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Post by fen on May 17, 2018 23:47:30 GMT -6
---Menaulion: 3:00 AM---
There were a lot of things you could say about the Menaulion, but you could never say it was slow to react. In less than ten minutes, essential stations were manned and the ship was being monitored. Adamaris, as well as the rest of the bridge crew, had made it to the bridge. Status reports were flooding in- damage, internals, crew. Adamaris had spent most of her time during her trip to the bridge on her plan.
In ten minutes, she had figured out more or less how to respond.
First, came the news that the Menaulion could not launch. The metallic docking clamps along the side of the port had been locked externally, and at this point it was out of their hands to unlock them. Cinco, as he normally did, reported the news in a sing-song fashion, quickly suggesting to look for an alternate route.
“I want the Lucky ready to sortie now. Echo, Jingo, suit up for an amphibious operation. I will be sending operation details in a few seconds.”
The message cleared throughout the ship, and personally was sent to each of their PDAs. Adamaris sat stone faced at her seat, eyes scanning the list of pilots for her next orders as she mulled the plan in her head. For Lana, Kara, and Myra- the three would be tasked to deal with the magnetic docking clamps.
No matter how she parsed it, the Menaulion’s ability to exit Shanghai was essential. The fact that they had gotten any sort of attack, nevermind that the attack was enough to cause noticeable damage to the ship, meant that this wasn’t something normal. The fact that they could do this and somehow get through the city that was Shanghai…
“We have confirmation on hostiles.”
Adamaris’s gaze settled on one of the bridge crew, a young man that worked communications. “And?”
“Six ATs confirmed, bunkered on Shanghai streets. Emergency street fortifications were erected…” There was a feeling of despair that seemed to envelop the room. The attack itself wasn’t much of a concern- they would deploy AAs and they would be dealt with, but it was the fact that six ATs had managed to cross through most of Shanghai with nary a peep and were able to activate city fortifications meant that this was not a fight on home turf.
“Wait… Confirmation of more hostiles, they’re-” The man went silent for a moment, eyes wide. “C…. Confirmation of armed soldiers entering the ship.”
Right on cue, another bridge worker nodded her head, her screen flaring up. “Y-Yeah… We’re getting automatic reports of a breach on levels three, they’re coming in through the main entrance.”
Adamaris pursed her lips, and all at once it seemed a wall of text on her PDA had disappeared as her plans shifted. Her mind focused on the screen before her, despite the strong words of Jack very much flying through her background, her secondary already ordering the deployment of the Menaulion’s defense force.
“I want every other active pilot to sortie now. Shockwave, Basset, you are to defend this ship. Fawn, Merlin, Dropkick, you are to destroy any enemy forces within Shanghai.”
Her commands once more echoed throughout the ship, and silently the captain hoped that they could get to the hangar before anyone- or anything, stopped them. Even as the sound of gunfire filled the 3rd level of the Menaulion, and the shots of soldiers in combat became the atmosphere for the early morning.
Within the hangar, the mechanics were already in the process of preparing. Lana, who had gotten a head start, had her Lucky already well prepared, ready to… Well, what did she have to do exactly? Her PDA flashed, another message going through- it would be the same message Kara and Myra would receive. It was directly from Adamaris, and simply titled ‘battleplan’.
“Echo, Jingo, you two won’t be suited up this operation. Dress for an amphibious operation and prepare to deploy with the Lucky. There isn’t enough space in the cockpit, I understand, but the aquatic deployment hatch has gone through enough maintenance. With rebreathers and a tight grip, the Lucky should be able to deliver you to the target location.
Your location is the local dock operations building. Your mission is as following: enter the operations building from the dockside, infiltrate, and disrupt or disable any systems tied to ship docking. We currently do not know if there are any hostiles within the building, but it could be assumed so given the current circumstance. Tinder, whether you choose to stay with them and infiltrate alongside or return to the ship, I leave that within your or Echo’s discretion. Echo, I leave command of the rest of the operation to you. Jingo, Tinder, you are under her direct command by the time you finish reading this.
I don’t want to see questions. Take what you think you’ll need and keep us updated.”
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Post by montywonty on May 21, 2018 16:07:31 GMT -6
Lana was the first to head towards the helm - she was in the captain’s office when the Menaulion had been latched, and was at the right place to be receiving a direct order to go straight to the hangar. Each brisk step she made along the catwalk to her machine was laced with annoyance. Most of her crewmates - including herself - were surely more than ready to call it a night after such a perilous operation. “{Those people out there, they’re being so...fricking embarrassing, in the middle of the night like this when we were ready to rest!}” She cursed to herself, leaping into the open cockpit of the Lucky.
[“It can’t be helped, huh.”] Lana called in disgruntled resignation to Kara and Myra via PDA. [“I am ready to go whenever you are, get what you need okay?”] She brought up the Athen’s status screen, taking inventory on the machine’s backpack and filling it up with a spool of steel cable.
Kara replied on her PDA almost instantly. [“At the armoury, on my way in a minute.”]
It was merely coincidental that she was there already. She had gone to return the weaponry she took for the mission, and was now adding to it instead. She checked in a couple breaching charges, a telescopic bolt cutter, as well as some C-Thunder underwater ammo and started heading out before she received a message from Myra.
[“Mind picking up a couple things for me while you’re there? All I need is a handgun and a crowbar. Never know when it might come in handy.”]
She stopped dead on her tracks and turned around. Knowing this place well enough to practically call it a second home, Kara effortlessly beelined towards each item she figured Myra would be able to make the best use of. A minute later, she approached the armoury intendant and laid down everything on the table.
“Sorry Arnold, I’m afraid there’s more on the list.”
In front of her was even more Thunder ammo of both kinds, next to a P-K7 pistol and a C-K7 SMG; the same as in her bag. Both weapons using the same magazine models was very convenient for operations like these. Then there was a crowbar on another watertight bag. Arnold raised an eyebrow.
“Just add some masks and you’re set to rob a bank there.” he joked. Nonetheless, he added the items under Kara’s name. “Be careful out there.”
Kara bagged everything and went to reply but her voice was drowned out in the noise. The bulk of the Menaulion’s crew had now reached the armoury and were all scurrying around to grab the first gun they saw. She saluted the attendant and took off.
[“On my way now.”]
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Post by fen on May 21, 2018 16:38:01 GMT -6
The Menaulion.
This behemoth was an entity she knew in theory and in words, in the images and blueprints she drew up in her mind’s eye, but it was a different beast entirely from this vantage point.
Not that she had much of a time to gawk, in awe or disgust. She was here under a timer, with a goal she felt increasingly more compelled to complete in the most orderly fashion she could muster.
(Perhaps being asked if she was up to the task of this did get to her, just a tad. What was this called… audacity? Hm. Swagger? No... Huh. She’d need to pull out her dictionary again.)
The cover of gunfire was a better distraction than she was used to. It was loud, it was violent, and dangerous. When a gun was going off, it was nigh impossible to focus on anything else but the trajectory of the bullet, and the flash of the muzzle. And, for a woman so accustomed to sneaking in and out of shadows making nary a sound, it almost made things easy.
Gun in hand, and hood carefully pulled and pinned up to prevent it from falling off in the midst of movement, she entered in the middle of the group of soldiers. She hung low, knees bent. She was avoiding not only the possibility of return fire, but allowing herself to blend in as much as possible with the group. She did not raise her handgun to fire back. That was not her role in the mission here.
Her role in the mission was much, much more imperative.
With nothing more than a tap on the shoulder of the soldier in front of her, the young woman, clad in all black, slipped away from the group, sticking to the shadows as she maneuvered down a hallway, and into the bowels of the Menaulion.
---
Cain had spent the better part of his evening writing up his debriefing, eating, showering, and sleeping- for at least thirty minutes. When the alarms began to blare, the disgruntled pilot could do little but begin to toss his suit on. This time he neglected the armor, wanting to rush to the hangar as fast as possible. Though he was armed, he knew enough to avoid the major channels within the ship that would put him close to the combat.
As he finished putting his suit on mid run, he paused in the middle of an intersection, his eyes focused on the zipper he was trying to wrestle with as his body reflexively took steps into one of the final halls that lead to the hangar.
His gaze shot straight up, however, when he noticed a figure in front of him, his eyes going wide.
--
She stopped mid stride, arm immediately raising up to her chest in a defensive posture, fingers spreading as if she was prepared to block an incoming bullet with her own palm. Running into someone in the midst of this mission was something the woman had certainly accounted for. It would have been foolish not to. As stealthy as she might have been able to be, these were open hallways she was dealing with, there wasn’t much to hide herself behind.
Still, she too found her own eyes grow wide for a moment, sharply inhaling. It only lasted for that moment, however, as their eyes made contact--
And then without hesitation, she lifted her weapon, and fired in Cain’s direction, eyes dark and unchanging from beneath the shadows of her hood.
--
A flash of light that would have made him reflexively duck instead forced him to pull out his own side arm, the once practiced shooter fumbling for a second before he felt a searing pain in his left leg. All at once, Cain fell forward, dropping his pistol as he hit the ground. The pain had caught him off guard, and considering he was already mid stride, he could do little but catch the railing along the wall to get himself stable.
His eyes caught the sight of the figure once more, and he froze, almost expecting another shot. Adrenaline was pumping through his body, and it was no longer pain that he felt. Instead, as he caught the flash of an eye, it was-
Fear.
The downed pilot couldn’t pick himself up just yet, his body locking in place as his gaze was unable to budge from the figure’s. It took him a second, his arm slipping forward as he tried to take a step back. He couldn’t go forward with the figure there, but at the same time, that hall led to the hangar…
--
Her thoughts were calm. Despite watching Cain nearly collapse against the wall in obvious pain from her shot, she did not feel any rush of emotion. There was no release of adrenaline. There was no regrets, nor sympathy. There was just the acknowledgement that she had made a decision to ensure the success of her mission.
She let out a slow exhale, her arm lowering in unison with it.
(Perhaps, though, the fear in his eyes did catch her a bit… off guard.) Without a word, she holstered her handgun. Her hand then instinctively rose to her hood, tugging at the fabric a bit as she checked to make sure it was still in place, that it was still casting a shadow across her now knitted brow. She seemed to hesitate, or hover, for a moment, the weight held on the balls of her feet causing her body to sway, but it wasn’t for long.
She glanced down the hallway to the hanger, and then with one more glance at Cain, swiftly began to make her way down it, now caring more so about speed than stealth.
--
He let his gun drop.
Though adrenaline had calmed the pain, the thumping in his head reminded him that it would last only so long, and soon enough the searing pain emerged once more. Though the blood trickling down his suit was begging for some medical attention, he couldn’t find it in him to wrap a cloth around it- his hands fumbled as he reached for a rag he had on his person, slowly and clumsily tying it around his leg.
It wasn’t even as if that was his first time being shot at, but that look. That glimmer in their eye, for a second- just a second -it didn’t look…
...Human.
He managed to get that rag around his leg, testing it for a moment before he tried walking again. Though he had a slight limp and the occasional jolt of pain, he knew well that he didn’t have a choice in the matter- he had to deal with it for now. As far as he was concerned, he was lucky it wasn’t anything critical, anyways.
With that, he started to walk down the hall again, handgun already drawn.
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Post by S☆E on May 21, 2018 19:42:05 GMT -6
Ernest arrived at the armory just as Kara was leaving. The two shared a quick nod before the girl took off down the corridor. Ernest approached the counter. "Arnie, I'm sure you heard what's going down."
"I sure did, Ernie. I'm guessing you want her, right?"
"You guess right."
Arnold opened up a lockbox and pulled out an unusual pistol. The grip was snakeskin and the gun itself was an iridescent dark blue. Along the barrel was an engraving that proclaimed One Good Punch Is All You Need in fine cursive. To Ernest, seeing that gun was like seeing an old friend. In spite of the alarms and potential chaos he couldn't help but grin. "Hello there, Lucille." he said, taking the pistol into his hand. "You're looking right purty tonight. Let's see if we can't find somebody to dance with, huh?" Arnold cocked his brow but didn't say a word as Ernest left.
With his free hand he quickly dialed Gabe. "Shockwave, it's Basset. I'll meet you at the hangar. Bring your A-game, we're playing at the big leagues boy."
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Post by Charredgp on May 21, 2018 19:57:25 GMT -6
No rest for the wicked, it seemed.
In the time it took to gather his thoughts for the debriefing, give Sean at least a passing expression of sympathy and hope for his recovery, clean up, and get something in his stomach, he barely had time to close his eyes before the ship was suddenly thrown into red alert, the blaring alarms a better wake-up call than any traditional alarm clock could ever hope to be. In record time he had thrown on enough to pilot, sprinting through the halls to the hangar once the orders had come in.
The telltale buzz of Ernest messaging him was met with a grunt as he raced through the halls, the ever-present sound of soldiers mobilizing and skirmishing ringing in his ears.
"Roger, already almost there. Wasn't plannin' on bringin' the weak shit right now. Gotta do somethin' right tonight." He said, a slight tinge of bitterness to his voice.
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on May 22, 2018 13:42:43 GMT -6
THUNK
The ship rocked with an unnatural force. Myra practically leapt out of bed, her heart pounding against her chest as she clung to her drool-covered stuffed lion. Her cozy slumber had been rudely awakened, panic exacerbated by Heathcliff’s emergency alert. By the time her mind shifted into gear, she had already started changing out of her loose pajamas and was now rifling through her clothes to find what she might need for combat. Before she could slip on the first layer of her pilot’s suit over her body, her device flashed with a new alert.
[“Echo, Jingo, you two won’t be suited up this operation.”] Myra’s heart immediately sank. She continued reading the message, brow furrowing. [“...I don’t want to see questions. Take what you think you’ll need and keep us updated.”]
Of course they’d send her out without her machine, she thought, lazily tossing her pilot’s suit to the side. She dug deeper into her wardrobe for her wetsuit. The skin-tight material fit like a glove over her skin, a feeling she thoroughly detested. Moments after she pulled her arms through it, her PDA flashed with more messages. Lana was raring to go it seemed, while Kara was (rather conveniently) already at the armory.
[“Mind picking up a couple things for me while you’re there? All I need is a handgun and a crowbar. Never know when it might come in handy.”]
[“Got it. I’ll let you take care of the suits then.”]
Myra zipped up her wetsuit as she bolted out the door. Kara’s room was just down the hall; she didn’t take the time to take in her sparse surroundings as she began digging through Kara’s dresser. It didn’t take long for her to find her friend’s wetsuit and sling it over her shoulder as she raced towards the hangar.
[“Already taken care of. I’ll meet you by the Lucky in a hot minute.”]
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Linkyu
Cosmic Kiddie
aaa
Posts: 47
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Post by Linkyu on May 22, 2018 13:50:38 GMT -6
Kara arrived near the Lucky in a half-trot. Making sure the path was clear, she ran around it and climbed the maintenance platform ladder to join Myra. She handed her the bag and grabbed the wetsuit Myra handed her in exchange. As she changed into it, she switched her comms on so that Lana could hear her as well.
“Alright, this isn’t a typical scenario but our strength comes from being able to adapt to any situation. Jingo, be on the lookout for marine hostiles during the ride. If they are infiltrating as we speak, chances are that they also have units underwater.” She pointed at the bag. “There’s also some underwater ammo in there. I suggest to switch to standard rounds as soon as we get on land. Tinder, remember that you’re carrying passengers so that’ll require finer control on the thrusters.”
She paused to let them process then resumed.
“With all that said, the mission’s priority is still the same as usual. Don’t take any unnecessary risk and come back alive.”
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Post by montywonty on May 24, 2018 16:53:17 GMT -6
“Corporal!” Lana stated with one hand at a thruster, another examining one last status report on her machine before sortie. Interestingly, Kara and Myra were ordered to be holding on tight to the Athen’s lesser set of hands. “I will do my best to take you and Jingo nice and easy. Should I stay behind once I get you two to the destination?”
“Negative.” Kara quickly replied. “Lucky’s amphibious capabilities will be of a great help for defending command. Besides, you barely have basic training on ground, don’t you?”
A brief pause. Harsh as it had possibly seemed, Kara was far from wrong. The result of the last mission was proof enough of that. “Ah.”
“So, yeah. Until we have trained you enough on that matter, I’d rather have you out there in Lucky’s cockpit.” She paused. “I’ve been told you’ve been making some serious progress as a pilot.”
“Focusing on strengths..?” Lana wondered to herself aloud, before perking up and smiling wide. “You are right, I’ve been doing a lot better! I understand, Corporal. I’ll let you and Jingo work your magic and I’ll be useful to everyone else.” She faced below, eyeing the exit hatch. “I am ready to leave, are both of you secured?”
Kara tightened her grip on the fingers’ panel lining. She would have much preferred to hold onto the maintenance handles on the shoulders, even more so with a harness, that would have been fine. But it was the captain's orders to maximize the Athen’s speed. She held tighter. The machine's hand around made her feel particularly uncomfortable with painful memories, but she gritted her teeth and held fast. “...Good to go here.”
“So long as you don’t make any sudden movements…” Myra gave the Lucky’s hand a gentle pat. “Rather not go out like a bottle of ketchup.”
The pilot nodded while she kept her hands tight around the thrusters, fingers rolling as she sized up the pressure she would potentially need for a smooth ride. Nonetheless, the trio was ready. “Alaina Feng Zaephord, in GR8-Athen Lucky, blasting off now!” The underwater hatch began to creak open and beckon in the flow of the sea, welcoming the Lucky into its descent.
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moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
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Post by moo!! on May 26, 2018 22:12:55 GMT -6
It was only by virtue of an immediate and vice-like grip on the edge of her desk that spared Lin – and the panda pen in her hand – from falling face-first onto the floor. The same couldn’t be said for some other objects in her room, most of which lacked hands. Obviously.
Among one of them was a jewelry bag, now on the floor as opposed to the desk top, and a single necklace tumbling out a foot or two away. Despite her insistence on not snooping in on another person’s business, she couldn’t help but stare. It was a chunk of jade carved out into the likeness of a lion, tied with black rope-string.
Huh.
“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.”
The announcement snapped her back into reality, and by the time the PDA buzzed with the captain’s orders, she was geared up and ready to go.
She quickly retrieved the necklace on the floor and shoved it under her pillow alongside the bag. It probably wasn’t the safest place for it, but there were more pressing matters on her mind as she darted out of her room, hand still clenched tightly around the pen.
… well, at least it could still be used as a weapon, right?
Lin was greeted with the distant sounds of fighting in the background – gunshots and shouting that scratched at her nerves as she made a beeline for the hangar, foregoing a visit to the armory. As much as it might have nagged at her to help the others, she had her own job first and foremost.
A job she wasn’t planning on failing again.
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on May 26, 2018 22:24:13 GMT -6
“Just don’t know when to quit, do they?” [Not Dead Yet] Sean’s eyes slowly cracked open. Though sleep had yet to take hold of him, the quiet peace of the night had allowed him some respite. He cautiously removed the IV from his wrist, hobbling off the bed and onto the chilly tiled floor. A small piece of gauze kept in place by a bandage wrapped around his arm was enough to staunch the bleeding. His foot shivered as a wayward drop of liquid fell onto it, reminding him to turn off the infusion pump. Sean approached the sink wearing only the muddied pinstripe trousers that had practically glued themselves to his legs. Water trickled into the sink as it ran between Sean’s fingers. He cupped his hands around the stream, splashing the crystal-clear water haphazardly onto his face. Sean caught a glimpse of his own worn reflection in the mirror. The redness had dissipated from under his eyes, but his violently blue pupils remained focused. Gunfire rang out from the upper floors as Sean marched towards the hangar. The cool air felt refreshing against his bare chest, his bloodied dress shirt left behind. He took deep, measured breaths that kept his heart beating steady and his mind on alert. In his right hand he clutched the switchblade that he’d kept inside his shoe. The blade was caked with dried blood. Bang.Another shot echoed through the hall, this one much closer than the others. But by the time Sean arrived at the scene of the crime there was nothing left to see. Cain limped towards the hangar with blood trailing down his leg, his assailant already long gone. Sean quickly caught up to him, offering his right shoulder for Cain to prop himself up against. “Catch a stray bullet or something?”
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Post by fen on May 26, 2018 23:20:57 GMT -6
Cain’s struggle to get to the hangar was noted, but he had more or less stopped the bleeding. The hangar was coming up soon, and he had managed to get to a point where he could control the limping enough that the pain could be pushed to the back of his mind. The grip on his pistol tightened, not out of worry or preparation, but simply to focus himself. His eyes zoomed in on the end of the hall, and soon enough he’d-
‘Catch a stray bullet or something?’
The next thing he felt was a friendly shoulder by his side, and Cain obliged by throwing his arm around him. Though his face was was serious, there was a brief tap on Sean’s arm, acknowledging his help. Of course, that tap was with Cain’s handgun, so there was that. Still, with Sean’s help it didn’t take long for the two to cover that extra distance to the hangar.
“Yeah, I did.” Came Cain’s response, the pilot taking a moment to tap his injured leg with his other hand, motioning to the stained rag that he had managed to wrap around it. “Keep it between us, yeah? Last thing I want is to sit in the clinic while this is going on.”
He motioned to the chaos in the hangar. Maintenance crews were struggling to get the machines prepped. Most had been under an extensive maintenance, and the surprise attack had caught the engineering crew off guard. The Lucky was already done, but the Arlington and Red Sun were being prepared next. Behind them, the Highlander, Wolfsbane, and Kirin. Somewhere in the chaos, a distressed Cinco could be seen shouting to organize some of the crews.
Cain motioned for Sean to let him go for a moment, and the pilot shuffled to the side of a work area, pulling another (clean) rag. The pilot took a moment to quickly replace the now bloodied rag on his leg, allowing it to drop to the ground. With a relieved sigh, Cain tested his leg a bit and satisfied, turned to meet Sean-
“...No shirt?”
He somehow missed that part.
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on May 28, 2018 19:20:00 GMT -6
Luckily for its passengers, the only resistance the Athen encountered was a light river current against its hull. The waters were otherwise calm. It was a stark contrast to the chaos lurking just above the surface, the sound of alarms piercing the night. The Lucky cautiously approached the bay, loosening its grasp to allow Kara and Myra to swim toward the dock. The two gave their chauffeur a final thumbs-up before climbing over the concrete ledge.
The dock operations building was only a short walk inland. Its exterior was unassuming, a blocky gray office building with no lights on or any guards in sight. If there were any workers still present, they had kept themselves well out of sight. Myra looked to her partner as they shook the water from their wetsuits.
“Not liking the look of this at all…”
“Even at this hour, there should be some lights on…”
Kara stowed the rebreather in her bag and let her hand go over the contents; she hesitated to switch to the ASPR, but decided against it for now and instead simply swapped the magazine on her weapon for standard ammunition. Myra checked over her own handgun, making sure the water hadn’t seeped into her PK-7.
“Using a backdoor would be safer but I don’t think we have the luxury for that in those conditions.” Kara finished loading her SMG; the brass round fell snug into the barrel with a satisfying KA-CLICK. “We’re taking the front door, with all the usual precautions. Textbook scenario, assume that hostages are a possibility, as well as traps.”
Myra nodded in affirmation, following Kara as she began sneaking towards the office building. Crouched, they approached the main entrance and peeked inside.
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Post by fen on May 28, 2018 19:39:57 GMT -6
Click.
Thud.
Click.
Kenichi had spent the past twenty minutes checking his weapons; every magazine, every barrel, every trigger was inspected. It had been over an hour since the two had arrived, and from what he could tell, the operation was beginning smoothly. He had sent his ‘apprentice’ out towards the front to inspect from a distance. If things were going well, the sounds of artillery fire against the ship should be heard.
Not that it mattered.
With rifle done, he went to check his body armor. Custom made, it sported various tempered, composite metallic plates, combined with kevlar. Beyond that, he had some sort of submachine gun attached to his waist, and what appeared to be a sheath. Kenichi quickly finished inspecting his body armor, then looked over his submachine gun. Satisfied with his equipment, he let his submachine gun hang from his waist, the would-be defender nonplussed by the situation. Instead, he leaned against the console he was supposed to be guarding, waiting for his ‘apprentice’ to return, arms crossed.
--
Alright, go through it quickly: he's not as up close and personal as he'd like to be, but he can tell – they've caught them off guard, sparked more than a bit of a ruckus. Sad for them, but if he was in the business of feeling sympathy he wouldn't be here in the first place.
Retracing his steps with a level of stealth that can only be labeled as a formality, he finds his way back to Kenichi. The expression on his face easily identifiable as enthusiastic – or maybe cocky, depending on who you ask.
He says, "So far so good." Says, "Though neither of us wanna stay here forever – we should expect some company." In the relative quiet of their location you can hear his knuckles crack, hear a soft "hmph" as his lips curl into a smile. "Not that you're unprepared."
The ‘apprentice’ was greeted with an un-amused look, his ‘master’ giving him a quick once over as to inspect him for anything that could have befell him during his brief exploration. The building they were in was fairly large, but much of its front was devoted to offices, while its rear- where they were, was strictly for maintenance procedures.
Though their room was sparse, the thick console Kenichi was resting against hummed with life. It held the capacity to shutdown (or restart) any of the magnetic docking clamps that dotted Shanghai’s coast. Well, at least this section of it. Ken’s fingers tapped against his crossed arms, the assailant staring down at this companion with one eye open.
“Let’s go over the plan, then.”
Quick and to the point.
His gaze shifting away from the young man, he focused instead on the window just across from him, which revealed the light of the moon and the rear of the building. “To begin, we’ve adequately cleared the building, confirmed the layout is the same, and trapped the upper floors in case they want to go with a roof entrance, or upper floor breach.”
As if to make a point, he tapped on his left arm, lighting up an inbuilt PDA system, which flashed with the location of several points within the building. “Given their situation, it’s unlikely they’d expend one of their aerial AAs to deal with us like that, but if all else fails we could cave in the upper floors as well.” Though in Ken’s mind, he’d rather have sabotaged the building from the get-go and give them no chance to escape.
Hawk, for some reason, had disagreed.
“...Anyways, the only other entrance is through the front. To enter through the back would require a detour around a few other buildings, and it’s unlikely they’d want to waste time,” There was a pause, and for once Ken chuckled, a sound most unusual for him. “Besides, we have those routes trapped as well. Their only way in is through the front.”
Before he could finish, he raised his right hand, pointing a finger up as if to emphasize his next point.
“Which are also trapped.”
If there had been a smile with his previous chuckle, it had all but evaporated at this point, the man looking more pensive than anything. “...If they’re worth their salt, they should be able to navigate to the back and onto the second floor, but if they’re smart, they’ll realize it’s a fight they can’t win.”
--
The smirk on his face quickly drops into a frown, but, considering his conversational partner, he should've expected all business. Foot tapping quietly as the other speaks, the blonde's expression fades from fired up to bored.
"So we just wait here?" he grumbles, running a hand through his hair. "Hmm.. and by the sound of it if they even manage to get to us they'd've already gone through a fair amount of trouble."
To some that might've been a good thing, but the terseness of his tone implies he's displeased with what he foresees as a one-sided fight – ironic, given the circumstances already placed their opponents at a notable disadvantage. Rather than continue to sulk, aloud, however, he seats himself on the floor, closing his eyes.
"If that's all, then, gimme a shake when we're about to move out, yeah?"
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Post by Charredgp on May 28, 2018 21:31:05 GMT -6
Ernest veered hard right, making a beeline towards the hangar. Heading in the same direction were two unknown figures. With practiced ease he raised Lucille and squeezed the trigger twice without losing a step, both figures dropping stone-cold against the floor. Vaulting over the bodies he spies Gabe gunning it down the corridor to his left. He flashes him a salute and eases up on the throttle. “Good to see ya in one piece, Gabe. See any of these guys on your way here?” he says, nodding to the two corpses behind him.
Gabe’s run to the hangar was thankfully less eventful than Ernest’s had been, any enemy forces in sight already busy fighting other members of the crew. Which was fortunate, since he was a lot less confident about his ability to fight people with assault rifles when he couldn’t sneak up on them. “Couple, but none I had to deal with. Hope the AAs are ready to launch, cause I’m not wantin’ to stick ‘round here.”
“I dunno,” Ernest says, turning back to look at his handiwork. “After spending last mission sitting around, I wouldn’t mind popping a few more of these assholes.” He snickers wickedly and tucks his pistol into his waistband. “Still, there’s probably more of ‘em out there trying to get at our mothership. Can’t waste time on the trash mobs when there are stronger enemies ahead.” He jogs the rest of the way to the hangar, his hand on his gun the whole way. “You’re lucky you didn’t run into anyone. I don’t see a gun on ya, Gabe.”
“Yeah, I was kinda in a rush. Didn’t think that whole plan through.” He admitted, giving Ernest’s handiwork a glance. “Personally I’d rather get a chance to get some more mech work than shootin’ guys. I don’t nearly get that kinda armament on the field, yknow?” He followed behind Ernest as he jogged to the hangar, struggling to keep pace with his longer stride. “Bit less personal too. I can handle that kinda mess, but I’d rather not see the results up close and personal if I can help it.”
“Not much of a stomach for hands-on work, eh? You know those explosive weapons you’re so fond of do way more damage to a body than a clean headshot.” Ernest replies in a more serious tone. “More collateral damage as well. You never know who’s caught up in the blast radius, especially in city combat. Best keep that in mind while we’re out there.” Striding over to the Arlington he begins climbing up the service ladder to the cockpit. “I don’t mean to preach, but war’s somethin’ folk like us gotta face head-on whether we can handle it or not.” With a conclusive THUNK he shuts the cockpit and runs through his pre-launch checks doubletime.
”Captain, this is Basset. The Arlington is prepped and ready scramble.”
“Ya say that like I’m whippin’ out grenades and bazookas on the field like it’s nothin’.” He shot back. “But don’t worry, I wasn’t plannin’ on usin’ heavy artillery unless I know there won’t be any collateral. Trees and dirt is one thing, but I ain’t the type to blow up civvies.” He watched as Ernest ascended up to the Arlington, muttering something inaudible to himself to Ernest’s warning. He had already begun climbing into the Red Sun by the time their conversation finished, settling into his seat so he could blaze through the startup procedures.
“Shockwave here. Red Sun ready for launch.”
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moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
Posts: 63
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Post by moo!! on May 30, 2018 11:11:53 GMT -6
The hangar was abuzz with commotion; engineers and various maintenance crew members scurried along the ground levels, hurrying to get the machines readied. Unwilling to get in their way and forced to wait, Lin made her way up to one of the maintenance rafters. The least she could do was keep an eye out for hostiles while Ernest and Gabe launched. … the catwalks were eerily silent, however, and Lin found herself anxiously watching the scene below. She knew this was the best the Menaulion could do on short timing, but damn it if she wanted to be left with her thoughts. (--because the success of the mission could have prevented this, couldn’t it?) She closed her eyes and shook the words out of her head. Dwelling on it was unnecessary. She finally had her chance, after all. Just a few more minutes. --- What’s one to do when the pathways they are supposed to be taking are too congested? What do they do when the traffic is too much to handle? Well, surely, the best of them just forge their own path! A pair of black gloves was left on a fence by the entrance to the hanger, hopefully to be picked up later, as the woman peered down on the room from above. Yes, above. Like a gecko or a fly, she was precariously hanging from a corner with seemingly no particular grasp on anything. Instead, her hand was simply firmly placed against the flat surface, like an anchor… or a suction cup. Her shadowed gaze scoured the room, looking for an opening. Her eyes flitted from one catwalk to another, towards a yell and then back again… She could simply wait here until the pilots were deployed. Until things in the hanger itself began to quiet down, and then she could make her strike. That was the safe play, to be sure-- Her eyes locked onto the frame of Lin, standing on the catwalk, fists balled at her side. And the woman couldn’t help but stare. And stare.
She shouldn’t get involved, she shouldn’t reveal herself to the enemy. She was supposed to be a secret, her entire existence shrouded in obscurity. She knew what she was supposed to do, but… this fire in her chest… her desire to assist… She couldn’t let it lie.
With a couple of well-placed grasps and swings, the woman found herself gracefully near flying through the air, and dropping in with a clang on the metal of the catwalk not ten feet away from Lin. She turned, shadowed gaze looking to make eye contact… Before she lunged forward, attempting to kick Lin’s feet out from under her. -- Instinct made Lin turn her head to look, but only enough to register someone behind her. She wasn’t sure how to feel about the timing, but she didn’t even have the time to consider it; the figure was already rushing towards her, aiming to catch her unaware. Lin’s eyes narrowed. She dove to the side, feeling a sweep incoming. Using the momentum to roll in a tight circle around her opponent, Lin jumped up to hook her right arm around their neck. Thankfully said opponent didn’t seem too strong to subdue – all she needed was a few seconds. -- The reaction speed was slightly surprising, but still, not unexpected. The cloaked woman may have been confident, but she knew better than to underestimate her enemy. Fully expecting the retaliation, the woman was able to evade Lin’s attempt at a headlock, albeit barely, and twist her upper body around. Clean fighting was never something she had been taught, no. She was to use any advantaged gifted to her. Thus, revealing a hand covered in dark scaling and tipped with long black nails, resembling a talon of a bird of prey, she slashed upwards, aiming straight for the face. -- Time seemed to slow as her eyes caught sight of her assailant’s hand swiping through the air. Those hands… Lin was only just barely able to shut her eyes and turn her head away in time as a set of nails – no, claws – found her jaw and raked up across her cheek, ending right before her eye. Gritting her teeth against the stinging pain, she braced her left arm against their midsection and shoved them hard against the railing. … meanwhile, her other hand tightened around the panda pen. -- Quite unlike the shot from earlier, this time, upon feeling her nails break skin on the girl in front of her, the shrouded woman felt satisfaction. Just a tickle of it, a bubble in her stomach and a small smirk beginning to grow on her face. It wasn’t allowed to last, however, as Lin managed to find an opening, and she soon found her back banging against the railing. A slight gasp left her lips and she blinked, brows furrowing as she looked up at Lin as she continued to approach. Her mind thought fast. She didn’t have time to debate her options. So she just went with what came first. And leaned far backwards, kicking off the ground as she flipped herself over the side of the railing, disappearing underneath the catwalk below. -- And so, Lin stabbed at an imaginary throat instead. Wait, what? There was something to be said about how Lin, for a split second, felt raw and genuine shock as the other person flipped themself off the catwalk. Which was several meters in the air. Several meters past the AAs. A pretty assured death for most people, and yet she was surprised that someone would choose to die that way despite the fact that Lin was clearly planning to stab them in the neck with a pen. Lethally.
She neared the edge, her hands latched onto the railing just in case, and peered down. ... did I do it? That's what she wanted to think, but... where was the body? -- In actuality, the mysterious woman hadn’t fallen. She was just biding her time. Like her hanging in the corner from earlier, she was firmly gripping onto the bottom of the catwalk. Listening to the sound of Lin’s footsteps, she waited. That misstep was enough to remind her of her true purpose her, her true mission-- and it wasn’t to play around with the pilots. Still… she wanted to… So, she climbed a bit to the side, careful to put enough distance between where she heard Lin was and herself, and then flipped herself back over the top of the catwalk. She landed rather gracefully, and then slowly rose to a stand, eye locking on Lin. She looked like she was preparing to bolt, but yet, she hesitated. -- Feeling something behind her, Lin whirled around to find… … huh? She stared at them for a moment, her heart racing. Her body, still fidgety from the battle, registered the lack of an attack. Her mind followed soon after, realizing— “ Oh, no you don’t!” She drew her hand back slightly, fingers adjusting so that her grip was on one of the ends of the pen. Not again. She threw it. It shot through the air – light, fast, and hard. She kicked off after it, speeding towards her opponent. When the pen hit them square on the forehead, doing just enough to flinch them, Lin was ready. Her fingers curled into a fist, nails digging into skin. “ Miss Fletcher, the Kirin is ready to sortie!” Somewhere below, an engineer had called up to her. She turned her head at the mention of her name and— Lin’s fist met nothing but air, the force behind the attack almost causing her to lose balance. Seconds within seconds passed as she steeled herself for an attack… but nothing came. No punches, no kicks, no gunshots… just the faintest clang of metal and a whoosh of wind. She looked up. The attacker was gone, as suddenly as they’d appeared. She lingered for a few more moments, as if expecting – or maybe hoping – for the fight to continue. It was too quick, too abrupt. She wasn’t finished yet. With nobody to glare at, she turned her eyes towards the ground. … and noticed her glasses sitting there a foot away. “… Miss Fletcher?” Again, someone’s voice called out. “I’m here. I-I’m going.” She put her glasses back on and, with one final look at the empty catwalk, made her way back downstairs and headed straight for the Kirin. “Keep an eye out,” she told a nearby engineer, “Just ran into someone up on one of the maintenance rafters. Not sure where they went or how many there are, so be careful.” Once she had withdrawn into the cockpit, she wiped the back of her hand across her face, coming away with blood. “Kirin, ready to go.”
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