"We're on an Imperial transport vehicle in orbit around a small asteroid a few AUs away from where we were before." Royanna replied without hesitation, still sounding strained, pained and exhausted. It certainly seemed as though she truly believed she was in a spaceship. Unless it was facetiousness.
She gave him a gentle pat on the back. "C'mon kid. Let's get you fixed up and fed...Here." Having had an idea, Royanna reached into her coat, fishing around some before finding what she sought and removing it. She commented as she searched "It does kind of look like a mental hospital doesn't it? Don't tell the brass but I've never been too big a fan of Imperial decor. Heh."
In her hand was a badge - it looked like what one might imagine a badge to look like. It was badge-shaped (That being a diamond, of course), consisting of semi-holographic blue on the top half, green on the bottom. It looked high-tech - and it was - there were no words on it, no symbols save for the emblazoned GE insignia of the Empire, built into the colors. Strangely, the woman proceeded to put it in her mouth and bite down on it with her molars, giving a little twist. With a little click sound that did not suggest it had broken, the badge was split down the middle in a slight zigzag. The result was two vaguely lightning-bolt-shaped pieces. She returned one of them to the depths of the breast of her jacket, then pinned the other half to Toffi's chest. (It stuck like velcro, despite not being velcro. It would be easy to remove but would not fall off on its' own. Very high-tech.)
"If we get separated, that'll identify you as a personal member of my team and grant you all the privileges that come with it. Don't lose it though, 'cause it'd be a pain in the ass to get a replacement."
With that done Royanna would proceed to the heavy looking door at the other end of the short hallway, peered through some sort of lens and watched it immediately respond by sliding into the ceiling, granting them access to the whole of the vessel.
Inside it didn't really look like a spaceship - however certain Kallenger seemed to be that it was one - save perhaps for the cut corners at the edges of the walls and ceiling. It gave the hallways an elongated octagonal shape rather than the usual rectangular.
It did look different however. More high-tech and streamlined. The floor was some sort of metallic, carbon-esque material. The walls were some kind of synthetic plastic or something. The lights were embedded in the ceiling. It was almost as though they were walking around in a giant Storm Trooper.
It wasn't so lonely any more, either. There were people walking around, doing things. Most of them looked pretty normal - civilian clothes in sort of business-casual style. There was the low muttering of talking here and there. The dull, white noise that one might expect in a populated, bustling office building - even if the office building feel of the first room had been mostly replaced with the image of some kind of high-tech, space-age design. No windows.
It wasn't a long walk down the hallway. One left, one right, up a little 4-step staircase, then through a door marked with the big, friendly red cross symbol. It was a medical bay. Some people dressed in what clearly constituted medics' attire milled about. There were beds in a room off to one side, a little hallway which likely led to smaller rooms. A distinguished looking man with short cropped silver hair and high cheekbones noticed the two of them enter, looking as though they had just survived the apocalypse by the skin of their teeth. He looker startled.
"Oh! Dear Space - you're the ones we were picking up? Damned if they tell us anything." He did not seem fazed by the canid appearance of Kallenger's accompaniment.
"He's taken a beating and needs food and rest. I want him kept close by." Kallenger said to the man, who was obviously some kind of head doctor. He nodded. "Right away, I'll situate him in a room adjacent to yours...You come right this way and we'll see about that bullet wound..."
The doctor did not know Kallenger's name, but the half-badge which she had pinned to the lapel of her coat told him everything he needed to know. High priority, high command, VIP and so on.
"They'll fix you up good." Royanna said, as one of the nurses moved in to guide him to a room opposite to the one in which the Special Agent was being led. "Don't worry. These are good people, you can trust them. I'll see you later."
And with that - unless something stopped them for whatever reason - the two of them would be brought to their separate rooms for treatment. Christofer would find that it looked just like one might expect a doctors's office to look like, if a little more high-tech and space-age looking. Nothing was likely to be too imposing though - no big, scary chromium robot doctors or machines of questionable purpose. So that was good, at least.
She gave him a gentle pat on the back. "C'mon kid. Let's get you fixed up and fed...Here." Having had an idea, Royanna reached into her coat, fishing around some before finding what she sought and removing it. She commented as she searched "It does kind of look like a mental hospital doesn't it? Don't tell the brass but I've never been too big a fan of Imperial decor. Heh."
In her hand was a badge - it looked like what one might imagine a badge to look like. It was badge-shaped (That being a diamond, of course), consisting of semi-holographic blue on the top half, green on the bottom. It looked high-tech - and it was - there were no words on it, no symbols save for the emblazoned GE insignia of the Empire, built into the colors. Strangely, the woman proceeded to put it in her mouth and bite down on it with her molars, giving a little twist. With a little click sound that did not suggest it had broken, the badge was split down the middle in a slight zigzag. The result was two vaguely lightning-bolt-shaped pieces. She returned one of them to the depths of the breast of her jacket, then pinned the other half to Toffi's chest. (It stuck like velcro, despite not being velcro. It would be easy to remove but would not fall off on its' own. Very high-tech.)
"If we get separated, that'll identify you as a personal member of my team and grant you all the privileges that come with it. Don't lose it though, 'cause it'd be a pain in the ass to get a replacement."
With that done Royanna would proceed to the heavy looking door at the other end of the short hallway, peered through some sort of lens and watched it immediately respond by sliding into the ceiling, granting them access to the whole of the vessel.
Inside it didn't really look like a spaceship - however certain Kallenger seemed to be that it was one - save perhaps for the cut corners at the edges of the walls and ceiling. It gave the hallways an elongated octagonal shape rather than the usual rectangular.
It did look different however. More high-tech and streamlined. The floor was some sort of metallic, carbon-esque material. The walls were some kind of synthetic plastic or something. The lights were embedded in the ceiling. It was almost as though they were walking around in a giant Storm Trooper.
It wasn't so lonely any more, either. There were people walking around, doing things. Most of them looked pretty normal - civilian clothes in sort of business-casual style. There was the low muttering of talking here and there. The dull, white noise that one might expect in a populated, bustling office building - even if the office building feel of the first room had been mostly replaced with the image of some kind of high-tech, space-age design. No windows.
It wasn't a long walk down the hallway. One left, one right, up a little 4-step staircase, then through a door marked with the big, friendly red cross symbol. It was a medical bay. Some people dressed in what clearly constituted medics' attire milled about. There were beds in a room off to one side, a little hallway which likely led to smaller rooms. A distinguished looking man with short cropped silver hair and high cheekbones noticed the two of them enter, looking as though they had just survived the apocalypse by the skin of their teeth. He looker startled.
"Oh! Dear Space - you're the ones we were picking up? Damned if they tell us anything." He did not seem fazed by the canid appearance of Kallenger's accompaniment.
"He's taken a beating and needs food and rest. I want him kept close by." Kallenger said to the man, who was obviously some kind of head doctor. He nodded. "Right away, I'll situate him in a room adjacent to yours...You come right this way and we'll see about that bullet wound..."
The doctor did not know Kallenger's name, but the half-badge which she had pinned to the lapel of her coat told him everything he needed to know. High priority, high command, VIP and so on.
"They'll fix you up good." Royanna said, as one of the nurses moved in to guide him to a room opposite to the one in which the Special Agent was being led. "Don't worry. These are good people, you can trust them. I'll see you later."
And with that - unless something stopped them for whatever reason - the two of them would be brought to their separate rooms for treatment. Christofer would find that it looked just like one might expect a doctors's office to look like, if a little more high-tech and space-age looking. Nothing was likely to be too imposing though - no big, scary chromium robot doctors or machines of questionable purpose. So that was good, at least.
Christofer doesn't understand much of her words about the Imperial transport thing and the rest of the words following it were jusr as confusing jibberish. Oh well, he'd understand it eventually, maybe. But by the tone of her voice he could assume they were somewhere safe. He would relax a bit, although his body remained a bit stiff due to the pain that still lingered.
As the two of them walked through the strange place his vision and other sences were slowly starting to recover. Seeing other, normal humans was kinda refreshing, the boy would smile to himself. Although... He did feel bad for Royanna, he felt like he was being a burden to her as they were walking. Usually he would have had very good legs, but at the moment he culld barely still stand on his own.
Once they got to the medical area, the boy was once again glad to see normal humans. A part of him was now expecting to see weird strange stuff behind every corner, but at least there were no scary bots around. But he had to admit, this most certainly was the first space themed hospital he had ever visited. It got him slightly curious, but he would have to wait. There was probably time to ask those questions later.
For now the boy just had to trust Royanna's words. At least the nurses didn't seem too bad for the time being...
As the two of them walked through the strange place his vision and other sences were slowly starting to recover. Seeing other, normal humans was kinda refreshing, the boy would smile to himself. Although... He did feel bad for Royanna, he felt like he was being a burden to her as they were walking. Usually he would have had very good legs, but at the moment he culld barely still stand on his own.
Once they got to the medical area, the boy was once again glad to see normal humans. A part of him was now expecting to see weird strange stuff behind every corner, but at least there were no scary bots around. But he had to admit, this most certainly was the first space themed hospital he had ever visited. It got him slightly curious, but he would have to wait. There was probably time to ask those questions later.
For now the boy just had to trust Royanna's words. At least the nurses didn't seem too bad for the time being...
Nirix prayer had ended. Though it had seemed received an answer. The last line of her hopeful request to her Gods had barely left her lips before she heard a sound, more so a distant rumble. Had Kampfer's forces caught up with her? Not wanting to be comprised, Nirix fleed her current location and out into another clearing.
However, there was another sound. The tune to a unfamiliar lullaby. It was soft but not so distant. And the voice...
Nirix's ear twitched at the sound. It couldn't be but...
Her feet were moving before she knew it. Frantic was her heart beat as the scenery whooshed by. Nirix had to near closer, had to see who was singing. All thoughts of stealth had been disregarded yet in the back of her mind, Nirix was silently reminding herself to have caution. Just because she thought it was him, didn't mean it was-
Oof
The collision was rather uncomfortable for the Eoclu as she ran smack into the short boy. She stumbled and fell on her backside, though once the slight pain had subsided, Nirix found herself scrambling to stand once more before nearly flinging herself at him if only to pull him into a desperate embrace. She pulled him close, almost as if he would up and disappear before her eyes if she were to let go.
"Da'len," Her voice cracked as she uttered the word in a near whisper. It was raw with emotion, most likely the most emotion the Eoclu had displayed in front of Ketin. He was safe, unharmed as much as Nirix could see. Maybe she was putting too much into him, worrying about his safety when he could most likely take care of himself but...
He was alive. That was a good sign.
However, there was another sound. The tune to a unfamiliar lullaby. It was soft but not so distant. And the voice...
Nirix's ear twitched at the sound. It couldn't be but...
Her feet were moving before she knew it. Frantic was her heart beat as the scenery whooshed by. Nirix had to near closer, had to see who was singing. All thoughts of stealth had been disregarded yet in the back of her mind, Nirix was silently reminding herself to have caution. Just because she thought it was him, didn't mean it was-
Oof
The collision was rather uncomfortable for the Eoclu as she ran smack into the short boy. She stumbled and fell on her backside, though once the slight pain had subsided, Nirix found herself scrambling to stand once more before nearly flinging herself at him if only to pull him into a desperate embrace. She pulled him close, almost as if he would up and disappear before her eyes if she were to let go.
"Da'len," Her voice cracked as she uttered the word in a near whisper. It was raw with emotion, most likely the most emotion the Eoclu had displayed in front of Ketin. He was safe, unharmed as much as Nirix could see. Maybe she was putting too much into him, worrying about his safety when he could most likely take care of himself but...
He was alive. That was a good sign.
The nurse was a young woman, perhaps mid-twenties. Soft features, blonde hair short and neat. She had the casually pleasant bedside manner that one might expect from a medical professional in her position.
“Wow, you do look like you’ve taken a beating.” She said to him, rummaging about a little, doing nurse-things. She took his vitals, got some information on his present condition, gave him some painkillers and a cup of water. If he asked, she would explain to him that the pills were, in fact, painkillers. Kallenger had insisted he trust these people, so surely they must have been painkillers.
They were.
And they worked very well. Which was nice.
She tended to his wounds professionally, applied bandages and the like.
“I’ve got to say, it’s nice to see that they’re putting more non-humans in the high ranks.” She commented idly at one point, “I think it’ll help with that negative supremacist image some people seem to think we have, huh?” Small talk. Treatment in silence was usually a little awkward. At least in formal situations like this.
“Now, is there anything else I can help with?”
Whether or not there was anything else she could help him with, soon she would be providing him with hot food and a comfortable bed. (The bed was already there, though the food was not.) It was some kind of thick and very tasty soup. It had some medicinal qualities to promote healing and general wellness but one wouldn’t know it by the taste. He was also given water.
Lastly the lights were dimmed, and the nurse showed him where the button to control it was – within reach of the bed. It was a very comfortable bed. Shortly thereafter he would be left to his own.
Meanwhile, Royanna Kallenger was having a very different experience. She was having biosynchronicitous ‘newskin’ applied, which was furiously and agonizingly painful despite any measures taken to ease it. The substance had to attach itself to the skin, after all. This was comparable to a billion microscopic fishhooks all digging in at once. Not good.
But for a wound like this it was necessary. It would be sore for days – and for a day at least it would feel as though it had not been treated at all – but the overall recovery time and quality was vastly superior. Royanna gritted her teeth, growled at the pain and dealt with it like a man. Even though she was not a man.
Sure enough the wound had been infected – there must have been something in that jungle which could attach very rapidly. Luckily it was caught early and snuffed out – but again, that shoulder was going to hurt like mad for a day or two.
The nurse would be finished with Toffi long before the head doctor would be finished with Royanna – but eventually he was finished. The wound was bandaged up and she was given a simple, white cotton T shirt to wear in place of the clothing which had been torn and bled through. She insisted that her coat be sent to the laundry department for dry cleaning and repair. She also insisted that if it wasn’t repaired properly she was going to raise hell. Naturally the coat would receive the utmost care.
At long last, when everything was done with, the doors to both opposing rooms open just a crack, the doctors and nurses all occupied with other patients on the other side of the ward; at long last Royanna Kallenger sat on the edge of her bed in the dimly lit room, leaning over with face in her palms, and sobbed her eyes out. It was mostly silent, though she shook with the intensity of it. White knuckles, fingers through tufted black hair, teeth gritted.
All of them. They were all dead. Even if those last two had survived, they were stranded now – though their continued existence was too unlikely.
They were all dead and it was her fault. She’d failed miserably as a leader. She’d been entrusted with twenty men – good, well trained, hard working, honorable men – and she’d let all of them die. It was as if an entire life of training had been for nothing. She had failed before but never like this.
Just as she had cried before, but never like this.
In a moment of sudden passion and flare of temper Royanna swung an arm and punched with tight fist the first thing she could find. In this case it was the metal rolling rack tray on which various medical implements rested or hung. This had the effect of making a loud metallic clattering sound as the thing went rolling on its’ wheels across the room and into the opposite wall, creating something of a racket. It also had the effect of putting a good sized scrape diagonally across the width of her forefingers and knuckles – which bled and hurt – but she didn’t care. She did hope that nobody heard the racket she’d made, though likely the only person within range would have been Toffi in the room just across the hall.
Idly she hoped he hadn’t heard it as well – nobody could see her like this – but even her resolve to keep image strong and unchanging had wavered. She didn’t much care about anything at the moment. Just how badly she had screwed up. She cared a lot about that.
”Nothing you would take, everything you gave~♪
Love you ‘till I die, meet you on the other si-OOF!
The last word of the old tune was cut off when something appeared from nowhere and knocked Kete harshly to the ground, where he ended up landing half-upside down on his back. HE sure hadn’t been paying attention. And even now the kid was so disoriented that he failed to see who – or what – had impacted him.
Then, before he could so much as scramble to his feet and regain balance he was grabbed and yanked forward, and squeezed.
He blinked.
Click
It occurred to him exactly what was happening all at once, though it would still take a few moments before he could return to his usual sentience. Still numb and distant from earlier, still dazed and confused from only a moment ago. He blinked again.
”Uh, h-heya Nirix~” He said weakly, though sweetly. Surprised and dazed but far from unhappy. Even in that few words he had made it clear that he wasn’t upset or even awkward – just a little out of it. ”G…good t’see you again~”
He was having slight difficulty in the endeavor of breathing, given the constriction of the bear-hug, but in all reality he didn’t really mind. He certainly wasn’t going to say anything about it – though after a moment a little involuntary wheeze would give him away and likely result in his release – or at least an easing up of the tightness of it.
When given the opportunity, Kete would smile sweetly up at her. He seemed tired – some of his color had returned and the ear was fixed – there was a horizontal scar where the damage had been, and the micro-stitching was just barely visible but otherwise he looked fine.
Very tired, but fine. Numbly contented – a little brighter now that he wasn’t alone.
Though something was different about him now. It was in that numbness, that softness and contentedness - it contrasted the hyperactive, overabundance of energy that he'd exhibited earlier. What in Space had happened to him in there? Wherever the claw-handed man had taken him. What had he done to the boy that would result in such a subtle, though seemingly fundamental change?
A moment later the little smile he gave her would turn to something more worried and shy, coupled with lowering ears. He seemed almost guilty, scratching at the back of his head, averting eyes for a moment.
”I, uh, I hope that..." he nervously brushed a stray lock of orange hair from his eyes. "That...offer for being friends is still on the table~?” even though he had already been given the answer through the Eoclu’s actions, still he’d felt terrible about what he’d said earlier and needed to make up for it, get things straight.
He was referring of course to when he had venomously retorted a refusal to her offer of the gift of a friend. He’d felt it in the back of his head, how much that had stung her. Even if he had only been trying to look out for her when he said it, it still hurt. It was so hard to be mean to people when their emotions were so thoroughly integrated with ones’ own.
"I, uh, I didn't mean what I said...a-and I'm glad you're okay~!" He nodded assuredly. He definitely meant what he was saying now. Either that or he was a better actor still than he seemed - but why would he feel the need to act at a time like this anyway?
“Wow, you do look like you’ve taken a beating.” She said to him, rummaging about a little, doing nurse-things. She took his vitals, got some information on his present condition, gave him some painkillers and a cup of water. If he asked, she would explain to him that the pills were, in fact, painkillers. Kallenger had insisted he trust these people, so surely they must have been painkillers.
They were.
And they worked very well. Which was nice.
She tended to his wounds professionally, applied bandages and the like.
“I’ve got to say, it’s nice to see that they’re putting more non-humans in the high ranks.” She commented idly at one point, “I think it’ll help with that negative supremacist image some people seem to think we have, huh?” Small talk. Treatment in silence was usually a little awkward. At least in formal situations like this.
“Now, is there anything else I can help with?”
Whether or not there was anything else she could help him with, soon she would be providing him with hot food and a comfortable bed. (The bed was already there, though the food was not.) It was some kind of thick and very tasty soup. It had some medicinal qualities to promote healing and general wellness but one wouldn’t know it by the taste. He was also given water.
Lastly the lights were dimmed, and the nurse showed him where the button to control it was – within reach of the bed. It was a very comfortable bed. Shortly thereafter he would be left to his own.
Meanwhile, Royanna Kallenger was having a very different experience. She was having biosynchronicitous ‘newskin’ applied, which was furiously and agonizingly painful despite any measures taken to ease it. The substance had to attach itself to the skin, after all. This was comparable to a billion microscopic fishhooks all digging in at once. Not good.
But for a wound like this it was necessary. It would be sore for days – and for a day at least it would feel as though it had not been treated at all – but the overall recovery time and quality was vastly superior. Royanna gritted her teeth, growled at the pain and dealt with it like a man. Even though she was not a man.
Sure enough the wound had been infected – there must have been something in that jungle which could attach very rapidly. Luckily it was caught early and snuffed out – but again, that shoulder was going to hurt like mad for a day or two.
The nurse would be finished with Toffi long before the head doctor would be finished with Royanna – but eventually he was finished. The wound was bandaged up and she was given a simple, white cotton T shirt to wear in place of the clothing which had been torn and bled through. She insisted that her coat be sent to the laundry department for dry cleaning and repair. She also insisted that if it wasn’t repaired properly she was going to raise hell. Naturally the coat would receive the utmost care.
At long last, when everything was done with, the doors to both opposing rooms open just a crack, the doctors and nurses all occupied with other patients on the other side of the ward; at long last Royanna Kallenger sat on the edge of her bed in the dimly lit room, leaning over with face in her palms, and sobbed her eyes out. It was mostly silent, though she shook with the intensity of it. White knuckles, fingers through tufted black hair, teeth gritted.
All of them. They were all dead. Even if those last two had survived, they were stranded now – though their continued existence was too unlikely.
They were all dead and it was her fault. She’d failed miserably as a leader. She’d been entrusted with twenty men – good, well trained, hard working, honorable men – and she’d let all of them die. It was as if an entire life of training had been for nothing. She had failed before but never like this.
Just as she had cried before, but never like this.
In a moment of sudden passion and flare of temper Royanna swung an arm and punched with tight fist the first thing she could find. In this case it was the metal rolling rack tray on which various medical implements rested or hung. This had the effect of making a loud metallic clattering sound as the thing went rolling on its’ wheels across the room and into the opposite wall, creating something of a racket. It also had the effect of putting a good sized scrape diagonally across the width of her forefingers and knuckles – which bled and hurt – but she didn’t care. She did hope that nobody heard the racket she’d made, though likely the only person within range would have been Toffi in the room just across the hall.
Idly she hoped he hadn’t heard it as well – nobody could see her like this – but even her resolve to keep image strong and unchanging had wavered. She didn’t much care about anything at the moment. Just how badly she had screwed up. She cared a lot about that.
”Nothing you would take, everything you gave~♪
Love you ‘till I die, meet you on the other si-OOF!
The last word of the old tune was cut off when something appeared from nowhere and knocked Kete harshly to the ground, where he ended up landing half-upside down on his back. HE sure hadn’t been paying attention. And even now the kid was so disoriented that he failed to see who – or what – had impacted him.
Then, before he could so much as scramble to his feet and regain balance he was grabbed and yanked forward, and squeezed.
He blinked.
Click
It occurred to him exactly what was happening all at once, though it would still take a few moments before he could return to his usual sentience. Still numb and distant from earlier, still dazed and confused from only a moment ago. He blinked again.
”Uh, h-heya Nirix~” He said weakly, though sweetly. Surprised and dazed but far from unhappy. Even in that few words he had made it clear that he wasn’t upset or even awkward – just a little out of it. ”G…good t’see you again~”
He was having slight difficulty in the endeavor of breathing, given the constriction of the bear-hug, but in all reality he didn’t really mind. He certainly wasn’t going to say anything about it – though after a moment a little involuntary wheeze would give him away and likely result in his release – or at least an easing up of the tightness of it.
When given the opportunity, Kete would smile sweetly up at her. He seemed tired – some of his color had returned and the ear was fixed – there was a horizontal scar where the damage had been, and the micro-stitching was just barely visible but otherwise he looked fine.
Very tired, but fine. Numbly contented – a little brighter now that he wasn’t alone.
Though something was different about him now. It was in that numbness, that softness and contentedness - it contrasted the hyperactive, overabundance of energy that he'd exhibited earlier. What in Space had happened to him in there? Wherever the claw-handed man had taken him. What had he done to the boy that would result in such a subtle, though seemingly fundamental change?
A moment later the little smile he gave her would turn to something more worried and shy, coupled with lowering ears. He seemed almost guilty, scratching at the back of his head, averting eyes for a moment.
”I, uh, I hope that..." he nervously brushed a stray lock of orange hair from his eyes. "That...offer for being friends is still on the table~?” even though he had already been given the answer through the Eoclu’s actions, still he’d felt terrible about what he’d said earlier and needed to make up for it, get things straight.
He was referring of course to when he had venomously retorted a refusal to her offer of the gift of a friend. He’d felt it in the back of his head, how much that had stung her. Even if he had only been trying to look out for her when he said it, it still hurt. It was so hard to be mean to people when their emotions were so thoroughly integrated with ones’ own.
"I, uh, I didn't mean what I said...a-and I'm glad you're okay~!" He nodded assuredly. He definitely meant what he was saying now. Either that or he was a better actor still than he seemed - but why would he feel the need to act at a time like this anyway?
Kampfer soon came arrived to his main HQ that he left alone for sometime, but instead of heading to the command center, he went to the underground to the labs to finish up a project that he was working on. In the grey dim lighted room, on the operation's table was an Electron droid on the table that was highly modified, from more armor plating and some impressive shoulder plaudrons which made it look broader. As Kampfer was toning it slightly, his daughter Maria came in and saw him working. She walked in and said "So, having a bad day?" as she lean by the wall closest to the exit. "Vell let's just say it's been a one heck of a day" he said as he stopped and turn around and looked at her. "Yeah I'm surprised someone touch you and from the looks from your face you didn't get to kill them did?" Maria said as she pointed at his bandage arm. "My arm is already healed...benefit of Dimensional Lord, impressive regenerative abilities" he said as he felt the bandage on his arm. Maria grin and walked towards the table and said "So my illustrious father, what are you cooking up today?" as she glanced at the droid on the table. Kampfer perked up and said "I'm glade you ask, but first a little background story" He straighten up and cleared his throat.
"So one day a long time ago, I vas vatching an old movie out of a series of movies...I zink it vas number six, the first three were god awful but four through vere good, but anyway in zat a movie zere is villian vho vore a black coat and shot lightening out of his fingers, vhich gave ze hero a good hurt" he explained to her. Maria looked at him with an unimpressed looked and faced palm herself and said "Dad...I'm pretty sure you just described a scene from Star Wars episode 6 between Luke, the hero and Emperor Palpatine, the one who shots lightening and if your wondering how I know this is because when I was a little girl you always made me watch an entire marathon of the movies and you were also so excited to watch them. "Vell yes, I remember zat but anyway ze point is I vas so intrigued vith ze concept and so I have recreated it vith major improvements" he said with a smile on his face as he remember his past with his daughter as he scooted over for Maria to see the droid lying down on the table. "So you basically just recreated a Emperor Palpatine who's has armored plating?" she asked giving off an inquisitive look at her father. "Vell, yes, but much more" he said as smile become more evil like as he moved over and pulled a switch by the table. Soon sparks flied and the droid sprung to life, it slowly sat up and looked around the room. After it looked around, it got up, kneeled down on one knee and SPOKE. It said to them "Hello, I am Emperor Arthur, a Imperial Electron unit, and I generate enough power to light up almost every single home for single person on this planet. I am powered by three Tesla fusion coils compact variant and a top secret energy plant which I can not disclosed"the circular object on his face blinked as it spoke in very posh and well mannered voice as it got back up. "So, father you happened to name your Palpatine rip off, off your favorite guy, King Arthur". "That is correct mistress Maria" Arthur replied. Kampfer shook his head in agreement to what the droid had said. Kampfer then gestured the both of them to follow him. As they walked down the hall Kampfer explained "Of course, he can shoot dark lightening out of his hands, but also he has impeccable defense, he has a 3x over-shield vith his armored plating and also ze classic electric defense of all electrons zat give you a shock if you touch them and vere ve are going he also has a cool trick up his sleeve". They soon entered a weapons testing area and Kampfer went to a table and picked up a laser pistol and said "Observe" he pointed it at Arthur and fired twice at him. Arthur raised his hands blocked the laser fire and like if he had the force took the laser rifle off of Kampfer's hands and placed it firmly into his. "Since of the large electrical energy I can also can manipulate magnetism and generate my own magnet field, which also allows me to do this" Arthur explained as he put the rifle down and started to levitate off the ground a couple of inches and moved around the room with ease and swiftness not making a noise. "I am fairly certain I won't be able to levitate since of the total collapse of the magneto sphere outside of the base" he said with a sad tone in his voice. "Can you give us a minute alone, Arthur" Maria said to him as he pulled her father off to the side. Arthur shook is head in compliance and just looked around the place. "Father, what is the meaning of this, that may be the most advance robot you have ever made up to this point...what's the deal?" Kampfer grinned and looked at his daughter and said "Let's just say he's a back up plan if ze situation calls me to return back to my realm, I vould like him to take maintain the presence here in zis mortal realm. I don't vant you to take my burden of commanding my army, my precious daughter" Maria heard his explanation and gave him a hug "I don't know hat happen to between then and now, but always remember I have your back...I still have a job to finish for you" she smiled at him. Kampfer looked at her puzzled by her mention of the job. "Well, I need to protect that Bravo unit you wanted me to and he told me about a place that maybe important and I'm heading that way today. It's a moon in the 79th quadrant" she said to him. Kampfer said to her "What makes zis Bravo droid so special?" curious since Maria doesn't usually get so attach to people and especially robots. "I don't know, I can just relate to it i guess" she said as she shrugged her shoulders. "No doubt he's with Aelyn and his goons, being forced to relinquished his secrets against his will" she said to him seeing if he would take action. Sure enough the mentioning Aelyn's name drove Kampfer to action and he said to her "If you know the location of zis moon no doubt zey vill know too..go now go to zis moon and expect a really big present from me" he winked at her and gestured her to go. "Thanks father" she said as she gave him one last hug before she left and waved good bye to Arthur as she made her way out of the base to her ship. After seeing her leave out of the underground, Kampfer looked at Emperor Arthur and said "Arthur, give a me a line towards General Beta he's got a new mission"
"So one day a long time ago, I vas vatching an old movie out of a series of movies...I zink it vas number six, the first three were god awful but four through vere good, but anyway in zat a movie zere is villian vho vore a black coat and shot lightening out of his fingers, vhich gave ze hero a good hurt" he explained to her. Maria looked at him with an unimpressed looked and faced palm herself and said "Dad...I'm pretty sure you just described a scene from Star Wars episode 6 between Luke, the hero and Emperor Palpatine, the one who shots lightening and if your wondering how I know this is because when I was a little girl you always made me watch an entire marathon of the movies and you were also so excited to watch them. "Vell yes, I remember zat but anyway ze point is I vas so intrigued vith ze concept and so I have recreated it vith major improvements" he said with a smile on his face as he remember his past with his daughter as he scooted over for Maria to see the droid lying down on the table. "So you basically just recreated a Emperor Palpatine who's has armored plating?" she asked giving off an inquisitive look at her father. "Vell, yes, but much more" he said as smile become more evil like as he moved over and pulled a switch by the table. Soon sparks flied and the droid sprung to life, it slowly sat up and looked around the room. After it looked around, it got up, kneeled down on one knee and SPOKE. It said to them "Hello, I am Emperor Arthur, a Imperial Electron unit, and I generate enough power to light up almost every single home for single person on this planet. I am powered by three Tesla fusion coils compact variant and a top secret energy plant which I can not disclosed"the circular object on his face blinked as it spoke in very posh and well mannered voice as it got back up. "So, father you happened to name your Palpatine rip off, off your favorite guy, King Arthur". "That is correct mistress Maria" Arthur replied. Kampfer shook his head in agreement to what the droid had said. Kampfer then gestured the both of them to follow him. As they walked down the hall Kampfer explained "Of course, he can shoot dark lightening out of his hands, but also he has impeccable defense, he has a 3x over-shield vith his armored plating and also ze classic electric defense of all electrons zat give you a shock if you touch them and vere ve are going he also has a cool trick up his sleeve". They soon entered a weapons testing area and Kampfer went to a table and picked up a laser pistol and said "Observe" he pointed it at Arthur and fired twice at him. Arthur raised his hands blocked the laser fire and like if he had the force took the laser rifle off of Kampfer's hands and placed it firmly into his. "Since of the large electrical energy I can also can manipulate magnetism and generate my own magnet field, which also allows me to do this" Arthur explained as he put the rifle down and started to levitate off the ground a couple of inches and moved around the room with ease and swiftness not making a noise. "I am fairly certain I won't be able to levitate since of the total collapse of the magneto sphere outside of the base" he said with a sad tone in his voice. "Can you give us a minute alone, Arthur" Maria said to him as he pulled her father off to the side. Arthur shook is head in compliance and just looked around the place. "Father, what is the meaning of this, that may be the most advance robot you have ever made up to this point...what's the deal?" Kampfer grinned and looked at his daughter and said "Let's just say he's a back up plan if ze situation calls me to return back to my realm, I vould like him to take maintain the presence here in zis mortal realm. I don't vant you to take my burden of commanding my army, my precious daughter" Maria heard his explanation and gave him a hug "I don't know hat happen to between then and now, but always remember I have your back...I still have a job to finish for you" she smiled at him. Kampfer looked at her puzzled by her mention of the job. "Well, I need to protect that Bravo unit you wanted me to and he told me about a place that maybe important and I'm heading that way today. It's a moon in the 79th quadrant" she said to him. Kampfer said to her "What makes zis Bravo droid so special?" curious since Maria doesn't usually get so attach to people and especially robots. "I don't know, I can just relate to it i guess" she said as she shrugged her shoulders. "No doubt he's with Aelyn and his goons, being forced to relinquished his secrets against his will" she said to him seeing if he would take action. Sure enough the mentioning Aelyn's name drove Kampfer to action and he said to her "If you know the location of zis moon no doubt zey vill know too..go now go to zis moon and expect a really big present from me" he winked at her and gestured her to go. "Thanks father" she said as she gave him one last hug before she left and waved good bye to Arthur as she made her way out of the base to her ship. After seeing her leave out of the underground, Kampfer looked at Emperor Arthur and said "Arthur, give a me a line towards General Beta he's got a new mission"
When handed pills, the boy was unsure. First of all because, well, he had never seen pills like that, and second, because he wasn't used on to taking any other medicine but the one specificly crafted for him.
"Uhh... I think it's better for me to only take half for now..." He said as he tried breaking the pill. "I'm a... little sencitive with that stuff.. I'll take the other half if one isn't helping enough." It seemed like a good idea to him, better to take it carefully for now.
Christofer would listen to the nurse as she spoke, faintly following her movement around the room as she moved to get different things.
"Non-human... What do you mean?" The boy was obviously referring to what she ment with him being non-human, but it could have been understood in a few different ways, like what she ment with the negative image or such. He wouldn't really comment on the ranks as that was something he was pretty certain that Kallenger would explain to him whenever it was that they'd meet next...
The food they gave him was indeed hot although he woudn't complain. Any food was good right now and tasted delicious - after all, he had only gotten to eat a few pieces of some bread earlier during the day, and it wouldn't kill him to wait a few moments for it to cool down.
Once the nurse left, Christofer would make himself comfortable in the bed, curling slightly and pulling the blanket over his head. The boy couldn't remember any other time when he had fallen asleep this quick. Or maybe there was that one time, but it didn't matter right now. He was just happy about the comfortable and safe bed. The boy might have not really been seeing dreams for the time being, but still he would most likely sleep until someone would intentionally wake him up.
Toffi did indeed catch a few hours of good sleep before being interrupted. At first he thought that he had just been imagining things, but as more sounds were echoing to his ears he was certain that it wasn't him dreaming. The boy would sit up slowly, observing his surroundings. Upon looking out the window, he would see that the doctors were busy. Christofer would have to go and check the situation himself. He'd slowly slide to the edge of the bed and slip his feet to the ground. He was feeling significantly better, albeit a bit sleepy still because of the sleep he just got.
The boy would move while taking some support of the wall, slowly closing in towards the sounds.
".... Are you ok...?" He asked quietly, leaning on the wall and looking at the woman. "... Because if you're not, I'm going to come there and make you ok..."
"Uhh... I think it's better for me to only take half for now..." He said as he tried breaking the pill. "I'm a... little sencitive with that stuff.. I'll take the other half if one isn't helping enough." It seemed like a good idea to him, better to take it carefully for now.
Christofer would listen to the nurse as she spoke, faintly following her movement around the room as she moved to get different things.
"Non-human... What do you mean?" The boy was obviously referring to what she ment with him being non-human, but it could have been understood in a few different ways, like what she ment with the negative image or such. He wouldn't really comment on the ranks as that was something he was pretty certain that Kallenger would explain to him whenever it was that they'd meet next...
The food they gave him was indeed hot although he woudn't complain. Any food was good right now and tasted delicious - after all, he had only gotten to eat a few pieces of some bread earlier during the day, and it wouldn't kill him to wait a few moments for it to cool down.
Once the nurse left, Christofer would make himself comfortable in the bed, curling slightly and pulling the blanket over his head. The boy couldn't remember any other time when he had fallen asleep this quick. Or maybe there was that one time, but it didn't matter right now. He was just happy about the comfortable and safe bed. The boy might have not really been seeing dreams for the time being, but still he would most likely sleep until someone would intentionally wake him up.
Toffi did indeed catch a few hours of good sleep before being interrupted. At first he thought that he had just been imagining things, but as more sounds were echoing to his ears he was certain that it wasn't him dreaming. The boy would sit up slowly, observing his surroundings. Upon looking out the window, he would see that the doctors were busy. Christofer would have to go and check the situation himself. He'd slowly slide to the edge of the bed and slip his feet to the ground. He was feeling significantly better, albeit a bit sleepy still because of the sleep he just got.
The boy would move while taking some support of the wall, slowly closing in towards the sounds.
".... Are you ok...?" He asked quietly, leaning on the wall and looking at the woman. "... Because if you're not, I'm going to come there and make you ok..."
Lavender eyes scanned over the boy in front of her with great detail, taking every sudden and foreign feature in to account. He looked fine, his normal color had come back and he was smiling, all very good signs. Yet the Assassin had been playing this game for awhile, she could see the small changes in his appearance. They were not physical but something more, something you could only detect if you had honed the skill of reading into other's emotions.
Ketin had changed. Though what had happened to make him become this way?
At his sudden request of reviving her offer of friendship, Nirix merely blinked. Her grip on his hug had completely loosen and without truly thinking, the Eoclu began to laugh. It was warm, however, and full of nothing but joyous happiness. It was innocent and after her short laughter had ended, a wide smile lay on her face.
"Oh, Da'len," She began, her voice had went soft again and one hand indistinctively rested on top of his head.
How could she say no? Nirix had did so much for him now and giving up didn't seem like an option. She had to keep going, she still had to give him his freedom.
"Of course, Ketin. Irassal ma ghilas Falon Din Halam, Wherever you shall go, are friendship shall never end"
Ketin had changed. Though what had happened to make him become this way?
At his sudden request of reviving her offer of friendship, Nirix merely blinked. Her grip on his hug had completely loosen and without truly thinking, the Eoclu began to laugh. It was warm, however, and full of nothing but joyous happiness. It was innocent and after her short laughter had ended, a wide smile lay on her face.
"Oh, Da'len," She began, her voice had went soft again and one hand indistinctively rested on top of his head.
How could she say no? Nirix had did so much for him now and giving up didn't seem like an option. She had to keep going, she still had to give him his freedom.
"Of course, Ketin. Irassal ma ghilas Falon Din Halam, Wherever you shall go, are friendship shall never end"
It was a long flight from the space where Stella Viventium had been – in relative ‘NotSpace’ – to the planets’ surface. Mostly it was a long flight because of the awkward silence. Awkward mostly because of how eerily quiet and focused Drakis Volo was. He really took missions like this seriously, it seemed.
Whoever had designed the Bullet Stealth-Class Transport had either been very clever or very stupid – it was hard to tell – considering that the method of landing which had been used previously in Kartupelis was actually just how it worked. The thing both looked and acted as a projectile.
It passed the moon, shot through the atmosphere of Earth IV with not the slightest sound or disturbance to give it away – much too small to be picked up by anything that wasn’t specifically looking for it.
There was a sharp lurch upon impact. A THUGH sound. Then nothing for a few moments as it silently backed itself out of the hole it had buried itself in, and re-oriented to settle easily on the ground.
The door opened and the ‘team’ was once again in the jungle where everything had started. It had either been incredibly good aim or incredibly good luck how very close they had managed to get to wreck of the Jaggernaut – which had broken into multiple pieces just before and upon colliding with the surface. Before them lay the largest part, which constituted the main body – or half of it, at least. The other half was within easy walking distance.
Rivierre was the first one out of the Bullet. She had equipped herself with a pair of high-tech goggles that were both super-cool and capable of highlighting or identifying most conceivable threats. It doubled as thermal and night vision – though she wouldn’t be the only one with that capability.
Volo’s goggles were apparently equipped with night-vision – and possibly other goodies – and the circular lenses glowed a fluorescent green. Harkahn’s glasses were apparently equipped the same way, and also glowed an identical green. Aelyn produced from his pocket a pair of what resembled sports sunglasses but with – surprise – glowing green lenses. He looked rather silly in them.
Strangely, Alexa did not put any glasses on – despite the fact that surely within the crashed ship would be quite pitch black wherever it wasn’t damaged enough to allow moonlight in.
The crew stepped from the bullet, stood for a moment admiring their objective.
Meanwhile, Aelyn received in his BrainPal a response to the message he had sent moments before. He alone heard the voice. So as to stay silent, he replied to the message similarly to before – text-only – which required no physical speech to distract anyone else and was already proven to be compatible with whatever the strangers were using.
[Aelyn-Paeryc Petrovalyc, Captain and owner of unarmed civilian starship Stella Viventium. Now stop being vague. It’s annoying.]
Out loud, he said “Well. Let’s get to work then.”
”No hostiles in sight.” Rivierre confirmed.
”Looks like nothing useful on the outside.” Harkahn said.
”Yep, looks like we’re gonna’ hav’ta go in for a visit.” Volo added.
"Archaeology it is then."
The nurse gave a slightly flustered little laugh. “Sorry, I mean – Otherkind.”
She had no objections to her patient wanting to only take a half dose. The pill broke easily.
---
Royanna swore inwardly as she noticed the sliver of light along the floor grow wider with the opening of her door. She kept hunched over, sitting on the edge of her bed. Crossing her arms, she managed to mostly hiding the unintentionally self-inflicted wound along her fingers and knuckles. It had not occurred to her that it might have the effect of streaking some of the blood onto the white T shirt, but it didn’t matter. Too much.
”Oh are you?” she said quietly, mirthfully, in a sort of pleasant good humor. She wiped at her eyes with fingers – the undersides of which had been reddened from the tears – and re-crossed arms. Royanna was too unaccustomed to feeling this way, having to hide these sorts of reactions. Sure, there had been much encouragement to keep emotions generally…subtle, but this was…new.
”Don’t worry about it, I’m fine. Just….just a little sore, is all. Damn newskin.” Turning her head partially, Royanna looked at the boy, leaning there against the wall. He looked much better – certainly better than she did at the moment. Roya hadn’t even managed to fully recover her color, thanks to that agonizing newskin – not that there was a terrible depth of color to be regained – she looked tired.
But Royanna knew that her lie had failed utterly. She knew it was too obvious how much of a wreck she was. The woman still would not allow herself to show any more emotion than she could manage, but maybe some kind of explanation was required. With a sigh, she assented, breaking the silence of the long moment that followed, addressing indirectly the likely disapproving or disbelieving look she would have been getting.
”I…I really ****ed up, didn’t I?” She mused, mostly to herself. With the words she looked away, back to the floor. Elbows on knees, hands dangling between legs. The wounded hand became visible therein but she’d forgotten it for the moment.
”I knew there’d be losses. There’ve been casualties before but…but nothing like that. My whole goddamned troop. Dead under my command.” A despondent shake of the head, and her proceeding words were sharply bitter. ”I’m the first DEU Captain to lose the entire unit.” in explanation with no less resentment in tone, she explained further – besides, elaborating on these things tended to bring ones’ mind around. ”The DEU is a...I forget the word. When the Captain dies or retires, that’s when the next one is instated. They’re trained from childhood, almost from birth to fill the position. I’m number seven. My mentor was Tesla Severs – God DAMMIT I’m glad he’s not still around to see this he’d be disgusted!”
The impassioned words broke her voice slightly – it was almost disturbing to hear her like that, considering how she was always so professional and measured in her tone. As if in acknowledgement of it she hunched over a little more, bit her tongue to keep quiet and managed to succeed, if just barely.
That was all she had to say it seemed – but the truly amazing part was that if at any point after entering Christofer offered any kind of support or affection, she would actually accept it.
The shyness – downright bashfulness that had come over Ketin vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. He brightened up and some of that energy that had seemingly been depleted from him returned. Indeed he was all at once much closer to his usual self, it seemed.
”That’s great!” he said happily, a wide and similarly warm smile having graced his face as well. Ears had perked up again. Startlingly vicious canine fangs practically twinkled in the jungle moonlight.
Suddenly he seemed…impressed – or something like that. The smile was gone, though expression was no less gleeful.
”You sure are persistent though. Can’t take a hint, huh?” The smile, wide and carefree, returned once more. “Ah, well – it doesn’t matter. I’m just glad I’ve got someone around again~ This jungles’ kinda’ spooky at night.”
As if to exemplify the point, Kete looked about the shadowy jungle. The path stretched both ways, turning sharply into darkness some yards in either direction. It would be very, very easy to get lost.
Apparently having some vendetta against silence, Kete spoke again a moment later – but once again his smile had faded almost completely. ”I guess the city got pretty bad, huh?” he said – but not too gravely. In fact he sounded as though he were commenting on a bad rainstorm. AS if it didn’t really effect him.
And if it did effect him then he had done a damn good job at hiding it – perhaps too good a job. He seemed distant from it, with the mentality that ‘eh, these things happen’.
He blinked. ”Probably best to keep away from there for a while. I’ve personally never been too huge a fan of giant robots. They can get really rowdy at those ’Free the Robots’ rallies and those things can get smoky enough as it is~!”
Yes, Kete seemed to be more or less back to his old self. More or less. He certainly did have a talent for dealing with these sorts of things. Suddenly he remembered something. Ears perked some and he glanced toward the south…or what was probably the south.
”Say, did you hear that sound a few minutes ago? Sounded like something hitting the ground. I wonder what it was~”
Ever in search of adventure, ever in search of distractions. Ketin definitely had a talent for that.
Whoever had designed the Bullet Stealth-Class Transport had either been very clever or very stupid – it was hard to tell – considering that the method of landing which had been used previously in Kartupelis was actually just how it worked. The thing both looked and acted as a projectile.
It passed the moon, shot through the atmosphere of Earth IV with not the slightest sound or disturbance to give it away – much too small to be picked up by anything that wasn’t specifically looking for it.
There was a sharp lurch upon impact. A THUGH sound. Then nothing for a few moments as it silently backed itself out of the hole it had buried itself in, and re-oriented to settle easily on the ground.
The door opened and the ‘team’ was once again in the jungle where everything had started. It had either been incredibly good aim or incredibly good luck how very close they had managed to get to wreck of the Jaggernaut – which had broken into multiple pieces just before and upon colliding with the surface. Before them lay the largest part, which constituted the main body – or half of it, at least. The other half was within easy walking distance.
Rivierre was the first one out of the Bullet. She had equipped herself with a pair of high-tech goggles that were both super-cool and capable of highlighting or identifying most conceivable threats. It doubled as thermal and night vision – though she wouldn’t be the only one with that capability.
Volo’s goggles were apparently equipped with night-vision – and possibly other goodies – and the circular lenses glowed a fluorescent green. Harkahn’s glasses were apparently equipped the same way, and also glowed an identical green. Aelyn produced from his pocket a pair of what resembled sports sunglasses but with – surprise – glowing green lenses. He looked rather silly in them.
Strangely, Alexa did not put any glasses on – despite the fact that surely within the crashed ship would be quite pitch black wherever it wasn’t damaged enough to allow moonlight in.
The crew stepped from the bullet, stood for a moment admiring their objective.
Meanwhile, Aelyn received in his BrainPal a response to the message he had sent moments before. He alone heard the voice. So as to stay silent, he replied to the message similarly to before – text-only – which required no physical speech to distract anyone else and was already proven to be compatible with whatever the strangers were using.
[Aelyn-Paeryc Petrovalyc, Captain and owner of unarmed civilian starship Stella Viventium. Now stop being vague. It’s annoying.]
Out loud, he said “Well. Let’s get to work then.”
”No hostiles in sight.” Rivierre confirmed.
”Looks like nothing useful on the outside.” Harkahn said.
”Yep, looks like we’re gonna’ hav’ta go in for a visit.” Volo added.
"Archaeology it is then."
The nurse gave a slightly flustered little laugh. “Sorry, I mean – Otherkind.”
She had no objections to her patient wanting to only take a half dose. The pill broke easily.
---
Royanna swore inwardly as she noticed the sliver of light along the floor grow wider with the opening of her door. She kept hunched over, sitting on the edge of her bed. Crossing her arms, she managed to mostly hiding the unintentionally self-inflicted wound along her fingers and knuckles. It had not occurred to her that it might have the effect of streaking some of the blood onto the white T shirt, but it didn’t matter. Too much.
”Oh are you?” she said quietly, mirthfully, in a sort of pleasant good humor. She wiped at her eyes with fingers – the undersides of which had been reddened from the tears – and re-crossed arms. Royanna was too unaccustomed to feeling this way, having to hide these sorts of reactions. Sure, there had been much encouragement to keep emotions generally…subtle, but this was…new.
”Don’t worry about it, I’m fine. Just….just a little sore, is all. Damn newskin.” Turning her head partially, Royanna looked at the boy, leaning there against the wall. He looked much better – certainly better than she did at the moment. Roya hadn’t even managed to fully recover her color, thanks to that agonizing newskin – not that there was a terrible depth of color to be regained – she looked tired.
But Royanna knew that her lie had failed utterly. She knew it was too obvious how much of a wreck she was. The woman still would not allow herself to show any more emotion than she could manage, but maybe some kind of explanation was required. With a sigh, she assented, breaking the silence of the long moment that followed, addressing indirectly the likely disapproving or disbelieving look she would have been getting.
”I…I really ****ed up, didn’t I?” She mused, mostly to herself. With the words she looked away, back to the floor. Elbows on knees, hands dangling between legs. The wounded hand became visible therein but she’d forgotten it for the moment.
”I knew there’d be losses. There’ve been casualties before but…but nothing like that. My whole goddamned troop. Dead under my command.” A despondent shake of the head, and her proceeding words were sharply bitter. ”I’m the first DEU Captain to lose the entire unit.” in explanation with no less resentment in tone, she explained further – besides, elaborating on these things tended to bring ones’ mind around. ”The DEU is a...I forget the word. When the Captain dies or retires, that’s when the next one is instated. They’re trained from childhood, almost from birth to fill the position. I’m number seven. My mentor was Tesla Severs – God DAMMIT I’m glad he’s not still around to see this he’d be disgusted!”
The impassioned words broke her voice slightly – it was almost disturbing to hear her like that, considering how she was always so professional and measured in her tone. As if in acknowledgement of it she hunched over a little more, bit her tongue to keep quiet and managed to succeed, if just barely.
That was all she had to say it seemed – but the truly amazing part was that if at any point after entering Christofer offered any kind of support or affection, she would actually accept it.
The shyness – downright bashfulness that had come over Ketin vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. He brightened up and some of that energy that had seemingly been depleted from him returned. Indeed he was all at once much closer to his usual self, it seemed.
”That’s great!” he said happily, a wide and similarly warm smile having graced his face as well. Ears had perked up again. Startlingly vicious canine fangs practically twinkled in the jungle moonlight.
Suddenly he seemed…impressed – or something like that. The smile was gone, though expression was no less gleeful.
”You sure are persistent though. Can’t take a hint, huh?” The smile, wide and carefree, returned once more. “Ah, well – it doesn’t matter. I’m just glad I’ve got someone around again~ This jungles’ kinda’ spooky at night.”
As if to exemplify the point, Kete looked about the shadowy jungle. The path stretched both ways, turning sharply into darkness some yards in either direction. It would be very, very easy to get lost.
Apparently having some vendetta against silence, Kete spoke again a moment later – but once again his smile had faded almost completely. ”I guess the city got pretty bad, huh?” he said – but not too gravely. In fact he sounded as though he were commenting on a bad rainstorm. AS if it didn’t really effect him.
And if it did effect him then he had done a damn good job at hiding it – perhaps too good a job. He seemed distant from it, with the mentality that ‘eh, these things happen’.
He blinked. ”Probably best to keep away from there for a while. I’ve personally never been too huge a fan of giant robots. They can get really rowdy at those ’Free the Robots’ rallies and those things can get smoky enough as it is~!”
Yes, Kete seemed to be more or less back to his old self. More or less. He certainly did have a talent for dealing with these sorts of things. Suddenly he remembered something. Ears perked some and he glanced toward the south…or what was probably the south.
”Say, did you hear that sound a few minutes ago? Sounded like something hitting the ground. I wonder what it was~”
Ever in search of adventure, ever in search of distractions. Ketin definitely had a talent for that.
Harlan had requested for the pilot of the stealth craft to just go north, toward a sub-arctic island where he knew there was a decrepit and abandoned military complex. As the craft speeds off, he looks down at the torn and scarred landscape and says nothing.
(Sorry for short post)
(Sorry for short post)
The downed Jaggernaut was split into 3 large chunks on it's way down, all of the chunks however were in a centralized area, each piece a long walking distance of another chunk. The largest piece was the Cargo, it's what would be holding most of the supplies, spare parts, and other items a droid would need to self repair. The second chunk was known as the carrier unit, it's what held all the Bravo droids if one survived it would be located around this chunk of the Jaggernaut chunks. and lastly the smallest chunk looked to be what was left of the command deck, it had all the modules and computers needed to pilot the ship even if it were a machine flying the ship the controls were under no circumstance limited in controls. Each piece of the Jaggernaut flickered or sparked with wires hanging everywhere and cross beams sticking out of the wreckage (sorry if I screwed with your image of the wreckage figured this was a bit more likely depending on how aged the ship was)
In the dim light, Christofer could barely see the wounded hands of Royanna. The boy was worried, but breaking down wouldn't help with the situation. For now he'd have to at least try acting like he would be strong...
"There was no other group there, you can't blame yourself fully on it. Maybe the situation was a bit more critical than they told you?" The boy would try reasoning. "You can't call yourself horrible if you don't have any other identical alternate situation to refer to." It was at least somewhat true, maybe. The boy wouldn't really know if the woman would have gone through the exact same situation with another team and it would have ended differently...
"You know... I feel guilty for my actions too... We may not exactly have had a defined leader, but being the only survivor makes me think that I was the leader and that I cause the dead of my fellow soldiers." He'd continue, looking down at the floor and eventually sighing. "But I can't go back to that moment. it has already happened and I must accept it and just try to work it out better next time."
He'd look back at Kallenger, trying to get back at the strong act and not look sad. The lady was sad enough, probably at the verge of crying... He wasn't all that good with comforting people it seemed...
"Just... Let it out, it's important to not bottle it in you and here is a good chance to get it out..."
The boy didn't want to invade her personal space, so he'd stay and stand up for most of their conversation, moving slightly closer each time he saw that it would have been an acceptable move. Truly he was a soft person when it came to situations like this and would have just prefered to sort it out with a hug and a pat on the back but... Yea... Not everyone worked like that...
"If you need to scream you can just bite on me to silece it if you need to..." His voice started to get slightly unsure. He could take the beating if it came to that, but a part of him was starting to be unsure if he was helping or causing more trouble. "Or or if you're angry and you need to let out some steam and frustiration you can hit me. The doctor is right next door anyway so it doesn't really matter... ... I'm sorry..." He'd speak the last words in a language that was most likely strange to the lady. If she wasn't confused or angry already, she would probably be now. He needed to work on his 'people skills'... A lot...
"There was no other group there, you can't blame yourself fully on it. Maybe the situation was a bit more critical than they told you?" The boy would try reasoning. "You can't call yourself horrible if you don't have any other identical alternate situation to refer to." It was at least somewhat true, maybe. The boy wouldn't really know if the woman would have gone through the exact same situation with another team and it would have ended differently...
"You know... I feel guilty for my actions too... We may not exactly have had a defined leader, but being the only survivor makes me think that I was the leader and that I cause the dead of my fellow soldiers." He'd continue, looking down at the floor and eventually sighing. "But I can't go back to that moment. it has already happened and I must accept it and just try to work it out better next time."
He'd look back at Kallenger, trying to get back at the strong act and not look sad. The lady was sad enough, probably at the verge of crying... He wasn't all that good with comforting people it seemed...
"Just... Let it out, it's important to not bottle it in you and here is a good chance to get it out..."
The boy didn't want to invade her personal space, so he'd stay and stand up for most of their conversation, moving slightly closer each time he saw that it would have been an acceptable move. Truly he was a soft person when it came to situations like this and would have just prefered to sort it out with a hug and a pat on the back but... Yea... Not everyone worked like that...
"If you need to scream you can just bite on me to silece it if you need to..." His voice started to get slightly unsure. He could take the beating if it came to that, but a part of him was starting to be unsure if he was helping or causing more trouble. "Or or if you're angry and you need to let out some steam and frustiration you can hit me. The doctor is right next door anyway so it doesn't really matter... ... I'm sorry..." He'd speak the last words in a language that was most likely strange to the lady. If she wasn't confused or angry already, she would probably be now. He needed to work on his 'people skills'... A lot...
Kampfer soon returned to the command center with Arthur in tow. He looked at the Emperor droid who know was wearing a cloak over itself and said to him "Go look around get yourself familiar vith vhat's around" gesturing to look around the command center. Stephen the operator turns around from his console that's he's been working and says "So is that my replacement? he chuckled a little bit at his own joke. Kampfer grinned and repiled "No, but vhen ze time comes make sure you give him his full support" The operator's eye's got big at his statement and then he realized something "Oh! Colonel Pyrus want t see you-" he said as he was cut off the soound of someone running down the hall. The woman in black, came running down the hall at a blissful rate, her attire is definitively Death's Head unit but her gas mask is quiet unique since it shows a pair of digital red eyes that express her emotions. As she ran the eye turned from determine to into heart shapes as she saw Kampfer. As she stepped into the entryway of the command center she lunged at Kampfer and exclaimed as she flew through the air "KAMPFFEERR-KUUNN". She landed at his waist rubbing u against him like a cat would do, to it's master.
"OH how I so miss, Kampfy, it gets so lonely doing all those covert operations" she said as she rubs her face on his leg. Kampfer struggling to get her off said "Come on, Pyrus, ve all always have zis problem every time you see me" The colonel looked up and said "But I looovvvveee yyyooouuu" she kept rubbing her head on his leg as he tried kicking her off of him. "I remember a time zat you hated me" Kampfer said to her looking down at her with cross arms. She looked up at him with eyes of reassurement and said "Well that was the old me, I-I am the new me and this new me did another drawing for you" she pulled out her drawing book and flipped to a page that has Kampfer on it in a very questionable pose. Kampfer looked away and forced the book closed and said "Do you not know ze concept of sexual harassment?" The operator couldn't hold back the laughs from the scene that was unfolding. One of the most powerful beings in the galaxy dealing with a fan girling operative who happens to lead one of the most freed special ops groups in the galaxy and also happens to be the best operative that Kampfer has. Kampfer gave a stern look at him and returned his attention to the giggling Colonel Pyrus. He faced palm himself and said "Zis is vhy I haven't promoted you to General" Pyurs giving no heed to his comment still ogled him as she passed him the report of Death's head unit operations that have gone down around the galaxy especially in the Galactic Imperial Empire. Kampfer seemed pleased by the accomplishments of the group undermining the Empire underneath there nose without them even knowing, from various forms of sabotage, assassinations and other criminal offenses in the disguise of a Terrorist organization known as the "Black Skulls". Arthur came up to Kampfer and said "Kampfer, may I go to this place called Earth City, I wish to know how the troops are doing" as he looked up at him. Kmapfer nodded his head in agreement knowing that he could handle himself and also because of his primitive looking nature, people will just think he's just a random droid walking around and plus he won't be interfered with by the soldiers since he's actually not registered on the battle network and so they won't know who he is. So with all that in mind Kampfer was able to get on a dropship and sent him the the slowly repairing Earth City as Kampfer stayed at the HQ, plotting more of his plan.
"OH how I so miss, Kampfy, it gets so lonely doing all those covert operations" she said as she rubs her face on his leg. Kampfer struggling to get her off said "Come on, Pyrus, ve all always have zis problem every time you see me" The colonel looked up and said "But I looovvvveee yyyooouuu" she kept rubbing her head on his leg as he tried kicking her off of him. "I remember a time zat you hated me" Kampfer said to her looking down at her with cross arms. She looked up at him with eyes of reassurement and said "Well that was the old me, I-I am the new me and this new me did another drawing for you" she pulled out her drawing book and flipped to a page that has Kampfer on it in a very questionable pose. Kampfer looked away and forced the book closed and said "Do you not know ze concept of sexual harassment?" The operator couldn't hold back the laughs from the scene that was unfolding. One of the most powerful beings in the galaxy dealing with a fan girling operative who happens to lead one of the most freed special ops groups in the galaxy and also happens to be the best operative that Kampfer has. Kampfer gave a stern look at him and returned his attention to the giggling Colonel Pyrus. He faced palm himself and said "Zis is vhy I haven't promoted you to General" Pyurs giving no heed to his comment still ogled him as she passed him the report of Death's head unit operations that have gone down around the galaxy especially in the Galactic Imperial Empire. Kampfer seemed pleased by the accomplishments of the group undermining the Empire underneath there nose without them even knowing, from various forms of sabotage, assassinations and other criminal offenses in the disguise of a Terrorist organization known as the "Black Skulls". Arthur came up to Kampfer and said "Kampfer, may I go to this place called Earth City, I wish to know how the troops are doing" as he looked up at him. Kmapfer nodded his head in agreement knowing that he could handle himself and also because of his primitive looking nature, people will just think he's just a random droid walking around and plus he won't be interfered with by the soldiers since he's actually not registered on the battle network and so they won't know who he is. So with all that in mind Kampfer was able to get on a dropship and sent him the the slowly repairing Earth City as Kampfer stayed at the HQ, plotting more of his plan.
Royanna listened to the boy talk in silence, still leaning over, head hung to look down at the floor. She disagreed with most of what he said, but it wasn’t his fault. There was a lot he had no way of knowing – like how there was a precedent for comparison, considering that the unit had been specifically created for the sole purpose of getting that damnable Devil Eye.
The important thing was that he was trying. That meant far more to Royanna than she would ever be capable of expressing. It wasn’t that she never received support – but rather that her support was always as cold and sterile as the Imperial halls. As hollow as everything in the Empire, it seemed. Not that there was anything wrong with hollow.
She gritted her teeth at his mention that she could beat on him. It was sort of a subtle snarl, and it seemed for all the world, for one brief moment, that she might stand and take him up on the offer – just wail on him once or twice. A few good knocks wherever it felt the best to hit. He had gotten close enough for it, and his meekness, his nervousness – both made him the perfect target for someone who needed to take out their aggressions…Especially if they wanted to be mean about it.
But the angle at which her head was hung had the effect of changing how her expression appeared outwardly – for in reality it was a grin that she had been unable to suppress.
Nevertheless, any possibility that she might strike him was dashed and cleared when, despite everything, totally and startlingly out of character, she laughed.
Royanna was a stern woman, to say the least – it wasn’t that she was incapable of laughter, there was just little to laugh at in her life. But this laugh was not in reaction to any humor – not really. It was the inward sort of desperate laugh that might have been sobs if there had been just a little more sadness in it. Indeed she’d laugh for a long while– not too loud, nothing overwhelming, but still strange.
No, she was not incapable of laughter – it was simply difficult to imagine her laughing, even in this helpless, humorless sort of laugh. She shook her head.
Eventually she managed to calm herself. ”Don’t be stupid, kid.” She said, perhaps a little too harshly, though the inflection was subtle and probably unintentional. ”I’m not gonna’ hit you. Why in space would I wanna’ hit you?”
Again she shook her head, looked back to the floor. ”There’s a whole lot of people in this ‘Verse that I’d really love to give a good beating, but you’re a few galaxies far away from being one of them.”
At last Royanna leaned back some, rubbed at her eyes with her palms. ”You’re a good kid, y’know. You’re a real good kid. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.” Then she sat up again, took hands from her face, pointed with one vaguely stern index finger right at him. ”But I’ll tell you right now kid, if you ever let someone beat on you to make them feel better, I will personally slap the stupid out of you.”
(Don’t worry about a short post Harlan~ I’m still working on figuring out what to do with your little group though, so it might be a little while before I reply to that portion.)
(And no worries Bravo, that’s why I tried to keep it vague~)
The important thing was that he was trying. That meant far more to Royanna than she would ever be capable of expressing. It wasn’t that she never received support – but rather that her support was always as cold and sterile as the Imperial halls. As hollow as everything in the Empire, it seemed. Not that there was anything wrong with hollow.
She gritted her teeth at his mention that she could beat on him. It was sort of a subtle snarl, and it seemed for all the world, for one brief moment, that she might stand and take him up on the offer – just wail on him once or twice. A few good knocks wherever it felt the best to hit. He had gotten close enough for it, and his meekness, his nervousness – both made him the perfect target for someone who needed to take out their aggressions…Especially if they wanted to be mean about it.
But the angle at which her head was hung had the effect of changing how her expression appeared outwardly – for in reality it was a grin that she had been unable to suppress.
Nevertheless, any possibility that she might strike him was dashed and cleared when, despite everything, totally and startlingly out of character, she laughed.
Royanna was a stern woman, to say the least – it wasn’t that she was incapable of laughter, there was just little to laugh at in her life. But this laugh was not in reaction to any humor – not really. It was the inward sort of desperate laugh that might have been sobs if there had been just a little more sadness in it. Indeed she’d laugh for a long while– not too loud, nothing overwhelming, but still strange.
No, she was not incapable of laughter – it was simply difficult to imagine her laughing, even in this helpless, humorless sort of laugh. She shook her head.
Eventually she managed to calm herself. ”Don’t be stupid, kid.” She said, perhaps a little too harshly, though the inflection was subtle and probably unintentional. ”I’m not gonna’ hit you. Why in space would I wanna’ hit you?”
Again she shook her head, looked back to the floor. ”There’s a whole lot of people in this ‘Verse that I’d really love to give a good beating, but you’re a few galaxies far away from being one of them.”
At last Royanna leaned back some, rubbed at her eyes with her palms. ”You’re a good kid, y’know. You’re a real good kid. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.” Then she sat up again, took hands from her face, pointed with one vaguely stern index finger right at him. ”But I’ll tell you right now kid, if you ever let someone beat on you to make them feel better, I will personally slap the stupid out of you.”
(Don’t worry about a short post Harlan~ I’m still working on figuring out what to do with your little group though, so it might be a little while before I reply to that portion.)
(And no worries Bravo, that’s why I tried to keep it vague~)
(Ok Petro, no rush)
The field between the Bullet and the crashed Jaëggernaut were clean in the most clear sense. Birds and Earth-like animals were deep hidden in the jungle, the skies above his head was pale blue and even the sight of a scorched city seemed to fuse along with the horizon. There was literally nothing on the Mad Ranger's way to the Bravo's ship. He wasn't going to wait for anyone.
Slightly darting unto a jog, the Ranger tried to get into flanking position as he approached the Jaëggernaut. He sought for the least exposed part of the it, in attempt to avoid any unnecessary contact with any further rogue AIs buried deep within. Aware that Bravo technology were something beyond his knowledge on military equipment, CL merely gestured towards Aelyn and his crew back at the bullet. Someone not naive on tactics would know he was signalling to approach with care and with the team scattered if possible...
Yet, there was someone unaware of his situation, and just kept it's communication channels open...
"Unarmed? Vague? Pfft. If you're daft like that, you'd better get the **** away from the Ranger." - The smug voice of the unknown speaker suddenly turned into a cold, eerie tone. "Unless you want to have your... Heh, heh, what a joke, "Unarmed Civilian Starship" blown from it's innards with an planet-scale nuke, 'Captain'." Surely, Aelyn had his share of dealing with greedy mercenaries before, as was with the Ranger, but this one was on a totally different scale. Not only he was talking with someone who's probably leading a whole fleet of money-thirsty psychopaths of all sorts - bounty hunters, space pirates and ransomers alike - but AP succeeded in making the man think his fleet was now exposed to the, still unseen, Stella Viventium.
Not only that, but there was a slight spark of vague truth on his words about the Mad Ranger. After all, Aelyn did heard rumors like that before. Albeit why CL would have any hostile intentions on someone who could pull him away from that planet with precious information were far unknown.
[For the love of god, if someone sees something wrong with my writing, tell me straight away, please. e_e]
Slightly darting unto a jog, the Ranger tried to get into flanking position as he approached the Jaëggernaut. He sought for the least exposed part of the it, in attempt to avoid any unnecessary contact with any further rogue AIs buried deep within. Aware that Bravo technology were something beyond his knowledge on military equipment, CL merely gestured towards Aelyn and his crew back at the bullet. Someone not naive on tactics would know he was signalling to approach with care and with the team scattered if possible...
Yet, there was someone unaware of his situation, and just kept it's communication channels open...
"Unarmed? Vague? Pfft. If you're daft like that, you'd better get the **** away from the Ranger." - The smug voice of the unknown speaker suddenly turned into a cold, eerie tone. "Unless you want to have your... Heh, heh, what a joke, "Unarmed Civilian Starship" blown from it's innards with an planet-scale nuke, 'Captain'." Surely, Aelyn had his share of dealing with greedy mercenaries before, as was with the Ranger, but this one was on a totally different scale. Not only he was talking with someone who's probably leading a whole fleet of money-thirsty psychopaths of all sorts - bounty hunters, space pirates and ransomers alike - but AP succeeded in making the man think his fleet was now exposed to the, still unseen, Stella Viventium.
Not only that, but there was a slight spark of vague truth on his words about the Mad Ranger. After all, Aelyn did heard rumors like that before. Albeit why CL would have any hostile intentions on someone who could pull him away from that planet with precious information were far unknown.
[For the love of god, if someone sees something wrong with my writing, tell me straight away, please. e_e]
Nirix wasn't too pleased, it was obvious enough as soon, a small frown found her face. She had seen it, could almost predict it as clear as day, his sense of adventure or rather his sense for trouble. It was like he was a magnet for all kinds of disasters. Disasters that the cautious Eoclu would've very much like to avoid. So it made sense to her that her first reaction was to respond with a hard and firm 'NO', frowning with disapproval as much as mother would after discovering her child had done something wrong.
But this was Kete. As previously stated, the Da'len had a knack for stirring up trouble. Sure, Nirix could advise him not to go towards the south where obviously something would be waiting for them to discover. Yet she knew for a fact that something or other would drag him that way and into trouble of some sort. No matter, how attached she had grown over him, saying no wasn't going to cut it.
Ketin would find a way. He always found a way.
So, with an inward sigh, Nirix reluctantly caved in.
"We could go check it out," She replied, surprisingly calm and collective despite the danger of agree to this situation. "However, you will take this. At least for the sake of caution, I doubt the jungle wildlife will be so kind to us" The Eoclu advised, pulling her pistol from it's holster and handing it to him with great care. His path of dangerous adventure was nothing new for Nirix to adapt to; her life was led in almost the same fashion. Quieter and with less attention, but still the same.
Or so Nirix wanted to believe...
Looking at the environment around them, she smiled again at the sense of familiarity. It was darker than the jungles of her home world, being that the night sky lacked the light of three moons that hung in Sandioh's skies, and not quiet as humid but Nirix believed she could adapt all the same.
She would have to, if only to keep Ketin out of trouble.
But this was Kete. As previously stated, the Da'len had a knack for stirring up trouble. Sure, Nirix could advise him not to go towards the south where obviously something would be waiting for them to discover. Yet she knew for a fact that something or other would drag him that way and into trouble of some sort. No matter, how attached she had grown over him, saying no wasn't going to cut it.
Ketin would find a way. He always found a way.
So, with an inward sigh, Nirix reluctantly caved in.
"We could go check it out," She replied, surprisingly calm and collective despite the danger of agree to this situation. "However, you will take this. At least for the sake of caution, I doubt the jungle wildlife will be so kind to us" The Eoclu advised, pulling her pistol from it's holster and handing it to him with great care. His path of dangerous adventure was nothing new for Nirix to adapt to; her life was led in almost the same fashion. Quieter and with less attention, but still the same.
Or so Nirix wanted to believe...
Looking at the environment around them, she smiled again at the sense of familiarity. It was darker than the jungles of her home world, being that the night sky lacked the light of three moons that hung in Sandioh's skies, and not quiet as humid but Nirix believed she could adapt all the same.
She would have to, if only to keep Ketin out of trouble.
[That ship has been operating safely since before you were born. ’unarmed’I does NOT mean ’defenseless’, and I suggest you keep that in mind. Your input is acknowledged and appreciated. Myself and crew are currently searching for Sol. If you have anything useful to provide for us in that search then you are my ally. Otherwise you need to explain to me why I was ever informed of your existence in the first place.]
Though he was still replying to the mystery people via BrainPal text, there was an incredible sum of snippiness in that one. It was almost as if AP had gotten downright sick of them already. Then, he was downright sick of a lot of things right now. He looked up passively at the sky, which was just barely beginning to break into the light of early dawn, a dark, pale blue through the jungle canopy, showcased above the clearing that the great chunk of starship had made upon it’s violent collision with the surface.
As CL trotted ahead and signaled for an approach and spread-out, Aelyn relayed the orders via BrainPal – apparently on one of the frequencies which required it to be actually implanted, instead of the Ranger’s integrated version, since he wouldn’t hear it.
He would be spoken to, however. (Again, due to the limitations of the non-implant version of the BrainPal, it was a one-way transmission unless CL wanted to reply on a secure radio band that AP’s implant could pick up.
Your friends claim that you are a threat. I should inform you that the gun I carry is not a conventional firearm. You of all people would really not want to be shot with it. I am just as capable of taking you out as you are me. That said, besides the fact that we’re all more valuable to you alive than dead, you have proven trustworthy and will not be treated otherwise until I am given a reason. That I can assure you.
The crew spread out. Harkahn and Volo went to work, scrounging, analyzing, doing science things. Rivierre did her usual defensive thing, and Aelyn-Paeryc Petrovalyc with wife just sort of explored, looked around. They were, of course, just as alert and involved as the rest, but the two of them never really seemed to be involved in anything at all. It seemed, at least as of now, that the operation might not be too dangerous after all.
As of now.
There was a sound off in the bushes. Barely audible, questionable even in its existence. Aelyn had noticed it, but discounted it.
By the time the Hitzen soldiers’ little stealth transport had finally found land again, morning was just barely peering over the icy horizon.
“So strange, thinking only yesterday we would have gunned eachother down on sight.” one of them mused, in that vaguely Chinese Hitzen accent. Then, “There’s your abandoned military base.” And there it was, far down, half-buried beneath the ice and snow.
That place is creepy as ****. We seriously goin’ in there? Probably some kinda’ ancient Space Nazi **** or somethin’.” Dallen said, peering out the window of the paper-thin craft.
They landed in the only spot that really looked wide and stable enough. The man who had been wounded – Tze – was doing better now after the meager rest he had been able to catch along the way through the night.
Sand stood for a long moment on the edge of the small, icy plateau which constituted a landing pad, hands in pockets and rifle slung over shoulder, just looking out at the arctic sea where the sun was just beginning to peer over. It sure did seem peaceful all the way out here, he thought.
Back to reality, Dallen gave him a light shove and he proceeded with the rest inside. The plateau had been situated on a ridge of glacier which had encroached over the once exposed building. There was a fence surrounding a large portion, but the ice allowed one to bypass it altogether and access the one remaining exposed door. As it happened it was an access door, leading into a hallway in which the first feature was a janitors’ closet.
Farther down however the place began to expand, larger and larger. It had clearly been, at one point, a very large scale operation. Much had been stripped away, but much remained as well. It did not have an excessively high-tech feel to it like the new bases did, further adding to the eerie oldness of it.
”So, uh, any idea what this place actually was?” Dallen asked, leaning in. Unlike Sand, she had her rifle drawn and held at the ready, simply unable t trust this cold, stifling, empty, dead place which could have echoed with the ghosts of the long gone for all it was.
”I wonder what an errant band of soldiers with no cause left to fight for would do in our situation.” said one of the other soldiers – Hdz’ra Sen. Osan Tsuan replied, adjusting his own rifle slung over back ”There is no chance we could take them. Even from inside. He has the whole world now.” but he didn’t seem too tore up about it. After all, the three of them seemed to agree that they no longer had anything to fight for.
”One last run maybe? Go on a suicide mission, see how close we can get to ‘im?” Suggested Dallen as the group continued walking down the seemingly endless corridors, looking for…they weren’t sure what. Maybe Harlan knew.
”It would be stupid. We’re not the cast of an old war novel where that sort of thing gets pulled off with the power of unity.” Sand replied.
”**** Sand, that almost sounded downright snippy.”
“Unintended. I’m a little tired. Not easy to sleep in a machine with walls two centimeters thick.”
Half in jest, Tze piped up ”Heh, maybe we could become mercenaries or guns for hire. Probably there’s an old ship here we could use for a home base.”
”Wasn’t there an old aethervision show about that? Some resistance soldiers or whatever going rogue after they lose the war an’ doin’ odd jobs? Like smuggling n’****. Fire...flamey...shiny...something?”
“I know exactly the show you’re talking about. Can’t think of the name, but it couldn’t have been very good since it got canceled after 14 episodes.”
And poor, still-traumatized, gone-way-out-there Private Reltakov just walked along behind them, saying nothing.
The funny part about all of it was that – though she had no way of knowing this – if the assassin had said ‘no’ then Ketin most likely would have shrugged his shoulders, said ‘It’s probably nothing anyway’ and gone on some other business instead.
But despite the fact that he could feel her doubts, knew the notion coming from the back of his head was the mirrored reading of her protest, he still wanted to go see. Seemingly for no reason besides simple curiosity.
Then he noticed that she was holding something out for him, wanted him to take it. Eyes widened, and he made an expression as though she had just handed him a live grenade. He put his hands up, protesting.
”W-what? No, no that’s fine I won’t need it.” carefully, he would sort of push it back toward her with open palm.
If she insisted, he would continue. Each time she tried to get him to take it, no matter what she might say, he was infuriatingly adamant. ”No, really it’s fine….I don’t know how to use these!...No, I’d probably just shoot my foot off anyway!...You’re better off keeping it, I’ll just stay close to you…”
Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Kete didn’t even want to touch the thing, as if he were allergic to it.
Eventually, since he had such an absolutely infuriating sense of patience, he would come out victorious. Ketin Clarke could annoy almost anyone into submission. Not the most noble super power, but it might still earn him a place of honor in the Not-So-Fantastic Five.
Even if she had managed to hold out against his enraging persistence and thickheadedness for this long, he would proceed with ending it decisively by – again, possibly flaring the temper – just turning on a heel, shoving hands in pockets, and just walking away. South.
”Nope! Don’t want it. I’d just end up with another notch in my ear.” then, switching topics on a dime, ”Boy, this planet’s kind of a drag, isn’t it? I dunno’ about you but I wanna’ get off this rock before more things start exploding. Maybe…Maybe that sound was a crashed alien flying saucer. And we’ll help them figure out how to grow corn and they’ll be so thankful that they’ll give us a ride. Maybe just to the nearest station, wherever that is.”
Despite the jungle shrubs beneath his feet, Ketin Clarke hardly made a sound when he walked, even just strolling casually along as he was now, likely with Nirix in tow.
Then, suddenly, Kete froze, tensed up. He held up a finger and shushed. An ear flicked. He looked around. ”D’y’hear that?” he whispered in so inaudible a tone that only the sensitive ears of a foxkin or Eoclu would hope to hear. ”Must be the aliens.”
And here one might have thought he was taking the moment seriously! Trying to locate whatever had made the sound since it could be after them!
But it wasn’t all jest. There had been a sound. Something distant, small, metallic.
Kete lowered himself down to a position better suited for sneaking. Thanks to his size, crouched as he was only the pointy ears would stick out from the majority of the undergrowth. He moved forward, peeked over for a half second before ducking back into relative invisibility.
He had been fully aware of the people who were rummaging through the starship wreck about fifty feet prior, but it was more fun to look at them with his eyes. The view from theirs was there anyway, in the back of his head. He could look whenever he wanted.
One of them felt extremely strange in his head, however. It was hard to pinpoint. He had dealt with artificial intelligences before, and it didn’t seem like that. It wasn’t the mask that the eyes were looking through, either. What was it about that Masked Man? Kete was, admittedly, mildly curious. But that was not the driving force of his actions.
One of them looked in their direction – the guy with the long, black hair and inky eyes. He was strange too. Hard to describe, but it was almost like he were seeing the afterimage of a fully functional human brain. It was an alien sight and made no sense – admittedly, mildly curious. But that was still not the driving force of his actions.
It was the young woman he was most interested in, because she had a black wire that jutted from her temple, fit snugly along the side of her face and disappeared behind her ear. As he watched her, he fingered his own black wire. She had eyes like his.
Well, not exactly like his. Hardly like his at all, besides being cybernetic and transferring sight-data to nearby, specially designed transmitters which seemed to have the equivalent of protective, obscuring tubes around all the bands. Implants of some kind.
Not just visual data, he could tell. It acted as a sonar, he could feel it, vaguely comprehend it as he was looking at the mirror of her mind within his own. Sonar and more – radar, all kinds of data! All being transferred to those brain implants. Every one of them must have been completely aware of their surroundings through that woman’s weird, grey and gold eyes. There had to be some connection.
And yet…he couldn’t be sure that it was this he was interested in. Part of him wanted to forget he had ever seen the woman and her weird radar-eyes.
What he did know was that he wanted off this rock, and there was a small shuttle parked just at the edge of the crater…
”D’you know how to fly a spaceship?” He whispered to her, again inaudible toall but the most sensitive ears that he and his companion had alike.
But really, who in Space used the word ‘spaceship’? NOBODY. It was a horrendously stupid word. All ships were spaceships. All ships were in space. Space wasn’t only in space. It was like calling a coach bus a ‘rolly-land-thing’.
(Seriously Ranger, I know I already said it but your writing is great. And I still wish I could convince you to be interested again.)
(*Shamelesspuppydogeyesguilttrip*)
Though he was still replying to the mystery people via BrainPal text, there was an incredible sum of snippiness in that one. It was almost as if AP had gotten downright sick of them already. Then, he was downright sick of a lot of things right now. He looked up passively at the sky, which was just barely beginning to break into the light of early dawn, a dark, pale blue through the jungle canopy, showcased above the clearing that the great chunk of starship had made upon it’s violent collision with the surface.
As CL trotted ahead and signaled for an approach and spread-out, Aelyn relayed the orders via BrainPal – apparently on one of the frequencies which required it to be actually implanted, instead of the Ranger’s integrated version, since he wouldn’t hear it.
He would be spoken to, however. (Again, due to the limitations of the non-implant version of the BrainPal, it was a one-way transmission unless CL wanted to reply on a secure radio band that AP’s implant could pick up.
Your friends claim that you are a threat. I should inform you that the gun I carry is not a conventional firearm. You of all people would really not want to be shot with it. I am just as capable of taking you out as you are me. That said, besides the fact that we’re all more valuable to you alive than dead, you have proven trustworthy and will not be treated otherwise until I am given a reason. That I can assure you.
The crew spread out. Harkahn and Volo went to work, scrounging, analyzing, doing science things. Rivierre did her usual defensive thing, and Aelyn-Paeryc Petrovalyc with wife just sort of explored, looked around. They were, of course, just as alert and involved as the rest, but the two of them never really seemed to be involved in anything at all. It seemed, at least as of now, that the operation might not be too dangerous after all.
As of now.
There was a sound off in the bushes. Barely audible, questionable even in its existence. Aelyn had noticed it, but discounted it.
By the time the Hitzen soldiers’ little stealth transport had finally found land again, morning was just barely peering over the icy horizon.
“So strange, thinking only yesterday we would have gunned eachother down on sight.” one of them mused, in that vaguely Chinese Hitzen accent. Then, “There’s your abandoned military base.” And there it was, far down, half-buried beneath the ice and snow.
That place is creepy as ****. We seriously goin’ in there? Probably some kinda’ ancient Space Nazi **** or somethin’.” Dallen said, peering out the window of the paper-thin craft.
They landed in the only spot that really looked wide and stable enough. The man who had been wounded – Tze – was doing better now after the meager rest he had been able to catch along the way through the night.
Sand stood for a long moment on the edge of the small, icy plateau which constituted a landing pad, hands in pockets and rifle slung over shoulder, just looking out at the arctic sea where the sun was just beginning to peer over. It sure did seem peaceful all the way out here, he thought.
Back to reality, Dallen gave him a light shove and he proceeded with the rest inside. The plateau had been situated on a ridge of glacier which had encroached over the once exposed building. There was a fence surrounding a large portion, but the ice allowed one to bypass it altogether and access the one remaining exposed door. As it happened it was an access door, leading into a hallway in which the first feature was a janitors’ closet.
Farther down however the place began to expand, larger and larger. It had clearly been, at one point, a very large scale operation. Much had been stripped away, but much remained as well. It did not have an excessively high-tech feel to it like the new bases did, further adding to the eerie oldness of it.
”So, uh, any idea what this place actually was?” Dallen asked, leaning in. Unlike Sand, she had her rifle drawn and held at the ready, simply unable t trust this cold, stifling, empty, dead place which could have echoed with the ghosts of the long gone for all it was.
”I wonder what an errant band of soldiers with no cause left to fight for would do in our situation.” said one of the other soldiers – Hdz’ra Sen. Osan Tsuan replied, adjusting his own rifle slung over back ”There is no chance we could take them. Even from inside. He has the whole world now.” but he didn’t seem too tore up about it. After all, the three of them seemed to agree that they no longer had anything to fight for.
”One last run maybe? Go on a suicide mission, see how close we can get to ‘im?” Suggested Dallen as the group continued walking down the seemingly endless corridors, looking for…they weren’t sure what. Maybe Harlan knew.
”It would be stupid. We’re not the cast of an old war novel where that sort of thing gets pulled off with the power of unity.” Sand replied.
”**** Sand, that almost sounded downright snippy.”
“Unintended. I’m a little tired. Not easy to sleep in a machine with walls two centimeters thick.”
Half in jest, Tze piped up ”Heh, maybe we could become mercenaries or guns for hire. Probably there’s an old ship here we could use for a home base.”
”Wasn’t there an old aethervision show about that? Some resistance soldiers or whatever going rogue after they lose the war an’ doin’ odd jobs? Like smuggling n’****. Fire...flamey...shiny...something?”
“I know exactly the show you’re talking about. Can’t think of the name, but it couldn’t have been very good since it got canceled after 14 episodes.”
And poor, still-traumatized, gone-way-out-there Private Reltakov just walked along behind them, saying nothing.
The funny part about all of it was that – though she had no way of knowing this – if the assassin had said ‘no’ then Ketin most likely would have shrugged his shoulders, said ‘It’s probably nothing anyway’ and gone on some other business instead.
But despite the fact that he could feel her doubts, knew the notion coming from the back of his head was the mirrored reading of her protest, he still wanted to go see. Seemingly for no reason besides simple curiosity.
Then he noticed that she was holding something out for him, wanted him to take it. Eyes widened, and he made an expression as though she had just handed him a live grenade. He put his hands up, protesting.
”W-what? No, no that’s fine I won’t need it.” carefully, he would sort of push it back toward her with open palm.
If she insisted, he would continue. Each time she tried to get him to take it, no matter what she might say, he was infuriatingly adamant. ”No, really it’s fine….I don’t know how to use these!...No, I’d probably just shoot my foot off anyway!...You’re better off keeping it, I’ll just stay close to you…”
Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Kete didn’t even want to touch the thing, as if he were allergic to it.
Eventually, since he had such an absolutely infuriating sense of patience, he would come out victorious. Ketin Clarke could annoy almost anyone into submission. Not the most noble super power, but it might still earn him a place of honor in the Not-So-Fantastic Five.
Even if she had managed to hold out against his enraging persistence and thickheadedness for this long, he would proceed with ending it decisively by – again, possibly flaring the temper – just turning on a heel, shoving hands in pockets, and just walking away. South.
”Nope! Don’t want it. I’d just end up with another notch in my ear.” then, switching topics on a dime, ”Boy, this planet’s kind of a drag, isn’t it? I dunno’ about you but I wanna’ get off this rock before more things start exploding. Maybe…Maybe that sound was a crashed alien flying saucer. And we’ll help them figure out how to grow corn and they’ll be so thankful that they’ll give us a ride. Maybe just to the nearest station, wherever that is.”
Despite the jungle shrubs beneath his feet, Ketin Clarke hardly made a sound when he walked, even just strolling casually along as he was now, likely with Nirix in tow.
Then, suddenly, Kete froze, tensed up. He held up a finger and shushed. An ear flicked. He looked around. ”D’y’hear that?” he whispered in so inaudible a tone that only the sensitive ears of a foxkin or Eoclu would hope to hear. ”Must be the aliens.”
And here one might have thought he was taking the moment seriously! Trying to locate whatever had made the sound since it could be after them!
But it wasn’t all jest. There had been a sound. Something distant, small, metallic.
Kete lowered himself down to a position better suited for sneaking. Thanks to his size, crouched as he was only the pointy ears would stick out from the majority of the undergrowth. He moved forward, peeked over for a half second before ducking back into relative invisibility.
He had been fully aware of the people who were rummaging through the starship wreck about fifty feet prior, but it was more fun to look at them with his eyes. The view from theirs was there anyway, in the back of his head. He could look whenever he wanted.
One of them felt extremely strange in his head, however. It was hard to pinpoint. He had dealt with artificial intelligences before, and it didn’t seem like that. It wasn’t the mask that the eyes were looking through, either. What was it about that Masked Man? Kete was, admittedly, mildly curious. But that was not the driving force of his actions.
One of them looked in their direction – the guy with the long, black hair and inky eyes. He was strange too. Hard to describe, but it was almost like he were seeing the afterimage of a fully functional human brain. It was an alien sight and made no sense – admittedly, mildly curious. But that was still not the driving force of his actions.
It was the young woman he was most interested in, because she had a black wire that jutted from her temple, fit snugly along the side of her face and disappeared behind her ear. As he watched her, he fingered his own black wire. She had eyes like his.
Well, not exactly like his. Hardly like his at all, besides being cybernetic and transferring sight-data to nearby, specially designed transmitters which seemed to have the equivalent of protective, obscuring tubes around all the bands. Implants of some kind.
Not just visual data, he could tell. It acted as a sonar, he could feel it, vaguely comprehend it as he was looking at the mirror of her mind within his own. Sonar and more – radar, all kinds of data! All being transferred to those brain implants. Every one of them must have been completely aware of their surroundings through that woman’s weird, grey and gold eyes. There had to be some connection.
And yet…he couldn’t be sure that it was this he was interested in. Part of him wanted to forget he had ever seen the woman and her weird radar-eyes.
What he did know was that he wanted off this rock, and there was a small shuttle parked just at the edge of the crater…
”D’you know how to fly a spaceship?” He whispered to her, again inaudible toall but the most sensitive ears that he and his companion had alike.
But really, who in Space used the word ‘spaceship’? NOBODY. It was a horrendously stupid word. All ships were spaceships. All ships were in space. Space wasn’t only in space. It was like calling a coach bus a ‘rolly-land-thing’.
(Seriously Ranger, I know I already said it but your writing is great. And I still wish I could convince you to be interested again.)
(*Shamelesspuppydogeyesguilttrip*)
The laughter was predictable. It was a way many took when nervous, so it didn't shock him that she too would react in such way. Indeed, it was common for people to do that.
Christofer slowly sat down while he listened to Kallenger talk. He had already gotten used to her refering to things with these strange space terms, so he barely noted them in her speach pattern.
It was quite apparent though that he hadn't done a very good job at what he had been attempting. He was disappointed.
"I won't mind it. It's a routine." The boy'd say as he stretched his legs, refering to her beating him and to 'getting the stupid slapped out of him'. "I am a decoy, that's what I do the best when compared to all the others in the group. Sure, I can do other things, but others can do those too, so... But it's an important job, and I've gotten used to it anyway." Christofer spoke as the words wouldn't really mean too much to him, it was just like some normal everyday life scenario to him.
But it was probably best to not annoy her more... The boy wasn't a mascohist - all the time - he wouldn't mind the beating for the time being, but he would come to regret it later. Christofer got up, standing straight slowly not wanting to get all dizzy due to sudden movement.
"... I'll let you get some rest now... Is that ok?" He'd look at her after turning slightly to face the direction where he had come from. it frustirated him that he hadn't managed to truly help her to lighten the mood and take away the bad feelings, but with some medication still circulating inside him, it was for the best for them both that he go back to his 'room' and let the lady get some rest.
Christofer slowly sat down while he listened to Kallenger talk. He had already gotten used to her refering to things with these strange space terms, so he barely noted them in her speach pattern.
It was quite apparent though that he hadn't done a very good job at what he had been attempting. He was disappointed.
"I won't mind it. It's a routine." The boy'd say as he stretched his legs, refering to her beating him and to 'getting the stupid slapped out of him'. "I am a decoy, that's what I do the best when compared to all the others in the group. Sure, I can do other things, but others can do those too, so... But it's an important job, and I've gotten used to it anyway." Christofer spoke as the words wouldn't really mean too much to him, it was just like some normal everyday life scenario to him.
But it was probably best to not annoy her more... The boy wasn't a mascohist - all the time - he wouldn't mind the beating for the time being, but he would come to regret it later. Christofer got up, standing straight slowly not wanting to get all dizzy due to sudden movement.
"... I'll let you get some rest now... Is that ok?" He'd look at her after turning slightly to face the direction where he had come from. it frustirated him that he hadn't managed to truly help her to lighten the mood and take away the bad feelings, but with some medication still circulating inside him, it was for the best for them both that he go back to his 'room' and let the lady get some rest.
Harlan, after listening to the group's musings, heads off down a central hallway that cuts straight through the base. AS he is walking, he calls back over his shoulder, "All of you stay in the central room! I'll be right back!" He continues down the hallway until he finds what he was looking for. The security room that contains the controls near everything in the base. Only problem was that the door was locked with an electronic lock, all the electricity was off and the on switch was in the room. Harlan begins prying at the door and smacking the handle with the butt of his gun, but to no avail. He eventually gives in and pulls a grenade from his belt. He drops it right in front of the door and sprints away, slides behind an upturned desk that was dragged into the hallway, and covers his ears. The explosion rings out down the hallway and Harlan stands up. He walks over to the door and pulls himself through the hole created by the grenade. He looks around at the booth for a moment before flipping on all the power. A humming sound echoes through the base as the aged fluorescent lights slowly flicker on.
Emperor Arthur ordered the pilot of the dropship to drop him off in the jungle, relatively close to the wreckage of the Juggernaut, but not in eye's view or sound hearing of the "archaeological crew" since he picked up on his sensitive sensors a abrupt hit and slight shockwave as the dropship approached the coast and he was curious on what it was. As hit landed on his feet upon the fauna, he went into the direction of the mysterious impact signal. He made sure to turn on his overshield just in case it started to heat up. Of course, Emperor could be stealthy but couldn't really, unlike his other brethren who come equipped with cloaking devices, since he generates so much power that anyone who can detect any energy fluctuations will instantly see him coming miles away. He soon stopped and hid in a bush and was mesmerized by the presence of the Juggernaut and the interesting characters that were walking around it, but he instantly knew who Aylen was since his image is in the network. He even saw a pair of fox like ears right on the other side of the wreckage, which let him know he wasn't the only one alone here investigating...but something more sinister was approaching the now larger group of individuals in the area.
Out of the jungle came a large(8ft)black mechanical looking knight, its head was like a knight with the classic face guard and slit but no eye's could be seen but an orange yellowish glow from it. Despite it was made of metal, but it seemed like it was made out of industrial junk and parts of its body like the underarms and parts of its torso also glow orange-yellow color. It didn't have hands but have two cylinders with nozzles at end of them with a little flame on them respectively on each hand. This monstrosity is a Dendril Pyro, a quite common Dendril in a sense of being the one is usually operates only on planets, but rare to see in combat with other Dendril's. As he moved slowly towards the wreckage it spots some of the team and went ahead and ignite its cylinders and spit out fire from them...flamethrowers for hands.
Out of the jungle came a large(8ft)black mechanical looking knight, its head was like a knight with the classic face guard and slit but no eye's could be seen but an orange yellowish glow from it. Despite it was made of metal, but it seemed like it was made out of industrial junk and parts of its body like the underarms and parts of its torso also glow orange-yellow color. It didn't have hands but have two cylinders with nozzles at end of them with a little flame on them respectively on each hand. This monstrosity is a Dendril Pyro, a quite common Dendril in a sense of being the one is usually operates only on planets, but rare to see in combat with other Dendril's. As he moved slowly towards the wreckage it spots some of the team and went ahead and ignite its cylinders and spit out fire from them...flamethrowers for hands.
You are on: Forums » Sci-Fi Roleplay » The Galaxy Wide
Moderators: Mina, Keke, Cass, Claine, Sanne, Dragonfire, Ilmarinen, Darth_Angelus