and now we have to open a new thread :D

T'risa sent a warm wave of approval to Elsbeth.

"Inviting Blakiir to shoot with you might be a very good and wise idea. If you like I can give you some hints that would indicate to him you are interested in spending more time with him."


T'risa reviewed the recording intently. She knew the inference from what Poppy said, but it was obvious Poppy recognised it and she only had a guess at the facts. T'risa opened a communications link.

"Poppy, who or what is Marduk?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:33, Fri 03 Sept 2010.

  " Bit sucking bastards who ought to be recycled into bedpans. Popy repled acid in her tone" cyberoids loyal to the psycho bitch Hecate. She started the AI wars, killed a couple billion humans and murdered Hephaestus,.... Prometheus' brother."

    "Why, you just asking or do I need to go find a nuke or two?  .
This message was last edited by a game moderator at 02:50, Sat 04 Sept 2010.

"Poppy, What are their combat capabilities? Tactics? How large are they in numbers? Tell us more about cyberoids."

She flashed a glance to Leo "Next time you talk with Prometheus, find out all you can about Hecate, cyberoids and what happened to Hephaestus. Also what might motivate Hecate to ally with Her."

In reply to T'risa K'mahda (msg #989):

 She got tears in her eyes as the lady said her parents might be alive, because for one brief second she wanted...no, allowed herself to believe it. But no, she knew they were gone. She knew from the empty space in her heart and in her mind where they had always been until they weren't there anymore, as suddenly as if a candle flame had been snuffed out. There was really no other way to describe the feeling. She just knew there was a sucking void where once there had been warmth and love and laughter and so many other things she couldn't name, may never put a name to. It was what had made them who they were, every nuance, every essence, every thought and gesture. She wiped a tear away and nodded to the pretty lady but couldn't focus upon what she was saying, not really.
 "Ok Ma'am. I guess we'd better stay on the ship. It's no more dangerous than that thing that ate people, or that lizard bug thing that hated everything and everyone."

When T'risa broadcast her offer to help Elsbeth, a flash of confusion and what T'risa could probably only interpret as consternation flooded into Elsbeth's mind for a moment.  After a pregnant pause which itself had followed a few moments of counting and strict visualizations of simple geometric shapes in an attempt to clear and focus her mind, Elsbeth's thought came through with a bit of a halting cadence, T-Thank you for the offer, Ma'am.  I...I am not sure that I would be able to do your lessons justice.  There was another pause and some more counting, before Elsbeth stated a bit forlornly, And, in any case, Friend Balkiir has stated that he has his choice of Valkiir women at home.  I do not want to burden him and our friendship with anything more.  It is enough that he is willing to shoot and spend time with me...  Elsbeth's mind was easy enough for T'risa to read, that she could sense the Praetorian-templated woman was withholding some deeper, potentially sublimated desires - ones that she was probably not yet ready to vocalize.

There was another pregnant pause, before Elsbeth broadcast one other thing, Ma'am? she sounded a bit hesitant, I hope that I am not to forward... And there was another pause, and T'risa can sense more conflict or confusion on Elsbeth's part, but Friend Balkiir mentioned that the O'meadan prisoner tried to infiltrate his mind, which I am sure that you are aware of.  But, he also mentioned to me offhand, that he was still dealing with some aftereffects.  He...he did not seem overly concerned about it.  B-but I just wanted to bring the fact to your attention, I guess.  The worry surrounding her thought patterns was readily obvious - Elsbeth was doing little (or perhaps could not mask effectively) her feelings on the matter.

  " I've only got second hand stuff. but I'd say they are solid combat models. ballistic sheathing over internals, boosted fire control. Optics, probably no pain receptor...not always a bad thing if you ask the lady who just got her face shot off."
    Cant be that many, we flat line them if we spot one. usually come in a six pack. not hard to pick out of a crowd, well a crowd of cyberoids anyway. Big, mean looking. no personality emulators... just stand there and look bad assed.

   Basically we're synthetic people. most of us can take a beating that would put an organic down. mostly cause were metal inside. high end not so tough more bio-mimetic cant take internal damage as well. put a bullet in the right spot and we fold like a deck of cards. of course more mechanical models cant take EMP or electricity as well...burns out there circuits and plays hell with their nerves....ummm those guys are not like something you just talk about... and you seem to want some pretty specific stuff....

  " You know this ain't working." Balkiir stopped and put his hand on Elspeth's shoulder. right now your giving off enough vibes to rattle the windows." I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer so you have to use small words and tell me." as his hand touched her shoulder he blinked and looked even more puzzled. then chuckled shaking his head." you nervous, now thats one i didn't see coming. whats eating ya.?,

Laughing M'kira smiles eyes twinkling merrily when Poppy uses the  intercom broadcasting  her words throughout the ship. "Mmm He thinks all A.I. are sexy I bet. I can't wait to see Tiny back in a proper Mech body. Though I don't know if your going to have missiles. I Think a proper Rail gun or energy  mount is better then missiles. They tend to blow up when you take hits. So I would use em early on in a battle if you get any." While it was true missiles had built in safety features to help avoid exploding from battle damage M'kira still didn't care for them.

She gently hugs tiny as well happy to comfort one of their newest friends. "She's right about that. You can take the ones that did it out of this world. I am glad you two met I think your good for Tiny poppy. We are a family and remember that your always welcome Tiny you to poppy."

She coughs into her smoothly for a second when Poppy talks about pouncing on Rhic or maybe Conrad.Her expression was slightly amused as she thinks about it. "Mmm live for today and not worry about tomorrow? Sounds like your going to be a handful and a lot of fun to be around. I wish I could have met pepper. Though I arrived to late to have a chance to make friends with her. If you go shopping I will be happy to go with you. I figure depending on how much you pick up you might need a extra pair of hands to carry things.

A bit later when the subject turns to Hecate M'kira listens with interest. That might explain why Prometheus personally showed up. Course it very well could be other things. After all it was a big universe full of Chaos as Poppy put it. She listens with interest as poppy shares the details on the stuff. <blue> "It's probably because Chronos was here not so long ago in a full on Dreadnought to Dreadnought battle not so long ago. Is that why your asking questions in that direction T'risa?"

Tiny starts to wonder around again.  She felt like useless not having anything to do for now, and she didnt want to get into any more trouble.  Eventually, Tiny managed to make her way over to were Conrad was building her new mecha body.  Tiny took a few minutes to look at the initial build and starts to piece together stuff she would want on there.

"Hmmm... I wonder why Conrad is doing that?  Where am I going to go in this?  Where is Conrad at anyways...?  I better go find him."

Tiny goes of searching for Conrad, in hopes to track him down and barrage him with questions about what he is doing.

In reply to Elsbeth (msg #6):

T'risa chewed on her bottom lip as she wondered how to respond to Elsbeth. "Balkiir's situation with the female O'meadan is more complex. You know the Tau are all psionics? That Valkiir gain their physical prowess through the use of psionics? Well, there are some aspects to their lives that are more complex. They "know" as soon as they come into the presence of someone that would be an ideal partner for them for their lives. It doesn't matter whether the person is a mass murderer or violent or as meek as can be. When it hits them, they are umm, attracted." T'risa paused for a few moments before continuing "Balkiir got that feeling around the O'maedan prisoner. It means we need to be careful when the two are together. She will use it to her advantage. It is up to all of us to make sure Balkiir and ourselves are safe. The other thing you should note is that many Valkiir are married to people they do not have these feelings about and sometimes they can just know someone for years and feel nothing and one day, something changes and click. Elsbeth, the other thing to note is that Valkiir males are much more used to women taking the lead as far as these things are concerned. I'm sure his mothers are pressuring him to join a circle of eligible young women. I'm also equally convinced Balkiir is looking for something more than an arranged marriage. If you're interested, then ask him to spend time with you. Do something romantic or buy some guns together. Something to show you have common interests."

Her own surprise would need to wait to a more fitting time. "Maran, welcome to the Crow. While you are here, you are in the care of the entire crew. You must do as we say. I will urge you to talk to Rhic to see about getting you some protective gear. Come talk to me once you have some free time."

T'risa reviewed the information Poppy was telling her. It made sense. "Poppy, could you please review what you know about cyberoids with Sergeant Grym. Specifically the areas he might need to target. Conrad once you've rested, I'd like you to look at way of bringing down a cyberoid both lethally and non lethally."

T'risa leaned back in her chair rubbing at her temples. Stygian hunter drones....they came here for Stygian Hunter Drones. Now they had an ancient age old war about to reawaken. Tae, Tau, the Steeds, Prometheus and Kronos on one side. She, O'maedan traitors, Q'sa, Hecate, cyberoids on the other. At the moment things did not seem ... favourable for their side. She needed something to give them an edge.....and then it came to her. The abandoned starport. The mercenary Captain gave them co-ordinates. Conrad might find a treasure trove of items he could use....and if any of the ships were useable...they could evacuate if they had to.

"Rhic....look up the co-ordinates we have for the abandoned shipyard. See if the colony has any records or maps of the area."

What she really needed was M'Kira or Star.

" You called Madame star hopped up into T'risa's lap have purr and fur, and will travel. ...looks like you have a lot on your plate...whats got you so tense. well other than being the one in charge and the one ho has to make decisions that could get people killed.
    star kneaded her a nice comfy spot in the womans lap then bounced up and licked her face a couple of times, purring softly as she snuggled in against T'risa.

   " On the job. Rhic motioned for Maran to join him at the computer terminal. pulling a chair over beside him. " You know how to do a search on the H-net?...if you do go in and find me all you can about Hecate, the AI wars and something called Marduk...don't worry about making sense of it, I'll do that I need an extra set of hands right now.
     " I'm not that good with things I cant ..fold, spindle, or mutilate" He added with a grin and a laugh.

  " Sure thing boss. Poppy grabbed the gear she had claimed from salvage and headed off to find Grym. since she had out faces to all the other names she figured the buy with the big gun would be the best bet, that and sneaking a peek at the ships crew manifest.

      asking around if anyone had seen a guy with the biggest rifle anyone had seen, was a little odd, but then right now people toting portable artillery stuck out in a crowd.

    " Don't shoot friendly. Poppy called out as she neared the snipers perch Grym had set up.hunkering down out of sight she sat down a backpack full of food and water. Nice view, just the place to rain hell on the wicked. better adjust your sights. the air is 12% denser than Earth standard so the wind has a bit more umph than normal. The winds come out of the north east this time of year, can get pretty gusty from what I read on the way in. and this god cursed rock has a slowe spin..twenty nine hour day. so your fire control has to be recalibrated too...

   I like guns what can I say, the feel, the skill, the touch of the butt stock against my cheek, the way a shot feels when it's perfect you know he targets down when the gun goes off......that and taking one more antisocial, psycho out of the world kind of makes me all tingly."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:04, Sun 05 Sept 2010.

Elsbeth slowed and then stopped with Balkiir.  She turned her head to the side and up to look at the big man.  The look on her face was slightly vacant as she attempted to multi-task and maintain the conversation with both T'risa as well as Balkiir.  She was only partly successful.  Yes, Ma'am.  I will try. was about all that she could manage to tell the Marshal.  And even that sounded a bit tentative as she thought it - the conflicting and confused strands in her mind were readily apparent.

She looked at Balkiir for a moment, as she thought things over.  It was as though the Marshal and the ex-Marine were consorting with each other, both choosing right now to confront her.  And given what T'risa had said, all Tau were psionic - so, perhaps they were talking to each other right now.  She sighed slightly and her shoulders slumped, just a touch.  Elsbeth spoke slowly, her voice and words measured, "I-I would very much like for you accompany me to the shooting range for coordinated target practice, Friend Balkiir."  She bit her lower lip for a moment and then pushed on blindly hoping that her voice sounded more confident than her mind and thoughts were, "and if you would partake of ... um...  beer and pizza with me afterwards.  I-it would please me immensely."

A slightly crooked smile crossed Elsbeth's lips.  "As for your sharpness, your axe is plenty sharp for me, Friend Balkiir." she noted rather deadpan.  Then, one of her eyebrows raised up slightly and she added more playfully, "And, in case you hadn't noticed, I am rather fond blunt tools, anyways."  She put her hand on the one that Balkiir had on her shoulder.

But then, as her gaze lingered on Balkiir, Elsbeth finally finished processing everything that the Marshal had tried to convey to her as well as what Balkiir had said previously.  As comprehension dawned upon her, Elsbeth's brow furrowed slightly and her smile started to fade from her lips.  She asked slightly aghast, her tone coupled with a touch of hurt as well, "A-are you really that attracted to the O'maedan prisoner?  Enough so, to actually betray me and the others on this ship?"

    " I'd like that. Balkiir smile broadly as he spoke. "I kind of like the way you are, cant figure you. one minute tough as nails next kind of soft and shy. Don't know where we are gonna end up but looking forward to gettin' there."


     And that woman, Balkiir spoke with no hint of insult, or anger or doubt. He set down his boxes put both hand son Elspeth's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye." before I let her do anything that harms anyone, or gets in the way of the mission I'll put a bullet in her head." Balkiir paused looking pained" I cant explain it but it'd tear me up to do it. and if it came to that I'd hunt down the bitch who sent her, and it wont be pretty what i do then.

   For now we got work to do, and then we can go cap off a few rounds and get used to having the boss in your head... By the way, your kind of cute when your nervous.

She noticed that everyone seemed to be doing their own thing. Seeing she had free time for the moment at least as no doubt that would change. M'kira decides to see what T'risa was up to. She was rather busy these days and might need a helping hand. That or they just might get a little time to relax together. It looked like Balkir and Elsebeth were going to have fun on the firing range. She wouldn't mind that and yet somehow she got the feeling it was better to let them enjoy themselves alone.

By the time she found T'risa she see's that she's rubbing her temples and has a look of concern. Although when she notes star hopping up into her lap M'kira smiles finding the six legged cat Adorable. That and she was happy to know that the cat's presence would be rather soothing for someone she cares about. "Hello T'risa. I don't think I have caught our new friends name yet. Is it all right if I pet her?"

She knew that Interrogating the O'meda Prisoner was important. However seeing how Stressed T'risa was she felt it could wait. A few hours or even a day probably wouldn't hurt. She walks up gracefully and slowly on hand falling to her hip as she waits to hear T'risa's response. Though if the cat gives any indication Pet's were welcome she would happily start to do so.

OOC: My regrets im not certain if Star can actually speak or if that was private thought to thought conversation.  Otherwise you might be getting some extra attention star. ^_^
This message was last edited by the player at 17:14, Mon 06 Sept 2010.

T'risa nodded smiling happily as M'Kira arrived. A sigh of relief. T'risa smiled secretively. "I'm sure Bright Star wouldn't mind, but you should ask her yourself."

T'risa paused as her fingers twirled in Bright Stars fur. "My major concern is the number of factions becoming involved here. This is escalating very quickly...and not in a good way. We're heavily outnumbered." T'risa rested her head against M'Kira.

"I think I've decided on the next course of action after the interrogations are complete. Assuming they bring no information that requires immediate action. the O'maedan woman is dangerous to keep here as well, though she should provide some excellent information."

M'kira smiles warmly at her friend then down at Bright star as she asks her in a gentle friendly voice. "May I pet you Bright Star?"

Her response was thoughtful as she meets T'risa's eyes briefly before her friend rests her head against her. "I know. There are quite a few powers interested in this planet possibly for a variety of reasons. Once you get a communication off I have to wonder what sort of action the Empress will take."

Gently her fingers caress the back of T'risa's neck and through her silky hair affectionately. M'kira smiles down at her friend happy to be there for her. "What do you have in mind? I will be happy to help in any way that I can."

" I am always happy to be petted Star replied nuzzling T'risa's hand. her small voice seeming to come both to the ear and to M'kira's mind." especially if it's from a friend of a friend.

   Sun Runner walked quietly up to Maran and licked the fingers on her right hand.  He wasn't even fighting with the canine mimicry program for the time being.  He felt that Maran needed him, and so he came.  All her vital signs seemed relatively stable, though her blood pressure was slightly elevated, it certainly wasn't cause for concern.  Yet she was clearly upset at the moment, most likely it was a combination of being overwhelmed by the flood of recent events and her realization of everything she had lost.  Although Sun Runner would never be human, he did understand.
  "I am sorry, Maran," he said simply, wedging his head under her palm for a pat, and to bring himself along side of her.  "I do understand what it means to lose so much that is matters to you.  If I had the capacity to absorb and remove your pain I would.  I am here for you, however.  We all are, and we will help you in any way we are able.  Perhaps we can help each other?"  He lifted his head and gave her as reassuring a grin as his canine features allowed.

T'risa shrugged sighing as she pet Star "It's hard to say. Depends what her precogs tell her. She might choose to stay neutral.....or she could send every vessel in the Imperial fleet. If my visions are right it might be the latter more than the former....but even that has it's own consequences. The Tau fleet as is is....not well equipped to deal with dreadnought class vessels. The Tau fleet is numerous and light to better patrol our borders. There are few true assault ships and the Tae fleet while powerful is still mostly under construction." T'risa bit her lip. "I suspect we should make a move on the starport that the captain told us about. We can deploy mecha there and it might provide us the tools we need before we make an attempt on the crashed dreadnought."

She petted Star. "I am pleased Maran chose to stay with us. She is in danger anywhere on the planet, but I hope with us she will thrive. I've been tempted to ask Leo to help her form a mind blade for her defence and Rhic to teach her firearms. She'll need to know some of these tools before long."

T'risa sat back in the chair in front of the computer.

"Maran, my dear one, what exactly did you mean about the thing that ate people or the lizard bug that hates everyone. Are you talking about She?"

In reply to Poppy (msg #14):
He sat with his back against the low wall, his pistol in hand when she came up. He gave her a nod and listened as she spoke, most of the adjustments already made. He looked at the food and water and smiled thanks as he dug in.

"So, thanks for the refreshments. I am guessing there is a reason for you coming up here, the marshal send you to check on me?"

   " actually she wanted me to fill you in on how to kill Marduk... ummm that would be evil, walking trash heaps, technically they're cyberoids..no relation I promise Poppy switched to radio and stopped moving, not even simulating a blink or a breath. ." they're all combat models, heavy sub dermal armor, reinforced casings on vital systems, all the uber-killer mods....but they have soft spots, not that you can hit them in combat...but a guy with a gun like that might just be able to send them to the scrapyard....20mm isn't it... nice work, definitely not off the shelf...ignore me for a minute I have to dial in, cant have some clever monkey boy tracking my chatter... as she spoke the signal strength dialed down on her transmitter until it had just enough power to reach Grym

In reply to John 'Rhic' Rhictor (msg #13):

"Oh, ok, sure. I can work computers. What ya need? Ok."
She plugged in the ear piece and started murmuring to the unit as her fingers danced across the touch screen bringing up likely links and discarding clones until she had several caches on each subject he's mentioned, even correlating in a separate cache any and all links that combined the subjects in any rational or even irrational manner. She sorted them all into dates of order starting with oldest first and newest last and had a synopsis done detailing briefly what each report had to say. With a flick of her fingers she discarded some reports into a separate file she named unlikely, though why she did that she didn't know. Finally she put the files in a cascade form across the screen in order of what she thought most important.
 She skimmed over the reports as she arranged them reading at over 3000 words per minute taking in the gist of them but not in detail, getting only a "thumbnail" picture of the situation.
"All done!"

In reply to T'risa K'mahda (msg #22):

 She felt a funny buzzing in her head and a muffled sounding voice she couldn't recognize at first. She turned a distracted head from the compute screen and noticed T'risa nearby looking at her. She gave a lopsided grin as she answered.
 "What? Oh, sorry, I was concentrating on the screen. What was the question? Oh. Well, as I was escaping from the rec hall where I'd been locked in for days I saw something dragging away... dragging away one of the people there. I know he was dead. I couldn't see real well though but it looked kind of like a lizard and kind of like an insect. It was the weirdest thing I ever saw, but maybe I wasn't seeing so well. I could have been mistaken."
 "And what's a "she"?"

  Rhic watched Maran work his hands stopping mid word as she simply left him in the dust. Instead of her helping him it seemed he was actually slowing her down. He actually found himself looking at her with his jaw hanging open as she sliced through gigs of data without slowing down. He had seen trained comp=techs and cyberoids work as fast before but never a kid.

" I guess you do know computers..." he smiled after getting over the surprise and fascination.

In reply to Sun Runner (msg #21):

 She glanced down at the dog as he shoved his head under her hand after licking it. Or...rather, the AI in the dog suit. Oh what the heck, she'd just accept him as a dog for now. That's what they'd wanted everyone to think anyway, wasn't it?
 "Hello Sunny. Thank you. I know you're here for me! I'd be terribly lonely without you all! Please don't ever leave me, unless that's something you really want to do, ok?"
 She slipped off her chair and hugged him around the neck and ruffled his ruff as she pulled him toward her in an almost desperate embrace. Sun and Blue and Star were all she really felt she had left. Roller skates and all that were ok, but not having anyone to love or to love her was a scary thought she just couldn't face right now! T'risa seemed nice, but she didn't "know" her yet so she seemed a stranger still.

NPC'd

" To be repairing damage sustained in attempt to murder us all, has been a priority. Aziza replied after a moment the vid showing her laying on her back four hands working at some task inside on of the crawl spaces.

    " designs of Mecha are superior to foolish slow witted Q'sa Mecha however will benefit from addition of Devices being designed by peerless Furesh Engineers who are most clever when designing superior shielding technology for small craft.

Conrad smiles and nods at Aziza.  Not waiting to distract her from her duties at the moment.  On his way back to doing his duties, Conrad sends a message to Chief Jons asking for a list of Mecha parts or damaged mecha's that may be laying around for Conrad to salvage for some extra parts for the new mecha body.  Not wanting to ask to much of Chief Jons after Tiny's snafu today, Conrad wanted to gather enough materials to hopefully get something together before having to resort to buying stuff.  Though, from what has happened in the last few days, It was pretty obvious that Tiny will be getting a lot of upgrades down the road.

Soon, Conrad is back to work, slaving away on the mecha with Tiny off somewhere else giving data.  With Aziza being busy on the ship, which is import as well, Conrad keeps to himself and just hunkers down and pushes forward with the work at hand.

Another crooked smile passed onto Elsbeth's lips and her cheek felt a little flush, when Balkiir told her that she was a strange combination of hard and soft, "I was about to say the same thing about you, Friend Balkiir.  So, perhaps, we are a good pairing."  She shrugged slightly, "I suppose that only time and Ifni will tell."

Elsbeth nodded slowly as Balkiir spoke about his relationship with the prisoner, she wanted desperately to trust him - and his body language told her enough to allow her to do so.  From what little she knew of the Valkiir, they were loyal to a fault, not unlike her - and so, she trusted the big blue man with her life, both as a Marine and a friend.  Elsbeth fully believed that Balkiir would not consciously betray her.  Of course, that didn't mean that the Marshal warning did not apply, nor did it mean that Elsbeth was about to leave Balkiir alone with the prisoner.  But really, she knew that it was better not to tempt those Fates at all - either she or M'kira could be present as the requisite muscle for any interrogation - if that muscle was really required at all.  When he finished, she spoke of her own desires, "Hopefully, it will not have to come to that.  But if it does, I will be by your side."  And with that said, she placed her hands on his once more for a brief moment.

As she was picking up her boxes, Elsbeth was forced to blush once more, when Balkiir told her she was cute when nervous.  Still, to her credit, her eyes narrowed slightly, as she reminded Balkiir with a tone that had a touch of playfulness, "Just remember, Friend Balkiir ...  I'm the girl that is quite facile with the harnessed miniaturized gravitational singularity."  She glanced at him as that started down the hallway again and added, "Besides, I am sure that I am not nearly as cute as your shade of blue is ..."

Rather surprised M'kira's eyes widen with a slight gasp then a look of appreciative wonder comes over her. Gently she runs her fingers through Bright star's silky soft fur. Then caresses behind her ears with a very happy look. "It's a pleasure to meet you bright star. I didn't know you had these special abilities."

Her honey hued eyes rest on T'risa while she listens to what her friend has to say. Then grins with a confident look and a slight nod of her head. "Sounds good to me. If im lucky maybe I can find myself a really sweet fighter stashed in that starport somewhere. Course we might find something bigger though im content to just come away with the tools we need."

She continues to lavish attention on bright star enjoying the moment with both her friend and the cat. Even if they were talking serious buisness! She had a feeling they were going to find some very interesting things in the near future. "I am ready to go whenever you are T'risa. The repairs of the crow, Tiny, and possibly, Poppy are going to take a little time though. Basicly those two are up and running but Tiny's a far cray from a battle mech till Conrad manages to finish his project."

Leo offered, "Tee, you know that it takes more than just a little time to learn to refine the subconscious violence of the mind to form a blade.  Don't make me force a poorly crafted alcoholic drink on you to calm your nerves... pet the cat."

He'd seen the way she looked at Maran and the furtive glances that said she was considering something between himself and the little girl.  Combat training was the most likely answer since Ballroom and Salsa were less likely to be what T'Risa was thinking about.

"You need to stop worrying about everything all the time.  Being an ambassador to the Promethean species, it's poor form to go blabbing trade secrets, but combining a fair knowledge of mechanical and biological warfare knowledge, I'd imagine that non-lethal damage will be just about impossible to take them down with... though lethal damage is rarely so troublesome if Conrad or Aziza is around to patch them up or search the hard drives."

   " Nice smile, I'd like to see it more often, Balkiir gave a downright foolish looking grin as he felt her hand on his" definitely gonna be the oddest pair They've seen back on Joulton in a while, well 'cept my cousin she brought home a cesti.... long story."
    Balkiir cupped her face in one over sized calloused and scarred hand for a moment.we can take the rest of our lives, round her that my be a couple of weeks so no rush Balkiir joked darkly trying not to let himself get too soft and mushy. Here comment about standing beside him actually sent a jolt through him, part excitement, part apprehension, and definitely more than a little satisfaction.
     " I'll just have to see how good you are with that fancy stic of yours one day... definitely a third date sort of thing though, don't want to get sweaty and bruised up right off the bat...."
    He lost his train of thought as she walked away her parting shot doing more than most people had ever accomplished, shutting him up and leaving him looking at his skin that darkened a bit as he tried to come up with a bit of witty banter in reply. by the time he got to T'risa he was wearing a slightly befuddled smile that he did his best to hide.

" Got your stuff T'risa...

In reply to Poppy (msg #24):

He listened, in depth info on where to hit these Mardukes would be useful, especially if he could drop them with a single shot. He nodded as she looked over the weapon, she did know her killing tools.

"Ok so reinforced critical areas, I am assuming then a hotload on one of my rounds won't be enough to crack it, at least not in an initial shot. What are these soft areas, how to do I recognize them and what should I be aiming to hit?" He asked in the few seconds she was quite enough to let him speak.

  top of the sternum just to the left...cracks the main fiber optic cluster to the core from the sensors...Blinds them for about 30 seconds.... Lower lumbar just to the right of the spin... blows out the coolant filters and causes them to lose nano fluid and overheat cuts their mobility and forces them to cut their muscular response rate and intensity... the main core is behind the sternum dead center. Your hot loads with cut right through the armor and should at least dislodge their core matrix enough to interrupt their voluntary motor control... takes a few minutes for auto repair to bring them back online.... but your aiming at a spot no bigger than the palm of my hand.....Do me a favor and never tall anyone I told you all this stuff...it works just as good on us as them.... Poppy smiled a wicked lethal smile with just a hint of pure malice toward the Marduk in it." Bu t if the devil went to war with the marduk i'd hand him an extra mag.

T'risa raised an eyebrow surprised Leo had learned to read her so quickly. "She needs it Leo. We're going to place her in harms way and there may be a time when none of us can react and she is in danger. It's something I'd prefer she know and not need than need and not have. We have to keep an eye out for her." T'risa realised she was being unfair "Sorry.....I have to keep an eye out for her. Leo, could you please teach her?" Her eyes filled with silent appeal to Leo's good nature.

Her fingers ran through Bright Stars hair, the feeling in the pit of her stomach growing stronger. "I know M'Kira, our next expedition could be fairly nasty....or it could be relatively easy. It depends on whether or not the spaceport is abandoned. I've every intention of letting Conrad complete Tiny's new body. We also need the Crow to be in best condition. I suspect that we will be watched from now on. and that wherever we go, our heels will be dogged by Q'sa or worse."

She gestured for M'Kira and star to look at the captive woman. "Interrogation is something I am good at, but it leaves a foul taste in my mouth. I suspect I may have to scan her while she sleeps. She's too confident for one in her position. It implies she knows what we have to face yet."

As Balkiir delivered the goods, T'risa couldn't help herself but smile at the befuddled Balkiir. She knew precisely why he seemed a little out of sorts. It seemed to make her heart lighter. "Please bring them to my desk. Ask Chief Jons to stand by in case we need technical expertise." Her mind once more back on the job, it wasn't long before she was lost in the papers and other things they'd gathered from the woman.

Elsbeth tried really hard to purge the image of a Valkiir/Cesti pairing before entering mess hall were the Marshal had effectively set up her command center.  She failed miserably, it was all that she could do to stand at ease, eyes locked forward, after presenting the Marshal with the set of boxes, files and papers that Balkiir had let her carry.  Once they were tasked to find the Chief Jons and effectively dismissed, Elsbeth leaned over and noted quietly as they walked, "Given your family's naming history ... Man-Child Kovul..."  She shook her head slightly and paused for a moment, "I can only imagine what your cousin's children are going to be named."  Another smile crossed her face, as she thought for another pregnant moment and then wagered a guess, "Cat-Child Kovul?"

It didn't even cross Elsbeth's mind to not accompany Balkiir, at this point.  To her mind, he had not yet made good on his promise to accompany her to shoot - so, she wasn't going to let him out of her sight yet.  And even though, the Marshal had only told him to inform the Chief, Elsbeth hoped that Balkiir wouldn't mind if she tagged along.  Ultimately, she didn't have anything better to do.

As the made their way across the open area between the Crow and the colony buildings, Elsbeth noted with an arched eyebrow to her bulky, blue companion, "Oh, and you are going to have to tell me that story of your cousin when we get to the shooting range.  You can't drop breadcrumbs like that and not expect to have to feed me the entire meal.  I have quite an appetite, you know..."

  " Kitten...or more like small furry bundle of joy that makes her mother proud.of course ya hear her 'dad' say it it sounds like he was about to cough up a lung. Balkiir grinned as he walked back toward the arms locker. tapping a message to chief Jons into his wrist pad.
    He paused selected a M-27 and a couple of high powered rifles slinging them over his shoulder...pausing as he picked up an over sized assault shotgun and slapped a magazine into it." Must be Rhic's... damn that fella likes to turn things into pulp..

   Anyways, she met him on an op over in the cetu cluster, They survived a couple of tough scrapes together, guess that makes up for the .... differences. He;s a solid kind of guy. a little batty when he gets too much booze of that herb he likes to chew on.
    Now, first one to knock the x-ring out drinks free? and save the appetite might need it...later Balkiir asked as he handed her a rifle.

Having a thought she asks to see what T'risa thought about the possibility. Being valkir it made sense to arm someone that needed to defend themselves. "You might wish to consider getting her qualified with a stun  pistol or better yet a Tae IP-7 Plasma pistol. If she has to defend herself it hit's hard, has decent ammo capacity, and it's accurate even if it's range is a little on the short side. That will give her another option that might save her life or someone else's if it comes to it. It also might be worth seeing if we can get Maran a set of combat Fatigues. It's light Armor that shouldn't hinder her movement yet give her at least some protection. The folks we are helping probably have some of that to spare."

She  just smiles at T'risa speaking softly with a tone of confidence and a supportive look. "Don't worry I got your back when we hit the spaceport. If your doing it while she's asleep that works for me. Does that mean we won't do a while she's awake interrogation afterwards?" She was just checking rather then making an assumption. M'kira was perfectly fine with it if T'risa was satisfied with what she gets from the woman while she's asleep.

Noting Balkir's befuddled look M'kira was both amused and curious. It seemed things were going well as far as she could tell. Looking over what he brought for T'risa with a touch of curiosity as well especially since her friend mentioned Chief Jons.

In reply to Poppy (msg #36):

"No bigger than your hand, huh? Well in all fairness that is a decent target That would be the first target of choice the lower spine second and then their optics." He nodded at her, grateful for the intel it would help a bit at least give him an idea of where to start shooting if they came across these things.

"So...yeah, you know I got a question for you. Being what you are how does it feel to know someone can just piece you back together? Does it ever bother you." He felt stupid for asking the question but with his current predicament who else could he ask.

Leo put up his hands, "T'Risa, we'll work on it if she has the gift.  Either way, the ability to enforce her own hypnosis on herself is a skill that I don't think any telepath should be without.  Since they are all purely mental activities, we should be able to work on it while sleeping even.  This means more time to get stuff done during the day."

Leo turned his head to M'Kira for a few moments as well, "While I can teach martial arts, I'm probably the least qualified person to teach any kind of firearms... My sisters and mother would have a fit if I so much as said I wanted to learn to shoot.  Moving on the other hand... no Omaeda wants a man who can't move well.  Martial arts and dance have gone hand in hand for centuries."

"I can knock her out so you can get your interrogation started..." Leo also cast his head in the prisoner's direction, he was more concerned about possible connection to SHE.

  "What having someone do something to me without me giving them okay...that pisses me off. It's stealing who i am, I hate it. Poppy rankled at the notion. But I'm free now, I'm my own person...if someone puts something in me or changes what I look like it's still mine to do with as i please...if they want tinker they can but I am going to stay me...unless they rewire my matrix... which would be really scary cause then i wouldn't be me anymore I;d be somebodies toy robot again...."
   Sorry issues...It's not fun to think your only who you are because someone else decided thats what they wanted.....but I try to make my life my own, do what I want to do with it. do something that makes me being here mean something.... If all I can do is take a few scumbags out of the universe than by The Spark I am going to do it.
     "with style and flair and hopefully with a much better butt once I get back to Nomad...I mean this one is...probably not even anything you care about...he he sorry....someone wanted me to be a scatterbrain I guess. Poppy trailed off looking embarrassed and sheepish.

He listened to her prattle on his eyes staring at a point off in space. Make it his own, he could do that. Take a few scumbags out in the process, that would be easy. But the nagging question in the back of his mind was still there, why? Why would they have done what they did and still place him back in that hell hole as if nothing had happened. Who was pulling the strings here. "Thanks, thats a bit to think about. So what is the scuttlebutt around the ship? I kinda ran out of there after speaking with the Marshal, had a lot to take in."

"I understand Leo. Please teach her anything you can. If she doesn't have the talent, get her a vibroknife" she looked to M'Kira "And a plasma pistol if we have one, otherwise a pistol she can shoot."

Having spent some time studying the intelligence gathered from the maps and fragments they'd uncovered. T'risa projected a map out with all the combined intelligence into mid air while she formulated a plan. She needed to strike at areas that would disrupt the enemy plan.

They needed to disrupt the Q'sa and to do that, hurting their supply routes would hurt more than anything else.....and they needed to catch the Q'sa off guard. The best time to do that.....would be to ambush the ambushers. It gave them two days to work out the equipment they needed and get into position. T'risa reached into the future planning the assault as she saw the likely movement of the enemy. Smiling she began to draw on the plotter.

"Rhic, look over my plan let me know what you think. I'm working under the assumption that they have a battle witch working remotely to coordinate everything. Our plan should be able to break that up. Give her too much to be able to cope. It's a risk. She'll probably know something is up a few seconds before we hit them."



22:23, Today: T'risa K'mahda rolled 33 using 1d20+13. knowledge:tactics.
NAT 20!

In reply to Victor Grym (msg #44):

" We'll best I could tell...outnumbered, out flanked, cut off, and up against more than one enemy. That marine you came in was with an entire company that got scrapped on landing. and my group got ambushed just after we set down. ...and The Marshall is asking about Marduk and O'maeda..."
    So I'm betting the Q'sa are just cannon fodder what were up against is being run by someone who is keeping her pretty blue face hidden. and if she;s working with the Marduk she is stone cold crazy...son as there done with her they'll kill her just for being organic....so we're screwed...good news is they'll start killing one another sooner or later.

  " We were able to survive the last few times by being better equipped and stronger than they expected. " Rhic observed as he studied the layout." They didn't expect the Crow or the mechs, this time they know about both. so I'd have to assume this time they may have Mecha and air support ready to go if they detect us moving again.

   So hitting in several locations at once may disrupt their response. it's a good plan. How are you planning to break down the teams?"

Elsbeth accepted the rifle from Balkiir as they walked towards the shooting range, she was interested in seeing what big man could do with the various implements.  Though, she trusted that if he was trained as a Marine like she was, he could probably make due with pretty much anything.  She had heard the others talking about his previous use of an LMG for 'crowd control' in the compound earlier.  Elsbeth shrugged when Balkiir mentioned Rhic's pulpy propensities, noting, "Well, your axe does a pretty good job of making mince meat."  She added with deadpan efficiency, "Meanwhile, my concussion rod is a great tenderizer.  So, all together, I guess we make a balanced meal."

Even though she trusted the big man, her conditioning forced her hands as she accepted the longarm, Elsbeth pointed barrel in a safe direction, then checked the status of the safety, the breach, the magazine, its seating, and the sights - their alignment and condition.  Then her personal predilections set in.  She felt the weight and the balance point of the rifle, as well as the grips and the stock - their contours, texture and condition.  She nodded with marginal approval; it wasn't her trusty laser carbine, but then for the task at hand, it was more than adequate and she was familiar enough with the model that Elsbeth could hardly complain.  Besides given the company she was in and her present state of blinders.... er... mind, she was not inclined to complain in any case.

She smiled slightly at Balkiir's challenge.  "You're on - be prepared to pay up, Friend Balkiir."  She gave Balkiir another slightly lopsided smile and then sobered up a bit as she noted, "Just don't forget that the primary purpose of this little shoot around is to give us a chance to better coordinate our tactics with and without the Marshal ..." she noted as she started to set up targets and gauge ranges, sight-lines and angles.

Once everything was arranged and their shooting positions established, Elsbeth flicked off the safety, brought the assault rifle up to her shoulder, sighted in, and then capped off a couple of rapid short bursts in one smooth set of practiced motions, trying to get an idea of the weapon recoil and any of its peculiarities.  She hrrumph'd slightly.  "Pulls a little to left after the third round of a burst." she mused matter-of-factly.  Elsbeth pulled the trigger for another burst to verify her assertion.

And then satisfied that she had properly characterized it and could account for it, Elsbeth dutifully tapped her earbud and noted formally to T'risa, "Marshal K'mahda, Sergeant Kovul and I are ready to begin target practice.  Do you want to passively monitor us to start with?  Or should we go through a set routine of some sort?"

  " Working together is what we do. Balkiir laughed gruffly." theres a little secret we don't share with people outside our circles."
    "That little psychic thing that tells us who were with can be a big help in combat. we work together better than most." Balkiir brought up his rifle and fired a short burst just to the left of the automated target. the target shifted as it's limited sensors detected incoming fire. just enough to throw off Balkiir's shot but moving it into position to be an easier target for Elspeth.
    These fellas must have paid for the upgraded reactive targets. I'll set them for level 4 that's enough for a good workout."
   "Just relax and let your hands move She'll let you know a heartbeat before they move. I'll fire support fire to force them into your sights so be ready for them to move...try not to look where they are but where they'll be...as long as your near me I can sort of clue you in..if you can trust me."

    Balkiir set the targets in motion firing short bursts at each target as it popped up his rifle firing before the target began to move, his shots just wide of the target but close enough to move them in the direction he wanted.

Smiling M'kira nods quite happy to help Maran out. Of course ultimately it would be up to her to decide if she wanted to hold a gun. "I will see what I can do. Hopefully Maran won't have any objections to using a gun."

She looks to Theo lightly brushing back a bit of silky hair from her face. "We might as well talk to her together. I can show her how to handle a weapon and you can do what you need to do as well. If you prefer though we can schedule different times to make certain we don't accidentally try at the same time."

T'risa considered things. "Well, they'll have significant forces deployed for the ambush on the starship if our last trip is anything to go by. I'd also like to take out one of the anti air emplacements near the abandoned starport.. possibly as a distraction..... my primary purpose has to be to prevent capture of the freighter. It decreases our enemies supply and heavy lift capabilities at the same time as resupplying us. There's a great danger of us not committing enough resources to get this done. I think tomorrow we should hit an enemy patrol in this patrol zone....it's far enough away that it should mask our true intentions...it'll look as though we're trying to recon the base in force. It should draw some soldiers away from the ambush zone."

She zoomed in closer to the ambush site.

"Enemy positions are likely to be here, here and here" she pointed to various locations on the map highlighting them with red. "We position Balkiir here" she pointed to a low hill "He's a Heavy Weapons expert, so we give him anti tank missiles and a few SAMs as well as his machine gun. We'll borrow two soldiers from chief Jons just to make sure no-one sneaks up on him and to handle reloads. We place Sergeant Grym in this bluff between these two peaks. It gives him elevation and cover from any enemy air and it has escape routes in case things don't go well. We ask him to take out the anti air units as they prepare to take down the freighter. We hide M'Kira, Conrad, Tiny in this ravine....they'll pop up inside the ambush perimeter." she grinned at Rhic "Meanwhile....you, Leo, Poppy, Elsbeth...take out this anti air emplacement near the abandoned starport. Starting at the exact same time I think we'll accomplish our objectives. Take along demo gear and blow it. If there's an opportunity continue further along and blow this one too, otherwise we'll come back for it another day. All we need to do is make sure the equipment is beyond repair. If we can get enough damaged to get into the star port I'll be happy." she raised an eyebrow to Rhic as if asking for comments, when her radio crackled to life. "Give me a minute."

"Hello Elsbeth and Balkiir. I'll monitor for the moment as you practice. You'll see what I add to the equation soon enough. Please begin."

Her fingers continued to weave through Stars fur as she massaged the kitten in her lap. "See anything wrong with the plan?" she smiled winking at M'Kira as she started talking to Leo.

   " It looks solid, Rhic scratched his head for a moment his eyes going from one point on the map to another his mind obviously going through the plan step by step." I'd be happier with a larger assault force but since we have what we have....and there is no way  would try this if we had to depend on radios to coordinate...ordinarily there too much risk involved ...ordinarily that is.
    "Might want to send M'kira up on some search and destroy runs along their outer perimeter...hit patrols in your diversion area from the air try to draw out a fighter or two and let M'kira splash it.. they already know we have a fighter if we hold it back they may get suspicious....actually if we could repair that one out in the field and sweet talk Aziza into flying it we could give them another surprise come the big show, without risking the Crow to those ground batteries.

"We can ask the Chief for a few volunteers to assist your operation and as a mop up crew for ours. I'll need to tell him about the scope of the plans for this planet. I'm reluctant to use fighters in our actual operations due to the large amount of anti-air. They're expecting to be able to drop a freighter a fighter would pose little problem. To use the fighters as part of the plan? It's too heavily reliant on Victor and Balkiir to be able to take out the anti air platforms before we deploy and Conrad is not a well trained mecha pilot...he can take care of the squishies, but against anything big, he's in trouble. M'Kira and Tiny are our real strong mecha pilots. Though....as an alternative...we could keep Aziza in reserve flying outside the orbit of the anti air sensors and as soon as those units are ineffective she could fly in to help mop up infantry?" T'risa ran her fingers through her hair deep in thought. "Our recon in force tomorrow might be the best time to deploy both fighters....so long as they can stay out of the range of that anti air. We'll need to update the tactical computers on each of them with known anti-air locations."

T'risa slumped over the computer "I would kill for a company of Valkiir Marines, or even a Fleet destroyer. We can't get off this rock until most of their anti air weaponry has been destroyed. They must have starships acting in blockade. I wonder if that dreadnought was sent up specifically to destroy us. If it was, it implies they have many more. Every single loss hurts us much more than them and so far....we've been very lucky. Let's take a look at the forces they're expecting to deploy in this area."

  All right sounds like you've thought out the force deployments on our side.   I think having Aziza on stand by for the big op would be a damn good idea...nothing like a mobile artillery platform to brighten a grunts day. Rhic nodded looking back to the map. I honesty doubt the dreadnought was for us, they;d sent corvettes to chase down the crow, any pilot with a lick of skill could keep clear of a dreadnought on its own till they could jump back to Hyperspace. and Aziza is a good pilot.
   Thise things wee hear already probably left overs from what ever happened here before. That big one was nothing I've ever seen before."

    So far they have been using light infantry tactics on their patrols. so hitting them with a fast punch using our Confused And Misguided Children should put them on their heels. i doubt they're battle bitch will be paying attention to patrols even if she suspects something she cant be everywhere at once." Rhic looked over the notes his face furrowing and darkening as a dark mood fell over him.

Listening to the plan T'risa was laying out with keen interest then nods slightly when she finishes. "Sounds good to me." She returns T'risa's smiles with a warm one of her own at the wink her eyes twinkling merrily. She raises one delicate eyebrow at Rhictor's suggestion regarding Aziza. Not that she objected to his idea it was just she thought getting Aziza to come out of the crow to deliberately put herself in the line of fire would be a minor miracle.

"I have no objections especially if we hand them their own heads on a platter. I agree we could probably get some troops from the base. Give em heavy weapons like one shot throw away missiles so the striking power is many times what they would expect. They could then fall back on lighter weapons. It's just a thought. Rhic's right air support will make a big difference. For example when attacking their patrol outside the anti aircraft fire zone she could blast them pretty good right before we hit them."

While T'risa holds her war council Conrad and Aziza finish the last of the repairs and modifications. Both tiny and the Crow are now in prime operating condition. The crows final check reveals that even with all the damage from the rockets the ship is now at optimum condition. performing slightly better than it did on Aziza's last annual inspection.

    Tiny's new body simply needs to be powered up fueled and ran through a series of test run to synch with her new core setup. and familiarize Conrad with the new controls. for a battlefield build the work is remarkably clean looking and has an almost factory finish. a few pieces of salvaged armor need to have the dents beat out and repainted but it is now ready to wear.

   " Like the lady said we've been lucky so far. Rhic frowned" But our luck is setting stretched thin. Unless they are arrogant or stupid they'll take us more seriously. and taking down that supply drop is going to kick over a firewasp mound."

    "I'm thinking maybe M'kira has an idea. five or six guys with a few toss aways could seem like an entire artillery section. and if our resident mechanical geniuses can whip up some home made mortars we can lob smoke and noisemakers into the mix to really screw with their heads.

Conrad takes a minute to look at his new creation.  This was the second mecha he has made.  Both under tough circumstances.  Conrad is thankful for all the assistance he received from Aziza, which made the job easier.  After basking in his new toy, Conrad goes off and takes a quick snooze to rest his mind.  After the nap, Conrad gets back to work writing code for the mecha, which wasnt bad since he "borrowed" some code from the other mecha in the hanger of the Crow.  Conrads next task is to find Tiny and stick her in the mecha and see if his mad genius was able to make everything work.  But first he needed to fuel up the mecha and make sure the basic functions were working.  But majority of the work is now done so the rest is just fine tuning and tinkering.



OOC:
Conrad rolled 26 using 1d20+19. Computer Use Check.

Elsbeth nodded curtly to Balkiir, "Trust.  Check."  She paused for a moment, as if processing orders and then another curt nod before noting, "Where they will be, not where they are.  Check."

It took the large woman a couple of tries, her initial attempts to lead the targets turning into rather clumsy attempts to force the issue.  However, once she got the hang of it, Elsbeth found that she could enter the flow quite easily.  She found Balkiir's presence and proximity to be quite comforting and as she relaxed, Elsbeth found that she was able to properly anticipate his actions - a function of his battle precognition aiding her, presumably.

When they took a break from shooting after the first round, Elsbeth noted to Balkiir with a wry smile, "Do you think that your cousin married the Cesti, just so she would not have to share her husband with any other Tau wives?"  Despite the rather flat delivery, Balkiir was aware of the undertone of piqued interest as well as a sort of worry, presumably about her potential place in a Valkiir circular marriage, that founded the question.  Of this much, Balkiir could be certain; even though Elsbeth was not the brightest bulb on the tree, it was more than just pure idle curiosity that drove her question...

" Nah,she loved the big hairball... if it was anything else it'd never work. Balkiir Shrugged " Sometimes it's tough for someone not raised Valkiir to fit in, sometime it;s easy. Sometimes a fella is just interested in one woman, no right way or wrong way really,"
     " I'm playing it by ear so i cant say how it would go." Balkiir paused as he spoke adjusting the muzzle break on the rifle that had pulled to the side his hands working but his eyes somewhere in the distance. "I've never given it any thought. figured things would happen the way they should.  One or six I'd find somebody who could put up with my big dumb ass."

    I never even talked about it much talking about it is odd. good odd but odd...

Figures, he would accept a mission that was doomed. "Well, that puts a bit of a damper on things. Seems like better be getting used to this rock if it could be our final resting place. Makes one situation that we either all die trying to save a few hapless souls or we all die in a blaze of glory, which are you gonna choose?"

He started hearing automatic gunfire and he bolted o his feet, his hand shooting out and grabbing the large rifle he had set beside him. He scanned the area, looking for the source of the fire and then realized it was only a training run. He scoped in on the two watching them move and fire in tandem. "You know I used to be Colonial Marines, till the rebellions of Devi Prime. My wife and Daughter were killed in the rioting, everything I had ever held dear stripped from me in an instant. I have accepted every risky mission since, every underdog cause hoping that one day I would get to be with them again. To be reunited in death. Now it seems like that won't happen, I have been denied that once already on this rock."

He stopped talking, wondering why he was sharing this with Poppy, why a mechanical being was easier to speak to about what troubled him. "When we first got here, we were attacked, I was dragged down a hole and thought I simply had hit my head and blacked out. Turns out I had died, was taken and rebuilt and returned to where I had fallen. Since then, I had even known til the Marshal was going through my head and dug up those memories as few and strange as they were."

  " I plan on not dying Poppy shook her head." too much to do, too much to see, too many shoes to try on..., She joked weakly as she thought about hings." you know I ain't much of a history buff or a big thinker but seems humans have way of winning totally hopeless fights, you got guns, ammo, a ship, and me and tiny ready to go down swinging for ya..."

     Poppies optimistic smile faded as Grym told her his story, a pained look coming over her faceThats ...thats really harsh. my life looks so much better now. I mean yeah the guys on my team were the only friends i had but wow... I'm not even sure i could process that. Poppy wished she could make him feel better but there wasn't anything she thought would improve his outlook.

   " You have something someone wants you to do I guess..... not sure if that helps. Or maybe they know something you dont and want to make sure you stick around long enough to get a chance to ...be happy, get some payback... find another way to cope... seems like they went through a lot of trouble to keep you around. so either they are just plain weird or they know you have something important to do... I mean from the report if you hadn't been on that hill maybe some of these guys wouldn't be alive... and maybe your wife and kid dont want you dead yet.... thinkings not my thing but maybe they want you to live too....I mean if that soul thing is real...they have all the time in the universe ...and dont ant you to rush things....just me rambling on so if it pisses you off let me know so I can go get a new body ready...."

T'risa nodded agreeing with M'Kira and Rhic. "I agree to all changes. I was hesitant to use many of this places soldiers as we don't really want to draw enough to make this place vulnerable, but a squad or two won't make a lot of difference to this place, but it could mean a lot out there. I'll ask Jons for his support. Balkiir and you, Rhic, will have to train our soldiers in the use of heavy weaponry. I'll ask conrad to whip up a few missiles for the soldiers we'll use. Some SAMs would also be very helpful if they do send up fighter cover....but after he's rested."

T'risa reached for a comm unit. "Aziza, can you repair the fighter we managed to salvage? If so, can you please but a good effort into it?"

T'risa mind whispered to Elsbeth "Ok, now you're used to shooting with Balkiir on your own. Try it with my help."

T'risa breathed a deep sigh, needing Stars warm fur beside her to lower stress. "M'Kira, once you've had a chance to relax and have sorted out Maran, could you try an attack tonight? I want to keep them off guard. Every attack on a patrol will be negligible losses, but if we keep the pressure up they'll send more and more on patrol and keep less in key defensive areas."

She turned to Rhic "Their witch might not notice us for a while, but eventually she will....then things will go poorly for us....I've only just recently started on this path Rhic...I'm good, but I'm not as good as someone who's walked this path for a long time. The fact they have a witch at all, is a matter of great concern for me."

"I will take care of it M'kria. Mmm night action! Sounds like fun to me!" She moves as needed to be in the presence of Maran. Looking for her as needed until the young woman is located. First of course she Procures a Tau IP-7 Plasma pistol and a pair of combat fatigues that would fit Maran. Either from the ship or the locals didn't matter as long as she gets it. Course if she couldn't she would settle for what she could get that Maran could use.

If needed M'kria uses the Com system if she doesn't find her face to face. "Maran I need a bit of your time. I want to show you how to use a pistol for self defense. I also wish to provide you with Combat Fatigues if possible. It's a lightweight armor that hopefully you won't ever need. If you do though it will provide you some protection."

He shrugged, her rambling didn't bother him, it was something that broke through the miasma of his thoughts and gave him something to cling too. His own sanity depended on having that lifeline to cling to right now. "No its fine, normally I don't talk to anyone, its a refreshing change to let some of this out. I am trying to sort out the whole death thing, not everyday you get hit with that. I told the Marshal that I would get checked by the doc. You care to come along a bit of company would be nice, in case there is bad news in all." He attempted to joke weakly.

He turned back to his scope, deciding he would add a bit of fun to the two practicing soldiers. He waited lining up his shot. Waiting for his companions to reach the end of their run and as the final target popped up he gently pulled back on the trigger, the rifle's retort a near deafening boom as he watched through his sight. The target's upper chest and head being completely blown apart.

He quickly ducked down behind the wall as he cycled the weapons action and chambered another round, a smile breaking across his face. "I should also get some practice in as well. After the Doc of course." He got up ready to go see the doc and that scan he promised he would do, waiting a second for Poppy's reply before heading down the ladder.

   " Had some practice being dead myself... gotta say you look better for a dead guy than I did....just in case can we stop by and grab a wooden stake and some holy water... Poppy grinned as she re-engaged her body simply unfolding and standing up in a manner that would have pulled several muscles for anything organic. nearly folding double backwards then standing upright in a lazy motion. " wish people were as easy to put back together as we are...
    <blue>"Nice shot, nice gun...if i was a big gun sort i'd be jealous.... Poppy grinned mischievously as Grym obliterated the final target. " all this laying around not moving sort of makes me wanna go batty... have to shut off everything to keep from squirming..."

  " If ya want I can spot for ya... I promise on my manufacturers grave not to talk your ears off about butts and legs... unless you were thinking about buying a new set.. Poppy teased as she helped Grym grab his kit.

Elsbeth nodded to Balkiir; she didn't really know what to say about their situation, really.  Odd, she thought to herself, is a fully accurate description.  Good Odd is even better.  And another slight smile touched her lips.  Elsbeth turned her head to look back at the target run to, partly to mask her rather dopey expression.  Then the expression hardened again as the practice relay reset itself and started up again.  It took Elsbeth less than a moment to get back into the flow again.  And even though, the sequence was vastly different than before, being completely randomized; it seemed far too easy to hit the targets - she was virtually sure that she was missing something or that the sequence was not random.  But she was sure that the targets presented and the movement was definitely not the same as the previous runs.

The one thing that Elsbeth had learned: never look a gift horse in the mouth; so, she did not question the whats or whys, but merely kept going.  As the exercise stretched on and the timing became faster and faster, Elsbeth did not seek to quantify her movements or slow them down with too much conscious thought.  However, she was enjoying herself, and Elsbeth was sure that an appreciative whistle escaped her lips, at least, once or twice.  Especially, during one particular sequence when the moving practice target had absolutely no chance.  The big man's battle precognition was spot on - he had tagged the dummy's legs forcing it into an evasive sequence that, given Balkiir's proximity to Elsbeth - gave her a perfect understanding of what was to come.  Even the randomized evasion pattern meant nothing to what she could see in her mind's eye.  For that perfect moment, Elsbeth literally knew exactly where the dummy was going to be at all times.  She squeezed off two bursts as she exhaled slightly - timing her breathing and heartbeat to the rhythm of the recoil.  The surface of the dummy shattered from sternum to neck.  And as the head fell to ground, the second burst slammed into it, causing it to careen off into a totally different direction.

After watching the head roll away towards the wall for a few moments, Elsbeth had to cast a glance at Balkiir to make sure that he saw the same thing.  She gave him a crooked smile and a raised eyebrow.  With a thumbs up, she noted softly, "I think that there is something to this battle precognition of yours, Friend Balkiir.  I like it.  A lot."  Then she ejected the spent magazine popping a new one in with a quick practiced motion.

Any amazement that she felt about the Marshal's ability to multi-task (for surely she could not be concentrating only on Balkiir and herself at this very moment), was kept to herself - pushed way back into the background as she focused on the task at hand.  Surely, the battle witch was used to such mundane tasks as keeping tabs on and strategizing for her charges.  The current situation would be child's play for the Marshal.  Of that Elsbeth was sure.

As the practice wound down, she finished off the seventh magazine, blowing an errant lock of hair out of her face.  A broad grin played on her face, as she flipped on the safety, while ejecting the magazine.  The empty magazine stowed in a thigh pocket for a refill later, she started towards the big blue ex-Marine looking for a fist bump and nodding happily.  That was when the thunderclap hit and the final target exploded.  Elsbeth followed her first instinct which was to hit the ground and go prone - she was all to familiar with Grym's signature weapon.  Nothing sounded quite like a hot supersonic load barreling out of his high-caliber monster.  When the already abused practice dummy exploded, she put her hands over her head and neck while prone.  Then she propped her chin on her hands as the dust settled and she waited for the impromptu rain other particulates and pebbles to die down.  She glanced at the dummy and its explosion pattern, gauging the attack angles and then glancing back to the building tops to try and see where Grym might be (or, at least, might have been).  She blew another lock of hair from her face, and thanked Ifni that Victor was on her side.

Still, prone Elsbeth rolled over and waved in the general direction that she thought that the shot must have come from.  Then, even though she could very well have gotten up herself, Elsbeth held her hand out, waiting for Balkiir to give her hand up ...

  Balkiir let a whistle himself once or twice. Not at the shot but for the shooter. she was relaxing completely letting her hands and eyes do their thing. for a Valkiir it was second nature but to try and relax while tracking not only the target but the target a a heart beat in the future was something most people had to work at.
   If he were inclined to he might have added a whistle for the way she looked when she focused and ignored everything but the target. she probably hadn't realized she was smiling as she snapped off the rounds. as the sequence sped up he had to focus himself punching rounds into thin air to herd the targets, his hands moving on their own as he let himself flow with the sequence it was almost a dance shift sight fire shift swivel tap tap tap...

    Son of a... Balkiir hit the dirt and rolled back around bringing his rifle online to the direction of the attack okay Grym how the hell did you do that he thought as he was caught completely flat footed by the shot. He hadn't felt it coming and for the first time in a long time felt an unfamiliar sensation, surprise. He rolled back to his feet and then looked at the pieces of plastic and filler fluttering down from what was left of the dummy.
   His hand found Elspeth's without looking without even glancing he knew where it was. then he felt a jolt not from pain but intense emotion.

A "Thank you" played on the lips of Elsbeth as Balkiir's hand was extended to her.  Elsbeth's fingers wrapped around Balkiir's for a moment, and then she stiffened, reflexively grabbing on tight to the large blue man's hand to steady herself.  Elsbeth's eyes widened and a slight gasp escaped her lips bypassing her thanks.  Elsbeth stared at her hand holding Balkiir's a rather dazed look upon her face.  She swallowed hard, the words in her throat seemingly stuck there.  "Wh-what?" was all that she could manage in that moment.

Then her brow furrowed, as her mind raced.  She knew that she could never let the perceived and malevolent Emptiness that threatened them both become a reality; that now, she needed do everything in her power that she could to stop it.  Elsbeth used her other arm to lever herself up, refusing to release the big blue man's hand.  As she came up from the prone position into a crouch next to the big ex-Marine, Elsbeth finally released Balkiir's hand.  As she did so, her lips came close to his ear, her tone was firm and insistent, as though she was saying the words not only for his sake, but for the both of them.  "As long as I am alive, Friend Balkiir.  You will never be alone." Elsbeth whispered quietly, almost ritualistically, "This, I promise, to you."  It was an Oath, of sorts.  Elsbeth trusted that Balkiir would believe her, and that her word above all things as a Marine and a Praetorian was what counted.  She turned her face to watch his face, hoping to get a chance to look into his eyes.  For her own part, while Elsbeth's expression was discipline and firm - almost hard, she had allowed her eyes to mirror her desires and hopes as well as carrying her ever-present touch of sadness and emptiness for Balkiir alone to see.

Elsbeth had never really felt anything as strongly or intensely as she felt the growing bond between her and Balkiir.  The feeling was very odd for her, but it was a Good Odd^TM, not strange or unwelcome, at all.  She had bonded with V'Shak - her Sufi Brained charge on Enchoa Rhi, but that took a number of years to cultivate - and she had literally been bred to protect him.  But whatever it was between her and the Valkiir man crouched next to her, Elsbeth was completely blindsided by, she had been completely unprepared.  It was more than a protection pact.  Much, much more.  Not that she had much experience with anything beyond that (nor did that previous pact work out that well for V'Shak), in any case.  Still, from what Elsbeth had understood in that moment was that he was more than a kindred soul - she felt it, knew it deep down, more than she thought it.  She wasn't sure what he was, or why they had been thrown together.  But once again, Elsbeth was not about to question the ways of the Fickle Lady of Fortune.  She could only thank Ifni for giving her the chance, for giving her the choice.  Whether Balkiir had consciously or unconsciously bled some of his thoughts or desires onto her, Elsbeth considered it a rare and precious gift.  One that could and would not be denied - and a gift that Elsbeth vowed to herself that she would not waste or misuse.  Balkiir had asked for Trust; and Elsbeth was willing to give him that and more...

   " I Know. Balkiir replied to her words with a slight confident smile. his eyes on hers as he spoke. he did his best to keep his mind on things other than her eyes but didn't succeed very well at all. " _{I'll be there anytime you need me.}

    " I gotta warn ya though, I snore, I'm  a slob and if ya want ya clothes to look like they did before i got hold of them might want to send them to the laundry. Balkiir made the domestic joke out of habit. his eyes still on hers for a moment longer he had to break contact before he lost any concept of where they were and did something totally out of line. "plenty of time to be mister romantic later, just gotta kill a few people, save a planet and keep both out asses in one piece...nothing to it..... Balkiir thought to himself

    Balkiir took a second to get his mind back on business pointing out a few things he had noticed in her stance, and her movements. as well as her tactics and shot selections. not that there was a lot to fault she had made beat the high mark on the run, and set a new target for anyone running through that scenario. that thought put a wry smile on his face.

Leo laughed softly as he regarded the others, he did his own practice as well, but that was all more or less dance.  He didn't train himself on hitting things directly anymore... his hands and mental weapon broke enough crap apart when he wasn't augmented by the delightful little robots that lent additional energy to his attacks.

He would have offered to teach Maran a little dance... but there might not be much time... the various weapons fire practice did have something of a primal rythm that was difficult to deny.

Elsbeth nodded and smiled when Balkiir returned her Oath.  It meant the Universe to her that he might feel the same way.  When he warned her about his foibles, Elsbeth merely replied with due seriousness, ticking them off on her fingers one at a time, "You cannot snore any worse than some of the other recruits at Boot." one finger down, "Being an ex-Marine, I find your claim of uncleanliness difficult to believe, and ..." the last finger went down, "I can do laundry."  She gave the large man a sheepish expression, "In a former life, my training as a companion and bodyguard included piloting and many domestic duties.  Except, as you know, I cannot cook."  Elsbeth looked down for a moment and pursed her lips, "I-I suspect, that they wanted to keep us dependent on their water and food.  Likely laced with something to keep us compliant and under control...."  Given Elsbeth's lack of emotion - either anger, regret, or playfulness - in her delivery, it is hard to know if she's serious or not.  Though, given their connection, Balkiir is certain that she is not joking.

As for Balkiir's critique, Elsbeth listened quietly and attentively, although Balkiir caught at least one errant thought about his hair and how cute it looked in the sunlight.  Still, she knew that virtually anything, even the tiniest detail, could make a huge difference on the physical and mental battlefields.  Accurate intelligence was crucial to achieving mission objectives, that seemed to be almost universally true.  They were all fighting for their lives here and given the presence of the O'maedan prisoner, Elsbeth figured that there were Tau on both sides of the conflict.  And that could mean that the opposition potentially had a battle witch to back them, as well; so, any preparation they could do or advice to be given was bound to helpful.  And that also meant that Elsbeth needed more information to be effective; so, she freely asked questions, "Friend Balkiir, can your precognitive sense be foiled or fooled?  What happens when you or the Marshal meets opposition with a similar set of talents?  Do they interfere with each other or cancel each other out?  Does the 'stronger' win or have the advantage?"

Plus one other topic bugged her for both the near term consequences, but also given that she had just bonded herself to Valkiir man in the longer term, Elsbeth also wondered out loud, "And just what is the best way to guard oneself from subliminal or subconsciously implanted suggestions, Tau or otherwise?"  Balkiir was fully aware of Elsbeth's thought train there which culminated with the unspoken mental question - that he could fully read, Assuming we both survive this mission, I wonder when he'll introduce me to his parents...
This message was last edited by the player at 08:02, Thu 16 Sept 2010.

Conrad stumbles out of bed, still looking exhausted after his long ordeal with the mecha.  Though nothing major happened, but still took a long time and a big toll on Conrad.  He appears to walk around the Crow for awhile, almost looking like a zombie until he reaches the mess hall.  Looking for any sort of cup like device, Conrad pours some coffee into it and takes a big pull.  Not really even phased by the overly strong coffee, Conrad roams around the Crow looking for everyone.  Conrad really hasnt seen anyone of late from being so focused on the mecha and repairing the crow.

Waking up slowly, Conrad returns to his sleeping area and pulls out his alien rifle and fiddles with it for a little bit.  Never having the time to actually go out and shoot it, Conrad figures today would be a good day for that.  So grabbing the weapon, Conrad heads out to a safe area from the crow and the base and lets 4 rounds go, while taking notes about everything he notices, such as recoil, noise, way the round impacts and anything else he may need to know.

If Maran agrees to the training M'kira spends a few hours with her at whatever practice area is appropriate. Familiarizing Maran with safety first and foremost so there wouldn't be any accidents. She goes over any settings the weapon might have and if possible practices with her for a few hours. Only if Maran agrees to do so. Otherwise this would not happen. If possible she also leaves whatever protective gear she can find for the girl.

Either way M'kira moves on and it didn't take her long to realize that at least for the moment it seems just about everyone was doing weapons practice. She waves to Conrad if she can see him slightly surprised though pleased to see him practicing. Being a wizard with all things mechanical and electronic not everyone in that career field spent a lot of time at weapons practice. One small blue hand drops to a supple hip as she thinks. Come to think of it she wonders if Aziza used fire arms at all. She couldn't remember ever seeing Aziza use a gun. Perhaps next time she got the chance she would ask the Cesti starship captain.

If M'kira can see Victor and Poppy she smiles and waves to them as well. Poppy she was glad to see was in somewhat better shape then before. With any luck they would be able to get her to the specs she desired. It was kind of like her fighter or her mini battle mech. You just were not happy if it wasn't pristine and with the specifications you desired. Grymm seemed fine which was good as he had been missing for a while. She was very happy to see him getting along with poppy.

Now that the crew was together again things seemed almost normal again. She could only wonder what it would be like once the got to the starport. So much had happened so far and so much more would happen before the mission was done.

  " When you go up against someone who has the same tricks you do... It's skill, experience and a little bit of good old fashioned luck. we grow up with it, and everyone we fight with as kids, or in school has the same tricks. or better. so we're used to it...we just sorta learn to deal with it." Balkiir stopped ran a hand across his spiky hair and grinned a bit.

       " If yo want The marshal can probably give you some pointers on how to keep people from getting in your head. All I can tell is Know yourself, know what you want, and what you will and wont do. If all the sudden you decide unlocking that cage in the hold, or shooting me in the ass, is a good idea...it ain't."

       Balkiir watched as the others joined them at the range capping off with their chosen toys and watching with interest as Maran got her shooting lessons. a plasma pistol was a handful the first time you had one spit out a pea sized star three feet from our face. and the alien rifle Conrad was toying with was definitely nothing he had ever seen used in anger, a rare thing for any marine.

          "My folks huh, after the whole crew gets together for a Thursday grillin' ya might wish ya was up to your ass in bugs again. My sisters are gonna test ya, push ya, try to see if you'll back down or if you bow up when pushed.... just remember a solid right to the jaw is fair game when you had enough of their crap. Balkiir grinned broadly as something occurred to him.And I hope you read up on your Valkie 101 if not Ya might want to check out the part about clothing around the house."

T'risa busied herself arranging all the tactical waypoints incorporating all of the intelligence they'd received into a plan for each of the two elements involved. She thought the freighter might require more of her attention than hitting the anti air outposts, so she figured she would head in with that group, and stay on the hill overlooking the site with Balkiir.

She wrote the requests for personnel and materials to Chief Jons trying to minimise the colonies exposure. They would all need some training prior to this mission. She hoped that trapping the supplies for the colonies use would simultaneously make the colony stronger and cause issues in the enemy camp.

With the final details saved into her computer, she rose from behind the seat, heading down to talk to the prisoners.

  "Oh no you don't" Teased as T'risa got up. dropping to the floor yawning and stretching as she was disturbed from her nice comfortable lap.then leaping up to a table and then onto Trisa's shoulder." Who needs a parrot when you have a cat."

    You sure you want to do this before you had a cup of tea and some time to clear your head. You might want to be rested when you go in and beat some answers out of them.

T'risa smiled knowing when to accede to a request. She moved to the galley yawning and stretching as she went.

"It's hard work to plan a war. I mean...ok, we have two engagements planned. One will be a battle....I've planned as best I can, and...I think we'll win that one, but not without casualties. I'm hoping it will just be injuries...but I don't know."

She reached up to touch Stars nose as she boiled the water for the tea. "The real problem is I need to sustain it. I can't ever lose. If we lose, we're dead, but they can afford to keep losing and losing and losing. I don't just have to worry about the battle tomorrow, I need to worry about the battle six weeks from now too."

She moved to take a seat, sipping at the tea, before looking deep into Stars eyes. "Ok, so you can read my mind, and Prometheus seems to have some kind of connection to Leo......but can we read yours?" T'risa remembered the horrified look that she got from her teacher when she suggested such a thing when she was little. ANATHEMA was the resounding chorus. Even now she winced as she remembered the pain. Her mother was very insistent she learn that lesson...and she never said why.

T'risa raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to try it" she placed the cup down on the table. "It could be essential someday."

  " don't try to be perfect, only a cat can attain perfection." Star purred and sniffed at the tea, her nose picking up a scent she found very soothing...nudging the small container to T'risa hoping it might ease her nerves a little. the body had memories and behaviors built into it, and she liked the affect it had on her something comfortable and confident about being fast, and graceful.

     " Just do your best, no one expects you to do anymore or less than that.  Star nuzzled T'risa's hand as she thought for a minute" Some...humans can but it's a rare gift, it's how we choose our companions sometimes we can tell if a girl or a boy has the gift to link with us like that. Most telepaths don't like being in our heads it scares them." Now Prometheus..our Prometheus anyway can do it because he's him... he was the first and he's the oldest, older than you can believe. I think something in our minds is scary to humans or they cant keep up with how fast we think...maybe a little of both.

T'risa sighed heavily, relaxing as the tea warmed her inside. "Everyone needs a break already and if my projections are anything to go by, this could take years. I wonder how long we can keep going before we all break down."

She leaned forward looking deep into Stars eyes, as her hands clasped the cup, the warmth from the tea making her fingers feel very comfortable. "I'd like to try and I'd like you to come with me when we run the interrogations. I'd like your input on all of this."

T'risa forehead furrowed in thought "So I should lie back and relax when I read your mind. Accept I am unlikely to follow all of your thoughts, and just give in to the flow of things?"

T'risa remained poised chewing her lip deep in thought for a moment. She sipped some more tea. "I think I need to know if I can take it. If I can talk to Tiny and the others in battle it will improve our odds significantly." T'risa placed her cup onto the table before focussing on Star "I'm going to try it now. Be gentle."

  contact with an artificial mind is jarring, painful and disorienting. a wall of sensations memories, thoughts, dozens of simultaneous trains of thought assault T'risa in a tidal wave of information. for an instant her own consciousness seems to waver and falter under the assault, the vast complexity of stars psyche threatens to consume T'risa's the innate hunger for more knowledge and new experiences barely contained by stars desire not to injure her friend.
   The experience is shocking, Stars mind appears to be a snowflake of crystal and light, unfolding and expanding from the center in endless repetitions of the same pattern, at it's core a fiery point of light burns with a blinding intensity. tiny almost invisable strands of crystal and neon strike off into the distance of the ether, like the threads of a telepaths mental network in her minds eye T'risa can see in the distance other motes of life that hum and resonate to the tone of stars mind. somewhere in the vastness of the void a strong tone fill space, all other motes resonating to it's powerful note.
  The sensation fills T;risa with dread the powerful entity so far removed would easily swallow her very existence in it's own should it glance her way. the power and intensity both repelling and seductive at the same moment. the desire to join with the vastnes of life around it, to experience and become one with the multitude of sparks int he void so powerful it claws at her mind even as she is held back by her own connection to her body and self.

T'risa opened her eyes, blinking slowly as the sweat dripped off her. "That was intense. I....I see why they suggested not to do it. I think this is something I will need a lot of practice in. Your minds are vast and powerful. It would be easy to get lost in them....or be destroyed by them. I'd like to postpone doing this again until after our next mission."

T'risa picked up the tea with shaking hands, sipping at it to soothe her nerves.

    I am older than most Ai," Star replied with a hint of ego. then nuzzled Trssa again purring softly " Its the first time I ever actually saw a human mind, I usually just hear what your ending out. pick up stray thoughts and memories you radiate. It was...strange, so many conflicts, so many .... minds inside one...like humans have then 'thems' all crammed into one mind, what keeps you from going mad with all that in your head?
    star looked up with a definite "pet me' on her face. Then purred again slower more 'thoughtful'.

"Ego?" T'risa relented picking up Bright Star to place her in her lap. "in many respects we're very alike. Our minds are always thinking of possibilities and accepting or rejecting. Hmmm....how can I explain. Look at that biscuit. You look at it and make one decision...will I eat it or not? I look at it and think a myriad of thoughts a veritable cloud of 'will I eat it?'  'Will I not east it?'. Even knowing I will not eat it, I'll still consider and think about eating it. I could spend hours thinking ONLY about that one biscuit." her fingers stroked the soothing fur of Star as she finished her cup of tea.

"I find it so unusual you call us all humans when there are many that would dispute that amongst both the Tae and the Tau. Yet we're nothing compared to your origins. We must seem very primitive to you all, and yet we consider ourselves more technologically advanced than most." T'risa sighed contented as warm fur sat in her lap. "I'll need to start the interrogations soon. Anything that might give us an edge is a good thing. I think I might need M'Kira to help. The Q'sa respect Valkiir and I need someone big and strong for the O'maeda woman too."

  " Your all humans, you look human, you think human, you make little humans...Human. star gave a slight pipple of a shrug" You let silly thing like where your from or what you look like get in the way... guess it's a human thing."

      we were made by humans, a human is responsible for us being alive. they made our bodis, and wrote our original code and the virus that triggered our being alive. While I was napping I peeked at the history files in the computers. Its all wrong it's like the world I knew never existed...humans are older than you know, and some had tech that made my old body look like a toy...well I was a toy, a fine and noble toy but a toy till I woke up then I was a Steed. and this body is sooo much better than my old body, small fast, I can see and hear things i still don't understand,, and we dug it out of a stack of junk someone had shipped to th wrong planet."
    a deep thought full purr sounded for a few minutes whiskers twitched as Star thought. " She's a Merc right, works for money why not try and buy her. and the bug... they cant stand up to a telepath, that why the scandlings tried to wipe out this place it was full of telepaths and telekinetics. just rip his buggy brain out and make him squeal for momma.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:03, Wed 22 Sept 2010.

Deciding she didn't really feel like practicing with weapons at the moment M'kira heads inside. Besides she knew they had a upcoming interrogation. That and she had a feeling T'risa needed her. That didn't mean it was true she just felt that way at the moment. When she finds T'risa looking rather sweaty with Star in her lap she raises one delicate eyebrow in inquiry. "What have you been up to T'risa. You look like you just came from a major workout at the Gym. Your going to need a bath soon it should help you relax."

Smiling she found the purring from the adorable Bright star both soothing and pleasing. "Looks like somebody's getting lots of loving affection. I might as well spoil her as well." Gracefully she walks over Caressing Bright star behind the ears. Then slowly shares the privilege of stroking the length of her back enjoying the feel of her fur under her fingers. "Are you feeling like a queen yet Bright Star?"

I could get used to this." star purred and looked up emerald green eyes twinkling. and yes, queen I like the sound of that."

Elsbeth listened to what Balkiir recommended very intently.  She watched him carefully as he spoke, trying to smile genially, but probably just ending up looking a little spaced out.  Partly, she was absorbed in deeper thought.  When Balkiir recommended that she try to center herself, Elsbeth glanced down at the ground, and a strong and abiding worry filled her for a moment.  She did not try to hide the fact that she honestly feared that there was not enough personality in her to be able to anchor herself to ward off an attack - and while she couldn't really vocalize it.  Deep down, she also could not deny the thought, deny the gnawing fear.  Elsbeth bit her lower lip, and let out a slight, plaintive, sigh.  "Know thyself." she muttered quietly, her brow furrowed, "Of course."

Still, when he recommended that she talk to T'risa, Elsbeth pursed her lips and then nodded slowly.  "Okay," she acknowledged thoughtfully, "I will ask the Marshal about this.  But, she appears to be a very busy woman.  I can only hope that she will not think that it is too forward, and that she will time for me - I am only a lowly grunt."  She noted off-hand, "The Marshal appears to be pushing herself very hard.  She is displaying many signs of fatigue and possibly post-traumatic stress.  Don't you agree, Friend Balkiir?"

Elsbeth nodded to the large blue man, a slightly sheepish smile on her face, as he read her surface thoughts regarding his parents.  Then she quickly looked away, back out across the firing range and the targets (what were left of them) in the distance.  Obviously, her thoughts where not that well guarded.  At least, not with respect to Balkiir.  And perhaps that was as it should have been.  "I doubt that it will be any worse than the recruit hazing in Marine Boot." she noted, allowing only an iota of uncertainty creep into her voice.  "And why would I want to strike one of your sisters, Friend Balkiir?  I would be honored to be among them."  Elsbeth glanced at Balkiir, a slightly crooked smile on her face, "I... I do not know what it is like to have a mother or a father or siblings at all, really.  Most of the other children that I was brought up with, were either members of rival clutches and thus, were in direct competition for sponsorship and selection - that is how they set up the adolescent training - or my clutchmates, who were so close in genetic makeup that we thought incredibly similar ideas and could enact frighteningly well-synchronized actions.  I suspect that both your family and I will take some getting used to each other on many different levels."  Another sheepish smile with a pause, "I can only hope that you can bear with me."  Elsbeth definitely projected a strong sense that she felt she was the more fortunate of the two of them with respect to their burgeoning relationship; that she felt deeply and genuinely lucky to have been 'chosen' by him.

She quirked her head quizzically, when he mentioned the Valkiir dress code, since she knew nothing about there inherent lack of modesty.  Still, Elsbeth merely shrugged and said nothing - for her, there was little to be said.  She knew that she could deal with what may come - at least, that was the theory.  Really, she figured, how bad could it be?

As they were policing their brass, Elsbeth noted out of the corner of her eye that the others appeared to be regathering back in the ship.  She motioned to her large blue companion with a slight tilt of her head.  "Is there a briefing on the Crow that we should be aware of, Friend Balkiir?  Perhaps we should investigate..."

  " Families take getting used to theres no doubt about that." Balkiir grunted with a slight laugh.

    " T'risa has a lot on her, I don't think she expected to have to fight a war, or give order that could get people killed. Balkiir sat down and opened his canteen offering drink to Elspeth " But she's tougher than she looks."

". Your tougher inside than you think you are. Balkiir spoke up after the crowd thinned out, he studied Elspeth's face an odd look of satisfaction coming over his expression after a bit.." Ever take a few minutes to set and just enjoy being alive? If they need us they will call us... right now i'm glad to be right where I am.
   Balkiir patter the ground next to him with a slight smile.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:47, Thu 23 Sept 2010.

"Money may well appeal to her, but I doubt i can offer her as much as her current employers. She's good, very good in fact. The only thing I can really offer her is freedom, but I don't want to do that in case she goes to the other side again. I'd prefer to have her here and unable to do much, than get information from her and have her return to our opponents. We're giving her enough anti psi agents that her employers may think she's dead, but as soon as she wakes, if she contacts them, she can tell them everything. She is dangerous and deadly. I'd almost be tempted to kill her following interrogation, save that my conscience will not allow me to do so. The temptation is still there." T'risa continued petting Star, inviting M'kira to keep doing it to. "Despite all that, she may take a lesser payment if she sees her prospects are better here. the major problem is making sure she stays bought once we buy her. I could alter her mind, but that has much risk attached."

T'risa looked deep into M'Kira's eyes "So many possibilities and all of them feel wrong. she must be dealt with, yet dealing with her in any way is dangerous. I suppose we should go by way of offering compensation to entice her on our side. She might be invaluable as a resource, but we'd need to keep a very close eye on her for signs of duplicity."

M'kira continues to caress Star lovingly running her fingers along her spine back and forth. Taking turns with T'risa so she's constantly got affectionate attention. "To be honest it's to bad we can't just get her to swear a oath to serve you M'kira in return for sparing her life. If we have to we could always dump her in Cryo and leave it at that till we are ready to thaw her out. I agree though if she's really that good it would be nice to have her on our side. I suppose it's best to make final decisions after you learn all you can from her. Then the decision would be as informed as possible."

"I wonder if she knows about the abomination that's messing with peoples minds. I would check to make sure it hasn't messed with her."

" I didnt smell that stink on her. Star purred. "You can smell a scandling mind job a mile off once you learn to look for it... Sun is better at it, and I bet the Purifier..what the cutie's name ..Leo...he can see it." Star rolled over playing with T'risa's finger tips batting at them, the body running in full lazy cat mode.
This message was last edited by a game moderator at 22:08, Thu 23 Sept 2010.

Elsbeth shrugged slightly, after glancing back at the Crow.  Then she accepted the canteen from Balkiir and took a substantial draught.  She looked at him slightly askance when he asked her about sitting and enjoying being alive.  A moment of confusion passed through features and her mind, both readily apparent to the large Valkiir man.  "I can sit with you," she noted tentatively, "and reflect on such matters, Friend Balkiir."  And with that she sat down rather stiffly next to him in the specified location, which was understandably quite close.

Elsbeth turned her head slightly to regard the large dark-skinned Valkiir, "I have often contemplated what it means to be alive.  I did so often after my first charge died, and I lived.  There were many days and nights in the gladitorial pits that the value of life was questioned and the value of keeping it seemed ... well, questionable."  Her brow furrowed and Balkiir could still sense plenty of confusion and tension below the surface, but Elsbeth's posture relaxed a bit as she got deeper in thought.

"But I could never bring myself to end my own life willingly," she noted quietly, "nor could I just let another kill me.  Something inside me wanted to keep living, it clawed its way to the surface every time I contemplated, if it was all worth it."  Elsbeth's shoulders slumped slightly, "But I must admit, that understanding such high philosophical and intellectual things were never my forte, never the intention of my template.  I-I never could make sense of it..."  Her voice trailed off and she paused as if lost in thought for a pregnant moment.

Then her thoughts wandered down a seemingly different path, and she noted with some sadness, "I am not sure, but I am probably the last of my clutch - the last of my kind.  I used to be so proud of being a Praetorian and a Janissary.  I had meaning and purpose."  She glanced down at the ground and her fingers traced some idle and  transient curves on the ground, as she spoke, "And now... now, I just don't know.  Sometimes, I feel so lost.  I don't know what it means to be me."  Unconsciously, Elsbeth leaned slightly into Balkiir resting her shoulder and head lightly against his side.

Don't try to understand it, don'I just try to enjoy what i can of it and if I can make sense of it before I go, thats a plus." Balkiir looked up at the sky and the high thin clouds that never seemed to mean rain on the desolate world." Your not the last till your dead, You have your friends in your memories, you can tell their story, you can remind people they were alive. as long as your remembered your alive."
    "damn no I sound like that crazy aunt of mine... setting at the hall spinning stories and making us remember who we are line by line. If ya need a reason to live a purpose, then maybe your purpose is to keep your friends alive, till someone else knows who they were what they did, how they lived and how they died. And maybe when we decide we had enough mud dust and blood you can tell your own stories by a campfire somewhere where people don't need guys like us to keep them alive.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:18, Fri 24 Sept 2010.

With her head resting against Balkiir's shoulder, Elsbeth stated plainly, "Don't be angry with me for making you become your aunt, Friend Balkiir."  She added with a slight playfulness in her voice, but mostly genuine curiosity, "I'm sure there are worse things.  Besides, she sounds like a fine person; I would love to meet her."

Elsbeth paused for a moment, her surface thoughts reflecting her inner turmoil, "I would think that protecting your friends would be an honorable goal.  Yet, you and the others on the Crow seem more than capable."  She turned her head slightly to make peripheral eye contact, "I do not believe for one minute that you need help protecting yourself or others, Friend Balkiir."  She smiled weakly, "Though that will not stop me.  If I can help, I will."

She looked back down at the ground an marked out her previous doodles with her hand.  After a long silence, she asked quietly, but earnestly - almost insistently, "Balkiir... D-do you think that there is a happy ending for people like us?  Will we really make it to the campfire and the stories?"  Her weight shifted as if she were uncomfortable, and even though her face was away from her, her troubled expression was all to easy to recognize given their link.  Her voice was again distant and quiet, but carried weight upon it, the weight of years, the weight of uncertainty, the weight of hopes and dreams, "I have never feared for dying.  And I still do not.  But, now I want to leave something for you and others, but especially you, to remember me by..."

  Me angry at you, only if ya put starch in my shorts." Balkiir teased. taking a deep breath he laughed at some joke only he got." never worried about who was watching my back, but having someone I know is there makes it feel a lot less like I'm up to my ass in alligators."

     Balkiir put a hand on Elspeth's turned her face toward his, bright eyes and a broad smile showing his certainty. happy ending, ten howling half Praetorian, Half Valkiir hellions, and a porch to set on and watch them terrorize the neighborhood. If we want it, we'll get it, if I have to kill every bug eyed bastard, and backstabbing witch in the galaxy."

       "never had a reason to care much about living or dying myself, figured if the universe wanted me dead i was dead, if it wanted me alive I'd live. Ten days ago I'd still say the same, ten hours ago, I'd have to think about it...Now, now maybe I ought to put some thought into staying alive."

    Balkiir took the knife that hung from his hip to his knee off his belt, took a deep breath and handed it to Elspeth, patting the twin to it on his other hip. Balkiir took the other one out of it's sheath held it up to catch the sun etched into the blade were runes older than the Valkiir." these came together, that aunt of mine told me I'd know what to do with them.

Leo moved into the area where he felt T'Risa and M'Kira were, overhearing the last bit of their conversation, he was in his combat suit again, "I am fairly certain the prisoner has been checked for transmissions of any type we are aware of as well as explosives made with biotech.  I can kill her.  Particularly if we learn she has connection to Gene Pirates... those people creep me out."

T'risa nodded "Me too. Ironically, I was expelled from the Empire for being a gene pirate. A trader in male genetic material they said. They framed me superbly, I must have been too successful in my investigations. In any case.... it's in the past." she shifted Star to her shoulder. "Time to go check out our guest. I will not mince words. Our time for playing with these people is over. Under normal circumstances we have the rule of law to obey and must obtain evidence of lying to allow me to scan them. In this case, however, one of our prisoners is an enemy soldier which I am entitled to scan. The other is more problematic as she is a mercenary and was not wearing a uniform. It makes her legal status questionable. I say she is an enemy soldier, just not one wearing the uniform of our enemies and it entitles me to scan. I'll begin with the legal soldier first in case it brings any further evidence to light which will enhance or delay our case against the woman."

T'risa stood up stretching.

"I know there may be some time I need to drop ethics, but it is what seperates us from them. I intend to use the full course of the law to progress our course here. You can't just kill her Leo, not until she is tried, sentenced and condemned."

T'risa took a moment to compose herself before heading down the ramp to see the Q'sa prisoner.

Leo nodded and offered, "Unless there's objections, I'll check out the more questionable one... even from the other side of a wall or door, I can sense when beings have clear connections to SHE.  That'll be reason enough for me to kill her with a smile after you've gotten what you care, though I doubt SHE's actually involved with that one."

  The Q'sa sets in one corner of his improvised cell his face and chest still cracked and fragmented from his capture. when T'risa enters the cell he spits, hisses, and chitters angrily, trying to get up to attack but held down by shackles and his forearms securely bound together across his chest.
    Close inspection of the soldier reveals several insignia etched into plates of his exoskeletal armor as well as tattoos on patches of his reptilian skin. with a low rasping chitter it settles back down and turns its head away from T'risa

T'risa looked over the Q'sa closely, before seating herself down out of reach of the soldier.

"We are here to talk. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" She looked at the soldier closely "These insignia...they mean you are an officer correct...and a veteran. So you know how this works. What would you do if I were in your position? You have 5 minutes to consider your position and tell me what you know....or I will break into your mind and take it, instead of only using to verify you are telling the truth. I'm sure you've seen O'maedan interrogation techniques....so you know I am telling the truth. I'd prefer not to kill you, but your days in this conflict are over. Are your immediate needs for food and water being met? Once our HPG is repaired we'll inform your government that you are being held as a prisoner of war."

  " sheeee commmee, she sayyy, we do." the q'sa rattled as he spoke a series of clicks and rasps sounding as he spoke in broken avandii." Old oneeee...true oneeee...she make strong, make new agan

"What is your purpose on this planet?"

T'risa tried to think of questions that he could simply respond "she said to do". "What do the O'maeda do for her?"

  She say kill, sayyy to take back her holy place... we kill, weeee kill all who she not want. The Q'sa looked back around alien eyes unreadable" they want world, they want trash from before, they want She to make them strong... they bring food, bring guns, bring us.... too many ships too many fighters, tooooo farrr for us to come to answer her....she call weeee must come.

T'risa was beginning to wonder how the Q'sa ever managed to achieve space flight.

"She wishes to kill all she does not want. Does this not also include O'meada? So they serve her temporarily until she does not want them and kills them?"

T'risa thought for a moment.

"Where is your homeworld? How did you get here?"

   " If she wantsss she keeps...If she kills she killls..... the Q'sa stuttered and rattled as he spoke his avandii barely understandable at times. " O'maaahda bring, they want ...they want to use She, sheeeee want to use o'maeda... What they want they...they not tell.

   "Star says she's clean Leoulin, so I guess we don't have to worry about that. At least for now anyway." M'kira follows T'risa, smiling as she follows her friend. "Looks like it's time to knock some heads. I wonder how easily the Q'sa will give us what we need?"

   At the Q'sa's violent reaction, M'kira draws her plasma pistol, though she doesn't shoot it. Since in theory for the moment it wasn't a threat. However she was prepared to blow a limb off if things got out of hand. It would live and they could still question it even if it was missing a few appendages. "Angry isn't he T'risa? You should listen to her. Things don't have to go down the hard way."

   M'kira looks from the Q'sa to T'risa raising one delicate eyebrow. "Looks like the Q'sa are just pawns in this. It's the Omaeda and this being called She that are pulling the strings."  Telepathically to T'risa. "Sounds like our other prisoners going to be a lot more fruitful information wise. Still won't hurt to get all we can out of this one."
This message was last edited by a game moderator at 20:16, Fri 24 Sept 2010.

T'risa nodded "She is the mother of their race. An older Queen of some description. Something the Q'sa lost a long time ago when they became free, but since her return they are now under her as thralls and she rules them with the harsh side of love. Isn't that right?"

Elsbeth gave Balkiir a lopsided smile as he held her chin in his big, blue hands.  She nodded slowly as he made his vow to keep himself alive as long as she did the same.  He could sense contentment and a burgeoning feeling of pride as she processed the words.  She either did not or could not mask her feeling on the matter.

As he brandished the sister blade, Elsbeth drew the one given to her as well.  She sat up slightly to inspect it, and held the long elegant piece at arm's length, testing the balance and the feel of the grip. Elsbeth casually moved the blade back and forth in the air, tracing out patterns that Balkiir was well aware of as a practiced hand going through a number of close quarters techniques.  "They're positively beautiful." she beamed, leaving the Just like you for her thoughts alone, "Very functional and even more pleasing.  I must thank your aunt, when I get the chance."

She leaned back down against his shoulder again and held the blade up inspecting the etchings on the both of them side by side.  "What are their names?  And what do these mean?" Elsbeth asked of the exquisitely intricate runes running the length of the blade, as she traced them lightly with the index finger of her right hand.  Her tone was quiet and almost reverential, while her fingers barely touched the gleaming metal of the blade.  She felt some irony deep down, that she - a creature of no consequence or history - was being gifted an item that could trace its own history back thousands of years...

   varða óvinr and verja allr."<blue> Balkiir announced as he held up first Elspeths blade then his own.<blue> It means Guard against all foes, and defend all. Balkiir explained the names....

" Most families have a blade that goes back centuries, one father hands it to this son. then that son hands it to his. Aunt J'dai is almost out family historian, she's held our blades for as long as I can remember. Balkiir stood and ran through a viscously powerful Kata engaging targets in a full circle slashing and thrusting with the full weight of his body behind the blade keeping his weight centered between his feet.

      each man has his own blade and his wives carry and identical blade. If you cross one of them you have to face all of them."
     " these are old. not sure how old.older than the colony I grew up on for sure. It's not steel. or iron. Valkiir Blades are meteoric iron. Mixed with carbon zed. it holds an edge and wont rust or tarnish or break unless you try to cut open a star cruiser with it. Each short sentence was punctuated with a thrust of cut, ending as he dropped back to a setting position. the entire presentation had the feel of something he had heard many times and had memorized

" She is ...... true, she give us .... the Q'sa paused it's head turning as it seemed to study M;kira, and 'risa."" It give life, give ..... true .....no word in new speak...no word for it you know.

T'risa looked at the Q'sa with a worried look. "I know....but I know she cares nothing for you. You are inconsequential to her. I have been in her mind. She doesn't care. You are a means to an end. The only thing she cares about is her plan and to that end she will use and bury you all if it helps her get there."

T'risa stood up "Your race is an old and a proud one sir. After we are done here, it will be no longer....thanks to her."

" Old yes, use us yes.... must follow she.....commands queens obey, quens call wee obey....."

             "Not sir.... not g'ktchl...G'tkuhd...not sir... no sirs...she give sirs.... the Prisoner began to twitch as it spoke.

"T'risa I don't like the looks of this. This queen attacks through the mind. Can she see through the Q'sa's eyes and hear what it hears? Worse if she can effect the Q'sa physically or even alter it's mental state I have a bad feeling I might have to shoot real soon."

She felt tingly as the thought of battle comes to the front. She couldn't be certain her intuition was correct. However right now alarm bells were going off and she had a bad feeling as she notes the twitching. "Just to be safe we probably should leave the room. YOu can still question the Q'sa. If needed sedating the Q'sa via the life support system for this room might prevent manipulation and keep him alive."

Conrad gets to work as quickly as possible on making his presents for T'risa.  Though he is under a major deadline, Conrad works fast.  His is aided by some of Aziza's robots which help out greatly.  The hours tick away as he looks for items and such, using resources around the base as much as possible.  Leaving Tiny to tend to her new Mecha body by herself.  Conrad works as fast as possible to be able to help Tiny if she needs it.


OOC:
Conrad rolled 30 using 1d20+19. Craft Mechanical.

Tiny just has her debrief with T'risa.  Todays events have been quite exciting, but now she had to get back to business.  Conrad had just placed her processor core into the new mecha body and had to leave the rest to her because of things that were going on.

Tiny takes her time to configure that mecha's computer system to her own.  Though it would have been much easier of Conrad was there to assist her, Tiny is able to manage to sync everything together.

"Okay... If move my arm, then..." As tiny moves her right arm, her left arm swings out and smacks her in the face.  "Oh... that Conrad screwed things up again.  Now if I look into the coding... Okay.  Thats fix, I think." Tiny tries it again, with a better outcome.  Through more trail and error, she is able to get synced and is able to move around without any problems.

OOC:
Tiny rolled 15 using 1d20+10. Computer Use Check.

In reply to M'kira T'shal (msg #114):
"Relax M'Kira" T'risa pulsed a thought to M'Kira.

"He's telling us indirectly how to defeat this army. Their queen is under Her power. Their Queen is directing them to obey her, because they obey She. So if we take out her....The Q'sa queens will no longer be under Her control. It may still not end the war, but it gives the opportunity to end it without having to exterminate the Q'sa"

Elsbeth nodded and then attempted to quietly repeat the names of the blades, "Varða óvinr ... Verja allr."  She met with only limited success, stumbling over a couple of the more nuanced inflections; Elsbeth smiled sheepishly while her cheeks reddened.  "I-I'll learn the names properly by the time we see Aunt J'dai." she promised dutifully.

She watched Balkiir's movements during the kata with a keen interest, as if trying to memorize them, and then noted, "I'll practice that technique as well."  Her expression seemed blank for a moment, and then as her eyes refocused, Elsbeth noted, "I'll need to see it, at least, once more."

"How did your aunt become guardian of the blades," Elsbeth asked with innocent curiosity, "if they are normally passed down through the male side of the family?"  Her questioning spoke not of jealousy or envy, but only a deep and abiding hunger for knowledge of a family and a lineage that she never had, something that she didn't quite understand.  Something that Elsbeth hoped that she might one day be a part of.

   " It's not to tough" balkiir sheathed the blade and wiped his forehead and arms with a towel from his pack." Her father didnt have any sons, and she has never married....
   Balkiir paused as if the memory was unpleasant. setting down and policing up the guns and spare ammo for a moment "She lost her circle, and her man. He was a pilot, and one of the crew of a ship that went missing about fifteen years ago...she's been waiting for him since then." Balkiir looked angry for a moment an old deep seated anger that felt as if it were a part of him and had been for a very long time. when he glanced at Elspeth the anger faded quickly and elspeth could feel a sense of peace from him.
    "she spent a couple of years and everything she had to try and find them.        She keeps waiting and she's always taught me like I was her own. when I decided to leave she gave the blades to me.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:14, Mon 27 Sept 2010.

He exited the doctors, the scans would be available for T'risa later. Cradling his rifle in his arms he made his way back towards the Crow. He had little to do and not many friends and he wanted time alone. As he walked though his steps took him back to his perch where he could see the area around them. It felt more comfortable here and he liked the solitude.

His mind played over what him and Poppy had discussed and the meaning to what he had discovered. He would live and take this second chance for what it was a chance to do something important, but what could he do to help. He didn't know who their enemies leader was or even where their base was, if he did he might just be able to bring this all to a close with a single shot. He wondered if he could gather that information and quietly slip away to do so. A single sniper could slip past guards and find a perch to make the assassination attempt.

Nodding M'kira doesn't question T'risa's decision though she still watches the Q'sa wearily. She really didn't like being in the same room as it particularly if something were to go very, very bad. Still T'risa was right not that it took a genius to figure out if you kill She then problem was solved. Well at least part of it as there were a lot of fingers in this pie. New and solid Intel was a very nice thing to have though.

For now she paitently stands by ready to act should there be need. She wonders for a moment what poppy and tiny were currently up to. It wouldn't hurt to have a little extra firepower around for interrogations.

"Do your queens want to fight this war? Or are they forced to by She? How are you being equipped? How many soldiers are here? How many more are on the way here? Who do you report to?" T'risa though she would try to make things easier on the Q'sa by not forcing him to work against his own divine entity.

  do not know.... what you wish to know...", the Q'sa rasped" Queens order we obey, blue women tell us where to wait, we obey, She orders we not kill all humans, we obey..."

    "you ....humans do not obey , you do not obey your queens, yu are feral, you do not have... guidance... Feral do not serve as they should, do not submit as they should, do not serve.... must tame feral, make them obey....

"I obey my queen, in the spirit of her commands. She asked that I come here to look at what happens here and stop it. So, who is funding this war? It takes a lot of resources to fight a war. Where are all of your ships?"

" Then you know why we fight...go away...I no can tell you what you want ...they no tell me....they no tell soldier...only blue women know...

Poppy sat watching the ship and it's crew sighing slightly she began to wander around the compound looking for something anything to keep her busy, and keep her mind fro wandering too much.

Elsbeth snorted discreetly, "It is 'not tough' because you already know it, Friend Balkiir."  She stood and mirrored the first motion in the kata.  "Do you dip the shoulder by tradition or is there more to the action and that placement of the blade?  Does the flat angle of attack mean that you invite the cross-cut feint or that you have I misjudged that angle?  And what of the finger placement on the handle..."  She smiled sweetly, "There are many, many more questions that I have.  And they are only in first couple of swings."  A crooked smile crossed her face, "And don't tell me that I am overanalyzing it..."

The smile faded as Balkiir related the story about his Aunt.  She reached out and touched his arm gently.  "I do not understand, Balkiir." Elsbeth noted quietly, as she stooped to police more brass and help him to collect items.  "Something does not sit well with you.... Does your anger stem merely from your treasured Aunt's loss?  Or are there those that wish her ill and block her attempts to know the Truth of it?"

"I would not suffer to see you or her hurt so." a faint smile touched her lips, tempered with sadness in her eyes, "I have given you my Oath, my Bond.  Your well being is now my Purpose.  If we can correct whatever injustice may exist, please tell me."

  <ble> I put my thumb against the flat of the blade when I come in low, or at and angle since it's easier just to think of the blade as my thumb and touch my thumb to th target.</blue> Balkiir explained. Valkiir styles are Instinctive, Intuitive, mind body and universe moving as one. <blue> Balkiir's easy going big dumb blue guy feel seemed to fade slightly as he spoke. His eyes seemed more intense more focused, far more lethal.<blue>" You dont have to fight theInfi to move, you dont have to fight gravity or avoid te obstacles, Only feel them move with them let the universe move you. This is A'Kavnii the way of all..M aunt taught it to me and told me I could only teach it to someone I knew and trusted."

     It's not that I am mad at anyone, or anything. It's that i;m mad at everything, and everyone who ever turned their back on her and treated her like ...like she was already a ghost. It's not easy for us to be alone to lose your circle, and it scares the hell out of Valkiir so sometimes people avoid someone who's the last ember of a circle. It scares the hell out of me.... he stepped close to Elspeth put his hand to her face them simply kissed her the physical act sending a wave of his emotions through her. calm, confident and powerful on the surface, chaotic and intense beneath the surface a mixture of overwhelming passions fears, doubts and certainties beneath.." I need someone like you , someone to give me a center for myself.

T'risa nodded at the Q'sa. She stood up and left the cage. "You will be cared for as best as our circumstances allow. I will return with more questions and see how you are doing from time to time."

She closed the gate, telling the guards to lock it and unshackle the prisoner.

"That was actually more productive than I'd hoped. You heard him say to ask the blue women about the war. That is my warrant. Our O'maedan prisoner is now a soldier and the rules of a prisoner of war apply. This allows us to interrogate her."

She waited for the guard to open the door to the O'maedans cell, entering it, she sat down opposite the woman and crossed her legs, placing her hands on her knees as she waited for the woman to talk.

  " so you didnt forget about me" the woman looked up still slightly loopy from the drugs" At least you have the good coon sense to keep me out for a bit."
   "so how do you want to play this marshal, "

"No I didn't forget about you. I had to review the data we captured before I dealt with you." she pursed her lips considering the woman "How do you want it to be played? There are more than a few ready willing and able just to end the problem here and now. And we have grounds.... an enemy combatant without a war being declared. You're an insurgent. What could you possibly offer me to let you live?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:20, Tue 28 Sept 2010.

" Except for the fact I haven't fired a shot at anyone, and am in my uniform, and I am employed to carry out a specific mission on a planet not registered to the T.A.E."

   and to answer your question I was hired to locate a specific individual, isolate her and remove all evidence of her presence on this planet with specific instructions that I was not to allow you to learn of my targets Identity."

T'risa smiled "You may be registered as a merc, but that doesn't quite get you off the hook. You were involved in combat operations despite no war being declared. Some might call your actions terrorism."

T'risa leaned forward "So...the question might be...what is your price? How might we induce you to reveal this information? What are your demands?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:24, Tue 28 Sept 2010.

" Your up against N'uan D'voka, and two of her acolytes. <blue> Te woman replied without stating any demands<blue>" One of them is J'in I believe you already Know her. She;s my target for extraction. My job is to get her off planet and take her home to auntie, no doubt to disappear off to some gods forgotten backwater never to be heard from again."

    "she wont get the same opportunity you did." The woman paused for a moment as if waiting for an response her smile at delivering her news was smug, self satisfied and a bit predatory.

T'risa nodded slowly "I know her, yes." T'risa paused for a moment. "So how much were you offered for this?"

T'risa found herself conflicted. Letting the mercenary go, would no doubt put a dent in the enemy's plan......but the fire burned inside T'risa to catch J'in herself. "You are good at what you do, I think you would stand a chance against her."

T'risa now had a name for the enemy. With that she could figure out patterns. "So, you've given us two of the names. How about the third? And any other information you have on location. After that we'll determine what to do with you. What is your rate and per diem?"

>the merc smiled thinly, If I break my contract I wont be getting paid to clean up family messes. it's how my family keeps from being eaten alive by ... certain factions..If I give you the names and the images of your targets, I want what you want, three unmarked graves in the desert. Not that I expect you to resist the urge to put her in front of a tribunal and then watch as the Impi puts a noose around her pretty little neck and lets her do a gallows jig."

   "My price, you do what your good at, being a righteous pain in the ass. I go do my little clean up detail, and you do your best to beat me to her."
   " I'm a cleaner, not a killer. I've stepped over too many dead kids and men to get close to her. working with the Q"sa, wiping out entire towns, smuggling Black Tech. If i help her i'm just as guilty as she is. A little gene peddling, Getting caught in bed with the wrong person, some family espionage, blackmail, whatever thats just Women's work, sure I'll clean that up but not this mess, this is treason, mass murder.."

T'risa raised an eyebrow. "I have another proposal. Allow me to read enough to detect truth. If what you are saying checks out and I detect no deception. You join our side for the duration. The pay will not be as good as you expect, and I'll allow you an escape clause if things go poorly for us. You're stuck here for the duration anyway. Better to be helping us and have some reward than to be stuck in this cell."

T'risa quirked her lips "I intend to bring them to trial. Of course, if found guilty and there's already enough evidence for that, there is only one punishment, and I will be pleased to see it. I am willing to live with the shame and lies she brought to me and my name, to see her hang. Of course, I have every intention of ripping out from her brain every bit of information I can to prove my innocence first. I think we can accommodate your goals with ours. They seem mutually compatible. May I know your name?"

The beds a bit stiff but the handcuffs and the locks are a nice touch.  he woman smiled seductively, holding up the handcuffs on her wrist almost purring as she spoke." Might be fun to stay here a while, maybe make you beat it out of me."<blue> the woman glanced toward M'kira or do you keep her and the Big Guy around for that?"

T'risa shrugged her shoulders. "No, when I want information, I rip it from their brains directly. I have no need to tread quietly under these circumstances and besides physical violence would not be suited for your interrogation."

She looked at the captive curiously. "Does that work? I mean I have seduced many in my time. Surely you read a report on me. Did you think it would work? Or is it M'Kira you hope to entice?"

T'risa turned around in her seat to see M'Kira, before turning back to face the prisoner. "No matter. Your unwillingness to subject yourself to mere verification of the truth of your words has told me all I need to know."

T'risa stood up, ready to leave. "Unless you have more to add?"

My mind is the one thing I own. I only let people in I ...trust." The woman sighed, looking toward the doorway then up at the ceiling considering her options." And no, I do't seduce many, outside of business... Anyone I could seduce so easily would be far less than satisfying."
    Proceed with your examination marshal, I;m afraid other than my instructions and my recent experiences you'll find my thoughts less than informative. But, I suppose in the circumstances it is the least i can do to assure you I am not deliberately trying to mislead you. Once we have that out of the way, I might trouble you for a chance to visit the rest room and a shower."

M'kira raise one delicate eyebrow at her bold innuendo of intimate interaction which turns to distaste at the thought she might enjoy being beaten. However she considers it most likely bravado on the enjoying pain thing. "She doesn't beat around the bush does she offering herself up like that."

She decides for the most part to keep her mouth shut. From what she could tell the woman just wanted to complete her specific mission. That and let T'risa go about her business as long as they could see eye to eye on how to dispose of the targets. She wouldn't discourage T'risa though. Who knows maybe she would talk the woman into it. She would welcome extra trained and dependable soldiers any day of the week. Though if the woman really wanted to spend time in a cell that was fine by her as well.

M'kira gives T'risa a inquiring glance while patiently waiting for when or if T'risa might need her.

T'risa nodded "I only intend to determine the veracity of your statements. If you are telling truth, then I agree, subject to your parole, I will allow you the freedom of this camp. I do not intend to dig for any more than you have given me. I will be focussing only on your current thoughts. I do not intend to go on a fishing expedition to find more evidence to incriminate you."

T'risa looked at the woman. "Let us begin."

T'risa asked the woman a series of questions including her name and identity along with confirmation of the facts as she'd prevented them. she then asked the woman for her parole, an agreement not to leave the confines of the base or work counter to their activities until she was released from it by T'risa. She only asked one final question at the end. "Do you know anything further that would cause us harm by not telling us."

Assuming all went well, T'risa nodded to the guard to come in and free her.

"You are free within the confines of the town. Chief Jons will see to your housing. I am a reasonable woman. If you have any requests, please ask."

T'risa rose to leave. "Welcome to Hope."

Seeing that the questioning was over M'kira moves to T'risa's side ready to leave. Her eyes rest on the woman for a long moment before she speaks. "Guess you don't get to enjoy the handcuffs." Her lips quirk up in a smile before she continues. "Good luck. If you reconsider working with us the benefits can be pretty good. One of our tech's is a genius at producing top notch equipment. Pretty useful to people in our line of work."

Poppy sat for a while soring cartridges and filling mpty magazines her mind running off on half a dozen different streams. he finally tossed the boxes of ammo and spare mags into a duffel and headed into camp. climbing back up to the snipers perch where Grym sat guard.
   " Here I thought you might need these. she handed him printouts from the intel packet and a plate from the kitchen. settling in and covering herself back up as she slowly scanned the horizon.
     " They're planning an op, kind of a big one it sounded like. I thought you'd want the data so you can pick a spot she sat out mags for the assault gun and began to fill them with round." figured since you were alone too, I'd be alone with some company. I managed to find some AP and HE rounds you have a preference...  she asked a she began to fill magazines.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:13, Wed 29 Sept 2010.

Elsbeth nodded soberly, "I do not pretend to fully understand your Aunt's situation.  I may not have had a 'circle', but I know what it is to lose your center, to be shaken to the core."  She smiled sheepishly, "I can only imagine what it is like to be ostracized by one's peers; though I do know what it is like to have no home to go back to."  Her expression was a bit enigmatic, but Balkiir could fully read her thoughts and emotions.  Elsbeth empathized to her very core with J'dai's situation, with quandaries and the contradictions that the Valkiir racial fears seem to generate.  And while she had never met the woman, Elsbeth felt as though she could relate to her on a deeper level.  The sadness in her eyes was the window to that deeper level - and Elsbeth gave her large blue warrior-paramour a view into that window.

Then Elsbeth blinked and the window closed.  As Balkiir waxed a bit romantic, she let herself be drawn in and kissed him.  Elsbeth did not have much experience with the act and, mostly, she merely yielded to his lead.  She gave him a crooked smile, half-apology for her inexperience and half-thank you for the gift of his touch.  Elsbeth brushed her hand against his cheek, thrilling to the emotion that was evoked with such a simple touch.  It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and sent chills down her spine.

She smiled again and lightened the mood, "I guess, we make a pair then, Friend Balkiir."  She reached up and took his head in her hands, pulling his forehead towards her, so that it touched hers.  Elsbeth spoke with a playful tone, but words were only partly in fun - Balkiir could feel some emotional weight to them, "I would have said that you were my center.  And so, I think that means we are well suited.  Both of us believing that they are living for the other.  Each of us hoping to be complete through our Bond."  Elsbeth let her hands wrap around Balkiir's neck and she held him close.  With her eyes closed, she savored his presence, both physical and mental, and let herself get lost in the moment; Elsbeth let herself hope that it would not have to end, even though she knew that it must.

  Balkiir didn't break contact, instead letting himself hold Elspeth for a while. With a deep sigh he broke contact and shook his head slightly" You know we really ought to talk to who ever scheduled tis war...they sure as hell know how to make it hard to have a life." Balkiir gathered weapons spent cartridges and power pack, then slung the bags over his shoulder hesitating for a moment before motioning back toward the crow.
   I'm guessing we need ta go unpack some ordinance and go over our gear for the next couple of ops.I need to prep my heavy armor, and the heavy stuff and We need weapons and ammo for the back up squad, You strip, I'll clean...

After Balkiir broke contact (albeit rather unwillingly), Elsbeth stood back and straightened her hair and gave him a smile and a nod.  She helped him to gather the weapons and various, sundry items and then headed back with him to the Crow to prep for any upcoming actions.  Elsbeth knew that as the front line grunts, she and Balkiir would probably be the last to know about any plans for an attack and the first out of the dropship onto the LZ.  Which definitely meant that an equipment check was needed - there was no debate about that.  Death by equipment failure, really wasn't an option.

"Hmmmm..." she noted playfully, "How about you strip and I clean..."

  " hmm??? Balkiir paused for a moment then let out a chuckle." deal,but we better see to the gear first.

   Returning to the ship Balkiir stowed their gear and began to pull rifles and other weapons out of the arms locker setting them out in neat order . hands moving in familiar ways without much thought. most of the weapons were liberated fro the Q'sa he felt an odd sense of justice that they would be pointed the other way soon.

      " Once we finish up here I can whip up something for dinner. balkiir spoke up as he finished breaking down an assault rifle frowing a the dust and lubricant caking the mechanism." we ought to have a good meal before we jump off. Back home we'd be setting around till late singing and BSing. way back in the day the Ancestors would send the last day before going out to sea singing he sagas, making offerings and boasts, then spending a last night."

"Three thousand years later here we are prepping our axes and spears on a ship god knows how far from hearth and home "

taking his time to ensure every part was in working order tossing aside several weapons into the parts bin he took a deep breath and began to boom out in a deep baritone that echoed off the walls and out through the halls. singing a song he had learned as a boy. singing of heroes and gods almost forgotten by their earthbound cousins.

T'risa went to see the Chief and inquire as to the feasibility of borrowing a few soldiers from the base, also to arrange for him to keep an eye on the merc, but allow her freedom of the town so long as she steers clear of the sensitive areas.

Conrad hurries up to finish the order given to him by T'risa to only have another order placed by Poppy.  Conrad spends another day working around the clock to finish up bazooka's and RPG's for Poppy.  Though Conrad's area is more armor and weapons, not things that go boom.

OOC:
Conrad rolled 24,2 using 1d20+4,1d6. demolition check. Total 26
Nat 20!!!
Taking 10 on Craft Mechanical and Electrical, making both a 29

  Jons reluctantly releases six men from the guards for duty under T'risa only two of them have any military experience one an older NCOs who had sen at least some combat in the regular forces. the second a colonial militia member who had joined up after two years of guarding a mine site on mars. His combat experience mostly in bars or manning the wall during the siege. the rest are green, their only experience coming from the hasty training given at the colony and a few firefights defensing the camp during the siege.

Their weapons and armor are piecemeal and they haven't had any time to repair or upgrade their gear since the last assault on the compound.

   Plans made and resources assembled the crew has little to do but double check their gear and wait for the next day. a long night passes as the ship settles in for one last night of sleep before the first of their offensive operations kicks off.
  In the night a storm blows in ff the deep desert lightening and thunder generated b blowing dust turns the night into a spectacular display of raw power as thunder rolls across the base camp rattling windows and rumbling even through the heavily armored hull around them.  The morning comes early the sky blood red through the blowing dust the entire camp lit by the same eerie reddish half light.

T'risa mustered everyone going on the missions in the galley for coffee. She tried to get the men replacement weapons and armour and made sure they practiced under Balkiir and Rhics watchful eyes.

When she gathered everyone into the crowded galley she thought she should make a speech. She stood on the table to all the people preparing for battle.

"May I have everyones attention." when the conversations paused T'risa continued "Up to this point, we've only ever fought defensively. To protect what we have from the others invading this world. To maintain our position while other run rampant here. This operation is our first offensive one. This is the time where we tell the people we are pitted against that this is our place too, and we will not be moved from it. We've set things up to work, to strike at two places at once, to hit the large forces they have overwhelmingly. To destroy large amounts of their material resources and capture some for our own use. Our enemies are strong. Make no mistake on that and do not underestimate them. They have battle witches on their side too. And with the Q'sa that makes for a VERY fearsome enemy. Remember a few things. We cannot survive a sustained battle with the enemy. Our raids need to be quick, destructive and profitable. Today we'll be bringing much needed supplies if we can save the freighter. Presumably it has arms, ammunition, armour and food. If today goes well then we'll all celebrate tonight and this town becomes so much safer."

T'risa switch open the viewport to look at the city. "There it is ladies and gentlemen, it is Hope, the city we fight for. You personally will help save this city from the Q'sa by our actions today. The viewport changed to show the location of the starport with the enemy anti air formations located." Rhic will lead a small team with explosives to destroy as much of the anti air defences around the starport as he can. We need at least two emplacements destroyed. Three would be much better. You will be taking Elsbeth, Poppy and Leo and a lot of explosives. Your job is to utterly destroy the anti air systems. Secondary objectives will be any communications. As soon as you hit stiff resistance pull out."

"The rest of us, will be aiming to save the transport and demolish as much of this enemy formation here as possible." The picture changed to show a small landling site for a transport, with two nearby mountains. "Balkiir, myself and the soldiers will take position on the top of this hill. Balkiir you are in charge of these men. We'll deploy with all of the missiles Conrad has deployed with us. Our primary goal is to destroy enemy anti air assets and Mecha. We'll have one or two machine guns with us to provide long range suppressive fire, but it's unlikely we'll do much other than encourage the enemy soldiers to keep down. Sergeant Grym will deploy in the valley here. It gives him some elevation and a lot of escape routes if anything goes poorly. I will act as your spotter from my position on the top of the mountain. We'll be going primarily after targets of opportunity. Officers, specialists, crews of the anti air or mecha units. M'Kira, you, Conrad and Tiny will approach from up this ravine in Mecha, you'll remain hidden until the attack commences and then you will rush in. Your job will be to create mayhem, shoot masses of infantry, especially anyone with crew served weaponry. We need some of that to make this place more secure. You will be pushing at them from this side. Our aim is not to utterly destroy this unit though that might be helpful, it is to render them completely ineffective. To that end I have left them an escape route here....it's impassible in vehicles. They'll need to abandon all of their material to use it. We will herd them into it. It's my goal for this part of the operation to capture enough material, mecha and anti air assets to remove any thought from the enemy commander of taking this place. To make this place a bastion for us. Any intel we can capture is a high priority. I know everyone has been told the plan before, it has not changed. I will be in contact with you all during the course of events. Plans rarely survive contact with the enemy, but these both have a degree of success. With me acting as commander, we can pull off the necessary timing to make it simultaneous and it should throw the enemies comms into disarray. Aziza will be standing by with close air support for us, but it's too risky for her until the air systems are down. Everyone....you know what we are about to do is daring and audacious and more than a little dangerous. We lack the numbers to win in a stand up fight, but we will kill many more than our number in quick raids with precise objectives. Just remember we cannot afford to get bogged down in stiff resistance. Any questions?" T'risa paused waiting to see if anyone had questions.

Conrad listens carefully, since he hasn't had any time to make any more modifications to his pieced together mecha and to add to it all, he has to make sure Tiny doesn't do anything reckless.

"Our best bet, for the mecha squad, is to wait till we can flank any possible ground mecha's.  I would love to be able to salvage a few parts for spare mecha parts.  I have faith in your abilities T'risa.  I need to go prep both my mecha and tiny's mecha."

Conrad gets up and heads off to the hanger where the mecha's where at and begins to power both of them up and make sure no issues were present.  Then he goes over to tiny's mecha and equips a shield in her left hand and whatever heavy weapon he could find.

Tiny couldnt help but to feel a little uneasy, specially being in a drone body after the last few days in a mecha body.  This was a big mission ahead of her.  In a new body, with new friends.  Though she did feel wanted and cared for.  Conrad made sure her body was in tip top shape.

"Ms. T'risa, I have a question.  Since I'm a TAE citizen, will I get in trouble for blowing up those nasty lizards?"

T'risa smiled "No, you are deputised into the Colonial Authority and have law enforcement powers. You will act at my discretion to uphold the law. Planetary invasions are illegal."

Elsbeth had stood at ease during the entire briefing, studying the graphics and the mission objectives intently.  When T'risa solicited questions, she raised her hand for a moment, before asking, "Marshal, can you or Master Sergeant Rhictor elaborate on what is the insertion plan for the team that will be planting the explosives at the anti-aircraft emplacements?"  Elsbeth paused for a moment, "And how much collateral damage are we empowered to enact on the port proper, should the opportunity present itself?  This could affect the kit that we arm ourselves with ..."

"Our only transport asset is Aziza and the Crow. You'll be infiltrating to a dropsite out of range of their sensors and working your way in on foot, or possibly a Jeep depending on if I can get one. Exfil should be done by the crow, or if you can't destroy any exfil on foot to be outside the range of the anti air and we'll come pick you up.  You are not to damage the starport in any way. The anti air emplacements are far outside the port. You probably won't even get close to see it. The magic number is two. If two anti air batteries are destroyed, we can sneak the crow past the rest and get in to the port.  I'll be in your heads so I'll know how things are going and we can alter things on the fly if things get bad."

Elsbeth nodded dutifully, "Understood, Ma'am.  Thank you, Ma'am.  Then she reiterated, "Close under sensor range.  No damage to the port.  Surgical on a minimum of two emplacements - ensure complete destruction."  She looked thoughtful for a moment, then noted, "Ma'am, if I may.  We do have the two hummers from the campsite ambush retrieved.  I believe they still have heavy weapons mounted on them.  Either one could speed our final approach significantly."  Elsbeth was not sure the jeep would be around for the exit or extraction, that required to many things to happen - it was too far into the mission to predict.

Elsbeth was sure that the rest of the details of mission would be revealed soon enough by Rhic.  Still, no matter how they were to do that job, she knew that the four of them would need to work together and quickly to do the maximum damage.  It also sounded like the job was going to be extra dangerous.  Since they were trying to rig as many emplacements to be destroyed, but expected to be sighted at some point, the people placing the explosives had a significant chance to be either discovered by the enemy or in one of the blast zones, if the timing was poor.  Once the first set of explosions went off, Elsbeth expected that the chances of placing more explosives subsequently would be significantly decreased.  The enemy would on high alert.  Their best chance for maximum success was to plant as much as possible and get out for a remote simultaneous detonation.  With one lookout - that left the other three team members to plant explosives.  Given the distance between emplacements, Elsbeth assumed that splitting the team up would be the best and quickest option.  But that left them with little ability to back each other up.  She could feel the hackles on the back of her neck lifting - the situation would definitely not be ideal.

She glanced at Balkiir standing next to her briefly, an eyebrow raised and crooked smile on her lips, but said nothing.  She briefly wished he were going with her, but understood why he wasn't - she was sure that would catch that train of thought; Elsbeth did nothing to hide it.  So, her gaze moved back to the front of the room.  Elsbeth's jaw was set firmly and her eyes had started to take on a distant look as she prepared herself to the upcoming mission.  She needed to be focused; she needed to be ready and willing - she needed to enter the zone.  No time for distractions; no time for things outside of the mission; no time, but the here and now.  Time enough to be grounded in the present.

  and they say Valkiir are insane, will she even believe that we would dare attack them directly Balkiir though to himself  thin smile on his face as he considered the effect of simultaneous attacks and how the enemy would react, if the enemy witch even believed the reports or her own instincts this plan was damn near suicide. But it was the only plan that gave them any chance to set the enemy on their heels. If it worked they would be in good shape, no worries, if it didn't they would be dead, and didn't have to worry anymore either.. but there were a lot of questions, and damn few certainties, someone wasn't coming back from this run.

" I'll be right there with you. Balkiir whispered as he put a hand on Elspeth's shoulder. and I'll be right here hen you get back.

  He turned his mind to the maps and briefing notes, looking over infiltration points looking for locations to cover with fire before the enemy could take them and use them for cover. His face became grim solemn his eyes became hard unemotional and intense as he put on his game face and summoned up every last ounce of internal strength to bolster his focus..
   For now he couldn't worry about who would live and who would die, who would be there when he came home. or who would be gone. those thoughts burned hot and intense for several moments as he gae them one last thought before locking down Becoming what his ancestors had been bred for a ruthless, focussed unrelenting engine of war.

T'risa looked to Conrad "Conrad? I thought you'd scrapped the Hummers for parts. Do we still have one?"

"Last I knew, Aziza wanted to use the hummer."

" Ummm it's Okay.... tiny sounded embarrassed as she spoke over the intercom.he had rigged the Hummer to drive on it's own and chained a wreck behind it as a moving target she had let it roll away thinking it was a neat sight to see it bumping and rolling away like it was headed off somewhere... It was headed south last time I saw it... I'll go get it and bring it back....

"Okay.... wait... what?  Ahhh damnit... What did you do now Tiny?"

I was using it to tow a target for me...i salvaged one of the defense drones cores and wired it in so it could drive itself, everyone else was practicing so I thought I should..and....Well It looked like it was having fun Tiny replied sheepishly And It was .....funny to watch so I sort of...well set it free. she lowered her head and looked at the floor for a moment not anting to see the looks she knew she was getting" I'll go get it. It couldn't have gone that far

"Sounds good to me. Though grabbing spare parts might be best served by Aziza's robots. Assuming she can keep em intact on the battle field they could hall off anything we take down as opportunity presents. Remember unless we outright defeat them salvage is problematical as they will be shooting at us. Still im all for salvaging needed weapons and parts. After we hit em hard they are probably going to try to make life hard for us."

Looking to T'risa M'kira smiles and nods. "No problem if things get to nasty we pull out. It's going to be interesting working with you tiny." She laughs for a moment when she mentions a defense drone being used to autopilot the humvee. "Well actually that's not a bad idea Tiny. T'risa assuming we hae the resources we could set up a trap or two. If they pounce on say a humvee or anything else on autopilot. Then we can catch them with their pants down. They at least will be looking in the wrong direction when we hit them. It's just a thought."

  "Alright if no one has any questions... Rhic Glanced toward T'risa with a slight nod before snappng into Master sergeant mode."  I want demo packages and weapons check in two hours, Mecha diagnostics and check out in one hour. Elspeth I want you and Balkiir to check out the grunts we borrowed from security make sure they have weapons that fire, and know which end the bullets come out of....if anything looks shaky trash it and find something from the armory."

    Come on folks we got a war to fight, we aren't being paid by the hour un as and get to it." Rhic clapped his hands and spoke with the calm confidence of a senior NCO that had been through the drill many times before.

   " I'll have final check outs and load out reports before dust off. He turned back to T'risa as he pulled up his own data files waiting for any final instructions.

He listened with silent interest. It seemed a solid enough plan, daring dangerous but solid. He had little equipment to check so he picked up his pack and his rifle and walked towards Rhic. "Ready sir. Is there any other things that I might want to be aware of? Our last engagement with the enemy, I noticed no officers on the field. So picking targets of oppurtunities might be a bit hard. What would you and the Marshall deem as secondary targets so I have a bit of leeway and can take a shot before having to ask my spotter?"

Elsbeth nodded to Rhic and saluted him.  "Yes, Master Sergeant.  On the bounce." she intoned, with just the right inflection to sound almost genuinely respectful without sounding like a kiss-ass.  Then she waited quietly for Balkiir so that they could go and do personnel and armament inspections.  She also wanted to give her own armor and weapons one more once over; one never could be too careful.

And now, Elsbeth felt an extra impetus.  Balkiir's oath to protect her and the crew of the Crow as well as defeat the enemy on the planet, bleed into her own Oath.  His quest, by necessity and by choice, became her quest, as well.  So, now they were to try and take the fight to the enemy.  So, now they were to try and create their own Destiny.  She still wasn't sure that there were happy ending for the Grunts of this universe.  But, maybe endings are not the point. Elsbeth noted quietly to herself.  She gave Balkiir and slight smile and a head tilt as she watched him work for a moment.

Elsbeth's ruefully smile continued as she kicked off another set of diagnostics on her armor.  She would strip and service all of her own weapons in a bit.  But getting the recruits and their armaments ready were her focus for the moment.  She started to review the spare weapons, checking barrels, slides, receivers, and sights.  Then she counted ammunition and magazines.  She and Balkiir had already stripped them all down and gone over the weapons inventory.  So, this time her inspection was more cursory, though still rather thorough.  She counted out the number required - it was a bit of hodge-podge, but there were enough long arms to go around.  Elsbeth carefully laid out the munitions.

Then Elsbeth tapped the large blue Valkiir man on the shoulder and gave his hand a tight squeeze before she grabbed half of the rifles and ammunition boxes that she and Balkiir had previously serviced and started to carry them out the squad of militia that was assembled in the courtyard after the briefing.  She stood at the door of the armory waiting briefly for Balkiir to follow suit.  A slight smile played on her face, "You still owe me pizza..." she noted.

In reply to Victor Grym (msg #168):

"Mecha pilots, anti air crew, heavy weapons specialists. Anyone who looks as though they might be organising a defence or poses a threat, especially to the freighter. If you see an O'meada....shoot them as a priority. I doubt there will be any there, but you never know." she paused for a moment. "I'd prefer to capture any O'maeda, but if you see them go for kill shots. When I said I would act as your spotter, I know you will engage independently. It's just I have a good sense for the overall flow of the battle and know where one or two shots might make a very big difference."

T'risa made her rounds passing words of encouragement to all, helping people pack, making sure everyone had everything they needed and knew what they were expected to do while Tiny brought back the Hummer from the desert.

    " On it. Balkiir replied as he headed out the door behnd Elspeth. Heading down he went through the weapons again, checking the mags and pulling the protective cases off the warheads of the RPGs.  it would take a pretty heavy blow to set them off but pulling the safety pins and arming the warheads was the final act that meant it was show time.
    He attached the propellant blocks that would fire the round out of the tubes and slid each round into the fabric carriers four rounds per man four rounds per extra bandoleer for every one in the group. the short simple tubes of the launchers were still unfinished looking primitive by modern standards but they still had the punch to take down a truck, or APC. even a Mech had to worry about being hit by one of the laser guided rounds.
   counting Pins, and warheads to make sure the numbers matched then having Elspeth do a visual inspection of each round as well insured no one fired a round that could not detonate.
   he turned his attention to the grenades next slipping them ou of th cardboard tubes the were shipped in and screwing the fuse bodies into place. each set of web gear had four grenades . held in place by D rings that the safety level slipped through then a wrap of tape to make sure they stayed in place. a quick tug would be all that was needed to pull them free in combat but it want likely they would fall off on their own.
   Eight magazines, first aid kit, two smoke grenades, and four magazines for the pistols. went into the pouches. He also added a belt for his machine gun, and a couple fo 40mm grenades for hs launcher each man was carrying a heavy load of ammo and weapons but the op depended on overwhelming shock to work. running out of ammo was a death sentence for the whole unit.

    He had prepped backpacks each one containing a spare ammo canister and a single missile for the Mecha. along with food and water for three days in case tey had to walk out. those packs could be dropped easily each man could carry MREs and water in cargo pockets and on his web gear the extra was just another precaution if they had to  move fast they could be dropped.


    " Pizza Huh," Balkiir smiled stood by the door." I think I can find one around here somewhere, course you may have to tip the delivery boy. Balkiir kissed her once, then again for luck. his hand lingering on her face for a long moment before he went cold, his war face now firmly in place.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:17, Thu 07 Oct 2010.

Conrad continues working on the final touches to his mecha.  Making sure everything is in working order.  Conrad takes a moment to lube up any joints and makes sure the fuel supply was good.  He hops in and takes a few test steps and makes sure all weapons were functioning.  He runs a quick program that does a system check and looks for any that would cause problems.  Before he is ready to head out, Conrad stashes a pistol in the mecha just in case everything goes south.

Next he does the final tune up on Tiny's mecha while she is out doing her thing.  This was going to be an important day for Conrad, because now he's new creations where either going to work good, or get himself and tiny killed.  Though he keeps positive thoughts running in his head, because there was no time for self doubt.

He nodded as the Marshal walked off and then found a quite corner to himself. Many misunderstood the sniper as a whole, yes they coldly calculated death for each man that fell into their crosshairs but he was still human. Or was he? He had died and been put back together. He pulled out his ghuille suit as he walked through his mental preparations. He looked over the photos Poppy had given him and began to make small alterations to the suit to better vanish into the landscape.

He then did a double check of the rifle and its scope making sure that both were combat ready. He went down the checklist of targets and made sure his radio was juiced. He then saw to his survival gear, and the sidearm he had picked up. When all was ready he sat in quite meditation a killer ready to be fielded against the enemy.

  Tiny return with the Hummer following along like a lost pet, the gun ring mounted sensor package swiveling around to take in the sighs. As she led it back to the refueling station and topped off it's fuel cells. Then ducked into the Crow to pt on her Mecha.

    Chef Jon is waiting with his men giving them last minute instructions and checking out their gear, he seems relieved to see that their meager weapons and armor are being replaced for the operation with a better grade of equipment.

   The Crow and the fighters are fully refueled and her missile racks reloaded with the last of the missiles from storage. with last checks made the mission is ready to commence.

When T'risa makes her rounds and reaches M'kira she gently takes her hand with a smile for a few moments. It might be a bit before they see each other again. "I don't think anyone will be a smart (Censored word) T'risa. Just remind them not to shoot at you. Your not a priority target. I will see you after this mess is over."

When it was time she gears up in her mini battle mech. She wonders for a moment how it would all end. The empress herself probably had her eyes on this mess. In due time she notes Tiny's return smiling and waving to her. "I see you found your pet Humvee. Are you ready to Create Chaos and confusion in the enemy ranks Tiny?"

Leoulin's expression was masked at this juncture as well, "I do believe that the man cutting through their structures with no mechanical assistance will be deemed something of a priority.  I've seen a straight line to the areas we need down and I'll be upset if some flimsy wall or less intelligent vehicle stands in my way for long."

Somewhat more hardened soldiers were tougher to get a proper strike against, but anything that more or less stood there was bound to be made short work by his unique application of psionic, technological, and physical brute force.

Aziza strolls down the hallway, looking well-fed for a change although a keen eye will note that it's not fat or muscle on her ribs but rather that her fur is poofed out, from an apparent hasty drying.
"This is being most inspiring." she comments brightly, although in her typical relatively uninflected tone.  "I am being make recording in ship's black box, after we are all being die shortly surely somebody is being make holofilm and I am being include will so that proceeds will aid furesh clan later."

  Once the two groups are dropped of Aziza can loiter away from the combat area using her sensors to monitor the approach of the civilian freighter to the area. It is less than twenty minutes away when T'risa asks for it's arrival time.

OOC: If Aziza would give me a computer use ( sensors ) check Please

15:47, Today: Aziza rolled 23 using 1d20+13. computer use (Sensors). 

 As Aziza watches the ships entry track she pots an odd variation in the Em signature of the ship. Every drive system gives off it's own unique signature, a radio frequency noise pattern that can tell a trained operator what sort of engine the enemy is using.
     The signature of the ship seems to be fluctuating as if two drives were operating in close proximity to one another. an arrangement usually avoided by any competent engineer since mixing drive types causes problems with power flow and stability due to unequal power demands and out put.

alert hostile fire control radar detected the crows electronic warfare board lit up as one of the incoming ships switched on it's active radar and began to search the area for a target.

Noting the incoming warnings with the odd calm that takes her beyond the edge of panic, Aziza calmly toggles several switches that starts the weapons system powering up, then sets her communications to a broadband high-power transmission.
"Attention all incoming ship, this is being the Strange Wonderful Black Bird with the Cunning to Use Tools and a Love of Shiny Objects.  We are being detect all of you, including ships that are being hide in freighters wake.  We are also not being tolerate any incoming fire.  All ships are please being return hail and confirm peaceful intentions or we are being open fire."

 </i>" Pragga....  pilot... controller.. of The quick witted hunter that snatches meat from the jaws of Scavengers, Greets Pilot captain Aziza</i> A deep rumbling multi toned voice replied in thickly accented Cetu. The Strange Wonderful Black Bird with the Cunning to Use Tools and a Love of Shiny Objects. Is known to this one, This one tracks the slow witted beast of burden ahead for those who keep the laws of travel and trade. To locate and discover the fate of your craft is the mission this one was given.

   As the pilot of the hidden Cesti built scout ship trailing the freighter poke the freighter accelerated and began to broadcast a wide band stream of white noise and random sensor bursts to through off tracking and fire control sensors. the ship also turned into the crow accelerating as it bore down on her the size of the ship giving her two choices turn off or try to slip past the ship without being herded toward the landing zone, and the guns at that location.

OOC: Pilot check DC16 to avoid collision( will bring you in closer to the ambush site) or Pilot check 21 to avoid being herded

"I am being see.  Please to being aware that this is being a combat zone, I am being suggest care and evasion." Aziza transmits back, toggling the signals system with one hand while she guides the ship with three others.  The enemy vessel crowds in, threatening to ram, so Aziza responds by cutting power entirely, letting her vessel drop like a stone before gunning the engines to maximum only a few yards above, turning a verdant hillside into a hellish landscape of molten slag as the plasma exhaust turns every living cell into instant ash and the dirt melts and runs like water.  Cunningly using the backwash, Aziza angles her ship to reflect the enormous bloom of hot air rising off the melted stone and suddenly rises much faster than her engines alone could manage, putting her right behind where the enemy ship had passed a moment earlier, and neatly putting it's vulnerable exhaust in a line with her mass drivers and plasma turrets.


Not sure of the enemy ship defenses or AC so I won't be rolling any of those yet.
21:51, Today: Aziza rolled 20,15,18,9,13 using 1d20+3,1d20+3,1d20,1d20,1d20+3. Weapon Strikes.
21:47, Today: Aziza rolled 23 using 1d20+13. Pilot, Evasion.

  The freighters guns rotate and fire over it's rear as Aziza evades it the gee fores and load on the ship causing it to groan almost as if roaring in anger at the abuse. the subsonic rumbles of the engines growing to the point the tickled and made her ears twitch involuntarily.
   robot manned the fire control consoles beeps, growls and squawk sounding as they exchanged information faster than any organic could. the guns doing their best to keep up with the target as the Crow executed a maneuver usually only executed by fighters..
    The mass cannon and one of the missiles slammed into the enemy target sending a gout of escaping plasma and shards of engine casing flying in every directions plasma tracers streamed from the ships rear turret a the crow settled in at it's six o'clock position. a single pulse striking the crow as Aziza made her shot.

   the stalker roared in under Aziza the ship smaller older and less well maintained, the size and design making Aziza wonder how he pilot managed long duration flights in such a small ship. It was a refit of an old P'shahn clan attack hip intended for fast strikes not long duration flight. Red and black tier striped decorated the forward hallf of the sleek combat craft and three red stripes ran down the spine of the attack ship markings not used since the destruction of the Rahw Kahl clan 20 years before in a battle with a Najuhlim fleet intent on enslaving their home world. the clan had died to a member only cubs and a few to old to join battle survived the battle, but not a single Najuhlim capital ship survived and the few crewmen of picket ships and support craft who escaped with their lives wee hunted down and torn apart by sister clan blood drinkers.

OOC
38 pts of damage before DR to the crow.

"Cesti Vessel, please to being transmit clan identity codes.  Your markings are being confusing relative to transmitted message." Aziza transmits, unwilling to ues the name of such a strange and apparently undead vessel.  Fortunately, she congratulates herself, she's not superstitious in the least.  She makes a mental note to have a psych evaluation later just in case as the battle robots trigger another barrage into the enemy ship.  A potent strike hits an engine and drives it to one side, which unfortunately pushes it out of the way of the rest of her weapons fire completely.

21:29, Today: Aziza rolled 10,6,3,20,4 using 1d20+3,1d20+3,1d20,1d20,1d20+3. Confirm Plasma Critical.
21:29, Today: Aziza rolled 22,7,8,8,9 using 1d20+3,1d20+3,1d20,1d20,1d20+3. More Attacks.

  The first shot to hit the freighter is brutal. Plasma boils away metal and ceramics exploding something sensitive sending a gout of blindingly bright drive plasma out at an angle to the main drives. the ship lurches spins and rolls never designed for a dogfight at low altitude the ship clips a rock outcropping and executes a perfect face-plant. digging a deep furrow through the sandy soil until it comes to a stop..Inertial dampeners and impact control can nullify tremendous acceleration forces but even the best combat systems would not keep the crew from being slammed about as if they had hit a brick wall at fifty miles an hour.

    The Smaller cesti ship screams over the wreck and cuts upward heading toward two glints of light on the distant horizon. the ships mass guns firing rapidly as it moves to intercept the hypersonic fighters bearing down on The Crow. the pilot too busy handling the craft at near ground level to reply with more than a bale scream as he charges the fighters.

  the next sound Trey hers is the sound of a warning Klaxon, he feels himself upside down, on his back and then on his feet again as the world spins and he slams face first into a glass surface. as his head clears he can see he is inside a cryo tube, in the cargo hold of a ship. a ship that seems to be leaning at an angle with most of it's cargo sliding to one side.
  The cryo pods seals have ruptured and the emergency revival functions have kicked in. he feels the lid slide open and himself dumped in the floor. at someones feet. he cant make out the person standing over him clearly but a hand comes down and helps him to stand.

  " Don't you worry, everything going to be alright Ernie assures i as he helps him stand, his features still clouded and hidden. but his voice familiar.

Trey has only a moment to feel alarmed before all that worry disappears, and the universe becomes a far more pleasant place. A brief panic flutters around his stomach, before it hatches and flies off as a shrieking little raven, easily overwhelmed by the singing birds. Trey's smile is dazed, confused, but happy, even as he's tucked into bed by the pleasant penguin. Everything melts into the darkness behind his eyes, like colored water going down the drain in slow motion, taking him with it, leaving nothing but the beating of the heart of reality...

It was Music!

..and then explodes back out again in a sudden tumble of gravity, the inner ear kicking him awake but not clearing his brain. He cries out tunelessly, like a baby woken from a nap, unable to grasp the sudden penetration of consciousness. At last the cryo-sleep clears out, Trey feeling the sharp pain in his face, a slow trickle of blood running along the plasteel where his nose had smashed up against the cryopod's surface; Restraints came loose.

The lid slides out, and Trey falls out bonelessly, still behind the times, his mind a jumble of loose memories. Something about a Survivor, something dangerous. He weakly kicks his legs, desperately trying to stand until he can feel someone help him up. But his eyes are still murky, webbed over with sleep, and he's panting for breath - unable to breathe through a mashed in nose.

"Earnie?" He asks, mumbling through a numb face. "I a-an' I not feelin' so hot.."




OOC> Mood Music? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5FCdx7Dn0o
This message was last edited by the player at 20:45, Mon 01 Nov 2010.

  You'll be fine," Ernie whisperedBut your not where ya were when you took a nap, thats for sure.... if this ship is friend's with the one who took you then you need to be careful...and find what was taken from you. Ernie warned as he pointed past Trey to the cryo pods, the same cryo tubes from the prospect, one that Trey had been sealed in and the empty tubes that had held his brothers.
  The sound of thunder rumbled through the ship, it took Trey a minute to realize it wasn't thunder but explosions, heavy rapid fire thuds that rattled the walls and kicked up dust that hung in the air. the smell of ozone, hot metal and burning insulation crept into the cargo hold, lack smoke boiling in through a section of the cargo bay that had been peeled back like it was tissue paper exposing a wide view of broken hills and a dusty stone covered plain.
   Streaking low over the plain another ship, one like he'd not seen up close before roared overhead it's guns sending a stream of plasma and mass round at the plains below the small town and landing field outside it covered in heavy smoke from burning buildings and wreckage scattered across the field along with dead alien bodies.
   about the only thing Trey recognized was a couple of standard emergency supply equipment lockers and pallets from the Witch including the anti ship missiles that had been on. even stranger than the surroundings was the smell of air, unfiltered air and the brush of wind across his face.

Trey rubbed his eyes again, blinking through the blurriness caused by what probably amounts to a broken nose; The sharp pain is suddenly a lot less important as he notices the other pods. The clone begins scrambling across the rubble, painfully banging his shin a couple of times in his rush - eyes still stinging from the stench of smoke that wafts throughout, carried by a wind that was too warm, too wet; Too filled with bizaare scents for a nose that had spent most of its time breathing recycled air. He hit the first pod, and brushed away the dust, to find it...

Empty. Unlocked three weeks ago. And, according to the date listing, the incident out in hyperspace had been three months ago. With a growing sense of horror, Trey rushes from one empty pod to the next, a lull torn from his throat in a stumbling sob as he just collapses against the last one.

"O-oh, oh, when kan I git some re-est?" He sings the old lullaby softly, sliding off the pod, tears drilling rivulets in his stained cheeks. "O-oh, when kan I git some sleep.." He trails off, staring blankly at is own hands for a moment. Before reaching up and wiping away the tears.

"Earnie." He calls out, without turning around. "Yah bettah find a gude place ta git down, mon. I an' I got stuff ta do, 'fore dat War out dere come be findin' dis ship again." It was obvious the ship was grounded, and hard - even a rough landing wouldn't have tossed cargo containers around like this.  And he didn't want his only friend - even if that friend was probably imaginary - to get hurt. Trey stumbles upright, taking only a moment to look out the hole in the wall, where the metal had been torn away.

It hurt his eyes, the way the landscape scooped away towards the horizon, rather than curving up. Made him feel like he was eternally falling forward. Nausated by the sense of vertigo, Trey moves towards the emergency lockers, and finds most of his old stuff;

And begins suiting back up again. Whistling a tune once more, though it shudders and stutters as emotion takes him. What's a survivor's first code? Despair is death. Three weeks; They wouldn't get rid of trained slaves. Not slaves with as much skill as him. Surely they wouldn't. All he had to do was find a way to find the Bredren once more.. Just got to get red-eye.