Linkyu
Cosmic Kiddie
aaa
Posts: 47
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Post by Linkyu on May 9, 2018 10:03:55 GMT -6
The water was what you would expect from a port harbor. Mucky. Plenty of algae- with much of the support structures visible encrusted in some form of life, whether hard or soft. It was an easy, if not somewhat gross swim. Their approach to the pier was quick, though from their position there was not much to see. The walls to the pier were much like any other, with-
…
Interestingly, as they approached, they began to realize that the water was actually going under part of the pier, at some section. The current wasn’t particularly strong, but it was noteworthy. The closer they got, the more it seemed the wall was… Not intact.
At least not entirely.
As Kara neared the wall to investigate, it became increasingly clear that water was in fact passing through- while it was going into the wall, it didn’t seem to be pouring into any specific location, simply seeping through a thin crack that seemed to cut halfway down the pier's foundation.
“If I didn’t know better, I would have thought this to be like those water systems to mitigate currents around harbours.” She turned to Stepan. “Any idea what this is about?”
“No idea.” Stepan confessed. “I am not architect.”
“Fair enough. Not what we’re for anyway, so...”
Kara slowly made her way back up, cautious not to surface too abruptly.
She was greeted with… Well, clear skies, mainly. It seemed that the weather had mostly cleared up- even if it was only temporarily. From her position beside the pier, there didn’t seem to be anything that stood out too much, and a nearby ladder would allow them to climb onto dry land.
She motioned to Stepan to let him know the coast was clear and to follow her up as she swam towards the ladder. Conscious not to clang anything on the metal fixture, she climbed up and removed her rebreather. As she waited him, she scanned her surroundings, taking notes of where they were exactly. Once Stepan was cleared out of the water, she radioed Cain.
“We’re clear.” She shook off the water from the bags and started unzipping the wetsuit. “Foxtrotting towards destination now.”
“Roger, all clear from the front, they currently seem to be unloading at Warehouse 16.” There was a brief pause on the radio, before he spoke up again. “Warehouse 17 is looking the same.”
“...Unloading?” Kara had a brief flashback. This was getting a bit similar to an old mission where she only miraculously lived through…
She approached the angle of the nearest building, peeked over the corner, and resumed. “Can you give me a brief description of the cargo?”
Silence, soon followed by inaudible mumbling. A minute later, she got a response. “They have a semi loaded up front, so I don’t have a clear view, but from what I can see it just seems to be pallets of boxes. Couldn’t be more than a few feet across each.”
“Roger that.” She focused back on her surrounding, scanning the area before her. For the most part, the area seemed to be fairly sparse. The occasional crate seemed to be stacked along the walls of each warehouse, though as they were outside they were more likely than not empty. Across the pier, stacked alongside the opposite side were shipping containers. It seemed that from her position between warehouses 16 and 17, there were hardly any people to get in her way.
Though upon further inspection, a handful of those armed guards did stand by warehouse 17. While they were looking away from where they were, if they attempted to cut through the middle of the pier, they’d no doubt be seen by them. Neither Kara nor Stepan could see it from their position, but they could hear workers talking loudly, and the sound of forklifts moving within the warehouse they were hiding behind. She turned to Stepan.
“Doesn’t look like 17 is really accessible right now. If we had had more time, it would have been simpler to disguise as workers, honestly… But I reckon our best bet right now is to circle around to get in 16. What do you think? I figure Lestrange should have a good view for us for that.”
“Sounds like good plan. Dock is too open, we need to get inside quickly. While they are busy we will infiltrate 16. I will cover you, Kim.” Stepan replied, pistol at the ready. “If we must shoot it will likely not draw attention, but if the guards open fire with a noisy SMG we will be in trouble.”
“Alright.” She turned around around the corner and pressed on her comm. “Circling around to get to 16; keep an eye out on the guards.”
There was a quick reply from their cover as Kara rounded the corner. “Copy that.”
She wouldn’t find any resistance, however. The back of the warehouse was already clear, and as she continued to press on, she quickly found a side entrance just shy of the front of the warehouse. A quick peek inside would reveal… A slew, no, mountains of crates stacked on shelves and along floors, much of them tied down on pallets.
Though with the size of the warehouse, she could only faintly get a peek of the back, and from what she could see, it was very, very different. Rather than mountains of crates, there was a surprising amount of tarp.
“Is that entrance clear for entry, Kim? The guard is light on this side.” Stepan said quietly. He edged forward to look through the door as well. “What is that back there? It looks big.” Not seeing anyone on the other side Stepan slid in silently. “Lestrange, we have confirmation of something that would take many tarps to hide. Not sure what yet. Let us know if enemy behavior changes.”
Stepan’s brief investigation did give him some new information. Well, he could see more was what was more accurate. Though completely unnoticeable at first, a closer investigation made it clear that what was underneath the tarp was large and metallic. Its color, a dull black, hid well in the shadows of the warehouse, and it was becoming increasingly clear that the size of what was hidden was nothing to scoff at.
Kara circled around the tarp to find an opening in it, which she found shortly. She pulled it slightly and saw that it wasn't too tightly wrapped around the cargo. She motioned to Stepan to keep watch and sneaked under it to get a better look. If this was any sort of AA, it would be quick to identify; just had to look for limbs or any particular element like so. She brought her flashlight up on low setting and examined it further.
She would soon realize that the machine was none other than a Peltast- while the legs weren’t immediately identifiable, the more she worked it, the more began to add up. The thickness of the metal at certain parts, the relatively unarmored waist region… The pitch black machine was none other than a Peltast.
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Cain’s position on the rooftop had so far been fine, with his rifle nudged along his arm and his gaze focused on his scope, he was able to contain the pier within his vision with relative ease. While the warehouse had been routine, he couldn’t help but to try and investigate the shipments that were coming in.
Though the truck had more or less been unloaded, a quick glance allowed him to peer at some of the tags on the crates that had been brought in. Unrecognizable at first, he was slowly able to piece together some information.
Number one, it was a shipment that seemed to have originated within the country.
Number two, whatever was being shipped had been marked with fragile.
Number three… Actually, that was it.
A low groan escaped his lips, and the sniper adjusted his rifle along his arm, mumbling something about having gotten over the idea of providing cover back when he was part of the ESU ground-
His focus snapped.
---
Kara’s investigation would be briefly interrupted, as her comms flared with renewed life. “We have another truck coming in, smaller this time. There’s a car behind it, looks fancy. Couple of suits exiting the vehicle and-”
Silence.
“-both heading inside, armed guards with them too. If you’re inside I’d suggest hiding.”
Kara swore under her breath and turned off her light. “Copy that.”
Since there was no time to leave, she stayed under the tarp and hoped that Stepan had found a good place to hide as well. Even so, if those people were coming for the machine, she was at a terrible spot. She looked up the Peltast’s legs and an idea started to form in her mind… She started silently climbing up. If push came to shove, she would prefer to be close to the cockpit rather than next to the 2-ton feet, this time.
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Post by Charredgp on May 10, 2018 22:43:33 GMT -6
Minutes passed, Gabe focusing on his bonds rather than any conversation. But after enough work to make his wrists scream for mercy, he finally felt his bonds loosen enough that he could move a bit more freely. It wasn’t much, but it was progress. The next to go would be the bag on his head, letting him see the makeshift prison they had called home for however long they’d been forced to wait.
Soon after, Lana would be greeted by the bruised, but welcome visage of her partner, who quickly began to get her untied as well, dragging her somewhere the guard wouldn’t be able to see them at a glance, with a finger to his lips. Hopefully the guard would notice they had “disappeared” soon and investigate.
It took a moment for it to register, but Lana’s eyes came aglow in relief and joy as the veil became free. An incredulous smile plastered across her face as she noted his wrists - damaged, but ultimately triumphant. ‘Wow, you are way stronger than you look,’ she very gently mouthed. Soon she was freed as Gabe released her promptly from her bonds.
Now that the two were free, they had to be armed. It was unfortunate that they were disarmed prior, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Lana removed both of her shoes, high-heel pointed upwards, and making the most discreet stabbing motion possible. She was about to open her mouth to explain the ludicrous technique, but then became promptly shut as the two heard a heavy clang nearby - something, or someone, landing on the ground.
---
The drop certainly made noise as Sean hit the metal floor. Illuminated by a stray lamp, he found himself in an open room with nothing much but a handful of crates flanking him on both sides. In front of him, slightly towards the left, was an incomplete room, presumably part of the super structure. A long hall continued beside it, all the way down to the rest of the freighter.
His arrival didn’t occur without incident, however. He could see in the distance lights turning towards his direction, some coming out of makeshift rooms. Muffled voices appeared to be conversing, and one light began walking in his direction, ignoring the room underneath the superstructure.
Sean’s eyes scoured the room for guards. It was nearly empty, he quickly realized, which might have owed to the fact that a large hole in the roof was not conducive to a comfortable hangout spot. Voices from the hallway alerted him to the presence of others in the superstructure, though he doubted they were expecting company. If there were this many men lazing around he might have stumbled right into their headquarters. As lights approached from rooms flanking the hallway, Sean hid behind a nearby crate and waited for them to approach.
Footsteps indicated the guard arriving at the pack of crates near where Sean landed. He didn’t move past them, instead flashing his light at the nearby ground, then towards the back, and around the room. Seemingly satisfied, Sean could hear a faint mumble and the sound of him turning around, beginning his walk back down the hall…
---
Soon enough, Gabe and Lana’s brief respite was interrupted with a rapid knock and the sound of a muffled voice speaking. The door slowly swung open, and they were greeted with a yawning guard, eyes still shut during the action, and pistol hung in its holster. His eyes slowly opened, settled on the scene in the room, and began to grow wide…
Gabe would only take a moment to register they hadn’t been saved by Sean before he pounced on the guard. With a low growl, he rushed forward, grabbing the guard’s head and slamming it onto the floor, immediately moving to pin his arms to his back. “Rope. Quick.” He grunted to Lana.
Lana had obliged, but not before her instinct sprung to life in delivering a well-placed chop to the back of the guard’s neck.
“I panicked.” She stated matter-of-factly while starting to loop the remaining rope around their target’s wrists.
“...Right. Well make sure that’s tighter than ours were, either he starves or someone’ll come by and get him eventually.” Gabe was already rifling through the guard’s belongings once Lana started to tie him up, going for his gun first and foremost, then digging around in his pockets and anything else that might have something of value. “Assumin’ Sean’s doin’ alright we’ll wanna find him, then figure out how much they got from us.”
Lana nodded in agreement - the interrogation that happened prior was starting to truly settle in, channeling her discontent in tying the ropes around the guard’s wrists tightly. “How does it look outside? Is there anything out there? There was a big ‘boom’ before.”
“Sec.” He finished digging through the guard’s belongings, which as far as he cared was only a gun, some ammo, and a knife. No point in taking the dude’s wallet, tempting as it was just for the spite value. He deliberated between the weapons, eventually sliding the knife over Lana’s way. “Assumin’ he’s tryin’ to be quiet, that might be Sean. Or Lin, if he brought her too. Either way, keep close and keep yer eyes peeled while we’re out there. Don’t be afraid to get stabby if someone’s on ya.” He said, looking through the doorway.
The athlete rose a brow as Gabe shuffled through the guard’s items and ultimately abandoned the wallet. While it was nice to see her partner’s intentions, the spite was indeed starting to pool up at the moment as she ended up grabbing it for herself, sliding it into the bodice of her dress. You never know what you could find out from it. A sigh of relief swept over her as Gabe handed her the knife - clearly the superior weapon in Lana’s expertise.
“Okay.” She began, taking hold of his hand as she carefully stepped out of the doorway, letting go as she planted ahead of him. “I will go first, you cover my back since you have the gun, okay?” She asked as the knife skillfully twiddled within her hand, shifting into a wary position for precise strikes.
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on May 11, 2018 22:11:57 GMT -6
Thud.
The guard fell to his knees, the blunt force of a pistol smacking against the back of his skull resounding in his head. Sean wrapped his hand around the guard’s mouth and pulled him backwards by the hair, tossing him roughly against the wall as he kicked the weapon from his grasp. He pointed his own handgun against the man’s temple and pressed his knee against his arm.
“Tell me where my friends are and I’ll let ye walk away with a slap on the wrist. Couple of hostages, I’m sure ye’ve seen them.” Sean kept his voice low, applying more pressure to the man’s arm. “Not an offer I extended to yer friends, so consider this a stroke of luck.”
The man, regrettably, spoke no English- though he did tap the ground, pointing towards the room beneath the super structure.
“Held up yer end of the bargain as best ye could,” Sean remarked. He pistol whipped the guard once more, smacking hard enough to force the man to lose consciousness. It would certainly leave a nasty bruise come morning, but he would live. That was more than his pals could say. Sean cautiously approached the dimly-lit hallway, concealing himself ‘round the side of the door.
He was suddenly reminded of the countless days he’d spent shooting the shit with Gabe when they were stationed back in Norilsk. After having finished a particularly engaging spy thriller earlier that morning, Sean suggested they learn Morse code. Neither had the patience to learn more than a handful of letters, of course. But their names had been drilled into each others’ heads when they used them for a high-stakes game of Marco Polo.
Sean tapped the butt of his pistol against his wall. It was quiet enough to seem like any old part of the unfinished ship creaking under its own weight, but steady enough to grab someone’s attention– if they were paying any at all.
What at first had sounded like just a part of the ship creaking suddenly caught Gabe’s attention as it continued. While he was no expert, he’d heard Sean tap out that series of letters often enough for it to at least subconsciously get him to start listening. Usually right before he followed up with ‘-... / .. / - / -.-. / ....’ once he started looking.
“Hold up.” He murmured to Lana, pressing his ear to the wall. It sounded like they were close to each other, at least somewhat. That was promising, if nothing else. Similar to Sean, Gabe tapped out his own reply with the butt of his pistol against the wall, though it was one of the few things he knew how to say in Morse code beyond SOS.
The reply he’d heard so many times before came like clockwork.
Sean double-checked his pistol to make sure it was locked and loaded. He couldn’t be sure what kind of resistance he might meet between here and where Gabe was held– assuming his friend hadn’t already escaped. Radio silence from at least three patrols would likely start setting off alarms soon. He steadily walked down the hallway with his handgun at the ready. And as Sean turned the corner, he came face to face with the barrel of a loaded gun.
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Linkyu
Cosmic Kiddie
aaa
Posts: 47
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Post by Linkyu on May 15, 2018 3:35:47 GMT -6
{“Ah see, what did I tell you? It’s all here.”}
The sound of mandarin cut through the silence, followed by footsteps. Judging by the amount, there had to have been at least four people present, maybe more. They continued up towards the base of the machine, stopping short of where the tarp hit the ground. From Kara’s position, she could spot relatively normal looking boots, followed by some nice looking dress shoes, and then…
...Were those white cowboy boots?
{“Oh ho ho! You were right, Mr. Cai, genuine Martian machines on Chinese soil!”} Spoke one of the voices, and soon after the dress shoes seemed to step closer towards the tarp.
{“Connections are invaluable in my business, and rest assured I am the one with the most in Shanghai. Something like this is well within my capability, and if you think this one is big, wait until you see the other!”} The deeper voice responded, a froggy laugh following his words as the two stood in front of the machine. {“There were even talks of getting more… Though they want to wait until a week before doing that, apparently they want to make a move on Shanghai soon…”}
{“Really?! Shanghai? To think they’ve covered that much ground…”}
Kara held tightly to her position. The little Mandarin she brushed up before the mission was barely enough for necessities; anything that was said here was just Chinese to her. For now, all she could do was to trust Stepan and hope for them to just leave.
Stepan heard everything from his position curled up behind a nearby box. Cai, I knew you were rat but not king of sewer. Selling out homeland like this… I hope when we clear this place you are caught in wreckage. he thought with disgust.
Their footsteps soon moved away from the hidden Peltast, towards other sections of the warehouse. Their clear voices soon dwindled down with distance, the two now in the clear from any unwanted attention. Though it was clear they were still present in the warehouse, they seemed far enough that the two could move, albeit carefully.
Their comms lit up again, a voice coming in more muffled than prior. “I’m going to guess that everything is alright. I can see them heading towards the entrance of the warehouse again… Any chance you know who they are?”
“Negative for me, they only spoke Mandarin.” Kara first replied. “Stepan?”
“One of them is contact who tipped me off to this dock: Cai. I did not think he was scum of this magnitude. The other I do not know. From what I heard there is either second AA or something bigger here and Martian forces will be moving on Shanghai very soon.”
She stayed briefly silent.
“Doubt it's in there if it's that big. Lestrange, is there a clear path to the other building?”
“Negative, they seem to be moving there now. I'm seeing them exit the building… Workers are still present too.”
“Hmmm…” Kara pondered as she mentally went over their options.
The most straightforward plan was to simply hide until the coast was clear, but it was not known how long it would take. Ideally, a large diversion would make an excellent cover for infiltrating the warehouse. The Peltast here could provide that… But Kara didn't like the odds. The machine could be traced, or even potentially had a remote access to it. Was it even fueled? A risky idea all around.
She preferred the first plan, and let her team know.
“It might be safer to wait it out, maybe. Stepan, did your scouts pick up any routine for the guards? Does the security ramp up later or can we hope for a window?”
Cain’s voice cut in once more, “They’ve mostly entered the second building at this point, I think I see some of the guards chatting with each other… Looks like work in your warehouse is slowing down.”
“Security is usually a little lighter.” Stepan whispered into the radio. “They must have brought in extra muscle to look good for guests today. Every two hours there is rotation of guard. If we need to make a move that is likely best time to do it.”
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s see what I can gather from this machine in the meantime. Stepan, see if there’s anything else around? I’m thinking weaponry to field this and such.”
Kara shifted her weight to accommodate for the bag and examined the cockpit hatch closer. However, she was not expecting to find anything out of the ordinary unless she could take a look inside, so she focused more on the parts under the armour plating. While she had little experience on an actual Peltast, she knew very well what was supposed to be there. And from what she could see so far, there was nothing out of the ordinary; this was a standard Peltast. Even after further examination, she didn’t find anything. Slowly, she climbed back down to the ground and activated her comms.
“Alright. We have confirmation of a GR4-Peltast. All regular, as far as I can tell. I wish we had… ah, whatever. I don’t think there’s another machine here, but there’s probably weapons. Found anything, Stepan?”
When Stepan looked around, he did not find anything major, but after closer inspection in the back, he eventually found exactly that. A shotgun, as well as a handful of grenades. Kara mentally noted their amount and location before signaling to move out.
With this warehouse combed, they exited from the same backdoor and started waiting behind the building, away from prying eyes. Hidden between two large containers, they waited for the rotation.
Slowly, the guards began to shift. Pairs walked away together, and briefly it seemed that each post would swap one by one. Though the guards that would replace them would meet them as they left, if they were quick it wouldn’t be impossible to sneak past, especially if they made use of the crates and debris that lined their way.
Cain, quietly but surely, confirmed the guards positions as they changed, keeping a bead on what option was available, who was looking where- up to a point. He could guarantee their safety until they’d reach the back of the warehouse, and beyond that point it was up to them.
Kara and Stepan moved in methodically, one covering the other in turns as they hid behind the crates, trusting Cain’s view of the scene. Eventually, they made it past the immediate danger zone and reached the back. Kara listened briefly through the door, but unable to hear anything through with the ambient noise, she delicately pushed the handle down and creaked the door open by a smidge. She peered through the thin slit; this warehouse was brighter than the last. Whereas the other very much seemed like a stereotypical warehouse- stocked with crates and shipments and boxes, this one seemed a lot less like so. Its floor was still similar enough, but the lighting was off, it was clearly climate controlled.
Once she made sure the coast was clear, she swiftly snuck through the gap and motioned for Stepan to cover her as she hid behind a pile of crates. She held her hand up slightly to signal him to wait as she confirmed it was clear on her end, then made a “follow me” motion. From her hiding spot, she took a better look around, and…
Well for one, they could see a kneeling Phalanx being worked on by a handful of mechanics.
“We’re in position.” Kara whispered in her comms. “Confirmation of … a GR6-Phalanx. Multiples workers around. I reckon there will still be more waiting to do.”
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Post by S☆E on May 16, 2018 9:20:59 GMT -6
Soon enough, Mr. Cai entered the area once more. Flanked by his elite guards, he and his mystery visitor could be heard walking up to the Phalanx, stopping in front of it. A brief exchange between Cai and one of the mechanics, and soon enough they began to disperse, breaking to their lounge room.
{“As you can see, they were quite generous.”} Mr. Cai’s voice rang out, loud and clear.
{“I can see! Will this be enough to hold them off?”}
{“It is not about holding them off, it is about striking in surprise!”} He exclaimed, a chuckle following his boisterous statement.
Cain’s voice cut through on the comms, quietly at first. “I’m seeing a lot of people exit the building, we okay in there?”
“Cai is here too with same person from earlier. He dismissed mechanics.”
His voice cut through once more, “He dismissed his mechanics…? These guys don’t look like mechanics, but alright. Seems like things are lightening up then. Wait, I see someone else…”
Footsteps cut through their silence as a man ran up to Mr. Cai and his associate, panting heavily. The guards did not intervene, apparently recognizing him. Mr. Cai turned to greet him, albeit seemingly annoyed.
{“Mr. Cai, news…! Our gangs on Chongming, they caught some of the ESU rats, and they’ve informed others of their location.”}
A grin flashed on Cai’s face, the man clearly pleased with this news, and he nodded back at the courier. {“Excellent, then it seems our plan is working. Have them contact the others at their leisure, two is more than enough.”}
Kara turned to Stepan, her confused face asking for a translation. “Did you get that?”
“He said they have people in Chongming who ‘caught ESU rats’ and others know their locations. Friends of yours I am guessing.”
“Tch.” Kara swore internally and resumed. “Lestrange, can you track the messenger? I reckon he just exited the building. He can maybe get us a lead on the others’ position.“
“Short kid, looks like he’s fresh out of high school? Can do. Though he’s making some headway already, won’t be able to keep following him without moving.”
“Get ready to do exactly that, then. Stepan, ” She paused and turned towards the machine in the room. “... I hope you’re hungry for a Phalanx, ‘fast eater’. We’re going with the exit plan. Everyone all clear?”
“Extraction? Already? Wait, don’t tell me you have a plan?”
Stepan could tell by Kara’s expression that things were about to get serious. His pulse quickened, free hand lingering on the holster of his other pistol. “Affirmative, Kim. I will have your back.”
Kara continued. “The way I see it, we have two exit vehicles; and we have two prime targets. The ESU would very much like to ask them some questions, I’m sure.”
She was also fairly sure that, diplomatically and legally speaking, this would cause some issues, but she trusted the Menaulion to know some loopholes for these situations. She reached into her bag and handed Stepan a few zip-ties. Not very thick ones, but they looked sturdy enough to serve as makeshift binds.
“Not taking any risk. I have… four guards on sight, there might be more. I’d like to avoid bloodshed at first sight, but someone who employs heavily armed personal guards probably also orders them to not surrender easily. I say we take them out first and then focus on the targets. We tie them up, and if they try anything funny, we just sock’em out. If it gets too dangerous to keep them alive, then we don’t bother doing so. That fine with you?”
“These people knew the risks when they sided with terrorists. If we do not handle this properly many more people will suffer in Shanghai. If that means people die in this warehouse, so be it.” Stepan said grimly. “As for Cai, killing him would be doing him a favor. I would much rather see how he enjoys interrogation.”
“Works for me. Lestrange, counting on you.”
Before they moved out, she turned back to Stepan. “Wait, just to be sure… ‘Don’t move’ would be uh… something like buy… buyo don, right?”
“Is closer to ‘buyao dong’, but you know that only works in action movies, right? Would be better to neutralize guards before taking these two.”
“Oh, no of course; it’s for the other two. I don’t usually talk to the dead.” She paused. ”Alright, go time.”
Kara reached again into her bag and took out a C-K7. A swift turn and twist later, its strap was secured around her torso and she checked the chamber; it was loaded, and with a click of her thumb, the security was off. She nodded at Stepan and moved out, letting him take a side path to go for a pincer maneuver.
With a gun in each hand Stepan swiftly moved into position. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead. The thundercloud of tension grew denser each second as he awaited Kara’s signal. He took aim, lining up two of Cai’s guards. Two fingers, one motion, two men would fall. Stepan took a deep breath, stifling a nervous laugh. The success of their operation was now balanced on the edge of a knife. All that remained was to see who would end up cut.
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Linkyu
Cosmic Kiddie
aaa
Posts: 47
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Post by Linkyu on May 16, 2018 10:00:27 GMT -6
Kara peeked around a crate to see Stepan’s position, and easily guessed his two targets from his vantage point. She put her bag down, and twisted the silencer on her SMG to make sure it was fastened correctly, then focused back on the other two guards. She waited a couple seconds to be certain that Stepan was ready, then opened fire. That was all the signal Stepan needed.
The two struck, working in tandem quickly and effectively. The guards dropped, the first two without any response, the latter two barely bringing their arms up before being dropped as well. Their bodies thud to the floor, blood already beginning to pool around Cai’s ivory boots, his associate likewise soon surrounded by a gruesome scene. Without much delay, Cai’s associate threw his hands up almost immediately, while Cai himself simply scowled, arms halfway up, but hesitating. His associate was thin, lanky, he seemed like the pencil-pushing sort, not a merciless schemer. Cai on the other hand, was large- bulky. He had spent his younger years as a proper fishmonger, and though he wore a well-fitted white suit, it was clear he was a capable combatant on his own. {“P-Please do not shoot!”} Yelled his associate, though Cai’s expression shifted to a sharp glare. “Idiot, do you think they speak Mandarin?” Well, at least until his gaze settled on a familiar face. “Hah, well, it seems one of them does.” Kara smirked. So they spoke English? That would make things much easier. She walked to them swiftly, her weapon still aimed at them. She was not here to discuss anything yet. With a strong voice, she ordered them. “Keep your hands up where I can see them!” She designated Cai. “Step, watch him, I’ll search the other one first.” Cai simply chuckled, his hands still part ways up. His stare met Stepan’s dead in the eyes, and the man’s grin would not falter. His associate, by comparison, was far more willing to work with Kara, keeping his hands up during the pat down. She wouldn’t find much on his person outside of a wallet and a PDA, the man clearly not armed in any way. “So the mighty E-S-U finally decided to point its nose down at the streets, eh? Very funny, and here I thought she was going to keep ignoring us.” Cai spat in the direction of Step, the man’s grin finally fading into an expression that could only be described as ‘angry’. “It is far too late. Shanghai is no longer yours, and China has already been sold out. You have only yourselves to blame.” Kara glanced briefly at him, then turned his associate around. She turned his PDA off and put it down on a nearby crate. “Hands behind your back.” She accompanied her orders with her free hand to force his hands down and tied them tightly. She then turned to Cai; her face looked calm. She knew better than to engage with this kind of talk; it wasn’t her job to interrogate him, so she simply let him continue. However, it seemed he had nothing else to say for the moment. Kara motioned for Stepan to watch the associate as she approached Cai. She turned around him cautiously and searched him. “Well, who knows. I’m not the one you’ll have to explain that to, anyways.” There were a few things she found. For one, she found his wallet and PDA- much like his associate, who at this point at succumbed to the investigation and was awaiting his fate. Likewise, however, she discovered a Tarkuus stuffed in his waistline, towards his rear. Whether that was simply standard practice, or he had expected such a thing remained unknown. “I wonder who will be in charge of that. I wonder if they are the same person who let us make this happen. Important questions, yes?” Cai seemed to flex his fingers, expecting Kara to take the pistol. “See, the other reason why I don’t do interrogations on the field is because you guys rarely make any sense from the get-go.” She grabbed the pistol and immediately removed its magazine before she continued. “Do not worry, I am sure you- we will all find out soon enough.” Another chuckle from Mr. Cai, whose gaze had not yet retreated from Step’s, and who did not seem too fazed to feel his weapon leave him. “Indeed. Hands on your back.” “Could you assist me?” She hesitated, but went for it anyway. “Gladly.” She grabbed his left wrist and pulled it sharply behind his back. It seemed to move just fine with her, Cai letting out a sharp gasp as he felt it press against his back. “Gentler, yes? I am getting on in years.” “Probably not the best job you have chosen for that, then.” She grabbed his other hand, more gently this time, and tied them up tightly. As her hands went to finish the job, however, she felt a crushing force press down on her hand. Though at first odd, in a matter of milliseconds, Cai had turned the tables, twisting his arms in an unnatural way until he had managed to get himself behind her, her own arms now against her back. The fishmonger grinned. “Martian prosthetics are quite advanced, you see? Look and feel so close to the real thing.” His gaze shot towards Step. {“Lower the gun, coward.”} Stepan’s stony demeanor cracked as he laughed, lowering his pistols and fishing out the zip ties Kara had given him earlier. {“Coward? After all the work I went through to set this up? Please. A coward would not have the balls to break into a weapons compound and kill armed guards just to sell out ESU spy.} He walked closer, holding the zipties in one hand and a pistol in the other, now pointed at Kara. “I am not coward. I am survivalist. I see Shanghai and China falling, I move so they do not fall on me. Simple logic.” Locking eyes with Kara, Stepan gives a small shrug. “Is nothing personal, Kim. I told you from the start that I do whatever it takes to stay alive.”
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moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
Posts: 63
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Post by moo!! on May 17, 2018 14:47:30 GMT -6
—fifty-seven minutes.
He wasn’t coming back, huh.
Of course he wasn’t. ‘Fresh air’? Really? She let a bitter chuckle escape her lips, turning off the phone in favor of staring at the ceiling again.
Following Sean wasn’t an option; she didn’t know where he went. She wasn’t sure if she would have done it anyway. He willingly left her and jumped into what was probably a dangerous situation – while wounded, no less – and for what?
…
Linnea rolled over onto her side, sighing. She stayed there for a few seconds before sitting up and hopping off the bed with a frustrated grunt.
She’d been like this for the entire time she was left alone, restlessly pacing around the hotel room and wrestling with the urge to do something. At the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to have a second go at the casino despite the seething anger inside her. Throwing empty water bottles and pillows at the wall did little to quell it; aside from the empty satisfaction of such a childish act, the little service robot was quick to pick up the mess. Hmph.
She glanced down at her cellphone in her hand. She knew Áine would respond no matter what time it was, knowing full well what it meant for Lin to approach her out of the blue like this, but… no.
Lin tossed the phone onto her bed and made her way over to the only window the hotel room had, pushing the blinds open. It was a big window, enough to make one think there was a balcony outside if it could open. Or if it had an actual balcony. That was important.
Probably for the best, considering she was still in the process of sobering up.
She stared out over the rest of Shanghai in silence, sitting down and hugging her knees.
I wonder how everyone else is doing…
(Little did she know.)
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Post by Charredgp on May 17, 2018 16:57:05 GMT -6
With the two creeping forward, the sudden outline of another person immediately caught Gabe’s attention, the gun pointed at whoever it was in a flash of motion. The only thing stopping him from immediately pulling the trigger was the knowledge that Sean was near. But to his relief, that was exactly who they had encountered.
“Thank god.” He said, with an audible sigh of relief. “Hope we didn’t put ya through too much trouble.”
“Unless ye count infiltrating a half-built freighter filled with incompetent thugs as ‘trouble’,” Sean remarked. He lowered his handgun and placed it back into its holster. “They catch ye in the bathroom with yer pants down or something?”
“Yeah, guy we dealt with went down like a sack of potatoes. Almost disappointin’. Doubt they’d give ya more than a second’s work either.” Gabe didn’t holster his weapon, but he would at least be polite enough to flip the safety on and keep it pointed away. “Long story short, we walked into an ambush. Guy either already knew we were comin’, or we’re just not that good at spy work. Maybe both. I know he said most of our team’s names, so either way that ain’t good.”
“No kidding,” Sean remarked. “Would’ve been a whole lot more cautious myself if I’d known there was a price on my head. Linnea and I must’ve caught a lucky break all things considered.” If a handful of mobsters had access to their identities, he had to consider the group well and thoroughly compromised. Sean would have been worried about how Team Alpha was holding up if they weren’t already too damn competent for their own good.
“Happen to catch anything else from the guards? Afraid I can’t understand a word they say,” he continued, looking towards Lana. “Secret path off this boat would be a nice start.”
With Sean's surefire arrival, Lana finally put the pointed knife down. “I have no idea how they caught us, we were so discreet! I think.” She huffed. “They didn't say anything like that. But maybe we might have some information for the captain through other ways.” Punctuated, by tapping the wallet tucked into her bodice. “They know we're here except for Myra and Mr. Ernest. If we want to get out of here, let's retrace your steps?”
“It’ll require a bit of climbing, but we should be able to make it out the way I came. Fair warning though: I’m guessing they’ll start to catch on soon if they haven’t already. By my count, three guards have gone radio silent. Should keep an eye out for enemy activity as we make our exit,” Sean cautioned. “Now before we start running around like chickens with our heads cut off…”
Sean unlocked the saxophone case wrapped around his back.
“Jolly ol’ Saint Roland brought presents nine months early for two good little boys and girls.” He removed the disassembled Cerberus AR-K and quickly built the rifle before handing it off to Gabe, who would surely appreciate the heavier firepower. He then reached further inside and pulled out a little gift for himself– an M7 Hyper 120 that he let rest on his shoulder. Finally, he handed Lana the Babil 385 holstered around his waist and the unmarked handgun he pilfered from the guard upstairs. “Ever heard of a ‘New York Reload’? If ye run out of ammo, just whip out yer next gun and start shooting.”
“Sean, if we weren’t in the middle of enemy territory I’d kiss ya.” Gabe was quick to take the AR-K off of Sean, admiring the heavier piece of equipment as he made sure everything was set up and in place. “Make it four with the guy we got rid of. But now that we’re a bit better equipped, might not be an issue if they know something’s up. Not like we can’t fight our way out at this point.”
Lana blinked incredulously as Sean tossed the two firearms, a brief moment of total stage fright. Of course. Those things, weaponry that she just started getting used to a couple weeks ago. She was fortunate in that moment that she had trained with Babil handguns. Her fingers slowly traced and turned along the weapon, grasping its anatomy far later than Gabe did for his own gifted guns. Hesitantly, she assured the safety mechanism switched off. “New York Reload and kissing, understood.” She raised the 385 to the ready and looked ready to sprint. “Let’s not waste time!”
Sean motioned towards the end of the hallway. The coast was still clear, he suspected, but their conversation would likely start raising questions down the hall. He led the way forward with his shotgun braced against his shoulder. They quickly came upon the nearly-empty room he’d dropped into earlier, the guard he’d knocked unconscious still laying limp against the wall. “See that hole in the ceiling? That’s our ticket straight onto the upper deck. Do tread careful, though. Should still be a few armed guards poking around and a sniper perched on the lookout tower above.”
“Now help me move these crates before someone starts snooping around.” They began stacking the crates scattered across the room, creating a makeshift staircase upwards. The hole in the ceiling would be a bit of a jump for Sean, but for the other two? It was entirely unreachable. “Alright, I’ll have to give ye two munchkins a boost up. Try not to engage before I hoist myself onto the deck– be a damn shame to bring this beauty of a gun and not get to use her.”
Hoisting Gabe up proved to be easier said than done, and once he had climbed onto the top of the ship, he was greeted with the chilling evening wind. No one had come to investigate the hole, thankfully, and for the most part they seemed to be in the clear- though they could hear footsteps.
While moving the crates was a minor issue between the three of them, it was still a little frustrating having to be hoisted up like a kid. The curse of shortness, only made worse by the 12 feet of orange hair hauling him up. Once he was secure, he did his best to help pull Lana up to her feet, occasionally glancing over his shoulder in case anyone was coming to investigate the commotion.
“Alright, try not to pull me back down when we do this, unless ya like me usin’ yer head as a step the second time ‘round.” He said, offering an arm to Sean from above. He braced himself as best as he could, but he doubted Sean would need more than a couple of seconds of support before he could get himself steady enough to finish his ascent.
Feet were aboard as Sean had given Gabe and Lana a lift, with the athlete peeking out along the deck to scan for anyone that could be watching - or the possible source of those footsteps from earlier. “I’m starting to think this should have been the other way around..? But it can’t be helped..” She muttered to herself, turning back around to mount herself against the deck and wrap her arms securely around Gabe’s waist. “You pull him up, I’ll tug..!”
Sean grabbed onto Gabe’s arm, pulling himself far enough for his other arm to grasp for the rusted edge of the hole. A stinging pain reminded him that he was still injured. His left arm slipped, unexpectedly shifting the weight wholly onto Gabe and Lana. They only needed to hold him for a few moments before Sean was able to pull himself the rest of the way up, the upper half of his body hanging onto the deck as he inched his way out.
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Linkyu
Cosmic Kiddie
aaa
Posts: 47
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Post by Linkyu on May 17, 2018 17:59:49 GMT -6
Kara stared back at Stepan, her face letting on hints of a strong, yet calm anger.
“No, I figured as much. Didn’t think you’d turn tail for so little, though.”
Mr. Cai smirked, the man resorting to holding Kara’s arms back with one prosthetic hand now, his strength apparent. “Wrong logic, Step. Shanghai and China are not falling, they are returning to their rightful owners.” He tossed his head to the side, pointing to his associate. {“Undo his restraints. Make yourself useful.”}
Stepan nodded but did not turn his attention away from Cai. Keeping his pistol on Kim he helped the other man to his feet. “Stand still while I work on these ties. It is hard to do one-handed. If you struggle my trigger finger could slip and our catch would be worthless.”
Kara weighed her options. Evidently, if he could hold her so firmly with just one arm, she wouldn’t be able to beat him with raw strength. A throw might work, but if it didn’t, it would only complicate the situation. Counting on Stepan at the moment was… a gamble, to say the least. She wasn’t sure what he could do right this instant. Maybe she could stall? But then, stall for what? Next time I take anyone hostage, I won’t hesitate to knock them out at first contact, she thought.
All in all, her options were quite limited. Eventually, she figured wrestling was her best bet. Even with all the strength in the world in those arms, he wouldn’t be able to support her weight if taken by surprise. She could use this to throw his balance off. And then… then she would do what she did best; improvise. She faked a sigh and started with a distraction.
“You know, I’m really disappointed that this is all we were sent for.”
Before Cai could reply, she slightly sprang up, then folded her legs and let her full weight down to topple Cai.
The man let out a load ‘oof!’ as he fell to the ground, Kara’s move catching him off guard ironically enough. Cai’s face met the pavement, and the man did his best to struggle, but he failed to go anywhere. With a heave, he spat once more. {“Even now you fail to see what’s coming.”}
With very little gentleness, Kara planted her knee on his back to pin him down and grabbed the P-K7 she had holstered under her vest. She pressed it on his right arm and fired a couple rounds with no hesitation, then repeated the motion on the left arm. Now knowing they were prosthetics, she had no remorse disabling him this way.
In return, Kara heard loud, sudden, and agitated cursing in Mandarin. It was… Unintelligible, doubtfully so even for Stepan. Tears seemed to well in Cai’s eyes, as despite the modifications- or rather, because of them, it seemed she had managed to strike some pain. {“B-Bastards! RATS! D-DOGS!”}
“Nothing personal, Mr. Cai. Well, a little actually, but I prefer not taking any further unnecessary risk with you.” She holstered the pistol back and proceeded to tie his hands once more.
Though full of spite originally, it seemed that Kara had effectively shut up the fishmonger, who was now stuck on the floor, unable to do much- at the mercy of the two, effectively. She stood up to her full height and planted her gaze on Stepan, who’d stopped pretending to untie the associate. She waited for him to talk first.
Stepan held the gun pointed at her for a few more seconds before putting it away with a wink. “Nice move, Kim. I honestly did not think he would fall for that. Is good thing I was wrong.”
Kara nodded and looked up to the Phalanx. Exiting with those would cause more trouble than necessary, now. The van was probably the safest solution, if they could reach it. If they used the targets as hostages, it might work, but it wouldn’t quite be the stealthiest extraction.
She almost regretted sending Cain out, now. A pair of eyes out there would have been useful. But she entrusted him with a potentially important task, so she did not complain. Things were the way they were. She walked to her bag, still thinking. What about stealing a more discreet vehicle? This was a dock; surely there was at least a boat around? An helicopter would be ideal, but she didn’t remember seeing anything like that. She walked back to Stepan and lowered her voice.
“Do you remember seeing any small boat or something of the like docked around? I’d like the exit to be as unseen as the entrance.”
“There was one not far from where we first came in. Should be good enough for our escape.”
“Perfect. We’ll use that then.”
“Shame. I was looking forward to driving big robot.”
She grabbed the SMG still dangling around her torso and engaged the safety back on before cleanly stowing is back inside the bag, unloaded. She took out her holstered pistol and walked towards the prisoners, grabbing the PDAs on her way. She pointed to Cai.
“Take him, I’ll escort his associate.”
She kneeled next to the horrified man and pressed the cold metal against his back.
“You understand what’s going on, right? You’re coming with us. To make things easier I’m gonna need a name though.”
The associate nodded, sweat mostly removed from his forehead at this point, the man simply trying to not draw her ire after witnessing what she did to Mr. Cai. {“Tu Z-Zheng…”}
“Alright mister ...Tu Zheng.” She grabbed his arm and forced him up. “From now on, it’s total silence until I say otherwise. If everything goes well, you will simply be treated as a prisoner of war and will be entitled to your rights in accordance with the treaties. Any disobedience until then, and, well...” She motioned towards the guards laying down in the growing pool of blood. “...let’s just say that I’d hate for another accident to happen. … Understood?”
With a quick scan of the room and little a word, the man nodded.
“Good. Now let’s go.”
Her hand still on his arm and the gun against his back, she pushed him towards the back door. With Stepan and Cai close behind, she peered past the door and exited, Tu Zheng in front. After a long minute down the pier, they found a small yacht-like boat that looked easy to sail off of the area. She jumped down inside and inspected the cabin. Unfortunately, it was a fairly secured boat and had to pass on this one. She saw other ones down the pier, and hoped for one to be less secured.
On their third find, Kara found what she was looking for: an older model that would be much easier to steal. She broke the cover inside the cabin and reached for the safety switch to override the automated system. Lights around turned on and the screens booted. A quick turn of the generator crank and the electric motors faintly hummed underneath the board.
Once they had cleared the pier, Kara dialed the secured number she was given through her comms.
“Command, this is Echo; I’m with the contact. We have located the package and have captured the targets. Currently en route to the rendezvous point. I got separated from Merlin; he’s investigating a lead on further connections.”
“Welcome home Echo, requesting coordinates of the package. We have a team ready to accept the targets. Can you confirm Merlin’s position?”
“Transferring the coordinates right now, along with the package details. I can’t quite confirm Merlin’s immediate position, all I know is that he is simply pursuing a messenger, which shouldn’t be of much danger. Transmitting his latest coord--”
Before the Menaulion could reply properly, the all too familiar voice of ‘Lestrange’ cut through. “I’m fine, currently en route to the rendezvous point as well, albeit not with the group.”
The Menaulion responded in kind, “Confirmed. Welcome home Merlin. We’ll be receiving you both as you return, and ‘Leprechaun’s’ companions have rendezvoused with us to await their arrival.”
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on May 17, 2018 19:33:34 GMT -6
The three had succeeded in escaping the clutches of the freighter death trap, and were welcomed by the chilling night breeze. For the most part, it was quiet. How they proceeded was up to them, and it didn’t seem like there were many souls present on top of the deck, though they could hear footsteps, and spot cones of light in the distance. Beneath them, they too heard footsteps, followed by… {“S-Shit! Shit! Weren’t they just-”} {“Did you lose them?! The boss is going to ki-”} {“Shut up!”} It seemed like time was only on their side, so far. “I’m assumin’ they know we’re gone, judgin’ by the tone. If we wanna be quiet ‘bout this, we’re gonna wanna be quick.” With the three of them together and fully armed, Gabe was much more optimistic about their chances, but that didn’t mean they could afford to get sloppy. There were still going to be guards and who knew what else in their way. He lead the way for now, keeping his body low and his weapon ready for any surprises, waving the other two closer as he peeked around a corner. “So how did ya get here, anyway? Might be best if we just leave the same way ya came in.” “Just up ahead, there’s a stairwell on the left side of the dry dock. They’ll be more cautious this time around so if we want to sneak by we’ll have to do it quickly,” Sean advised. “There’s a sniper on the tower, above where ye were kept. Once we’re off the deck we’ll have to keep a low profile until we’re well out of range.” “Low profile? That’s easy.” Lana had stated with every hint of irony, eyeing Sean’s person - if he was able to give them guns, he could’ve had more, right? “I think we should do something very sneaky and get their attention with something loud.” She looked between the two of them for approval. “Doubt it’ll be that easy. With our track record, it’ll probably only be a couple minutes at best before they know what’s goin’ on.” Truthfully, Gabe was almost itching to get a chance to use his new weapon. Small arms like pistols could only satisfy so much, and he wanted to get a couple hundred bits of vengeance out in a minute, if possible. Lana frowned. “So we only have a couple minutes to do the smarter plan, right? We still have a chance!” “Or a couple of minutes to waste we could use to just shoot our way out.” “Your fanny pack is a couple minutes of waste.” She muttered with a grimace. “Yer just jealous I pulled it off so well.” “You did not even like it, you don’t get to say I’m jealous!” “Just cause I didn’t like it don’t mean I can’t say yer jealous!” Sean checked the safety on his shotgun while the others bickered, their voices going in one ear and right out the other. A cone of light shone across the deck in front of them. A guard cautiously approached their position, certain that they had heard voices just around the corner. Then, a bark escaped from their radio. {“The hostages are escaping you buffoons! If any of them slip past you I’ll kill you myself!”} {“Wait, they esca–?!”}
The moment the guard’s eyes flicked upwards, he was greeted with several lead pellets through the lungs. The guard managed one final gasp before collapsing onto the deck. Voices echoed from across the unfinished freighter, a rising panic welling up from within. Sean stepped over the guard’s body, cocking his head forward. “Are ye going to stand around bickering all day or do ye want to get off this godforsaken ship?” It took a moment for Lana to bring her jaw out of orbit before rapidly scurrying behind. “R-right!” Gabe was far less perturbed by the newly-made corpse, but it did mean people were going to be coming, soon. Something like a shotgun going off wasn’t exactly innocuous. “Don’t be too hard on us, we can do both at the same time.” The three sprinted straight towards the stairwell. Their presence was masked by the cover of night, lights from the deck only barely lighting their outlines. One of the guards posted by the door rounded the corner, their submachine gun held tightly against their hip as they sprayed blindly in their vicinity. The emergence of the new figure brought alarms blaring in Lana’s mind, encouraging her hands to finally raise the Babi to the stage, and shots were fired. A few were just as blind as her opponents while she re-acquainted herself with the recoil biting back on her already poor aim. But one shot was able to make its mark within the guard’s chest. “{H-holy crap.}” Sean aimed at a guard that emerged from behind a large stack of crates, firing a couple shots in his direction. He forced the guard back behind cover, turning towards the door to the superstructure– only to realize that the other guard had wrapped his submachine gun around Gabe’s neck. {“Choke on your own blood, fascist swine!”} Gabe growled and struggled with the guard choking him with the gun, struggling to keep his grip on his weapon while also avoiding getting strangled. A ringing of panic was still radiating through Lana after taking down one assailant - it was blaring now that under their noses, their teammate had been caught. But there was no moment to react. Like it was breathing, she freed her hands to fall effortlessly into her ready position. ‘I’m not a very good sprinter, but it has to be enough for now…’ She reassured while pushing herself off, making a quick trajectory along the corner. Near Gabe was the time she wound the knife up behind her to gain momentum in the speed. The blade would find its place as she briskly thrusted it into the guard’s back, before he was given time to shoot. The instant he felt his assailant’s grip loosen, he would be met with a rifle butt to the face, followed by a controlled shot to the chest and head. “Well, now they definitely know somethin’s up.” He stopped long enough to pick up the dead man’s weapon, taking off after Lana once he had a comfortable hold on both. After dealing with their assailant, the two scrambled towards the stairwell. They made the sharp turn onto the rusted metal while Sean covered their backsides, sending a few well-placed shots towards the door where reinforcements began to trickle out. As soon as the other two dipped below the deck, Sean followed close behind. Adrenaline pumped thick through their veins as they descended several flights of stairs. The sound of shouting could be heard just above as the remaining guards scrambled to pursue them. Soon they reached the bottom of the stairwell, passing right by the man whose neck Sean had twisted earlier. “Ehh?” Lana’s lips twisted in a hint of disgust in sight of the slightly older corpse. “What did you do to that guy?” “What do ye think I did to him?” As they sprinted across the dry docks, a shot rang out from atop the tower. The bullet missed its mark by a wide margin. Though the sniper was no crackshot, it was enough to motivate the group to keep sprinting past the road and through the bushes, finally reaching the street that led towards the mainland. The only thing they could hear were their own heartbeats beating heavy on their eardrums. Sean and Gabe were winded, but Lana looked like she could do this for several more miles without breaking a sweat. Is the gulf between us really this wide? Sean wondered. “Hail a taxi,” he panted. “Just need to… find somewhere safe for now. Contact the Menaulion while we… wait for this all to blow over.” If they headed downtown, he doubted they would be followed guns blazing. They would have to keep a low profile in case more thugs were stationed across the city. As Lana waved to passing cars, Sean took their weapons and carefully placed them back inside the heavy saxophone case. It was surprisingly difficult to cram them all inside, no doubt because of the extra firearms they had picked up along the way. When had they even grabbed this extra submachine gun…?
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Post by fen on May 17, 2018 19:44:21 GMT -6
The sun had set on Shanghai, and as the various teams trickled back into the Menaulion one by one, it seemed as though all was well.
Adamaris Cannon had never been one to trust her subordinates. Protocol was fine, but to accomplish each task presented with clarity and finesse? Unlikely, not unless they had a guiding hand, at least. The past two days hadn’t exactly been up to her standard, but she wasn’t the one to have set them up on this. ‘Orders from on top’ seemed to illustrate to her exactly what position she had.
Her office was modestly decorated. Though fairly plan in set up like many of the other living quarters, she had been given some more room and some more privacy. A large window backed her desk, showing a view of the port just beside the ship. The warm cup of tea in front of her beckoned her to drink, but her eyes had been fixated on the briefing reports she had received from both the pilots and Jack.
She had spent her time reading the briefings either sipping from her scalding hot tea, or biting at her fingers- habits which were anything but pleasant. No amount of watering her plants or tending to her succulents eased her nerves.
“Bad…” She scrolled through a file belonging to Sean and Linnea,
“...Good.” were her words at the file submitted by Kara and Cain, with an additional report filed by ‘Leprechaun’.
The final file, however, got a blank stare. Slowly, her fingers began to tremble, threatening to spill her cup. As detail after detail passed her vision, and a supplementary report from Sean was read, the captain’s blank stare shifted into a wide-eyed look of horror.
“...B-Brig...”
Silence.
“.....Brig.”
More silence. The handle to her cup threatened to crack.
Before the steaming could claim a life (or a stressed captain’s screams) she set her cup down. Her chair spun around, and she immediately reclined. Adamaris’ hands slipped through her dirty blonde hair, idly but purposefully sweeping it back- only to allow it to fall back forward once she was done.
In. Out.
Deep breaths seemed to calm her, and the captain spun around to meet her computer screen once more. A few quick taps and a call was put through to Alaina Feng Zaephord. Without skipping a beat, Adamaris quietly but firmly spoke.
“Come to my office. Immediately.”
As angry as she was, there had been one tidbit of information in their reports that had found that crevice of worry etched deep in her mind, and dug.
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Post by fen on May 17, 2018 21:51:43 GMT -6
---Outskirts of Shanghai: 1:30 AM.---
The gray car came to a full stop in front of the dumped warehouse, its lights shutting off near immediately. A caravan of other, black cars soon followed and did the same. The warehouse: an old abandoned AT manufacturing plant from the pre-colonial era. At first, only a white figure approached from the car, the door slamming shut behind him. The other cars followed suit, with men dressed in a combination of dress clothes and partially armored gear appearing from their interiors.
Though the man was first to approach, he didn’t enter the building, instead nodding at the group as they passed him, entering the abandoned warehouse. The man pulled out his personal phone, buzzing a call as he stood there, absentmindedly taking in the dark.
The line picked up.
“Here I thought I wouldn’t hear from you for a little while.” Spoke the voice, somewhat hushed, somewhat friendly.
“My my, Red, that’s not how you greet a friend! Well, I suppose you could.” The man rubbed at his chin, a chuckle following his words.
“I wasn’t aware we were officially ‘friends’.” Responded the voice.
“Oh! So harsh, so harsh…”
“So why are you calling, Blanco?”
“I’m going to take it out.” He stated plainly, hand diving into his suit’s pocket.
The sound of rumbling could be heard behind him as machinery seemed to buzz and start up. The warehouse, once abandoned, began to hum with bright lights and loud noises, coming to life all at once. Blanco smiled, turning his head back to witness it.
“I see.”
There was a moment of quiet from his companion.
“I don’t see why you would need my approval.”
“Oh ho ho! I was thinking you would be all, ‘It’s not done yet, you can’t test it, blah blah blah’.”
“Normally, yes. However, I can see the merits of letting you out on a test run this early. Do tell me if it performs to your expectations.”
Blanco paused, his smile slowly contorting into a grin as he finally stepped into the revived warehouse. Around him were AA of all types and colors, all being prepared, all attended by mechanics and their pilots. He stepped over stray cables and by open crates of supplies.
In front of him, surrounded by tall metallic pillars and wires, was a tall, white AA.
“Good,” He replied, his grin frozen in place.
“Very good.”
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Post by fen on May 17, 2018 22:05:36 GMT -6
---Menaulion: 2:50 AM---
Lana was about ready to settle in for the night, resting in her quarters and mindlessly running her hands along her arms. She and her partner were spared in comparison to some of their other teammates - but the bruises from the rough handling were still as sore as their performance. The thoughts were stewing, and there was just one thing that wasn’t quite right…
“Come to my office. Immediately.” Captain Adamaris’ voice shot through her ear and disappeared as quickly as it came, making Lana jump from her seat. ‘Oh no...no...I’m in trouble with the captain, aren’t I? It has to be - I’m dead! I’m totally dead!’ The thoughts continued to overflow while she managed to walk to the office.
As she entered the room, Adamaris’s gaze fell upon the pilot. A seat opposing her desk had already been set up, and an opposing cup of steaming hot tea had been provided. Despite the captain’s demeanor, her office was… Anything but. It was quaint, kept clean, with various small potted plants strewn about, held behind racked shelves.
There were some paintings hung up too, each seemingly made by the same artist, though the signature was unrecognizable. Adamaris had her hands placed in her lap, her posture firm and commanding.
“Please take a seat.”
Emerald eyes briefly idled on the cup of tea, as well as meeting with the Captain’s. What exactly was it that she was planning? The room was too quiet, she was. The best that Lana could do for now was oblige in taking a seat. “Yes, Captain.”
Adamaris had briefly considered playing some music, or anything that would have lent her room a little more atmosphere- but with the timing and how late it was getting, more than anything she just wanted to deal with the problem now.
Despite setting aside two cups of tea, Adamaris did not seem to want to drink. Frankly, she didn’t expect her to want to drink either- but that was fine.
“I’m not going to comment on what happened on your mission, at least not now,” Her voice was calm, but clearly concerned- or curious. “There was something I wanted to talk to you about, however.”
She turned her computer screen towards Lana, the words “SPY” highlighted in a bright green.
“Now, from the top, exactly what made you think this?”
The athlete’s head had lowered at the mention of their mention - she knew that it went terribly and didn’t need to be reminded any further. But the light of the screen brought her eyes back up, lips parting as she tried to find a foundation - a place to speak in the presence of a disappointed captain.
“It was...something I heard when Gabe and I were captured.” She slowly sat up. “It was only from the guards, but they were talking. They mentioned something about ‘a birdy being right’.” Lana briefly bit her lip. “And maybe it...just makes sense. They knew we were there, right? They just…”
Adamaris steepled her fingers for a moment, her mind racing. Paranoia gripped at her heart, something which made her normally carefully composed chilly exterior at threat of falling apart. Well, maybe not that extreme- but she felt something nagging at her.
“So… You couldn’t confirm it, but from how they acted and what they said, they seemed to hint towards it…?”
She paused, hands now on her counter, fingers tapping away.
“Then I’ll ask this: in your own opinion, do you think what they said has any merit? From what you’ve seen of the crew, and what you think caused what happened to occur.” Tactfully, Adamaris had given her an opportunity to move forward. She could come to terms with what occurred, and give her her honest truth as to why their mission failed, or she could settle the captain’s paranoia once and for all.
After all, whether or not what happened really was because of a spy, having someone else concerned about it- someone other than her, would help ease her mind, and pass some of the worry off.
Strangely, the captain was actually humoring her. Lana sat up accordingly, facing Adamaris with a tinge more confidence. “I trust everyone on the Menaulion. I don’t think anyone here is very suspicious, right? I don’t think we have anyone acting like a spy.” She began to nervously gnaw on the tip of her thumb. “But the gang men were saying it so casually, in Mandarin too, and the man who mentioned it was told to be quiet. They were hiding it.”
“I see.”
Adamaris brought the cup up to her lips, taking a reserved sip, before setting the cup down once more. The dock lights behind them glimmered in the dimly lit room, and Adamaris’s expression seemed to soften somewhat.
“Here is what I’ll suggest,” She replied, bringing up another screen on her computer, this one was different. “I can’t overlook the possibility of such a thing being true, so I’ll ask you for a favor. As the daughter of Admiral Zaephord, I’d imagine you as the least likely candidate for, ahem, a ‘spy’.” Her voice lowered, “And unfortunately, your partner would not be exempt from this. Therefor, in return for taking on this assignment for me, I’ll overlook any issues the two of you ran into during this operation. Fair?”
With Adamaris taking the tea first, it gave Lana her personal approval to partake as well. She lightly bowed her head, taking a sip and tapping her finger contently against the cup. She listened along - even though she knew she was no spy, there was still a sigh of relief to be proven innocent so soon. Especially due to her father. Her lips tightened slightly against the edge. Of course, Gabe, and anyone on the ship would most likely be kept under watch now.
Then, the girl sprung to life with a bit of a smile. “Ah..! Consider it done, Captain, thank you! ...whatever the assignment is?”
For once, perhaps the first time ever, Adamaris actually smiled. It wasn’t obvious or particularly noticeable, but it was there.
“I want you to dig around our crew and see if you can come up with anything. Maybe ask… Carefully planned questions, dig around, test the waters. You are, to my knowledge, perhaps the only person right now I can rest my absolute confidence in.” This was, to some extent, no laughing matter.
“Is this acceptable?”
A subtle smile on the face of Adamaris was enough to warrant stars in Lana’s eyes, channeling her need to squeal into a pleasant smile of her own. “That sounds simple. I will do the best I can however you need it, Captain!”
With nothing more but a brief nod, Adamaris backed her seat up, as if to move to walk her out. “That’s good to hear then, Alaina, I’ll need at least two reports a week, one at the start and one at the-”
THUNK
The entire ship seemed to rock at once, the captain’s eyes going wide as she felt it shake. It wasn’t a huge shake- but it was enough for the Menaulion of all ships. Something had happened that was not supposed to happen. Before either of the two could speak up, warning sirens blared throughout the ship, and an emergency call alerted all crew members to man their stations.
“DAMAGE SUSTAINED DURING SHIP REST PERIOD: ALL PERSONNEL PLEASE CALMLY WALK TO ASSIGNED STATIONS AND PREPARE FOR COMBAT. PLEASE BE PREPARED TO RECEIVE UPDATED ORDERS.”
If that was Heathcliff, he sounded a lot louder and a lot more concerned than he normally did- though the voice did still mostly sound like the voice of an AI. Adamaris’s gaze immediately fell onto Lana, the captain clearly shifting gears all at once. Her voice didn’t falter or hesitate, and without skipping a beat she spoke.
“Hangar. Now.”
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