Interdictor-Class Battleship "Mastodon"
Venusian Orbit

The Mastodon rumbles as it moves out of orbit and toward the relative safely of interplanetary space, precluding further aggression from S.A.G.E. for the time being.

Once all members of the Away Team have reported in, they are swiftly summoned to the conference room to debrief.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 1):

"Welcome back," Captain Blaise says, once everyone is seated (or standing) in the conference room once more. "I trust you were able to achieve our mission's objectives?"

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 2):

Primary and secondary mission objectives secured. Effectiveness of child in space combat may prove troublesome on additional missions, exemplary marks for the technophile, though recommend strongly monitoring his research on the new WASPS and invoking customary protocols of inclusion.

As for Batallion, a crash course in not crashing as a matter of course would be worthwhile.

And while you're at it, please inform us how you were so easily disabled without any communication to us. I need to document your failure in my report and want to capture the salient details.

Spare nothing.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:05, Tue 11 Nov 2014.

In reply to Flux (msg # 3):

"Mastodon is fully operational once more," Captain Blaise says in a clipped tone. "The S.A.G.E. eyebots represented an unknown technology, which disabled our communications as well as most of our weapons over time. Still, we succeeded in our primary objective: drawing attention away from all of you."

He clears his throat.

"We are beginning our journey back to Earth, which as you all know is a three-month process. Plenty of time for us to analyze the data you've collected, decrypt it, and see whether the smoking gun we were looking for is present in the numbers. It seems you've collected some experimental technology that's worth reverse engineering as well. Feel free to use the Mastodon's Science Bay for the purpose. My techs would be eager to assist you."

"Of course, everything learned will be shared using the customary protocols of inclusion," he says with a curt nod toward Flux. "Now then, is there anything else unusual or interesting to report concerning the happenings in the S.A.G.E station? Otherwise, you've all earned a hot meal, a long shower, and some time in your bunk."

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 4):

Rebecca grits her teeth at the mention of effictiveness in space combat

I'll show you efficacy in space combat, troublesome on future missions.  Her face is dark and angry.  She adds a final barb

Besides what are you some kind of shapeshifter or something

Back to Blaise

I will work with Xander on data analysis lending what support I can as needed.

She walks back towards the scientists who are her keepers, once again she looks very small.  She takes one of their hands and they lead her to whatever dark bowels of the ship she is kept in.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 5):

Oh and captain I will have my own report for you when you have a moment in private.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:49, Wed 12 Nov 2014.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 6):

Battalion sits with arms crossed, feet up on the table but adds nothing to the debrief.

We're done here then?

Xander nods, offering a quick overview of the experimental technology if asked.

I'd like to start looking into it, but first I need to make repairs on Abraxas. He took a beating during the escape. I'm assuming I'll have access to the spare parts requisition here?

He darts a glance over to Flux, confused by the man's mercurial dispositions. I liked daring escape mode Flux... but this guy here is a tool.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 7):

The captain shrugs.

"You'll have access to whatever you need. Just talk to my techs. Dismissed, for now. We'll reconvene tomorrow, same time, same room. For now, get some rest. You've earned it."

With that, he stands and follows Rebecca and her handlers out of the room, ostensibly to hear her private report.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:30, Wed 12 Nov 2014.

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 9):

I'll take a report on that tech as soon as it's available.

Captain, I'd like to follow up with you as well once you've finished your duties. I'd like to understand what reconnaissance information you had prior to this mission, and how it correlated to our experienced results.

It seems we were surprised at many points during this mission.

I don't like surprises.

In reply to Flux (msg # 10):

In the upcoming weeks you see Rebecca more than you did on the first trip combined.  Every time you went to the lab there she was.  If any of you are up late looking at data or crunching numbers she would sometimes scare the shit out of you by phasing through a wall.  When yelled at she gives an impish smile.

She worked tirelessly with the crew and shared all of her results in her belief that science was best performed in the open sunlight with as many minds as possible.

She spent most of her time studying the FTL drive (Red success 61 Karma used)

After that seemed to really dig into the gravity driveshield(Green success)

She didn't have much time or interest to work on the guns, whenever asked a question about them she would mutter something about how we had a living one on the ship (White)

Same with the camouflage device (White).

/ooc There will be things I do between these research endeavours but this is an overarching pattern of the work I will be doing on the return trip /ooc
This message was last edited by the player at 16:55, Thu 13 Nov 2014.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 11):

As before, the hallways are constantly crawling with Battalion, wandering apparently aimlessly and poking at this or that but mostly just lounging around or getting snacks.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 12):

"We shared the intel we had before the mission, Flux," the captain says wearily. "You had a full floor plan, complete with the exact rooms you were to access. If you were surprised to find S.A.G.E. resistance using experimental technology, you have only yourself to blame. If we knew about the exact nature of their experimental tech beforehand, we wouldn't have sent you in to steal it."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:58, Thu 13 Nov 2014.

Xander's time is spent almost exclusively in the mech bay, repairing, researching, and tinkering. After repairing the extensive damage to Abraxas, and bringing the two WASP prototypes online, he turns his attention to researching the extensive R&D files extracted from deep storage in the SAGE archives.

Analyze Plasma Drive prototype: 55
Analyze laser prototype: 18

Research Carbonate Starfield Plating: 45
Research Plasmic Thursters: 90
Research Gravitic Shield: 81
Research Gravity Gun: 13

Aided by a bevy of techs in addition to extensive personal knowledge and experience, Xander manages to make a great deal of progress on the R&D front. This unfortunately does not leave much time for brewing, though he does roll out a new keg every few weeks.

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 13):

Condescension. Insubordination. Lack of Accountability. I'll be recommending you for reconditioning as soon as we reenter home space.

Dismissed.

[Reason 57]

Flux spends the majority of his time avoiding the condemned Captain at all costs, focusing his rage and ambitions into understanding the gravitic shields.

"If I could understand the technology behind it, perhaps this could supplement my own defenses. Yes, I might be able to supplement the power generation and stability issues nicely with my own gifts. No need to include this in the report until further information is gathered."

In reply to Flux (msg # 15):

Didn't know I was signing up for a bus full of science-fair projects and nerds.  I'll need to talk to my agent...

In reply to Batallion (msg # 16):

We could spend some time working on combat synergy. Have you ever considered a multiplicative fastball special? Perhaps some time well spent trying to hurt other people will remind you more of home? One must play to their strengths.

In reply to Flux (msg # 17):

Battalion shrugs.

I try to avoid 'working on' anything.

He smiles.

But I like where your head's at these days.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:29, Thu 13 Nov 2014.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 18):

During the months that pass, Flux spends time sparring with Batallion, and working on the Multiplicative Fastball Special (MFS).

To the outside observer, Flux and Batallion spend an unsettling amount of time together in complete silence, speaking with fists, grunts, or beer. For whatever reason, the current iteration of Flux's subtle menace and Batallion's no frills approach to his duties connect, and the two spend a significant amount of time quality, quiet time together over the coming months.

"We would end up paired with the dead girl and the tech geek"

In reply to Flux (msg # 19):

As if summoned Rebecca skips through a wall Percy, as always dangling from one hand.  She gives you an ice cold glance as she skips through the next wall disappearing from view.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:58, Thu 13 Nov 2014.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 20):

Not gonna lie, Battalion says taking a long pull of beer (to which he gives thanks to Xander when not calling him a 'nerd' under his breath), but that girl really creeps me out...

In reply to Batallion (msg # 21):

So, Xander, been meaning to ask you... mmm, good lager by the way.  Exotic... like... foreign or something.

It's impossible to be sure, but it seems likely at least that the Battalion standing at Xander's elbow in the laboratory is the real one.  Most of the duplicates just wander amlessly.

I mean, I know why I'm here... too much press back home, legions of fans and all that.  But what's a smart dude like you doing trapsing around in a metal suit?  I mean, I can tell all this, Battalion indicates the lab, stolen technology and science teams with the sweep of one hand, gets you off and all, but we coulda brought all that back easy-like and you wouldn'ta had a need to risk your skin.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 22):

/OOC Should have added this to my monthly summary /ooc

When you work with Rebecca will only speak to you about the project at hand.  Any attempts at small talk will result in her sudden disappearance.

You only see her either working, in meetings, or being transported therein.

If anyone wants to attempt a deeper conversation PM it.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 21):

Flux joins in the beer related festivities, immediately making obvious his unfamiliarity with the drink and the notion of intoxication, followed invariably by some highly inappropriate commentary.

"It was a routine call to a labor camp riot, which I was able to subdue rather easily. As punishment for the hunger strike, we decided to take a more creative food based approach.

And so I put all the food inside a gravity vortex, and left it visible to them.

So I came back a week later, and it looked like a bunch of pigs at the trough. They couldn't pull the food out, and once inside, they couldn't actually get out. So they had to put their faces to the ground, and just tear at the food. Oh you wouldn't believe how badly that cave smelled from all the built up excrement they were unable to control or clean outside the vortex.

So anyway, I toss some more food into the vortex, because we've got a pool going with the guys at the office, and there's still some people who haven't succumbed to the temptation.

2 weeks go by, I come back, and the gravitic pressure and lack of food has generally taken care of most of the riff raff, but some of them got clever and began cannibalizing the external remnants like legs. And then, and this is where the ingenuity really shocked me, they started using the bones to actually try and sweep/prod the food out of the vortex without getting caught in it. And they were actually somewhat successful using a femur to create a fulcrum! I couldn't believe it.

So I asked who the ringleader of the idea was, and he was this boy of no more than maybe 14. Bright mind for engineering and creative problem solving. Obviously hadn't been evaluated by the ARES Voluntary Slave Labor Skill Board in quite some time. I mean, you don't leave someone who can invent a femur fulcrum toiling away in a Tanzanium mine. That's just a misuse of talent.

Anyway, I made sure everyone else was sealed inside the cave, and took the kid with me for assessment. Turns out he was a level 3 engineer! We gave him an optionally mandatory personality reorientation, and long story short, Steve's the guy who actually helped do the contract work on my Phobos condo! Small world, right?!

In reply to Flux (msg # 24):

It's the first time you've seen Battalion laugh at something without spite.

Ok... here's one, and I swear it's true:

So a few years back I was staging a strike.  I was all over this factory, up and down all the sides, had picket signs and WiFi spammers and the whole nine.  Anyway, the local cops show up and order me to disperse.  I make all good like and send some dupes off, but is that enough for them?  Oh no.

Anyway they start carting off dupes but get tired of that pretty quick and sort of just give up.

Next the bosses send in some strikebreakers, and man is that funny.  I just let them yell themselves horse for a while... honestly I was in the bar across the street for most of that, but I came back and they were getting all physical.  Well I'm not going to stand for that so I start to resist... you know just standin my ground and whatnot, nothing violent.

Before I know it though, they're callin it an 'illegal quasi-military retaliation' or some such shit... whadda I know.  Anyhow, by this time the actual union reps show up and they're all bent out of shape over it.  They pull in their guys, real old-school heavy-hitting mutherfuckers you know, and start pushing me around while also getting all up in the faces of the strikebreakers.

At this point I was just having a ball so I started tossing a few rocks over heads here, climbing a couple fences there, just messin' around.  Before I know it the stunners and suppression gear is out on one side, and all the union boys are up in arms on the other side... long story short, I pull out when things get chaotic and wouldn't ya know it?  Right there on the news "Union Board Members: Braeburn Strike Negotiation Committee Homicide."

Battalion snorts into his beer.

Goddamned hilarious...

In reply to Batallion (msg # 25):

That was you?!

We made our strike dispersal teams do weeks of drills after that hit the news to ensure a similar situation didn't unfold! The enhanced training was almost singularly responsible for our success during the Labrean tar pit incident. Boy did THAT get sticky.

Flux takes another generous swill of lubricant before clasping Xander uncomfortably hard on the back.

What about you techboy- any fun stories in your bag that don't involve putting a wire into a hole?

In reply to Flux (msg # 26):

Battalion nearly chokes on his beer.

...tiny wire in a big hole... he giggles under his breath.

Xander looks down into his beer, deeply uncomfortable with the situation. For a while he silently watches the carbonation rise in his drink.

I wasn't always in R&D, understand, he says at last, surprising Flux and Battalion, who had gone onto other topics.

I was originally in the corporate security division. Protecting Braeburn assets and all that. Was assigned to satellite properties in developing countries. You know, all the factories built in Africa and Indonesia during the end of the 21st. Anyhow, I was in a suit unit. Nothing fancy, just your standard police anti-riot or light military recon models. Strictly terrestrial, no flighty bits. Xander flits his hand through the air. Corporate liked keeping me in the satellite outfits because I kept their tech running when they couldn't get us their regular spare parts shipments.

Xander takes a hefty swig of beer before slamming the glass back down onto the table slightly harder than necessary. Anyhow, got sent out to the Sudanese Republic during the civil wars a few years back. Braeburn stayed out of the conflict, strictly speaking, but they wanted to beef up security to protect their means of production. A couple months into the fighting, we lost contact with one of our supply and distribution centers. Got taken over by one of the splinter factions. Normally it wouldn't be a huge loss, but apparently we had some prototype tech stored there. I have no idea why the hell Logistics was storing prototypes out in the middle of the Marrah mountains, or why they didn't ship them back to the secure central campus when hostilities broke out, but...what are you gonna do?

Got sent out with a full compliment of stompers and the VTOLs to get us in and out. The plan was to march in, light off some rounds, scare off the locals, and secure the site. Simple enough. We weren't expecting any resistance heavier than some Kalashnikovs, and maybe some blasters. Xander lets out a mirthless chuckle. I have no idea how a bunch of mountain yokels got their hands on anti-tank RPGs, but that was an unpleasant surprise. Older models sure, but still. A suit can take a few hits, but a constant barrage? Doesn't end too well.

We were pinned down in one of the mountain passes leading to the supply dump. Several of our suits were down, and a couple pilots needed medivac. Satellite imagery showed rebel forces moving around to flank us. Not a pleasant situation. Corporate made the call to eradicate the site, rather than reclaim it. Couldn't understand why the rebels wanted it so badly. They didn't even know about the prototypes yet; they hadn't opened the warehouse that housed them, or decrypted the manifest. Anyhow, long story short, I picked up one of the dead suits and used it as a shield to get past the rocket screen. Then, with some covering fire, I linked the power core to the site's backup grid and set it to overload. The backlash set off the fusion reactor.

Boom went the dynamite.

All becomes clear later when Corporate was sifting through the rubble, and started pulling out bits and pieces of body parts. Women. Kids. Apparently, the rebels set up shop their with their families as a refuge. They must have  thought we were the government coming to 'cleanse' them. It was a common enough thing during the war. Explained why they fought so hard. Put in my transfer request the next day, and ended up in R&D.

Xander finishes the rest of his beer, and slams the glass on the table so hard it cracks.

Sorry, was that a 'fun' story? I'm not very good that this.

Pushing himself from the table, Xander gets up and walks, slightly unsteadily, from the room in the direction of the hangars.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:02, Sat 15 Nov 2014.

In reply to Xander (msg # 28):

Battalion watches the tech leave.  He elbows flux.

I'll be damned, the boy DOES have a sense of humor.

Battalion, however, does not laugh.

Party gets more interesting every day.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:49, Fri 14 Nov 2014.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 29):

Nothing like a little ethnic cleansing to get the blood flowing. Though I must concede, if the techie's got a story like that in his closet, I'm finding myself more and more curious by the minute what sekeletons, real and imagined, our living dead girl may be hiding in hers.

Good. They're familiar with death and pain. A necessary skill set for the things to come and the things I'll need thme to do..

In reply to Flux (msg # 30):

You hear a soft, quiet voice from behind you.

You are both disgusting.

By the time you turn around all you can see is her back phasing through the wall.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:35, Sun 16 Nov 2014.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 31):

Battalion shivers.

Did it get cold in here?

He looks from the busy techs to Flux.

So, all this was worth it then?  Good toys?

In reply to Batallion (msg # 32):

Hard to say until we get everything back to Corporate HQ. In matters of industrial esionage, the delay of the enemy is as important as the acquisition of the material. Some of the tech is fully functional and will be easily incorporated.

What seems most interesting to me is the advanced nature of the material period. SAGE has always been about science, but this all has a hint of Braeburn to it that I just can't shake.

One does not simply begin studying FTL travel and gravitic manipulation- someone has to be guiding their hand.

And I want to know who, and why.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 31):

"That's the same cold feeling I got in the vibro shower this morning. We're going to have to look into some phase proof walls.

Come. Do you want to help me with my series of continuing retribution against Captain Blaise? He may have made some condescending statements to me during our executive debrief of the mission.

So I've been following him around the ship and putting gravity wells/jets situationally in front of and behind his steps.

I've sent him stumbling 3 times already today.

What? Don't look at me like that.

In reply to Flux (msg # 34):

Battalion chuckles.

Good, I'd hate to think we were sneaking around, blowing things up and getting shot at for some trinkets... or just for the profit margins.  Boy would THAT be horrible, right?

Frustrating Blaise?  I'm in.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 35):

While waiting for the plot to be moved forward, Flux and Batallion execute a seemingly unending series of Marx brothers esque stunts and capers at the expense of the increasingly infuriated Captain Blaise.

"The morale of the story? Gravity's a bitch, and I'm her pimp. Watch your step, or you may get slapped.

Now, why don't we circle back with Xander and LDG. I'd like to get their debrief on the tech and share what I've learned as well."

In reply to Flux (msg # 36):

Battalion is vastly amused by his time spent with Flux reenacting every possible grade-school prank from their youth (augmented in humor factor by Flux's ability to manipulate gravity).

As Flux starts off to find Xander and Rebecca, Battalion falls into step beside him.

He nods gravely. I agree, this tech stuff is all very important.  Like as not, we should put in time-and-a-half pouring over the records.  Burning the midnight oil so to speak.  I don't know about you, but I won't rest until--

At that, the duplicate following Flux pops out of existence.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 37):

That's going to take some getting used to. I wonder if each Batallion has the same gravitic presence? Is prime somehow more corporeal than the others? Will have to assess further.

In reply to Flux (msg # 38):

After about two months of travel toward Earth -- with one month to go -- Captain Blaise calls a meeting in the board room.

"As you all know, we found a lot of interesting technology in the S.A.G.E. complex. But you also accidentally uncovered something equally interesting."

He presses a button, and a holographic projection of the video feed that triggered Flux's feedback loop pops into existence above the table. The feed is paused, so as not to affect Flux at the moment.

"The S.A.G.E. facility had in its possession footage that was obviously taken from somewhere on Phobos and/or Deimos. I'd ask you for more details, Flux, but you are unable to watch the footage without suffering what can only be called 'complications.'

He presses another button before Flux can voice what is obviously about to be a loud and passionate denial, and a second recording pops up above the table. This one shows not the video, but Flux's reaction when he watches it.

The Video



The video pauses at the end, and the Captain turns to Flux.

"I could show you the triggering video again, if you'd like, but it won't help. Knowing just what you've seen... what could cause you act that way? You are a valuable asset, but only so long as your actions are predictable. A principle you're familiar with, I imagine."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:17, Wed 19 Nov 2014.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 39):

Additionally you have been a right asshole since you have returned to the ship.

Rebecca says acid in her voice, arms folded across her chest, glaring at him.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 40):

What kind of sick fucking game are you playing at Blaise? I'm sure you'd surmised I had every intention of recommending you for optionally mandatory reconditioning based on your condescension and inadequate performance throughout this mission, but falsifying records, including a dissemination of Omega Breach level security code to unauthorized personnel.

You've obviously got a deathwish.

And I'm more than happy to grant it.

[Haste 66]
[11 Karma]

[Fighting 39]
[Fighting 26]
[14 Karma]

[Damage 50 (x2)]

With otherworldly speed and unholy aggression, Flux dashes across the command briefing room, and strikes Captain Blaise, driving both fists into opposite sides of his temples.

Anyone else have any funny videos they want to show me?

In reply to Flux (msg # 41):

For once, Battalion has absolutely zero witty comebacks.

He remains seated quietly behind the table, though it's possible he's sinking slightly into his seat as if to avoid detection.

Xander likewise freezes in his chair, hands folded in front of him and face blank.

In reply to Xander (msg # 43):

The Captain slumps forward, his skull crushed by ridiculous amounts of blunt-force trauma, and for a few minutes, silence reigns in the room.

Before too long, however, the door to the board room slides open, and Captain Blaise walks in. You do a double-take, just to be sure, but there are definitely two Captains in the room right now, only one of whom is dead.

This new Captain, however, is flanked by two guards in strange-looking armor and stranger-looking guns.

"I trust you got that out of your system?" the captain says cooly, his hands clapsed behind his back with military precision. "Play the tape."

The second statement was made to the ship's computer system, and causes the "feedback loop tape" to play on repeat, enlarged to a massive size.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 44):

...fuck me... Battalion mutters.

Well THAT seems familiar.

Provided nobody stops him, Battalion stands and begins to make his way toward the door.

Just in case.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 45):

Flux rolls on the floor in agony, shifting between multiple tones, voices, personalities, and shrieks of terror as the video circulates.

OOC- He's going to be incoherent until the feedback loop stops, and his personality resets.

In reply to Flux (msg # 46):

Well, that solves that then doesn't it?  Time to go through his pockets for loose change.

Battalion looks to Xander and Rebecca, but doesn't take one step toward Flux.

This is all very amusing Captain, nice trick with the dupe by the way, you had me fooled and that's saying something, but what's the point in all this?

By this time, Battalion is standing just beside the exit, ready to sprint out the door if need be.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 47):

Rebecca's tear filled eyes are open wide in horror.  She has said nothing but a few incoherent squeaks.  She is now curled up in the chair holding Percy infront of her like a shield.

The doll is much larger than you remember it and she is capable of fully curling up behind it.

Xander starts visibly in shock as the second Captain Blaise enters, and he after a moment of stunned astonishment, deliberately gets up, walks over to the keg, fills his glass, drains it, then fills it again.

He then slumps back in his seat, rubbing his temples.

The whole situation must be odd, because Xander couldn't even.

In reply to Xander (msg # 49):

Both Xander and the captains responses seem to soothe Rebecca a bit and the doll shrinks back to... somewhat normal size.  She sets the doll down next Flux, suddenly becomes very still and somewhat incorporeal.

[Phasing 80 Yellow]

Suddenly all of you hear her voice ringing inside of your heads.

How many personalities are in there Flux?

She watches him and counts as best she can the shifting dialects voices and attitudes.

In reply to Xander (msg # 49):

"Several of you have asked who you're working for, in the grand scheme of things," the Captain says, utterly ignoring the writhing Flux on the ground. "And now, I suppose you might as well know the truth."

His guards do nothing to indicate they're about to shoot anyone, which should ease the tension a tiny, tiny bit.

"My name is Captain Blaise, and that's the truth. His name..." and here he nods toward the corpse across the room. "... is largely irrelevant."

His voice sounds different from what you're used to. Deeper, and more authoritative.

"The Mastodon is, on its surface, part of the Interplanetary Defense Agency. IDA tags, registration, the works. But in reality, it is but one of many such ships that have been suborned for a greater purpose."

He smiles slightly.

"Evolution."

Captain Blaise pauses for a moment before continuing.

"It's not what you're thinking. Darwin's had his day, and our geneticists and cybernetics have already brought his work to the next level. We even have psychics and mentalists now. Don't we, Rebecca?"

His smiles seems genuine, but it soon fades back into his businesslike demeanor.

"Evolution has already happened on an individual scale and, in some parts, on a social scale. But the time has come for humanity to leave its small corner of the universe and venture forth among the stars to find, trade with, conquer, and otherwise become involved with the pan-galactic community that must certainly exist beyond our reach."

"The secrets we've unlocked from the S.A.G.E. facility are far from the first pieces of technology we've stolen. There's also all of you."

He turns to each.

"Rebecca, you have the ability to communicate with any organic, sentient being, regardless of their species or dialect or absence of vocal chords. You're also inquisitive, intelligent, and direct. Excellent and enviable traits, all."

"Xander, you have the ability to communicate with any inorganic thing, sentient or otherwise. You're also one of the best pilots I've seen in a very long time."

"J.J., you have the ability to scout out hostile environments, testing foreign atmospheric conditions and the dispositions of aliens without physically putting yourself in danger. You're also able to get into places where you aren't supposed to be, and get out of places that displease you."

"Flux's assets are locked within his genetic code, and will take some time to decipher fully. He's a walking repository packed with the genetic potential of thousands upon thousands of mutated strains of human DNA. It's the culmination of a decades-long survival-of-the-fittest breeding program on Deimos -- that's part of what you see in the video."

"Flux also has access to high-level ARES information and infrastructure, which is what we'll need moving forward."

The captain pushes a few buttons, and the holotable shows the various schemata that have been recovered. A smaller screen hovers in front of Flux, keeping his feedback loop in place for the time being.

"Most of the shortcomings in these designs involve a lack of structural stability and a lack of power. We can solve the power issue through certain... creative measures. But the stability issue will require new, exotic materials forged from elements that have not yet been discovered."

He taps the ARES logo that's hovering above the table.

"As far as you know. ARES has, in fact, been mining an ultradense mineral from its Martian mines for years, stockpiling it in secret while trying to figure out how to best put it to profitable use."

"Which brings us to our next mission: We're going to visit an ARES mineral warehouse and... acquire, let's say... an appropriate amount of this mineral in order to build working prototypes of these S.A.G.E. designs. Once we're equipped with the appropriate propulsion and shielding systems, you'll be free to join us on our grand ambition -- or to return to your normal lives with pockets filled with hard currency."

"Think it over. If this doesn't interest you in the least, I'll be happy to drop you off on Earth when we arrive next month. How you elude the authorities seeking you at that point is up to you."

The Captain pushes another button, which wipes the table of all holograms. His guards walk over to the body of the double and drag it out, leaving the group alone with the Captain.

He then walks over to the same spot the double had been standing in, and pushes another button to end Flux's feedback loop.

"Flux?" He says, his voice gentle and concerned. "Flux, are you ok? You were having some sort of a migraine or panic attack."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:31, Thu 20 Nov 2014.

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 51):

Appreciating, as I do, the fact that you've got me on camera breaking stealing and entering, I don't see as I have much of a choice but to help.

That being said, being the first explorer to find aliens?  I can deal with that kind of press.

Being the first to talk with aliens also means being the first impression...

Battalion stays beside the door, however, keeping his attention on Blaise and Flux.

The chance to work with potentially alien technology and undiscovered materials to engineer the technology to let humankind sail the stars? And then the opportunity to pilot those things?!

Xander grins from ear to ear. There's no place I'd rather be.

Nothing left for me on good old Earth anyhow...
This message was last edited by the player at 16:18, Thu 20 Nov 2014.

In reply to Xander (msg # 53):

You're right. Must have been a headache. I ..I dddddon't remember anything.

Flux regains his composure and footing, pulling himself off the floor and straightening his clothes. All seems well until he spots the pureed head of the prior Captain Blaise on the floor.

Is..IS THAT A DEAD BODY?!?! WHAT'S THAT DOING HERE?! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN! WHY ARE YOU ALL SO CALM WHEN WE'RE SITTING IN A ROOM WITH A HEADLESS CORPSE!

Flux begins panting and hyperventilating, finally bringing his hands to cover his eyes.

AND WHY IS THERE BLOOD ON MY HANDS?! OH MY GOD, DID I DO THIS?! No..No I couldn't have.. ww..wwouldn't have. ...Would I?

In reply to Flux (msg # 54):

That's my cue.

Battalion backs out through the door and retreats hastily toward his quarters.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 55):

"Shhh, now, it'll all be ok," the Captain says. "Let's just go get you cleaned up, shall we? Cpl. Martin and PFC Henderson will assist you."

He nods to the guards, who escort Flux to the cleaning chamber and stand outside of it until he reemerges, at which point they escort him back.

"Any other questions?"

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 56):

yes.

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 56):

Ooo..ok. Cpl Martin is it? Damn baby, you looking good. Have you ever made love in zero gravity?

If you play your cards right and help me wash this blood off..

It feels like there's something they aren't telling me, and that I can't seem to remember. But who can think with 3/4 of a wormhole pressing against their suit?
This message was last edited by the player at 13:36, Fri 21 Nov 2014.

In reply to Flux (msg # 58):

She looks at Flux as she phases back to a normal girl.

I think I may have liked you better when you were being a jerk.  I'll get to you in a minute.

She sighs heavily.

OK...

So I'm trying to get this straight.  Flux was born in one of the campments in the video.  Some kind of attempt at artificial or accelerated evolution of humans.  I got that, are these 'shifts in personality' are actually genetic changes?  What is the goal for this program?  Are the blocks and feedback loops in his brain part of this Program or is the control from something else?  Is there a default persona?  Is the only way to flip him to show him a video like this?

If he does have this kind of block around the Ares corporation then how will he be able to help us with our mission there?


She looks back to the new Flux

And you.  When you switched persona last time you remembered everything, it was just a subtle shift in the way you interacted.  I almost did not notice.  The last two have been... striking.

What is the last thing you remember?  Do you know where you are?  Why you are here? 

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 59):

Damn little one. Slow down.

What do you mean the "last two shifts?" Flux has always been Flux. Man of the people- especially the ladies.

The last thing I remember is pulling myself off the floor, seeing you, Batallion, Xander, Captain Blaise, the irrevocably distracting Cpl Martin, and whoever the other armored drone is, a pile of pureed person, and a bunch of blood on my hands.

Now I'm thinking about ending this Interstellar Spanish Inquisition, taking a vibe shower to wash all this mysterious blood off, and seeing if I can entice the Cpl to help make sure I get all the nooks and crannies clean.

I'd also appreciate if you'd stop speaking about me as though I'm not here. Flux is right here baby. You do have eyes in that creepy little face, don't you?

In reply to Flux (msg # 60):

In response to Flux's question she shakes her hair away from her face to reveal wide pink eyes... after a few seconds you decide she does not blink nearly enough, your eyes begin to water on her behalf.

Of course I do, however, given your current retrograde amnesia I cannot rely upon you for data.

She softens for a moment.

Before you go and take a shower tell me what you remember before waking up with the blood on your hands.  This is important. 

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 61):

Back in his quarters, Battalion reclines heavily in his bunk and sends some dupes to turn on the holo-vid, get him a beer and guard the door.

Wonder if I'm missing anything interesting...

Battalion cracks open the beer while waning starlet Anna Kendrick-Hilton-Smith-West-Kardashian complains on camera about poor people being haters.

Nope...
This message was last edited by the player at 16:55, Fri 21 Nov 2014.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 61):

I remember Captain Blaise calling a meeting. I remember sitting at a table with the 3 of you. I remember discussing the information we'd gained from the mission, and then, blank.

Totally blank. Hurts to think about. Don't want to think about it. Can't we discuss later?

Cpl Martin and I have some critical logistics to discuss.

Xander frowns at Flux. Are you sure you're alright, Flux? You're complexion is off. You look...rather green. Super green, in fact.

In reply to Xander (msg # 64):

Green?! GREEN! First you try to tell me that I'm a different person, and now you're trying to convince me the color of my skin has changed.

Real mature Xander. When you grow up and are ready to talk, I'll be here. In the interim, Cpl Martin and I have a shower to see to.

Flux escorts Cpl Martin to the showers.

In reply to Flux (msg # 65):

Should we send someone to protect cpl. Martin?

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 66):

A lube gourd wouldn't go unappreciated.

In reply to Flux (msg # 67):

*mystified completely nonunderstanding look*

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 68):

The two guards escort the raving lunatic claiming to be Flux to the showers, where events happen that defy description. Suffice it to say, gentle readers, that of the people who matter, a good time was had by all.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 69):

"He'll be back soon, so listen quickly: We need a way to trigger his condition more reliably than how we're currently doing it. Talk to the tech team, use the video, analyze his fears, do whatever it takes, but ideally we'd have him on a sort of transmission dial where 1 = Personality A, 2 = Personality B, etc., which we can toggle as needed. And maybe, just maybe, we can find one that isn't psychotic and keep him there."

He sighs.

"Any thoughts? We have a month 'til Earth, and then another 9 months to the Martian orbit... maybe fewer if we can install the stolen WASP drives when we dock on Earth."

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 70):

How are we supposed to be able to test that?  Jump out from behind a door dressed like an Ares board member?  I mean he seems both unstable and....

she looks at the blood on the floor

dangerous.

I'm certainly no expert on psychology, but it seems like Flux's surroundings at the time of reset determine his personality. When we were escaping the SAGE facility, he was almost pleasant. If there's any way we can recreate that, it seemed to be the personality easiest to work with. Maybe we could show him the film, the put him on JJ's shuttle and fly him around until he wakes up in a 'freer' environment?

In reply to Xander (msg # 72):

So it appears the levers for Flux's behavior are as follows:

The stimulus that are shown to him (both intensity and content)
The situation prior to the stimulus

Additionally we know the stimulus can trigger a change, however, is that both necessary and sufficient?  Is it the only thing capable of triggering the change?  When boarding this vessel his personality changed without the benefit of a an external stimulus that I could deduce.

Additionally when questioned and prodded about the personality changes that did not trigger a change. 

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 73):

JJ finishes his beer and gets another.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 74):

My proposed plan is thus captain, I believe this should be among the top priorities of the ship.  Someone as strong and out of control as Flux poses a danger to both crew and mission.

First we will need to ensure that this video is an appropriate method to reliable change Flux's personality.  In order to do this we will have to repeatedly expose him to the video in a circumstance where he is unable to act.

Secondly we will observe and chart the various personalities based upon a set of traits.

Thirdly we will have to expose him in a variety of circumstances to see if we are able to observe a personality bias based upon the situation he is in.

Finally we will have to determine what the 'real' Flux persona is.  Are these all fronts put up by Aries corp?  Have we ever met the real Flux?

Captain what resources do we have at our disposal for experiments such as this?

/ooc what type of brain scanning tech is available.  Right now I'm the equivalent of a scientist poking a mouse. /ooc

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 75):

Flux re-enters the room with a a towel wrapped around his waist and a wry grin wrapped around his lips.

"I'm with you on the exposing, but what's this about not knowing the real Flux and incapacitating me for the purposes of scientific experimentation. When Cpl Martin wakes up from her nap, I think she can attest that I'm perfectly healthy and able."

In reply to Flux (msg # 76):

"I believe you've misinterpreted the crux of our conversation," the captain says hastily. "That's all for today; meet here again tomorrow morning, when I should have new and exciting information to share."

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 77):

Flux, I have full faith in your physical health, also I don't necessarily believe that corporal Martin is a statistically significant sample size.  However, you have met her before and wasn't this your first time... consummating?

at least I'll be half right on that word.

Why now?  Why could she not resist your charms then?

Flux I'm concerned for you and I believe that there is something potentially sinister at work.  Help us.

Having said her peace she phases through the wall.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 78):

Girl what are you talking about? Something is wrong? With me?

I'm in fantastic physical condition, and sustain a full Martian paleo diet. No processed grains at all!

In reply to Flux (msg # 79):

Xander and Rebecca spend quite a bit of the rest of the day in the Mastodon's tech lab, while Battalion drinks himself from comfortable buzz to drunken stupor in surprisingly short fashion.

When the group gathers in the board room the next day, Xander and Rebecca bring with them a toaster-sized device dotted with several formidable-looking buttons and a hollow tube that looks a lot like the barrel of a gun, within which is nestled a sharp metal barb.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 80):

"Welcome back, everyone. I trust you had a relaxing evening?"

The good captain is flanked by both of his guards, who have followed him (almost) everywhere since the incident yesterday morning.

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 81):

I certainly feel stretched and relaxed. And I'm pretty amazed at how easily all that blood washed off my hands. I thought it would be way harder!

In reply to Flux (msg # 82):

You learn something new every day.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 83):

The captain watches the toaster-like device for a few long minutes, but when nobody makes a move to do anything with it, he shrugs and proceeds.

"Yesterday I mentioned that we'd be making a pitstop at Earth, and then on toward other... endeavors. Some of you expressed excitement at the prospect, while others showed concern. We still have plenty of time to mull it over, with a month left in our journey home."

He taps the table and an image materializes above it: a capital ship flanked by two smaller (though still large) disk-shaped freighters. All look sleek and dangerous.

"But the mulling will have to wait a bit longer, first, as it would appear our friends from S.A.G.E. aren't done with us left. We've detected this trio of ships converging on our location at speeds greatly in excess to our own. I'd rather not get bogged down in combat once more; the Mastodon needs repairs, and we've used most of our on-board stock of electronics and other supplies getting her shipshape after the last scrape."

"I'm asking for opinions, advice, and ideas. Should we attempt to engage this force, or go dark and deviate from our course to throw them off, or make a run for it? If there are other tactics you'd rather use, I'd like to hear them, as well."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:28, Fri 05 Dec 2014.

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 84):

Can't hit what's not there. 

Battalion looks around the room with scrutiny.

Though I imagine some of my.... colleagues won't mind a fight.  That's demonstrably stupid.

Xander nods in agreement. Assuredly. No reason to stand and fight now we have what we need. Captain, could we change course for Mars and bypass Earth entirely without them knowing? Could we make it all the way without resupplying?

In reply to Xander (msg # 86):

I could in theory try to manipulate the gravitic signature from the ship's engines and throw them off our trail.

The larger question here is how are they following us and how do they know our current position? Are we sure that the tech we borrowed isn't somehow signaling them? If they know where we are now, no amount of running or hiding is going to change that.

Xander shrugs. We can check for tracking devices, but it wouldn't have been a difficult task to compute our current location based  on our exit trajectory, and speed that they would have observed when we were leaving. Our destination was obvious - Earth - and the rest could easily have been reasonably guessed working backwards from there. he says, patiently explaining the math to Flux.

In reply to Xander (msg # 88):

If I hadn't just showered, I'd go wash off all that math you just shot on me. Awful.

Sounds like it's fight or audible to Mars. We aren't likely to outrun them, and they know where we're going. Can only change the destination or their ability to pursue.

Actually.. if there were a large enough object in our immediate trajectory, I could in theory energize its gravitic pull and try to use it to throw them off course, or at least, reduce their speed.

Of course, I'd rather just step it out in a suit and punch through their ships for their arrogant pursuit, but it sounds like we're in the feminine portion of our strategic planning..

In reply to Flux (msg # 89):

I...



Can't believe I'm about to say this.


Agree with...

Heavy sigh.

Battalion.  Not a word out of you.  She says fiercely glaring at him.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 90):

Battalion does his best to ignore Rebecca's gaze.

Path of reason then?

In reply to Batallion (msg # 91):

Ok. Path of "Reason"- read, conservative safety. That's fine.

Have we made enough progress with the gravitic engines to attempt at least a short term interface with the ship to boost our current speed?

In reply to Flux (msg # 92):

"We could try it," the captain says doubtfully. "But odds are we'd get an intense, short-term burst of speed followed by no thrust whatsoever after the engines burn out."

We can't risk destroying the prototypes, he declares emphatically. They aren't  ready for that kind of testing yet.

In reply to Xander (msg # 94):

We're open to suggestions Nancy No-Help.

In reply to Flux (msg # 95):

Could we utilize you as a makeshift gravity drive, utilizing your ability to pull us towards items in our preferred direction of travel?

Xander raises an eyebrow at Flux. I thought it would be enough to just course correct and then go dark. Space is a big, big place, and unless they have a tracking device on us already I don't think they'll be able to see which way into the black we went.

He pauses a moment considering. And if they *do* have a tracking device, it will be easier to find it with less signal interference from the Mastodon. He shrugs. Worst case we get our fight anyway.

In reply to Xander (msg # 97):

Maybe, and I understand, respectively.

It sounds like I'm the diversion to either accelerate, obviate, or otherwise deceitify our trail to Earth.

Where do you want me?

In reply to Flux (msg # 98):

I can think of a few places...

In reply to Batallion (msg # 99):

"As long as it's not the shower, I'm all ears," the Captain says. Cpl Martin, standing at his side, blushes furiously.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:03, Sat 06 Dec 2014.

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 100):

[Spacecraft Pilot 34 + 37 Karma- 71]

We're going to need to find an asteroid field. The gravity fields and debris will make their radar useless. The Mastodon will go dark, and we will leave in my shuttle along with Abraxis and make for Mars.

I don't know what's you all think is going on with me, and I can't say I believe any of it, but it's clear you do think something's happening, and I'm at least scared enough to be inclined to listen to your thoughts on the matter.

Flux head knods smugly toward Cpl Martin and makes kissy lips.

Yes. We're hearding for Mars. Whatever's going on here, the answers we need are on Mars.

In reply to Flux (msg # 101):

"You've got space for the supplies for such a trip on that thing?" the Captain says. His tone is not contentious, but merely curious. "I mean, it'll take more than half a year to get there. The water you'll need alone would fill the vessel stem to stern."

Xander shakes his head. Without suspended animation, that trip would be impossible. Abraxas isn't even properly sealed for spaceflight. I had to wear a zero grav suit just for re-entry. Why would we even need to go separately? Let's just take the Mastodon.

In reply to Xander (msg # 103):

Captain? Are you in line with Xander's delicate proposal of commandeering your vessel?

In reply to Flux (msg # 104):

"The options were fight, flight, or hide," the Captain says simply. "Is the decision, then, to flee toward Mars with all available speed? I have no reason to think they won't eventually catch up, but then, that's what the guns are for."

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 105):

A great man once said, 'Discretion is the better part of valor'.  That man survived.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 106):

in line with Battalion's point...

I am unfamiliar with space battles.  However, it would strike me that we maybe this is a situation where we try all three: to run until we find a spot that we can hide and gives us a tactical advantage, if pressed we then fight.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 107):

Additionally do we have any resources that could be utilized as a diversionary measure?

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 108):

Depends on whether you value all that heavy tech more than your life.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 109):

Break for Mars, find asteroids/comets to mask signal, prepare for combat as necessary.

Based on current velocity, when do we anticipate running into our friends?

In reply to Flux (msg # 110):

in response to Battalion you hear Rebecca laugh for the first time.  It is a typical girls laugh high and slightly squeaky.

I would value it if I had one.

Xander boggles at the other people around the table. Heavy tech? People, what *weight* do you think we have? The only physical thing we took from SAGE was a battlesuit the size of a slightly-oversized hovercar. That's it. Relative to the overall mass of the Mastodon it's...completely inconsequential. It's not like shoving our plunder out the airlock is going to matter one iota to our ability to turn and burn. We might as well talk about throwing out our used toothpicks, or Flux's excess condom wrappers.

He pinches the bridge of his nose and rubs his temples in the same motion, fighting off a headache. The thing is, they're so very much faster than us that it doesn't matter. They're either going to figure out where we've gone and catch up, or they won't. If they find us, we fight. If they don't, then we can sip martinis in Martian orbit and congratulate ourselves on how clever we are as we grin smugly.

Xander's eyes shoot over to Flux. Which will come easier to some of us than others. My point is that all we have to decide is how to change course without them seeing before going dark. I don't know where you think we're going to find an 'asteroid field,' Flux. Other than the one that is beyond Mars.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:06, Mon 08 Dec 2014.

In reply to Xander (msg # 112):

Battalion, once again, avoids Rebecca's gaze.

Instead he locks eyes with Xander in an incredibly way that is incredibly predatory and primal.

Yeah, right, that's what I was saying, right?  Throw stuff out the back to make big boat go faster?  I may not have a fancy degree, but that don't mean I'm a fuckin' idiot.

Know what's a great diversion?  A self-propelled mech we can fill with explosives.  Know what's another good diversion?  Stolen technology that people are willing to bargain for.

I'm saying we got options.  Get your head out of the classroom and into the game.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:12, Mon 08 Dec 2014.

Xander returns JJ's gaze unflinchingly, eyes steely. Do you honestly think they give a shit about their prototype? They have all the data. Nothing got erased from their facility. And they wouldn't have sent the Wasps out to fight a giant fucking battleship if they didn't have a spare or two sitting around. They want us. So I don't know what *options* you think we have.

He gestures to Flux without breaking eye contact with JJ. And forgive me if I sound patronizing, but when somebody mentions taking a godamn six month interplanetary journey in a low orbit pleasure boat and a fucking battlesuit, I stop taking for granted that people possess basic logistics knowledge.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 20:25, Mon 08 Dec 2014.

In reply to Xander (msg # 114):

Smug teachers pet voice:

Hence why I defer to the professionals.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 115):

Flux pantomimes pushing something off his left shoulder, clearly disgusted for suffering its momentary incursion.

I had to brush your ego off of me.

I know there's no asteroid field here. But you're thinking small, and that's surprising for the so called brains of the operation.

We've got a skilled mech pilot, and a guy who can move large objects at will.

How could we create a makeshift field of debris to shroud our diversion toward Mars?

Personally, I'm hoping it involves punching stuff!
This message was last edited by the player at 00:36, Tue 09 Dec 2014.

In reply to Flux (msg # 116):

There's always options. Battalion holds Xander's gaze then finally breaks it to sit back in his chair and kick his feet up.

But we start by avoiding the fight.  I for one want to make it to first contact alive.  It'd be a shame to deprive humanity of that, don't you think?  We can't outrun, so we hide.  I'm sure our boy Flux and the techs here can move some large mass on our trajectory while we peel off and head another way.

Battalion crosses his arms and looks up at the ceiling in a way you've learned to interpret as "I don't want to talk about this anymore".

In reply to Batallion (msg # 117):

That we can. Xander, you're with us scanning for targets and acting CAG with Mastodon's scout team. I'll be working with the Engineers and then going exo once we've identified our target to manipulate and misplace.

Batallion, protect the girl at all costs. I don't understand her freaky deeky, but I know she's valuable.

Captain Blaise, you've got the con.

I trust there are no questions?

In reply to Flux (msg # 118):

Battalion salutes and just as soon as Flux turns his back, flips him the bird.

Allright little lady, he says heaving himself out of his chair.  Let's keep you safe.

Several armed Battalions blink into existence and flank Rebecca.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 119):

"Your plan, then, involves running and hiding simultaneously? Very well, let's get to it."

The Mastodon's internal lights dim noticeably as power is funneled into the engines and the long-range telemetry. Unfortunately, space is a huge, empty vacuum largely void of conveniently sized debris -- especially in this portion of the solar system. After a day of scanning, the biggest objects on the radar besides the Mastodon itself are your pursuers.

"How tightly can you compress things with your powers, Flux? And small a thing can you grasp?" the Captain asks at the end of the day. "If you were to start collecting every tiny bit of dust and particle, we might be able to build the kind of cover we've been looking for."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:03, Thu 11 Dec 2014.

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 120):

Xander? How do you suggest we best assemble our trash ball?
This message was last edited by the player at 22:21, Thu 11 Dec 2014.

Xander considers the problem. The only thing that really matters is mass, right? It doesn't really matter the density or what comprises it? I'd recommend dumping all our excess trash, and whatever miscellaneous crap we can spare as a start. A ship this size ought  to have plenty of shit - literal and figurative - for you to work with.

In reply to Xander (msg # 122):

Someone get me a breather. I'll start compiling. Batallion.

Send a clone with me. I'd like the company.

In reply to Flux (msg # 123):

Battalion shrugs and produces a duplicate dressed in a tux who insists on speaking in a false brittish accent.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 124):

Batallion and Flux make for the loading docks.

Talk about the short straw..

In reply to Flux (msg # 125):

Battalion waits for Flux and the dupe to leave, then sits up.

So... we're all cool with this personality-switching?  I gotta admit, it makes me a little nervous.

Battalion checks again to make sure the door to the hallway is shut.  Two armed guards appear and march over to it... just to be sure.

Not that I don't TRUST him mind, just that if we're doing fancy running-and-hiding, I want to know WHO I'm hiding with.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 126):

"I don't trust him either, if that helps," the captain says. "But you don't have to trust you assets, as Flux's more useful persona might say. You have to leverage them."

That's exactly it, Captain. The corporate bullshit is tiring. I guess I just wonder who the true Flux is, and if he's any less insufferable than these 'surface' personas.

Xander shrugs. Thing is, when we were escaping the SAGE facility he turned into somebody I actually liked. I wonder if we could get that one back...

In reply to Xander (msg # 128):

Battalion smirks.

If we get to pick and choose his personality, I've got loads of ideas.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 129):

Meanwhile, Flux and Batallion Beta continue down toward the storage hangars, wherein they begin amassing junk for Flux to compress.

The time is heartily passed with a detailed retelling of the day's earlier shower affairs, with the acoustics of the hangar providing an excellent backdrop for Flux's falsetto Cpl Martin impressions. The heaps of junk do their part as well, being contorted and thrust into all sorts of shapes.

(Faux falsetto)"But I'm lactose intolerant"

Following the uproarious dairy inspired laughter, Flux and Batallion shift the remains of an irreparable craft into the middle of the junk pile to serve as the core.

[10 Karma]
[Gravity Manipulation 91]

Amidst all the frat bro story swapping of salacious sex stories, a giant ball of..something begins to be crunched into form as Flux compresses gravity forces around the heap.

Going swimmingly.

In reply to Flux (msg # 130):

Right-O good man.  Ship-shape and pish-posh and all that rot, what?

In reply to Batallion (msg # 131):

Hell no I don't trust him.  I have not and I will not until we figure this out. I have asked the same questions of Captain Blaise have I not?

Captain nods.

However the captain still feels that he is an important part of this mission.  Now while I do this with some trepidation...

She looks at Xander clearly hoping he will take the lead.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 132):

Flux crushes a variety of junk and debris into an increasingly growing mass, swirling it around and compacting it as much as possible. Before long, a sizable chunk of rubble is orbiting the Mastodon, entirely under Flux's control.

"Ok, you have your miniature asteroid. What's next?" the Captain's voice pings over the private intercom. "Incoming vessels still en route, fast."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 133):

Well, I've got a rather large boxing glove at the moment. We can use it as a weapon, or we can continue to try and expand the ball and actually use it to obscure the signature or physical presence of the ship. Your call.

Xander motions to the device on the table. We developed this as something of an emergency failsafe. If Flux ever goes berserk like he did on the...Blaise clone? Double? he raises an eyebrow questioningly at the Captain before continuing. This will reset his personality. It's basically a taser, but requires pretty precise aim. Rebecca isn't exactly a markswoman, and I'm pretty worthless at aiming unless it's through a neural interface. Which leaves you. Let's keep this to ourselves for now, I'd rather not Flux know we have it. Hell, I'd rather just fix him before we ever have to use it, but I'd feel much safer if we could stop his random murderous rages.

In reply to Xander (msg # 135):

Rebecca's face goes very dark.

We are entrusting you Battalion.  So far you have earned it, however, I do have concerns about this.  Rest assured...

Her voice begins to echo in your head, her lips stop moving and she becomes insubstantial

If you use this inappropriately I will, literally, become your worst nightmare. 

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 136):

Battalion looks quite plainly floored, but he accepts the device nonetheless.

That's what they say about me, 'trustworthy', 'reliable', 'dependable', lots of words like that.  "Good behavior" the judge called it, but same thing.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:35, Thu 18 Dec 2014.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 137):

Just don't mess this up.

The exasperation knocked her out of spooky telepath mode.

His current persona seems... suitable.  While his personal foibles may be irritating he is no longer homicidal and I believe that we can cope with this persona for the time being.  Eventually we will be able to research the depths of his personal matters but lets deal with the task at hand first.

She looks at Battalion quizzically

Are you in contact with your clones?  Can you tell us what the assistant you sent with Flux is up to right now?

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 138):

Battalion raises one eyebrow.

Sorry little lady, they're on their own.  Anything in particular you want to know?

In reply to Batallion (msg # 139):

I was just wondering as to Flux's disposition and what he is up to now.

So how do you control your twins?  Are they created with intention and then fulfill that?  Its a very interesting situation. 

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 140):

Let's get this straight, Battalion scowls, standing up.  They're not 'twins' and they're not 'clones'.  There's only one me and that's it.. They do what I want for me and me only.  Think of them as... appendages.

Battalion relaxes a bit. That being said, give the man some time alone.  He's been a lot of people today.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:47, Tue 23 Dec 2014.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 141):

Sound advice

She says and with a curtsey

I will leave you, Xander, the Flux du-jour, and your...........

appendage.

To deal wit the incoming threat.  As we have already established space combat is not what you would call one of my proficiencies. 

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 142):

Battalion hangs behind, waiting for Rebecca to leave.

The two armed duplicates will attempt to follow her, and if she starts phasing through walls they'll wander the hallways until they either find her or vanish.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 143):

She gives Batallion a smile

Good luck.

She turns to Xander

Will you be engaging in combat?  Or is Abraxas still too badly damaged?

If it comes to a fight, Abraxas will be ready. But the whole point of this maneuver is to avoid a scrap, if we can.

Xander shrugs.

Maybe it will even work.

In reply to Xander (msg # 145):

I believe it would be wise to prepare as if this maneuver will not work, as I understand it this will lead us to maintain the initiative of combat.

Though the closest I have come to battle outside of this mission is reading the art of war.

With that she takes her leave of the group allowing the Battalion clones to follow behind her as she makes her way back to the laboratory areas containing the stolen technology.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 146):

Battalion turns the toastergun over in his hands a few times.

So, here's what's gettin' at me.  We can run, maybe.  We can hide, maybe, but how far are these boys going to chase?  What's it worth to them to run themselves ragged looking for us?

Xander shrugs.  Who knows? Like I said earlier, they still have their data, and it's unlikely they'd go through this expense to recover their prototype. More likely they want to apprehend us, before we can do anything with what we found. I think they'll give chase until we're out of reach, but...space is a big, big place. And SAGE can't be everywhere. Let's focus on getting away and going dark.

In reply to Xander (msg # 148):

Before I run, I just like to have an idea of how long I'll be running.

Battalion stands and stretches, then cradles the toastergun under one arm.

If anyone needs me, I'll be in my quarters.  Do let me know if anything... unexpected happens.  With either SAGE or our friend.

Battalion saunters from the room.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 149):

Flux continues his work with the trash ball, ultimately jettisoning it from the holding area, locking it in tow behind the ship.

Gravity Manipulation [35]
[-10 Karma]

Flux begins drawing the ambient dust and particulates in the cold of space toward his makeshift wrecking ball, slowly wrapping them into the ball's ever expanding circumference.

Is that how you make an improvisational boxing glove in outer space? It sure is other Flux. It sure is.

In reply to Flux (msg # 150):

The days pass slowly, with Flux building and maintaining an ever-more-impressive icy boxing glove out of debris, dust, and space junk. It orbits the ship lazily, though as it grows in size it begins to inhibit certain local electronic signals.

Nothing to worry about, of course.

After about a week of this, Captain Blaise's voice clips over the intercom, a slight edge in his normally impassive tonality.

"S.A.G.E. ships have entered our local airspace. Three capital marks, escorted by five freighters and a dozen fighters."

After a brief pause, the voice continues.

"Unknown ship designations for the capital and freighter-class ships, but the fighters look like Wasps. Further pursuit is pointless. All crew, report to battle stations immediately."

Warning lights flicker into existence throughout the Mastodon, though the blaring sirens do not activate alongside them (you are undamaged, after all).

"Away team, please report to the bridge."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 151):

"Away Team"? Do you suppose he means me? Battalion asks one of his dupes.

Nah, you've only been away from the Mastadon once, that's hardly enough data to build  trend off of.  The duplicate grabs a beer from the fridge, takes a couple sips and then hands it to Battalion proper. And for sure you're no "Team".  You guys work together like a grenade works in a toilet.

True, Battalion agrees, taking a gulp.

The duplicate seems confident it has won the argument, and so kicks back next to Battalion to watch holo-vids.

Then again, Battalion muses, swirling the beer left in the can. Seems to me like without someone competent involved, the lot of them are just going to blow things up. 

That does seem to be their M.O.

Battalion nods and finishes his drink.  A fresh duplicate appears and begins to fetch his shoes, another grabs him a clean undershirt.

Well, if someone's got to keep a level head, might as well be me.  Battalion allows the duplicate to tie his shoes while he zips up his jumpsuit.

Idly he tosses the empty in the general vicinity of the recycler chute, then allows a duplicate to open the door for him and another to carry the toastergun behind him as he strolls casually down the hall toward the bridge.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:29, Mon 12 Jan 2015.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 152):

Rebecca Sighs heavily. What the hell are they bringing freighters for?

She marches through the wall eerily phasing in at the captains right hand.

Captain, am I to assume I am part of the away team?

An icy claw gnaws at Xander's stomach as his eyes flick over the main bridge holographic displays. That's an awful lot of firepower stacked against us...I wonder if Flux' boxing glove will be enough...

He strides to the center console, taking up a position near Captain Blaise. Clad in his red-hued enviro suit, Xander tucks the bulky helmet under one arm. With his other, he massages he temples. His eyes appear unfocused, as if he is not entirely present.

In reply to Xander (msg # 154):

"You are, indeed," he says to Rebecca. "I'm not certain about the freighters, either."

He sighs and looks at the impending battleground through the plexisteel viewport.

"You've been summoned here to deal with the increasingly likely event that we will be boarded. If you'd prefer to try you luck outside, however, now's your chance. Abraxas has been retrofitted to allow for maneuvering in the vacuum of space, but we don't really know how well or for how long... it's a complicated piece of equipment, and its designer is not present."

Captain Blaise looks at a readout spat out from one of the nearby computer banks and frowns.

"The Mastodon calculates we can endure a sustained firefight for approximately three minutes before the shields buckle. But that's before we figure in the boxing glove, the mech, or any other bright ideas that might pop up during the conflict."

"Any thoughts?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:30, Mon 12 Jan 2015.

Xander examines the readouts, mind racing. From where I'm standing, it looks grim. Grim, but not unwinnable. I think...I may have an idea.

He points to the icon indicating the ball of trash currently orbiting the Mastodon. We are outnumbered and outgunned. But we have this ball of space shit. What if we were to embed an explosive inside it? Then, we have Flux slam it into their flagship as hard as he can. With a detonation to expel the debris outward, the cloud of flak should catch at least some of the Wasps. Makeshift anti-air.

Xander points to a separate instrument readout. The boxing glove is already screwing with our equipment. Let's use that to our advantage. After Flux detonates the bomb, perhaps he can coalesce the resulting debris field around at least a few of the capital ships. Screw with their electronics, throw their targeting, obstruct their field of fire. Whatever it takes to limit the amount of incoming firepower. Then have our ships systematically dismantle the enemy in order of greatest threat.

He shrugs. That's all I got.

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 155):

Flux enters the room, already donned in his external battlesuit.

"At this point, I'd likely have to insert the charge manually. Unless of course..

Is there any way we can reverse engineer the power source of the gravity guns? I can supply the overload energy needed if you can ensure the appropriate feedback loop. I could easily insert this behind or into the glove, and with the nature of the explosion being gravitic, I could control and amplify the blast as needed.

It's insanely reckless and dangerous and I can't promise it won't kill us all, but shit, who wants to live forever?"

Xander nods appreciatively, but frowns. That might work, if we had a functional prototype of the gravity gun. Right now, all we have are design schematics. Detailed design schematics, but jury rigging one together would take much, much more time than we have. We're going to have to make do with conventional explosives, I'm afraid.

In reply to Xander (msg # 158):

Battalion looks incredulous.

This is what it's come down to?  Blowing up balls of junk and hoping not to be hoisted ourselves?

He shrugs.

Sounds like you've got it all covered then, all I have to do is make sure that if they do board, they aren't made welcome.

In reply to Flux (msg # 157):

She fixes her pink eyes on Flux, hitting you with the full reality of what you just said.

Dying isn't so bad.  That being said, I'd rather avoid doing it again.

As far as a plan would it be out of the question to make that ball orbit the mastodon and actually picking up the wasps as part of make up to make it larger and larger as it gets larger it is capable of yielding more gravity?  So first we pick up fighters, then larger ships, then the freighters... whatever the hell they are carrying.

If a counter-offensive would be beneficial I could assist in that as a boarding party of my own. 

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 160):

I can certainly try to ensnare the ships, but I'm unlikely to capture more than one at a time. and even if I succeed, the ships firing capabilities won't be disabled.

I suggest boxing glove to the flagship, Abraxas on wasp duty, and perhaps Rebecca and I follow up by trying to into a remaining ship. The two of us should be more than capable of disabling a ship. That is..if you're of a mind to go on a brief walkabout with me?

Don't worry. You're young for my taste. I'll keep my hands to myself

In reply to Flux (msg # 161):

"Abraxas had trouble fighting four of those fighters earlier," the captain says doubtfully. "I imagine an even dozen will overcome its shielding rather quickly. Not that you can't try, of course, but perhaps it would be more useful securing the docking bay for if -- or, realistically, when -- we are breached."

He furrows his brow in thought.

"Though I must say, if they were going to board us, they should have demanded for us to cut power by now."

The captain looks at the approaching ships, then glances over at his nearby chief warrant officer, whose tight-lipped frown tells him all he needs to know.

"Right then. I suppose it's time to tell you," he says quietly, beckoning the away team closer. "I was afraid this might happen. In preparation, I have installed a retooled version of one of the captured Wasp engines in J.J.'s shuttle. Don't worry, the old engine is still there, too, as it is the only engine I'm sure will actually function. All of the stolen schemata have been loaded into the shuttle's computer banks, heavily encrypted. And since you haven't used the phase drive yet, that's there, too."

He takes a deep breath.

"If it looks like we're not going to make it, I want you to get to the shuttle and make a run for it. The coordinates are programmed into the navicomputer already. With any luck, they won't be able to follow you"

He looks apologetically at Xander.

"I'm afraid you'll only be able to take Abraxas's core with you if it comes to that, but don't worry -- our allies on the other side will be able to help you install the core into a fresh exo in no time."

The captain turns toward the viewport again.

"Still, I hope it doesn't come to that. Weapons, online. Shields, stabilize. Turn hard to port and prepare a counterbattery."

He narrows his eyes slightly.

"Or an initial salvo, depending on how they respond."

With that, the Captain flicks a switch and begins to broadcast to the incoming vessels.

"Attention: You are rapidly approaching the airspace of Interplanetary Defense Agency Mastodon. Security protocols dictate that you reduce your speed, power down your weapons, and identify yourselves. Lack of compliance will result in your ships being identified as hostile targets and treated accordingly, both by this ship and by the greater IDA. Respond."

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 162):

It soon becomes clear that the only response will involve turbocharged particles of light.

"Well..." the captain sighs. "Battle stations."

OOC: If you're going to be involved in the space combat, now's the time to let me know. I'm assuming Flux, but not sure about the others.

Xander throws a salute to Captain Blaise. I'll be in Abraxas, providing close support to the Mastodon. If there are too many Wasps, though, I'm pulling back to the main hangar. I won't do anybody any good as free floating plasma.

In reply to Xander (msg # 164):

I'll defend the shuttle bays.

Battalion heads to where the shuttle is being kept, grabbing and donning a space suit "just in case" along the way.

As he marches toward the bays, a growing number of armed duplicates begin to surround him.

Anywhere else we need some internal firepower? he asks over the comms.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 165):

Well this sucks...

She marches with Battalion if his dupes are deployed to a second location in the ship she will accompany them.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 166):

OOC- So no one  jury rigged a charge, so it's just Flux + Boxing glove = hope

Flux strides confidently out of the airlock, falling out of the ship like so much Star Lord.

Taking an offensive position above the Mastodon and playfully orbiting a ball of ever growing trash, Flux postures confidently toward the opposing force.

It's time to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and I'm all out of bubblegum because Cpl Martin tried to use it to put the condom back together. Score one for ingenuity, and deduct one for poetic inconvenience.

Flux in position. Stay Frosty.

In reply to Flux (msg # 167):

Battalion leaves his... battalion to spread out in the hanger bay while he boards the shuttle and begins the pre-launch sequences.

No worries, just making sure we got an exit if we need one.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 168):

Rebecca cracks in on the intercom system

Captain and colleagues, I have a battle tactic that may be as effective as it is barbaric.  I am requesting feedback from Flux and the captain as to its efficacy and feasibility.  We currently have a large ball of coalesced solids.

Captain if you were to turn the ships cannons on the ball and hit that instead of the smaller moving targets of the incoming mechs we may be able to induce a shrapnel spray causing damage and potentially disabling multiple mech units.

Flux if you were to then re-coalesce the ball it would result in the damaged mechs being incorporated making not only a larger ball but for more shrapnel when we turn the cannons onto it again.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 169):

Outside the Mastodon

Flux finds himself facing some intriguing options. Off in the distance, three capitcal ships have drawn up their broadsides parallel to the Mastodon, and seem content to threaten to "shell" the solitary vessel with their long-range laser batteries.

The five freighters continue to advance toward the Mastodon, but the more immediate thread involves the dozen Wasps, which are readily approaching the sort of range at which their weapons will be unpleasantly effective.

Inside the Mastodon

Battalion patrols the airlocks and docking bays, while Prime sits in the cockpit of his shuttle. "Just in case."Three capital marks, escorted by five freighters and a dozen fighters.

Xander, too, is in the docking bay, suiting up in Abraxis and wondering whether or not the wise decision involves staying put or launching into the outside fight.

Rebecca isn't far from the shuttle herself, as the docking bay is the most likely point for any boarding operations to take place.

Captain Blaise's voice crackles over the intercom in response to her latest query.

"We could blast the debris apart, sure, but then it might lack the mass to puncture its targets. It would depend entirely on hard much force Flux can exert on the debris field. I was under the impression it needed to be rather large; a baseball, not a sandstorm."



The wasps streak closer to the Mastodon, entering its local airspace with weapons charged and ready. They fire haphazardly, but the charges of energy either fly wide or dissipate against the Mastodon's shields.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:08, Wed 04 Feb 2015.

No promises, but not impossible little one.

I'll throw the glove out there. It's on the Captain and the Mastodon to do something once it's tossed.

Coalescence is a possibility, though not an absolute.

But what is?

In reply to Flux (msg # 171):

::whistles tunelessly::
This message was last edited by the player at 02:46, Thu 05 Feb 2015.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 172):

Would it be possible to attract several of the hornets to the glove... like iron filings to a magnet... then blow it up giving you larger shrapnel to work with?

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 173):

Operation Garbage Claymore is a go.

I'm going to draw them in, place a gravity charge behind the glove at the same moment I release control over the central mass and cease forcing its form. If all goes well, the resulting debris should rapidly accelerate outward and shred the wasps.

If it works, I'll pull the debris in and reform. The mastodon should concentrate on avoiding the long range fire and doing something to disable their fire.

Gravity Manipulation [91, Red Success]

Heh heh. Giant explosions forward.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:45, Mon 09 Feb 2015.

In reply to Flux (msg # 174):

with black humor in her voice

Rinse and repeat.  Go Flux, I'm awaiting boarding with... team Battalion?

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 175):

Flux's gravity charge creates an expansive, explosive debris cloud that rapidly accelerates outward to shred the incoming wasps. Expansive, because of the physics involved. Explosive, because the wasps weren't designed to handle the buffeting caused by contact with millions of particles of shrapnel all at once.

They don't explode entirely, but sparks fly and components fizzle as they continue their approach.

[All Wasps suffer 40 damage]

The Mastodon banks slowly, listing at an angle that will make it harder for the outlying capital ships to broadside her.

"The capital ships are out of range," the Captain's voice rings over the comm. "Looks like you have the wasps in hand, so I'm going to gun for the freighters. Destroying even one means fewer boarders to deal with later."

Bursts of energy are discharged from the Mastodon, but the blasts are either avoided entirely or dissipated against the freighters' shields.

"DAMN IT! Get ready for boarders at the airlocks; at least one of those ships is likely to dock shortly."

OOC: Those awaiting the boards may wish to "delay" their turn until after the Freighters have gone at this point... but it's entirely up to you.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:04, Thu 05 Nov 2015.

Xander watches the battle unfold on a secondary monitor. As the Mastodon away from the battle, he nudged Abraxis into action, slipping out of the docking bay while screened from view by the warship's maneuver. Microgravity thrusters stabilized his roll, and he brought up his targeting displays.

Let's see if something can be done about these freighters.

In reply to Xander (msg # 177):

bum ba dee do ba de dummmmmm...

Battalion preps the shuttle for launch.  Behind him, a small army of look-alikes grows and fans out around the shuttle, aiming for the airlocks.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 178):

OOC: As Rebecca has indicated that she is awaiting the board party, I'm going to assume she has effectively "delayed" her action until there is something for her to do.

The five freighters peel off into a spiraling approach which whisks them into the Mastodon's local airspace -- and Flux's and Abraxis's, as well.

With shields up and engines running hot, the freighters are soon flying in extremely close proximity to the your capital ship. Their pilots expertly manage to magnetically clamp each of their freighters down on the Mastodon's hull, none of which appear to be anywhere near the airlock or the boarding ports.

Anyone staring at a space-capable ship's monitor (Battalion, Xander, Captain Blaise) will notice extremely interesting energy spikes coming from each of the freighters.

The far-off capital ships, for their part, cease firing entirely.

~~ Round 2 ~~
Wasps (Damage: 40 to all)
Flux
Mastodon (everyone inside acts concurrently: Xander, Rebecca, Battalion)
Freighters
Capital Ships

There are still a dozen Wasps in your local space, and though they took damage from Flux's actions last round, they do appear to still be ready to fight. They seem to be aligned in a loose formation of pairs. Two such pairs peel off from the main group to attempt to engage Flux, while the remaining ten ships shift their attention to the beefy battlesuit that just stumbled out of the Mastodon's main bay.

Though the Wasps are merely starfighters, they are much larger than Flux and their weapons are not meant to target human-sized targets. That doesn't mean they can't blast in Flux's general direction, however... in this case, successfully.

[Laser Battery (Flux): 55 (green), 100 (red)]
[Red result on the Energy table requires the target to rollthreatens a Kill result. Kill check: 7, white]

The first blast catches Flux in the shoulder, which causes him to start spinning like a top. The second blast catching him dead in the center of his chest.

OOC: A red result with an energy weapon forces a check on the Kill column, rolled against the target's Endurance. You need a yellow result or better to shrug off the Kill, so it's worth spending Karma to modify the roll.

Flux's Endurance is Incredible, which means the lowest yellow roll for him is a 61. He's unlikely to do this without help, and he has a lot of Karma in his pool (977), so I'm going to recommend he spend 60 Karma to guarantee a yellow result here. That would reduce his total to 917.

[Kill Check: 7, white + 60 Karma = 67, yellow]

And it's a good thing we did in this case!

In the future I'll leave it to the players to make these "save" rolls and decide on whether or not to use Karma, but for this example I felt it prudent to demonstrate why you would. Flux: If you'd like the 60 Karma back and instead would like to start going into the "endurance loss death spiral", we can certainly redact it :P

[Damage (Flux): 40, 50]

Flux grimaces in agony and reflects on the fact that he probably won't survive a second barrage of that magnitude.

The remaining ten Wasps, unaware of Abraxis's entrance to the battlefield, converge upon the much larger Mastodon, their weapons firing with deadly accuracy.

[Laser Battery (Mastodon): 76,24,54,65,40,93,62,98,5,14]

Five of the shots spatter off the larger ship's armor entirely (white and green), but the other half of the salvo does seem to penetrate the at least the most superficial of the ship's defenses.

OOC: Things that aren't alive ignore the "kill" result, though this attack had two attacks severe enough to warrant it if they'd hit a living target.

[Damage (Mastodon): 50]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:01, Fri 06 Nov 2015.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 179):

Those freighters are armed, Battalion notes on the comms in an irritated voice.

It's the old cannon in a tugboat trick.  Likely linked the engines direct so the field signatures are the same. he shrugs though only for the benefit of his dupes since he isn't on camera. But then again, what do I know, right?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:41, Mon 09 Nov 2015.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 180):

Rebecca does her typical fade into the background trick, used to be ignored by battalion despite standing next to him.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 181):

(Autofollow)

Flux uses his rapid spinning to his advantage, reaching out toward the expanding shrapnel and pull it toward his center of gravity. Instead of a flat nova effect, the spinning creates a spiral effect, which lends additional acceleration to the particles as they approach his position.

[Control Gravity: 93]

The debris deals extensive damage to the Wasps once more, and though they appear rattled, they remain operable.

[Damage (All Wasps): 40]

The debris forms a barrier of sorts around Flux, though whether it can withstand another salvo of lasers is anybody's guess.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:40, Tue 10 Nov 2015.

In reply to Flux (msg # 182):

"Long-, medium-, and point-defense systems finally online," Captain Blaise's voice booms over the intercom. "Fire at will!"

The Interdictor-class ship's selection of weaponry is modest by capital ship standards, but still far outclasses the starfighters and freighters in its immediate vicinity. Still, it cannot target itself, so the freighters locked onto the hull are immune to its weapons.

[Point-Defense Systems: 13, 48, 39, 88, 43, 11, 90, 85]

Four of the Wasps dissolve into nothingness as they are ripped apart by powerful bursts of focused energy.

OOC: Action is now to Xander, Batallion, and Rebecca, in any order. Delay if you wish to wait until the Freighters go.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 183):

Battalion pretends he doesn't see the creepy girl nearby, relieved when she fades from view.

Hold until they breach us, then shoot them.  If they surrender, shoot them again.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 184):

~~~Hold action until my powers become relevent~~~

Xander zeroed his targeting systems on one of the Wasps.

At the last second he pulled his finger off the trigger, seemingly having a better idea as he engaged his thrusters. Skimming along the surface of the Mastodon, Abraxas gained speed as it closed inexorably towards one of the stationary freighters. Rather than evading, however, the battlesuit plowed right into it.

[Charge: Success]

[Damage: 75]
This message was last edited by the player at 20:25, Wed 11 Nov 2015.

In reply to Xander (msg # 186):

The struck freighter is taken completely off-guard by the attack. Braced as it is against the magnetic lock holding it against the Mastodon's hull, the force of the impact is dissipated through its entire frame, which shakes savagely and, ultimately, breaches.

There is a bright shower of sparks, and silent rush of motion as the freighter's atmosphere is reclaimed by the vacuum of space, and then the bulk of the ship's instruments go dark.

The magnetic seal, however, remains intact, and the shattered freighter remains securely fastened to the hull of your vessel.

Anyone looking at a viewscreen can see large surges of energy from the remaining four freighters, though they do not appear to be doing anything to those who have a visual on them from the outside.

Within certain areas of the Mastodon, however, the effects are more readily apparent.

Near the airlock, one of the hull-side walls shimmers with a strange energy pattern. Moments later, a squadron of ten armored troopers pours through the wall like it wasn't even there.

"Proximity alert!" Captain Blaise's voice echoes through the corridors. "Boarders have entered the vessel. Initiating lockdown and beginning a room by room sweep. Repel them at all costs!"

Ostensibly, the same thing Rebecca and Batallion just saw is happening in three other places on the ship, as well, one for every location where a freighter has docked against the ship.

OOC: Restoring Batallion and Rebecca's turns, as their powers are now relevant.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 187):

From her vantage point behind a flower tucked very small the little girl holds her doll and rocks back and forth.

She picks the three nearest charging troopers

Manifest Fear [88 Yellow success]



All three troops immediately turn tail and run screaming in the opposite direction.

Psyche checks [11, 14, 3 White Fail]

A small voice manifests in each troops head counterpointed by their running comrades.

Leave this ship... or face your fears.

One of the fleeing troopers is screaming about plants.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:20, Fri 13 Nov 2015.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 188):

The fuck got into...

Oh well, better to kick those already down.

Two armed Batallions blink into existence and charge out of the shuttle to join their brethren (Emplowered duplication 58 = Yellow success)

The troops already standing fire with great impunity.

(18 Green hits, 10 Yellow hits, 3 Red hits, Rifles are Gd damage Pierce to REM)
This message was last edited by the player at 19:02, Mon 16 Nov 2015.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 189):

Four of the soldiers drop dead under Batallion's battalion's onslaught, with a fifth becoming wounded by a bullet to the shoulder but powering through it nonetheless. A sixth, seventh, and eighth solider run screaming in terror from... well, from something creepy, you can be assured, leaving nine and ten to glance at each other before taking the swarm of Batallions into consideration.

Soliders 5, 9, and 10 unleash their ordnance on the Batallion clones with great prejudice. Each gun fires twice, for a total of six blasts.

This is sufficient to kill 2 standard Batallion clones and 3 "derplicates", dropping Batallion's compliment by 5.

The boarding party is still badly outnumbered, and they're actively explaining as much over their comlinks.

The enemy capital ships do not fire at all.



The remaining Wasps turn their attention toward Xander, ignoring Flux entirely. Only four of their shots strike true, deals a total of 40 damage to heavily armored battlesuit.

[Damage (Abraxis): 40]
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:49, Tue 17 Nov 2015.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 190):

(Autofollow)

Flux expands his shrapnel shield once more, shredding the remaining Wasps into nothingness.

[AOE Damage (Wasps): 40]

"I could use a hand," his voice crackles weakly over the local communication bands. "And some gauze. And a bottle of wine, Ensign Levinson, and about 15 minutes of private time in the officers' head."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:46, Tue 17 Nov 2015.

In reply to Flux (msg # 191):

The Mastodon lacks any targets behind the far-off capital ships, which are not firing on her at the moment. She holds her fire and focuses on the trouble within.

"Lockdown procedures are initiated. Hostiles on decks four, three, five, and airlock two. Report all contacts!"

A chorus of static accompanies this, followed by some clipped grunts.

"Engaging hostiles on deck four."

"Too many on deck thr-" (abruptly truncates in a burst of static)

"Deck five has been pacified"

A quick glance by those involved will note that the party's internal forces are themselves in airlock two.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:49, Tue 17 Nov 2015.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 192):

this is just silly...

Two more Private First Class Batallion's charge out of the shuttle to join their brethren (52 duplicates remain).

The lot continue to pour ungodly amounts of fire into the remaining 3 troops (statistically:  16 Green hits, 11 Yellow, 1 Red)

Batallion clicks the comms in the shuttle to external megaphone:

Surrender now or I'll have them aim only for the feet, then stick your heads out the window and watch your eyes pop out of their sockets...

In reply to Batallion (msg # 193):

The three illusions charge after their targets

[Charging: 57, 70, 100 Green, Yellow, Red success]

40 damage to each (/ooc is it -10 for their armor?)

1 now engaged
1 slam and knocked to the ground
1 is stunned and whimpering (2 rounds)

Once again the voice in the brain...

While I disagree with his methods he has proven both efficacious and ruthless enough to fulfill his threat I would suggest remanding yourselves into custody.

She continues the mental assault bearing down on the stunned opponent

Brain Drain [81 vs 67 yellow success]

30 additional damage to stunned opponent.

[/ooc I would gain 30 HP from this... I think we said that we could get temporary HP correct?]

THE THORNS!  THEY ARE IN MY BRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!
This message was last edited by the player at 14:21, Wed 18 Nov 2015.

Rotating in Zero-G, Abraxas places its feet against the Mastodon's hull. With both arms, the battlesuit grasps the freighter near the boarding port and then...pulls.

[Success]

The energy field flickers and vanishes, and with a shudder that can be felt through metal, the freighter breaks free.

In reply to Xander (msg # 195):

The pitiful remnants of the once-noble boarding party in the air lock flee toward the shimmering energy field only to find a cold metal wall where their portal once stood. They throw down their weapons and put their hands on their heads as one.

"We give! Please GET THE THORNS OUT OF MY BRAIN!"

The capital ships continue to hold their fire.



The Wasps have been utterly destroyed, but the threat of the remaining freighters remains.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:11, Thu 19 Nov 2015.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 196):

(Autofollow)

"I made one simple request," Flux's voice crackles over the comms. "And that was to wine-and-dine the lovely Levinson in the officer's head. Yet here I am, floating in space, completely surrounded by no wine, no baths, and NO LEVINSON."

[Gravity Maniuplation: 88, success]

He carefully gathers up the cloud of shrapnel and coalesces it into a spike-like missile, which is then pointed toward the Mastodon (or, hopefully, one of the freighters still latched to its hull). He does not, however, have time to fire it yet.

"To reiterate: Worst. Assignment. Ever."

In reply to Flux (msg # 197):

Mr. Battalion if you would be so kind assign a complement to escort these to a holding cell of some type I believe we are needed on Deck 3. 

Rebecca pops out of her hiding space to run directly through a wall on her way to deck three.  One of the faceless mooks gapes as he sees the Venus flytrap bounding after her through the wall.  He points

Thats the one I told you about on the base!  She is real!

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 198):

Or... OR! Battalion replies, still on the megaphone, we COULD just expose the docking bay to space and store them in the endless vacuum?

It is intensely hard sometimes to tell if Battalion is joking.

Seeing no reason to stop a good thing, Xander turns his attention to the remaining freighters, engaging his thrusters again.

[Charge: Success]

[Damage: 75]

Command, what is the status on the boarding parties? Do we have the strength to repel them?

In reply to Xander (msg # 200):

THESE jokers?

I could repel them by not showering for a couple days.

Good, because I think I have an idea.

The com crackles and falls silent, during which time a dull shuddering can be felt through the ship. Then Xander's voicee sparks back to life.

These folks seem to be concerned with friendly fire. I doubt the capital ships will shoot the Mastodon as long as their companions are on board. So once we have them contained, either pinned down or captured, we can make our move.

Those equipped with a video com see a picture of a freighter floating idly next to the Mastodon, torn free of its hull.

These would make a great shield. Once we're ready to make our move, Flux and I can propel this towards the enemy warships while we take shelter behind it. Once we get in close, they won't be able to target us. Then we can get up to all sorts of mischief. Boarding, terrorizing, hacking, gravity spikes...

We might be able to win this.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 201):

Local Space
A second freighter sparks and bursts into flame as the battlesuit slams into it, but it remains affixed to the hull of the Mastodon nonetheless.

Those outside can watch the three undamaged freighters shimmer with blueish energy, which radiates from their attachment points like ripples of water... causing all of the Mastodon's systems in their wake to go dark. These ripples continue to pulse from the freighters every few seconds, and as they wash over most of the ship one of the blasts manages to catch Abraxis as well.

[Pulse Weapon: 33]

Xander's monitors crackle and spit with static for a splitsecond, then stabilize back to normal. Electronic Warfare Detected, a female voice informs the pilot.

The SAGE capital ships off in the distance can be seen angling themselves in a formation that seems intended to bring all of their broadsides to bear, but they do not fire.

Airlock Two
"We've voted and would prefer the holding bay to being spaced," the leader of the defeated boarding party says. "In case that wasn't clear."

Rebecca leaps through the wall, but can't quite reach Deck Three before a muffled explosion shakes and rattles the walls. The familiar, omnipresent hum of the Mastodon's engines abruptly stops, followed almost immediately by the artificial gravity.

Batallion's shuttle is equipped with gravity of its own, so he is unaffected, but Rebecca, the duplicates, and the boarding party soon find themselves swimming in air.

"We, uh, we still surrender," the leader of the boarding party clarifies. "But it sort of feels like we're winning on the other decks. So. Yeah. Keep that in mind before deciding to space us."

The lights flicker off, and are immediately replaced with red-tinged emergency lights. All internal communication links return nothing but static.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 203):

(Autofollow)

"So, shoot them? Don't shoot them? This is a hunk of metal and I might miss, and our ride's shields are probably down right now... Blaise, copy? Blaise?! Dammit man! No wine, no Levinson, and no banter?!"

Xander and Batallion, having uncompromised systems, can hear his question, but no one else seems to be able to.

[Delayed Action]
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:53, Fri 20 Nov 2015.

In reply to Flux (msg # 204):

The little telepath spins in the air trying to gain purchase... you can hear an angry little girl shrieking her frustration.

/ooc can I move slowly or am I totally stopped? /ooc

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 205):

If they win and kill us, I won't be held accountable for spacing you...

In reply to Batallion (msg # 206):

She continues to wind and push her way towards the third bay at infuriatingly slow speed.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 207):

Throw your weapons to the far side of the room.

If the enemies comply, Battalion's forces will collect them up and go about restraining the surrendered hostiles.

They will also go about NOT spacing them... yet.

Battalion clicks on the intercom: Almost done mopping up THIS spill, what other isles need a cleanup?

Abraxas charges another freighter, but is unable to bring his mass around quickly enough, resulting in an awkwardly ineffective bear hug.

Flux, are you able to just pull these things off far enough that the Mastodon's point defenses can track them? Seems less dangerous than launching a missile into our own hull.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:55, Mon 23 Nov 2015.

In reply to Xander (msg # 209):

Good call.  Flux, please don't launch missiles into our own hull.  We have all the wine and Levinsons.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 210):

(Autofollow)

Flux does not dissolve the missile, but does acquiesce to the request of others by attempting to dislodge a freighter using gravitics.

[Gravity Manipulation: 8, lolfail]

"Don't mind me. I'll just float here and bleed to death."

In reply to Flux (msg # 211):

Local Space

The three undamaged freighters shimmer with blueish energy, which once again radiates from their attachment points like ripples of water. And, as before, one of the blasts manages to catch Abraxis as well.

[Pulse Weapon: 20, white]

The battlesuit repels this attack as it did before, but the female voice reprimands the pilot primly in response.

Careful of those ripples. A larger dose could affect my ability to warm the cockpit and cycle the air... I hear those things matter to organic lifeforms, do they not?

The SAGE capital ships off in the distance continue to angling themselves in a formation that seems intended to bring all of their broadsides to bear, but they do not fire.

Airlock Two

The remnants of the boarding party, now partially shrouded by red emergency lights and the free-floating bodies of their comrades, simply go limp and join them. Without closing to very close range or using a biometric scanner (which your shuttle lacks), you have no way of knowing which are alive and which are dead in this light.

Deck Three

Rebecca awkwardly plows through the final walls separating her and her destination, and is met with a rather grisly scene. The crewmen here were clearly taken off-guard, and several float limply with their guts hovering nearby.

The boarders, however, are nowhere to be seen... though the glowing portal through which they entered can be plainly seen on the far hull-ward wall of the room.

Rebecca has been on this ship long enough to know the layout by heart, which leaves her in a bit of a pickle in terms of guessing where the successful boarding party might have gone next. Deck Three has three exits, but doors have never factored into her thinking. She knows that Deck Three is directly above the medbay, directly below the bridge, and adjacent to the cold vacuum of space on one side, a mess hall on the another, a storage bay on the third, and a kitchen on the fourth. Doors connect all of these spaces except the vacuum of space (because that would involve breaching the hull), even the floor and the ceiling, which have central hatches. All of the hatches she can see are closed.


This message was last edited by the GM at 14:38, Tue 24 Nov 2015.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 212):

Rebecca expands her telepathic voice as loud as she can.

Come out come out wherever you are...

Olly Olly Oxenfree

The bridge is the most mission-critical location... Come on Percy lets find them.

She struggles towards the bridge.

I like breathing as much as the next guy...but we don't have much choice here.

Xander pivoted Abraxis, kicking off the freighter to plow into another, to much better effect.

[Charge: success]

If at first you don't succeed...

In reply to Xander (msg # 214):

The Mastodon , being crippled, does nothing to loll and list awkwardly in the vast emptiness of space.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 215):

Worry about breathing all you want, I'm good in here.

Battalion clicks the comms back to the speakers outside the shuttle.

Anyone have any rope handy for hog-tying?  I'm fresh out.  If you're not motivated enough to grab your ankles, spacing is STILL an option.

Damn that was brilliant!  I should be a motivational speaker.

Once the surrendered boarders are hog tied (or locked in a small room nearby or spaced, God, do I have to solve EVERYONE's problems?), the Battalion Corps swim/march/floats toward the exit.

Any read on where there are more living breathing borders to deal with?  I can fix both of those.

Assuming there's an answer, the Battalion Corps will go in that direction.  If not, they'll head to deck four.

Battalion, however, remains in the shuttle.  Two additional soldiers pop into existance and guard the shuttle door for him (57, yellow success).
This message was last edited by the player at 15:47, Tue 01 Dec 2015.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 216):

The Battalion Corps manages to secure the dead and living boarders alike in a small supply closet before marching (swimming?) along toward Deck Four. They are not able to arrive quite yet, however.

Xander expertly smashes one of the remaining freighters, leaving only two healthy ships clinging to the hull. These ships fire off their pulses of ionic energy dutifully all the same, continuing their work disabling the Mastodon while battering Abraxis.

[AOE Blast: 54, 60]

Xander's screen's light up with energy, then flicker into a swirl of meaningless garble and gibberish and swirling colors where neat letters, numbers, and diametric schemata once appeared.

OOC: All of Abraxas's "equipment" is offline.

The controls still respond, though sluggishly, as Xander assumes complete manual control of the battlesuit's limbs, and he becomes acutely aware of the lack of circulating air venting toward his face.

Oxygen levels at 99%. The digital voice itself seems unaffected. Breathe slowly to conserve it, and grab onto something so we can focus on repairs.

There is no further word from the various boarding parties, and the enemy capital ships still seem intent on staying out of the battle.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 217):

(Autofollow)

"Telemetry is down on our friend in the tin suit," Flux broadcasts, though only Battalion is capable of receiving it. "I'll grab him if he slips. For now, though..."

[Gravity Control: 77]

One of the remaining functional freighters creaks and groans (or it would have, if sound could travel through space), then shudders as Flux attempts to pry it from the surface of the Mastodon.

In this he is unsuccessful, but the shower of sparks that accompany his attempt is rewarding nonetheless.

[Damage (Freighter): 40]

In reply to Batallion (msg # 216):

Rebecca manages to make her way to the bridge, where she finds a group of 16 boarders shooting the living daylights out of everything. They are trading fire with Captain Blaise and the command crew, who are taking cover behind some of the ship's most important equipment in the helm as they pop up and duck down between shots. It's hard to tell how many allies remain on the bridge, but there are at least 5.

The smell of acrid smoke and damaged circuitry is almost overwhelming, and the screaming suggests that nobody is happy.


This message was last edited by the GM at 15:13, Wed 02 Dec 2015.

Xander's breat echoes in the confines of his helmet, suddenly the only sound he hears. He looks around at his darkened instrument panel with annoyance.

Guess I'll have to do this manually then. No sense trying to fix this mess until the EMP generators have been taken out.

His eyes unfocus as he dives deeper into his neural interface, his one remaining connection to the battlesuit. Abraxas responds sluggishly, but it does respond. Electricity builds up in a nimbus of energy along the barrel of the massive railgun, which levels at the one remaining freighter. In the blink of an eye, the energy discharges, propelling a hail of metal silently across the vacuum.

[Shooting: Success]

[Damage: 40]

Hull shreds where the rounds meet, venting gasses and shrapnel into the void.

In reply to Xander (msg # 220):

OUTSIDE

The freighter sparks and shudders and emits a satisfying explosion as its lights go dark.

The Mastodon remains unable to do much, though her crew are another matter.

INSIDE

Captain Blaise and the crew take pot shots at the boarders, killing two before ducking back under cover.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 221):

Rebecca silently broods behind any available cover and focuses her anger...  Targeting three soldiers in the middle of the formation.



These soldiers appear to be made of sterner stuff than their comrades and none of them panic.

Sir we appear to be in the presence of an abnormal... there is a new threat to be neutralized.


One of the boarding party grunts as he is hit in the chest by something no one else can see (20 Damage)

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 222):

... home, home on the range... where boarders are tied up and maimed...

Another soldier bamphs beside his companions.  3 now guard the shuttle door.

The Battalion Corps continues to make its way toward Deck 4.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 223):

All freighters are damaged or destroyed, and the pulses of energy come to an end. Ostensibly, this also means all the portals have been closed, though you're not able to confirm this yet.

The boarding party opens fire on the bridge, destroying lots of important equipment but doing very little meaningful damage.

Three soldiers fire at what looks like nothing at all, with mixed results.

[Damage (Illusion): 23]

The SAGE capital ships continue to move closer, nearly triangulating the Mastodon's position at this point. Still, they hold their fire.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 224):

(Autofollow)

"I'm coming in for a landing. And a hot shower. And a hot toddy."

He latches onto the airlock magnetically and pulls himself toward the bay with startling speed, nearly reaching it in one go.

In reply to Flux (msg # 225):

** Disposition Recap **

Outside

The smouldering wreckage of the freighters and the wasps float around. Flux is heading toward the airlock and Xander is within Abraxis nearby.

Docking Bay

Battalion has little to do as he sits in the shuttle and whistles a jaunty tune

Deck 4

The Battalion Corps floats awkwardly in this direction, but haven't quite made it yet. Flickering emergency lights remind them as to the precariousness of their situation.

Bridge

Rebecca is crouched in a reasonably safe space here, using her illusion beast to attack 3 of the 14 remaining boarders. They are trading fire with Captain Blaise and the command crew, who are taking cover behind some of the ship's most important equipment in the helm as they pop up and duck down between shots. It's hard to tell how many allies remain on the bridge, but there are at least 5.

The smell of acrid smoke and damaged circuitry is almost overwhelming, and the screaming suggests that nobody is happy.


This message was last edited by the GM at 16:16, Thu 03 Dec 2015.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 226):

Rebecca melds back into her hiding spot.

Stealth 61 green success

The illusiory beast howls its defiance to swat all three engaged troops

Fighting 55, 57, 64 green success

20 damage each

She focuses on the already damaged boarder boring into his brain

Brain drain 10 white derp

10 damage to the already smacked boarder.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 227):

Captain hold on. I am doing my best to neutralize attackers I have reason to believe Battalion will be providing reinforcements shortly.

With the immediate external threats nullified, Xander turns his attention to his disabled suit. Alright, let's see what we can do about this mess.

Pulling the control panel out from in front of him, Xander plugs his neural face directly into the diagnostics computer, and his eyes go blank.

[Repair: Success]

Scant moments later, the instrumentation lights come back up online, in some cases displaying even more power than before. Abraxis' engines thump back on with renewed vigor.

Damn, I'm good...
This message was last edited by the player at 16:58, Thu 03 Dec 2015.

In reply to Xander (msg # 229):

The Mastodon still does nothing, though Captain Blaise and the rest of the command crew manage to kill two more members of the boarding party with their shots. (None of these were previously damaged by illusion beasts.)

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 230):

Another copy of Battalion flashes in.  This one, however, isn't armed.  Instead, he's dressed exactly like the original.  Wordlessly, he slides into a seat beside Battalion so that any boarder wouldn't be sure which to shoot first.

The three door guards hold the entrance ramp to the shuttle... just in case.

Battalion switches to the intercom.

Are you all done playing around out there?  Flux and I have things to drink.

The Battalion Corps continues to move toward Deck 4.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 231):

The boarding party shoots the ever-loving crap out of more consoles but doesn't actually kill anyone.

The S.A.G.E. capital ships continue to triangulate their position around the listing Mastodon.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 232):

(Autofollow)

Flux enters the airlock but doesn't shuck his deep space gear.

"What happened to the gravity? Because it's about to get KINKY."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:13, Fri 04 Dec 2015.

In reply to Flux (msg # 233):

** Disposition Recap **

Outside

The smouldering wreckage of the freighters and the wasps float around. Xander is within Abraxis nearby.

Docking Bay

Battalion has little to do as he sits in the shuttle and whistles a jaunty tune. Flux has just entered the bay and looks confused by the carnage and lack of power.

Deck 4

The Battalion Corps floats into Deck 4. Ten boarding party members are sprawled across the floor, dead or unconscious. There's a hole in the wall and air is hissing out of it. There are no allied crew to be seen. The bridge is two turns away for the corps if they want to head in that direction.

Bridge

Rebecca is crouched in a reasonably safe space here, using her illusion beast to attack 3 of the 12 remaining boarders. They are trading fire with Captain Blaise and the command crew, who are taking cover behind some of the ship's most important equipment in the helm as they pop up and duck down between shots. It's hard to tell how many allies remain on the bridge, but there are at least 5.

The smell of acrid smoke and damaged circuitry is almost overwhelming, and the screaming suggests that nobody is happy.


This message was last edited by the GM at 21:16, Fri 04 Dec 2015.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 234):

The writhing illusion bellows its rage as it sweeps out at the engaged boarders.  Missing the damaged boarder and one of his friends... the third boarder is not so lucky as it smashes him to the ground.

Fighting [20, 73, 17 White, Yellow, White].

[20 Damage to one boarder and knocked prone]

She continues to focus in on the damaged boarder with much better success this time

Brain Drain [65, Green]

[30 Damage]

The injured boarder whimpers and crumples to the ground, blood streaming from his nose.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:05, Sat 05 Dec 2015.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 235):

Your boarding party is about to suffer an additional 2 casualties, which will bring you near even force with our party on the bridge and there is a large group of less reasonable reinforcements on the way.  Your chances for success are negligible and I strongly recommend that you surrender before reinforcements arrive and parlay with myself and the captain if you value your lives.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 236):

Deck 4

Nobody alive here, let's move out.

The Battalion Corps starts moving toward the bridge.

Docking Bay

While the two identical Battalions sit at the controls and sing an off-key duet, a man in a suit (who happens to look just like Battalion) pops into existence.

He marches down walkway out of the shuttle and starts making his way toward the prisoners.

3 Battalion soldiers continue to guard the shuttle entrance.

Xander, lacking any active targets, opts to cover the damaged freighters. He encodes a short range radio transmission across several frequencies.

Attention SAGE freighters, you are currently under the crosshairs of a very powerful railgun capable of turning your vessel into a block of swiss cheese in about three tenths of a second. Ammo is expensive, however, so I have no wish to pull the trigger unless you do something stupid. Also, for those who would prefer not to die in a vacuum, medical facilities are standing by, and we're willing to accept your surrender.

In reply to Xander (msg # 238):

One Battalion cracks his knuckles loudly.

The other picks at something in his ear.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 239):

There is no response from the freighters, though a few sparks emit fitfully from one of the more damaged units as it lists against the Mammoth's unpowered hull.

The remaining boarders look at Rebecca for a moment, then the check their own telemetry. The swearing that follows informs you that perhaps they did not realize all the freighters were down until now.

"Parley?" the leader of the boarding party says at last. "What is there to discuss? Surrender your stolen technology, and you're free to go. If we're unable to reclaim it, though... well, I'm sure you saw our overwatch. They'll destroy the tech rather than let it escape."

Despite his words, he gives a signal and his men lower their weapons... though everyone still looks twitchy.

~~ End Combat ~~
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:53, Wed 09 Dec 2015.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 240):

(Autofollow)

Docking Bay

"Well, don't you look comfortable," Flux says to the not-Battalion walking toward the prisoners. "What's going on? Why is the gravity offline? It doesn't affect me, of course, but it looks uncomfortable for everyone else."

He looks at the shuttle for a moment.

"You got a medbay in there? If power's out on the Mammoth, its medbay won't do me any good. And I won't take a cold shower, either." He makes a face. "Seriously. We're meant to be civilized here."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:59, Wed 09 Dec 2015.

In reply to Flux (msg # 241):

Bridge

"That technology is the key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe," Captain Blaise says, popping his head out from behind the dashboard as soon as it's safe. "Come with us! Together we can change the future of... well... of everything."

The boarder commander simply shakes his head.

"We're already doing that," he says. "But we're doing it through science, not piracy. It's only a matter of time before the support ships decide that our gambit has failed and open fire. Why don't we hail them?"

Captain Blaise scowls and folds his arms.

"We COULD if the comms weren't down."

The commander taps his helmet.

"Mine aren't. Shall I?"

OOC: Paused here in case Rebecca wishes to partake in this conversation.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:19, Wed 09 Dec 2015.

In reply to Captain Blaise (msg # 242):

Docking Bay

The suited not-Battalion shrugs at Flux.

I'm going to question the prisoners.  I'll start with words, then move on to other tactics.

He swims awkwardly toward the prisoners.

And if you've got some gravity to spare so I can walk, that would be a big help.

The Battalions in the shuttle hold their ground.

They done shooting?  Everyone surrender?  Time for beer and pizza?  a Battalion in the shuttle shouts at Flux.

Bridge

At some point, Blaise receives a huge influx of armed troops.

Captain, are we still killing them or not? one asks when he notices that nobody is shooting.  Please don't say we're going to invite them along... this family is dysfunctional as it is.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:08, Wed 09 Dec 2015.

Xander begins towing the damaged freighters into the Mastodon's docking bays.

In reply to Xander (msg # 244):

When you get down to it... change is change whether via science or piracy.

she walks completely unafraid through the ranks dragging Percy behind her directly towards the captain

You are telling me that your superiors would accept not only the loss of their property but also all team members to return this technology?  Thereby leaving two options...

A.  The technology is not replicable, in which case you are scuttling years of money, research and development for no gain thereby losing all ability to learn.

B.  The technology  is replaceable, in which case you are sacrificing human life and some small semblance of time to prevent your research from being put into more hands that have a greater chance of solving the problem.  In order to preserve your Monopoly on the technology


She hands Percy to the captain, the doll is holding a note and then she fastens the full strength of her white-faced-black-eyed stare at him.


Commander, do NOT presume to lecture me on the virtues of science as a cult.  You are out of your depth and SAGE is acting neither in the vein of scientific discovery nor in the best interests of civilization.  I would be happy to give your commanding officers a primer if they are capable of understanding.

She says spite dripping from her tone.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:53, Wed 09 Dec 2015.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 245):

Bridge

The captain glances at the note, frowns, and hands it back to Rebecca with a shrug.

OOC: All players would likely be aware that there are 3 capital ships not too far away. They likely outmatch the Mastodon in a slugout. However, Battalion's shuttle has been equipped with a very powerful engine. It could likely escape if push came to shove.

The boarder commander gives the little girl a long, hard look.

"What makes you think you're more capable than we are of making use of the technology?"

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 246):

Oh God... philosophy... one of the Battalion Corps sighs, smacking his palm to his forehead.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 247):

Because I'm not an NPC
This message was last edited by the player at 20:31, Thu 10 Dec 2015.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 248):

Docking Bay

"It WOULD be time for beer and pizza if the power weren't off," Flux grumbles, then brightens up. "Wait, nevermind. I hooked the hyperkeg up to the emergency power generators a few weeks ago, just in case. It's this awesome thing that can ferment and perfect beer at the bottom damn near as fast as you can empty it from the top."

He grins at Battalion.

"So what do you say we go enjoy a little science?"

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 246):

She takes the doll looking slightly shaken but still manages a withering glance for the Battallion corps.

She squares her shoulders and with all of the dignity she can muster she simply says

Me.

In reply to Rebecca Taylor (msg # 250):

Docking Bay

The suited-JJ shrugs and continues to work his way toward the prisoners.  Once there he will begin to question them.


Shuttle

You kidding me?  That sounds fantastic.  Bring it on in here.


Bridge

The Battalion Corps stands around looking bored.

In the back, one of them pops out of existence.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 251):

When seeing the commander unmoved she flicks her hair back.

Fine... if you want something objective... then I have already improved upon the propulsion drive.  Although I'm not concerned for myself I am fond of the captain as well as the other scientists and I do not believe that an encounter with the otherworld would result in a similar transition as it did for me. 

He fixes the commander with an unnerving glare.

I am willing to negotiate with your superiors to prevent loss of life.  However NEGOTIATE is the key word.  I will not be bullied, nor will I succumb to the machismo of 'hand everything over or I'll blast you out of the sky'.

You do realize that your companions have fought and been injured needlessly as we have arrived at a spot of negotiating that we could have arrived at without fighting.