Through the angry blindness of her contempt for the weak man before her, George manage to smile. "Well, Mister Frankincense, it seems you're going to go on to be a P.O.W. Does that make you happy? We can get you all kinds of rancid, maggot infested meat once we get off this forsaken hunk of metal." Ureon dragged the man up by his bound wrists, nearly dislocating his shoulders. This man could have killed her, and now the Commander was making her care for him? Feh, Georgiana thought to herself, I should have let my finger slip...
With Ted securely in front of her, she shouldered her shotgun and nodded to Kletch. "Ready when you are, Sir."
Xi'ku Sop'tolome had been listening to the last part of the interrogation and realized just how much he did not understand the colonial language. He did (sort of) understand what Pvt. Ureon had said and even what the Commander had ordered though he could not understand why.
Still, Xi'ku's head hurt after listening to Ted.
Xi'ku thought of rubbing his head with his hand to alleviate said headache, but was not sure about his gloves safety features. Indeed, he wasn't sure about their output at all. They had been making a low pitched humming noise since his outburst in the armory that Xi'ku could not place as nominal. They could probably use a tuneup, and luckily Summer was offering.
"Commander, my gloves could do with a tune up if you have the lime. Do you really contend to bring the prisoner with us? Would he not enstranger our mission?" said the befuddled keshian.
Last Edit: May 31, 2007 23:44:17 GMT -5 by antaeus
"4) Lastly, there were some video games that also weakened the MMMG. Most of these games were played at John's house be they video game or rpg." -Celest
"Damn you, Big Brother. Damn you." -Curulambe
"I was told our base was for the Black Man." - batman
Summer took Xi'ku's gloves and began the basic maintenance on them quickly, maybe a little too quickly.
"Yes, I do intend to bring him with us. One, we have him well secured, he has little hope of escape. Two, if we leave him here and and more of his kind arrive then he will inform them of everything, the man surrendered, he gave us the information we asked for, it is against ethics code to kill him now."
She finishes the gloves and hands them back to Xi'ku. "No, I have a plan for him. We can use him to get into the engine room. Hopefully his commrades will be less likely to shoot at us with him in tow. If not, then he will work as a human shield and his death will be on their hands not ours. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Maintence Roll (2) + skill (10) = 12 hopefully that did something
"Patrol Two-Sixty this is Xualla Evac, callsign...Brian. We are currently being engaged by unknown hostiles, everything from armors to boarding parties. As...previously stated, we require immediate assistance. I am Brian Helgate, a civilian rescued by what is left of the evacuation military. I'll be your connection to those remnant forces and vice versa. Xualla Evac standing by." said Brian in a neutral monotone.
It had been twenty-two minutes and thirty-seven seconds since the military types had left Brian back at auxiliary communications room. Brian had since increased the upstream and stabilized the signal to the patrol that Za'che had fortuitously contacted in order to better facilitate and expedite any information that they would need to exchange. Over the course of this task, Brian...worried...that the expedition to the engine room may have run into unexpected trouble. Shaking his head and getting out of his chair, Brian began taking stock of the room's facilities.
It never hurt to be prepared.
---- "Thomas, take position behind those boxes. Karl, I will draw their fire, when they commit to battle, attack without mercy. Understood?" said a small woman in combat armor.
"This is suicide Aoi. You've let this opportunity go to your head." replied the brown haired man standing to her left.
"No arguments! We just simply don't have time, now do as I say!" fired back the woman known as Aoi, absently playing with her dark hair.
There were twin responses of reply, followed by immediate grumbling and general displeasure...but Aoi had gotten used to it as she'd been bossing Thomas Gilbert around since they were both kids back at their training grounds. Karl Lee was a total enigma by comparison preferring to beat his opponents with his bare fists rather then shoot safely from cover. Aoi simply couldn't understand why he was here with Thomas, who had engaged and driven off this very...annoying problem once before.
Either way, she would betray Shawn's trust in her.
That bitch Lacy had deployed them to one of the many rooms converted for the evacuation to cover for some screw up. It looked like some sort of large communal sleeping area with the cots and pillows and such, but those were all quite flammable and just simply would not resist a bullet, so Aoi had chosen the next best thing.
Standing out in the open and waiting.
"Hide in your assigned possitions and turn on the lights. We don't want to be discourteous hosts." ----
Xi'ku Sop'tolome adjusted his hopefully repaired weapons while he walked. The power output was balanced and that strange humming sound was gone, but left the immediate area oddly silent. Well...silent enough for six people moving through a metal walkway in full combat dress. They had left the communications room a while ago and he had since lead the Messengers into several dead ends and areas too dangerous to transverse due to structural damage. If Xi'ku didn't know better, he would have sworn that they were being...
A light came on in the room Xi'ku just entered.
"Contact." said Xi'ku holding up his arm to halt movement as they moved into a sleeping area. There appeared to be a black haired human woman standing in front of the exit to the room he just entered. ----
Aoi opened her eyes and sized up each of her opponents separately. Three women and a large keshian, just as the report told them to but there we're two others with them. Ted, a low rank good for soaking up bullets and an additional keshian in...a UMP uniform.
Aoi's features visibly darkened. Could they have moved to stop us so early? No matter. I won't fail him, not now or ever.
"I am Aoi Soba, Second Sword of Cadre Astra Delphi, Vanguard. Surrender immediately and you may not be harmed, resist and you may not live." said Aoi unable or perhaps unwilling to resist a smirk. ----
No recovery from Medical Supplies. Awareness checks please. Summer fails to upgrade PD-40 Shock Gloves.
"4) Lastly, there were some video games that also weakened the MMMG. Most of these games were played at John's house be they video game or rpg." -Celest
"Damn you, Big Brother. Damn you." -Curulambe
"I was told our base was for the Black Man." - batman
Oddly, George had grown accustomed to watching the stride with which her Merakesh leader had walked. When he suddenly halted and spoke, George took a defensible position beside him, lowering into a crouch. The training she had received in Basic made this simple maneuver essentially second nature. She took a brief moment to look at her surroundings, but focused much more on the woman in front of her. She was an enemy, one of those regimental hypocrites. Personally, Georgiana had no reason to detest her. However, the Basic Training had prompted her to a level of sudden nationalism that she had never felt before. In that epiphany, she was suddenly steeled and braced, ready for the possibly impending firefight.
Za'che looked at the woman smirking. Walking to the front of the group, she lifts an eyebrow. "I am the leader this group, UMP Commissar Za’che Sop’tolome. Why should we listen to you? You are gust more meat for the grindar, so to speak. The ship will blow. The ingines are set to" pausing for a moment to think of the word, "explosive? Well the ship will not be here short." Looking to Xi'Ku telling him in their native language, "<If she moves. Kill her. Do not hesitate. Just do it.>" Smiling she puts up her hood on her cloak, steps behind Xi'Ku, and fades into the shadows.
------------
Awareness roll: 22
"You think that you can tell us apart? Many have tried, but then again, many have failed. What do you think the price for that is?" The Three Sisters Lylie-governess to a child of the first plain "You grew up. Thats a shame. The carousel never stops turning. You cant get off either. Its a shame."
Hannalore frowned as she watched Aoi’s eyes scan their group. She could tell that this woman was going to be trouble, but she would have to be an idiot to come here on her own. The small nurse couldn’t help but shiver as she imagined hundreds of armed gunmen, waiting to shoot them from inside the air ducts and such.
Hiding just to the left of Georgiana, Hannalore sidled slightly behind the much more confident woman. She envied the songstress, able to be so strong in the face of everything that was going on. On top of that, the woman was a great singer, and beautiful to boot. Some girls get all the luck...
However... Maybe if the nurse kept close to the lady singer, she’d figure out how to be strong herself. There was an idea. She whispered to George, her normal shyness pushed aside by her fear. “Wh-why do they k-keep trying to stop us? D-don’t they care if the s-ship e-ex-blows up?”
Hannalore cringed as she caught the gist of what Za’cha was mentioning to Xi’ku. This was going to turn into combat pretty quick, she could already tell. Nervously holding up her shield and crouching low to keep out of the way, she felt quite useless.
---
I rolled a 3 on the Awareness roll, so unless the DC is REALLY low (12 total), then she missed. She DOES see the millions and millions of guys with guns hiding just around the corner of the ventilation ducts, though. Not that it really helps her, any.
Aoi laughed. Though she had a difficult time understanding the smaller keshian, Aoi fully caught her actions. what did Shawn say? 'The actions of a coward rendered their words meaningless.' Yes, he had taught...no...showed her that first hand. It mattered not what she had uttered to her...subordinate? No. Probably consort from their similar appearances.
That would make this fun.
"Some leader. You balk at an obvious chance to save the lives of your charges without so much as an appology for your incompotent dicision." Aoi punctuated her statement with a toss of her hair.
"Then I will speak to the rest of yo..." Aoi couldn't help but smile as the larger keshian lunged towards her.
----
Xi'ku Sop'tolome had little left to give, but when asked to, he would give that and much much more. It came as no big shock when Za'che ordered him forward and when given the opportiunity he moved without hessitation. It was his way to never question orders.
It was going to cost him this time.
The distance could have been cleared in two bounds had Xi'ku been at full power, but he wasn't and it showed in his slow start. The Aoi woman began speaking and Xi'ku gathered up every ounce of strength he had left to pounce. Xi'ku crutched momentarilly to get a good lead and lept a good ten feet forward, checking his flanks in mid-air for crossfire and possible traps a second too late. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash...then nothing.
There was a loud bang and pain shot through every inch of Xi'ku without mercy. He was vaguley aware of hitting the ground on his left side and sliding for a distance into something with a crash. Then there was darkness, a peaceful nothingness really. Xi'ku thought that maybe he would get some rest. First off, he had to appologize for his failure and try again taking extra care not to screw it up this time.
"Commander...I..." said Xi'ku as he attempted, and failed, to right himself on his right hand.
His strength spent, Xi'ku collapses and lies still. ---- (AP)
It had to be Thomas GIlbert's birthday. It was that same keshian from the engine room. He must have been hurt or something 'cause he wasn't moving nearly as fast as that time. Aoi had flashed him the 'backup' hand sign and smiled, proving once and for all that she had let her first time leading a task go to her head.
Thomas couldn't help but chuckle as he raised his Grand Magnum, took aim and fired at the spot where he predicted the keshian would land. Reloading, Thomas looked towards Aoi for his next order, which he hoped was the signal to attack.
God he loved his job. ----
Aoi put up her hand and tried to block any shrapnel that would come her way. When the dust cleared, she decided to gloat a bit. Gilbert's aim had improved since training...
"Anyone else want to try? We can do this the hard way." Aoi laughed, overjoyed that her plan was working.
"4) Lastly, there were some video games that also weakened the MMMG. Most of these games were played at John's house be they video game or rpg." -Celest
"Damn you, Big Brother. Damn you." -Curulambe
"I was told our base was for the Black Man." - batman
Summer tensed as her eyes raced around the room trying to keep up with her mind. This wasn't going to be easy, she had to account for every last thing before she could make a plan, and t had to work. Za'che walking forward snapped her out of it for a moment. She had to bit her lip to keep from agruing with her as she made her claim to be the groups leader. This is no time to agrue, though she better be willing to accept the responsibilty for that. Then her ears picked up the Keshian language. Za'che was telling Xi'ku something. WHAT! NO! Her eyes opened wide as she understood the order.
She couldn't believe what her eyes saw next. The woman, Aoi, moved, Xi'ku, as ordered, jumped, and was quickly taken down. Summer fought back every urge that ran through her body. She wanted to cry for her friend. She wanted to jump that Aoi woman. She wanted to kill who ever made that blast. She wanted to yell at that stupid kitten for making the order. She fought them all back. She had to wait. She would get a chance to let out this rage. Then... then they will all pay.
Summer wasn't a Commander for nothing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Awarness: 8 Roll: 16 Total: 24
The sudden question from the team's medic broke the temporary tension for George. Replying softly, loud enough for only Hannalore to hear, Ureon spoke, "Only the grunts care if their homes are blown up. The brass have no respect for such things." There was a momentary blur and the sound of Keshian spoken aloud. Though George understood only the rudimentary forms of the language, she couldn't catch the whole of the statement. However, Xi'ku understood all too well, and he propelled himself forwards with a vicious precision that she had come to admire.
The whole scene unfolded with maddening sluggishness. Soptolome disappeared behind Soptolome, and then the Merakesh Lieutenant suddenly lunged at this woman, this enemy before the team. The explosion caught her attention, though, and the shockwaves rumbling through Xi'ku could be felt in her heart as she watched the Lieutenant rendered almost torn to shreds. Now, instead of the roar of an explosion, the roar of adrenaline drowned out whatever that damned woman said.
She followed the singular line of vapor, her only clue to the assailant, as it receded into the air. It would lead George to her target; an obnoxious laugh, a familiar laugh. The songstress, Georgiana Ureon, knew instantly her job. This was combat. This is what she was paid for. She had to clear that "fortification" in order for her unit to live.
It would be a deafening roar, that which issued from Georgiana Ureon's throat. It was primal and guttural, and it was all for Xi'ku's sacrifice. She would not let him die with this kind of disgrace on his name. Georgiana charged straight towards Aoi, howling the whole way. Before she reached the mysterious woman, however, Ureon dodged, rolled, and twisted to the side, forcing her weapon to the general area where the assailant would be. He would be reloading, she would be squeezing her trigger, and soon after he would be a bloodstain on the boxes he hid behind...
Thomas Gilbert smiled, as he reloaded his grenade launcher. Nicknamed the Grand Magnum, the thing really pulled its weight, dropping the big Keshian like a stone. Carefully rolling a fresh grenade into the chamber, the big man locked it into place as he started to hear yelling coming from the PGC group.
He loved making good impressions.
---
Lining up the shot it would require, Summer felt something of a calm come over her, as she mentally prepared herself for the shot she needed. Watching the area from which Thomas’ head had appeared, she lined the barrel up and simply waited. This would be a simple shot, and there was something deep inside her that told her all she needed to do was pull the trigger. Her vengeance would line up the shot, and Xi’ku would be avenged.
Unless George got in the way, anyway…
---
Karl Lee watched the events unfold from his position, carefully deciding where to strike. He was a martial artist, training and focusing his combat prowess on collapsing enemy lines with a single, devastating strike. He wasn’t an idiot, though, and knew that he had to be careful, for a bullet was just as fast as a good punch, and required much less skill to use. Sneering at the fallbacks of the weak, he saw his chance, as the PGC line broke ranks as the woman with the shotgun rushed forward.
Now, to just slip in from next to the wall…
---
Aoi Soba watched dispassionately, smiling a little as one of the women broke ranks and charged directly at her, shotgun low and ready. Hoisting her rifle easily behind her back, she waited for the woman to reach her, so the two of them could begin the deadly dance. Her slow pleasure turned to ash, however, when the songstress dived away from her at the last moment, angling for Thomas behind her.
Aoi’s eyes narrowed; she was being ignored!
---
Smirking, Thomas swung the Grand Magnum into position, popping up from behind his cover to line up the next shot. The woman with the shotgun was still too far away from him to properly use her weapon, and-!
Slumping to the ground, head splitting in pain, Thomas dropped to the ground in utter agony. Slapping one hand over his bloody face, Thomas screamed out in pain, desperately wondering what happened to his right eye.
---
Hearing Thomas cry out in pain, Karl looked down at the rather shocked looking Summer, apparently surprised that he had dropped down from the ceiling directly on top of her. He had been a tad too slow to save Thomas’ eye, it seems, but the man would live. That was enough, for now.
Glaring down at the woman from his perch on a nearby bed, he flowed seamlessly into his ready stance, arms spread and legs locked. “I am Karl Lee. You killed my friend. Prepare to die!”
---
George’s first shot sailed high, a web of sparkling light slamming into the wall directly behind where Thomas’ head was just a moment before. A line of confusion on the songstress’ face, she couldn’t quite tell how he had dodged her attack. By his cry of pain, though, it sounded like he was hit with something…
However, she could hear another threat coming up behind her; the leader of the enemy unit. She didn’t sound pleased. Spinning around to face the woman behind her, George saw the enemy Commander leveling her rifle at her. Twisting to the side to dodge the anticipated hail of gun fire, George heard her call out a challenge. “Ignore him, for I am your opponent now!”
--- ---
Combat has been initiated.
Currently, Karl is at the front entrance, by Summer, Hannalore, and Ted. He is currently in melee combat with Summer. Aoi and George are in the middle of the room, by the downed Xi’ku. Thomas is right behind them, on the floor. He is still alive, but is missing an eye. He’ll be taking an Awareness hit during this fight.
Summer takes a step back in the sudden surprise of the man jumping down in front of her. Her eyes narrow at him as her anger continues to flare. She had missed her mark, she had hit the man, but she didn't kill him. Hopefully the wound would prove fatal in the end. Right now she had to focus on the one before. He had stopped her from killing the man that took out Xi'ku, he was now on her list.
He was too close for gun fire, maybe if she could get behind him or put some distance between them she could get in a couple of shots, for now though she would have to fight him face to face. She jumps forward and swings at the man twice, right and then left.
"If you listen to his screams, you'd relise your friend is still alive, though not for long if I have any say of it. He fell my friend, he will DIE!" -------------------------------------------------------------------- Battle Post
Realizing that the commander was wanting a fight, Za'che, ran to where the woman that had that awful smile was currently having her temper tantrum. 'Damn impatient people. Can't wait their turns.' Jumping over her fallen comrade for the moment, she kicks Aoi, to knock her off balance.
"You think that you can tell us apart? Many have tried, but then again, many have failed. What do you think the price for that is?" The Three Sisters Lylie-governess to a child of the first plain "You grew up. Thats a shame. The carousel never stops turning. You cant get off either. Its a shame."
Georgiana turned around to the voice, weapon still tracking Thomas's form, to observe the pompous Vanguard speak, “Ignore him, for I am your opponent now!”
Scoffing, Georgiana assessed her options before bellowing, "Only PGC gives PGC commands." Only five pounds of pressure were necessary to squeeze the Jackhammer's trigger. She spent only that much to execute the most dangerous of her foes. He held a grenade launcher and as long as he lived, they all were liable to die. Ureon gave no thought to the man's family, if indeed he might have it. In no way would she mourn his passing, as Master Sergeant Po had chiseled her combat mind into a fierce fighting machine. This was her job, she would kill Thomas.
She swung her rifle back to Aoi and ejected the fuse with a quick pump of the slide. "Now, what can I do for you, terrorist bitch?" The scowl across her brow showed the fury beneath the placid singer's face.
Hannalore looked up from the doorway where she was hiding, watching as Summer desperatly tried to battle off Karl. The woman looked like she might be in trouble, as the man obviously know what he was doing. She felt like she could help the commander, but... Be strong, Hannalore... Nothing gets done if you run away...
Tearing her veiw away from the terrible sight directly in front of her, her gaze settled on Xi'ku's still form, lying the the middle of the room. He hadn't moved since he had been hit a few moments ago, but... Gritting her teeth, the young medic made her decision. Remembering George's words just moments ago, Hannalore left Summer, hoping that she would be able to take care of herself. Ducking around Karl, she rushed over to Xi'ku in a low, running crouch. Please be ok, Xi'ku~! --- --- Battle Thread link
Sliding forward, Karl scoffed at the pitiful attempts by the woman in front of him. She was obviously not all that well trained in the art of honorable combat; her loss. Striking back with a series of quick, heavy blows, the martial artist’s grin slowly fell as her realized he wasn’t going to get any challenge here. Glancing over his shoulder, he wondered if that big Keshian would have been any more of a fight…
Hannalore crouched next to Xi’ku, shaking him gently and looking for bleeding. She was surprised to find that he was simply unconscious, almost as if his body had simply taken the opportunity to sleep when presented with the opportunity. Sitting back on her heels, she gave the Keshian an odd look. How was she going to wake him up?
Glancing up at the last moment, Thomas opened his one good eye wide as he looked directly down the muzzle of an energy shotgun. Ducking to the side at the last possible moment, he heard the whine of a lance of energy shooting into the floor directly next to him. Gritting his teeth to ignore the pain in his eye, he fired his Grand Magnum at the woman, only to have the shot fly wide over her shoulder.
Aoi cried out in shock as the Keshian commander came out of nowhere, leaping at her and knocking her off her feet. Quickly scanning that side of the room, she couldn’t help but question how she had the missed the woman ducking behind beds and things. Rolling, out of the way of stop by clawed feet, she leveled her rifle and firing a quick round at the woman above her. She started as she felt something drop into her stomach. Glancing down, she kicked the live grenade up and out of her lap, just as the wildly buzzing thing burst.
Summer watches George for a second as she runs up to take out Thomas. She hears the two explosions but doesn't see them because Karl catches her shoulder. Pulling her self back to her own fight, she quickly cocks her head to the side to dogde his second blow. She smiles as he turns his head. Maybe he was distracted by the explosions, maybe he didn't think her much of a challange. Either way it was his mistake. She takes her opportunity as he looks away from her for the moment and makes two quick jabs at his exposed cheek.
Luckily for Summer, she has never been an angry person, so her rage never last long. As her head starts to clear so she can better deal with the situation she calls out an order to George.
"Ureon! Take out that Weapon! NO MERCY!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Battle Post
No mercy was a concept that an enlistedman could understand. Without a moments hesitation or discourse, Ureon turned around and fired again. This time, the shot was far better aimed; at the center of Thomas's mass. She could feel the charge build and she squeezed the Jackhammer's trigger. Releasing the pent up energy upon the unsuspecting Vanguard, George pumped the slide and ejected the spent fuse.
Looking at the gun suddenly pointed at her, she thought to herself, 'why did I have to do this? I should have just stayed in the shadows like I'm supposed to do.' Seeing the grenade come up she curls into a ball and hopes that she comes out of this ok.
"You think that you can tell us apart? Many have tried, but then again, many have failed. What do you think the price for that is?" The Three Sisters Lylie-governess to a child of the first plain "You grew up. Thats a shame. The carousel never stops turning. You cant get off either. Its a shame."
Gritting her teeth, Hannalore glared at the leader woman, anger slowly smoldering in her breast. She hadn't been able to wake Xi'ku, and it looked like it would take a bit more time then she could afford to use during the middle of a rather dangerous combat situation. She had dragged the large Keshian behind a overturned bed, and now was hoping the fight ended as quickly as possible.
Well, why aren't you helping, then...? Shaking her head at the thought, a small bit of resolve clenched the skittish woman's heart. Pulling her pistol out from it's holster, she carefully lined up a shot at Aoi. Pulling the trigger gently, the small weapon jumped in her white clenched double-handed grip... ---
