. It's like they just abandoned it out here.]" "[We can get a little closer, can't we?]" the operator reasoned. "[Maybe it was stolen. That'd explain why it's all alone.]" "[Alright, fine. Keep your eye on the monitor and tell me if anything moves.]" The patrol vehicle turned and began to climb the steep slope towards where the truck had stopped. "[I'm looking... I'm looking,]" the operator assured. "[By the way, did you see the game last night? We fuckin' [I]mangled[/I] the Dusters.]" "[Oh yeah?]" The driver replied, watching his instruments carefully as he climbed the hill. "[Yeah, we were up by three before the end of the-]" The operator was interrupted by a loud popping sound, and suddenly the monitor went dark. "[Woah, stop, stop!]" "[Dammit, I knew it,]" the driver grumbled, throwing the vehicle into reverse. The engine began misfiring and the gauges misbehaved. Snatching his radio up, he attempted to inform dispatch that the Domov were setting traps again. "[What's wrong with it?]" he demanded, speaking about the optics package. "[Did they just shoot it out?]" The operator pulled the monitor forward, exposing the cables and physical electronic components within the wall of the vehicle. After a moment to look it over, he jostled a reset switch several times, but the monitor continued to display nothing. He cursed under his breath. "[Yeah, they definitely hit us with something. EMP, probably.]" "[Shit. Get it working, quick!]" The driver yanked on the wheel, trying to turn the vehicle around so that the struggling engine would be facing the correct direction. Through his narrow viewport, he caught sight of a silhouette against the white vista, approaching his vehicle. "[Can you hear me?]" he yelled into his radio. It was clear that communications were offline as well. Nobody knew they were in danger and nobody would until it was too late. There was a clang as the lone figure leaped onto the exterior of the vehicle. "[Fuckin' hell!]" the operator swore as he grabbed a rifle and checked that the hatch was locked. He placed his hand on the door latch, feeling it in the dark cabin to ensure that it was in the correct position, only to cry out in shock as a white-hot blade exploded through the metal, dripping molten steel into the cabin. The blade cut its way through the lock as the door was pulled free. The last thing either man saw was a demonic creature with a flaming tail, like nothing they had ever seen before. It invaded the cabin and killed them both.
As Archangel's group moved deeper into the outer shell of the Sphere, they started to hear the ripping of flesh and clanking of metal inside. As well as talking. [I][B]"Flesh is a design flaw, and its one we can and will correct! Am I right, brothers and sisters!?"[/B][/I] said a voice, booming over the others that were whispering amongst themselves. [I]"AMEN!"[/I] as the response from the others. Well, those that [I]COULD[/I] respond. There were digitalized noises, as well as what sounded like inhuman roars mixed among them. The hallway started to grow a bit brighter, but before Archangel's group reached the end, the booming voice from before said something that forced them to pause. [I]"Ahhh! We have guests! And one of them is already enjoying the luxury of metal and technology! Shall we gift those luxuries to his comrades?"[/I] Movement could be heard after the statement, followed by a "TECHNOLOGY IS THE WAY!" from the crowd. They were coming, but it didn't sound like a large force. Probably those that had been gathering victims off the Thermopylae. As they neared, the commanding voice sounded again. [I]"You! My blessed guest! The one gifted with [B]TRUE[/B] evolution! Would you be so kind as to step aside so we can bestow upon your comrades the same gift? They can be as you are! Be like us! [B]THE FUTURE![/B]"[/I] A moment afterwards, the cultists came into view. Hideous abominations of flesh and metal. Footsoldiers of the Transsentience Cult, which quickly moved towards Archangel's comrades. Apparently totally ignoring his presence. [video=youtube;GG1LaWqCw5Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG1LaWqCw5Y[/video]
"Not going to happen!" Archangel yelled before giving orders. "Golems, move forward and mow these wretches down! Kobold, stay behind us and watch yourself! Vultures, open fire!" One of the khergian brothers started laughing gleefuly as he unloaded into the incoming horde. A hint of what might have put them in the penal legion. The other two remained silent, prefering to do as they were told with their heavy weapons tearing through the cult's ranks. Vulture 5 and 6 began to take shots at any straglers from the main group while the rest focused fire on the clamering wall of flesh and metal in a desparate attempt to keep them as far away as they could. Archangle himself was going to take advantage of being ignored. Picking out the largest one he could find, he shot the chain hook towards him. The hook pierced the upper body and embeded itself in the target "Get over here!" He shouted as he pulled the large bastard towards him.
The gunfire cut large paths through the oncoming cultists, though the Freaks in the group were nimble enough to avoid it. They moved in blindingly fast, attempting to close the distance between them and the Khergian opposition. Meanwhile, the cultist that Archangel had yanked towards him with his hook indeed was a large bastard. A Second Gen in fact, wielding what looked to be a makeshift sledgehammer. The end covered in blood and bits of bone, apparently having been used quite a lot just minutes before. [I]"Brother! Why do you fight back against us!? We're just like you! We simply wish to help the rest of your group to see the light that is cybernetic enhancement! Metal to replace flesh! Technology to replace tissue!"[/I] said the voice from before, in the back of the group. They could make out the individual speaking, its form looming over all of the other cultists. Incredibly tall, and thin, but wearing a sort of robe to conceal most of its red armor. [I][B]"WE'RE TRYING TO SHOW THEM THAT THEY CAN SHED THEIR MORTAL COIL AND FLESHY PRISONS, AND ASCEND TO GODHOOD!"[/B][/I]
"I am no more your brother than these fleshbags." Archangel barked back. "Even if our goals are the same." That last parts unnerved one of the vultures enough for him to drop his guard. The blade from the freak sliced through his chest. The rest maintained their composure and contnued to fight on. Archangle turned his attention back towards the brute. Just in time to dodge the swing of the hammer by inches. He wasnt going to let him take another swing. Gripping the laser magnum, he aimed at what he percieved as the week joints of the creature and unloaded into them.
Constantine listened to Mattheus explain himself as Hestia swiftly entered the room, descending on Faud with her nanomachines in hand. Gradually, the SULP workers lowered their guns as everyone surrounded the errant engineer with a look of confusion across their faces. "So... you shot him," Constantine reiterated after Mattheus had finished spitting out his lengthy explanation. Pressing his hand into his forehead, he groaned before glaring at the younger man. "Do you have any idea how much stress we're under?" he said. "I've been on the bridge with Neasha and every time I see her she seems five years older to me, do you understand? And now, after I specifically told you not to let this shield project become a distraction, you not only shoot a man because you're too cavalier to wait until after we're under the fucking lion's paw to test out your gadget on a robot... and then you can't even spare the thought not to make it sound like we're under attack? "...sir?" Hestia interjected. Constantine looked up to meet the robot's gaze. "His injuries are highly treatable. I can confirm he has a 95% chance of survival." "Good," Constantine replied, hardly sounding enthusiastic. "Mattheus, if we weren't in this [I]spot[/I], I'd have you thrown in the brig immediately. But given our circumstances, I'll do what I assume the Boss would want. You're too valuable to the organization of the repair efforts to keep locked up." Mattheus breathed a sigh of relief. Constantine laughed sarcastically. "Don't think you're off the hook. Once we get off this planet, you'll get yours. For now, go to the medbay and make sure those flashbangs didn't damage your hearing." --- It was past the time Orok usually went to bed, but with all the excitement of the evening having energized him, he scurried throughout the scrapyard looking for materials to create something amazing, just like the visitors had done when they bought all those old motorbikes. The photograph he was shown of Iska and the screecher queen had awakened his imagination, and between disassembly work on an old boat engine and tearing down an old truss, he snatched up an old piece of metal and pretended it was a gun, making shooting noises at imaginary monsters. He knew the scrapyard like most children know their homes. He knew where the good hiding places were, and he liked to keep especially interesting finds, like good-quality electronics, in an old water heater in the center of the property. His parents would obviously want to sell anything of value, but if they couldn’t find his treasures, Orok could play with them for a while longer. He jumped from platform to platform, finding solid purchase among the twisted metal and danger all around, the scars on his arms and legs telling the stories of his various slip-ups, but now he felt invincible, since he had seen those mercenaries… There was a sound like gunfire. Orok, safe and hidden in his special nook, froze as the sound grew louder and closer. He clutched his imaginary rifle and wondered what Iska would be doing in this moment, when his mechanical savvy interrupted his daydream and brought him back to reality. It wasn’t gunshots at all. It was an engine… backfiring.
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