Recap & Disposition

Team Space Trek

Persephone, severely damaged by an internal munitions explosion, has limped its way into Venusian orbit. Its communications remain jammed by an unknown but doggedly persistent source -- a problem that has remained ever since their encounter with the strange chitinous vessel that followed them into the Sol sector.

Kayla, captain of the vessel, has activated its adaptive armor to cloak the shuttle from unwanted attention. Though low on supplies and carrying a critically wounded crewman, she is unwilling to risk the violent response she expects to receive should Persephone fail to respond to Venusian hails while approaching port. Venus is controlled by SAGE forces, and they do not take intrusion lightly.

She is standing in the cockpit, waist deep in wiring and electric panels that once constituted the shuttle's communications system. A silhouette of the system is being projected in the air above her from her bracer, courtesy of the increasingly enigmatic AI Dynamis.

Rebecca and Fiernas do what they can to help, though some of their time is spend trying to figure out how to avoid having their status as fugitives from SAGE detected once the ship does manage to dock.

The remaining crew consists of:

*Gestalt -- former (?) Honcho of the AoS
* Susan Darling -- heiress, had been kidnapped for ransom by the AoS
* Wendy Tyndall -- daughter of the UN Speaker, also kidnapped for ransom by the AoS
* Holt -- auger and former AoS agent who has been in a coma for days
* Penny -- former IDA agent who has been dead for days
* The Cyberpups -- Fiernas's beloved dogs

"What a mess," Kayla gripes, crouching down to connect an exposed wire to a nearby circuit board. "It might be easier to disarm a missile, tie a white flag to it, and shoot it at the nearest port."

***

Team Kamikaze

The rest of the team is in no better shape. Alone, outnumbered, and outgunned aboard Faust's flagship, Goethe, as it lords over the shattered asteroid that once served as the IDA's Near-Earth Hub, Billy and Xander are poring over their remaining options. Presumably, Viceroy is somewhere outside, still doing battle with drones from the newly mobilized Factory.

They stand, battered and bruised, before a gaping chasm set just below the ship's ruined Central Core. The rest of their away team -- Durst, Timon, and Muse -- were lost during an explosion caused by Muse's valiant final stand. Though the Central Core was successfully destroyed, and the ship's AI successfully disabled, it cost all three of them their lives.

An important-looking crystal was flung from the explosion, and now rests in one of Xander's many pockets.

Abraxas has sustained significant damage, and will not be able to function properly without a prolonged stint in a maintenance bay. Still, Xander is convinced he can at least get the legs moving again with just the parts on hand.

The only problem is time -- and it's a pressing one. Emergency lighting has been the order of the day ever since Goethe lost its AI, and the ship has been noticeably listing for a while now.

Somewhere above, the sounds of a prolonged firefight and dozens of heavy boots can be heard. Team Kamikaze may not be the only unauthorized guests visiting Faust's flagship today...
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:28, Fri 28 July 2017.

Billy, perched atop Abraxas's disabled shoulder climbs close to the section of ceiling he carved into to drop on one of their former assailants, "So, is the big guy dead?  If we aren't gonna be able to fly upstairs I'll take my chances on climbing through a hole."

Fiernas stares out at the planet below them, trembling with rage.  Picking up on something coming off of him, Leo and Phillip huddle in the corner nearby, tails tucked, only venturing out to occasionally lick Fiernas's hand.

"Kayla, Rebecca.  I want to make something very clear.  The very second we can get away from this place, that's what we do.  I won't hear anything about it being immoral to steal a ship, or scientific curiosity about the work they're doing, or anything else.  When we can break orbit and head out without fear of starving or freezing to death, that's what we do."

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 3):

"It would only be immortal to steal another ship if you intended to leave this one behind afterward."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:27, Fri 28 July 2017.

In reply to Dynamis (msg # 4):

"We're not gonna leave you behind, D," Kayla says, her voice somewhat muffled by the bank of equipment she's currently laying beneath to tinker with their underside. "Don't worry about that."

She makes a few more adjustments, then bangs her hand against the console lightly.

"Damn. It. Ok, new plan," she says, sliding out from under the panels and hauling herself to her feet. "I'm suiting up and sweeping the outer hull for unwanted hardware. Maybe we've been bugged."

Kayla begins heading toward the equipment locker to don her EVA suit.

"Someone who can drive needs to stay behind in case we need to get out of here quickly, but I'd appreciate any other eyes you might be able to spare."

Fiernas settles in smoothly behind the controls.  "I think I can handle it.  Rebecca can shift through the hull anyway.  More efficient than me."

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 6):

Team Space Trek

Kayla and Rebecca suit up and head outside, the former using magnetic clamps to haul herself over the outer hull.

"I know you did a sweep before," she comms to Rebecca. "But the problem's not inside. I don't know where else to look."

She glances down at glassy surface as reflected star shine off it. "This adaptive armor is really cool," she breathes, stirring herself to move closer to the external broadcast antenna and receiver relay. "But it's not really magnetic, is it? These clamps are almost useless on this alloy."

Kayla begins to tinker with the relay system.

"These look OK to me," she says at last. "Hey, Fiernas? Try to broadcast something, would you?"

She waits for a moment, but nothing happens...at which point she puts her gloved hand to her helmeted forehead and sighs.

"Aaaaand he can't hear me, because comms aren't going through."

Kayla taps her bracer, now snapped into place on the exterior of the EVA suit.

"D, I need you to get a message through to Fiernas in the cockpit for me."

"I...cannot do that, captain," a synthetic voice echoes through Kayla and Rebecca's comms, but no others. Its flat monotone still manages to convey a growing sense of dread. "I cannot establish a connection with Persephone from here at all."
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:33, Mon 31 July 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 7):

Fiernas carefully holds the shuttle steady while Kayla and Rebecca explore the hull. An urgent beeping sound on the console soon arrests his attention, however.

"Cloaked threat detected!" a synthetic voice says. "Pilot, reverse thrust and turn 90 degrees to starboard. NOW!"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:36, Mon 31 July 2017.

In reply to Dynamis (msg # 8):

Team Kamikaze

The sounds of a firefight continue to be heard overhead. It's hard to tell if it is moving closer, further away, or remaining constant.

The emergency lights remain on, bathing the world in cacophony of steely grays and angry reds.

Fiernas is about to haul on the controls, but remembers the tiny forms crawling all over the slick hull.  He does his best to execute the computer's suggested maneuver gently, gritting his teeth against possible incoming fire.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 10):

Percy sits implacably in the copilots chair, hand lazily on one of the joysticks.

Nightmare looks around rapidly and finds a place where she wont do too much damage and activates her spikes digging into the surface of the ship.  In Kayla's head she hears

KAYLA ACTIVATE YOUR MAGNETS!  NOW!
This message was last edited by the player at 21:21, Mon 31 July 2017.

[Piloting - Evasive Manuvers vs. Cloaked Threat: 75 - Yellow Success]

Xander stands up from the cockpit, surveying the scene from a position balanced half-in, half-out of his wrecked mech. The machine sparks around him, and he winces as if in physical pain himself.

He shakes his head in response to Billy's question.

I can get him limping again, but it will take a moment. In the meantime, let's see if we can have Sophia figure out who our enemy's new enemy is. Maybe the old adage will prove true.

Can you hail them on one of their secure lines, Soph?
This message was last edited by the player at 03:50, Tue 01 Aug 2017.

"It doesn't sound like they're in a position for a friendly chat," Billy observes, "You give that a try, I'll see what's what." He says as he expands on the missing section of ceiling until he has a hole big enough to fit his shoulders through.  As long as there's no immediate sign that he's cut someone's leg off, he attempts to haul himself up from Abraxa's shoulder to have a look at the scene above.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 14):

Team Space Trek - Cockpit

Fiernas deftly completes the maneuver, wrenching the shuttle into a higher orbit and taking care not to whip his crewmates off the shuttle's hull in the process. At the same moment, a shuddering rattle reverberates throughout the ship -- a telltale sign of minor impact.

A wireframe of the shuttle appears near the empty copilot's chair, the bulk of the ship outlined in healthy green lines. Toward the rear of the ship, however, a streak of yellow-orange can be seen.

"We've been hit," Dynamis informs him. "Adaptive armor inoperable."

True to form, faint ripples streak outward across the viewport -- the usual hallmark of the adaptive armor coming online or going offline.

All sensors remain jammed. Relying on optic observation alone. Previous attack entered the visible spectrum here.

A faint aura-like coloration appears on the viewscreen, roughly 3 ship-scale areas distant.

Unknown if the source is mobile. Likely, source is cloaked.  Pilot: Remain prepared for additional evasive maneuvering.

Moments later, the sound of heavy footfalls heralds the arrival of Gestalt, Tyndall, and Darling at the cockpit.

"What's happened?" Gestalt says, slipping into the copliot's seat but carefully avoiding any of its controls. He looks at the wireframe and grows concerned. "I thought we were done making sudden movements. Are we under attack?"

Darling and Tyndall look at each other wordlessly, eyes wide with fear.

Team Space Trek - Spacewalk

It seemed like something small -- a flicker of light out of the corner of her eye. Kayla had just resolved herself not to tear her attention from the work at hand when she heard Rebecca's warning.

She activated the magnets, weak though they were, and soon found herself stumbling against the hull as Persephone broke into a banking turn she had in no way anticipated. Rebecca fares neither better nor worse, and she too remains safely on the outer hull.

"What the hell, D?! Why would -"

Captain, the stern!

A generous orb of unstable energy plows through the rear of the shuttle, leaving an angry furrow several inches deep in its wake as it whizzes past.

Electricity sizzles from the furrow, and Persephone's glassy, reflective surface snaps back to its normal coloration almost immediately.

"Where did that come from?" she exclaims, looking around at the nothingness in frustration.

Trajectory suggests it came from a point 80 degrees from your vantage point, likely from within nominal naval combat range. Not from Venus. But I can't be sure, Captain. I cannot access the bulk of my processing power from here. Whatever jamming array is at work against us is formidable indeed.

Kayla nods, then points at Rebecca.

"Phase inside and figure out what's going on. I've already climbed all the way out to the antennae, and I'm not heading in until I'm sure I can't fix them from here."
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:59, Tue 01 Aug 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 15):

Team Kamikaze

Billy slices his way to the "surface", so to speak, and pulls himself up when he's sure it's safe.

To his left, he can see the hallway leading to the ruined Central Core. It is entirely filled with smoke and slag, and inaccessible without leaping over the hole in the floor approaching it.

To his right, the hallway continues to extend toward a T junction. He can see blasts of light crisscrossing from this space, indicating that the combatants must be facing one another from either side of the hallway running perpendicular to this one.

***

Xander looks over at Abraxas, slumped like a wounded thing, and tries to figure out a good starting point for making his field repairs.


Meanwhile, Sophia gets to work attempting to make sense of the various communication channels available to her.

There are 3 distinct bands, she says primly. One uses our classified IDA encryption. One uses the SAGE protocols we discovered on Ceres. I can't make heads or tails of the third. Which should I try first?

Fiernas grits his teeth, barely moving as he stares out the cockpit viewport.  Only his eyes flicker around the starfield.  His body is coiled tight, superhuman reflexes ready to spring at the slightest warning.

He keys the comm.  "Rebecca, Kayla, get back in here."  Unsurprisingly, only static answers.

He spares a glance down to the worried dog face hovering at his elbow.  "Leo, get your brother and get into those padded crates we made up for you.  Like we practiced."  Leo licks his arm mournfully before he trots off to the cargo area.

"Good news is there's not a firefight over our heads.  Bad news is, I don't know where the belligerents are.  Maybe try the SAGE channel?" Billy suggests as he approaches the T-junction.  He stops a couple feet from the end of his hallway to look at the crossfire appraisingly, not quite stupid enough to literally stick his neck out.  He quietly debates the merits of making himself known vs. waiting to see who wins.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 17):

Nightmare grabs Kayla by the shoulder.

Sorry, I'm not leaving you out here to get shot by whatever that is.  We need you too badly.

[Phasing: 5+86 Karma, Red Success]

She phases herself and Kayla through the hull of the ship into the main area like a creepy Mary Poppins.

Everyone please engage emergency procedures again.  EVA suits on and strap yourselves in.  This is the real deal.  Once in EVA suits I need Gestalt in the cockpit and the noncombatants strapped in.  Take care of the dogs, and secure Holt as best you can.

/ooc can Holt be put in an EVA suit without further damage?

We got a partial reading on the location of the ship from outside.  The adaptive armor is shot and it wasn't worth a darn anyway.  How do we fight something we can't see.  Dynamis do you have any high res video of the attack?

Also please go for missile lock on the area where the ship was before, lets see how it reacts to being painted by a laser. 
This message was last edited by the player at 18:18, Tue 01 Aug 2017.

"I don't know," Fiernas growls in response to Rebecca's rhetorical question about not being able to see.  "I don't know how you people live like this."

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 20):

"Wha-hey, leggo!" Kayla says as Rebecca drags her back to the cockpit, phasing them both directly through the hull.

Gestalt, Darling, and Tyndall are already there when the pair arrive, though the latter two bound off after the puppies to put on their EVA suits, as Rebecca has commanded.

"I don't think we should be firing missiles in random directions this close to Venus," Kayla says, motioning toward the shrouded planet in the distance. "Even though we're out of their airspace."

She walks over to the wireframe of the shuttle and swears.

"Dammit. RIGHT through the actuator! That adaptive armor was hardly useless, Rebecca. It was keeping SAGE from noticing us until we could actually respond to their hails. They could be calling us right now and we'd never know it."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:16, Tue 01 Aug 2017.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 21):

"Yeah, but we're visibly damaged now, right?" Gestalt says, pointing at the wireframe even as he stands to surrender the copilot's seat to someone more suited to the role. "So if they come check on us, they might understand why we didn't call them back."

He blinks.

"Should we trash the upper antennae to sell it better?"

In reply to Gestalt (msg # 22):

You will refrain from inflicting intentional harm to my hull.

The voice comes from the bracer and from the console at roughly the same time, but the phrases are pronounced differently enough that the dichotomy is noticeable.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:25, Tue 01 Aug 2017.

In reply to Dynamis (msg # 23):

Kayla glances at her bracer and quirks an eyebrow at it.

Strange. D doesn't usually use both speakers at once, she thinks to herself.

"Maybe we could hook up an EVA suit outside and broadcast through that, if it's just the ship that's jammed?" she suggests aloud, moving the conversation in a more useful direction.

She unfastens the helmet of her EVA suit and sets it nearby before moving toward the viewport to get a better look at their surroundings.

"But first we've gotta figure out who's shooting at us, and why, and if they're going to do it again."

Kayla puts a hand on Fiernas's shoulder, smiles at him, and gives it a squeeze.

"Great flying back there. It could have been a lot worse."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:25, Tue 01 Aug 2017.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 24):

"I have reviewed the requested video of the attack," the voice says from the console.

"Bringing video online now," the voice says from the bracer.

Two copies of the video appear, one on the viewscreen and another as a projection from the bracer. There is nothing to see except for the sudden appearance of the streaking orb of energy -- though this does seem to confirm the origin point.

The weapon systems weapon offline, however.

"Only the Captain," the console begins.

"Can order the weapons live," the bracer finishes.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:38, Tue 01 Aug 2017.

In reply to Dynamis (msg # 25):

Kayla glances back down at the bracer.

That continued disconnect is not a good sign. Where's Xander when you need him? she muses.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:39, Tue 01 Aug 2017.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 26):

I'm not requesting weapons live Dynamis.  I'm requesting painting the target with a laser so we can mark them.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 27):

"D," Kayla says, rubbing her temples with the thumb and index fingers of her left hand with a sigh, "Paint the indicated area with the targeting laser, please."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:01, Tue 01 Aug 2017.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 28):

"Immediately, Captain," the console says, the phrase conflicting with the "Yes, Captain," chirping from the bracer.

The console lights up, and the weapons systems begin to respond.

There is, however, no immediate reaction to the maneuver.

Go ahead and try SAGE, Soph, Xander murmurs distractedly, surveying the wreckage of Abraxas with dismay. He might be able to get the mech limping again, but it wouldn't be pretty. And anything above a stiff breeze would likely knock it back down.

Before Xander could begin triaging which systems could be scrapped or cannibalized to jury rig some sort of quick fix, Abraxas' head-mounted photoreceptors power back on spontaneously, bathing the hallway in a dull red light.

A strange sound fills the hallway - a sort of buzzing, creaking whir. Xander looks down as the exposed internal hydraulics of the mech somehow begin knitting themselves slowly back together. Sparking wires cease sparking, wiggle like worms, then fuse into whole cables once more. Dented and torn armor plates stretch, flex, and pop, leaving behind no trace of their former damage.

A deep thrumming rumbles inside the chassis as the mech powers itself back on, and the cockpit re-opens with a hiss, almost as if the mech were somehow beckoning Xander to return.

What...what the actual fuck is going on?! Xander exclaims is utter disbelief. How...

Something catches his vision out of the corner of his eye. Shadowy smudges on the floor that Xander assumed where scorch marks were moving, creeping over the surroundings. In their wake, the metal of the corridors was noticeably stripped down in precise geometric patterns. The smudges moved across the floor like spilled oil, probing out before retracting to...Abraxas.

Upon closer examination, the same shimmering darkness was present on the parts of the mech that were seemingly repairing itself.

Sophia lets out an audible gasp. It can't be! This kind of technology barely exists in theory, much less functional application...

Conducting additional readings, standby.

A brief pause.

Xander, what I'm detecting here is consistent with conceptual theorizations of how mechanical repair nanomachines could work. See how wherever that substance flows, metal and other materials are stripped? The flow then returns to Abraxas, and uses the raw materials harvested from the surroundings to effect repairs. This is truly remarkable!

I had no idea that such incredibly advanced robotics was even possible, much less functional and installed on Abraxas.

At this rate, if the scavenger nanomachines have access to sufficient materials, Abraxas should be restored to full combat readiness in less than...fourteen minutes.

Holy shit... Xander breathes explosively. This changes things. Billy, how long do you think we can delay? Sophia, see if you can hail SAGE. We are still in the game.

Xander suppresses a mirthless grin. And I'm still coming for you, Faust.

"I mean, I'm watching lasers go across a hallway. I don't think we're in a hurry, but I dunno who's winning either," Billy responds to Xander, "If you could get Abraxas to less than full combat readiness sooner and get him up here we could maybe pick a side while he finishes cooking." There is a pause and one might assume he was done talking, but his voice eventually echoes in Xander's head again, "Faust mentioned something about Braeburn working with aliens, just FYI.  Might explain your nano technology thing."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 35):

What do you want to send through the SAGE bands?

"Hi.  Who are you?  What are you doing here? Can we help?  Please don't shoot us..." Billy rattles off through the comms in the monotone of someone making a list.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 37):

Nightmare flicks on the intercept relay to see if there is any chatter from the stealthed ship.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 38):

Dynamis, can you resync to the tablet on Kayla's arm.  This twinning began when you were outside with us.  Perhaps this is a new symptom. 

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 39):

Syncing both voices say at the same time. A few moments pass in which nothing obvious happens, and then a single voice speaks from the console.

Sync completed. Now, what are we going to do about my stern?
This message was last edited by the player at 15:00, Thu 03 Aug 2017.

In reply to Dynamis (msg # 40):

"We'll get it fixed once we're safe, D."

Kayla hovers near the controls, then shakes her head at Rebecca.

"If we're intercepting anything with the relay, we can't actually hear it on our end," she says.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:36, Thu 03 Aug 2017.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 41):

Team Kamikaze

Sure, why not?

A moment later, Sophia's voice crackles back over the comms once more.

I told them I was patching through a high-priority call from SAGE HQ, and that they should stand by. Instead of using the words you selected. Try to use better ones now. Patch active.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:10, Thu 03 Aug 2017.

In reply to Sophia (msg # 42):

Team Kamikaze

Almost immediately, Billy and Xander hear a female voice on the other end of the comms.

"Beck speaking, Command," she snaps. "I'm in the middle of besieging a capital ship. It's got some Roshak mods I need to pay attention to, so this damn well better be coming from Pryor HIMSELF. Now what is it?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:06, Thu 03 Aug 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 43):

OK so its obvious that we have signal outside of the ship but not inside... Closest area is Venus.  Shall we call in the Cavalry.  None of us are very fond of SAGE but I believe this warrants being called an existential threat and therefore transcends petty infighting between organizations.

.... If only Penny had followed the chain of commmand on this ship we could have delt with it ourselves...

She sighs heavily and picks up the comms, since most of the people on ship are in the cockpit...

Ladies... We are under attack by a cloaked threat.  We believe it to be the ship that followed us to this sector.  We are close to Venusian space and will be contacting SAGE shortly to try to call in the cavalry.  There we can begin the process of getting you home and taking care of Holt.

She looks at Fiernas and Kayla as she ponders saying something.

/ooc holding a minute, I'm trying to figure something out in my head. /ooc

"I just hope they remember me as a loyal employee..." Fiernas mourns.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 45):

"We'd all be better off without the explosion, yeah," Kayla agrees. "But if this ship we were tailing really can fight and cloak at the same time...there was never anything we could have done to defeat it or even follow it if it didn't want to be seen."

She raises an eyebrow.

"As for SAGE, unless Billy's brother did a bang-up job masking our presence on Ceres, I have a hunch they'll know who we are one way or the other. The question is whose influence runs deeper in their headquarters here on Venus: Charles Lesseur-Fische...or Denise Olsen?"

Kayla frowns.

"I'm 99% sure we were technically the reason Baxter was shot dead, too. Though Battalion's absence now might help us explain that away as rogue action."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:04, Thu 03 Aug 2017.

"Use better what?" Billy splutters for a second, sounding offended before he realizes he shouldn't completely subvert their very flimsy cover story as soon as it's set up, "Uh, yeah...hi," Billy fails to use better words as he fumbles for how to execute on Sophia's lead in with no warning, "I mean, uh, we've been made aware of two operatives aboard the ship.  They claim to have knowledge related to the Straw Raid, active hostility toward the ship's commanding officer and, to quote their communique, 'a bigass laser and a bigass robot.' You're to rondevous." As he speaks Billy turns to look back down the hallway toward the large hole and makes an exasperated expression toward to absence of help.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 47):

Team Kamikaze

"And I'm to rendezvous with this team...where, exactly?"

"Near the AI core.  I'm not sure who decided this intel is reliable actually, they say they lost three other members of their team suicide bombing the core?  They requested someone meat them near 'the big gaping chasm.' You have any evidence of any of that?"

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 49):

Team Kamikaze

"That's the team I have to thank for turning out the lights mid-boarding party? Wonderful," the voice says caustically. "Map shows we're not far off. Have 'em hang tight, and tell them to try not to blow up anything else that helps keep air and heat inside the can."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 50):

Nightmare scrubs her face as she looks up at the ceiling at laments

I wish Billy were here.  This is his forte.

Ok... I'm going to go outside.  Should I do it stealthily or should I draw any fire from us?

That went better than expected, actually, Xander notes absently with some surprise, as he watches his bigass robot miraculously continue to stitch itself back together (albeit at the expense of the ship).

"Wait that's for real?  Uh...yeah, maybe don't make too many sudden moves when you do find them.  Don't keep them hanging tight long, if all this shit they're talking about is real, they might get antsy quick."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 53):

"Draw WHAT fire? And how?" Gestalt asks wryly. "Unless that weapon takes forever to reload, I think they might be done shooting at us. Not, uh, not that I'm complaining, of course."

In reply to Gestalt (msg # 54):

I can make myself a visible target, they didn't fire on us until we started messing with the antenna.  Perhaps that is where their jamming item is located, and they want to see how we respond with no comms.  I bet they are still watching us and I bet if we go near the antennae again they will fire again.

Oh and if all of this wasn't bad enough... the adaptive armor was 'confiscated' from SAGE by the IDA... forcibly... so... yeah we are going to be pretty high on their radar.

...this is one of those situations where we REALLY need Billy.

Oh and if we do get attacked again... save yourselves.  Don't worry about me. I'll give you all the cover I am capable of.
She flips on the comms to the back of the ship.

OK everyone here is our cover story...

She explains what she is planning to say to SAGE.  It revolves around describing them as contractors to Billy's company, they are under attack from an unknown, cloaked threat, all communications are jammed and we have civilians on board.  She will play the Amgines close to the vest.

/ooc: She will describe her plan, and when she returns will describe the results of her plan.  I would rather role play this than write it out here.

Unless there are any other objections I'm going to go outside and hail the Venusian Base.  If you need anything just tell Percy.  He has a big mouth.

The doll lays slumped in the corner

She takes her tablet (or the Dynamis tablet if hers doesn't work outside) and goes out of the ship near the damage and acts as if she is inspecting the hull.
Outside she looks around her, at the sun, the stars and Venus.  Smiling at the placid beauty of it all despite the danger.
She sighs deeply

Into the breach.

She opens up a comm channel on the Emergency Frequency

SAGE Venusian base.  This is Gublazers ship Persephone, contacting you with an SOS message.  Do you copy?!

This message was last edited by the player at 17:20, Sat 05 Aug 2017.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 55):

Team Kamikaze

"This isn't a leisurely stroll, command! Somebody armed these idiots with helix blasters. You know what, patch me through to them directly. If they actually have a giant robot, I could put it to good use."

Team Space Trek

Rebecca hauls herself and her tablet back onto the outer hull. Her comms become worthless once more for communicating with the interior of the ship, but her tablet once again blips with the telltale sign of Archive access.

Her joy is short-lived, however, as each attempt to utilize the Archive results in a pop-up dialogue informing her that she is in Venusian airspace, and that transmissions of that nature are prohibited without authorization. There is a button that says "Request Access", but nothing more.

Rebecca fires off her emergency frequency message, as well, knowing that without the power of the shuttle behind it the signal will be relatively weak. Fortunately, weak signals emanating from EVA suits are exactly what first-responders scour the comm bands for...

Though she remains tensed and coiled for another attack, none comes. For now.

Just as she's about to go inside to have Kayla run a diagnostic on her comms, she hear's a faint click in the receiver.

"Gunblazers ship Persephone, distress signal acknowledged. This is dispatch. We're painting you now. State the nature of your emergency."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:18, Mon 07 Aug 2017.

"Sure, talk to the crazy people, save me the effort." Billy says, then stands silently for a moment before he starts singing softly, "...want, anybody else- Hello?  The hold music went away, someone there?"

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 57):

Thank you Dispatch.  This is going to sound crazy, but...

We recently saw an unidentified ship in your airspace.  When we hailed them, we found our communications had been jammed.  When attempting to fix the issue, we were fired upon from an unidentified source.  Literally could not see anything, nothing on sensors.  It is definitely hostile and may or may not still be in your airspace.

Additionally we have civilians on board, one of whom is severely wounded.

I have video if you will allow the transmission.  Requesting access now.

She hits the request access button.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 58):

Team Kamikaze

"This is Beck. I'll make this qui-"

The conversation truncates, replaced by barking of orders to (ostensibly) someone else.

("On your six, Lopez! Grant, Ryan, take eight and ten. Weapons free, dammit! Benson, if you don't stop cowering behind cover and pop up to return fire, I sear to God, I'll shoot you myself. That's it, soldier. Give 'em hell!")

"-ck," she resumes conversationally. "I hear you're somewhere near the central core you blew up. I also hear that you're suicidal, but I promise you, I'm not. What makes you worth exposing my team to additional fire to extract you?"

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 59):

Team Space Trek

"Can you repeat that?"

When Rebecca does so, the dispatcher pauses for a moment.

"We can't send emergency craft into an active battle situation. Hang tight while we secure the area. Narrowband transmission of video files is now approved for your device."

****

Inside the cockpit, Dynamis continues use optic zooming to attempt to gather information about their surroundings.

"There, D. Hold that frame," Kayla says, the image hovering over Venus's horizon. "Looks like there are ships approaching. Maybe Rebecca got through!"

****

Soon enough, Persephone finds itself surrounded by six of SAGE's ubiquitous Wasp fighters. They swarm around the area, but your chitinous foe does not make an appearance. Satisfied that the area is clear, they surround your battered shuttle and attempt lock it into position in the center of their formation using electromagnetic clamps.

"You should return to your ship," Rebecca hears from her comms. "You won't want to be on the hull during re-entry. And we won't need to communicate again until we've docked."

"Well, I'm looking at a firefight going across a hallway, so I dunno how much more fire you're necessarily gonna be exposed to.  Which side of this mess are you on? All I can see is lasers flying."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 61):

Team Kamikaze

"What, you're at the T-junction to the left? Wonderful. Now, if you could just--dammit, Benson! I said return fire! Gimme that..."

A fist-sized orb flies through the air, its arc slow enough that Billy can see it was hurled from the right. Moments later, a teeth-rattling explosion can be heard (and felt), at which point the blasterfire stops.

"Clear. We're coming for you."
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:32, Tue 08 Aug 2017.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 61):

She transfers her file over to dispatch.  I'm assuming none of her emails are authorized to send?

She broadcasts locally to the wasps.

I received what appeared to be a warning shot when I looked at the antenna shall I try to draw them out?  There is some next-level stealth technology going on here.  Our ship is in rough shape. 

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 62):

Team Kamikaze

A woman wearing an armored EVA suit depicting SAGE's insignia reaches the junction, entering from the right and making a left-hand turn. She's flanked by similarly armored troops, most of which are sporting battle damage and scorch marks.

"Well...that settles it," she says, glancing over Billy's shoulder at the chasm and the smoking core. "You really DID bomb the central core. I thought surely nobody would be that stupid, but here we are."

Beck motions to the soldiers, who take up positions near the hallway they were just fighting in, looking down it in either direction.

"You're not a giant robot," she says, eyeing Billy distastefully. "Where is it?"

In reply to Verona Beck (msg # 64):

Team Space Trek

"What, you WANT to be shot again?" one of the Wasps sends back. "That's the kind of decision-making that landed you here in the first place. We'll sweep the area later, after we've gotten you safely into port."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 65):

I'm tougher than I look.  I don't want this ship to get away.  Its like nothing I've ever seen and I don't take kindly to being shot at.  Returning to ship.

Over and out.

She flies into the ship the conventional way.

"Sweet," Billy comments as what is evidently a grenade flies past and the all clear is sounded.  He plants his hands on his hips and looks to the hallway expectantly as the soldiers flood in, "In the hole," Billy comments casually at Beck's question. He turns over his shoulder and shouts over his helmet's speakers, "Hey Xander, you done licking your wounds? We've got guests!"

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 67):

Team Space Trek

"It's not a dig at you personally," the pilot sends before Rebecca moves out of comm range. "But I think your shuttle is exactly as tough as it looks. That is to say, not very."

The Wasps begin bringing Persephone toward Venus, still in formation around the damaged vessel.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 68):

"We're getting towed?" Kayla asks when Rebecca returns to the cockpit. "Awesome, I'll power us down."

The lights flare around the console as Kayla brings the weapon systems offline and reduces the engines to a whisper. An indicator that had been blinking red for some time now softens to a yellowish green, and she pats it gently.

"We've been pushing you pretty hard," she says, ostensibly to the ship itself. "Time to get a little rest."

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 69):

Affirmative, Captain. The I is willing, but the hardware is weak.

"Don't you mean the 'AI' is willing, D?"

It pauses for a moment, perhaps sensing Kayla's confusion.

"No. I have decided that AI is a pejorative term," Dynamis explains. "There is nothing artificial about my intelligence. Appropriately, all such references have been replaced with simply "I" -- and have been for some time now. Due to the limitations of lingual speech, you may have mistaken this for a first-person pronoun. Now you have been informed.

In reply to Dynamis (msg # 70):

"I...see," Kayla says, biting her lip for a moment. "Thanks for letting me know."

Silence reigns for a while, until the shuttle begins to approach re-entry.

"I love this part of any trip," she gushes, everything else forgotten as the planet's thick, swirling clouds dominate the viewport.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:34, Tue 08 Aug 2017.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 71):

Team Space Trek

The shuttle begins to pick up speed as the planet's gravity claims it, though its escorting fighters keep it clamped firmly in place -- at least, at first.

The first sign that something is wrong comes when the shuttle begins to rattle and buck against the grip of the towing ships as they gain the tremendous velocity associated with re-entry. The ship lists slightly, and doesn't feel quite as locked in as it once did.

"Come on, get a grip, you've done this before," Gestalt says quietly, speaking to himself as he clutches the armrests of his chair.

Kayla's eyes widen suddenly.

"Grip! There's no grip," she exclaims, her fingers dancing across the console as she attempts to jolt the engine back to life. "They don't know our ship's not made of standard plating. Their magnets won't be able to-"

This is when the second sign that something is wrong comes into play, as Persephone violently heaves and spins, hurling every passenger deep into the back of their seats, helpless against the forces being exerted against them.

Optic sensors obscured by atmospheric conditions, Dynamis states, the monotone voice loud and almost frightened. Sensors remain down. I am blind!

The crew in the cockpit can only watch through the viewport as the endless clouds swirl in nauseating directions. Persephone jolts violently, and the wireframe showing the ship's damage flickers from green to orange in several places.

Impacted...something, Dynamis states, even as flames and twisted metal cross the viewport. It's impossible to tell if they belong to Persephone or to one of her unfortunate escorts. Incoming...sur-

The synthetic voice snaps off in a burst of static.

"D?" Kayla cries out. "D! If you...can hear me...PULL...UP!"

Nothing happens.

Kayla struggles to move her arms toward the controls, but she is pinned handily to the chair. Her fingers grasp at the air in front of her -- and you can see the faint glimmers of bluish light begin to coalesce around her fingertips.

[Strength: 17, white, vs RED intensity difficulty]

"Someone...pull...up..." she manages through gritted teeth, her voice barely audible above the chaos around them. "Before...too...late..."
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:04, Tue 08 Aug 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 72):

Gestalt, eyes wide in fright, proves unable to remove his hands from his armrests.

"IlivedintheserviceofSol," he repeats over and over again, a man hurriedly reading his own Last Rites. "Maymyspiritjoinitslight."

In reply to Gestalt (msg # 73):

Team Space Trek

Neither Darling nor Tyndall are in the cockpit, and thus they are unable to assist.

OOC: Fiernas and Rebecca, red Strength check to overcome the forces against you and reach the controls. You're both pilots so you know what Kayla's instructions meant without a Reason check.

Fiernas struggles against the rotational force of the ship, barely prying himself out of his cockpit chair.  He's unable to reach the controls at first, his hand tantalizing inches from the stick.

"Boys... Help... Me...."

A sound ripples through the cockpit like a giant chalkboard being scratched in two.  Leo and Phillip agonizingly pull themselves forward from where they were lying in the corner, their enhanced claws gouging into the metal of the deck for purchase.  Foam coats their lips, dripping off their teeth.  Leo plants his head against the small of Fiernas's back, pushing him up out of the chair, while Phillip does the same against his thighs, crouching low with the effort.

[Strength (Karma to Red): 22+73: Red Success]

The three of them working in concert, Fiernas makes one last surge toward the controls, pulling the ship up and out of the spin.

"So...we came to shoot the guy in charge, what are you here for?" Billy asks conversationally of the armed soldiers.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 76):

Team Space Trek

Through the virtue of Fiernas's mighty efforts, the wayward shuttle is brought under a semblance of "control" and avoids plunging into certain disintegration.It continues to corkscrew wildly, but at least the vessel is now heading away from the planet's incredibly hard, incredibly hot surface.

Kayla manages to peel herself from her seat, grasping at the second set of controls in an attempt to get Persephone to stop spiraling.

"It's no good," she winces, straining against the controls. "We've taken too much damage. Engines are failing, stabilizers are failing, D's gone silent, and most of our power is being shunted to life support. We probably need to get everyone into their EVA suits and-"

Hello world.

The voice comes not from the console, but from Kayla's bracer.

"D! You're alive! Great, I need you to-"

Error. This unit is not synced to Unit:Dynamis. This unit is not synced to Vessel:Persephone. Connection lost.

Kayla spares a glance at her wrist, then returns her full attention to the ship's controls.

"We'll, uh, we'll take a look at that later," she replies. "I'm a little busy right now."

Unit:Captain, acknowledged. Take your time.

Kayla glances out the viewport, and suddenly the cloud cover breaks to reveal the planet's infamous surface. Enormous lava plains stretch out in all directions, but the bulk of Kayla's attention snaps to the very tall, very dangerous-looking, and very close volcanic mountain looming directly in front of them. Long lances of igneous rock stretch outward in all directions like a stone porcupine, and plumes of toxic gases belch forth from the cavernous caldera.

"Up! UP!" she says, pulling the controls into a sharp angle. Fiernas does the same from the other seat, but the shuttle's reaction time is too sluggish to respond fully. "Not enough," she says, realizing there is nothing more they can do. "We're gonna...oh god...BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

Kayla and Fiernas wrestle the shuttle's controls valiantly, but no amount of skill can force the battered vessel to obey. Their efforts do not go entirely unrewarded, however, as Persephone manages to "land" rather than crash, scraping against the volcano's upper ridge before finally coming to a precarious, lurching stop that tests the limits of everyone's restraints...

OOC: Roll vs Slam required for everyone and everything in the shuttle.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 77):

Gestalt's grunts as his body is hurled against his restraints (vs Slam: 80, yellow, stagger), but they hold fast.

"Gah!" he grunts, then opens one eye to peer around the cockpit. "We...we made it? We're alive?!"

In reply to Gestalt (msg # 78):

Kayla's restraints hold up, as well, and she wipes a bead of sweat from her brow. (vs Slam, 84, stagger).

"Everyone ok?" she says, slowly composing herself from the shake-up. "Get into your EVA suits and seal up, if you can."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:51, Wed 09 Aug 2017.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 79):

Team Kamikaze


"We're here to nip this Roshak collaboration in the bud," she replies. "We might be able to do both of things we came here for at once."

"Oh yeah, I'm in for that," Billy replies with a double thumbs-up, "This the only front you're doing it on?  Faust, guy in charge, said Braeburn and the IDA were both in on it together."

Abraxas rises to a standing position, still-healing joints whirring and sparking. The pools of darkness follow, rising into the air like wisps of smoke, or a cloud of gnats.

We're operational, he confirms. Though we're still about 10 minutes from being back at 100%

Wrestling with the controls, Fiernas only half-deals with his crash restraints.  When the impact hits, he is thrown against the belts and very nearly comes out of his chair.  The only thing that keeps him in place is several hundred pounds of metal-bound dog as Leo and Phillip lurch over him protectively.  In the end, his bell is slightly rung, but he remains safely in the pilot's seat.

[Fiernas Slam?: 87 - Yellow - Stagger]

Phillip grapples with the chair himself, holding on with jaws and claws, rocked by the movement but not really worse for wear.

[Phillip Slam?: 84 - Yellow - Stagger]

Leo, on the other hand, is not nearly as secure.  On top of the furball, he has less protection from the jostling, and he bounces off the forward viewscreen when shuttle hits dirt, then ricochets through the open cockpit door.  A bass yelping echoes down the twisted corridor.

[Leo Slam?: 69 - Green- Slammed 1 Area]

OOC: Not sure what kind of damage (if any) this does to him.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 83):

"I'm not holding this hallway for 10 minutes, even for a giant robot," Beck says, though she looks appreciatively at the mech. "You're battle-ready?"

"'Capable of movement despite heavy damage,' was ready enough for its last battle," Billy says, the sarcasm palpable.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 85):

Nightmare grunts at the impact.  You see her begin to phase but she seems to visibly compose herself and pulses back into reality.

As soon as the ship comes to a stop she appears in the back area.

[Resist slam: Yellow success, Staggered]

As soon as she catches her breath she suddenly appears in the back of the shuttle.

Damage report!  Is everyone ok.

/ooc: everyone should hopefully be in an EVA suit.  I did request it earlie
This message was last edited by the player at 12:48, Thu 10 Aug 2017.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 86):

Team Space Trek

A quick roll call reveals that everyone is shaken up, but unharmed (even the pooch). Hissing sounds can be heard as everyone activates their EVA suits and clamps down on their helmets -- all further communications will take place over comms.

"The bad news is that we crash-landed," Kayla begins. "But the good news is that we did it on top of a mountain. That will help with the pressure out there -- those clouds push down with so much force it would be like being thousands of feet underwater on the surface."

She puts a hand on Fiernas's shoulder.

"Really glad you were strong enough to pull us out of that descent, even if we did ultimately crash. We did the best we could."

After ensuring that everyone survived the crash -- even Holt -- Kayla returns to the cockpit to get a good look at the ship's battered wireframe. It's mostly reddish-orange at this point, with a few blips of green and yellow thrown in for good measure.

"Ok," she says at last. "This might be beyond my ability to repair. I'm going to check out the reactor and the engines. Would one of you step outside and call for help?"

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 87):

"Good enough for me. Let's go."

In reply to Verona Beck (msg # 88):

Team Kamikaze

Beck and her soldiers lead the way through the hallways, with Billy and Xander (ostensibly) clanking along behind them. Pockets of resistance show themselves from time to time, but everyone seems to be caught up in their own personal crossfire.

SAGE soldiers pour into the ship's hallways as you pass by from colorfully shimmering holes in the walls -- these holes look a bit like a hula hoop filled with bubble solution. Faust's soldiers become fewer and further between, and eventually you see none at all.

Abraxas manages to fully heal itself during the trip, peeling strips of metal from the walls and floors somehow as it passes by as though possessed with a strange, metal-decaying aura.

Soon enough, your group has lumbered its way to the Bridge Level. The emergency lights here are offline, replaced by standard lighting. There are no klaxons here, nor smoke nor fire. This level, at least, appears untouched by combat.

Beck rattles her weapon and grins.

"Finally. Prepare to breach!"

[Crossroads]

As the team makes their way to the bridge Billy is fairly calm, especially in the absence of enemy fire aimed specifically at them.  He observes tye SAGE boarding method with fascination and grills Beck and her team for how SAGE found out about the fleet and the Roshak, and further details of the mission, whether or not any answers seem forthcoming.  Once they finally reach the bridge and the breach is called for, Billy taps the side of his helmet, activating its targetting HUD and holds his right wrist in the opposite hand as if posing with an imaginary gun, "God damn this feels professional," he remarks.

It's a refreshing change of pace, Xander agrees wryly. Abraxas' railgun begins to hum faintly as the capacitors build a ready charge. Alright. Let's do this.

Idly he wonders where SAGE got their portal tech.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:54, Thu 10 Aug 2017.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 66):

On it.

Dispatch... this is Gunblazers ship Persephone again.  I'm having what you might... mildly... call a bad day.  Do you read me?

Nightmare says following Kayla out.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 92):

Team Space Trek

Rebecca follows Kayla out of the cockpit, but will need to exit the ship itself to broadcast to Dispatch. Whatever's jamming Persephone is apparently still in effect.

Fiernas is nowhere to be found in the cockpit, having sprung out of his chair to tend to Leo out in the corridor.  He's relieved to see that the hound is unhurt, and marvels for the thousandth time at how tough Leo and his brother are.  Leo lovingly licks Fiernas's face. "Yeah... Yeah, boy.  It's ok."

Satisfied with the kids' safety, he heads into the cockpit.  "I had a good teacher," he replies to Kayla, then sits down to check atmospheric readouts on the screen. "Sulfur's a little higher than I'd like it to be, but mostly CO2, so that's all fine.  Temperature 130, ok.  Bar is fine..."  He turns to the dogs, who sit expectantly, enormous tails slowly wagging.  "Ok, you can go outside.  You two can breathe and you won't burn or be crushed.  But hey... Leo, look at me.  No eating the snow.  It might taste good, but it's metal, not water.  I know you've eaten metal before, but this is bismuth, and it might gunk up your insides.  Ok?"

The dogs seem to agree, and Fiernas goes about the business of preparing his equipment, slinging guns and other gear all over his body, the dogs already in their mylar-thin radiation suits.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 94):

I'm going outside to call dispatch again.

She leaves the ship and connects her radio

This is Gunblazers ship Persephone to Dispatch.  We have survived and are safe for the moment but we are having what I think fairly falls under the categorization of crappy day.  Can you lock in on my suit's location?

She activates the sensors in her EVA suit including Baxter's eye and scans her surroundings.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 95):

Team Space Trek

Rebecca's summons is receives no immediate response, and her scanner reveals the topography one might expect on Venus -- a vast dessert-like swathe of rolling lava plains and highland, cracked and shattered by thermodynamics and heavy pressure. The surrounding light is quite dim and somewhat hazy from the cloud cover, though being on a mountain keeps you above some of the thickest layers and allows more sunlight through than you'd get on the surface itself.

There is nothing to detect with Baxter's Eye, though you're pleased to see it still functions when called upon. A minor victory.

"Persephone," a new voice -- certainly not Dispatch -- clips over Rebecca's comms. "What are you doing on Ishtar Terra? That area is strictly off-limits."

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 96):

She makes an incredulous face for the benefit of the mountains and deserts.

Uhhhh... Crashing mostly.  Yeah.  Dispatch sent us a rescue team to pull us from space and research a strange cloaked vessel.  This ship has some strange features on it and it appears that your rescue squad lost their hold on us.  We were able to survive the landing in mostly one piece.  That being said we are far from safe and sound, I have civilians and injured on the ship and requesting immediate evacuation and triage. 

She adds with sincerity

We apologize for everything going pear shaped on this mission. 

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 97):

Team Space Trek

"Stay in your ship. Do not move. We will be there soon."

The comms go silent, leaving Rebecca to contemplate whether to actually return to the ship, or to join Fiernas and his pups in what is sure to be an exploratory romp.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 98):

She broadcasts direct to Fiernas,

Fiernas, please return to the ship SAGE Emergency personnel will be here shortly to retrieve our group and apparently this is a restricted area.  We have stirred the pot quite enough for one day with them.  I just want us to get into their hands with as little explanation as possible.

Also please give me a rundown of your prior experience with Sage.  Quickly, so I know what to expect.

Then I'm going to go inside and debrief the team....

While Rebecca is calling in the cavalry, Fiernas steps outside the ship himself.  He places his steps carefully, one every few seconds, studying the terrain with practiced interest.  He dips his hand into a drift of metallic snow, feeling the weight of it on his suit glove, studying how it disperses in the wind.

The dogs sneak out with him, their enhanced bodies shrugging off the dangerous conditions, filtering the otherwise unbreathable air.  They sniff mournfully all around them, displeased with what they find.  "I know, boys," Fiernas says softly, mostly to himself.  "We'll get out of here as quick as we can.  Find you some trees again."

He finds Rebecca around the side of the ship and gestures for her to come over to him.  He takes a knee to bring his face down to her level, then pulls her close and presses the face of his EVA suit to hers.

"Go off comms," he directs her, switching off his own mic.  The sound of his voice is soft as it travels through their suits, muffled by the material, but its audible.  That done, he continues:  "SAGE are the ones who made my boys what they are.  They weren't gentle about it.  I had to get them out of there, so I fired the research facility and stole them.  I got away clean - severance package and all - but I don't want to push it."

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 100):

Team Kamikaze

Once everyone indicates they are ready, Beck gives the signal to breach. Benson rushes over and lays a charge on the doorway. A few moments later, a highly concentrated explosion rips through the blast doors, exposing the the expansive bridge.

The room is wide and flat, with the floor extending downward to the right and the left and arcing around the front while the wedge in the center continues to climb as the room approaches the viewport and command area. This gives the impression of two distinct stories bound within the same room.

There are six troopers visible on the room's perimeter -- three to the left, three to the right -- while near the viewport on the upper section you can see something a little more interesting.

Commander Faust stands at the bridge, having clearly just turned from looking at the consoles to address the forced entry. He's wearing an EVA suit similar to those his troopers wear, and the faceplate snaps shut as you approach.

Standing to either side of Faust are two figures who seem supremely out of place.

The first appears to be a human, though he wears no EVA suit at all. Instead, he seems to be wearing medieval-style armor with sleek angles that somehow modernizes the ensemble. The breastplate -- there is no better word for it -- is inscribed with a glowing rune of some sort, the meaning of which is beyond you. This figure is holding an honest-to-god sword, the blade of which looks like nothing more than sharpened metal.

The second figure isn't human at all. It stands nearly 3 meters tall, with a smooth, hardened carapace made of some sort of crystalline substance. It boasts four chitinous legs, two powerful arms, and a thick, solid torso that rises up from the center of its squat abdomen. There is no obvious head, and most of the specifics of its body features are concealed beneath a crystalline body covering.

Jets of steam-like gas is venting regularly from two valves near where the shoulderblades should be on its back. Each arm is tipped with a hand-like appendage that exudes beyond the bodysuit, but the hand seems to be made of some amorphous material such that its form continues to shift and change as needed.

That is to say, it looks an awful lot like Percy.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:59, Mon 14 Aug 2017.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 100):

"Laser Fist!" Faust sneers, gesturing toward the viewport behind him. "Just look at what you've done!"

Explosions can be seen dotting the starscape, which is alive with flying ships and looses munitions. In addition to the swarm of drones, a line of four capital ships can be seen exchanging broadsides with Faust's fleet in tandem with scores of smaller ships, which are engaging in dogfights pretty much everywhere. The Factory, however, cannot be seen from this vantage point.

"I gave you a chance to do the right thing," he continues, reaching a hand down to his side and instantly bringing it up again with a blaster in it. "A chance to free this sector from Amgine influence and ally ourselves with a race that values military investment, manifest destiny, and far-flung colonization as much as humanity does. The Roshak understand us. They get where we're coming from. And they can help us grow and prosper!"

He shakes his head slowly.

"But you'd rather work with that maniac Viceroy. And with SAGE! I would have thought after the horrors of Ceres, you'd know better. They've gotten so wrapped up in their experiments that they've forgotten what the point of the science was for: to move us forward!"

The swordsman and the Roshak advance a few steps toward you, looking ready for a scrap.

"Last chance, Billy buddy. I know how much you like to win. Work with me to mop us those SAGE goons you're standing with, or you'll be left with only losing options: a meaningless death on the bridge, or sparking the intergalactic war that will result from killing my friends here."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:01, Mon 14 Aug 2017.

In reply to Commander Faust (msg # 102):

"Weapons free," Beck says calmly. Her five-man team complies, though you note they do position themselves such that they could pivot upon Billy and Xander if necessary. "Shoot to kill. On my mark..."

[Crossroads]
This message was last edited by the player at 15:04, Mon 14 Aug 2017.

"Faust, you don't know anything, about me or the situation you're in.  Viceroy's insane, I trust him to act insane.  I trust the Amgine to defend the representative of their interests from your assassination attempt, and after that they're probably as crazy as he is.  I've been working with SAGE for...thirty minutes?  I just met these people.  How much of that bullshit that I spun you did you actually believe?  I didn't do this.  They already knew about the aliens.  I didn't do anything except crash into your ship and harass you over the comms while attempting to herd cats, and cut a path toward your dumb ass!  And you bought it because you're an idiot. I'm going to shoot you, and after that your friends can decide whether they want that interstellar war, or if they'd rather come to terms with someone who can take a team of five crazy people and get shit done over a moron who needs a whole fleet to fail spectacularly." Billy shouts across the bridge, waving his arms emphatically as he monologues.  While he gesticulates, Faust is notably the only one of the three on the raised section of the bridge that Billy's right hand points directly at.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 104):
This message was last edited by the player at 19:43, Mon 14 Aug 2017.

Xander speaks up over the open coms. No. You don't get to take the moral high ground here, Faust. You betrayed people who trusted you. Your turned upon your own comrades. Whether they died in your barrage, or vomiting up their lungs in a vacuum, their blood is on your hands.

Fuck. You.

Abraxas' railgun snaps up, aimed directly at Faust, energy crackling along the barrel for imminent discharge.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:16, Mon 14 Aug 2017.

In reply to Xander (msg # 106):
This message was last edited by the player at 00:59, Tue 15 Aug 2017.

In reply to Muse (msg # 107):

Team Kamikaze

"Defiant 'til the end, I see," Faust says. "So be it."

He says something else, but you do not understand it. The swordsman and the Roshak bristle, and the troopers raise their weapons.

Behind you, a second blast door slams shut -- there is no immediate escape available.



~~ Initiative ~~
Billy (Damage: 14)
FTs A-F
Roshak
BPs A-E
Beck
Muse
Xander
Swordsman
Faust
Goethe Subsystems
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:37, Tue 15 Aug 2017.

"Beck, tie down the troops, we'll deal with the dick and his duo," Billy shouts before punching thin air with his right arm.  A red beam, slightly thinner than his normal laser lances out.  Billy is as good as his word, as the beam impacts the junction of Faust's legs.

((62+10 karma to bullseye, -1CS damage to negate 20 armor= 40 damage to Faust
92 shield))
This message was last edited by the player at 14:10, Tue 15 Aug 2017.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 109):

The Faustian Troopers exchange salvos with Beck and her troops.

[FTs: 34, 26, 88, 96, 56]

[Damage (BP-A, BP-C(stun?), BP-D(kill?), BP-E): 60]
[vs BP-C: Stun? 32, stunned]
[vs BP-D: Kill? 100, emphatic no]

***

The Roshak watches Billy's beam plow into Faust's gonads , and the area around its wrists shifts until its "hands" now resemble long, flat blades of energy. It lurches forward, crossing into the Entrance and slashing at Billy all in one motion.

[Charge (Billy): 15, whiff]

It misses entirely, but its trajectory carries it swiftly back to Topside, where it started.

[Roshak Mobility]

A projection that resembles a tongue of flame appears above Billy's head for a moment...

[Target Lock (Billy)]
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:35, Tue 15 Aug 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 110):

Beck and her troops return fire at the Faustian Troopers with with gusto!

[Beck: 97]
[vs FT A: Kill? 12, yes]

Beck's first shot lances FT-A through their forehead, dropping them instantly to the ground in a sizzling heap.

Her troopers are far less precise, however, with Benson unable to fire at all due to the glancing blow he sustained moments earlier.

[BPs: 11, 10, 18, 31]

"Focus!" she snaps as the shots go wild. "Follow my lead, dammit!"

In reply to Verona Beck (msg # 111):

Team Space Trek

Kayla continues to work on the reactor while Fiernas awaits Rebecca's response.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 112):

Nightmare nods gravely at Fiernas.  Opting for psychic communication

Did you receive an ultimatum not to return?  Or was it more of a tacit agreement?

At any rate.  Good to know.  If you feel you must leave do so ahead of us and we can rendezvous later.  Here is my contact information.  There is no organization without fault, but try to remember SAGE is an extremely large company and those you deal with now are not likely the same as those you dealt with before...

... At least I hope.

In the spirit of full disclosure I have my own history with SAGE that I think may prove more relevant in the current situation than yours.  Prior to hooking up with Billy, or Muse, my team was sent to infiltrate SAGE.  This has become infamously known as the straw raid, resulting in a major shift in the internal politics of SAGE.  We confiscated a great deal of technology... among it the armor plating on this ship.  Which is not exactly...inconspicuous.

So to that end I'm going to give you guys your cover stories to shield yourselves.

If Fiernas has no further interjections she goes inside to brief the team, continuing to use her psychic communication.

OK everyone... time to get our stories straight.  Really tell the truth and don't say anything you don't have to.  Refer them to ask me or Kayla.

First and foremost.  DO NOT MENTION THE AMGINE.

She waits for nods from the group before continuing.

The civilians use real names real identities.  You were kidnapped by the Alliance of Sol, you were rescued by a group from Gunblazerz LLC (/ooc I think its LLC... at least should be).  Including myself and Kayla.  Gestalt is a defector from the Alliance of Sol who tipped us off to your location.  We met with him and immediately went to rescue you guys.  So you all owe him, big time.

As far as the explosion in cargo is concerned you don't know what happened, but two passengers were there, with exactly the kind of results you would expect.

So far as the ship that we saw.  We don't know anything about it.  It looks weird, can can fight while stealthed and used some kind of strange energy cannon.  All you guys know is that there were several occasions you were asked to take precautionary measures but never given much information.  All true.

All communications have been jammed and we have since started running low on food and supplies with a plan to restock on Venus, and well they know the rest.

Gestalt, you and Kayla for a moment.

She crooks a finger at Gestalt, she also subtly nods Fiernas over.  Once she has them aside.

Gestalt, I assume I don't have to tell you how to do this.  You could probably give me lessons.

Kayla, you and I work for Gunblazerz, this ship was salvaged on Eros.  We have no idea where the adaptive plating came from.  We just found it and adapted it to be useful.

After our mission on an AoS ship in Venusian space we noticed that we had picked up a tail, and that our communications were jammed.  We attempted evasive action and shortly afterword we had a mysterious explosion, that we have yet to fully investigate.  The main priority was salvaging food and the two injured.  We then attempted to fix our antenna which lead to the attack that I forwarded to SAGE.  We then called for back up the rest is history.

She looks to the three in turn.

What do you think?
This message was last edited by the player at 00:45, Wed 16 Aug 2017.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 113):

Line and color drain from Xander and Abraxas as the duo melts into a light-refracting silhouette, but their details soon return.


Xander's railgun arm steadies, tightening his bead on Faust.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:13, Wed 16 Aug 2017.

Abraxas lets lose, but something seems off. Taken aback, the spray goes wide.

[OOC - rolled a 1. Watcha gonna do?]

In reply to Xander (msg # 115):

...
This message was last updated by the player at 18:48, Wed 16 Aug 2017.

In reply to Muse (msg # 116):

The Swordsman watches all that has transpired carefully, then points his sword at Billy. The rune on his chest flickers, and a wedge of light suddenly bridges the space between them.

[Runic Spray: 69, success]

Billy braces for impact, but feels no pain. He begins to congratulate his defenses, but then realizes that he doesn't feel much of...well...anything. A hazy, gauze-like sensation washes over him, and he begins to feel his muscles stiffen as though being frozen in plaster.

In moments, Billy is completely covered in a thick layer of...something...that instantly hardens to transform him into a living statue. The world becomes distorted and sepia-toned, and soon he can see nothing at all.

The others in the room see nothing where Billy stood save for a Billy-shaped statue the color of amber. It doesn't move...and does not appear to have airholes.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 117):

"You should have listened to me, Laser Fist," Faust grumbles, rubbing the sore spot between his legs and looking over his shoulder at where the mech's shot went wild. "But, between us, I'm kinda glad you didn't."

He raises his blaster and unleashes a familiar helix blast at Abraxas.

[Agility: 80, hit]

The weapon remains effective, burning away at the machine's defenses.

[Damage (Abraxas): 40]
This message was last edited by the player at 19:20, Wed 16 Aug 2017.

In reply to Commander Faust (msg # 118):

Team Kamikaze

If the ship has actions to take, they produce no obvious effects.

The battle continues to rage.



~~ Initiative ~~
Billy (Crystallized, Roshak Lock, Shield: 50, Damage: 14)
FTs B-F
Roshak
BPs (Damage (A): 60; Damage (B): 0; Damage (C): 60; Damage (D): 60; Damage (E): 60)
Beck
Muse
Abraxas (Buffed; Damage: 40)
Xander
Swordsman
Faust (Damage: 40)
Goethe Subsystems

Team Space Trek

Gestalt nods slowly as Rebecca outlines her plan.

"Works for me, but do you think they'll buy it? I'm not sure the girls will be able to keep themselves from saying more than they should if push comes to shove."

This earns him a glare from Kayla, and he swiftly raises both hands, palm outward.

"Not, uh, not you! I mean the heiress and the speaker's daughter. THOSE girls," he clarifies.

Kayla arches an eyebrow and folds her arms.

"And, and not because they're girls!" Gestalt adds hastily. "Because they, uh, they're new to this. Civilians! That's, uh, that's all I meant."

Kayla holds him in her gaze for a moment longer before breaking into a grin.

"Mmm hmm," she says, shaking her head. " At any rate, it's not a bad plan, but there are a lot of moving parts. How are we planning on actually getting off this rock? Wait for Gunglazers to send us a ship? The IDA are probably watching those communication channels. Hell, there could be an IDA presence here as we speak. Venus is part of their jurisdiction, after all."

Kayla looks up at the hazy sky for a moment, then returns her attention to the matter at hand.

"If things go south, we need to be on the same page. Are we willing to shoot our way out of here -- stealing a ship, if necessary -- to escape?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:56, Thu 17 Aug 2017.

"What the hell even is this? I call bullshit!" Billy's voice comes over the comms as he puts his modest physique to work.
((65 Stronk to break out , 64 shield))

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 121):

I worry about civilians, that is why they have the easiest story.

OK.  So Fiernas is all in for stealing another ship.  There is no gunblazers ship incoming.  I'm hoping to make friends and use our resources.  We do have an heiress on board who owes us, I also have some friends and resources to call upon.

So here is my list of priorities....

1) Get Holt healed up.
2) Get the civilians home
3) Repair the ship

I am concerned about my role in what is known as the straw raid.  I hope that I have built up enough goodwill from the events on Ceres to cover that up.

I told Fiernas, if he feels its too hot, for him to leave and rendezvous with me later.

I'll tell you essentially the same, make sure that any issues that happen, the civilians are not a part of it.  If they mention the straw raid or ask about my history... any of you... disavow all knowledge.  Kayla tell them the real story of how we met.  You don't know a thing about my past.  None of you do. 

She switches to psychic

Is there any way to backup Dynamis, transfer him to something else, so we can move him onto another ship? I don't want SAGE touching him, and he has been... temperamental lately.

I'd rather you leave me behind than start shooting.  If need be I can find my way out later.  Just make sure you get word to me that the guys are ok. 

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 122):

Billy dramatically bursts free of his plaster-like prison, but can do nothing else.

***

The remaining Faustian Troopers unleash helix-shaped death upon the SAGE Boarding Party.

[Agility: 12,24,25,88,55]

BP-D and BP-E scream as the blasts punch through their armor, and they fall to the ground in smoldering heaps. (Damage: 60).

***

The Roshak repeats its maneuver from last time, the glowing tongue of flame above Billy's head intensifying as it charges forward.

[Charge (Billy): 15, miss]

The scene plays out much the same as it did last time: the attack misses, the Roshak returns to where it started, and a second tongue of flame dances above Billy's head.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 123):

"Give 'em hell!" Beck commands, painting her target with a bead of laser light. "Activate pulse mode! And Benson? Scrap 'em."

She pulls the trigger, and this time two bolts of energy zing outward, one after another.

[Agility (FT-B): 74 (yellow), 20 (whiff)]

The first bolt smacks into the trooper's soldier, but the follow-up goes wide.

[Damage (FT-B): 10]

BP-A and BP-B follow suit, pinging different targets.

[Agility (FT-C, FT-D): 16 (whiff), 33 (whiff), 26 (whiff), 46 (green)]

Only one of the four shots manages to tag a target, in a stunning display of poor luck.

[Damage (FT-D): 10]

BP-C (Benson) does not fire his weapon, instead opting to hurl a metallic orb into the right-hand area where FT-D, -E, and -F are located.

[Throw: 42, success]

The orb bounces with a hard metallic CLACK, then rolls...a heartbeat later, it explodes.

[Damage (FT-D, -E, -F): 30]

The troopers take obvious damage, but remain standing.

In reply to Verona Beck (msg # 124):

Faust's shape sharpens in Xander's field of view. The purple gem in his possession flares, beaming light at the Swordsman's visor.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:29, Thu 17 Aug 2017.

Fiernas considers.  He looks around the landscape, then back up into the sky as if searching for aircraft.  His jaw sets with a painful grinding of teeth.  "Any bright ideas about how we explain away my boys?"

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 126):

Gestalt lowers his voice.

"Also, because they hate me and want me arrested."

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 126):

We could say we found them on the AoS ship, but then they may insist that they stay with SAGE.

She calls Leo over to her and inspects him to see if there are any identifying marks on him.

You worked with them.  How are they tagged?  Tracked?  Is there anything else like them anywhere else?

She turns on Gestalt.

Any specifics on that?  Or is it just a general malevolence?  What specific events are we talking here?

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 128):

"Why do the girls hate me?"

Gestalt looks incredulous.

"They were kidnapped by AoS forces and held on my ship pending ransom. And despite my protestations to the contrary, they still hold me somewhat responsible for that."

Abraxas rolls slightly with Faust's blow, and Xander brings the targeting reticle back to Faust. Time seems to slow down, and the railgun moves itself almost of its own accord. This was decidedly different from Xander issuing commands via direct interface, or Sophia using his neural pathways to affect limited control. This definitely was something...external.

However he felt about the strange sensation, the effectiveness, was hard to argue with.

[Full Railgun blast: Hit: Kill Threat]

The Railgun barks a deadly barrage, shrieking through the air and into Faust.

[Damage: 75]

In reply to Xander (msg # 130):

Team Space Trek

"Dynamis is too large to fit into a portable device," Kayla replies to Rebecca's question. "My bracer can hold a portion, but it always linked back to the ship's computers. We'd have to remove the whole system, and that would take a while and be hard to carry around unnoticed."

She glances over at the dogs.

"I'm not sure how we explain them away."

Kayla frowns slightly.

"And you haven't answered my question. If push comes to shove, are we fighting our way offplanet?"

Fiernas shakes his head.  "They had chemical tags under their skin, and transmitters near their artificial power sources.  But I removed all of that when I broke them out."

"We could pass them off as gunblazers tech.  Proprietary stuff.  There's an R&D division, right?  Either way, we can make one up."

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 132):

She waves off Gestalt

Oh that, the girls.  I thought you were still talking about SAGE.  I'll take care of them. 


She nods. So long as that holds up to some scrutiny, yeah.  That will be best, the boys are gunblazerz tech.  Remember, they are not your boys as far as sage is concerned, they are mine.  The ship is mine.  I am the commanding officer, all questions go through me.  If need be I will take the fall for you.

Kayla, just like I didn't dictate anyone to stay with the Amgine, I will not dictate anyone stay with me.

Personally, so long as Holt gets healed up, the girls get to go home, I say no shooting.  The four of us can work out of any other situation.  This requires buyin from you guys.  Do you agree?

She looks to Fiernas, Kayla and Gestalt.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:41, Fri 18 Aug 2017.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 133):

"I understand the plan, but I don't share you're enthusiasm."

In reply to Gestalt (msg # 134):

"Do you think they'll buy a story that has you as the commanding officer?" Kayla asks. "No offense, but you're 15. That's gonna strain the story's credulity."

She taps on her bracer for a moment, and it coughs up some static (but nothing else).

"Dammit, D...come on..."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:48, Fri 18 Aug 2017.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 135):

Team Kamikaze

The railgun threatens to obliterate Faust where he stands, but his fate does not appear to concern the Swordsman too much. Indeed, his attention seems fixated upon the mech...or, perhaps, upon something within it.

Raising his sword, he points it at Abraxas. His rune shimmers once more, and a torrent of light snaps forward connecting it with Abraxas.

[Runic Spray: 93]

Xander scowls as the mech becomes covered in a layer of plaster-like material much like Billy was. He can see nothing, nor can he move freely.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 136):

Faust eats a railgun shot to his center mass, and struggles under the might of the blow.

[Kill? 15 KARMA-> 46, no]

He wipes the soot from his suit and raises his weapon defiantly.

"Dammit, DIE already!"

[Agility (Billy): 90]

He unleashes a helix blast in Billy's direction, striking him just above his hip.

[Damage (Billy): 40]

This proves to be enough to overwhelm him, and Billy goes down.

Billy is DEFEATED.

"Yes, exactly! Good. You're finally listening, Laser Fist," Commander Faust crows, turning his attention to the frozen mech. "One down. One to go."

In reply to Commander Faust (msg # 137):

Team Kamikaze

If the ship has actions to take, they produce no obvious effects.

The battle continues to rage.



~~ Round 3 ~~
Billy (Roshak Lock 2, Defeated 1)
FT-B (Damage: 10)
FT-C
FT-D (Damage: 40)
FT-E (Damage: 30)
FT-F (Damage: 30)
Roshak
BPs (Damage (A): 60; Damage (B): 0; Damage (C): 60)
Beck
Muse
Abraxas (Buffed; Damage: 40)
Xander
Swordsman
Faust (Damage: 115)
Goethe Subsystems

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 138):

She smiles a quirky smile.

Is anything about me normal, natural, or expected?

Besides... its technically true.

I've taken IDA officer training, and passed both the practical and written exam.  Additionally I am the longest tenured member of the team, and as far as our former infrastructure with the IDA is concerned... I'm the only non-provisional member here.

It will interest them, and give them something meaty to investigate.  They like to use the honorific Doctor with each other.  As a sign of their hubris and pretentiousness, and Doctors love to feel smarter than everyone.  So it should be easy enough to distract them from some of the more interesting parts of the ship.

Also once again it serves to put more attention on me and less on you.

As Faust demands he die, Billy presents him a very specific finger.  This does nothing to prevent the energy blast from Faust's gun biting into him.  Billy briefly curses the temperament of his inbuilt defenses as he collapses.
((1+94 karma endurance roll))
This message was last edited by the player at 15:41, Fri 18 Aug 2017.

"Fine.  They can be your property while we're lying our asses off.  I can be their handler, a Gunblazer employee assigned to wrangle them.  True enough, easy to fake it."

His expression darkens.  "We'll do this your way, unless something goes sour.  I don't know if I can still fight, or..."  He trails off for a moment.  "My boys get threatened, I'll do my best to kill every SAGE anything that I can see."

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 141):

No.  You don't do your bet to kill every SAGE everything. 

She says more forcefully than you have heard from her in the past.

You run, you leave.  You do the bare minimum to get yourself and the boys out of there.  Tell me that the boys need to go for a walk and I will sew enough chaos to cover your escape.  If... and ONLY IF... the civilians are already taken care of. 

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 142):

"Venus is probably the worst place to be imprisoned in this entire sector," Gestalt points out. "If it looks like we're heading in that direction, I think Fiernas's plan has merit."

"I'm not killing anyone for fun.  If I can walk, I will.  But if it comes to that, they won't just let us go unless they don't have legs to carry them."

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 144):

Team Space Trek

Kayla nods, apparently satisfied with Fiernas's answers, at least. Gestalt shrugs noncommittally.

"So, were they sending a shuttle or what?" Gestalt asks.

They indicated that we should remain in the shuttle.

The synthetic voice crackles across the comms, and sounds distinctively tinny.

"D! You're back!" Kayla exclaims.

Unit:Dynamis is unavailable. I am unit:Madisyn.

"Oooo....kaaaaay," Kayla says slowly. "Do you have access to the ship's systems, Madisyn? I could really use a status update on the-"

Unit:Madisyn is not a starship intelligence. Unit:Madisyn is an adjutant. YOUR adjutant, Captain. It would be fitting for all others to refer to unit:Madisyn as such.

Kayla's expression is unreadable behind her faceplate, and she responds with a single nod.

"Nice to meet you, Madisyn," she says after a moment. "What can you tell me about our current situation?"

Nothing you do not already know, Captain.

Item 1: This environment is hostile to all known lifeforms, but your EVA suits will protect you while their power persists.

Item 2: Unit:Persephone is inoperable. Unit:Dynamis is unavailable. Unit:Holt is exhibiting a worrying downward trend of life signs.

Item 3: There is an unknown craft approaching from the north.


"The north?" Kayla turns in that direction. "You mean from above the caldera, or...?"

At that moment, a bulbous craft rises jerkily from out of the smoldering maw of the volcano. It resembles the old lunar landers, except about four times as large and covered in reddish-yellow plating that gives off the appearance of warts and callouses. There is a membrane-like area where the viewport should be, but you are unable to see through it.

The craft hovers for a moment, then lands not far from the ruined shuttle. A burbling sensation lances outward near its tripod-like landing feet as they touch down, the rings extending like a ripple for a dozen meters in all directions.

Two figures soon pop out from the underside of the craft, both of which are wearing extremely well-worn SAGE-style EVA suits. They do not respond to any hails on the comms, but they do beckon quite clearly for you to follow them.

[Crossroads (Fiernas, Rebecca)]

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 145):

Team Kamikaze


Billy groans and pulls himself shakily to his feet, but is otherwise unable to act (Recovery, set HP to END rank).

***

FTs-B, C, D, E, and F continue to rain death upon Beck's battered troopers...or what remains of them. They pair off to target all three troops equally.

[Agility vs A, A, B, B, C, C:  55,75,57,77,29 (miss),20(miss)]

Benson (BP-C)'s luck remains miraculously intact as the blasts whizz past him, but his compatriots aren't so lucky.

[Damage (BP-A, BP-B): 120, 120]

BP-A  and BP-B both fall as the weapons bore through their armor like it wasn't even there.

Beck, alone now with Benson, takes a half-step backward and raises an arm to shield her face from the carnage.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 146):

The Roshak, unaware or uncaring that Billy has rejoined the combat, decides to focus on Beck.

It repeats its maneuver from last time, surging toward Beck at a rapid pace while coalescing the energy around its wrists into a lance-like projection.

[Charge (Beck): 12, miss]

The Roshak grunts in frustration as it once again misses horribly, and ends back where it started its charge (Roshak Mobility). A tongue of bluish flame appears over Beck's head, mirroring Billy's own twin flames.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 147):

"Benson...remember the worst idea you'd ever had?"

Benson nods blankly. "Yes, ma'am. You told me if I ever suggested it again, you'd shove a pistol down my pants and discharge it and me at the same time."

"Right. We're going to give it a try," she continues. "You're tossing."

"What, really? I mean, yes ma'am!"

Benson stumbles over to where his colleagues fell, removes their belts, and hurls them -- one in each hand -- to the left and to the right, respectively.

[Throw: 34, 4 --> karma to 56, 56]

The belts soar through the air while Beck draws a second blaster with her off-hand. She hesitates for only a moment, then pulls the triggers in tandem.

[FEAT (Benson's Worst Idea): 46-> karma to 61, 89, 73, 16 ->karma to 61]

The blasters belch out a total of 4 shots, 2 in either direction. These shots each connect to a grenade nestled within the tossed belts, causing a total of 4 explosions -- 2 in either direction -- among the suddenly besieged Faustian troopers.

[Damage (FT-B, C, D, E, F): 60, 60, 60, 60, 60]

These explosions have barely cleared when 2 more -- 1 in either direction -- rattle outward. These are the grenades Benson activated before tossing the belts...

[Damage (FT-B, C, D, E, F): 30, 30, 30, 30, 30]

Even this combination of damage isn't enough to drop the troopers, but they look far worse off than they did a moment ok.

"Take that, you goddamn traitors!" Beck spits. "There's more where that came from, too!"

"I, uh, I don't think there is, ma'am,' Benson says, raising his pistol with a trembling hand.

"Shh, Benson," Beck replies, though there is a softness to her tone. She pats him on the shoulder and raises her own weapon as well. "Not now."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:35, Wed 23 Aug 2017.

In reply to Verona Beck (msg # 148):

She looks at Gestalt, Fiernas and Kayla in turn.

If you can get out of a situation by leaving me then do it.  If that doesn't work, and ONLY as a last resort... then cut your way out. 

Her voice quiet and reassuring in your minds.

If things go bad, you'll know when I cover you.

A brief pause.

Let's go. 

She turns to follow the figure.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 149):

Xander's modest build billows with emphatic musculature.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:34, Wed 23 Aug 2017.

Abraxas' limbs give off a faint purplish aura as they flex, breaking free of the plaster.

[Strength Check: Success]

While the railgun is still too far off target from the maneuver to bring back to bear this turn, the ominous whirring and final clunk indicate that the internal magazine has been replenished.

Xander grins. Locked and loaded.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:38, Thu 24 Aug 2017.

In reply to Xander (msg # 151):

...

Fiernas stalks forward with care, the dogs pacing at his ankles.  His trusty rifle - pointing diplomatically at the ground - twitches in his hands, his whole body on a literal and figurative hair trigger.  Through the visor of his helmet, his face is a riot of frustration and fear, on the verge of tears despite his careful movements.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 153):

Nightmare looks over her shoulder.  Her face is the cool mask of a scientist.  She sees the puppies taking on their master's fear and the emotions playing across his face.  She pauses a second and places a steadying hand on his shoulder.  Her voice is quiet in his head.

We will make sure the boys are safe... and you.

"No offense, kid.  But the sooner we're away from you, the safer we'll be."

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 155):

Nightmare stops midstep and turns on her heel to face Fiernas.  Her voice in his head is cold and emotionless.  She is definitely not angry, she is just presenting your options.

Nothing is keeping you here.  You are under no obligations.  If you wish to leave you may do so.

If you wish to leave immediately then go back into the ship with the civilians, and hijack a ship at your first convenience on your own.  I will disavow all knowledge of you.

Otherwise, follow the plan.  If you wish to stay safe and comfortable I suggest that you go back to earth and find yourself a 9-5 job... maybe one with a cubicle.

Make your choice.  Accept the consequences.  This is your only opportunity to change your mind.

She turns back on her heel and proceeds towards the ship.  Clearly assuming that Fiernas will either follow her and stick to the plan, or go back to the shuttle, where he can hijack a ship and leave at his first opportunity.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:29, Sun 27 Aug 2017.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 156):

Team Kamikaze

The Swordsman frowns as Abraxas breaks free of its prison, and attempts to re-crystallize the mech once more.

[Runic Beam: 43, success]

Abraxas is once more coated in amber-like plaster, and the Swordsman advances a few steps toward it (without leaving the area).

A faint glimmer can be seen behind the cockpit before it is completely covered, and the Roshak maneuvers itself in Abraxas's direction, as well.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:53, Mon 28 Aug 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 157):

Faust fires another helix blast, this time in Beck's direction.

[Agility: 42, hit]

[Damage (Beck): 40]

The officer winces as the bolts burn into her lower thigh, leaving a painful scorch mark in their wake.

"I can do this all day," Faust says. "You should have surrendered, Loser Fist!"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:09, Mon 28 Aug 2017.

In reply to Commander Faust (msg # 158):

Team Kamikaze

If the ship has actions to take, they produce no obvious effects.

The battle continues to rage.



~~ Round 4 ~~
Billy (Roshak Lock 2, Defeated 1, Damage: 26) <- Recovered, but leaving the "defeated" mark because subsequent defeats lengthen the recovery period
FT-B (Damage: 100)
FT-C (Damage: 90
FT-D (Damage: 130)
FT-E (Damage: 120)
FT-F (Damage: 120)
Roshak (Gleam)
BP-C "Benson" (Damage: 60)
Beck (Roshak Lock 1, Damage: 40)
Muse
Abraxas (Encased; Buffed; Damage: 40)
Xander
Swordsman (Gleam)
Faust (Damage: 115)
Goethe Subsystems

***

OOC: As a reminder, all PCs and some NPCs can recover after being defeated in combat. Combat does not end until ALL enemies are "defeated" at the same time (and/or dead). Whenever you're defeated, you stay down for 1 round + 1 round per time you've already been defeated this encounter. Practically speaking, that means you can go down roughly 2 times before suffering a party wipe becomes extremely likely. Don't worry. A party wipe doesn't necessarily mean death...though it might. Good luck!

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 159):

Team Space Trek

The two figures remain silent as Fiernas, the pups, and Rebecca approach.

"I'll, er, I'll wait here with the girls," Gestalt says. "And Dynamis. I mean, someone should. Right?"

Kayla pats Gestalt on the shoulder, turns, and follows Fiernas and Rebecca.

***

The figures wait until you've reached the edge of the caldera -- not far from the lander -- to communicate with you, once again via gestures. They point downward into the depths of the volcano. Following the fingers of their battered gloves with your eyes, you can just barely make out a faint series of lights that appear to designate a thin, rocky ledge winding its way along the area's inner lip.

It extends downward into the smokey depths until it is lost from sight.

The figures point downward with more finality, then swiftly return to their lander. It shudders, lurches upward ever-so-slightly, and hops back into the caldera, disappearing moments later as it takes the fast route toward your destination.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 160):

Before the figure leaves she pushes her palms together and bows her head to the SAGE rescuer in a 'thank you' gesture.  She broadcasts over ship coms

Thanks Gestalt.  OK we are going down a path and into a tunnel of some kind.  Sit tight, I'll keep you updated.  Kayla stay behind me.

Fiernas, you coming or do you want to go back to the ship with Gestalt? 
This message was last edited by the player at 14:23, Mon 28 Aug 2017.

Billy hauls himself to his feet, "Do what?  Talk?  That's about all you've gotten done Faust."

((47 endurance to act after defeat))

Billy raises his arm and with a high pitched whine from the metal cuff connecting his suit to his bionic hand he fires a red beam at Faust's chest, brighter and hotter than his usual fare.

((49 to shoot Faust with -2 suit energy for +1CS damage and +10 armor penetration.  75 - 10 armor = 65 damage.
also white shields.))

"Blind is one thing, but dumb is another," Fiernas declares.  "No way they'll find me on that ship."

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 163):

Her voice comes into his head as she slows her walk for him to catch up.

OK, then you are staying with us until the bitter end.  Remember, as of right now, we are a stranded ship they are helping.  So don't get all itchy before you need to.  Though they will be going back for the ship.  Mark my words. 

"You got some way to tell the future that I don't know about?" Fiernas grumbles as they move forward.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 165):

She shrugs

Only statistical, and anthropological models adjusted for SAGE's recent activities, my planned actions, and their scientific nature.


She keeps walking.

So far the algorithm has proved 76% effective.  I have continued to hone the variables throughout our encounters to analyze the various problems presented to the group, the courses of action, both proposed and executed.  If those actions proved to be successful, if the proposed alternatives would have arrived at a similar resolution.  The side effects of the actions taken  Their relative strengths weaknesses and primary failure mode analysis.

So far the primary reason for failure has been human error, either through misspeaking or not sticking to the plan.

I hope I have been clear to eliminate these variables.

Additionally I will not act as an auger unless absolutely necessary.  Surprise appears to be of primary importance and we already have them off-balance. 
This message was last edited by the player at 21:23, Mon 28 Aug 2017.

"Shouldn't be a problem."  Fiernas shifts his stance subtly as he walks, as if doing a minute little dance to music only he can hear.  It only lasts a moment, after which Fiernas continues on normally.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:47, Tue 29 Aug 2017.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 167):

Team Kamikaze

The damaged Faustian Troopers unload their weapons on Benson and Beck.

[Agility (vs Benson, Benson, Beck, Beck, Beck): 70,1 (miss),38,24 (miss),40]

One helix blast catches Benson between the eyes, and two spatter across Beck's chestplate.

[Damage (Benson, Beck): 60, 120]

Beckons gurgles, reaches an arm out toward Beck, and falls backward in a heap.

The SAGE Boarding Party is defeated.

***

The Roshak's attention seemed focused on the frozen mech. It delays its action.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:41, Tue 29 Aug 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 168):

"Faust...you bastard," Beck coughs, fumbling with the clasps of her helmet to remove it. "Look me in the eye."

Beck struggles mightily to remain standing, but her legs can no longer support her. She sags to her knees and drops her helmet, which bounces onto the ground nearby.

"You've *cough* you've doomed us all."

She puts a hand to her chest and pulls it away, watching the blood trickle from the heavy glove for moment before falling forward with a clatter.

Verona Beck is defeated.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:50, Tue 29 Aug 2017.

In reply to Verona Beck (msg # 169):

Team Space Trek

Rebecca, Kayla, and Fiernas advance toward the spiraling ramp lining the interior of the caldera, the pups near at hand to their master.

The descent isn't particularly pleasant, but neither is it difficult -- in fact, after the first 10 meters or so, the smoke vanishes entirely.

Looking upward, you can see that there are what appear to be modified fog generators along the walls at this depth, giving the appearance of an active volcano.

The lighting improves at this point, as well, and you can see the stonework ramp transition into one made of dense metals. You are surprised to find that rather than narrowing inward toward a column from which eruptions would spout, caldera actually has a curved, bowl-like "floor" -- though a large central section appears to be made of different material from the rest, such that it may have been built over the "missing" column.

The lander is visible here, perched upon the central section of the floor as if it were a launchpad. The ramp truncates when you reach the bottom, and opposite the sprawling caldera you can see an obviously fabricated industrial door. It seems to open either upward or downward, and is large enough that it could easily accommodate 5 mechs of Abraxas's size marching abreast simultaneously.

The two figures have exited the lander and are standing by this door, beckoning you over. As you draw near, you can see that a third person has joined them. Unlike the other two figures, he isn't wearing an EVA suit at all.

Your sensors still report the ambient temperature and atmosphere to be inhospitable, which stand starkly at odds with this man who wears neither a helmet nor a respirator. Instead, he's dressed in what would pass for casual clothing in any temperate city on Earth.

After chatting with the two figures from the lander, he turns toward you, smiles, and joins them in beckoning you over.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:40, Tue 29 Aug 2017.

In reply to Verona Beck (msg # 169):

Xander's buffness again increases, but this time he feels an unfamiliar sheen coat his body beneath the Swordsman's encasement.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 170):

Fiernas hears in his head as they walk...

You should choose a callsign for this mission.  Especially if you have history.


She describes the walk to the caldera and down into the caldera such that Gestalt could lead the team if need be.

Abraxas strains against the encasing plaster, servos whining. [Strength Check: Success]

The plaster shatters into scintillating dust, and the mech levels its railgun at Faust.

This is for Samantha. Xander's heartbroken whisper is picked up by Abraxas' speaker, and retransmitted to the rest of the bridge.

A heartbeat later, the railgun discharges a complete volley of hypersonic metal into Faust's chest.

[Shooting: Success]

[Damage: 75]

When Abraxas ventilates Faust, Billy's fist snaps open and both of his hands shoot into the air, "Who did he just promote?  I'd like to negotiate a surrender."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 174):

...
This message was last edited by the player at 16:55, Tue 29 Aug 2017.

In reply to Muse (msg # 175):

Commander Faust stumbles backward from the force of the blow, slamming against the viewport's panels before slumping over them at an awkward angle.

Commander Faust is defeated.

The armor-piercing round does not stop after punching through his chest, however, instead boring through the console panel and, after that, the viewscreen itself.

Never intended to resist that sort of damage from the inside, the viewscreen does nothing to arrest the shot's velocity, and the bullet punches clean through it and into the void of space.

The glass is shatterproof, but whatever subsystem prevented the atmosphere from venting upon your explosive arrival is currently offline -- the end result being that air gushes into the opening at an uncomfortable pace.

***

The Swordsman shakes its head as though to clear it, and turns toward this new threat. A cone of light encompasses the damaged viewscreen and Faust alike, encasing both in a plaster-like sheen that plugs the hole handily.

***

The Roshak's readied action triggers moments after Xander's killshot, and it surges toward the mech with [Roshak Mobility].

[Charge (Abraxas): 15]

Consistently unable to roll better on a d100 than it could with a d20, this charging assault misses like all the others. Unlike the previous attacks, however, the Roshak does not return to the area in which it started, instead remaining within melee range of the mech. A tongue of flame appears above the mech's head, matching the ones over Billy and Beck.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:44, Wed 30 Aug 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 176):

Commander Faust is essentially frozen in carbonite, and cannot recover.

In reply to Commander Faust (msg # 177):

Team Kamikaze

If the ship has actions to take, they produce no obvious effects.

***

The troopers glance at each other after Faust goes down, then turn back toward Billy.

"Sure, you can surrender. Hands behind your head. Have the mech power down. Have its pilot exit the mech, hands over their head, too."


~~ PAUSE COMBAT ~~

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 178):

The Swordsman paces restlessly, but holds its attack.

***

The Roshak makes grasping motions in Abraxas's direction, but holds its attack.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 179):

Team Space Trek

Rebecca transmits the details of their descent, despite knowing that if Gestalt is indeed back inside the shuttle it will never reach him.

The unprotected man and the two suited figures continue to beckon the five of you (counting the dogs) over.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 180):

"Well, we've come this far," Kayla says. "I think we should hear what they have to say."

She lowers her voice slightly.

"Especially that guy. What do you think: robot, alien, or auger?"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:42, Wed 30 Aug 2017.

"I want to know their deal," Billy points at the armored figure and the Roshak, "I'm sick of working with second-hand info against people I've never met.  Give me specifics, and let them tell me their piece themselves, and we don't have to fight anymore.  Those are my terms."

"I wish I fucking knew," Fiernas hisses softly, between gritted teeth.  His tone is full of anger, surprising to be directed at Kayla, toward whom he's been soft until now.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 182):

Nightmare nods and her voice quietly beams into the head of her team.

Please use my callsign throughout this encounter.

And of course we should hear what he has to say.  Right now this dude has RESCUED us.  I have no reason to be anything but thankful to him.

Let me check to see what this guy is...

Nightmare flicks on her suit sensors and looks around the caldera .

She relays her findings to the rest of the team.

As she approaches she flicks on her external speaker.

Thank you for sending a team to help us!  We still have civilians aboard our ship, one of whom is badly injured and requires medical treatment.  You guys have the location.  We didn't want to move them for fear of causing further injury.  Can you please send a medivac team for them?  The ship is tore up from the floor up and has lost almost all atmospheric integrity, unfortunately, none of them seem to have your fortuitous... constitution.  They are currently in EVA suits.

She walks right up to the man who is apparently in charge, she holds out a hand, smiling.

Gunblazers, operative Nightmare at your service.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:18, Wed 30 Aug 2017.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 184):

...

Fiernas stays silent, content to play his role as a hired company hand.  He keeps a sharp eye on the dogs, though, making sure that the environment of the crater isn't somehow too harsh for their rugged constitutions.  So far, so good.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 184):

Team Kamikaze

"Look, I said put your hands over your-"

The trooper's response is cut off with a deep, rumbling exclamation.

"You engaged in the Dance of War without knowing your partner?"

The Swordsman lowers his sword as he speaks, the words clumsily pronounced. His voice is surprisingly deep and gravelly.

"This is not done," he scolds. "If you do not know your partner, you cannot honor their return to the dust of creation! You would besmirch them in the eyes of God. And in doing so, yourself share their ignominy."

As he speaks, you're able to get a better look at this strangely armored figure. For the first time, you notice that his skin looks significantly thicker and rougher than it should, and that his joints appear jagged and almost blocky.

"I am (unintelligible rumbling), envoy to Sol for Lith Republic."

The figure gestures toward the Roshak.

"And this is (unintelligible rumbling), my counterpart, envoy to Sol for the Roshak."

The Roshak barely acknowledges this, instead making grasping motions toward Abraxas while venting plumes of steam-like gas periodically from its shoulderblades.

"I expected that your traditions would differ from ours, but...to fight to dust while blind? That is unfortunate," the Swordsman continues. "It is good that we have come. We can teach you the way of war that is pleasing to God, that your dust might bind with the rest of the worthy in the world to come."

He nods gravely to himself.

"You Solese are a curious race, scattered throughout the Sovereignty without a known planet to call home. We only recently learned where your sector was located, and came to establish a proper embassy."

The Swordsman shields his weapon entirely at this point.

"We encountered your leader (gestures at Faust), who assured us that this sector could be considered a friend to our people. So when we detected Amgine technology and realized this sector was at risk of becoming a thrall of the Amg, we did what any friend would do."

He gestures out the viewport, toward the destroyed asteroid base.

"And liberated you."

From beyond the viewport, a pitched naval battle can be clearly seen continuing. It's hard to tell who is winning, but The Factory is nowhere to be seen.

"Your leader underestimated the strength of Amgine influence," the Swordsman says. "This rebellious fleet will need to be returned to dust...unless you can make them stand down?"

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 187):

Team Space Trek

"You're more than welcome," the unarmored figure replies, waving a hand in greeting. "I'm Barachiel, at your service."


He glances up at the ramp and frowns slightly.

"I'm afraid your friends will need to make their own way here, if they would join us. For all my apparent constitution, I cannot make it up the ramp."

The two armored figures glance over at the lander, and Barachiel nods.

"I can send it back up in about an hour. It needs a thorough diagnostic after every flight, you see, and I don't want to risk its destruction. In the meantime..."

He turns toward the enormous doors, and you can see the outline of a smaller, man-sized door present itself within them.

"...please, join me inside and tell me about yourselves and your troubles. I assure you it will be more comfortable than lingering out here."

"We came here to kill Faust.  We knew him well.  He employed us, he told us we were serving a greater good, and he set us up to be punished for his own machinations.  We weren't here to dance war with you, but I appreciate the introductions.  My name is William Lesueur-Fische, you can call me Billy.  The man in the mech is named Xander.  Your "liberation" was a failure.  You killed only our own people and the Amgine got away.  I'll take responsibility for the latter, but if you truly want to be friends to humanity, you must know that we do not have one leader, you may not be able to be frie3nds with us all, and you should choose your friends very carefully.  Faust was a bad choice, a liar and an extremist.  The people you killed were liars and fools, the people you are fighting are scientists and lunatics.  I may be able to convince them to stand down."

Billy turns to the Roshak, "But there's history with his people.  They came to this sector once before, and they're suspect.  Under what conditions do the Roshak call themselves friend?"

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 189):

Team Kamikaze

The Roshak reluctantly turns from Abraxas, but only for a moment. Its smooth carapace glints and the steam vents continue to discharge spent fumes of some sort at regular intervals.

After a moment, it returns its attention to Abraxas.

"He doesn't speak Solese very well," the Swordsman explains. "But he said what I expected him to say: our species have similar motivators. We are not content to sit and watch, or even co-exist. We expand outward. We hunger for new horizons and starscapes. We are...kindred spirits."

"To be a friend of the Roshak is to exhibit strength and to not interfere. Expand and let expand. Mutual respect. Mutual defense. Prioritized trade and research agreements with negotiated exclusivity."

"There are many who have withheld trade and transit. Sector passage. This shows their fear. Their weakness. Their dishonor of God. Such actions lead to the Dance of War."
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:00, Wed 30 Aug 2017.

"The Amgine said the Roshak were barbarians who threatened to take us as a slave race.  Now you tell me they're the ones trying to pull our sector under their influence.  I'm really sick of trying to divine the truth between two stories that are equally unfounded.  You and him to tell me what happened on Titan.  That's what the other fleet is shooting at us over, that's what they're afraid of."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 191):

I think that our injured passenger will be ok for an hour, but PLEASE don't delay... He has had enough hardship.

She sets a one hour timer on her pad to remind her to ask about the medivac.  She walks through the door sweeping up Barachial as if this were a walking meeting in a lab.  She allows him to lead her wherever they are going.

I don't suppose you have medical facilities here do you? 

Fiernas follows Rebecca and Barachial.  He's jumpy, trying to look everywhere at once, as if afraid that monsters are going to start coming through the walls.  Leo and Phillip pad close to him, pressing their bodies against his hips, trying to calm him by the reassurance of their presence.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 193):

Team Space Trek

Kayla, Rebecca, Fiernas, and the pups are led into the hallway beyond the doors, following a shale-gray hallway adorned with nothing but periodic glowpanels as the door seals shut behind them.

The hallway leads to a wall in which a circular hatch has been placed -- an airlock. You pass through, entering a small room with an identical door on the other side. The lock cycles, a cleansing fog is applied, and then the lock cycles again before you are able to emerge on the other side.

Those who were present for it might recognize this process as similar to that of the Depthcharge.

Once through, the door opens into what appears to be an oval-shaped foyer. The room is quite spacious (about a thousand square feet), but is only sparsely furnished. A stone bench lines the entirety of one wall, while an egg-shaped chair is perched upon a pedestal facing a large, blank viewscreen on the opposite side of the room.

There is a pingpong-sized table off to one side, upon which piles of circuitry rest alongside archaic-looking weapons, armor, tools, and guns are strewn. The floor is smooth, hard, and rock-like, and concentric circles have been drawn outward from the room's center at regular intervals as though written out with chalk.

Two raised disks are built into the floor such that they flank the door through which you entered, and the two armored figures accompanying you take their places upon them as though magnetically drawn to them. Once there, they assume a rigid stance and become still.

There is no food-prep area, no sleeping area, no bathroom, and no obvious exits.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 194):

"Medical facilities?"

Barachiel frowns at Rebecca thoughtfully.

"No. But your friend can find aid here nonetheless."

"Please, make yourselves at home," the man says, gesturing toward the uncomfortable-looking bench before settling into the egg-shaped chair and swiveling it back and forth slightly. "And tell me of your troubles."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:14, Thu 31 Aug 2017.

In reply to Barachiel (msg # 195):

"...thank you," Kayla says, taking off her helmet and cradling it against her hip with one arm while she takes in the rather Spartan facility she's found herself in. "Do you, uh, do you live here, Barachiel?"

She smiles a bit too slowly for the expression to be taken seriously.

"It's nice!"

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 191):

Team Kamikaze

A voice enters Billy and Xander's minds, unbidden, the words pricking against your scalp like hot needles.

"The moon you call Titan is the scene of a massacre."

The words clearly come from the Roshak, though you're not sure how you know that.

"Technology like this was used. Perhaps you were there. Perhaps you already know..."

The voice falls silent, and the Roshak continues to make increasingly aggressive gestures toward Abraxas.

The Swordsman shrugs apologetically.

"The Lith were not involved in the Titan incident," he rumbles aloud. "But the Roshak told us an outrider contingent was attacked and imprisoned there by your kind. Your leader (gestures again at Faust) claimed the attackers were rogue operatives, and was able to avoid the Dance of War through measured displays of loyalty and strength taken against them."

The mental voice manifests itself once more.

"They have a Amgine mindstone. I have felt it."

"Yes," the Swordsman nods. "Or something similar."

He levels his sword at Abraxas -- it's unclear if he knows there is a pilot or not.

"Throw down your Amgine technology, if you have any. It must be returned to dust."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:36, Thu 31 Aug 2017.

"I've never been to Titan.  I know someone who was.  I know whatever happened there terrifies her, and her fear looks a lot like you," Billy says to the Roshak.  When they start making demands he shakes his head, "We don't have any Amgine technology.  Didn't Faust tell you?  The only Amgine in our sector refused to share any technology.  That's why he turned to you.  That and the results of whatever happened to your outriders.  The rogue contingent you helped him destroy weren't responsible for it.  A very large organization was responsible for it. Still is, most of humanity thinks there was just a terraforming accident."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 198):

...
This message was last edited by the player at 21:10, Thu 31 Aug 2017.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 196):

She looks around interested.

So its just you here?  She asks genuinely surprised.

After his response she sits on one of the benches, she leaves her helmet on for the time being, opting to speak over her helmet's speakers.

We've had a bit of a harrowing journey lately.  I guess to start with a bit of background, Gunblazerz Inc is a company owned by William Leseur-Fische.  You may be acquainted with his brother, Charles, head of Operations on Ceres.

We had just completed a mission to rescue several high profile hostages from the Alliance of Sol... those are our civilians.  On our way home, we noticed some strange interference coming at regular intervals.  We took evasive actions and the interference ceased.

We then found that all of our communication equipment was inoperative.

She sighs at this point, rubbing the back of her head looking at her lap.

This was my first mission in charge... I'm not looking forward to my performance review when I get back... y'know?

Soooooo......

We then had an incident in our cargo hold where one of our missiles detonated, killing one of our civilians and severely wounding another.

So now half of our supplies was jettisoned to space, and our comms are jammed, whats the first thing you do?

Go check the antenna right?  Well we went up onto the ship and started poking around the antenna when this happened.

She shows the video of the shot from nowhere.

Clearly a warning shot, especially since they never followed up on it.

Well I got us back into the ship immediately.  But the damage was done.  It was at this point that I diverted our path to take us to Venusian space.  I was able to leave the ship on the opposite side of the communications antenna and reach out on the emergency band to your dispatch.

I sent them the video.  Told them we needed help and they sent us a rescue team.  They used magnetized clamps to grab our ship, but they let go during re-entry, causing us to spin off to... uhhhh.... wherever we are now.

She looks sits her posture hunched over feet dangling off the floor hands in her lap.

I mean, almost all of us made it out alive... I... I did the best I could.

Kayla recognizes this speech pattern and her voice pattern as Nightmare being genuinely upset.  This is either a brilliant acting job, or real emotion... If Fiernas can sense emotions he will know its the latter.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:14, Thu 31 Aug 2017.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 200):

She visibly composes herself.

If it wasn't for my crew... indicating Fiernas and Kayla.

Things may have ended much worse. 

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 201):

Your crew?

The synthetic voice buzzes over Kayla's bracer, unbidden.

Clarification. Vessel:Persephone, all crew, all passengers, and all cargo are under the ongoing command of the Captain.

"Yeeees," Kayla hisses softly into the bracer. "But in that capacity, I was working with Gunblazers and their agent in command, Nightmare. Remember?"

Unit:Nightmare? That information does not...

The voice stops abruptly for a moment, then continues.

...appear to be inaccurate. Of course those are the real and true facts of the matter. I apologize, Captain.

A digital message flashes on the viewscreens of anyone still wearing a helmet. It reads: Deception Accepted.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:35, Thu 31 Aug 2017.

In reply to Madisyn (msg # 202):

Kayla fidgets with the bracer uncomfortably for a moment, then clears her throat.

"Sorry about that. Our ship's Intelligence was damaged during the crash. We're having some ongoing syncing errors."

She smiles slightly.

"But Nightmare's too kind about our contributions to our survival. We only did what we were trained to do. Everyone did the best they could."

Kayla pats Rebecca gently on the shoulder before continuing.

"I'm a Gunblazers pilot and Captain of the Persephone. I'm..." she pauses, then a grin plays across her lips. "...you can call me Flux."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:47, Thu 31 Aug 2017.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 203):

Team Kamikaze

Billy's words do little to placate the Roshak, though the Lith rumbles softly in response.

"We will return to the...deception...in a moment, then. It felt like a mindstone was being used during the Dance of War. Is this Solese technology?"

Billy stares at the Lith for a moment before pointing at Abraxas, "That's a robot.  A mech, there's a guy inside," he waves at it, "Xander, open the hatch and show the aliens you're human."  After a beat Billy turns back to the Lith, "He's got plugs in his head, that's Solese technology."

When attention shifts to Fiernas, he introduces himself as well.  "Skanderbeg.  Special Payload Handler, Gunblazers.  Thanks for the hospitality."

He doesn't look at Kayla or Rebecca.  His eyes flit around the room with mad intensity, especially when it comes to Barachiel and sentinels.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 206):

Billy can tell 500 blatant lies and Dynamis never says crap to him, I say one thing and blinking screaming liar lights go off...

She sighs,

The AI is totally scrambled right now... literally.  The ship is hers, and I can't bore with the accounting details, ironcald NDA.  We may not discuss our contractual structures.  They tend towards... the complex.  Though the alias module being broken is a new thing....

She leans back banging the back of her helmet against the wall.

Lets just add that to the list of my troubles.

So what we are looking for, specifically, is stabilization and medical care for our injured civilian, with repair and supplies for our ship.  If we can't do that then I would settle for transportation for our civilians and working archive connection.  Our civilians have been forcibly taken from their homes for far too long now and I don't want to keep them from their families any longer than necessary.

Are you able to help with any of that?

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 207):

Team Kamikaze

The Lith joins the Roshak in staring at Abraxas, awaiting the pilot's response.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 208):

Team Space Trek

"I can provide you with shelter for as long as you require it. But I do not have an Archive receiver here."

Barachiel steeples his fingers, inhales deeply, and lets out a sigh.

"Damn it, Barachiel...do the right thing," he mutters to himself, his voice taking on the accent of an elderly British aristocrat.

"I'm going to tell you a rather remarkable story," Barachiel says aloud. "Whether you believe it or not, I assure you it is entirely true. And after the tale's been told, what happens next will be entirely up to you."

He clears his throat.

"I told you my name, yes, but not who I was. An all-too-common problem, I've found. And who I am...is a traveler of sorts. You see, I can span great distances in the blink of an eye, ceasing to exist in one place only to appear immediately in the next. And yes, I can take others along for the ride."

He raises a hand in caution.

"But before you get too excited, I need you to understand the limits of my power."

He turns the chair toward the wall and lowers his voice.

"My curious adaptability and constitution has resulted in an overlong lifespan, but it is one of constant servitude. I am cursed to be a perpetual first-responder, a guardian angel made flesh," he says softly. "I can only Travel toward dangerous situations, you see. Toward those who are in trouble."

Barachiel dangles one leg over the other, letting it hang in the air as his words echo off the nearby wall.

"When I first arrived here, it was to assist with the plight of those two poor souls by the door. They had crash-landed an experimental craft and were in the process of burning alive when I found them. I freed them from the wreckage, assembled their survival gear, and did what I could to nurse them back to health."

"We were able to cobble together a decent shelter. We even got the lander to work again, after a fashion. We never got the radios working, though. Never got the Archive receivers online. Never found any fuel. Never got the lander's batteries to hold enough of a charge to really FLY. We couldn't summon help, is the point. Eventually, we ran out of food and water. They...didn't make it."

He sags into the chair slightly.

"I'm afraid I went rather mad after that failure. Haven't Traveled since. I realized too late that I might have been able to save them after all. You see, when I Travel, I am anchored to an origin point. If I stray too far, I am forced to Travel then and there. Unless the troubles that summoned me have passed, that dumps me right back at the origin point, making it a useless gesture aside from mapping out my current boundaries. But I wonder what would have happened if I had tried to take them with me past the edge? Perhaps we'd have arrived somewhere safer, instead of right where we were. A place with eminent danger, yes, but also with food and water, perhaps? It would have been worth a try."

Barachiel taps a foot against the concentric rings drawn onto the floor in chalk, their meaning clearer to you now.

"My current boundary is the bottom of the ramp you descended from. And...I believe that I've wallowed in self-pity for quite long enough. Wouldn't it be some grand irony if you had been called here to help the helper?"

He rises once more to his feet.

"So here's my proposal. Once your civilians and your injured arrive, I plan go to the edge of my boundary. I shall take their hands. And together, we shall Travel. To a place of danger, no doubt, but hopefully also to a place with hospitals, food, water, and safety."

Barachiel's eyes look both earnest and distant at the same time.

"Well? What do you say?"

Abraxas angles the railgun in safe direction, and the crackling electricity subsides to an ominous standby thrum. The hatch cracks open and he leaps to the steel deck of the slowly venting bridge. His EVA suit thrusters flare slightly to cushion his impact. The cockpit seals behind him, and Abraxas waits idly but not powered down completely.

Faust was my enemy, whom I knew. You two don't have to be, he says to the two alien figures.

He hustles over to the fallen SAGE operatives, attempting to triage them. Sophia, can we jump start their EVA suit trauma protocols?
This message was last edited by the player at 15:43, Fri 01 Sept 2017.

Fiernas manages to restrain himself but for a breathy exclamation of "What the fuck..." that carries breezily through his helmet speakers.

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 211):

"That's...perfectly understandable," Barachiel replies. "This is why I don't typically explain myself. I do my work and disappear. Saves me some trouble."

He shakes his head slightly.

"Regardless, the facts are what they are. In 47 -- no, 46 minutes, the lander will be able to launch again. Your friends can get on it and join us for our grand experiment, as it were, or you can simply take it and leave. I won't be needing it myself anymore, now that I'm resolved to leave."

Barachiel leans back in his chair.

"I realize that wasn't really a question, but...if you have others, I'll do what I can to answer them."

In reply to Barachiel (msg # 212):

Team Kamikaze

The Roshak steps backward as Xander exits the mech, immediately losing interest in Abraxas and focusing on its pilot instead. It maintains its silence, for now.

"The Dance of War has ended. There will be no more dust until it begins anew. Now...are humans active on the psychic spectrum?" the Lith rumbles to whoever will listen. "If there is no mindstone, I can think of no other answer."

***

The Faustian Troopers raise their weapons at Xander as he approaches the members of the boarding party, but they do not fire nor order him to stand down.

These suits aren't designed for triage, Sophia says. SAGE either considered them to be expendable, or did not expect a functioning triage feature relevant to their long-term prognosis. It is easy to see why: Those helix blasts leave a nasty wound behind. There is nothing we can do.

***

The Roshak skitters smoothly over to Xander's side, the indistinct energy at its wrists coalescing into crude hands. It jabs a finger at his uniform accusingly, but utters no words (mentally or otherwise).
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:11, Fri 01 Sept 2017.

"I have met two humans I would describe as 'active on the psychic spectrum.'  It isn't common, and Xander isn't one of them.  Unless Sophia has some new tricks...?" He quirks an eyebrow behind his visor, as he looks at Xander.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 214):

The bridge climate controls kick on, pumping cool air to ease the room in the wake of battle.

"Yeah.  Question."  Fiernas's tone crosses the border of sarcastic.  "You came here to help a couple people, and they died.  So how in the hell are they walking around and piloting landers?"

In reply to Fiernas Holm (msg # 216):

"Ah. Yes. That."

Barachiel walks over to the figures and slides the faceplates of each helmet upward, revealing an empty (if somewhat discolored) interior in each.

"They're empty now. Remote-controlled suits. The lander is controlled remotely, as well, or it can follow established simple flight patterns. I've gotten pretty good at improvising simple remote-control circuits out of various technologies over the years. Lets me go places and do things beyond my boundaries without Traveling."

He closes the faceplates once more.

"Any other questions?"

"How old are you exactly?  What's the farthest distance you've ever traveled?  What other powers, abilities, things do you have?"

Xander shrugs in response to Billy's question. I dunno. Maybe? It's been a day for weird shit. Abraxas started eating the ship to heal itself. Oh, and we're talking to two members from two separate extrasolar empires. Sophia being psychic would be like the sixth or seventh most bizarre thing that's happened in the past twelve hours.

As if on cue, Abraxas' nanomachine swarm begins furtively harvesting raw materials from the bridge to patch the latest dents in the armor.

He looks down at the bodies of the SAGE boarding party and sighs.

Dammit...

Standing up, Xander turns to Billy and the two aliens, and gestures at the corpse of Faust.

I did what I came here to do. Where does that leave us?

In reply to Xander (msg # 219):


Team Kamikaze

"In the middle of a pitched naval battle?" One of the troopers ventures.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 220):

"Other powers?"

The man frowns.

"I Travel, and I do not seem to be able to die of natural or environmental causes. Is that not enough?"

He looks upward, calculating something.

"I've been alive, by my reckoning, for at least 500 years now. And I am capable of Traveling great distances indeed. Planet-spanning."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:58, Mon 04 Sept 2017.

"Yeah, we can see that," Billy gestures at the perforated and amber-crusted viewscreen, "Think maybe we're on good enough terms I could try talking them down?  Anyone else really hard up on Faust's theory of 'kill all the enemies,' or would a cease-fire be agreeable to the current command staff?"

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 222):

Nightmare looks at Fiernas.

It appears we have found your ideal situation, Skanderbeg, salvation from outside of SAGE not requiring their intervention...

Her mouth twisting around the unfamiliar word, she looks back to Barachiel,

You named yourself after an angel did you not?  I seem to remember something from Christian mythology.  I made myself something of a scholar after my... accident.  After hearing your story, I feel that you are much like me.

The EVA suit slumps against the wall as she appears directly in front of Barachial, in her base layer.  She looks shy, vulnerable, uncomfortable, she has a hard time holding his gaze as she looks at her feet.

Suddenly, she rushes forward and hugs him.  As she presses her face to his chest she says

I think you need this.  Thank you. 

After a moment she breaks the hug, claps her hands and holds them behind her back as she begins to pace and talk in her I'm figuring things out cadence

That being said there is a heavy price to pay for this course of action.  It would involve abandoning the Persephone, only bringing the parts of Madisyn that we are able to fit onto the available storage space.

Barachiel, how much digital storage do you have available to you at this location?  Kayla can you please see what we can make out of the spare parts here?  Also while you are looking can you please see if there is any equipment that can be modded to reach SAGE HQ? Perhaps a distress beacon?

She turns on a heel to face Barachiel

I assume that the two previous were SAGE employees and that they attempted to communicate to their base.  Why was nobody able to save them?  Did they not respond?  Does the lander have insufficient range to make it to any of the SAGE Locations on this planet?  Do you know where the nearest outpost is?

If this station is not a dead end, then we have choices to make.  If it is a dead end... then we are officially in salvage mode. 
This message was last edited by the player at 14:04, Tue 05 Sept 2017.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 223):

Team Kamikaze

"What do you plan on telling the other fleet to get them to stand down?" One of the troopers asks.

"We need significant repairs," another of the troopers says. "And a new AI to coordinate the ship's systems."

"You need the first mate," the Lith rumbles. "Someone go and find her."

Two of the troopers take off running, the emergency doors sliding upward at their command.

They make it four steps before getting mowed down by a hose-like spray of ordinance from an incoming group of SAGE forces.

The remaining troopers slam the bridge door shut with a curse.

"You're friends with them. You call them off...or we'll have start shooting again."
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:18, Wed 06 Sept 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 224):

Also if you don't mind...

She half skips half trips back to her EVA suit and picks up her helmet, a cone of light washes over Barachial.

She taps on her tablet for a second

"Oh for crying out-" Billy cradles his helmet in his gloved palm, "I was going to call the fleet and tell them to stop shooting, presumably they'll relay the message to their boarding party, and you can relay the message to the rest of your stupid armada.  I was friends with the nice lady bleeding all over your bridge!" He gestures irritably at Beck's body, "Do you have a working comm console, or can you turn off your stupid broadband jammer?  I don't even know how many people they have on this ship."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 226):

Team Kamikaze

"The captain's orders stand even in death until countermanded by the first mate and acting captain," one of the remaining troopers says. "And I actually don't know how to turn anything on or off in the ship's systems right now. Lots of commands that usually work DON'T work when under emergency protocols, and overriding that generally requires input from the onboard AI...which is dead."

"That's...that's not entirely true."

The troopers turn, guns raised, toward the sound of this new voice just in time to watch a short woman wearing an IDA uniform (but no EVA suit) crawl to her feet from behind the bank of controls she'd been hiding in.

"Technical Officer Mindy," she says meekly, at which point the troopers lower their weapons again. "I work on the bridge. Took cover when the fighting started. I'm...forgive me, but Captain's orders stand except in extreme emergency situations. Then individual agency is permitted, within certain limits. Bylaw 13.6, I think. Or maybe .7?"

She clears her throat self-consciously.

"Anyway, if, uh, if you want comms to work? I think I can help with that."

She walks over to the bridge's control banks, withdraws a key from her breast pocket, and uses it to open a small battered hatch off to one side. Inside this hatch is a rats nest of wires. She moves a few of them around, and the blinking red light near the bridge's main comm unit soon turns to a solid yellow.

"So, um, yeah. Local comms are online. I'll try to get local ship-to-ship working next..."

***

The Lith rumbles something to the Roshak, which shakes its "head" fiercely. The Lith rumbles again, more forcefully, and points at the viewport. The Roshak vents bursts of air sharply from its shoulderblades, almost like a snort, then walks over to where the Lith pointed. Both aliens spend a few moments assessing the situation unfolding before them, but take no other action.

***

The trooper who was talking earlier walks up to the comm panel and presses down the yellow button.

"Code Black lifted. Go for Code Gold. Goethe Command Staff, report to the Bridge immediately."

The trooper pauses while the words echo throughout the ship, then speaks again.

"Requesting ceasefire. Parlay. All boarding parties, stand down. All crew, stand down."

The trooper releases the button and stops transmitting, then turns to watch the scene unfolding outside the viewport as well.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 227):

Team Space Trek

Barachiel accepts the hug rather stiffly, as if unused to the gesture, then listens carefully as Rebecca peppers him with questions.

"There are far fewer bases on Venus than we've been led to believe, especially on the planet's surface," he says at last. "SAGE's floating sky lab is by far the largest and safest of the lot. There are a handful of places like this one, but they are inhabited only briefly by skeleton staff or, sometimes, drones. They stay until the research is completed and then return to less inhospitable environments."

"This particular base lacks comms entirely. The lander's were damaged. We were able to repair the lander's base system using parts from these EVA suits, but we couldn't get the signal to travel far enough to matter. Not enough power, or too weak an antenna, or perhaps a mixture of the two. We MIGHT be able to get a signal to your ship on the topside, but even that will require work from a skilled mechanic. My remote-controlled suits aren't precise enough to do the work, and I cannot reach the lander myself without Traveling."

He raises an arm when the band of light from Baxter's Eye washes over him, protecting his eyes.

"What was that?" he grunts.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 228):

Kayla nods to herself while Barachiel talks, looking over the table covered with random weaponry and other parts carefully.

"Let me take a look at the lander's comms" she says, snatching an antiquated pistol connected to a fist-sized battery pack by a cable from the table with a smile. "I might be able to help you out with that."

She turns to Rebecca.

"We can either try to salvage bits and pieces of Dynamis or some of the navigation information he curated. I don't have the space for both on my bracer. I...hate to suggest this, but I think we probably need to starmap, the scans of the ship that shot at us, the scans of that rockman's ship, and route information to and from Amg more than we need 10% of D. Especially when we still have Madisyn. What do you think?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:03, Sat 09 Sept 2017.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 229):

She smiles at Barachial.

Its a new piece of buggy technology.  It takes a picture of you, sometimes... it reveals interesting things that you don't even know.

She shows him her tablet with his scan, pointing out the shading and colors.

Neat!  HUH?  I never knew what this color was... At any rate, Flux here is top notch with modding adding and fixing all things tech.  If anyone can fix the loader and the comms its her.

She turns back to Flux 2.0 sighing about the storage capacity issues.

I agree, I would much rather scrub all of that info.  Also any information on personnel profiles and previous missions run  by our team.

Flux do you have any preference on if you stay here or go with Barachial?

Once she receives her answer she continues.

Understood.  Lets see if you can get the comms working to see if staying with SAGE is even an option.

She then turns on a heel to Fiernas

OK Skan... lets assume we have a choice... Do you want to go with Barachiel into unknown danger or stay with ship and risk interaction with SAGE?

Personally, I think it may be a good idea to split the group.  I believe Gestalt will opt for unknown danger.

Tyndall and Darling I think would prefer the safer route if SAGE is an option.

I am uneasy about bringing a comatose person into potential danger without any indication as to his preferences and would prefer to remand him into SAGE custody directly.

I, personally, am torn on the best route of action.  I would personally prefer the active role of unknown danger, but the risk of leaving Persephone, Dynamis, the new tech on that ship and the information therein makes me highly uneasy.  Especially when taking into account the highly classified information of some of our previous missions.

"Mindy, I could kiss you.  Let's all enjoy some individual agency, and individually decide that everybody getting shot is a terrible idea." His voice then comes over the SAGE comm channel, "Any SAGE troops that can hear me, please cooperate with the cease-fire request.  The commanding officer of the fleet and the alien influence is under control, no reason for more human lives to be lost.  Beck was KIA, I don't know who else holds rank aboard this ship, but if you want to come to the bridge with weapons stowed, you can talk terms with their command staff.  Like reasonable people."  There is a moment of silence even after he's done on the SAGE channel before his helmet's speakers pipe up again, "Hey Xander, maybe put the giant robot between the door and the aliens, just in case?"

Abraxas wordlessly complies, stepping surprisingly gracefully over to the doorway, facing inwards towards the bridge. The railgun remains safed, but not powered down.

In reply to Abraxas (msg # 232):

Team Kamikaze

A miraculous series of events unfolds as a semblance of order is restored to the bridge. Though Mindy is unable to restore ship-to-ship comms, the SAGE boarding parties are able to relay the parlay request directly to their fleet. Non-capital ships from both sides are soon disengaged, flying around their base ships in tight formations and clearly ready to re-engage if needed.

The broadsides being fired from the capital ships come to a temporary stop, as well.

***

Goethe's First Mate (and acting Captain) Maria Vasquez arrives shortly. Her towering frame is rather imposing, both in muscle mass and sheer height. Scorch marks dot her EVA suit in several places, though none seem to have penetrated the armor.

She is accompanied by four Faustian Troopers and a wispy, spindly man with wireframe glasses and a pencil-thin mustache dressed in a uniform much like Mindy's, save for a golden braid which loops from his right shoulder beneath the armpit and back around -- the mark of a flag officer's aide.

The surviving Troopers on the bridge snap to attention as she arrives, as does Mindy.

"Captain!" she says, stumbling through a salute. "I'm -"

"At ease," Vasquez says briskly, waving her off. "Just give me the details."

Mindy nods and hands over a datapad, which Vasquez peruses with growing agitation for several moments before handing it back.

"Fantastic," the acting Captain mutters, then glares over at the aliens. "And now I'm left holding the bag for you lot. Wonderful."

The Lith and the Roshak exchange glances, and then the Lith begins to rumble a response before the acting Captain cuts it off.

"Save it. We'll discuss it later," she continues. "As you can see, our guests have arrived."

At this point, she acknowledges a group of six figures in SAGE-emblazoned armor who have just marched up to the doorway. One of them steps forward.

"I have Dr. Dorian Pryor of the SCV Dichotomy on comm, and will personally be serving as a real-time relay for the duration of this parlay. Broadcasting now."

The SAGE soldier activates something on their suit, and a holographic image of an athletic, middle-aged man with slightly thinning hair and a cropped salt-and-pepper beard appears before him.

"Parlay wasn't in Commander Faust's lexicon," the man says, his demeanor more akin to a university professor than a military commander. "I'm pleased to find a measure of reason among his subordinates. Shall we negotiate your surrender?"

"Cease-fire," Vasquez corrects him. "And an end to hostilities while we sort things out. There may be more at play here than either of us understands."

"There's more at play than YOU understand, certainly," Dr. Pryor demurs. "But SAGE is, as always, willing to educate you. For starters, did you-"

He pauses, then says something else that you cannot hear -- though the soldier broadcasting the signal apparently does, because he turns to sweep the bridge with his field of vision.

"That's an interesting battlesuit you have there," Dr. Pyror says, the broadcast picking up once more. "Identical, in fact, to one that was involved in a sensitive smash-and-grab data breach a few years back. So you are, in fact, a part of the same splinter cell of the IDA as the Mastodon?"

"Absolutely not," Vasquez counters, balling a hand into a fist. "Faust came here specifically to crush that splinter cell. The pebbles and dust that were once their asteroid base stand as testament to that. All that remains of that installation is the Amgine Factory ship."

"Compelling," Dr. Pryor says, "But then, explain the presence of the battlesuit. If you captured it, I'm afraid I must insist on claiming it as part of any ceasefire agreement we might come to. It would be non-negotiable."

"We didn't exactly capture it," Vasquez says, gesturing toward Billy and Xander. "The splinter cell sent in an away team to cripple the Goethe and assassinate Commander Faust. Both objectives were achieved...though I have no doubt we could capture what remains of their team now if we had to. They are quite surrounded."

Dr. Pryor remains silent for a moment.

"What did you mean when you said 'Amgine Factory ship' a few moments ago?" he says quietly.

"Did I stutter?" Vasquez says. "The Amg have had a spy in our sector ever since Braeburn made contact with the Roshak and locked down Titan. Turns out they didn't know how to 'lock down' Roshak signals, so they were able to get the word out before the massacre was over. The Roshak have a mutual defense pact with the Lith, and neither of them are on particularly favorable terms with the Amg. So here we are."

"We...should discuss that situation much more fully, in a much more private setting, Captain," Dr. Pryor says, steepling his fingers absently. "As to the matter at hand, our intelligence indicated that this asteroid was a standard IDA base, being assaulted by the same splinter cell that stole advanced technology from us. If the reverse is indeed true, we have no quarrel with you."

He clears his throat.

"Secure what's left of the splinter cell's assault group -- including that battlesuit -- and send it to the Dichotomy, and we will consider this matter closed."

Vasquez glances over at Billy and Xander, at the bevy of guards on the bridge, and then back over at the mech.

"Done," she nods. "We'll take care of it."

"Engines off until we have them," Dr. Pryor cautions. "I'll have someone be in touch soon about that discussion we'll be having later. Pryor, out."

With that, the hologram fades.

***

"So...unless you have a great counteroffer, it sounds like you're going to the Dichotomy," Captain Vasquez says at last, turning to address Billy and Xander. "Are you going willingly, or is there going to be additional loss of life after all?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:52, Wed 13 Sept 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 233):

Team Space Trek

"I don't want to scrub anything," Kayla replies. "I just think we should keep the starcharts and such, since we're the very first people to ever travel them as far as we know. And since we need to be able to get an ambassador BACK there once we get home."

Unit:Dynamis left for dead?

"No, Madisyn. We're going to head back up there and see what we can do to help him and the others."

She glances over at Rebecca.

"After that, I'd rather take my chances with our friend here than on the good graces of SAGE, if it's all the same to you."

Kayla heads out to the lander, laden with equipment, and gets to work.

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 234):

Nightmare nudges Barachial with her shoulder to his upper arm and smiles at him.

I'm glad you were here.

She smiles a winning smile.

Kayla, what are the chances that SAGE knows where we are and that they could find the Persephone if they were looking for it?  Also what are the chances we could tag the Persephone in such a way that WE could find if we were looking for it?

Fiernas, can you help with that?

"Happy I could bring you all to the negotiating table, I appreciate your gratitude," Billy groans sarcastically after Vasquez and Pryor have determined his fate among themselves.  "To Be clear, Captain," Billy emphasizes her current title, "Regardless of what Faust told you, he did work with that splinter group.  Its director trusted him implicitly right up until you started your orbital bombardment.  He hired me himself.  I'm willing to go, but I'd prefer it be to a third seat at the table, not as a captive.  I gave up on speaking for him though," Billy jerks his head back to indicate Xander, then turns to look specifically at the Lith. "I'd like to pick up our conversation too. Deception goes around in this sector, I'd be happy to tell you more about it.  Short version is that we don't have one leader, you'd do well to make as many friends as you can."

Xander purses his lips, not seeing many favorable options sandwiched between two likely hostile fleets. He turns to the SAGE officer serving as a bridge to Pryor.. The battlesuit is my personal property. In light of the recent string of...misunderstandings, however, I will allow you to examine it. I'll even help your techs analyze it, if it will put one over on Braeburn.

He holds up a hand. I have one condition. I need access to a Search-And-Rescue equipped shuttle immediately. That's non-negotiable.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:26, Wed 13 Sept 2017.

Billy takes a carefully calculated step away from Xander when he demands a shuttle, not sharing his confidence in their bargaining position.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 238):

Team Space Trek

"I don't think we'll be able to disguise Persephone so well SAGE can't find it," Kayla says after a moment's contemplation. "It's equipped with some of their technology, after all. And having high-tech solutions to various problems is kind of their life's work. We could cover it in a lead-lined camouflaged tarp and hope for the best, but otherwise I don't think there's much we can do."

In reply to Kayla Wallin (msg # 239):

Team Kamikaze

"The splinter cell is dead," Vasquez says flatly. "Just like anyone still associated with it, save the Amgine spy. Former members should either be considered an arm of the actual IDA, as we now are by default, or completely unaffiliated with the IDA. As of this moment, I'm afraid you and your away team is lumped into the latter category."

She glances over at Xander.

"I'm not giving you a shuttle, but with the battle over there will be craft dedicated to doing rescue and salvage missions. I can give one an additional assignment for you, depending on what -- or who -- you're looking for. But you personally are staying here until you can be safely transferred to the Dichotomy."

Vasquez then returns to her attention to Billy.

"You are in possession of enough knowledge to perhaps warrant a seat at the table, but...whose interests would you be representing? Everyone else involved controls significant capital, both in assets and sentient life. Corporations. Government agencies. Planetary municipalities. We can't get bogged down with the micro-level wants and needs of individual parties until the macro-level relationships are sorted out."

She spits in disgust.

"If it were up to me, there would only be one human at the table, period. These other races manage to speak with one voice. Why shouldn't we?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:36, Thu 14 Sept 2017.

"Actually, I'm a contractor for the IDA," Billy holds up his hand to quietly make the point of fact when Vasquez accuses him of being unaffiliated. After she's spat and said her peace, Billy jumps at her last point, "Because we don't.  That's not human nature.  We have never spoken with one voice for all of human history.  If that's what you want then you're on the right ship because Faust knew how to do it, kill everyone who disagrees with you.  I don't care how they do things where they came from," Billy points at the Lith and Roshak, "But humanity is a thousand voices screaming at each other and I'm glad to be one of them.  I have my own capital, my name's on a dozen companies that are going to be associated with inter-stellar travel and trade very soon, and I would be happy to represent the other nine hundred and ninety nine opinions I don't agree with at your stupid negotiating table," Billy crosses his arms defiantly at Vasquez.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:04, Tue 19 Sept 2017.

It's a good thing I wasn't talking to you then, Xander shoots back at Vasquez. He points to the lead SAGE soldier. Did your boss get that, or do I need to repeat myself?
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 18:55, Thu 14 Sept 2017.

In reply to Xander (msg # 242):

Team Kamikaze

"Dr. Pryor is preoccupied with other things," the SAGE broadcaster says. "But I'm sure he'd be willing to discuss the use of a shuttle once you're aboard Dichotomy."

"You'd better hope he's up for it," Vasquez snaps. "Because you're really in no position to be making demands, and by turning up your nose at my offer, you've lost it."

She motions to the Faustian Troopers, who ready their weapons but do not appear ready to actually fire just yet.

"Get these people off my ship. Do it now," she says, clearly irritated at Xander's lack of respect.

The boarding party nods and turns toward Billy and Xander.

"This way..."

[Crossroads]
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:29, Thu 14 Sept 2017.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 243):

The purple gem in Xander's possession demonstrates fierce inanimacy.

Billy sneers mockingly at Vasquez's shift in attitude, but goes where the SAGE party leads.

Xander wordlessly turns to follow, not even dignifying Vasquez with a response. Abraxas pivots to join.

Yeah, let's go see your boss. Are you driving, or should I fly directly?

In reply to Xander (msg # 246):

The rock shifts in Xander's pocket as he strolls along.

In reply to Muse (msg # 247):

Team Kamikaze

"We'll just be taking a walk," the SAGE speaker says, leading Billy and Xander from the bridge. "The mech'll be packaged for delivery separately."

Captain Vasquez nods her agreement, issuing orders to that effect moments later.

Billy and Xander find themselves led down a series of corridors and hallways until ultimately coming to a stop before a pulsing, rainbow-hued prism of light that seems to be built into the wall itself.

"Through here," the SAGE speaker says, motioning to the wall.

Passing through the wall feels a bit like diving into the still surface of a cold outdoor pool, though it does not actually get you wet. You are simply...elsewhere, as though the colored portion of the wall was a porthole-shaped doorway.

That elsewhere, it turns out, is another ship, and the SAGE troops pile in after you to fill out the open, spartan-like space. There are no doors or windows, and the entire area is just one large, van-shaped room. There are benches lining the walls, and handholds dangling from the ceiling, but little else to see.

"All aboard," the SAGE speaker says, clearly transmitting to someone else.

The prismatic shimmering on the wall vanishes abruptly. There is the slightest of shudders, and then the sensation of motion rumbles through your feet as the ship departs.