With the techy magnetically accelerated needles being fired method on one end, and the old fashioned method of hucking rocks at things on the other, Joe's method was somewhere between those.  Though of course more towards the low tech rocks method.

  Ever consider how heavy old fashioned grappling hooks can be? And what exactly they are?  Swat's were being reminded of these details as Joe enacted in violence that would make a Belmont jealous.  It's amazing what can be done with a hunk of metal and cord (or chains, depending,).

  "The question is Violence, the answer is yes.  That and so far nobody we'd notice gone is dead.  Do keep it that way please."

While staying out the line of fire, both Freedom Fighter and SWATbot alike, Hart lays being the point of ambush with the others, chucking the occasional rock to knock a SWATbot off balance enough to fall into a pit.

"Awesome. If we can stop these guys, all this jazz might work out to be majorly in our favor." They'll think that we led 'em to this point on purpose, with no clue of how close they were to an actual outpost.  All we've gotta do is press back enough.

While looking for another opening, Hart's eyes spot something else: A younger female cat struggling to get past the line and into saftey. Must be a straggler from the escape.  How the heck did we miss her? She was close, moving forward from behind the trees, but not close enough.  It was sheer luck that she hadn't been spotted by the 'bots yet, but it also might've been due to all the chaos.  Whatever the reason, she was too close to the SWATbots for comfort and probably didn't have a clue where the pits were laid.  It didn't take much more mental prodding for Hart to make a run for her.
Dashing past the line of ambush, Hart makes for the trees and the cat-girl.  He reaches her quickly, but not quick enough as several nearby SWATbots have already spotted her and him. Before the startled feline has a chance to react, Hart grabs her by the arm and forces her to run with him.  The nearby SWATbots are closing in, but shots from the other Freedom Fighters have taken down all but one.  The remaining 'bot manages to get next to Hart and the cat-girl and makes the move to grab them, but its foot passes through the ground and into a pit as it moves. After a moment, the rest of the 'bot follows into the pit, but Hart and the feline are already back behind the lines, where the feline reunites with the other escapees.

Once she's back and safe, Hart lets out a sigh of relief and almost collapses behind their cover. That probably could've gone better, but whatever... Thank goodness those 'bots are lacking in the speed department.  I wonder what Shelly would've thought of that stunt?

Shelly is in no condition to give an opinion on Hart's stunt. Her only plea for water being ignored (And understandabley. Mittens is focusing on getting Shelly to safety first or else water won't matter), Shelly finally slips out of contiousness for the time being.

Blipvert sees the SWATbot numbers drop drastically and quickly. After a moment's thought about the situation, he orders a retreat through radio and has the SWATbots carry their wounded or such back with them if possible. It seems the Freedom Fighters planned just one step ahead this time. But how? Thankfully for the Freedom Fighters, it doesn't occur to Blipvert that such a trap could be made on the fly since neither Blipvert nor Ra realize they are dealing with 2 groups of Freedom Fighters now. Nor do they truly know the number of Freedom Fighters that might be living at Channelwood... now that they have seen the likes of Shelly, Hart, Mittens and a few others.

The SWATbots grab what they can and run for it back towards Middletown. Robotnik won't be happy. But Blipvert does not care about Robotnik's emotions.

Katy isn't ready to proclaim victory just yet, even as she sees the bots retreating. There is still work to be done, such as covering up any evidence that there was a battle here. She continues firing rocks with her slingshot at the retreating SWATbots until they are out of range. "Stay your ground! Do NOT persue!" is her only command while doing so. But when the bots are out of sight, she quickly hurries over to Samuel. "Any of your scanners able to detect bombs or mines that might be left behind? I didn't see them lay any, but that doesn't mean they didn't. I'm not used to seeing them retreat..."

Maverick didn't get his chance to jump any SWATbots yet. Which is OK with him. Survival is what's important. He climbs down from the tree he was in and curiously watches the others as he cautiously makes his way over to Samuel, figuring this fellow overlander could explain things. He looks around, keeping an eye out for Nighteyes, just in case, so he can thank the man for aiding in his rescue...

Shelly's final plea doesn't escape Lucky's notice.  When he sees her pass out he assumes the worst and panics!

  "MEDIC!" he screams desperately as he hurriedly approaches her, She's DIEING!"

He carefully rolls Shelly from off Mitten's back and looks around for anyone who looks like they know first aid.

For a split second, Mittens dismisses Lucky's request as an overreaction, <.<  but just as quickly it occurs to her that Shelly could have been shot in the escape and is bleeding to death.  O.O!!!  She springs to her feet as if falling flat on her face from exhaustion had just been an act and begins to search the Princess for any serious injury, but finds none.  o.o?

  "I know first aid," Mittens explains to Lucky cooly, ""What is she dieing of?"

Samuel doesn't follow the SWATBots when they retreat even before such an order is given as Samuel is no hero, all he cares about is getting the job done and surviving to do the next job.

When Katy approaches him, and after hearing her question, he chuckles and replies, "Of course, Stelaras Employees, especially mechanics like me, often use those type of sensors are also used to detect fuel leak, booby traps, and radiation when exploring salvage locations. After all, you never know when space pirates have booby trapped a location to try to ambush anyone attempting to salvage it when the trap goes off," as Samuel quickly puts away his gauss gun and starts pressing buttons on his diagnostic bracer as he scans the area for any sort of trap that the retreating robots may have left behind, as well as what the robots did leave behind may be useful as salvage.

Samuel is so focused on the scan that he doesn't respond to Maverick's approach as Samuel doesn't know what to make of the 'boy' approaching him as other than the kid clearly isn't a Mobian. 'So is this kid a stranded survivor from space like me, or is he a native, what did the Mobians call them... oh yes Overlander... hmm, I can see now why there are some who think I'm an Overlander, but appearances are only skin deep...I'm a human from Tanelorn. I know a simple medical scan would solve many questions, but I fear the questions such a scan could raise if a relation was found..I'd rather not even think about. I better focus on the scan...'
This message was last edited by the player at 18:50, Tue 10 July 2007.

Valin emerges from where he had taken cover when the robots flee the scene. The gorilla approaches Katy and asks, "Judging by how things turned out, is this mission a success, or a failure as I don't see any scuba gear. But we did rescue some prisoners..."

Noticing the busted SWATBots laying around Valin mutters, "So what do we do now?" as Valin is a bit concerned about the minor damage to the forest, but he knows the forest will recover quickly as it doesn't look like any trees have been killed, although a few have been injured but the plants will be able to heal themselves in time.

Michael looks around as the robots flee and after they have left, Michael approaches Katy and Samuel and says, "With everyone else here, there isn't much that needs my attention, I'll go back to Channelwood and make sure everything is okay there, after all we have to figure out where those that were rescued will be staying."

Michael then grins and heads off towards Channelwood, while still being cautious as he doesn't want to lower his guard and risk letting a hidden robot that may have remained behind try and track him back to Channelwood, so Micheal makes liberal use of the trees to both get back to Channelwood faster, as well as to make himself harder to follow.

While it was very wise of Michael to watch for hidden bots, thankfully, Blipvert didn't think of that. In fact, Hart was right on. Blipvert suspected the base was nowhere near since this trap seemed thought-out.

Meanwhile, Sam's tracers would pick up no sign of mines or other such "hidden" traps waiting for them. It was an honest retreat with no venom left behind.

Maverick reaches to tug on Samuel. "Excuse me..." he says quietly. "...but how do you know these people? Where are you from?" He doesn't seem to mean to be a bother, but he's got to know. What in the world is with this ragtag group of Freedom Fighters that has this overlander adult with them?
This message was last edited by the player at 20:31, Tue 10 July 2007.

Once Samuel's bracer shows Samuel the results of the scan he speaks up, "The robots didn't leave behind any traps, they probably didn't have the opportunity to do so...but what they did leave behind is somewhat salvageable, if only for scrap metal, but there are some things that will be useful."

Samuel then turns to Maverick and replies to Maverick's question, "I met the Aquarius Freedom Fighters while roaming around under water in my space suit while looking for a good place to hide my damaged shuttle. We later ended up meeting the Channelwood Freedom Fighters when everyone ended up running into each other at Middletown not too long ago." Samuel then sighs and frowns as he thinks back of his true home as he says, "I'm from Tanelorn. And if all goes well, one day I will return there with those Robotnik took from me."

At this point Samuel starts going around scavenging the remains of the SWATBots that weren't dragged off for materials and component parts that are still salvageable as Samuel hasn't finished the repairs to his shuttle yet.

Maverick looks interested as he raises an eyebrow. He thinks to himself "...Space suit? First I heard of a stray overlander with a space suit. And I never heard of Tanelorn. But then, I don't suppose I know every Overlander city there is..." Then says, "Tanelorn?" as if asking where that is. He's a boy of few words and wants to keep most of his thoughts to himself. But he can't help but be excited about a man with a space suit. And hopeful that this man is someone he can look up to. Though his caution wins him over for the time being.

Samuel stops salvaging materials when he hears Maverick mention the name Tanelorn as Samuel says, "Tanelorn is the city sized space station where I was born and grew up. And if all goes well, where I'll return someday with those that Robotnik took from me."

Samuel then resumes salvaging SWATBot parts for materials he can use to assist him in his repairs for the shuttle as well as materials to use for other things such as new gauss gun ammo, and spare parts for his SWATBot 'suit'.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:13, Tue 10 July 2007.

Maverick has gotten even more curious now. This guy was BORN on a space station? A CITY sized space station? And if so, why are his people not helping out? Probabley the same reason any other surviving overlander city won't help out even their own kind. "It's reassuring to see another overlander, but you don't seem surprised to see me."

Samuel stops salvaging materials for a second time when he hears Maverick mistake Tanelorn for an Overlander city, as Samuel now realizes the boy has mistaken him as a native of the planet as Samuel grumbles as he almost bites his tongue to prevent shouting in anger as he glares at Maverick, "Tanelorn is not a city of Overlanders! It is in another part of the galaxy where humans, like me, not Overlanders like you, reside in peace along side dozens of other races. Collectively, the residents proudly call themselves Tanelornians no matter what species they are. While on the other hand, Overlanders from what I've heard are all barbaric and treacherous, although how much of that is propaganda I don't know and don't care...what I do know is that as a species they spawned Robotnik and that is enough to make me disappointed with the species as a whole."

Samuel then resumes salvaging materials as second time as he continues muttering to no one in particular, "Frankly, I'm sick and tired for being mistaken for being the same species as that bloated psychopath, Robotnik! I'm not some xenophobic, treacherous, warmongering Overlander that would instigate hostilities with others simply due to differences in what species they are. I may look like an Overlander, but that doesn't mean I am one...and I can't wait to get off this remote backwater planet." as Samuel seriously starts to consider pranking the heck out of the next person to call him an Overlander, no matter who that person is.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:24, Tue 10 July 2007.

Maverick narrows his eyes. "If you aren't xenophobic, then you would not be so offended at being called an overlander just because of Robotnik. You may come from some perfect place where the sun always shines, but all that means is that you are too naive to know people as evil as Robotnik come along all the time from any race." He ponders the idea of keeping his mouth shut and wonders why he even spoke this much. Maybe he's just GOT to know that badly how Samuel feels...
This message was last edited by the player at 21:37, Tue 10 July 2007.

Valin glances back and forth between Samuel and Maverick's 'conversation' and mutters to Katy, "Is it just me or is this a bit of an inappropriate time for these two to be arguing?" as the gorilla sighs.

Emerald earpirks at the conversation and hrms, wondering if she should get involved. Samuel is a member of Aquarius, not Channelwood. And Maverick is a brand new rescue. Perhaps if the argument persists, the best thing would be to keep Maverick in Channelwood.

Katy nods to Valin. "Better now than during battle. Just keep working. If it gets bad, protect whoever gets attacked. If it *threatens* to get bad, I'll step in."

Samuel now starts to look angry as he stops salvaging yet again to say to Maverick, "Look kid, being annoyed when someone mistakes your identity does not qualify as xenophobia. I'd be just as angry if everyone was calling me a Dinonian, or a type of fish, or a virus, or a plant. And Tanelorn may be overall peaceful, but that doesn't mean it's a utopia, crime exists and there are criminals all over the galaxy, some I think are probably sadistic enough to even be able to scare Robotnik bad enough HE'D loose bowel control if he met them in a dark alley." It seems either Samuel isn't listening to what the others present are talking about, or he simply doesn't care.

Samuel then turns his back on Maverick as he once again resumes scavenging, "I've spent a lot of time traveling the stars as a Stelaras Employee so don't think I'm naive just because my home is inhabited by beings of multiple species that are civilized enough to coexist without waging war on each other. Humans in general have given up war in the interstellar community I come from, simply because, like our ancestors, we are disgusted with how good we were at it. Our ancestors devastated our home planet so badly we had to take the to stars thousands of years ago to survive. Loosing your home world was a rude wakeup call, but in hindsight it let humanity mature into a better species. We are no longer territorial and predatory in nature, nor are we ruled by greed and power. Such things are counterproductive, when the only way to survive is for everyone to work together."

Maverick seems satisfied with the answer. Though this goes to show, this guy is an honest-to-goodness alien from outer space.

Although she doesn't say it, Emerald can't help but think Samuel is a bit egotistical to think his people have gone beyond things like greed, etc. It is impossible to change one's nature in long term even when a crisis hits. History proves that. But she isn't about to say such things out loud when it's clear this guy does not take correction. She gets a strong notion that this Samuel guy can never face being wrong about something.