Kirby listened quietly as John and Aevi spoke. Having nothing to add he simply nodded to John indicating for Tsunami to lead on once he was ready.

As the silence pervaded, Aeviternus watched the rest of the group climb the stairs, keeping an eye out to see if Malcohm and his followers were to join.  He realized that Xuan was watching him, and with that speculated that they may be in a showdown of sorts.

If patience is your contest, you may be in for yet another surprise, jungle cat;  Aeviternus mused.

As John's stomach betrayed his iron will, Aeviternus' own stoicism failed to hide the jerky movements from his shoulders as he tried to stifle his silent laughter.

A smile in his voice, he looked at Kirby; "I realize that I am not one of your soldiers, so this is merely a suggestion: you may want to feed this man or the ride home could get...precarious.  Suddenly I'm relieved to be joining you at later time as I am snack-sized..."

Looking somewhat dejected, John looked at the Captain, shrugged and turned to leave. He avoided looking back at Aeviternus and decided that being in front was a good place to be at the moment. His back to the group meant that he wouldn't have to see how they might be looking at him right then. A good sleep and a new day was sounding like the best thing in the world right then. That and food. Spicy noodles with calamari maybe. Too bad you couldn't take a helicopter through a drive-through.

Hefting his staff, John moved at a light jog in the direction of the helicopter. He pushed everything else out of his mind and focused on the job one last time that night; scouting a safe route to the chopper and avoiding detection.

Kirby adjusted the weight of Alex's lifeless body on his shoulder amd smiled at Aviternus's statement. There was an amused shine in his eye as he spoke. "Aye, we'll gets him a tube steak or somethin fast fast. I could do fora bite myself. We'll be in touch soon soon." He looked up the stairs ad John, ready to follow, but thought of one thing more.

"Oh, and they're not my soldiers. I'm their's." He then followed John without another word.

And the best kind of leader.

Resolved to parting ways with the group as assertively as he was informed, at least for now (who knew what the future  held), Aeviternus made his way down the stairs into the main chamber.

Once in the room he made his way for the mysterious bald man with the answers.

Orlando placed his hand on Aeviternus's shoulder as he passed down..."I'm not sure I can get ahold of you, my brother yes, but..." he handed him a card, it simply said:

                               God's Servant

                      If you need help call this number:
                               312-425-4545

Orlando looked to Earl,"I don't need to know where you're goin, but call me when you get there," and he hugged his brother good-bye. Then gave both men the Analectine symbol and said in Latin, fare well and good travel. Orlando had noticed that his brother had been crying, but happy, he could only guess that something amazing had just happened. Orlando made a mental note to ask his brother another time. He hit Max on the back and pushed him up the stairs.

"Thank you," he stopped to reply, and the card disappeared into a denim pocket while continuing down the stairs.

--------------------------------------------------Break-------------------------------------------------------------

Orlando and Max were loaded and had just finished up what they considered the last important test on their ability to block outside forces of mental intrusion.  The female doctors were most helpful if not excited to discover a few tid bits of their own.
The research was also loaded with the help of Mr. Wu and what couldn't be downloaded was read by everyone in the three fast days of preparation....

Kirby, had been all but recluse, strapped to his desk when they weren't training for the drop or giving them intelligence on outside matters at hand.  He was trying to get certain provisions lined up down the road as well as convince Colonel Sharp that the new plan was the best plan, and of course that Sharp had to trust Kirby that the new plan didn't need to be known in its entirety....needless to say, Kirby was still on the phone...

Aeviternus and Malcohm had many conversations in preparations of the pod descending into the atmosphere.  Aeviternus was apparently technophobic and had had a minor panic attack the first session.  He was relieved to know that most of what Malcohm was trying to show him would not be needed and that all he was trying to do was to get Aeviternus more prepared for the many possibilities.  After three days Aeviternus was comfortable with being able to open the door to the pod once it had turned on remotely. Remotely was really the only option at the time and would apparently cause more of a problem with detection.  After the first two days of torture Aeviternus didn't care about that...

The final count down had happened, Aeviternus would be headed to Earth at above Mach 1 speeds over the coast of California just before dusk flying through the air at 45,000ft, allowing the team to work in daylight, and then quickly be covered by night fall for their getaway, just at about 8:30 pm on this hot June day. Kirby had their plane ready and all operations underway...

The team sat in a coffee house engaging in their last conversations before their plane left to rendezvous to the incoming comet...

....over 20,000 miles away...

Aeviternus, packed with all necessary belongings sat drinking something close to Turkish coffee with Earl, Malcohm and two of the engineers that had been preparing the pod for its tragectory...

...Last words before take off...

They way I figure it, we got one shot,"said Orlando as he sipped his coffee. Do you mind if we go over our roles one more time, I just want to be sure. I will help everyone like I did in the practice run.  I'll be sprinkling some magic dust on us to make sure things get a little easier.  It is kind of like magic luck with a little bit of skill mixed in.  I'll be ready if we land him in the plane half dead too!" Orlando said as half joke and half truth.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:55, Fri 28 Dec 2012.

After going through the practice runs Max wondered if there was an easier way to accomplish this dangerous task.

Bringing an object, that object being Aeviternus, under control while moving in a high speed platform was the problem. Max knew he could slow and control Aeviternus's decent to safety, but what if the platform was eliminated interiorly regarding Aeviternus fall to earth?

Why couldn't Space Ghost (Aeviternus) deploy a parachute during his fall from space. Once he reaches the planes altitude carrying the rest of the team, we all jump, land and sail away.

If needed Max could assist with Space Ghost and the teams descend safely to John's ship.

Max shared this ideas with the team and awaited their response.

Max's idea was sound and a best guess scenario. " Max, Malcohm offered this solution, I don't think a space ship has need of parachutes.  They probably don't have any." This was Orlando's best guess at why we weren't using this as our solution to begin with.

The mission at hand held multiple stages of difficulty.  The first was getting Aeviternus to land in the back of a moving jet while he himself careened through the air at post speeds of sound. The second was getting the group ready within seconds to jump out of the same plane to their second destination, including getting Aeviternus fit with a parachute himself conscious or not. Kirby had achieved getting most of the gear they had needed for their trip.  Each man had a secondary flight pack that would be attached to their chutes hanging below their feet as they cascaded through the air.  The problem being that each extra pack weighed in excess of a hundred pounds so missing their mark and landing in the water would be...well...very bad if one could not breathe underwater.  From the beach each man, would need to carry the gear unseen to the docks where John's boat sat waiting for their departure.  Getting to the craft unseen or molested and out of the docks was the final trio of events. If the sailing vessel made it out of the bay then they were probably home free.


Everyone make a strike rank roll in the combat thread, along with your updated tables.  Place your table and then your roll under the table.  We will do this event in order of STrike Ranks. Talking and communicating with be brief and quick, but still possible.  The initiative will start with Aeviternus opening the pod, and leaping (not costing him an action).  From there I will start with the highest strike rank. Descriptions of actions will be done in this thread.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:51, Mon 31 Dec 2012.

Considering both men's words, John made to clarify the actions.

"Is our aim to bring Aeviternus back to the plane or drop to my boat? Either way, I will only take one parachute, for him. I won't need one. If I am out there, with a detachable tether to the plane, I can aim for him when I jump out. With Max's and Orlando's aid, I will grab him and transfer the bag over. Then I can either be pulled in, or detach to fall to our drop zone. If I am with Aeviternus, then even if we both drop to the water, I can be of help to him."

With another thought, he added "Actually, if all goes to plan, however unlikely...if Aeviternus is secure, I can advance to my boat and prepare it for departure before anyone else arrives." That's a big if.

In reply to Xuan Tien John Wu (msg # 19):

Max scratched his head, showing his confusion with what the 'REAL' plan for Aeviternus was. Then smiled at John regarding his negative comment towards the sky-fall plan, regardless of how daunting it seemed.

Max looked to Kirby for his leadership skills and pulling this critical plan together, thinking I'm a scientist not a strategic planner.

"Cap'n how are you running this operation...what's the plan?"

Reiterating what John asked. "Are we looking for the Aeviternus plane pull-in plan or the dropping Aeviternus direct in the Pacific Soup plan?"

Giving Kirby a serious stair. "Please note that I prefer the latter of the two. I've moved very heavy objects over great distances before. I know I can direct and slow the fall within our safety parameters, placing us on Johns ship."

Max that's a lot of weight, trying to move all of us, is this something you have tried. I feel we should stick with our current plan and bring Aeviternus into the plane, then have everyone jump together to the beach.  I think between Kirby and Max they can guide us down. Kirby and all, I'm assuming that as we land we are ready for action just incase we are attacked on the ground."Orlando hoped to just bring Aeviternus into the plane.  He didn't think going from the pod to the ground was a good idea.

In reply to Orlando Tibbs (msg # 21):

Max shrugged his shoulders at Tibbs, smiled, and winked. "Will 2 tons do?" Spoken with a bit of joking sarcasm. "But that would be a K.O. for me." Max laughed!

Max thought all five team members with gear would be somewhere in the 1800 lb. range. A minor test of power.

It was clear what Tibbs wanted to do. Max knew what he wanted to do, but what of their comrades?

Max looked up at Tibbs. "I guess the decision is up to the Captain?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:05, Wed 02 Jan 2013.

Can he really do that much? Amazing!

"No disrespect Captain, but no, it's not entirely up to him Max. Not when it will be Aeviternus' and my life on the line. Literally. Nobody is disputing your power or capabilities my friend, but I have to agree with Orlando. I believe that the first plan is the best option, and it's what we trained for. We go fishing, and reel in the catch. I just wanted to make sure there were no last minute adjustments. This seems the safest way."

Seemingly looking inward briefly, John hesitated before continuing.

"My confidence in myself can easily change to arrogance. In this case, it seems it has. I have no right to jeopardise the life of Aeviternus or the success of the mission. Please forgive me. I am...working on it."

"Anyway, we should run through the task, one step at a time. Agreed?"

Kirby listened to them all as they spoke, finding himself nodding with Orlando and John, frowning slightly at Max’s plan. He had remained seated in the netting-style seat in the cargo hold of the plane while they conversed. When he spoke his tone was easy, but carried a confidence of command

“We’re gunna to do des how we practiced. No sense taking more risk on now.” He continued quickly, leaving no room for argument. Kirby ticked off the remaining points with his fingers. “First, Pythian will do his magik on us. Second, Cool Hands and aye’ll get the package into deh plane – first slowin’ then guidin’ him in here.” He looked each member of the team to ensure they were following. “Third, Pythian gives the package a looking over. If he’s able, we put a parachute on him. If not, we’ll strap him to Tsunami for the jump - we have hooks for that in the civilian gear - Let’s be clear clear, unless his life is in critical danger, we’ll get off des bird whether he’s awake or not.

“Fourth, we’ll jump. First Tsunami, then Cool Hands, then the package, then Pythian, then me. Aye’ll play over watch. Once your chutes are all open I’ll dive down a bit to land first.” He paused a beat before making his next point. “Be sure to count to ten then pull ya cord. I’d rather you pull soon than late. Ten gets you away from the bird and the guy behind you. You’ll float longer but this will allow me to spot anyone with troubles.” Counting to five would probably be enough but Kirby sensed they’d be nervous and would probably count fast.

“The goal is to land on the beach then hot-foot it to the boat.”

“Questions?”

In reply to Edmund Kirby Smith IV (msg # 24):

Max smiled ay Kirby, giving him an acquiescent nod.

"Sounds good to me, how far is it from the beach to Johns ship? And how will that play out?"

Kirby turned his hand over, thumb pointing toward the floor with his fingers bent into a slight, half-moon shape.

"The bay we're coming down into looks like des, but think of my thumb as half the size. Deh harbor is here," He then pointed to the fleshy part between his thumb and pointer finger at the top of the shape. "Look for the wave breaks - walls marking the outside of the marina - to get your bearings. Red and green lights will mark the channel leading into that marina so follow those red and green lights from the air as go come down. Within the marina, just north and west of the main pier, is our beach. It's grass and sand, about the size of a futball pitch, just below a road. We land there and it's about two hundred meters to the end of the pier and the boat."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:36, Fri 04 Jan 2013.

Nodding along with Kirby's brief, John added "I can have us out into open waters within ten minutes, with a bit of help." The last was directed at Kirby. He figured the simple instructions on deck would go over well with a soldier, even if it was a momentary change of command.

After one of the practice runs, John had gone over some of the easier assisting roles in readying a boat for departure with Kirby. Perhaps he wouldn't remember every detail, but the quick commands they worked out would be simple enough to remind him of what to do when the time came. They had considered whether or not Aeviternus had any knowledge of the craft, but it was too much to hope for or depend upon. The easiest solution was to go over some techniques with Kirby.

"Let's not forget about the backup plan of me swinging out the back of the plane to catch Aeviternus on a tethered line. I will still need help from Max and Orlando if this is to take place."

The sun hung low to the west, a small beam of light peeked over the horizon, just enough to see and soon it would be dark. Odds were they'd land with still a bit of light. Looking up they saw the pod or streak of light as it came bolting towards their direction.

Aeviternus, it is time, we will turn on the pod in 3 seconds and apply enough reverse thrust to allow your body to not be torn to shreds. Remember to move hastily, Earth's instruments will detect this power anomaly, good luck." Malcohm's voice cut out as about 3 seconds elapsed. The pod came quickly to life and the door opened with a ...shkt...it definitely sounded like the door said shit.

Aeviternus it is your inititative first. The door has opened and you are free to move about the cabin.  Please describe your moves in intricate detail as everything counts.  Roll a resistance and athletics skill check as well, Put these in the combat thread. Next up after is Kirby in 23.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:08, Sat 05 Jan 2013.

This message was last edited by the player at 18:28, Sun 13 Jan 2013.

Just like the practiced, Kirby motioned for Max to follow him as he carefully walked out toward the end of the descending aircraft hanger, keeping one hand on the rail of the fuselage for added stability in the wind. When he got toward the end he stopped and looked up into the rapidly darkening sky.

Motion was something Kirby had a gift for. As he developed and learned more about this talent he came to understand that he did not see anything as normal men did. He could see colors, shapes, and all that, but in his vision there was more. Almost everything moved and all of these things gave off energy that Kirby could see. Balls flying through the air would leave trails in their wake. Leaves on a tree, gracefully dancing in a gentle breeze, would shimmer as if reflecting the sun. So when Kirby looked on the world he would see all things in his view that moved, and, more importantly, things that did not move. The variances he saw in his field of vision allowed him to paint a picture, a deep and expansive picture, of the world around him. In this way Kirby’s gift allowed him to see further than most men. And, more recently, he learned to do this in the dark.

So standing out at the end of the ramp Kirby stretched his view into the sky, looking for the ripples of a rapidly falling man through the sky. Upon seeing the man-projectile Kirby would point and direct Max in the direction of their package.